New To Fountain Pens, Need Advice...

[icKus]

Hi guys, I would first like to introduce myself as icKus and I am a student starting college.

 

I just recently got really interested in fountain pens actually no less than a month ago and I've been really fascinated that such a community existed and all of the really awesome things that I've found so far. My first pen was a Lamy Logo that I used with Private Reserve Midnight Blue... however I lost that pen within two weeks. I was really tired one day (~3 hours of sleep) and wore some loose shorts and it didn't come to me that the clip on the Logo wasn't very stiff and it got lost somewhere.

 

I lamented and all, but I eventually started looking to get a new pen... I looked around, read some more articles (tons of FPN stuff) and by chance I looked up a pen that I saw on a thread, but on the recommended things on Amazon it showed me a Jinhao 250. It was beautiful and it was only about 7 bucks so I naturally just bought and was like, "this'll be fun to try." That also lead me to buying the another pen, the Jinhao 5000 Dragon Edition. It was stunning and writes smooth (though not as smooth as the Lamy Logo. But hey, for $22, this pen is pretty amazing just to look at!) I've learned my lesson and will be keeping a very close eye on my pens from now on.

 

However, (now more in love with pens and ink, especially my new Noodler's Apache Sunset) even though these pens are nice and all, I felt like I really wanted to add more character/line variation to my writing...

http://imgur.com/LXFTTsa , how I write now.

 

I am left handed and I write with my paper anywhere from ~20 degrees to ~65 degrees sometimes and I can also write in a various number of other positions. I've done lots of reading and was really intent on getting a Namiki Falcon (which so happens to be at a discounted price on Massdrop.com for 104.99, the reason why I am making this thread) for the purpose of flex writing. (If you want to join using my referral code /r/GXUUNM at the end of the URL would be appreciated but that's not the point...)

 

I know that it's not meant for flexing a ton, since it can be sprung and what not, but the field of vintage pens seems like a bit too much for me to get into at the moment. I wouldn't mind sending it in for added flex in the future, if that improves the lifespan of the nib. I prefer finer tipped pens and on the thinner side (hence why I chose the logo first), but I don't mind the thickness of my newer pens at all.

 

I was wondering if that would be the best option for an everyday note taking pen/ some decorative for letters and stuff at home. Or would I be better off spending that money on a vintage pen? I have a somewhat light to medium pressure on my pen and don't mind pushing harder (I write decently hard with gel pens and what not). If so, what pen? I saw a Waterman 91 on the classifieds for that and that itself is less than 104.

Edited October 16, 2014 by icKus

[redisburning]

Buy a used [insert used pen, I like Parker 51s].

 

After being less than enamored with a Lamy 2000, I got myself a 51 and used it through all of grad school. Tough as nails and good writers.

 

Best advice I can give you is buy once. You've spent $29 dollars I wouldn't have because you won't get it back. I was patient and every one of my 51s would sell for a lot more than I paid for them.

 

You can replace 51 with any other dependable, no-nonsense pen you pick up second hand. Actually the Lamy isn't that bad, Sheaffer Targas can be nice, Pilot is good if you like cigar pens for a bit less, TWSBI should be fine too if you need the ink capacity.

 

A Falcon would not be my first choice as an everday pen. I found harder nibs more useful for note taking and still do.

 

But seriously, buy once so you can waste your money on beer (assuming you're legal, of course) and girls. Oh and good paper, lol.

Edited October 16, 2014 by redisburning

[ac12]

Personal Opinion

 

You are getting your 2 goals mixed up.

In this case, you cannot use one pen for both tasks. You need one pen for school and a different pen for doing your flex writing at home.

 

The pen that you use in school, should be considered "looseable." IOW, expect to lose that pen, as you did your Logo. It is a good chance that it will happen again. School is a high risk environment for a pen. So do not get an "expensive" pen to take to school. But you still need a decent pen that can write well.

I also recommend that you get 2 pens; a primary pen and a backup/spare. When the primary pen runs out of ink, switch to the backup pen. Don't try to change ink cartridge in the middle of class. Change cartridges between class, or refill the pen when you get home.

 

I would use a Fine or XtraFine nib. I used an old US Parker F nib (equivalent to a Lamy XF) in a Parker 45 when in college.

 

In college, you need to take notes FAST.

Forget the fancy look of flex, save the flex writing for home, when you have time to write slowly. And use a different pen for that.

 

"I have a somewhat light to medium pressure on my pen and don't mind pushing harder."

