Throughout the forum archives, I have seen many mentions of different setups
for the engineer/mathematician, but very few (no) reviews written in "math-speak".
Attached is hand-written comparison of three pens I use in my everyday work*. 
(Finishing up my phd in computational mathematics, so I do a lot of writing and 
alot of coding.) The  content of the review is basically three equations I came across
in my work today, which I felt would best showoff the differences in each pen/ink
combination. A little history to the latter:  Over the past year or so, since my
switch from pencil -> fountain pen, I have studied this forum and experimented with
many different combinations.  The goal was to find the minimum number of pens/inks
needed to accomplish my work efficiently, but enjoyably. My priorities were based 
performance first and cost second (man I had to save up hard on a grad student's
funding), however, given that these are items I use for hours every day and
will continue to do so for years and years, I consider it worth it.  
These recommendations may not fit your needs, but they do fit mine so YMMV.  Of
course, any recommendations from the wonderful people here at FPN are greatly
appreciated.  

I have converged on the following:

Omas Emotica (fine point) with Noodler's Old Manhattan Black.
		Uses:  Research notebook, long writing spells, seminars (it is just pretty)
		Reason for use:  The OMB ink leaves a fine line, unlike other blacks
						 I have experimented with.  Also, in my research journal,
						 I like using a water-proof black ink.  Moreover, I tend
						 to stop and think a lot and find the cap quite
						 useful in keeping the pen in "writer-friendly" position.  
						 As for the seminars everyone likes to look at it.
Namiki Falcon (fine point) with J. Herbin Eclat de Saphir
		Uses:  Scratch work, annotating papers, editing
		Reason for use:  I chose this blue ink, as I found that it stood out
						 easily from papers while making annotations, and also
						 dried quickly without feathering on almost all paper
						 I threw at it.  For scratch work, this is the first pen
						 I reach for, as it puts out a wonderfully fine line and
						 it just a joy to write with.  For extended periods of time
						 though, I find that the Emotica is more comfortable. I also
						 often use this to annotate and edit in my research book,
						 as the contrast again is easily visible at first glance.
						 My main complaint with this pen is the look.  I am a simple
						 guy and dont like the look of gold-trimmed pens.  Plus,
						 the plastic body feels insubstantial on use.  
Lamy Safari vista (fine point) with J. Herbin Bleu Nuit (or Noodler's Ellis Island)
		Uses: Workhorse, writing in coffee shops, classrooms, grading
		Reason for use:  I tend to work in "high-risk" environments where there is a
						 risk of theft or worse yet, the pen being knocked onto the 
						 ground. (coffee shops, class rooms, etc)  This is my goto pen
						 for such situations.  I tend to alternate between the above
						 blue-blacks depending on my mood.  Both work wonderfully. 
						 Also, as I use this pen for grading, students can't attempt 
						 to cheat by changing my written numbers, as these colors
						 are quite hard to reproduce (and yes, I have caught a
						 student or two trying to change a 5 -> 8 and then say
						 I added incorrectly).  




I have experimented with some of the chinese pens, however, I did not enjoy the
experience.  In fact, most other pens do not appeal to me for as these three pens fit
nearly every niche perfectly. (the exception is mentioned below... ;-)  As for other
inks, I have experimented with Aurora Black, PR Black Ultra (there is a thread
about that failure) as well as other blues.  I did notice that the Herbin Bleu Nuit 
did not perform as I liked in the Emotica, but performed perfectly in the Safari and
Falcon.


If pushed to recommend only one pen, I would choose the Falcon.  I like the Emotica
more, however if you are on a budget, the Falcon is far cheaper and a joy to write
math with.  The Safari (even in the extra fine) is just too broad for precise indices.


Paper:  Original Crown Mill, Computer-ruled in Grey.  
		I find this paper to have great qualities for scratch work (which I always
		save).  I tend to cut the A4 paper in half to create A5 sized sheets 
		for my scratch.  I like the look of the grey and also there is absolutely
		no visible bleed through, so both sides of the paper can be used.  I know
		it is not cheap, but honestly, given the cost of everything else, it is worth
		the extra money to add some additional happiness to my work.
		
Notebooks:  Apica CD 15 or Tsubame W80 notebooks and research journals.
     		There is not much to say here.  Both use acid-free paper and take 
			fountain pen ink nicely.  
		
