Best Fountain Pen For Air Travel?

[WilsonLaidaw]

What do folks think that the best pen for air travel? My experience as follows

 

Mont Blanc Mozart (extending/retracting broad italic nib - cartridge filling only) - totally useless. The cartridge empties even quicker in a plane than it does in your pocket and that is fast. A pity, as when it does actually have ink in it, it is a nice writer. A pain to get the ink flowing once the cartridge has emptied, which is its normal state.

 

Mont Blanc Meisterstuck Le Grand 149 - the best pen for leakage I have. The nib does not even get wet in a plane. This may however, explain its meagre ink flow to the broad italic nib in normal use, in spite of many cleanings and a pen/nib service. Not my favourite pen. I improved the nib a fair bit by writing for 10 minutes on 10,000 grade wet and dry abrasive paper, well wetted with soapy water, then polishing with 1 micron polish.

 

Sheaffer Snorkel with broad nib. This was an unused pen, when I bought it a couple of years ago, still with chalk marks of the original UK price (£5-17/6d) and then fully overhauled by Laurence Oldfield. A fair bit of nib weep but so nice to use, I forgive it.

 

Lamy Streamline with internal screw plunger (non-extending) filling - probably the nicest writing pen I have with a oblique rounded broad nib but sadly a horrible leaker on a plane and it holds a lot of ink.

 

A pair of cheap 40 year old Sheaffers I usually now keep on my desk. They were very leaky in a plane when used with the original replaceable cartridges, not just round the nib but round the cartridge as well. Changed both to cartridge convertors (OEM Sheaffer ones not cheap copies) and leakage still a fair bit round nib but far less and none round convertors.

 

Esterbrook lever filler with rubber bladder (new bladder), medium italic (rather scratchy). Quite leaky into cap on plane.

 

Due to extensive post-injury arthritis in my hands, I find it difficult to write legibly with anything other than a fountain pen. I travel quite a lot and write up a journal every day, which helps with geolocating the many photographs I take.

 

Wilson

[Karmachanic]

Certainly a Koloro ED, which has a shut-off, or a Conid. Any modern pen should work if it's filled, carried nib up and not opened before cruising altitude is reached. A pen not carried nib up, as in a carry-on, or in luggage will likely leak.

 

Or fly with an empty pen and fill on arrival. Guaranteed not to leak!

Edited May 14, 2018 by Karmachanic

[inkstainedruth]

Parker 51, especially an Aerometric model. Part of the reason for the design was to combat air pressure changes. That's less of an issue with modern planes, though.

I've traveled with various pens and never really had a problem with any of them (the first time I flew to Seattle with my husband, I had four pens, including my Plum Demi Aero and a Noodler's ebonite Konrad -- mostly memorable because I realized at security check-in that I'd never actually SIGNED my passport -- and noticed that Noodler's 54th Massachusetts is a really similar color to the ink they used to print stuff IN the passport with).

I really only had mine for emergencies and the off-chance of going up to Vancouver if we had time, but my husband said "Hey, I've got this passport! I can use if for ID purposes!" and the nice TSA agent said, "Uh, no..." because of course HIS passport wasn't signed EITHER.

But from what I've read in other threads, the best way to do it is to either have the pens empty (with refills -- bottles, vials, cartridges, what have you -- in checked luggage; although I've never had an issue with sample vials in a ziplock in my purse) or to make sure the pens are completely full (air pressure changes are more likely to cause burping in a partially filled pen, especially with eyedroppers).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

ETA -- Yeah, I forgot about the "nib up" part; fortunately Karmachanic didn't..... Oh and on a related note, the last time I flew anywhere I had my Lamy Safari clipped to my neckline and they made me take it off before going through X-ray and someone put a bin on top of the bin the pen was in before I could retrieve it.... That's the worst issue I've ever had with flying with planes (and the Safari, and whatever other pens I had with me didn't leak anywhere either).

