Will I have the same experience

[jrward2]

So i've been considering buying up some things at Goulet's for a while now. I've been putting it off and researching here and there.

Well, a few weeks ago I came across a pretty basic looking sheaffer medium nib pen at an antique mall. It was only a dollar but I thought I might as well give it a try seeing as its only a dollar. I also bought some sheaffer ink cartridges from hobby lobby. I thought this would be a nice teaser for what I had been eyeing at goulet's.

However, using this pen had the complete opposite affect on me. The ink flowed out of the pen and the ink looked fine, but it was a real pain to write with. It always seemed to skip--especially when I wrote letters that curved like o and s. Maybe I'm just used to writing with a ball point pen and thats why it doesn't write as well? Is there a a method to writing with a fountain pen? the entire process seemed painful, time consuming (not really what i'm looking for as i'm a grad student and take a lot of notes), and not reliable considering the skipping on letters that curved. Is this something that wouldn't happen if I bought a pen like the Lamy Safari?

 

[nemo]

No, it won't be the same. A used Sheaffer cartridge pen from an antique mall sounds problematic for a beginner at best -- and yours sounds like it may have a nib requiring some adjustment. Did you flush out any old ink remnants? Could be a little clogged too.

But anyway, a nice new Lamy with a converter sounds like a much more reliable unit. Have you decided which nib size to go with your note taking and handwriting size? The mediums are pretty wide in the Lamy but they sure are smooth! Don't forget to flush the new pen and enjoy your purchase. When I was in high school I had a Sheaffer student pen that I couldn't stand, translucent and chrome, I finally and only recently got it to work properly.

 

[strop]

In my experience, cartridges alsways seem to write drier than a converter using bottled ink, in the same pen. While I haven't used carts for years, this was true with Waterman, Montblanc and Skrip inks.

Don't judge the experience based on your antique mall find, though I do have a NOS school pen that writes very well. The Lamy would be a good choice as would a Pilot 78g.

 

[dgerson]

Given this is (primarily) a shaving forum, I'll offer a shaving analogy. If you were to have found an old razor for $1 at the shop and it gave you a poor shave would you write off wetshaving altogether? Would that mean that the new, restored, or simply cleaned-up razors you can spend a few more dollars on are equally as poor of an experience to use?

 

[FLJeepGuy]

The writing experience from a new pen will most certainly be different from one found in an antique mall. You have no way of knowing how that old pen was treated before it got to you, nor do you know how much old crusty ink was left in it. It is extremely rare to find an old pen like that which will write properly by just inking it up without a thorough cleaning first. Fountain pens like wet shaving require a certain ritual and a more involved process than ballpoints or rollerballs, but are quite rewarding once you get used to them. They require proper maintenance and handling to keep them functioning in top form. I wouldn't ink and use a found vintage pen any more than I would put a vintage razor to my face without the proper process to put it in proper working condition.

So, a couple of suggestions... First, remove the cartridge from the pen and clean the nib/feed/section thoroughly. Run it under the faucet until the water through it runs clean. That alone may fix the flow problems. Once it seems clean, dry it by first shaking it over the sink like you would a thermometer (hold on tight) and then let the nib stand on a folded paper towel until the last of the moisture wicks away. If you see color on the paper towel, clean it again. Once it's clean and dry, reattach the cartridge and I think you'll find the pen writes much better. Note that this only addresses cleaning out the old ink that may be clogging it up and does not deal with any physical nib damage such as misaligned tines, etc.

Second, a new pen may be in order for you. The Lamy Safari/Vista/Al-Star line offers excellent value for the price but the deeply sculpted grip section can be problematic depending on how you hold the pen. I have several of them, but I had to retrain my grip to use them comfortably. For just a few dollars more, I'd suggest a Sheaffer 100. I just purchased one in the matte blue with nickel trim and am blown away by this pen's quality. It's definitely worth a look, if you're considering a Lamy as the Sheaffer's build quality, materials, and nib quality are head and shoulders above.

