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My new boss always carries his Montblanc BP with him and I immediately was struck by the beauty in its design. After some research I found a good rate on a Pilot Sonnet RB and after using it for a couple days decided it wasn't for me, and thus began my adventure into the world of fountain pens. Fast forward a few weeks of obsessively reading through the FPN forums and watching Brian Goulet's videos (no relation, just a happy customer)—last night I received 16 ink samples, a Lamy Safari Petrol XF and a Pilot Metropolitan F. I already had a Muji FP and a glass dip pen lying around so that is where my collection stands currently. I immediately tested all the inks I received and have shared the results below (please excuse the poor penmanship, I have yet to begin the rigorous journey of re-learning cursive I plan to embark on shortly. http://image.ibb.co/cHR2xw/COLLAGE_1.jpg Unfortunately you cannot see the subtleties in many of the ink swatches due to my phone's potato-quality camera, but I was totally blown away by some, especially the Robert Oster inks. I will admit I was a bit disappointed by the Noodler's inks which everyone seems so fond of. I was excited to use them because of their "bulletproof" nature, but found the 54th Massachusetts and Bad Blue Heron particularly wet/runny. Is this a common complaint, or maybe it is just because I was using them with a glass dip pen and there wouldn't be an issue once I load them into a converter? One thing that exceeded my expectation was how easy it is to use the Muji pen as an eyedropper. No o-ring, no special lubricant/sealant, just pour in the ink and go—I didn't even have an eyedropper so I just dumped the ink sample right in! It probably only filled up the pen 1/3 of the way at most, and there have been absolutely zero issues, very pleased! So if you made it this far, hello, and thank you for all the knowledge and resources you have provided here! After just a few weeks I feel like I am already years ahead of where I should be and am excited to jump into this hobby headfirst. Ultimately, I would love to master calligraphy to the point that I can incorporate it into my art and professional life as a graphic designer

Hello everyone, I hope you are having a pleasant day, this is my first post so it's possible that what I'll ask may seem puerile and possibly amounting to faux pas, please pardon my ignorance if any of that happens. Who I am ? I am student from India, who has a very important exam coming up in 6 months. I own 2 lamy safari's and 2 pilot metropolitan's. Why am I here ? Where I live and where I grew up we barely have anyone who uses fountain pens. I started with them not as a show of elegance but because I had a tendency to right softly and ball point pens require certain pressure which made me uncomfortable. So for me it's necessity, I cannot write with anything else. What do I want? Im looking for buying a new fountain pen. I'm not rich by any account but I saved enough money over my the years to afford a pen upto price of lamy 2000. The only consideration for me is that it should be able to write for a really long sessions and I guess that necessitates certain degree of smoothness. My question to you respected readers !! What would be the one pen you would buy if you were in my position that being you can afford only one pen upto price of lamy 2000 and you have to write with it maybe the whole day and looks don't matter at all maybe the feels does to a certain degree, but just one pen which you could buy, for the most important exam of your lives ? ( please note that ink capacity is not to trump over writing experience in this scenario, just the writability is the first and foremost concern rest are secondary and I like lamy safari's they do the job but I feel I could do better) (Also kindly note I'm not pressing for lamy 2000 but it's the only pen whose price I know in the ocean of other availabilities, so it's price is for reference) I'm not sure if any of you will find time to answer this, but I thank all of you in anticipation. Regards,

Hello all. Even thought I really only use rotring mechanical pencils I keep finding my way to this site so, I decided create an account here. I recently decided to try my hand at a fountain pen. I wanted a rotring 600 fountain pen (I want rotring everything really, I might have a problem) but I didn't want to drop hundreds on something I might not like. So, I got some random cheap rotring Newton off eBay (not the nice 600 style fountain pen minus the knurling Newton but the newer uglier Newton). Unfortunately, the seller failed to mention the fact that the nib was damaged and the pen did not write. Ebay decided that the seller was in the wrong and they refunded my money and let me keep the pen (win win...I guess). Now I need to find a nib for this Newton fountain pen. I can't find any info on where to get one though. I would like to get this thing writing just to try my hand at a new tool. If anyone has some info I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks for tolerating the sleep deprived ramblings of a mechanical pencil loving man. here is the pen I bought http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rotring-fountain-pen-/263026192705?hash=item3d3d953141:g:vIMAAOSwwzhZOMp2

