New To Forum, Pen Envy And Etiquette

May 20, 2018

Having a small collection of unexceptional pens

I can fully understand how this can be come addictive and How the right single pen can be unattainable.

Currently I have Parker 51 love it but think it is a little fine

Sheaffer Targa 1001s fine ( I ultrasonic cleaned as permanent black wouldnt flush out) its ok, but soulless to write with- but capping pen has satisfying click

Jinhao 159 x 3 all have nibs with varying writing performance and not overly impressed with one that seems fine and took work to get any consistency.

WHSmith cheap and nasty piece of junk that is scratch and nasty

Tesco same Chinese pen as WHSmith unbranded and writes beautifully for £2

Watching the pen reviews on YouTube I am convinced that a pen body is little to no interest to me and I would like a medium flex pen nib,

I think with every fountain pen being different that glass cased & un inked pen purchase is liable to be a very bad idea for me.

Bottled ink would be my choice of ink supply.

If I can find a pen show a reasonable distance away from me, is it common to have inked pens to try for writing samples like we see in YouTube videos? Further to this do pen shows tend to be vintage antique or a mixture of new and old.

Im tempted for a montblanc 149, but Im sure a Jinhao 159 with the right nib would be great for daily use and no worrying about losing it and sure with my writing skills an expensive pen would be wasted on.

Maybe my hunt is just for the perfect nib?

Edited May 20, 2018 by CheapSkate

May 20, 2018

Welcome, i would try vintage pens if you want flex, I once had a wearever with a 14k flexy nib which i landed for £10 . worth shopping around.

May 20, 2018

Funny you mention a Tesco pen - https://shorthandtypist.wordpress.com/

Where in the UK are you? There is a meeting once a month and they also have a great pen show, I think it is once a year.

Chinese? Well, I just got a Moonman - I did a little review in the thread https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/333184-moonman-m2-review/

Great pen and writes well with no problems, so far

Edit: Look here for meet ups etc. You will have to scour around a bit as a lot of people don't start threads with the country they are in so you have to dig a bit for UK shows etc https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/forum/11-clubs-meetings-and-events/

Edited May 20, 2018 by Stompie

May 20, 2018

At many pen shows, at least in the United States, many vendors will let you write with the pens. Etiquette is to ask first, make sure you understand how to take the cap off, and write with the minimum pressure required to lay down a line of ink. It's ok to bring your own loupe and examine the pens and their nibs.

You might be in the hunt for the perfect nib, but you should also consider the pen body. A perfect nib on a body that you can't grip comfortably isn't the perfect nib. Nib, body, ink, paper, and writer make the perfect writing experience.

Buzz

May 20, 2018

From what I understand of your pens, you have mostly nails/rigid nibs.

What you need next is a regular flex nib, they can be found in the many pretty vintage Esterbrook pen nibs (there were Esterbrooks made in England) ; or a Pelikan 200, which need not be new either. Or a vintage Geha school kid pen, with its serial number and reserve tank. It is the Best Buy in regular flex, if you look in German Ebay, and the seller has to take Paypal and ship out of Germany.

If you hurry before Brexit, you can use bank transfer in EU still, so cost remains cheap. If you Hunt, you can find them for E12-19 as a max. They look just like the semi-flex 790 but with only a clip cap ring and serial number.

There are German Pirates selling that E12 Geha School pen to folks in the States on US Ebay for Only $89.

All Gehas had a reserve tank.....Do Not buy a Geha cartridge pen, in no cartridge now made fits it.

I chase two toned shading inks, that shade on good to better papers. F & the disrespected M are very good nibs for that.

One needs a nice regular flex nib, as a base line for more flexible nibs. The School pen comes mostly in F.

After you have a couple regular flex nibs, in say M and F, then it's time to get your 'medium flex' nib, a semi-flex. Best are German '50-65-70 era nibs.

Best Buy is the Geha 790 with three rings on the cap finial.

Torpedo shaped pens were very IN, in the '50-60's, Swan, MB146/9, Pelikan 400nn and the Geha 790 and Snorkel...standard sized 790 or more expensive 760 (once Geha's flagship...mine is a bit later a medium small pen like the Pelikan 140.

The first pen a 790 (@'59), picture taken with the buy, the true three rings did clean up better than the picture. The second is a 'newer' Geha 790 with three somewhat different rings.

I have three 790's and a 760 (which run 20% more than the 790)......also have a slew of Pelikans from that era. But the best quality inexpensive pens are the Geha's. A Pelikan 140 goes for @ E100 and a 400-400nn E100-120....if one looks....I just looked and found some for E40 and under. But you got to Hunt..........If you want to throw away good ink and paper money one can always click on the instant gratification of The Buy Now Idiot Button. And pay two to three times the amount you'd pay if you Hunted.

The true 3 ring might be more than a regular three ring, in it is rarer. I didn't pay much more.

The next picture is of a '60-70's Geha 790. To show you the 'three rings' you need to see, and know it's not a school pen.

I've said too often how good the Geha 790 is for most of a decade so they are no longer E19 but @ E40 with luck, E60 without.

Oh, the steel semi-flex nib on a 790 is just as good as the gold nib on a 790!!!!! Could be had a bit cheaper....was too 'noobie' to buy cheaper because I believed in the Gold is better myth.

A couple posters I respect said the Geha nibs are a tad better than the Pelikan nibs...I checked my Geha and Pelikan nibs of the era and they were right.

Geha nibs were made by Degussa (since 1932 the once grand Osmia nibs...long story) and Bock; both very respectable nib makers.

