Thread: Fountain pens- info needed

An ultra sonic cleaner is a handy thing for pens and razors - with both I suppose you have to be careful what you put in. Some things will turn to sand! Great for cleaning nibs though.

Well, I don't have an ultrasonic cleaner xD But I do have hot running water.

Should I allow the nib drying time afterwards? I mean more for the inner parts which may have been wetted due to capilarity (it works both ways, IIRC xD )

With old pens you have to be careful, because feed material changes from pen to pen. Warm water is ok hot water is BAD!! It will cause your feed to pull away from the pen and then you need a new feed. If you still don't get flow, look at the fountain pen tines with a 10x loop and see if they are still together and flat, worst case the feed isn't allowing enough air flow so no ink is coming through, and other questions of concerns. I personally would choose to get a posioden through Richard binder.

Well, so far several soak/rinse cycles seem to have cleared the pen. And no, I wasn't using very hot water, just warm. So I guess perhaps some time tomorrow, I may see just how well this worked.

Edit: And in the box the pen came in (also where I stored all my extra ink cartridges), I found something which bewildered me when i first purchased the pen: The plunger fill adapter! So I may buy some bottled ink some day.

Comming from a heavy handed writting style (working on getting away from) I am looking for something that doesn't require a cartrige. Feedback is something I'll have to get used to, but I think I'd rather like less than more. More feedback tends to bug me in that I think I'm tearing up what I'm writing on.

I think a mid sized pen would be good to start with till I get a feel for size. The fat pens look off and I don't tend to pay them much attention.

There is a japanese stationary store near me (Santana Row) but I forget the name, has a few nice pens. Was there a couple days ago but no one there would even talk to me about the pens... May have been the wrong time to be there. I saw they had a couple of the vanishing tip pens and a few others I recognized, but MANY I had no clue about. There was a video of a custom maker playing that was showing some tip work, could have watched that for a while but my kid was getting antsy on me...

As I suggested earlier, get a phileas, most fountain pens these days will allow you to use a "converter" to use bottle ink so really it doesn't matter what brand you go just so long as you get the right brand converter. you can usually get the converter for under $10

There are some good replies above on, 'Where to start with Fountain Pans.'

The Filler System is of no consequence if you are not interested in the joy of the mechanics of how things work -- here, how much Ink can be held in the Pen without refueling and how much fun does a mechanically minded gentleman have in knowing how something beautiful works and being satisfied that the product which he chooses as a daily companion operates.

Generally, the Permanent Filler reservoire is larger than that of any "converter" or disposable "Cartfidge" filler. But there is some interesting overlap, here: the excellent Sheaffer ''Legacy 2, the 1990s model which is a study in refienement of the classic Sheaffer Pen For Men of the 1950s and early '60s -- with inlaid 18k solid gold nib, entirely heavily baked laque body -- actually has the Cartridge-Adapter which it always had for these pens during the last half century, but everything about the Legacy 2 is improved and this pen can be obtained by putting a "Watch'out on eBay for this item on aution, whereupon the prospective Buyer will be E-mailed shold the item appear for sale; the Black Lacque Body, in my opinion, is the most classic for this pen and the one which shows all of its excellence to best advantage (be aware that a lighter, 'black matte'version which is not lacqued was also made). The Parker diisposable plastic Cartridge cylinder pen is another near exception, in that the capacity of the ink cartridge pretty avails fully of the size of the pen.

In truth, however, the classic Fountain Pen carries her own ink supply, ingeniously filled from the bottle of a huge range of excellent (and not so excellent) inks available today. EBay is a wonderful place to purchase Fountain Pens, and I have done so some dozen or more times with total satisfaction, saving on the one 'no show' for which, however, a claim put into PayPal resulted in full refund in about 30 days. Be not afeared of eBay nor of PayPal, whatever the horror stories which might still be out there -- I've complet satisfaction in the dozens of Buys & Sells made, and have never been failed in the end. (notice, though, for Sellors is a several percent commission to eBay and a little over 3% fee for PayPal -- Buyer pays nothing extra!

