Help for picking fountain pens

[Hemingway Jones]

Very True...

I can write very small with a medium nib with the pens I have. The only difference is in the downstroke where it grows wider as the full width of the nib comes into use.

I have found that fine nibs are better with Moleskines, though the medium nib cross did the job.

In short, I have learned that pens, ink, brand, and nibs are all things to obsess over.

 

[max the cat]

mont blanc

agreed MontBlanc medium just too broad , even gushy-- but I wonder if a restored vintage MontBlanc performs differently.

Am keen to try a Pelikan (w/ flex ible nib) or at least a Parker early 30s Vac nib. These days mostly Waterman blue in a restored Sheaffer (their largest) c 1936 pen not flexible but on the medium side of fine. Is all this "re tipping" I hear about , legit??

In mycase Berliner just found a near mint nib and it worked well. No regrinding or anything. maybe john in Covina could elaborate, time permitting..

max

 

[John in Covina]

agreed MontBlanc medium just too broad , even gushy-- but I wonder if a restored vintage MontBlanc performs differently.

Am keen to try a Pelikan (w/ flex ible nib) or at least a Parker early 30s Vac nib. These days mostly Waterman blue in a restored Sheaffer (their largest) c 1936 pen not flexible but on the medium side of fine. Is all this "re tipping" I hear about , legit??

In mycase Berliner just found a near mint nib and it worked well. No regrinding or anything. maybe john in Covina could elaborate, time permitting..

max

The term re-tipping get used in a couple of instances. There are time when a nib loses the iridium ball at the end of the tines. Some of the nib guys can now replace the lost iridium and shape a new nib. Others call retipping the grinding of a nib to another style like a broad nib being ground to a stub.

True flex is hard to find in a modern nib, I think Omas has a flex but the only real modern flex nib is on the Namiki Falcon, it has flex to spare. if you get a Falcon get the fine point, I have the medium and wish i had gotten the fine for greater line width change. It still writes great but I wish I got the fine.

For flex vintage Waterman and Wahl / Wahl Eversharp can often be found with great flex nibs. Waterman 52 or 452 is one that often had flex nibs.

Sincerely

 

[max the cat]

retip

Thanks John-

any opinions on flex re Bexley, Pelikan or vintage 30s Parker vacumatic-- max

 

[John in Covina]

Flexible

Thanks John-

any opinions on flex re Bexley, Pelikan or vintage 30s Parker vacumatic-- max

I have a Pelikan in fine it is springy and has a little bit of flex, minute. Bexley gets their nibs from Bock and I haven't heard that they have specified for flex i can't recall any reports of flex in their nibs. Parker did make flex nibs, but they are as scarce as hens' teeth finding one is like hitting the lotto. Same for Sheaffer, they made them but they are rare.

I have found flex nibs again in vintage waterman like the Commando line also and the Wahl pens. You might check with the Pentrace site and again if there is a national show with in decent distance, go! You can ask at the show for specifics.

Either Pen World or Stylus did a flex article a while back, if i find it I'll list the models they mentioned.

best,

 

[John in Covina]

Regional pen shows thread in Events

I dug up the regional pen show thread over in the "Events" section.

Check to see if anything is nearby, chances are there will be a 2007 show.

 

[Guy Friday]

A GREAT FOUNTAIN PEN

I Love My MONT BLANC's...For Everyday I, also use a Schaefer. My calligraphy pen ia also a Schaefer.

 

[binkmeisterRick]

Thanks John-

any opinions on flex re Bexley, Pelikan or vintage 30s Parker vacumatic-- max

I have a 1937 and 1947 Parker Vacumatic. Both nibs have a bit of flex to them, but not too much, in my opinion. I'm a lefty, and though flex nibs give my writing a different characteristic than that of a righty, I find these nibs work well for me. I also had Bert at Pen Haven adjust the nibs to my writing style, so that helps. If you're after a LOT of flex, there are better nibs for that than the Vacs, but if you want just enough flex, the Vacs may work well for you.

 

[max the cat]

nibs w/flex

thanks for the help gents-- my memory was correct, i did like the slight flex on Vacumatic nib-as I get it one does and can be fitted into Duofold Jr-maybe mixing metaphors here-I got the Jr for 25 $ and it originally came w/ a damaged vac nib but enough to get a feel and like it--typical replacement in30's i read- any ideas as to vac nibw/ Christmas tree style feed or not-? be nice to restore this.

max

 

[binkmeisterRick]

Max, if you got the Duofold Jr. for just $25, then WOW! However, if you are going to restore the pen (as I would in your shoes) then I HIGHLY recommend having the correct era Duofold nib put on that pen. In fact, I'd have the entire pen restored as a full fledged Duofold Jr. -- no Frankenstein parts or mix and matching. The pen will ultimately be worth more as such. The pen will even write better as a pure Duofold, seeing that the pen was initially designed that way. Out of curiosity, what does your Duofold Jr. look like? If it's a pure yellow, then I'll GIVE you a Vacumatic in exchange for it. It's a rare color in its pure state and can be worth a bit if in good condition. Another reason to restore it with Duofold parts.

