Getting Started?

Years ago I got interested in calligraphy and fountain pens but never got around to getting into it. I'm here as part of the DE razor club and saw some pens go up for sale in the BST thread and it got my interest going again.

If I wanted to get into using fountain pens where is a good place to start? I assume buy a pen and go but I wouldnt mind some advice. In office and general prefer more modern styling so I feel a more modern styled pen would suit me. I generally like heavier things. I have a very nice Rotring 600 rollerball my grandfather gave me from his lawyer'ing days, that I love using. I generally do most of my writing on yellow lined pads or in graph composition books. Though I'm up for a change there too if needed.



Soooo what would you recommend? I'm not sure if I will like a fountain pen so I wouldnt want to invest a ton of money into it to start and dont even have an idea on what a good price range would be. Any advice would be welcome.

Edit:
It would also be nice if I could get a matching mechanical pencil to the fountain pen as well. I would like the pencil to be .5 or smaller

wrathen said:

I generally like heavier things....prefer more modern styling so I feel a more modern styled pen would suit me

Edit:
It would also be nice if I could get a matching mechanical pencil to the fountain pen as well. I would like the pencil to be .5 or smaller

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Based on this criteria, I would have to suggest a Lamy 2000 (I always jump on an opportunity to suggest one to those who listen), and in this case I do so because a 2000 has some heft, is considered a modern classic (even though they have been around for almost 50 years) and you can get a matching .5mm pencil too.

I don't know what you consider to be "spending a ton", but you could get a new pen and pencil for about $200.00 and maybe a used set for $100 if you shop around (i won a set in like new condition on a popular auction site for that about a year ago)

how hung up on the mechanical pencil ? will limit options quite a bit since they are not common amongst pwn makers anymore


and how much would you be comfortable spending ? a pilot metropolitan has a metal body and will run for about 15 bucks from
http://www.goldspot.com/Pilot_pens/Metropolitan.html

if you want to spend a bit more Monteverde has some interesting looking pens for just a bit over 50 bucks... you can find a lot of them on that same sight

The Lamy Alstar would give you a metal body, and you could pair it with a Safari pencil to match, more or less. The pencil is .05. I think the Alstar can be had for around $40'ish and the pencil is $20, IIRC. Settle on a nib and color and you're all set. I snagged an all metal Sheaffer Targa on ebay a while back for about $40. It was a great pen, but my daughter lost it. It was from ca. 1985 IIRC.

Im not hung up on having a matching pen and pencil. It was just an afterthought about it having a matching pencil it really doesnt have to as I'm considering ether a rOtring 600 or 800 for a match to my rOtring 600 pen. The Lamy Alstar looks nice I might give it a try fairly inexpensive.

If you like that pen you might try the Levenger L-Tech foubtain pen

http://www.levenger.com/Pens---Refi...r-275/L-Tech-3.0-Fountain-Pen-Fine-13203.aspx

The Pilot Metropolitan and the Platinum Plaisir will both get you started with basically foolproof pens for under $20.