Fountain Pens: Who uses them, and why?

[Mike in Seattle]

A good fountain pen is going to save money. You have the higher initial outlay, of course, but once you have the pen, all you have to buy is ink. And you're not adding all the plastic and metal to landfills.

Sure, Bic/Biro are cheaper at the outset, I'm sure using those would end up cost more over the course of a year. It's a false economy - you're spending more over time. But look at the price of some of the "throw-away" ballpoint and rollerball pens - $2-3 each or more. And really, how many people keep a ballpoint and use it until it's dry? You've got several in your desk drawer or purse, and you leave them here or there, pick up another here or there.

 

[tonypaj]

I use one to write. And sign. That's about it, I read and sign a lot of documents every day and find a fountain pen simple and easy.

The only sentimental part is my choice, always a Cross pen, my wife is from RI...

 

[John in Covina]

I think that many fountain pen fans feel that the history of the fountain pen makes it the right tool to use while writing letters and post cards, whether aboard a cruise ship, the Orient Express, journaling your trip across Africa or just sending that thoughtful “Thank You” note to a friend. While many of us might not get to go to these foreign and exotic places, using fountain pens in similar tasks brings the exotic to where ever you are and banishes the mundane from your daily writing tasks. With Email and the like, there are fears that all handwriting skills will vanish soon. If it happens, gone with those skills are some of the close connections that come from a handwritten note.

Whatever your choice to correspond with, be it fountain pen, dip pen, ballpoint pen, gel or rollerball, know that a hand written note or letter is so often cherished by the receiver. Today is your chance to write to somebody and give them something they will cherish. Carpe Diem -write somebody today!

 

[Hemingway Jones]

For me, it is the romance inherent in the item; a throwback to a different time when pens were cherished, and were not disposable. It is also a bit of an aspiration, to produced writing similar to old letters and documents, to make something worthy of being kept and savored.

 

[John in Covina]

That's one of the things we don't realize, the old letters, and journals written some 80 or more years ago were often written in a completely different style. When you see these hand written items where a letter looks more like some kind of stock certificate the abilities of the writer are much more concise in style than seen in decades. They used script forms such as Copperplate and Spencerian where the pen's nib was what is called Flex or Flexible. Mostly on down strokes they added pressure to the nib which spread the tines and made for a thicker line and the thick-thin change added an elegance to the writing. Stub or Italic nibs give a thick- thin line varition but it's very different than using flex nibs which takes a whole different set of writing skills and is best performmed using whole arm motion. We were mostly taught to write from our wrists which makes flex nibs hard to use.

Most people try to write too quickly and the letter forms suffer from the rushing. I find it difficult to be regular in my writing as to slant and spacing. Also on unlined paper I tend to have lines of writing either slope up or down, so I usually put a heavy lined sheet underneath to help me stay straight that way, same with envelopes. For modern pens with flex nibs the best current manufactured one is the Namiki Falcon. In the old pens you seem to be more likely to find by design, flex nibs in Waterman and Eversharp pens.

 

[Shangas]

What a wonderful range of responses! I'm so glad I made this topic.

Mike...

A good fountain pen is going to save money. You have the higher initial outlay, of course, but once you have the pen, all you have to buy is ink. And you're not adding all the plastic and metal to landfills.

..I love giving that answer to some of the younger interrogators of my weirdness, who might look like they're greenies.

 

[Miss Molly]

I bought my new pen, a Waterman Hemisphere, I really like that it's so slender and delicate, and it's affordable too. I didn't want to get anything too pricey, but I hope it's writes as beautifully as the rest of the Waterman range! It'll arrive in the post soon, I hope! Looking forward to it

 

[Shangas]

Hey Miss Molly,

Hope you get your pen soon.

Beginner's tip - Fill the pen with water and flush it out a few times (just like that shampoo ad - apply, rinse and repeat). This helps get rid of any nasty lubricants or oils inside the pen and that'll help it write better when you fill it with ink.

 

[John in Covina]

Because we have some people here that are new to Fountain Pens I'll post this again.

BALKY FOUNTAIN PENS? FORMULA 409 TRICK!

Have you ever had a new fountain pen that just won't write well? You’ve filled it with your favorite ink and it skips or won't write at all. Well friend, the culprit may be releasing agents, grease or oils left over from manufacturing that is interfering with the delivery of ink.

Stylofiles magazine gave this pointer, which they do on every fountain pen before testing it for their article. But use caution, you may damage a pen if the chemicals attack a part, so no long term soaking! Bare aluminum is most susceptible to chemical damage of the metals but even steel will corrode if left soaking in chemically laden water. Celluloid is fairly strong but damage is possible if left in soaking too long. Casein should neither be soaked nor have any chemicals applied to it, it’s very susceptible to damage. The caveat: Do NOT DAMAGE YOUR PENS! We are not responsible for any damages to pens!

