Who here uses fountain pens?

"RMudkips" (rmudkips) 08/22/2013 at 13:58 • Filed to: None

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Just curious (not my pen pictured). I'm the weird kid at school who uses one and runs out of ink in the middle of an essay.

Anyway, I have this Lamy Safari, which my cousin got for me after I lost another Lamy Safari I bought in Hong Kong. Ever since then it's had a pretty high amout of use and some beauty scars. It has the optional converter and it's on Waterman Serenity Blue ink. Decided to get a quick and dirty pic.

I haven't used it too often ever since school ended, but it's definitely seen a bit of light use to prevent it from clogging or whatever.

Anyway, do you use a fountain pen?

Casper > RMudkips 08/22/2013 at 13:59

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I'm just shocked to learn people still write on paper, let alone, with a fountain pen.

RMudkips > Casper 08/22/2013 at 14:07

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I'm not as weird as the kid who brings in his laptop to "write notes".

Shamoononon drives like a farmer > RMudkips 08/22/2013 at 14:07

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Where art thou fountain pen is?

Anon > RMudkips 08/22/2013 at 14:10

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I use a lamy!

Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. > RMudkips 08/22/2013 at 14:12

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I had one until I dropped it and screwed up the tip. It really was a great writing implement.

Agrajag > RMudkips 08/22/2013 at 14:13

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I have a number of old fountains pens that were my great grandfathers, but I rarely use them. I do however ink my drawings almost exclusively with crow quill pens.

Casper > RMudkips 08/22/2013 at 14:14

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Ehhh, I don't know. I see a lot more logic to one than the other. Personally, I was one of those who didn't take notes, but if I saw the two of you ahead of me taking notes, I would side with the guy doing so according to the correct century ;)

delete-me-please123 > RMudkips 08/22/2013 at 14:15

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You sir, are a sir.
mmmm quite

crown victor victoria > RMudkips 08/22/2013 at 14:16

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I have a Tasche FF-10T but the nib kind of sucks. I leave it in my moleskine because it's small. Not great for extended use but great for quick notes.

For general use I have a stainless Parker Jotter with a space pen cartridge, which is really about perfect.

RMudkips > Casper 08/22/2013 at 14:18

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Very true :p. I use it more for its old school charm than practicality, but you do have to keep up with things sometimes. I find it weird taking a laptop to a high school science class, but again, I'm that weird kid with the fountain pen.

RMudkips > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. 08/22/2013 at 14:19

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Ouch. You can find some places online that could repair tips of you want, depends on your model.

RMudkips > delete-me-please123 08/22/2013 at 14:20

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Indeed quite, sir. Shall I propose a toast?

delete-me-please123 > RMudkips 08/22/2013 at 14:21

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mmm quite indeed good sir, I shall have it no other way
hmm

RMudkips > crown victor victoria 08/22/2013 at 14:22

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This one actually looks pretty cool. What kind of ink do you use? Different inks tend to help nib scratchiness.

My dad's a huge Parker Jotter fan, he's bought a lot of refills from foreign places, sating the ones over there are better than NA refills. I haven't convinced him to buy a Space Pen refill yet.

Casper > RMudkips 08/22/2013 at 14:22

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Oh, high school. I just tried to not do that. I was talking college.

Can't you just sleep through high school and still get a decent grade?

desertdog5051 > RMudkips 08/22/2013 at 14:24

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I have a couple from years ago. Still get them out and use them once in a while.

RMudkips > Agrajag 08/22/2013 at 14:25

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That's nice. My family barely passes on family treasures, as far as I know.

I've tried sketching with quill pens before, it's actually pretty fun...up until I lost my bottle of India ink.

RMudkips > delete-me-please123 08/22/2013 at 14:26

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Excellent, my dear sir, mm.

Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. > RMudkips 08/22/2013 at 14:27

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It was one I found cleaning out someone's house and not a particularly high quality one. Probably the $15-25 range for what you can get these days.

BATC42 > RMudkips 08/22/2013 at 14:27

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I've used one everyday until two years ago and most of the people I know used them through school. Here in France it's normal and I guess almost everyone used to use a fountain pen.

crown victor victoria > RMudkips 08/22/2013 at 14:29

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The Tasche cartridge options are limited because they're the short international size. Most stores don't stock these so I have to order online anyway. I've been using waterman and they're ok.

