Geekhack Handwriting Thread and Fountain Pen Thread

[tigersharkdude]

I picked up a pack of Varsitys a week or so ago. I have been using them a lot, not really sure if I like how bold the line is though .. I really prefer thin lines


(do note there are no numbers, this is tomorrow's list)

[terrpn]

I picked up a pack of Varsitys a week or so ago. I have been using them a lot, not really sure if I like how bold the line is though .. I really prefer thin lines


(do note there are no numbers, this is tomorrow's list)

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Arnold.............

[tp4tissue]

I picked up a pack of Varsitys a week or so ago. I have been using them a lot, not really sure if I like how bold the line is though .. I really prefer thin lines


(do note there are no numbers, this is tomorrow's list)

Show Image

Arnold.............

Show Image

Secrets Revealed...

[genkidama]

Hey! If you're in Germany, I highly suggest looking into picking up a Lamy or Kaweco. They should be plentiful and relatively easy to find. Plus they're affordable. Get the finest nib you can and I would suggest picking up Pelikan Edelstein ink, which is what most people say is the driest ink, so hopefully you get fast drying times. I really like the Kaweco Classic Sport and Lamy Safari.

Thanks for the recommendation, I'm looking into Kaweco, never heard about it. Seems like a very affordable one for me, it's around 21$ and looks quite good. Maybe I'll find a more compelling design (I love the form factor of the Pilot Metropolitan, with round edges and all around roundyness  ).
Unfortunately I don't like Lamys that much, don't really like the form, the look of it and I think they have no converter and I need to use catridges more.
Do you know if the Kaweco has a converter so that I can use bottled ink?

How do I know what is a fine nib? Do you have a guide or something for this? Otherwise I would look into gouletpens YouTube videos and hope he explains it there.


Is it possible to put some links onto the first post with explanations, how to get into fountain pens and stuff like that? I really like the GouletPens YouTube Videos as he explains stuff really well and gives good recommendations on what to buy, although it is based mainly for US people (he recommends the Pilot Metropolitan plenty of times as a starter pen, but it's not available here in Germany or I haven't found any german shop to buy one).

[CPTBadAss]

Thanks for the recommendation, I'm looking into Kaweco, never heard about it. Seems like a very affordable one for me, it's around 21$ and looks quite good. Maybe I'll find a more compelling design (I love the form factor of the Pilot Metropolitan, with round edges and all around roundyness  ).

Unfortunately I don't like Lamys that much, don't really like the form, the look of it and I think they have no converter and I need to use catridges more.
Do you know if the Kaweco has a converter so that I can use bottled ink?

How do I know what is a fine nib? Do you have a guide or something for this? Otherwise I would look into gouletpens YouTube videos and hope he explains it there.


Is it possible to put some links onto the first post with explanations, how to get into fountain pens and stuff like that? I really like the GouletPens YouTube Videos as he explains stuff really well and gives good recommendations on what to buy, although it is based mainly for US people (he recommends the Pilot Metropolitan plenty of times as a starter pen, but it's not available here in Germany or I haven't found any german shop to buy one).

Both Kaweco and Lamy have converters so you can use bottle ink. Most of the time you'd have to buy the Lamy converter separate but some places will give the converter to you with the purchase. I think the Kawecos come with a converter but I'm not 100% sure. When you buy the pen online or in store, you will be informed if they're included or not.

The nib will literally say what size it is on the nib and you'll know when you buy it. Whenever you buy a pen, there is always the option of picking the nib size. For example, if I go to GouletPens.com, I can pick a Fine (F) or Medium (M) nib width when I buy a Metropolitan.  If you don't know what the line width looks like, just look it up on Google/Fountain Pen Network or go to the Nib Nook on GouletPens.

I suppose I could add information to the OP but I'm far from a good resource. I simply started this thread to share my love of fountain pens. There are many other forums and places to find this kind of information which would be more helpful than this thread. That being said, I can hunt down some of the threads I found helpful and add them. Unfortunately, I am in the USA so my recommendations and knowledge will be USA-based. I obviously wouldn't know where to get pens in Germany because I don't live there. I know Kaweco and Lamy are German companies which is why I suggested them. I would also go with a Pilot Metropolitan if you could get a hold of it.

If you liked the GouletPens videos, I also highly suggest SBREBrown's Youtube videos. Fountain Pen Network and FPGeeks are two dedicated fountain pen forums with lots of information. FPN feels more like Geekhack and FPG feels a lot like Deskthority. But both have lots of information on fountain pens. Much of my fountain pen research is done on those forums. I believe that those forums are much better information than this thread.

Also if you're trying to buy a Metropolitan in Europe, try buying from Cult Pens. They're based out of the UK.

[genkidama]

I suppose I could add information to the OP but I'm far from a good resource. I simply started this thread to share my love of fountain pens. There are many other forums and places to find this kind of information which would be more helpful than this thread. That being said, I can hunt down some of the threads I found helpful and add them. Unfortunately, I am in the USA so my recommendations and knowledge will be USA-based. I obviously wouldn't know where to get pens in Germany because I don't live there. I know Kaweco and Lamy are German companies which is why I suggested them. I would also go with a Pilot Metropolitan if you could get a hold of it.

Either way some information is good, albeit it's USA-based. I guess if someone like me is asking where to find online-shops with low shipping costs can either use some of the US shops or look into Fountain Pen Network or FPGeeks forums. This'll help me I bet! I found some german shops, but unfortunately my browser broke down and at work he isn't saving the tabs or making some kind of backup. But there are some, although the range is limited to what you can get.
So a Metropolitan it is then I kinda stuck with it, read and watched a lot about this pen and it seems to be the best pen to get started overall.

The nib will literally say what size it is on the nib and you'll know when you buy it. Whenever you buy a pen, there is always the option of picking the nib size. For example, if I go to GouletPens.com, I can pick a Fine (F) or Medium (M) nib width when I buy a Metropolitan.  If you don't know what the line width looks like, just look it up on Google/Fountain Pen Network or go to the Nib Nook on GouletPens.

