First Fountain Pen?

[Torrilin]

If a given Montblanc store won’t let you dip a fountain pen to try... find a different shop. For what they ask for pens, they damn well better let you test.

 

I haven’t any idea what might suit you. My most expensive pen is $50. It’s also heavily used, so much so that it’s got a near twin that costs $30 but uses almost identical nibs.

[PAKMAN]

Most everyone that buys a fountain pens ends up with more than one. One particular pen does not always seem to do everything we want to do, or we see other pens we like, or a pen may not fit the activity we are involved in or place we are going. I would buy something in the $20-50 range and try it for a while to see if I really liked using a fountain pen (not everyone does). Then if you love it go on and spend the money for a MB 146 or 149.

[sharonspens]

You are in Kansas, yes? Would you happen to be close enough to Kansas City to get to https://www.penplace.com/collections/fountain-pen ? They have MBs, but they also have other options across various price points. You might find something comfortable, at a lesser price point, that is to your liking for a starting point. You are looking at a large amount of money spent on something you haven't really tried. If you just want to OWN the pen, look at it from time to time, but possibly never use it, then get the MB to start. However, you seem to want to WRITE with your pen, so you might be better served to test some options and see what you like. Girth, weight, length, nib size, ability to post a cap, grip comfort - all of these can affect one's experience and enjoyment (and that is beyond the name on the box).

 

No affiliation for me with Pen Place; I have been there a couple of times when passing through the city. It was a pleasant enough place to pass a little time.

 

Sharon in Indiana

[YoungMahony]

If I was OP i'd either go to a brick and mortar store where staff know enough to guide new users (and not take advantage of their innocence in the area), or get something cheaper to begin with. I started with a lamy safari and by watching videos - shoutout to SBRE Brown, Brian Goulet and occasionally a sprinkling of Pen Habit - worked out what kind of pen suited both me, and the situations I wanted to use it in.

 

I'd be wary of jumping in to a very expensive brand largely known for their brand rather than specifically the quality of the pen (sorry if some disagree, this is very much just my opinion). I'd say it'd be like buying a £500 bottle of wine having only had a beer or two in the past. You get the value out of knowing where the value is, and you do that (in my opinion) by working your way up with cheaper wines first. Or at least some cheaper wine first. Cheap doesn't mean bad, there are many many sub £100/£50 pens which even those who enjoy very expensive pens, can get a lot of enjoyment out of.

 

TLDR - if you're wanting to splash about money on a nice pen, you'd most likely benefit from an appetizer to help inform you on your choice of main course

 

Cheers

[Erik Dalton]

Get a second hand 146 in the nib of your choice. If it turns out you don't really like it then you should be able to sell it again without too much of a loss, or of your lucky, with no loss at all. But to be honest, that wasn't the first piece of advice that sprung to mind on the foot of your question. That response was this:

 

Asking people what pen they think you should buy will only result in people telling the name of the pen they would like to buy. Nine times out of ten, it won't be the pen for you.

+1....a lot of wisdom here. Do your homework, try out some other good quality but less expensive pens, then make your decision. Take your time. Montblancs are not going anywhere. They will always be around when your ready.

I have quite a lot of them. Just kept buying over the years. Started repairing them, until I found the one that suited me the best. Spent a lot of money, enjoyed every minute. For me the mb 146 is the perfect very day pen. The 149 is my creative writer. All the others sit in the collection.

Lately I’m into vintage UK Parker Duofolds. You see, once you start with these fountain pens, it’s like eating peanuts. Start eating them, then it’s hard to stop.

Welcome to our world. Enjoy.

[mabuckit]

As others have said you need quality paper and ink as well. I started less then a year ago and have a few recommendations. First, get over the idea that a pen with a cartridge/converter filling system is inferior to one with a piston or other type of system. You're only keeping nice pens from yourself and you'll stop thinking that way in the future after a few purchases anyway so don't knock C/C's. That said, piston fillers are nice. Just don't be the guy that see's his perfect pen and thinks it's garbage after noticing it's C/C. My first pen was a Pilot Metropolitan that I got for $10 bucks on Amazon. I don't like it. In my opinion the absolute best beginner pen is the TWSBI ECO for $30. You get a piston filler demonstrator pen for an amazing price, any other pen with a piston is north of $100. You're also encouraged to take your pen apart and do maintenance on it every few months, something that would void the warranty on other pens. TWSBI even gives you the wrench! I now have a Lamy 2000 for much more money and I still use my TWSBI from time to time. For ink have fun, but you will want a black ink after a while, it's easier on the eyes for longer writing. If you don't want special paper make sure your ink works well on standard office paper.

