Do you use a fountain pen?

[SystemParanoia]

I love how the fine nib on the Jinhao 126 writes.
Unfortunately i think the pen is just too thin for me.



At-least ive discovered i prefer the Fine nib over the medium

[timmymagic73]

markoc said:

Having spent my formative years using a fountain pen at school, I want to get back into using one in my work life.

I appreciate choice is a very personal thing - weight etc. I currently use cross rollerballs and like a slightly heavier pen. Any recomendations for something to start with, around the £50 mark so I don't take a bath if it turns out to be a folly?

I'd be looking for something that used a refillable cartridge and inkwell

Ultimately if I get on with it, I can see myself getting into pens quite a large way (well, they're cheaper than watches aren't they!)

Don't be put off that the JINHAO pens only cost a few quid - mine is really nice and weighty and writes beautifully. It also came with a refillable plunger cartridge (twist type).

Like you I haven't used one since school, it feels good to practice handwriting again.

Also thanks to previous poster for cartridge recommendation above, I'll check it out.

[Robbo 27]

markoc said:

Having spent my formative years using a fountain pen at school, I want to get back into using one in my work life.

I appreciate choice is a very personal thing - weight etc. I currently use cross rollerballs and like a slightly heavier pen. Any recomendations for something to start with, around the £50 mark so I don't take a bath if it turns out to be a folly?

I'd be looking for something that used a refillable cartridge and inkwell

Ultimately if I get on with it, I can see myself getting into pens quite a large way (well, they're cheaper than watches aren't they!)

You have a lot of choice at this price point.

There is a specialist retailer who has exclusive rights to a pen called the Parsons Essential, if you like a traditional look then this could be for you.

http://www.mrpen.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d184.html

There is a retailer called Andys Pens who has a B and M shop in Tonbridge and sells online, very full range of pens and you can sort by price, around £50 will buy you a nice Cross Bailey and leave you a little change to buy an inexpensive sub £5 pen from China. Sheaffer also have some good value pens at this price. Andys Pens also list Monteverde pens, they would not be on my list. Some Cross and Sheaffer pens have chrome sections (the place where you hold the pen) these look attractive but many people find that their fingers are forever slipping down the pen, a plastic section would probably be better.

http://www.andys-pens.co.uk/fountain-pens?sort=p.p...

If you would like something more modern looking, and in the style of the Rotring shown above, Muji do a very good cartridge pen at £15, all aluminium and performs well other that the pocket clip has been known to break if pushed onto a jacket pocket, the clip was designed for an easier life holding onto shirt pockets which is a bit too geeky for UK tatses:

http://www.muji.eu/pages/online.asp?Sec=13&Sub...

[markoc]

Thanks for the info - so much choice!

[brrapp]

This thread has inspired me to try a fountain pen again so I've rummaging in my drawers and have come up with my Gran's old Parker 51 (black with a gold top). She died in 1979 so the pen is at least 37 years old but probably closer to 50, my Mum gave me the pen when I went off to college the following year. I used it for a few years but its been lying at the back of a drawer for at least 30 years now.
Any thing I need to do to get it back in working order other than buying a bottle of ink and filling it? Or will it be knackered having lain empty for all that time?

[Robbo 27]

brrapp said:

This thread has inspired me to try a fountain pen again so I've rummaging in my drawers and have come up with my Gran's old Parker 51 (black with a gold top). She died in 1979 so the pen is at least 37 years old but probably closer to 50, my Mum gave me the pen when I went off to college the following year. I used it for a few years but its been lying at the back of a drawer for at least 30 years now.
Any thing I need to do to get it back in working order other than buying a bottle of ink and filling it? Or will it be knackered having lain empty for all that time?

One of the great pens of the world.

All depends how you want to go, it can be made to look like new with any dents in the cap removed and polished up and working perfectly for £25, it will then be worth around £75. You can get it going by leaving the nib to soak in 1 inch of cold water to soften any ink deposits, leave it over night and then see how if fills just with clean water. If it doesnt fill leave it nib down for 24 hours and try again. If it still doesnt work I can give you the name of a 51 specialist.

Have a look at the end of the nib, it shouldnt be bent and the two points should be in line and look like oo, but closer together.

Very nice find BTW.

[williredale]

brrapp said:

This thread has inspired me to try a fountain pen again so I've rummaging in my drawers and have come up with my Gran's old Parker 51 (black with a gold top). She died in 1979 so the pen is at least 37 years old but probably closer to 50, my Mum gave me the pen when I went off to college the following year. I used it for a few years but its been lying at the back of a drawer for at least 30 years now.
Any thing I need to do to get it back in working order other than buying a bottle of ink and filling it? Or will it be knackered having lain empty for all that time?

It shouldn't be knackered but it might need a bit of recommissioning.

Lets have some pictures!

ETA - What robbo 27 said!

[The Beaver King]

Only just noticed this thread; confirmed fountain pen user checking in. Even more unusual, I'm a lefty, which is usually a no-no for fountain pens.

I decided to go back to fountain pens a few years back, as I found using cheap ballpoints boring and quite taxing when you're writing pages of notes.

