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Sar5227
25
Aug 11, 2017
Hey! I'm Sarah. I do some calligraphy (with straight and oblique pens like the one below) and I'm interested in a good beginner's fountain pen. Any recommendations?
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Sar5227Pilot Metropolitan
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Lamy Safari
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Kaweco Sport
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Diplomat Magnum Soft touch
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TWSBI ECO
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Wing Sung 698
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...to name just a few
Sar5227
25
Aug 12, 2017
TherocOmg! Thank you!! These are amazing... now I want 5 pens :) But those Kaweco ones are probably where I am gonna start. Thanks for the recommendations!
Thw1990
209
Aug 12, 2017
TherocAll good suggestions!
bellenap
3
Aug 12, 2017
Sar5227While all of the pens suggested are good, I think the Lamy (either Safari or Al-Star) is your best bet. The TWSBI pens are great but are piston fillers requiring you to invest in bottles of ink rather than cartridges. I understand you already use ink for calligraphy but not all inks are the same and some used for dipping are not appropriate for filling pens. Also a piston filler needs more cleaning and maintenance than a cartridge or converter filled pen. The Lamy pens also have very consistent nibs that function beautifully straight from the box. Furthermore they have relatively inexpensive nibs that can be easily swapped in and out so you can experiment to figure out which you like best. Don't be tempted to buy your pen from Amazon to save a few bucks. You are more likely to get a knockoff or a slightly defective model. This is all just my personal opinion. Good luck.
Sar5227Both Pilot Metropolitan and LAMY Safari have stub nibs if you intend on doing some calligraphy work.
Noodler is the only brand I know to offer semi-flex pens like the Konrad at sub-20USD prices but you're gonna need to do some fiddling on the nib and feed to achieve a proper flow (It also smells weird).
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Finally, when you've ascending the Fountain Pen hierarchy, you can look into Pilot Falcons/ Pilot Namiki for top-level semi-flex. At 100+ USD.
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True flex is unattainable as far as I know. The only FPs that have those are the vintage ones.
Happy Hunting!
Thw1990
209
Aug 12, 2017
ludwigtheholybladeThe modern decoband is as close as it gets, or a custom job on an FA nib.
Thw1990Unfortunately the price of the Decoband is beyond most of us.
Duncan
3731
Aug 14, 2017
Theroc🙌
CPapprentice
0
Aug 14, 2017
ludwigtheholybladeFountain Pen Revolution offers a pens for very reasonable prices with the option of a flex nib for $3 to $8 more depending on the pen.
Sar5227
25
Aug 14, 2017
Theroc@Theroc @ludwigtheholyblade @bellenap @Thw1990 Thank you again for all the amazing advice and help! I made it to my first pen shop today... and may have gotten a litttle carried away. But these pens are game changers! :) And they had a calligraphy nib for the Lamy, so now I'm sooo happy. Thanks everyone!
Kaweco Sport - mint Lamy Safari - charcoal Iroshizuku ink - syo-ro ...and I'm getting my first drop on Massdrop: Pilot Metropolitan
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Sar5227Let me be the first to congratulate you on your selection :D You are on the right track. Smooth nibs and inky fingers.
Sar5227Always good to welcome another fountain pen writer into the fold. No other writing tools will ever quite approximate the joy and care that fountain pens offer as you commit ideas to words. Cheers!
loadexfa
281
Aug 14, 2017
Sar5227If you like good ink flow (and nibs bigger than a fine), I would discourage cartridge/converter pens unless the converter hole is large for the ink and air. Japanese pens are usually good about this, most other brands are not. Bottles can be an annoyance but you'll have far fewer ink flow hassles and a more consistently good writing experience with bottle-filling pens. Pilot/Namiki makes great pens and ink, I have a bunch of both.
If you like flex and decide to venture into vintage pens, they can be a ton of fun but the temptation to always get another can be really hard on your bank account. Well, Massdrop is also hard on my bank account so I probably shouldn't be on this site right now. ;)
Thw1990I have been itching to get a flex nib, and I know from previous posts that you are something of an expert on the subject. Other than the Falcon can you recommend a fountain pen (under $200) that flexes without too much pressure?
Thw1990
209
Aug 14, 2017
TherocMost of the modern flex pens will be a little harder to flex in that price point as they have steel nibs. The noodler's ahab is a good place to start at around $20. Real flex is going to come from a vintage, gold nib pen.
towards the top of your budget you should be able to find a nice vintage skyline. the best flex experience is going to be from a waterman or mabie todd from the 20's or 30's, but you'll want to carefully look at the nib in photos to make sure it hasn't been damaged--a little bargain hunting on eBay and you should be good. Don't be afraid to get one that needs a new sac, sometimes you can get an awesome deal on a pen just because it doesn't currently write and you can send it out for very little and have it fixed.
also, a quick guide on using your new toy without damaging it: http://www.vintagepen.net/how-to-use-flex-nibs.html
that site has a wealth of information, the guy knows his stuff. I also sent him an m205 which he put a nice wet noodle in for me that only needed some slight tuning when it came back.
Thw1990
209
Aug 28, 2017
TherocDid you ever pick up that flex nib?
Thw1990Not yet. I had previously tried the Ahab, but found it a rather unpleasant experience. I wanted a modern pen before I dive into vintage pens; afraid I might enjoy it too much :D Anyway, right now I have my sight set on the Desiderata Icarus. And if that doesn't pan out I'll just get a Falcon and be done with it.
Thw1990Oh, and I also considered the Marlen Aleph for a while. However, after reading up on 'winged' nibs and the Aleph in particular, I had a hunch it was not going to live up to expectations.
Thw1990
209
Aug 28, 2017
TherocI've got a falcon, it's very nice, but it's not vintage. The old nibs/feeds are much better suited to the flex writing style. Take the plunge!
Thw1990You know what, I'll heed your advice... I asked for it after all. I mean like right now :D You said Waterman or Mabie Todd from the 20s or 30s... Any specific keywords I should search for?
Thw1990
209
Aug 28, 2017
TherocYou want to just make sure it's flexible--the longer the tines protrude over the feed, the more flex you are likley to see. If you're cont. US I can mail you a vintage flex pen that's not in my daily rotation (so it's clean for shipping) and my falcon to test drive so you can see the difference, as long as you promise to mail them back 😊.
You should also join the Facebook group "Fountain Pens" run by David Issacson, I think you'd enjoy it.
Thw1990
209
Aug 28, 2017
TherocShoot me an email with your address if you'd like, you've been here long enough I'm not worried.
I like the mabie todd just because it has a number 4 nib as opposed to the number 2 on the waterman. I don't have a 52 1/2 V, but I do have a swan lever full of a slightly earlier vintage, very fun pen. Although, it looks like both are good options. It bears noting that you can restore the color of the hard rubber pretty easily. you can also get an awesome discount on an otherwise pricey pen when it has been personalized like that waterman has--I don't buy personalized pens unless they are exceptionally rare (neither option you have is particularly unusual), but it's just personal preference.
RandyBrown
1486
Oct 26, 2017
TherocI ordered a Wing Sung 698 the other day from Amazon for about $21. It's a great pen - I put up a short post about it....follow this link: https://www.massdrop.com/talk/294/talk/1857047?utm_source=linkshare&referer=39HL8U
RayF
22218
Mar 18, 2018
bellenapReal pens suck ink! Cartridges are to fountain pens as a Filet 'o Fish Sandwich is to Seafood!
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