Edited May 14, 2018 by inkstainedruth

[WilsonLaidaw]

It's quite difficult to keep pens nib-up in a plane. Unlike my wife, I hate having luggage or bags round my feet, so everything goes into one bag and in the overhead locker. If I were wearing a jacket to board the plane, in which the pen could be upright, I would probably take it off and fold it into the overhead bin. Even in business class, the days of having your jacket taken away from you and hung up, seem to be over and as I now travel on my own dollar, the horribly over-priced first class is not on the menu. Empty on the way out is not a problem, unless I am travelling hand luggage only, where I would doubt if they would accept a bottle of ink in the transparent toiletries bag at security. As I have a lot of metal in me, I always get very thoroughly searched as I set the detector alarms off. If I take out my little Mont Blanc pen case and stow in the seat pocket in front of me to keep it upright, sure as eggs is eggs, I would leave it there one day.

 

Wilson

[Karmachanic]

Shirt pocket?

[Cassotto]

I've always been wary of travelling with fountain pens. I don't travel often by plane, and when I do, it's usually for one-week or ten-day trips for which hand luggage is enough (mainly considering I travel in the summer, when not so much clothing is required), which means I wouldn't be able to take refill ink with me (I hadn't thought of sample vials until I've read what you've said above).

 

What's more, I'm the kind who likes walking here and there with my hands in my pockets, carrying nothing except a photo camera hanging from my neck and a map of my destination in the back pocket of my jeans. Since T-shirts and polo shirts are an important part of my summer wardrobe, and they have no front pocket, this means any fountain pen would have to go in the pocket of my jeans, too, with my hands and the map, which is something I don't really like.

 

This, together with my being afraid of leakage in the plane (like Wilson, I cannot picture myself holding the pen nib upwards all the way), makes my holidays the only time of year when I use a ballpoint pen.

 

All of this said, I've lately been considering the idea of buying a TWSBI Vac 700R precisely because of its shut-off valve. I've read good reviews of its performance when travelling by plane.

Edited May 14, 2018 by Cassotto

[Ghost Plane]

Waterman Carenes went on deployment with me. I avoided converters and carried plastic baggies of cartridges with me. Those big sections hold almost a large cartridge full of ink. No problems on pressurized cabins. Unpressurized/high G situations, yank & toss the cartridge, put the pen in the baggie, reload a fresh on the other end, rinsing out the pen/cap if needed.

[magnus919]

I always fly with my Pilot Custom 823. I think any vacuum filler would be ok, really. The only time I had any spillage was when I was groggy and not thinking, and just out of habit I opened the back valve to let more ink into the feed while at altitude. J. Herbin Emerald of Chivor went everywhere.

 

But as long as that back valve stays shut, the nib doesn't even get any moister than normal. Not talking short puddle hops but long trans-atlantic flights. No problem.

[katerchen]

'Dear people,

 

Please think before you post here'.

 

This note of the modes/admin is at the very entrance to this sub-forum. Wonder why would one ask for grocery supply in a garments store?

 

Am I missing something here? What is the OP if not a member asking for advice from other members?

 

With that said : I tend to travel with a Pilot 823 and a Vac700R. That's more than enough ink for 2-3 weeks at 2-4 pages per day. For forms and such I also carry a fairly narrow gauge gel pen.

 

Fun fact I learned the hard way: when you go from basically sea elevation to high (say Denver), when you open the shutoff valve in your vacuum filler pen, point it upwards first and do it *very* slowly.

 

-k

[WilsonLaidaw]

Shirt pocket?

 

Since I retired some 15 years ago and seldom buy business shirts any more, very few of my shirts have pockets. In the UK, even business shirts often don't have pockets on them. I used to like shirts with pockets for business trips, as I could then carry my Minox 35GT camera with me. Apart from a couple of weird, expensive and hard to use Swiss cameras (Tessina and Jaeger le Coultre Compass) the Minox 35GT was the smallest 35mm camera around.

 

I had thought about a Pilot 823 but they don't seem do my preferred oblique or italic nibs or, given the Japanese preference for oblique nibs, more likely don't export them.

 

Note to moderators: I did have a look at other places on the forum and nowhere seemed particularly appropriate. Please feel free to shift this thread but do please advise me where you are shifting it to.

[magnus919]

 

I had thought about a Pilot 823 but they don't seem do my preferred oblique or italic nibs or, given the Japanese preference for oblique nibs, more likely don't export them.

 

I have two 823's. One of them has an oblique nib, with added flex. I regret the added flex, but not the oblique cut! John Mottishaw is happy to sell you one ground thusly. So you really can have your cake and eat it, too!

