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Thread: Intro to Fountain Pens

  1. #1051
    1947 Parker 51.

    Restore them myself. Polish the barrels with machines, the full works.


  2. #1052
    Craftsman ChronoCop's Avatar
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    The reddish one is a 3776 Platinum with an M-nib, 14k gold; the black one is a Sailor 1911 S with a 21k gold M.
    Both splendid writers.



    Cheers
    Brane

  3. #1053
    Master woodacre1983's Avatar
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    Wanting to take some steps into getting an older fountain pen. Wanting quality. What brands should I be looking at?
    Any sites for potential purchase? All help required! Thought about Mont Blanc and Parker so far but not sure.


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  4. #1054
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    Quote Originally Posted by woodacre1983 View Post
    Wanting to take some steps into getting an older fountain pen. Wanting quality. What brands should I be looking at?
    Any sites for potential purchase? All help required! Thought about Mont Blanc and Parker so far but not sure.


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    Check out Penamie. Usually room to negotiate on prices there. Also Izods. If you’re prepared to trawl through eBay you’ll catch the occasional bargain.

  5. #1055
    Master Templogin's Avatar
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    Have you considered a new Parker 51 from Cult Pens. Are you looking for a particular type of filling system? Do you want to keep it simple with a cartridge or a cartridge converter, or something more exotic?

    As far as brands are concerned I would look at Parker, Conway Stewart and Scheafer or Waterman if you want to go really old.

  6. #1056
    Master Templogin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by xellos99 View Post
    1947 Parker 51.

    Restore them myself. Polish the barrels with machines, the full works.

    A nice looking Vac

  7. #1057
    Master woodacre1983's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Templogin View Post
    Have you considered a new Parker 51 from Cult Pens. Are you looking for a particular type of filling system? Do you want to keep it simple with a cartridge or a cartridge converter, or something more exotic?

    As far as brands are concerned I would look at Parker, Conway Stewart and Scheafer or Waterman if you want to go really old.
    Would prefer to avoid cartridge if possible. I have some form of Mont Blanc already. Think I got it off here. I like it but I want to expand my Mont Blanc is resin?


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  8. #1058
    Master Templogin's Avatar
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    There are plenty of filling systems to choose from. The nib is usually where I start from though. With older pens you are mostly looking at gold nibs, especially at the more expensive end. The nibs were generally narrower in older pens. What size nibs do you prefer?

  9. #1059
    Master woodacre1983's Avatar
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    Intro to Fountain Pens

    Quote Originally Posted by Templogin View Post
    There are plenty of filling systems to choose from. The nib is usually where I start from though. With older pens you are mostly looking at gold nibs, especially at the more expensive end. The nibs were generally narrower in older pens. What size nibs do you prefer?
    I know very little on this at all. So here is what I have currently and it’s writes nice for me.




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  10. #1060
    If you are looking for a high quality fountain pen I would look at Platinum, Sailor, Pilot and Pelikan. They all offer great experiences for the money.

    My favourite pen is a Platinum Izumo Urushi pen. There is something wonderful about an urushi pen. They feel marvellous in the hand.

    https://www.cultpens.com/i/q/PT24227...tain-pen-green

  11. #1061
    Master woodacre1983's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Phil Lee View Post
    If you are looking for a high quality fountain pen I would steer clear of Mont Blanc. Instead look at Platinum, Sailor, Pilot and Pelikan. They all offer far superior experiences for the money.

    My favourite pen is a Platinum Izumo Urushi pen. There is something wonderful about an urushi pen. They feel marvellous in the hand.

    https://www.cultpens.com/i/q/PT24227...tain-pen-green
    That is lovely! But that is out of my current preferred budget. Looking at £250-300


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  12. #1062
    Quote Originally Posted by woodacre1983 View Post
    That is lovely! But that is out of my current preferred budget. Looking at £250-300


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    Then I would take a look at the Sailor Pro Gear:

    https://www.cultpens.com/c/q/brands/...fessional-gear

    I have an Imperial Black Pro Gear with an H-F (Hard Fine) nib that writes beautifully. The Pro Gear comes in all colours you can think of.

