New To Fountain Pens, Help Please!

[davemart]

Hello!

I recently became interested in fountain pens and I'm considering purchasing one! I would most likely buy the Lamy Safari based on the high recommendation of them to new users, I also really like the design of them as well. However, I am unsure on which nib size to get with the Safari.

I am a left-handed (I read that the left-handed Lamy nib doesn't really make a difference, but I might as well mention it) high school student. This means I would most likely be using cheap paper, like the Norcom 1 Subject Notebook (College Ruled), and blank copy paper as well. I am not sure whether to get the Safari with the F or M nib. Will the nib size affect the amount of bleed-through/feathering in the cheap paper? Which nib size do you recommend for my type of use?

Also, if anyone uses rollerball pens (it's a fountain pen forum, I know haha), do you know the size of the F or M Lamy nibs compared to, say, an Energel .7mm refill? Like, what's the mm of a F or M Lamy nib?

Thank you!

[pen lady]

Where in California are you? If you are in the L.A. area, I'd suggest going up to The Fountain Pen Shop in Monrovia. There's no substitute for trying out a pen before you buy. Good luck.

[davemart]

Where in California are you? If you are in the L.A. area, I'd suggest going up to The Fountain Pen Shop in Monrovia. There's no substitute for trying out a pen before you buy. Good luck.

I totally agree, that is why I am hesitant to buying one online. I live in the central coast, so pretty far from L.A., thanks though!

[DrDebG]

Welcome to FPN!

 

You questions are really great ones!

 

I too am left handed. Are you an "over-hand" left hander? Or do you hold your pen at the same angle as right handers, but angle the page the other direction? In either case, I still recommend either a Lamy Safari with a F nib. Many others also recommend Pilot Metropolitans. Their fine nib will be even finer than the Lamy.

 

You are correct in assuming that paper has a lot to do with your writing, whether you use a fountain pen or not. You can expect a bit more skipping or scratchiness with cheap paper. But the other part of the equation here is the ink you use. You want to find an ink that is known not to feather or bleed-through much. Please check the ink reviews section of the forum. There are excellent reviews of both color and formulation of inks to be found here. I too sometimes use cheap paper. One brand that I will not use on cheap paper is Noodler's. Every one of their inks bleedthrough badly. I personally tend towards inks that are less saturated. My personal favorites are Waterman and J. Herbin, which are found widely. I also really like Franklin-Christoph (www.franklin-christoph.com) and L'Artisan Pastelier Callifolio (Vanness Pens) because they are very reasonably priced and have great colors and properties. Another brand that a lot of people like is Diamine because of the huge color selection and reasonably decent properties.

 

Good luck! Let us know what you choose and how it is working for you.

[davemart]

Welcome to FPN!

 

You questions are really great ones!

 

I too am left handed. Are you an "over-hand" left hander? Or do you hold your pen at the same angle as right handers, but angle the page the other direction? In either case, I still recommend either a Lamy Safari with a F nib. Many others also recommend Pilot Metropolitans. Their fine nib will be even finer than the Lamy.

 

You are correct in assuming that paper has a lot to do with your writing, whether you use a fountain pen or not. You can expect a bit more skipping or scratchiness with cheap paper. But the other part of the equation here is the ink you use. You want to find an ink that is known not to feather or bleed-through much. Please check the ink reviews section of the forum. There are excellent reviews of both color and formulation of inks to be found here. I too sometimes use cheap paper. One brand that I will not use on cheap paper is Noodler's. Every one of their inks bleedthrough badly. I personally tend towards inks that are less saturated. My personal favorites are Waterman and J. Herbin, which are found widely. I also really like Franklin-Christoph (www.franklin-christoph.com) and L'Artisan Pastelier Callifolio (Vanness Pens) because they are very reasonably priced and have great colors and properties. Another brand that a lot of people like is Diamine because of the huge color selection and reasonably decent properties.

 

Good luck! Let us know what you choose and how it is working for you.

Thank you! I am an "underwriter", so I usually have the paper vertically straight and write below the line. I will make sure to check out you recommended inks, I'll definitely post what I choose!

 

Thanks again!