Now about the Nib -- the point of the Fountain Pen: a Medium makes a great all-around point; but a Fine is more adequate for business uses where figures and small print must be accurate, precise; a Broad Nib makes an excellent 'signature pen' that is great wondrous for expressing oneself in handwriting style but is way too big to be accurate with the cheque book or ledger. The metal of the Nib is the next consideration: the more Gold which the good nib contains, the smoother it will write, and I shall never retreat from the 18k solid Gold Nibs to which I have become happily accustomed. Sheaffer Legacy has this 18k Nib -- but the new disposable cartridge only "Heritage" is relegated to the small Sheaffer Ink Cartridges, which however fit two piggybacked (can the larger Parker or Aurora disposables work in them? (I doubt it ...). Again, your modern Parker disposable cartridge fill has long, copious ink volume -- whether they can be re-used (like some of the Stylographic pens with their point-valved Nibs, which have a twist on sealing gasket to re-use their plastic filler cartridges, I haven't tried; but since buying my pet Vaccinations at the farm Store, yearly is left another food plastic syringe with #25 point with which one can play with inks and cartridges, and it may be that a carefully placed sparing dab of rubber cement or better "Shoe Gump" [a PVC glue available at the hardware section with the other glue tubes) and which is excellent also for repairing book spines, or maybe Aquarium Sealant, might just work to secure a plastic cartridge seal after refilling ... if the seal becomes too loose for re-use ...[?]).

A classic Fountain Pen is one that has a built-in Ink Reservoire, generally holding more ink that plastic disposable cartridges, and it is what I use and reccomend for anyone just starting out, too. (Again, the Pelikan Legacy or Legacy 2 [last all-American made at the now dclosed Ft Madison, Iowa, factory] are rather hybrids and I think it best to stay with the included gpold-plated metal cartridge, which encases a pliable bladder which is filled by the long downstroke of the body piston, unscrewed from the rear, so as not to loosen its seal where meeting the nib mount ink intake.)

Classically, Nibs made of solid 14 k Gold have been the favourite, whereas steel have been the most used. The very expensive Montblanc pens use 14k, as do most of the Auroras. The sharpness of the stroke is the selling poing for many, especially when using specialised italic or stub (rounded flat) nibs. You will find no smoother writer, how-be-it, that the 18k Gold nib.

Here then is where suggestions belong, after some basic info about what makes the Fountain Pen, q.v. also the Wikipedia article thereon. Above, a poster has suggested the excellent Namiki Japanese Hidden Nib (so-called Safety Nib')', which comes with a 14k solid Gold nib, retractible into the pen body and worn point-end up in the shirt pocket; that is one I am now considering for my own pocket, so as not to have to juggle pen & pen cap, along with cheque book at the check-out counter to make a purchase! (Be aware, that Namaki's safety pen comes with their smaller converter, not the large ones which avail in the higher range pens, and that Nibs.com still has at the reduced price of $111 complete! Go to Nibs' website for exact pen size comparisons -- where you will discover that the larger reservoir of the PelikanSouverän '800' holds 2.0 ml in its beautiful permanent twist-syringe ink reservoir, compared with the Namiki Hidden Points 0.9 and their higher line at 1.7 ml. By the way, their acclaimed German-made Falcon, with its wet-nib flexibility still only holds 0.9 ml.

In summation, I stumbled upon a mid-size Pelikan pen with steel Nib with Converter filling as my first fountain since the Scriptos of the 1960s. I had only two regrets: writing with the steel nib was unpleasantly "skritchy-skratch" and that the removable twist-syringe converter was smaller capacity than the permanent, built-in reservoire. At this very moment, I prepare to invest in a lay-away Pelikan Souverän '800' at Chuck Swisher's well-deserved reputation SwisherPen.com. -- for the substantially reduced price of $363.75 or a bit less if wework out a combination price for a set ... where you will at this minute find on the Homepage a Souverän '800' clear Demonstrator at the same price, available with any Pelikan Nib Swisher's has in stock. Go there also to see the Pelikan Nib Comparison Page and much similar information about Pelikan, several other great brands, and the Nib customisations for which 'His Nibs' John Mottishaw, Owner, is justifiably famous; there also is a zize chart for the entire Pelikan Souverän line, all with 18 k. Gold Nibs and permanent filler reservoirs. I know Chuck Swisher's dependability firsthand, and expect the same from Nibs by repute -- both have comparitive prices, and the latter carries the entire Namiki, Aurora, and Pelikan lines, with their clear demonstrators by the way. You will not go wrong with any pen either of the two sell you, and they will stand by their products, wven trading the nibs if, upon reasonable examination, you find that you choice was not just what you needed!