You just go through them really fast if you use the pen a lot because there's so little ink, and if you don't use the pen much the ink dries out.

I'd recommend the space pen ink to anybody. It makes the pen so much more versatile.

RMudkips > desertdog5051 08/22/2013 at 14:29

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That's awesome. If you use them regularly I find it pretty inconvenient to carry an ink bottle around, so i leave it be.

desertdog5051 > RMudkips 08/22/2013 at 14:33

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I have one that fills from a bottle and 1 that takes cartridges. I refill the cartridges with a syringe and tape over the hole to keep it from spilling/evaporating.

delete-me-please123 > RMudkips 08/22/2013 at 14:39

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mmm excellent indeed. Now sir, I have perchance heard the rumor, that you my dear sir, have a fondness for mudkips. mmmm is this indeed sir's penchant?

Brian Tschiegg > RMudkips 08/22/2013 at 14:40

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I got one because I'm left handed and it actually helps my penmanship. Plus, I like to use it to ink my doodles every now and again.

Mattbob > RMudkips 08/22/2013 at 14:59

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up your game bro, use a feather.

soto > RMudkips 08/22/2013 at 15:00

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My handwriting is absolutely horrible. It's been 33 years and I still write like a chicken with Parkinson's.

Who needs sway bars anyway > RMudkips 08/22/2013 at 15:20

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Yes sir! I use two fountain pens regularly and I am quite pedantic about my note taking/ writing even though my penmanship isn't the best. I have a newer Lamy Safari, a 1930's Sheaffer balance plus my pen kit of which there is many things. If you like I can make a list of what I use. Here are some pics.

FrankenBlaster > soto 08/22/2013 at 15:32

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I'm right with you, I write in all caps so I can read my writing and my signature looks like 2 lines

RMudkips > Casper 08/22/2013 at 15:47

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I could, but my parents like a bit more.

RMudkips > crown victor victoria 08/22/2013 at 15:52

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Ah, the problem with cartridges. If convenience and size aren't a problem I'd get a converter and a bottle of ink. It's pretty awesome and opens up your ink pallete.

I've had that problem back when I was stuck with stock Lamy refills.

At 10 bucks at Staples, I don't really know. My dad thinks they're overpriced hype, and sticks with the Parker refills and loves them.

RMudkips > delete-me-please123 08/22/2013 at 15:54

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Quite indeed, I quite have the penchant for mudkips, Mmm. To the study room I propose? I have quite the itch for some Orwell.

crown victor victoria > RMudkips 08/22/2013 at 15:55

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Well with my Jotter using the stock cartridge, I can't write vertically (say, against a wall) or anything for more than a few words before the ink stops flowing. Since the space pens are pressurized, I can write upside down if I want to.

I'm not always at a table when I take the Jotter, so it makes it a lot easier to write on the go, or outside or wherever I might be.

RMudkips > Who needs sway bars anyway 08/22/2013 at 16:11

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Holy smokes, that's quite the set. I' e found a couple of Sheaffers and other golden era American pens at some antique store, and they seem to hold their value quite well.

Is that a Rotring I spy? I want me one of those.

RMudkips > BATC42 08/22/2013 at 16:13

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Sadly, here in NA handwriting has seemed to die out in favor of digital writing things. I find myself not writing anything for days and it feels weird.

RMudkips > desertdog5051 08/22/2013 at 16:16

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At least for Lamys, the cartridge always seems to be bigger than the converters. I haven't tried syringe fills yet, but even then I still like using my converter.

RMudkips > soto 08/22/2013 at 16:25

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I've tried improving it by writing "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" over and over again.

Chairman Kaga > RMudkips 08/22/2013 at 16:27

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My dad has a massive collection. Probably 500 pens in good, usable condition, and another 1,000 or so for parts. My step-mom says she's glad he never got into old cars...

I've inherited several as gifts. A couple of mid-20s Sheaffers, several Watermans and Parkers, and one Mont Blanc. I can't remember the model names. Most are tourtoise-shell with internal bladders. I only use them for important things, like signing birth certificates, our marriage license, etc. Otherwise they sit on my desk and gather dust.

