Starter Pen

[JoshuaA]

I'm approaching 40 and am pushing to "raise my game" in all aspects of my career. Part of this means handwritten "thank-you" notes and such. Can somebody suggest a good fountain pen? I don't see myself getting too carried away in terms of a pen hobby (shaving is enough right now), but I want something good and durable. How much should I be looking to spend?

[valaru]

I'm approaching 40 and am pushing to "raise my game" in all aspects of my career. Part of this means handwritten "thank-you" notes and such. Can somebody suggest a good fountain pen? I don't see myself getting too carried away in terms of a pen hobby (shaving is enough right now), but I want something good and durable. How much should I be looking to spend?

I bought a hand turned wooden pen with a generic fountain pen insert at a farmers market 5 years ago. I still have it and love it. Cost me $15. I would just try a local stationary shop and start cheap. Sometimes brand names are just names, and they only carry the history of quality.

[maxman]

I always recommend Cross pens as a first pen.
Why? Because they are solid performers and you can find refills at almost any major office supply chain.

My best ball point is a Cross Townsend. It's a beautiful pen to write with.

EDIT: I didn't see the fountain pen part. My bad. I still say Cross. Step up to something elegant.
If you take care of it, you'll have it forever.

[MaxP]

Go to a local art supply store and purchase a Pilot Varsity. It's a disposable fountain pen, writes well, costs less than five bucks and will let you determine whether a fountain pen is really something you want to use.

If you determine that a fountain pen really is for you, then from there, the possibilities are limitless!

[maxman]

Once again, I look deeper. I see you are in New Jersey (Go Devils, they are on a tear right now).
Ok, have a look at Rudy Vey's pens.
He's a great guy to deal with.

[valaru]

Once again, I look deeper. I see you are in New Jersey (Go Devils, they are on a tear right now).
Ok, have a look at Rudy Vey's pens.
He's a great guy to deal with.

I see you are from northern ontario.

yet you say go devils.

the rcmp has been contacted.

:lol:

[JoshuaA]

I worry it may be too little, too late for the Devs. I like that they've been able to have this run without Parise, who they will have to trade if he doesn't sign an extension soon.

[maxman]

I see you are from northern ontario.

yet you say go devils.

the rcmp has been contacted.

:lol:

Not a thread hijack, but an answer to your question:
I've been a Devils fan since I was 13 years old. Why?
Because in Canada everyone is super obnoxious about Canadian teams.
there is no way I will ever be a Habs fan or a Leafs fan or any other Canadian team fan.
I'm more a Brodeur fan than anything else.

[dbeedle]

Depending on how much you are looking to spend...Hero and Pilot are some nice Asian pens that, depending on the model, are inexpensive and write very well. I have a Hero 592 that writes surprisingly well for a @20 pen. I also have a Pilot Knight which is very good too. Lamy is good, again, with prices from less expensive to quite a lot (an AL Star would probably not do you wrong)! My favorite more expensive pen is Waterman, I have a Phileas which is very smooth. I also have a Lauret that I have had for many years. I'm not certain that that one is available any more.

By the way, Private Reserve and Noodlers make some great inks in all kinds of colors. I tend to blues but there is a whole palette out there.

[njpaddy]

This old guy just bought his first two fountain pens within the past month. I was going to get a Waterman Phileas until I tried a friend's Aurora. I wound up ordering an Aurora Style (Fine) (http://www.amazon.com/Aurora-Style-Paprika-Resin-Fountain/dp/B002FWS4XG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1295143868&sr=8-1) and a Pilot 78G (Med) (http://cgi.ebay.com/Pilot-Namiki-Gold-Ring-Fountain-Pen-FP-78G-Green-M-Nib-/120674314585?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c18bfe959). To me the nib size of both are close to the 0.7 gel pen I used for years. Figuring out which nib size to get was the most confusing part of my search for a fountain pen as they vary between makers. I like the Aurora so much I regret not going with an engraved Aurora Ipsilon (http://www.joonpens.com/Aurora_Ipsilon%20Collection_pens) for a little more money.

[valaru]

Not a thread hijack, but an answer to your question:
I've been a Devils fan since I was 13 years old. Why?
Because in Canada everyone is super obnoxious about Canadian teams.
there is no way I will ever be a Habs fan or a Leafs fan or any other Canadian team fan.
I'm more a Brodeur fan than anything else.

Just joking, my Family is full of bruins fans and we still get together and talk nicely.

I am a Barrie Colts fan, I am done with the NHL as a whole.

[maxman]

Just joking, my Family is full of bruins fans and we still get together and talk nicely.

I am a Barrie Colts fan, I am done with the NHL as a whole.

:001_smile Once Brodeur retires, I'll hang up my jersey and not care who wins what!

Now as for pens. I've been looking at the chinese pens (why work?, it's not as fun) and I like the xfountain pens. I haven't heard anyone mention them here, but they look to be nice. I might have to give one a test spin.

Anyone have any experience with them?