Thank you for the information, I'll make sure to check for the converters and stuff. As for the nib, I think the Fine will do fine (huehue) as I've seen it on YouTube videos, this is thin enough for me and with your recommendation of bottled ink, it should work fine. Do I need to look for special nibs because I'm holding the pen in the other hand and the ink flows differntly out of the nib? But I guess I'll have to look either n Fountain Pen Network or the Nib Nook. Unfortunately I only can see this when I'm at home.

If you liked the GouletPens videos, I also highly suggest SBREBrown's Youtube videos. Fountain Pen Network and FPGeeks are two dedicated fountain pen forums with lots of information. FPN feels more like Geekhack and FPG feels a lot like Deskthority. But both have lots of information on fountain pens. Much of my fountain pen research is done on those forums. I believe that those forums are much better information than this thread.

Alright, Fountain Pen Network it is then
Yeah I've seen some SBREBrown Videos, but somehow I got stuck with the Goulet videos. Both seem very dedicated and can give information very interesting to you.

Also if you're trying to buy a Metropolitan in Europe, try buying from Cult Pens. They're based out of the UK.

I'll look into this, they have a 10% off right now, so it makes it more affordable. In general UK shops tend to be more expensive regarding the exchange rates between Sterling and Euro. Thank you for that hint!

I've finally talked with my parents. As it seems my memory was waaaaaaay off, they bought those pens in some shop after they graduated. But they don't remember what the name was and how much they cost, they only knew that it was rather cheap than expensive. But I think I can forget to hunt them down for nostalgic reasons, as one said they probably were Waterman copies and that's it. Maybe someday I'll get a Waterman fountain pen that resembles the look of it.

edit: I don't know why, but somehow I thought you had recommended a bottled ink 

And I bet you are a very good source for fountain pens for beginners! 

[CPTBadAss]

Do I need to look for special nibs because I'm holding the pen in the other hand and the ink flows differntly out of the nib? But I guess I'll have to look either n Fountain Pen Network or the Nib Nook. Unfortunately I only can see this when I'm at home.

I've heard a lot that being lefthanded really changes how your writing experience with fountain pens will be. I think you've got the right idea starting with a Pilot Fine and drier ink. If you find that you're still smearing ink, perhaps try finding an extra-fine nib. Other than that, I'm not 100% sure. That's another thing you'll have to look into yourself.

The thing with fountain pens is that I feel that it's *much* more personal than mechanical keyboards. How I write and what I like will be completely different from your experience, even with a Metropolitan. Handwriting styles and techniques are so unique to each person it's hard to comment in general about something. I find that with pens, I really can't make a decision other than if I like the aesthetics until I try writing with it myself. For example, I like really thick lines and broad nibs because it forces me to slow down my writing speed and gets me to actually practice my handwriting. If I go thinner, I scribble and smear everything.

If the Pound to Euro exchange doesn't help you, SBREBrown seems to like Fontoplumo? They're based out of the Netherlands. I wasn't thinking about that issue .

[terrpn]

Lefties for the most part need a nib similar to what came on the old Waterman #7 Yellows...............ball type.

For whatever reason these seem to work the best from what I have heard for left handers versus more of the exotic grinds.

Whatever awkward angle you hold it at will work

I just bring it up because that was one one of the intents of the yellow nib- purposed specially for lefties.

A regular fine or medium with a decent chunk of iridium should do the trick?

[BlueNalgene]

Lefty here.  I decided to take a crack at some drier ink.  I ordered some Noodler's stuff which is supposed to have a rather quick dry time.  I'd be happy to post a review of the hand smearing once it comes in.

[CPTBadAss]

Lefty here.  I decided to take a crack at some drier ink.  I ordered some Noodler's stuff which is supposed to have a rather quick dry time.  I'd be happy to post a review of the hand smearing once it comes in.

That would be great! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts .

[Binge]

Ditto ink reviews are awesome.

[terrpn]

never knew such a beast existed.............gotta gear up for the next one

[genkidama]

I've heard a lot that being lefthanded really changes how your writing experience with fountain pens will be. I think you've got the right idea starting with a Pilot Fine and drier ink. If you find that you're still smearing ink, perhaps try finding an extra-fine nib. Other than that, I'm not 100% sure. That's another thing you'll have to look into yourself.

Yes this I'll look into. But I hope that the Fine nib and dryer ink will do the trick for me.

The thing with fountain pens is that I feel that it's *much* more personal than mechanical keyboards. How I write and what I like will be completely different from your experience, even with a Metropolitan. Handwriting styles and techniques are so unique to each person it's hard to comment in general about something. I find that with pens, I really can't make a decision other than if I like the aesthetics until I try writing with it myself. For example, I like really thick lines and broad nibs because it forces me to slow down my writing speed and gets me to actually practice my handwriting. If I go thinner, I scribble and smear everything.

I think so, too. Although mechs are still very very personal, especially if you can build them for yourself. In some point I want to try this out (for mechs). Nontheless you are right Sir. Still they will be a common ground for certain things that everybody can get behind, like the system used in a pen or what materials were used and stuff like that. Personal preference always present while buying shoes, cells and stuff like that

If the Pound to Euro exchange doesn't help you, SBREBrown seems to like Fontoplumo? They're based out of the Netherlands. I wasn't thinking about that issue .

Nevermind that Fontoplumo seems very good and has good shipping cost, around 3€. Unfortunately no Pilot, but I could choose from Kaweco and Lamy. I'll see if I can get a shop that's decent in costs and has the Pilot available. I'll it, if I finde one. If someone's interested.

Lefties for the most part need a nib similar to what came on the old Waterman #7 Yellows...............ball type.

I'll keep that in mind. Could be good if I can put the nib in other pens as well. Research research

I just bring it up because that was one one of the intents of the yellow nib- purposed specially for lefties.

