Carrying The Fountain Pens

[scribe822]

Hi All,

I want to use my fountain pens more, but I am wary of carrying them with me.

• Don't want a leaky mess in my bag.
• Nor do I want to increase frequency of refilling (so drying out would be disappointing).
• Need easy access w/ot alot of screwing/popping etc, so I can jot down quickly.

 

Are there some pens that are messier leakier and more likely to dry? And, which brands tend to be more carry-friendly? Are there any lightweight, concise carriers you can recommend?

 

Right now I have a Lamy Safari, Aurora Style M, and Aurora Ipsilon F. But I'm lusting over a Pelikan blue o blue -- but this may be a momentary craving.

 

Thank you!

 

 

s822

[taimdala]

I have had great results with TWSBI Eco and TWSBI Diamond 580.

1. They hold a TON of ink. You will enjoy long stretches between refills.

2. They have inner seals in their caps, vastly slowing the rate of evaporation/dry out. I left an Eco sitting unused with the cap screwed on for a YEAR while loaded with shimmer ink (a newbie mistake) and it started right up like it had been sitting for only a minute.
3. Their caps screw on securely. I have yet to have a cap pop off and have ink all over my pocket/bag/backpack/bed.

 

Those are the top three reasons I love my TWSBIs. I realize that they may not be a look/design favored by everyone, but they have served me well with very little fussing or maintenance and they are relatively inexpensive yet very well made.

Edited September 26, 2020 by taimdala

[inkstainedruth]

You can get various sizes of pen sleeves and pen cases (I have a 2 pen leather sleeve that was a sop from Parker after they screwed up a repair that lives in my purse, and if I'm traveling for several days I have a nice but relatively inexpensive 12 pen Girologio case. I also have a crocheted 7 pen wrap that was a gift from someone on FPN a few years ago.

I also have been known to clip pens to my neckline, or to stick them in a shirt pocket (if I have a shirt with a pocket) or -- at home (mostly) in a back pocket in my jeans (although then I have to remember to be careful sitting down ).

Generally you'll want to carry them capped and with the nib up, just in case of leaks, regardless. And if you're traveling by air, there are a number of threads about that, but the general rule of thumb is to either have them completely full or completely empty (in case of pressure changes) -- and again, nib up. And don't do what I did the last time I flew -- I almost lost my Dark Lilac Safari because instead of putting it back in my purse, I just clipped it to my neckline; they made me take it off when going through the X-ray and TSA just tossed it in one of those plastic tubs for stuff that you don't want going through the X-ray machine and then someone put another (empty) tub on top of the tub the pen was in.

As for specific pens? Well I've traveled (by air) with a variety of pens, from a vintage Parker 51 Aerometric to a Noodler's Konrad, and never had a problem. I also never had a problem with the TSA with carrying sample vials of ink in a ziplock bag in my purse for refill purposes if needed (although the first time I flew back from the Pacific Northwest, they confiscated my facial cleanser and astringent because they were larger than 4 oz. bottles; had put them in the carryon bag in case the checked luggage got lost, because I knew I would getting home fairly late at night and then getting up the crack of dawn the next morning to drive to the DCSS the first year I went to it. As it turned out I got home even LATER than anticipated -- and after repacking from two suitcases down to one, said "OMG -- it's 3:30 AM and I'm picking up Red [FPN's Uncle Red, who I've known nearly as long as my husband] at like 5:30 AM -- I might as well just STAY UP at this point....!" (I ended going to bed in the hotel that night at around 10:30 PM or so, because I had to get up early SUNDAY morning and be done by breakfast before Richard Binder's nib smoothing workshop at 8:30 AM.... )

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[loganrah]

Ah, the eternal search for a carry friendly pen. My advice is a pilot 823 or other pen with a shut-off valve like an opus 88 eyedropper. Get a sleeve or similar to protect it from scratches and you have basically as carry friendly a pen as you can have.