[DrDebG]

Also make sure to get an ink(s) that dry quickly. There is less chance of smearing and also less chance of bleed through.

 

Also, if you have access to sugarcane filler paper for your notebook, you may find that more fountain pen friendly. Also at Office Depot, you can also consider Black and Red notebooks, but those are more spendy.

Edited December 6, 2015 by DrPenfection

[Peppers]

 

Hello!

I recently became interested in fountain pens and I'm considering purchasing one! I would most likely buy the Lamy Safari based on the high recommendation of them to new users, I also really like the design of them as well. However, I am unsure on which nib size to get with the Safari.

I am a left-handed (I read that the left-handed Lamy nib doesn't really make a difference, but I might as well mention it) high school student. This means I would most likely be using cheap paper, like the Norcom 1 Subject Notebook (College Ruled), and blank copy paper as well. I am not sure whether to get the Safari with the F or M nib. Will the nib size affect the amount of bleed-through/feathering in the cheap paper? Which nib size do you recommend for my type of use?

Also, if anyone uses rollerball pens (it's a fountain pen forum, I know haha), do you know the size of the F or M Lamy nibs compared to, say, an Energel .7mm refill? Like, what's the mm of a F or M Lamy nib?

Thank you!

 

 

I am a left handed writer. I use Lamy Safari & Lamy Studio, both the fountain pens & rollerballs. I can write you an example and make a scan or take a picture.

 

Let me know.

 

I can also give you my opinion as left handed if you wish. Just ask me very direct questions to what you wish to know.

 

-Peppers

[davemart]

 

I am a left handed writer. I use Lamy Safari & Lamy Studio, both the fountain pens & rollerballs. I can write you an example and make a scan or take a picture.

 

Let me know.

 

I can also give you my opinion as left handed if you wish. Just ask me very direct questions to what you wish to know.

 

-Peppers

Yes, I would love to know about how the Lamy Safari feels for a lefty! What nib sizes do you use? Is there any problems with "pushing" into the paper with the pen? What kind of paper do you use?

 

I also was considering a Safari rollerball as well! However, I though about the cost of the Lamy refills and such. By the way, how long does a rollerball refill last for you?

 

Thanks!

[ecologito]

Welcome to the forum,

 

I am a newbie myself and left handed. When I got curious about Fountain Pens ended buying a sheaffer pen at office max and that was a huge disappointment. I ended up ordering a couple of platinum preppy pens with different size nibs since they are really inexpensive, as well as a platinum plaisir.

 

Since then, I have turned two of them into eye droppers and started playing with inks.

 

Start inexpensive and just have fun, before you know it you will have more pens than time to write,

[Peppers]

Yes, I would love to know about how the Lamy Safari feels for a lefty! What nib sizes do you use? Is there any problems with "pushing" into the paper with the pen? What kind of paper do you use?

 

I also was considering a Safari rollerball as well! However, I though about the cost of the Lamy refills and such. By the way, how long does a rollerball refill last for you?

 

Thanks!

 

Most left handed writers, tend to go quite fine with their writing instruments, usually because our fingers smear the fresh ink along the paper. Having fingers full of ink isn't ideal as well.

 

I personally go with finer nibs.

 

Ballpoints are hell for us. Rollerballs fixed this issue with their gel inks, they dry super fast.

 

Don't waste your time with left handed Lamy nibs. They are a joke. Ask anyone who has used them.

 

On my Lamy fountain pens, I use fine nibs. I have tried the EF nib, the problem with Lamy EF is that the nib is so fine that when trying to write from the angle of a left handed writer, you get zero (0) ink flow and the tip feels like writing with a needle. I've tested many Lamy EFs in the hopes of finding one that works, but sadly, it is like trying to write with an pen with no ink. Left handed writers push the nib, rather than pulling the nib, I am sure you are aware of this; that is the problem when you try to go finer, there is simply not enough material with contact with the paper to let the ink flow, and fountain pens are not designed for that. I tested those Lamy EF nibs with my right hand, and worked beautifully. Pity.

