What do you use carry if FP not practical?

[Guest Denis Richard]

My 12yo Duofold has also a very clear flat spot. I'm just wondering if we are not jumping with both our feet in the "hardest than God itself" marketing thingy from FP companies... such as irridium tips which can end up being an alloy with less than 10% of irridium....

 

I agree that the one use is not gonna hurt. It's obvious to me though that the tip will wear, and the time it takes depends on the alloy (which varies greatly). Could be a year, could be 150 years.

 

Antonios ?

[smudgy]

I usually don't take FPs that I'm not comfortable with people borrowing out of my house. I had a couple of students that were curious about my FPs; I brought some examples for them to look at (including my Binderized M200 Pelikan!), and I made sure that the ones they weren't welcome to try were empty. Kawecos and Cores were fair game.

 

I also like to be asked first. On a recent outing with some friends, we went offroading and then stopped for a bit. One of our friends got it into his head that he wanted to write his problems on rocks and then throw them as far as he could. He was asking around for pens; I didn't offer because all I had were FPs. For whatever reason, my husband told him that it was okay to look through my bag and see what he could find... our friend comes to me and says, "why do you have nothing but 'calligraphy' pens?" Thankfully, he added, "I didn't use your pens that I found because I thought that writing on a rock with them might damage them."

[Inkyways]

I went to a Retail Pen seller and was inquiring about some thing. Then saw his MB pen in his pocket. Then I asked about the pen and he said it is a EF/Bespoke pen.

Then I asked if I can try it as I really want to know how EF writes and My MB I had at that time was a M nib and I was very fed-up and not using at all.

He said no!! So I asked him to write something for me to see. Then I saw the different and I was not impressed as his writing was awful.

Then I bought several MBs and they were Fine nibs and I was very pleased with them. Those pens has done many years in different hands and they write the way I write in my hand without showing any older usage of wear and tear effect to dominate or effect my writing style.

I think the difference about a person who has never used a pen and person who use or how to use a pen must be considered.

People who use a Death grip hold pens differently and that might effect a pen which has a special sensitive nib.

If you have a Oblique nib you have to be careful how it should be used. I have several and I myself have lot of problem getting tines messed up.

I have so many vintage pens and they have passed so many mile-stones some make a century to be in my hand. I am sure I not the sole owner and they are still fantastic writers.

Edited September 16, 2020 by Cjayant

[mikerph]

I used to use a Pelikan M400 medium point at work. As time progressed I had to scribble very quickly and use whatever I could find on which to write (I’m a pharmacist and work in a very busy store). Now, I use a ballpoint- I preferred a Parker Jotter, but with Covid and the need to disinfect, I use a fisher space pen or an old Zippo silver plated ballpoint. The Fisher can be sterilized or cleaned with little or no damage, and the Zippo is tarnished and rough enough that I don’t care if it gets dinged. The old Zippo uses Cross refills so I can still find them in office supply stores near home.

[bayindirh]

I generally carry a Caran dache 849 ballpoint with me for the papers and occasions where using a fountain pen is not practical or feasible.

 

If I expect to lend and never get my pen back, I carry 2-3 good ballpoints (Bic or similar).

 

CdA 849 is a fantastic pen IMHO. Its looks are deceiving and underrated. I like that.

[ParramattaPaul]

I go cheap for such situations -- a Pentel disposable Gel pen is my choice. Lost, stolen or broken it is of no consequence.

[Brianm_14]

If I can't carry a fountain pen, then I usually carry either my Walther PPQ in .45 ACP, or my Beretta 85fs in .380 ACP (if I am wearing a suit). No-one ever asks to borrow them, strangly enough. Generally speaking, it's just better -all things considered- to let me carry my fountain pen.

 

That way, nobody gets hurt.

Edited October 16, 2020 by Brianm-14-FRMS

[ParramattaPaul]

A Pentel Gel pen works for me.

[JosephKing]

If I can't carry a fountain pen, then I usually carry either my Walther PPQ in .45 ACP, or my Beretta 85fs in .380 ACP (if I am wearing a suit). No-one ever asks to borrow them, strangly enough. Generally speaking, it's just better -all things considered- to let me carry my fountain pen.

 

That way, nobody gets hurt.

[LWW]

Not sure if post belongs here . . .

 

I was at a conference, and I know moving around exchanging info that having my FP would be dangerous. :-) So I carried a Uniball pen that has a hybrid ink (roller and gel). It's a good smooth pen, but I find their blue to be a bit light. Also water resistant (put a sheet of paper written with their ink under the faucet and no ink bled). I also like Pilot's Precise aka the V7 etc. pens., except the ones I buy are V10, which means it has a 1.0mm point. Nice blue color, more like the Navy blue I like. It's not as water resistant as the Uniball hybrid though.

 

Anyway, yes what I predicted happened. Somebody takes my pen and asks if he could use at the same time. See, you're suppose to ask first, then get an answer, followed by taking the pen. It averts an awkward situation, and I wasn't stressed by it because it was just a rollerball.

