What was your first fountain pen?

[AlexLeGrande]

I've responded to this before, but here I go again.  One day in the early 1950's, perhaps 1952-1954, the teacher came around to all of our desks in school in Newark, New Jersey, USA, and placed an ink bottle in the hole in the top of our bolted to the floor wooden desks.  We were given wooden pen holders with metal nibs, and we learned to write by dipping these in our ink wells.  Then one day, I have no memory of how long after, we were told to go home and have our parents buy an Easterbrook fountain pen with a 2668 or 9668 medium nib, cost @ $1.95 and a bottle of Waterman Blue Black ink.  Ballpoint pens were a newer item and were expressly forbidden, as was any other ink.  I was in second grade.  By the time I reached 6th grade, the requirements were somewhat eased.  Still no ballpoints allowed, but Waterman South Seas Blue was acceptable.  All the girls adopted this ink.  We boys would never consider using such a "girlie color." 

[Penguincollector]

The first fountain pen I used was my dad’s Parker 45 with an octanium nib he bought  in 1963. Using one was suggested by my English teacher in Jr. High school (1989) because of my joint issues. I  still have it, mostly because it was not allowed to go to school with me. He got me a blue Vector for school. I used Parker Blue-Black. The collecting bug hit me soon after. 

[AmandaW]

The earliest reference to fountain pens in my journals (they were digital back then) was in 2011. I was tidying out a drawer in my studio and came across some fountain pens. I didn't recall buying them. Or who might have given them to me. OK I just dug them out for a look. One has "Forum Hotel Warszawa" printed on the cap and Genius Germany on the nib, another is a Manuscript (with Manuscript England on the nib) and the last a dark red (with sparklies!) has Genius Germany on the nib too. The Hotel one as an empty cartridge... they all need a clean.

 

I had no idea what to do with them so I think I went online to find out. Then, didn't bother with the trio above, instead went to the only pen store I knew of where I live in Western Australia - T.Sharp in Perth - and bought a Lamy Safari with a fine nib and a converter.

 

Right then... pen cleaner. Those Genius Germany are likely to be Standard International cartridges?

[vicpen123]

My first fountain pen was a Platignum Silverline fountain pen and pencil set gifted as a birthday present in early 60s. Lever fill and needs a new sac. Still with me after 60 years.

 

My first vintage fountain pen was a Parker "51" aerometric that I inherited from my grandfather. Still with me after 55 years.

 

My first purchased fountain pen was a Parker 45 bought in mid 70s and used exclusively till the 90s when word processing took over. Still with me after nearly 50 years.

[Bo Bo Olson]

7 hours ago, AlexLeGrande said:

We boys would never consider using such a "girlie color." 

Don't remember Waterman Blue (Sheaffer&Parker (late '50's) and later I used the cheap Pelikan 4001,............. but blue or black, or even BB were boy's colors all others were girly....odd how many girly colors I now have. but pink..........pink is near unreadable like yellow ink.

[Sailor Kenshin]

One of those ubiquitous Sheaffer 'school' cartridge pens, the kind that came on a card with two blue ink cartridges.  
 

Mine was yellow, with that conical, translucent barrel.  It must have been in Jr. High, or even sixth grade; I remember the stationery store I got it from.  But I do remember wishing the ink was black, which even back then seemed more appropriate for a yellow pen.
 

I don't recall what happened to it.  We moved a time or two since then, but I now have a small collection of those Sheaffers, of varying color and vintage.

 

One or two of my old papers contain writing made with that first pen.

[Arkanabar]

This topic has come up I know not how many times.  Somebody with more time on their hands should hunt some links.

 

My first fountain pen was purchased shortly after I arrived at university.  Prior to that, my favored writing instruments were 0.5mm mechanical drafting pencils, such as the Pentel P205, various Nijis (I think they're called Zebra now; certainly the Zebra MPs I see look almost identical), the occasional Staedtler-Mars, and even a Pentel Sharp Kerry.  But I couldn't seem to take notes fast enough with them, so I tried cheap stick ballpoints.  And I couldn't write fast enough with them, so I tried Pilot Precise V5 rollerballs, which were the new hotness back then.  And writing with them felt rough, like pushing a shopping cart across worn pavement.  So I walked into the art supply store associated with the university, the Art Attack (how I love that name, it's a shame they're no longer with us), and asked what I could do.  I was led to an Osmiroid calligraphy pen and a separate ball tipped nib.  And it was awesome.  Shortly thereafter I got a Sheaffer school pen and an A&W Sizzle Stix (a Reform school pen, rebranded for the American market), the latter of which became my favorite. (Finding carts to refill the Sheaffer was difficult, and finding a converter for it impossible.  I never gave any thought to refilling the carts or converting to ED.) They were all lost when I dropped out of university.  And I forgot about fountain pens for most of a decade.

 

Then one day I opened a box of parts from Bike Nashbar and within I found a Levenger Catalog -- "Tools for Serious Readers."  I was a serious reader!  I read all the time!  Within I found expensive furniture (I was poor -- I didn't have a car, and I needed those bike parts to stay mobile), leather goods (hey, that International Pocket Briefcase would make a handy wallet and notepad combination), stationery (I had a nearly full 5000 sheet box of one-sided salvage paper, who needs it?), and fountain pens.  Oh, my, I rememered and suddenly missed my fountain pens.

 

The Duofold Centennials were gorgeous, especially the Pearl & Black, but so far out of my financial reach.  But the Waterman Phileas was also pretty, especially in blue, and far more affordable!  And then there was the Lamy Safari; Steve Leveen had run one over with his Volvo and only scratched it!  And that Vanishing Point in stealth black, that looked sooo handy!  I got all three.  Of them, the Phileas turned out to be my favorite.  I couldn't have told you, then, why I didn't like the others, but I didn't.  (I can now.)  And the Phileas didn't hold enough ink.  So I set out to get something better.  (I no longer have any of those pens, either.)

