Where to start

[Jbird45]

Hello.

I was lurking around the sticky threads and was going to put this in the hello thread but thought it may be a little to detailed.

I accidentally ordered a subscription box online last year (long story) and instead of sending the box back i decided to keep it.

Some of the things inside were a Kaweco sport fountain pen, some ink cartridges, and a nice journal.

I have never used a fountain pen and have zero knowledge about them. I took the journal, ink, and pen and stuffed them away in a cigar box in my woodshop for a rainy day.

About a year and a half ago I decided to unplug my woodshop and make a change to using hand tools vs power tools. After doing this, I have a much deeper appreciation of doing things the old way. After learning traditional woodworking, I learned to shave with a straight razor, smoke a pipe, blacksmithing, and other traditional skills that are being lost to time. Being able to maintain quality things and not have to constantly repurchase garbage and throw it away is another bonus.

I think learning how to use and write with a fountain pen is a good next step, and i was happy to find the nib after signing up for B&B.

So after a possibly irrelevant autobiography, I have zero experience, and just from playing around with my kaweco sport to me it feels lightweight and cheap. My pilot G2 i use every day at work has more heft.

Now generally speaking things made of plastic and lightweight mean delicate to me, but maybe this isnt an issue with fountain pens? I was thinking something with some more mass would be preferable.

Will this pen be a good one to learn the ropes on or would something heavier be a little better? Also, is there some decent paper available online or at an office store i can learn on so I dont mess up my nice journal with a bunch of learning mistakes? Is this kind of a learn as you write skill? Or are there things i should practice?

I appreciate any guidance anyone is willing to provide, and im excited to learn another skill.

 

[Slivovitz]

The Kaweco Sport is not a favorite of mine, but it's a decent fountain pen that is often mentioned as one "good starter pen". In general they are well made, and should be quite durable if you don't abuse them. This is not at all a bad way to start.

The cartridges that came with it (how many do you have?) should be fine at first. Cartridges can even be refilled with ink from a bottle using a syringe. There is also a Kaweco "converter" that you can install instead of a cartridge, and then draw in ink directly from a bottle through the nib. Here is a link for one vendor who sells it. You can find it elsewhere, of course. Kaweco also made a squeeze converter, which I do not recommend.

Tastes differ, but personally I prefer light pens, and (maybe in a minority here) slim ones. You may begin to appreciate lightweight pens more if you write at great length. At any rate, heavier is not necessarily better.

Speaking of light, you should always be able to write with a light touch. You should never have to press hard as you would with many ballpoints. If you find that are not getting good ink flow, mashing the nib into the paper is never the solution, and if you overdo it, can damage the nib. If you do have problems with this, people here will be able to make suggestions, but I think this will do to start. Enjoy your pen!

 

[Dog Whiskerer]

Will this pen be a good one to learn the ropes on or would something heavier be a little better?

I would use the pen you have for a while before you venture onto a heavier pen, which usually equates to more expensive.

Use the Kaweco. If you find you enjoy writing with it, can keep the ink flowing, clean it when it needs it, and don't break it, certainly consider getting another, more substantial pen if you want. Kaweco, I believe, makes both brass and aluminum pens.

I started with a cheap Pelikan and a cheap Lamy. Still have them and probably 75 more. But I didn't get my third one until I knew I would be using them.

 

[StuMcB]

Kaweco do make larger pens, some heavy so not so heavy.

 

[Vespasian]

I love my Kaweco Sport Classic, black plastic, fine nib. I edit books, ink on paper, so I need a real work-horse of a pen. Try it out. Luck of the draw: mine has the best nib I've ever used, including my expensive grail pen, a silver Montegrappa (speaking of heavy pens.)

 

[Doc4]

my kaweco sport to me it feels lightweight and cheap. My pilot G2 i use every day at work has more heft.

Now generally speaking things made of plastic and lightweight mean delicate to me, but maybe this isnt an issue with fountain pens? I was thinking something with some more mass would be preferable.

"Heft means quality" applies more to cast-iron fry pans than to parachutes.

Does it apply to fountain pens? Sort of.

Typically, FPs aren't something you use as a make-shift pry bar or otherwise put through extreme stress. (If you DO want that sort of pen, there are such made ... typically look for "tactical" fountain pens. But that's a pretty "niche" sort of thing.) But still, you don't want them to develop cracks from daily use, and you don't want one you have to baby entirely and if you happen to look at it wrong it cracks.

Yes, the Kaweco pen is pretty lightweight, but IMHO it's also pretty strong and durable for a pen. It's not for opening jars of paint, but still ... it's pretty good.

But "heft" is a personal preference in pens and if you feel the desire for a heavier pen ... no shame in that! Keep looking, and find the one that feels right to you, in your hand.

 

[Geordon]

The Kaweco is definitely on the light side, but it’s as good a place to start as any. I have one myself that doesn’t get much use these days. Mostly because I'm not doing much writing.

Like others have said, I would recommend that you use it for a while and see how you like it. There are a lot of things that go into the experience of writing with a fountain pen, but always remember that a light touch is best.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tankerjohn]

The Kaweco Sport is small and light because its a pocket pen. It has a very clever design, but I would not say it is representative of fountain pens as a whole.

