Fountain pen, someone?

[ZorkiKat]

And yet another Chinese "51"

And yet another Chinese "51"

Have a look at the item description again - those are 329s! That's the new version though, which doesn't seem to be quite as well built as the older ones I use (recognizable by their bullet shaped caps). I have both types and the new one doesn't get regular use.

Found this in an old stationary shop. Old "new" stock, judging from the original box which appears to date from the Cultural Revolution era. This is the "Youth-303" （青年-303). Got it for the equivalent of US$ 1.60.

Filled it with ink and it writes quite well. Slim bodied, not unlike the original 51's bulgy middle.

 

[ktran]

A cheap Sheaffer I've had for 12-13 years now. By this point, the nib has gotten to the point where I don't think anyone else can use it 🙂

 

[Daud]

By this point, the nib has gotten to the point where I don't think anyone else can use it 🙂

that is the way it should be - never lend a fountain pen to anyone else.....

David.
http://davidalockwood.wordpress.com

 

[ernstk]

I have 2 Parker 51s that I use daily. One is from 1947, the other from 1949. They've been restored and serviced and write beautifully.

I found a really nice Parker Vacumatic (1950) in the flea market in Madrid 2 weeks ago and plan to have some work done on it to make it another daily use pen.

Regards
Ernst

 

[amateriat]

I see the poll indicates a solid 70% are into fountain pens. Why am I somehow not surprised?

37 of them at the last count, dating back to an Aiken Lambert from 1916. Most regularly used are a Pelikan 800 and a Sailor 1911 with a Naginata Togi nib.

I wonder also how many of us use mechanical watches in preference to quartz? I suspect that we are all Luddites at heart 🙂

Tinribs

Not just mechanical, but manual-wind-only for me, sans day/date display...way too fussy for me. Just wind, set time, put it on the wrist and go. Took forever to find a chronograph with those specs (had, then lost, an Omega Speedmaster Pro years ago; now I have a 70s-era Hamilton that's being rebuilt/restored).

I've been seeking for "my" pen quite long.. Went from Sailors through Pelikans and Lamy2k and Omas pens to vintage ones - Sheaffers, Parkers, and others more obscure, but neither was quite right for me..
But then bought a Pilot 823 and now I use it almos exclusively. Remarkable pen. And combine it with some of the Pilot Iroshizuku inks and it perhaps cannot get better!

Interesting: Had a Lamy Persona and 2k. Sold the Persona earlier this year and bought a Pilot 823 and Pilot 74 Demonstrator, possibly the two best-writing FPs I've ever owned. The 823 has Noodler's Old Manhattan/Blackest Black in it, while the 74 has Pilot's Blue-Black. Those bottles of Iroshizuku look damned tempting, even at $35 a crack. (And to think, I talked Fountain Pen Hospital into carrying those inks...what was I thinking?) 🙄


- Barrett

 

[elmer3.5]

Caran d´ache.

Caran d´ache.

Hi, i used them since 15 years old, as i draw a lot i know a lot of them.
I even made my own fountain pens.
Usually had to sand the nibs to get the "perfect" trace.
Also to get a thinner trace i use them upside down.
I had many, all sort of mountblancs, parkers, and shaeffers (the best for drawings, even plan to get the targa imperial brass series one day)
For 5 or 6 years i been using a silver caran d´ache with MB dark red ink (runs smoothly), it´s a little hard but i´m softening it´s nib and in a few more months i´ll get the best out of it.
I don´t write that much but when i do it´s this one
The best are pure gold long nibs, the top edges open as you press them and leave uneven traces of ink.

Bye

 

[Luddite Frank]

"Not just mechanical, but manual-wind-only for me, sans day/date display...way too fussy for me. Just wind, set time, put it on the wrist and go. Took forever to find a chronograph with those specs (had, then lost, an Omega Speedmaster Pro years ago; now I have a 70s-era Hamilton that's being rebuilt/restored)."

How about an 1880's Elgin key-wind pocket-watch, that seems to weigh nearly half a pound ?

I still haul it out for special occasions, and it keeps very respectable time...

Would love to have a Hamilton 992-B railroad watch like the one my grandad carried...

I gave up carrying pocket watches and fountain pens everyday, as they invariably became damaged...

Still love the idea though, and I'm hanging-on to what I have...

 

[JohnTF]

Not just mechanical, but manual-wind-only for me, sans day/date display...way too fussy for me. Just wind, set time, put it on the wrist and go. Took forever to find a chronograph with those specs (had, then lost, an Omega Speedmaster Pro years ago; now I have a 70s-era Hamilton that's being rebuilt/restored).



Interesting: Had a Lamy Persona and 2k. Sold the Persona earlier this year and bought a Pilot 823 and Pilot 74 Demonstrator, possibly the two best-writing FPs I've ever owned. The 823 has Noodler's Old Manhattan/Blackest Black in it, while the 74 has Pilot's Blue-Black. Those bottles of Iroshizuku look damned tempting, even at $35 a crack. (And to think, I talked Fountain Pen Hospital into carrying those inks...what was I thinking?) :

I found a box of old watches, really only saw a couple nice ones, but found what I thought were some ordinary plated Gruen's but when I had them cleaned, a couple were gold-- and very plain, easy to read, thin, nice dress watches. Some engraved on the back for guys who retired in the 50's.

