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Recommend A Fp For Heavy Useage


Spaceman Spiff

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Pilot Metropolitan for heavy use (mostly because it's easily replaceable).

Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first, the lesson afterwards.

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I like my Taccia Covenant. It's a very smooth writer, not too expensive by fountain pen standards and has an unusual cap that covers almost the entire pen for a bit of extra durability.

 

My TWSBI 700 in Rose Gold is also a very good writer, looks great and isn't very expensive, but I have an earlier Diamond model that's a bit leaky so that's made me a bit wary of their build quality.

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Thank you all for all your help. Very much appreciated.

 

The pen that I'll ponder on getting will most likely be from the following four: Namiki falcon, Parker 45 & 51 aerometric, and Pelikan M200. These appear to be most suitable for my needs. I am tempted to try Pilot Metropolitan with conversion, but I'd prefer to avoid modifications if possible.

 

On a side note, my sense of vanity is nagging me to get Waterman Carene FP. It is a lot more expensive and I have no idea whether it fulfils the criteria I put up, but it is utterly beautiful.

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Word of advice...

If you get a Waterman or similar expensive pen, leave it at home, and enjoy it at home.

Take the cheaper pen(s) to school. It is all to easy to loose or have someone steal your pen at school.

San Francisco Pen Show - August 28-30, 2020 - Redwood City, California

www.SFPenShow.com

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Thank you all for all your help. Very much appreciated.

 

The pen that I'll ponder on getting will most likely be from the following four: Namiki falcon, Parker 45 & 51 aerometric, and Pelikan M200. These appear to be most suitable for my needs. I am tempted to try Pilot Metropolitan with conversion, but I'd prefer to avoid modifications if possible.

 

On a side note, my sense of vanity is nagging me to get Waterman Carene FP. It is a lot more expensive and I have no idea whether it fulfils the criteria I put up, but it is utterly beautiful.

 

Of the four, I would consider the Pelikan least suitable. It is a very light and small pen with a tiny, cramped grip section. If a plastic piston-filler develops a crack - if you fall asleep on this one - you would have a huge mess on your hands. The nib is bendy - not pleasantly soft but unpleasantly whippy - which would be sprung and damaged if you pressed on it. I wouldn't use a M200 for note-taking even if you paid me.

 

Out of curiosity, why have you shortlisted the Pilot Falcon with its semi-flexible nib but not the Custom 74 with its firmer, swifter one?

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I've got a son studying Physics in the university and, after a Sonnet and a TWSBI 580, that are kept in his bag as quick replacements, I've bought him a Pelikan M200 with F point, which I strongly advice if its size suits you (we've got three at home). They write extremely well, their steel F nib makes ideal lines and are quite cheap and easily-replaceable if you crush them. They are light, classy, unconspicuous and built to last.

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Cross Townsend Chrome should be just north of your price point. You get a very high quality pen with a smooth reliable nib. The fine steel nib is very precise, so I would think suitable for doing those math equations. It takes cartridge or optional converter for refilling from a bottle too. It's one of my most comfortable pens for long writing sessions.

Edited by max dog
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Take a look at the TWSBI Classic in Black. It looks very plain, but holds much more ink than any cartridge/converter possibly can, comes in extra-fine, and is very durable.

 

I've been using mine very heavily and have put it through quite a bit of abuse. It has some scratches, but it hasn't spilled a drop of ink and is still working wonderfully. On top of that, it's price absolutely can't be beat, especially when you look at what it provides you.

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Of the four, I would consider the Pelikan least suitable. It is a very light and small pen with a tiny, cramped grip section.

Interesting, I find it most comfortable despite having rather large hands---especially for long writing sessions.

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When studying at the university I had a Rotring Art Pen Sketch EF in heavy use. It had a very good steel nib that you could use equally well for writing and drawing. The pen also was easy to disassemble and clean. You just pulled out the nib and then the feed, flushed them and the grip section and put them back together, that was all. One could change ink colours quickly this way if required. I still use this fountain pen for most of my writing. It has stood the test of time and is still looking like new, although it must be about 20 years old now. The soft grooves in the grip section look scary but you don`t feel them when you hold the pen in the right, relaxed way. If your hands are sweaty and moist in the summer the grooves effectfully prevent slipping and let the air get under your fingertips. The surface of the pen is textured in a way it prevents scratches. I used to toss around my Art Pen but it still has no visible scratches on its` surface. For me this pen is a real writing tool. It does the job very well while at the same time looking aesthetically pleasing. It is not too light and well balanced. And it is not pricey like a lot of other c/c fillers out there. The use of international standard cartridges in it is another plus for you can get these often cheaper than proprietary carts. And if you use the long 2ml cartridges you don`t need to change cartridges that often, too.

I highly recommend the Art Pen to anyone who needs a well-designed, functional tool for writing sessions of greater length.

Yet another hobby that is completely out of control...

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@sonorma

Is there a way for you to measure or compare the ink line from the Rotring EF?

Example, how does it compare to a Lamy XF or F nib.

I am always stuck when it comes to selecting a nib size, because of the size variation between brands.

 

thanks

San Francisco Pen Show - August 28-30, 2020 - Redwood City, California

www.SFPenShow.com

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It seems to me that nobody has mentioned that you shouldn't use much pressure to write with fountain pens. Even though operational costs may be lower, you may end up ruining more than one nib. If you're smashing the nibs of plastic tipped pens, you are much better off relearning how to loosen your grip.

