eastcoastpea
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,252
Jun 27, 2014 13:05:28 GMT
|
Post by eastcoastpea on Feb 2, 2017 0:45:10 GMT
One of my kids was introduced to fountain pens by their cousin shortly after Christmas. The same child is now using drafting mechanical pencils for a class at school.
A new addiction has been born. Three different orders have been placed with Jetpens already and a wish list for the next order is already started. Now instead of asking for Steam and Apple cards I'm being asked to order pens.
I've been gifted with a refillable and a disposable fountain pen as well. I'm loving it.
Do you have any special brands of pen/pencil that you prefer or any special type of ink or leads? Any companies that have great deals or any to stay away from?
We'd like to hear of your experiences. Thanks in advance.
|
|
|
|
Post by disneypal on Feb 2, 2017 0:50:29 GMT
I love both fountain pens and mechanical pencils. I haven't used a fountain pen in several years thought because I haven't been able to find any. I'll be watching this thread.
|
|
|
|
Post by andreasmom on Feb 2, 2017 1:16:52 GMT
Inoxcrom has great entry level fountain pens. We used these in school. They rarely broke, and if they did, they were cheap enough to replace.
One of my favorites came form muji.com. No brand.
I love Lamy too.
Let me look for the website that I have for comparing fountain pens. I will get back to you.
|
|
|
|
Post by Linda on Feb 2, 2017 1:20:39 GMT
my kids have Pilot fountain pens - I got them the multi-pack of ink cartridges and they love the different colours  They've had the pens for 3 years now, I think, with no problems. |
|
|
|
Post by mztfied on Feb 2, 2017 1:22:40 GMT
Love writing with a fountain pen. I just lost my one and only fountain pen last month. Was traveling and have no idea where it went. Sigh.... Go here and take a look. I assure you that this will up your addiction a lot. The info is great. Lots of comparisons of pens and also inks. www.wellappointeddesk.com/ |
|
|
|
Post by belgravia on Feb 2, 2017 1:47:05 GMT
I LOVE fountain pens. Check out Goulet Pens online. They have an excellent selection, something for every budget, and impeccable customer service. They also have excellent informative videos on their website. You can order ink samples from them so you can make sure you like an ink before committing to a bottle. Lamy is a great brand that offers a good variety of nib sizes and very good quality, trouble free pens at a good price. There's also an online forum for fountain pen lovers called Fountain Pen Network that is a great source of information.
I think fountain pens are a great hobby for kids. Keeps them connected to cursive writing when everything else in their life is digital! I'm a firm believer in the connection between handwriting and learning, and this is a great way to maintain that connection. Plus, it's fun to write your school notes with a fancy pen and fun ink!
|
|
|
|
Post by rst on Feb 2, 2017 1:59:32 GMT
I love Lamy pens and have several in different nibs. You can get a variety of ink cartridge colors, or you can buy a refillable twist fill cartridge and use your own inks of choice. Where there is a fountain pen obsession, ink snobbery will soon follow.
There are some very beautiful hand crafted fountain pens on etsy-- woodturned are my favorite. My son bought me one for Christmas and it's lovely to write with.
Mechanical pencils I'm a bit more ambivalent about. I do like a vintage Cross mechanical pencil I inherited from my Grandfather.
|
|
oaksong
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,164 
Location: LA Suburbia
Site Supporter
Jun 27, 2014 6:24:29 GMT
|
Post by oaksong on Feb 2, 2017 2:22:58 GMT
The only ones I have are Lamy pens also. I got one of them in a store in Asheville, Origami Owl or something like that. The other one is from Baum-Kuchen in LA. They have a lot of cool pens, travelers notebooks and other stationary/travel items by mail order.
|
|
|
|
Post by deshacrafts on Feb 2, 2017 2:27:14 GMT
I just got a new fountain pen and I love it. The weight is great, I love the nib and how it fills with ink. It's a TWSBI Diamond 580 EL Silver fountain pen with an EF nib?
|
|
|
|
Post by quinlove on Feb 2, 2017 2:31:11 GMT
A turquoise Shaffer pen is what I used in HS. It was clear body with blue ink. Loved it.
