Foutain Pen recommendations & forums

J

Joe Talmadge

Joined
Oct 3, 1998
Messages
4,842
Hello,

I'm thinking about spending some big bucks for a nice fountain pen (okay, around $150, pocket change by knife standards, but expensive to me for a pen). I'm looking to get some advice on fountain pens, similar to the quality someone looking for knife advice can get from bladeforums. Any recommendations on pen forums? Thanks!
 
Actually, aside from asking about pen forums, I'll ask about some fountain pen advice here, too. I think we have a small gaggle of fountain pen fans. Here's the note I'll also be posting on the pen forums:


Every Monday morning, I pull out a clean sheet of paper and my fountain pen. On the right side of the paper, I list all my current projects. On the left side, itemized to-do lists of necessary actions for me to drive those projects forward. Through the week, items get checked off, and new to-dos and actions get added to the list. Note that this is not a simple time management exercise for me. The act of listing my actions clears my head, focuses me, motivates me to drive the business forward and dominate competitive situations. When I become so stressed I can't think straight and it seems like I have too much to do, I sit back down and re-do my list. It's an action which is a tonic for mind, body, and soul. It is a zen rock garden, swedish massage, and motivational speech all in one.

Don't think my mention of the fountain pen was extraneous. The fountain pen is integral to the experience. The pen is an integral part of what is a feast to the senses: I love the smell of ink and paper, the look of flowing lines as ink spreads through fibers, the sound of nib-on-paper, and most magnificent of all, the soothing vibrations that go from nib to pen body to finger tips. I've done this exercise with a regular ball point pen, it's just not the same.

Anyway, I bore you with my personal rituals not just so you'll appreciate my flair for the melodramatic, but so that you'll better appreciate what I'm looking for. I'm planning on upgrading my fountain pen, hopefully spending no more than $150 at whatever web discounts I can get. I'm looking for advice on fountain pens that feel good in the hand and write smoothly. I'm looking for advice on ink -- right now I'm using cartridges, do jar inks improve the writing experience? Right now I'm using an inexpensive Waterman, not super-fat, the body is more like the various Parker and Schaeffers, and I think I like the feel of the streamlined body more than many of the super-fat high-end pens I see. Also, any advice on high-end paper would be nice ... a lined pad is what is most useful to me.

Any advice would be appreciated!

Thanks,

Joe
heelh00k@yahoo.com <- please note those are zeroes in the word "h00k"
 
I lack any wealth of experience but, take great joy in using a Parker Cisele Sterling Silver fountain pen my father bought eons ago. He ditched the ink bottle in favor of cartridges and, I see no reason to go back. This pen has the reasonably slender profile you suggest, the cross hatched pattern for good grip and a great tactile sensation, the pricepoint you seek and, the Parker name behind it.

There may be better pens out there in the marketplace but, are there better pens at its current pricepoint? Any hints, tips, etc. are much appreciated.
 
Joe,

top picks in your price range:
1. Pelikan 400
2. Delta Europa
3. Vintage Parker Duofold or Sheaffer Balance (or you could buy a Sheaffer Balance II and have the nib customized).


Resources:

Pen reviews:
http://faculty.haas.berkeley.edu/rjmorgan/openions/

Sites for FP history, design, care & maintenance:
http://www.angelfire.com/fl/prestonthepenman/penguide.html
http://www.rickconner.net/penoply/
http://www.vintagepens.com/


Wonderful forum for FP users:
http://www.pentrace.com/mboard.htm

On-line FP magazine with nice photography:
http://www.penlovers.com/stylophiles.htm

Links site:
http://www.penhero.com/PenBookmarks.htm


Eye candy by two people dear to knifelovers' hearts: Grayson Tighe (Brian's son), and David Broadwell:

http://www.tighepen.com/index.html
http://www.david.broadwell.com/pens.html
 
Addendum:

The nice thing about bottled ink (as opposed to cartridge) is that you have a wider variety of colors, as well as the ability to mix your own. The web page of links mentioned above has reviews of different inks (Aurora, Waterman, Sheaffer, Private Reserve, Herbin, etc).

Paper--I like Clairefontaine . . . heavy, smooth paper, with no feathering of ink.
 
I'm very partial to the Pelikan Souverain M800 fountain pen. It's one of the smoothest writing pens I've ever owned. I have both a fine nib and medium nib. The fine is better for general writing tasks, while the medium nib has the edge for strictly signing signatures.

