Starter fountain pen

[elsmooth]

Greetings all! I'm interested in buying my first fountain pen, so I think I'm in the right place for the following inquiry.

My question...as a first time buyer, what's your recommendation? Please be specific, and if you have web source that you're quite find of, please include as well.

Thanks!

 

[ajkimmins]

For a starter pen, Lamy's are great! The Safari is about $30 on Amazon, converter for $5 and throw in a bottle of ink for about $12.

 

[elsmooth]

And the converter is what gets the ink from the refill bottle to the pen? [stupid question number 1]

 

[sol92258]

are you looking for a vintage or new model?

there's a lot of high praise for the Parker 51, which I'm sure you'll be getting recommendations for from those more experienced than I.

I'm new to FPs, too, but I'm really liking the Pilot Varsity; it's basically a disposable FP, but it writes nice and smooth, though it doesn't have a fine nib - which maybe an advantage for new FP users like myself.
Besides that, I only have a couple Pilot Plumix pens and a Pilot Knight, which has a nice, fine nib.

Can't really give you much direction, though, as limited as my experience is, but the I like the Varsity in that if I lose one, it's not like I have a lot of money tied up in it. You can get a box of 12 on Amazon for $24.

However, stay tuned, lots more experienced FP users will be chiming in soon

 

[Carlin]

www.montgomerypens.com i picked up a lamy safari and a converter for under $30 new.

check out the speakeasy, lotsa fountain pen tlak going on in there also


*edit, the converter allows you to use bottled inks vs ink catridges (bottled inks are cheaper in the long run and you don't fill up landfills with little pieces of plastic )

 

[Bevo]

How much are you willing to spend? My first REAL fountain was the MB Starwalker in metal and rubber. I love it, but it also cost over $300. Lamy's are great. Just make sure you get a chance to write with the different nib sizes before your purchase. A medium nib is a different writing experience than your 0.7 gel pen. Fine nibs are more like the G2, but the ink doesn't tend to flow as smooth as a med nib. You get the point.

 

[ajkimmins]

And the converter is what gets the ink from the refill bottle to the pen? [stupid question number 1]

Newer pens have a few different styles. If you see an older movie you may see someone dip the "NIB" in the ink. The nib is the part that does the writing, but you also suck up the ink through it, some are lever fillers, the little lever like the old Tom and Jerry cartoons, where they squirt the pen. The newer pens have a cartridge system usually, the cartridge is a plastic "vial" of ink. You put it in, put the nib/feeder in and tighten it up. The converter is shaped like the cartridge to fit the pen, but has a little plunger with a screw so that you "suck" the ink in. $13 for a 3oz bottle of noodlers. I've had my black for a year now and used about 1/5 of a bottle.

 

[ajkimmins]

www.montgomerypens.com i picked up a lamy safari and a converter for under $30 new.

check out the speakeasy, lotsa fountain pen tlak going on in there also


*edit, the converter allows you to use bottled inks vs ink catridges (bottled inks are cheaper in the long run and you don't fill up landfills with little pieces of plastic )

That's a great price!!!

 

[elsmooth]

Ok...for a few minutes of browsing, the following caught my eye. Thoughts on something along these lines for a first timer?

http://www.montgomerypens.com/product_detail.asp?product_id=550

Here's question 2...does an FP typically come loaded w/ ink, or dry?

 

[Carlin]

Ok...for a few minutes of browsing, the following caught my eye. Thoughts on something along these lines for a first timer?

http://www.montgomerypens.com/product_detail.asp?product_id=550

Here's question 2...does an FP typically come loaded w/ ink, or dry?

Guess it depends on the individual pen. Most cartridge pens come with atleast one catridge. Check out the higher end Lamy pens, beautiful in my opinion.

 

[Dennis]

FPs come with cartridges and/or converters. The cartridges are what you think they are - preloaded with ink, you snap it in and write. When the ink runs out, put a new cartridge in. Converters are shaped like cartridges and snap in the same way, but instead you fill them with whatever FP ink color and brand your heart desires and use that. Some pens don't use cartridges or converters, esp vintage pens. Instead you dip the nib in ink and fill it via a lever or vacuum pump.

For a first pen, why not just buy the Pilot Varsity disposable? They cost just a couple bucks, and you can see if you like writing with a FP or not instead of dropping a bunch of cash on one. If you don't like the idea of a disposable, then Lamy makes fine, fine pens at nice prices. James at Pear Tree Pens is a sometimes member here that I have bought from in the past, including my Parker 51.

