We need to start talking about fountain pens more. I am a big fan of those bexley pens, anyone else?
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We need to start talking about fountain pens more. I am a big fan of those bexley pens, anyone else?
I like the Bexley pens but can't drop the 250.00 on one at this point. I have looked at the steel nibed Simplicity and the Fun Time but really want the Americana or Poseidon. I figure if Richard Binder sells the Simplicity it must be OK. I will probily save for the gold nib pen. Let me know what you think on the steel nib pens Mitch.
Don
I like the simplicity's the steel nibs are okay, but ideally you should save for the gold nib becuase the are just night and day from eachoter, but the poseidon is a solid pen.
I have a simplicity in black and silver I picked up from Dennis (ofParkville pen) over at FPN early 07. He had a special run of these made at that time. Very nice, simple lines, and reliable. Their steel nibs are pretty good, but, although I have no gold nibbed Bexleys, I agree it is hard to compare steel to gold nibs in general.
So, the gold nib is "worth it"? Unlike the higher prices often seen on stainless razors?Quote:
Originally Posted by RayG
I'm still hesitating to buy the Waterman Carene, but I'm close...:confused:
Jordan
Gold nibs are softer, more flexible and springy, and usually smoother than their steel counterparts. That being said, some nibmeisters do wonders with steel - I have difficulty distinguishing between identical cursive italics nibs from Richard Binder, in steel and gold for some of my pelikans.
If you are looking for your first fountain pen, I would not say it was necessary to cough up the $$ - there are plenty of vintage pens (most of the old pens have gold nibs) professionally restored. I would also keep an eye on the BST forum at FPN and the Pentrace Green Board.
If you were to get a new one, I'd get it from Richard or John Mottishaw as they check and tweak the nib to their standard before sending it to you. A steel nibbed Pelikan 200 from Richard would be a really nice, comparatively inexpensive way to start.
Funny how the same people are into the same hobbies. I bought a vintage Aurora 88 from a member on the green board, and over a year later, he sold me a Boker here. :)
If you have not seen it, FPN has quite an extensive database of reviews. Be prepared for a new AD though. :D
I'm a college student, so cash for the finer things in life (besides my books, razors, and booze) is limited. However, I've always been fascinated with how distinguishing even a cheap fountain pen can be. I use those cheap Hero pens from China. I go through pens so quickly, mostly by loosing them that I would just kick myself if I lost an old Parker, much less a Waterman, or, dare say, a classic Mont Blanc!
I recently bought a 10 pack of Hero pens off of eBay for only about 10 dollars, shipping included. Granted, that's the cheapest I've bought a pack of them, but the first two I've pulled out write excellent!
I have four Fps at the moment. One is a vintage Schaeffer given to me when I started high school from my father. It has the most beautiful nib for writing I have ever used, but then I have had over 25 years to get it there I suppose. Just had it serviced, and was told that the rubber bladder (it is an older type squeeze filler) will last longer with blue ink. So I have Waterman ink in it.
I also have an older Parker Sonnet (the one with the thin trim around the cap). Not a bad pen, but I feel the nib is a bit scratchy.
I also use a Waterman (sorry, do not know the model) that my wife gave me a while back. It also writes very well.
Finally, I have a Mont Blanc Starwalker in black resin and platinum, medium nib. Nice pen, but no nicer to write with than the Schaeffer. Takes cartridges, and Mont Blanc do not make a converter to fit it, although apparently the Monteverde converters will fit well enough to allow cleaning when needed.
My father collects stationary and FPs. Some really old ones too - the type with the little lever on the side that you use to refill, for example. Most still work.
James.
I am a very firm believer that straightrazor users and fountain pen users go very well together, better than standard knife collectors due to the prices of straight razors. I have been an avid pen collector for all of my life. I probably started collecting pens before anyone else lol. For those who know who I am I smile and say thank you. For those of you who don't know I appologise and hope to meet you at a pen show or razor event.
But I have always loved fountain pens, and razors just took ahold so freely. I have always loved the feeling of a rzor shave and the only thing that compares is a smooth pen.
it's true, I have noticed a strong correlation as well. seems that many of the compatible hobbies are "old-tyme" sorts of things, and that young and old alike are attracted to the foil of using such items... often it is more difficult, but it is similarly more rewarding.
Ah, I guess I have some idea now...cool:DQuote:
Originally Posted by MitchBexley
Jordan
are you DennisB from FPN?
Unless the name is false, Mitch Bexley, the son of the founder of Bexley pens?Quote:
Originally Posted by jockeys
Parker 51 hands down in that price range no chrome but a great pen. One of the best of all time. Writes like a dream
Well, I am taking the plunge and getting an alstar in ocean blue "I think it is called".You guys got me psyched. I was thinking of going with a retro 51 rollerball but not anymore. I am going to get some cartridges and a converter to start then get some ink.:D:D
You guys think a logo would be better choice. just curious since it is a couple of dollars more but looks more solid.
