Newbie with stupid questions, hope i can get some basics.

So let me say i hate the b&b, lol, not really. Im mostly on the de forum, brown leaf and with tapatalk look at all new posts.
So moved from nh to florida this year, and while packing, found some antique dip pens, and some fp i had from the 80's. Now my daughter started into pens so i gave her what i had, antique vintage , dip etc for her to look into. She even went to the washington dc show. She has a lot of FP, not sure what kind or quality.

Now i find myself wanting to revisit them so, are they better now writing, not leaking, etc. or is it you need to pay more for a better pen?

Are there inks and or cartridges i should stay away from?

Why is a montblanc from $300-1000.
But ebay sells FP for $5. Are they worth it?

Finally , if your like me and hate to type, and have a world of info, that you want to,pass on, i can pm my tel #, if its easier just to chat for a bit about all of the above.

Any help/direction appreciated, too many rabbit holes im in already so not a huge budget on this.
Thanks
Paul

I am left handed, is that an issue?

I'm a lefty myself, as long as you are not an over-writer you shouldn't have an issue.

MontBlancs have positioned themselves as a purely luxury brand and price their product accordingly. The market is supporting them, so it is up to you to determine if their prices are acceptable.

I would recommend researching the noodlers brand of ink before you purchase any. Some of their inks stain the insides of pens. I've found, in the past, that the Levenger brand inks feather a lot. I haven't bought another bottle in about 10 years or so, so things may have changed.

I think there will always be a little mess with fountain pens. So far, my most bullet proof pen is a Pelikan. It has out performed my Namiki, Lamy, and Conklin brand pens. My latest pen is a TWSBI Vac 700. THe past few months it's been a solid performer, but the brand has a reputation for breaking.

I hope my answers helped, but I bet they are more than likely to lead to more questions.

I'm relatively new to FP, but I'll throw in my experience with stuff I've tried:

Inks and carts to stay away from? Hard to say. Some inks are more finicky than others. I've heard and read from many people about how much of a pain in the butt Noodler's Baystate Blue can be and how it stains pens and ruins feeds. The recommendations I read all seemed to point to buying a dedicated pen for that ink and just sticking to it with that one pen. I followed that advice and have been very happy with the ink. I've seen quite a few pictures of Organic Studios ink gumming up, but I have no personal experience with them. Some Noodlers inks that I have tried have been mildly tempermental when it comes to feeding consistently, but to be fair, it was in some cheap chinese pens that could easily have been the problem.

Expensive pens vs cheap pens:
Value is a tough thing to gauge. The more expensive pens tend to be crafted from better materials. Are they worth it? That's a personal thing that you'd have to figure out based on your wants and needs. The most expensive pen I currently own is a Namiki Vanishing Point. It's a beautiful pen that writes noticeably smoother than anything else I own. It's fantastically made and, to me, worth the price of admission. That being said, most of my pens are in the $10-30 range, and most of them are very nice writing pens with no issues whatsoever. That doesn't stop me from appreciating a beautifully crafted pen, like the Visconti line and some of the pricier Pilot pens, but the cost is still hard for me to swallow. For now anyway.

Cheap pens on eBay tend to be Chinese in origin. The function of these pens can be hit or miss. My first fountain pen was a Jinhao that I got for $3 that looked nice but wouldn't write worth a damn. I have two cheap Hero pens that were both under $3 that write quite well, don't leak, and haven't fallen apart. For the cost, I wouldn't be heartbroken if they ended up in the trash, but I knew that when I bought them.

There are quite a few really nice pens under $30 that write incredibly well and have a good history in the hands of the fine folks here on the forums. The Pilot Metropolitan is brought up quite often, and for good reason. It's a very solid pen that writes well, comes with a cartridge as well as a converter, and is typically had for under $15. It's a great option. The Lamy Safari is another one that gets great reviews and is fairly rock solid. A Kaweco Sport has a great, compact size for carrying in a pocket, but posts up to a very good length and is another smooth writing pen. I have a small collection of them going, as well as the wonderful (and underrated) Pilot Kakuno.

If you're looking to jump back in, there are a number of options to look at which won't break the bank, are reliable writers, and have a good value. They may work to bridge you into the higher priced options eventually as you figure out what you like, what works for you, and what calls out to you.

Paul, many, if not most, of your questions are answered in our own Nib Wiki. Look over the material there and see if that helps. If there are still open questions, feel free to come back here and ask the gang. We'll be happy to help wherever we can.

Since you're a newbie, and a left-hander, my recommendation for a starter pen is a Pilot Metropolitan with a Fine nib. It'll probably cost you about $15 plus shipping, but it's an excellent, reliable pen that performs well above its price point. Add a bottle of quick-drying ink (Noodler's Bernanke Blue or Black is frequently recommended), a couple of notebooks and/or paper pads, and you're ready to roll. A good source for pens, papers and inks is GouletPens.com, but there are many other online stores.

pault said:

I am left handed, is that an issue?

Click to expand...

Good writing style for fountain pens:



Bad:



IF you write like #2, and can't change to #1, you need to look for fast-drying inks, and pens that have a "dry" ink flow rate, and stay away from papers that slow ink dry times. If you are #1 already, you are good to go.

Doomed i guess, my hand is actually to the left of the paper and go across, neither of above, so wht used to happen is it would drag wet ink accross, so maybe try fast inks. When I get a pen.

Being left handed also I feel your pain with the "ink problem". I try and use xf-m nibs only and faster drying ink. Now on to prices on FP's... If you spend $5.00 on a FP then you are going to get a $5.00 experence. Not that its bad per si but it is only so good. I have given away many cheap FP's to friends or co workers who want to give it a shot. In a week one of two things happen, they either buy a better pen or stick with a gel, ballpoint, rollerball ect.

Now is MB woth the price? That discussion will go on until the end of pens. I do like MB and think they have wonderful nibs. I currently have 9 or so of them in my stash and carry one every day. I think you can buy as good or better pens for the same or less money but The white snow flake is one of the best known pens out there. Over the last year I bet 50 plus people have said something about my pens and 3 or 4 have pointed out my Rolex. If you have the means to get a Mont Blanc then by all means give it a try. Nice thing is you can always get most of your money back if you hate it.
Now out of all the pens I have that are either lost or broken over the years my Parker 51 is the one I miss the most and it cost me 35 bucks when I bought it.
Hope that helps
Plano