Well, I haven't been on B&B lately because it worked out (last-minute!) for me to start seminary this semester. So between full-time studies, full-time work, and a family (with baby #4 on the way!) I haven't had much time to spend on B&B. And certainly no money to spend on shaving or writing hobbies.
But now I find myself burned out from Greek and St Augustine and I need a reprieve.
I've been taking notes with my fountain pens, which has gotten some reaction from fellow students -- mostly, "Wow, fancy pen." Of course, most of them are on laptops and Ipads, so I must seem like a complete neanderthal to them! Here are some of my conclusions from using various pens and papers.
Hero 1000 - This is my utility pen. It is durable, always writes, and with a very fine nib it's perfect for note-taking. I ink it up with Noodler's X-Feather, and I can use cheap filler paper without bleed-through.
Sheaffer Triumph Imperial (1995) - This is my favorite writing pen. The inlaid nib is oh-so-smooth! It lays down a lot of ink, so cheap paper is not an option, although stationary paper works fine. I ink this with Noodler's Bad Blue Heron. The only think I don't like about the pen is the way the barrel unscrews too easily while writing -- I think because the section has "fast" threads. Every couple of sentences, I have to re-tighten the barrel, which gets really annoying if I'm taking notes furiously. I would love to get one of those Sheaffer nibs with custom barrels from Peyton Street Pens some day (I think the barrels are turned by Bexley). They'd have the benefit of the great nib with a wider barrel that probably won't unscrew so easily.
Parker Frontier GT (1998) - This pen has never written well for me. The nib is stiff and scratchy...my least favorite pen. The only ink I've found that works consistently in the pen is Noodler's Gruene Cactus. This is my correction/edit pen...and with Greek translation, I use it quite a bit! I also use it for the back of my Greek vocab cards (index cards) because the green doesn't show through like black or blue.
Hero Calligraphy - I use this to make my Greek vocab cards. It comes with three nibs, and I opted for the 1.1mm. Inked with Noodler's X-Feather, I get a solid black line, no shading whatsoever. This is certainly not a pen to brag about, it's cheap and it feels cheap. But it works consistently well so I can't complain. At some point, I'll probably upgrade to a Lamy Joy.
But now I find myself burned out from Greek and St Augustine and I need a reprieve.
I've been taking notes with my fountain pens, which has gotten some reaction from fellow students -- mostly, "Wow, fancy pen." Of course, most of them are on laptops and Ipads, so I must seem like a complete neanderthal to them! Here are some of my conclusions from using various pens and papers.
Hero 1000 - This is my utility pen. It is durable, always writes, and with a very fine nib it's perfect for note-taking. I ink it up with Noodler's X-Feather, and I can use cheap filler paper without bleed-through.
Sheaffer Triumph Imperial (1995) - This is my favorite writing pen. The inlaid nib is oh-so-smooth! It lays down a lot of ink, so cheap paper is not an option, although stationary paper works fine. I ink this with Noodler's Bad Blue Heron. The only think I don't like about the pen is the way the barrel unscrews too easily while writing -- I think because the section has "fast" threads. Every couple of sentences, I have to re-tighten the barrel, which gets really annoying if I'm taking notes furiously. I would love to get one of those Sheaffer nibs with custom barrels from Peyton Street Pens some day (I think the barrels are turned by Bexley). They'd have the benefit of the great nib with a wider barrel that probably won't unscrew so easily.
Parker Frontier GT (1998) - This pen has never written well for me. The nib is stiff and scratchy...my least favorite pen. The only ink I've found that works consistently in the pen is Noodler's Gruene Cactus. This is my correction/edit pen...and with Greek translation, I use it quite a bit! I also use it for the back of my Greek vocab cards (index cards) because the green doesn't show through like black or blue.
Hero Calligraphy - I use this to make my Greek vocab cards. It comes with three nibs, and I opted for the 1.1mm. Inked with Noodler's X-Feather, I get a solid black line, no shading whatsoever. This is certainly not a pen to brag about, it's cheap and it feels cheap. But it works consistently well so I can't complain. At some point, I'll probably upgrade to a Lamy Joy.
Like you said, much smoother and no shaking the hand to get the cramps out. Plus, I'm one of those people who remembers things a lot better when I write them by hand. 
