Hello From Chicago, Il

[TVA-Kevin]

Hello everyone,

 

Glad to be joining what seems to be an already fantastic community of fountain pen enthusiasts. I am VERY new to the hobby having just discovered fountain pens in the last two weeks. I have recently been very interested in photography and have been following along with a YouTube channel, The Art of Photography, wherein Ted Forbes, the channel's creator, recently suggested starting a physical photography journal. I liked the idea of this better than starting a blog or Tumblr or whatever to document how I am learning and growing as a photographer. It gives you somewhere to put your photo prints and have the ability to comment on them, in a physical form. As I was trying to decide what format (notebook, pad, etc.) to use, I came across Rhodia webnotebooks which seemed to be a good choice given the quality of paper. Upon looking up reviews for Rhodia notebooks, I came across a number of ink and fountain pen review on YouTube. I though, "Huh, would be cool to use a nice pen when writing in my new photo journal..."

 

Rabbit hole entered.

 

Countless hours of Goulet and other YouTube videos later, I made my first purchase, settling on a Pilot Metropolitan and some cartridges. With many other things that I get into, that only satiated my interest for about 3 days before I decided I want to get another converter/cartridge pen (Jinhao x450) and some sample inks. I tend to overspend on new hobbies, so I'm trying to keep it cheap while I explore.

 

What I have learned so far is that I tend to write slower and a little more intentionally with fountain pens. Having grown up at a time when cursive handwriting was starting to become greatly devalued and deemphasized, I have decided I need to focus on becoming better at that. I have always been envious of those that can write fluidly and elegantly in cursive, and I suppose there's nothing preventing me from learning.

 

Anyway, I apologize for the rambling post. If this community is anything like what I have heard it is, I'm excited to be a part and looking forward to continual learning and contributing.

[Beauport]

Greetings and a warm welcome ! Regarding your interest in photography, Ted Forbes suggestion of a physical book is sound for a number of reasons. Digital is wonderful but truly fragile in the long run. Print what you want to save. A physical print will always be a different experience than seeing an image on a screen, let alone a small screen. Combining your new interest in fountain pens and photography should be very rewarding. Good luck.

[jar]

Welcome home. Pull up a stump and set a spell.

[ThomasB]

Hello and welcome from Baton Rouge, Louisiana...Enjoy your time here

[OCArt]

Welcome to our little corner of the universe from a pen user in San Diego. You chose your first pen well.

[northstar]

Hello and welcome to FPN.

[mallymal1]

Hi there...

[DaveT]

Kevin, hello and welcome from Indiana!

[inkstainedruth]

Greetings from Pittsburgh!

The Metropolitan is a great starter pen. Do you have a fine or a medium nib on it? You may want to learn to either refill cartridges with a blunt syringe, or get a converter to use bottled ink (which is cheaper in the long run than cartridges, and a bit more environmentally friendly than throwing out empty cartridges).

I generally suggest that new people click on the "View New Content" button to get a good overview of a lot of different topics. Also, have a look at the pinned Index to the Ink Reviews forum (I had no idea just how many brands and colors of ink were out there when I first started using fountain pens).

Just be warned -- we are all happy enablers here, who will lead you down the rabbit hole of pens, inks, paper, repair tools...

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Sasha Royale]

Welcome !

 

I have quite a few fountain pens, both current and vintage. I really like the "lower end" pens, that are suited for students and everyday use. My wife says that I have spent a lot of money on cheap pens. (Yup !)

 

Using a medical syringe, one can inject ink-of-choice into your cartridges. Don't discard the empties.

 

Write with joy.

[TVA-Kevin]

Thank you all for the warmest of welcomes, great tips and kind words. Glad to be here!

[estie1948]

Hello and welcome to the Fountain Pen Network. Glad you have joined us. This is now your place as much as it is ours. Please don't be shy. Ask all the questions you have and don't hesitate to state your opinions. I hope you enjoy your time here.

-David (Estie).

[Chrissy]

Hello and welcome to FPN.

[Wahl]

[PAKMAN]

Hello and Welcome to FPN!! Glad to have you as a member!!