A regular fine or medium with a decent chunk of iridium should do the trick?

Could you elaborate on that more? Not familiar what the iridium would do here 

Lefty here.  I decided to take a crack at some drier ink.  I ordered some Noodler's stuff which is supposed to have a rather quick dry time.  I'd be happy to post a review of the hand smearing once it comes in.

Yeah please do one! I am very interested in this!

[terrpn]

see if this helps.............

[CPTBadAss]

I just bring it up because that was one one of the intents of the yellow nib- purposed specially for lefties.

A regular fine or medium with a decent chunk of iridium should do the trick?

Could you elaborate on that more? Not familiar what the iridium would do here 

see if this helps.............

Show Image

I think what you're missing is that you mentioned iridium and you didn't say it was a nib tipping material. I think what terrpn is trying to say is that as long as the pen you get has a good nib you should be fine. For example, I've had really good success with Pilot and Lamy nibs right out of the box. Other nibs, such as Noodler's, might need some extra work in order to write optimally.

[genkidama]

Yes, I got it now! Thanks for the patience and help!

[terrpn]

I just bring it up because that was one one of the intents of the yellow nib- purposed specially for lefties.

A regular fine or medium with a decent chunk of iridium should do the trick?

Could you elaborate on that more? Not familiar what the iridium would do here 

see if this helps.............

Show Image

I think what you're missing is that you mentioned iridium and you didn't say it was a nib tipping material. I think what terrpn is trying to say is that as long as the pen you get has a good nib you should be fine. For example, I've had really good success with Pilot and Lamy nibs right out of the box. Other nibs, such as Noodler's, might need some extra work in order to write optimally.

exactly.............

[CPTBadAss]

Reloaded some pens before Philly.



My lower case k practice is starting to look ok. I'm really stoked on how this looks.

[Binge]

When the pen doesn't work you might just have to make it work,

[Zeroblade]

Sorry about the late reply, been staying away from GH lately to avoid tempting myself on spending on more keyboard stuff!

Wow the venerable Nakaya pens. Are they really nice to write with? How much did you pay for them? Last of all, out of the entire bunch, which is your favorite writing pen?

It's all hand-lacquered so it's very soft and warm in the hand. Very pleasing to hold, and has an almost supple quality to the texture. And of course it's very pretty, in an elegant and understated manner.
The Nakayas are really all about the body, as the nibs are the same as Platinum's (completely interchangeable with each other). So if you would like to have an idea of how a Nakaya would write, get a Platinum 3776. Same nib, same-ish body, but for a fraction of the price. However, Nakayas do have a tendency to have a wider choice of nibs. Platinum also has "soft" nibs, the nicer ones being chosen to be used in Nakayas, but don't count on them flexing - they're just kinda springy at best.
I personally don't own one yet, but you can expect to pay around 500 USD + S&H and such for the most basic Nakaya (a black Piccolo). Typical models are somewhere from 600~800 USD, while the fancy ones cost upwards of 1000 USD.
Of the bunch, I think I enjoyed the Long Piccolo the most. The cursive italic grind I did turned out really well, and the pen is a good size. Somewhat oversize in length, but standard thickness for a pen. Sadly, I had to give it back to its owner. It will be missed! I have other pens that I very much enjoy using though, my most recent being this Omas Ogiva in the Autunno celluloid:


Omas Ogiva Autunno by @Zeroblade, on Flickr

----

Oh I almost forgot! I bought a Pentel Metropolitan medium nib and it branches like crazy with their ink. I'm going to get a fine nib soon, but are there any inks that are thick or that doesn't go super fuzzy around the edges?

Pelikan (both 4001 and Edelstein series), Mont Blanc, and Lamy are all fairly dry-writing inks, but I highly suggest getting nicer paper instead. It vastly improves the writing experience, and allows the qualities of the ink to shine through better, especially with shading and sheen, like here:


(sailor tokiwa matsu)

Or perhaps you could use an extra-fine nib, such as a Pilot Metropolitan with a fine nib, but inks will still probably feather on those.

----

I also took a little time to check out the Mont Blanc Boutique, Cartier, Hermes, and Louis Vuitton in NYC to see what fountain pens they had to offer. Here's some pictures of my favorite. The Hermes Nautilus. Oh and some pictures of one of the Hermes exclusive inks.

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The announcement of the LV pen really amused us in the local fountain pen group since it was basically nothing but a glorified Pilot Vanishing Point. Even the cartridges and everything are the same LOL. But hey, I suppose if people have money to burn, no one's stopping then from spending it the way they want to. I have to admit, it is kind of pretty, at least.

----

- I'm a left-hander (so I guess I need a fine nib and some ink that can dry up quicker so that I don't wipe it along the paper with my hand)
- I searched a bit and it seems a Pilot Metropolitan Fine Nib would be good and not too expensive.
- I dont want to go over 50€. If it is to be below that and I still can get a good pen, I'd go for that instead as I want to minimize my investment if the fountain pens are not meant to be for me besides the one I had in my childhood (Unfortunately I'm kinda picky regarding certain things).
- As I'm residing in Germany I'd like to minimize shipping cost as much as possible. I found some fountain pens via eBay but the shipping cost were sometimes almost the smae what the pen would cost.

Sorry if I'm kind of repeating stuff already mentioned in the earlier posts; writing too much stuff that I've already lost track of what's been said here.

The Pilot Metropolitan pretty much hits the nail on the head for what you need. If you prefer to buy things locally, then Germany should have a good selection of models as it is: as mentioned, the Lamy Safari is one of the most commonly recommended pens around, but it costs around twice as much as the Metropolitan does.

German pens also have a tendency of writing wet and wide, while Japanese pens are one size down from Western pens (Japanese Medium = Western Fine, etc.), and also have a more modest ink flow. Both Kaweco and Lamy pens use cartridge/converter systems, and I highly recommend you use a converter since it costs much less to buy ink by the bottle. Then just carry around cartridges just in case.

