Decent reasonably priced fountain pen

OU812

Looking for suggestions for a fountain pen for a gift. Budget is up to €60. Would be looking for something that has a medium or larger nib with some decent weight to it in black/silver & which uses liquid rather than cartridges.

This is probably going to be an everyday use item, but the person who'll be receiving it really the idea of switching from a ball point to a fountain.

I'm not sure if here is the right place for it, but I can't think of a more gentlemen-ish thing to carry in one's pocket.

D'Agger

Just saw this upon searching Amazon, which led me to look into the brand in question and find this site which should come in handy for at least identifying something you may want to purchase.

I'm a lefty so, while I've always admired nice penmanship and tried using fountain pens when I was younger, it always ends in smudge for me!

Happy hunting to you!

nc6000

Plenty of nice ones on here at good prices.....

http://www.cross.com/en/IE/christmas-gift-ideas.aspx

OU812

OU812 wrote: »

I'm not sure if here is the right place for it, but I can't think of a more gentlemen-ish thing to carry in one's pocket.

A stylish pen is allso appreciated by a lady.


I use this one - A Faber Castell Ambition in Pearwood.



I think the barrel is slightly more slender than the Waterman and I like the sleek and classic look.

Jimmy Iovine

Head over to The Fountain Pen Network. The people on there know absolutely everything to do with pens. They'll make that €60 go a long way.

It's a great idea for a gift. I use one every day. Occasionally, I use a ball point to correct copies and it isn't the same. There's a great flow of ink and my one is quite cheap compared to others.

OU812

Ended up ordering a waterman hemisphere deluxe which was reduced from £78 to £26 and also a selection of cartridges in more unusual colours (brown, purple & green).

I hope the pen takes other manufacturer's cartridges also for when these run out.

D'Agger

That's a lovely looking pen

This thread was on my mind a bit yesterday. For those gentlemen & ladies who frequent here and have an interest in penmanship / calligraphy, this website provides quite alot of free material which may come in handy.

I feel that, working in IT, I rarely write anymore, so it might be worth looking into some of the lessons here to ensure that, when I do write, I write with style, as all gentlemen should!

fenris

I love my fountain pens, a nice pen with a decent notebook like a plain Moleskine is a real pleasure to use.
The Waterman Hemisphere is a really nice pen to start off with, make sure that you get a cartridge converter so that you can use bottled ink and then just keep a pack of cartridges for emergencies, you will be surprised at how quickly you can go through ink, also you need to get into the habit of recapping the pen if you are not using it for a while, you can't just leave it lying about like a ballpoint.

Another pen that is worth having is the Lamy Safari, you can get them in the Pen Corner for about €20 with a converter, the great thing about them is that you can get a selection of different nibs for a couple of euro and experiment, the nibs come off really easily, get the lads in the shop to show you how. When you figure out what you like then you have a basis for picking your next pen (there will be more). Changing nibs on most other pens is really expensive assuming that it is possible at all.

Get some nice ink, you are not confined to just blue and black, check it out on the paper that you will mostly use as some papers make a big difference, cheap paper will just let the ink go through and look terrible.
I mostly use Waterman Blue/Black is a good professional looking ink that doesn't gum up your pen other colours that I have tried and liked include the Mont Blanc Green and Brown, both of them dry into a very nice muted colour that would not be out of place on ancient scroll, which I like as most of the stuff that I am taking notes on is at the bleeding edge of telecoms technology, kind of a high tech/ low tech karma!

Be careful about buying online particularly from ebay without checking The Fountain Pen Network first, there is a lot of rubbish out there.

The nicest pen that I have for writing with is a Yard-o-Led Viceroy Barley, it feels like it is floating across the page with no sensation of consciously writing, I actively look forward to using it and take twice as many notes as usual when I have it with me.
http://www.thewritingdesk.co.uk/showproduct.php?id=907


My other main pen is an Mont Blanc Starwalker which I use a lot as it was a present from my late wife, it writes well but only uses small cartridges, it is a lovely pen to write with but wouldn't get as much use if it wasn't for the sentimental reasons.


The newer Cross pens are not great, they seem to be a bit scratchy and just feel unbalanced as in you have to make an effort to hold it down rather that it just sitting right. One of the older mat black Cross Century II classic pens is a good option though and you will get them for about €50.

It also worth getting a nice little leather case for your pen, fountain pens tend to be something that you hang onto and you would be amazed at how quickly you can start accumulating scratches and dings, the other thing about a case is that you are much less likely to lose your pen as the case stops the pen from slipping out when you sit down etc.

One final point about fountain pens is to be careful of them when you are flying, make sure that your pen is carried point up in your pocket and be careful about opening it for the first time when you land, the change in air pressure can be entertaining as your ink is much more runny that a biro!

OU812

Since ordering the pen, the person whom it was for has decided they wanted something else, but rather than return it or cancel the order, I'm going to keep it & use it, hopefully a lot.

I've never had a decent pen, I've had nice ones, but never something decent & I look forward to getting & using this.

I have three kids and 'm planning on writing them each at least one letter a year to be kept up until they're old enough to appreciate them, sort of a love letter to my kids.

I've also decided to write some love letters to my wife with it. I'm on the lookout for some decent paper & envelopes & I plan to "woo" her all over again.

Although we're together over twenty years & I've scribbled many notes, thousands of texts & emails, I believe I've only "written" to her a couple of times in our relationship. I plan to send her a couple of properly written, meaningful letters a year when she least expects it to let her know how much she means to me. I think every woman should have some love letters, It's about time I produced some.

fenris

That is a great plan, my kids (7 & 9) have been keeping infrequent simple journals that I remind them to fill in every now and again after we do something cool, it could be a few words or a drawing. Since my wife died we sometimes pull them out and have a look through the journals, it helps them remember that there are good times and also you can really see their writing and take on the world changing subtly as they grow up a bit more.

