question about fountain pens

[cmccarter]

I was selling a few pens locally and was asked about fountain pens. I haven't been doing them since I didn't think there was the interest but after today and several queries I guess its time to do it. What type/style fountain pen woould you all recommend as a good seller in the less than $100 sell price range?
I am thinking the Apollo Infinity or possibly the Baron both the rollerball and the fountain. Also should I upgrade the standard pump? I'll probably get both the medium and fine nibs and install them at purchase depending on customer request/

 

[jcm71]

Try the Tycoon from PSI. Don't know about the pump.

 

[ldb2000]

The El Grande is a great fountain pen , good size , light weight and classic design make this a great pen .

 

[ed4copies]

What does your market (the people who asked about it) know about fountain pens?

Have they USED a fountain pen? Or is it curiosity? This makes a difference in what I would offer, along with the price point.

We had a few folks who wanted to learn about fountain pens, looking for "cheap". So, I made some cheap fountain pens---still kept my quality pens at a quality price, but sold the low end as a "try it, if you LIKE it, come back and buy a better one--won't shed tears if you ruin this nib"

 

[Bobalu]

I was selling a few pens locally and was asked about fountain pens. I haven't been doing them since I didn't think there was the interest but after today and several queries I guess its time to do it. What type/style fountain pen woould you all recommend as a good seller in the less than $100 sell price range?
I am thinking the Apollo Infinity or possibly the Baron both the rollerball and the fountain. Also should I upgrade the standard pump? I'll probably get both the medium and fine nibs and install them at purchase depending on customer request/

Had the same experience. When I didn't have them, people asked for them. Now that I have invested several hundred $$ into FP's no one looks at them. FWIW - The Triton FP - Exotics has them at a good price and offered an upgrade nib at a discount last time I looked.

 

[SDB777]

The Sedona/Baron line-up would be a pretty good 'low-end' price point, and get your 'new' customers use to a quality fountain pen.


Scott (great component set too) B

 

[ed4copies]

Doesn't Smitty offer the Jr version 1 in a fountain pen?

Similar to the Baron, chrome plated for lifetime use and yet, really affordable. Make it as a closed end, if you want to "class it up".

FWIW

 

[arw01]

Doesn't Smitty offer the Jr version 1 in a fountain pen?

Similar to the Baron, chrome plated for lifetime use and yet, really affordable. Make it as a closed end, if you want to "class it up".

FWIW

There was some posts about some conversion sets he was trying to get. Never found out if those came in and sold out or not.

 

[IPD_Mr]

Butch made a good suggestion. The El Grande is not my favorite but I find it to be well received. People like the light weight. Another option that does well for me is the Jr Retro in a fountain pen. Customers seem to prefer the styling over the Jr Gent. But for your first few I don't think you can go wrong with the El Grande. Make one for yourself and learn to use it. I find that I rather enjoy writing with a fountain pen. As for the piston pump, don't bother to upgrade until you start to go for the higher end sales. The kit pumps are not the best but they are not bad either. You can also use cartridges.

 

[rizaydog]

I don't know why people like to use fountain pens when there are such smooth working rollerballs. However, I sell a lot of fountain pens. I think that real pen enthusiast equate quality with fountain for whatever reason.

There are many cheap fountain kits to choose from. PSI has a "classic" kit for around $9 I think. I turned cheap pens a long time ago, but am no longer happy with the cheap kits. Buy a few cheap and a few high ends and turn them all. Give your customers a price range and let them choose whether they want quality or cheap. You'll be surprised.

 

[juteck]

Another vote for the El Grande. Currently $5.50 for the platinum Elite version from Berea Hardwoods, so it won't break the bank either.

http://www.bereahardwoods.com/pen-kit/sets/El_Grande_elite_FP_platinum.html

or the more difficult to turn/assemble platinum Streamline version for $6.00:

http://www.bereahardwoods.com/pen-kit/sets/ElGrande_Streamline_Fountain_Platinum_Deco.html


Be sure to swap out the ink cartridge that comes with the kits -- consider selling them with a better ink. Private Reserve ink is a good alternative and usually flows well, and you can buy cartridges in several colors. There are several fountain pen ink places where you can get them, but Exotic Blanks is still one of the best prices I've found for cartridges. Gouletpens.com is a good place to check out the colors -- look for the "ink swab" tab on their website.

 

[rsulli16]

Hi
I had the same experience at my fist show last weekend, several people asked, don't know if they would have brought or not.

Tell me, do you make the type that sucks up the ink, or a cartridge style fountain pen?
also
Do you keep ink in them? or just one to let them try it out?
Doesn't the ink dry and clog in fountain pens? Then do you have to clean out the tester each night?

I haven't touched a fountain pen since i was a kid, and then it was the cartridge type. I agree, with rollerballs around why bother with the mess, but if they sell, I 'd think about getting a couple to put on the table next time.
Thanks
Sulli

 

[sbell111]

Hi
I had the same experience at my fist show last weekend, several people asked, don't know if they would have brought or not.

Tell me, do you make the type that sucks up the ink, or a cartridge style fountain pen?

We make cartridge-style fountain pens but have converters available for people who prefer them. Most people who have bought our fountain pens don't want a converter.

also
Do you keep ink in them? or just one to let them try it out?
Doesn't the ink dry and clog in fountain pens? Then do you have to clean out the tester each night?

We do not keep ink in our fountain pens. While this likely has effected our fountain pen sales, I simply don't want to deal with the maintenance hassle associated with 'loaded' pens.

