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Today's Featured Head-Fi Blog: A Japanese headfier's monologue (Sasaki)
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I only use fountain pens for my daily writing. Twenty dollars is light for a fountain pen. Try the Lamy Safari, or Pelikan Pelicano. Waterman Phiiiias is a bit more but a good writer.
I don't know where you live, but from time to time there are pen shows where there is a wide variety of pens at different prices.
I would not get hung up on a gold nib - many pens with a less expensive steel nib write like a dream.
thanks, i'll look into those. also, i'm left handed. is that an issue?
No, not an issue, lefties can write just fine with normal round nibs. Just get an ink that is quick drying so you don't smear your writing with your hand.
I'd suggest a Lamy Safari if you can get past the design, or even better a Hero 100 from a discount seller like www.isellpens.com (great seller, I buy from him constantly).
A good all around quicker drying ink is Aurora Black. Probably my favorite black ink. Waterman Florida Blue is also a great blue, Waterman Blue Black good blue black.
I am a left handed writer and I always use fountain pens. First thing, not all left handers write the same way. Some push the nib across the paper, some pull. Some have a tendency to smear ink by dragging the writing hand across freshly written words other hook over or under the written line. Etc. You might want to look at www.nibs.com John Mottishaw works on nibs and has a section of his website devoted to left handed writers.
As far as ink, I never tried Aurora black, but I find that the Aurora blue to be pretty slow drying (but a wonderful blue). I second the waterman ink recommendations and can add Parker Quink and Bexley ink as having good flow yet fast drying.
As far as nibs, my suggestion is that you start with a pretty stiff nib that is medium sized and a spherical tip. You may eventually find that you prefer a fine nib, but if you write like I do, that fine nib must be very very smooth. You may also find that you prefer a nib that is less stiff, but don't be concerned if you end up with stiff medium nibs. Whatever works.
The Lamy should work fine as a first pen - I think that vintage Parker 51 is ideal for left handers because of the regulated ink flow, but that is likely above your price range at first. You might also look at Waterman and Cross - Cross is underrated as a writer - not eveybody likes their looks.
thanks for the help so far. a few things i've discovered:
-i'm an overwriter. my paper is typically at a 75ish degree angle to my torso.
-i think i'd prefer a medium nib, or something that provides the capability for a wide-ish stroke. i don't like the lines to be too defined.
-i think i'm leaning toward a cartridge for my first fountain pen. it just seems like less of a hassle and probably cleaner.
would the Lamy Safari be a good choice for these things? it's cheap and i do like the appearance of it. the yellow is really attractive to me. would the medium nib be suitable for this writing style?
edit: also, how does the moleskine line of notebooks/notepads hold up to fountain pen use? i'm looking for a small form factor notebook/sketchbook to use with my fountain pen.
Granted it is my first fp and I have only had it for a day, but I really like my Lamy Safari. From everything I read about it before I bought it, it seems like a pretty solid pen, and I really like the design of it too. It is fatter in person than it appeared on the interweb though.
I have heard that Lamy nibs are generally wider than other ones, so if you want something medium, but leaning towards fine, get the fine point. If you want medium leaning towards wide, get the medium point.
I got 10 cartridges with mine. I think the bottled ink is part of the fun though, so once I get the hang of the thing I am planning on buying the cartridge converter along with some Private Reserve American Blue.
Moleskin notebooks are generally recommended for use with fountain pens(over regular paper), so they will go well together. I have been considering buying one myself, but since I have never seen one in RL before, its a bit hard to justify the expense.
Oh dear, another hobby that's being encouraged by Head-Fi.
I've got a Lamy Safari, which my dad bought me a while ago. Unfortunately, I lost it just last week... very sad. However, a few days ago dad got me a replacement one, which was very good of him. The first one I had had a medium nib, which I liked for the ink flow, but the pen strokes could be a bit wide at times, which meant that I had to forgo using it in my Maths classes... The replacement one that I got the other day is a fine nib, which has more defined brush strokes, but doesn't have the ink flow which I liked of the M. But it's still early days, I'll wait till the nib wears in a bit.
The thing I don't enjoy about my fountain pen is the fact that all of my friends think it's the most ridiculous thing they've ever seen: "Why on earth don't you just use a ball-point pen?", etc. But it's only high school...
Also, I have forced myself not to read the previous pages, because I know that this is just another way that Head-Fi will steal my money :P
Edit: Oh yeah, and my Safari is charcoal coloured, not that garish red on Isellpens.com
The thing I don't enjoy about my fountain pen is the fact that all of my friends think it's the most ridiculous thing they've ever seen: "Why on earth don't you just use a ball-point pen?", etc. But it's only high school...
Heh, I get the same thing, although they're not quite as incredulous.
The real issue I have is trying to explain to them just how amazingly elegent a fountain pen is, the academic symbolism associated with it; the raw, dripping culture of it, the absolute colour of the ink, the way it glides over the page... without coming off as a pretentious wanker. =P
I'm a lefty proud to use a fountain pen, here's mine.
It's an elysee I picked up in Germany ten years ago. I don't know what the nib is, besides being silver, and I love how minimalist it is. A stainless steel body with just a few silver highlights.
I also use Private Reserve ink, the lake placid blue, with a cartridge converter with really good results.
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