Fountain Pen

JimK · Jan 25, 2019

Edward said:
This, I think, is the joy of a 'true' fountain pen over cartridges: as the ink is drawn into the pen through the nib, the whole outfit gets ink in.

A curious detail - the first fountain pens were filled with eyedroppers. I think the later pens are called "self filling"... hmm, even safety pens are filled in a way that wets the nib. Anyway, the first fountain pens weren't filled by pulling ink through the nib. There are still eyedropper pens made and sold today... plus one can convert suitable pens to be filled that way.

For sure, the need to prime the nib is one of the disadvantages of eyedropper pens!

Edward · Jan 29, 2019

Another clutch of pens from the eBay gods today; that's most of my recent orders in. The absolute star remains the Wing Sung 601 - basically a vacuumatic P51 for around a tenner. I have ordered one more, and will probably eventually crack and get yet more. If they would only offer a .7mm medium and .9mm bold nib, it would be perfect. The Wing Sung 3008s and the Wing Sung 698 arrived today. The 698 comes from the same manufacturer as the 601, while the 3008s are made by a different licensee. The 3008s are about two dollars a pop, the 698 ten to fifteen. The former (one moreso than the other - at first I thought it was the 698!) are shockingly good for the money, and if you've never had a demonstrator before, or want a cheap piston-filler fountain pen for a child, relative or friend who wants to experiment, or just to leave on your desk at work, these are a good choice. sturdier and hold more ink than the Indian-made Dollar pens I bought recently (at about the same price). The 698 has a couple of details that make it just superior; in fact, when the paycheque comes around next month, I have resolved to treat myself to a couple more of these in solid colours instead of buying another TWSBI. THe TWSBI pens (from the RoC in Taiwan) are lovely pens and they are a great company, but if you're open to Chinese pens you really should try a 698. For my money, the equal of my TWSBI, but at a quarter of the price. A lovely thing indeed. The range of Western-size nibs is lovely too - the one thing I wish the 601 had. The 698 is a pen to think about carrying for yourself or having on the desk at home.

At some point I must do a better review with photos.

Kenneth Lawson · Jan 31, 2019

Finally got my Pilot Metropolitan.
It feels nice and solid. Has a good weight to it.
Writing with it is a little (Maybe a LOT) like going back to writing class.
It takes a very light touch, and you have to hold the pen just right.
But eventually, My writing may become legible, even by me..
Pictures coming soon.

JimK · Jan 31, 2019

Good handwriting does seem like a proper accoutrement for civilized living! I really like the book Write Now, by Getty and Dubay. It teaches an italic hand, which has a grand history, has a classic elegance, and is quite legible. Lots of folks prefer a Spencer/Palmer/roundhand look - this is where one can use the flexible nibs on some pens. Michael Sull has a big workbook
The Art of Cursive Penmanship: A Personal Handwriting Program for Adults
that would take a person to quite a high level.

Edward · Jan 31, 2019

David Conwill said:
I started out with Pilot Varsity disposable fountain pens and loved them. I've never heard of the Metropolitan, but I'd say that I would trust Pilot, given my experience with the Varsities. In fact, I've been contemplating picking up some Varsities, since in my current job I don't have much call to use my nicer fountain pens, but go through a lot of disposables marking up documents for correction.

I would suggest maybe considering some of the Chinese pens I mention, especially something liked the Wing Sung 3008, cheap enough to almost treat as disposable, but refillable...

Edward said:
My latest 'cheapo' pen arrived today. It is a Wing Sun 601...
Randomly, the seller also enclosed a universal cartridge-convertor as seen in the auction photos, but the pen is a pump / piston filler....

Oops, turns out that's not a cartridge convertor, on closer inspection it's a little piston fully of grease to help seal the threads should I ever need to open the pen...

Kenneth Lawson · Jan 31, 2019

I can't believe that this is a Thing,
A Lamy Safari Pokemon edition Pen
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/616370858806211
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/616370858806211

David Conwill · Feb 1, 2019

Edward said:
I would suggest maybe considering some of the Chinese pens I mention, especially something liked the Wing Sung 3008, cheap enough to almost treat as disposable, but refillable...

When I first got into Varsities, I purchased ink and refilled them by removing the end cap with pliers and replenishing the ink with a syringe. Actually, inspired by this post, I've refilled my dried-up Sheaffer and put it back to work! Those Chinese pens are sorely tempting. I actually have a Parker pen-and-pencil set that I picked up at an estate sale a long time ago, but have never dropped the money to have the pen restored. It might be a good way to find out if I'd like it well enough to pony up.

