Just as a quick note, if you have not checked out the 2017 Hobonichi Techo thread, we get a lot of first time fountain pen users in there! CheesecakeRecipe did a stellar job with this year's OP, so it's definitely worth checking it all out!
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Fountain Pens 2k16
- Thread starter Bagels
- Start date
Bought a new fountain pen
the pilot prera
http://www.jetpens.com/Pilot-Prera-...r-Light-Green-Calligraphy-Medium-Nib/pd/10722
the pilot prera
http://www.jetpens.com/Pilot-Prera-...r-Light-Green-Calligraphy-Medium-Nib/pd/10722
I have the green one with a F nib and it is one of my favorite pens. I have rather small handwriting and this produces by far the smoothest and thinnest lines.
Actually i have the F nib as well. not sure how i linked the M nib version.
Bboy AJ
My dog was murdered by a 3.5mm audio port and I will not rest until the standard is dead
I bought one recently, too, and it's a fun pen. Super tiny when not posted. I like it. But I hate the filling mechanism. Eco is a great filler and it's tough going elsewhere.
Funyarinpa
Member
My Pilot Vpen ran out of ink today. RIP, little buddy. o7
I just got myself a Sailor Professional Gear Slim, and I think that I won the nib lottery on this one. I've heard that Sailor's QA has been terrible the last few years, but this pen writes like a dream, and it's probably the nicest feeling one that I own.
However, I've been wanting to complement it with a pen with a wider nib, and I'm bit at a loss. I've heard great things about TWSBI and their nibs and I"d like to try one out, but I'm not sure whether to go with a medium or an italic nib. I'm leaning towards the italic, but if the medium writes better, I'd be happy to jump to that as well.
However, I've been wanting to complement it with a pen with a wider nib, and I'm bit at a loss. I've heard great things about TWSBI and their nibs and I"d like to try one out, but I'm not sure whether to go with a medium or an italic nib. I'm leaning towards the italic, but if the medium writes better, I'd be happy to jump to that as well.
I'd love some help on this as well. I've gotten a lot more practice lately, but it's still pretty slow going.
Boogie9IGN
Member
Got a MUJI compact fp at the start of the semester and I've been using it nonstop for all my assignments. Love it!
Spotted at Staples!
The ballpoint Metropolitan is the same pen as the Pilot Cocoon. This is a twist-advance pen with a false cap. If you want a ballpoint pen in the classic Metropolitan form, you can modify the rollerball Metropolitan to fit different ink cartridges very easily.
Any Questions
Member
Thanks Bagels, am going to do this! What a lovely idea. I wonder what colour ink I should use.
I'm going to buy a fountain pen for the first time since they forced me to use one in school, going to go for this one:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00KRPFD96/
Am I doing it right? Anything else I should order with it?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00KRPFD96/
Am I doing it right? Anything else I should order with it?
Teriyaki Blues
Member
That's a perfect starter, I'd also suggest picking up some way of refilling ink (more cartridges or a refillable one) and some halfway decent paper. Rhodia Dot Pads are my favorite, but there are a lot of options for FP usage outlined in the OP. I seem to be able to get away with more with a finer point.
You might also want to consider picking up a Plumix if you're interested in trying a very affordable italic nib.
Cheers think I'll go for this one then with some extra cartridges.
I've also spotted that Hobonichi planner and I am definitely interested. Would be useful for work, I'm looking for a day book. Might get some of the Rhodia paper in the meantime, thanks.
Edit - the planner is £40 from Jetpens in the UK, my god. The planner thread says $26 so they obviously whack up the price. Don't think I can justify paying that much. I live in Ireland so shipping from the Japan store is 2700+2200 yen which is around €42. Then if I get hit with customs... nope.
Note that this pen comes with an aeromatic converter so you can jump right to a bottle of ink if you really want to. That converter isn't as good as the CON-50, but it will work and it even holds more ink. Its main drawback is that it isn't clear so you can't tell how much ink is left.
So this is the CON-50 you're talking about?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0016YWJZ8/
Sorry I'm new to this whole thing. This lets me just draw ink in from a bottle of ink instead of using cartridges? It's basically a refillable cartridge? This is advantageous for cost reasons or anything else?
