Fountain Pens
- desertbadger
- Posts: 4192
- Joined: Tue Jan 20, 2009 8:42 pm
- Location: Southern CA desert
Fountain Pens
Hi, guys;
I know that some of you actually collect them, but that's not what I want to do. I want a 'user' to write with.
Back in grade school we were required to use a fountain pen. It was a Sheaffer that had the see through barrel so you could tell when the ink cartridge was running out. Do they still make those?
So, here's the deal; a nice FP that's preferably made in the USA, Germany, Sweden, Swiss, Italy, damn near anywhere except China, Taiwan, and Korea!
Before I forget, what do you use an ink converter for? Is that to transfer ink to the cartridge with?
Also, under a $100.00 would be nice.
Okay brothers of the blade educate me, please.
Edit: Just remembered; a set that consists of FP and mechanical pencil would be nice, but I suppose, I just shot down the $100.00....
I know that some of you actually collect them, but that's not what I want to do. I want a 'user' to write with.
Back in grade school we were required to use a fountain pen. It was a Sheaffer that had the see through barrel so you could tell when the ink cartridge was running out. Do they still make those?
So, here's the deal; a nice FP that's preferably made in the USA, Germany, Sweden, Swiss, Italy, damn near anywhere except China, Taiwan, and Korea!
Before I forget, what do you use an ink converter for? Is that to transfer ink to the cartridge with?
Also, under a $100.00 would be nice.
Okay brothers of the blade educate me, please.
Edit: Just remembered; a set that consists of FP and mechanical pencil would be nice, but I suppose, I just shot down the $100.00....
Last edited by desertbadger on Tue Jun 30, 2009 9:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Regards,
David
David
Is Japan o.k.? I have a Namiki / Pilot Vanishing Point. It has a retractable nib, so no cap to keep track of when I am walking around at work taking notes. It takes either cartrige or uses a converter.
dave
dave
Pen: Namiki
Razor: Merkur (Vision 2000) now 38C
Blades: Feather
Brush: Muhle-Pimsel silvertip
SureFire Executive Defender
Razor: Merkur (Vision 2000) now 38C
Blades: Feather
Brush: Muhle-Pimsel silvertip
SureFire Executive Defender
- desertbadger
- Posts: 4192
- Joined: Tue Jan 20, 2009 8:42 pm
- Location: Southern CA desert
- desertbadger
- Posts: 4192
- Joined: Tue Jan 20, 2009 8:42 pm
- Location: Southern CA desert
The pen I have been lusting over, is the Apogee Collection from Cross (Clicken ze linken)
A little over your price, but so very handsome.
A little over your price, but so very handsome.
- desertbadger
- Posts: 4192
- Joined: Tue Jan 20, 2009 8:42 pm
- Location: Southern CA desert
David...the converter replaces the cartridge. Most push on, a rare few thread on. At the end of the converter is a knob that, when twisted one way or the other, threads a plunger assembly up and down. Basically you send the plunger to the end of the converter (closest to the nib), dip the nib in you bottle of ink, and twist to bring the plunger back up. This pulls ink through the nib into the converter. It's easier to do it than to describe it.
There are many fine pens in the world...some are new and there is an enormous market for vintage fountain pens. Many SMF members are also members at the Fountain Pen Forum (www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum)...you might look there in your quest.
For this past Christmas I bought my son a Waterman, with the extra fine nib...from a guy in France, through eBay (he was recommended on the other forum). If you like PM me and I will forward his link. I liked the price so much I actually bought two..and it is fantastic. XF nibs can be hard to use, but these things are fantastic...and both of them were about $60 US, shipped.
There are many fine pens in the world...some are new and there is an enormous market for vintage fountain pens. Many SMF members are also members at the Fountain Pen Forum (www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum)...you might look there in your quest.
For this past Christmas I bought my son a Waterman, with the extra fine nib...from a guy in France, through eBay (he was recommended on the other forum). If you like PM me and I will forward his link. I liked the price so much I actually bought two..and it is fantastic. XF nibs can be hard to use, but these things are fantastic...and both of them were about $60 US, shipped.
Gene
"It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly American criminal class except Congress."
Mark Twain
"People shouldn't be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people."
Alan Moore
"It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly American criminal class except Congress."
Mark Twain
"People shouldn't be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people."
Alan Moore
- desertbadger
- Posts: 4192
- Joined: Tue Jan 20, 2009 8:42 pm
- Location: Southern CA desert
Thanks for the reply on the converter, Gene. That does clear things up and I believe that I will PM you for the address.