Whenever I write anything, I write it. Not print. Just seems to come naturally to me. Off to look these pens up.
|
|
|
|
Post by hop2 on Feb 2, 2017 2:37:11 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by peajays on Feb 2, 2017 3:04:17 GMT
My husband loves old Parker pens, as well as a ton of Lamy's. He is also a member of a fountain pen club....I think the are on instagram/twitter/Facebook under London Pen Club.
|
|
|
|
Post by gulfcoastgirl on Feb 2, 2017 4:25:31 GMT
I'm a fountain pen junkie! I will buy any fountain pen I see if it's under $50. If I go to Europe, while others are viewing the national treasures, I'm in one of those funky little pen stores. I really like Lamy but lately my favorite has been Noodler's Ahab pen. Super feel and under $30.
|
|
|
|
Post by JaneB on Feb 2, 2017 7:25:22 GMT
When writing an ink (fountain) pen is my first choice. My current one is a Parker, and it's about 15 years old, maybe more. I've got another one too, because well, you can never have too many! The second one is also a Parker, and it's about five years old and all that changed is the colour - it's black. |
|
anniebygaslight
Drama Llama
I'd love a cup of tea. #1966
Posts: 7,394
Location: Third Rock from the sun.
Jun 28, 2014 14:08:19 GMT
|
Post by anniebygaslight on Feb 2, 2017 7:28:41 GMT
My beloved always uses a fountain pen. His handwriting is beautiful. Mine, on the other hand .....
|
|
|
|
Post by miominmio on Feb 2, 2017 8:02:35 GMT
Check out the fountain pen groups on Facebook. Lots of experienced people who are happy to share their knowledge. Word of warning, though: it's very easy to get caught up in the frenzy  A ....ahem....friend of mine ended up with ordering twenty bottles of ink (goulet and jet love me....I mean HER,). (I have lamys, TWSBIs, Kaweco and a couple of Chinese pens (that are cute, affordable, great value, but too heavy for me). And I feel a Montblanc calling my name. And the new limited edition Edison. And.....and.... |
|
|
|
Post by anniefb on Feb 2, 2017 8:16:40 GMT
Mechanical pencils - yes. I use them at work. Ordinary pencils just don't cut it.
|
|
CeeScraps
Pearl Clutcher
~~occupied entertaining my brain~~
Posts: 3,825
|
Post by CeeScraps on Feb 2, 2017 9:47:40 GMT
When I was in 3rd grade, yes, 3rd grade we had to use fountain pens to write with. Oh my gosh, I remember the kids who had trouble replacing cartridges. Ink all over the place! The only time we could use a pencil was during math. Oh, and with the fountain pens we could NEVER scribble on the paper as it would make such a mess.  |
|
anaterra
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,836
Location: Texas
Jun 29, 2014 3:04:02 GMT
|
Post by anaterra on Feb 2, 2017 10:13:35 GMT
Hanging my head in shame as I use my beloved Pilot G2 gel .5... lol...
I also love beautiful pengems!!!! They have beautiful crystals in the top of the barrel... soooo pretty... i received 1 in a planner subscription box..
|
|
|
|
Post by JoP on Feb 2, 2017 10:14:08 GMT
Mechanical pencils - yes. I use them at work. Ordinary pencils just don't cut it.  for me as well |
|
|
|
Post by JoP on Feb 2, 2017 10:16:38 GMT
I also us a fountain pen (with plunger and bottled ink) a lot - I have an Elysee fountain pen that I ❤and use purple ink 😁
|
|
|
|
Post by gar on Feb 2, 2017 10:29:02 GMT
My dh is a mechanical pencil lover...I must admit I don't get it but I can certainly appreciate a decent fountain pen.
|
|
scrapaddie
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,090
|
Post by scrapaddie on Feb 2, 2017 11:17:19 GMT
Ohhh... I have such terrible memories a fountain pens! When I was young, all reports have to be done in fountain pen. So there I would be tryimg to craft my letters carefully, without any mistakes at all, and then halfway down the page I would pause to look at what I was going to write next, and then when I began to write, I realize there was a big blob when my pen had rested..... And I had to begin all over, Few things were handled it without having first thrown away several pieces of paper.
I was so amazed when they came out with erasable ink pens. But of course, we were not allowed to use those on reports.
When I married, all invitations etc. were done fountain pen because that was the formal way to write.
However, the only pencils I use are mechanical pencils.
|
|
|
|
Post by Linda on Feb 2, 2017 12:44:32 GMT
When I was in 3rd grade, yes, 3rd grade we had to use fountain pens to write with. Oh my gosh, I remember the kids who had trouble replacing cartridges. Ink all over the place! The only time we could use a pencil was during math. Oh, and with the fountain pens we could NEVER scribble on the paper as it would make such a mess. When I was 8 and 9 (so probably about the same grade-equivalent), we wrote with fountain pens also. I never learnt cursive (because we moved before the UK schools taught it and after the US ones did) but my manuscript writing is quite nice (at least I get compliments on it regularly) and I attribute that to the fountain pens |
|
|
|
Post by myboysnme on Feb 2, 2017 13:08:40 GMT
I loved the Parker cartridge fountain pens and would still adore using them! Shaeffer not so much for some reason and I don't have any affinity for mechanical pencils! My dad always used a fountain pen and he had such beautiful handwriting as well. Good memories.