Wrong direction, you should be writing with a LIGHT pressure on the pen, and you should be gripping the pen LIGHTLY. Speaking from experience, a TIGHT grip and hard pressure will do nothing but give you a hand cramp. And you really don't want a hand cramp when you are in the middle of taking notes or your homework.

And the pen should be held at approximately 45 degrees from horizontal.

 

Now my recommendations for school:

new (all are cartridge/converter pens):

• Pilot: 78G, Metropolitan (the Pilot pens are really smooth writers)
• Lamy: Safari, Al Star, cp1, logo
• Parker: IM (only comes in M nib, but you can send the pen to Parker and they will swap the nib to a size you want, but you only have 28 days to do that)
• Baoer: 388 (my concern is 4 of the 5 pens that I checked needed their nib adjusted to flow ink well)

used:

• Parker 51 aerometric, this pen is ink bottle only.
• Parker 45 (cartridge/converter)
• Parker Classic (cartridge/converter), the Classic is is a thin pen, approx 9.5mm diameter

There are other pens, but I don't know of or can't remember them.

 

You also NEED fountain pen friendly paper to take notes on. "junk" paper will feather and be a pain to use. I had to buy a specific brand of paper from the college bookstore, that worked well with my fountain pens. The cheaper 500 sheet packs at the department stores were only good for ball pens or pencils, my fountain pens feathered badly on that paper.

 

gud luk

Edited October 16, 2014 by ac12

[icKus]

Buy a used [insert used pen, I like Parker 51s].

 

After being less than enamored with a Lamy 2000, I got myself a 51 and used it through all of grad school. Tough as nails and good writers.

 

Best advice I can give you is buy once. You've spent $29 dollars I wouldn't have because you won't get it back. I was patient and every one of my 51s would sell for a lot more than I paid for them.

 

You can replace 51 with any other dependable, no-nonsense pen you pick up second hand. Actually the Lamy isn't that bad, Sheaffer Targas can be nice, Pilot is good if you like cigar pens for a bit less, TWSBI should be fine too if you need the ink capacity.

 

A Falcon would not be my first choice as an everday pen. I found harder nibs more useful for note taking and still do.

 

But seriously, buy once so you can waste your money on beer (assuming you're legal, of course) and girls. Oh and good paper, lol.

 

I mean I didn't mind spending that 29 dollars. I love the look of these pens, if anything they can be for when I jot random things down. The Targas looks really beautiful, I've looked at it before and I love its looks along with the e-95s. Perhaps I should get a Targas with a left oblique 1.1 stub as seen in this thread https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/186139-sheaffer-targa/ ?

And haha I already do spend money on a girl xD, money well spent though.

 

Personal Opinion

 

You are getting your 2 goals mixed up.

In this case, you cannot use one pen for both tasks. You need one pen for school and a different pen for doing your flex writing at home.

 

The pen that you use in school, should be considered "looseable." IOW, expect to lose that pen, as you did your Logo. It is a good chance that it will happen again. School is a high risk environment for a pen. So do not get an "expensive" pen to take to school. But you still need a decent pen that can write well.

I also recommend that you get 2 pens; a primary pen and a backup/spare. When the primary pen runs out of ink, switch to the backup pen. Don't try to change ink cartridge in the middle of class. Change cartridges between class, or refill the pen when you get home.

 

I would use a Fine or XtraFine nib. I used an old US Parker F nib (equivalent to a Lamy XF) in a Parker 45 when in college.

 

In college, you need to take notes FAST.

Forget the fancy look of flex, save the flex writing for home, when you have time to write slowly. And use a different pen for that.

 

"I have a somewhat light to medium pressure on my pen and don't mind pushing harder."

Wrong direction, you should be writing with a LIGHT pressure on the pen, and you should be gripping the pen LIGHTLY. Speaking from experience, a TIGHT grip and hard pressure will do nothing but give you a hand cramp. And you really don't want a hand cramp when you are in the middle of taking notes or your homework.

And the pen should be held at approximately 45 degrees from horizontal.

 

 

 

You also NEED fountain pen friendly paper to take notes on. "junk" paper will feather and be a pain to use. I had to buy a specific brand of paper from the college bookstore, that worked well with my fountain pens. The cheaper 500 sheet packs at the department stores were only good for ball pens or pencils, my fountain pens feathered badly on that paper.

 

gud luk

My current random paper from Staples that I bought a year ago seems to work really well and doesn't feather with either inks that I have. My grip is getting progressively lighter as I get used to fountain pen writing. I was surprised at the difference in the amount of force needed when I first used a fountain pen.

