Newbie Fountain Pen Buying Advice Needed

[kadrock]

I'm completely new to fountain pens, but I know I want one. For my first pen, I'd like to keep my total purchase under $30. I've basically narrowed it down to the Lamy Safari Al-Star, the Pelikan Future silver, or a silver Pilot Knight. I'm also considering the Waterman Phileas and the Hero 200 but I greatly prefer the more modern look of the pens I mentioned first.

 

I've read hundreds if not thousands of posts here. But I have some questions which I haven't found answers to. I hope someone here can help me out.

 

1 ) First off, is a fountain pen even a viable solution for my intended purpose? I plan on having it in a small leather PDA-type case with my Moleskine. The case will almost always be laying flat and will be carried and tossed around quite a bit. Will a fountain pen, especially those I mentioned, hold up to the abuse?

 

2 ) Is there an issue with storing a fountain pen in heat? Say, for instance, if I leave my pen and carry case in my car in the hot Florida sun. Will I return to a huge inky mess?

 

3 ) Of the pens I mentioned (Lamy Al-Star, Pelikan Future, Pilot Knight) which is the smoothest writer of the bunch?

 

4 ) Which pen of those I mentioned is the most trouble free?

 

Thanks in advance!

[AlejoPlay]

I have both an Al-Star and a Pilot Knight. I love them both and both have very very smooth nibs. My Al-Star is a fat Medium, whereas my Knight's Medium is more like a Fine.

 

The Knight is a smaller pen and may fit in your PDA case better than the Al-Star.

[Johnson]

The only pen I have experience with out of those three is the Lamy Safari. So I can answer your questions concerning that pen:

 

1. The Safari is a tank. When the apocalypse comes, and the world is awash in nuclear flames, all that will be left are the Safaris and the roaches. The roaches as a result of massive radiation, will gain a primitive intelligence, and will soon begin to give thanks and worship to the roach gods who spared their tiny lives. A roach prophet will arrive among the roaches, and will announce that the Safaris were placed on this earth as sacred idols to the roach's god; their positions will come to mark holy sites in the new roach religion. The roaches will spend an eternity bowing at the base of these steel black nibs.

 

2. Good question. I'm not sure. I live in Alabama, so it gets hot here, but I always carry my pens with me.

 

3. Again, can't say. The F nib on my Safari certainly has some tooth, but it gets the job done. I would not call it smooth.

 

4. Again, can't compare the other pens, but the Safari is generally regarded as a work horse. My primary work horse pen is the Pelikan m200, which runs about $60. My Safari does not get much use these days.

Edited February 16, 2007 by Johnson

[cctraderx]

It's going to come down to personal preference. You need to go to a store and try them. Feel their weight in your hand. If possible, dip them and write with them to see how they feel. They all write smooth - I own all 3. If you can get the Knight for under $30 - it come with own filler and can use cartridges, I'd say go for that. The Knight is the heaviest of the 3, very heavy but I prefer a heavier pen. The Lamy and Future are cartridge fillers and will require additional money for a converter.

 

I'm not sure about leaving the pen in your car with the Florida sun.

 

As for the abuse, the Safari and Knight definitely will hold up to it and the Future probably will too.

 

All 3 have been trouble free and smooth to me, it's just a matter of what I want to write with.

[MYU]

Good questions. You have selected 3 very competent pens (Lamy Safari Al-Star, Pelikan Future, and Pilot Knight). You may also wish to try out a Chinese pen, such as a Duke from 'isellpens.com' (talk about great value for the money).

 

1 ) If the pen will fit snuggly in place in your case, it shouldn't be a problem. The best situation is having a loop to secure the pen in place.

 

2 ) As for storing a fountain pen in heat, this is NOT recommended. Heat can warp plastic components, increase air pressure in the ink reservoir to force ink leaks, and cause color fading. You should treat the pen as you would a CD. Except of course if you go with a Rotring 600 (all metal 'tent spike' design). With all due respect to Johnson, the Rotring 600 is THE pen that will survive the apocalypse! But you're talking more $$...