Yeah, got some nice fountain pens too, some of the major companies used to offer them direct at discount to teachers, with their name engraved.

The French really appreciate fountain pens, I think Parker is a big name for them-- saw a nice store in the 6th Arr that sold and repaired only pens.

Cameras, watches, vintage pens, -- guilty pleasures?

And Sam Vinegar who ran Photorama shows-- Fountain pen collector and dealer as well.

Regards, John

 

[JohnTF]

"Not just mechanical, but manual-wind-only for me, sans day/date display...way too fussy for me. Just wind, set time, put it on the wrist and go. Took forever to find a chronograph with those specs (had, then lost, an Omega Speedmaster Pro years ago; now I have a 70s-era Hamilton that's being rebuilt/restored)."

How about an 1880's Elgin key-wind pocket-watch, that seems to weigh nearly half a pound ?

I still haul it out of special occasions, and it keeps very respectable time...

Would love to have a Hamilton 992-B railroad watch like the one my grandad carried...

I gave up carrying pocket watches and fountain pens everyday, as they invariably became damaged...

Still love the idea though, and I'm hanging-on to what I have...

My tailor puts a watch pocket in the side back-- so I am set if I carry dad's Illinois-- I think one of my Illinois has a railroad style face.

When I used to teach maps and longitude, I used to point out the origin of the time zones-- and the search for an accurate time piece to determine longitude and keep the trains from running in to each other.

Local noon is about a half hour off from clock noon, in the winter here, we used to measure and track it using the shadow from the flag pole in the school courtyard.

Regards, John

 

[chut]

I have a penchant for 30s Parker Vacumatics and 40s Esterbrook J pens. My preferred ink is Ajisai Iroshizuku, made by Pilot.

When I lived in New York, I'd stop by Fountain Pen Hospital once in awhile to peruse the merchandise.

Tokyo has some incredible shops as well (as can be expected), including Eurobox and Shosaikan.

 

[rumbliegeos]

I have used fountain pens since high school, which was 40 years ago. Right now I own about 35, and use them all in rotation. However, the ones I use the most are 8 English Conway Stewarts that were made from the 1930s to the 1950s. All are great writers, and I think they look very cool. Like so many on this thread, I also use a Sailor 1911 and various Parkers and Pelikans. Every first draft I write is in ink, and then they are loaded into the computer and all editing is digital.

 

[NaChase]

I use the Pilot Precise V5. Also, when necessary, I use that Cadillac of pencils, the venerated Dixon Ticonderoga.

 

[RedLion]

Nakaya long cigar in ishime (stone) finish

Nakaya long cigar in ishime (stone) finish

Also Sailor 1911 and KOP.

Joe

 

[charjohncarter]

This is a Parker 45, the low end of the ladder in 1965 which is when I bought it.

 

[ederek]

<snip>Those bottles of Iroshizuku look damned tempting, even at $35 a crack. <snip>

Please, just stop!! I've already bought 2 bottles of ink due to this thread. If someone tells me my letters won't get read unless written in Iroshizuku ink, then I'm doomed. 😱

Have some of those value Esterbrooks that might also see some ink due to this thread..

Sadly, the computer keys get the most use, even if writing gives the most pleasure...

Have enjoyed reading everyone's input in this thread, even if composed on a keyboard...😉

 

[amateriat]

This is a Parker 45, the low end of the ladder in 1965 which is when I bought it.

I regard the 45 as the "low end" of the Good Stuff. The fact that you've held onto it so long says a lot, too.


- Barrett

 

[semilog]

Okay, experts, a query.

I'm thinking that I'd like to reserve my Namiki Falcon mainly for writing, and my Vanishing Point for making margin notes on documents. Thus I'm looking for a smooth-flowing deep red or crimson ink that dries FAST. Water-fastness would be preferred.

Examples: The Noodlers Legal Lapis ink dries fast enough for me, but sadly the Forest Green dries too slowly and (as a lefty) I smeared it constantly and had to give my bottle to a more dextrous friend.

Suggestions?

 

[deirdre]

Look at Swisher's closeout inks -- the original design constraint was lefty-friendly drying times.

 

[Santtu Määttänen]

Please, just stop!! I've already bought 2 bottles of ink due to this thread. If someone tells me my letters won't get read unless written in Iroshizuku ink, then I'm doomed. 😱

They'll get "read", but if you really want your letters to be READ then you really need Iroshizuku inks! 😀 Besides they're lovely in every single way. Actually only other ink I use at the moment is Sailor nano-black. I'm really tempted by plenty of inks (bad habbit I know) but I can keep it under control by looking at those Iroshizuku ink bottles on my table 🙂

 

[deirdre]

Did someone say ink?