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gts1117

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looking to buy a relatively cheap (around $50) fountain pen to write in a journal. any suggestions? also what kind of paper should my journal have?

 

pretty new to the whole fountain pen world so i might not understand all the technical things

 

thanks

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looking to buy a relatively cheap (around $50) fountain pen to write in a journal. any suggestions? also what kind of paper should my journal have?

 

pretty new to the whole fountain pen world so i might not understand all the technical things

 

thanks

Before you get blasted with suggestions for Lamy, Kaweco, Pilot, TWSBI, and other pens, perhaps you should try to be more specific about your needs. For starters, what kind of journal are you looking to use? A travel journal, a desk journal? Do you plan to take it around with your or keep it in one place? What size are you looking to write in? How verbose are you and how many words do you like to cram into a page? Do you like a lighter pen or a more hefty one? Do you plan to carry it around with you, and if so, do you intend to throw it in a bag, clip it to a shirt pocket, or keep it in a pouch? How big are your hands, and do you find wider or narrower grips more pleasant to use? Do you like modern or older styles?

 

There are lots of pens out there, and plenty of them write well enough. Not every good pen will be for you though. A Lamy Safari, for instance, is almost always much broader than I can really use in my A5 notebooks. I can sorta use it, but it's not the right pen. For some, and especially those with larger handwriting and a proclivity to use A4 or similarly large notebooks, it may be nearly perfect.

 

The easiest way to get useful suggestions is to be specific about your usage preferences, and we can direct you towards pens that should satisfy your needs. Where such a pen disappoints may be a useful data point in getting to the ideal pen for you.

Edited by XiaoMG

Robert.

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looking to buy a relatively cheap (around $50) fountain pen to write in a journal. any suggestions? also what kind of paper should my journal have?

 

pretty new to the whole fountain pen world so i might not understand all the technical things

 

thanks

Before you get blasted with suggestions for Lamy, Kaweco, Pilot, TWSBI, and other pens, perhaps you should try to be more specific about your needs. For starters, what kind of journal are you looking to use? A travel journal, a desk journal? Do you plan to take it around with your or keep it in one place? What size are you looking to write in? How verbose are you and how many words do you like to cram into a page? Do you like a lighter pen or a more hefty one? Do you plan to carry it around with you, and if so, do you intend to throw it in a bag, clip it to a shirt pocket, or keep it in a pouch? How big are your hands, and do you find wider or narrower grips more pleasant to use? Do you like modern or older styles?

 

There are lots of pens out there, and plenty of them write well enough. Not every good pen will be for you though. A Lamy Safari, for instance, is almost always much broader than I can really use in my A5 notebooks. I can sorta use it, but it's not the right pen. For some, and especially those with larger handwriting and a proclivity to use A4 or similarly large notebooks, it may be nearly perfect.

 

The easiest way to get useful suggestions is to be specific about your usage preferences, and we can direct you towards pens that should satisfy your needs. Where such a pen disappoints may be a useful data point in getting to the ideal pen for you.

 

 

its going to be a desk journal, and it will stay in the same place. medium sized journal with small handwriting. since my handwriting is small, i like to cram in as much as i can on a single line. not planning on carrying the pen around with me, it will stay with the journal. i have small hands, and prefer a modern style to older, with a narrower grip. hope that helped

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What (if any, since you said you're new) pens do you own?

 

For something that will work straight out of the box, it's hard to go wrong with a TWSBI Diamond 540.

 

A vintage desk set (which I know absolutely nothing about) may also suit your needs well.

"While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart."

- St. Francis of Assisi

"Don't play what's there. Play what's not there."

-Miles Davis

I will gladly take your unwanted Noodler's pens. Don't throw them away.

 

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Welcome to FPN and the whole world of inks, pens and paper... :W2FPN:

 

I would say don't get too hung up on the pen at the start but pick one that will work easily and reliably so that you can allow your mind to generate the thoughts for your journal.

 

Although I don't have one, I often read here on FPN that Lamy pens are smooth, reliable and inexpensive. Many times they are recommended as a starter pen without the potential hassles of vintage, second-hand, etc. You only need to pick a colour and a nib width - medium is likely to be a bit smoother than fine, but again everyone here says Lamy nibs are smooth. You don't want scratchy!

 

Later, when you have spent many happy hours browsing these fora, you may wish to add other pens and inks to your initial purchase and write about your experiences with them, or not.

 

If you already have a fountain pen, go with that for now?

