Fountain pens - ostentatious?

[Subvet642]

Is that why every Mont Blanc fountain pen I have ever had leaked?

This whole thing really does puzzle me. Do you guys have actually have fountain pens that don't leak?

The only fountain pens of mine that have ever leaked are ones that needed service. Also, while I usually don't buy the concept trhat one has to use the manufacturer's brand of ink, with Mont Blanc it's different; because the feed channel and nib slit is so tight that other inks don't feed at the proper rate. Private Reserve inks for example, flow too easily at first and then clog and Quink hesitates and skips. Many fountain pens work better with some inks over others and if you're getting leaking, and the pen is in proper working order, try changing inks.

 

[Subvet642]

When I use the pen, and ink gets on my fingers, no matter how careful I am, that's leaking. Does seem to be the nature of the beast.

You could have a tiny hairline crack in the (grip) section.

 

[MikeBravo]

I daily use a little fountain pen my girlfriend gave me, picture to follow.

I can't even see a brand name on the nib and it is not showing anywhere on the pen its self, so I call it my "no-name pen".

The only time I get ink on my fingers is when loading from the bottle and if I smudge any writing (which is very rare). I carry it banging around in my shirt pocket every day with never a stain to be seen.

It is filled from a bottle by pulling a slide in the tube attached to the nib. When I rarely lend it to somebody they invariable have a nice comment to make. Now my girlfriend knows what to buy her sister for her birthday.

 

[Subvet642]

I daily use a little fountain pen my girlfriend gave me, picture to follow.

I can't even see a brand name on the nib and it is not showing anywhere on the pen its self, so I call it my "no-name pen".

The only time I get ink on my fingers is when loading from the bottle and if I smudge any writing (which is very rare). I carry it banging around in my shirt pocket every day with never a stain to be seen.

It is filled from a bottle by pulling a slide in the tube attached to the nib. When I rarely lend it to somebody they invariable have a nice comment to make. Now my girlfriend knows what to buy her sister for her birthday.

Does it have an arrow shaped clip and is the nib "hooded"?

 

[MikeBravo]

It's actually very plain with a black body and chrome/silver cap (that doesn't attach to the body when you take it off).

I will post later and get the name off the nib

 

[MikeBravo]

Now uploaded

Below are two pics of the pen I mentioned above. On the cap there some Asian script, what looks like a cherry blossom and the name Hero

The internal slide-type refill also has the name Hero and the number 378. Oh look, I found a website Hero 378 Heavy Hand Feel

 

[Mid-fogey]

You can...

...pay as little as $30 for a fountain pen and as much as thousands of dollars. I don't think people tend to view them as ostentatious as items. I think how the pen is handled, used, etc. would be more likely to cause people to think you're putting on a show. If you just take it straight out and write with it when you would normally be writing, people won't get the idea you are showing off.

I do think people notice them. I've often seen people staring at mine.

As far as big or fat pens being not for writing a lot, I've found the opposite to be true. I write hundreds of pages of notes a year and use a Pelikan 800 or Aurora Optima as my main pens, and they are pretty good sizes. My experience is that a large pen is easier to grip and it's greater surface area requires less pressure to hold. My hand really cramps when I use a small pen.

 

[moynihan]

Interesting.
The initial post mentioned the Montblanc (probably the 149 was observed), which is one of the few fountain pens "recognizable" to non-users/collectors. It also does convey an image, for good or ill. I have one, but only on the most rare occasions would i use it in public for that reason. Maybe on Halloween if wearing a tux. Actually, i hardly ever use it, period.
Work-wise I pretty much stick to Parker 51's, Parker Vacumatics, Shaeffer Statesmans, Lamy 2000, Pelikan 200 etc. Nothing too large out of the office or home.
I hand write alot. I also use a fountain pen, unless I am signing a coated paper reciept. Use them and pencils every day, anywhere.

 

[Shangas]

Spelt "Sheaffer", Moynihan.

 

[Gilboa]

Does a fountain pen have a certain element of over dress in the office?

T

If I would work in your office and see you take out your fountain pen, I would quietly observe and think by myself:

'Oh, how pleasant to see somebody that cares about writing enough to own a decent tool.'

I would therefore persume that you enjoy writing by hand and with this are still capable of using words as they are meant to be used. (I LOATHE text speech).

I myself use a fountain pen daily, it just feels comfortable and allows my hand to do its natural moves when I write.


If you like using your fountain pen, do so. Who cares what others think! lol

 

[Fletch]

Y'know what's ostentatious?

The GIANT FRIGGN NIB that's too broad to write anything more than a big harrumph! of a signature, and usually, flows like a stuck pig's artery.

My Montblanc (a corporate freebie from the hot-cha 1980s) has one of these nibs. The pen as a whole is the size of a $10 cigar. I hate it.