[Arkanabar]

Trying before you buy is your best bet. Sandy1's advice (if you fall in love, and it's within your budget, buy it) has my approval. I don't know how far Wichita is from KC, MO, but there's a store there that's supposed to be great. You can check MB's shop finder: http://www.montblanc.com/en-us/find-montblanc.html# I am blessed to have a wonderful store about a half-hour away, but I don't often go there. I'd wind up burning up a couple hours of the proprietor's time without making any purchases. (Of course, when I bring my wife, it's usually well over $100, but that also happens when she's buying yarn or fabric.)

For me, the nice thing about a fountain pen is how effortlessly it writes. I hold mine in a slack grip, a couple inches back from the point, and use muscles above my elbow to do all the work of writing. I can write legibly on a slip of paper held loose in my left hand.

I'm a big believer in exploring the hobby by owning and using inexpensive pens. In your exploratory phase, the main thing is to use a pen consistently for a few months so you have a really solid understanding of what you like about it, and what you'd like to change, esp. regarding length, girth, weight, and materials, and then use that understanding to inform your next purchase. You can start with your favorite 0.3mm mechanical pencil and those slim Uniball Micro rollerballs, and look for a physically similar pen. I'm willing to bet you write kind of small, and would prefer a fine or XF point.

 

I'd say an entry level Pilot (Metropolitan, Kakuno, Plumix) is a pretty good way to get started, as Pilot makes their pens well. (So too do Platinum, Sailor, and Lamy.) Make it your primary writing instrument for a few months. Figure out what you do and don't like about the pen. You shouldn't have to risk more than $10-$30 that way.

Or you could even buy some under $3 pens from China on ebay for your exploratory phase. Ian the Jock was a huge fan of inexpensive Chinese pens. I've never had a Jinhao or a Hero or a Duke that wrote poorly, but it does happen. I had a Baoer that was unspeakably dry, but I was able to remedy that.

Bear in mind that performance issues can sometimes be remedied by changing the ink. Use ink samples, sold by the likes of Goulet and Anderson, to explore inks. If a pen gives you problems, check out some repair and/or tweaking videos; I've been grateful to both Brian Goulet and SBRE Brown.

Passing from advice to sharing personal preferences, I agree with Tseg that ebonite pens are really, really nice. I have an ebonite Himalaya in 1.0mm stub from Fountain Pen Revolution, and while it's a bit roughly finished, I absolutely love the feel of ebonite in my hand. I do wish I'd gotten the flex nib, though, instead of the stub, because their stubs do not have a lot of line variation. I'm not much of one for brass pens, as I don't like the weight. I don't find any appreciable difference between acrylic, ABS, and celluloid. And, for that matter, I don't find any appreciable difference between gold and silver nibs. But you might.

The suggestions to get a pen that it's easy to swap out nibs, such as a Lamy (Lamy's proprietary nibs can be readily swapped in and out of nearly all of their cartridge/converter pens) or a Nemosine Singularity is worth considering. Me, I think your preference for a fine line is pretty well set, as shown by your previous preferences in writing instruments, but you might want to expand at some time. FPRevolution sells easily swapped nibs for all their FPR pens, and the same #6 nibs that fit into the Nemosine Singularity and Fission also fit into the Jinhao X750, X450, and 159, as well as the FPR Darjeeling.

Edited April 22, 2018 by Arkanabar

[Fatalpotato]

What a lovely occasion to be at the point considering your very first fountain pen . I agree on all the ideas shared but would point out there are a confusing array of possibilities to purchase as your first fountain pen. For starters, there are 70-80$ premium pens from pilot and platinum that with average care will last longer than you will . Also in the online department are the custom manufacturers that literally can build the pen you dream of, though these are a little expensive compared to standard pens. I can see the allure of a montblanc for the executive class, as there seems to be more montblancs than fountain pens in their hands. It's like an ornament of prestige, much like a Rolex or a Mercedes. If that's the way you want to go a montblanc is probably the best thing you can get your hands on. I personally would recommend buying your first pen new from a b&m store to get around the hassle of subpar quality control issues as it would be much easier to solve them with the store you buy. If you don't enjoy using a fountain pen or don't got the time for this hobby you can use your prestigous instrument anytime. But if you like pens, than there's much more in the rabbit hole to explore .

[pajaro]

Buy something you like the look of. If you don't care for the feel of it, buy a different pen and sell the first.