Glad that you brought up the part about the nib. Does a medium nib write like a paint brush or is a fine nib better. I imagine YMMV and I do tend to write large and probably put a little too much pressure sometimes. Put it this way; with a MP I'm better off with a .07 lead than anything smaller.
Been looking at the Watermans and the Phileas model seems nice, but then again, I don't know that much about them.
Glad that you brought up the part about the nib. Does a medium nib write like a paint brush or is a fine nib better. I imagine YMMV and I do tend to write large and probably put a little too much pressure sometimes. Put it this way; with a MP I'm better off with a .07 lead than anything smaller.
Been looking at the Watermans and the Phileas model seems nice, but then again, I don't know that much about them.
Last edited by desertbadger on Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:27 am, edited 1 time in total.
Regards,
David
David
Nibs are definitely YMMV, from all directions. By that I mean most nibs seem to lay down different lines. I prefer thinner lines in all my pens, so even medium nibs are not to my taste. BUT -- I have a pen with an extra fine (XF) nib that is so thick, and so wet, that I just can't use it.desertbadger wrote:Thanks for the reply on the converter, Gene. That does clear things up and I believe that I will PM you for the address.
Glad that you brought up the part about the nib. Does a medium nib write like a paint brush or is a fine nib better. I imagine YMMV and I do tend to write large and probably put a little too much pressure sometimes.
Been looking at the Watermans and the Phileas model seems nice, but then again, I don't know that much about them.
A fine nib in a Cross pen is different than a fine nib in a Sheaffer, which is different than a fine in the Waterman. Some are thicker lines, some thinner, some are very wet (lots of ink out, takes a while to dry) some aren't. Of course...a fountain pen nib can be smoothed, tuned up, adjusted, etc...something you can't do with a roller ball or ball point.
I'm a sucker for the Sheaffer inlaid nib...absolutely beautiful. I knew I wanted one after I saw the picture of Squire's regular pen...a PFM model (we had a major fountain pen thread several months ago).
Oh - one last thought...something you said...with a decent FP very little pressure is required to write with it. My boss has a test -- he lets the end of a pen lay in his gap between thumb and first finger and drags his hand down a page. If the pen can lay down a line from just the pressure of the nib on the page that's a nice nib.
*edit: Just remembered, too, that the nibs from the pens of Japan tend to be thinner than the US idea of a pen. Their medium nib is closer to a western fine.♦
Gene
"It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly American criminal class except Congress."
Mark Twain
"People shouldn't be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people."
Alan Moore
"It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly American criminal class except Congress."
Mark Twain
"People shouldn't be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people."
Alan Moore
David,
If you are looking for a starter pen at a good price you cannot go wrong with the phileas. Very smooth writer.For the price, you can't beat. Don't wait too long however as Waterman have decided to go high end the Phileas is being dropped from the line. +1 on the Fountain Pen Network. I'm a member there too.
If you are looking for a starter pen at a good price you cannot go wrong with the phileas. Very smooth writer.For the price, you can't beat. Don't wait too long however as Waterman have decided to go high end the Phileas is being dropped from the line. +1 on the Fountain Pen Network. I'm a member there too.
Regards,
Al
Al
I'd second that. I got one of the "starter kits" from Fountain Pen Hospital for a song a while ago.hookem11 wrote:David,
If you are looking for a starter pen at a good price you cannot go wrong with the phileas. Very smooth writer.For the price, you can't beat. Don't wait too long however as Waterman have decided to go high end the Phileas is being dropped from the line. +1 on the Fountain Pen Network. I'm a member there too.
[Edit - I also have a Rotring Core which writes very nicely but is the antithesis of what a fountain pen should resemble. I think it was about $10.]
Give us the luxuries, and we will forgo the necessities.
Give a man a fire, he'll be warm for a day.
Set a man on fire, he'll be toasty for the rest of his life.
Dominic
Give a man a fire, he'll be warm for a day.
Set a man on fire, he'll be toasty for the rest of his life.
Dominic
Re: Fountain Pens
Lamy.desertbadger wrote:I want a 'user' to write with.
http://www.lamy.com/products/writing_sy ... x_eng.html
I think the Safari is the best pen in the real world, and a German design classic. The Futur of pens, if you will. You'd get a hell of a lot of change out of $100, though.