 

If your budget can swing the 823 it also had the advantage of having a Pilot #15 nib, which means many options (including flex) are available. Either directly or by swapping in from a 743.

[Mercian]

The Safari is designed to be a ‘school’ pen. It is very strong. You need not worry about carrying one with you. If you want the ‘same’ design, but made of Aluminium instead of plastic, you could buy a LAMY AL-Star.

 

If you want to get something else entirely, and want a well-made & reliable pen with a fairly large ink capacity that won’t dry-out on you, you should (in my opinion) consider buying a vintage Parker “51” that has an ‘aerometric’ fill mechanism. Their caps slip on and off (i.e. you do not need to unscrew them).

These are robust, and they are very reliable.

The “51” was the Parker company’s ‘flagship’ pen for ‘Executives’ in the era when everybody still wrote by hand all day long. When they came out (in 1939) they were a revolutionary and incredibly ‘futuristic’ design. Their design pre-dates the introduction of ballpoint pens, and they were marketed at ‘Executives’, so they had to be reliable. They had the prestige of a BMW 5-series, with the reliability of a Toyota Hi-lux. They were made up until to the mid-1970s.

I have two of them. Both of mine were made in 1954. Both are still totally reliable. After 66 years. And mine are not ‘outliers’. The aerometric “51” is famous for being this good and this reliable. Prices have increased on auction sites in recent years.

 

If you don’t like the appearance of the “51”, or don’t want to have to spend very much money, I recommend the Parker Frontier that is now made (under licence) by Luxor in India.
I have two of those, from 2015. One is all-stainless steel, the other is steel with a black coating. Mine both came with a converter for use with bottled ink, and also a small metal box in which one can carry the pen and some spare Parker cartridges safely. The cartridges are proprietary, but they do have a large ink capacity. The Frontiers also have slip-caps. I have not had problems with either of mine drying-out.

 

For an inexpensive and very robust pen I recommend the all-stainless-steel version of the Parker Vector. Luxor also makes those.

They are narrow pens, and the plastic Vectors can break at the section threads, but the steel ones are ‘tanks’. If they feel comfortable in your hand, they are extremely good pens for a ‘daily carry’ pen to keep inside a bag. Like the Frontiers, the Vectors don’t dry out. Which, sadly, can not be said of Parker’s much-more-expensive Sonnet.

 

 

I also have a Pelikan M205 & M805.

They (particularly the Souverän) cost much more than the Vector or Frontier, or the “51”.
They are very well made and very reliable. They don’t dry out. Their caps take one full turn to unscrew. This is quick for a screw-capped pan, but not as quick as pens that have slip caps. They are piston-filled pens, so you cannot carry spare cartridges with you. That said, Pelikan now make a ‘P200’ and ‘P205’ which have the nibs from the M200/205, but do take cartridges. They use ‘International Standard’ cartridges - long as well as short.

You also need to be aware that Pelikan’s pens write very ‘wet’ (Pelikan’s own inks are very ‘dry’, so their pens are ‘wet’, because they are designed to work well with those ‘drier’-writing Pelikan inks).

The steel nibs on the 200-series pens are slightly ‘springy’. The gold nibs on Pelikan Souverän pens are very stiff, and they are much wider than other companies’ nibs of the same grade. E.g. the ‘F’ nib on my M805 is wider - and much, much ‘wetter’ - than the ‘M’ nibs that I have on various Parkers and on LAMY Safaris.

If you are thinking of buying a Pelikan Souverän, I strongly recommend that you try one out before buying it. For that amount of money, you want to make sure that you are buying a pen that is the right size for your hand (M200 = M400

How much money are you thinking of spending?

Of the pens that I have suggested, prices go Parker Vector The Vector and Frontier are both less expensive than a LAMY Safari. An AL-star costs more than a Safari but (in the UK at least) still less than an aerometric “51”.