 

I tell people mitts of, politelyf.

 

I have converted a FRANKLIN PLANNER CLASSIC into the ultimate checkbook and notebook, so its no longer a planner.

 

Within I carry two WATERMAN HEMISPHERE fountain pens, with NOODLER"S BULLETPROOF ink, and a WATERMAN HEMISPHERE ROLLERBALL, a CROSS CENTURY II mechanical pencil and a PLATINUM PREPPY highlighter. All selected for small size to fit with in an size

 

That way I'm covered for note taking check writing, multi part contract signatures, crossword puzzles/sudoku and highlighting.

 

I never leave an FP uncapped so if someone picks up a FP I offer them a RB instead.

 

I have received an odd look but not much more.

[ISW_Kaputnik]

There aren't many situations where I feel it's not practical to carry a fountain pen. If I've left home without at least one in the past few years, it has most likely been an oversight, not a decision. I do almost always have at least one mechanical pencil and one ballpoint with me too. The specific models vary, except that I generally have a bullet style Fisher Space Pen in a pants pocket, the only writing instrument that I carry that way.

 

On the secondary theme of this revived thread, I've never felt obliged to provide writing instruments to people who haven't learned always to carry one, but I'm pretty easygoing with polite requests where it will make things go more smoothly. "No, you can't use the fountain pen that you see in my shirt pocket, but let me fish around in my bag here for a ballpoint". If they want to be picky about what pen they use, they should provide their own.

 

I can't remember the last time that I was in the position of needing to borrow a pen; at worst I've just used what someone handed to me for a quick signature rather than waving it off and taking out my own. But it's going to come up sometime. The old Space Pen will dry up on the same day as the fountain pen, and my mechanical pencil will jam or be out of lead. When that happens, I trust I'll remember what I wrote above, and won't be too fussy about what someone is willing to lend me.

[challer61]

At conferences at least, cheap free pens are everywhere and I just pick up a few for this sort of reason. I won't lend out my rollerballs or ballpoints or even pencils to someone else. They are just too valuable to be "forgotten."

Not sure if post belongs here . . .

I was at a conference, and I know moving around exchanging info that having my FP would be dangerous. :-) So I carried a Uniball pen that has a hybrid ink (roller and gel). It's a good smooth pen, but I find their blue to be a bit light. Also water resistant (put a sheet of paper written with their ink under the faucet and no ink bled). I also like Pilot's Precise aka the V7 etc. pens., except the ones I buy are V10, which means it has a 1.0mm point. Nice blue color, more like the Navy blue I like. It's not as water resistant as the Uniball hybrid though.

Anyway, yes what I predicted happened. Somebody takes my pen and asks if he could use at the same time. See, you're suppose to ask first, then get an answer, followed by taking the pen. It averts an awkward situation, and I wasn't stressed by it because it was just a rollerball.

[shostakovich]

Walther PPQ in .45 ACP, or my Beretta 85fs in .380 ACP (if I am wearing a suit).

 

What the hell are they? Never heard of pens with those names.

[sansenri]

OK Wim,

 

I'm totally opening myself up for all to see my ignorance, but are you saying that people really can use my fountain pens and not ruin the way they write? I've been telling people "NO" for years, I seem to have read somewhere that the nib eventually conforms to the owners writing style and that allowing other to write with you pen would throw it off.

 

Honestly, I love to tell people this to keep them from using my good pens.

 

Bryan

What you are saying is actually true... but it does take some time.

It's a good story for the purpose though.

[austollie]

I don't have a problem with letting people use my fountain pens. In fact, I quite like the idea of showing others how great these pens are to write with. I did once give my Lamy Safari Petrol to my colleague to take notes with, only to find that she was violently bending the clip. "Stop, that's a special edition pen" I shouted in horror. Thankfully, I got my pen back before damage was done. I think that's one of the differences of writing with any fine writing instrument. We value what we write with, whereas people using disposable pens generally don't.

[sansenri]

In those hectic occasions, like working during an expo, when the "borrow your pen" question will arise, I make sure the company I work for has plenty of giveaway ballpoints available...

 

Otherwise when I cannot use or take a FP with me I opt for a rollerball.

I have a few nice ones (in order not to suffer too much from lack of a FP).

A recent one I bought is a Ranga model 3 that takes a Parker refill, it's really nice in brown matt mottled ebonite.

Very light but comfortable due to size (which is usually the issue with skinny ballponits/rollerballs).

 

[HobbitLife]

I recently picked up a Ti Pocket Pro and it is literally perfect for my EDC needs. It takes just about every refill on the market (I keep a Uni Signo DX 0.5 in there), and is a twist to deploy mechanism so wont stain my pocket. Short enough to fit in a pocket well but comfortable to use with a good sized section. Great clip. Indestructible. I dont really know how it could be improved.