Canadian newby

[Jayson74]

Good day folks.
I have been considering the purchase of my first fountain pen and am looking for suggestions of Canadian online sources.

Thanks in advance
Jay

 

[blethenstrom]

If you can order from the US I can help you, but I do not know any Canadian fountain pen vendors. What kind of pen are you looking at?

 

[wrestlerjrh]

Yeah, not in Canada, but I have had good experiences with gouletpens.com and I am pretty sure they ship to Canada

Edit: I just double checked and they do ship to most of Canada, but not Quebec for some reason

 

[Jayson74]

If you can order from the US I can help you, but I do not know any Canadian fountain pen vendors. What kind of pen are you looking at?

I am strongly leaning toward a Pilot Metropolitan. It is visually very appealing to me and it seems to have good reviews.

I am looking for a simple to use pen that isnt to thick bodied and not to pricey. My work environment can be tough on things. It will mostly be for writing on cheap paper so as I understand a finer nib size will help with that.

 

[blethenstrom]

I am strongly leaning toward a Pilot Metropolitan. It is visually very appealing to me and it seems to have good reviews.

I am looking for a simple to use pen that isnt to thick bodied and not to pricey. My work environment can be tough on things. It will mostly be for writing on cheap paper so as I understand a finer nib size will help with that.

The Pilot metropolitan is a great first pen. Very sturdy, metal body so a bit on the heavier side, but very solid. On the nib sizes. Pilot probably are the manufacturer that has the finer(smaller linewidths) nibs. If you like writing small I would get a fine. An F will be plenty thin lines, without being too scratchy. The EF will be scratchier and I think a bit too thin for most people. You will find that a F in pilot and an F in any other manufacturer will not have the same linewidth. There is no standard. In general the European manufactures are one size bigger than the Japanese ones. An F nib from Kaweco(European) would be an M from Pilot approximately.

Are you thinking to start out with cartridges or are you going straight to bottled ink and converter? You will get 1 or 2? cartridges with the metropolitan and I think a squeeze type converter, unless they have changed that. The converter is ok and will work, but personally I am not a huge fan of it. For most my pilot pens I refill the spend cartridges with a syringe. You can also get a different Pilot converter, if you so prefer.

On cheap paper the ink has a big impact. The pilot inks is ok on cheaper paper, but I find them bleed a bit on the cheapest of papers. If you want to stay pretty plain to begin with the Parkers, Pelikan, Lamy inks are very safe and solid. Pelikan inks are a bit drier than the Parkers. These brands are affordable and easy to use and clean.

 

[wrestlerjrh]

I will say if you want to do bottled ink and don't mind the plastic body, the Pilot Explorer is also a great pen and can fit the much higher capacity Con-70 converter, but I will also say the Metropolitan is a great pen, I own both

 

[Old Hippie]

Have a look at the Vancouver Pen Shop. They have been good enough to ship purchases to me in the past.

O.H.

 

[Jayson74]

The Pilot metropolitan is a great first pen. Very sturdy, metal body so a bit on the heavier side, but very solid. On the nib sizes. Pilot probably are the manufacturer that has the finer(smaller linewidths) nibs. If you like writing small I would get a fine. An F will be plenty thin lines, without being too scratchy. The EF will be scratchier and I think a bit too thin for most people. You will find that a F in pilot and an F in any other manufacturer will not have the same linewidth. There is no standard. In general the European manufactures are one size bigger than the Japanese ones. An F nib from Kaweco(European) would be an M from Pilot approximately.

Are you thinking to start out with cartridges or are you going straight to bottled ink and converter? You will get 1 or 2? cartridges with the metropolitan and I think a squeeze type converter, unless they have changed that. The converter is ok and will work, but personally I am not a huge fan of it. For most my pilot pens I refill the spend cartridges with a syringe. You can also get a different Pilot converter, if you so prefer.

On cheap paper the ink has a big impact. The pilot inks is ok on cheaper paper, but I find them bleed a bit on the cheapest of papers. If you want to stay pretty plain to begin with the Parkers, Pelikan, Lamy inks are very safe and solid. Pelikan inks are a bit drier than the Parkers. These brands are affordable and easy to use and clean.

I plan to get some bottled ink and use a converter. As well as use cartridges.

 

[Jayson74]

Have a look at the Vancouver Pen Shop. They have been good enough to ship purchases to me in the past.

O.H.

Thanks I will search them.

 

[brucered]

I've ordered from Stylo.ca without issue.

I'm on the "wonderpens" mailing list, but have never orderd. They seem good though.

Avoid Inkypaw if they are still around. The place went under, but orders were still allowed. I got my money back via creditcard.

Amazon.ca is always an opton. As is amazon UK and Japan (great for LE and paper).