A friend of mine on finding out that she had terminal cancer wrote 10 years worth of birthday letters to her three kids, the fact that they were hand written give a much greater connection after she died.

You will probably find that your pen gets borrowed constantly by your other half, then you will know that you have found at least one easy present!

Jimmy Iovine

fenris wrote: »

I love my fountain pens, a nice pen with a decent notebook like a plain Moleskine is a real pleasure to use.
The Waterman Hemisphere is a really nice pen to start off with, make sure that you get a cartridge converter so that you can use bottled ink and then just keep a pack of cartridges for emergencies, you will be surprised at how quickly you can go through ink, also you need to get into the habit of recapping the pen if you are not using it for a while, you can't just leave it lying about like a ballpoint.

Another pen that is worth having is the Lamy Safari, you can get them in the Pen Corner for about €20 with a converter, the great thing about them is that you can get a selection of different nibs for a couple of euro and experiment, the nibs come off really easily, get the lads in the shop to show you how. When you figure out what you like then you have a basis for picking your next pen (there will be more). Changing nibs on most other pens is really expensive assuming that it is possible at all.

Get some nice ink, you are not confined to just blue and black, check it out on the paper that you will mostly use as some papers make a big difference, cheap paper will just let the ink go through and look terrible.
I mostly use Waterman Blue/Black is a good professional looking ink that doesn't gum up your pen other colours that I have tried and liked include the Mont Blanc Green and Brown, both of them dry into a very nice muted colour that would not be out of place on ancient scroll, which I like as most of the stuff that I am taking notes on is at the bleeding edge of telecoms technology, kind of a high tech/ low tech karma!

Be careful about buying online particularly from ebay without checking The Fountain Pen Network first, there is a lot of rubbish out there.

The nicest pen that I have for writing with is a Yard-o-Led Viceroy Barley, it feels like it is floating across the page with no sensation of consciously writing, I actively look forward to using it and take twice as many notes as usual when I have it with me.
http://www.thewritingdesk.co.uk/showproduct.php?id=907


My other main pen is an Mont Blanc Starwalker which I use a lot as it was a present from my late wife, it writes well but only uses small cartridges, it is a lovely pen to write with but wouldn't get as much use if it wasn't for the sentimental reasons.


The newer Cross pens are not great, they seem to be a bit scratchy and just feel unbalanced as in you have to make an effort to hold it down rather that it just sitting right. One of the older mat black Cross Century II classic pens is a good option though and you will get them for about €50.

It also worth getting a nice little leather case for your pen, fountain pens tend to be something that you hang onto and you would be amazed at how quickly you can start accumulating scratches and dings, the other thing about a case is that you are much less likely to lose your pen as the case stops the pen from slipping out when you sit down etc.

One final point about fountain pens is to be careful of them when you are flying, make sure that your pen is carried point up in your pocket and be careful about opening it for the first time when you land, the change in air pressure can be entertaining as your ink is much more runny that a biro!

I have a Lamy Safari. It's a lovely pen. Nothing fancy but nice to write with.

OU812

Despite the original recipient deciding they wanted something else instead, I decided to keep the pen, (doesn't hurt that I saw it for €119 in easons yesterday).

It arrived this morning & I put in a cartridge. It's exquisite. Seriously. The nib just glides across the page.

I'm going to use this a lot.

Jimmy Iovine

I might invest in one. My Lamy is nice but I'd prefer something a little better.

Have you got a medium nib? I'm not a fan of them. Even the fine looks too wide at times.

OU812

It's medium, but it seems good to me. I don't think I'd like a fine (scratchy) & was contemplating exchanging the nib for broad but I'm happy with this one.

osaurus

What exactly are you looking for in the pen? What type of materials? Look up some wood turners, there's some amazing wood out there that will give you a really unique pen that will be custom made to your preferences for in or around your price range. You may have to forego some of the rarer woods but still worth a shot.

Jimmy Iovine

OU812 wrote: »

It's medium, but it seems good to me. I don't think I'd like a fine (scratchy) & was contemplating exchanging the nib for broad but I'm happy with this one.

I find that when I need to use mine for work I usually have to write in very small spaces on forms. I've to squeeze my writing in.

I really want to get one that I can use when I'm marking books. A medium might be alright for that.

I need to find a green ink though (my school insists we use green instead of red).

OU812

Waterman have a lovely green, almost antique looking. Available in bottle or cartridge.

fenris

Check out Pen Corner in the city centre for ink, they have more than is on display.

Some people get very into inks, you don't have to go very far to find info on which inks that you can mix etc.

A cartridge adapter is really handy as it gives you more flexibility and it gives you and easy way to mix inks if you want.

Jimmy Iovine

OU812 wrote: »

Waterman have a lovely green, almost antique looking. Available in bottle or cartridge.

What's the name of it?

OU812

D'Agger

Not a fan of that colour myself but that's just me

D'Agger

D'Agger wrote: »

Not a fan of that colour myself but that's just me

It's the perfect shade for a beautifully written poison pen letter.

OU812

I have a box of cartridges of it, I'll report back after I try it.

Actually, Jimmy, if you PM me your address I'll send you one to try for yourself.

D'Agger

OU812 wrote: »

I have a box of cartridges of it, I'll report back after I try it.

Actually, Jimmy, if you PM me your address I'll send you one to try for yourself.

Cue getting a green envelope and an empty cartridge :pac:

playedalive

I found Cross pens to be good and reasonably priced, from 60 to 90 euros.