Aliquidmeri
Member
Advantages are cost and the much wider variety of inks available. You could just refill a cartridge with a syringe, but with a converter all you need to do is stick the pen's nib into the ink bottle and twist the converter. Buy a con-50 some where else though, it should cost less than $10.
Teriyaki Blues
Member
No, Pilot is replacing the CON-20 AND the CON-50 with the CON-40. Buy a CON-40 or get a -20 or -50 from somewhere that isn't engaging in price gouging. As far as I know, Pilot is taking the other two out of production, so the costs are going to skyrocket as stockpiles run out. Unless they change their minds and go with this decision for inscrutable reasons on par with Nintendo Logic, because the CON-40 hasn't proved itself a popular choice yet.
Video on the CON-40 from Goulet Pens
In the US:
http://www.gouletpens.com - they do charge for shipping, but they aren't price gouging and they wrap everything exceptionally well, so it is worth it, especially if you're making a bigger order as they have a lot of cool exclusive items including ink samples of just about every ink they keep in stock.
http://www.jetpens.com - also not price gouging, free shipping over $25.
Note that in the UK, prices for Pilot products are going to be higher. I've heard this has something to do with the fact that they make their pens there take the "standard international" models of ink cartridges, so depending on if you have a EU pen or a Japanese pen, you may not need a Pilot converter.
You can also do what I do and just rinse and reuse the ink cartridges the pen came with. I fill mine with a flat tipped syringe from Goulet. I really like doing that because I can switch ink colors on the fly by sealing the cartridge with some PTFE tape and flushing the nib out, usually just water suffices.
I'm in Dublin, Ireland so shipping stuff from the US is probably really expensive. There's a pen shop in the city centre but I dread to think what they charge. I might just call into them next weekend anyway, get some advice if nothing else. As ever this is more complicated than I anticipated!
Edit - actually jet pens isn't too bad. I can get a medium and fine nib metropolitan and 24 catridges for about $50. I can live with that.
Edit edit - might get charged customs fees when they arrive though. Hmmmm.
Edit - actually jet pens isn't too bad. I can get a medium and fine nib metropolitan and 24 catridges for about $50. I can live with that.
Edit edit - might get charged customs fees when they arrive though. Hmmmm.
Funyarinpa
Member
I'm in utter love with my Lamy AL-Star but that gold body Pilot Metropolitan is eyeing me from Amazon...
SEND HELP
SEND HELP
CheesecakeRecipe
Stormy Grey
You'll find that help in an Amazon box, you know.
Funyarinpa
Member
;_;
Edit: This was a spectacularly bad idea. I want the whole RetroPop line now.
T_T
(can't decide between the red RetroPop and the regular gold one HEEEELP)
^^ Just do what I did, and buy both. I had seen photos of the orange Retro Pop, but was somewhat disappointed when I beheld it in person in that it was a dull orange, kind of gold.
Now I am seriously thinking of buying a pair of Plumix italics to swap out the nibs. I would have just gone straight to the Plumix, but I don't like demonstrators as they look cheap.
Now I am seriously thinking of buying a pair of Plumix italics to swap out the nibs. I would have just gone straight to the Plumix, but I don't like demonstrators as they look cheap.
EdwardTivrusky
Member
I'll check for others later on but i'm in the UK and found Cult Pens to be reliable and worth a look.
Herbspiceguy
Member
I'm looking to buy a new fountain pen with a clear casing and bright color.
Right now I'm looking at the Kaweco Sport Ice (yellow). Are there any other good fountain pens with a similar look?
Right now I'm looking at the Kaweco Sport Ice (yellow). Are there any other good fountain pens with a similar look?
Funyarinpa
Member
Is the gold Metropolitan a darker gold or a lighter/paler tone?
edit: I think I'm veering towards the turquoise since I like the design on the ribbon more (though if the gold's color is light (I prefer matte gold to be very light in color) I could still consider that), but that shade of red is also so good...
TwT
I don't know if they count as similar looks, but color + clear can be found fairly cheaply in the Pilot Kakuno, Pilot Prera, Platinum Preppy, and Platinum Cool. I've heard good things about all of these pens.
I'd say that it's more of a pale gold. But I liked both colors so I got both of them! The red one goes great with red-tinted inks.
Funyarinpa
Member
Niice! Getting both (though I'm leaning towards gold the most, currently) is not an option for me, though.