 

Right now I do have a pen to take notes fast, the Jinhao 5000. But my classes at the moment don't require any sort of extremely fast note taking. You are right on having a pen that I mainly use at home/school. I would definitely be rather devastated if I lost a $100+ pen at school.

Edited October 16, 2014 by icKus

[Algester]

Whoa whoa whoa lefty and flex writing... unless your under handed then go ahead, side writers and over writers can't do flex writing that's what I can tell, but for a start I suggest go something cheap and dependable like a Pilot 78G, some people would recommend the Cocoon/Metropolitan, in the same price probably a Muji fountain pen if you have Muji branches near you, unless you want a higher priced budget then I suggest probably the Lamy Logo, others would recommend a vintage if vintage mmmm sure P 51, Esterbrook firm fine nibs, but that choice is yours... for flex writing seeing that flex is not longer an "everyday thing" you can just probably buy 1 for the sake of owning and using one should you fancy at home.

but if I were you something as cheap as Chinese FPs will also do, 78G is also cheap enough to be in the same price range as your ordinary Jinhao x450, pens like the Lamy 2000, or any of the Japanese cheap gold nib FPs (IE: platinum standard PTL-5000, Pilot Custom, Pilot Celemo) can probably be safer at home

Edited October 16, 2014 by Algester

[redisburning]

if you want something nice at home just be patient and set a high budget.

 

a lot of people will disagree but if you go find a good deal on a 146 you can use it until you get tired of it and sell it for what you paid. I will admit I am partial to Montblanc though.

 

but it sounds like what you really want is a Waterman 52 full flex and to beat on a cheap pen at school.

[ac12]

My current random paper from Staples that I bought a year ago seems to work really well and doesn't feather with either inks that I have. My grip is getting progressively lighter as I get used to fountain pen writing. I was surprised at the difference in the amount of force needed when I first used a fountain pen.

 

Right now I do have a pen to take notes fast, the Jinhao 5000. But my classes at the moment don't require any sort of extremely fast note taking. You are right on having a pen that I mainly use at home/school. I would definitely be rather devastated if I lost a $100+ pen at school.

 

If you hold the pen by its end and pull the pen over the paper, you can see that the pen will write simply under its own weight. It does not need any additional pressure from you. The only pressure would be to be able to guide the pen to write the letters you want. If you have to press down, you need to either switch to a wetter ink, or the nib of the pen needs to be adjusted to flow the ink you are using.

 

You will sooner or later have classes where you have to take a lot of notes FAST. At least I did.

And trying to change ink cartridges in the middle of class means that you loose a lot of notes. Better to switch pens, even to a gel pen or pencil, anything to keep going.

Edited October 16, 2014 by ac12

[Algester]

sigh... well as long as you know what your getting into then I won't say anymore I would presume you will learn how to write with a flex pen but I could also offer a second advise about using flexible dip nibs first before going all out vintage flex just as I did... well ok.. technically my very first flex pen is a semi-flex pen a Custom Heritage 91 SM nib... beyond that a cheap eye dropper pen from india, or a TWSBI 580... if were going for ink capacity

Edited October 16, 2014 by Algester

[icKus]

but it sounds like what you really want is a Waterman 52 full flex and to beat on a cheap pen at school.

 

Probably! I don't know, just something to satisfy this urge to write better (more beautifully I suppose).

[Baric]

I agree with most of that, ac12, but not all.

 

...

And the pen should be held at approximately 45 degrees from horizontal.

 

No, use whatever is comfortable for YOU. The same angle does not work for everyone because everyone has a slightly different grip, paper angle, lefty vs righty, etc. As a lefty overwriter, I normally use a steep 70-75 degree pen to paper angle, with the paper rotated about 45 degress counter clockwise. When I switch to underwriting, the angle is much lower and the paper is rotated in the other direction. It all depends on what's comfortable to you.

 

As for paper, I highly recommend Clairefontaine pads and notebooks. Great 90gsm paper, very smooth, well bound, takes fountain pen ink nicely, no feathering, no bleed through on any of the inks I have tried. Usually, the lower quality notebooks like Mead, etc, don't handle liquid ink so well, so you have to stick to a very fine nib and even then you might have issues. You can experiment, but by the time you find something that works, it's cheaper just to have bought the Clairefontaine. The smaller Rhodia note pads are also very nice, I use them at home and at work. and get some blotting sheets as well, I Iike to keep a sheet in my notebook (currently a Quo Vadis Habana, but I don't recommend it much except for fine or dry pens).

