Smoothest Fountain Pen Ever Used?

[richardandtracy]

...With a little practice you will be able to feel as if your pen is on ice.

Which, in my view, feels less good than a pen with a little feedback...

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[Scrawler]

...With a little practice you will be able to feel as if your pen is on ice.

Which, in my view, feels less good than a pen with a little feedback...

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

Yes I agree. I did say that before in this thread. I can make them like ice, but do not. I was just imparting what I knew for those who may want to do it. I never progress to the finest grit anymore. I like to feel feedback from the nib in exactly the same way as I like feedback from my tyres when driving.

 

This is the stuff I use: http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=33004&cat=1,43072

[Franck74]

All of my pens...after I have given them my "treatment."

What did you do them (if it's nothing that hurts Human and Pen Rights... ) ?

Smoothing nibs is quite easy, as long as there is a good lump of tipping material. To ensure a nib is as smooth as possible, first you check the alignment of the tines. They must align with each other exactly. I do the following steps with ink in the pen. I do not like to do it dry. You get sheets of micro-grit abrasive. If your nib has distinct lumps you start with 1500 grit and draw half a dozen figure 8 on the abrasive surface. Do not overdo it. Then you progress to a 5000 grit and do the same. If it is ultra smoothness you need you then continue with 12000 grit. You can shape a foot this way, or you can rotate the nib and round it according to your preference. You should practice first on inexpensive pens.

 

Some nibs develop an edge on the inside of the tines, so you need thin flexible microgrit film, which you insert inside the tines and form into an S shape and pull gently back and forth through the tip of the tines. Then reverse the S shape and do it the other way. Then turn the sheet over and repeat.

 

With a little practice you will be able to feel as if your pen is on ice.

Thank you for those explanations

[Diver53]

Up until last month I would have said: Mont Blanc 149 wins had down, but since receiving it I change my choice to the new Montegrappa Emblema.

 

It is so smooth that it took writing several pages of notes to get used to it.

[rwilsonedn]

If I ignore price and focus on smoothness, the hands-down winner is a little hooded-nib Jinhao pocket rocket. Close second would be one of those rather legendary metal Papermate pens that insiders love so much (and now I know why). A level below that I'd put some really nice entry-level luxury pens from Visconti, CdA, and Sailor, plus nearly every Pilot I've ever tried. Neither of my MB's, nor any other German pen I've tried, would make the list. In this company they would be undistinguished.

ron

[Jeremiah]

Any of my Pelikans.

[edorsky]

I purchased a Lamt Persona at a charity auction (not sure when it was made), but the nib is incredibly smooth.

[JefferyS]

Out of the box, Visconti Homo sapiens and TWSBI 540. Tweaked, it would be Aurora Optima.

 

 

[Muncle]

A pen club member's Waterman Edson Bold nib. I can't remember if I liked it or not now, but I still remember how buttery it was.

 

Of mine? I tend to lean towards Fine nibs, so it's rare that I get a supremely smooth nib. But there is a Parker 51 M that is my favourite to write with at home.

[Keyless Works]

My smoothest writing nib among pens that I own is a lovely Visconti Pericles medium. Unfortunately I rarely use it because its line is a little too broad for my daily writing, and I'm usually using really poor paper. But for special letters, signatures, invitation addresse, etc, it's the bomb!

 

I was going to post the same thing. Visconti Pericles medium. I gave this pen to a friend as it was too broad of a medium for me but it definitely sticks in my mind as the smoothest writing pen I have had. I have the original Visconti Van Gogh with the "three k" lock and a gold nib and its nice but it definitely is not as smooth as the steel nib on the Pericles I had.

[andrew98]

My Waterman Laureat with medium nib is buttery smooth. It's so smooth, I don't use it often. It's a pleasant enough experience, but I prefer a touch of feedback. There's essentially none with that Laureat.

 

I've definitely been through a phase of searching for the smoothest nib I could get my hands on. Now, I'm looking for nibs with just the right amount of feedback, instead. I may have recently found my perfect pen in that regard (Franklin-Christoph Model 02 with medium nib). My Pelikan M215 is also wonderful.