  13. #1063
    Master Templogin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by woodacre1983 View Post
    I know very little on this at all. So here is what I have currently and it’s writes nice for me.




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    Most likely to be a medium, but it is difficult make out on my screen.

    The advice to look at Penamie looks worthwhile. There is plenty of choice.

    Best of luck

  14. #1064
    Master woodacre1983's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Templogin View Post
    Most likely to be a medium, but it is difficult make out on my screen.

    The advice to look at Penamie looks worthwhile. There is plenty of choice.

    Best of luck
    Thanks. Looking on there now.


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  15. #1065
    Grand Master zelig's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Phil Lee View Post
    If you are looking for a high quality fountain pen I would look at Platinum, Sailor, Pilot and Pelikan.
    https://www.cultpens.com/i/q/PT24227...tain-pen-green
    Another vote for Namiki/Pilot - my go to work pens are both Pilot - a Sterling Collection Mt. Fuji & Wave plus a Capless (for red ink)


    Above not my pics - but you can make them out in this pic...



    I'd also mention Waterman - I've had the Etalon for years & it developed a catastrophic leak after 10 years
    Waterman fixed it FOC & sent a lovely letter wishing me many more years of happy writing !


    (not my pic)

    z

  16. #1066
    Master woodacre1983's Avatar
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    Damn it! I got 2 pens on the way! One I’m certain I’ll like and the other I’ve been since slightly put off!


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  17. #1067
    Master Templogin's Avatar
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    ...and what are the two pens, if we can ask?

  18. #1068
    Master woodacre1983's Avatar
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    A Parker Duofold button fill from the 1950s which I’m certain about

    And the one I have become more cautious on is a Conway Stewart No 12


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  19. #1069
    Master Templogin's Avatar
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    I am sure that both will be great, but if I could only have one the Duofold would be my choice.

  20. #1070
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    I am thinking of getting a Pelikan M600 at present.
    Any recommendations from anyone who has one on best nib size on these for everyday use?
    They are in short supply at the moment.
    There's an extra fine nib version available on ebay at the moment, and there's a medium on amazon.
    Cheers

    Sent from my SM-G780G using Tapatalk

  21. #1071
    Quote Originally Posted by Wolfman53 View Post
    I am thinking of getting a Pelikan M600 at present.
    Any recommendations from anyone who has one on best nib size on these for everyday use?
    They are in short supply at the moment.
    There's an extra fine nib version available on ebay at the moment, and there's a medium on amazon.
    Cheers

    Sent from my SM-G780G using Tapatalk
    Seems a very personal choice to me, and possibly also one that depends on the use. I like to make copious dense notes with small diagrams included and only an extra fine nib will do. On the other hand an extra fine nib will be scratchy on poor quality paper and may be less smooth than a medium or broad nib.

  22. #1072
    Master Templogin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wolfman53 View Post
    I am thinking of getting a Pelikan M600 at present.
    Any recommendations from anyone who has one on best nib size on these for everyday use?
    They are in short supply at the moment.
    There's an extra fine nib version available on ebay at the moment, and there's a medium on amazon.
    Cheers

    Sent from my SM-G780G using Tapatalk
    I would go for the larger M800 series. I found the M605 that I bought a little too small, the M805 much better. YMMV.

    Pelikan tend to have a wider nib than the marked size suggests. I bought my first, a Pelikan 805, from an online retailer (Niche Pens) who offered to swap out the nib if needed. The nibs are expensive if you want to buy a spare. I bought a spare and it sat around for a long time before I had a custom pen made for me in the style of a Nakaya Long Writer.

    Bear in mind that the ink used will make a difference to the writing on the page. An ink with more flow will make it appear that you are writing with a bigger nib. I use either Waterman or Graf von Faber Castell inks as the flow strikes me as medium. Also, the finer the nib the less often you will have to refill the pen, not an onerous job on a Pelikan with its piston filler, but if you travel about it might mean carrying a bottle of ink the broader the nib, the more that you write. Try before you buy the pen is my advice.
    Last edited by Templogin; 3rd February 2023 at 03:35.

