Question about fountain pens

[andy b.]

Yes my undergrad is in social studies education so when I started grad school I wanted it to be specific so my graduate degree is in American History with a focus on the American Civil War

Nothing wrong with studying the Civil War! And being in WV you have lots of opportunities to attend reenactments within a reasonable travel distance.

I've been using fountain pens almost exclusively to write with for at least ten years now, and bought my first one probably 20 years ago. I never had one leak in a shirt. I HAVE had them leak into the cap, and get ink on the barrel, and end up with blue or black fingers. That rarely happens with modern cartridge pens. The Lamy Safari is an excellent first pen. I bought my kids Lamy ABC fountain pens when they were 4 or 5 years old and their teachers said they had to use pencil for school, so they didn't get as much use as I had hoped. They are cool pens for kids though.

I was going to caution you that you should write with a fountain pen at least every few days to prevent the ink from drying out, but if you'll be taking lots of notes you'll have no worries about that.

As scrawlysteve said, the Fountain Pen Network has lots of good advice. The people there are as friendly as here.

Andy B.

 

[DeaconKC]

Great choice and welcome to a fine addiction. If you write a lot, you will run through a lot of cartridges and discover the economy of bottles. Shaeffer Skrip and Parker's Quink are almost foolproof inks and run well in almost any pen. A good piston filler like the Lamy 2000 or the Pelikans seem to hold a quart of ink if you do a lot of writing.

 

[Historyteach24]

I realize now that I will be buying a converter and ink but the upfront cost was a tad high for me to order it all together without knowing how I like to do things. When my cartridges run out and I can just buy the converter and ink

 

[Historyteach24]

So when it comes to vintage what do I look for?? Brands?


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[scrawlysteve]

Thousands of 'em....some very good vintage ones are Swan leverfillers, Onoto, Waterman Red Ripple, Conway Stewart, Croxley, practically any German piston filler (Pelikan,Soennaken, Geha etc), Parker Duofold and Victory etc etc---but much will depend on your favoured nib style, weight and balance of pen, posted or unposted etc etc....you will have to make your own choices..... it will be fun though....

 

[Historyteach24]

Thank you for the advice I will just use my modern one and maybe find a good deal on vintage on ebay

 

[John J]

Lots to choose from and price ranges.

Do you want them to use or collect? Old Sheaffers are a favorite of mine for actual use (I love the snorkel fill feature on the 1950s models) ,, another series for use is the Parker P51 esp the models from the 50s that had the squeeze fill system Vs the vacumatic.

One pen Ive been trying to land for a long time is a sheaffer Pen for men (PFM) looking for an all plastic one.

again 1000s to choose from though the prices are pretty up there. 10 years ago or so I was buying vintage pens from most companies 1930s - 50s in the 10 - 20 dollar range $75.00 ++ now for basic stuff BUT it depends On where you look.

the vintage pens are fun But I do like the modern pens better for my daily use.

"John"

 

[Historyteach24]

I want use not desk ornaments

 

[ottawa_adam]

Welcome to a new addiction. I began collecting fountain pens during the past couple years. In fact, in my youth, I was into calligraphy. Thus, I have always had a fondness for pens and handwriting.

The Safari is a great starting pen, as it's comfortable in the hand whilst writing for long periods. This pen will also take a lot of abuse. I foresee no problems with clipping this pen in a shirt pocket. This pen is sealed pretty well and won't leak unless you're doing rigorous activities.

What size nib did you get? I find the Safari's fine nib writes just a little too dry for my writing style. The medium flows just right, and helps with writing quickly.

What colour inks do you you prefer? If you write in blue, I would recommend Waterman Serenity Blue. It's a nice standard blue and writes smooth.

If you do eventually buy ink, make sure it's labeled specifically for fountain pen use; there are drawing [india] inks which will plug up a fountain pen system.

The best fountain forum I have found is: www.fountainpennetwork.com. The people there are just as dedicated to pens as we are dedicated to hats and vintage clothing.

Have fun and do let us know how you enjoy your fountain pen.