 

If anyone has any suggestions as to FP friendly sticky notes, I'd love to hear it. Post-it style sticky notes are absolute garbage paper, spread, feathering, bleed through are all AWFUL. I used to use color stickies with small notes written on them in my textbooks and notebooks, but I was using a ballpoint back then.

 

For pens, yeah, I'd stick with the more inexpensive end. Unless you're loaded and then you can get whatever suits your fancy. Getting from one class to another can sometimes be an exercise in speed packing and efficient use of shortcuts. In the rush to get from point A to point B, something WILL get dropped, eventually. No tragedy if the pen is inexpensive. In this range, I like the Pilot Metropolitans, they are durable bodies with nice nibs, a pleasing combination. Lamy and others are also good choices, whatever suits your hand and tastes. Goulet Pens and similar sites have lots of options in this range (I'm a fan of gouletpens.com), oh and paper too.

 

2 pen system, check. Have more in colors (ink I mean) if you take notes that way.

 

But honestly? If I was going to college now, I'd rely on my MacBook or iPad for note-taking. I can type a whole lot faster than I can write and it's more legible. Pen and paper would simply be for backup if a battery died, etc. That's probably sacrilege to some, but I'm a fan of what works best. I love using a fountain pen, but there are better options sometimes and note-taking in school is one of them, in my opinion (and if it's allowed, some profs can be real dinosaurs, I hear).

 

Flex pen... not for note-taking unless you have a really light tough. Flex or soft nibs are usually an acquired taste, especially if you're used to ballpoints and rollerballs. If you are one of those rare people who can take to a soft or semi-flex easily, have a ball using it for taking notes, but for speed you'll probably want to put a hold on the flex writing.

[icKus]

I agree with most of that, ac12, but not all.

 

 

No, use whatever is comfortable for YOU. The same angle does not work for everyone because everyone has a slightly different grip, paper angle, lefty vs righty, etc. As a lefty overwriter, I normally use a steep 70-75 degree pen to paper angle, with the paper rotated about 45 degress counter clockwise. When I switch to underwriting, the angle is much lower and the paper is rotated in the other direction. It all depends on what's comfortable to you.

 

As for paper, I highly recommend Clairefontaine pads and notebooks. Great 90gsm paper, very smooth, well bound, takes fountain pen ink nicely, no feathering, no bleed through on any of the inks I have tried. Usually, the lower quality notebooks like Mead, etc, don't handle liquid ink so well, so you have to stick to a very fine nib and even then you might have issues. You can experiment, but by the time you find something that works, it's cheaper just to have bought the Clairefontaine. The smaller Rhodia note pads are also very nice, I use them at home and at work. and get some blotting sheets as well, I Iike to keep a sheet in my notebook (currently a Quo Vadis Habana, but I don't recommend it much except for fine or dry pens).

 

If anyone has any suggestions as to FP friendly sticky notes, I'd love to hear it. Post-it style sticky notes are absolute garbage paper, spread, feathering, bleed through are all AWFUL. I used to use color stickies with small notes written on them in my textbooks and notebooks, but I was using a ballpoint back then.

 

For pens, yeah, I'd stick with the more inexpensive end. Unless you're loaded and then you can get whatever suits your fancy. Getting from one class to another can sometimes be an exercise in speed packing and efficient use of shortcuts. In the rush to get from point A to point B, something WILL get dropped, eventually. No tragedy if the pen is inexpensive. In this range, I like the Pilot Metropolitans, they are durable bodies with nice nibs, a pleasing combination. Lamy and others are also good choices, whatever suits your hand and tastes. Goulet Pens and similar sites have lots of options in this range (I'm a fan of gouletpens.com), oh and paper too.

 

2 pen system, check. Have more in colors (ink I mean) if you take notes that way.

 

But honestly? If I was going to college now, I'd rely on my MacBook or iPad for note-taking. I can type a whole lot faster than I can write and it's more legible. Pen and paper would simply be for backup if a battery died, etc. That's probably sacrilege to some, but I'm a fan of what works best. I love using a fountain pen, but there are better options sometimes and note-taking in school is one of them, in my opinion (and if it's allowed, some profs can be real dinosaurs, I hear).

 

Flex pen... not for note-taking unless you have a really light tough. Flex or soft nibs are usually an acquired taste, especially if you're used to ballpoints and rollerballs. If you are one of those rare people who can take to a soft or semi-flex easily, have a ball using it for taking notes, but for speed you'll probably want to put a hold on the flex writing.