			
			
Other writing instruments which serve a purpose:
	California Republic Pencils:  
								  These are the most amazing pencils currently made.
	 							  Seriously, check them out. 
	Graf von Faber Castell Perfect Pencil:  
								  It is so pretty and was a gift.  I use
								  it lovingly and not as much as I should.  When
								  I do carry it to talks and seminars, people always
								  comment how elegant it is. 
	Graf van Faber Castell Classic Rollerball in Grenadilla:  
								  Again, it was a gift.
								  For quick notes and travel, this is my goto pen.
	Fisher space pen:  
								  It is small and fits in my pants pocket right next
								  to either my Apica CD-5 or Rite in the Rain #135,
								  depending on the weather.
								
								
If you are curious, for correspondence, I use  the G. Lalo Borghese cards in grey for
short notes and Amalfi stationary for longer letters.   The pen I choose depends on my
mood and the color of ink in it.  I keep on wanting to get a new pen to fill with one
of the many beautiful brown inks for use with the Amalfi paper, but I dont want to
admit to having a problem.  My fiance already thinks I am a little crazy... ;-) 
(Seriously, though any recommendations under 250$? I was thinking of getting something 
drastically different in functionality than I already have. A M or F italic?) 


I hope this helps!  IF you have any questions, please feel free to contact me
either through this thread or via PM.   I just want to give back to FPN as much
as it has given to me.  

Take care,
marc


*Some more information about the handwritten part.  This was written in my standard
hand, ie. it is focused more on getting things written quickly rather than neatly.
(Although I hope I obtain enough of the latter.)  Personally, I do prefer the 
semi-flex of the Emotica and Falcon and the little bit of personality
it gives my writing. Also, integrals and summations look "purty." If more 
fine-ness is needed, I will often flip the pen over to write small symbols, 
such as the infinity symbol, however I did not do so in this document.  Also, the 
scan as hard as I tried, came out a little blurry from my scanner.  In real life,
the Falcon indices are extremely crisp and precise.

Beautiful!
Alejandro

I must confess to being slightly disappointed with the lack of ostentation in the integral signs.

If you're going to use a Namiki Falcon to integrate a Gaussian, you should do it with a flourish!

Wouldn't a flourish detract from the inherent beauty known as the Gaussian?
I tend to see flourishes similar to gaudy expensive jewelry or make-up...


(read this as: It is better to write plainly and well than risk an ugly flourish! Knowing
me, had I tried, I would have written the review over and over again until perfect.
Still, I would love to see one of the members with an amazing hand do a "guide
to math symbols." Some of the older texts on math have handwritten symbols
as printers could not make them easily and are simply stunning.)

I'm curious about how fine a nib you need to get optimal results when writing equations. You've obviously found pens and nibs that work for you, but I would guess that something even finer than the Namiki might come in handy sometimes. The Safari doesn't seem fine enough for detailed equations, but you make it work when you need to. Would you comment more about the nibs and their suitability for mathematical equations?

Great review. Thanks for the opinions!

Honestly, I have never needed anything finer than the Namiki used backwards. I experimented with some
chinese pens, which were finer than the Namiki, however, I could only really use those for short
equations or indices, as I did not enjoy writing with them. I should note that my work does require
a lot of fine writing.

I like to use a very fine nib for writing mathematics, so my Nakaya's with a fine nib are perfectly suitable. Also, my Pilot Custom 845 with its fine nib is good for writing math. On the other hand, I would not use a Namiki Yukari Royale with its medium nib for writing math: too much flow and too thick a nib. Nice to write plain text, but not suitable for superscripts and subscripts. For this reason, I always have a fine nibbed pen inked. Ruud

What fun! After telling my high school math students to write in pencil please over and over again, I took an on-line calculus course this summer that required me to write in pen. I used my Lamy Studio fine point with Noodler's Black, and it was a joy to use ... except I hate having to cross out or start all over again for each mistake. I used a Rhodia notebook for notes and homework.

To paraphrase one of my professors. "I always use a pen. It forces me to think very hard before I write anything down."
He tended to use an old school MB and wrote big to compensate for the lack of fine-ness in the nib.

Good review! I wish I had access to my new Lamy Studio xf when I went to school!

Thanks man! I'm in the middle of working on my undergrad degree in Mathematics, and I've been dying to see other math people's thoughts on fountain pens. I usually go to my EF Vista. I've actually narrowed the nib a little more (I spent about half an hour on it with a bit of super fine sandpaper to get it smoothed out and smaller. The end result is that the pen is a bit more flexible and smooth like butter.)

