Start 'em Early - What's The Ideal Age To Introduce Kids To Fps?

[Floreat]

Hi all,

 

I have a wonderful little 5-and-a-half-year-old godson, and I'm very much looking forward to introducing him to fountain pens. I'll probably get him a Lamy ABC to begin with.

 

At what age do you think it would be sensible to do this? I'd give him cartridges so he wouldn't be messing with ink bottles just yet....! I was very impressed to discover that his school teaches the kids to write in cursive (or "joined up" as we call it in the UK) writing right from the start, and I'd love to encourage him to write.

 

Thanks,

Anna

[a.zy.lee]

Maybe when he's just starting to learn how to write?

You could show him a few fountain pens and ask him which one he likes best. That way you could get him a bit more interested and he would appreciate the pen more.

Edited September 21, 2014 by a.zy.lee

[Floreat]

He's already writing! his ability to write in cursive writing is amazing to me, as we weren't taught that until we were 9 or 10 when I was at school.

 

I'll certainly show him all my pens as I'm sure he'd be interested, but I'm wondering if cartridges etc might be a bit fiddly for a 5.5 year old to negotiate, and of course there is so much potential for ink stains! The Lamy ABC looks very simple and sturdy though.

[View from the Loft]

From memory, Lamy blue is washable anyway. Also the Lamy cartridges are quite long, so I would have thought hat a cartridge would have lasted your godson a month or so, so no need for him to change cartridges.

 

Perhaps his parents could incorporate checking the cartridge in the nightly ritual of getting ready for school the next day?

 

Also, please check with his teacher whether a pen would be allowed in school. It's quite normal for pens to be prohibited before year 3.

[a.zy.lee]

Maybe he'd like a cool looking pen, like the all black charcoal Lamy Safari. Like I said previously, you could get him the one he likes best (from a selection of cheap, durable, child-friendly pens)

I agree that bottled ink is too much hassle and messy for a five year-old. If a pen with standard international filling system is chosen, you could even give him an option of his favourite colour of ink! Private Reserve and Diamine cartridges can be considered.

Edited September 21, 2014 by a.zy.lee

[de_pen_dent]

Been a while but i recall using fountain pens from when i was 7-8 or so.

[owend]

I can't place exactly when I started using FPs, it's a looong time ago, but I was confident by about 8 years old. I remember we had a spell around then where the teacher had some "ink remover" in a small bottle with an eyedropper; we'd make deliberate errors to be corrected, because watching the ink fade away under the drop was fascinating. It smelt of chlorine/bleach, I think.

[Water Ouzel]

Depends on the kid.

 

I've introduced some 7th and 8th graders to fountain pens, and one 5th grader took to it happily as well.

 

The gateway dru...um...pen in each case was a Pilot Varsity, but a couple of the kids went on to Preppies, 78g and so on.

 

One really liked writing with my Lamy 2000 and Pilot Custom 823, but there is no way whatsoever no how. She'll just have to get a paper route, or sell cookies or bread or something.

[georges zaslavsky]

at 6-7, it is the best age and this is the age I got introduced to fps

Edited September 21, 2014 by georges zaslavsky

[WaskiSquirrel]

He should probably start writing with a pencil. As he gets comfortable with writing, knows words and such, and writes in complete sentences, then it would be time.

[Wolverine1]

I started using a FP under my Dad's supervision when I was 6.

[SirVival]

Not sure there is one ideal age that fits them all.

 

Here in Germany, 1st graders start with pencils, then move to erasable rollerballs and in second grade migrate to fountain pens. My eldest daughter received her fountain pen license half a year ago. Yep, they even got a signed slip of paper from the teacher 😄

 

There is a special lineup from Pelikan that has the same body for pencil, rollerball and fountainpen, if that floats your boat. Shaped for correct tripod grip etc. Check out their website.

 

My daughter went for an orange Safari out of the choices I gave her (Lamy ABC and the Pelikan one).

 

Best of luck with your endeavour!

[Icywolfe]

I used a pencil till Middle school where I tried a roller ball, BP, and FP.

 

So I would say any age where they finally developed some fine motor skills. Get them to use physical paper and pen. (Or pencil.)

[Kataphract]

At my elementary school, it was pencil printing for grades 1 and 2, cursive for grades 3 and 4, and then fountain pens were required in grade 5 (good luck even getting the cursive these days). With individual attention you could push that schedule up - group rates are always slower.

[Floreat]

They teach the kids cursive right from the start at my godson's school! I was amazed to receive a Christmas card from him with this really rather beautiful cursive writing on it - we didn't start that until we were 8-9 when I was at school.

 

I'm not worried about the writing, more about the potential for mess! View From The Loft is probably correct in thinking that inkpens won't be allowed in school at this stage anyway.

 

My main wish is simply to engender a love of fountain pens and writing in him

[MissChief]

I've exposed two of my grandchildren to fountain pens. My granddaughter is 10 and my grandson is 5. Both enjoy writing with grandma's pens and my granddaughter now has 3 Platinum Preppy pens of her own (the pens live at my house, though).

[donwinn]

When I was in grade school, students were not allowed to use a fountain pen until third grade, the same year we first were taught cursive. Perhaps a connection between cursive and FP usage even back then?

[Floreat]

Hi Don, I'm sure that there was a connection between using fountain pens and learning cursive writing, back in the day. However, as I mentioned above, my godson has been learning to write in cursive writing right from the start of his school career, ie from the age of 4 and a half.

 

I am just wondering whether it is a bit early to introduce him to a fountain pen? He is now five and a half. It doesn't really matter if he isn't allowed to use pens at school yet, since I would imagine he'd only use the pen at home.

 

I don't know if a fountain pen would be too messy for a kid his age, or too fiddly to use. I don't want to put him off FPs by introducing him to them too early! I like the look of the Lamy ABC with some nice bright cartridges - I've heard that this pen is very forgiving in a beginner's hands

[View from the Loft]

If you go down the route of the Lamy ABC, you will be restricted to Lamy cartridges - and I'm not sure they make more than the "standard" colours.

 

Pelikan also do pens for real youngsters, but please stay away from the Berol fountain pen - the nibs are dreadful in my experience.

 

He is not too young to use a fountain pen if he is happy to do so. Perhaps let him chose between a couple of pens, and keep the for special things such as cards and thank you letters?

[ac12]

If he is already doing cursive, why not now.

 

Just keep the pen at home, and have his parents watch him. If he is neat, then keep going, if he is messy, then consider only letting him use it while being supervised. It can work if you work at it. But another concern is the size of his hand. You need to find a pen that will fit him. Holding a too big pen like a club does not work.

 

A pen to keep in mind is one that I just got, and old Reform 1745. As I understand it, they were student pens. The pen is a just a bit larger than a pencil, so it will fit smaller hands. But it is a piston filler, so not as convenient as a cartridge. The piston cylinder also seems to have "issues." The ink in mine behaves like some of my converters. The ink gets trapped in the back of the cylinder, and if you don't tap the pen to break the surface tension and get the ink to the front of the cylinder, the feed will be run dry. Then you are out of ink, although you really are not out. Maybe on 2nd thought that would be too much trouble. Stick with a cartridge for the time being.