Bought a cheap Parker initially, just to test the water and see how I found it. It makes a huge difference to my writing compared to a ballpoint, I can only assume it is becuase you're gently dragging the pen across the paper whereas, with a ballpoint, you are forcing the point into the paper to generate the friction required.

Anyway, bought a nice simple Lamy Logo with fine nib and piston cartridge last year. Nice pen, very understated and a pleasure to write with.

[brrapp]

williredale said:

brrapp said:

This thread has inspired me to try a fountain pen again so I've rummaging in my drawers and have come up with my Gran's old Parker 51 (black with a gold top). She died in 1979 so the pen is at least 37 years old but probably closer to 50, my Mum gave me the pen when I went off to college the following year. I used it for a few years but its been lying at the back of a drawer for at least 30 years now.
Any thing I need to do to get it back in working order other than buying a bottle of ink and filling it? Or will it be knackered having lain empty for all that time?

It shouldn't be knackered but it might need a bit of recommissioning.

Lets have some pictures!

ETA - What robbo 27 said!

Thanks for that, looks a bit rough to me to be worth anything, I haven't found the propelling pencil and box it came in yet, but here's the pen.

I don't know what I've done, there should be 4 pictures there but three aren't visible. If anyone can fix it, please do.

Edited by brrapp on Thursday 19th January 12:15

[SystemParanoia]

i love shrouded nibs

[dragonflyjade]

I got the Lamy logo with a left-handed Lamy nib for the Mrs. She is really happy with it saying that the nib makes writing less tiring.

Her handwriting is beautiful compared to my scientific scribbles.

I've got a couple of fountain pens in my collection: Lamy Safari AL and dialog3, TactileTurn Gists and a Montblanc.

I will say that Lamy support was superb when the closure of the dialog3 packed up. I sent it off to Germany and they replaced the main body and mechanism and tuned the nib free of charge (and well out of warranty).

[Exige77]

scotlandtim said:

Here's another picture - just because I can!

I have one of those in silver and a black one.

Rotting is now part of Sanford group (Paper Mate, Parker, Berol, Sharpie etc)

Very nice.

I work in writing instrument field so have rather a lot of nice pens.

I was the last MD of Platignum some 20 years ago.

Blast from the past.

[Prohibiting]

As mentioned yesterday, I order a Lamy Safari with some cartridges but I have decided to scrap the cartridges and I've ordered a pot of Noodler's Bernanke Blue and a Lamy converter from purepens.co.uk. I got a little carried away ...

The Noodler's Bernanke range has good reviews and is one of their quicker drying inks so it'll be good for a lefty such as myself. It looks to be a really nice, rich royal blue online.

Looking forward to giving it all a go once it arrives in the post. The last fountain pen that I used was a Parker from WHSmiths probably 10 years ago.

Edited by Prohibiting on Thursday 19th January 12:59

[Pints]

Here are the pens which sit on my desk at work. Each have a different colour, and the silver Vector has a calligraphy nib.
I'd rather these than a Biro to take notes - which is all that they tend to get used for.

[williredale]

brrapp said:

Thanks for that, looks a bit rough to me to be worth anything, I haven't found the propelling pencil and box it came in yet, but here's the pen.

I don't know what I've done, there should be 4 pictures there but three aren't visible. If anyone can fix it, please do.

Edited by brrapp on Thursday 19th January 12:15

It'll still be worth maybe £30 on ebay. Most of the vintage pens I buy aren't pristine but that's fine with me. I'm buying them to use and the character that they've acquired through years of use adds to the appeal. Follow Robbo's advice about soaking and filling with water a few times and see how you get on.

PS. No idea where your pictures are!

[Robbo 27]

brrapp said:

Thanks for that, looks a bit rough to me to be worth anything, I haven't found the propelling pencil and box it came in yet, but here's the pen.

I don't know what I've done, there should be 4 pictures there but three aren't visible. If anyone can fix it, please do.

Edited by brrapp on Thursday 19th January 12:15

Thats very nice. You can polish it up yourself with very little effort. If you have any Meguiars Plast-X plastic polish this is ideal for the plastic body, and will have it looking like new. The cap is the thinnest gold plate and easily worn through. Put a finger over one end and your thumb at the other and gently polish with a dampish microfibre cloth, final polish with a tissue. When you open the pen the steel filler will clean up very well with Silvo wadding polish, I wouldnt use liquid Brasso, household spray polish if you do not have metal wadding polish.

Good luck on the flushing of the nib, looking forward to seeing the results.

Edited by Robbo 27 on Thursday 19th January 14:20

[Samcat]

Robbo 27 said:

Samcat said:

I'm a bit late to this thread, but I'm confirmed fountain pen user.
I'd fancied trying to use a fountain pen again after many years of cheap ball-points, so about 10 years ago I wondered into The Pen Shop in Manchester quite prepared to spend what it took to get a nice daily writer.
On the advice of the shop I left with an Aluminium cased Lamy Safari with a fine nib, Blue-Black cartridges, and change from £20. Never looked back, fantastic pen, highly recommended.