 

[Preacher Man]

Hey Historyteach, welcome to the other weakness, fountain pens! Nothing like em. All our fellow loungers have given you some great advice. I'm glad you've decided to go with a converter filler, wise choice. The converter gives you much wider choice of ink, not just choice of color but you'll learn each ink acts differently from another, they have characteristics much like these hats we wear. I've carried and used fountain pens for a number of years. I've never had one leak in my pocket, always carry in my shirt pocket or my inside breast pocket in my blazer or suit coat. Like wearing hats, using fountain pens is an addiction that will grow on you, you'll learn more all the time about how inks react with different papers, and after spending a few dollars, you'll discover the bright new world of custom ground nibs that will add flair and some individualism to your writing. And if you're like me, using a fountain pen will slow you down as you write, making you a better writer. Teach, I used to write so bad that 10 minutes after i wrote something I couldn't read it myself!! True! Fountain pen use changed that, it made me slow down and actually try to write well. Now that i use custom ground nibs, (I prefer the broad stubs or cursive italics), i actually get a lot of compliments on my cursive hand writing. Everybody used to call my writing "chicken scratch", no more! Welcome to the weakness brother!! Take your time, you'll enjoy your pen, they will grow on you.

 

[Historyteach24]

Well my first fountain pen arrives tomorrow so I will let ya know what I think. Ottawa, I went with fine because that is all I use in traditional pens. I hate the feel of a large point

 

[andy b.]

I hate the feel of a large point

Your feelings will change.
Seriously, the smoothness of writing with a wide-nibbed fountain pen is nothing like writing with a scratchy ball point pen. I was like you, and only wanted a fine point. Now I tend towards at least a medium.

 

[Shangas]

Hello HistoryTeach.

Take it from someone who has used fountain pens for over 20 years. Bottled ink is a damn sight cheaper than cartridges. And I would recommend using a pen fitted to take bottled ink, rather than cartridges.

One bottle of ink will last several years. One pack of cartridges will last a few months.

 

[DeaconKC]

A great starter vintage pen is the Parker 45, these do not have the snob appeal of the 51, but are superb writers and made recently enough to be trouble free and are reasonably priced. The Pelikans are excellent pens, I love them. And for a bullet proof modern pen the Cross ATX are my everyday carry pens.

 

[reeks1]

Now, are these pens safe to put in a dress shirt pocket? Or will they bleed very easily?

If you're worried about leakage/cap issues, have a look at the Namiki Vanishing Point. It's a fountain pen with a nib that retracts like a ballpoint. Very iconic design, writes nicely and I think will only run you about $150.00 or so. That would be my choice for a "traveling" fountain pen, i.e. one that I would take outside my office. lol.

It uses a converter only, I think.

Oh, and I think you'll hate the fine nib. The beauty of fountain pens is the ease with which the nib glides across the page. I think you'll find the fine point scratchy.

Is there a pen shop near where you live/work? You really ought to go try a few different brands, nibs out. Just like shoes, jeans, etc. You gotta try 'em on.

 

[HudsonHawk]

My own experience with the Safari...I like the fine nib. It's smooth on the page and is easy for lots of writing. But one of the advantages of the Safari is the price...you can easily pick up a different size if you want. But again, you chose a really good pen to introduce you to writing with a fountain pen, and you'll find others that suit your taste and style. I'll echo the comment about trying different ones, if you have a shop near you.

 

[Historyteach24]

Hudson, I have to buy from Amazon. I know of NO shops around that sell them

 

[Shangas]

If it's a pen of modern manufacture, I wouldn't worry in the least about it leaking. The only time when that might happen is when you're flying in an airplane.

If you ARE flying in an airplane with a fountain pen, then fill the pen completely with ink before you fly. And keep the pen nib-up when you're not writing with it. This will ensure that any air inside the pen is up near the nib, and can easily escape during pressure-changes. If the pen is nib-down, then the air will force out ink when it leaves the pen, and this causes leaks.

 

[Sylvesterd]

Can anyone post about a good way to properly clean a fountain pen that has not been used for sometime.


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[Shangas]

To clean an old, clogged up pen that hasn't been used in a while, flush it repeatedly with warm water.

If the pen is particularly stubborn, you may use warm soapy water, or warm water with ammonia (very weak solution), and then rinse out later with fresh water.

For REALLY clogged up pens, use a warm water/warm-water & soap/ammonia solution, in an ultrasonic cleaner.