Being To Picky For A First Pen?

[ParkerDuofold]

Thanks for the feedback guys! I'm picking up a Varsity tonight to try out for sure. Tomorrow the store I mentioned early is open so I'm going to swing by. I feel like I need to see some of these in person before I buy. I like the look of the P45 and 51, hopefully they have a couple.

Hi KK,

 

Does that store sell used pens? The 51 went out of production in '72 and the 45 in the late '90s IIRC.

 

- Anthony

[AL01]

Thanks for the feedback guys! I'm picking up a Varsity tonight to try out for sure. Tomorrow the store I mentioned early is open so I'm going to swing by. I feel like I need to see some of these in person before I buy. I like the look of the P45 and 51, hopefully they have a couple.

 

Good luck. Do ask the guys n' gals at the store about some FP info. Welcome to the world of FPs. Ah, and if you are a student - do be careful with them 45s. Make sure it has NO cracks - they are sweet writers, but once they crack, then that is it for most of them. Also try a Lamy Safari/Nexx, they will help you enforce a FP friendly grip.

[ac12]

Attention KK

 

The Parker 45 and 51, and the Sheaffer Snorkel are long out of production.

You will NOT find them in most stores that carry "new" pens.

 

Where in Calif are you?

If you are in the SF Bay Area, you should stop by the SF Pen Posse, where with some advance warning, we can have those pens available for you to try.

[Sasha Royale]

I'm using the Pilot G2 and love everything about it.

If this is true, I would recommend the Pilot G2 pen.

[Koopa_Khan]

Attention KK

 

The Parker 45 and 51, and the Sheaffer Snorkel are long out of production.

You will NOT find them in most stores that carry "new" pens.

 

Where in Calif are you?

If you are in the SF Bay Area, you should stop by the SF Pen Posse, where with some advance warning, we can have those pens available for you to try.

I actually relocated to Minnesota, I'm still a Californian at heart. I visit family in Palm Springs often so I'll have to make a trip up to the Bay Area next time I'm in state!

 

I picked up a Snorkel and a Varsity yesterday. I'll post pictures of the Snorkel as soon as I get home. The Varsity has replaced my G2 as my work pen. I've quickly realized that fountain pens are like potato chips, you can't have just one.

[ac12]

If the snorkel is not restored, send it to be restored.

You do NOT want an ink leak in a snorkel.

 

The SF Pen Show is at the end of August. hint, hint

 

I won't tell you how many I have.

Actually, I don't know how many I have. If I counted, I would probably scare myself.

Edited April 25, 2017 by ac12

[AL01]

I actually relocated to Minnesota, I'm still a Californian at heart. I visit family in Palm Springs often so I'll have to make a trip up to the Bay Area next time I'm in state!

 

I picked up a Snorkel and a Varsity yesterday. I'll post pictures of the Snorkel as soon as I get home. The Varsity has replaced my G2 as my work pen. I've quickly realized that fountain pens are like potato chips, you can't have just one.

 

NICE!! I have been thinking about getting a Snorkel for a loong time. I buy pens very rarely... Is it a triumph, (Wrapped 'round), nib? What colour?

[Koopa_Khan]

It is a triumph! It's in pretty good shape I believe! At the very least it doesn't leak and fills incredibly well. I have it all inked and ready to go, now I just need to write! It's a nice black and gold, and is nice and light in my hand even when posted.

[AL01]

Has it been serviced? (Sac been replaced?)

[Koopa_Khan]

I don't believe so. What would it cost to get serviced? I'm guessing it depends on the person that does it?

[Abner C. Kemp]

I'd try a Pilot Varsity. Cheap, round grip, similar weight to the varsity, disposable, relatively quick drying ink. The Pilot 78G would also be a great fit.

[ac12]

 

 

I don't believe so. What would it cost to get serviced? I'm guessing it depends on the person that does it?

 

Contact a few of the Pen Techs and ask them for a quote to restore/resac the pen.

• Ron Zorn, Main Street Pens
• Linda Kenny, Indy Pen Dance
• Danny Fudge, ?
• ?

If you were in SF, one of the guys at the SF Pen Posse could do it.

[AL01]

I'd try a Pilot Varsity. Cheap, round grip, similar weight to the varsity, disposable, relatively quick drying ink. The Pilot 78G would also be a great fit.

 

He has one along with a Snorkel. KK, check the recommended sites. It should cost you no less that a 1,000,000 $ to get the Snorkel serviced.

 

Should realistically be around 15 - 45$. The sac will be replaced and the pen will be restored to a presentable state, (think of it as turning your pen into it's newer former self, think 1950s.)

 

Danny Fudge charges the least, or that is what I have heard.

Edited April 26, 2017 by AL01

[tgoto]

Hi Koopa,

 

If you happen to live in Southern California, there is Fountain Pen Shop in Monrovia.

Fred is a great person and will help you

[Koopa_Khan]

Awesome! Thanks so much guys, I'll have to get it sent out one of these days. It's just hard to part with it when I haven't gotten a chance to spend some quality writing time with it yet!

[Arkanabar]

I see I came rather late to this party. Still and all, some other person may eventually read and benefit from my accumulated knowledge, such as it is.

 

Just the same feel, weight, and length?

Not exactly. See, a Pilot G2 gets held rather upright (say, 60 degrees or more); if you were to lean it over some 45 degrees or less, like you would with a fountain pen, you'd have a rather hard time writing. And if you hold a fountain pen so vertical as you would a Pilot G2, feedback and tooth would likely be increased, and overall ergonomics would suffer.

That said, I'll make a recommendation or two.

First: Pilot Kakuno M. It's one of the lightest pens around at 11g, Pilot has excellent QC, and the girth is comparable, even though it has a hard hexagonal section instead of a rubberized grip like the G2. Pilot cartridges are easily refilled and can even be resealed. The pen has no clip.

Second: Anything by Online Pens (a German maker, with a LOT of school pens) from their "Young Writers" line, e.g. Campus and College. Goldspot ought to have them. These will also be lightweight school pens, and should have soft comfort grips like the Pilot G2, but may be somewhat more triangular for ergonomics. These use generic international short cartridges and converters.

Third: Lamy Nexx. Another German-made, lightweight school pen with soft ergonomic grip, but also with nibs that are easily obtained (~$11USD each) and easily swapped, going from XF to F to M to B to 1.1mm stub to 1.5mm stub to 1.9mm stub. Lamy cartridges are pretty big, and their converters are well-regarded. Try the Logo if you can; if I were seriously intent on having a Lamy pen, that's the one I'd have. It's lightweight, of moderate girth, and has a circular section, rather than triangular or otherwise faceted.

 

What was said earlier about how soft comfort grips tend to break down under use applies to these two German pens as well.

 

As for your purchases: Good on you! If you liked the Varsity, you should find the Kakuno to be quite similar. As for the Snorkel, the nice thing about them is how easy they are to fill. The difficult thing about them is cleaning the ink out. A Snorkel is a pen that ought to be devoted to one ink, and one ink only. The same goes for Parker's "51" and 61, and the Hero 616, a cheap Chinese knock-off of the "51".

[Koopa_Khan]

Thanks for the info! I'll be checking those out soon I have a feeling! I'll definitely have to check out the Kankuno, the Varsity as served me well so far. I am concerned that being around constant heat at work will cause some problems but so far so good.

 

Thanks for the tip! I'll have to write down the name of the ink (and the color) before I run out.