If you're willing to spend some more (around maybe 70 to 80 EUR) then there is also the Pelikan M200, which is quite durable, and has good ink capacity. It only fills from a bottle however. It doesn't bother typical fountain pen enthusiasts, but it may be a consideration for you. Also around this price level are the Lamy 2000, Pilot Vanishing Point and Custom 74, the Platinum 3776, and the Sailor 1911M, all of which are leftie-friendly thin writers, except for the Lamy 2000. All of these pens are what most consider gateway pens to "nice pens", since they are all very reliable, write well, and have good value, hovering around the 100~150 USD range.

[] I also wanted to know if the fountain pens are very sensible if I travel with them in my bag? Do I need to take care of them or is it alright to put them in a case and put the case into my bag?

I think that many of us here carry our pens in a pen case or pen wrap; this is what mine is like right now:



Fountain pens are kind of like nice keyboards, fancy writing instruments, so I think you should treat them as such.
Other people use harder, leather pen cases (I carry one alongside the pen case when I want to bring more pens), others use pen wraps that have pockets for each individual pen, etc. There are lots of cases and wraps out there that can probably suit your tastes and needs.

The engravings looked a little bit like this I found while browsing the net.

A lot of filigree pens back in the 1900s to 1940s were made by Waterman and Wahl, so those are the most likely brands. There were a lot of one-offs and bespoke makes though, so it's hard to say definitively unless we had the specimen on hand. A shame it was thrown out as there are tens, if not hundreds of people who can repair and restore pens (currently learning how to myself).

Hope that covers everything for now, I guess!

[Binge]

I'm getting ready to dump a ton of pictures in this thread. 

Thanks for the nice detailed post Zeroblade.

[Skuloth]

I'm getting ready to dump a ton of pictures in this thread. 

Thanks for the nice detailed post Zeroblade.

Will they be of pens that don't always write?

[CPTBadAss]

Will they be of pens that don't always write?

I fixed them *after* you left .

[Binge]

Will they be of pens that don't always write?

I fixed them *after* you left .

Yeah it's a damn shame too.  Maybe Skuloth wouldn't be so salty if he could feel them in their inky glory!

So... Pen show album is up! http://imgur.com/a/ESdqa

[tp4tissue]

Again, no hot chick photos......

[FrostyToast]

Will they be of pens that don't always write?

I fixed them *after* you left .

Yeah it's a damn shame too.  Maybe Skuloth wouldn't be so salty if he could feel them in their inky glory!

So... Pen show album is up! http://imgur.com/a/ESdqa

This is absolutely amazing.
I so want to go to a pen show just to write all freaking day and ogle at all of the pens I would likely destroy by accident... Yeah I shouldn't go to pen shows... Those cases had hundreds of pens worth more than my most expensive keyboards.

[Noko]

So... Pen show album is up! http://imgur.com/a/ESdqa

Wow
That was a lot bigger that I figured it would be.  Looks like you guys had fun

So I have a pen question.. do they run out fast?  I forgot until now but I ended up missing your little contest Binge cause I went to write with my pen and it was totally out of ink when I maybe wrote 5-7 pages with it.  Or do they dry out easily?

[FrostyToast]

So... Pen show album is up! http://imgur.com/a/ESdqa

Wow
That was a lot bigger that I figured it would be.  Looks like you guys had fun

So I have a pen question.. do they run out fast?  I forgot until now but I ended up missing your little contest Binge cause I went to write with my pen and it was totally out of ink when I maybe wrote 5-7 pages with it.  Or do they dry out easily?

I think 5-7 pages seems fair for an average pen.
Although it all depends on the nib size and how wet it is. Larger or wetter nibs obviously let out more ink.
If you want, you can do an eyedropper mod which essentially removes the converter inside and uses all of the space inside to store ink.

[Noko]

So... Pen show album is up! http://imgur.com/a/ESdqa

Wow
That was a lot bigger that I figured it would be.  Looks like you guys had fun

So I have a pen question.. do they run out fast?  I forgot until now but I ended up missing your little contest Binge cause I went to write with my pen and it was totally out of ink when I maybe wrote 5-7 pages with it.  Or do they dry out easily?

I think 5-7 pages seems fair for an average pen.
Although it all depends on the nib size and how wet it is. Larger or wetter nibs obviously let out more ink.
If you want, you can do an eyedropper mod which essentially removes the converter inside and uses all of the space inside to store ink.

Ah cool, so now I need to get some ink.  I see how people end up able to try so many

[Binge]

So... Pen show album is up! http://imgur.com/a/ESdqa

Wow
That was a lot bigger that I figured it would be.  Looks like you guys had fun

So I have a pen question.. do they run out fast?  I forgot until now but I ended up missing your little contest Binge cause I went to write with my pen and it was totally out of ink when I maybe wrote 5-7 pages with it.  Or do they dry out easily?

I think 5-7 pages seems fair for an average pen.
Although it all depends on the nib size and how wet it is. Larger or wetter nibs obviously let out more ink.
If you want, you can do an eyedropper mod which essentially removes the converter inside and uses all of the space inside to store ink.

Ah cool, so now I need to get some ink.  I see how people end up able to try so many

A bottle of ink will last a decently long time.  Most pens hold between .5 and 1mL of ink, and the average bottle of ink has between 50 and 90 mL of ink.

CPT and I wrote with so many inks over the weekend.  Let us know what colors you like

[demik]

So... Pen show album is up! http://imgur.com/a/ESdqa

Wow
That was a lot bigger that I figured it would be.  Looks like you guys had fun

So I have a pen question.. do they run out fast?  I forgot until now but I ended up missing your little contest Binge cause I went to write with my pen and it was totally out of ink when I maybe wrote 5-7 pages with it.  Or do they dry out easily?

I think 5-7 pages seems fair for an average pen.
Although it all depends on the nib size and how wet it is. Larger or wetter nibs obviously let out more ink.
If you want, you can do an eyedropper mod which essentially removes the converter inside and uses all of the space inside to store ink.

