Hello all, my job has transitioned me from working in the field to putting my 36 years of practical experience into directing those that need direction. So I find myself at a desk most of the day writing and typing. I'm looking at dipping my toe into the ink so to say and looking at a Pilot Metropolitan for my first nib. Any other pens I should have on my radar?
Newbie looking at a pen.
- Thread starter Linedog59
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+1 for Goulet, but I've gotta throughout the Lamy Safari, get the converter for it and a world of inks open up for you plus you can buy one in a color that suits ya'.
There's so much to choose from. You gotta start somewhere. You might as well go with that one.
What's your budget? If you're staying on the lesser expensive pens, the Metropolitan is good, as is the Kaweco Sport line of pens.
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I was thinking of staying under $30 for starters.
The Pilot Metro was my introduction to FPAD. Inked ever since. A Kaweco Ice Sport green is on my list to Santa. 
Pilot Metropolian, Lamy Safari and the Pilot 78g are all very good starter pens.
I know someone above suggested a Noodler's Ahab but please, please, please don't buy it as your first FP. It might work well but in all likelihood it won't. I believe even the manufacturer says it's a pen to be tinkered with and that it might not work right out of the box. In my opinion, the Ahab is a toy, not a serious writing instrument. Stick with the Metropolitan, Safari, or any of the others that have been suggested. You need a reliable pen for office use.
I have recently started down the FP road as well. My Lamy Safari is great. It starts working the second it hits the paper and I haven't had to adjust anything. It's not a very "professional" looking pen but I don't know the demands of your job or how you need to portray yourself at work.
I have recently started down the FP road as well. My Lamy Safari is great. It starts working the second it hits the paper and I haven't had to adjust anything. It's not a very "professional" looking pen but I don't know the demands of your job or how you need to portray yourself at work.
I began my journey with the Lamy Al Star, slightly above your price range, it's metal and kinda clunky looking but writes well, use it daily, converter bought separately. Changed to the EF nib, Lamy nibs run wide.
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I have 4 Ahabs and they all work fine out of the box, not a toy by any means. I went to a meeting today and 3 people borrowed it to sign in and were quite impressed and excited to use a FP, depends on needs and preferences, YMMV I guess, (respectfully) disagree
You got really lucky, then.
Mine writes (when it wants to write) fine for a couple of words, then you get a whole word that is written with a huge BLOB of ink. Better have some blotting paper ready, because that word won't dry for 2 minutes otherwise. Another few words written just fine, then another BLOB. Sometimes a BLOB in the middle of a word.
Sure, you can tinker with the nib, take it out, put it back in, heat-set the feed...but why should you have to? Noodlers pens can be compared to Parker razors (back in the day before they improved their QC). One guy says his is perfectly fine, in fact he may have 3 or 4 that work. And there are people who buy them that say they have bent safety bars, or don't hold the blade correctly, or have other flaws. It's a total shot in the dark.
But the thing that bothers me about it is because it's Noodlers, it gets a pass for bad QC. If Pilot released crappy Metroplitans, they'd be savaged far and wide. With Noodlers, it's "Oh, it's no big deal. It's only $20, and you can tinker with it to make it to your liking!"
And just for the record, I bought the first Noodlers Flex pen as soon as it was released (it was worse than my Ahab). I also bought the Ahab as soon as it was released, to give them a 2nd chance. I don't just have this opinion of the brand simply to be contrarian and run against the grain. I used to be excited that they were an independent operation that were doing new things...until I used their products. The pens (and the 5 inks I've tried) were underwhelming.
Now, I haven't tried the Konrad and I know they make like 130 different inks, so maybe it's unfair to judge based on a small sampling. But to me, if a newbie who had never used a FP before asked what they should use, I would go for the most bulletproof (pun intended) options available. Pens and inks that just work with no fuss. I always wince when a newbie asks about fountain pens and the first brand that is recommended to them is Noodlers Ahab with Noodlers ink (or Private Reserve). If that was my first pen and ink combo, I would not be using fountain pens today. If a newbie got his Noodlers ink in the mail, and immediately spilled it on him
/herself because it's filled to the very TOP of the bottle, ESPECIALLY if it was Baystate Blue? (That happened to me with Noodlers Purple made for Swisher Pens when they were still in business, an ink that bled through any paper I wrote on, and took 25 minutes to dry without smearing on Clairefontaine). What would they think?
I don't think Noodlers is a newbie, trouble-free brand. If down the road they feel like branching out and want inks with special properties (and they've become adept at pen cleaning/maintenance), sure they can have a run at Noodlers. The ink colors are fantastic. But I wouldn't describe them as trouble-free, and neither are the pens.
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appreciate it bro, just hasn't been my experience, do not see why they would sell a pen that does not work,what would be the point??? You could be right but I do not get that I bought 4 crap pens when I didn't, sorry, but maybe you're right and I am lucky, my primary is a platinum balance!