Quick question:

What notebook do you use? I'm ordering a stack of Black n' Red notebooks I want to try for this semester. I really wish I could find a good notebook with graphing lines, but I haven't been able to find one that will work well.

I use either Apica's CD15 or Tsubame's, depending on availibility at the local Kinokuniya. I am not a big fan of graph
paper, but plenty of people here like Rhodia's. I have never been a fan of the Black in Reds, either. NOt sure why.

Pics of Apica's can be found throughout the forum.
Pics of my preferred Tsubame's. The former I use for notes, the latter for research.
http://www.tsubamenote.co.jp/product.html#daigaku
http://www.tsubamenote.co.jp/product.html#tokuatu

Very sound advice. I used to use an MB149 with an EF nib, myself. Anything larger, and you might as well be using a crayon. I may have suggested just such a writing instrument to some of the lesser minds among the student population in the past, but there were other reasons for that...

Having recently discovered the Sailor saibi togi nib, I'd probably use that for preference . The Namiki is another good choice, though.

I use a Lamy 2000 XF for my physics/maths work. It's not very XF but I prefer a bolder line and I write bigger that way which means my hand doesn't cramp up as much. I also use a Safari/Al-Star F or XF for my knockabout pen. I tried using a Pilot F in the past, but it was too spidery for my liking.

Fantastic work, I enjoyed that!

I lke to use either:
-pens that are Asian xf/f on one side and xxf on the other side
-pens that can flex from an Asian xf on up.
I like to use broader strokes for matrices, narrower strokes for scalars and the narrowest strokes for sub/super scripts.

It is always nice to know that there are other mathsters with a fountain pen fetish out there!

I have noticed that for "slow" writing Safaris are wonderful, but I do find that they lack the necessary glide for taking fast notes or for speedy grading, unless you go up in nib size. At present I am using my Pelikan M600 (pre-1997) with a fine nib for this purpose. It is light and flighty. Mind you, the screw-on cap can be a pain, but I use it posted most of the time. Waterman ink works well in the pen, but the colors are not exotic and are easy to forge. People have recommended Lamy 2000, and I have just bought one in XF, but I do not have it yet. Perhaps it will be a winner, when it arrives.

:-)

I'd suggest one of the inexpensive Pilot 78Gs... light, but has a very nice nib. Med is like a Western F, etc. The B is a Stub instead of a Bold. Can find them for $8-25 each. One guy on eBay was selling 3 (one of each size) for something like $55 shipped. Don't know if he's still doing that and I don't remember his name, sorry. Someone could tell you if interested.

Something like Waterman Havana (brown) would be attractive in the B/stub.

Have you tried vanishing points?

Although I can afford a Nakaya Pen (simple black cigar with xf 2 tone nib which is about $750, where I'm based), it is too high end for my usage. If there's any pen that I'd want for work, it'll be this.

I'm still in college, and an entry level pen with an xf nib would suffice. Never considered Pilot VPs, until recently when I gave it a shot. Fell in love with it immediately.

I'm studying Mech Engineering, so most of my notes are detailed with Free Body Diagrams and sketches. The best thing about VPs, is that they eliminate the need to cap and uncap. So during long pauses in lectures or lab experiments, the nib can be retracted easily.

I would have gotten the Namiki Falcon if it were available. The closest that is available is the Pilot Custom 74. But the deciding factor for me between VP and Custom, would be the "VP" effect. Also, I feel that the pen is solidly made. Although it's plastic, it does not give you that particular "clinky" feel. Finally, if an "accident" occurs, the nib unit can be replaced, and I belief it's not too expensive to do so.

If you want to go vintage, I suggest I Sheaffer Snorkel with an xf or accountant's nib.

Don

Thanks for all the wonderful replies. However, I am more interested
in a non-fine point, for when I am writing letters, etc.

If you would like to experiment with an italic nib, I would recommend a Sheaffer Viewpoint Fine Italic or Manuscript Medium Italic. Both are quite inexpensive and will give you a good idea if you are really meant to use italic pens. Another inexepensive, quick solution is to order a 1.1mm italic nib from Lamy for your Vista. The old nib slips off and on goes a new one.

Beautiful work. Using a fountain pen definitely adds an extra dimension to your math work. Is that good?

It makes some problems easier others harder... ;-)

Very nice review!

It's funny that you mentioned about grading. I caught students changing the grade when I use BP to grade the exams (my terrible handwriting is too hard to imitate I guess. LOL). That never happen again after I switched to a FP with a semi-flex nib, plus the Waterman Red really stands out.

Hello colleagues!