Ah cool, so now I need to get some ink.  I see how people end up able to try so many

Not sure if they do it for Canada but goulet pen has an "ink drop" service where they monthly send u five diff samples, great way to try out inks also.

[Noko]

So... Pen show album is up! http://imgur.com/a/ESdqa

Wow
That was a lot bigger that I figured it would be.  Looks like you guys had fun

So I have a pen question.. do they run out fast?  I forgot until now but I ended up missing your little contest Binge cause I went to write with my pen and it was totally out of ink when I maybe wrote 5-7 pages with it.  Or do they dry out easily?

I think 5-7 pages seems fair for an average pen.
Although it all depends on the nib size and how wet it is. Larger or wetter nibs obviously let out more ink.
If you want, you can do an eyedropper mod which essentially removes the converter inside and uses all of the space inside to store ink.

Ah cool, so now I need to get some ink.  I see how people end up able to try so many

A bottle of ink will last a decently long time.  Most pens hold between .5 and 1mL of ink, and the average bottle of ink has between 50 and 90 mL of ink.

CPT and I wrote with so many inks over the weekend.  Let us know what colors you like

Hah, you know, purple

[FreeCopy]

Will they be of pens that don't always write?

I fixed them *after* you left .

Yeah it's a damn shame too.  Maybe Skuloth wouldn't be so salty if he could feel them in their inky glory!

So... Pen show album is up! http://imgur.com/a/ESdqa

Nice album.
I appreciate a good writing utensil and have much respect for those with great penmanship. Unfortunately I lack both.
One day while lurking I got out a pen and some paper and started writing and about a quarter way down the page just stopped and was like, "oh my god." Between this thread and one of my co-workers I'm finding inspiration to better my handwriting.

[Zeroblade]

Wow
That was a lot bigger that I figured it would be.  Looks like you guys had fun

So I have a pen question.. do they run out fast?  I forgot until now but I ended up missing your little contest Binge cause I went to write with my pen and it was totally out of ink when I maybe wrote 5-7 pages with it.  Or do they dry out easily?

I've never been to a pen show yet, but in our monthly pen meets here, I regularly get to handle pens that are easily worth 2 or 3 custom keyboards each.  Good times.
As for how long pens last, depends entirely on the pen, on the ink, and on the paper (mostly the pen). For a typical cartridge/converter with a fine nib and average wetness,  I get around 6 pages. But then I have a Custom 823 with an extra fine that lasted me a month, and then a vintage ringtop with a flex nib that lasted me all of half a page... So it depends on a lot of factors, but 5-7 pages is about right.
This is why I carry at least 3-4 pens on my person, since I'm never really sure if my pens still have ink, unless they're demonstrator/clear pens LOL.

Ah cool, so now I need to get some ink.  I see how people end up able to try so many

There's hundreds of inks out there, and always more to discover! Goulet's ink drop subscription is pretty great, and I know some people who were subscribed to it all the way here in the Philippines (not sure if they still are), but you might as well try!



Or just get more ink than you would probably use in your entire life.

[genkidama]

- I'm a left-hander (so I guess I need a fine nib and some ink that can dry up quicker so that I don't wipe it along the paper with my hand)
- I searched a bit and it seems a Pilot Metropolitan Fine Nib would be good and not too expensive.
- I dont want to go over 50€. If it is to be below that and I still can get a good pen, I'd go for that instead as I want to minimize my investment if the fountain pens are not meant to be for me besides the one I had in my childhood (Unfortunately I'm kinda picky regarding certain things).
- As I'm residing in Germany I'd like to minimize shipping cost as much as possible. I found some fountain pens via eBay but the shipping cost were sometimes almost the smae what the pen would cost.

Sorry if I'm kind of repeating stuff already mentioned in the earlier posts; writing too much stuff that I've already lost track of what's been said here.

The Pilot Metropolitan pretty much hits the nail on the head for what you need. If you prefer to buy things locally, then Germany should have a good selection of models as it is: as mentioned, the Lamy Safari is one of the most commonly recommended pens around, but it costs around twice as much as the Metropolitan does.

German pens also have a tendency of writing wet and wide, while Japanese pens are one size down from Western pens (Japanese Medium = Western Fine, etc.), and also have a more modest ink flow. Both Kaweco and Lamy pens use cartridge/converter systems, and I highly recommend you use a converter since it costs much less to buy ink by the bottle. Then just carry around cartridges just in case.

If you're willing to spend some more (around maybe 70 to 80 EUR) then there is also the Pelikan M200, which is quite durable, and has good ink capacity. It only fills from a bottle however. It doesn't bother typical fountain pen enthusiasts, but it may be a consideration for you. Also around this price level are the Lamy 2000, Pilot Vanishing Point and Custom 74, the Platinum 3776, and the Sailor 1911M, all of which are leftie-friendly thin writers, except for the Lamy 2000. All of these pens are what most consider gateway pens to "nice pens", since they are all very reliable, write well, and have good value, hovering around the 100~150 USD range.

