I was thinking of myself this morning wouldn't it nice be to learn how to use A fountain pen. First and foremost does it require A certain amount of skill? Or is it just like writing with the regular pen I'm assuming the only difference is I wouldn't press down as hard as I would with regular pen? Where would I even pick up A fountain pen? Does it come with cartridges as well as ink bottles? Do they have inexpensive fountain pens to start off with or would it just be A base price and then going upwards from there? Advice is welcomed thanks Gents
The Fountain pen has sparked my curiosity
- Thread starter cardsfan28
- Start date
sometimes i hate being on my cell lol... the quick version
it's as easy as less pressure, you are correct
online is the best place, ebay will get you a pilot 78G for ten bucks ship from Japan
15 plus shipping will get you a metropolitan which is well liked which i think some staples may have as well
pens come with all kinds of different filling systems most with a cart, but also a converter to use with bottled ink you buy separately
staples usually keeps Parker quink in store bit there is a lot more of a selection online
it's as easy as less pressure, you are correct
online is the best place, ebay will get you a pilot 78G for ten bucks ship from Japan
15 plus shipping will get you a metropolitan which is well liked which i think some staples may have as well
pens come with all kinds of different filling systems most with a cart, but also a converter to use with bottled ink you buy separately
staples usually keeps Parker quink in store bit there is a lot more of a selection online
Welcome to the NIB 
This place can seem a little overwhelming at first, but we're all happy to answer ant questions you have, so fire away.
The NIB WIKI has a lot of info that you can ingest at whatever pace you wish.
http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/The_Nib
This place can seem a little overwhelming at first, but we're all happy to answer ant questions you have, so fire away.
The NIB WIKI has a lot of info that you can ingest at whatever pace you wish.
http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/The_Nib
- Thread starter
- #4
I'm very excited to start this journey any and all help is welcomed
The best place to start is letting us know what your budget would be. Understand that you will need to buy some ink, possibly some good paper, maybe a syringe or two for filling pens from sample vials etc.
Roll through the link I provided, then let us know what direction you might want to start off going. There's really no wrong answer here, some people just want to dip (pun intended
) their feet in as cheaply as possible, while others want to spend a little, to a lot more, in the beginning.
Roll through the link I provided, then let us know what direction you might want to start off going. There's really no wrong answer here, some people just want to dip (pun intended
) their feet in as cheaply as possible, while others want to spend a little, to a lot more, in the beginning.- Thread starter
- #6
Oh boy that's a lot of stuff to take in of it like to buy inexpensive pen I was thinking maybe $20 it that's probably not going to be possible considering all the accessories you have to have. Had no clue that you needed paper to as well as Ink I know one things for sure I don't want to break the bank.
cardsfan28 --
You don't have to break the bank at all. Noodler's makes some decent pens for very low prices (I think that they're still selling them, but I could be wrong). The TWSBI pens are also quite reasonable and are supposed to be good writers. In any case, you'll find something that will fit your budget.
As far as what I recommend for a starting fountain pen user, I would probably say that -- while the pen is definitely a good place to spend money -- the ink and paper make a big difference as well. Real ink has the tendency to wet down paper, so you'll want to get something that can handle the extra solvent. I like to use Levenger's Circa paper, but the Rhodia notebooks are a great start as well. For ink, I have like J. Herbin and Noodler's, which Noodler's having the much greater variety in colors (and a smell that makes me smile, for some reason). So you'll have plenty of places to experiment. Just get out there and try it!
Robert
You don't have to break the bank at all. Noodler's makes some decent pens for very low prices (I think that they're still selling them, but I could be wrong). The TWSBI pens are also quite reasonable and are supposed to be good writers. In any case, you'll find something that will fit your budget.
As far as what I recommend for a starting fountain pen user, I would probably say that -- while the pen is definitely a good place to spend money -- the ink and paper make a big difference as well. Real ink has the tendency to wet down paper, so you'll want to get something that can handle the extra solvent. I like to use Levenger's Circa paper, but the Rhodia notebooks are a great start as well. For ink, I have like J. Herbin and Noodler's, which Noodler's having the much greater variety in colors (and a smell that makes me smile, for some reason). So you'll have plenty of places to experiment. Just get out there and try it!
