Greeting From Fountain Pen Newb In Philadelphia Pa

[jplevens]

Hi All;

 

I have just recently been made aware of the drastic differences among various writing instruments. I have been prowling around this forum and several YouTube channels with a furor bordering on addiction.

 

I just recently purchased some new entry level Fountain Pens and ink, and paper sampler sets to get my feet (and paper) wet:

Pens: Pilot Metropolitan Sliver fine nib, Pilot Varsity 7 pen set, Jinhao 159 Orange med nib.

Ink: Pilot Iroshizuku Mini Fountain Pen Ink Sampler set AS/SNK/YB colors

Paper: GP Sample Set: Apica CD-5 Notebook, Clairefontaine Classic Staplebound Notebook, Maruman Mnemosyne N192 B7 Notepad, Rhodia No. 12 Notepad - Black, Dot Grid , Rhodia No. 12 Premium Notepad - Black, Lined

I am very excited to learn about Fountain Pens, connect with others who share an interest in these instruments, and slowly learn the nuances of Vintage, as well as new.

 

Writing with intention and focus has long been absent from my note-taking etc., so I am excited to have found this forum and discover a community where purposeful writing is very much a part of folks' daily lives. I think my next stop on this forum will be the Handwriting area, as I need to revisit my handwriting skill, which have basically been the same since I was 13 years old. Feel free to suggest exercise books etc., but I am sure if I search the forum this is a well-worn topic.

 

Thanks,

James

[jar]

Welcome home. Pull up a stump and set a spell.

[Carrau]

Welcome aboard, James, from Charleston, SC. It looks like youve chosen your entry level pens/inks/papers carefully, and you should get plenty of practice with the tools you have, as well as more reading/research before plunging further down this well worn rabbit hole. If you are a newbie, you might look at the Reference Pages on a website called Richard's Pens: it has a wealth of info about the basics of fountain pens, their use and care, and it will help you avoid making some mistakes. A couple of other websites with useful information for newbies include PenChalet, Jetpens and the Goulet Pen Company. Goulet has made quite a few videos available on their website and on YouTube, which are helpful with some procedures related to FP use. As you have been scouring the YouTube channels, you may have come upon some of these already. Bear in mind that how your writing appears on the page is a complex interplay of pen, paper, nib, ink, and handwriting, so be patient as you experiment with these variables. There is a book I recommend to those who are interested in improving handwriting, entitled WRITE NOW, by Getty & Dubay, easily found on Amazon. Its a workbook, and teaches cursive italic writing, which Ive found to be easy to learn and read. The hard part is unlearning old ways of writing. Enjoy, and good luck.

Mike

Edited December 12, 2017 by Herrjaeger

[Chrissy]

Hello and welcome to FPN. ​

[mitto]

Greetings and welcome to FPN.

[Drawing61]

Hi and welcome . You will find lots of useful information on this forum. Glad you are here.

[PAKMAN]

Hello and Welcome to FPN!! Glad to have you as a member!!

[Henricum_Tropen]

Hello James and welcome to FPN, from Cape Town, South Africa.

 

Consider joining the Fountain Pen Network Facebook Group - lots of interaction there.

[jplevens]

Thank you all for the welcome and suggestions. Ive already found this forum to be an astounding wealth of knowledge in addition to providing a vehicle for community. So, thanks in advance to all the folks that share their experiences and knowledge with each other here.

[ThomasB]

Hello and welcome from Baton Rouge, Louisiana...Enjoy your time here

[Wahl]

Hi James

[Sasha Royale]

Welcome !

 

Have fun ! The Pilot Metropolitan works the way a fountain pen should work. The Jinhao 159 will allow you to discover whether you like a "big, fat, heavy" fountain pen. Despite being sold as disposable, the Pilot Varsity pens can be refilled.

 

Write with joy.