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

Joshua:
I have given thought about a Montblanc Fountain Pen?

Enclosed below is the Montblanc Homepage Link.

http://www.montblanc.com/index.php#trailer_Montblanc_Nicolas_Rieussec

I for one, love Montblanc Pens and although I do not have a Fountain Pen, I do have the Rollerball "Starwalker" Pen (engraved with my name and has been with me over 8yrs), which I enjoy immensely because of it's weight, large diameter and ease of writing. :thumbup:

http://images.bidorbuy.co.za/user_images/705/1178705_100905223652_mbsw7.jpg

http://www.fahrneyspens.com/ProductImages/Large/p21744B.jpg

"The act of putting pen to paper encourages pause for thought, this in turn makes us think more deeply about life, which helps us regain our equilibrium". Norbet Platt

Christopher http://i492.photobucket.com/albums/rr285/croatoan5376/Emoticons/smiley_emoticons_schriftsteller_b.gif

[LuckyR]

I'm approaching 40 and am pushing to "raise my game" in all aspects of my career. Part of this means handwritten "thank-you" notes and such. Can somebody suggest a good fountain pen? I don't see myself getting too carried away in terms of a pen hobby (shaving is enough right now), but I want something good and durable. How much should I be looking to spend?

A couple of questions:

Are you OK with (or prefering) a vintage pen?

Do you have good handwriting? And if so are you looking for a nib that will accentuate the expressiveness of your writing?

[Voomie]

I use a hero 810 as my daily writer and I dont have any problems with it. For how cheap they are they are worth a shot and they have been in business for some time so they have a clue what they are doing.

[Legion]

If you like something new and not too expensive I think the Hero 100 is a good pen. They have quite a fine nib which is good for someone who is new to FP's and is used to ball points.

If you want vintage then just get yourself a Parker 51 aeromatic. They are reliable, simple to use and unpretentious. The Gillette super speed of the pen world. You should be able to get a good example for around $100. Bung some Noodlers ink into it and away you go. Will last you a lifetime.

[LouieGrandie]

There are many excellent pen companies out there. IMHO Mont Blanc, while nice enough pens are a bit over priced. I will say that I have one of their ball points that is my favorite but I have also had many of their fountain pens which I have all sold. Waterman and Pelikan both from France can hold their own with anyone. Both lines offer excellent value and exceptional pens both in fountain pens and ball points. The Waterman Le Man 100 is one of the greatest pens of the last 100 years. From Japan the Pilot and Sailor lines offer great pens with very smooth nibs. Good value. A really good pen will cost you around $200 at least and be well worth it. A Sailor 1911 in the large size is every bit the equal of the Mont Blanc 146 and at a fraction of the cost.

My suggestion to you would be either a Pilot Vanishing Point in medium or a Sailor 1911 large size in black with gold trim also in a medium.

If you don't mind spending $500-$700 on a fountain pen then it would be a Nakaya in Neo-Standard ordered from their web site. Luxury doesn't get much better than this.

While Heros, Lamays and the like are nice pens their nibs just can't match the pens I have mentioned. If you are near a real pen store that carries any of the pens I have mentioned you should drop in and try them out.

[Plano]

I am going to second the montblanc idea. If you are wanting to up your game some people will be impressed just seeing you pull out a FP. But with Montblanc being one of the best known name in FP you will also get the prestige factor. Kinda like compairing a Rolex and a Tag Huer. Both are great watches but the Rolex gets the wow factor. On the flip side you are looking at 500 bucks (or more) compaired to 20-150 bucks depending on which way you go.
I bought my first FP a year ago (hero and duke) both under 20 bucks and hated em. 2 weeks ago I decided to try it again with a little better quality pen and bought a lamy safari and studio which I LOVE. So while I am telling people about my new found love the number one question I got was cool are they Montblanc?

Anyway good luck with your hunt.

[Cheech]

I have a Pelikan m1000, second generation Mont Blanc 149, down to an interesting Spanish pen. But, if I'm guessing correctly, you want a decent, entry level pen. For me, this means reasonably priced and decent performance.

The heroes are good starter pens. They're inexpensive and generally perform well, although quality control can be an issue. You can find the M616 for $7. The Parker 21 is a good, solid pen that I think highly of and, last time I checked, you could get NOS for about $25. The Waterman Phileas is a standard with good reason. Its well made, reasonably priced, and a great pen. I just checked, and found it for $40 online. I've also heard good things about the Lamys, which can be found in most art stores.

One thing I'd recommend is to go and try some yourself. Unlike the standard ball point pen, there are a lot of variables with fountain pens. Try them out, find which size, nib, weight, etc. fits you first. I don't know the east coast at all, but I'm guessing that anywhere in NJ will be within driving range of a good pen shop. Most pen shops have people that enjoy pens and love introducing people to them. I'm guessing that you'll be pleasantly surprised at what a fountain pen has to offer.

Feel free to PM me if you like if you have any questions.

