Willing To Give A Fountain Pen Another Shot

[Emt1581]

A year or two ago I wanted to try writing with a fountain pen so I bought a cheap red one at Staples. It went through it's ink every few paragraphs, dripped all over and stained my fingers and so it was promptly returned.

 

At the time I had asked for suggestions but the only one I can remember is the Lamy Safari (not sure if there was a particular model or nib).

 

What I could use this time...along with suggestions for good starter fountain pens...is tips on using, loading, keeping the thing. That way I don't end up frustrated with stained fingers/clothes.

 

Thanks!!

[NinthSphere]

Goulet's Fountain Pen 101

[Emt1581]

Goulet's Fountain Pen 101

I was actually watching one of his vids when you posted that.

 

After watching his suggestions for top 5 fountain pens for new users....I'm thinking the Pilot Metropolitan or the Lamy Safari would be the best options. Now I'm a counselor/therapist so I need to be able to write consistently throughout sessions and in confined spaces on my paper. I think a fine nib would be the way to go. Does that make sense and sound reasonable?

 

Watching his vid on bottled ink now....

 

Thanks

[Honeybadgers]

The lamy safari is, in my opinon, just not a good pen anymore for the money. Get a pilot metropolitan or a wing sung 698 (they conveniently use the same nib and are both between $11 and $15, and can both use bottled inks, the wing sung 698 only uses bottled ink since it's a piston filler and holds a TON of ink)

 

Pilot metro can be found on amazon for $10-12, go for the F nib, especially if you will be writing on cheap paper.

 

the wing sung 698 can be found on ebay for $12-14. I recommend the seller office_supplies_pen, as the vendor, Bobby, has ludicrously fast shipping times.

Edited August 7, 2018 by Honeybadgers

[gcconspiracy]

Personally, I find the Metropolitan to be a very uncomfortable pen for more than a few sentences; it has a sharp step down that is awkward, and a very slim grip section. I would recommend the Lamy Safari, TWSBI Eco, Platinum Preppy/Plaisir, or Kaweco Perkeo over the Metro any day (obviously, YMMV!).

[Honeybadgers]

The metro can definitely have an uncomfortable grip.

 

The TWSBI Eco is a good pen but still has cracking problems.

 

The preppy is just too cheap looking. Plaisir is a good choice.

 

The perkeo is prone to quality control issues too.

 

Nemosine's singularity is a solid pen, it only has the one odd issue of the section unscrewing (just tighten it down firmly and the problem goes away)

[SoulSamurai]

My general impression is that Japanese pens are more reliable overall, so a better choice for beginners. The Platinum Plaisir is a very practical pen (the long straight grip section and minimal step make it easy to grip in different ways, the cap is designed to reduce drying out, the nib and section can be swapped with those from cheap $3 Preppies if you decide to change the nib, it can use large Platinum cartridges or small International Standard cartridges with an adaptor).

[gcconspiracy]

The metro can definitely have an uncomfortable grip.

 

The TWSBI Eco is a good pen but still has cracking problems.

 

The preppy is just too cheap looking. Plaisir is a good choice.

 

The perkeo is prone to quality control issues too.

 

Nemosine's singularity is a solid pen, it only has the one odd issue of the section unscrewing (just tighten it down firmly and the problem goes away)

Im sorry to hear that youve had such bad experiences with these pens, they have been fantastic for me, and I continue to use them even though I now own much more expensive pens!

[Driften]

I have never had cracking problem with my Eco or the ones I have given as gifts. I am not sure it's a good starter pen but it does hold a lot of ink and does not dry up. The main reason is having to use bottled ink. I happen to love piston filling pens, but it might be too much to deal with for a first real pen.

 

The Safari is fine if you like the grip shape. I don't care for the Pilot Metro I have.

[calvin_0]

get a wing sung 698, this one of the best budget pen... as a piston filler, it have a pretty huge ink capacity, so you dont need to refill after a few days.. it can be easily take apart and cheap enough that, it doesnt matter if you accidentally break it..

 

when you are sure you want to migrate to fountain pen, you can easily and cheaply upgrade the nib with a pilot nib (pilot kakuno for EF, F or M, pilot plumix for stub nib) for a better writing experience.

 

as for ink, just get a bottle of generic pilot bottle ink... you can upgrade to a better ink grade ink when you are sure you wanted to use a fountain pen.

Edited August 7, 2018 by calvin_0

[Honeybadgers]

I would also agree that thw 698 bests the TWSBI.

 

But if you want to go as cheap as possible while still not looking like a disposable pen like the preppy (which is honestly a fantastic pen) I recommend the pilot penmanship, available on amazon with a super extra fine nib not available on any other pilot nib (weirdly, since it does fit the other pens) and a cartridge for about $5. It's also a really, really light and comfortable pen to use.

 

The penmanship is what got me back into pens.

Edited August 7, 2018 by Honeybadgers

[penzel_washinkton]

Pilot Metropolitan, many color and pattern choices. If you fancy a more cheap pen then get a Kakuno.

Buying a WS 698 early on is rather risky, there are several reports saying that barrel cracking is an issue. So for getting back , I recommend you ease into it.

Edited August 7, 2018 by penzel_washinkton

[Bo Bo Olson]

Make sure you hold a fountain pen like a fountain pen, behind the big index finger knuckle, not before like a ball point.

The tip will float in a bigger puddle of ink held behind the big knuckle.

Held before the ink puddle will be tiny and you will dig little grand canyons in the paper....and a fountain pen is much more scratchy held before the big knuckle.

[Emt1581]

Seems like the wing sung 698 is where most are leaning... I see some ink suggestions but please keep those coming. Definitely need an ink that can go on cheap copy paper but not smear as I'm left handed.