 

Lamy Fine nibs solve this issue; There is a difference between the Lamy steel- vs the Lamy gold-fine nibs. Steel is thinner, Gold is a tad thicker, very minimal but I can see the difference to the naked eye. I personally recommend you to start with a Lamy Safari with a Fine nib, from there you can either purchase a EF or M nib unit to test the waters around it. Lamy has interchangeable nibs, which cost a fraction of a full pen; it is a great option for starters. If you really like it, you can move your way up the latter in the Lamy family until you reach the Lamy Studio in Gold or Lamy 2000. Be advised that you need to do your homework before choosing a Lamy 2000 as a left handed writer, that particular pen has something that is known as 'sweet spot'.

 

My Lamy Safari F, craps out on cheap paper; Massive bleed. I am talking about the cheap college notebooks that I use for University (Norcom), including the loose paper for your binder. American paper sucks. However, if you need to take a bunch of notes and want you use your fountain pen without spending a fortune on fountain pen paper: You can always purchase printer paper, those 500 sheet blocks, make sure you get a modest quality one, usually the laser-jet paper. As a starter user on a budget, it will do wonders for you and will spark your interest into higher end fountain pens and paper.

 

Ok. Lamy Rollerballs. You are one of us, but you still live in this world with the rest of non-fountain pen users. What I mean by that, is that you need to write a bank check, or a restaurant check, or fill some application at school at some point in your life, and a fountain pen is not good for any of that. Use a rollerball. This means that your rollerball refill will last you about a year. The Lamy rollerball is a noticeable thicker than the Lamy F. Don't use Lamy rollerballs for everyday writing; the amount of colleges notes you take will leave you homeless after a while. Too much money.

 

So, if I could summarize my thoughts, as a left handed fountain pen user which happens to be a college student as well.. I would say and recommend to get a Lamy Safari with a Fine nib, with any ink of your choice and good quality printer paper (laser ones).

 

For the ink, most people would recommend you to use Noodler's black. I will not recommend you that. As left handed, I truly despise the amount of pigment it has, it causes problems for us. The ink dries, but so much pigment still smears.

 

Lamy Steel F is not scratchy, but has feedback. Lamy Gold F, is smooth as butter, but a tad wetter (nothing to worry about). I have tried Lamy M, it is a place I don't want to visit even in my wildest dream.

 

This is my set https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/300839-beautiful-lamy-palladium-set/?do=findComment&comment=3512185.

 

I also have the Safari charcoal trio: fountain pen, rollerball and mechanical pencil.

 

Let me know if you have more questions. Hopefully this will help you in deciding what you want. Regardless of your choice of nib size, you can't go wrong with a Lamy Safari as your first fountain pen.

 

-Peppers

Edited December 6, 2015 by Peppers

[dylim1]

Depending on your grip, you might or might not like the triangular grip of the Lamy Safari. So, trying it out would be the way to go.

 

I'd suggest TWSBI Eco. I've been using it for 3 months now and I like it more than my Safari. I feel that the ECO is more comfortable for longer writing session.

 

You might also want to try out some EF nibs. For cheap paper, even a F nib might have show through on cheap paper.

 

I have Lamy steel F nib and a Lamy gold F nib. i can say that the gold nib is definitely wetter than the steel nib.

Edited December 6, 2015 by dylim1

[ancalagon]

Iron Gall inks might be a good idea. They work well on cheap paper, and don't bleedthrough/showthrough/feather much. I don't know about their dry time (which might matter to a lefty), but I'm under the impression that it's fairly short.

 

I do Sudoku puzzles with a fountain pen sometimes, and those are printed on crappy newsprint, which is extremely absorbent. Finer nibs, dry inks, and a light hand help with crappy paper, and Iron Gall inks are particularly good.

 

I've used R&K Salix for lots of college notetaking and test taking, and didn't have problems with the crappy paper I was using.

 

If you're looking at Norcom notebooks, be sure to get ones that weren't made in the U.S. They usually have stacks of notebooks that are mixed U.S./non-U.S. in stores and they are the same as far as the store is concerned, but the paper in them is not the same. Sugar Cane paper is also good (and cheap).

