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Hello FPN! I'm a 17 year old guy from Michigan and I've recently become enamored with fountain pens. I've mustered up enough money to buy two Lamy Safari's (one of which unfortunately someone decided to steal from me at school) and a Joy with a 1.5 italic for calligraphy as well as a bottle of Private Reserve Avacado. However, I'm looking to buy another ink or two (probably more later on), and some other pens once I eventually get some money. Since I picked up the first one a few months ago I haven't been able to stop writing. (An added benefit is that I'm writing more notes in class and actually enjoy doing so!) I always used to be that guy who had a ton of different pens, but I never really loved ballpoints because there was not too much special about them. Pens were a tool, that's it. A friend at school got a TWSBI mini as a gift for his birthday and he showed it to me and I have to say I thought it was one of the coolest things I'd seen in a while. I eventually gathered up enough to buy my first fountain pen (a Lamy Safari F for $20.) That's where it started. I bought another one which someone took, and a Lamy Joy for Calligraphy. As I mentioned, this is the only pen I use now. I am actually excited about writing things now because they are such a joy to write with. I haven't really been able to explore many inks yet, but I have been perusing the index of inks for hours at a time looking at the hundreds of options. From what I've seen, I love colors that are quite unique and rich. I guess I fall on the edge loving bold and subtle inks for every day use. I love Avacado because it's a really unique color I haven't really seen before, and don't see around often. I'm currently eyeballing J. Herbin Bleu Pervenche. Would anyone like to suggest some inks and pens for me to look into? I'm currently saving up for a TWSBI mini and I'm only about 1/10th of the way there (hah). (If any of you would be so kind, I would greatly appreciate it if you had any samples or anything you would be willing to send! If so, I would be absolutely ecstatic, if not, I won't be disappointed.) Thanks for reading! I am looking forward to reading your responses and towards reaching my goal! Best regards, John

Just starting out with pens and am in the market for a nice fountain pen. What kind of features am I looking for? What should I ask? How do I know I'm not getting ripped off?? Tips and suggestions much appreciated!

Hi, am a new collector. I purchased a couple pens from Amazon and that got me started. I have about a dozen pens but only a couple of vintage. I used a fountain pen in high school. I am trying to learn all I can. The pen in the pic is a Stratford I got yesterday. Thanks for all the info on this company.

I was discussing pens this afternoon with my fiancée, and she was quite taken with the colour of the 2016 Lamy Safari. It got me thinking that she has even more need for a reliable writer than I do given her job (she works in tertiary education), and when we got to discussing fountain pens she confessed that she has never used one before. I was wondering what brands and models FPN would recommend for a first time FP user at around and under $100 US? As low maintenance as possible, and cartridges over converters with a decent array of colours available. As a geek she's not afraid to tinker when required, but I'm guessing she would much rather not have to mess about with filling from an ink bottle, especially with two cats who like to get underfoot. The kind of pen that would be forgiving of being carried in a pocket or accidentally dropped (cap on) once in a while. Design is also an important aspect. She likes some modern designs, but she absolutely loves art nouveau, flowing organic curves, bold colours, that kind of thing. I would straight up recommend the Safari or Al Star, but I'm wondering if anyone has any other suggestions.

I'm a fountain pen novice and looking for a recommendation for my next pen. I currently have a Lamy 2000 and a Lamy Studio (steel nib) both w/ fine nibs and a few cheap pens: Kaweco, Safari, etc. I'm looking to get my next pen and am leaning towards another Lamy 2000 with a medium nib. I tried it at a store a few weeks ago and found the nib to be considerably smoother than the fine one I currently have. I use my Lamy 2000 for pretty much all of my writing, so it would be great to have another ink color option available most of the time too. I really like the 2000, primarily for the following reasons: 1) the design is clean, simple (no crazy engraving on the nib!), and almost all black 2) it holds a lot of ink 3) its nib is the smoothest of the pens I own--much better than the Lamy steel nibs 4) it's easy to hold and write with for long stretches 5) the cap is not unstable when it's on the pen or when it's posted. (I find that the cap on my studio can always be wiggled a little bit, which I don't like. The cap on my Studio also requires occasional tightening with a screwdriver, which I really don't like. It's come loose a couple times while I was traveling and I had to improvise tools to fix it.) 6) It's tough. I've dropped the pen accidentally several times on concrete, without any real issues except some fine scratches on the body. I want a pen I can use everywhere and will most likely drop at some point. 7) I think it's a good value at ~$125 USD. My primary issue with most fountain pens is that I find about 99% of them incredibly ugly. Like, I go into a store or a pen show and I just gravitate back towards the Lamy pens--primarily the 2000 and the Studio--because of their clean looks. So, I'm wondering if someone could recommend a pen that I might like or any advice about whether to buy another 2000 or to try something else. I was thinking about the Diplomat Excellence A Plus in black lacquer with chrome accents and 14k nib, but I think its look is still a little too ostentatious for me, and it's probably a bit more than I want to spend. I carry my pens everywhere in my shirt and jeans pockets, and I'm bound to lose one at some point. I was also thinking about a Lamy Dialog 3, which I know I could get for $200 if I'm patient, but, after having tried it, I think it's a little too big for my taste. I also considered a Studio Palladium, but the aforementioned cap issue compels me back towards the 2000. Maybe a Pelikan M205? Will it be as smooth as the Lamy 2000? And what nib size should I go for? Your thoughts are much appreciated!

It all started here: http://www.wsj.com/articles/pens-for-better-penmanship-dont-forget-how-to-write-1409934039 I asked for a Christmas gift and was thrilled to receive a Lamy Al-Star. Reading the FPN forums led me to a 1.1 cursive italic nib...and a Lamy Studio with a 1.1 cursive italic...and Lamy gold nibs in F and M. Spelunking the forums brought me to now 10 pens, and I want to share that story. 2 are still in the mail, one actually at Mottishaw's shop because I found the nib scratchy with others I later used. I've had so much fun using every one, the inks, the purchasing, the beauty, but now at 10 I think I am really, really, really done. Or, at least, here I should stop so that my list isn't yet quite complete and could be surprised for a gift. Never found a Nakaya that completely sang to me, but maybe someday it'd be good to try... A question: if I wanted to tell the story of the 10 pens, which really in many respects will be shameless bragging in some respects but in others a hope to give comparison among a few brands, where should I post such a blog? I don't want to parse some into the country, region, or brand-specific forums. Many thanks for reading! I've learned and drooled so much from your posts!!