Thread: Any Fountain Pen Users?

I'm excited. My Birthday is coming up and I'm pretty sure my wife ordered me a Pilot Vanishing point fountain pen. So I'm curious about which one and what it'll be like!

As a sidenote. I bought a cheap Jinhao chinese FP off e-bay the other day. Spent a little time cleaning it out with soapy water and now it puts down a VERY nice line. Especially considering the fact that it was sub $10 with shipping included.

It's the second one I got and I can highly recommend them for anyone who's looking to add a little variation to their FP stack without having the funds to spring for the higher end brands. I'll see if I can take some photo's later.

Originally Posted by LX_Emergency

As a sidenote. I bought a cheap Jinhao chinese FP off e-bay the other day. Spent a little time cleaning it out with soapy water and now it puts down a VERY nice line. Especially considering the fact that it was sub $10 with shipping included.

It's the second one I got and I can highly recommend them for anyone who's looking to add a little variation to their FP stack without having the funds to spring for the higher end brands. I'll see if I can take some photo's later.

+1 to that. I also have two Jinhao FPs and couldn't be happier with them. Dollar for dollar I'd be hard pressed to think of a better value. I have no idea what model the first one I bought was as it seems to be a bit of an oddball that I can't find anywhere now, but I can vouch for the model X750.

I have one fountain pen a Lamy 2000 which I have had for about 12 years. I favor Aurora Black ink and use it almost exclusively. Recently I purchased some Blue kon-peki iroshizuku.......I'm pretty sure the Makrolon used in the Lamy 2000 was introduced by aliens.

Originally Posted by WW243

I have one fountain pen a Lamy 2000 which I have had for about 12 years. I favor Aurora Black ink and use it almost exclusively. Recently I purchased some Blue kon-peki iroshizuku.......I'm pretty sure the Makrolon used in the Lamy 2000 was introduced by aliens.

Another vote for Lamy although I haven't tried those Chinese ones. I have been using a Lamy for about a year now and I love the way it writes and the way I can take it anywhere with me! It's not that expensive that I will have stroke of I lose it (30 bucks...I'll have a minor seizure but no stroke). Less than 10 bucks all in however, and it writes well?

Originally Posted by mannye

Another vote for Lamy although I haven't tried those Chinese ones. I have been using a Lamy for about a year now and I love the way it writes and the way I can take it anywhere with me! It's not that expensive that I will have stroke of I lose it (30 bucks...I'll have a minor seizure but no stroke). Less than 10 bucks all in however, and it writes well?

Yes!

For a bit of context, these are the FPs that I use on something like a regular basis:
Waterman (bought about 25 years ago, still hands-down the best writing instrument I have ever used)
Lamy Safari
Noodler's nib creeper flex pen
Disposable Bic FPs that I use at work
The two Jinhaos
Another Chinese FP: "Picasso" brand
Cheap Chinese Mont Blanc copy bought for a laugh

As mentioned, the Waterman is in a class all its own, but considering its price, it should be. Similarly I think the noodler should be in a class all its own because it's a flex nib pen and so quite a different beast from the others. It's probably the one I reach for most often because I'm still getting a kick out of the flex nib thing. So much so, I just ordered a Noodler's Ahab... (Someone make this stop!!)

Of the others, given the price, the Bics are surprisingly good. Some quality issues with the caps (which I've had split in the past, leading to the cap shooting across the table in meetings which is always fun...) but it writes very nicely. I just don't like disposable things though, so I'll probably be bringing one of my Jinhaos to work soon once they run out/fall apart.

The Lamy is justifiably recognized for being a well-balanced, reliable smooth writer. I would actually group my two Jinhaos in with the Lamy. They are very different in feel (round barrel without the grippy things for your fingers, metal/wood vs. plastic construction) but the Jinhaos are also very smooth with reliable flow like the Lamy. The Mont Blanc knock-off is a piece of crap that I have kept mostly to mess with any pretentious friends/colleagues/acquaintances who may be momentarily impressed with it. It really is a terrible pen-shaped-object though. The Picasso is also a very good writer but I have had some issues with it drying and being hard to get started. But once it's going, it's a good little pen.

So that's the looong answer. The short one is yes - a $10 pen can actually be worth buying! Please bar in mind that's as it stands right now. I have no idea how long it will take for the finish to wear/chip off, etc. But right now, they're just fine.

Now, on a related note - is anyone else here on a quest to find the perfect notebook? I used to love Moleskines but stopped buying them when they had some build quality issues a number of years back, and their paper tends not to be too FP-friendly at times. Since then, I've tried Ecosystem, Baron Fig, Quo Vadis, but I think I may finally have settled on Leuchtturm.

I've really only just started using notebooks myself recently. So I dont'really know. So far I've been using the ones that my employer company branded and they're ok.

What's the real difference between a nice notebook and a cheap one? (I'm sure there are differences I just have no experience with em.)

Inked up my latest Jinhao (x750 in Ivory colour) with Parker black Quink and it's doign pretty nice. It requires a little more pressure than my custom turned pen and my nice Parker. But other than that it's a pretty nice pen. Looks a lot more expensive than it is really.

Originally Posted by Cangooner

Yes!


Now, on a related note - is anyone else here on a quest to find the perfect notebook? I used to love Moleskines but stopped buying them when they had some build quality issues a number of years back, and their paper tends not to be too FP-friendly at times. Since then, I've tried Ecosystem, Baron Fig, Quo Vadis, but I think I may finally have settled on Leuchtturm.

I like Leed's paper but the whole "rubber binder loose hipster thing" annoys me. I can't complain too much because I got 9 of them for free. Leed's is a corporate premium "put your logo on it" type of place, but they really hit the nail on the head with the paper they use in these things...no bleed through at all and very smooth with (for me) just the perfect amount of resistance as the nib writes.

The other favorite if you've never tried them are the Kokuyo Campus notebooks. They are on amazon now and much easier to get. I love the paper. Cheap enough that you won't hate it if you don't. I think now you can buy loose leaf for a lot less to try out the paper.