Suggestion for easy to use fountain pen that is not leak prone

[cvac]

What is a good starter fountain pen that is relatively hassle free and not leak prone? The only FP I've ever used was an inexpensive store bought one 20 years ago that took little cartridges.

Something that I can use for daily business writing and not worry about making constant adjustments or throwing ink all over the place.

Inexpensive would be nice too, since I don't want to commit a ton of $ if I'm just starting out with FPs to see if I like them or not.

Is the Lamy Safari a good option?

If not, what would you suggest?

 

[oc_in_fw]

The Safari would be great. I have the metal version (Al-Star). It is a no-fuss pen. Plus, with Lamys, you can swap nibs (cheap and easy) should the mood hit you. Order the converter with it- they cannot be eyedroppered due to the sight holes. You can go cartridge, but ink in bottles is much cheaper.

 

[cvac]

Are there any pros and cons with the plastic vs. metal version of the Lamy?

What about Lamy brand ink that comes in bottles?

 

[JPDyson]

The Al-Star costs more, is a hair thicker in the hand, has a translucent section (you can see the collector). There are subjective aesthetic differences between plastic and metal; you can decide if those matter, but I think the Al-Star just looks nicer. The parts that touch ink are the same.

 

[oc_in_fw]

The Al-Star costs more, is a hair thicker in the hand, has a translucent section (you can see the collector). There are subjective aesthetic differences between plastic and metal; you can decide if those matter, but I think the Al-Star just looks nicer. The parts that touch ink are the same.

I thought the Safari had the sight holes, too. To cvac, the aluminum was just my preference. Like Josh says, the feed and nib are the same. The Lamy inks are nice, and their bottles are nicer. They have a built in inkwell for getting the last little bit out of the bottle.

 

[saliavin]

The Lamy twins are nice pens, but make sure you try them out before you buy one. I tried out the Safari, but the spots where Lamy thinks your are supposed to have you fingers is not how I hold my pen. I ended up getting a Parker Urban, but my second choice would have been the Lamy Logo in a brushed finish. The Parker was cheaper so I went with it for my first pen. It has been a great starter pen. No mess, adjustments, just an easy pen to use. I really enjoy FPs, so I am now deciding what my next couple of pens will be, and will swing by the Pen Place to try them out.

 

[cvac]

Thanks for the suggestions. I stopped by an FP store on my lunch break but all they had were some really inexpensive pens and some really expensive ones. Nothing in the Lamy price range.

I ended up ordering a Lamy Al-Star Medium with a converter, a bottle of blue Lamy ink, and a notebook. Hope I like it.

 

[celestino]

The Safari would be great. I have the metal version (Al-Star). It is a no-fuss pen. Plus, with Lamys, you can swap nibs (cheap and easy) should the mood hit you. Order the converter with it- they cannot be eyedroppered due to the sight holes. You can go cartridge, but ink in bottles is much cheaper.

+1 Great pens; write very well and very well constructed for starter pens!

 

[JPDyson]

I thought the Safari had the sight holes, too. To cvac, the aluminum was just my preference. Like Josh says, the feed and nib are the same. The Lamy inks are nice, and their bottles are nicer. They have a built in inkwell for getting the last little bit out of the bottle.

They both have ink view windows in the barrel; the Al-Star grip section is a smokey translucent grey, whereas the Safari is opaque, and the same color as the body. You can see how much ink is in reserve with either pen, but only the Al-Star lets you see how much is trapped in the collector. Not especially useful, of course... but somewhat neat to me.

 

[oversaturn]

I am also a relative "newbie" to this world, after many years without using a fountain pen.
Recently, I bought a new Parker Frontier Flighter GT (medium NIB) on the ebay and couldn't be happier with it.

 

[oc_in_fw]

They both have ink view windows in the barrel; the Al-Star grip section is a smokey translucent grey, whereas the Safari is opaque, and the same color as the body. You can see how much ink is in reserve with either pen, but only the Al-Star lets you see how much is trapped in the collector. Not especially useful, of course... but somewhat neat to me.

