fountain pen newbie

[armod]

I was looking into fountain pens to write with as they're said to be easier but remembered my childhood when my father bought me a pelikan and said "once you've learned to write properly you'll be able to use this"

I started using it when I was thirteen but broke the nib a month later.

now I've been wanting to start with fountain pens again I decided to buy myself a pilot varsity (cheap disposable kind) as I don't want to damage another real pen.

what are some adaptions in writing style I'll need to make?

what are some things I'll need to make note of as I practice with the disposable that will help select the right pen to purchase later?

 

[Frog 74]

Welcome to writing.

I have (re)discovered the pleasure of fountain pens and dip pens over the past 5 years or so and have started a small collection. It includes two Pelikans, a Brown Tortoise Souveran and a M215. Both are wonderful. Do you still have the Pelikan your father got you? One very nice thing about Pelikans is they have replaceable nibs. Just order a new one, screw it in and off you go.

I have no experience with the Pilot Varsity. As for writing tips, there is a very good booklet put out by Speedball Art Products Co. entitled "The Speedball Textbook, 23rd Edition" which is billed as "a comprehensive guide to pen and brush lettering". I found a copy at a local art supply store. Even better is a booklet I found (also at the art supply store) entitled "Write Now: The Complete Program For Better Handwriting" by Barara Getty and Inga Dubay. It's available on the web.

Good luck and welcome to a new world of correspondence.

 

[Nick D]

I got through a lot of college using the Pilot disposable fountain pens. They are useful for getting used to not pressing down like with a ballpoint and with holding the pen correctly (if you don't already).

 

[Cascadian]

I agree with Nick D that the disposable pens are good for figuring out what sort of grip (and also what size nib, if you have choices there) works best with your style of writing. One thing they'll especially help you do, I've found, is learn to write more slowly and deliberately. If I'm taking notes or doing an interview when I need to write quickly, I still use a rollerball or similar. A fountain pen just doesn't work as well at speed. At least, not for me.

If you're willing to spend a bit more money for a big step up in quality, the Lamy Safari is an excellent pen that usually retails for around $30-40.

 

[yachtsilverswan]

Most important factor - do not press down into the paper.

Fountains pens put ink on the page by capillary action - no force is required. With a ballpoint, the writer must press hard enough to overcome the inertial friction of the ball mechanism.

So no pressure.

Here is a website devoted to fountain pen use and collecting: www.fountainpennetwork.com. And here is an amazing Nibmeister's website with lots of information on nib styles and sizes: www.richardspens.com

I use a Namiki Pilot Vanishing Point with a 0.9 mm Binder Cursive Italic nib as my daily writer. Smooth as silk, lots of line width variation, and an instant cure for writers' cramp.

My favorite pen - my Montblanc 149:

Have fun. Burn some ink.

 

[Shangas]

What are some adaptions in writing style I'll need to make?

What are some things I'll need to make note of as I practice with the disposable that will help select the right pen to purchase later?

This bears repeating...

DO NOT PRESS.

Fountain pens do not work like ballpoint pens. A ballpoint pen requires significant pressure on the page when it writes, because it needs to build up the friction to rotate the ball-point inside the pen-tip.

Fountain pens don't need this. They work by capillary-action, and the weight of the pen itself (together with your hand), should be enough to get the pen writing. If it doesn't write, pressing into the page will do nothing to help. In fact it'll probably only break the nib. So, the golden rule is...

LIGHT TOUCH.

Want a little trick?

Find a pad of paper. Uncap your fountain pen and rest the nib against the paper. Rest the barrel of the pen between your thumb and index-finger (or any other pair of fingers). Now, without pressing, grabbing or touching the pen in any other way --- drag it across the page.

A real fountain pen, a proper, working fountain pen, will leave a line of ink as you pull it across the page like that. That is how much pressure you need apply.

Remember that fountain pens require cleaning. You don't have to do this very often, perhaps once every few months. I know some people who clean pens every time they run out of ink - I reckon this is a bit excessive.

All fountain pens have what's known as a 'sweet spot'. The 'sweet spot' is the area of the nib-point which writes the smoothest. Holding the pen with the gold of the nib facing outwards and the feed (frilly black bit) towards the page, is the correct orientation. I've seen people write with fountain pens upside down, and that can damage the nib if you're not careful.

One other thing which is rather important ---

Make sure that when you buy ink for your fountain pen - that it IS FOUNTAIN PEN INK.

Any old liquid ink will not do. Stay away from calligrapher's inks, Chinese/Indian inks, powdered inks, iron-gall inks, etc. Best way to be safe if you're not sure, is to buy fountain pen ink from the major pen-manufacturers, such as Parker, Sheaffer, Waterman, etc. Their inks are safe to use...and come in a wide variety of colours

That's all from me. Feel free to ask more questions.

