#1 Choice

[FLZapped]

Hi Bruce,

 

Great questions. My answer is limited by my experience so far. I'm comfortable with mid-width pens. Types of nibs? I've not tried enough different ones, yet.

And I know that would be a wise thing to do - try out different pens. That's not practically possible at the moment because of where I'm based, but I'm in this for the long haul so when opportunity presents itself I'll be exposing myself to more.

In the meantime all the wonderful suggestions I'm getting from posters helps to give me places to start looking. I said at the beginning that my asking for 'one pen' as a favourite would be difficult to answer, but it's a start and I am inspired by the recommendations. Thank you all. I spent most of last night reading up on Visconti pens; I love the golden ratio concept. And it led me on to read up on materials; celluloid/resin etc.

This is what is drawing me deeper into the subject. It also helps me to understand my own preferences better.

 

So, Bruce, something that interests me is what you find preferable with different nibs and why. How is springy better/worse than others? For you? What 'others' are there?

 

Well, considering that writing with a fountain pen using everyday writing you'd think it wouldn't make a difference, since the nib is supposed to make very light contact with the paper. Oddly enough, the one pen I have difficulty with is a Parker 75 that has a somewhat springy fine point gold nib. Every now and then, it wants to dig into the paper on the upstroke. However, since the nib on this pen rotates because of its triangular grip, I might need to tweak it, but I can't really see that I need to in all my observations so far. *shrug*

 

I have big hands, so the larger pens, like the full sized Parker 51, the 100, and the Ellipse tend to suit me the best. The smallest I can write long periods of time with are in the Parker 45 class. Slender pens like the Parker 95, Falcon 50 are like writing with a stick pencil and my fingers collide with each other trying to hold them, so I tend to fatigue if I'm writing anything that takes a while. Except for the 75 and one Parker 45 Medium with a solid gold nib, all my nibs really have no give, or I have not really tried to see if they do.

(OK, by now you've figured out that I'm a Parker bigot )

 

Going to the first available pen show in your area would be a big help. There was one in Dallas not too long ago, so the wait for that is nearly a year at this point. The section "Clubs, Meetings and Events" will help you find what's coming up.

 

Hope that helps.

 

-Bruce

 

PS - Just wait until you discover the bazillions of inks out there.....

[brohan]

Hi Brohan,

 

What have you got me into? The Visconti signpost has got me hooked. The Desert Springs is truly gorgeous. I also like the black/silver; am I right in saying the only difference is the material? (I appreciate it's a big 'only')

On sites I've looked at the DS is more expensive than the other, except for one site which has them the other way around. Have I stumbled on a bargain?

 

 

 

Hi Diane!

 

You may just have 'stumbled' into a bargain! The DS is truly gorgeous. I'm not sure about the materials, but I'm sure of one thing. One day I'll have one of my own.

 

Go for it! And post some pics

 

Cheers!

[Neophyte7]

Hi and welcome. I'm also a fan of Waterman and MB fountain pens. I collect the slim line specifically as I find them comfortable to use. Recently some of the long term members here gave me suggestions that I am currently purchasing and for a cheaper end pen I've bought 4 Cross fountain pens. I bought 2 original Century's for 30USD (no longer in production) and I really like how it writes. It reminds me of my Watermans in the way it glides over the paper. I bought a Cross Signature and Townsend yesterday but they won't arrive for a couple of weeks yet.

[Scubadiva]

Thank you Bruce! The vivid descriptions are really helpful for me to get a vicarious experience of your pens. I'm searching now for pen shows. Why didn't I think of that? (Previous collecting habits led me to niche events. Brain clearly not fully focussed yet). And thanks for the heads-up on inks. I got curious about postings on paper a few days back and I've been exploring that rabbit hole. Inks next, then

[Scubadiva]

Thanks for sharing, Neophte7. It's helpful to get a range of recommendations. Helpful and prudent! Pending maintenance bills will keep me window-shopping for a while, but birthday and Christmas coming up

[FLZapped]

Thank you Bruce! The vivid descriptions are really helpful for me to get a vicarious experience of your pens. I'm searching now for pen shows. Why didn't I think of that? (Previous collecting habits led me to niche events. Brain clearly not fully focussed yet). And thanks for the heads-up on inks. I got curious about postings on paper a few days back and I've been exploring that rabbit hole. Inks next, then

Certainly, anything I can do to corru.....I mean help.