A footnote:

Mr Swisher carries the highly reputed Lamy line, including their flagship '2000' in pioneered synthetic material which was very special when first introduced and an award winner, and which also has an excellent permanent ink filling system. Caveat: professional writers use the Lamy '2000' and yet dutifully return it for cost-free repair every year or three to remedy the infamous leak problem which is said to result from a faulty pary, the which it is hoped Lamy might have remedied by now. The '2000' is a fine introductory Pne which is worth the keeping and runs a reasonable [discoounted] $120.

Both Nibs & Swisher carry the lower priced nibs of their acclaimed, dependable twist-syringe permanent ink filler system (incompparible to competitors' converters of roughly similar, if flimsy, design. Here are several from the Sisher site:
1) The steel nibbed, shorter Pelikan '150' (5-3/8"cap-posted) at $56 (!) and for which the entire gamut {huge range -- see their Nib Chart) of interchangeable steel nibs are available @ $15.
2) The Chromium-plated steel nibbed M215 (posted 5-7/8 @ $!08.75).
3) The gold-plated steel nibbed '200 '5-7/8" (posted $93.75), individual interchangeable Nibs @ $30; Italic Nibber Pen #93.75.
4) The 14 k solid Gold Nibbed Souver 'M300 Souverän 5-1/4 posted) @ $213.75 with additional Nibs @ $80.
5) The 2-toned Souverän '400' & '405 (5-3/4 posted) @ $213.75 -- diamond ground.
6) The handsome transparent blue '600 with 14 k Nib @ $258.75 (posted 6-1/8").
7) The mentioned above solid 18k Gold Nib '800' & '805' (6-/14"posted) $363.75, with extra Nibs available @ $172.
8) The largest' Souverän '1000' (posted 6-7/8") @ $525 (MSRP $700) with Nibs @ $198.75 -- my personal experience with this huge pen is that the ink is not flowing consistently to the nib for smooth writing, indeed, even after several returns for service, it has become no more than a dip pen (but we whall try one more time, since dropping on the floor broke it in half where the Nib Mount meets the body; this model does not seem to be carried on a number of the better store sites, possibly because others have the same problem and Pelikan either wouldn't or didn't correct it.

Of your question, I can only give you the advice of my own experience, and that is to go with the Pelikan Souverän '200' and its 5-7/8 posted length and stainless steel Nib (2 $78.75, or with Italic Nib for $15 more, or the shorter (5-1/8" posted) '150' @ 56.25 and a small selection of added replaceable Nibs @ $15 (Extra-Fine through Oblique Double-Broad [2BB]). Really the Medium Nib will give you a good idea of size and be practical for all-around use, anything finer lacking the smoothness to afford pleasure in the using. The longer, chromium-banded '200' would be another @ $78.75 worth considering sepecially if you need the length as do I (5-7/8"). A
14 k Nib Lamy '200' is another to consider, but I personally would go for at least a 14k solid Gold Nib -- the 5-3/4"'405' @ $213.75. You may obtain a 14k Sheaffer at eBay for $15-50 with which you would not be unsatisfied (be aware that old rummer bladders & gaskets can need replacing -- $29 online from the same Shaeffer Snorkel area, as for a large but light 'PFM'' a bit higher in the $75+ range. With eBay one can find remarkable bargains if one only bids as much as he'd be quite willing to pay, for there are hundreds of good pens to be bought within any price range needs!