  23. #1073
    I’m a former M805 owner, I had an M nib which was perfect for day to day notes, signatures etc, however if you were doing anything detailed, F would be the way to go. They’re great pens, still miss mine but it’s doing great service with a fellow forum member which eases the pain (along with a recently acquired Lamy 2000 which is amazeballs).

  24. #1074
    Grand Master ryanb741's Avatar
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    I've had two separate 605 limited editions both with B nibs and they have been lustrous, silky smooth writers. I really like B nib pens for the feel and how the writing looks when paired with quality ink.

  25. #1075
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    Thanks for the replies.
    Nibs seem to be available readily, albeit at a high cost, so at worst, I can move to a different size if I need to.
    I may go with the medium as it's for normal everyday writing / journaling.
    Most UK dealers seem to be out if stock of the pen ATM.

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  26. #1076
    Master Templogin's Avatar
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    You won't go far wrong with a Medium (M) nib.

    Broad (B) nibs are better for signing.

    Double Broad (BB) are better for clearing snow from paths!

    YMMV

  27. #1077
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    Quote Originally Posted by Templogin View Post
    You won't go far wrong with a Medium (M) nib.

    Broad (B) nibs are better for signing.

    Double Broad (BB) are better for clearing snow from paths!

    YMMV
    Thank you.
    I'm just starting out on the fountain pen journey.
    I bought a lower price bracket (£50) brand of pen a few months ago (Scriveiner), which is quite nice.
    Fascinated to see what spending a little more gets you!
    I can see that it is possible to get a little obsessed, but at least it diverts me away from watches!


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  28. #1078
    Master Templogin's Avatar
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    Similar to the watch world, the fountain pen world has marketing departments that spend a fortune on advertising to sell you a plastic pen that is of little substance, but will cost a "small fortune". Don't get sucked in by the hype, ask fountain pen users which are their best pens. If I could only have 5 of my collection I would choose in no particular order: -

    1. Nakaya Long Writer homage - custom made for me by John Twiss with Pelikan M nib from an M805, vacuum fill
    2. Danitrio Mikado - raw ebonite, eye dropper pen soon to be converted to cartridge converter
    3. Pilot Vanishing Point - matt black with a stub nib
    4. Yard-o-Led Viceroy Grand - barley pattern, solid silver pen
    5. Pelikan M805 - piston filler, black with silver trim and a medium oblique nib
    6. Lamy 2000 - piston filler with oblique medium nib, body and cap made from Makrolon


    The numerate will notice 6 items in a list of 5 there. It's an example of how it can be difficult to choose, and some of those I have multiples of!

  29. #1079
    Also, like watches, you can get homage designs. If you want to scratch that Montblanc 149 itch, I can recommend the Jinhao X159, available on Amazon for the princely sum of £12. Literally unbelievably good for the money (I have a Montblanc 146 also)

    https://youtu.be/WZ9-rhf-CpE

  30. #1080
    Grand Master ryanb741's Avatar
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    BTW I'm irrationally obsessed with this currently

    https://www.montblanc.com/en-gb/foun...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

    It's such an 'un-Montblanc' collaboration to do, is utterly bonkers but I think it looks amazing. It's overpriced of course as it is essentially a 146 - I'll have a look at Heathrow next week if they have one at a duty free price as that could tempt me.

  31. #1081
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wolfman53 View Post
    I am thinking of getting a Pelikan M600 at present.
    Any recommendations from anyone who has one on best nib size on these for everyday use?
    They are in short supply at the moment.
    There's an extra fine nib version available on ebay at the moment, and there's a medium on amazon.
    Cheers

    Sent from my SM-G780G using Tapatalk
    Nib width is a hugely personal thing one persons love is another’s hate.

    Pelikan, know a bit about these having just picked up my 17th and have nibs from Extra Fine all the way through to Italic Broad

    Pelikan nibs are generally on the more generous side, medium is a safe bet. Nibs are easy to swap as they just screw out.

    My daily is generally a broad but I love to see the colour and properties of the ink (skinny nibs ef and f are some of my least favourite) I also write on decent fountain pen friendly paper.