I am not sure what they cost here, but I got both of mine for a great price though www.pengallery.com.

These pens require bottled ink instead of cartridges.

Pelikan800.jpg
 
First of all, let me list a few of the fountain pens I own and use regularily:

Pelikan M1000
Pelikan M800
Pelikan M400
Pelikan M300
Pelikan 1935 Special Edition
Parker Duofold Mandarin Yellow
Parker Duofold Macarthur
Omas Paragon 75th Anniversary small size
Namiki Vanishing Point
Visconti Kaleido Voyager
Visconti Moonlight Voyager
Montblanc Hemingway
Aurora 88
Stipula Novecento

...etc.

I am writing this list, not to show off (OK, maybe just a little), but to point out that, in order for someone to comment on a fountain pen, he has to actually hold and use the pen. It is like folding knives, you don't know how they feel until you actually hold and use them.


Of all these pens, if I was to own only one, it would be the Pelikan 800, and this is my reccomendation to you, based on what you wrote. I also do this "ritual" with the daily tasks every day, and I understand exactly what you are trying to say. I like a B nib on this pen, but M and F nibs are also nice.

It would take too long to comment on every other pen on this list, so please ask about anything, and I would be happy to write more on the subject.

Inks:
Parker Quink Royal Blue (not fancy, but very dependable, won't dry out, won't clog a pen)
Herbin Poussiere de Lune (a strange dark violet colour)


...and so many others.
 
Thanks a ton, guys, I'm reading through those links now. Generally speaking, what's the thought on nibs? For regular writing, what do most people use (sounds like F)? I'm pretty sure the Waterman I'm using now is M, and I do like it a lot.

I did an ebay search on the Pelikan M800 ... It was going for well over $250 at several of the internet spots I looked at, but it's going for under $170 by many sellers on ebay. That's close enough to my previous limit that I'd consider it. Got lots more research to do, but ebay sounds good about now. By comparison, I'm emailing pengallery to see what their prices are like.


Joe
 
I like a line that is broader then "fine". A Medium is probably the best choice unless you have experience with how the nib writes already. A Broad nib is very thick and probably overkill unless you have a specific reason for a line that thick. A Fine nib is hard to read with my tired eyes.

I remember seeing a really good comparison for nibs in a cursive written font. I think it was Rotring (Germany, not Sanford USA) that had that comparison.

You might want to consider going to a local writing store and checking out the offerings in person. Here in Tucson, we may not have a lot of fancy stores but, there is a really good pen store near the University that I have gone to several times to get specialized pen refills. A couple Rollerball refills is like admission to the store for me. I then get the chance to pick the store owner's brain and demo a few items. Well worth the slight premium I pay for the refills and, I get to avoid Wal-Mart and patronize the local small shop guy :D
 
Originally posted by Joe Talmadge
Thanks a ton, guys, I'm reading through those links now. Generally speaking, what's the thought on nibs? For regular writing, what do most people use (sounds like F)? I'm pretty sure the Waterman I'm using now is M, and I do like it a lot.

I did an ebay search on the Pelikan M800 ... It was going for well over $250 at several of the internet spots I looked at, but it's going for under $170 by many sellers on ebay. That's close enough to my previous limit that I'd consider it. Got lots more research to do, but ebay sounds good about now. By comparison, I'm emailing pengallery to see what their prices are like.


Joe
Click to expand...

You can't go wrong with a Pelikan M800. I actually have quite a few fountain pens also. However, I always come back to my Pelikan. Despite all the hype, my Montblanc Meisterstuck is probably my worst writing pen by the way.

I guess I like a fine nib because there is a bit of draftsman in me. I like a smooth, controlled and deliberate line vs. wide, brushed strokes. Actually, I ordered the medium nib first and found it to be too broad for my tastes. Your mileage may vary.
 
I have both a Pelikan M1000 (medium nib) and a Pelikan M800 broad nib. The M1000 has a very flexible nib; the M800 is stiffer but with a touch of flex. The flex in the nib allows for the variation in the line width depending on the pressure. Both are very pleasurable to write with. I bought both off the internet. I would recommend that before you buy you try them out if at all possible since it is such a tactile thing.

I would also suggest that you consider some older pens from the time when they made them as writers vs lookers, which in my judgement is what the manufacturers do today. I had a Parker Duofold (recent vintage), which was the most inconsistent writing instrument I have ever seen. In some cases the older pens can be had at decent prices. They are nice looking and they were made to write. I used to see them the various pen sites.