 

3 ) They are all generally smooth writers, but I hear the Knight is very smooth. Safari's are sometimes a little scratchy out of the box, but they can smooth out nicely. What will matter most is which one best suits your writing style. That's why it's ideal to test them out ahead of time. But if you don't have that luxury, you have to make a best guess on the pen size and known nib attributes (by default some are more flexible, more firm, write dry, or write wet). Personally, I think the Knight is the best looking one of the bunch. But then that Safari has a great ink window. The Pelikan Future... eh--not so crazy about that one.

 

4 ) Maintenance wise I'd say they're roughly about the same--you really can't go wrong with a cartridge converter pen.

Edited February 16, 2007 by MYU

[jsonewald]

I. Yes, a fountain pen is appropriate. Physical size of the pen may be an important issue.

 

2. Can't say. I have left FP's in a brief case in a car without problems, but I'd be careful about removing the cap afterwards if it was in Florida heat.

 

3. The AL-Star and Safari family are great pens. They are rugged, reliable, and smooth. I have 6 of them. For your purpose they may be a bit large. The Pilot Knight is very well built, and super smooth. It is smaller than the AL-Star. It is a little heavy for some people though. Try it before you buy it. The Pelikan I have no experience with.

 

4. That is a pretty fine point. Based on the pens I have, they are equal.

 

If you are interested in the Hero 200 but don't like the styling, have a look at the Hero 800. It is slender and light. I have one with a stainless steel body. It is a smooth and reliable writer, and within your budget.

[kadrock]

Let me start by saying the roach story was amusing, if not a little creepy. Could there be a blockbuster movie called Planet of the Roaches in the works? Let's hope not.

 

The only stores near me that carry pens are major chain office stores which carry only a few fountain pens. I wish I could go try the pens I like in person but I'm limited to reviews on the net.

 

At this point I'm leaning towards ordering the Pilot Knight, although I generally prefer a thicker barrel pen.

 

Does anyone here have experience using any of these pens with Noodler's Ink? I'm hoping to be able to use it with their "bullet-proof" inks, specifically Legal Lapis or Black.

[EventHorizon]

1) I have a LAMY Al-Star and it has taken it's fair amount of abuse and never shed a tear.

2) Heat is bad. Mine stay with me or in the house.

3) My Pelikan out of the box was a little smother than the LAMY was but the LAMY "broke" itself in pretty quick.

4) Give in and just buy them all. Accept your fate.

[AlejoPlay]

I will say I don't like the way my Safari and my Al-Star write with Noodler's Black. But I generally find Noodler's inks to be too dry for my taste.

[blueiris]

QUOTE (kadrock @ Feb 16 2007, 12:29 PM)

At this point I'm leaning towards ordering the Pilot Knight, although I generally prefer a thicker barrel pen. Does anyone here have experience using any of these pens with Noodler's Ink? I'm hoping to be able to use it with their "bullet-proof" inks, specifically Legal Lapis or Black.

I use Noodler's Gulf Stream Blue (waterproof ink sold by Swisher Pens) in my Lamy Safari. It flows all too well and has the "nib creep" issue, which I don't really mind. Many of the waterproof Noodler's colors do this, from what I read here. Also, regarding what AlejoPlay wrote, Noodler's Black seems like it behaves a little sluggishly compared to the fast-flowing waterproof Noodler's inks. Don't quote me on this, because this is just what I've surmised from reading posts here on FPN over the course of six months, and I can't point you to a particular post to show it. I don't own Noodler's Black so I don't have experience with it. Another thing, Safaris tend to write on the drier side of the spectrum, which might explain why it might have problems with an ink known to have less flow. Being a moderately dry writer isn't necessarily a bad thing because the ink dries faster upon application, which is a good thing when jotting down notes on the go. Being dry doesn't make it less reliable (although if you use a dry-flowing ink, your experience might vary).

 

Lamy Safari and Al-Star have thicker barrels, but the grip section is sort of narrow, with positioning grooves for the grip. It bugs my left-handed friend, but I can write with it just fine.

 

For the record, between my husband and I, we have 3 Lamy Safaris that wrote smoothly right out of the box (2 fine nibs, 1 medium nib). I have a second-hand Al-Star that has a bit of toothiness, but it's not what I call scratchy. All my Lamys are reliable.