    Izods, Niche Pens and Cult Pens all generally have decent stocks.

    If you want to see writing samples of different nibs drop me a DM with your email address.

  32. #1082
    I had to go down to an EF on my 605 which still feels thick to me, but then I like fine Japanese nibs so that’s no surprise. My favourite is the HF nib on my Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black.

  33. #1083
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    Quote Originally Posted by LuBee View Post
    Nib width is a hugely personal thing one persons love is another’s hate.

    Pelikan, know a bit about these having just picked up my 17th and have nibs from Extra Fine all the way through to Italic Broad

    Pelikan nibs are generally on the more generous side, medium is a safe bet. Nibs are easy to swap as they just screw out.

    My daily is generally a broad but I love to see the colour and properties of the ink (skinny nibs ef and f are some of my least favourite) I also write on decent fountain pen friendly paper.

    Izods, Niche Pens and Cult Pens all generally have decent stocks.

    If you want to see writing samples of different nibs drop me a DM with your email address.
    Thanks Lubee
    Will go with the Medium. I'm looking for a couple of pens for green (Faber Castell Moss Green) and red (Diamine Oxblood) inks at the moment so I'm thinking of the Waterman Carene Marine Amber and the Pelikan Souveran M600 Green / Black.
    The plan is to practice everyday by copying literature / poetry / quotes of the day.
    So, I'm going to need a fountain pen friendly notebook...........
    any recommendations?


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  34. #1084
    With regards to the notebook question above, I'd recommend Rhodia - excellent quality paper for fountain pen use and a massive selection to choose from.

  35. #1085
    Grand Master ryanb741's Avatar
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    I'll second Rhodia. Avoid Moleskine - they are marketed as premium note pads whilst actually being bog standard and certainly not good enough for fountain pens.

    Leuchtteurm and Clairefontaine also good as is Midori from Japan.

  36. #1086
    Master Templogin's Avatar
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    Another vote for Rhodia, although a pen that puts down a lot of ink (colloquially - a juicy nib) seems to sit on top of the paper for a while, rather than soaking in. Unless you are painting the ink on you shouldn't get any bleed through or show through. Rhodia have a huge range of notebooks. I used their Meeting Books at work before I retired.

    The Pelikan green/black is a classic Pelikan colour combination. For some reason I don't own one, and the only colour I prefer is the tortoiseshell, which Pelikan issued a limited edition of the Souveran 800 series in a few years ago. It was beyond the budget at the time.

  37. #1087
    Grand Master Saint-Just's Avatar
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    Doesn’t Rhodia use Clairefontaine paper?
    'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.

  38. #1088
    Master Templogin's Avatar
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    I have never seen them in the same room together

  39. #1089
    Grand Master Saint-Just's Avatar
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    Intro to Fountain Pens

    Lol

    After a quick web search

    Rhodia was purchased by Clairefontaine in 1997 and production transferred to Mulhouse, in Alsace, France. Members of the Verilhac family still work for Rhodia. The Rhodia logo dates back to 1932. Legend has it that the two Rhodia fir trees symbolize the two founding brothers.
    Last edited by Saint-Just; 5th February 2023 at 22:09.
    'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.

  40. #1090
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wolfman53 View Post
    Thanks Lubee
    Will go with the Medium. I'm looking for a couple of pens for green (Faber Castell Moss Green) and red (Diamine Oxblood) inks at the moment so I'm thinking of the Waterman Carene Marine Amber and the Pelikan Souveran M600 Green / Black.
    The plan is to practice everyday by copying literature / poetry / quotes of the day.
    So, I'm going to need a fountain pen friendly notebook...........
    any recommendations?


    Sent from my SM-G780G using Tapatalk
    Rhodia, Clairfontaine, Leuchtturm - something to suit all budgets. Midori, Endless Recorder a bit further up the price point and anything with Tomoe River is revered by most ink fanatics as it displays shading and sheening inks the best.

  41. #1091
    Quote Originally Posted by Saint-Just View Post
    Doesn’t Rhodia use Clairefontaine paper?
    Yes they do. You can't get the same notepad from CF though.

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