Check local. We have the odd place selling FP supplies and it's usually a secondary counter at another local store (UN Luggagg for me, they go under the name "The Pen Counter"). They are great local and also sell online: The Pen Counter Canada - https://www.thepencounter.ca/

Local will cost more, but allow you to handle the item, test ink colors etc and support a local business.

 

[brucered]

Adding "Stylusfinepens.cm" as an Edmonton store.

I was staying in Edmonton for a week last year, it was a great shop, lots of variety, fair prices and the owner was a great guy to talk to.

We actually bought a Pilot F (black) Metropolitan there for our son, and a few Rhodia pads.

Stylus Fine Pens, Canada: Fountain Pens, Inks & Notebooks | Edmonton, Alberta

Fountain pens, Canada: Specializing in fountain pens, inks and notebooks, this pen shop located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada is independently owned and operated.

www.stylusfinepens.com

 

[Jayson74]

I've ordered from Stylo.ca without issue.

I'm on the "wonderpens" mailing list, but have never orderd. They seem good though.

Avoid Inkypaw if they are still around. The place went under, but orders were still allowed. I got my money back via creditcard.

Amazon.ca is always an opton. As is amazon UK and Japan (great for LE and paper).

Check local. We have the odd place selling FP supplies and it's usually a secondary counter at another local store (UN Luggagg for me, they go under the name "The Pen Counter"). They are great local and also sell online: The Pen Counter Canada - https://www.thepencounter.ca/

Local will cost more, but allow you to handle the item, test ink colors etc and support a local business.

Adding "Stylus.ca" as an Edmonton store.

I was staying in Edmonton for a week last year, it was a great shop, lots of variety, fair prices and the owner was a great guy.

Stylus Fine Pens, Canada: Fountain Pens, Inks & Notebooks | Edmonton, Alberta

Fountain pens, Canada: Specializing in fountain pens, inks and notebooks, this pen shop located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada is independently owned and operated.

www.stylusfinepens.com

Thanks. Will check them out.

 

[Jayson74]

Opinions on Noodler's x-feather ink in a pilot metropolitan with fine nib?

 

[blethenstrom]

Opinions on Noodler's x-feather ink in a pilot metropolitan with fine nib?

Noodle x Feather I have not tried, but the noodlers black is excellent on cheap papers. It is my go to for bleed prone papers.

 

[dojpros]

Great info to date.

My default was to match ink brands with pen brands ie pilot ink w pilot pens etc.

15 years later, I am just about trimmed back to Lamy inks across the board for my Lamy Al Stars as well as vintage Parker 45s and other pens as it simply works and works well across all pens and most papers.

I do have a bottle of shimmering J.Herbin for Xmas cards and a BSA oriented green by Birmingham Ink as they are a family run shop with great service/story/product.

Crappy paper is crappy paper so I see little mileage in buying a big bottle of ink optimized for crappy paper.

FWIW/YMMV

 

[blethenstrom]

Sometimes we have no choice but to use crappy paper, like at work. Oftentimes there is no option. Therefore if you want to continue to use your fountain pen you have to find an ink that will work in those situations. Then if you find an ink that works well on most papers including bleed prome ones that is a bonus.

 

[Doc Dan]

The Pilot MR is a great pen. I started to buy one several times after writing with them. I didn't because they are slim and my hand isn't. I will still get one, but this Pilot Custom 74 in Deep Red somehow ambushed me today.

I'd get a pack of Pilot cartridges and try them. Also, take a look at Diamine Fountain pen inks. They are nice and have been around a long time.

There are some offerings in permanent ink that are meant for fountain pens and this brings up a good point. Only use inks meant for fountain pens. Other bottled inks will ruin the pen.

 

[lasta]

Sometimes we have no choice but to use crappy paper, like at work. Oftentimes there is no option. Therefore if you want to continue to use your fountain pen you have to find an ink that will work in those situations. Then if you find an ink that works well on most papers including bleed prome ones that is a bonus.

Iron gall works on everything!

I swear by Scabiosa and Hero 232.

 

[blethenstrom]

Iron gall works on everything!

I swear by Scabiosa and Hero 232.

I agree that iron gall inks works well on less than stellar paper. I have Diamine Registrars, R&K Scabiosa, R&K Salix and they work well. I do find that Noodlers Black works really well on crappy paper and still have a reasonable drying time on good paper. That is my favorite ink for bleed prone paper, plus that it is a black ink whereas most iron gall inks are not. Pelikan Black is pretty good as well and there are others.

I am sure that Noodlers X-feather will work well also, but I have heard that it takes a long time to dry on good paper, like Rhodia.

 

[MyOldKentuckyHome]

I've ordered from Wonder Pens with great success but most of my orders come from local bookstore

Fortune as living in tiny PEI we still have great access to good pen and ink supply!