Do you use a fountain pen?
Discussion
AlexC1981 said:
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!
If you have a loupe or very good eyes and strong glasses look at the end of the nib, the two tines should be lined up like oo, if one is out of line then use your thumb nail to ease it back into position.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!
Most Jinhao nibs arrive well set up but yours may need smoothing.
If you cannot wait for the micromesh then as stage 1, try the rougher side of brown wrapping paper, use very little pressure and write 88888888 as quickly as you can with ink or water in the pen.
If you have a piece of flint, a polished stone or polished aluminium, anything that is so smooth that it reflects light, these can all be used to make the nib as smooth as you want.
Slaav said:
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
It is likely to be a 146 or 149 if it is new, both excellent pens. If you are new to filling the pen it is easy to overdo the twist when filling, take it easy and slow, the rods have been known to break. Both these pens have large nibs which need a deep ink reservoir, as you say, that is why MB have a shoe shaped bottle with the reservoir in the heel.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
You've al convinced me to return to proper ink...
Any tips for someone who hasn't picked up a fountain pen for what must be nearly twenty years? I remember I used a Lamy Safari at school which seemed to suit at the time.
Would be looking for a reasonably priced pen, nice vibrant ink and A5ish notebook for work - primarily jotting notes at meetings.
Any tips for someone who hasn't picked up a fountain pen for what must be nearly twenty years? I remember I used a Lamy Safari at school which seemed to suit at the time.
Would be looking for a reasonably priced pen, nice vibrant ink and A5ish notebook for work - primarily jotting notes at meetings.
Sway said:
You've al convinced me to return to proper ink...
Any tips for someone who hasn't picked up a fountain pen for what must be nearly twenty years? I remember I used a Lamy Safari at school which seemed to suit at the time.
Would be looking for a reasonably priced pen, nice vibrant ink and A5ish notebook for work - primarily jotting notes at meetings.
Nothing wrong with Lamy safaris, they will cost around £12 and are well made, if you want a chinese copy then the Jinhao 599 can be bought for around £1 including postage and looks very similar to a Safari.Any tips for someone who hasn't picked up a fountain pen for what must be nearly twenty years? I remember I used a Lamy Safari at school which seemed to suit at the time.
Would be looking for a reasonably priced pen, nice vibrant ink and A5ish notebook for work - primarily jotting notes at meetings.
For inks you have a huge choice, this is probably a good start point
http://www.thewritingdesk.co.uk/fountainpenink.php
They also have a decent range of pens for sale, including a special offer on Lamy pens.
I think that only Lamy cartridges fit Lamy pens, so if you want other brands buy a converter, which should only be around £3.
For an A5 notebook then Sainsburys do a passable copy of the Moleskine for around £4. Moleskines are to be avoided, the paper is not pen friendly and ink bleeds through
There is a large choice of notebooks from the Journal Shop
https://www.thejournalshop.com/notebooks-and-journ...
wong said:
How do you tell which Mont Blanc fountain (144, 145, 146, 149?) pen you have?
Is it engraved somewhere. They just seem to be +10% copies of each other.
On certain model years the number is engraved on the cap ring.Is it engraved somewhere. They just seem to be +10% copies of each other.
The 149 is 14.7 cm Long 14.8 cm Diameter
The 146 is 14.0 cm Long 13.2 cm Diameter
The 149 can feel like a baseball bat in use, some people prefer the smaller size of the 146. The current price of the 149 is £650
I dont have the 144 and 145 to hand to give you measurements, both are significantly smaller than the 146, from memory the 145 is smaller than the 144.
ascayman said:
This thread has inspired me I have a Mont blanc Meisterstück LeGrand Fountain Pen. I haven't used it for 10 odd years, in order to start using it again would it need to be serviced or anything like that or just fill and go?
Montblanc used the title LeGrand on two pens, one was the 147 which took either cartridges or a converter, they also made another pen which was piston fill.If yours is the cartridge pen and it has been left with ink inside the pen this will now have dried up inside the pen. Leave the pen nib downwards in one inch of clear water overnight and this will soften the ink solids. If you dont mind inky teeth for a moment one of the best cheap fixes is to suck clean water through the pen, the pen will soon be ready for a new cartridge. Use a quality cartridge such as MB, they cost a little more but work better.