The Namiki Hidden Nib "safety pen" and the Lamy '2000' both have 14k solid gold nibs, but the Lamy the larger ink reservoir. If you go for a steel nib, be aware that it will not be a silk-smooth writer, but it will be serviceable and usefu -- and no waste of moneyl. The bottom line in the $55 range is the Pelikan '150' and the new old-stock Sheaffers, Parkers, and mony others at online auction -- here, again, resist the temptation to bid more than you can afford -- good, never used Sheaffer Legacy fountain Pens partly foreign made are currently available in Medium Nib for ~$115. Check out ebay, Nibs, Swisher, or the many other online stores where great pens, in new, new old, or excellent pre-owned condition are available in the $100-200 range. Remember, one last time, that anything but a solid 14 and especially the silky smooth 18 karat Gold Nib is going to write with a greater or lesser "scratchy" sensation & sound, the more so the finer the point.

If you have digested the other people's posts -- many doubtless far more experienced than I -- and have any further questions or refinement of questions, please as as specifically as you can, and we all surely will do the best to answer that our experience allows. If you are serious about a fountain pen, I personally would start right off with a permanent filler system, not disposable plastic cartridge, with an 18k Gold -- at lease a 14k Nib. If for business then choose a Fine Nib, if for all-around use than either a Fine or a Medium Nib. For a steel Nib Pen, the Oblique, or variable line thickness italic or stub nib would alllow experimentation with those qualities, but a serious calligrapher might prever one of the old fashioned pressure-variable line nibs which give a writing of the beautifully nuanced style of George Washington Constitution hand.

An 18k Fine Nib could be a perfect choice for one person, yet not quite satisfactory to another. Some will agree with me as to the smooth writing pleasures of an 18k Gold Nib, and others such as Aurora aficionados will much prefer the tactual control afforded by the 14k Gold. Few, I think, except dip pen calligraphers, are going to give anyone an unqualified approval for the steel Nib, gold-plated or not (the gold plate helps to resist corrosion -- at the tip of every modern fountain pen Nib is a tiny quantity of very hard Iridium or similar in order to lend durability to the Nib where it joins the ink with the paper.

That Iridium addition to the Nib point is a whole suject in itself -- one which I am not qualified further to comment. All pen nibs must be finely polished to write to its smoothest capabilities. Pelikan does this at the factory with their Gold nibs, excersising penmanship acrobatics for a few minutes -- back & forth, round & round -- will suffice not-uet hand polished nibs, and several days, weeks, and months will do wonders to smoothe out the performance of every fresh nib.

Best regards, and GOD Bless, Brooks

PS: have you bought your new Fountain Pen already? Which did you choose and how are you enjoying it, please? As I think of it, the 14 k nibbed Namiki 'Vanishing Point' suggested by that other poster sounds like a very good introduction into the Fountain Pen realm. Namiki's homesite is at Namiki :: Collections - Pilot Vanishing Point Rhodium Accents .

Originally Posted by MitchBexley

WE ARE THE ONLY US PEN COMPANY LEFT!!! Everyone else is made out of the US.
Mitchell Levy

VP of Bexley Pen

Did Shaeffer close their US plant? I had heard rumors a couple of years ago, but I never heard anything else about it. (that was before I was active on FPN)

Originally Posted by BABatson

There are some good replies above on, 'Where to start with Fountain Pans.'

The Filler System is of no consequence if you are not interested in the joy of the mechanics of how things work -- here, how much Ink can be held in the Pen without refueling and how much fun does a mechanically minded gentleman have in knowing how something beautiful works and being satisfied that the product which he chooses as a daily companion operates.

