fountain pen taboos - don't enter if you're easily offended

[lovemy51]

I can't see the rant and raving of MB at all. Yes, I do and have owned them. Thanks

don't understand why you can't see it then...

Edited August 9, 2011 by lovemy51

[fncll]

Just as some people don't have "golden ears" to hear differences in recordings or stereo equipment, I don't have golden hands... so many cheap pens write, to my hands, as well-- or in many cases better than-- some of my more expensive highly recommended and/or vintage pens. My Pelikan M800 is a poor writer. Average writers, though they *look* really nice: Omas Paragon, Bexley Submariner, vintage Pelikan M100... I could go on.

[singh.simran]

Is there any science in FP design/production?

 

Well, presumably there is, but I imagine the companies want to keep it under wraps. But since the bits that presumably have a way to effect the way a pen writes come in at something under £10 then there's no reason a cheap pen shouldn't write as well as a £500 pen. Leave aside the gold/steel nib issue (and even a gold nib is worth, what, a fiver?) feeds and ink supply systems can't cost a lot, and once you realise how to 1. make a nib that writes well and 2. how to supply ink to that nib at the right rate, both of which are matters of physics / trial and error.. what else is there to do?

[777]

This is a fun topic - let me add please.

 

I hate private reserve inks labels. They look like someones bad power-point job. This is hwy I hate buying PR ink...

 

Pelikan brilliant green is water with a 1/10 drop of green food coloring in it...

 

Slim pens, and those "nail-head" pens are hideous. I just hate them... \

 

All metal pens look to fancy, unless it's done right like a VP.

 

The Parker 51 is both over-rated, and under-rated.

 

Pelikans are overpriced, but I still love my M805.

 

In fact, almost all modern FP's are overpriced.

 

Gold nibs are TOTALLY over-rated...

 

People who are into flex pens seem to be somewhat snobbish. Not all of them mind you. But they're always talking about how that pen is not a "real" flex nib, and how back in the days flex was this and that...

 

What else...

 

Oh yea - I really do hate c/c fillers. There is but a small handful of pens that I'll buy with c/c fillers. They so B O R I N G . . .

 

I don't like random collections... Sometimes I see someones pen-collection, and it looks like a bunch of random pens, each one without a purpose. My collection is very carefully picked, chosen, and used.

 

Whew, it was quite nice to get that all out. Thanks for listening...

[Hohn]

On the stereo side, if you like current production Electro-Harmonix EL34 tubes instead of "classic" British Mullard EL 34's you're a expletive included!

 

Nice going, pen friends!

Come off it, everyone knows that NOS Mullards are the Grail!

 

J/K (I'm a guitar amp guy, so tubes are in my circle of familiarity)

 

I believe I've broached the topic somewhat before-- I think several pens are overpriced and underperform.

 

Here's some travesty for you: I think that as cool as pens are, none can be as historically significant as the lowly wood pencil.

 

H

[spaniard]

Monteverde converters don't fit in Kaweco Sport.

[skipwilliams]

I've owned about a dozen different Pelikan pens over the years, having sold all of them at one time, mostly due to balance issues or ink flow problems, never actual writing quality.

 

I've settled on two now,

 

1. a M640 Niagara Falls that has almost perfect balance for me. The nib is a super-smooth and reliable F that wrote out of the box well.

 

2. a M800 with two nibs, both tuned by Mike Matsuyama, an EF and a ~.7mm Cursive Italic.

 

For me, one of the big problems that I had with Pelikans was that the nib flow was too much. I had a M1000 and never could get the flow right, going all the way down to an EF.

 

If you've had problems with Pelikan, my opinion is that either you write too hard (unlikely) or you REALLY got unlucky. Buy a pen from a dealer like Richard Binder who will tune the pen exactly to your liking and verify the quality of the nib alignment. You just might change your mind.

 

The pen I REALLY wanted to like was the Pelikan Ductus, as it was a superb writer and great looking pen (even though it's a non-traditional Pelikan). Even though it was only a cartridge filler, I really liked mine. But the balance on the pen was really bad for me (unposted). The rear was just too heavy and the pen never sat right in my hands. I used it for almost 6 months on-and-off before it went to a new home.

 

Skip

 

 

1. i never had good experiences with pelikans. having collected pens since the 90s, my early pelikans were mediocre other than their prices. then i thought to progress to the limiteds and bought 3 at different times; each time the nib was scratchy and didn't write well at all. unacceptable because they were brand new. i flushed it, inspected the nibs, etc. now i wouldn't even look at a pelikan.

[fncll]

Can I just say: I love this thread! What is happening in this thread-- a little fun and conversation without rancor-- should be the norm, even in disagreement!

 

2) The Parker Sonnet is overpriced and poorly designed.

 

Amen. Before I knew how to do such things I went through two of them that didn't write well. The third, a gift, took a significant amount of tweaking/tuning just to write adequately.

