I kinda use fountain pens but like I don’t do calligraphy so I guess that doesn’t make me a legit fountain pen enthusiast.
Actually they don’t really have anything to do with each other unless you are using a nib (tip of the pen) specifically designed for calligraphy. Most people just use them like regular pens. I avoided them for a long time because I’m left handed. There are tons of pens that just don’t work for left handed writers and I thought fountain pens would fall into that category. Turns out they work better than most, just gotta be careful about occasionally sliding your hand through wet ink if you’re a lefty lol but that’s more of a lefty problem, not a fountain pen problem
I’ma lefty too.
I went through a fountain pen phase earlier this year. I was mostly into flex pens and stub nibs for stylized writing.
Conklin DuraFlex used here to write in Elian Script:
Pilot Parallel used to write in Sarati (Late Form):
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I got a pilot prera its is good.
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Necroing this post due to personal renewed interest.
Any new fountain pen enthusiasts? It was briefly discussed by YYBC members on zoom
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I have a couple TWSBI Ecos I got a long time ago that I use to this day. They’re just nice pens. Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-budo is my favorite ink, with the other one I use being Sailor Shikiori Fuji-sugata. I also have a bootleg “Moon Man” 20 dollar copy of the Pilot Vanishing Point which is surprisingly good. I mostly use them to make lists and reminders for myself, not as much for art or anything. Might start using the Yama-budo in watercolor paintings though, could be cool!
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I’ve been into pens since middle school, but just got back into it last year—even found a working $$$ Montblanc for pennies at a recycled art supply place and went to a pen show.
Currently inked: Narwhal (i forget the model, but the color is named after a fish lol) with Emeraud de Chivor (got a brand new bottle for $5 at a swap meet) and Waterman Allure with some kind of mystery/stock blue cartridge.
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I used to buy the different colored ones from the drug store when I was in high school. Parker Jotter Fountains maybe? They were cheap. I just got my first in decades recently. Still nothing special just the only Waterman they have at Staples.
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@twenty_two how is the Ancient Copper? Have you tried it with different nibs? That one’s on my list of inks to try.
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I havent used it yet but I need to refill the Lamy so I’ll try it out and get back to you.
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Got really into fountain pens and high end mechanical pencils during quarantine. I had to work through the whole thing on locations, and am required to sign a bunch of paperwork at jobs. Decided the last thing I wanted to do was touch a pen dozens of other people had been using, so I would EDC fancy fountain pens.
Funny because the most reliable fountain pen I ever used was a $5 Platinum Preppy. That thing would NEVER go dry. Even if I lost it for a few months on the floor of the truck.
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I use my pilot varsity disposable pens everyday. Whenever I have to plow through paper with a crummy ball-point; I remember how much I love my fountain pens.
Even though I have lots of fancy fountain pens, I tend to use the Varsity more than my Pilot 823, or my Sheaffer PFM’s.
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I have about $5k worth of fountain pens(about 30 pens) and 50ish bottles of ink. I keep 4 pens inked at a time usually. I mostly lean towards Japanese brands like Pilot and Sailor, though I have a couple Platinums too. Currently using a Pilot 823 M & 743 SU, Platinum 3776 UEF, Sailor Pro Gear F.
Fountain pens and machined pens can be another expensive hobby…
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I do love some fountain pens, my Daily drivers are a TWSBI eco T, and a Lamy Studio. Have about 20 or so pens in a few different price points though and really enjoy inking one up every so often. When it comes to ink something about Noodlers black swan in Australian roses just hits right for me. My other 2 big ones are Pilot Iroshizuku Kiri-same, and Jacques Herbin Caroube de Chypre. Love a good grey and brown.
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I have Kiri-same in my 743 SU right now! It’s my latest Iroshizuku ink. Twsbi Eco/T make good daily drivers. I usually carry my Lamy Al Star to work, don’t mind of it gets a little beat up.
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Oh, wow! There’s so many of you, and new faces too!
I started off with a Pilot Metropolitan and some random, cheap Franklin Covey back in 2017-18, and kept that mostly, the biggest thing I did was buy a converter for the Metropolitan. Additionally, back then, it was black ink or nothing. Then the pandemic hit and had to make some hard choices in regards to all of my hobbies.
Around the turn of the pandemic, I was gifted a Lamy Safari, but fountain pens as a thing kinda stayed plateaued. Then, near the beginning of this year, I was invited to come with some friends to a pen show in my state. Finally went and got my “low end grail pen” (was originally my grail pen, but I’ve learned a significant amount since the show and I now understand that it’s actually, effectively, just a run of the mill FP. I have since expanded my appreciation of more colors than black, but I will say, blue is definitely one of my favorites.
I now have (as favorites):
- TWSBI Eco with Jacques Herbin 1670 Emerald of Chivor
- Pilot Vanishing Point (the “grail pen” I mentioned earlier) with Pelikan Royal Blue 4001 - 2oz Bottled Ink
- Jinhao Safari clone (this is actually a surprisingly fun pen) with Anderillium Fountain Pen Ink Purple Gallinule Purple
I have others, but these are the one’s worth mentioning, imo
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