If you want a Vacumatic (which is a great pen, too, in my book) then save up and get a Vacumatic. But personally, I'd bring the Duofold back to life in the form it was intended -- as a Duofold. Just my two pennies.

 

[John in Covina]

One caution is the real Duofold nib for an early pen can be costly, so it will pay to search around for one. Many Duofolds were fixed at the factory and by authorized Parker repair stations with the later arrow nib, it fits and they work very well, and it is a respected replacement. Duofold is better for a collector,but an arrow nib will be a great nib for writing.

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

And remember, a fine or medium nib by today's standards is not the same as a fine or medium by yesterday's standards. In fact, I'm not sure there ever WAS a standard, so a Parker medium may differ from a Pelikan medium may differ from a Waterman medium. It's just a matter of trying the pen beforehand if you can!

That is so true. When buying a pen, I spend a lot of time testing it out first, no matter what the cost, it's an investment that shouldn't be taken lightly. There really is a difference between brands. However, and this is just from my experience with my small (but growing) pen collection, the two more expensive pens that I have, the Mont Blanc and the Cartier, both of which have medium nibs, write quite similarly. I have a medium nib in my pretty pink Aurora and it's line is half the width of the line I get from the Mont Blanc and the Cartier. The Mont Blanc that I have is very blobby, for a serious lack of a better word! The Cartier is a little less thick, but still almost too thick for my taste. The Aurora has the ability to make many different width lines, whereas the other two pens just don't have that ability to go from thick to thin. My writing is so much more interesting and elegant with the Aurora.
The Pelikan I have is a fine nib, so was my Waterman Charleston. However, there is a lot more variability in the line with the Pelikan. I am very impressed with this pen, and I have gone and bought three more. Just waiting for them to come in the mail, yahoooo!!!! It is a light weight pen, and it feels like it just flows with incredible smoothness when it meets the pater. No effort is needed to get a beautiful line. I also like the fact that no matter which part of the nib I place on the paper, it will right. Some pens, particularly in fine point, you have to hold it just a the exact right angle in order for it to write. It just gives me a lot of line variability, while still having the ability to write quite small and fine and without scratchiness.
I just got the Colorado Pens Direct catalog in the mail. Yippee...It's really hard to put down. I've got quite the wish list

In short, I have learned that pens, ink, brand, and nibs are all things to obsess over.

You obsess, no way!!!!!!
But really, you are so right (no pun intended). Looking for a perfect pen that will suit all your needs is like buying a pair of walking shoes. If the shoes don't fit, you'll be miserable walking all day in them.

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

I just fell in love with Cartier

So, being that it's nearly 2 am and I'm suffering from a major case of insomnia, I decided to take out my Cartier Mini Daiblo and give it a whirl. Honestly, I really haven't written much with it. Just a few notes here and there, aside from when I tested it out in the store. The other reason being that I had to find a converter small enough to fit it, which I finally did, but never put it in. So, I just filled it up with the new converter, and wow, am I amazed. For me, I've always thought that the converter writes better than the cartridge. But in this case it's really true. This pen is incredible. Now don't get me wrong, I still love my Pelikan and Aurora. This is a totally different pen. In an earlier post I compared it's thick line to that of the Mont Blanc. It is nothing like that. It has a nice, little thicker than fine line, with the ability of a lot of variation. It is lightweight, which for me is good, for I loosen up my grip and don't have such a heavy hand. It is so smooth. I'm gonna have to look through the paperwork, for I have a feeling that this might actually be a fine nib. I vaguely remember buying it, and I recall that the store I purchased it at only had medium in stock. So, I think they got me the fine and mailed it from another store. If so, it's not as fine as the medium Aurora nor the fine Pelikan. But, definitely finer than the blobby Mont Blanc. The nib doesn't have all that much flex, but still it writes like a dream. It just feels really good in my hand, and my writing, like when using the Aurora or Pelikan, looks quite elegant.
So, I take back all I said about this pen. I almost feel like I just got a new pen! It is truly a joy to write with. Now the big dilemma, deciding which pen to use and when!