RMudkips > Mattbob 08/22/2013 at 16:33

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Do you know how hard it is to pluck a pigeon here?

Who needs sway bars anyway > RMudkips 08/22/2013 at 16:38

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Yup, thats a Rotring 600 pencil, I cant put into words how much I love that pencil. I have a couple more older pens that I am in the process of restoring Mainly the only things that the pens really need over time is the bladders. If they aren't kept right they dry out and replacements aren't to hard to find. Plus the older pens are gems to write with.

RMudkips > Chairman Kaga 08/22/2013 at 16:46

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You're pretty lucky to have such a father. It's surprisingly fine to use a fountain pen as a daily writer, just don't pull out your Mont Blancs for every business memo.

soto > RMudkips 08/22/2013 at 16:48

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In cursive? My handwriting suck in just plain writing.

soto > FrankenBlaster 08/22/2013 at 16:49

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All caps, I like it. Thanks for the tip!

RMudkips > Who needs sway bars anyway 08/22/2013 at 16:52

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I'm a big fan of the Pentel P205, it's a real workhorse of a pencil. Haven't got any pencils too fancy as of yet.

I've found older pens to be pretty awesome, although the maintenance, care, and price of one seems to scare me from making a purchase. Bladders must be a pain to restore.

Who needs sway bars anyway > RMudkips 08/22/2013 at 17:00

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As an engineer I do most of my work with pencils, hense the variety, but the pens are more of a pleasure/hobby thing. The good thing about older pens is most of the ink is water based so cleaning is as easy as giving them a good soak. the bladders are really easy to replace. Once the old dried one is full removed its just a matter of trimming the new one and glueing it in. The Shaeffer above is an 80yo pen and when I got it it hadn't been used in probably 20 years and even then the bladder was fine.

RMudkips > soto 08/22/2013 at 17:01

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Well, that's just because the pen urges me to write in cursive. You could find some places online to help improve it if you want, thankfully not much is hand written these days.

JasonStern911 > RMudkips 08/23/2013 at 00:39

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Engineer.

Don't use pens.

Use keyboard.

When I have to write more than like 3 lines using a pen, my hand cramps up and I go into Dexter's Lab mode and wonder what it would take to make a robot hand that can write in cursive.

RMudkips > JasonStern911 08/23/2013 at 00:54

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If that's a Model M pictures, and you use it, I respect your decision wholeheartedly.

RMudkips > Brian Tschiegg 08/23/2013 at 01:03

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Doesn't it smudge? Glad you like using them.

RMudkips > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. 08/23/2013 at 03:12

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I see. If you want to jump on it again, mine cost about $30-40, including converter and ink bottle.

RMudkips > Anon 08/23/2013 at 03:13

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We can be friends!

What kind of Lamy? If you use the 2k, I would be all over you.

Brian Tschiegg > RMudkips 08/23/2013 at 10:28

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Surprisingly not anymore than a normal pen.

JasonStern911 > RMudkips 08/23/2013 at 20:13

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Hell yeah! Had my original one for like 15 years before it finally died, likely due to a crappy (whatever those huge 80s keyboard connectors) to PS2 adapter failure. Luckily a coworker had a PS2 version, so I've been using that. Had to shell out for a PS2 to USB adapter, as modern PCs lack PS2 ports, but I'm hoping to be good for another 10 years. Unicomp still makes new ones with native USB support, so worst case that's my fallback plan.

RMudkips > JasonStern911 08/23/2013 at 20:51

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I used to have a pretty old keyboard, it was no M, but it was still pretty good. About the closest thing to an M I have is a ThinkPad laptop *sigh* I've seen the Unicomp ones, looks like I'm not getting one anytime soon.

RMudkips > Brian Tschiegg 08/24/2013 at 02:59

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Whoa! It must be ink, technique, magic, or magic.

RMudkips > Shamoononon drives like a farmer 08/24/2013 at 03:00

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A nib pen that contains a reservoir for containing ink, and uses gravity to draw the ink down into the nib.

Brian Tschiegg > RMudkips 08/24/2013 at 11:52

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All of the above.