Pen-Fi (FPs, RBs, BPs, etc...) [56k Warning]

[plainsong]

Well that's one more for the post count I guess.

[milkpowder]

Originally Posted by majurglery

I would never even think of spending over a dollar for one pen as i loose far to many. Plus im perfectly happy with my cheap 10 cent pens...

Speaking of which I just lost a very expensive pen Even so, my heart hurts more than my wallet does because it wrote so well, not to mention very attractive too! Fortunately, it isn't a discontinued/vintage pen but my uncontrolled un-student-like spending means I can't actually afford to buy one again, at least not for another month or two... Gonna pour myself a gin and tonic to ease the pain

[plainsong]

In the meantime, someone explain to me what a FP feels like. I only have experience with a pen from a calligraphy set and apparently (hopefully?) it wasn't very good. It felt like writing with a fingernail.

[SuperNothing]

Picked up a Lamy Safari today and I really like it. I have to stop coming to Head-Fi. It costs me too much money.

[jjhatfield]

Originally Posted by milkpowder

For less than $200, I would get a mint Parker 51 Vacumatic with a gold-filled cap. It is piston-filled and normally go for around $100.

Old post, I know, but the Parker 51 Vacumatic is a vacumatic fill, not a piston fill.

Originally Posted by Jussei

First, with the MB I get some light skipping when I write from time to time. I purchased the pen new, does it go away with time?
Second, if the skipping doesn't go away with time, is there a way to increase flow or at least make it consistent?

As others have said, a brand new pen should never skip, and this pen should be returned and replaced/repaired. One thing to try before you return it is to fill a glass with cold water (always cold water when flushing FPs) and put a drop or two of dishwashing liquid in the glass. Stir the glass, then fill n' flush the pen with the soapy water until you get sick of it. Repeat but with plain cold water to rinse. Let the pen dry overnight, then fill and see if your skipping problems continue. Sometimes there are leftover oils from the factory stuck in the feed that soap can wash out, but honestly it sounds like your problem is just a faulty feed or some trouble with the nib that the manufacturer needs to take care of.

Originally Posted by plainsong

In the meantime, someone explain to me what a FP feels like. I only have experience with a pen from a calligraphy set and apparently (hopefully?) it wasn't very good. It felt like writing with a fingernail.

The coolest part about writing with a fountain pen is they lay down ink with virtually no pressure. With a ballpoint you need to push down, kind of "tattooing" ink onto the page. With a fountain pen, just a feather-touch on the page lays down ink. Furthermore, specialty nibs like italics, cursive italics, and stubs will give your writing line variation, and to the more skilled writers flexible nibs can do the same but with even more attractive results.

[appophylite]

Originally Posted by plainsong

In the meantime, someone explain to me what a FP feels like. I only have experience with a pen from a calligraphy set and apparently (hopefully?) it wasn't very good. It felt like writing with a fingernail.

In my experience, calligraphy pens tended to be rougher than good fountain pens because, with the fountain pens, all the pressure is directed to one single rounded point on the nib which will write smoothly depending on how smooth it is (you can get some dirt cheap FPs in Asia that have nibs that'll cut paper if you don't sand them first) The calligraphy pen tends to have a much broader contact on the paper and depending again, on how smooth it is, it'll write smoothly, but its harder to get that long, broad edge smoother than a rounded point. Like jjhatfield mentioned, a good fountain pen needs little to no pressure to get a good ink flow on paper.

[Uncle Erik]

Originally Posted by meat01

I have wanted to try other brands like Omas or Mont Blanc, but the low price for quality and a nice piston filler has kept me with Pelikan. A lot of the others are just too expensive.

I have also had good luck with old Sheaffer touchdown pens and a lot of people love Parker 51s.

Another one on my list to try is the Pilot Vanishing Point, because it is so unique.

If you get a Montblanc, be sure to get one of the older ones with the brass piston filler mechanism. You can tell by seeing a brass fitting under the cap for the piston. Those are much better made than the current models and worth hunting down and paying a few extra dollars for.

I'm not crazy about Omas, either. I've picked up four over the years and while they're not bad, they're a lot of money for something that's just OK. I like my M600 better than any Omas I have, and it was about half the price.

One brand I'm fond of you don't see often is Stipula. The prices are fair, build quality is high and the nibs are excellent.

Originally Posted by plainsong

In the meantime, someone explain to me what a FP feels like. I only have experience with a pen from a calligraphy set and apparently (hopefully?) it wasn't very good. It felt like writing with a fingernail.

Plainsong, a good FP is not scratchy at all. You usually see good ones described as being silky, glassy, buttery, and so on. No pressure; the pen skates along leaving a perfect trail of the *exact* ink you like, and there's little fatigue after writing all day. Dare I compare a FP to a SET? They're a little quirky, but the ease and smoothness win you over.

If you want to try one, I highly recommend a 51 or a Sheaffer Snorkel. Both are wonderful. A 51 is my daily carry.

[LordofDoom]

I use a Charcoal-Colored Pilot Dr. Grip with 0.7mm Gel Ink.

Simple and nice

[SuperNothing]

I am really digging a MB Writer Series Dostoevsky. Must. Restrain. Self.

[jjhatfield]

Originally Posted by SuperNothing

I am really digging a MB Writer Series Dostoevsky. Must. Restrain. Self.

I like the Kafka, Dostoevsky, Virginia Woolfe, and Faulkner pens. I will probably never own any of them, but I can admire from afar.