Fountain pens - anyone write?
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matt fury
Well-known
foto_fool said:
Mottishaw can work magic, no doubt...but I have a hard time justifying the cost when there are so many wonderful vintage pens out there just waiting for me to save them! :angel:
netzspannung
aka _basil
matt fury said:
Well, the one in question -the one I have -is nice, but not much beyond that. Frankly, I haven't noticed any special qualities in the 14k, and flex doesn't help when the nib itself is an italic - it becomes scratchy when pushed to the point of the "flex". It was listed as special occasion, used, very affordable at the time 🙂
BTW, the quality of omas pens is simply appalling for the price. The Bibliotheque Special I've had - it has literally fallen apart at the piston rod, impossible to fix. I salvaged the nib, putting it into a measly Omas Tokyo - that was a pain, as the threads did not match and I had to strip it all the way, changing the feeds. But - their designs are among the most beatiful. Ever
I've had more than enough "expensive" pens fail on me, very aggravating when compared with reliable $1 things. An aurora ipsilon with cracked threads, a Sheaffer Intrigue, something that looked like a dinosaur egg and broke into shreds after a month's use, a Montblanc Generations that kept annoyingly leaking onto the back of my hand when I posted the cap, etc, etc.
I even have a useless Pelikan 400 tortoiseshell that I bought in Rome for Eur 40, mistakingly relabeled as an M200 or something. False economy - the thing never wrote, no matter what I did to the nib. But the Pelikans I still love the most, they're heads above other brands.
BTW, who remembers Frank Dubiel, the author of the DA Book? That was the man. The Erwin Putz of the fountain pen. Arrogant and generally unbearable, but everyone liked him, myself included 😉
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matt fury
Well-known
It's funny...I have an Omas that I picked up on sale at FPH...the clear Ogiva Vision... it works, but definitely not the way I would expect a new pen of that caliber to perform. And that's AFTER a tune up from Richard Binder. Hell, even my Safari was something of a disappointment (until I lost it).
I've been mostly happy with my vintage FPs. Yes, I've had a couple of duds...a vintage MB 142G & a Pelikan of some sort...but the hits have far outweighed the misses...both financially & emotionally.
I remember Frank Dubiel. I've got Da Book sitting around here somewhere. I remember when he passed away...came as quite a shock, even though I didn't know him particularly well.
I've been mostly happy with my vintage FPs. Yes, I've had a couple of duds...a vintage MB 142G & a Pelikan of some sort...but the hits have far outweighed the misses...both financially & emotionally.
I remember Frank Dubiel. I've got Da Book sitting around here somewhere. I remember when he passed away...came as quite a shock, even though I didn't know him particularly well.
amateriat
We're all light!
Fountain pens have been in and out of my life since latching onto to a blister-pack Parker for a buck-forty-nine at Berman Twins on Manhattan's Upper West Side in 1965. Loved it when it worked, loathed it when it leaked, which is when I'd break it in disgust and reach for my Jotter, only to get hold of another cheap FP a month later.
Years later, a bookstore owner gave me a Tommy Hilfiger (I kid you not) branded FP. Predictably cheap, scratchy-skippy nib and all, but i was once again keen on FPs, and finally in a position to get beyond the cheap n' nasty stuff. Deliverance came in a demo, broad-nib Lamy Persona from a going-out-of-business stationer's shop near where I was working at the time. Maurice, who had been working there, sold it to me for an astounding $100...a tad over 1/4 what it went for new. It already had a converter in it, too. Heaven on paper. (Maurice went on to work at FPH, where I continued to deal with him, then, I think, went on to his great reward. I miss him.)