Robert
Goulet Pens also has some of they're larger bottles of ink that comes with a free fountain pen for around $20. Here is the black ink, but there are a couple of other colors that you can choose I believehttp://www.gouletpens.com/Noodlers_Borealis_Black_Ink_4_5oz_p/n19815.htm
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Welcome to the NIB and there have been some good suggestions, already. Start off with any one of those and see how you like the pens, then go from there, but you won't save any money here! 
Don't get discouraged by the crazy people here, we're not normal in any way
You need a pen and some ink. Period. Any pen you but new will have at least one cartridge in it - pop out in, wait a minute for the ink to filter through to the nib and you're in business. Everything after that is a want and not a need.
You need a pen and some ink. Period. Any pen you but new will have at least one cartridge in it - pop out in, wait a minute for the ink to filter through to the nib and you're in business. Everything after that is a want and not a need.
Go for it. Seriously. Just dive in and you'll figure the rest out. Fountain pens will elevate your handwriting.
I loved good pens since sophomore year of high school. But that usually meant Pilot G2's (7 mm only). Eventually a cousin from Austria gifted me a Lamy Safari that I used briefly before losing it in college. Later on I decided to buy a new pen to use the last of the refills I had (cartridge refills for the Lamy) and have loved the fountain pen ever since. I've resisted spending oodles of money on it, mostly because I work in healthcare and can't really imagine running around in scrubs with the fountain pen in my pocket, but I've purchased refills regularly and use it for all of my written notes/cards/etc.
In sum, I'd start with something like a Lamy Safari mainly because the barrel design and ink refills are user-friendly. The barrel invites good holding practices and helps you get used to writing with good pressure. Additionally, the refills are a snap and inexpensive.
I loved good pens since sophomore year of high school. But that usually meant Pilot G2's (7 mm only). Eventually a cousin from Austria gifted me a Lamy Safari that I used briefly before losing it in college. Later on I decided to buy a new pen to use the last of the refills I had (cartridge refills for the Lamy) and have loved the fountain pen ever since. I've resisted spending oodles of money on it, mostly because I work in healthcare and can't really imagine running around in scrubs with the fountain pen in my pocket, but I've purchased refills regularly and use it for all of my written notes/cards/etc.
In sum, I'd start with something like a Lamy Safari mainly because the barrel design and ink refills are user-friendly. The barrel invites good holding practices and helps you get used to writing with good pressure. Additionally, the refills are a snap and inexpensive.
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I bought my Wife a pink Lamy Safari, a converter, and 4 ink samples for her birthday. That was 3 weeks ago, today, there are 3 Safaris and 15 ink samples!! This is a rabbit hole! I never in a million years I would WANT to write but I do! We are now journaling and keeping bullet journals. Who would have thunk it all because of a fountain pen?
The only advice I have from one newb to another is, get a pen, get a converter, and a bunch of ink samples! It's a blast!!!
Oh, and GO CARDS!!!
The only advice I have from one newb to another is, get a pen, get a converter, and a bunch of ink samples! It's a blast!!!
Oh, and GO CARDS!!!
But this:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Pilot-78G-22...878?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ac6e9f756
Use up the 6 cartridges, writing on any old paper you like. Having "nice" paper is nice, but not necessary. (If you decide to start a journal or something, that you want to keep for a long time, a "good paper" journal is a very good idea, though. But for just writing ... any "normal" paper works. Make grocery lists on the back of envelopes. Scribble on post-it notes and note pads at work. Whatever.)
The "converter" that comes with it will let you suck up ink from a bottle for use if you prefer that way. You can get ink from a local stationary store (not india ink!!) or many places online.
I'll sit this one out as far as recommending specific pens, inks, and paper, having done a lot of that in the past. You can go wrong, but it doesn't have to end there. My first fountain pen did not work out very well for me, but it was good enough to show me some of the possibilities. My second was better, and the third, and...I have quite a few now. I revisited that first one later, when I had a better idea what I was doing, and I still think it was a dud.
You probably will end up using a shallower angle to the paper than you do with a ballpoint. A light touch, and a loose, relaxed grip, perhaps further away from the tip than you're used to. It may not improve your handwriting automatically, but even bad handwriting will seem to have more flair to it.
