Hey, I just wanted to ask a few questions, some of them were solved in the FAQ but these ones are the onse I need help with...I have never owned or written with a fountain pen of any type. My favorite pen now is a cheap 8$ Pilot G-2 pro. It's a gel pen, and I love it. I love how it writes, I also own a Parker ballpoint, not familiar of the type of pen it is, I got it a while ago, and a Pilot Prescise rollerball. Those are what I mainly carry.
Ok, so I have been readin up about fountain pens for a while since they are everywhere. and they are your "little friend" or buddy. I am now considering buying one. I am a College student, I am willing to spend up to 30-40$, I have no idea how to work a fountain pen/or use it. I don't know how to "activate (if you will) the ink. I am ATTRACTED to the modern/"futuristic" pens. I prefer medium weight pens, because I cant stand some of the 5 pund pens out there! I also don't like the light weight ones because it feels kind of flimsy when I use it. I also prefer metal/steel. Marble would be OK. So, if I could get some tips on how to fill and basically use a fountain pen and what kind I should consider that'd be great


Like I said, I don't know much about fountain pens, I knwo the basics, (well some ) so If i sound newbish, forgive me.

I'd say a lamy safari, or a Waterman phileas would be perfect. I personally love the lamy, and it feels tough and well built, even though it is plastic. It writes beautifully too.

I agree with the Lamy Safari.

However, you mentioned that you like metal. You might want to check out a Hero 100.

Lamy Safari or AlStar.

To 'activate' the ink you basically fill the pen from a bottle or insert a cartridge. The Safari doesn't come with a converter(which lets you take bottled ink) but you could get one for about $5 more. For $30-$40 you probably could get a Lamy Safari(plastic) or Al-Star(essentially the same pen as the Safari in a metal body). Since you like modern/futeristic pens, the huge paperclip clip may work fine for you. At any rate, it grows on you. I remember reading a 'first pen' thread when I just started, with lots of reccomendations for the Safari. When I first saw it in person, my initial reaction was 'What's wrong with those people'. But now its one of my favourite pens that I don't have to worry too much about. As for using, first thing would be to make sure you're holding the nib the right side up, and relax you hand. Somehow I feel that its kinda instinctive. I got my first fountain pen before I found FPN, but somehow I knew to write at a more relaxed angle than usual. And the Safari isn't very light or heavy; just right. I don't have very large hands though(I'm only 1.6m tall ), so that could depend on you.

You might also look at the Lamy Al-Star, since you like a metallic (not steel, however), modern look. Like its cousin the Safari, it's tough, dependable, and you can start out with the enclosed cartridge and then once you're comfortable you might want to buy a converter and start exploring the joys of bottled ink ... The nib won't throw you for a loop as radically more flexible than a ballpoint, either, or act up if you are used to pressing hard with ballpoints. It just ... writes, which is a good thing. And, again, later, you can buy a different size nib or even an italic one and switch around, without going to the expense of buying a whole new pen. I've bought the clear demonstrator version for student-aged friends, because it looks cool. But check out any pen you have in mind in person, if possible, and see if you can hold it and perhaps try an inked one (or a dipped one) first.

The Pilot Knight is reliable and smooth, and mine is all metal, but depends on what you think it's too heavy. It's a bit too heavy for me, but I like very light pens. You might like the way the Hero 100 writes, also, but quality control seems to be a little iffier so I gather it's luck of the draw: You might get an absolutely stupendous pen or you might get less lucky.

If you like gel pens because they write so smoothly, you might enjoy fountain pens.

P.S. I'm a slow writer -- I see that in the time it took me to compose this, the Al-Star has already been recommended!

Lamy Safari is good. Consider the Pelikano Style or Future.

Here's a link

http://www.pelikan.com/pulse/Pulsar/en_US....hool-and-youths

For a start you might want to use ink cartridges. The Lamy Safari and Pelikano's will all provide one. To use it, just ask the person the shop. They'll be able to demonstrate. Basically just unscrew the barrel, remove the ink cartridge. Chances are you'll find the narrow end facing up. That's the end that should be inserted into the lower barrel. You'll require a gentle push to break the membrance and enable the ink to flow. The ink may take sometime to flow since the nib relies on capillary action. Leave the pen with the nib facing down (pen capped) for about an hour. Your pen should begin to write beautifully. NEVER press down hard on the nib. This will force the nib open and will increase your ink flow for good! Always write gently with the nib.

Once you've become use to the pen, you may want to consider using a convertor. This will enable you to fill the pen from a bottle. This will open up a whole new world of colours that you can experiment with. Remember to rinse our you pen with cold water or soak it over night if the nib is heavily encrusted with ink. Allow the nib to dry completely. If you are impatient, you can gently use a paper tower. This will ensure you get the right ink colour instead of a mix of colours e.g. You started with blue and want to change to green.

Have fun with your pen. It will change the way you write.

P.S. Start with safe inks such as Pelikan. Read up the ink reviews in the Ink section of this forum.

I was thinking about buying from the internet, not a shop, so I still dont understand how to fill the pen....sorry.

If you go with a cartridge/converter filler, you'll have two options for filling the pen.

1) cartridge: this is the easiest. One end of the cartridge will have a nipple. After unscrewing the section of the pen from the barrel, you'll have to push the nipple end of the cartridge into the section until you feel you can't push further. This means the cartridge has been punched and ink will start to flood the feed. Wait for the capillary action to lead ink to the nib and you'll be able to start writing.

2) converter: your converter will most likely be a piston. Push the converter into the section as you would a cartridge. Dip the section, nib first, into the bottle of ink. The converter fills according to a vacuum principle: twisting the converter counter-clockwise will push air from the converter, twisting it clockwise will draw ink through the section and into the converter. Wipe the section and nib and start writing.

Best,
David

I think I understand how to fill the pens, but thanks everyone.

Pelikan Pelikano? That's a good starter pen...
You might also want to take a look at the Pilot Knight or the Waterman Phileas; both can be bought at your local Office Depot.

Go with either the LAMY Safari's (or Al-Stars) with converters as they hold more ink. I have 3 and love them. If you buy one brand new, instructions will come with it or, if you have a store near buy that sells fountain pens they can help you. By store I mean a pen store/shop not a office supply place

Another option is I Sell Pens if you want to dip your feet shall we say into our pool. There you can stay well below you buget and the owner is a great person to work with. No affiliation blah, blah, blah.

Please let us know what you get.

Edit - blak000 offers an excellent suggestion with the Pelikano. I have one and it will write at almost any angle you hold it with a great application of ink.

Rotring Freeway, Rotring Esprit or Rotring Initial will be another option. They are metal and very durable. The nib is also very smooth. Some people find these pens are way too heavy. For Rotring Initial, I kind of agree even when I always use heavy pen. I won't be able to use mine when the cap is posted. But when unposted, the weight is right for me and it's well balanced. Both Rotring Freeway and Rotring Esprit are lighter than Initial, but still metal with a pretty good weight. Rotring Esprit has a telescopic version which I think it's very neat. All these pens have been discontinued. Parker is absorbing Rotring. So you may find "Parker Esprit" out on the market now. But since these Rotring pens are no longer made, you can find good deals on them. Check out at ebay. You should be able to get new ones around $30 to $40. Reviews of these pens are also available here on FPN.

Another vote for the Safari or Al-Star here. Mine were great, reliable writers that started up every time.

Good suggestions above. Lamy Safari has an aluminum version as seen here:

http://pencity.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/La...9696+1202296146

As for learning more about these fine writing instruments, Richard Binder's website: www.richardspens.com has a wealth of information about it.

Welcome to the world of fountain pens!