When I was in college, I used a Cross Century F for 4 years of BSc maths and an MSc. When I lost that it was a Cross Townsend F for the PhD. Now when I write equations/algebra my favorite is a M200 with a binderised stub 0.7 . I think that to get the proper equation look (think TeX) you cannot beat an italics nib - when equations are typeset almost all letters (or at least the variables and functions) are italics.

I agree with the poster that talked about the 1.1 italic nob for the safaris. It is excellent (though aliitle too broad for normal text for me and marginally broad for equations).

I recently moved in my organisation to a technical department with a hiogh percentage of maths/physics graduates. The proportion of FP users is certainly higher here, though my boss (a fellow mathematician and FP writer) told me he cannot write maths with his fountain pen! Maybe he needs an italic nib!

The Namiki Falcon in F is definitely one of the best choices for editing. It makes a terrificly precise line. I use regular pilot red, and it is great.

I'm sitting here doing practice proofs with my new XF Lamy 2000.

I used a Rotring Core fine nib pen for about two years, then went to Rotring 600 XF, both pens suit my mathematics writing very well. You are right about the Lamy Safari, I was very disappointed in their XF nib because it wrote too broad.

Very interesting post. You're basically looking for very fine nibbed pens along with inks that dry fast. That's my basic requirement too though I'm not in computational mathematics but am in anthropology. However, my discipline has nothing to do with my requirements. In any case, have you tried the Pilot 78G? I sees to have a finer line than the scan of your Falcon.

I don't know about math, but in many other disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, the very reason your professor gives is the very reason for writer's block. I'm in cultural anthropology which crosses humanities and social sciences (and even crosses fine arts and mathematics depending on your research--e.g., mathematical anthropology) and we have to UNLEARN that writing is the endpoint of our thought process. In fact, writing IS part of our thought process. If we only think in our heads we very quickly get into a muddle.

Writing is a process and can be used as a tool to help us think. Often times when we sit in front of a computer and type we may think we need to get the first thoughts out perfect and so we end up staring at a blank screen for hours unable to get our thoughts out. That leads to writer's block and many a graduate student can tell you that it's happened to them. It's happened to me.

Writing a'int sacred. I write to process, get the thoughts out, and get them going and interacting. It a'int final until it's published in a book or journal. But even then, there is this wise advice I received from my advisor who received it from his mentor: "Publish now, retract later." The idea of the advice is if you continue being afraid of saying anything and publishing anything (maybe because you think you're not sure of what you're saying, or something may change, etc.) you'll never get anything published. Published things themselves can be retracted too in subsequent publications by saying something like, "Oops. I don't believe in my analysis now and here's why. And here's a better way to look at it."

Writing a'int sacred. :-)

Nothing constructive here, but from a fellow student looking to attend graduate school in the future , was nice to discover this thread! I imagine that when I'm at the stage of research I'll only grow crazier than I am now. =)

I have always wanted to try a Namiki...I wonder!

I think there is a difference between your area and math. In math there is no "belief" (in proofs at least). It is true; it is not true, or it
is not provable given our current set of axioms. I am not saying I never use scratch paper, but one of the biggest mistakes beginning
students make is just writing solutions without thought (this goes for calculus to more advanced topics). The key to writing a good proof
is first find intuition to the problem. Next, design a road map with some land marks along the way. Finally, Methodically progress
through each portion of the proof (in any order you deem most efficient) until the proof is complete. Once everything is done and verified, publish... There is no
room for a mistake here. If one line is not justifiable, then the proof is not correct. So in this case, writing is very sacred, as nothing is true
until written down and proven. In fact, a mathematicians career can be ruined by publishing and later retracting a proof with a mistake,
so it is critical to insure that everything written down is correct.

As for the 78G, I tried it and did not like it very much. I am going to play around with a VP in the near future though and report back.

That's pretty much the essence of mathematical proofs. I only did it as an undergrad, I don't have plans to become a career mathematician, that's a field I could never do competitively and enjoy at the same time, I only enjoyed math casually reading text books and then writing proofs for the exercises, but of course there is always new unanswered questions along the way, I've found a few during that time.

I have used a Pelikan M800 with Richard Binder XXF nib, but now I use a 1945 Parker 51 "Wedding Band" w/factory XF nib. The Pel was nice and light, but it required frequent recaps to prevent drying out. Waterman black seems to work fine for calculations.

I'd heartily agree with Mathmarc... the Namiki Falcon SF nib, upside down, is micrographic.