 

[ajkimmins]

Guess it depends on the individual pen. Most cartridge pens come with atleast one catridge. Check out the higher end Lamy pens, beautiful in my opinion.

+1. Just make sure to get the converter and a bottle of ink. It does look like a very nice pen.

 

[elsmooth]

Actually, I used the Pilot Varsity...it was by far a much more enjoyable experience than a ball point. Heck...I don't even think I consciously knew I was using a fountain when using that...

 

[Plano]

I just bought 4 pens from www.isellpens.com. Will tell you this week how they work.

 

[Echo]

I was literally in this same boat two weeks ago. I read through many of the threads in this forum of B&B and also the Speakeasy forum (which I would recommend you check out as it generally has more conversation about pens.

I decided to go with the Parker 51. I figure in the end, I will most likely purchase this pen and I decided instead of prolonging it I would buy once and be satisfied. I found an aerometric pen and pencil set for $60. When I received the pen, I flushed it out but had some problems intially. I gave it a second flush and it worked great after that. The pen wrote very well and I was very satisfied...

...perhaps, too satisfied.

That initial pen purchase started my fountain pen acquisition disorder and I bought another Parker 51 after that. I then bought a three pack of Hero 616, which are Chinese clones of the Parker 51. They write great and are very cheap. However, be careful of who you buy them from as believe it or not, there are actually knock off's of this model! I bought mine online on eBay from Speerbob, who is reliable. I also hear isellpens.com is great for Hero pens. I thought that would be the end for me, but I was looking on eBay this past weekend and I saw a Parker 51 Special pen and pencil set that was at an incredibly low price, so naturally I had to bid on it.

So in a period of two weeks I went from 0 fountain pens to 6! Becareful, it's a dangerous hobby! I'll probably hold off on buying any pens for a while, but when I do I'll probably look into something more modern like a Lamy or Pelikan and I'll probably go for a stub or medium nib since all the pens I have all have fine nibs.


Also, for inks I would highly recommend peartreepens.com. They have a special sampler where you can get four small bottles of ink for around $10 shipped. This is a great way to play around with different inks so you can find something you like before you commit to a large bottle of it.

 

[elsmooth]

Thanks for the tips, everyone!

 

[dirkchivers]

Levenger's Plumpster on a Diet ha been very satisfactory for me as a beginner-ish fountain pen user.

 

[Miles]

If you want to go crazy on fountain pen research, there's an awesome resource forum of aficionados www.fountainpennetwork.com (I'm not affiliated, just a happy member of the forum)

As for a starter pen, do more research before you buy. I started with some Varsities, then scored a Lamy safari (~$30 with converter, shipped), which I use every day, as well as a great deal on a Parker "51" from a kind B&B member. I liked these so much that I ordered a Pelikan m215 from an overseas seller for a damn good price (under $90). So now I have all sorts of fountain pens, and each one has its own personality and feel whilst writing.

I strongly recommend that you check out the FPN linked above. They have a very informative indexed review section that is perfect for folks just getting interested in the art and science of FP's.

Good luck!

 

[Legion]

I'm also going to +1 on the Parker 51.

However...

It is a bit of a minefield for the inexperienced, buying a used pen. And to get a good example of a 51 you could still be paying $80 - $100 which is a fair bit of money for a pen you haven't tried before and are not sure you like.

I recently picked up a "flighter" version (All stainless steel) of the Hero 100 pen from China and was very happy with it. It looks a bit like the Parker, it writes like the Parker, it has a 14k gold nib like the Parker. But it is half the price. Actually a lot less than half if you were wanting a Parker "flighter" style. Might be a good way to test this type of pen without spending too much coin.

I bought mine from this guy on ebay and was quite happy with the service. And yes, there are copies of Chinese pens out there so buy from a recommended seller, if possible.

http://shop.ebay.com.au/isaac.chen/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p4340

Oh, I just noticed he also sells typewriter ribbon. Might be handy to know...

 

[bald1]

I'm rather surprised no one mentioned the Waterman Phileas. Granted they're no longer made but they are readily available if one looks. Originally introduced at less than $25 they have long been touted as an outstanding writer. Be sure to examine multiple sources as current prices for NOS vary from reasonable to absurd.