Best Pen For Field Work?

[Inkling13]

 

Interesting thread. The Kaweco Sport fits my bill, since the short length makes snapping it less of an issue.

 

Re. The bottle - does anyone have any experience of decanting the ink into those handy mini size contact lens fluid containers?

You'd just use a syringe after popping off the eyedropper lid. As in chemistry, don't pour something with a wide lipped container into one with a narrow lipped container, if you can avoid it.

[Sinuhe]

You'd just use a syringe after popping off the eyedropper lid. As in chemistry, don't pour something with a wide lipped container into one with a narrow lipped container, if you can avoid it.

Oh, yes, that's what I meant with the syringe. I only asked because I wanted to know if any material like e.g non ink compatible plastic would spoil the ink? Having that bottle with you with the dropper top would be great.

[Tanzanite]

If I am going into the bush I take a Kaweco Sport. Starts every time even after months of not being used. It's a cartridge pen though, so if you insist on Noodler's inks you will need a syringe, but it seems more sensible if you are in the wilderness to take a few cartridges rather than bottles of ink! Very compact but when posted it's a full-size pen. $23.50 from jetpens. They come with no clip but you can buy a clip if you like.

 

There is a converter for the Kaweco Sport. It looks like this:

http://www.cultpens.com/acatalog/Kaweco-Sport-Converter.html

[IWantThat]

I'll throw in a vote for the Lamy 2000, since no one else has yet. Its simple, clean design belies the ruggedness that lies underneath. It should serve you well too.

[Buzz_130]

The answer could easily be pencil, and I've used many of those. For a pen, my combat-tested recommendation is a Fisher Space Pen. You can pick many different body types and different ink colors and widths. You can write in water, through grease, in dust and sand, while unpressurized, and in any temperature condition. You can write on wax paper, napkins, waterproof paper, and even toilet paper.

 

For fountain pens, I like the idea of the Esterbrook J series. I'd throw in the Parker 45 as the other vintage option. They have replaceable nibs, low cost, and fairly rugged designs. I'd give a slight edge to the 45 as everything can be disassembled and cleaned in a few seconds--and be replaced if needed. I've used Noodler's in both (BBH and BBK) with no problems.

 

For a slightly more expensive answer, there's always the Parker "51". Great engineering, incredible design, amazing material, lots of ink, protected and rugged nib, nearly indestructible sac, and amazingly reliable. Field repairs are just about impossible, though. But any pen that was designed with Superchrome ink in mind has no problems churning through Noodlers.

 

Buzz

[RobertS]

If you want to use a fountain pen in the field, then here's another vote for the Pilot VP.

[Namru]

Eyedropper filled Kaweco Sport. Empty Copic bottles make filling a breeze in the great outdoors.

[overwriter]

I took my Pelikan M200 to Africa once. It became mouldy but cleaned uo just fine.

[sotto2]

I love my Schrade Tactical Fountain Pen for taking along, when any other pen is impractical because it would get damaged. And I love the way it writes.

 

I do not really think about its use as a possible weapon.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/195521-schrade-tactical-pen/

 

+10

[Mr. Pink]

Something that - if you lost it - you wouldn't cry.

[Runnin_Ute]

Another vote for the Parker 45 - you could even go the Flighter route (all stainless except section). Cartridge/converter, partially hooded nib.My Flighter is a 14k nib, you would probably want a steel for your purpose. I have written almost exclusively with it since its arrival Monday evening (1/.27) and am sill using the first cartridge. Mine is a medium and they are the easiest to find.

[apkayle]

Something that - if you lost it - you wouldn't cry.

^+1 on this post.

 

I am very much against the Pilot Vanishing Point as a field pen because the converters for the VP's hold miniscule amounts of ink.

 

My recommendations are...

• Charcoal Lamy Safari-You can easily replace the nib, the matte finish makes for a nice grip, and it takes high ink capacity cartridges. Another nice feature is that this pen is very light.
• Kaigelu 356-Takes cartridges, comes with a converter, and is priced at a cheap cheap cheap $6.
• A Jinhao pen

[aawhite]

Pilot's Vanishing Points/Capless have metal chassises which should be able to take quite a beating And they're incredibly convenient as well!

 

+1

[Ecriveur]

Lamy Safari - inexpensive and very durable.

[Moondrop]

Something that - if you lost it - you wouldn't cry.

 

Exactly what I was thinking. I would take a Pilot Varsity filled with Noodler's Black, but maybe that's just me.

[jdivitto]

Vanishing point. Amazing workhorse of a pen. Click open/close is as convenient as a ballpoint. The nib is excellent. Strong and well built body. Nothing else even comes close.

 

The ink capacity is more than enough for field work unless you are writing a novel in a field.

[John_David_91]

Vanishing point. Amazing workhorse of a pen. Click open/close is as convenient as a ballpoint. The nib is excellent. Strong and well built body. Nothing else even comes close.

 

The ink capacity is more than enough for field work unless you are writing a novel in a field.

 

Well... not a novel per se...

 

I've come up with so many plotlines so far in my life and not one of them I can deliver on...

 

So I decided that I would give creative non-fiction/travelogue a try. Which would require intimate, literary description (which is my favorite part of writing -- I'm a Tolkienite and proud of it and my love of description and detail comes from him). Unfortunately, if I don't have it in front of me while I jot down descriptive ideas then I can't describe it. I will be taking photographs to use for visual description, but for the sounds, smells, the feeling, atmosphere of any particular area I have to be there and write down what it's like then and there. ^_^

[Scycotic]

P45 Flighter?

[balson]

Charcoal Lamy Safari...

+1

 

its worth adding that if you are doing any mountain hiking that an elevation shift of 1000 feet is all thats needed to cause the same problems people have on airplanes

[toyz]

I love carrying and using a fountain pen - have been doing so for many years.

 

I also realize this is a fountain pen forum - but when I do go out in the field I usually take one of my Surefire pens - the SF4. Its a beast, writes in most conditions, and I'm not scared to use it.

 

The FPs are for office and home use. Sweat and rain seem to be my 2 biggest enemies in the outdoors.