Edward · Feb 1, 2019

David Conwill said:
When I first got into Varsities, I purchased ink and refilled them by removing the end cap with pliers and replenishing the ink with a syringe. Actually, inspired by this post, I've refilled my dried-up Sheaffer and put it back to work! Those Chinese pens are sorely tempting. I actually have a Parker pen-and-pencil set that I picked up at an estate sale a long time ago, but have never dropped the money to have the pen restored. It might be a good way to find out if I'd like it well enough to pony up.

View attachment 154495

The Wing Sung 601 is well worth looking out for in particular if you want to try a Mark One Parker 51, and doubly so if you want an affordable equivalent. I only wish they would do options for a M and B nib.

JimK · Feb 1, 2019

David Conwill said:
I actually have a Parker pen-and-pencil set that I picked up at an estate sale a long time ago, but have never dropped the money to have the pen restored.

Parker Vacumatics are some of the nicest pens! The filling mechanism is a bit fiddly so you'll want a proper repair person. You can just dip the nib into a bottle of ink to see how it writes. You might want to soak it in water for a while first, to clean out any dried ink down in the feed. When dipping, a game I play is just dip so the feed goes maybe a quarter inch into the ink, then turn the pen nib-up to let that ink get spread around inside the feed. Then when you turn the pen back nib-down, you'll avoid an immediate flood.

Miles R. · Feb 9, 2019

I am glad to see that recommendations have been made here for Chinese fountain pens, such as the Wing Sung 601. I want to put in a good word for the Jinhao 992. This is a dandy little plastic-bodied pen that comes in, I think, a total of six colors (six transparent and six opaque) at a price between one and two dollars. For all its cheapness, I greatly prefer it to the x450 and x750, the metal-bodied pens that were the most widely sold Jinhao models before this model was introduced. It is a smaller and lighter pen (which may or may not be to the liking of a given user) and it is, in my experience, much better at starting than those others are (which should be to the liking of every user).

Kenneth Lawson · Feb 9, 2019

I've been using my Pilot Metropolitan for the lt few weeks and have been loving it.
It writes nice, with almost no effort. My writing is slightly improved to slightly more readable.
I think it slows me down just enough to make me take just a bit more time, and It comes out in the writing.
If nothing else I think I almost enjoy writing by hand again.
No. I'm NOT going to write my next book by hand...

Kenneth Lawson · Feb 9, 2019

Miles R. said:
I am glad to see that recommendations have been made here for Chinese fountain pens, such as the Wing Sung 601. I want to put in a good word for the Jinhao 992. This is a dandy little plastic-bodied pen that comes in, I think, a total of six colors (six transparent and six opaque) at a price between one and two dollars. For all its cheapness, I greatly prefer it to the x450 and x750, the metal-bodied pens that were the most widely sold Jinhao models before this model was introduced. It is a smaller and lighter pen (which may or may not be to the liking of a given user) and it is, in my experience, much better at starting than those others are (which should be to the liking of every user).

I will have a look at them. I know I've seen a lot of Chinese and other foreign-made pens show up favorably on my YouTube channels.
I definitely want to get more pens. Also, I want to find some vintage pens.

DeaconKC · Feb 11, 2019

There are quite a few very nice Chinese fountain pens that write far better than their modest prices would suggest. The Pilots are good all-round pens. Some other often over looked pens are the Parker 45 [heresy to some, but I like it much better than the 51], the Cross ATX, built like a tank, I carried one for years working as a Parole Agent, watch for Harley Davidson pens on ebay, they are made by Waterman and are very nice writers. Spending a bit more can get you a Pelikan 150 or 215 which are world class pens.

Edward · Jul 7, 2020

Kenneth Lawson said:
I can't believe that this is a Thing,
A Lamy Safari Pokemon edition Pen
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/616370858806211

Back in the eighties,when I turned thirteen and returned to fountain pens after a few years away, I had a cheap little plastic bodied cartridge pen with Dennis the Menace (from the UK Beano - not the American character of the same name) on it. If memory serves, it came with a pencil, ruler and maybe a sharpener and eraser. Branded items like that can be great to get kids into these things... My parents could have told you the power of TV character endorsements in 1976, mind, when Spiderman used to swing by our house in Greater Belfast to make the only omlettes I would eat.... Yeah.