 

[Edit to add:]

I personally would not feel comfortable using my M805, or even my M205, as a pen to just toss in to a bag to be carried around with lots of other things. Or my “51”s. I wouldn’t want to take that level of risk with a pen that costs that much. Not just fear of damage (one could always carry them inside a metal ‘pencil case’ to prevent damage), but what if somebody steals the bag? I happily carry my “51”s and my Pelikans clipped inside my jacket pockets, or clipped inside shirt pockets, but wouldn’t carry them loose inside a bag.

For worry-free ‘every day carry’ inside a bag with lots of other stuff, I’d personally stick to an all-steel Vector, or an all-steel Frontier, or a LAMY Safari or Vista or AL-star.

Edited September 27, 2020 by Mercian

[Estycollector]

Cant beat the LAMY Al Star or Vista for every day safe use

[ParramattaPaul]

My suggestion doesn't include any particular brand. I suggest any cartridge pen of your choice and two spare cartridges. I also suggest either a leather pen sleeve or a pen case of some sort. Again, which and which brand is your choice. A pen sleeve or case will usually prevent damage to a pen, and more importantly, protect your clothes from any leakage if you carry it in your pocket.

 

Personally, I prefer to put my pens and accoutrements in an easily accessible pocket of my backpack.

[eharriett]

I’d recommend a hard pen case. Hard to find them as pen cases, though. I searched on Amazon and found a bunch for carrying tablet stylus’ (styli?). They’re a bit bulkier than I’d like, but durable.

 

Failing that, I recommend a Wing sung 601.

[A Smug Dill]

Are there some pens that are messier leakier and more likely to dry?

Sure. Don't carry a Pilot Capless in your bag and let it get jostled by what else is in there with it.

 

And, which brands tend to be more carry-friendly?

Think pens (as in specific models), not brands.

 

Are there any lightweight, concise carriers you can recommend?

Put an O-ring and some silicone grease on the section threads of a Platinum Preppy, and use the entire barrel as the pen's ink reservoir by filling it with an eyedropper. The pen has a snap cap and a spring-loaded inner cap.

[Mech-for-i]

Fountain pen are all mature technology , these days any decently made model disregarding the brand can give you sterling service as demanded .. instead of brand and specific model look at how you might use and how you might carry them.

 

A metal pen would be inherently more robust and can handle the daily abuse way better than any others. A snap cap is ease in use but might come loose just being toss around. All pen will leak if you get them thrown around so you really want to avoid that. And you can add your own

[corniche]

Hello Scribe,

 

Have you tried a shoulder holster?

 

While I am a new owner of a Lamy 2000, (so this advice has to be taken with a grain of salt); I find the pen very robust with an excellent ink capacity. And its semi-hooded nib prevents dry-out - theoretically - I haven't put it to the test yet.

 

Another option is the plastic version of the Kaweco Al-Sport; which can be converted to an eyedropper, IIRC, and it easily slips into a bag or pocket with no worries.

 

The aforementioned Parker 51 Aerometric is another solid choice.

 

 

- Sean

[carlos.q]

I want to use my fountain pens more, but I am wary of carrying them with me.

• Don't want a leaky mess in my bag.
• Nor do I want to increase frequency of refilling (so drying out would be disappointing).
• Need easy access w/ot alot of screwing/popping etc, so I can jot down quickly.

....

 

Right now I have a Lamy Safari, Aurora Style M, and Aurora Ipsilon F.

 

Of the pens you have, the Lamy Safari is your best bet. As others have mentioned this is a school pen so it is sturdy and, quite amazingly, after 40 years it is still being sold.

Edited September 27, 2020 by carlos.q

[scribe822]

Wow!, so much excellent advice and personal recommendations. Thank you!

I feel there are so many choices it’s hard to decide but you’ve all given good places to start.

 

A bit off topic but I went on Josh Lax’ Nib site and was quite Inspired by his lovely video...never thought of writing as mindful: love that!