 

[Doublegun]

Glad to see this thread. I am a "lefty" and have a heck of a time writing with pens - virtually any pen (ball point, felt, you name it), except the Pilot Varsity. That's about the only pen I ever use anymore and I buy them by the box.

Back to the original topic/question, what's a good pen for a "lefty", specifically one who writes upside-down?

Thanks.

 

[BillyCigars]

Well, I figure this is as good a place as any for my first post on FL

I just started getting into fountain pens and recently picked up a Waterman Phileas. It's not a terribly expensive pen at all and have been told that it's a perfect "starter" fountain pen. I liked the look of it because it has a slightly art deco feel to it and I have been writing non-stop ever since filling it with ink!

I was excited to start using the converter so that I could use "custom" inks from different manufacturers as opposed to going with the boring cartridge ink. I picked up Bulletproof Black and Midnight Blue, both from Noodler's Ink after having seeing some great reviews on them.

With regard to pressure, I too have observed what the others have said: you just don't need to apply the same pressure to the paper as you would with a rollerball pen. I too, am much more deliberate now when I am writing and as a result, it has dramatically improved my handwriting (even if I still print in block letters! lol ).

Also, I imagine that the paper you use will eventually be a factor. I have noticed that on basic copy paper, I get a minute amount of feathering (which most say is bad but that I actually like!) but have no "problems" whatsoever when I write on my Ampad Gold Fibre pads.

Cigars have always been my endless passion & hobby - now I think I may have found yet another one!

 

[armod]

the notebook im using is a black n' red by john dickinson, it has nice thick pages. i've been writing with the varsity and immediately felt the difference.

I'll be writing letters in no time.

 

[Edward]

Glad to see this thread. I am a "lefty" and have a heck of a time writing with pens - virtually any pen (ball point, felt, you name it), except the Pilot Varsity. That's about the only pen I ever use anymore and I buy them by the box.

Back to the original topic/question, what's a good pen for a "lefty", specifically one who writes upside-down?

Thanks.

I'm left handed too. I had trouble with a cartirdge pen at times when I started to write with one back in primary school (they had us writing with pen in place of pencil for all but maths from the age of nine). I moved away from fountain pens for a few years, but came back to one for 'good' use from the age of about 13. Through University, biro was used for exams and things.... these days, I prefer to use a fountain pen where at all possible, even when writing something as inconsequential as a shopping list. I usually carry one with me too. The secret I find to writing left handed with a fountain pen (as you probably do, I end up holding the pen pointing away from me, with the nib facing towards me at an angle) is a good ink that dries reasonable quickly - I use a range including Parker Quink, Waterman, The Writing Desk, and others, and never really feel the need of a blotter. Occasionally I do make a smudge, but for the most part as long as I let it dry before I turn over a page an don't lean too heavily as I write, it's not a problem. I also suggest using a pen with a hooded nib, such as the Parker 51 or a Hero 100 (one of the better clones of the P51). While I don't often have a problem with getting ink on my fingers from exposed nibs, I do find the hooded design even less likely to 'bleed' on me.

As to pens... the Waterman Phileas has been mentioned, and is a great pen. I also would speak highly of the Parker Vector, providing you don't find it too slim in your hand. Not very Golden Age, but still a ver practical pen and easily had at very sensible prices. The Parker 51 is, in my opinion, impossible to beat, and I am very pleased with my Hero 100. As a general rule, I do find that a pen at around GBP20 will be significantly better than a pen at, say, GBP7.99, but of course the more you spend the more the law of diminishing returns kicks in - as with any consumer durable, to be fair. I personally wouldn't want to be paying out GBP100 and the likes on a pen I'd be frightened to take anywhere, or be scared of losing all the time, but that's me - your mileage, as they say, may vary. I do highly recommend using either a true fountain pen or using the converter in a cartridge pen (most come with them, and repalcements of the branded ones are easily found on eBay). It certainly is possible to find a whole range of colours of ink in cartridges (Waterman, for instance, produce their standard cartridges with black, a couple of blues, green, red, and brown), but if you use bottled ink you will have a much wider range available as you will not be limited to what the pen manufacturer chooses to put into their proprietary cartridges. It's also much cheaper to use bottled ink, and if such things concern you as they do me, it's also much easier to recycle glass or plastic ink bottles than empty cartridges.

There's only one thing I would say to any would-be fountain pen user by way of warning: you may ell find yourself writing by hand again for the sheer sake of it....

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Great thread. I've been considering to start using a fountain pen, and this is a helpful post!
Rob

 

[klind65]

Help!