Please, I am more than willing to get more info and get to know the pen sphere better via inhaling all of the experience you guys have So thank you for that message, much much appreciato!
Currently I'm kind of hunting the Pilot Metropolitan, I found some Pilot pens but they were these kinds where you use than once and throw them away. Although they are good (watched Goulet vid) for what they cost, I want something that'll last longer.
Unfortunately all the other brands like Lamy are either much more expensive (in the shops I found locally, I've looked around in the big city) or not available. It doesn't matter if it's a general store or a specific pen shop. Pilot is nowhere to be found around here though. As you suggest I want to try out rather the Pilot Metropolitan than a Lamy or Kaweco. Although Kaweco is also a rarity around here =/

I've looked into your suggested pens and gave a thought, although unfortunately I wouldn't buy them just yet. I can't handle the money to buy these right now:
The Pelikan M200, why is it not considered amongst pen enthusiasts? Looks pretty nice and "strong"/durable as you described it. I found one around 57€ in black with a fine nib, which should fit my needs.
The Pilot Vanishing Point is too much for me. I could only find something around 100€, this is too much of an investment right now. My wallet couldn't handle it 
The Pilot Custom 74 is very nice, how do the kids say nowadays? I dig the nib Sounds kinda cool if you stretch the i in dig and nib. Just 10€ above the Pelikan M200 I found, seems good to me. But still don't understand why the M200 is not so popular as the two pens kinda look a like with form factor and style.
The Platinum 3776 looks very nice! I like it in Bourgogne (Burgundy) although it's around 77€ as of right now. And I love the heart-shaped hole in the nib, love those kind of small details.
The Sailor 1911M I found on ebay for around 47€ (but it is the 1911 as I've rechecked it), which seems is a very very good price, isn't it?  Looks good also, but kind of like the Custom and PLatinum 3776 more.

Is ebay a valid option to buy pens or is it more likely to get a fake? I've seen the "Xiaomi Piston v2" on there but most of them are fakes for almost the same price as the originals.

Very good selection I believe, very good looking, seem very handy with the weight, not all but many suffer from hand-cramps while writing. I would want to buy one of those so much grr. I'll consider them if I cannot find a Pilot Metropolitan here. As of right now I can get one Metropolitan at around 35€ which is near to the M200 and Sailor 1911 I found. But I'll keep searching and waiting for the next paycheck, maybe I'll switch to a little more expensive pen and take one of your suggestions. I'm sorry, I'm a very outhinking person and I'm doing it also in the forums it seems. I'm sorry.

[] I also wanted to know if the fountain pens are very sensible if I travel with them in my bag? Do I need to take care of them or is it alright to put them in a case and put the case into my bag?

I think that many of us here carry our pens in a pen case or pen wrap; this is what mine is like right now:

Show Image

Fountain pens are kind of like nice keyboards, fancy writing instruments, so I think you should treat them as such.
Other people use harder, leather pen cases (I carry one alongside the pen case when I want to bring more pens), others use pen wraps that have pockets for each individual pen, etc. There are lots of cases and wraps out there that can probably suit your tastes and needs.

Than it'll be a hard case I guess, as a leather pouch is not very reliable to protect a pen if "thrown" into a backpack and carry it around. I'll make sure to pick a good one though. A pen wrap is more like to give a showcase and show them in a nice way. I agree with you that they a almost like keyboards. If we could we would put the mechs somewhere nice to look upon them and gaze off into thoughts.

The engravings looked a little bit like this I found while browsing the net.

A lot of filigree pens back in the 1900s to 1940s were made by Waterman and Wahl, so those are the most likely brands. There were a lot of one-offs and bespoke makes though, so it's hard to say definitively unless we had the specimen on hand. A shame it was thrown out as there are tens, if not hundreds of people who can repair and restore pens (currently learning how to myself).

Hope that covers everything for now, I guess!

Yeah if my taste in fountain pens is regained and my first pen serves me well, I'm thinking to look for some Waterman pens after I graduate and get this as a graduation gift for me. Would be nice!


I'm sorry for my digressing here and there. I'm just as fascinated as you guys are and somehow this is the way I show appreciation, hopefully it was not that bad or annoying.
Have a good night!

[CPTBadAss]

The Pelikan M200, why is it not considered amongst pen enthusiasts? Looks pretty nice and "strong"/durable as you described it. I found one around 57€ in black with a fine nib, which should fit my needs.

The Pilot Vanishing Point is too much for me. I could only find something around 100€, this is too much of an investment right now. My wallet couldn't handle it 

The Pilot Custom 74 is very nice, how do the kids say nowadays? I dig the nib Sounds kinda cool if you stretch the i in dig and nib. Just 10€ above the Pelikan M200 I found, seems good to me. But still don't understand why the M200 is not so popular as the two pens kinda look a like with form factor and style.


Is ebay a valid option to buy pens or is it more likely to get a fake? I've seen the "Xiaomi Piston v2" on there but most of them are fakes for almost the same price as the originals.

Pelikan M200 is highly regarded at least by me. I have three. I absolutely love Pelikans. It's just they don't have a strong, lower priced pen like the Metropolitan.

The Vanishing Point and 74 are wonderful. I have both and love them.

There are fake pens so be careful on eBay. That being said, I've heard Chinese pens aren't bad.

[Binge]

The Pelikan M200, why is it not considered amongst pen enthusiasts? Looks pretty nice and "strong"/durable as you described it. I found one around 57� in black with a fine nib, which should fit my needs.

The Pilot Vanishing Point is too much for me. I could only find something around 100�, this is too much of an investment right now. My wallet couldn't handle it 

The Pilot Custom 74 is very nice, how do the kids say nowadays? I dig the nib Sounds kinda cool if you stretch the i in dig and nib. Just 10� above the Pelikan M200 I found, seems good to me. But still don't understand why the M200 is not so popular as the two pens kinda look a like with form factor and style.


Is ebay a valid option to buy pens or is it more likely to get a fake? I've seen the "Xiaomi Piston v2" on there but most of them are fakes for almost the same price as the originals.

Pelikan M200 is highly regarded at least by me. I have three. I absolutely love Pelikans. It's just they don't have a strong, lower priced pen like the Metropolitan.

The Vanishing Point and 74 are wonderful. I have both and love them.

There are fake pens so be careful on eBay. That being said, I've heard Chinese pens aren't bad.

+1 I agree wholeheartedly with CPT, and even though we have wildly different tastes in style we both know what writes well and can agree that there are amazing pens for under $100.  When you start to spend more than that much you're really paying for more than simple use.  That's when it really becomes a cost of luxury.