If it is the piston filler, follow the above in terms of leaving the nib in an inch of water overnight. Next day try turning the filler knob very gently in an anticlockwise direction, if you feel resistance then stop. You do not want to break the rod that is attached to the piston. Put the pen back in the water for another overnight soak. If the piston still will not move then you can either send it to a specialist pen repairer, they will charge around £25 plus postage, Montblanc will also service the pen and replace any worn parts for around £60, the pen will come back looking like new.
Any good quality ink will work in the MB pen but I would reccommend MB, Parker or Waterman, at least for the easily available inks, avoid Diamine which has been known to stain the ink window in the barrels of MB pens.
A number of people make a good living in buying an selling fountain pens, the older the pen the better but generally speaking Montblanc pens keep their price very well, as a minimum, and are sought after by collectors and pen users worldwide.
Finally January 23rd is National Handwriting Day, link to the Telegraph article below.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/12115880/Na...
Edited by Robbo 27 on Tuesday 17th January 13:51
Robbo 27 said:
Montblanc used the title LeGrand on two pens, one was the 147 which took either cartridges or a converter, they also made another pen which was piston fill.
If yours is the cartridge pen and it has been left with ink inside the pen this will now have dried up inside the pen. Leave the pen nib downwards in one inch of clear water overnight and this will soften the ink solids. If you dont mind inky teeth for a moment one of the best cheap fixes is to suck clean water through the pen, the pen will soon be ready for a new cartridge. Use a quality cartridge such as MB, they cost a little more but work better.
If it is the piston filler, follow the above in terms of leaving the nib in an inch of water overnight. Next day try turning the filler knob very gently in an anticlockwise direction, if you feel resistance then stop. You do not want to break the rod that is attached to the piston. Put the pen back in the water for another overnight soak. If the piston still will not move then you can either send it to a specialist pen repairer, they will charge around £25 plus postage, Montblanc will also service the pen and replace any worn parts for around £60, the pen will come back looking like new.
Any good quality ink will work in the MB pen but i would reccommend MB, Parker or Waterman.
A number of people make a good living in buying an selling fountain pens, the older the pen the better but generally speaking Montblanc pens keep their price very well, as a minimum, and are sought after by collectors and pen user worldwide.
Finally January 23rd is National Handwriting Day, link to the Telegraph.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/12115880/Na...
Its the piston filler, smashing advice, thanks. If yours is the cartridge pen and it has been left with ink inside the pen this will now have dried up inside the pen. Leave the pen nib downwards in one inch of clear water overnight and this will soften the ink solids. If you dont mind inky teeth for a moment one of the best cheap fixes is to suck clean water through the pen, the pen will soon be ready for a new cartridge. Use a quality cartridge such as MB, they cost a little more but work better.
If it is the piston filler, follow the above in terms of leaving the nib in an inch of water overnight. Next day try turning the filler knob very gently in an anticlockwise direction, if you feel resistance then stop. You do not want to break the rod that is attached to the piston. Put the pen back in the water for another overnight soak. If the piston still will not move then you can either send it to a specialist pen repairer, they will charge around £25 plus postage, Montblanc will also service the pen and replace any worn parts for around £60, the pen will come back looking like new.
Any good quality ink will work in the MB pen but i would reccommend MB, Parker or Waterman.
A number of people make a good living in buying an selling fountain pens, the older the pen the better but generally speaking Montblanc pens keep their price very well, as a minimum, and are sought after by collectors and pen user worldwide.
Finally January 23rd is National Handwriting Day, link to the Telegraph.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/12115880/Na...
djt100 said:
As for the left handed thing, I learnt a long while a go to turn the paper 90 degrees so i write from top to bottom of the page therefore never smudge, people do look at me oddly when I'm asked to sign anything and i turn the form but ho ho at least i don't end up with ink all over me.
I thought I was the only one! If I had a quid for every time someone says to me "you write upside down" my garage would be much more interesting (ok, slight exaggeration ). It all comes from when I was made to write with a fountain pen in junior school. Firstly I smudged every word I wrote, then moved on to the lefty-claw-hand, which was too uncomfortable, so ended up turning the page like djt100. I do get some funny looks though.Anyway, this thread has made me want to pick up a fountain pen again. Any recommendations? My handwriting is fairly small, and I think I prefer a slim pen compared to some of the fat ones that have appeared on the thread so far.
An example of my scrawl...