If you go with a Pelikan you cannot go wrong. They are nice pens. And then you can indulge in bottled ink. And believe me the search for the perfect ink is as addictive as shopping for the perfect knife.
 
You know how it works, you start with a $150 budget and you end up spending three times that (the same thing as with knives).


I am sorry if I am pushing you towards bigger expenses, but here goes:

www.nibs.com

Click only if you are serious. This is NOT a regular pen link.
 
Ah ... the previous link at nibs.com is by one John Motishaw (sp) and while I have not used his services I have heard he is the master. Yes indeed start at $150 and you can only go up.
 
I´ve used fountain pens since the 60´s, still have some old Esterbrooks with a whole bunch of different nibs, also a Monterosa from the 40´s and a Sheaffers ladies pen and pencil set from the 50´s.

My current EDC is a Pelikan with the screw piston mechanism, don´t now the model number, looks like a 250, it has served me well for some 10 years or more.

I carryied a sterling silver Parker for quite some time, and liked it much.

One of my favorites was a green laquered Parker, the one with the chinese character mark, I let my brother talk me out of it in exchange for a fat Montblanc from the 60´s, not a bad trade moneywise but I really liked that Parker.

For ink I favor Parker Quink.

I do recommend handling the pen before buying, you may find that some look good but feel slippery, or too thick or too thin, etc. At the risk of finding several that feel just right.

I´ll be looking forward to your Pen FAQs ...

Edited to mention nibs:

I like a medium nib for normal use, a fine one is good for drawing and a thick one has a special feel that some people really like, you have to try it.

Calligraphic nibs are cute and fancy, you can buy a simple set from Sheaffer with three different widths and give them a try.

Esterbrook had a great variety, from long and flexible drawing nibs to short and thick for carbon copies, I don´t know if they are still available, I have more than a dozen, some mint in box.
 
You might also go to zoss.com and sign up for the digest version of the email list. Lots of good information there, and nice enough people if you make sure to stay close to topic. I think escribe maintains a searchable archive of it, but I am not 100% sure.

I have about 70 fountain pens in my collection. Of them about 15 get used irregularly and 5 or 6 get used for 90% of my writing. I use a variety of different brands of ink, with Waterman blue-black and south seas blue being my favorites. Namiki blue ink has amazing water resistence. Parker Quink and Sheaffer Skrip and cheap, easy to find and generally work well in most all pens. Unless you have a particularly large handwriting, I would stay with a fine or medium nib depending on brand. I basically use x-fine nibs for notetaking, fine and medium nubs for general writing, and broads and stubs for writing checks.

My personal favorites and most used pens:

1) Vintage Parker 51, 51 Special and 51 Demi, all in the aerometric version. A black Parker 51 Special is my most used pen. These are probably the single most reliable fountain pens ever made, but the do not have some of the panache that a conventional fountain pen does. Most commonly found with fine or medium nibs, and tends to be a rather dry writer as a rule. Nice ones will range anywhere from $40 - $125, with Specials sometimes droping into the $25-30 range on ebay.

2) Namiki Vanishing Point. This is a click action retractable fountain pen. Not a traditional look or function, but a very solid, reliable writer. Fills from a bottle or use cartridges. Nibs run a bit fine, but tend to be very smooth and wet with just a touch of flex. Typically $80-100.

3) Sheaffer Legacy or Legacy II. Large, heavy all metal pens with inlaid nibs. Will fill from bottles or cartridges. Normally fairly wet writers. The fine and x-fine nibs tend (in my experience) to be a bit scratchy, but the medium, broad and stubs are quite nice. Depending on finish, anywhere form $100-175

4) Pelikan 400. Superb little pen. I like the size of the 800 better, but my budget liked the 400, and the budget won. Holds a lot of ink, lovely smooth wet nibs with just a touch of flex. Probably $125-150 for the 400, and closer to $225 for the 800, but not really sure due to some rumors of a price increase.

5) Cross Solo. This is a cheap little pen that is very light, and a little thicker than some of the others. I have several with hair then extra fine nibs that are suberb for taking notes. The nibs are made by Namiki and although stiff are generally quite smooth and utterly reliable. I bought most of mine for $7-10 on ebay, but I suspect a normal street price would be in the $20-30 range. The Radiance line is basically the same pen done up in nicer finishes and sells maybe in the $50-60 range.
 
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