Third, you mentioned that you would be taking lots of notes with the pen. Neither the Lamy nor the Sheaffer have a huge ink supply, however, getting a fine nib will stretch the ink supply significantly. Keep this in mind as you're looking.

Hope this helps a bit...

 

[Slivovitz]

A couple of comments. I have a number of vintage pens which work very well, but most had been restored by other people before I got them. The few that I got in un-worked-on condition required some cleaning and adjustment before they worked. It's probably just as well that I didn't form my first opinions of fountain pens from these. That said, your old pen might be just a thorough cleaning away from working really well. There is a video somewhere on Goulet's site about how to use an ear bulb syringe to flush old ink out of a pen, and you can also give it a soak in some cold water and dish detergent overnight.

Even if you get a brand new pen, it may still benefit from being flushed out before you use it, to get rid of residue from the manufacturing process. I generally haven't done this, and once or twice ended up going back and cleaning the pen out thoroughly to get it to work better.

I have a Sheaffer 100, mentioned by FLJeepGuy above, and while I'd agree that it's an excellent pen, the medium nib turned out to be more like a broad in my opinion. Anyway, it leaves a much broader line than the medium nib on my older Sheaffer School Pen. If you got the Sheaffer 100, think about getting it with a fine nib. A Lamy Safari is another good "first" pen, although you'd have to buy a converter separately I believe.

Depending on the exact model of old Sheaffer that you got, it may take a modern Sheaffer converter. My 1990s School Pen will take one; some older models may not. If you show a photo of the pen, someone might be able to tell.

 

[celestino]

i have four Lamy Safaris, 2 EF and 2 F and i really enjoy the way they write for their price. They are great starter pens, in my opinion. i doubt you can go wrong if you decide to get one and i am sure you will enjoy them/it. Good luck.

 

[badgerstate]

So many things could be wrong (sorry if I repeat ). Probably needs a clean up, dried ink etc. Nib sounds in need of adjustment, maybe trashed beyond repair. Even if everything else is OK, it sometimes takes a long time for the FP feed to soak up enough ink to flow properly. You can find a diamond in the rough at the Malls, but usually they're not worth much. For a buck I'd probably have snatched it up.

 

[Unkas]

As a newbie all I can say is that I have noticed first hand just how much a little dried up ink in the feed can do. I bought a Lamy AL-STAR brand new and it was nice writing with but I noticed some skipping like you and after consulting the forum I flushed it and it wrote so much better after that. It started writing like a dream and now I have an 1.1 nib and a bunch of ink samples at home from Goulet just too bad I can't use them until Monday when I get home to them! (I must say that the sandalwood scented ink I got a sample of smells amazing in the sample vial and the colour looks nice!) I can definitely recommend Goulet though. I got the package quickly to Sweden and I even got a small handwritten personal message that was very nice and I feel that as a customer some of these little things just add up and make me happier to buy stuff!

 

[jrward2]

i just put in an order from Goulet's. Why does free shipping at X amount of dollars spent always draw me in?

Anyway, I'm greatly looking forward to it arriving in the mail. I bought a charcoal Lamy Safari F nib, some blue and black noodlers inks, clairefontaine stationary, notebooks, and a bunch of noodlers ink samples.

I can't wait

 

[Dave258]

i just put in an order from Goulet's. Why does free shipping at X amount of dollars spent always draw me in?

Anyway, I'm greatly looking forward to it arriving in the mail. I bought a charcoal Lamy Safari F nib, some blue and black noodlers inks, clairefontaine stationary, notebooks, and a bunch of noodlers ink samples.

I can't wait

Sounds good! Let us know how you like your new toys when you get them.

 

[nemo]

I bought a charcoal Lamy Safari F nib, some blue and black noodlers inks, clairefontaine stationary, notebooks, and a bunch of noodlers ink samples.

I can't wait

I hope you didn't forget the converter, I think it's about $5 extra. Otherwise you can't easily use the Noodler's.

 

[jrward2]

I hope you didn't forget the converter, I think it's about $5 extra. Otherwise you can't easily use the Noodler's.

I got the converter with it as well