After 3 FPs (2 x Parker Frontier Medium and 1x Waterman ? Fine) I decided to go for the real stuff, and I bought an entry package of calligrafic stuff:
A Bruynzeel FP (local inexpensive Dutch brand) with 4 different italic nibs, a converter and 3 cartridges of ink, all for E 10 (about $ 12).

It's definately an entry level set, but it is really fun. The difference of fine and bold lines give it character. Now I only need to work very hard on my writing to be able to write nice Italic lines....

...i also bought a penholder and some dip nibs. Old fashioned! A great experience as well. The flex of the nibs make it a new experience. And it writes VERY sharp. Love it.

Hoi Pieter,

Altijd goed om landgenoten tegen te komen!

I'll continue in english... That's what it always starts with, the madness, inexpensive pens (Bruynzeel in this case)... then you discover eBay, then you discover eBay has FP's, then you buy one and then you're lost... The madness!

Veel plezier! / Have fun!

Pieter,

You are on the slow road to ruin like the rest of us.........

Be happy, enjoy the scenery along the way, ignore the kids pointing and laughing

Now, whay you need to do is buy a good FP with a boring but large nib and send it off to one of the nibmeisters and get it custom ground for your writing, then and only then do you become truely lost.

Oh and buy the way, the trick to getting those bargains on eBay is :JustSnipe dot Com

Thought I would save you another post to ask.

Jim

reminds me of how i got interested in Fountain Pens. Got lost on the smooth wetness of RollerBall pens....which inevitably led to fountain pens which are perhaps the smoothest writing instruments out there (unless you like to write with a brush or something)

My first fountain pens were a Vector (flighter) and a Sheaffer Calligraphy set that came with Viewpoint and 3 Italics nibs (not unlike the set you got). Great entry level pens /:)

Thanks for the kind words!

My wife doesn't even understand it: " Calligraphy ? YOU ? "

I find myself buying FP, dip pens and I feel a strange interest in old Gothic and Mediaval letters....

What' really cool is if you get your italic so it is usable for everyday writing, then buy stub nibs!

And then you'll be visiting museums to look at their old manuscripts and studying letter forms and paper and layour and....

Enjoy

Chris

Enjoy the pens and writing different scripts--it can be a great form of relaxation.

Best, Ann