Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Also check out the unrelated free Handwriting Repair pdf Link?
I suspect it would be something by Kate Gladstone: https://handwritingrepair.info
Nope
Classic fountain pens
81–90 of 180 posts
Re: Classic fountain pens
#82I own a Pilot birdie which is extremely small but beautiful fountain pen. It resembles a tiny stainless steel rod. It was part of the "Birdie" collection which came also with a ball pen and mechanical pencil. Unfortunately as all good things they don't seem to manufacture them anymore. I started using it some time ago because I'm tired to buy plastic pens, also the its stroke is much better than anything else I've used so far. Fountain pens are a world.
Re: Classic fountain pens
#83I have a Montblanc I got in the 80s. Still a pleasure to use. Great investment.
For those seeking something more affordable, the Kaweco Sport is a great pen, great price, well worth the money, and a real pleasure. Ink cartridges are cheap, too.
Re: Classic fountain pens
#84I collect fountain pens (and other types of pens) and paper/stationary. I have been writing extensively by hand for many many years. While it is not my overall favorite, I think it's important for folks to know that from a writing quality and feel perspective that modern low-cost pens are actually /very/ good, and are the way to go. The Platinum Preppy is every bit as good as the majority of classic fountain pens, and better than many, very few are better, and you can buy it for under $20 basically anywhere.
The most important thing for writing with a fountain pen and having a good experience is actually the INK, not the pen, because the ink determines the flow, forgiveness, and the time to dry (which prevents smudging). Additionally, paper has a huge influence. I'd recommend investing in good quality paper with cotton in their mix. If you don't want to spend a lot but get good quality mass-produced stationary, G. Lalo and Clairefontaine are both good brands to buy.
Re: Classic fountain pens
#85For 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 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 really love my Lamy Safari, but tbh my experience is limited. What did you follow up with?
Re: Classic fountain pens
#86Re: Classic fountain pens
#87One thing that hasn't been mentioned so far. We've seen comments that "race to the bottom" (Lamy Safari, Pilot Preppy, ...), or that aim for "timeless classics" (basically any gold nib - Sailor 1911, Pilot Falcon, ~$150+ pens). There's a third way though. The "actual piece of history". In my opinion, no pen is better for this than a Parker 51. This for me is the embodiment (and a parent of) "the consumer fountain pen…
Totally agree. Properly restored vintage pens are absolutely awesome. You don't have to go as high end as a vintage Parker 51. Try an Esterbrook. They were the BIC of their day and are amazing. Very important warning regarding Parker 51s or any modern Parker. Do not buy the modern Parker 51!! The brand Parker is now owned by a company that is choosing to take advantage of people who remember the Parker brand and fois…
I love my Esterbrooks, I was gifted a green model J many years ago, and I use it frequently at home. I recently purchased an SJ from an antiques market, and revived it with a new ink sac ($20 all in), this pen now lives on my desk at work. I prefer their lighter weight to the Pilot Metropolitans.
Re: Classic fountain pens
#88For 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…
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…
> [the Pilot Metropolitan] uses standard international cartridges
I'm afraid not; Pilot cartridges are sui generis, and not compatible with either Lamy's own proprietary design or with "International Standard" cartridges.
That said, there's nothing wrong with proprietary cartridges per se, given that fountain pen cartridges in general are a pretty niche good. I like Pilot cartridges for being refillable and resealable, especially since Pilot makes a lot of really nice inks that only come in bottles, but unless you're anxious to do a lot of refilling that doesn't really count for much.
Re: Classic fountain pens
#89Earlier quoted context omitted.
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!
I second the recommendation to try Pilot first, though I haven't used any of their recent disposables. Pilot nibs are just remarkably consistently good. As a starter I'd suggest the Pilot Metropolitan with a medium nib (as Asian nibs tend to be a little finer than European nibs with the same designation) although my personal favourite ‘cheap’ pen (that is, in the Lamy Safari price range) is the old-style Prera (in th…
I've got both a Metropolitan and a Prera, and I can second (third?) this recommendation. Fantastic pens.
Re: Classic fountain pens
#90Earlier quoted context omitted.
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 equi…
Pretty much all of what you wrote is a consideration, but everyone probably has their own preferences (and in some part it's affected by writing angle and penmanship habits). Certain nib styles are better suited to different ways of holding a pen. And there's a lot more to it, since different papers react in different ways to different nibs, and inks are another wide-ranging variable.
I think many people get drawn into the hobby for the endless pursuit of matching pens, papers, and inks, or trying to optimize for various characteristics across different combinations of the above. Of course a lot of people don't bother and just find one that works well enough and leave it at that.