Great to hear, if it has an aluminium body I think it may be called the Al Star, a slighty larger version of the Safari and sought after by collectors. If ever you want to try a different nib they are very easy to swap out in Lamys, a new nib will cost around £4.

Suddenly turned into a Lamy nerd; a quick Google tells me my pen is a Lamy Al-Star in Silver-Blue, discontinued in 2010 apparently. Quite happy with the fine nib, it was changed from a medium in the shop where I bought it after a few handwriting trials, you don't get that on-line.

[Bob_Defly]

Awesome thread!

I have now ordered a couple of Jinhao's to try and get back into it, I love writing with fountain pens. So a year or two ago I tried to do the same, bought a really nice Monteverde and a Moleskin. Now I know that the paper wasn't doing me any favours, but I've also never got the pen to work correctly either. I don't think it's my writing as I'd written with them for years. Just wondering about your comment below? I find the Monteverde is very scratchy, with little flow, you have to write constantly with it or it dries up in seconds, so I stopped using it. Is there any way to fix it or would different ink help? Unfortunately I only have cartridges and no converter.

Robbo 27 said:

Andys Pens also list Monteverde pens, they would not be on my list.

Also, once I get to grips with the Chinese pens and hopefully enjoy writing with a fountain pen again, can you recommend a carbon fibre barreled pen for about £50-£60 that would be good quality? That's what my Monteverde is, I like the look, just hate the pen.

[Robbo 27]

Bob_Defly said:

Also, once I get to grips with the Chinese pens and hopefully enjoy writing with a fountain pen again, can you recommend a carbon fibre barreled pen for about £50-£60 that would be good quality? That's what my Monteverde is, I like the look, just hate the pen.

Your experience of Monteverde pens mirrors my own, they are just not a quality brand, I know that they are not expensive but a basic function of a pen at any price is that it should work.

The first thing to do is to fix the scratchiness. It looks to me that the tines on the nib may be crossed or at least overlapping, try smoothing this out with finger and thumb, pressing down if you have to. The ends of the nib should be like 00, close together and in line, I usally work one tine with my thumbnail until they sit perfectly.

For the ink flow I can suggest a few things to you but I really think you will be wasting your time, However try these in this order.

1. Monteverdes are not made well, when you push the cartridge into the pen, there should be a real clunk noise as the cartridge sits in the pen and it should hold itself in place, if that doesnt happen and its a common fault with these pens, you may be wasting your time. If it seats ok then gently squueze the cartridge so that ink flows through the nib, if that works then you know it isnt blocked. Try writing, if you can do a few lines of writing then things may be ok, if not, #2.

2. Remove the cartridge and try and have cold water from the tap run through the pen. Then put your nib in a class of cold water, your lips around the nib section and try and suck water through the pen, do this a few times. Then blow air through the pen. Put a new cartridge in place and do a write test, if you can write further than stage 1 then the pen was partially blocked, often due to oils used in the machining process and poor QC, If it is not cured completely then go to #3.

3. Is to do with how the ink moves from the cartridge through the nib and onto the page. If this doesnt work then there is only one last option I can suggest at #4. Look at the nib and the slit, ink moves by capillary action down the nib and the gap between the tines should be visible, but only just, too big a gap and the ink will not flow. You can adjust this if needed by pushing on the shoulders of the nib to increase the gap, pulling the shoulders, reduces the gap.

Then look at the gap betwen the feed and nib, hold the pen sideways and look at the nib which should follow the contours of the feed. If it doesnt try squeezing the two together with your finger and thumb, if nothing moves hold the nib and feed, not the pen, in hot water for around a minute, try squeezing again. The feed should be as close to the tip of the nib as you can manage without the feed being visible from the top of the pen, as in the pic. Try a write test again.




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4 If none of this works then all I can suggest is that you try an international converter with a bottle of ink, I wouldnt blame you if you said this is good money after bad, which I did on the one Monteverde I have owned.

I have looked for carbon fibre pens and cannot find any pens that are made from carbon fibre as opposed to a lookalike

Graf Von Faber Castell make or used to make Carbon Fibre pens but they were, from memory £150 upwards.

Edited by Robbo 27 on Thursday 19th January 15:49

Edited by Robbo 27 on Thursday 19th January 15:57

Edited by Robbo 27 on Thursday 19th January 15:58

[ClockworkCupcake]

I went looking for my other pens today.

My aforementioned Parker 45 is one I bought this century to replace a much older one which was bought for me with matching ballpoint for school in the late 80's. I have the ballpoint right here but have mislaid the fountain pen. I have seen it semi-recently so it is just in the house some place.

Both my Parker 45 fountain pens are the brushed stainless steel body and cap. The interesting difference is the older one has a different design to the end of the cap.

On the left we have the aforementioned ballpoint and the matching fountain pen is the same, whilst on the right is the newer one with a plastic bobble on the end. The older one definitely never had this - it's not a case of it having fallen off.



Another pic of the newer one:



Finally, another Parker which I had at school in the mid 1970's because back in those day you were expected to use a fountain pen. I never liked this one as it was scratchy, and haven't written with it in decades.