The Persona was quickly followed by a Lamy 2000 FP (and most of the rest of the 2000 "family", and I was off to the races. Correspondence, signing, journal writing, and a few more things besides. (Moleskine? Nope...i'm holding out for one of these numbers)
I love the clean, "modern" aesthetic of my two Lamys, which I've now owned for about ten years, but I admit to having an odd vintage kick that wouldn't go away. I've satisfied that kick more than sufficiently by a surprise eBay find: a late-50s-early-60s Lamy 99, which, in looks (this was the product from the pre-Bauhaus-seized Lamy), and performance, appears to be the company's belated answer to the Parker 51, and, like the later 2000, is piston-fill, but unlike most modern Lamys, the 99's 14k nib has more than a bit of flex to it. Filled with J. Herbin Viloette, the thing practically sings across the page. (the others get a varied diet of Lamy or Waterman blue-black, and the late F. Dubiel's least favorite ink in the Universe, Parker Penman Sapphire and Ebony...since they've ended up in what are considered "modern" pens, that probably explains why I've never had problems with this ink).
Whew. Less typing, more scribbling...
- Barrett
Years later, a bookstore owner gave me a Tommy Hilfiger (I kid you not) branded FP. Predictably cheap, scratchy-skippy nib and all, but i was once again keen on FPs, and finally in a position to get beyond the cheap n' nasty stuff. Deliverance came in a demo, broad-nib Lamy Persona from a going-out-of-business stationer's shop near where I was working at the time. Maurice, who had been working there, sold it to me for an astounding $100...a tad over 1/4 what it went for new. It already had a converter in it, too. Heaven on paper. (Maurice went on to work at FPH, where I continued to deal with him, then, I think, went on to his great reward. I miss him.)
The Persona was quickly followed by a Lamy 2000 FP (and most of the rest of the 2000 "family", and I was off to the races. Correspondence, signing, journal writing, and a few more things besides. (Moleskine? Nope...i'm holding out for one of these numbers)
I love the clean, "modern" aesthetic of my two Lamys, which I've now owned for about ten years, but I admit to having an odd vintage kick that wouldn't go away. I've satisfied that kick more than sufficiently by a surprise eBay find: a late-50s-early-60s Lamy 99, which, in looks (this was the product from the pre-Bauhaus-seized Lamy), and performance, appears to be the company's belated answer to the Parker 51, and, like the later 2000, is piston-fill, but unlike most modern Lamys, the 99's 14k nib has more than a bit of flex to it. Filled with J. Herbin Viloette, the thing practically sings across the page. (the others get a varied diet of Lamy or Waterman blue-black, and the late F. Dubiel's least favorite ink in the Universe, Parker Penman Sapphire and Ebony...since they've ended up in what are considered "modern" pens, that probably explains why I've never had problems with this ink).
Whew. Less typing, more scribbling...
- Barrett
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TheHub
Well-known
2 Mont Blancs - one I was going to sell but never got around to it. So it sits like new in its box 🙄
1 Cross fountain pen - I'm a big fan of their ball points
1 Lamy fountain pen - they're cheap and really nice
1 Pelikan something or other - ran out of ink, haven't gotten any more since 😛
1 Cross fountain pen - I'm a big fan of their ball points
1 Lamy fountain pen - they're cheap and really nice
1 Pelikan something or other - ran out of ink, haven't gotten any more since 😛
Ken Ford
Refuses to suffer fools
My Vanishing Point showed up today - yowza! Talk about engineering!
A very comfortable pen that is going to make a lot of sense for me at work due to the capless design.
A very comfortable pen that is going to make a lot of sense for me at work due to the capless design.
amateriat
We're all light!
I don't own one, but have written with it, and admire its design a ton. A solid value as well.Ken Ford said:
- Barrett
foto_fool
Well-known
netzspannung said:
Mottishaw nibs are not for everyone. If John understands your hand his nibs come to you. If you are a script duffer like myself, you have to come to the nib. The nice thing about 14k is that it wears in to your nondescript hand fairly quickly. If you want flexy AND smooth from the get-go I reiterate that the Sailor nibs can't be beat.
netzspannung said:
Quelle suprise! New model fountain pens are not made as well as pens were back when fountain pens were the only game in town! IMHO most modern FP's are more status symbols than writing instruments. I like the older models.