Eighteen months on, I now have around a dozen Wing Sung 601s, all in regular use. Indeed, I've just order my first all-metal "Flighter" model.... and I have discovered an ebay seller with a clutch of colours I don't already have.... Needless to say, I love them... The nib is very fine, but now I'm used to it that's become a positive for neatness of writing, and with a little use non of mine have been problematic. AS mine are all from Jan 2019 onwards, I believe they are all seocnd generation (non-sac) pump fillers. I'm just now on the lookout for ebay sellers beginning to sell the newer mechanism as a spare - no problems with minje as of yet, but at the right price I'd stockpile a few spare mechanisms in order to be future proofed for repairs. Very pleased with these pens. I almost write withe nothing else now. I've ever had crazy thoughts about buying a couple of 601As to cannibalise into styluses for the touch-screen....

GHT · Jul 8, 2020

Edward said:
This, I think, is the joy of a 'true' fountain pen over cartridges: as the ink is drawn into the pen through the nib, the whole outfit gets ink in.

Quite so, but it can be a messy business and ink tends to stain just as strongly as red wine. You could always tell a public or grammar schoolboy by the ink stains on his fingers.

Edward said:
FWIW, I've never 'cleaned' a pen between inks, as I rather enjoy the 'evolution' from one colour to the next in my writing. That said, I generally handwrite only for myself, so this sort of foible is easier to get away with.

Corporal punishment for you, at school we had to draw up warm water and flush the pen when it ran dry. It was something that we did every time the pen ran empty, before refilling the bladder.

Edward · Jul 8, 2020

GHT said:
Quite so, but it can be a messy business and ink tends to stain just as strongly as red wine. You could always tell a public or grammar schoolboy by the ink stains on his fingers.

Ha, well. That I found comes with practice. The clincher was when I realised the worst source of exces ink was the neck of the bottle!

Corporal punishment for you, at school we had to draw up warm water and flush the pen when it ran dry. It was something that we did every time the pen ran empty, before refilling the bladder.

Did they give a reason for that? Doesn't seem much point when you were, presumably, never changing the colour of the ink and the pen was in constant use...

Ernest P Shackleton · Jul 8, 2020

How deep into inks have you gone? That's a whole universe unto itself.

I've heard good things about this one.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07YK224DZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Dreamofgilgamesh · Jul 10, 2020

It's easy to knock cheap Chinese Ebay knock offs but do a bit of googling. I've got several Chinese pens and they look lovely and write beautifully, and for around fiver each you cant go wrong.

Dm101 · Aug 17, 2020

David Conwill said:
When I first got into Varsities, I purchased ink and refilled them by removing the end cap with pliers and replenishing the ink with a syringe. Actually, inspired by this post, I've refilled my dried-up Sheaffer and put it back to work! Those Chinese pens are sorely tempting. I actually have a Parker pen-and-pencil set that I picked up at an estate sale a long time ago, but have never dropped the money to have the pen restored. It might be a good way to find out if I'd like it well enough to pony up.

View attachment 154495

Whoa, nice Parker Vacumatic set!!

I jumped into the deep end of the fountain pen pool this year and built one from the parts up. I had the body and cap machined overseas, then I assembled the internals myself, tuned the flex-nib and feed and will eventually get around to electro-etching the outside of the pen with mnemonics.
I've got a PENBBS-456 on the way from overseas and flex-pen modification parts coming in from conus, it will be my main calligraphy pen. My brass pen just doesn't have enough of an ink reserve to write a full page of spencerian/flourished lettering. The "456" holds over 20x the ink in it's vac-chamber...that will work better. The brass pen will be my EDC for when I'm out and about in the woods or someplace the "456" might get damaged.

Loving this journey.

Dm101 · Aug 17, 2020

Ernest P Shackleton said:
How deep into inks have you gone? That's a whole universe unto itself.

I've heard good things about this one.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07YK224DZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The Hongdian - Forest Series Pen IS AWESOME!!
The internals of that pen are what I scavenged to build my my brass flex pen after the section, barrel and cap arrived from overseas. The feeds are easy to modify if you need higher ink flow and the nibs swap out easily. The #5 Nib selection isn't the greatest, but if you want a nice pocket size pen like I built, they're perfect.

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