VERSION ONE
Take regular Formula 409 and a small glass like a cordial or shot glass. Spray some 409 in the glass and mix with 3 to 4 parts of COLD water. Dip the nib and feed in the mixture then fill and flush the converter or filling system with the mixture for 1 or 2 minutes. Then replace the mixture with plain COLD water and flush for a minute replace water and flush repeat replacing and flushing again and again for a couple more minutes so no trace of the Formula 409 remains. Then fill with new, clean ink. The writing should be much improved if the oil or grease was the culprit. Be sure to empty the pen of all ink first then flush with plain water before using the cleaning mixture. Always use COLD water as warm or hot can damage the feed!

VERSION TWO
This is supposed to work on both new and older pens that are
presenting a skipping on no flow challenge. Stylus Magazine and some pen aficionados contend that both Formula 409 and Simple Green are too harsh to use on pens. Their alternate flusher and cleaner is a solution you can easily mix up. Mix 1 Tablespoon of Clear Household Ammonia to 2/3rds cup of Cold Water. Flush with this mixture and then flush thoroughly with PLAIN cold water to remove any residue as listed above for version one.

********
Some coated papers and paper just out of the Xerox, Fax, or printer may have chemicals on them that can screw up the ink flow. Recycled paper can contain chemicals or remnants of coatings to do that too.

 

[High Pockets]

Thanks for the post John, I think prior to filliing each of my newer pens next time, I'll try cleaning them.
I always figured the occasional skip was due to the paper and not the pen,.....we'll see.

 

[Slim Portly]

You could literally buy ONE PEN when you started school, and still use that same pen 90 years later to write your will.

In today's world of cheap materials and planned obsolescence, that is a particularly poignant and touching thought.

 

[Cap'n Spaulding]

I love my Mont Blanc Boheme, and use it often.

 

[AR Banjo]

For me, it's a connection to times past. If only these pens could tell the stories of all they had seen and written over the years....

I tend to lean toward pens of the '40s, primarily Vacumatics and Skylines. My two favorites are a black 1942 Vacumatic with a fine semi-flex nib, and a black/gold Skyline (probably around '42 or '43 vintage) with a medium flex.

 

[Shangas]

In today's world of cheap materials and planned obsolescence, that is a particularly poignant and touching thought.

Thanks, Slim!

 

[Highlander]

From my Pelikan S-800 with a double wide oblique nib....

 

[Richard Warren]

Every fountain pen I have ever had (including some rather expensive ones) has leaked. How do you guys do it?

 

[Highlander]

I have never had a problem with a leak, other than a malfunction. On an old "baldder" lever pen I had the bladder broke, years ago, it'd pretty much turned to dust, I had it replaced and it works perfect.

On the piston type pens, I had my 146 Mont Blanc leak a bit one time, sent it back and no problems.

So, for me, and I've carried a fountain pen every work day for 30 years, my experience with leaks has been few and far between. And I don't know of any reason...

 

[Shangas]

Every fountain pen I have ever had (including some rather expensive ones) has leaked. How do you guys do it?

I've been using fountain pens daily for the past 15 years and never once had one leak on me. Perhaps we need to define what a 'leak' is.

If someone tells me a fountain pen is leaking, I assume he means that the ink is dribbling out of the nib, dripping out or coming out so freely that it just gets all over the place. That is leaking.

You sure it's not just nib-creep? With ink seeping out of the slit and covering the nib of the pen? That's not leaking, it's just a slight manufacturing defect. It doesn't affect the pen's operation one bit. It might not LOOK pretty, but it's nothing to be alarmed about.

That said, any really sharp jolt has the chance of knocking a few drops of ink. Apart from all that, though, I don't see how a fountain pen would leak.

Do you do a lot of flying? If you do, keep the pen nib-up during takeoff and landing. That prevents it from having a sickie due to air-pressure changes.

Oh and for anyone else...here's a few pen-related postings I put in my new blog...

http://scheong.wordpress.com/2009/11/01/natural-inky-goodness-the-joy-of-the-fountain-pen/

http://scheong.wordpress.com/2009/11/01/myths-and-legends-of-the-fountain-pen/

Enjoy!!

 

[McFarlaneNYC]

I use a fountain pen for the simple reason thats how I was tought to write in 3rd grade. In third grade we were given a fountain pen, and a cursive training book, and thats how we learned. from 3rd grade to 8th any and all essays for any class had to be writeen in fountain pen, cursive, and on un lined paper. at the end when we were writing 4 page papers it got tough. Members of our school could be found by looking at their hands, we all had ink marks, and a very smooth part of skin on our middle finger where the fountain pen had rubbed the skin smooth. After 8th grade fountain pens fell by the way side, and were no longer maditory, but a good portion of students still carry them with us. I use a Conklin Glider now, but before that the school would give us a new one each year.

Charlie

 

[St.Ignatz]

Every fountain pen I have ever had (including some rather expensive ones) has leaked. How do you guys do it?

My last leak was from filling with a cold bottle of ink, left in the car in the late fall, and putting the fully topped off pen in my shirt pocket under a jacket. My only guess was that the warm ink expanded and seeped from the nib Do you store and carry nib up and not in an attache or lying on your desk?
Tom D.