MoT's WDF

Boourns wrote: ↑Thu Nov 21, 2019 8:13 am I got the Parker yesterday... So far I like it, though it's a bit scratchy/light. I am going to see whether I might like a medium nib or whether I just need darker/better ink.

Excited to get into this new hobby! At least most of the pens I want are less expensive than the watches I want.

ManOnTime wrote: ↑Thu Nov 21, 2019 12:18 pm Well because of this thread I'm going to try out some pens.

I'm a beginner in the hobby, so after reading a few pen sites and reviews I made my choices. On the way are:

Jinhao X450
Pilot Varsity 7-pack disposable.
Parker Blue-Black ink.

MAAHHH THE FRENCH! wrote: ↑Fri Nov 22, 2019 9:02 am The hardest part of adapting to fountain pens is getting past the Ballpoint Deathgrip. Ballpoints, and rollerballs to a lesser degree, have trained people to hold pens tightly and grind the tips into the paper to get the ink going, and both have acclimated us to holding them more vertically than is natural for fountain pens.
ballpoint.jpg

As long as there's proper ink flow and the pen is held right, just touching the nib to paper should be enough; the weight of even the lightest FP is all the pressure needed. Your hand should be fairly relaxed, holding the pen lightly enough that someone could take the pen out of your grip without resistance--which is what instructors would do to practicing students when teaching penmanship. I'll dig up some refs for another post later.

Boourns wrote: ↑Thu Nov 21, 2019 8:13 am I got the Parker yesterday... So far I like it, though it's a bit scratchy/light. I am going to see whether I might like a medium nib or whether I just need darker/better ink.

Excited to get into this new hobby! At least most of the pens I want are less expensive than the watches I want.

Oh, never fear--I can lead you to some pretty ridiculously priced pens.

Take a look at the tip of the nib with a loupe to see if the tines might be misaligned; you can bend 'em back into alignment if so. If that's not it, some 800-1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper or ceramic stone can help tame sharp edges. It could also be that you're holding the pen twisted to one side, favoring one tine over the other. Finer nibs are finickier about that.

Incidentally, Japanese nibs tend to run smaller than Western ones, so your Pilot medium might wind up being closer to a fine.

ManOnTime wrote: ↑Thu Nov 21, 2019 12:18 pm Well because of this thread I'm going to try out some pens.

I'm a beginner in the hobby, so after reading a few pen sites and reviews I made my choices. On the way are:

Jinhao X450
Pilot Varsity 7-pack disposable.
Parker Blue-Black ink.

Once again, no experience with Chinese pen myself, but Jinhao and Wing Sung seem to be the preferred brands in that category.

ManOnTime wrote: ↑Fri Nov 22, 2019 2:17 pm I was going to buy a Lamy Safari, but a lot of the reviews I was reading on Amazon were saying the pens people were getting were counterfeits.

sistem_32 wrote: ↑Fri Nov 22, 2019 2:48 pm

ManOnTime wrote: ↑Fri Nov 22, 2019 2:17 pm I was going to buy a Lamy Safari, but a lot of the reviews I was reading on Amazon were saying the pens people were getting were counterfeits.

I've had good experiences with a retailer called Goulet Pens.They sell the Safari here--sign up for their newsletter for 10% off.

Sporkboy wrote: ↑Sat Nov 23, 2019 1:39 pm @MoT I have a spare Safari I can send you. I will need to clean it up a bit for you, but it should give you the flavor at any rate.

pdsf wrote:I hope it's okay to resurrect this thread vs start a new one, as I am thinking a lot of the info and brands mentioned are still relevant now.

I used to love using a fountain pen back when I was at school. I have been tolerating a scratchy pen lately, as I haven't needed to write much since COVID started, but things might change soon. I need to write quickly and legibily, and a scratchy pen prevents me from doing both (and my handwriting is bad enough already), so now I am thinking about getting a fountain pen but I wonder if I should also look at a super smooth ballpoint. Any input if anyone is still reading?

AndroidIsAwesome wrote: ↑Sun Dec 13, 2020 11:57 am

pdsf wrote:I hope it's okay to resurrect this thread vs start a new one, as I am thinking a lot of the info and brands mentioned are still relevant now.

I used to love using a fountain pen back when I was at school. I have been tolerating a scratchy pen lately, as I haven't needed to write much since COVID started, but things might change soon. I need to write quickly and legibily, and a scratchy pen prevents me from doing both (and my handwriting is bad enough already), so now I am thinking about getting a fountain pen but I wonder if I should also look at a super smooth ballpoint. Any input if anyone is still reading?

If you want something smooth then it's hard to go wrong with a medium nib TWSBI eco. The moonman m2 is also supposed to be pretty smooth if I remember correctly.

For regular pens, the smoothest in my opinion are Pilot G2 and Pentel energel refills. Just find a good body that uses them. I use a tactile turn glider in Titanium.

Just be mindful of the paper you use depending on the pen and ink you go with

pdsf wrote:

AndroidIsAwesome wrote: ↑Sun Dec 13, 2020 11:57 am

pdsf wrote:I hope it's okay to resurrect this thread vs start a new one, as I am thinking a lot of the info and brands mentioned are still relevant now.

I used to love using a fountain pen back when I was at school. I have been tolerating a scratchy pen lately, as I haven't needed to write much since COVID started, but things might change soon. I need to write quickly and legibily, and a scratchy pen prevents me from doing both (and my handwriting is bad enough already), so now I am thinking about getting a fountain pen but I wonder if I should also look at a super smooth ballpoint. Any input if anyone is still reading?

If you want something smooth then it's hard to go wrong with a medium nib TWSBI eco. The moonman m2 is also supposed to be pretty smooth if I remember correctly.

For regular pens, the smoothest in my opinion are Pilot G2 and Pentel energel refills. Just find a good body that uses them. I use a tactile turn glider in Titanium.

Just be mindful of the paper you use depending on the pen and ink you go with

oh haha I have 2 Tactiel Turn Bolts (1 in Copper, 1 in Aluminum?). The Pilot Fine is the scratchy one. I have a couple of energel refills; need to trim them to fit. I thought about trying Pelikan, OHTO or Caran D'ache refills, all should fit without trimming.

I have come across a lot of good reviews on the TWSBI Eco - I really should give it a shot. Thanks!

AndroidIsAwesome wrote: ↑Sun Dec 13, 2020 12:26 pm

pdsf wrote:

AndroidIsAwesome wrote: ↑Sun Dec 13, 2020 11:57 am If you want something smooth then it's hard to go wrong with a medium nib TWSBI eco. The moonman m2 is also supposed to be pretty smooth if I remember correctly.

For regular pens, the smoothest in my opinion are Pilot G2 and Pentel energel refills. Just find a good body that uses them. I use a tactile turn glider in Titanium.

Just be mindful of the paper you use depending on the pen and ink you go with

oh haha I have 2 Tactiel Turn Bolts (1 in Copper, 1 in Aluminum?). The Pilot Fine is the scratchy one. I have a couple of energel refills; need to trim them to fit. I thought about trying Pelikan, OHTO or Caran D'ache refills, all should fit without trimming.

I have come across a lot of good reviews on the TWSBI Eco - I really should give it a shot. Thanks!

Yeah most fine tips feel scratchy. Although there was one brand who I used an extra fine tip from all through University and it was one of my favorite pens. They weren't cheap and were disposable but I can't remember the brand now...

I've been meaning to pick up an OHTO Horizon too. You may also like the parker jotter with gel refills. But they're a bit pricey to refill and they don't hold much ink.