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Classic fountain pens

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Re: Classic fountain pens

#2

Post by nunuvit »

For anyone with a budding or casual interest in fountain pens, the Lamy Safari is the way to go. They're plentiful, inexpensive, rugged, and have plenty of nibs, cartridges, and refillable cartridges to experiment with. Just pick your color and start using it to figure out what you value in a pen.

Don't let the grip shape scare you off, you might like it more than you thought, but if not it won't ruin the value as an experimentation platform. Note that unlike a ballpoint you'll need to experiment to find the right combination of nibs, inks, and papers.

Also check out the unrelated free Handwriting Repair pdf so you don't feel ashamed and disappointed in yourself every time you use the pen. Plus it'll turn the flat shape of the nib into an advantage.

Edit: People seem to like the Pilots. I haven't tried them, but they seem to also be inexpensive and have good nib and ink options.

Re: Classic fountain pens

#4

Post by ziml77 »

I got into fountain pens for a while. One big problem with them is that you really need paper that's designed for them. A lot of common paper ends up wicking out the ink way too fast.

But they are still pretty cool writing implements. It's easy to change the nibs in them so I would recommend trying out a few different sizes and styles to find one that suits you. It's a fun experience even if ballpoint pens are overall more practical.

Re: Classic fountain pens

#6

Post by Apreche »

For most of my life I hated fountain pens. It turns out that was because the ones I tried were cheap, bad, and/or broken.

I gave them one more shot. Again, a lot of them I did not like, but the Platinum Preppy was excellent. I wanted to get another one with a finer tip, but they were out of stock.

In the meantime I tried some others, and found the Lamy to be just as good, if not better. Just for the sake of convenience I went all in on Lamy and have no regrets. Wish I could have had pens like these back in the day when I was writing more and typing less.

Re: Classic fountain pens

#7

Post by dan-robertson »

ziml77 wrote: post #4

I got into fountain pens for a while. One big problem with them is that you really need paper that's designed for them. A lot of common paper ends up wicking out the ink way too fast. But they are still pretty cool writing implements. It's easy to change the nibs in them so I would recommend trying out a few different sizes and styles to find one that suits you. It's a fun experience even if ballpoint pens are overal…

I always got on fine with laser printer paper. But it was never really a hobby – my school required them at one point and at another my parents thought it would help my handwriting. If you have a bunch of school kids made to use fountain pens, they aren’t going to be fussing about paper quality; they’ll just use what they have and be fine with it. I think you don’t really need certain types of paper. People just like throwing money at the bits of their hobby that are easy to throw money at.

Re: Classic fountain pens

#9

Post by bambax »

I write everyday with a Waterman Expert. They're a little expensive (usually less than EUR100) but nothing compared to Montblanc, and very pleasant and resilient.

At some point I designed a blotter holder made of a plaque of stainless steel and a sheet of plexiglass, and hand-made blotter paper. I thought it was quite elegant [0] but I couldn't sell more than a couple of them, and now the inventory lingers in my garage ;-(

[0] The page still exists on https://drop.com/buy/medusis-rocker-blotter, although you can't order them from there anymore.

Re: Classic fountain pens

#10

Post by falcolas »

nunuvit wrote: post #2

For anyone with a budding or casual interest in fountain pens, the Lamy Safari is the way to go. They're plentiful, inexpensive, rugged, and have plenty of nibs, cartridges, and refillable cartridges to experiment with. Just pick your color and start using it to figure out what you value in a pen. Don't let the grip shape scare you off, you might like it more than you thought, but if not it won't ruin the value as an…

I'd go one step further and suggest a Pilot disposable fountain pen. Their nibs are remarkably good, and you're only out around $2 if you dislike them.

And if you like them, well then, have fun with your new hobby!

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