One of my favorites is the Sailor 1911 Full Size.
It's kind of big but not very heavy and it's an awesome writer.
Fountain pens
- Thread starter tsmba
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One of my favorites is the Sailor 1911 Full Size.
It's kind of big but not very heavy and it's an awesome writer.
- Thread starter
- #22
I have heard that Sailor is the best pen made in the US, but I've never seen one.
I like the idea of refilling cartridges with a syringe. I dug out the converters that came with my Cross fountain pens and they're pretty cheap looking. Of course just because they're plastic doesn't mean they won't work. I ordered some different inks and am looking forward to trying them out.
Funny, I once received my only "D" on a report card in "Writing". Ironically, once I was able to write the way I pleased (and not have to mimic the old hag who taught us) my penmanship became very neat. Using a nice green or purple ought to make things I write stand out. Too bad the Parker Penman Sapphire Blue is no longer available.
I like the idea of refilling cartridges with a syringe. I dug out the converters that came with my Cross fountain pens and they're pretty cheap looking. Of course just because they're plastic doesn't mean they won't work. I ordered some different inks and am looking forward to trying them out.
Funny, I once received my only "D" on a report card in "Writing". Ironically, once I was able to write the way I pleased (and not have to mimic the old hag who taught us) my penmanship became very neat. Using a nice green or purple ought to make things I write stand out. Too bad the Parker Penman Sapphire Blue is no longer available.
Sailor are a Japanese penmaker. Not made in the US as far as I know. Headquarters in Japan and the UK according to their website.
Nice pens. Nibs run finer that Western ones. Their medium is more like a fine.
Gareth
I don't use converters much because their capacities are low. That's why I prefer refilling cartridges.
Penmanship was my worst subject. Once I got a fountain pen, payed a little more attention to how I write and started printing instead of using cursive, my penmanship got much better.
+1
In general what is a good nib size for beginners? Fine? Perhaps medium?
I think that depends on your preference. I like writing with mediums as they're nice and wet and not at all scratchy. I'd say a medium is the 'default' size. I use my Sailor medium (which is pretty close to a U.S. fine, when I need to write a finer line. Some prefer fine though. If you tend to prefer ballpoint fines then that might be the right choice for you. Pelikans (and some others) also have swapable nibs which for some of the less expensive (under $100) FPs are only about $20, so if you wind up with one of them, you could switch nibs at some point.
PS: You can get a ton of information at http://www.fountainpennetwork.com and encounter people as helpful and obsessed with FPs as B&B'ers are with shaving. That's actually where I learned about B&B and wetshaving!
What size do you prefer in a mechanical pencil.
.3 is round about a X-Fine
.5 is round about a Fine
.7 is round about a Medium
.9 is round about a Broad
Esterbrook ran a size called a Bookkeeper in the 50's that was a size below an X-Fine and Sheafer, Mont Blanc, Cross, and a handful of other modern manufacturers run one called a BB, which is a size above Broad.
Then there are italics, obliques, persians, hebrews(all of those are actually types of italics), and eastern sizes(which run about a size small)
That's kinda funny. I started out using mediums, and now am set on fines. I also prefer .5 lead on my mechanical pencils. Is this some sort of plot? Is the WTO involved?
No problem. Keep in mind, that's just a rule of thumb and a good place to start. There are other factors involved besides size. You may find that you prefer a size smaller or larger due to flow from one manufacturer to the next.
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- #31
Interesting to learn Sailor's run fine (also, wonder where I got the impression they were US made?). Most brands I've inquired about are the opposite. For some reason, I have never liked fine points. I like my writing to be bold and legible. When I got the Pelikan, I had my choice of nibs and went with the vendor's recommendation: medium. Sometime, when I need a new nib on one of my pens, I'll try a broad.
I am seriously thinking on purchasing a entry level Bexley. This would be my first fountain pen. Can anyone recommend this pen?
I think after photography pen collecting is my most dangerous hobby for my bank account. I collect Pelikan and Parker (1940s to 1980s). My most recent purchase is a later 1960's Parker 51 MkII in Navy Grey.
Nice thing about Peli's is you can swap out the nibs pretty easily. You can get a new stock nib, or get a customized on from richard Binder, (richardspens.com)
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