My humble entry into fountain-pen life

[John in Covina]

Nib work

I'm not having much luck finding pens with ball tipped nibs. Is it possible to get custom nibs? If so, how much would I be looking at spending? Barry

They may have a pen worked up of you may wish to have a pen of your choice re-tipped.

try:
www.nibretipping.com
http://www.nibs.com/
http://www.richardspens.com/

look up "The Southern Scribe" on the web to get started.

Nathan Tardiff does nibs too.

$-$$$ = ?????

Check it out.

 

[John in Covina]

Lefties

Pelikan and I think Montblanc include in their nib inventories obliques for left handers. BUT these work only for certain styles of lefties since they may write "normally" or do that over-hook hand hold.

I don't know the specifics, you may want to talk to a pen store on that too.

John

 

[Barry]

Pelikan and I think Montblanc include in their nib inventories obliques for left handers. BUT these work only for certain styles of lefties since they may write "normally" or do that over-hook hand hold.

John

John,

Thanks.

I am going to check out those sites. I think that I saw one already but I'll go back and look again. I did go to a local pen shop but they didn't seem to have much advice. I think I wound up talking to the wrong salesperson. There's one really young guy in the store who seems to have a solid grasp on all sorts of options but I didn't have a chance to speak with him.

My dad is also left handed and does the over-hook hold. I tend not to hook my hand around as much. I tend to just overwrite. The hook looks pretty distinct. When I was learning to write my teachers and or tutors actually tried to force me to underwrite.

Barry

 

[John in Covina]

Go to Farhney's and talk to one of their older sales reps,

Or if you're out that way Swisher's in Virginia Beach would be good, those guys know their stuff too.

Like a car, a fountain pen is best if you get to test drive it.

 

[Barry]

I'll check out Swisher. My folks live in Virginia Beach and the store is a 5-10 minute drive from their house. Laskin road is a good loction.

Thanks again, John.

Barry

 

[binkmeisterRick]

I just logged in after a long "nap." Barry! If you're a lefty in D.C. I'd highly recommend Pen Haven in Antique Row in Kensington, MD. Call them at 301-929-0955. (I live in Silver Spring.) One of the owners, Bert, is a fellow lefty like us, and I guarantee he'll find a good lefty pen for you. He'll take all the time it takes to get a pen to write perfectly for you. They're only open on the weekends from noon to 5pm, though.

I find vintage Parker nibs work perfect for me. I have a bit of the lefty "hook" and the Parker nibs don't drag or skip on me. At any rate, you really owe it to yourself to visit Pen Haven, especially if you love vintage pens. Bert and Lou are the most helpful folks you'll meet.

bink

 

[Barry]

Rick,

Thanks so much, I really appreciate that. I'll probably check them out this upcoming weekend. It's only 8 miles away and appears to be right off of Connecticut Avenue. Should be an easy trip!

Barry

 

[binkmeisterRick]

It is right off Connecticut. You turn down Howard Avenue (the street with the big "Antique Row" sign) and Pen Haven is at the end on the right as you drive down the couple blocks of shops. If I'm not actually there (since I frequent the store most weekends) tell them Rick Callender sent you. They'll probably pick on you all the more and say they'll charge you three times as much, but they'll treat you right.

 

[John in Covina]

Indoctrination

My Cousins are visiting from Denmark and Danni who is 10 was impressed with my fountain pen collection. He spent some time at the mall with his dad and wound up getting a Waterman Phileas and some bottled ink.

 

[binkmeisterRick]

Hey, Barry, I missed you at Pen Haven earlier this afternoon! I stopped by later in the day and they said you stopped in. Do I recall correctly that you purchased a Skyline?

Anyway, I hope you had a good experience there and that Bert didn't give you too hard of a time because of me. I'm often there at least once during most weekends just to hang out for a spell. If you find that shop as addictive as me, then our paths will surely cross!

bink

 

[Barry]

Rick,

I must have tested out about a dozen vintage pens or more and once I started writing with the Skyline I knew that was the one I wanted. A fine and fairly stiff nib seems to be perfect. Combine those two features with a fairly-quick to super-quick drying ink and I'm a happy guy. That's just the opposite of what I used in the past.

They are real pros. They helped me to hone in on all of the important factors in selecting a nice pen.

Thanks so much for the recommendation. I'm sure I'll head back there - it's a great store. One of the best parts is that Bert is left handed so he can get a better idea of what type of pen is best for a lefty.