The AlStar is nigh-indestructible. Mine has been stepped on and shut in a car door, and the only downside is that the finish is scratched.Quote:
Originally Posted by zenshaver
I'm going alstar.:D:D:D
I'm 100% converters. If I could find a lever fill in a fine gold nib, I'd be in heaven. I do suggest Private Reserve inks. There's even a fast-drying line, if time is an issue.Quote:
Originally Posted by zenshaver
You guys have problems leaving your caps off in between writing? I am wondering if I am going to have to recap everytime I am done.I should get my pen today after work.:D:DI just got some lamy cartridges for now.
It depends on how much I'm writing. If I'm taking notes and they're coming fast, no, I don't re-cap. I'll usually re-cap if the pen is sitting open after a couple of minutes. If the ink on the nib gets a little dry, I start it back up with two or three left/right swipes.
I will have to see how it goes. I do a lot of testing at work and have to write down my results after each test.Sometimes the sections of testing are long and some short.
Got my alstar and it is nice. I decided on the silver/blue and it looks real nice. So far I am impressed.:D
The AlStar can go for about 5 min uncapped before it won't write the first time you put it to paper. It has a good feed, and that helps. Some pens dry out after just a few seconds, the AlStar is very utilitarian in that regard.Quote:
Originally Posted by zenshaver
This also depends on the pen some are good for awhile ohers are not and also include in that the ink.Quote:
Originally Posted by maplemaker
Here is one thing I have noticed since going to a rollerball and now a fountain pen. Is how different all these types write. The rollerball forces you to slow down and write neater. The fountain seems to be along those lines but you can be more loose in your writing style. The ballpoint seems to slide all over the place in comparison to the other two. I tried my wifes cross ball point a couple of nights ago and it felt like the pen was slipping all over the paper. I didn't like it. I never noticed that before. Strange.I have used ballpoints for so long I never realized that different pens write in different ways. I guess you learn something new everyday.
My wife tried my alstar last night and said she didn't like it. She said it writes like a magic marker. go figure.
3rd day at work with my alstar and I am loving it. Thanks again guys for introducing me to a new way to write.:D
??? if you are feeling any resistance at all, you are pushing too hard, or your nib and feed are not adjusted correctly. with a steel nib like the AlStar, you should be using extremely light pressure, if any. with a gold nibbed pen, you should only be using the weight of the pen.Quote:
Originally Posted by zenshaver
do not push hard like you would with a ball point.
I know. my wife doesn't know what she was doing. She just grabbed it from me and tried it once. I told her that you hardly use any pressure at all. She said she would like to try it for writing checks but I am not sure if it would go through for duplicate copies.I love it. I feel like I am writing on air basically.I am a lefty too and have not had any problems yet.
1. if you are using a steel nib, it's safe to use enough pressure to make a carbon check work. don't do this with a gold nib, you'll bend it. ask me how i know this :cry:Quote:
Originally Posted by zenshaver
2. don't write checks at all with a fountain pen unless you are using VERY permanent ink. any Noodler's Bulletproof is safe for checks. Shaeffer's Scrip and Parker's Quink are NOT SAFE for check writing.
She doesn't need one anyway. They are all mine!:D:D:D:D:D
Still carrying my Waterman Expert II, but have since switch inks to J. Herbin (Lie de Thé and Empire Green) and have found that they write considerably better (for me) than the Waterman or Lamy inks. They're looser inks, so they flow easier, and I've found that they also don't dry the nib out if I leave the pen uncapped for a 5 minutes or so...
Just my little addition to today's pen-related discourse.:shrug:
Mark
Inks are next for me. So many to try. I like lamy blue. It is nice. On certain papers ( A gregg rule steno book) it really draws a small line though.I am using a fine nib on my lamy alstar.
I just wanted to say thanks guys. I am already looking at a Sailor Sapporo.:DAfter 2 weeks.
FP newb here. When I want to change ink colors, how do I "wash" the old ink out of my pen nib? Or is it not really worth the bother? thanks!
Jordan
When washing ink out of the pen, fill it with room temperature water, flushing it in and out till it runs clear. You must always flush the ink out of a pen after use, unless you are using the same ink.
Well I got a lamy vista for work. I bought it in fine. It is not a vanishing point but it is cheep enough if it gets damaged I wont cry. My work tends to be hard on things. I also picked up some waterman blue-black. Nice color but I dont like it as well as the Pilot VP cartrige in blue black. Paradise Pen did not have any noodlers in blue-black. I need to order some. Also I have a new box of pilot VP cartriges in black that I would like to trade for Blue-Black. After getting into the fountain pen a little I found I did not like black. Everyone seems to use black and I like to set myself apart from the crowd. Also when marking up copys it is easier to see what is mine and what is electric.
Don
I used to like black with ballpoints but now with FP's I would rather use blue. Blue looks so much nicer.I bought some herbin bleu pervenche but that turned out to be to turquoisey so I had to mix it with some herbin rose cyclamen. Depending on how I mix these two I can get varying degrees of blue.
That is the cool thing with FP is you can change colors with mood I have multi colors and multi of the same shade it is awesomeQuote:
Originally Posted by zenshaver
I gotta hang out in this thread more