Okay- I just uncapped my Al-Star and see what you are saying. I never paid attention to it before.

 

[Jimmy James]

The Al-Star is much easier to scratch up due to its aluminum construction than the Safari's ABS is. It's also a bit heavier. I have about six Safaris and only one Al-Star, but the Al-Star was a recent purchase I quite like.

The Sheaffer 100 is a perfectly serviceable pen in about the same price range as the Safari for any future readers. The Platinum Plasir is a bit cheaper and works fine as well.

 

[strop]

Thanks for the suggestions. I stopped by an FP store on my lunch break but all they had were some really inexpensive pens and some really expensive ones. Nothing in the Lamy price range.

I ended up ordering a Lamy Al-Star Medium with a converter, a bottle of blue Lamy ink, and a notebook. Hope I like it.

Not sure what you consider really espensive. Unfortunately, there isn't a lot betwen the Lamys and the nest big selection, which is in the $80 to $125 range. Of course it's very easy to spend $700 or $800 on a new Conway Stewart. I'm drooling over a couple of those now, but just can't quite justify the price.

 

[cvac]

Not sure what you consider really espensive. Unfortunately, there isn't a lot betwen the Lamys and the nest big selection, which is in the $80 to $125 range. Of course it's very easy to spend $700 or $800 on a new Conway Stewart. I'm drooling over a couple of those now, but just can't quite justify the price.

The store had a healthy selection of pens in the $300 range, and quite a few over $500. I didn't even look at all the price tags, so I'm sure they had a few in the high range you mentioned. The store didn't carry Lamys otherwise I might have bought one there. It was a nice little store, but just didn't have what I was looking for in a starter pen.

I get what you're saying about the price jumps...saw that when I was browsing some sites. If I do end up getting the pen bug, I could see how it can become a very expensive hobby very quickly.

 

[Jimmy James]

There are also tons of rather cheap options out there, depending on what you really want. A great pen that is still available for a very inexpensive price is the Reform 1745, for instance. I believe they're widely available for under $10. It's a reliable piston filler that is a bit on the small side.

 

[cvac]

I searched for that Reform and it is an interesting looking pen for sure. If I do end up wanting more pens, I'll keep it in mind.

I just ordered some back up pens from FP Revolution...some cheaper Indian made pens that looked appealing to me. I figured they would be cool to have around since they were so inexpensive, and might be fun to tinker with for trying out different things. I got a couple for my SO too...she said she used fountain pens as a student because they were the norm in her country.

 

[Jimmy James]

Ooh, what'd you buy from Kevin? I have a couple Chelpark Motis, a Camlin 47, and every one of the Serwex piston fillers. Of late Kevin has been throwing in a Serwex piston with every one of my orders. He's a great guy and is responsible for a lot of the knowledge I have about the sourcing of the Noodler's pens.

 

[cvac]

I got 2 Camlin 47s, 2 Camlin 18s, and a Serwex 362. Hope I like them!

I also got a Ranga in black ebonite direct from the maker off eBay.

If you have any tips for the Indian pens, let me know. They really appeal to me because they aren't high dollar luxury items or something that is necessarily trying to be nostalgic, but tools that are still being used today by the general population. Same reason I like a lot of "everyman" shaving software from Europe.

Gonna stop buying stuff until all these show up!

 

[Jimmy James]

I'll tell you that it takes a while to break in a Serwex sometimes. It seems like there may be manufacturing oils left over sometimes, so I often have to shake the pen to get ink to flow or do something like dip the pen in the ink bottle I used to fill it during part of the initial fill only. After a bit of break-in writing, things work better. It may be wise to flush the pen with water before filling -- I tend to prefer not doing that.

I have no experience with the 18, but I really love my 47. I have heard great things about Camlin pens and I understand why based on the one I have now.

 

[duokun]

I definitely recommend flushing any new pen with water before filling. Lamy tests the nibs on their pens so there is sometimes ink residue in the feed. Manufacturing oils and such left in the pen are common in lower priced pens, again, a flush is good. any time you change to a new ink, flush it out. any vintage pen you pick up, yep, flush it out. it doesn't take long.