Fountain pens

[tsmba]

After reading some recommendations here, I decided to buy a new fountain pen. I have three Cross pens, so I went looking for a Pelikan 800. I found a seller in Singapore on eBay with prices much lower than anywhere in the States....and free shipping to boot!

I complemented him for his fine service and selection. Got a return message that prices have been rising (imagine that) but he's continuing to offer his stuff at current rates for now. I got quite an education researching these pens!

[Cheech]

Love the Pelikans. Good, solid performers. The danger is that you will become spoiled.

Or, that you'll start cuising Richard Binder's site and realize that you really need that flex, Hebrew nib...

[olps]

Love the Pelikans. Good, solid performers. The danger is that you will become spoiled.

Or, that you'll start cuising Richard Binder's site and realize that you really need that flex, Hebrew nib...

Have you ordered from richardspens.com before?

I've heard great things about Pelikan pens; I've been thinking of picking one up. A beginner's pen, just not sure which one yet...

[Devil Doc]

I'm a parochial kind of guy. I buy and sort of collect Parker "51"s

Doc.

[BarryR]

I've got about 10 FPs including a Parker 51, Montblanc 146 and Sailor 1911 (large). My favorite though is my (green striated) Pelikan m800 (medium nib). It writes beautifully, is very well made, looks great and is exactly the right size for me.

PS: I bought mine from Pam Braun (Oscarbraunpens.com)
Prices are probably slightly higher than Singapore. You can email her to check. She has an excellent reputation and is very reliable.

[Dubbya]

Have you ordered from richardspens.com before?

I've heard great things about Pelikan pens; I've been thinking of picking one up. A beginner's pen, just not sure which one yet...

If you want to go Pelikan, order an M200 or 215(200 is resin 215 is aluminum) from Richard. He's a real gem to deal with and makes sure that everything that leaves his place is perfect.

The 200 is a good place to start without breaking the bank. Then, when you've decided that you like fountain pens, move on to the 450, then the 600, then the 800, then 1000(warning, it's huge if you have small hands). Then move on to the City series(I'm fond of the Toledo) and the Natural Wonders series. They're all great pens and quite nice to look at.

[BarryR]

If you want to go Pelikan, order an M200 or 215(200 is resin 215 is aluminum) from Richard. He's a real gem to deal with and makes sure that everything that leaves his place is perfect.

The 200 is a good place to start without breaking the bank. Then, when you've decided that you like fountain pens, move on to the 450, then the 600, then the 800, then 1000(warning, it's huge if you have small hands). Then move on to the City series(I'm fond of the Toledo) and the Natural Wonders series. They're all great pens and quite nice to look at.

I got a 215 a few years ago. It's excellent. Richard has an excellent reputation but you pay a bit for it. On the other hand, my 215 (from Pam Braun) actually wrote way too dry (to the extent of being defective). She was very surprised and said she's rarely had problems and sent me a swap immediately. That one's been great.

I like the weight of the 215 and probably would not like a 200 as much (but that of course is personal preference).

[missnu]

Now you guys have me curious about fountain pens.

[RoyalKooparillo]

Always happy to chat about fountain pens.

I'm a big fan of tamenuri Nakayas. I recently picked up a Decapod in Kuro-tamenuri with a Cursive Italic nib by John Mottishaw. It's quite the looker.

My daily writer for business is a Black Striped Pilot Custom from the 1970s. My tastes are pretty simple...because I use my pens for business, I prefer them to be conservative and elegant.

My current wishlist:
-Montblanc 146 from the 1950s
-Conway Stewart BCHR Churchill
-Sheaffer PFM V
-Visconti Divina, black
-Danitrio Densho raw ebonite

There's a big parallel between using fountain pens and wet shaving, IMO. If you have to write, why not make it an enjoyable, enriching experience that is intellectually and philosophically rewarding? Same goes for shaving.

[DrumDawg]

yes a few threads in this forum got me curious as well. So for a couple of weeks i have been cruising the fountain pen network.

have had quite a few pen recommendations

so for entry level, i bought:
a lamy safari 09
and a Platinum preppy

Then had some other recommendations

so one of the good members of that forum is sending me a towbow fountain pen gratis (they are as nice as the folks on this site).

so those will hold me over until i find a good deal on a waterman phileas

I plan to ONE day own the pelikan m1000 and mont blanc 149.

[DrumDawg]

Always happy to chat about fountain pens.

I'm a big fan of tamenuri Nakayas. I recently picked up a Decapod in Kuro-tamenuri with a Cursive Italic nib by John Mottishaw. It's quite the looker.

My daily writer for business is a Black Striped Pilot Custom from the 1970s. My tastes are pretty simple...because I use my pens for business, I prefer them to be conservative and elegant.

My current wishlist:
-Montblanc 146 from the 1950s
-Conway Stewart BCHR Churchill
-Sheaffer PFM V
-Visconti Divina, black
-Danitrio Densho raw ebonite

There's a big parallel between using fountain pens and wet shaving, IMO. If you have to write, why not make it an enjoyable, enriching experience that is intellectually and philosophically rewarding? Same goes for shaving.

I TOTALLY agree. my girlfriend has called wet shaving last year's hobby and fountain pens THIS year's hobby.