 

Whats a hundred dollar pen to a 1000 dollar laptop?

I have an iPad but don't fancy it too much for note taking, I love the whole pen and paper idea and it helps me retain a lot more of what I'm writing. If I had a laptop I definitely would be using it though.

 

I wish I could try a soft nib like the Namiki Falcon's... my old Highschool math teacher loved calligraphy and I'm sure he has quite a number of pens, but I don't ever visit my highschool. I'd love some other suggestions for other pens.

I wouldn't doubt that you could use a full flex pen for some note taking if you were writing light enough xD, but then again that's why I'm asking I suppose

[Baric]

 

Whats a hundred dollar pen to a 1000 dollar laptop?

I have an iPad but don't fancy it too much for note taking, I love the whole pen and paper idea and it helps me retain a lot more of what I'm writing. If I had a laptop I definitely would be using it though.

 

I wish I could try a soft nib like the Namiki Falcon's... my old Highschool math teacher loved calligraphy and I'm sure he has quite a number of pens, but I don't ever visit my highschool. I'd love some other suggestions for other pens.

I wouldn't doubt that you could use a full flex pen for some note taking if you were writing light enough xD, but then again that's why I'm asking I suppose

 

I don't know, some of my pens exceed the cost of a new MacBook Air. A laptop is almost required in college now, research, writing papers, etc. Note taking apps like Evernote and others make it easy to search your notes quickly. Try doing that with several paper notebooks! Using an iPad takes a more focused approach, but it's what I use in meetings, conferences, etc. Light and easy to carry around. But I would favor a light laptop like the MacBook Air for more serious note-taking

 

But it's whatever works best for you. I was always light on the note-taking because my attention was better spent on the professor. That worked better for me, just taking down key points to jog my memory. Later I would fill in the holes. If I spent too much time taking copious notes in class, I found I tended not to understand as well as if I just paid attention to and thought about what was being said. Or else checking out the hot girl two rows down. That wasn't good for notes either ;-)

 

I bet you'll find a pen store near your school, college towns tend to have lots of options. If so, go and try some, always a good idea to handle a pen if you can before you pluck down any significant cash. Or look around for a pen show, those are a good time. Well, fun if you're a pen geek like us...

 

As a lefty overwriter, I know I have a lot of trouble with soft nibs and it has everything to do with the nib orientation on the page. Soft nibs have more flexible tines and when I slide the nib laterally on a character upstroke or downstrike (even with very light pressure), the nib gets very scratchy, spits sometimes, and generally screams in pain. Maybe it's just me, but I've heard similar things from other lefties. Fountain pens pose some extra challenges for us lefties, but it's definitely worth it in the long run to learn how to handle these issues. Biggest helps? Stiff nibs. find inks that dry fast, and use a pen that doesn't leave a trail of ink that you can swim in. If you have good fast drying ink, the line is dry by the time your hand touches it. For me that's usually two lines down after I finish a line. Go too fast and bam, smeared ink on your notes, your hand, etc. I've found Noodler's Bad Belted Kingfisher ( a dark blue) works well, as does Diamine Red Dragon, Iroshizuku Asa-gao, a few others. You need to find something that works for you, this is really affected by the pen and paper combination, so what works for me may not for you. Just think of it as playing around until you find the right combo.

[ac12]

I suggest what Algester mentioned.

Use a dip pen at home. It is a cheap way to get into flex writing.

$2 nib + $3 straight holder (or $15 oblique holder) + $5 ink = $10 total.

And you can try many different flex nibs when they cost $1 to $2 each.

 

I use a dip for flex writing at home, and I'm not sure that I will find an affordable flex pen that can do what my dip pens can do.

I'm a rightie so I use an oblique holder.

 

As for Baric's comment, he is correct. Use what works for you.

The reason I say 45 degrees, is that the tips of some pens are not well finished, so the steeper you go, you get into the unfinished/rougher part of the tipping, and the pen does not write well. Also some pens don't push well when held at a steep angle.

I am also not familiar with the issues of writing left handed.