Barry

 

[binkmeisterRick]

Barry,

I'm glad you found a good pen! The Skyline is a fantastic pen. In fact, the Skyline I found at an antique store about a year ago is what got me back into fountain pens. There was just something in how the line laid down smoothly and effortlessly that hooked me.

I have yet to go to Fahrney's in downtown D.C. But because of the service and atmosphere at Pen Haven, I just haven't been as eager to go. [huh] I also recommended Bert specifically because he IS a fellow lefty, so I knew he'd be able to find and tweak the perfect pen for you. He wouldn't let you leave until you were happy with your pen.

Funny thing is I was next to a young woman who was trying out a Parker and a Pelikan fine nib but was trying to decide which one she liked best. She was a righty. She asked my opinion, and it turned out the one I liked and wrote better with was the opposite of the one she liked and wrote better with. It mostly had to do with our writing hand. If I had been a righty, I told her, I probably would've been able to give her a fairer assessment. Either way, Bert could take either pen and make it write beautifully for a righty or lefty.

He's got an old Conklin crescent filler he's supposed to have ready for me next week, so if you're interested in going back there next Saturday, let me know!

Rick

 

[John in Covina]

Classics Illustrated!

Ooooh! A Conklin Cresent filler, that is very classic and Mark Twain called those the profanity saver as the crescent would keep the pen from rolling of the desk.

I have a new one in black that they re-introduced just a few years back, cool pen, they have an awesome butterscotch colored one now that has me envious.

I have seen the vintage ones in BHR (black hard rubber) gold and silver cap & barrels.

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

My Cousins are visiting from Denmark and Danni who is 10 was impressed with my fountain pen collection. He spent some time at the mall with his dad and wound up getting a Waterman Phileas and some bottled ink.

That is just so cute
The Phileas was the first fountain pen that I used, and I have always loved it. It is a great pen to use as an introduction to fountain pens. But, make sure you warn his dad about the fountain pen addiction. As I have quickly learned, once I started using one, my quest for the perfect fountain pen began, and my pen collection grew quite rapidly. I have a few now, but none are vintage, I'm hoping that will be my next purchase. I love both the modern day parker and am very happy with my Cartier mini diablo. But, I must admit, I really love the way the Waterman Charleston writes. The fine nib is just perfect, it writes so smoothly, and I think it really compliments my handwriting. It's feel isn't as elegant as the more expensive Cartier, but it still is an incredible writing instrument. Phileas though, that's what got me started. It's so funny, when I first started using it, I hadn't ever used a fountain pen, so it felt like platinum in a world full of plastic pens. I couldn't imagine that their were even nicer pens out there. I still think it's a wonderful pen, a great way to start a collection and the price can't be beat.
I'm hoping to purchase a fountain pen on my trip to Italy. But, I just might hold out until I find a vintage pen. I've been looking around a lot on line, and have found quite a few that I really like. But, gotta save those sheckles for now I'm glad to see you are such a good influence on your younger cousin ...Although, down the line, I'm not sure if his dad will appreciate it!

 

[binkmeisterRick]

Daisy, didn't I warn you about this long ago? I have a couple of modern pens, but I always go back to using my vintage ones. And if you like a truly fine nib, they were actually finer back then than most "fine" nibs are today. That's one thing I love about the Esterbrooks, they had so many nib choices that it made the search for the perfect line much easier!

 

[John in Covina]

Italy calls! Ritorna Mi!

Hey Daisy!

Italy has a number of long time fountain pen manufacturers and the Europeans never completely dropped fountain pens from their daily use. A number of the European countries still mandate a student use a fountain pen during certain grades of schooling. WHich is why the European pen makers pride themselves on having extraordinary student fountain pens.

I recall reading about some one's trip to Italy and that there were several superb pen shops and that they eventually found a place with vintage pens too. While in Italy please also check on their writing paper, they have some exquisit writing paper, like Amalfi Amatruda.

Also if you go to Venice I think, they have great all glass dip pens that are suppose to be fantastic.

Best wishes! Is the trip schedueled yet?

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Hello John,
Excellent advice. I just learned that Venice is as known for its paper as it is for its glass, so I will be looking for some new stationary there. I will also be looking for those pen shops.

 

[John in Covina]

Italy calls!

I'll try to find the magazine, I think it was a Pen World. If i can find it I'll list the shops and their locations.

 

[scotrace]

Some of my pens

Quick Picture.

 

[binkmeisterRick]

Hey, I have the exact same Esterbrook in my pocket today! I like the Parker Duofold, too.