 

[riflegunbuilder]

Fountain pens

I made the mistake of reading this thread when it first started. After reading it I got the bug. In a period of six months I have about 45-50 pens. In addition there is a vast ink supply of ink in many shades. Then there are Italic nibs......... This seems to be a very slippery slope.

 

[binkmeisterRick]

One caution is the real Duofold nib for an early pen can be costly, so it will pay to search around for one. Many Duofolds were fixed at the factory and by authorized Parker repair stations with the later arrow nib, it fits and they work very well, and it is a respected replacement. Duofold is better for a collector,but an arrow nib will be a great nib for writing.

Well, there you have it, then. I stand corrected. I guess I'm mostly along the lines of being a collector in that I prefer the pens to be original, but I enjoy writing with them, regardless.

 

[Riposte3]

***
I think it is more of a investing in stocking all of those nibs and/or pens with nibs. Pelikan has some sort of NIB Exchange, within x amount of time you can send in your nib for another width/style. They screw out like the Esterbrooks but are not attached permanently to the feed.

Montblanc, you probably have to ask the dealer to order it.

I just bought a Pelikan M150 with a fine nib. According to the insert, they will exchange the nib for a different size up to 4 weeks from the purchase date. The insert doesn't say, but I assume that you would have to pay for shipping to the factory, and possibly return shipping as well.

Mine seems to have a defective nib. The tip is larger on one side than the other, and it gives a thicker line than even my Waterman Phileas, which I consider closer to a medium than a fine. The retailer offered to exchange it for another fine nib free at the store, but I decided to have them order an extra fine instead. It's $13, but should be faster than going through Pelikan, and I won't have to deal with shipping it. I'm willing to spend a little for speed and convenience.

-Jake

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

I just bought a Pelikan M150 with a fine nib. According to the insert, they will exchange the nib for a different size up to 4 weeks from the purchase date. The insert doesn't say, but I assume that you would have to pay for shipping to the factory, and possibly return shipping as well.

Mine seems to have a defective nib. The tip is larger on one side than the other, and it gives a thicker line than even my Waterman Phileas, which I consider closer to a medium than a fine. The retailer offered to exchange it for another fine nib free at the store, but I decided to have them order an extra fine instead. It's $13, but should be faster than going through Pelikan, and I won't have to deal with shipping it. I'm willing to spend a little for speed and convenience.

-Jake

Have fun with your new pen. I just love my Pelikan. So much in fact, I've been buying them left and right anywhere I can get my hands on one on sale. I have a 200 and a 600 at the moment, both in fine nib, and they are really wonderful to write with. I'm surprised you went with an extra fine. IMO Pelikan fine nibs are quite fine already. But, it's all personal preference. I like a fine line, Pelikan fine nib is my favorite of the fine's out of all the pens I have. Aurora makes a very nice fine nib as well.

Went to Levenger today, probably not the best idea. But they were just about out of their big sale items. I did end up buying a Conklin Mark Twain edition with a fine nib in light blue. It looks like it has a marbling affect to it. Once again I have found a fine nib pen that is nice and smooth, doesn't skip and doesn't scratch. Quite happy with the way it writes, even happier with the fact that I got it for 1/3rd of the original price! I really don't know much about the Conklin company, other than what I found online. Does anyone here own one? If so, what do you think of it? So far, I'm liking it.

 

[binkmeisterRick]

I like the look of the Conklin Mark Twain, but the ones I tried didn't take to my hand very well. It was probably just a matter of having the nib adjusted to my lefty writing style, but the pen felt nice in the hand.

On a slightly different note, I just read this:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061210/ap_on_hi_te/apn_fountain_pen_lives

The pen will never die!

 

[Riposte3]

I like the look of the Conklin Mark Twain, but the ones I tried didn't take to my hand very well. It was probably just a matter of having the nib adjusted to my lefty writing style, but the pen felt nice in the hand.

On a slightly different note, I just read this:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061210/ap_on_hi_te/apn_fountain_pen_lives

The pen will never die!

I was just about to post that link myself when I saw you beat me to it. Maybe the trend will spread!

fftopic: I have noticed that schools today seem to be teaching to the technology and forgetting the basics. We should always remember, both are important!

-Jake

 

[PenMan]

Just going from memory, Conklin was an Ohio based company founded in 1898 that produced very good pens. Mark Twain represented them with a pen called a crescent filler (back when books were written by hand). It had a sort of a dial that filled the pen as you turned it. It was the best selling pen in the early '20s but they went to a lever filler when the market moved in that direction (even though the crescent, some argue, is superior). They went under in the mid-50s, but were revived (late 90s?) and once again produce superb products.

Someone will no doubt correct my errors.