Do you use a fountain pen?

[SystemParanoia]

I think im going to need to get a few stub nibs too



Its just a shame ive never been able to do anything but rip the paper to shreds with them

[mywifeshusband]

I use a Kaweco Liliput in copper every day. Very tactile.
Also a couple of Pilot V pens on my desk in differing colours for highlighting notes etc.

I make people sign for cash using the Pilot pens and most say they've not used a fountain pen since leaving school. Our 18 year old IT Junior had no idea of how to use a fountain pen for which I berated his mother who is one of the senior executives.

[bitchstewie]

mywifeshusband said:

I make people sign for cash using the Pilot pens and most say they've not used a fountain pen since leaving school. Our 18 year old IT Junior had no idea of how to use a fountain pen for which I berated his mother who is one of the senior executives.

I did wonder about this as I just take it as a given that people would know what one was and kids would still use them at school.

[Pints]

bhstewie said:

I did wonder about this as I just take it as a given that people would know what one was and kids would still use them at school.

It's something I also come across. On the odd occasion that a colleague doesn't have the decency to ask before taking my pen, I often see a look of bewilderment when they pop the lid off. And no, I don't let them use my fountain pens.

P.S. Have ordered a bottle of Pelikan violet. Should make a nice change to the usual blue and black.

[SystemParanoia]

Pints said:

bhstewie said:

I did wonder about this as I just take it as a given that people would know what one was and kids would still use them at school.

It's something I also come across. On the odd occasion that a colleague doesn't have the decency to ask before taking my pen, I often see a look of bewilderment when they pop the lid off. And no, I don't let them use my fountain pens.

P.S. Have ordered a bottle of Pelikan violet. Should make a nice change to the usual blue and black.

I normally Run Diamine's Burnt Sienna and Sherwood Green

[Davey S2]

Parents gave me a really nice Sheaffer fountain pen for my Birthday years ago. I still have it but don't use it.

In work I use a Pilot V Pen. Cheap, writes really well, no ink to mess around with and I don't care if they get lost or damaged.



I've always wanted a Chopard fountain pen with the 'tyre tread' grip.

Edited by Davey S2 on Friday 6th January 11:06

[SystemParanoia]

They dont seem aweful.. but costlier than a Cheapy Jinhao

[blueg33]

Chap at work read that on average people with high IQ's prefer brown in in their fountain pens. So he went out and bought some brown ink............

Shall I tell him?

[bitchstewie]

blueg33 said:

Chap at work read that on average people with high IQ's prefer brown in in their fountain pens. So he went out and bought some brown ink............

Shall I tell him?

Haha that's funny because whilst I have genuinely never heard of that (and suspect it's a wind-up) the first bottle of ink I've purchased is brown

[blueg33]

bhstewie said:

blueg33 said:

Chap at work read that on average people with high IQ's prefer brown in in their fountain pens. So he went out and bought some brown ink............

Shall I tell him?

Haha that's funny because whilst I have genuinely never heard of that (and suspect it's a wind-up) the first bottle of ink I've purchased is brown

If you knew him you would know its not a wind up!

[Pints]

A thrilled 8 year old HalfPints came home yesterday with her pen license (apparently that's a thing now). Last night my dad sat with her teaching the fine art of using a calligraphy pen, and this morning I'm taking a look at inexpensive fountain pens to encourage her love of art.

[/proud dad]

[Slaav]

AndrewCrown said:

Confirmed Fountain pen user here too....
My suggestions...
Current favourite... Kaweco... Lovely low to mid range German pen which I think writes exceptionally well ... It also for some reason keeps the ink from drying out much longer than any of my others...

Which include...

Rotring Calligraphy set
Lamy.. STmodel.. Keep red ink in this one
Mont Blanc Meisterstuck... Wide nib... For Signing contracts... Or other important things..
Mont Blanc Boheme.. Wonderful mechanism...

Also rather sadly I've searched all over eBay and found replacements for all my old pens...

Quick question..... I am now the proud owner of a Mont Blanc fountain pen with the 'piston cartridge' that twists to fill?? Can't remember which model exactly.

Any tips? Instruction manual is a pain. Should I bother with MB ink? Should I change from piston cartridge etc etc?

[flight147z]

Mine arrived today

Harder to write with than I remember from school!

[SystemParanoia]

flight147z said:

Mine arrived today

Harder to write with than I remember from school!

I love the 599.

Becareful when screwing the back cover on. Its very easy to crack. Normally below one of the viewing windows to the edge

[williredale]

Pints said:

A thrilled 8 year old HalfPints came home yesterday with her pen license (apparently that's a thing now). Last night my dad sat with her teaching the fine art of using a calligraphy pen, and this morning I'm taking a look at inexpensive fountain pens to encourage her love of art.

[/proud dad]

That is indeed a thing. My eldest has a pen license so I bought her a Jinhao 599 the same as the post above mine. I then ended up buying a bunch more for her friends.
That's the beauty of the cheap chinese pens. It felt cheap though and not as good quality wise as my other Jinhaos (x450, x750). It is much lighter and probably easier to use for long periods for smaller hands. It's a knock off of the Lamy Safari.

