Help for picking fountain pens

[CanadaDoll]

I used my plain black waterman in class today, and had a total stranger comment on what a nice pen I had! It completely made my day!
Thanks all for the suggestions on what type of pen to buy, even my notes looked nicer, which is something considering I tend to scrawl notes so quickly they're almost illegible at the end of the day!lol

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Should I try sandpaper?

John had a post earlier in this string with a couple of links about doing this sort of thing - if you aren't exactly sure what you're doing, it's a WONDERFUL way to ruin a nib.

 

[CanadaDoll]

I just saw the Waterman "Liason" in their Cobra, that is a gorgeous pen! Too bad it's way out of my price range right now

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

UH OH, my fascination with fountain pens started with a Waterman Phileas too.
Then, I started trying other fountain pens, Mont Blanc, Cartier, Pelikan, Aurora. This is just the beginning for you all. I tried one pen and thought it was beautiful, then another, and was amazed, thought nothing could be better than the other I had tried. The more I wrote with different brands, the more addicted I became! So, beware. The Phileas is just the start of what could become a long and fulfilling fascination with many different brands of fountain pens. Also, don't center your love around one brand. There are lots of reasonably priced fountain pens on the market right now that write just as well, if not better than the Phileas.

 

[CanadaDoll]

Oh I believe you Daisy!
I'm already predisposed to love writing utensils, and I'm just drooling over the fountain pens on ebay right now. I even managed to find one that was
4000$ I love it, but I definitely can't justify that one to myself right now lol

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

Oh I believe you Daisy!
I'm already predisposed to love writing utensils, and I'm just drooling over the fountain pens on ebay right now. I even managed to find one that was
4000$ I love it, but I definitely can't justify that one to myself right now lol

I'm so glad there's another gal posting on this thread. I know Miss Neecerie and I were the only gals really into fountain pens that came forward. She is quite knowledgeable on the subject too!
I too have always been a bit of a writing utensil collector. Actually, it's more like school supplies in general. I always loved the beginning of the school year so I could pick out color coordinating notebooks, pens, pencils, etc.. I also have always loved stationary. From the time I was about 6 years old I went away to summer camp. Every summer my mom would order me customized stationary with my full name, some sheets with my initials in different styles and colors. We had a store in our town that sold stationary for 5 cents a sheet, coordinating envelopes were between 5 and 10 cents, depending on the size. They had all different colors, prints, pictures, and patterns. I would by so much of it, and even had a little file box to organize it. I had a lot of pen pals growing up, just so I could collect more fun sheets of stationary. To this day, even though I write very few letters, I still love to go to the stationary store. I have more boxes of it than I know what to do with!
As for the price of pens, I know it can be overwhelming. I was shocked when I first started buying, by some of the prices. I know I have mentioned this before, but if you have a Levenger store near you I would check it out. They are getting rid of all of the fountain pens that aren't made by them. This has been going on for quite some time, so stock is limited, and they don't have any more on line. But, they still have some in the store. I never thought I'd own a Mont Blanc. I got a Meisterstruk Platinum Chopin for almost half price. I'm not in the habit of spending that kind of money on one pen, even at half price, it was still more than I had planned. However, when was I ever going to get the chance to find a mont blanc at that price, so I went for it. I'm glad I did, it's a lovely pen. I also bought a Cartier Mini Diablo from them. Again, a higher end pen, but opportunity came knocking. If you can find one at the Levenger price, grab it. It is an incredible pen. Not just beautiful, but it is a petite pen. It is so small, which is great for the smaller hand of a girl. The only down size is that it does not come with a converter. I did manage to find a converter small enough for it, but because it is so small, it doesn't hold much ink. Even the tiny converter I have is a bit too big for the pen. I have to twist the pen in place very carefully, for it pushes down on the converter and squirts ink out. But, I like using converters more than cartridges, so it's worth it. I'm sure I would get a lot more ink from the cartridge. All in all, the sale is incredible. I have bought 6 pens from them.
Another pen that I really like a lot is the Conklin Mark Twain. It's a very reasonably priced pen. I've seen them on line for around $50. They have two different ones in the line. I wrote with both, and was very happy with the lower priced model. I have the fine nib, Hemingway Jones got the medium. Their really isn't much difference between the two. But, I'm not a very skilled writer. Someone with more knowledge would probably see a huge difference

OK, and Daisy goes on and on....

John, I bookmarked all of those links you put up. I had been to a few of them, like Pendamonium and the pen hospital. I didn't know about Swisher, wow what a great site. Anyway, I have learned from experience that when I find a pen I like, never to buy it from the first place I find it. There's more often than not, a place that sells it for less. Today I was searching for a leather pen holder. I would like a small one, to protect my pens while in my handbag, and a larger one to store my pens in at home. I don't have a space for a display case, I'm hoping someday I will. Anyway, I found a 20 pen leather case with a zipper, made by Libelle, that I really liked and seemed to be the most reasonable in price for real leather. Before I bought it, I searched for the brand to see if any other store sold it, other than the first place I found it at. To my surprise, Swisher had the case, and quite a few other cases that I had seen in other on line stores, for $12 less than the place I had originally seen it. In one case Swisher's price was $32 cheaper! Usually I think I'm getting a deal when I find a price difference of 3 or 4 dollars. I couldn't believe how good their pricing was.
Thanks again for all of those great links. I haven't bought the case yet, I'm still looking through their pen inventory, just in case they have something so reasonably priced I can't pass it up.
On another note, would you please PM me again with the information on the pen shoppe I'm supposed to call to buy that great pink pen. I wrote down the phone number and the gent's name, deleted the PM you sent me like a dummy, and then when I called last week, it was the wrong number! I must have written it down wrong, did I mention I'm a dummy. Anyway, I really do want the pen, and I have my new bank card finally. I didn't want you to think I had forgotten. I hope it's still OK to call him! I promise, this weekend is the weekend I buy it! If that is, he still has it....
OK, my tangent is done for the moment:eusa_clap Carry on

 

[CanadaDoll]

Thanks for the tip Daisy!