- John
Ken Ford
Refuses to suffer fools
Well, my VP has totally displaced my other two pens for work - it's that good! I think I'm going to keep the Initial for around the house (it writes sooo nice and feels really good) and flog the Lamy.
Robert Lai
Well-known
The best nib I've ever written with is the flexible #2 on a humble Waterman 52 (they stopped making them in 1925). The feed puts out as much ink as the nib demands. You can go from hairlines to a very wide line with this nib. Cost was $40 on evil bay for a pen in reasonable shape, then I had a new ink sac put into it.
After the Waterman, I had John Mottishaw modify the Namiki Falcon, which already comes with a flexible nib, to make it superflexible. It's far better than most modern nibs, but it does not approach the flexibility of the Waterman #2 nib.
Flexible nibs are very expressive, but delicate. Don't ever let someone else try your pen, or else you may have to fix the nib and reset it when the typical ball-point user mashes the nib and distorts it from excessive pressure.
In my collection of rigid nib pens, I use the Namiki Vanishing Point, a Lamy Safari, Pelikan 250 (transparent demo model), and a Parker 51. They all write very well. I would say that I like using the Pelikan best of all - very smooth right out of the box. The Parker 51 I picked up for $20 from a roadside garage sale as I was driving through the country. It looks mint, and works fabulously. There are still some great bargains out there!
After the Waterman, I had John Mottishaw modify the Namiki Falcon, which already comes with a flexible nib, to make it superflexible. It's far better than most modern nibs, but it does not approach the flexibility of the Waterman #2 nib.
Flexible nibs are very expressive, but delicate. Don't ever let someone else try your pen, or else you may have to fix the nib and reset it when the typical ball-point user mashes the nib and distorts it from excessive pressure.
In my collection of rigid nib pens, I use the Namiki Vanishing Point, a Lamy Safari, Pelikan 250 (transparent demo model), and a Parker 51. They all write very well. I would say that I like using the Pelikan best of all - very smooth right out of the box. The Parker 51 I picked up for $20 from a roadside garage sale as I was driving through the country. It looks mint, and works fabulously. There are still some great bargains out there!
somecanuckchick
Tundra Gypsy
crusius said:
Once upon a time I used a Fountain Pen...
It's truly a lost art.
I miss my MB 149...
RdEoSg
Well-known
I'm going to be in Poland and London next month. I wonder if I can scrounge up something while there? I don't even know where to look for a pen. I've tried to find nib replacements for the pens that I make but nothing seems to work right and the ones that come in the wood turning kits are crap.
Does anyone have any suggestions? I really don't have the money to spend $100 or more for a pen.
I used a Lamy er... Safari maybe? Neon yellow thing. Tried it at a store yesterday. It was interesting, but to be honest didn't feel much different to me from using one of my pens I've made on a wood lathe that I upgraded with rollerball tips.
I'd like to have something that looks different depending on how you right... Like the thick line to make a T but the thin line when you cross it? Does that make sense to anyone.
I feel like the first time I ever hear the word Rangefinder some 10 years ago... 😛😛
I wouldn't mind getting some old retro something another. I write a lot of receipts at work and have a tendency to leave pens laying around the counters. Even if I could afford it, a $400 pen would be a bad idea! 😉
Oh and has anyone ever heard of an Eversharp? I seem to have one that belonged to some long lost relative. It has a matching pencil too, but the little uh... lever? that you pull to fill it with ink only moves maybe an 8th of an inch. Is that normal? I suspect maybe there is 50 year old dried ink in it!! Any ideas of how I can get it working again? I would assume this isn't a pen worth mailing off to be worked on!
In short.... HELP!
Does anyone have any suggestions? I really don't have the money to spend $100 or more for a pen.
