Pen Noob has questions.

[EmptyB]

Anyone care to give a quick primer on fountain pen theory? I'm currently in the process of trying out different writing instruments to use as my daily driver at the office. I've never given much thought to my pens, and have simply used the default crappy Uni-Ball disposable rollerball pens that are in my office supply room. I always thought that fountain pens had feathers, needed constant maintenance, were messy, and required an inkwell.

As part of my pen journey, I've been doing online reading on various refillable pens. I have discovered the Jetpens website (good lord, what a selection) and have ordered a number of different gel, ballpoint, and rollerball style pens (the common, popular, and inexpensive refillable type). Looking at that website, I see that there are a billion fountain pens, too. Some of them look really intriguing, and many have an ink cartridge. So call me interested.

I don't hand-write for a living, nor do I maintain a written journal. I just take notes from time to time, edit documents, and doodle. I don't write many letters, and I don't do calligraphy. That said, would you pen experts consider me a viable candidate for a fountain pen? What are the pros and cons relative to, say, the best refillable gel pen? By the way, at this very early stage of my pen trials I consider the Pentel EnerGel Needle Tip (0.5 mm) to be the best. I know, not a large sample size, but this pen is much much better than the standard issue Uni-Ball rollers that I'm used to.

PS - no, I haven't done an extensive forum search for this topic yet. I was hoping to get a quick lesson from a willing and helpful member. Thanks in advance!

[dcobranchi]

I'm a n00b, too, and am enjoying playing with the pens and, especially, the inks. There is so much variety is FP inks. Way more fun than ball points or rollerballs. I have 6 or 7 pens on my desk at work, each filled with a different color ink. When taking notes, I grab whatever color strikes my fancy.

[duokun]

Fountain pens are great regardless of how much writing you do daily.

I would suggest checking out gouletpens.com Brian has a great info section, The Fountain of Knowledge set up on his site specifically to help newbies with their pen questions. I would say take a glance over some of that and then if there are any specific questions you have after that I am sure we can offer more help.

[EmptyB]

^ Thanks. I actually stumbled upon that Goulet site yesterday. I think I'll buy a cheap beginner cartridge FP and try it out.

[duokun]

The Platinum Preppy is super cheap, and actually writes really well. You could pick up a few and try out different nib sizes and see what you like. There is also a converter available for the platinum pens so you can try out liquid inks if you like them. Different inks is where a lot of the fun is for fountain pens.

[Doc4]

I'm currently in the process of trying out different writing instruments to use as my daily driver at the office.

I always thought that fountain pens had feathers, needed constant maintenance, were messy, and required an inkwell.

As part of my pen journey, I've been doing online reading on various refillable pens. I have discovered the Jetpens website (good lord, what a selection) and have ordered a number of different gel, ballpoint, and rollerball style pens (the common, popular, and inexpensive refillable type).

I just take notes from time to time, edit documents, and doodle. ... would you pen experts consider me a viable candidate for a fountain pen?

PS - no, I haven't done an extensive forum search for this topic yet. I was hoping to get a quick lesson from a willing and helpful member. Thanks in advance!

You don't write much, but occasionally. You do, however, like exploring different pen options and trying different and new things, in the search for what works for you best. Why, that makes you a fine candidate to try a fountain pen.

And no, they are not the feather-&-inkwell type ... those are "dip pens" ... and while they can be fun too, a proper fountain pen is miles ahead in terms of usefulness. (A fountain pen contains its own ink, while a dip pen relies on an external source ... the inkwell ... to get it past the next few words.)

Maintenance is pretty minimal. A few inks (beware the Iron Gall) can clog up the pen a bit more, but a good ink (there are plenty) and regular use (not massive writing, but just the odd doddle) will keep it pretty decently tuned. "Messy" is dependant on you ... everyone gets a bit of ink on their fingers, but the whole spilling a bottle of ink all over or the pen leaking onto your shirt ... totally avoidable.

You can try out a few pens pretty cheaply. The Pilot Preppy was mentioned already; you can get that from Goulet, and I'd recommend the "eyedropper" conversion for another $2, and a container of silicone grease. Then, you don't need a cartridge or converter, you just dump ink inside the pen body, and away you go. (That holds a LOT of ink, too, so you rarely run out.) A better pen, but smaller, is the Kaweco sport ... also from Goulet, Jet Pens, &c. This one you can also use as an eyedropper, and don't need the "conversion", but just the silicone to put on the threads.

You can also get a Pilot 78g for $10 off of e-bay (reliable Hong Kong dealers), including a couple cartridges, a converter, and worldwide shipping. This is another pen that does well as an eyedropper ... and like the Kaweco, you just need the silicone. An eyedropper'd 78g is one of my personal favourites.

One great thing about these eyedropper pens ... you can fill them with "Goulet Samples" without any additional equipment ... just dump the ink sample right in. Or you get a syringe and take ink from a bottle and transfer to the pen. Ink samples are a great way to try out a whole bunch of inks, without being stuck with a 98% full bottle of ink that you find out you don't like.

[Doc4]

PS - no, I haven't done an extensive forum search for this topic yet. I was hoping to get a quick lesson from a willing and helpful member. Thanks in advance!

How dare you not do extensive research through the forum search function before ... oh wait, this is a discussion forum, not Wikipedia ... carry on.

[ddustinn]

I think if you write at all, you're a great candidate for a fountain pen.

The biggest advantage for me over gel, rollerball, and ballpoint pens is the ability to use beautiful ink and refill them. Fountain pens make economic and ecological sense. The fact that I'm only creating waste after I throw away an entire bottle of ink (which can be reused for cleaning purposes, so I don't suppose I'll even be creating waste for a while) makes fountain pens an obvious choice for me. Fountain pens theoretically end up being much cheaper because one pen will last for years, and if you calculate the price per fill, it's much less than one disposable pen or one rollerball/gel/ballpoint refill. Most people end up spending a lot of money on additional pens/inks, myself included. I'm working on it - it will save me money one day.

Even if you only use a pen for occasional note taking and letter writing, like me, fountain pens just make sense, especially if you are concerned about your wallet and the earth.

[nemo]

Writing with fountain pens is cool, different, and enjoyable. You get to try beautiful colors of ink and various nib widths. It helps a person's handwriting and lessens fatigue I've heard. But for me, it's way more than that. It's a hobby.

New pens are OK and I enjoy using them, but the joy of discovering how a rebuilt vintage pen writes and feels in your hand after not being written with for over 50 years is incredible! Repairing and restoring what was sold as a very utilitarian instrument 60-100 years ago and now understanding its engineering and timeless beauty is hard to describe. Hunting for the forgotten old pen in the backs of desk drawers, finding it and then customizing the way it writes to my preference -- now that's fun.

Can't have that much fun with ball points.