Vroom101 said:
I thought I was the only one! If I had a quid for every time someone says to me "you write upside down" my garage would be much more interesting (ok, slight exaggeration ). It all comes from when I was made to write with a fountain pen in junior school. Firstly I smudged every word I wrote, then moved on to the lefty-claw-hand, which was too uncomfortable, so ended up turning the page like djt100. I do get some funny looks though.
Anyway, this thread has made me want to pick up a fountain pen again. Any recommendations? My handwriting is fairly small, and I think I prefer a slim pen compared to some of the fat ones that have appeared on the thread so far.
An example of my scrawl...
For a left handed person with small writing and you would like to try a low priced pen to start you off I would try a fine nibbed Jinhao 599). It all comes from when I was made to write with a fountain pen in junior school. Firstly I smudged every word I wrote, then moved on to the lefty-claw-hand, which was too uncomfortable, so ended up turning the page like djt100. I do get some funny looks though.Anyway, this thread has made me want to pick up a fountain pen again. Any recommendations? My handwriting is fairly small, and I think I prefer a slim pen compared to some of the fat ones that have appeared on the thread so far.
An example of my scrawl...
http://kbeezie.com/jinhao-599-model-differences/
Similar to the orange one in the link. Fine nibbed because it would suit your style and it also lays down the minimum amount of ink. You should be able to buy one for around £1 including postage, that was the amount I paid for a clear model.
If you want to spend a little more I would recommend a Lamy safari with a fine nib which will be about £13, The Pen Shop and Amamzon have them. If you would like something a little more classic then the Parker 45 should work well but you are then looking at £20+
Some left handed writers say they like a nib cut on a slant, referred to as an oblique. For left handers it should be slanted to the right which will allow you to get some variation in the line thickness on letters such as O C Q M etc.
You will need a quick drying ink such as Parkers.
Thanks for the advice, Robbo.
I think I'll try a straight nib first, as I don't really write at an angle - the pen is usually directly over the words, thanks to the unusual way I write (if you see what I mean). I vaguely remember trying a 'lefty' fountain pen when I was at school, and never got on with it.
Right - off to eBay to find myself a pen. Wish me luck
Edit: By the way, what are these 'converters' I keep reading about?
I think I'll try a straight nib first, as I don't really write at an angle - the pen is usually directly over the words, thanks to the unusual way I write (if you see what I mean). I vaguely remember trying a 'lefty' fountain pen when I was at school, and never got on with it.
Right - off to eBay to find myself a pen. Wish me luck
Edit: By the way, what are these 'converters' I keep reading about?
Edited by Vroom101 on Tuesday 17th January 17:33
A hooded nib is mostly covered, an open nib is the opposite, you can see the 80% of the nib and the black thing underneath it which feeds the ink to the nib
A converter replaces a cartridge in a pen and it allows the user to fill the pen from a bottle instead of buying cartridges.
They also help with cleaning the pen, you can flush the nib and feed with clean water before filing with a different coloured ink.
A converter replaces a cartridge in a pen and it allows the user to fill the pen from a bottle instead of buying cartridges.
They also help with cleaning the pen, you can flush the nib and feed with clean water before filing with a different coloured ink.
Edited by Robbo 27 on Tuesday 17th January 17:52
Pints said:
Thanks.
What are the benefits or disadvantages of each?
Personal choice, some people say that the best made pen ever was the Parker 51, a hooded nib pen which sold from around 1941 to 1970, still fetches £40 - £200 today. Others prefer an open gold nib like the larger Montblancs, very little in it in terms of writing performance.What are the benefits or disadvantages of each?
Pints said:
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.
Pelikan Violet, you say?P.S. Have ordered a bottle of Pelikan violet. Should make a nice change to the usual blue and black.
Thanks to Robbo and the other posters on here, I've now ordered a Jinhao 599 in black with a fine nib I'm impatient, so I went for one from a UK seller which cost me the grand total of £3.99 including postage.
Another question, this time regarding ink. Robbo, you recommended Parker ink as it is quick drying. Is this knowledge gleaned from experience or do different inks state if they are quick or slow to dry.
Oh, and another question - why do they dry at different rates?
Thanks
I'm impatient, so I went for one from a UK seller which cost me the grand total of £3.99 including postage.Another question, this time regarding ink. Robbo, you recommended Parker ink as it is quick drying. Is this knowledge gleaned from experience or do different inks state if they are quick or slow to dry.
Oh, and another question - why do they dry at different rates?
Thanks
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