My Pilot Metal Falcon has arrived from my mysterious benefactor! I've wanted one for a long time so this is just the best!
The big selling point of the Falcon is its 14K gold flex nib, which allows you to vary your line thickness based on the pressure you apply to the nib. I love nibs that allow for variation in line thickness. It's a nice way to make your writing really stand out. Italic nibs give you variation based on the angle they are held at, whereas flex nibs give variation based on how hard you press down. It will take me some practice to really make my Falcon sing, but it's already super fun just to play around with!
Here's another fun little thing I recently picked up. It's the 10th anniversary of the amazing Midori Traveler's Notebook. To celebrate, they released these teeny tiny Traveler's Notebooks in commemorative tins.
Goulet pens has them on sale and I'm tempted to grab another because they are so dang cute. The miniature notebook is fully functional - it comes with a stack of Midori MD paper in lined, blank, and grid, as well as some Kraft paper to make a small cover for your notebook inserts. The leather cover is a scaled down version of the full thing, complete with bookmarks and band to hold it closed. There's also a little charm, a linen bag to hold the notebook, some rad stickers, a 10th anniversary guide to all of the Midori Traveler's Notebooks (it hurts to see some of the awesome limited editions I missed over the years!), a postcard to enter a drawing for a special 10th anniversary edition notebook in white, and the tin itself, which is made to hold the inserts for the full-size notebook.
On sale, it's still $33, which is steep for a little novelty like this but, as novelties go, it's incredibly well done. I adore my Traveler's Notebook (in discontinued PanAm blue!) and I like anything done in miniature, so I kind of had to treat myself to one. It's a rad idea for a Christmas ornament for the pen and paper lover in your life. Alternatively, I'm thinking of making several inserts with sweet messages for my wife. A little notebook filled with my romantic poetry is sure to make her heart go pitter-patter and/or help her forgive me for blowing all of our money on pens and paper.
The big selling point of the Falcon is its 14K gold flex nib, which allows you to vary your line thickness based on the pressure you apply to the nib. I love nibs that allow for variation in line thickness. It's a nice way to make your writing really stand out. Italic nibs give you variation based on the angle they are held at, whereas flex nibs give variation based on how hard you press down. It will take me some practice to really make my Falcon sing, but it's already super fun just to play around with!
Here's another fun little thing I recently picked up. It's the 10th anniversary of the amazing Midori Traveler's Notebook. To celebrate, they released these teeny tiny Traveler's Notebooks in commemorative tins.
Goulet pens has them on sale and I'm tempted to grab another because they are so dang cute. The miniature notebook is fully functional - it comes with a stack of Midori MD paper in lined, blank, and grid, as well as some Kraft paper to make a small cover for your notebook inserts. The leather cover is a scaled down version of the full thing, complete with bookmarks and band to hold it closed. There's also a little charm, a linen bag to hold the notebook, some rad stickers, a 10th anniversary guide to all of the Midori Traveler's Notebooks (it hurts to see some of the awesome limited editions I missed over the years!), a postcard to enter a drawing for a special 10th anniversary edition notebook in white, and the tin itself, which is made to hold the inserts for the full-size notebook.
On sale, it's still $33, which is steep for a little novelty like this but, as novelties go, it's incredibly well done. I adore my Traveler's Notebook (in discontinued PanAm blue!) and I like anything done in miniature, so I kind of had to treat myself to one. It's a rad idea for a Christmas ornament for the pen and paper lover in your life. Alternatively, I'm thinking of making several inserts with sweet messages for my wife. A little notebook filled with my romantic poetry is sure to make her heart go pitter-patter and/or help her forgive me for blowing all of our money on pens and paper.
I would say that it is a darker gold/orange color. The photo Bagels just posted shows off the color well.
perfect free
Member
That's actually the orange Metro! Below is what a gold one looks like.
I'm toying with the idea of making a new paper thread. Don't underestimate the difference nice paper makes for your writing or drawing! I've tried several new brands since the last thread and there are new offerings from old favorites like Rhodia. I'm trying to decide if it's worth rebooting the thread.