Generally, the Permanent Filler reservoire is larger than that of any "converter" or disposable "Cartfidge" filler. But there is some interesting overlap, here: the excellent Sheaffer ''Legacy 2, the 1990s model which is a study in refienement of the classic Sheaffer Pen For Men of the 1950s and early '60s -- with inlaid 18k solid gold nib, entirely heavily baked laque body -- actually has the Cartridge-Adapter which it always had for these pens during the last half century, but everything about the Legacy 2 is improved and this pen can be obtained by putting a "Watch'out on eBay for this item on aution, whereupon the prospective Buyer will be E-mailed shold the item appear for sale; the Black Lacque Body, in my opinion, is the most classic for this pen and the one which shows all of its excellence to best advantage (be aware that a lighter, 'black matte'version which is not lacqued was also made). The Parker diisposable plastic Cartridge cylinder pen is another near exception, in that the capacity of the ink cartridge pretty avails fully of the size of the pen.

In truth, however, the classic Fountain Pen carries her own ink supply, ingeniously filled from the bottle of a huge range of excellent (and not so excellent) inks available today. EBay is a wonderful place to purchase Fountain Pens, and I have done so some dozen or more times with total satisfaction, saving on the one 'no show' for which, however, a claim put into PayPal resulted in full refund in about 30 days. Be not afeared of eBay nor of PayPal, whatever the horror stories which might still be out there -- I've complet satisfaction in the dozens of Buys & Sells made, and have never been failed in the end. (notice, though, for Sellors is a several percent commission to eBay and a little over 3% fee for PayPal -- Buyer pays nothing extra!

Now about the Nib -- the point of the Fountain Pen: a Medium makes a great all-around point; but a Fine is more adequate for business uses where figures and small print must be accurate, precise; a Broad Nib makes an excellent 'signature pen' that is great wondrous for expressing oneself in handwriting style but is way too big to be accurate with the cheque book or ledger. The metal of the Nib is the next consideration: the more Gold which the good nib contains, the smoother it will write, and I shall never retreat from the 18k solid Gold Nibs to which I have become happily accustomed. Sheaffer Legacy has this 18k Nib -- but the new disposable cartridge only "Heritage" is relegated to the small Sheaffer Ink Cartridges, which however fit two piggybacked (can the larger Parker or Aurora disposables work in them? (I doubt it ...). Again, your modern Parker disposable cartridge fill has long, copious ink volume -- whether they can be re-used (like some of the Stylographic pens with their point-valved Nibs, which have a twist on sealing gasket to re-use their plastic filler cartridges, I haven't tried; but since buying my pet Vaccinations at the farm Store, yearly is left another food plastic syringe with #25 point with which one can play with inks and cartridges, and it may be that a carefully placed sparing dab of rubber cement or better "Shoe Gump" [a PVC glue available at the hardware section with the other glue tubes) and which is excellent also for repairing book spines, or maybe Aquarium Sealant, might just work to secure a plastic cartridge seal after refilling ... if the seal becomes too loose for re-use ...[?]).

A classic Fountain Pen is one that has a built-in Ink Reservoire, generally holding more ink that plastic disposable cartridges, and it is what I use and reccomend for anyone just starting out, too. (Again, the Pelikan Legacy or Legacy 2 [last all-American made at the now dclosed Ft Madison, Iowa, factory] are rather hybrids and I think it best to stay with the included gpold-plated metal cartridge, which encases a pliable bladder which is filled by the long downstroke of the body piston, unscrewed from the rear, so as not to loosen its seal where meeting the nib mount ink intake.)

Classically, Nibs made of solid 14 k Gold have been the favourite, whereas steel have been the most used. The very expensive Montblanc pens use 14k, as do most of the Auroras. The sharpness of the stroke is the selling poing for many, especially when using specialised italic or stub (rounded flat) nibs. You will find no smoother writer, how-be-it, that the 18k Gold nib.

Here then is where suggestions belong, after some basic info about what makes the Fountain Pen, q.v. also the Wikipedia article thereon. Above, a poster has suggested the excellent Namiki Japanese Hidden Nib (so-called Safety Nib')', which comes with a 14k solid Gold nib, retractible into the pen body and worn point-end up in the shirt pocket; that is one I am now considering for my own pocket, so as not to have to juggle pen & pen cap, along with cheque book at the check-out counter to make a purchase! (Be aware, that Namaki's safety pen comes with their smaller converter, not the large ones which avail in the higher range pens, and that Nibs.com still has at the reduced price of $111 complete! Go to Nibs' website for exact pen size comparisons -- where you will discover that the larger reservoir of the PelikanSouverän '800' holds 2.0 ml in its beautiful permanent twist-syringe ink reservoir, compared with the Namiki Hidden Points 0.9 and their higher line at 1.7 ml. By the way, their acclaimed German-made Falcon, with its wet-nib flexibility still only holds 0.9 ml.

