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

[Solan]

Soft-hard-soft is ideal. Soft but tight around the nib. A hard box around the soft protection, and the box in a padded envelope.

[r1n7r4h]

Thanks for the advice, Solan. I'm gonna send the Pelikan nib to Chartpak and hope for the best, at this point.

As for the Cross Townsend, I'm just loving how smooth it is and my initial impression of the size of my lettering was a bit preemptive. Now to get more ink.

[chesebert]

I need to get a FP for my dad for his birthday. My limit is around $500ish and I need to know where I can get it. (cough...I couldn't find any good ones at Office Max....this will give you an indication about my pen-fi experience)

I use to have several FP myself but they were the cheaper kind and the ink would sometimes leak out if I just carried in my pocket (ruined couple of shirts), so I stopped using FP eversince.

[Uncle Erik]

Chesebert - try here:

Fountain Pen Hospital ; Fountain Pens, Mont blanc pens, Cross Pens, Parker Pens, Waterman pens, writing instruments, Montblanc pens, montblanc fountain pen, Pens, Pen, calligraphy, caligraphy, mont blanc pen

Good people and a great selection.

[leftnose]

chesebert,

That's a very generous budget and you can get a lot of nice pens for that much money.

I would suggest a Pelikan Souveran series pen if you want something more conservative. Just pick the size that you think your father would like. Just a warning that your budget includes the M1000 and it is too big to really be usable. If you decide to go the Pelikan route, take a look at ISellPens.com Homepage ~ Fountain Pens, RollerBalls, Ball Points, and Pencils. Todd gives very good service with great prices.

If you want something a little more wild, take a look at the Visconti Van Gogh. They are really something in person!

If you're going to give him a pen, you need to give him some ink, too! If your father does not have a lot of experience with fountain pens, I would recommend Waterman inks. They are very well behaved inks that will work in any pen. However, if your father has experience with Fountain Pens, look at Private Reserve and Noodler's inks.

[chesebert]

I think I have narrowed it down to 2 contenders:

1. MB the OP has 145 IIRC
2. Aurora 88 gold plated large

[milkpowder]

The 145 is very nice. It is quite a slim pen though. Depending on how large your dad's hands are, the 146 may be a better fit.

[bperboy]

I've just received my first fountain pen for my high school graduation yesterday! My dad gave me a Waterman Carène in the Marine Amber color. I have some blue ink, and he gave me some black as well, but beyond that, I really don't know much about FPs. Anyone care to teach me?

[leftnose]

Write with the nib facing up and with less pressure you would use on a disposable ballpoint like a Bic. Cap the pen when you're not using it and try not to bounce it around in a backpack or pocket because you can get little ink spills inside the cap which are always fun when you uncap the pen. If you know that you are not going to use then pen for some time (2+ weeks), flush the ink out of it so that it does not dry inside and clog the pen.

To me, the availability of different inks is the best part of fountain pens. I have 16 different pens and 15 different inks. If the pen didn't come with one, buy a converter that will let you use bottled inks. To start, stick with the more traditional inks like Waterman (Havana Brown or Florida Blue are good ones to try) or Pelikan (Brilliant Black is probably the best) but once you have some experience, try brands like Noodler's or Private Reserve or even mixing your own custom colors.

Check out http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/. It's a good resource for pen information.

[chesebert]

I am looking at the black M800 for my own use and could anyone tell me what the band of 'green' is for? On some pic it shows up more so than others.