 

-Andy

Edited January 29, 2013 by andrew98

[maryannemoll]

It would have to be my Pelikan White Tortoise with an extra fine nib. Strangely enough, second to it would be my Pelikan Grand Place with a medium nib. I was thinking it should be the other way around, but no. I myself was surprised. The EF nib does work smoother than the medium nib.

[dadoody]

So I spent about 6 months working in a Paradise Pen Company store a while back, and so had a lot of time to play with and experience a huge selection of fountain pens; Montblanc, Cartier, Caran D`ache, Faber Castell, Lamy, Visconti, Achim Velte, Cross, Parker, Waterman, and a looot more.

 

There are some brands I am woefully unfamiliar with, however, like S. Dupont, Shaefer (we had a few but they were utter shite), Esterbrook, and many others.

 

In my time at the store, I have been permanently stained by the passion for the hobby and use of fountain pens. I am forever in pursuit of the smoothest writing most comfortable pen possible. The most smooth I have ever used was likely a Faber Castell Anello, with Montblanc and the FC Ambition coming in closely behind. My Jinhao 450 at 8$ is surprisingly close to these level of smoothness (granted it is a broad nib).

 

 

I would love to get input on your own experiences as to what you found were the smoothest fountain pens you have used, at any price, whether you own them or not. Price tiers would be good though, like "This is the smoothest I've ever used but it was $700, while this one at $100 was pretty amazing too." And I really don't mean things middle of the road like Lamy that really aren't bad, but things closer to find Faber Castells that are like writing in mid air, not even touching the paper.

 

 

Thanks for your suggestions and help!

 

Smoothest I've ever used was a $20 Jinhao brass dragon pen. Smooth as silk, but it was an uncomfortable pen to use and the build quality sucked. For me, the happy medium sweet spot has been Cross Solo/Radiance pens - the right balance of smooth, value, portability, weight, and looks.

[loudkenny]

The smoothest pen I ever used is my 1940? Parker Vacumatic silver pearl desk pen. No matter what ink you use in it, it seems you don't actually write with it, but you just hold onto it as the words come squirting out.

 

I would love to find a 'regular' pen that could use this pen's nib so I could use it everyday, but then knowing me I would probably worry about losing it.

 

loudkenny

Edited January 31, 2013 by loudkenny

[nm4]

They may not qualify because they have 3 nibs...but the Sailor trident pens are smoother than any traditional fountain pen I've tried. I think it's a combination of great ink flow from 3 feeds as well as the fact that the pen can be held at any angle.

 

I wish a modern manufacturer would make such a pen as they seem to be getting harder and harder to find in good condition. I've tried the Hero knockoff...it's not even close.

 

Cheers,

NM

[UK Mike]

The smoothest nib is always on the next pen I'm going to buy!

 

At the moment, of those I own, I have a Pelikan 800 and an old Cross 14k that are top of the tree and carefully run-in over a number of years.

[Scrawler]

The smoothest nib is always on the next pen I'm going to buy!

 

At the moment, of those I own, I have a Pelikan 800 and an old Cross 14k that are top of the tree and carefully run-in over a number of years.

It could easily be in the one you have now. Smoothing a nib is easy and quick with modern micro-abrasive films and pads.

[UK Mike]

The smoothest nib is always on the next pen I'm going to buy!

 

At the moment, of those I own, I have a Pelikan 800 and an old Cross 14k that are top of the tree and carefully run-in over a number of years.

It could easily be in the one you have now. Smoothing a nib is easy and quick with modern micro-abrasive films and pads.

 

Indeed, but most of my nibs have had some sort of smoothing in their lives so I live in hope that the next pen will at least equal my best, right out of the box.

[fpc]

I've looked at Nakaya, Naka-ai and such, but sadly haven't used one before. I'm dying to get to an annual pen fair (I live in Portland, Oregon and we do have some here and there, but it's no California or New York).

 

PDX? I live in Hood River. Pointers to where to look for pens next time I'm in town?

 

I think there is a pen store in Clackamas Mall. Its been so long since I lived there, but I remember seeing a advertisement for

Paradise Pen or one of them in a mall in Portland. Sorry about the memory.

 

Don

[nano404]

Haven't tried much, but my Visconti Rembrandt was smoooth.