I got a 3 pack of Pilot Varsity pens from Amazon a couple weeks ago. I loved them! I have experience with using student nib dip pens, so I already had a decent idea of how to write with a fountain pen. I journal a lot, and after giving away two of the pens to my friends, my last pen is probably going to run dry some time soon. I decided to jump head first into the hobby!

After browsing a lot, I decided on the following pens:

• Platinum Preppy, Fine converter
• Kaweco Sport, Medium (also got a syringe to refill cartridges, heard they don't do so hot with converters)
• Lamy Safari, Extra Fine converter
• Jinhao 159, #6 nib(medium?)

I also got the following ink:

• Noodler Black (3 oz)
• Diamine Raw Sienna (80 ml)
• Diamine Crimson (sample)
• Noodler Red Black (sample)
• Noodler Bad Black Moccasin (sample)
• Iroshizoko Tsuki-yo (sample)

I have some questions.

1. Would you recommend not using any of the inks I listed in any of the pens I got? I also plan on refilling my Pilot Varsity unless I discover the way it writes feels really inferior compared to the new pens.

2. How long do the sample vials last? Do they dry up if not put in a pen?

3. Do any of the inks I got have special requirements? I read something about needing to shake Noodler's bulletproof line of inks or it comes out rust brown, but I don't know if that's true of all inks?

4. How hard is changing inks in a pen? Is it difficult to wash out the old ink? What about in a pen that doesn't have a mechanism, like the Kaweco Sport? Do you really need to use distilled water? What's wrong with tap water?

Thank you so much!