[LouieGrandie]

Joshua since you are somewhat close to New York City I would suggest taking some time on a Saturday and visiting the Fountain Pen Hospital
http://www.fountainpenhospital.com/

and try out an number of pens mentioned. Unlike razors at most decent pen stores you can try out the pens until you find the one that writes well for you.

[litework]

...Waterman and Pelikan both from France can hold their own with anyone...

Pelikans are still made in Germany, aren't they?

I think a Pelikan M200 would make a very nice entry pen. One good thing about Pelikan is their nibs are very easy to change. If you decide a medium point is too big, you purchase a fine point. An added bonus...you can always purchase a specialty nib from Richard Binder which helps ensure that you never outgrow the M200.

[Walker]

I have a medium nib Waterman Phileas and liked it so much i've ordered a Fine nib version as well. I also have a Cross fountain pen also. I would recommend the Waterman Phileas over the Cross.

[Epicurean]

Noodler's makes many different colors of ink and has introduced an entry level pen that seems to be reviewed as a solid pen for the price point of $16.00

All of noodler's inks, bottles and labels are made in the US I don't know about the pens.

For a solid everyday pen I have been using a Parker vector, a Parker 21, a Parker 45 and a shaeffer student pen. All of these are solid, affordable (< $40) and locatable through Ebay and vintage pen sellers.

[Miles]

I use my Lamy safari and al-star nearly every day and find them to be excellent workhorses, comfortable to use, easy to refill and maintain and I don't need to take out an insurance policy on them either. For ~$30 you can take your pick of a number of colors and styles, and with a converter you can load your own choice of ink.
I go with Noodler's bulletproof line, which is pretty much everything-proof, (a good thing when taking notes in a chem lab) but they have all sorts of cool ink.

I've had good luck with www.jetpens.com

The best choice is the one that feels right in your hand. Try to test some out, maybe if you know anyone with a fountain pen, or hit up a shop. There is excellent information about all types of pens on www.fountainpennetwork.com

Good luck!

[Doc4]

:001_smile Once Brodeur retires, I'll hang up my jersey and not care who wins what!

Now as for pens. I've been looking at ...
Crosby & Malkin??

But, if I'm guessing correctly, you want a decent, entry level pen. For me, this means reasonably priced and decent performance.



I guess we should ask the OP what his pen budget is. Maybe he's thinking that $40 is his maximum, and maybe it's $400.

I like my Pelikan pens, and one nice thing about them is the piston system for ink, rather than cartridges, which means (if you are smart about it) never running out of ink in mid-scribble.

(Waaaay back in highschool and university I used a Schaefer fountian pen which took cartridges ... so I guess it's technically not a fountain pen some will say ... but the same sort of 'nib' pen anyhow so there. :tongue_sm But I always had to carry a spare cartridge with me, and sure enough the pen would run out in the most awkward of moments, requiring the fumbled speed-change. Now with the Pelikan, I can fill the tank anytime I want, keeping it topped up.)

[VampyreWolf]

(Waaaay back in highschool and university I used a Schaefer fountian pen which took cartridges ... so I guess it's technically not a fountain pen some will say ... but the same sort of 'nib' pen anyhow so there. :tongue_sm But I always had to carry a spare cartridge with me, and sure enough the pen would run out in the most awkward of moments, requiring the fumbled speed-change. Now with the Pelikan, I can fill the tank anytime I want, keeping it topped up.)

So I'm not the only one that's had that fun :lol:

My first real pen was one of those schaefer's, and I just had a few refills in my desk or locker (yeah, back in elementary :tongue_sm). Also had it leak a few times, which is why I quit carrying a fountain pen until recently again.

[Cheech]

I guess we should ask the OP what his pen budget is. Maybe he's thinking that $40 is his maximum, and maybe it's $400.

Good point, thanks. I just checked the original post and I don't know where I got such a low price ceiling.

If he's close to NYC, then I'd still recommend a trip to Fountain Pen Hospital. Their prices are a bit high, but there's no substitute for actually being able to try pens. Even if you decide to go with a vintage pen (and there are plenty of reasons to go with a vintage pen) a pen store is a good place to get an overview of what you're looking at.

Am I preaching restraint? Who have I become? :bored:

[KD5NRH]

If you like something new and not too expensive I think the Hero 100 is a good pen. They have quite a fine nib which is good for someone who is new to FP's and is used to ball points.

There are occasionally eBay sellers with the Hero 616 for about $7 plus shipping. I use one at work when I remember to refill it.

[LouieGrandie]

Pelikans are still made in Germany, aren't they?

I think a Pelikan M200 would make a very nice entry pen. One good thing about Pelikan is their nibs are very easy to change. If you decide a medium point is too big, you purchase a fine point. An added bonus...you can always purchase a specialty nib from Richard Binder which helps ensure that you never outgrow the M200.

You are correct of course, I had forgotten. Pelikans are over-looked but should be considered in any rotation as they are excellent pens with everything from cheap starters to high end pens such as the Majestic.