 

Chris

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If you are just starting out, I would suggest going to a big-box office supply store and buying a fountain pen with an F nib. The brand probably doesn't matter much. It will probably be a cartridge pen. Buy some cartridges that will fit it. Many pen manufacturers have proprietary cartridge sizes so they are not all interchangeable.

 

If the budget is tight, your journal can be a Mead composition book. The paper in these is good for fountain pen ink. It shouldn't bleed or feather. A better desk journal would be a "Record" book. These typically have light green paper and darker green lines and 300 numbered pages. The paper quality tends to be excellent. They are much more expensive than the composition books, though.

Can a calculator understand a cash register?

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I decided to go with the TWSBI Diamond 540 with a Medium point, because the places i read said that a medium on that pen is like a fine on others. I ordered it from The Goulet Pen Company last night, any idea of when I should get a tracking number from them?

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I decided to go with the TWSBI Diamond 540 with a Medium point, because the places i read said that a medium on that pen is like a fine on others. I ordered it from The Goulet Pen Company last night, any idea of when I should get a tracking number from them?

I can't help with regard to the tracking number, but my experience with the TWSBI is that the medium is a medium. The nibs are made by Bock, a German manufacturer that makes nibs for many pen companies. While the TWSBI can sometimes be a bit on the dry side, it is not to be confused with Japanese nibs, which are in many cases noticeably finer than their European or American counterparts.

Robert.

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I decided to go with the TWSBI Diamond 540 with a Medium point, because the places i read said that a medium on that pen is like a fine on others. I ordered it from The Goulet Pen Company last night, any idea of when I should get a tracking number from them?

I can't help with regard to the tracking number, but my experience with the TWSBI is that the medium is a medium. The nibs are made by Bock, a German manufacturer that makes nibs for many pen companies. While the TWSBI can sometimes be a bit on the dry side, it is not to be confused with Japanese nibs, which are in many cases noticeably finer than their European or American counterparts.

 

if it turns out to be too broad for me, I'll just order a fine nib I guess

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I hope your TWSBI treats you well. My experience with mine (all fine nibs) has been great. My experiences with Goulet Pen Company have also been great. I usually get the shipment notification with tracking info the day after I place an order with them. Sometimes it comes the day of, if I place the order earlier in the day on a weekday.

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I decided to go with the TWSBI Diamond 540 with a Medium point, because the places i read said that a medium on that pen is like a fine on others. I ordered it from The Goulet Pen Company last night, any idea of when I should get a tracking number from them?

I can't help with regard to the tracking number, but my experience with the TWSBI is that the medium is a medium. The nibs are made by Bock, a German manufacturer that makes nibs for many pen companies. While the TWSBI can sometimes be a bit on the dry side, it is not to be confused with Japanese nibs, which are in many cases noticeably finer than their European or American counterparts.

 

if it turns out to be too broad for me, I'll just order a fine nib I guess

 

You might want to drop them an email first...they have excellent customer service...my guess is they would exchange it for a Fine if you asked nicely :thumbup:

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 8 years later...
On 7/20/2012 at 10:43 AM, Paddler said:

A better desk journal would be a "Record" book. These typically have light green paper and darker green lines and 300 numbered pages. The paper quality tends to be excellent. They are much more expensive than the composition books, though.

Could you give a specific example, please?  I searched for 'record book' and turned up nothing like you described.

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Pelikan 4012700806185 806183 Pelikano Up Golden Glam Right Handed Fountain Pen Nib M

image.jpeg.ae9f2740e9a0b5587626a2ce057a2a5d.jpeg

I have a feeling that you will also like the color:

https://www.amazon.com/Pelikan-Pelikano-Fountain-Golden-Glam/dp/B075JPD439/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=Pelikan+Pelikano+Up+Fountain+Pen&qid=1618453073&s=office-products&sr=1-6


 

And for a journal:

Thick Classic Notebook with Pen Loop - Lemome A5 Wide Ruled Hardcover Writing Notebook with Pocket + Page Dividers Gifts, Banded, Large, 180 Pages, 8.4 x 5.7 in
https://www.amazon.com/Thick-Classic-Notebook-Pen-Loop/dp/B01NAT49WS
 

 

 

 

"I am human, and I think nothing human is alien to me." Terence

 

I share the humanity of people, I’m like the rest of everybody and certainly I’m not better or higher than anybody in anything, regardless of what they believe in or don’t believe in. What they experience is certainly not alien to me. I’m part of all people and they are part of me, interbeing, that is.

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