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Wanted: Fat Grip, Free-Flowing, Mucho Comfortable Fountain Pen


ssataline

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Hi everyone,

 

Classes are over and I'm writing away on my thesis while job hunting. (I can hear the jealous sighs out there.) Unfortunately, long hours + humidity + tendonitis/nerve damage = unhappy hands. My hunt for the perfect and perfectly comfortable fountain pen is on!

 

Having tried several pens over the last year, some were very good. None perfect. (Faber-Castell Loom - metal grip, Jinhao - heavy, Lamy - triangular grip is tiring, Kaweco - metal, TWSBI 580 - cheap feeling, hate the plastic, Noodlers - ditto. I've developed a list that I'm using to guide me. I'm seeking a fountain pen with:

 

*A fat, non-metal grip: at least 10 mm, but preferably more. (I'm a small-boned woman with medium-sized hands.)

*Sturdy material, preferably ebonite or hard plastic material. No metal grips.

*A rounded grip section; it's hard to clutch the triangular shape for a long while. Minimal threads in the grip area.

*free, juicy flow. (The Loom practically writes itself.)

 

And here's the clincher:

*Under $150 or so. (Student loans call.)

 

I tried a Sailor 1911 in Hong Kong and am kicking myself for not getting it. Some people have suggested the Ranga 4 or 4C. What else?

 

What I'm REALLY seeking is something I've discovered here on the forum: the long-out-of-production Tombow Egg 828 fp fountain pen. (see pic) I own several Tombow Egg rollerballs. After surgery on both arms I cannot tell you how much these pens helped me over the years. (When I learned they were going out of production, I bought four spares.) If anyone has fruitful suggestions as to where I can buy one of these, I will send you bottles of ink that I no longer want. (Noodler's Polar Blue, Red, Black Swan, etc.)

 

Thanks all!

post-123864-0-85568100-1467911618.jpg

Edited by ssata
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I was going to recommend Delta Dolce Vita oversize until I got to your price constraint.

"how do I know what I think until I write it down?"

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The Deccan Advocate in ebonite is a wonderful pen but adjusting the nib for wetness requires patience.

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A sailor 1911 midsize might be in your price range

 

http://www.nibs.com/Sailor1911MidSizeSeries.html

 

If you’re in the United States this company may be very good for you as they give great service and will set up the nip for you before they send the pen.
This is a very common pen, easily found, and I’m sure you could get even better prices on eBay or some other source.
Good luck,
Bobby

Why carry one pen when four will do!

 

Member of the Calgary Pen Club: <A href="http://www.calgarypenclub.com/" target=_blank>http: //www.calgarypenclub.com/

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I know you have a financial constraint. But I do have two pieces of advice if I may:

 

1) If you find the pen that suites your hand, do pay whatwver price is needed. You will use this pen for the rest of your life and, esp. on your case, it will benefit your health.

 

2) In order to achieve that, there are two ways: a) you buy pens until you find the right one. Costly, even of you can sell some of these pens through FPN classifieds and others. B) find a way to try the pens that you think might suit your hand. B&M shops, friends, pen shows, and so on. When you try the pen, remember there are a lot like shoes: it might seem comfortable at first, but become very uncomfortable after a few minutes of heavy writing (and I am not suggesting you have to ink your shoes...), so when you try a pen, don't be satisfied with just few lines.

 

The Dolce Vita OS is really huge, maybe about 14mm at the section. It is an awesome pen that might be the answer you are looking for.

amonjak.com

post-21880-0-68964400-1403173058.jpg

free 70 pages graphic novel. Enjoy!

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I have arthritis in my hands, not very pleasant writing for long periods of time. If you get on e-bay ,which isn't as bad as some would have you believe, take a look at the Rotring Skynn line of pens. They are out of production, but can still be purchased new for a very reasonable price (like less than 20 USD reasonable), and are available as a fountainpen, rollerball, or ballpoint.

I have 3 of them, and have to say that they are the most comfortable pens I've used.

The only drawback that I can see is the cap that they use. They can get easily lost, but there are ways to fix that.

Good luck in your search :)

 

Doug

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It's a squeaker on your price point, but a Franklin-Christoph model 20 is super light, has a section a little larger than 10mm, and smooth curves all over. They're machined from acrylic, so they're pretty tough. I'm not sure if their nibs count as gushers, but I haven't heard of anyone complaining that they're actually dry. $150ish. I cramp up with smaller sections, and the Model 20 is just large enough to make me happy.

 

I have a Faber-Castell Basic that also fits the bill, with a rubberized grip section as large as the barrel, but I'm not sure if they make them any more. If so I'm pretty sure it was < $50 and it DOES gush. I tend to load it with dry inks to keep the line as fine as I'd like, but but if you're OK with the heavier weight it'd be a good option.

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I have a Delta Gallery that's nice and thick (about 15mm? - it's not with me) and light. Although the ebay seller that has been discussed much here lately is out of them, there seems to be one for sale in the classifieds:

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/classifieds/item/40360-new-delta-numbered-edition-gallery-tech-fountain-pen/

(I have no connection to seller)

 

And isellpens has the Laban Mento (similar girth) for $95.

 

Good luck!

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The Edison Collier fits your specs pretty well:

 

 

*A fat, non-metal grip: at least 10 mm, but preferably more. (I'm a small-boned woman with medium-sized hands.)

 

12mm grip diameter (average).

 

*Sturdy material, preferably ebonite or hard plastic material. No metal grips.

 

Hard acrylic; the only metal parts are the nib and clip.

 

*A rounded grip section; it's hard to clutch the triangular shape for a long while. Minimal threads in the grip area.

 

The cap threads at the back of the (round) section aren't sharp nor high, I don't notice them at all while writing.