[terrpn]

Pelikan fountain pens have came down nicely in the past years with the 200 and below series with the steel nibs. The nibs as most know can be screwed in/out where the options are pretty much unlimited (14k plus as well)

I see Massdrop is doing one of their drops on the Pelikan 400/405



https://www.massdrop.com/buy/pelikan-souveran-m400?mode=guest_open&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=poll%20launched%20pelikan%20souveran%20-%202015-01-21%2013%3A28%20-%201%2F1%20-%20100%25&utm_campaign=Transactional%3A%20poll%20launched%20pelikan%20souveran

[BlueNalgene]

Lefty here.  I decided to take a crack at some drier ink.  I ordered some Noodler's stuff which is supposed to have a rather quick dry time.  I'd be happy to post a review of the hand smearing once it comes in.

That would be great! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts .

I got the pen and ink that I ordered in today.  As promised, here is the review of the ink.

[FrostyToast]

My friend asked me to write "LOL" the most beautifully I could.
This is what I came up with:

[Binge]

Lefty here.  I decided to take a crack at some drier ink.  I ordered some Noodler's stuff which is supposed to have a rather quick dry time.  I'd be happy to post a review of the hand smearing once it comes in.

That would be great! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts .

I got the pen and ink that I ordered in today.  As promised, here is the review of the ink.

Show Image

Show Image

First thing I noticed when I got my first pens is that Leuchttern(sp?) paper was terrible.

That Ahab is AWESOME.  I love GOOOOOOLD.

[CPTBadAss]

Lefty here.  I decided to take a crack at some drier ink.  I ordered some Noodler's stuff which is supposed to have a rather quick dry time.  I'd be happy to post a review of the hand smearing once it comes in.

That would be great! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts .

I got the pen and ink that I ordered in today.  As promised, here is the review of the ink.

Show Image

Show Image

Great review! Thanks for sharing. I've had some issues with the Leuchtturm paper quality control so I'm not surprised in general that there was that much bleedthrough. I wonder what paper would be good for left-handed writers. I don't think my preferred paper, Rhodia, would be good because it takes time for ink to dry on it.

[BlueNalgene]

Lefty here.  I decided to take a crack at some drier ink.  I ordered some Noodler's stuff which is supposed to have a rather quick dry time.  I'd be happy to post a review of the hand smearing once it comes in.

That would be great! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts .

I got the pen and ink that I ordered in today.  As promised, here is the review of the ink.

Show Image

Show Image

Great review! Thanks for sharing. I've had some issues with the Leuchtturm paper quality control so I'm not surprised in general that there was that much bleedthrough. I wonder what paper would be good for left-handed writers. I don't think my preferred paper, Rhodia, would be good because it takes time for ink to dry on it.

Yeah, I am yet to find the perfect paper that isn't just glorified inkjet fodder.  I have been super happy with my Leuchtturms though.  I have 2 filled up, 1 in progress, and 2 spares ready to rock.  I like the little things that make my thoughts more organized like page numbers, date blocks, bound pages (perforated pages are not admissible as evidence, especially for patent concerns), spine stickers for archival, and so on.  It isn't my regular lab notebook, but I keep research notes in them meaning that having permanent access to the exact copies is essential.

[Zeroblade]

Currently I'm kind of hunting the Pilot Metropolitan, I found some Pilot pens but they were these kinds where you use than once and throw them away. Although they are good (watched Goulet vid) for what they cost, I want something that'll last longer.
Unfortunately all the other brands like Lamy are either much more expensive (in the shops I found locally, I've looked around in the big city) or not available. It doesn't matter if it's a general store or a specific pen shop. Pilot is nowhere to be found around here though. As you suggest I want to try out rather the Pilot Metropolitan than a Lamy or Kaweco. Although Kaweco is also a rarity around here =/

I've looked into your suggested pens and gave a thought, although unfortunately I wouldn't buy them just yet. I can't handle the money to buy these right now:
The Pelikan M200, why is it not considered amongst pen enthusiasts? Looks pretty nice and "strong"/durable as you described it. I found one around 57€ in black with a fine nib, which should fit my needs.
The Pilot Vanishing Point is too much for me. I could only find something around 100€, this is too much of an investment right now. My wallet couldn't handle it 
The Pilot Custom 74 is very nice, how do the kids say nowadays? I dig the nib Sounds kinda cool if you stretch the i in dig and nib. Just 10€ above the Pelikan M200 I found, seems good to me. But still don't understand why the M200 is not so popular as the two pens kinda look a like with form factor and style.
The Platinum 3776 looks very nice! I like it in Bourgogne (Burgundy) although it's around 77€ as of right now. And I love the heart-shaped hole in the nib, love those kind of small details.
The Sailor 1911M I found on ebay for around 47€ (but it is the 1911 as I've rechecked it), which seems is a very very good price, isn't it?  Looks good also, but kind of like the Custom and PLatinum 3776 more.

Is ebay a valid option to buy pens or is it more likely to get a fake? I've seen the "Xiaomi Piston v2" on there but most of them are fakes for almost the same price as the originals.

Very good selection I believe, very good looking, seem very handy with the weight, not all but many suffer from hand-cramps while writing. I would want to buy one of those so much grr. I'll consider them if I cannot find a Pilot Metropolitan here. As of right now I can get one Metropolitan at around 35€ which is near to the M200 and Sailor 1911 I found. But I'll keep searching and waiting for the next paycheck, maybe I'll switch to a little more expensive pen and take one of your suggestions. I'm sorry, I'm a very outhinking person and I'm doing it also in the forums it seems. I'm sorry.

I believe the disposable fountain pen you're referring to is the Pilot Varsity. It actually is possible to refill it by taking it apart and using a syringe to fill it with ink again. (just look for guides via Google)
Re: The Pelikan M200 - Sorry for the confusion What I meant to say is that most fountain pen enthusiasts do not mind the M200 being a piston filler (no cartridges), but some people may prefer the cartridges as a backup in case they run out of ink.
The Sailor, Platinum, and Pilot are all quite similar, actually. So it comes down to more of the details. As for the Sailor, I mentioned the 1911M, which is just the smaller version of the 1911 (full size). Both are good.
The Vanishing Point can be rather pricey, but the retractable mechanism is very convenient for one-handed operation. Although, the ink capacity is just terrible.