For new fountain pen users, I always recommend grabbing a pad of Rhodia paper. In particular, I recommend trying Rhodia R, their premium offering. The US Rhodia distributor, Exaclair (who also handle Clairefontaine, QuoVadis, and J. Herbin), is super friendly and they often give away collections of different kinds of paper for you to compare. Their Rhodia site runs giveaways for notebooks and planners all the time. You can sign up to hear about giveaways and stuff at the Exaclair site, or enter contests directly at Rhodiadrive. They are currently running a giveaway for the large Rhodia Webnotebook, one of the very best notebooks you can buy! Get in there and win a nice notebook!
For new fountain pen users, I always recommend grabbing a pad of Rhodia paper. In particular, I recommend trying Rhodia R, their premium offering. The US Rhodia distributor, Exaclair (who also handle Clairefontaine, QuoVadis, and J. Herbin), is super friendly and they often give away collections of different kinds of paper for you to compare. Their Rhodia site runs giveaways for notebooks and planners all the time. You can sign up to hear about giveaways and stuff at the Exaclair site, or enter contests directly at Rhodiadrive. They are currently running a giveaway for the large Rhodia Webnotebook, one of the very best notebooks you can buy! Get in there and win a nice notebook!
Fountain Pen-GAF, I come asking for help!
So I have three fountain pens. Two are a couple of the cheaper "starter" pens mentioned in the OP. My other one is a very nice, pretty expensive pen that I bought from a local crafter.
My issue is this: Any time that I am writing with any of these pens, I feel like the ink skips a TON. Like I am constantly having to write, rewrite, and sometimes rewrite again the word/letter because the ink keeps skipping. Am I doing something wrong? Do my hands fail at fountain penning? Lol.
So I have three fountain pens. Two are a couple of the cheaper "starter" pens mentioned in the OP. My other one is a very nice, pretty expensive pen that I bought from a local crafter.
My issue is this: Any time that I am writing with any of these pens, I feel like the ink skips a TON. Like I am constantly having to write, rewrite, and sometimes rewrite again the word/letter because the ink keeps skipping. Am I doing something wrong? Do my hands fail at fountain penning? Lol.
CheesecakeRecipe
Stormy Grey
There could be a few different reasons for this! The first thing to keep in mind when writing with a fountain pen is that the nib must remain at an exact angle, unlike ballpoints or rollerballs, which can be twisted mid-stroke and still keep full contact with the paper. The tipping material on the nib is what transfers the ink onto the page, and each pen is ground in a certain way that forces you to hold the pen steady in your hand. Every pen has a different 'sweet spot', so it takes some practice finding out how to eliminate the illusion of ink skipping caused by improper technique, but well worth the effort! As Bagels taught me, you want to write with your entire arm, instead of using your fingers as a pivot point. It might feel silly at first, but it becomes more natural as you see your penmanship improving.
Another issue which may be the cause of your skipping is the temperament of the pen, ink, and paper. Some inks just do not cooperate with certain makes and models of fountain pens, and the type of paper can influence this. There's all sorts of small factors that come into play which contribute to this - ink too viscous for the feed, the feed being too small/dry to keep up with the pen strokes and absorbency of the paper, etc. A few ink samples I really liked did not play well with my two favorite pens, which was a heartbreaking lesson in the constant struggle with compromise fountain pen users have to deal with. This could be the case, but it's not as frequent of a problem as I make it sound.
One last thing to consider is how well you're cleaning your pens and how often you use them. Do you often go for a week or two without using the pens? Would you consider your pen hygiene to be sufficient enough to get all of the ink out between ink color changes? Small buildups can cause a gradual degradation of performance, so taking the time every few weeks or so can reduce the chances of this giving you any headaches.
I'd honestly start with retraining your hand a bit, since it's pretty common for people who are used to writing with modern disposable pens to scribble in a way that is unfriendly for fountain pens. Hopefully that's all it is!
Hey thanks for the suggestions! Yeah it may just be something simple like the way I'm holding/writing with the pen. I'll keep trying to change it up a bit and seeing what works
I was excited to order my first fountain pen, since I was a young lad. A Lamy Studio only to have Amazon play the role of a spoiler. It was delivered today without the converter cartridge, as my daughter already had some ink at home. Not only that but, the shipping package was partially opened too. The pen was intact, but after a brief conversation with they are sending me another pen (got to keep the first) and converter. Question for those in the know; Would I be able to use a none Lamy cartridge in the interim?
deadbluesky
Neo Member
You had me at toying!