 

*free, juicy flow. (The Loom practically writes itself.)

 

I had to adjust mine to be less profligate with ink flow...

 

It's one of my favorite pens, both with the original Jowo F nib, and .6mm Binder Italifine that I got for it somewhat later.

 

And here's the clincher:

*Under $150 or so. (Student loans call.)

 

Goulet lists the model at $149 with a Jowo #6 steel nib. :}

 

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I'm going to suggest a custom pen from Shawn Newton of Newton Pens, or a custom or production model from Edison Pens. You can literally get exactly what you want.

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I would second setriode's suggestion of an Indian ebonite pen, but widen your consideration to include other brands like ASA, Gama and Ranga. These pens vary in size and girth, but some are true jumbos. You can get many of them with Schmidt or Jowo nibs that will ensure predictable ink flow. Even with the German nibs, most sell for around $50, so you could try a couple of them and/or get one and send it to a nibmeister for fine tuning, all for well under $150.

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I'd recommend getting a Chinese Jinhao 159. It's a jolly fat pen, very nice to hold, smooth nib and inexpensive (check out Goulet Pens site.) I've got an exact replica under the brand name Reynolds- the pics are of the Reynolds but you can take it as the Jinhao 159. Trying out this pen and seeing how you do over a couple of months will give you the chance to really know if fat pens will work out for you for the long term. In the interim, you can do some research on other such pens of potentially higher quality and perhaps more appealing design.

 

post-130513-0-20159400-1467926352_thumb.jpeg

 

post-130513-0-46041900-1467926375_thumb.jpeg

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Hmm... I read your post again and saw that you've already considered the Jinhao but find it too heavy. Ah, then you may just have to go the Indian ebonite pen route. The Ranga model 5 comes to mind, but it too may be too heavy. I'd then suggest the Gama Kuyil, if that's available from ASA Pens. I think there's also a model called Genius that's the slightly smaller (in length) version of the Kuyil. Best of luck!

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http://fountainpenrevolution.com/wpimages/wpf2591e87_01_06.jpg

 

Guider Super Zimbo. Available in several colours, it has a 16 millimetres section diameter

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Hi,

 

Kindly consider the Pilot Prera. It is one of the few compact pens that I know of with a goodly girth. Comfy posted or not. A welcome guest in my beach bag. :)

 

I'm away from pens so I cannot measure the section girth, so perhaps another Member can provide that dimension. In the meantime, there's this comparative image which is a scan so there's no parallax.

 

The Lime Green Prera posing with several other pens, L - R: Sheaffer 440, Pelikan M400, Platinum President Purist, Parker Newhaven Lady Insignia, Waterman Carene and Waterman's 52 1/2V.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN%20Stuff%20-%202011/Ink%20Review%20-%20ESS%20Registrars%20Blue-Black/c42ebe09.jpg

 

 

I'm not too sure if the Prera is typically free-flowing, but I doubt if they're bone dry. (I prefer to use a wetter ink rather than adjust the nib.)

 

Bye,

S1

The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

 

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I understand your concerns. My suggestion is for you to try out a Ranga pen, the Ranga Model 5 specifically. It is a pretty large pen, and seems to work well for me. I am a medium sized guy who had hand problems caused by a series of strokes, and the Ranga Model 5 is a pen that works for me. You can check Peyton Street Pens for details. Here is the link:

 

http://www.peytonstreetpens.com/range-indian-ebonite/model-5/ranga-ebonite-model-5-fountain-pen-extra-oversize-german-nibs-cartridge-converter.html

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Delta Unica. Found some on ebay for $55. Girthy and light weight. This a is very cheap pen compared to Delta's more over the top triple digit pens. Medium or broad, I suppose would be helpful depending on how precise your handwriting is. Delta's nibs are considered to be near close to or is exceptional. Posted, the pen always reminded me of a stove top espresso maker. Despite its price and light weight, I consider this an elegant and luxurious pen.

 

P.s. The right to describe a pen as luxurious is validated by the ownership of a couple of quadruple digit pens for those that may take light of my use of the word luxurious.

Edited by MobyDick
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Another vote for an Indian ebonite. I have a Guilder that I reach for whenever my arthritis and/or tendinitis start to act up. ASA pens has a great selection and their service is fantastic. With any pen, you may have to do some nib adjustments, but the Indian pens are an unbeatable value for the price.

 

Edit:

Oh, and Preras are nice too. Section is about 11mm. They are very light, reliable, and easy to handle. Neither of mine are particularly juicy, though.

Edited by displacermoose

Yet another Sarah.

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If you go for Indian ebonite, I suggest getting a 3-in-1 filler. They are c/c pens that readily convert to eyedropper. Eyedropper pens are as simple as it gets, lightweight, and are unmatched for ink capacity. And if you have something to hold the barrel upright for you (test tube rack, pipe rack, 2x4 with a 5/8" (about 16mm) hole drilled in it), you can hope to fill it with minimal mess.

 

However, eyedroppers have one besetting fault: Charles's Law. When the pen is somewhere between half and 2/3 empty, the heat of your hand can cause the air in it to expand enough to force ink out of the point, especially if you start writing before it warms up. By warming the pen up while its point is up, it's mostly air that will be forced out through the feed. With an ASA Daily (for example; a $32 ebonite pen with a 13mm section; I have no relationship with the seller), you can put in a cartridge or converter, and the air that warms up and expands is now in a separate chamber from the ink.

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All. Thank you so much. I must have adjusted my settings and I wasn't notified of the replies by email. Please forgive me. These are great suggestions. I admit, I went ahead and bought a giant fat Tombow which I found at Pen Workshop in England. The next query: is there a small converter that will fit inside?

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