Fountain Pen Newbie Q's

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mark james

mark james

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I tried "Search" but didn't find what I wanted, so...

I admire the wonderful pictures of Fountain Pens, and realize they are simply a different type of pen, but I have NEVER held one or used one, so... a few basic questions.

(I suspect there are other "newbies" like me with the same questions).

1. Are they messy
2. How do they wright (smooth, clumpy, etc)
3. What maintenance issues are there
4. Any other Fountain Pen Basics ?

I'm curious about them, and will buy a few to play with, so just getting a heads up on what I'm getting into.

This is for my personal pen use! Not for sales.

Thanks for the info. (Thanks for answering "basic" questions....probably again).
 
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I love fountain pens. They are typically not messy unless you have a defective nib. On the other hand they are not meant to be subjected to rough and tumble environments either. Not a pen that I would carry around all day as I am busy working.

Writing with a fountain pen takes a bit of getting used to as well. Sure you can get a cheap fountain pen at the drug store that will work but the better the components of the fountain pen the better. I am very excited to develop the expertise at turning and making pens so that I can move up to them down the road. I very much want one for myself to keep and use. I have seen videos on Youtube about the care and use of fountain pens and they might give you a better idea. I would highly recommend getting one and checking it out for yourself. I think you will love it.
 
Fountain pens were the way to write, until ballpoints came along. Then, fountain pens nearly disappeared, which should tell you the ballpoint is much more convenient.

First, where will you carry your fountain pen? If you don't have a shirt pocket and you don't wear a sport coat, don't carry a fountain pen!! Pants pockets are NOT the place! If the cap comes off, you WILL have a mess.

So, if you plan to carry in your shirt pocket, don't do high activity work or play. Again, in a volleyball game, the cap could easily come off.

Start by making yourself a fountain pen, then tune the nib as shown on YouTube, my favorite is here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRvKrrZdXLs

Fill the pen with your favorite ink and you are "good to go". USE your pen every day, so the ink will continue to flow easily. If it goes for a few days without use, you MAY need to remove the ink supply and rinse the nib and feed---a 5 minute job. (Depends on what you expect---you MAY think this is a nuisance).

If you use cartridges, you can use one until it is empty and replace it with the same color and continue to write. IF you want to CHANGE color, you need to thoroughly rinse your nib and feed, until it runs clear water (you may want to soak in a dish of water overnight--again, you MAY think this is a nuisance).

Writing is smooth and the written line looks good----but it will not improve your spelling nor your grammar. Also it has no "spell check".

You may enjoy the fountain pen---personally, I went back to a sierra (Schmidt 9000 refill).
 
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I think Ed pretty well covered it.
- They aren't messy, but you can sure make a mess with one!
- They write like a paintbrush. The ink just flows onto the paper with virtually no effort, in fact, the best roller balls and Parkers are described as writing like a fountain pen!
- Ed covered the maintenance and basics

I love fountain pens! That is what I carry. Nothing sells pens better than a fountain pen. When people see you writing with one, they just have to ask. You will usually hear "I've always wanted one"
 
1. Are they messy

Not all the time, but every FP user eventually has a leaker that results in a stained shirt pocket.

2. How do they wright (smooth, clumpy, etc)

FPs are much smoother than ball points. Roller balls are somewhere between. But a well-tuned FP makes writing a pleasure. More importantly, the lines laid down by FPs are crisp and distinct, and just look more elegant than BPs, RBs, or gel pens. And the selection of inks is almost unlimited, something that cannot be said for other kinds of pens. (Although one manufacturer does offer a roller ball that can be refilled with FP ink.)

Be aware that the writing characteristics of FPs is very much related to the paper being written on. Some papers (eg, Clairfontaine) accept FP very well. Others are not so friendly. One of the more common tests is how well FPs write on cheap duplicator papers. And also, different inks have different writing characteristics.

3. What maintenance issues are there

Maintenance is a factor. You have to refill the pen. The simplest option is the cartridge - that's closest to the convenience of ball points. But there are other filling options that require more maintenance. And filling can get messy - I use rubber gloves when I fill my pens to avoid inky fingers. Periodically (every few months, or every few refills) you need to flush out the pen. If the pen is to be left idle for weeks-months, it's wise to empty the ink and flush out the pen. FP nibs need to be 'tuned' - which is a term for setting the tines to get optimum ink flow and smoothest writing. Experienced FP users can do their own tuning, but there are 'nibmeisters' who offer that service. Most FP kits used by pen turners use steel nibs that generally will hold their tuning for a very long time, but it is also possible to get gold nibs that need to be tuned more frequently. And experienced FP users know that you never want to loan an FP to someone who isn't familiar with them - loaning a pen can accelerate the need to have the pen tuned.

4. Any other Fountain Pen Basics ?

FPs are a niche. They appeal to people who want to have a little elegance in their lives to offset the noise and clutter of computers, TV, modern politics, and the other things that tend to elevate blood pressure. In general, they are a bit more expensive than other kinds of writing instruments. But those of us who use them wouldn't be satisfied with anything less.

The other point is that switching to FPs is not a single point decision - FPs are more of a life style issue. If you want to use FPs, then you have to be prepared to deal with the maintenance, with filling, with occasional messiness, with the myriad choice of inks (colors and characteristics), etc. If you have read this site frequently, you have no doubt noted that the 'simple' matter of pen finishes is something that people have strong, often differing opinions about, and there are millions of options and choices to choose from. The subject of FPs is very similar. If all you want is something to sign credit card slips, then a Bic will suffice and will only cost 12 cents. But if you want something that will become an overwhelming passion, the FPs will do it for you.
 
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mark james said:
1. Are they messy
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Yes and no.

Yes if you fail to follow the rules of the road; -or- you hold it by the end and give it a good shake (you will have ink flying into nearby areas)

No, if you properly construct one, if properly used i.e. nib up when it's not in use; properly seal it and protect it at all times, also if it's a good quality design.

mark james said:
2. How do they wright (smooth, clumpy, etc)
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They write like crap or like gold.

Like crap if you are using 3+ part carbonless forms. Sometimes the 2 part carbonless forms does not show up good, shipping labels that are multi's forget them. They also write like crap if you do not tweak them when you buy pen kits in fountain pen flavors. If the feeder material does not match the ink quality they will not write that good over the long haul, same with the nib and sadly it's the nib that most put 99% of the effort into when it comes to tweaking things and it's really about 60% of the issue.

Writes like gold if you have good quality paper, a well tuned feeder, a well tuned piston/pump, a well tuned nib and good quality ink, also good quality feeder material that is suitable for the ink you use, also good quality paper. A well tuned fountain pen will never touch the paper while writing :)

mark james said:
3. What maintenance issues are there
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Just like a car.

mark james said:
4. Any other Fountain Pen Basics ?
Click to expand...

Fountain pens, unlike ball points or rollerballs have a cult like following.
 
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