I used a Lamy er... Safari maybe? Neon yellow thing. Tried it at a store yesterday. It was interesting, but to be honest didn't feel much different to me from using one of my pens I've made on a wood lathe that I upgraded with rollerball tips.
I'd like to have something that looks different depending on how you right... Like the thick line to make a T but the thin line when you cross it? Does that make sense to anyone.
I feel like the first time I ever hear the word Rangefinder some 10 years ago... 😛😛
I wouldn't mind getting some old retro something another. I write a lot of receipts at work and have a tendency to leave pens laying around the counters. Even if I could afford it, a $400 pen would be a bad idea! 😉
Oh and has anyone ever heard of an Eversharp? I seem to have one that belonged to some long lost relative. It has a matching pencil too, but the little uh... lever? that you pull to fill it with ink only moves maybe an 8th of an inch. Is that normal? I suspect maybe there is 50 year old dried ink in it!! Any ideas of how I can get it working again? I would assume this isn't a pen worth mailing off to be worked on!
In short.... HELP!
matt fury
Well-known
Eversharp made some very nice pens (Skylines, etc), and depending on the exact model, it could be worth having fixed up. If it hasn't been used in a long long time, odds are the ink sac has dried up and will need to be replaced.
Re: shopping in Europe. I would just pick something up locally. You're not really going to find anything particularly better or cheaper (as a beginner) in .eu, and you do have some local pen stores & shows in SoCal that you could hit instead.
Re: shopping in Europe. I would just pick something up locally. You're not really going to find anything particularly better or cheaper (as a beginner) in .eu, and you do have some local pen stores & shows in SoCal that you could hit instead.
RdEoSg
Well-known
I was just looking at the Eversharp one I have. It seems to be made of some sorta of Plastic or bakelite or something. Unfortunately the whole top of the cap is broken and falling apart. I fear it is done for.
I was at another shop yesterday that sells all sorts of pens. Montblanc Cartier, Dupont and others. I think those may all be beyond my price range at the moment. It is never a good idea to go in a store that has pens behind 1inch thick glass in walls with nifty lights on them. You can be assured the $25 pen is not behind glass 😛
The $20,000 Mont Blanc was interesting, but the salesman was more interested in the M6 around my neck! 😀 Wouldn't let me take a piccie though! "Store Policy" I was told. 😀
I was at another shop yesterday that sells all sorts of pens. Montblanc Cartier, Dupont and others. I think those may all be beyond my price range at the moment. It is never a good idea to go in a store that has pens behind 1inch thick glass in walls with nifty lights on them. You can be assured the $25 pen is not behind glass 😛
The $20,000 Mont Blanc was interesting, but the salesman was more interested in the M6 around my neck! 😀 Wouldn't let me take a piccie though! "Store Policy" I was told. 😀
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peterm1
Veteran
Years ago I bought a Mont Blanc MeisterStuck when all of the Gordon Gekkos in the world had these - not that I am one, although I did wear braces! I can only say I would never buy another. The nib is far too hard to write well and costs a small fortune to have replaced if you wish to try something softer or broader. Worst of all the body is made from hard plastic that is as brittle as glass. I have broken this damn thing twice and the accompanying ballpoint has had about three new bodies and even now the latest one is cracked. NEVER AGAIN. Besides that the body of the fountain pen is about the size of a large doouble panatella and unless you have the proportions of a highland silver back gorilla its impossible to hold - the things we do for status.
On the other hand I found a lovely little tortise shell pen with solid gold nib in an antique store years ago, had it refurbished with a new bladder and its an absolute joy to use. Only minor problem is that if you use it at your desk and you are a paper pusher like me, you had better be prepared to refill it twice a day at least.
Mostly I just use a bog standard Cross, which was cheap and works quite well.
My advice overall is that if you enjoy using fountain pens, haunt the antique shops but be prepared to pay a motza as good ones have become about as collectible as a mint Leica M3.
BTW, cheap and cheerful or expensive as hell, it does not matter what wrting stick I use, my hand writing is still crap.