 

1)Richard Binder: http://www.richardspens.com/

“Having had the opportunity to work on most models of most major brands, we have found that Pelikan pens and Pelikan nibs consistently work well for these purposes."

 

Maybe that's because so many of them NEED tweaking. I can agree that a Pelikan nib worked on by Binder is going to be a good nib

 

 

3) I am beginning to hate Lamy. (Not decided yet)

4) I hate overwetness.

7) The idea of matching the notion of fountain pen with that of letter-writing irritates me.

 

3 & 4 might be related! re #7-- if you mean as representing an anachronism, I'm with you. I personally don't associate fountain pens with letter writing, but I do associate letter writing with fountain pens, if you know what I mean.

 

***

 

Another taboo: the vast majority of expensive pens are mediocre-average writers and are all about being jewelry and or status symbols. Like much of the hokum around high-end stereo equipment.

 

And another: except for some full-overlays, overlays look cheap and tacky, like movie stars' gold overlaid coffee urns.

[fncll]

I hate demi, petite, ladies, whatever pens that don't fit in my monkey paws. They should be called "too freaking small but we want to gouge you" pens.

 

Snorkels belong on submarines and swimmers.

 

Most ink bottle design suck. Or don't allow my pens to suck enough. Or whatever.

[Mustard]

My three things are;

 

Parker 51s are hugely overrated!!!

 

Hooded nibs defeat the whole purpose of a FP.

 

And IMHO I think demonstrators are overrated and look cheap.

[aawhite]

My three things are;

 

Parker 51s are hugely overrated!!!

 

Hooded nibs defeat the whole purpose of a FP.

 

And IMHO I think demonstrators are overrated and look cheap.

 

+1 on all points.

[fncll]

I kind of get that... but I'd still take a good hooded nib over a ballpoint or a gel/rollerball, so it doesn't defeat the *whole* purpose

[Anne-Sophie]

\

 

Worse than those are those who 'critique' entire countries.

 

Or their products.

 

People who take advantage of newbies.

 

Those who blame Noodler instead of their high end clients who fill their non c/c pens with those gorgeous saturated colors then forget to clean them.

 

People who are not clear about their shipping policies.

 

Pen with high end prices, leaking joints, horrible nibs and ugly designs.

(insert pet peeve brand or pen here)

 

 

I would like to acknowledge the kindness of people, in the businesses related to our hobby who have made my transition from a user (one nice pen, 3 plastic school pens and one bottle of ink) to collector (a nice collection of pens in many colors and materials and a nice assortment of inks to match the colorful pens) a real pleasure.

 

Sam at Pendemonium, Howard at Bexley pen, Pamela at A Pen Lover Paradise, Winedoc at Internet pens, Chuck Swisher at Swisher Pens, Nathan at Noodler.

 

In addition, Griz, Sherrell Tyree and Joel Hamilton brought warmth and kindness when I attended my first DC pen show.

Edited August 10, 2011 by Anne-Sophie

[Mustard]

I kind of get that... but I'd still take a good hooded nib over a ballpoint or a gel/rollerball, so it doesn't defeat the *whole* purpose

 

That's true...

[dwwst12]

I've never quite understood the amount of time put into discussing hugely different properties of various inks. Yes, Noodler's Black actually is freakishly good on cheap paper. Yes, there are a couple of inks that I've noticed flowing significantly wetter than others. But I've never seen an ink actually fix a pen with poor flow or foul up a pen with excellent flow. Or maybe I just haven't used enough inks.

 

Just my two cents. Love the thread, and how everyone is open-minded about all of our differing opinions!

[Federer]

I hated both Lamy Safaris I owned.

 

Also hooded nibs remove all the visual appeal from a fountain pen!

Edited August 11, 2011 by Federer

[night0ne]

1. It's relative

 

2. and pointless

 

3....period.

[Mustard]

I hated both Lamy Safaris I owned.

 

Also hooded nibs remove all the visual appeal from a fountain pen!

 

+1 on hooded nibs taking away visual appeal

[Goncharov]

The humble $3 Platinum Preppy is the most reliable pen that I own.

It always starts on the first stroke and never skips; even after months of neglect. In fact, it has never misbehaved in any way thus far. It also has a surprisingly smooth nib.

And yet, I very rarely reach for it. :hmm1:

 

 

 

 

Snorkels belong on submarines and swimmers.

 

Most ink bottle design suck. Or don't allow my pens to suck enough. Or whatever.

 

If you'd embrace the Sheaffer Snorkel, you'd find ink bottle design issues to be much less problematic.

[lovemy51]

My three things are;

 

Parker 51s are hugely overrated!!!

 

Hooded nibs defeat the whole purpose of a FP.

 

And IMHO I think demonstrators are overrated and look cheap.

 

+1 on all points.

 

and what is the whole purpose of an FP?

 

a nib is a nib is a nib... that you like them expose means nothing to a lot of us.