 

Also, you probably know this already, but the Safari and the Al-Star are different pens. Safari is ABS plastic and is less expensive than the lightweight metal Al-Star. The Al-Star is slightly heavier and bigger than the Safari. It is also more likely to show scratches (still durable, though). A Lamy converter is sold separately, but it's only $5. If you buy a Safari, you can get one and a converter for well under $30.

 

I don't own a Pilot Knight or the Pelikan you're considering, but my friend has the Pilot. I found it a bit heavy for me, but I tend to prefer really light pens, and others might prefer just the opposite.

 

I wouldn't leave any fountain pen in extreme heat or cold.

[wiglaf]

Lamy, by all means- if you are working in a Moleskine, you will find the nib well made for the page- it stands up well to the various angles you need to write with in order to fill the page (if you are paper conservative), plus the Safari is a pen known among pen users and respected- thus your entries into your MS will possess a certain gravitas- yet to be established by Pilot. (imho)

Plus, your ink betrays or enhances.

 

Tony

[sonia_simone]

I think all of your choices are good ones. Legal Lapis flows very well, so I doubt you'll have any issues. Most people do fine with N. Black also. My Safaris flow very well with both of those, and with anything else I throw in there. I don't have the Pelikan Future, but all of my other Pelikans, both high and low end, are entirely unpicky about ink.

 

Heat can be a problem, as others have mentioned. I don't think the Safari will warp (Johnson tells the truth about its almost disturbing toughness), but heated ink expands in the pen and can escape from the nib, creating, as you suspected, an inky mess. I have a quite small FP that I use in my wallet (it also holds 3x5 cards), and I don't put it in my pocket for that reason.

[jsonewald]

I've used Noodler's Polar Black and Luxury Blue in AL-Stars without any problems.

[guitarman19853]

I have both the Phileas (Fine and Medium) and a Safari (Plastic Al-Star) and both write really well. The only thing I have to say is if they are thrown around, I would worry about ink dripping out into the cap. I know i have accidentally shaken a pen while it was in my hand and was "rewarded" with ink drops on my page. Any pen will release some ink if given enough G's.

[superfly]

For that amount of money, I'd get the Parker Frontier, in stainless steel. It is great writer, very durable, and will take accidental exposure to heat better than other plastic pens. I have 2 of them, and thinking about getting third one. Another big plus for me is their looks, which is streamlined, and timeless... kinda like the 51

 

 

[Nipu]

QUOTE

Does anyone here have experience using any of these pens with Noodler's Ink? I'm hoping to be able to use it with their "bullet-proof" inks, specifically Legal Lapis or Black.

 

Actually, my everyday work pen is a Lamy Al-Star (EF nib) loaded with Legal Lapis - and it is a great combination. I am always running around at work so I was too scared to take in my lovely desk pens, and I need the bulletproofness of the ink for work... and let me tell you, if there is a pen of indestructability ( is that even a word?) the Safaris are it. I have accidentally dropped that pen so many times, on surfaces ranging from tiles to tarmac (!!) WITH the cap off and the nib - well - it left a little hole in floor but remianed perfectly intact, and could pick it up an continue writing.

 

The legal lapis stains the converter a little, I think, although I haven't tried a full-on clean before. Howeverter, a converter costs $5, and in my case, I really like the Legal Lapis colour. I ave tried LL with my Moleskines, and I find it bleeds a little.

 

I love fine nibs, and the Al-Star writes quite broad, to me, so I use an EF nib, which to me is like a modern Sheaffer or Parker medium (all my pens are EF/F so I had to borrow someone's pen to compare line width for you) .

 

Hope this helps.

Happy Pen Buying!

Nipu

[Latro21]

between the phileas and the knight, i find the knight a MUCH smoother writer. you can write with the nib at any angle without a problem at all. it is a pretty heavy pen, as it is all metal minus the section, and it is very solid. there is no worry of the cap coming off accidentally either as it clicks on very securely wth a satisfying sound. the ink flow is great for moleskine paper, and with the namiki blue i dont have a single instance of bleed, feathering or show-through. the clip is great too, it holds on tightly to whatever it is clipped to.

[georges zaslavsky]

Either the phileas or the frontier.