Sadly I have no Levenger store I my area I have to stick to Staples, but I hear there are a couple of specialty stationary stores the carry a bunch of fountain pens, I am planing to take a look at them soon

I love your story about your camp stationery, I fell in love with the Crane Monarch stationery at about 400 for the package they were offering! Maybe some other time....

 

[moustache]

Link

For all of you familiar with the Fountain Pen network,this information is probably already known.If not....

This link will take you to a complete listing of the reviews of various pens without having to seach all day and night for them.I just posted a new review of a Monteverde fp as well.

http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=8177

http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=23182

This site holds so much information and delightful content,i could browse forever!!But then i wouldn't have as much time for the FL!!!

Have fun!

JD

 

[vonwotan]

Hello All - In addition to the Fountain Pen Network, you can find articles and information at Pen Collectors of America, www.pencollectors.com, and in Stylophiles Magazine, www.stylophilesmagazine.com. I am an avid dilletante collector, and have collected pens, watches, deco funiture and furnishings, and have a particular intest in the Fin de Siecle, Roaring Twenties, Edwardian and Deco periods up throuhg the 1940's. I have always thought the elegant fashions of that period are, or should be, timeless. I am glad to find others with similar interests.

 

[CanadaDoll]

Thanks for posting these two sites Vonwotan! They're pretty neat!
And welcome to the lounge.

 

[CanadaDoll]

I went into a store in town that purported to have great fountain pen selection, AND Crane stationery, so I went in to see what I could find, and I was so disappointed, no one even bothered to ask me if I wanted to see the Pelikans I was drooling over for five minutes straight! The man at the counter just eyed me like I might start foaming at the mouth!

I am a huge stickler for customer service, because I provide fabulous service. I now need to do a little more research, because I will not be adding to my collection from that store any time soon too bad cause there were some fine looking pens there.

 

[zibosco]

Crane Stationary Stores



I was told by a pen store in Costa Mesa, CA that all the Crane stores have closed and they are an Internet only shop.

No touch anymore?

 

[Hemingway Jones]

I was told by a pen store in Costa Mesa, CA that all the Crane stores have closed and they are an Internet only shop.

No touch anymore?

Crane has stores all over the place here in MA. That may be true for California, but not here.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

I was told by a pen store in Costa Mesa, CA that all the Crane stores have closed and they are an Internet only shop.

No touch anymore?

While there are no brick and mortar stores that say Crane above the doorway, you can easily find a retailer in California that sells their line, so you can touch the products.

I just did a 'find a retailer' on crane.com (the find a retailer is at the top of the page) and found 61 different stores that sell Crane's products in the 100 miles from a Pasadena CA Zip code.

Granted, not all of them will sell -everything-, but I know that Vroman's in Pasadena sells a vast majority of the line and could probably special order anything else.

There were also quite a few in the OC which would likely be the same...as full service stationary is more common in wealthy areas...

 

[zibosco]

Crane Stationary Stores

I suspect the young person helping me was referring to the Crane Store that was located in the Mall. Certainly, others retail the Crane product.

Also, Whilst I'm here; check the 12 per cent off sale Staples is having this weekend. Could I possible hide another Waterman from the war bonnet?

 

[moustache]

I have just tried out some new inks and papers.Posted these on Fountain Pen Network.I do want to show off a few new photos though.
Here is a photo of my new Stipula Etruria:

And also part of my celluloid collection:

Left to right: Signum Nova,Stipula Etruria,Tryphon Clef,Visconti Van Gogh in blue,green and sand red,and finally the Conklin Gliders green and blue.

Always fun to show off


JD

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

While there are no brick and mortar stores that say Crane above the doorway, you can easily find a retailer in California that sells their line, so you can touch the products.

I just did a 'find a retailer' on crane.com (the find a retailer is at the top of the page) and found 61 different stores that sell Crane's products in the 100 miles from a Pasadena CA Zip code.

Granted, not all of them will sell -everything-, but I know that Vroman's in Pasadena sells a vast majority of the line and could probably special order anything else.

There were also quite a few in the OC which would likely be the same...as full service stationary is more common in wealthy areas...

That's a shame, but it must be just a CA thing, possibly the stores in the west have been closed. But here in MA, we have them all over. Not just plenty of stores that sell Crane, but actual Crane stores.
But, everything you can get at the store you can get online. And, I have to say that they don't have the best prices on fountain pens, rather overpriced actually. So, you're not missing out on anything!

 

[redavis001]

I just got a new Medium Sheaffer. It's wonderfull! There is an old office supply in town that has a lot of back stock. Not too old but at least 5-10 years worth. Greatness.

 

[John in Covina]

High rent district

The Crane Store in Orange County was in the South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa which is a Very High End Mall with rents to match. It is difficult to make enough sales to pay the bills in such a position. The store was fairly busy when ever I visited but they just could not make enough of a profit to stay there. A fine stationary store is so often a Higher class clientel and needs to be in a high end area for support of such clientel.

Anybody been to Soo Lips Papery on Melrose? I think it is near Fairfax? It is supposed to be pretty darn good. I have been to the Stationary Store portion of Vromans in Pasadena which is very nice. I did get some nice note cards from Farr's Stationers when they closed a few of their locations.

Happy writing,

 

[Scary Mc]

I have just tried out some new inks and papers.Posted these on Fountain Pen Network.I do want to show off a few new photos though.
Here is a photo of my new Stipula Etruria:

JD

The brown ink and the width is fantastic!