Oh, and keep the pen capped when you aren't writing with it, or about to write with it pretty soon. It will dry out faster than an exposed ballpoint. If that does happen, don't try to start it by pressing hard, wet the tip slightly instead.
Let's get you hooked, first. Then we can start suggesting the more expensive stuff.
You probably will end up using a shallower angle to the paper than you do with a ballpoint. A light touch, and a loose, relaxed grip, perhaps further away from the tip than you're used to. It may not improve your handwriting automatically, but even bad handwriting will seem to have more flair to it.
Oh, and keep the pen capped when you aren't writing with it, or about to write with it pretty soon. It will dry out faster than an exposed ballpoint. If that does happen, don't try to start it by pressing hard, wet the tip slightly instead.
Let's get you hooked, first. Then we can start suggesting the more expensive stuff.
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I'm pretty new to the Nib myself and I started with just the Pilot Metro which is a solid nice writing pen in my limited experience I would say it's a great place to start. The rest will come in time.
The Metro is a nice pen, but I found that I liked the Pilot Kakuno much more. It's more comfortable to write with and put down a smoother line. There was a weird edge on the Metro that sat funny on my finger and got annoying after a few minutes of writing.
For under $50 you can at Goulet pens get a Pilot Metropolitan, a 3 oz/90 ml bottle of Noodler's Black and a Leuchturrm1917 A5 sized notebook with nice paper. THat is shipped.
Or you can buy the same Metropolitan for $15, a bottle of whatever color your heart desires from a variety of manufacturers for under $15, (check Goulet Pen Co, or other online pen retailer) at Staples/Home Depot/Office Max you get get a A4 (slightly larger than letter sized) red n black for about $10 plus shipping for the pen and ink of about $5 or so. Decent paper can be very cheap (think Made in Brazil composition books at big box office supply stores - the Made in Brazil is the best of the bunch) Staples has a sugarcane paper that is friendly to FP's.
Some people like some of the Chinese pens. Jinhao 159 is a monsterous pen - in excess of 50 grams - I didn't like it, it was to heavy for my tastes - so I gave it away (it was given to me). Jinhao also has the X450 and x750 that are popular.
If you want to spend a bit more on the pen, a Lamy Safari or Al Star is a good pen for a newbie to fountain pens as it has a section shaped to help you hold the pen correctly. You have to spend $5 for a convertor on top of the price of the pen though. Safari is ABS plastic, Al Star is aluminum - both in multiple colors. The Al Star is about $10 more than the Safari.
Japanese nibs tend to run roughly one size smaller than Western nibs. (US/Europe primarily) So a M in say a Pilot Metropolitan is similar to a F in a Al Star or Safari.
Or you can buy the same Metropolitan for $15, a bottle of whatever color your heart desires from a variety of manufacturers for under $15, (check Goulet Pen Co, or other online pen retailer) at Staples/Home Depot/Office Max you get get a A4 (slightly larger than letter sized) red n black for about $10 plus shipping for the pen and ink of about $5 or so. Decent paper can be very cheap (think Made in Brazil composition books at big box office supply stores - the Made in Brazil is the best of the bunch) Staples has a sugarcane paper that is friendly to FP's.
Some people like some of the Chinese pens. Jinhao 159 is a monsterous pen - in excess of 50 grams - I didn't like it, it was to heavy for my tastes - so I gave it away (it was given to me). Jinhao also has the X450 and x750 that are popular.
If you want to spend a bit more on the pen, a Lamy Safari or Al Star is a good pen for a newbie to fountain pens as it has a section shaped to help you hold the pen correctly. You have to spend $5 for a convertor on top of the price of the pen though. Safari is ABS plastic, Al Star is aluminum - both in multiple colors. The Al Star is about $10 more than the Safari.
Japanese nibs tend to run roughly one size smaller than Western nibs. (US/Europe primarily) So a M in say a Pilot Metropolitan is similar to a F in a Al Star or Safari.
I'm still very new myself and I would recommend going to and checking out Brian Goulet's Fountain Pen 101 video series its VERY helpful.
http://www.gouletpens.com/Fountain_Pen_101_s/1135.htm
http://www.gouletpens.com/Fountain_Pen_101_s/1135.htm