 

With the nib....being that I want it to write well but do not have room for thick/bold writing...should I go medium, fine, extra fine, etc.?

 

As far as knuckle placement, I'm a bit confused. Any pics or links to proper grip would be appreciated.

 

Thanks!!

Edited August 7, 2018 by Emt1581

[SpecTP]

Faber Castell Loom is a solid starter fountain pen with an excellent quality nib.

[rochester21]

Pilot Prera, Pilot Custom 74, medium nib. But whatever you do, don`t put pressure on the nib and don`t drop them !

 

If cash is an issue or you feel clumsy, buy a bunch of different Jinhaos and go nuts.

 

BTW, a chinese piston/aerometric filler is the worst idea for a beginner fountain pen, the man just said he already had an accident involving a leaky pen ! The last thing he needs is a moody piston filler from China. Even with a pelikan, you still gonna get ink on you, since you have to dip the pen in ink in order to fill it !!

 

It`s like an 18 year old who just got his license asking for a recommendation for buying his first car, and people recommend that he gets a Lada 2105- does that make sense ??!

Edited August 7, 2018 by rochester21

[calvin_0]

Seems like the wing sung 698 is where most are leaning... I see some ink suggestions but please keep those coming. Definitely need an ink that can go on cheap copy paper but not smear as I'm left handed.

 

With the nib....being that I want it to write well but do not have room for thick/bold writing...should I go medium, fine, extra fine, etc.?

 

As far as knuckle placement, I'm a bit confused. Any pics or links to proper grip would be appreciated.

 

Thanks!!

 

for nib, fine should be o.k if you dont want thick writing..

 

as for proper grip... it's basically like this.. the barrel of the pen should rest on your knuckle..

 

 

instead of like this...

 

 

this is because fountain pen nib is actually at an angle... so it's doesnt work that well if you hold it like a ballpoint \ rollerball pen.

Edited August 7, 2018 by calvin_0

[corgicoupe]

I'm going to suggest you consider something entirely different: a vintage Esterbrook, primarily because of the ease of changing the nib to find what works best for your particular needs.

 

Two sources I have used are MidnightPens on Etsy and PeytonStreetPens. Both currently have fully restored pens for $40 with a variety of nibs, and both will work with you on matching a nib to your preferred pen and color. Both ship quickly.

[senzen]

1. What are your goals? Write more? Jot down ideas? Improve your handwriting? Think with less interruptions?

 

2. Make sure it's comfortable to hold: diameter of the barrel, material, weight. For my glove size L hands, my one Metropolitan and two Parker Sonnets are fine, but borderline.

 

3. Reset your expectations;

 

a. Fountain pen nibs have a sweet spot, make sure you're using it, just rotate the pen in your hands until you find it. Which paper and ink will you use? On regular paper you might think the experience is not worth it, but you may not feel comfortable buying special paper. HP laserjet 32 lbs is a decent and not that expensive (per page) alternative. The Metropolitan is my one pen that seems to get along with all papers, it's not like the others feel scratchy but they shine on better paper.

 

b. Also, make sure you follow good practices, like cleaning the pen before using it, to avoid the typical flow problems. A converter lets you use bottled ink in your favorite color and primes the feed since you're sucking ink through it; otherwise with a cartridge have some patience while the feed fills up.

 

c. A fountain pen is made to glide on paper, you should not be pressing down on it; you might need to train your hand muscles to relax.

 

4. Do you care about design? In the end I found it's a lot more about inks than pens for me, but some designs have me drooling, from what I have: Faber Castell Ambition in pearwood, Lamy Studio, Pelikan m205. From what I don't have: Parker vacumatic, 75 (alas, apparently too thin for me).

 

Good luck!

[Emt1581]

Pilot Prera, Pilot Custom 74, medium nib. But whatever you do, don`t put pressure on the nib and don`t drop them !

 

If cash is an issue or you feel clumsy, buy a bunch of different Jinhaos and go nuts.

 

BTW, a chinese piston/aerometric filler is the worst idea for a beginner fountain pen, the man just said he already had an accident involving a leaky pen ! The last thing he needs is a moody piston filler from China. Even with a pelikan, you still gonna get ink on you, since you have to dip the pen in ink in order to fill it !!

 

It`s like an 18 year old who just got his license asking for a recommendation for buying his first car, and people recommend that he gets a Lada 2105- does that make sense ??!

 

 

 

I was actually a click away from buying a Starwalker ballpoint, so no, cash is not an issue. At the same time, I'm not going to spend much for a pen if I'm not sure I'll even like/use it. But in general the $5-$30 pens we've been discussing are fine.

 

I'm really glad you mentioned about the piston. Seems like getting one with a converter is where I want to start out. Leaks are just going to agitate me and get me to stick with ballpoints. I want as trouble free and low maintenance as possible.

 

The primary reason I want to give fountain pens another shot is because of how easy they were to write with and my hand didn't cramp up because I was carving into the paper. Instead, it's much like using a scalpel. You have to grip/angle correctly but the weight of the instrument is actually what does the work....so gravity rather than muscle.

 

So again for suggestions.... 1) No leaks! 2) Easy to maintain 3) comes with or I can buy a converter and 4) Let's set pricing at $35 (even though that's not been an issue thus far). Also, keep the ink suggestions coming.

 

If this works out, I have no problem paying a few hundred or more for a pen I'll use for my career. I'm at a point where my practice is doing well and I can invest more into myself. Already bought my first Brooks Brothers polo this weekend and am shopping for a Marlondo Leather briefcase so I can ditch my Jansport.

 

Thanks again for the replies!!

Edited August 7, 2018 by Emt1581