I don't really care for my Lamy, but I love my Waterman Phileas -- I ended up getting a Waterman Expert II because of how much I like the Phileas. Oddly, Most days I still prefer the Phileas. I'm a big fan of the low-end Parkers too, like the Frontier (Don't know if it is still made). I picked up a Parker Vector Flighter FP in India for like 6 bucks, and it and my Phileas see the most milage.
If money were no object, I would get a Nakaya Urushi Cigar Piccolo with a Tamenuri finish.
See: http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum ... opic=20884
If money were no object, I would get a Nakaya Urushi Cigar Piccolo with a Tamenuri finish.
See: http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum ... opic=20884
John
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I agree that the Phileas would make a great choice. Also look at the Parker Sonnet- it can be had for ~$85. I would consider the Vanishing Point if you write in spurts and you don't want to constantly take the cap off the pen. Otherwise, I find it a little heavy at the tip and some folks don't like how the clip feels in the hand. The converter is also very small- it's the only pen that I prefer to use with cartridges.
Best,
Chris
“Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?”
― Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Chris
“Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?”
― Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
I have a Lamy Safari in my pocket as I type, with two others at home. Great pen. I prefer medium nibs, but I find their fine lays down a line I am very happy with. Seems European nibs write a bit wider than Japanese nibs. Even my Pilot medium is almost too fine for my taste. It is a great writer, though.
If you can stand another forum to get hooked into - fountainpennetwork.com
But be forwarned...
New *ADs await those who venture into the realm of fountain pens!
If you can stand another forum to get hooked into - fountainpennetwork.com
But be forwarned...
New *ADs await those who venture into the realm of fountain pens!
Take care and God bless,
Steve
Steve
Another excellent information resource:
http://www.richardspens.com/
Go to the Reference Pages using the left menu column.
(no affiliation)
http://www.richardspens.com/
Go to the Reference Pages using the left menu column.
(no affiliation)
Ed
I think that for $100 you should be able to buy a pen that will write as well as many higher end pens that have more cachet.
Personally speaking I'd probably look at getting a Lamy Safari first as you can get replacement nibs very cheaply and it would allow you to try out what width you'd like first.
Pens I'd probably look at in that range are the Pelikan M200, Lamy Studio, Pilot Capless (Vanishing Point). You might even be able to find a Lamy 2000 from pengallery.com for less than $100. A lot of more expensive pens tend to come with converters so that you can use bottled ink instead of cartridges. The Lamy 2000 and Pelikan are both piston fill - they can only be filled with bottled ink
Personally speaking I'd probably look at getting a Lamy Safari first as you can get replacement nibs very cheaply and it would allow you to try out what width you'd like first.
Pens I'd probably look at in that range are the Pelikan M200, Lamy Studio, Pilot Capless (Vanishing Point). You might even be able to find a Lamy 2000 from pengallery.com for less than $100. A lot of more expensive pens tend to come with converters so that you can use bottled ink instead of cartridges. The Lamy 2000 and Pelikan are both piston fill - they can only be filled with bottled ink
Cheers,
Owen
Owen
The Namiki converter is not a screw-piston design. It is a squeeze bulb. When you take the Vanishing Point apart there is the stainless steel nib holder and either the cartrige fits in the back and is then covered by a stainless steel cap or the coverter fits in the same place. The bulb is compressed with a steel spring and the bulb, for the most part, is inside a stainless steel shell.
The nibs are 14k gold and typical of Japanese pens, the nibs run small. This means a medium nib is more typical of an American or European small nib. I was told that the smaller nibs make it easier to write in kanji.
I can't say enough for this pen. While there are many terrific pens, for me, the Vanishing Point just works well for me and the way in which I use a pen. At $90 to $150, it is not cheap but it doesn't break the bank either.
dave
The nibs are 14k gold and typical of Japanese pens, the nibs run small. This means a medium nib is more typical of an American or European small nib. I was told that the smaller nibs make it easier to write in kanji.
I can't say enough for this pen. While there are many terrific pens, for me, the Vanishing Point just works well for me and the way in which I use a pen. At $90 to $150, it is not cheap but it doesn't break the bank either.
dave
Pen: Namiki
Razor: Merkur (Vision 2000) now 38C
Blades: Feather
Brush: Muhle-Pimsel silvertip
SureFire Executive Defender
Razor: Merkur (Vision 2000) now 38C
Blades: Feather
Brush: Muhle-Pimsel silvertip
SureFire Executive Defender