I am a new member but remain confused about how to navigate this site. I don't appear to be able to send private emails or respond directly to one specific member; I can only leave a general post. Well, I would like to address yachtsilverswan: I have exactly the same fountain pen - the Montblanc 149 and while it is a beautiful pen, I have been so frustrated with it. When I bought it, I was told nothing about how to care for it. Since then, I have learned to clean it! And thank you for your admonishment about pressure. I wasn't told that either! But my complaint about the pen is that often on the initial downstroke, the pen won't write. This requires me to go back over many of my vertical strokes. Additionally, the pen writes better on some types of paper. On post-its, it has terrible trouble and half the strokes are without ink. Now, of course, I've checked that there is sufficient ink in the pen, and it has been cleaned, and I am not applying too much pressure. Would you know what the problem is? This also happens with my Waterman fountain pen! I don't know how to recieve direct replies on this site, so if you can help me would you please email me at : klindstrom@paramount-group.com.
Much obliged, klind65

 

[Edward]

Klind, the site is set up that members do not get pm 'privileges' until you have made at least 15 posts, so you'll be able to send and receive PMs very shortly if you keep posting to topics that interest you. As to your pen, I'm not familiar with that particular model (the 'Mont Blancs' I owned were Chinese fakes! ), but if you're finding the same issue with another pen from a different manufacturer, I'd suggest it's more likely to do with either the ink or the paper you're using rather than the pen itself. The bane of my handwriting existence is the modern greetings card - 99% of birthday cards especially these days have a shiny interior that doesn't take fountain pen ink well. Bah!

 

[armod]

perhaps its the angle you're holding it.

coming from ballpoint ive been trying not to use the pen vertically.

perhaps an experienced user could explain better, but the pen needs to touch the page on a sharper angle (as in the body of the pen closer to the page/horizontal).

it's taking some adaptation.

 

[High Pockets]

The only thing I can say that might help is this; growing up in New York in the early 60's, we were forbidden to use anything in public school other than a fountain pen. So if a million little kids in a public school system can use a fountain pen, anyone can.
I remember hating ball-point pens when I started using them.

After reading this thread I went to Amazon and ordered a couple little cheap disposable pens for less than ten bucks just to see if I'd like using them again.
If so,...I think I might just spend a little more on a really nice pen.

Just the thought of a blue thumb and index finger make me smile, not to mention chewing on those little plastic ink cartridges!lol

 

[Shangas]

Klind,

Are you sure you're holding your pen correctly? Shiny side up, my friend. And at an angle of about 30-45 degrees. Holding a fountain pen completely vertical will not work.

And yes, paper-types DO have a way with fountain pens. Some papers work better than others. Stay away from shiny/glossy or waxed papers. These are generally no good for fountain pens as the layer of wax prevents the water-based fountain-pen ink from staining the paper properly, and leaving a permanent mark.

 

[armod]

The only thing I can say that might help is this; growing up in New York in the early 60's, we were forbidden to use anything in public school other than a fountain pen. So if a million little kids in a public school system can use a fountain pen, anyone can.
I remember hating ball-point pens when I started using them.

After reading this thread I went to Amazon and ordered a couple little cheap disposable pens for less than ten bucks just to see if I'd like using them again.
If so,...I think I might just spend a little more on a really nice pen.

Just the thought of a blue thumb and index finger make me smile, not to mention chewing on those little plastic ink cartridges!lol

ha ha. I've started getting ink on my fingers and I must admit, I don't mind at all. I've been writing just for the sake of it and enjoying it. I'll probably stick to ballpoint for drawing unless i can find an ink/nib combination that works for the shading and details that i need in my notes

 

[Mark P]

Klind, my experience is that the ink makes a lot of difference. Waterman ink seems quite good if your pen tends not to flow too freely - try it out. Also try flushing out the pen under a cold tap until the water runs clear.

 

[armod]

what are the factors that affect one's nib choice?

and what kinds of nib are available, there are the various widths, but what other options are there and what purpose do they serve?

 

[Shangas]

what are the factors that affect one's nib choice?

and what kinds of nib are available, there are the various widths, but what other options are there and what purpose do they serve?

Factors which effect nib-choice include:

- Style of handwriting.
- Speed of writing.
- Size of handwriting.

Nibs which are generally available are extra-fine, fine, medium, broad and double-broad. In the past, you also got flexible nibs, italic nibs, stub-nibs, oblique nibs. You can still get these custom-ground from a "nibmeister", or, you can simply BUY a vintage pen WITH such a nib (I have).

Flexible-nib fountain pens require a bit more care and delicacy than ordinary fountain pens because the nibs are softer and more bendy --- probably best to leave these until you've gotten used to a regular fountain pen nib.