In summation, I stumbled upon a mid-size Pelikan pen with steel Nib with Converter filling as my first fountain since the Scriptos of the 1960s. I had only two regrets: writing with the steel nib was unpleasantly "skritchy-skratch" and that the removable twist-syringe converter was smaller capacity than the permanent, built-in reservoire. At this very moment, I prepare to invest in a lay-away Pelikan Souverän '800' at Chuck Swisher's well-deserved reputation SwisherPen.com. -- for the substantially reduced price of $363.75 or a bit less if wework out a combination price for a set ... where you will at this minute find on the Homepage a Souverän '800' clear Demonstrator at the same price, available with any Pelikan Nib Swisher's has in stock. Go there also to see the Pelikan Nib Comparison Page and much similar information about Pelikan, several other great brands, and the Nib customisations for which 'His Nibs' John Mottishaw, Owner, is justifiably famous; there also is a zize chart for the entire Pelikan Souverän line, all with 18 k. Gold Nibs and permanent filler reservoirs. I know Chuck Swisher's dependability firsthand, and expect the same from Nibs by repute -- both have comparitive prices, and the latter carries the entire Namiki, Aurora, and Pelikan lines, with their clear demonstrators by the way. You will not go wrong with any pen either of the two sell you, and they will stand by their products, wven trading the nibs if, upon reasonable examination, you find that you choice was not just what you needed!

A footnote:

Mr Swisher carries the highly reputed Lamy line, including their flagship '2000' in pioneered synthetic material which was very special when first introduced and an award winner, and which also has an excellent permanent ink filling system. Caveat: professional writers use the Lamy '2000' and yet dutifully return it for cost-free repair every year or three to remedy the infamous leak problem which is said to result from a faulty pary, the which it is hoped Lamy might have remedied by now. The '2000' is a fine introductory Pne which is worth the keeping and runs a reasonable [discoounted] $120.

Both Nibs & Swisher carry the lower priced nibs of their acclaimed, dependable twist-syringe permanent ink filler system (incompparible to competitors' converters of roughly similar, if flimsy, design. Here are several from the Sisher site:
1) The steel nibbed, shorter Pelikan '150' (5-3/8"cap-posted) at $56 (!) and for which the entire gamut {huge range -- see their Nib Chart) of interchangeable steel nibs are available @ $15.
2) The Chromium-plated steel nibbed M215 (posted 5-7/8 @ $!08.75).
3) The gold-plated steel nibbed '200 '5-7/8" (posted $93.75), individual interchangeable Nibs @ $30; Italic Nibber Pen #93.75.
4) The 14 k solid Gold Nibbed Souver 'M300 Souverän 5-1/4 posted) @ $213.75 with additional Nibs @ $80.
5) The 2-toned Souverän '400' & '405 (5-3/4 posted) @ $213.75 -- diamond ground.
6) The handsome transparent blue '600 with 14 k Nib @ $258.75 (posted 6-1/8").
7) The mentioned above solid 18k Gold Nib '800' & '805' (6-/14"posted) $363.75, with extra Nibs available @ $172.
8) The largest' Souverän '1000' (posted 6-7/8") @ $525 (MSRP $700) with Nibs @ $198.75 -- my personal experience with this huge pen is that the ink is not flowing consistently to the nib for smooth writing, indeed, even after several returns for service, it has become no more than a dip pen (but we whall try one more time, since dropping on the floor broke it in half where the Nib Mount meets the body; this model does not seem to be carried on a number of the better store sites, possibly because others have the same problem and Pelikan either wouldn't or didn't correct it.

