@lyric as for paper, I have yet to find anything as economic and of the same quality as HP Premium 32# Laser paper. For practice, I just run it through my printer with the guidelines I want and run 20 or 30 sheets at a time. Are there better papers out there? Absolutely. Do most cost more, probably. Many are fond of Rhodia for pointed pen. If you haven't tried this paper, you may want to give it a try. I'm not fond of it for pointed pen but many are. The hairlines you can achieve on Rhodia are second to none, but you'll have to re-train your fingers as to pressure since that type of paper is quite different than the HP 32#.
As for Higgins Eternal, it's one of my favorite inks but I like adding some gum arabic to it in order to eliminate its tendency to feather. I prefer the powder form of gum arabic and I mix it with a small amount of warm distilled water until I get a consistency of pancake syrup. I then add this to the Higgins in small amounts until I get the feathering under control. I've been doing this for so long I know just about how much gum arabic syrup it will take, but until you've done it a few times, go slowly with the gum arabic and try as you go. You'll also see that the ink "feels" different coming off the nib, and will appear a bit oily but it will dry just fine. I would suggest doing this to a small portion of your Higgins, not the entire bottle. If you don't have any small dippy cups, you can use small shot glasses. I often do this when I'm out of small jars. I then just cover the shot glass containing ink with a small piece of press-and-seal plastic wrap. A small Popsicle stick makes a great stirring stick. I find those at DG for next to nothing. Another neat trick is to put your shot glass or small dippy cup in some type of small candle holder base or candy dish so it leans toward you. It makes dipping your pen with an oblique holder so much easier than with the container sitting straight up.
As for the Leaonardt Principal, it is a fantastic nib but the quality control leaves something to be desired. You can get a good one or a bad one. Just wanted to pass that along. Also, it can be a difficult nib for a beginner to master. If it's working for you, all the better. If you're having trouble, especially with the nib catching on the paper on up-strokes, you may want to try a Hunt 101 for a while and after more practice move back to the Leonardt. The 101 is a more flexible nib and will give you much wider strokes with less pressure than the Principal.
As for the Moon Palace, I also like this ink but again, based solely on my own taste and preference, I prefer to dilute it to a 50:50 ratio with distilled water. I find it flows much better and I can achieve finer hairlines once it's diluted. Moon Palace does not require gum arabic in my opinion.
Keep up the good work! And glad to be of some small assistance.
Be well,
GSC