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As you look at Parker 45s online, the amazing part is how easy replacing parts can be. I ended up ordering a lot of 3 Parker 45s with two of them not working. After a couple of purchases, I was able to buy new nibs, a new converter, and everything I needed. Great pen system with plenty of parts available. Another way to say this: you are fine buying one on eBay.

 

For the Parker 51, I've had very good luck with eBay purchases, but I will be honest and say that I can tell immediately from the ones I've bought from restorers. They have a nice polish, the nibs are perfect, and the flow is always spot on. You can take a look around at Parker51.com, peytonstreetpens.com, and others to find one in your price range and favorite colors. I just bought two from Richard Binder and are awaiting them in the mail.

 

Good luck with your hunt. The next tough question will be... what kind of ink do you plan on using in your pen? That can generate even more discussion than the pen itself!

 

Buzz

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You mentioned that you found the Lamy Safari to have too small of a grip, so I would recommend a JinHao 750 http://www.gouletpens.com/Jinhao_X750_Frosted_Black_Fountain_Pen_p/jin-x750-frostblack.htm . It is extremely cheap, has an all metal design that won't break on you, a snap-on cap that is convenient but also very strong to prevent drying out, and has a rather minimalist appearance. I'm not sure, but I think you gave the impression that you use cartridges instead of converters. I highly recommend using converters as they are more economical, but the JinHao accepts standard international cartridges, so you have lots of options when it comes to cartridges. It also comes with a converter if you choose to switch to bottled ink. The 750 also has a friction-fit #6 nib and feed so you can switch it out with any other #6 nib you have if you don't like the Medium size nib the pen comes with. I recommend these replacement nibs if you want to get an Extra-Fine or such:

http://www.gouletpens.com/Shop_All_Replacement_Nibs_s/989.htm?searching=Y&sort=7&cat=989&show=30&page=1&brand=Goulet

To switch out the nibs, all you have to do is rip out the nib on the pen and shove in a new one. There is a video on the page I linked to for the pen showing how to do this in detail.

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You mentioned that you found the Lamy Safari to have too small of a grip, so I would recommend a JinHao 750 http://www.gouletpens.com/Jinhao_X750_Frosted_Black_Fountain_Pen_p/jin-x750-frostblack.htm . It is extremely cheap, has an all metal design that won't break on you, a snap-on cap that is convenient but also very strong to prevent drying out, and has a rather minimalist appearance. I'm not sure, but I think you gave the impression that you use cartridges instead of converters. I highly recommend using converters as they are more economical, but the JinHao accepts standard international cartridges, so you have lots of options when it comes to cartridges. It also comes with a converter if you choose to switch to bottled ink. The 750 also has a friction-fit #6 nib and feed so you can switch it out with any other #6 nib you have if you don't like the Medium size nib the pen comes with. I recommend these replacement nibs if you want to get an Extra-Fine or such:

http://www.gouletpens.com/Shop_All_Replacement_Nibs_s/989.htm?searching=Y&sort=7&cat=989&show=30&page=1&brand=Goulet

To switch out the nibs, all you have to do is rip out the nib on the pen and shove in a new one. There is a video on the page I linked to for the pen showing how to do this in detail.

 

Do you have a JinHao? If so, how long have you had it and how do you like it? Maybe it's me, but I can't get past the feeling that it's just a cheap pen that doesn't write that well - and I've never seen one other than on-line. At the same time, I sing the praises of the Pilot Metropolitan and it's only $15.00 US. :lol: Maybe it's brand recognition.

Franklin-Christoph, Italix, and Pilot pens are the best!
Iroshizuku, Diamine, and Waterman inks are my favorites!

Apica, Rhodia, and Clairefontaine make great paper!

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Apparently there are TWSBI classic pens. They're not demonstrators, are still piston fillers with great capacity, and seem classy enough. I've never seen one in person yet since they're fairly new but they might be worth checking out. I can vouch for the TWSBI Diamond 580 being a decent pen, and a fun one at that.

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Do you have a JinHao? If so, how long have you had it and how do you like it? Maybe it's me, but I can't get past the feeling that it's just a cheap pen that doesn't write that well - and I've never seen one other than on-line. At the same time, I sing the praises of the Pilot Metropolitan and it's only $15.00 US. :lol: Maybe it's brand recognition.

 

I have 4 Jinhao X-450 pens and I LOVE them. I have never used a pen whose nib is as smooth as these. I did remove the nib on one of my 450's and put in a Goulet standard medium nib in and sorry to say it didn't feel as smooth or deliver the size of line as the original nib. I very highly recommend the Jinhao X-450. They are very wet writers and that is what I like.

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I have 4 Jinhao X-450 pens and I LOVE them. I have never used a pen whose nib is as smooth as these. I did remove the nib on one of my 450's and put in a Goulet standard medium nib in and sorry to say it didn't feel as smooth or deliver the size of line as the original nib. I very highly recommend the Jinhao X-450. They are very wet writers and that is what I like.

 

You've got me intrigued. I may have to try one of these.

Franklin-Christoph, Italix, and Pilot pens are the best!
Iroshizuku, Diamine, and Waterman inks are my favorites!

Apica, Rhodia, and Clairefontaine make great paper!

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Being a college student I personally use a pilot metropolitan, their cheap pens that for a medium nib, have a very fine line. If you use a con-50 converter you will be surprised just how much you can write with so little ink.

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