Newbie to Fountain Pens.

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stonepecker

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Ok .... I have read about using a fountain pen. Personally, I have used only one many years ago. That was a cartrige style, I believe it was a Shaffer pen. (it was stolen in school)

I am wanting to know the differences are about them. What makes one better then another. Is it all about the nib size? Does it have anything to do with size of the pen?

If you use or make them......Would you please give the membership your opinion of the different kits that are out there. Is there a biginners kit?

Thank you.
 
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As far as making them, I there is nothing different (unless you make a kitless). From what I understand, the things that make one better than another is mainly the Nib. I know the guys here at work that carry them also want a certain kind of ink holder not the cartridge style like comes with most fountain, but the kind you inkect your ink into. Sorry Im not knowledgable with the internal peice's name.
 
As far as making a kit fountain pen or any other kit pen there is no difference. Don't let making a "mysterious" fountain pen frighten you. If you can make a rollerball then a fountain pen is exactly the same but screw in a different front section.

As far as using one...go for it. I have had nibs from kit pens perform as well as any other..with a little tuning. I've some that never worked well. When I sell a fountain pen I always replace the nib with a A bock, wojo, or heritance. There may be others. There are several articles in the library.
Do a good turn daily!
Don
 
Nothing mysterious like Don said, and not enough difference between kits to identify, so you won't go wrong there. If you make Jr 2's or other kits that have RB and FP options, buy the FP version. As they say "size doesn't matter". Most of our production pens take a 5 or 6, whatever fits the pen, it will write the same. What matters is what you prefer - fine, medium, broad point and how much ink do you want to lay down. A well tuned stock Chinese nib will work just fine, but maybe you want to indulge in a $10 Bock nib. You might be able to talk Roy into tuning it for since it is your first time. :wink: A well tuned quality nib is a joy to write with - more like a brush than a pen. I would recommend that all pen makers give them a try. It is a great attention getter which opens to door to talking about your pens.
 
Basics

Fountain pens are no more difficult to use than a ballpoint EXCEPT they need you to use fairly light pressure when writing. Ballpoints and Rollerballs are pretty forgiving if you are heavy-handed when writing. Fountain pens are not.

Building - if you can turn a rollerball you can turn a fountain pen - there are some pretty low-cost ways to get your feet wet.
 
The problem with FPs is that the market niche is very small, so there aren't a lot of options to choose from. And I don't feel that any of them are all that appealing.

The basic issues I have are:
1. Snap caps rather than screw caps. Snap caps are a PITA to install and adjust, and there is always a risk that the body of the pen can unsnap from the cap, resulting in a stained shirt pocket. DAMHIKT
2. Fundamental design flaws - two of the better designs are the PSI Traditional and the CSUSA Artisan - they look to be essentially the same pen with a minor difference in the clip and plating. But they have the flaw that there is no finishing ring at the bottom of the cap, leaving raw wood exposed when the pen is completed.
3. Lack of options - most suppliers offer either 24K or 10k gold, and there are a couple of chrome options. But I've never found reasonable options in the more durable platings.
4. Bling - too much of it! Keep it simple.
5. Structural complexity - kits often require multiple drill bits in odd sizes. That's fine if you are going to be making several dozen, but given the small market for FPs, it would make more sense to use kits that are based on more uniform tooling.
 
I have to totally agree with Smitty, if you can build a rollerball you can build a fountain pen. Some people like bling some people don't. I use mostly Jr. Gent 2 hardware and it is very plain allowing me to do the bling work with the woods that I use. There are many different philosophies to pen making and you have to choose the what you want to make. Most all of the pens that I sell are fountain pens!
 
monophoto said:
3. Lack of options - most suppliers offer either 24K or 10k gold, and there are a couple of chrome options. But I've never found reasonable options in the more durable platings.
4. Bling - too much of it! Keep it simple.
Click to expand...

My personal favorite kit is the Jr. Gent 2, but if you're looking for simple, cheaper kits, check out the Rhineheart, Baron, ot Atrax kits from ExoticBlanks, or the Jr. Gent 1 kits from Smitty. Those kits are available in high end platings, for not quite as much.
 
I carry a Classic FP from Woodturningz when I am at home. The kits are inexpensive and everyone that sees it seems to like the looks of it. Its a good place to start. It has a plain ol bib on it, and I didnt change it, and it writes fine for me.
 
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