I just got a Custom 74 in SF! It's another great feeling pen, but I think that I prefer my Sailor Pro Gear by a smidge. The Japanese pen companies do seem to do a great job making nibs. Does anyone have experience with Platinum gold nibs? They seem to be a logical next step after a Sailor and a Pilot (unless I decide to splurge for a Custom 823).
Lamy pens are proprietary, so they're only going to work with Lamy cartridges and converters. I don't even think that any of them are eyedropper convertible. However, if you use up a Lamy cartridge, you can refill it from bottled ink with a pipette or an ink syringe.
I have a nice quarterly bonus coming to me at work and that Sailor Pro Gear is so tempting...
Damn you.
I bought a Pilot Kakuno back in May in Japan and I love it. I use it every day. I tried to get a Pilot Metropolitan but I couldn't find one. It's a bit expensive on Jetpens to get one delivered so I'll have to live with the Kakuno for now, but the Metropolitan looks real nice.
The department stores here only have the Pilot Metropolitan in medium and not fine, so I held off on buying.
The department stores here only have the Pilot Metropolitan in medium and not fine, so I held off on buying.
High-end Sailor is a never ending rabbit hole. The basic 1911/Pro Gear have really nice 14K nibs, but wait - there's a 21K nib that's supposed to be even better! Oh wait, there are large versions of those pens with even larger nib that are supposed to feel even better. Do you want a piston-filling system? Well, you have to find the large Realo versions of those pens. And there's more - there's a King of Pen that has a massive 9mm nib, and it's supposed write as well or better than modern Montblanc 149, but it still uses a converter. So all of a sudden you're looking $900 pens without getting all the neat features, and then you learn that all the big pen guys agree on what the best pen is, and that pen is also made by Sailor. But should you really be looking at pens that start at $1500?
I assume that you know that the Metropolitan is called the Cocoon in Japan, but for some reason that pen is a lot cheaper in North America than anywhere else in the world. Also note that the vast majority of steel-nibbed Pilot pens can swap nibs - the Penmanship, Plumix, Prera, 78G, Cocoon/Metropolitan, and a bunch of Japan-only models. So if there's a body that you like, you can always scrounge up the nib you want from another model.
The bonus of living in Japan is that most of the higher end Pilot, Sailor, and Platinum pens and inks are much more affordable there than in North America, or especially Europe. Anyone from those places are better off buying pens from Japanese sellers than paying local MSRP prices. But then warranty issues become a bit of a mess.
Aliquidmeri
Member
I know nothing about Arabic calligraphy, but I don't think a parallel would be ideal for it. What you probably want is an architect/arabic/hebrew nib. Unfortunately, I don't know of any company that sells a pen the that nib. You'd need to get one custom ground if you wanted one.
I'm not sure any fountain pen can have an arabic nib long enough for pretty calligraphy.
I know nibgrinder offers architect nib grinds. That's probably the cheapest option. You can send him a pen or he can make you a metropolitan with that nib.
Ok, i got a Waterman Skyline Eversharp, with Herbin Pearle Noire black ink, and this thing is way too wet. Its dropping plops of ink (blotting) and shit and i cant have that. Either there is a hole in the ink sac already, or this ink is way too wet. Does anyone have any suggestions for a dry ink to try? Ive seen people describe this pearle noir as dry which has me quite worried.
Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue is typically recommended as dry ink, along with others in the 4001 line like Black and Brown.
Thanks, I got my z26 converter. I want to change my nibs, from the fine to a 1.5, I trust all the lam nibs are compatible?
Good news: finding that you have a pen store.
Better news: finding out that it has a great selection of products, especially inks.
Best news: finding out that they have useful Saturday hours.
The hard part is figuring out how to use all the new inks I just got. If only the pens I ordered were to get to me faster...
Better news: finding out that it has a great selection of products, especially inks.
Best news: finding out that they have useful Saturday hours.
The hard part is figuring out how to use all the new inks I just got. If only the pens I ordered were to get to me faster...
That's right. The only Lamy pen that has proprietary nibs is the Lamy 2000.
Noooooooooo.... i didn't know! Darn it. I was in Tokyu Hands and couldn't find it, which was strange because they had lots of fountain pens.