[Pints]

williredale said:

That is indeed a thing. My eldest has a pen license so I bought her a Jinhao 599 the same as the post above mine. I then ended up buying a bunch more for her friends.
That's the beauty of the cheap chinese pens. It felt cheap though and not as good quality wise as my other Jinhaos (x450, x750). It is much lighter and probably easier to use for long periods for smaller hands. It's a knock off of the Lamy Safari.

Good tips, thanks. Off to scour eBay for a cheap Jinhao.

Edit: a 599 ordered for £1. One pound!

Edited by Pints on Saturday 14th January 11:30

[Robbo 27]

Slaav said:

Quick question..... I am now the proud owner of a Mont Blanc fountain pen with the 'piston cartridge' that twists to fill?? Can't remember which model exactly.

Any tips? Instruction manual is a pain. Should I bother with MB ink? Should I change from piston cartridge etc etc?

There are a large number of Montblanc pens but if you are looking at the Meisterstuck range it comprises 149, 146, 147, 145, 144.

If it has a piston cartridge ( as opposed to piston filled) you can use cartridges, piston filled pens cannot, these are 149s and 146s.

If it has been in storage for a while then draw clen water through the nib several times to clean any dried up ink.

You can use cartridges but most people prefer to buy a bottle of ink because you will have a greater choice of brand and colour.

MB ink is reliable and of a good quality, I would suggest that you stay with it but almost any good quality ink made by a fountain pen manufacturer will do, personally I would not use Diamine having poor experience of quality control and have heard of damage caused to pens by Diamine ink.

If you have a 149 or 149 let me know because if it has been left with dried up ink there is a very real chance that the piston will be seized and you risk breaking the rod in attempting to move it. This will be an expensive repair.

Side issue, there are many many fake MBs out there, Ebay is full of them.

[bitchstewie]

What I have found interesting is that not only are pens a whole culture but, it seems, so is the paper you use to write on.

I got myself a couple of nice notebooks, a Rhodia and a Midori MD and I also have a few random notebooks laying around and I have noticed there's a significant difference in how well, or not, pens will write on some kind of paper.

[AlexC1981]

My Jinhao Y6 arrived through my letterbox from China last week. I ordered it 29th December, so it only took a week and a half.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/JINHAO-Y6-Green-co...

It looks very smart indeed. It's a painted metal and polished steel finish. I was expecting plastic at that price. It's actually quite heavy with the lid on. The green colour is a very nice leafy green, not at all flashy.

I was a little concerned initially as the nib was not sitting straight. The pen disassembles quite easily (a little too easily) and I was able to reseat the nib correctly.

It's a medium tip, but it writes much finer and less wet than my Parker Vector, but not as smoothly. I think it has a mild case of "baby bottom". I'm going to order a sheet of 12000 grit micromesh. Apparently if I draw a few figure 8s on the mesh sheet it will give it a little polish and correct the problem.

The silver grip section is a bit too slippery for ideal comfort. The best part of it is the cap. As you put it on you feel some resistance, like a kitchen soft close hinge, then a magnet suddenly snaps it closed in a manner that is actually really satisfying. When writing with the cap on the other end of the pen it does not hold on particularly well.

Overall I am pleased with it and could happily use it everyday. I did not expect the quality to be this good for the ludicrous sum of £2.50, which includes postage!

[Slaav]

Robbo 27 said:

Slaav said:

Quick question..... I am now the proud owner of a Mont Blanc fountain pen with the 'piston cartridge' that twists to fill?? Can't remember which model exactly.

Any tips? Instruction manual is a pain. Should I bother with MB ink? Should I change from piston cartridge etc etc?

There are a large number of Montblanc pens but if you are looking at the Meisterstuck range it comprises 149, 146, 147, 145, 144.

If it has a piston cartridge ( as opposed to piston filled) you can use cartridges, piston filled pens cannot, these are 149s and 146s.

If it has been in storage for a while then draw clen water through the nib several times to clean any dried up ink.

You can use cartridges but most people prefer to buy a bottle of ink because you will have a greater choice of brand and colour.

MB ink is reliable and of a good quality, I would suggest that you stay with it but almost any good quality ink made by a fountain pen manufacturer will do, personally I would not use Diamine having poor experience of quality control and have heard of damage caused to pens by Diamine ink.

If you have a 149 or 149 let me know because if it has been left with dried up ink there is a very real chance that the piston will be seized and you risk breaking the rod in attempting to move it. This will be an expensive repair.

Side issue, there are many many fake MBs out there, Ebay is full of them.

Thanks for taking the time to write that. The pen is brand new and I will try and work out which one it is. It's in my desk at work where it will get most use. I think it is piston filled - twist end and piston moves up and Down to fill etc. Seems to not be removable from body of pen.

Quite looking forward to using it actually as used to love writing with them but expediency took over and now my writing is awful..... Midnight blue MB ink it is then.


Ps - now I understand the silly shaped ink bottle! Every day can still be a school day