What ever you do, don't buy a good fountain pen

cmd

cmd

Joined
Feb 7, 2004
Messages
1,207
Dang it, I have a new addiction now. I went and bought a pack of Pilot Varsity fountain pens. Only $6 I thought to myself, no big deal.

Trouble is that I really like how they write. Then I wanted to know if these things can be refilled so I searched the web and found www.fountainpennetwork.com and as it turns out these can be refilled.

Then things started getting worse. What ink to use? Oh, and what paper to write on? And then --- I started reading about other better pens (DANGER DANGER DANGER)

I now am the proud owner of a Lamy 2000 with a fine nib and a few bottles of good ink. Aurora, Noodlers, etc.

I absolutely love how this pen writes. I can't ever imagine going back to ball points or rollerballs.

If you don't want to see money fly out of your pocket, stay away from fountain pens. They are every bit as bad as knives, guns, or flashlights.

Chris
 
Fountain pens are like standard issue in China, everyone use them, and use of ball point is discouraged in school.

They are so dang rare in north america thou, I have a gold tipped fountain pen sitting in drawer not being used because I don't know where to buy ink.
 
Way back when I was in grade school during the 50s, I learned my first "big word"...Atrocious. That was how the nun described my handwriting. It did not improve to any significant degree subsequently.
When I started in police work in 1968, I wrote my first police report in longhand. My sergeant said, "Good report. Never do that again."

I printed everything after that, and considered the advent of the word processer to be on a par with sliced bread and chocolate milk.
Naturally, I have little use for a fountain pen. Such writing as I do is scribbled hastily on tiny notebooks with the cheapest possible ballpoints.
 
I have a knifemaker friend (David Broadwell) who also makes pens. He came to Bastidville for a pen show and stayed with me for a few days. You are right fountain pens are very dangerous. :D.

Stuck my toes in the water with a Parker Calligraphy pen (It is OK, but I still like my dip pens better for calligraphy) and an older Vacumatic (I love that pen). I had to jerk my feet out of the water at that point and am too scared to go to any more Pen Shows. ;).
 
jzmtl said:
Fountain pens are like standard issue in China, everyone use them, and use of ball point is discouraged in school.

They are so dang rare in north america thou, I have a gold tipped fountain pen sitting in drawer not being used because I don't know where to buy ink.
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I bought a bottle from this place, they seem to have a wide range of choices and their customer service was good: http://shop.peartreepens.com/category.sc?categoryId=5

I keep telling myself that this one good pen will be enough but know deep down that a Parker 51 is in my future. :o
 
One of my in-laws has a Parker 51 from about 1940; out of the entire collection including several more expensive pens, this one writes the best, so I have been reminded for over 20 years! :) Yes, it does write like butter.
 
Bastid said:
I have a knifemaker friend (David Broadwell) who also makes pens. He came to Bastidville for a pen show and stayed with me for a few days. You are right fountain pens are very dangerous. :D.
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Heck, David Broadwell's rollerballs are just as dangerous. I have to admit that the match rollerball/FP set he made for me is pretty damn killer.
 
Bastid said:
I have a knifemaker friend (David Broadwell) who also makes pens. He came to Bastidville for a pen show and stayed with me for a few days. You are right fountain pens are very dangerous. :D.

Stuck my toes in the water with a Parker Calligraphy pen (It is OK, but I still like my dip pens better for calligraphy) and an older Vacumatic (I love that pen). I had to jerk my feet out of the water at that point and am too scared to go to any more Pen Shows. ;).
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Hey Bastid, post up a pic or two of that Vacumatic. I'd love to see one of them.

Chris
 
cmd said:
Dang it, I have a new addiction now. I went and bought a pack of Pilot Varsity fountain pens. Only $6 I thought to myself, no big deal.

Trouble is that I really like how they write. Then I wanted to know if these things can be refilled so I searched the web and found www.fountainpennetwork.com and as it turns out these can be refilled.
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I lucked into the Pilot Varsity earlier this year. Great fountain pen for the money. You don't see too many folks using them though.

Razz
 
Razzierb said:
I lucked into the Pilot Varsity earlier this year. Great fountain pen for the money. You don't see too many folks using them though.

Razz
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Those things really are nice. To me they are a solid reference.
 
Yeah, the Pilot Varsity is what got me started also. I should have never bought one. :)
Now i have about 5 or 6 FP's, and I made the trip to DC this year for the Annual Pen Super Show.



Blades
 
email me your address and I will send you my daily use rotring. it is rough around the edges, from daily use, but a great writer. It loads waterman ink refills and I will put a couple in.

It is not a 600, but an older one that I bought from a UK seller.

I went to a Monteverde Regatta for daily use and this one deserves to still be used.


cmd said:
I would trade a good knife for a Rotring 600 fountain pen. That's how bad it has gotten.
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Ed T said:
email me your address and I will send you my daily use rotring. it is rough around the edges, from daily use, but a great writer. It loads waterman ink refills and I will put a couple in.

It is not a 600, but an older one that I bought from a UK seller.

I went to a Monteverde Regatta for daily use and this one deserves to still be used.
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Wow Ed T, thank you very much. I'll send you a little something back :thumbup:

Chris
 
I've got a couple dozen vintage, and a few newer ones. My favorite is an original series Parker Centennial Duofold. Most of the time I write with a vintage 1948 Parker 51.

Good ink helps.
 
For those of you who do use fountain pens- are these implements that you would carry with you and use like anyone else would use a regular pen for, such as signing receipts, etc? I nearly bought one recently but didn't know how it would work for edc uses. I don't need to carry something that takes a lot of preparation just to take a quick note, or sign a receipt with.
 
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