Long time reader, first time poster I'm seeking help with selecting a new journal. In spite of trying a number of different papers (Tomoe River, HP Premium Choice Laser, Rhodia, Fabriano, Muji), I still find myself using Moleskine Volant journals. The quality is all over the place, but when it's good I like the feedback and absorbency of the paper. I find that with papers like the Rhodia and HP the pen sort of glides over the surface without much feel or feedback. I'm not looking for a rough paper, but I don't like it when the paper is super smooth or feels coated. I'd stick with Moleskine, but I don't like the brand or company and also want something with more consistent quality. I'm hoping to find something available in A5 with less than 100 pages, but I'm also open to binding A4 loose leaf, having tried that with the HP paper. If it's important, I typically write with fine japanese nibs and Pilot Iroshizuku inks. Thanks in advance for all of your advice!

Hi everyone, My name is Gerardo. My family works in the little but really fascinating world of "fountain pens" since 2006. I joined my Family business since a couple of years. I'm now trying to modernize the way my family company operates in the field of fine writing instrumens. So, In addition to the "usual" Ebay store (erfobay), I have now created an Instagram profile and I'm now going into this platform. I hope to participate, actively and as much as possible through my experience, in the life of this important Network.Very best,Gerardo

Hello, all. I've been lurking around for little while and decided to post. I have a few inexpensive pens; my current favorite is a Delta Serena that my lovely wife got me earlier this year (we call it a combination Valentine's & Father's day gift!) cw3

Hey everybody! Here we are, my first post after lurking for a while on this great forum. I'll just start by listing the pens that I currently own and quick thoughts on them to give an idea of where I'm coming from: Lamy Safari (F) - This pen is nice and I use it as one of my main pens for everyday writing and work (college student). This is also the first pen I bought myself. Sheaffer Prelude (M) - This is the pen that got me pulled into this great hobby. I actually found it (sorry to whomever was the unlucky loser of the pen!). I like to use this for general writing, but also for some work as well. The nib is pretty smooth which is nice, but the line is a little thicker than I truly prefer. *Cheap Chinese Pen - I got this because, well, I'm not really sure why, but compared to the other pens I have the quality is just awful and I don't use it at all anymore. Parker "51" Special - This was given to me by my Granddad because he had no use for it and wasn't going to use it. I like the way it writes and it's definitely one of my reliable workhorse pens. I had to do a (mostly) full disassembly and cleaning to clear out the breather tube to get it working well again. Sheaffer "Flat Top" Lifetime Nib - Also given to me by my Granddad. When I got it, the sac was shot as to be expected, but I ordered another one, repaired it, and now it works, mostly. I do enjoy using the pen, but due to flow issues, I have cleaned it and put it away for now. No matter what I do, the nib invariably floods and I get the occasional drop of ink on the page. I'll work it out eventually, but for now, it's on the sidelines. Plus, I have a pretty decent selection of bottled inks that I enjoy rotating through my pens. Now to the matter at hand. This summer I will be getting an internship at an engineering firm (I'm majoring in EE). This is going to be my first ever job and I'll be getting my first ever paycheck in a few short weeks. I figured that to commemorate the occasion, I would just completely blow my first paycheck on various things, one being a "nice" fountain pen. I've been looking around and I really have become hooked on the look of Pelikan pens, especially the versions with silver/chrome/whatever material it is trim. Basically, I'm asking the opinion of members on which specific pen in the line they would recommend for me. I know I don't want that M1000 monster, but I'm not sure whether to turn to the M800 or the smaller M600. I like the idea of going bigger, but at the same time, I do like to keep some sanity and I'd like to be able to use it reasonably. What saith thou? Of course, if you think there may be better options as well, don't hesitate to add those! Whew, that was a lot, thanks a ton for any suggestions or ideas!