On the other hand I found a lovely little tortise shell pen with solid gold nib in an antique store years ago, had it refurbished with a new bladder and its an absolute joy to use. Only minor problem is that if you use it at your desk and you are a paper pusher like me, you had better be prepared to refill it twice a day at least.
Mostly I just use a bog standard Cross, which was cheap and works quite well.
My advice overall is that if you enjoy using fountain pens, haunt the antique shops but be prepared to pay a motza as good ones have become about as collectible as a mint Leica M3.
BTW, cheap and cheerful or expensive as hell, it does not matter what wrting stick I use, my hand writing is still crap.
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matt fury
Well-known
No doubt that there are some extremely nice $11k pens, but at that point, you're just paying for a fancy barrel. That's pretty much true of anything about $2k, and even of most pens approaching that.
matt fury
Well-known
Mont Blanc has gotten the rep of being only good for status, but even if you just look at modern pens, it's not entirely true. They make plenty of great fps (146, 149 especially), even some sized as a demitasse as opposed to a gran panatella, and you can get them significantly cheaper online or used.
There are a few SoCal pen stores that sell used pens & things like Lamy's, so you should definitely be able to find something cheap if you look around.
There are a few SoCal pen stores that sell used pens & things like Lamy's, so you should definitely be able to find something cheap if you look around.
amateriat
We're all light!
Chris: It's a bit tough to get the price/performance/availability nexus just right with these things. As mentioned earlier in the thread, my FP "collection" consists of a trio of Lamys – two late-model examples (Persona and 2000), and, to ease my lust for something "vintage", a Lamy 99, which is a surprisingly pleasant contrast to the other two. I got the 99 on the 'Bay, in excellent condition, for somewhere around $40, give or take a fiver. A 14k B point, with a bit more flex than my later Lamys, and a piston filler, by far my favorite filling method (the 2000 is piston-fill as well, while the Persona has the optional converter – I'm not into cartridges).
99s show up on eBay from time to time. In fact, there's a nice one there right now:
http://tinyurl.com/24mqam
Of course, there's also the ubiquitous Parker "51", and, no, you don't have to pay a fortune for a good-writing example, although they're not exactly dirt-cheap; the nicest-writing example I've tried belongs to a friend who uses it most every day, cost him somewhere a bit morth of $100. (Note: near as I can remember, I think he mentioned having the nib tweaked a bit for him to get it "just right".)
So, forget about the spectre of $400 pens. A fantastic pen can be had for a fraction of that tab.
- Barrett
99s show up on eBay from time to time. In fact, there's a nice one there right now:
http://tinyurl.com/24mqam
Of course, there's also the ubiquitous Parker "51", and, no, you don't have to pay a fortune for a good-writing example, although they're not exactly dirt-cheap; the nicest-writing example I've tried belongs to a friend who uses it most every day, cost him somewhere a bit morth of $100. (Note: near as I can remember, I think he mentioned having the nib tweaked a bit for him to get it "just right".)
So, forget about the spectre of $400 pens. A fantastic pen can be had for a fraction of that tab.
- Barrett
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RdEoSg
Well-known
I'm going to have to start keeping my eyes opened!
Can anyone recommend a good site that would explain the differences between nubs and things? I've come across a few sites that talk about ones for Pelikan pens.
Thanks for the info Barrett. I have saved that auction to keep an eye on to see how things go.
I think that is my biggest problem at the moment, there doesn't seem to be any shortage of good vintage pens in my price point, it is just a matter of knowing what I am looking at when I come across something!!
Can anyone recommend a good site that would explain the differences between nubs and things? I've come across a few sites that talk about ones for Pelikan pens.
Thanks for the info Barrett. I have saved that auction to keep an eye on to see how things go.
I think that is my biggest problem at the moment, there doesn't seem to be any shortage of good vintage pens in my price point, it is just a matter of knowing what I am looking at when I come across something!!