[BarryR]

I plan to ONE day own the pelikan m1000 and mont blanc 149.

Check them out in person before you get them. They're REALLY big. Too big for most. The Pelikan m800 is a perfect size for me and I wear XL gloves.

[tsmba]

I have pretty large hands, too, but the Pelikan doesn't seem much larger than some others. I was wondering if it would feel heavy but it really doesn't. I had to buy some bottled ink as I've used the cartridges before. They're handy but don't last very long. I was a little surprised at the variety of available inks (not simply colors).

I also like rollerballs, and that's what I carry "out and about" (the fountain pens stay on my desk). I have a couple Crosses and a Waterman Expert. The Waterman goes nicely with the Pelikan, and aren't so pricey. Fortunately, I like blue....getting into the precious metals is what really adds to cost!

[Cheech]

Check them out in person before you get them. They're REALLY big. Too big for most. The Pelikan m800 is a perfect size for me and I wear XL gloves.

I agree that you really have to check them out in person. I have kinda, uh... okay, really small hands and my favorite right now is the Pelikan 1000. You may be really surprised at what type of pen you prefer. The nice thing about Pelikans and Mont Blanc is that you can usually find a local dealer and give them a spin. Don't be afraid to write more than one sentence. Sometimes, it takes a few lines to start to get a feel.

As for Richard Binder, he's great. Yes, you pay a little more than some other places. But, he also stands behind everything he sells. If I'm kicking down triple digits for a new nib or pen, I expect it to write beautifully out of the box. And Richard agrees with that. Again, personal preference. I'd rather spend my money supporting someone who feels the same way I do about quality.

I know I'm kind of droning on here, but (since inks were brought up) I feel the need to plug Private Reserve. My g/f prefers Noodlers, but the quality of Private Reserve is great. Again, personal preference. Try a few different inks. As was said before, the difference is not just in color. Flow, smoothness, and drying (aka smudging) are different from ink to ink even within the same manufacturers line. Try a few in the store and ask questions. It may seem odd at first, but ask if you can try the ink. Most places have a glass stylus so you can give them a whirl.

Sorry if I went off a little too much.

[Dubbya]

I know I'm kind of droning on here, but I feel the need to plug Private Reserve. My g/f prefers Noodlers, but the quality of Private Reserve is great. Again, personal preference. Try a few different inks. As was said before, the difference is not just in color. Flow, smoothness, and drying (aka smudging) are different from ink to ink even within the same manufacturers line. Try a few in the store and ask questions. It may seem odd at first, but ask if you can try the ink. Most places have a glass stylus so you can give them a whirl.

I like both as boutique lines. It's sort of like the razor/blade combinations. Some work better than others in certain implements.
Private Reserve works better with some pens and Noodler's with others. The Noodler's tends to write a little dryer, which is good in pens with broader nibs and the Private Reserve tends to flow a little wetter, which is good in narrower nibs. It all really boils down to personal preference, really.

If I have to choose, I'm going Noodler's, but that's because I'm fond of Nakaya, Dani Trio, and Pilot pens with eastern fine nibs, which are like needles split for writing.

[Cheech]

I like both as boutique lines. It's sort of like the razor/blade combinations. Some work better than others in certain implements.
Private Reserve works better with some pens and Noodler's with others. The Noodler's tends to write a little dryer, which is good in pens with broader nibs and the Private Reserve tends to flow a little wetter, which is good in narrower nibs. It all really boils down to personal preference, really.

If I have to choose, I'm going Noodler's, but that's because I'm fond of Nakaya, Dani Trio, and Pilot pens with eastern fine nibs, which are like needles split for writing.

The only real solution is buy both.

(says the man with 3 bottles of Noodlers, 4 bottles of Private Reserve, 2 bottles of Visconti, and 1 bottle of Diamine... Cr@p. I have the impulse control of a 3 year old.)

[Dubbya]

The only real solution is buy both.

(says the man with 3 bottles of Noodlers, 4 bottles of Private Reserve, 2 bottles of Visconti, and 1 bottle of Diamine...)

You also need to get some Urushi, Waterman, and Levenger's(Their pens are a little sub par for me, but well priced and not bad for a beginner, but their inks are outstanding.)

[tsmba]

This site has a ton of info about inks:

http://www.marcuslink.com/pens/ink/index.htm

Since blue is my favorite color, I looked mostly at them. I got a bottle of Noodler's Perriwinkle, which is beautiful but a tad on the light side for writing. I chose Lamy's for black.

I guess I kind of like a vivid and opaque color for writing. I've seen recommendations for Aurora and Waterman inks which, unfortunately, weren't offered form the online vendors I chose. Same problem with some of the recommendations on the aforementioned website.

[BarryR]

I had to buy some bottled ink as I've used the cartridges before. They're handy but don't last very long.

I refill my cartridges with a syringe and soft IV catheter. It takes about 15 seconds and I don't have to wait till they run out. Saves a bundle as cartridges are quite pricey.

[galopede]

My main user is Noodler's Walnut in a Peli 400. I like it! My other favourite pen from my growing selection is a Sailor Prophet. Nice and chunky!

Gareth