I am looking for a FP that is appropriate for 4 to 7 year olds. The main thing I am looking for is a grip section that encourages proper grip. I have seen the Lamy ABC on Richard Binder's page, but it doesn't seem available anymore. I also know of the Pelikano and Pelikano Jr. (I might have used on myself in elementary school). What can you tell me about your experiences with these pens and kids? Suggestions about other pens are also appreciated.

Thanks.

Hello stylo,
Faber Castell has a very nice starter pen with the perfect grip section. It's green and red and looks like nothing I have ever seen.

The Pelikano junior and the Lamy ABC are both great pen. Russell at Nota Bene has a few Lamy ABC, I got mine from him.

Samovar

I gave Pelikano Juniors to nieces and nephews back in May - I get letters now from the 4 year old written with his fountain pen!

I love these pens - they're sturdy and have the grip section you talk about.

Hmmm. What we really need here is another Osmiroid (a proper one, not one of those horrid things they sell as calligraphy pens these days).

My first Real Pen™ (when I was 7 years old) was an Osmiroid which had quite a nice, buttery, flexy nib.

However, I'm looking at a Pilot Knight as a present for a 10-year-old this Christmas.

Otherwise, I would consider an Esterbrook, but maybe it's only as an adult that I think those are cool...

Another vote for the Pelikano Jr. I always grin stupidly when I use it as I can't believe that it is such a nice writer for its price. It takes a converter and there are left and right hand models. It's certainly chunky and robust and comes with a label which you write their name on which goes inside the pen when re-assembled.

4 & 7 seems a bit young, if you ask me. I didn't get my first REAL fountain pen until I was about 10. Before that, I just used really really REALLY cheap disposable fountain pens. The kind you pick up anywhere for $2 for a pack of four.

When I started with proper fountain pens (in this case, cartridge-fillers), I was ten, and my first pen was the Sheaffer School fountain pen. They're bright plastic with steel nibs and they write pretty good. They're solid and strong, but not heavy. I THINK you can still buy them. I'd get the child/ren that.

4- to 7-years old does sound a bit young, but, as always, it depends on the child. I will cast another vote for the Pelikano Junior. I think they are an excellent quality pen for the price, and my experience of them is that they are very durable as well as fun users.

I would NOT recommend any fountain pen for someone so young, as they may accidentally injure themselves with the nib. Wait until he reaches at least 7 years of age - then think about a fountain pen. The best pen for a toddler is a felt tip, like a Paper Mate etc.

I totally disagree. My daughter is going to be 9 in December and has been using a FP since she was 5. It is all in teaching them how to use it properly and giving them a good pen developed for a child... the Pelikano Jr and Lamy ABC are great examples of this kind of pen...
In my case I made one of my custom pens for my daughter because that is what she wanted, but I did not make one of the high end kits, but a kit that fit her hand and had a good solid nail nib that she would not destroy... she still has it and uses it.

I agree with Old Griz. Our daughter has owned a Lamy Safari since she was 5.

Martin

When I gave my four year old nephew his Pelikano Junior, he was told that if he wants to use the pen he must sit at the table, and that Mommy keeps the pen when he is not using it. This way she knows when he has the pen and can keep an eye on him. Usually she sits down and writes with him - he's just about got the letters down....putting the letters together into words is stilly quite dodgy!

I LOVE getting letters from him written with that pen!

Edit to add that I did check with my sister to make sure she was alright with it before I gave him the pen.

Hi,

4-7 is a good age to get them started on these pens. I'd heartily recommend the Pelikano Jr.

Dillon

Many thanks for all the suggestions. I think I will go ahead with a Pelikano Jr. It's only about $9-11.

To those who are worried about safety: with their large iridium ball tips, modern fountain pen nibs of at least medium width are generally less sharp than ball points. But when you compare them to well sharpened pencils, they seem downright blunt. I started using FPs in second or third grade, I don't quite remember. But I don't recall anyone getting hurt by a FP tip. However, how many of you have had or seen a sharp pencil tip puncture someone's skin? Worse, how many times have sharp pencil tips broken, leaving the lead tip lodged in flesh/skin? I challenge you all to the the poke test. Take a FP and a sharp pencil and poke yourselves in the hand and report back My son is four and a half and he just started kindergarten. More than anything else in his classroom, it is the boxes full of freshly sharpened pencils that frighten me.

But the FP will be of course for home use only.

I gave my 3 oldest grandchildren, age 9, 8 & 6, each a Sailor INK PEN which I got from Jared on FPN Marketplace, for $5, including shipping and a package of instant soup. He was in Japan then, but is not any longer, so I know of no current source for thes, but they are similar to a Pilot Varsity, but a mite slimmer, a finer nib, and they take replaceable cartridges. The children are allowed to use these pens only under adult supervision, at least the two younger ones - the oldest already owns a Murano glass dip pen, which she uses only with adult supervision, but has been occasionally allowed to use the Sailor unsupervised, due to her demonstrated responsibility with it. I have some Sheaffer school pens which I am waiting to give them at some opportune occasion, as they are enjoying the fps they have now.
Donnie

I picked up a Lamy Safari and a Waterman Kultur for my then 5 year old to write with. She has been using them for a year now and hasn't so much as put a scratch in either of them.

We ended up with two for her to use because she kept wanting to change colours.

Wait till she finds all the purple and pink inks, she will be asking you for more pens

She's getting another one for Christmas, shhhh, don't tell my wife. I may even get her little sister (4 y/o) one as well, just because.

I love having kids.

Lamy Safari, Pelikano Jr. and Pelikano are all good, sturdy, inexpensive
pens. I agree with the comment about a sharpened #2 pencil being
more likely to wound. (The graphite and clay can leave a tattoo, too.)
You can get K (or ball end) nibs for the Safari.

I think that a "Bic Select X-Pen" would be a good option. It has the grip section you are looking for.

Pelikano Jr., Bic Easy Clic, those are two I have handled and there are probably more both of the pens I just mentioned take standered international cartridges.

I have a Pelikano GO to my niece a few months ago, when she was 4 1/2, and she still uses it constantly (and treats it wonderfully). Her fifth birthday was Thursday and I gave her the 7-pack of Pilot Varsity pens so she could have different ink colors at hand all the time. She was totally thrilled with the gift, too.