Of your question, I can only give you the advice of my own experience, and that is to go with the Pelikan Souverän '200' and its 5-7/8 posted length and stainless steel Nib (2 $78.75, or with Italic Nib for $15 more, or the shorter (5-1/8" posted) '150' @ 56.25 and a small selection of added replaceable Nibs @ $15 (Extra-Fine through Oblique Double-Broad [2BB]). Really the Medium Nib will give you a good idea of size and be practical for all-around use, anything finer lacking the smoothness to afford pleasure in the using. The longer, chromium-banded '200' would be another @ $78.75 worth considering sepecially if you need the length as do I (5-7/8"). A
14 k Nib Lamy '200' is another to consider, but I personally would go for at least a 14k solid Gold Nib -- the 5-3/4"'405' @ $213.75. You may obtain a 14k Sheaffer at eBay for $15-50 with which you would not be unsatisfied (be aware that old rummer bladders & gaskets can need replacing -- $29 online from the same Shaeffer Snorkel area, as for a large but light 'PFM'' a bit higher in the $75+ range. With eBay one can find remarkable bargains if one only bids as much as he'd be quite willing to pay, for there are hundreds of good pens to be bought within any price range needs!

The Namiki Hidden Nib "safety pen" and the Lamy '2000' both have 14k solid gold nibs, but the Lamy the larger ink reservoir. If you go for a steel nib, be aware that it will not be a silk-smooth writer, but it will be serviceable and usefu -- and no waste of moneyl. The bottom line in the $55 range is the Pelikan '150' and the new old-stock Sheaffers, Parkers, and mony others at online auction -- here, again, resist the temptation to bid more than you can afford -- good, never used Sheaffer Legacy fountain Pens partly foreign made are currently available in Medium Nib for ~$115. Check out ebay, Nibs, Swisher, or the many other online stores where great pens, in new, new old, or excellent pre-owned condition are available in the $100-200 range. Remember, one last time, that anything but a solid 14 and especially the silky smooth 18 karat Gold Nib is going to write with a greater or lesser "scratchy" sensation & sound, the more so the finer the point.

If you have digested the other people's posts -- many doubtless far more experienced than I -- and have any further questions or refinement of questions, please as as specifically as you can, and we all surely will do the best to answer that our experience allows. If you are serious about a fountain pen, I personally would start right off with a permanent filler system, not disposable plastic cartridge, with an 18k Gold -- at lease a 14k Nib. If for business then choose a Fine Nib, if for all-around use than either a Fine or a Medium Nib. For a steel Nib Pen, the Oblique, or variable line thickness italic or stub nib would alllow experimentation with those qualities, but a serious calligrapher might prever one of the old fashioned pressure-variable line nibs which give a writing of the beautifully nuanced style of George Washington Constitution hand.

An 18k Fine Nib could be a perfect choice for one person, yet not quite satisfactory to another. Some will agree with me as to the smooth writing pleasures of an 18k Gold Nib, and others such as Aurora aficionados will much prefer the tactual control afforded by the 14k Gold. Few, I think, except dip pen calligraphers, are going to give anyone an unqualified approval for the steel Nib, gold-plated or not (the gold plate helps to resist corrosion -- at the tip of every modern fountain pen Nib is a tiny quantity of very hard Iridium or similar in order to lend durability to the Nib where it joins the ink with the paper.

That Iridium addition to the Nib point is a whole suject in itself -- one which I am not qualified further to comment. All pen nibs must be finely polished to write to its smoothest capabilities. Pelikan does this at the factory with their Gold nibs, excersising penmanship acrobatics for a few minutes -- back & forth, round & round -- will suffice not-uet hand polished nibs, and several days, weeks, and months will do wonders to smoothe out the performance of every fresh nib.

Best regards, and GOD Bless, Brooks

PS: have you bought your new Fountain Pen already? Which did you choose and how are you enjoying it, please? As I think of it, the 14 k nibbed Namiki 'Vanishing Point' suggested by that other poster sounds like a very good introduction into the Fountain Pen realm. Namiki's homesite is at Namiki :: Collections - Pilot Vanishing Point Rhodium Accents .

Nice Post Sir