[Water Ouzel]

I totally agree, that is why I am hesitant to buying one online. I live in the central coast, so pretty far from L.A., thanks though!

Which part of the Central Coast?

[davemart]

Which part of the Central Coast?

Hollister, California. About an hour and a half from San Francisco

[davemart]

 

Most left handed writers, tend to go quite fine with their writing instruments, usually because our fingers smear the fresh ink along the paper. Having fingers full of ink isn't ideal as well.

 

I personally go with finer nibs.

 

Ballpoints are hell for us. Rollerballs fixed this issue with their gel inks, they dry super fast.

 

Don't waste your time with left handed Lamy nibs. They are a joke. Ask anyone who has used them.

 

On my Lamy fountain pens, I use fine nibs. I have tried the EF nib, the problem with Lamy EF is that the nib is so fine that when trying to write from the angle of a left handed writer, you get zero (0) ink flow and the tip feels like writing with a needle. I've tested many Lamy EFs in the hopes of finding one that works, but sadly, it is like trying to write with an pen with no ink. Left handed writers push the nib, rather than pulling the nib, I am sure you are aware of this; that is the problem when you try to go finer, there is simply not enough material with contact with the paper to let the ink flow, and fountain pens are not designed for that. I tested those Lamy EF nibs with my right hand, and worked beautifully. Pity.

 

Lamy Fine nibs solve this issue; There is a difference between the Lamy steel- vs the Lamy gold-fine nibs. Steel is thinner, Gold is a tad thicker, very minimal but I can see the difference to the naked eye. I personally recommend you to start with a Lamy Safari with a Fine nib, from there you can either purchase a EF or M nib unit to test the waters around it. Lamy has interchangeable nibs, which cost a fraction of a full pen; it is a great option for starters. If you really like it, you can move your way up the latter in the Lamy family until you reach the Lamy Studio in Gold or Lamy 2000. Be advised that you need to do your homework before choosing a Lamy 2000 as a left handed writer, that particular pen has something that is known as 'sweet spot'.

 

My Lamy Safari F, craps out on cheap paper; Massive bleed. I am talking about the cheap college notebooks that I use for University (Norcom), including the loose paper for your binder. American paper sucks. However, if you need to take a bunch of notes and want you use your fountain pen without spending a fortune on fountain pen paper: You can always purchase printer paper, those 500 sheet blocks, make sure you get a modest quality one, usually the laser-jet paper. As a starter user on a budget, it will do wonders for you and will spark your interest into higher end fountain pens and paper.

 

Ok. Lamy Rollerballs. You are one of us, but you still live in this world with the rest of non-fountain pen users. What I mean by that, is that you need to write a bank check, or a restaurant check, or fill some application at school at some point in your life, and a fountain pen is not good for any of that. Use a rollerball. This means that your rollerball refill will last you about a year. The Lamy rollerball is a noticeable thicker than the Lamy F. Don't use Lamy rollerballs for everyday writing; the amount of colleges notes you take will leave you homeless after a while. Too much money.

 

So, if I could summarize my thoughts, as a left handed fountain pen user which happens to be a college student as well.. I would say and recommend to get a Lamy Safari with a Fine nib, with any ink of your choice and good quality printer paper (laser ones).

 

For the ink, most people would recommend you to use Noodler's black. I will not recommend you that. As left handed, I truly despise the amount of pigment it has, it causes problems for us. The ink dries, but so much pigment still smears.

 

Lamy Steel F is not scratchy, but has feedback. Lamy Gold F, is smooth as butter, but a tad wetter (nothing to worry about). I have tried Lamy M, it is a place I don't want to visit even in my wildest dream.

 

This is my set https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/300839-beautiful-lamy-palladium-set/?do=findComment&comment=3512185.

 

I also have the Safari charcoal trio: fountain pen, rollerball and mechanical pencil.

 

Let me know if you have more questions. Hopefully this will help you in deciding what you want. Regardless of your choice of nib size, you can't go wrong with a Lamy Safari as your first fountain pen.

 

-Peppers

Wow, thanks! This was extremely informative! I will let you guys know what I end up purchasing!