To the OP, I would make a few fountain pens in the same style that you make rollerballs. That way, if someone likes a specific pen but would prefer a fountain pen (or rollerball), you can convert it and make the sale.

 

[Dan_F]

There are several advantages to converters. One is that one can use bottled ink, which is cheaper. You can mix bottled inks to get your own personal favorite colors. With the larger nibbed pens, if you don't use them every day, the nib tends to dry out. With a converter all you have to do is turn the little thingy at the top, and it will force more ink to the nib. Do that with a cartridge, and it might crack and make a mess. DAMHIKT.

Dan

 

[sbell111]

There are several advantages to converters. One is that one can use bottled ink, which is cheaper. You can mix bottled inks to get your own personal favorite colors. With the larger nibbed pens, if you don't use them every day, the nib tends to dry out. With a converter all you have to do is turn the little thingy at the top, and it will force more ink to the nib. Do that with a cartridge, and it might crack and make a mess. DAMHIKT.

Dan

I get that there are advantages to converters and it allows the true fountain pen worshipper to tweak his ink. My only point is that the vast majority of my buyers could care less for all of this and prefer the simplicity of cartridges.

 

[DurocShark]

Another vote for the El Grande. Currently $5.50 for the platinum Elite version from Berea Hardwoods, so it won't break the bank either.

http://www.bereahardwoods.com/pen-kit/sets/El_Grande_elite_FP_platinum.html

$5.50? Why am I suspicious?

 

[IPD_Mr]

Another vote for the El Grande. Currently $5.50 for the platinum Elite version from Berea Hardwoods, so it won't break the bank either.

http://www.bereahardwoods.com/pen-kit/sets/El_Grande_elite_FP_platinum.html

$5.50? Why am I suspicious?

Don - My guess is that they are closing that particular model out. They may have a new design on the way in or the sales are such that it may go the way of the Ligero. As I said it is not my favorite but has been well received by my customers. Another great aspect of this pen, at $5.50 you can cannibalize it. Use the nib feed and holder as well as the clip for going kitless. The nib is not super, but the feed and feed holder are good and clips are hard to come by for kitless. So for $5.50 it ain't bad.

 

[ragz]

Rollerballs are great and very convienent but a decent fountain pen gives a different writing experience to the user.

Yes they are stiff and can be messy but a rollerball nib will never settle into your hand the way a fp nib does. The more you use it the better it writes and in some cases the better your writing becomes. An FP will also have an air of aristocracy that people think is better than a rollerball

 

[ldb2000]

Another vote for the El Grande. Currently $5.50 for the platinum Elite version from Berea Hardwoods, so it won't break the bank either.

http://www.bereahardwoods.com/pen-kit/sets/El_Grande_elite_FP_platinum.html

$5.50? Why am I suspicious?

There's nothing to be suspicious about Don , these are "Presentation" kits , they are limited quantities and are most likely being closed out . They are the same as the regular El Grande kits with a little different centerband treatment , they are an excellent buy at this price . I would advise anyone thinking of getting these kits to buy the bushings elsewhere though , Berea only sells the bushings for the "B" mandrel . The "B" bushings will NOT work with a standard 7mm mandrel . Woodcraft and several other vendors sell the El Grande kits and have bushings that are for the standard "A" or 7mm mandrel .

Hi
I had the same experience at my fist show last weekend, several people asked, don't know if they would have brought or not.

Tell me, do you make the type that sucks up the ink, or a cartridge style fountain pen?
also
Do you keep ink in them? or just one to let them try it out?
Doesn't the ink dry and clog in fountain pens? Then do you have to clean out the tester each night?

I haven't touched a fountain pen since i was a kid, and then it was the cartridge type. I agree, with rollerballs around why bother with the mess, but if they sell, I 'd think about getting a couple to put on the table next time.
Thanks
Sulli

Any of the kit fountain pens we make can be used with a converter in place of the ink cartridges . There are several advantages to using a converter , they allow the customer to use a number of high quality inks which are not available in cartridges plus some fountain pen users like to custom blend their own inks to get colors not available otherwise and they can control the different characteristics of the ink to get an ink flow that they like .
A converter also allows for easier clean up of the pen for storage . You should not leave ink in the pen when it will not be used for more then a week because the ink will dry out and may clog the feed causing problems .

I don't know why people like to use fountain pens when there are such smooth working rollerballs. However, I sell a lot of fountain pens. I think that real pen enthusiast equate quality with fountain for whatever reason.

There are many cheap fountain kits to choose from. PSI has a "classic" kit for around $9 I think. I turned cheap pens a long time ago, but am no longer happy with the cheap kits. Buy a few cheap and a few high ends and turn them all. Give your customers a price range and let them choose whether they want quality or cheap. You'll be surprised.

There are several reasons why some people prefer a fountain pen over a rollerball pen . The main reason is that a well tuned fountain pen writes like no rollerball pen ever could . A good analogy is to think of a fountain pen as a artists brush and a rollerball as a crayon , both will put ink on the paper but the fountain pen glides across the paper like a brush glides across a canvas , this makes writing almost effortless .
I would advise that you stay away from the cheap fountain pen kits as most of these kits are not very high quality kits , the coupler threads are metal to metal and feel very cheap and don't stay closed very well without some extra help like "O" rings which can break and sometime make it difficult to properly close or open the pen . Most of the cheaper kits are also only available in 24k platings which is not best plating for durability .