[Arkanabar]

I've had fairly good luck with the anodized aluminum Platinum Plaisir, much more durable than its plastic little brother the Preppy which is notorious for its cap cracks. I like it for its girth, much more than the Safari, MR, Kaweco Sport, or Delike Alpha, and its light weight. The 0.5mm Medium point has significantly less feedback than the 0.3mm Fine. Platinum's proprietary cartridge is large and durable, easily refilled with disposable 3ml bulb pipettes. The stainless steel ball can rattle around a bit. While I've never used their converter, I've heard that it often fails early, and that this is mitigated by applying a small smear of pure silicone grease (as from SCUBA shops, not from plumbing supply). I also have yet to use the adapter that lets it load standard short international cartridges.

[scribe822]

Hi Mercian,

You've got me on the hunt for a Parker 51--curious where did you find yours? Recommended sites? Looking for a reliable, honest dealer who is wiling to provide a warranty (am I being unrealistic?).

 

Also questions re. Parker 51:

-the gold finish catches my eye: but does the gold plated/filled rub off like w/jewelry, or tarnish?

-I don't have patience for inky, messy filling..you recommend the aeromatic: is filling trouble free?

-you say Parker 51 has large ink capacity: is that similar to current piston fills? Do they by chance take cartridges?

 

And I imagine you wouldn't recommend these pens can be carried neatly.

 

Thank you!!! s822

[Estycollector]

Hi Mercian,

You've got me on the hunt for a Parker 51--curious where did you find yours? Recommended sites? Looking for a reliable, honest dealer who is wiling to provide a warranty (am I being unrealistic?).

 

Also questions re. Parker 51:

-the gold finish catches my eye: but does the gold plated/filled rub off like w/jewelry, or tarnish?

-I don't have patience for inky, messy filling..you recommend the aeromatic: is filling trouble free?

-you say Parker 51 has large ink capacity: is that similar to current piston fills? Do they by chance take cartridges?

 

And I imagine you wouldn't recommend these pens can be carried neatly.

 

Thank you!!! s822

Id recommend this site. They restored my 1942 51.

http://parker51.com/

[inkstainedruth]

@ scribe822 -- some of the Parker 51s I have have rolled gold caps. That is NOT the same as "gold plating", and I'd guess that unless a pen you're looking at specifically says it's gold plated, you shouldn't have anything to worry about. Certainly the nibs on 51s are 14K, unless it's a 51 Special, which has an Octanium (steel alloy) nib.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[corniche]

Id recommend this site. They restored my 1942 51.

http://parker51.com/

+1. I always get great 51s from Ernesto. 👍

 

 

- Sean

[pajaro]

Gold filled caps and barrels can get dinged. Otherwise they are sublime.

[mana]

Gold filled caps and barrels can get dinged. Otherwise they are sublime.

This ^ I really do not like to carry pens with those for this explicit reason.

 

For carrying vintage pens, well, my EDC pens are actually just that, a Pelikan 100N, 400 & 500NN (that one sans the gold filled cap because it broke, it has a Gimborn 150 cap instead). Those also have a "huge" ink capacity (up to 2.0 ml), this especially given their size (a Parker 51 in full working order can hold from 1.6 to 2.0 ml).

 

I carry them in a three pen Pelikan clamshell case made out of hard plastic. It has a grooved/wavy insert/bedding made of flocked plastic and a fabric covered rubber band for holding the pens in place. It is fantastic for all small to medium sized pens (there is/was also a model for pens up to at least the M800 size).

 

Those are not produced anymore but you occasionally see them on ebay (they were originally produced for and delivered with Pelikan three pen sets) but I think you could reach a similar end result by retrofitting/repurposing a hard/clamshell eyeglass case?

 

You would just need to find a suitable one, fix an insert for it and also something that retains the pen(s) while in transit so that they do not bang around. That should be sturdy enough for most uses and easy enough to operate.