 

I discovered that there was a Colorado Pen Co. near me, and that they had a blue Pelikan M200 F on clearance for a surprisingly reasonable price -- significantly less than the Vanishing Point, for example.  So I went there, I tried it, I liked it, and I got it, and I still have it today.  It is my first Pen of a Lifetime.  For two decades, it was my favorite pen.  It has been edged out by an aqua M205 F on three counts (I prefer white metal hardware, the binde doesn't really do anything for me, and the M205 is a gift from my wife that she enlisted her entire family to help in purchasing), but it's still an excellent pen that I regard as a benchmark for how a pen should write.

[Nellie]

Mine was a green Geha cartridge filler with ink windows in year 3 of primary school (or whenever we were first allowed to use proper pens. I now find it hard to imagine that it was so late and I used only pencils for two whole years).

I can't remember why I picked this over the blue Pelikan, maybe it wrote better for me, but anyway I was super-proud.

[TSherbs]

Sheaffer school pen, c. 1980

[The Elevator]

5 hours ago, Arkanabar said:

This topic has come up I know not how many times.  Somebody with more time on their hands should hunt some links.

Sorry—I searched a bunch of keywords to try and see if anyone had posted a topic like this before, and I didn’t see anything that looked like it   

 

@amberleadavis (and other available moderators) if you would like to merge this with a previous topic go ahead—actually please do. 🙃

[PAKMAN]

'70's blue flat top Sheaffer School pen with 5 blue cartridges.

[Doug C]

Initially I thought a Safari but I do remember begging every year for a sheaffer school pen...

 

I don't remember if I ever got one. 

[51ISH]

2 hours ago, The Elevator said:

Sorry—I searched a bunch of keywords to try and see if anyone had posted a topic like this before, and I didn’t see anything that looked like it   

 

@amberleadavis (and other available moderators) if you would like to merge this with a previous topic go ahead—actually please do. 🙃

 

Yikes!  Are we 'supposed' to check before we post a new thread these days?  😲 I don't think Arkanabar meant it in that way or he wouldn't have posted such a thorough reply   I for one would like to see lots more new threads posted. I'm pretty sure everyone has had quite enough of me posting the same things on 'What pencil have you used today'?  and 'What Chinese pen have you used today' 🤣 Faber Castell Grip Plus and Bejing Jin Xing .... There I've said it again...🤣 🤣 🤣

[Mark from Yorkshire]

First fountain pen a corner shop special, small international cartridge, I’ve gone through many of them through the years. Then 1st grown up adult pen was a Parker 25 that I broke the threads in the barrel so the section detached I was 10 or eleven at the time. Then many Parker’s that invariably ended up in pencil case accidents or with bent nibs.

[51ISH]

26 minutes ago, Mark from Yorkshire said:

First fountain pen a corner shop special, small international cartridge, I’ve gone through many of them through the years. Then 1st grown up adult pen was a Parker 25 that I broke the threads in the barrel so the section detached I was 10 or eleven at the time. Then many Parker’s that invariably ended up in pencil case accidents or with bent nibs.

 

I got a Parker 25 at 11 years old (started Secondary School and we had to write with a fountain pen) It came in a set with the ballpoint.  I recently found 3 of them that had been sat in an old 'box of pens and pencils'  I gave two of them (that had never been cleaned)  a 2 minute flush with an ear bulb and tap water... both performed like they were brand new pens. Only ever inked with Parker Washable Blue from a cartridge...so I guess that helped. Mine always seemed to leak a bit into the cap...I think it was around that 'collar' / ring at the bottom of the section....?

[Toolattack]

23 hours ago, ruby.monkey said:

The Parker 25 in this photo:

 

It went to boarding school with me in 1981 and it's still in use today.

That brings back some fond memories @ruby.monkey - thanks for sharing 

[langere]

My first pen that I bought for myself was a Levenger Sea Pen in blue.  It was on sale for $89, but by the time I bought it, the price was up to $100 again.  The kind lady on the phone at Levenger's persuaded me to buy it anyway.  That was in 1999 and I haven't looked back.

 

I did write with fountain pens when I went to school in Germany in the 1960s, but those pens (Geha) my parents bought for me and my brothers.

 

Erick

[Arkanabar]

Here's some links.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/331514-first-fountain-pen/#comment-3979312

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/325555-your-first-and-why/#comment-3888860

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/265205-your-very-first-pen/#comment-2968374

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/301315-what-was-the-first-fountain-pen-youve-used/#comment-3518913

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/276520-the-first-pen-that-ill-never-give-up/#comment-3155519

 

No one needs MY permission for anything.  I just like for people to have the opportunity to look at similar topics, when they find one that interests them.

[Misfit]

When I was in school, we never used fountain pens, so no school pen for me. 
 

I bought my first fountain pen in 1996. It is a Waterman Laureat 2 in blue. I bought it with a M nib, and sent it to swap for a F nib, plus had it engraved with my name. I sent it without the converter. They sent it back with a converter.  It was my only fountain pen for over a decade. I didn’t start on buying fountain pens nonstop until the 2010s. 

[Maurizio]

Another Sheaffer flat top plastic pen which came in a blister pack with some ink cartridges in the late 70’s. I think they were called a “No Nonsense Pen”. 

 

My second was a Sheaffer Conoisseur (sp?) White Dot fp which got me through my years of school after undergrad. Should have kept this for sentimental value, but sold it years ago.