Info on Bock nibs in the link in my Signature. Degussa stopped making nibs in either 1970 or 90, still making gold bars.

When I was 'noobie' I believed the myth only In-House nibs are any good.

Edited May 20, 2018 by Bo Bo Olson

May 20, 2018

Hi thanks for replies I live in Somerset uk and the few places in the county I have found that sell pens wont let you ink them by dipping and the poor selection are in glass cases.

It appears crayon, felttip pen and biros have taken over, wall to wall cheap disposable pens.

My understanding to date is I would be a lot better finding a pen show and taking a sample or two of the paper I actually intended to use.

My reluctance is to buy anything of the internet unless it has a no question return policy. The problem in the UK at least is once opened returns are difficult.

I found

https://www.antiques-atlas.com/antique_fair/uk_pen_shows/or3327

Unless there are others I cannot find, looks like I could be waiting.

Cheers

May 20, 2018

Oxford Optic 90g is a good inexpensive paper, that lets ink shade. It is the paper in a Red&Black notebook. I have a spiral notebook of it. It can be found in Spain where it is also made and northern Germany also; not near Heidelberg. Mine just says made in the EU.

I don't know which of the many Conquer papers is best for fountain pens. You could look in the paper sub section for that.

Edited May 20, 2018 by Bo Bo Olson

May 20, 2018

Hi thanks for replies I live in Somerset uk and the few places in the county I have found that sell pens wont let you ink them by dipping and the poor selection are in glass cases.

It appears crayon, felttip pen and biros have taken over, wall to wall cheap disposable pens.

My understanding to date is I would be a lot better finding a pen show and taking a sample or two of the paper I actually intended to use.

My reluctance is to buy anything of the internet unless it has a no question return policy. The problem in the UK at least is once opened returns are difficult.

I found
https://www.antiques-atlas.com/antique_fair/uk_pen_shows/or3327

Unless there are others I cannot find, looks like I could be waiting.

Cheers

Go to the Community forum and ask the UK folk about meetings. Yes, you may have to wait a while but it would be money well spent waiting to get the right pen.

As for paper, you can get the Red and White Bo Bo mentioned in a lot of shops and Office supply shops in the UK.

Also, Mondi IQ paper is good and is 100gsm. It comes in a ream and I can not recall how much I paid for it. I bought the ream about 4 years ago and still have almost two thirds left!

May 22, 2018

Welcome and welcome to the addiction... I mean hobby. If you want real advice, turn back now, chuck those pens in a drawer, and pick up a Pilot G2 rollerball. It writes and you won't become poor. And you'll laugh in 12 years when you move and find those whack fountain pens you thought were a good idea.

Ok, on to your questions if you keep reading. Many here are saying get a flex pen or even a vintage flex. Those aren't really great to try to start out with - most people in daily use are fine and honestly would prefer a normal 'nail' of a nib. You're probably liable to spring the nib anyway.

It sounds like finding a smooth nib with some bounce or a bit of give or variation is what might suit you? Also, try some of the 'next step' pens like a Safari/Al Star or maybe a TWSBI Eco. Both come with a B nib, as you seem adverse to fine, and the TWSBI comes in a stub as well, but if I think on mine it's untipped but not a huge deal. That keeps you in the $30 range.

If you want a Mont Blanc 149, I'd get a used one from a reputable seller. You'd save $$$ and it'd probably be in near mint condition. Be aware, the 149 is a large pen. And you won't have a choice about bottled ink, the majority of pricier pens are a bottled ink only type of affair. I'd suggest for a smooth experience looking at some of the moderate next level Japanese pens. I love all three: Pilot, Platinum, and Sailor (of the major brands). Platinum sells some of the more affordable gold nibbed pens of any major brand and honestly super consistent. They all sell bold nibs or even music and stub nibs if you want your jucier line. My suggestion is the 3776. A custom 74 is great. Sailors 1911 standard. All can be had for well under $100 if you look and except for a couple Pilots, all have always been super smooth pens.

May 24, 2018

I took a Noodler's pen and found a suitable sized spare Warranted 14k gold flex nib and heat set them together after bending the nib to match the feed. The whole cost: $20. It went to my fountain pen pal as he loves flexy nibs. I was glad he liked it.

May 24, 2018

I worked my way up the flex ladder....nail, semi-nail, regular flex....and suggest having some two regular flex before moving into semi-flex....which is not a real fancy writing nib; but one that adds that old fashioned fountain pen flair with out you having to do anything.

Semi-flex.....almost....quite a way's a way from superflex actually. Nice flair, German semi-flex is also stub nibs.

German vintage semi-flex is 1/2 a width narrower than modern European.

I never suggest jumping into the deep end of the pool with out one's waterwings on when it comes to superflex................I suggest italic calligraphy first in one learns how to draw letters there, and one must learn to draw letters and practice with superflex.....practice is the key.

There are much cheaper dip pen nibs, that make a Wet Noodle, look uncooked. You get a good look at superflex +, at no big cost. So if you don't like it you are not out any real money. Go that route before you risk ruining an irreplaceable vintage superflex nib.

7X tine spread is rare outside of on Youtube and folks selling once sprung nibs on Ebay. 5X-6X is often normal.....

Edited May 24, 2018 by Bo Bo Olson

May 24, 2018

There are much cheaper dip pen nibs, that make a Wet Noodle, look uncooked. You get a look at superflex +, at no big cost. So if you don't like it you are not out any real money. Go that route before you risk ruining an irreplaceable vintage nib.

what he said!!!