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Classic fountain pens

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Re: Classic fountain pens

#61

Post by rbonvall »

nunuvit wrote: post #60
Al-Khwarizmi wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my view, Lamy Safari is way overrated. Don't get me wrong, it's far from bad, a pretty consistent pen for the price. But the ink dries fast-ish if you don't use it, and especially, the cartridges are proprietary so you're tied to the brand's cartridges and ink colors (there's a piston converter, but converters, meh). A Pilot Metropolitan is approximately the same price and at least in my view, it's better as it us…

Can you also use cartridges with the TWSBI Eco? A first pen should give you the option. I haven't tried the Pilots, but the standard cartridge could change my recommendation to them.

No, the TWSBI Eco can only be filled from a bottle.

The TWSBI Swipe supports both cartridges and converters.

Re: Classic fountain pens

#62

Post by nunuvit »

falcolas wrote: post #10
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!

True, I actually did that myself when I impulse bought one at an art supply store since it was at the checkout counter. It's a great way to find out if you're interested in experimenting with pens, or if you just want a no-fuss tool and have a passing curiosity in fountain pens. Do this before getting a non-disposable.

Re: Classic fountain pens

#63

Post by nunuvit »

rbonvall wrote: post #61
nunuvit wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you also use cartridges with the TWSBI Eco? A first pen should give you the option. I haven't tried the Pilots, but the standard cartridge could change my recommendation to them.

No, the TWSBI Eco can only be filled from a bottle. The TWSBI Swipe supports both cartridges and converters.

Thanks for confirming. You really need to try both to find what you like.

Re: Classic fountain pens

#64

Post by waynesonfire »

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…

Agreed, love the Lamy Safari. I got the Al Star to up-scale it a bit. And, then a gold-nib later. But, honestly, like the steel more!

I also tried the Pilot Metropolitan, for some reason this awful pen is recommended as an alternative to the Lamy. Doesn't even compare, got rid of it fairly quickly. The ridge along the grip was very uncomfortable for me.

Re: Classic fountain pens

#65

Post by etrautmann »

dwringer wrote: post #15
e40 wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I saw the recommendation for the Lamy Safari in a lot of places. Just want to say I actually hated writing with it. Maybe I got a bad one, but I doubt it.

I've had a few Safaris and they're easily among my favorites, but personally it was common to get misaligned nibs with them, or extreme variation between two different nibs of the same grind (so I don't think the problem of "getting a bad one" is as unlikely as portrayed). The alignment problem occurs with all brands to one degree or another IME, and it's worth learning to make adjustments using a loupe or macro came…

This is fascinating to me, as someone naive to the hobby. Can you describe what you're looking for and what adjustments you'd make? Are there two halves of the nib that need to be at the right spacing and alignment for proper ink-wicking or something like that? Does that affect the smoothness of the interaction with the paper too?

I routinely work under a high-magnification dissecting scope to build experimental equipment for neuroscience, but I never considered that people would be doing this to optimized their writing instruments.

Re: Classic fountain pens

#66

Post by Al-Khwarizmi »

nunuvit wrote: post #60
Al-Khwarizmi wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my view, Lamy Safari is way overrated. Don't get me wrong, it's far from bad, a pretty consistent pen for the price. But the ink dries fast-ish if you don't use it, and especially, the cartridges are proprietary so you're tied to the brand's cartridges and ink colors (there's a piston converter, but converters, meh). A Pilot Metropolitan is approximately the same price and at least in my view, it's better as it us…

Can you also use cartridges with the TWSBI Eco? A first pen should give you the option. I haven't tried the Pilots, but the standard cartridge could change my recommendation to them.

No, the Eco can only be filled with a piston mechanism, and yes, you have a point. While I love piston fillers, it can be off-putting for a complete beginner, so maybe better as second pen than as first :) The Pilot Metropolitan is great as first pen, IMO.

Re: Classic fountain pens

#67

Post by waynesonfire »

dwringer wrote: post #15
e40 wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I saw the recommendation for the Lamy Safari in a lot of places. Just want to say I actually hated writing with it. Maybe I got a bad one, but I doubt it.

I've had a few Safaris and they're easily among my favorites, but personally it was common to get misaligned nibs with them, or extreme variation between two different nibs of the same grind (so I don't think the problem of "getting a bad one" is as unlikely as portrayed). The alignment problem occurs with all brands to one degree or another IME, and it's worth learning to make adjustments using a loupe or macro came…

I agree, I've had huge variation in the nibs as well. I did some research on how to polish the nibs a bit and was able to tune the ones that didn't perform as well.

Even the gold nib needed tuning. :(

You should be able to feel a _consistent_ feedback as you write with a proper nib. Two of the three nibs that I bought didn't perform out of the box. And a fine nib was too dry. I bought some brass spacers to separate the tins a bit.

Re: Classic fountain pens

#68

Post by vgeek »

throwaway2203 wrote: post #26
dmpk2k wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A big problem with Safaris is they dry out quickly. There are many great pen varieties nowadays, none of which have this common fountain-pen shortcoming. Safaris are suitable for people who write daily; others should look elsewhere.

Do you have a recommendation?

Pilot Kakuno is cheap, relatively durable and pretty good quality. I would take it over a Safari in the sub $25 category.

Re: Classic fountain pens

#70

Post by waynesonfire »

dan-robertson wrote: post #7
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…

It's been a pleasure writing on the HP Printer Paper Premium 32 lb paper.
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