[Shurephile]

I have a flex Waterman 52 1/2 that was just restored and I need to sell, anybody interested in flex pens? 

 

[adgaps]

I just bought my very first fountain pen today: a Lamy Safari, charcoal color, with a Fine nib and blue cartridge.
Cost about 32 dollars, including an extra black cartridge and a converter.
 
I was actually surprised it worked well with my Moleskine notebook. I've always known about the brand's bad rep among fountain pen users, but somehow the Fine nib left little to no discernible bleeding. Seems I'm gonna keep using Moleskine for a while longer haha

 

[Silent One]

@ adgaps
 
Congrats! Though my own Lamy Safari was not my first fountain pen purchase, my first Lamy was spec'd identical to your purchase (Charcoal; Fine nib; Blue ink).

 

[adgaps]

Thanks. The Safari looks really unassuming but classy in charcoal, that's why I chose that color.
 
My minor gripe though is that it seems to skip often. At first I though maybe it's because I'm used to writing a bit fast, but it did skip even when I'm writing slowly. I did some research online, and it seems I either need a better flowing ink, or a new nib.
 
Any suggestions?

 

[BGRoberts]

You might try flushing the nib really well, then reloading ink.  Sometimes new feed/nibs have a bit of residual oils and gunk from the manufacturing process.  A good cleaning/flushing sometimes helps with ink flow.

 

[Silent One]

  Thanks. The Safari looks really unassuming but classy in charcoal, that's why I chose that color.
 
My minor gripe though is that it seems to skip often. At first I though maybe it's because I'm used to writing a bit fast, but it did skip even when I'm writing slowly. I did some research online, and it seems I either need a better flowing ink, or a new nib.
 
Any suggestions?

Interesting in that my own Lamy didn't skip on the Rhodia notepad and other paper. Rather, it flowed wet. I didn't particularly care much for the way it wrote. Not long after, bought twin Pilot Falcon Metal fountain pens and haven't touched the Lamy since. 

 

[adgaps]

  You might try flushing the nib really well, then reloading ink.  Sometimes new feed/nibs have a bit of residual oils and gunk from the manufacturing process.  A good cleaning/flushing sometimes helps with ink flow.

Thanks. I'll do that when my current cartridge runs out of ink. I'm planning on switching to black ink anyway (currently using Lamy's default blue cartridge) so I'll have to flush the pen before putting in the new ink.
 
 

  Interesting in that my own Lamy didn't skip on the Rhodia notepad and other paper. Rather, it flowed wet. I didn't particularly care much for the way it wrote. Not long after, bought twin Pilot Falcon Metal fountain pens and haven't touched the Lamy since. 

 
I've just done some testing to see what might be wrong, I'm now mostly convinced it's the paper that's causing the skipping. I'll see if I can try the pen with the more recommended FP-friendly papers like Rhodia. Thanks for the help!

 

[Silent One]

Yeah, paper can matter...hugely so. 

 

[BGRoberts]

Pretty quiet in Pen-fi. 
Everyone must be busy writing. 
I picked up a Lamy Al-Star in copper orange,  along with the matching ink.   Love the pen,  a medium nib.   The Ink is nice,  but not sure how much I will use orange ink once Halloween and Thanksgiving are past. 

 

[adgaps]

TWSBI Eco was available for only 2 days here in Manila - all stocks, probably about two dozens or so, were quickly bought by pen enthusiasts.
I'm still waiting for new stocks to arrive, which is still indefinite as of this time.

 

[Silent One]

  Pretty quiet in Pen-fi. 
Everyone must be busy writing. 
I picked up a Lamy Al-Star in copper orange,  along with the matching ink.   Love the pen,  a medium nib.   The Ink is nice,  but not sure how much I will use orange ink once Halloween and Thanksgiving are past. 

May not have anything new. But using what I've got to delight - just penned another personal letter.

 

[JK1]

I wonder how many pen fanatics write their e-mails using pen and paper, scan them, then send the scans? It seems like a funny thing to use fountain pens for sending e-mails.

 

[Silent One]

I did that late '90's to a select few recipients for a special touch. And occasionally scanned and sent a full handwritten letter.

 

[BGRoberts]

I'm trying to keep to my goal of 2 letters a week. 
Sadly I've slipped some lately. 

 

[Silent One]

Seems my most prolific periods for writing are usually September thru March each year.