Now I want a fountain pen for my birthday! |
|
|
|
Post by lisacharlotte on Feb 2, 2017 15:22:43 GMT
I had Schaeffer calligraphy pens in high school. DH bought me a Waterman fountain pen about 20 years ago. He found it again last month going through boxes in the basement. He also bought me a beautiful sterling silver Mont Blanc and MB inkwell. That pen was also misplaced after several moves and I found it last year. Had to send it in for service and they had to have parts made in Germany to fix it. It's working now many $$$ later. I also use dip pens and cheap Pilot fountain pens. My handwriting look so much prettier in fountain pen.
|
|
|
|
Post by anonrefugee on Feb 2, 2017 15:28:26 GMT
Decades old Watermans.
What do you mean, drafting mechanical pencils? Lead holders that require a separate lead pointer or just a good mechanical pencil?
|
|
likescarrots
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,879
|
Post by likescarrots on Feb 2, 2017 16:38:18 GMT
I got into fountain pens a little over a year ago. A pilot kakuno was my first, and i bought it because i thought it was cute, not because it's a fountain pen. Since then my husband got me a cross and a really lovely vintage scheaffer triumph/lifetime that unfortunately leaks a tiny bit. He's also brought home a few old pens that his mom had laying around her house (she has collected and sold antiques for over 20 years), and a hero from his trip to China. This summer i got kaweco liliput on our trip to paris. Apparently I'm known for this now at work, as someone left a pen in the meeting room and they asked if it was mine, and someone else said i wouldn't be caught using a ball point pen.  My favorites are the liliput and the kakuno. I like the kakuno because it is the most extra fine fountain pen I've used, though that means you need a wetter ink or it will dry out easily. The liliput is gorgeous but not as fine, even with the extra fine nib. And the cap screws on and off and needs to be screwed onto the back (or i would lose it) and that gets a little annoying if i just want to jot something quickly. I have refillable cartridges for both of these, however i prefer the prefilled cartridges for some reason. I think part of it is that i don't like getting the nibs all covered in ink when filling them. |
|
|
|
Post by rst on Feb 2, 2017 17:02:14 GMT
My husband's neurologist is a fountain pen collector, and every visit she seems to have yet another fabulous antique or unique pen (which of course I notice since I love them too). She's a sort of aloof and distant personality, highly educated, wears rather fashion forward and more formal attire than is the norm here , but I find it endearing that she almost always has ink smudges on her hands and face. : )
|
|
|
|
Post by crimsoncat05 on Feb 2, 2017 17:13:25 GMT
I love fountain pens, too!! I have a couple, but only use them sporadically, so right now, they both need to be cleaned out so I can use them again... 
I don't know much about them in general, but the ones I got are both Pilot brand; one was given to me as a gift, and I purchased the other one to have a different nib size. They seem to have pretty good reviews for no skipping, leaking, or blobbing inks. I got my pens at a store in Scottsdale, AZ-- "Scottsdale Pen and Knife" LOL!! That's a pretty specialized store, but they manage to stay in business, somehow, I guess. They do have a website and a blog (Scottsdale Pen and Knife), and I've also pinned a number of ink reviews on one of my Pinterest boards (which I'll have to look for again, now).
I also love all the different colors of ink that you can get for them! They're all so purty!! 
I have a couple really pretty burgundy / wine inks, and a couple different shades of blue. I also bought some very nice (kind of pricey) writing paper for letters. The quality and tooth of the paper also makes a huge difference in how smooth the pen writes.
I started Googling fountain pens and inks right after I got them, and I found quite a few pen-obsessed bloggers out there with lots of good information.
ETA: I think this is the one I have: Pilot Prera clear body fountain pen. I have two of them-- pink and green-- one is a fine point and one is a medium point. I also have a Pilot Parallel pen for easier calligraphy-style writing; I got that one at an art retreat. |
|
They've had the pens for 3 years now, I think, with no problems. 
A ....ahem....friend of mine ended up with ordering twenty bottles of ink (goulet and jet love me....I mean HER,). 
for me as well 