Ebay can be a viable place to buy pens, and there aren't too many fakes of the pens that aren't obviously famous like Mont Blanc. Furthermore, some Chinese pens are actually quite good writers -- there are Jinhaos you can get for less than 10 USD that can write just as well as a Pilot. However, because these pens usually have very poor quality control, there is also a chance that you can get a very bad writer. It's kind of like Russian Roulette.

No need to apologize for thinking out loud -- we all tend to do that sometimes, I'm sure.
If it were up to me, I would suggest saving up for the M200 (or something similar), as you will be getting a much nicer pen (especially with ink capacity). However, that doesn't mean that the Metropolitan doesn't write as well, of course. If you are looking for a thinner-writing pen, I would much rather recommend the Metropolitan over the M200.

Than it'll be a hard case I guess, as a leather pouch is not very reliable to protect a pen if "thrown" into a backpack and carry it around. I'll make sure to pick a good one though. A pen wrap is more like to give a showcase and show them in a nice way. I agree with you that they a almost like keyboards. If we could we would put the mechs somewhere nice to look upon them and gaze off into thoughts.

As long as the pen stays in place (doesn't clatter around and hit other pens), it should be fine.
Also, make sure that the pen stays upright whenever possible, as throwing it around, keeping it upside down, etc. may cause the ink to leak out.
Unlike ballpoint pens, where you are applying an oil-based ink to paper by force, a fountain pen is really just a controlled leak. When you write, you simply let the ink inside the pen leak onto the paper at just the right amount, and when you are not writing, you make sure that the ink doesn't leak when you don't want it to.

Yeah if my taste in fountain pens is regained and my first pen serves me well, I'm thinking to look for some Waterman pens after I graduate and get this as a graduation gift for me. Would be nice!

I'm sorry for my digressing here and there. I'm just as fascinated as you guys are and somehow this is the way I show appreciation, hopefully it was not that bad or annoying.
Have a good night!

Watermans nowadays are a little boring for me (just my opinion of course), and the best value for money really comes  from Japanese pens.
You may have seen pictures of various pens from TWSBI, a Taiwanese manufacturer. They are most famous for their TWSBI Diamond 530/540/580, which is like the Pelikan M800, but at a much more affordable price of around 55 USD. Of course, the materials, nib, etc. are not as nice, but you may want to look into it as well.
What's most important is that you enjoy the hobby/descent into madness :>


~~ pictures of a pen to break up the wall of text ~~


Wahl-Eversharp Doric by @Zeroblade, on Flickr


Wahl-Eversharp Doric by @Zeroblade, on Flickr

~~ end pictures ~~

Pelikan fountain pens have came down nicely in the past years with the 200 and below series with the steel nibs. The nibs as most know can be screwed in/out where the options are pretty much unlimited (14k plus as well)

I see Massdrop is doing one of their drops on the Pelikan 400/405

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/pelikan-souveran-m400?mode=guest_open&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=poll%20launched%20pelikan%20souveran%20-%202015-01-21%2013%3A28%20-%201%2F1%20-%20100%25&utm_campaign=Transactional%3A%20poll%20launched%20pelikan%20souveran

I have one of these, the M405 in Stresseman Blue. Fantastic pen, and very well-finished. It's pretty much the same as an M200, although instead of plastic, it uses smoother, shinier (and more fragile) resin for the body, and comes with a 14k nib, rather than steel.
Although I've kind of outgrown its size nowadays, since I've gotten rather used to MB 149-sized oversize pens...

Great review! Thanks for sharing. I've had some issues with the Leuchtturm paper quality control so I'm not surprised in general that there was that much bleedthrough. I wonder what paper would be good for left-handed writers. I don't think my preferred paper, Rhodia, would be good because it takes time for ink to dry on it.

Clairefontaine and Rhodia (which uses Clairefontaine anyway) are both somewhat coated so inks do tend to dry a bit slower than usual. Although the Leuchtturm papers are somewhat more absorbent than I like, they should fit your needs fine since you need the ink to dry quickly (or in this case, the paper absorbs the ink quicker).

[Binge]

There is a calligraphy paper that Gourmet Pens was talking about which would be great for lefties.  It absorbs ink well due to a lack of coating and it's just burly burly paper THICK stuff.

http://www.gourmetpens.com/2014/09/review-sn2-paper-for-smooth-sharp-nibs.html#.VMF58Ueop8H

[DrHubblePhD]

Im new to this thread but I just wanted to make sure that you guys knew about this http://www.williamhenry.com/writing-intstruments.html

[Binge]

Im new to this thread but I just wanted to make sure that you guys knew about this http://www.williamhenry.com/writing-intstruments.html

I much prefer http://www.fountainpenstudios.com/ if I'm going to get into that avenue of pens.

[BlueNalgene]

There is a calligraphy paper that Gourmet Pens was talking about which would be great for lefties.  It absorbs ink well due to a lack of coating and it's just burly burly paper THICK stuff.

http://www.gourmetpens.com/2014/09/review-sn2-paper-for-smooth-sharp-nibs.html#.VMF58Ueop8H

I looked it up and got worried.  Handmade paper? I can't afford that! I found a price list HERE that makes it seem much more reasonable than I had expected.  I might have to keep this in mind if I want to try out a "wetter" ink.

That wording bothers me by the way.  If an ink is "wetter", that should mean that it wets the substrate better, increasing absorption and only serving to have annoying levels of bleed-through.  Damn kids these days not knowing what wet really means.

[CPTBadAss]

Saw some upper case Fs on Instagram and I'm stealing them for myself. Trying out some new Fs here.

[sethk_]

Do any of you have tips on how to improve my handwriting? It is pretty atrocious and I would like to improve.