[icKus]

 

I don't know, some of my pens exceed the cost of a new MacBook Air. A laptop is almost required in college now, research, writing papers, etc. Note taking apps like Evernote and others make it easy to search your notes quickly. Try doing that with several paper notebooks! Using an iPad takes a more focused approach, but it's what I use in meetings, conferences, etc. Light and easy to carry around. But I would favor a light laptop like the MacBook Air for more serious note-taking

 

But it's whatever works best for you. I was always light on the note-taking because my attention was better spent on the professor. That worked better for me, just taking down key points to jog my memory. Later I would fill in the holes. If I spent too much time taking copious notes in class, I found I tended not to understand as well as if I just paid attention to and thought about what was being said. Or else checking out the hot girl two rows down. That wasn't good for notes either ;-)

 

I bet you'll find a pen store near your school, college towns tend to have lots of options. If so, go and try some, always a good idea to handle a pen if you can before you pluck down any significant cash. Or look around for a pen show, those are a good time. Well, fun if you're a pen geek like us...

 

As a lefty overwriter, I know I have a lot of trouble with soft nibs and it has everything to do with the nib orientation on the page. Soft nibs have more flexible tines and when I slide the nib laterally on a character upstroke or downstrike (even with very light pressure), the nib gets very scratchy, spits sometimes, and generally screams in pain. Maybe it's just me, but I've heard similar things from other lefties. Fountain pens pose some extra challenges for us lefties, but it's definitely worth it in the long run to learn how to handle these issues. Biggest helps? Stiff nibs. find inks that dry fast, and use a pen that doesn't leave a trail of ink that you can swim in. If you have good fast drying ink, the line is dry by the time your hand touches it. For me that's usually two lines down after I finish a line. Go too fast and bam, smeared ink on your notes, your hand, etc. I've found Noodler's Bad Belted Kingfisher ( a dark blue) works well, as does Diamine Red Dragon, Iroshizuku Asa-gao, a few others. You need to find something that works for you, this is really affected by the pen and paper combination, so what works for me may not for you. Just think of it as playing around until you find the right combo.

 

Wow... some day maybe I'll have a pen like that @__@... Maybe I'll get a laptop eventually, but no need for it now.

I wish there was a pen store near me, the only one is some Montblanc boutique 30 minutes away and it's not even a very big store/inside a big mall. I don't think they'd have the variety that I would be looking to try out

There really isn't a video on a soft nib of any left handed users that I have seen. Just some calligraphy pens and what not or fully flex vintage pens.

 

 

There's just something about the hassle of a dip pen that I'm not looking too forward too at the moment. Or perhaps maybe because they don't seem to have the looks of a very nice looking pen. Maybe eventually I will get into using a dip pen...

[Lovely_Pen]

I would also suggest a Pilot 78g or a Lamy. I always keep three pens on me (a margins/underlining pen, and two med. nib pens for regular note taking) and none of them would I be heartbroken if they got lost. I do find that non-twist caps work best if you're in a rush or for when fellow students accidentally pick up your pen and attempt to write with it...

 

Someone in my class once took my pen and attempted to write on the wood table in our lab room (he wanted to mark a measurement) and when I noticed I had to grab the pen back and explain it wasn't a ballpoint and wouldn't work like that. He gave me a funny look...but thank heavens he didn't ruin the nib.

[ac12]

 

 

There's just something about the hassle of a dip pen that I'm not looking too forward too at the moment.

Or perhaps maybe because they don't seem to have the looks of a very nice looking pen. Maybe eventually I will get into using a dip pen...

 

Take a look a these:

http://www.dippens.net/2.html

[deepak23]

Wonder why no one has suggested a Lamy Safari (or Al-Star) with an LH nib as the day pen. Good clip and a decent writer at less that $20.

[ac12]

Wonder why no one has suggested a Lamy Safari (or Al-Star) with an LH nib as the day pen. Good clip and a decent writer at less that $20.

 

done

see post #3

 

[Algester]

Wonder why no one has suggested a Lamy Safari (or Al-Star) with an LH nib as the day pen. Good clip and a decent writer at less that $20.

because lefties really don't need the LH nib unless when really needed... I call it the final opinion use only in dire emergency Edited October 16, 2014 by Algester

[sandy101]

The 78G is a good suggestion. You can get a medium for school work and a broad stub for your work at home - it is a good enough pen with enough line variation to start learning italic script (that's what I'd doing and I'm pleasantly surprised with the results).

 

Alternatives for school pens are platinum preppies or plasirs which write well enough, and are not too expensive should they disappear or the Parker Vector might be suitable, although the grip does not suit everyone.

 

I'd leave the vintage pens alone for now, if money is tight. You can get decent ones, but you can also get some that need time & money for repairs, which you may not have at the moment. Certainly I got lucky with a Parker 45, but have not been so lucky with others.