 

[MikeBravo]

One word ... eBay

 

[WineGuy]

I have an early '60's vintage Meisterstuck 149 that I inherited from my grandfather and a Cross Townsend Lapis Lazul that I purchased 20 years ago. Both are considered expensive pens today and both are attention getter's so I suppose that the neophytes would consider them ostentatious when I pull them out in public places to write with. But the same could be said for my VS Fedora, my PB Montecristi, my DB suits and a myriad of other items I own.
In the end, to hell with what others think, I derive great pleasure wearing/using these items and I'm not going to worry about whether someone thinks my pen or watch is too big, or that my hat and suit is an affectation.
One thing every member of this forum has in common is a passion for timeless objects that reflect tradition and quality. I have an acquaintance who owns a $3000 Cartier fountain pen and has a collection of Swiss watches averaging $20,000 each. At first glance totally ostentatious....but in reality he truly loves and appreciates these objects and he can afford them...so god bless!

 

[DBLIII]

My two cents worth, mostly because I really love fountain pens and have used them since I learned to write. I think it's how you "display" what you have that makes it austentatious or just part of you. For many years, I worked in a corporate setting and made a lot of money (wish I still did!) - the company's owner had a MontBlanc ball point pen. Everybody noticed his pen as he would make sure that people saw it. A ball point, but it had that white top on it. As many - it seems - don't know pens of any type, I'd hear people discussing what it must have cost.
Meanwhile, I generally used the best writing pen I have (hey, wish I'd have bought a 149 back then), a Conway Stewart Churchill. It is a monster with a big gold nib and writes like using a fine brush. I never in 10+ years had anybody ask me a single question about it and I wrote with it every day, all day. And, which to me was more odd since I worked in an industry where it's all gear and tactical whatever and "tough guy stuff" that nobody ever noticed I wore a stainless Rolex watch (no longer, had to sell it). My point, however long it takes me to get there.... is that I never displayed anything.
Well, that's not true as I did show off my Aero coat - but I mean I do think it's up to the user as to what gets noticed or what he or she wants others to notice.
That's more words than I have posted in many months. I must be doing better with life!

 

[Edward]

Below are two pics of the pen I mentioned above. On the cap there some Asian script, what looks like a cherry blossom and the name Hero

The internal slide-type refill also has the name Hero and the number 378. Oh look, I found a website Hero 378 Heavy Hand Feel

Lovely pen! That will be Chinese-made, by the Hero Pen Corporation of Shanghai. They make beautiful pens - I have a Hero 100, myself (their take on a Parker 51, and very nice it is too). I've bought a couple of Chinese pens before now - what I learn from experience is that one must be careful of one's source. Of the Hero pens sold even within China itself, many are poorly functioning counterfeits. On a practical matter, when buying a Chinese pen it is always best to go up a nib size from what you are used to in the West, in my experience. This is because, due to the complexity of Mandarin characters, the Chinese (and the Japanese also, for that matter) favour much finer nibs than would be the norm here in the West. For what it may be worth, my own observation on China (the Beijing area, primarily) has been that there are many more people using fountain pens out there with a regularity far above incidences of the same in the UK.

The GIANT FRIGGN NIB that's too broad to write anything more than a big harrumph! of a signature, and usually, flows like a stuck pig's artery.

My Montblanc (a corporate freebie from the hot-cha 1980s) has one of these nibs. The pen as a whole is the size of a $10 cigar. I hate it.

Mike is absolutely correct: if you have neither sentimental attachment to the pen nor practical use for it, you could realise a tidy sum on eBay for a genuine Mont Blanc. Depending upon model, it might even buy you a nice new fedora...

 

[Talbot]

Lovely pen! On a practical matter, when buying a Chinese pen it is always best to go up a nib size from what you are used to in the West, in my experience. This is because, due to the complexity of Mandarin characters, the Chinese (and the Japanese also, for that matter) favour much finer nibs than would be the norm here in the West.

Thanks Edward, valuable insight.

T

 

[Peaceful John]

When it came time for them to take notes, out came the Miesterstuck's, the Montegrappa's and the Starwalkers. My much used daily Parker 51 was noted.

Does a fountain pen have a certain element of over dress in the office?

T

A fountain pen, like a 1911, is overdress unless you can use it. Learn a graceful cursive, Spencerian comes to mind, and all will be forgiven.

 

[Goodman.MJ]

I've been trying to teach myself a decent cursive so that I can make proper use of the fountain pens that I have. Its a lot harder that i remember

 

[MikeBravo]

I've been trying to teach myself a decent cursive so that I can make proper use of the fountain pens that I have. Its a lot harder that i remember

I did some online research and was surprised at the number of different scripts there are. Maybe look around for one that suits your hand and adapt it.

Nobody will know you changed it and you will be comfortable writing

 

[Richard Warren]

A fountain pen, like a 1911, is overdress unless you can use it. Learn a graceful cursive, Spencerian comes to mind, and all will be forgiven.

I had thought about comparing a fountain pen to a 1911, but from a different perspective. That is to say, it occurred to me that a Sig P220 will do anything a 1911 will, with less risk of gut shooting yourself.