[thw1990]

Definitely change your paper--I took notes on levenger paper, which is thicker--their circa system makes it easy to organize. Staples makes a cheaper version of the system that's still a nice heavy paper.

 

After you pick your first FP, if you PM me your address I'd be happy to send you some paper samples to try.

[Iollan]

Thank you! I am an "underwriter", so I usually have the paper vertically straight and write below the line. I will make sure to check out you recommended inks, I'll definitely post what I choose!

 

Thanks again!

 

As an left-handed underwriter, most of the problems that plague the overwriters/sidewriters do not apply to you; the range of pens that would work well for you is about the same as it would be for a right-handed person, especially if you hold your pen at the standard 40-55 degrees range of angles, which most pens are tuned for and the main cause of scratchy 'upstrokes' - that the pen is being held at a higher angle. But the issue of the Lamy sweet spot (which right handers experience as well), might or might not be an issue for you, but this is really more of a brand issue rather than a general FP for lefties thing.

 

I had a lamy ef that I really disliked out of the box, but worked decently after some tuning, which nonetheless, feathered heavily over cheap paper. On the other hand, I have had pens with asian sized extra-fines that wrote better and smoother than the lamy nib, and due to its fineness, had much less feathering on cheap paper; the only caveat being that a light hand is required.

 

I'll echo the posts above and say that there's nothing like being able to try a pen before you buy it. You might or might not have the same experience with the Safari as I did, but as a left-handed underwriter myself, I have had better (smoother) out of the box experiences with brands like Pilot, Sailor and Platinum, at much finer sized nibs.

 

(However, if additional tuning to the nib is planned after the purchase, the above does not apply as much).

[Runnin_Ute]

If you are going to stick with the inexpensive/cheap composition books and filler paper available at the big box stores, make sure to buy the Made in Brazil ones. The paper is much better than any of the others.

 

HP LaserJet 24 lb is a really good but fairly inexpensive paper. (<$20 for a ream of 500 sheets) The multipurpose/ink jet papers aren't nearly as good. I haven't tried the Staples bagasse (sugar cane) papers, but people I have talked to that have seem to like it.

[Invictus Maneo]

I don't think you can go wrong with a Lamy Safari the only caveat being the tri-grip that the pen almost forces you to use. I have three Alstars (which is basically the same pen, just an aluminum body instead of plastic) which I love! I have a bunch of different sized Lamy nibs that I like to play around with, everything from F to 1.9 italic.

May I also suggest looking at the Pilot Metropolitan? This was my first FP and even though I've acquired some other, more expensive pens, I still really like using the Metro.

As far as notebook paper may I suggest going to Staples and looking for the "Sustainable Earth" line? The paper is much cheaper than say, Rhodia (which I love too!) and is very FP friendly! It even has built in envelopes on the insides of the front and back covers that allow you to store loose leaf papers in the notebook.

I'm sorry that I can't help you with the left handed questions as I am a righty!

[Arkanabar]

I'm going to suggest (as I do to all newbies) a Platinum Plaisir. As a lefty, quick drying is rather important to you, so I recommend a fine. It has a bit more girth than the Pilot Metropolitan, no step between barrel and section, and no facets.

For ink, you'd probably do well with Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black, Noodler's Heart of Darkness (once dry, it's just about everything-proof), or perhaps J. Herbin Perle Noire.

Iron gall inks are another possibility, and it'd be hard to beat xFountainPen.com's "Chesterfield Archival Vault" for price. These are colored by the oxidation of the tannoferrogallic acid in them (it's quite mild, no worries), which makes them waterproof.

If you must have Noodler's Black, give serious consideration to diluting it. That usually helps inks with slow dry times and smudging problems.

Try to develop a really light hand. This will help with nearly all your issues. Your pen will be less prone to snagging fibers from your lousy paper, it will lay down less ink, and so your ink will dry faster and there will be less of it to smudge.

My sister is left handed also, and she likes calligraphy felt-tips. She writes with the paper rotated 90 degrees clockwise, with the left margin of the paper at the top, and writes her letters sideways in columns, like kanji or Chinese ideograms. I can't really recommend this for taking notes in college, though.