[inkstainedruth]

 

Am I missing something here? What is the OP if not a member asking for advice from other members?

 

 

I'm as confused as you. I didn't see that message either until mitto brought it up and Chrissy posted the link.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Erik Dalton]

I'm as confused as you. I didn't see that message either until mitto brought it up and Chrissy posted the link.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

+1 ...what just happened? I’m confused as well.

[Kalessin]

I just moved this from the "Members Helping Members" forum to "Fountain & Dip Pens First Stop" and left a link in the old location.

 

This allows the post to be in an appropriate forum for wider exposure, and to also be found from where it was first posted.

[Erik Dalton]

 

Due to extensive post-injury arthritis in my hands, I find it difficult to write legibly with anything other than a fountain pen. I travel quite a lot and write up a journal every day..

Wilson, I hear that brother. I flunked kindergarten cause I couldn’t keep within the lines..hehe..I don’t need nearly as many pens as I have, but I’d be lost without my fountain pens.

 

Waterman Carenes went on deployment with me. I avoided converters and carried plastic baggies of cartridges with me. Those big sections hold almost a large cartridge full of ink. No problems on pressurized cabins. Unpressurized/high G situations, yank & toss the cartridge, put the pen in the baggie, reload a fresh on the other end, rinsing out the pen/cap if needed.

Good thinking Ghost. I’m definately going to try your system. Thanks

[WilsonLaidaw]

I had posted a similar but far less detailed/technical query on a travel forum. As I had had no replies, I thought I had better come to the fountain of all knowledge on pens. However, I have just had a PM from a member of the forum, who is a recently retired commercial pilot, flying De Havilland Twin Otters for the last 15 years, which are non-pressurised planes, so if anything will make a pen leak that will. He said for the last 10 years he has carried a Graf von Faber Castell Classic fountain pen with cartridge filling and has never had a leak. He admitted he first carried it in error, as he would have expected it to leak but when he found it didn't, he carried on. I have checked and it is available with an OB nib. I like Graf von Faber Castell stuff and have used one of their pernambuco wood perfect pencils for the last 20 years. I will therefore see what the best price I can get a matching pernambuco fountain pen with an OB nib.

 

Wilson

[Kodiac136]

I just flew with a Conid and a 149, zero issues at all. With that ink capacity, I didn't need to worry about bringing a bottle of ink either.

[DrDebG]

I have flown with most of my fountain pens at one time or other. I generally always use cartridges, and do not carry bottled ink. When in flight I generally only have one pen inked, the others are cleaned and ready for a cartridge when I get to my destination. The pen I usually have inked is one of my Lamy Safaris or Al-Stars. I have never had a problem with them.

 

I also drive a lot for work. Last fall, I drove from Nevada to northern Montana and went over an 11,000' pass. When I got to my hotel, only one of my pens - a Pilot Metropolitan with a squeeze converter - had leaked. None of the pens with cartridges in them leaked.

[Tseg]

I always fly with my Pilot Custom 823. I think any vacuum filler would be ok, really. The only time I had any spillage was when I was groggy and not thinking, and just out of habit I opened the back valve to let more ink into the feed while at altitude. J. Herbin Emerald of Chivor went everywhere.

 

But as long as that back valve stays shut, the nib doesn't even get any moister than normal. Not talking short puddle hops but long trans-atlantic flights. No problem.

 

^^^ This just happened to me last week. I opened the valve at altitude and the ink splooged all over the back of the upright table tray in front of me. The 823 is my only regular travelling pen since I can lock it down.

[DrDebG]

I have just returned from a trip to Asia. I did something different this time. I only took 5 Pilot Petit fountain pens of different colors with me with several small cartridges to match. They were great! No leaking on the plane or after and they wrote very smoothly throughout the trip. I ended up giving them all away to the people I met with.

 

I then purchased 12 Platinum Preppy fountain pens at a stationery store along with cartridges to match. They were much less expensive that what I can buy here. I ended up giving away 6 more of these to the people I met with and kept the other 6 and cartridges for myself. Traveling with the Preppys was also trouble free and they wrote very smoothly.

 

Since I end up giving away some may "Gumpies" (phonetic spelling of the Mandarin word for fountain pens), I think this is what I will do from now on.