Don't equate pen "heft" with quality. Many cheap brass pens are boat anchors. On the otherhand, some of finest, most expensive pens in the world are feather light. Its all about the material and the craftsmanship. Pens made from Japanese ebonite or Italian celluloid command a thousand dollars or more. High quality resin or even acrylic pens with gold nibs run into the hundreds.

Having said that, there's nothing wrong with preferring a weightier pen. If you like the size and feel of your Kaweco Sport, Kaweco also makes them in aluminum, steel, and brass (which should put on a nice patina). Lamy makes an aluminum version of the Safari called the AL Star and another cool looking metal pen called the Studio. Retro 51 makes a metal fountain pen version of their Tornado that is well made and hefty. For a US-made metal pen, have a look at Karas Kustoms. The Pilot Metro is a good Japanese-made entry-level metal pen.

For easy-to-get paper, see if your local Michaels has Rhodia notepads. I usually find them in the drawing/art aisle next to the sketch pads. Rhodia is some of the best fountain pen-friendly paper out there. Also, the Black n' Red notebooks you can get at Office Depot or Target are fantastic for fountain pens.

 

[Marco63]

Doc4 says ' find the one that feels right to you, in your hand'
This is correct but with lockdown and most 'real' pen shops disappeared how do you this? Buying online is a pain, IMO, especially when you might spend more than a 100 dollars, euros or whatever just to find the roght pen for you.

 

[tankerjohn]

Doc4 says ' find the one that feels right to you, in your hand'
This is correct but with lockdown and most 'real' pen shops disappeared how do you this? Buying online is a pain, IMO, especially when you might spend more than a 100 dollars, euros or whatever just to find the roght pen for you.

Well, it’s not like the good old days when every Sears and Macy’s had a pen counter. But most major cities in the US have at least one pen or stationary shop. In fact, I’d be willing to bet that the number has grown in the past five or ten years as fountain pens and quality stationery have found new popularity. Obviously not everyone is close to major city with a pen shop and COVID measures vary, so YMMV. But they’re out there.

As far as online, I would recommend starting with an inexpensive fountain pen like a Lamy Safari, Pilot Metro, Jinhau, what have you, with a fine or medium nib. Write with it for a while and you’ll start to form opinions about whether it’s too big or too small or writes too widen or narrow, etc. Then,
you can read written reviews and watch video reviews of pretty much any pen on the market. Compare the information you glean with what you want in a pen based off your experience. You should be able to form some informed opinions about what pens would work for you. Then when you’re ready to spring for that “nice” pen, I recommend ordering from a quality retailer with a good return policy like Goulet. You can’t return an inked pen of course, but you can hold it and do some dry writing to determine if it “feels right.”

 

[Jbird45]

So i loaded an ink cartridge into my pen and have been using it at work the past couple days. I wish it had a tad less ink flow i think, because it writes a little wide for me, but i have been carrying it around in my pockets and have come to appreciate the light weight and some of the little details. I personally would like to get something a little heftier after using the Kaweco sport, but i have come to appreciate it as an EDC pen.

 

[Slivovitz]

So i loaded an ink cartridge into my pen and have been using it at work the past couple days. I wish it had a tad less ink flow i think, because it writes a little wide for me...

What size nib does it have? There should be a letter or two engraved on it that would tell, you, M (medium) F (fine), EF (extra fine), etc. Exactly what this means can vary between pen makers, a medium from Kaweco would likely be broader than a medium from Pilot, but it gives you a general idea.

Another thing to be aware of is that fountain pen ink can spread out a bit on cheaper papers. You may find that the width of the line you get varies depending on what paper you're using. You could compare performance between your journal (what kind of paper does it have?) and the paper you write on at work.

Personally, I find that a Japanese fine or medium nib works well enough for me on all but the cheapest paper. But I can see a difference between my work paper and my at home paper.

 

[Jbird45]

What size nib does it have? There should be a letter or two engraved on it that would tell, you, M (medium) F (fine), EF (extra fine), etc. Exactly what this means can vary between pen makers, a medium from Kaweco would likely be broader than a medium from Pilot, but it gives you a general idea.

Another thing to be aware of is that fountain pen ink can spread out a bit on cheaper papers. You may find that the width of the line you get varies depending on what paper you're using. You could compare performance between your journal (what kind of paper does it have?) and the paper you write on at work.

Personally, I find that a Japanese fine or medium nib works well enough for me on all but the cheapest paper. But I can see a difference between my work paper and my at home paper.

Ahhh. I looked at my nib and it is a medium. I think a fine would better suit my writing style.

 

[Frozenshades]

Ahhh. I looked at my nib and it is a medium. I think a fine would better suit my writing style.

The ink matters too. Some inks are considered wetter or drier than others and flow differently. A plain wet ink may be a good fit for a fine nib pen, whereas you may like the results better when a drier ink (and/or an ink with sheen or shimmer) is paired with a larger nib. It's a lot of trial and error. Good for fun, questionable for the wallet sometimes.

 

[whereisandy]

If you want decent paper to practice on that is inexpensive, check out Staples composition books and coiled notebooks but make sure that they were made in Brazil. You might be able to find paper made from sugarcane this is good, too. Your ink won't spread too much. Even though the ink may show through to the other side of the page, the notebooks are cheap enough that it doesn't matter if you only write on one side of the page.