Hey all, this is Sam here. I just got my first fountain pen today, and I have to say, the whole deal is just a little overwhelming. I've always been fascinated with writing/reading in general including pens and the like. A few weeks ago I picked up a Parker Varsity just to see what it was like because I seen and heard of fountain pens before, but never really used one. The whole low-price, disposable thing seemed like a good way to start, because fountain pens are a whole new area for me.

Looking to try out something a little more serious, my local mall seemed like a logical first stop since the individual stationary stores seem to live more in the city. However, being in high school, my budget is a little tight, and inexperienced me walked into a Mont Blanc store and went slack jawed when the employee calmly told me that the least expensive pen in stock was around $350.

I ended up getting a $30 dollar brand name pen from the Papyrus store which ended up being the only place with pens in the entire mall, and felt a little stupid when on my quest to find some ink (the Papyrus didn't sell any), the Office Depot had a large and illustrious selection of pens from a large selection of brands (but no ink that fit in my pen). I'm now waiting till tomorrow for the rest of the Office Depots to open so I can get me some ink.

So that's my story, on slightly off-topic note, I was wondering what the main differences between cartridge-filled pens and pens filled with ink bottles are (besides the obvious). Thanks for you time everyone.

First of all welcome! Good to have you on board. You will find a lot of information about pens here.

On inks, basically any ink sold in Office Depot should work (if they have fountain pen inks). Then go to Pendemonium or Swishers to get some better ink on the internet...

About the cartridges, most fountain pens these days use either converters or cartridges - they are interchangeable. The nice thing about converters is that you can change the ink and it's cheaper to use than cartridges. But cartridges have their own virtues as well - they are easy to transport and you can pop them in anytime.

Again, welcome!

Erick

Hey Erick, thanks for the info.

On a more specific level, what are some suggestions for pens that are pretty low price (read: less than 50) that people would recommend? I've always been a bit of a collector/pack-rat when it comes to pens, but I also need something I can use daily in school and that sort of thing. It would be a pretty inexpensive pen that works well. Kind of like the next step up from the pens I have now. I'm not sure if this should go in the Writing Instruments section, but in the interest of keeping clutter down, I'll just leave it here.

Under $50, the pen that seems most respected (and most widely owned and used) here is the Lamy Safari ($18 - $28 at www.fountainpenhospital.com). It's also widely available at most brick and mortar pen stores.

One step up from the Lamy would be a Pelikan M200 with a specialty nib from Richard Binder (www.richardspens.com) Mr. Binder also has megabytes of helpful fountain pen information for newbies on his website. His section on specialty nibs - cursive italics, stubs, and obliques is the best tutorial I have read on the subject.

My favorite student pen is the Pilot (Namiki) Vanishing Point because it can be used one handed. But that pen is more than twice your $50 price point. It's also available from www.richardspens.com. Maybe a good Christmas or Birthday pressie from the 'rents.

Have fun - burn some of that new ink.

Welcome to FPN, Sam.

Welcome aboard. Let us know which ink you end up with. As for the converter, different pens require different size converters, so if you're going to by a converter after buying the pen, make sure its the right size.

Hello and welcome. Hey it is not that a $20 watch tells the time less accurately than a $2,000 watch. The same is more or less true about pens. Some $20-50 pens may write in a very nice way and some $400 pens have problems. It is more about the materials, craftsmanship, etc. also. So just go ahead and build your pen collection on your budget. But warning: it can also be an expensive hobby like watches...

Well, the Waterman cartridges were too long, so I ended up with a 6-pack of Foray in black. A question: for schoolwork and that kind of thing, do I want a fine nib? I heard that fine was easier to manage. How much should nib size influence my purchases? In this case, for a Lamy Safari/Al Star.

Hi there again DeMaens!

On your nib question, the best thing is to try out both Fine and Medium nibs to see what you like best. It really is a matter of taste and feeling. I suggest you try them out in a brick and mortar store if you can (you don't have to buy if you find it cheaper elsewhere). Also, nib sizes are actually not quite standard - each brand has a bit different size (Japanese pens, for example, run "finer" than others). If you can't do that, buy one of each (if you have the money) and use whichever one strikes your fancy or whichever one is more useful at a certain task (I prefer to write letters in M and grade or comment on papers in F because I can get more into the margins).

I'm sure others will chime in with more helpful hints.

Erick

Since you are in NYC, drop by, if you can, the Fountain Pen Hospital. I hear they are very friendly there and have pens in all price points.

Erick

If your handwriting is unusually small and tight - try a Fine.

If your notetaking involves quickly sketching lots of drawings or graphs and labeling them in your notes, then try a Fine.

Otherwise, try a Medium.

The Fine and ExtraFine nibs will often be a little less smooth than the medium. When the nib gets very fine, it can bite into the paper a bit and drag, giving a less fluid tactile feedback. Medium nibs often write a smoother wetter line in my limited experience.

Have fun.

Thank you all for your input. I've decided on a royal Lamy Safari (m. nib) with a converter and some Waterman Florida Blue.

Welcome to FPN.

Welcome to FPN! Hope you enjoy the forum!!

Again, a quick question I don't want to clog up the main boards with:
After experimenting with cartridges, I ended up "attempting" to flush my pen. However, after it dried for a bit, I tried to write and the ink came out watery and diluted. I waited another hour or so and it was the same. Is this a simple matter of letting it air dry longer, or did I do something wrong? Thanks in advance.

You have to get most of the water out. Once you have expunged the piston/converter/sac, you can wrap it in a paper towel to shake it (like a thermometer) if you do not have time. If you do, just let it sit nib down onto a wad of tissue, it will soak/absorb the water in the pen. If you are still finicky, you can leave it to dry for some more time.

First, welcome to FPN. This forum is chockful of info about all aspects of fountain pens.
Now, since you are in NYC, make sure you goand visit Fountain Pen Hospital- itis located right near City Hall. The folks there are really nice, when it comes to helping newbies.

Welcome to the forum. YEs, you must make sure is well dry, shaking it like a thermometer as suggested. Even blow some air into the nib section, to make sure any water is left there. The first few lines may come a bit washed out, but keep writting and it will be back to normal. One more tip; if you use the FP in a dalily basis, just refill when the ink is finished, you do not need to flush everytime, just every now and then.
Great, a young member!. The penmaniacs got a rookie!.