Fountain Pens in Singapore

[graceaj]

Hello!

 

I'm from NTU too and I just bought my first fountain pen. Loving how it writes compared to a ballpoint. Am not that bothered by the nib creep. It does not appear as long as I slow down my writing a little and use as little presure as possible on the paper. I am using a Sailor XF nib though as I take notes in margins and I tend to scribble. Good as my everyday pen. I'm so tempted to get so many pens right now it's ridiculous. :embarrassed_smile:

 

The irony is that the ballpoint I used to use always leaked to some degree. Much worse than the nib creep of the fountain pen. Was an Uniball Signo 0.38, the finest ballpoint tip I could get in Popular. It always leaked, and the worst time was when it flooded the entire cap, much to my surprise, so I am glad to make the jump to a fountain pen.

 

Hi and Welcome! I know that feeling of wanting to buy every thing that catches my fancy myself. By the way, I think you mean 'feathering' rather than 'nib creep'; you may be confused otherwise when you see the terms used by others.

[Paladin]

Exams on the way. Do you use fountain pen for your scripts?

I used it last sem (my first sem in NTU), carried 2 in case one of it ran out of ink.

 

What pens have you bought online so far?

 

Yes. I used my Pelikan Toledo 700 for a 6 hour professional exam. Must have gone through 6-7 exam booklets! To be safe I wrote in block letters and did not run out of ink. That's what's great about Pelikans They have fantastic ink capacity. I was exhausted after the exam but my hand was still ok the next day for another 3 hour exam.

 

I definitely recommend topping up the pen before any paper and just to be safe carry and ink bottle I've never had to fill up during an exam.

 

The alternative is as you mentioned. Carry another pen.

 

All the best for your exams.

[njwbert]

Hello!

 

I'm from NTU too and I just bought my first fountain pen. Loving how it writes compared to a ballpoint. Am not that bothered by the nib creep. It does not appear as long as I slow down my writing a little and use as little presure as possible on the paper. I am using a Sailor XF nib though as I take notes in margins and I tend to scribble. Good as my everyday pen. I'm so tempted to get so many pens right now it's ridiculous. :embarrassed_smile:

 

The irony is that the ballpoint I used to use always leaked to some degree. Much worse than the nib creep of the fountain pen. Was an Uniball Signo 0.38, the finest ballpoint tip I could get in Popular. It always leaked, and the worst time was when it flooded the entire cap, much to my surprise, so I am glad to make the jump to a fountain pen.

 

Hi and Welcome! I know that feeling of wanting to buy every thing that catches my fancy myself. By the way, I think you mean 'feathering' rather than 'nib creep'; you may be confused otherwise when you see the terms used by others.

 

nib creep is not ink slowly emnating from the slit and coating the nib? isn't feather what happens on paper instead while you write?

[Aneurysm]

Am from NUS previously. I started out my affair with FPs when I was in primary school. I bought a plastic china made cheap pen for S$3.50 in 1986 and have been using FPs in secondary school and JC and eventually in NUS and subsequently at work. I saved up and bought myself a sheaffer steel nib FP and a Parker (can't remember the model for both) in Sec school which I used regularly for a few years until the most unfortunate thing happened. I lost my pen case with both my pens in them. I saved and after quite a while I bought a Parker Sonnet. Eventually my collection grew. My current everyday utility pen is the Pilot VP.

 

Glad to see more SGreans around!

[damien]

Exams on the way. Do you use fountain pen for your scripts?

I used it last sem (my first sem in NTU), carried 2 in case one of it ran out of ink.

 

What pens have you bought online so far?

 

No, I don't. When writing with my FP I use a light-moderate touch and write in a sort of cursive, so it's more for correspondance and such. I wouldn't want to subject my FP to the sort of abuse I inflict on my pens during the exam (and I don't want to worry about smudging, running out of ink, pressing too hard, etc), so I use uniball signo Dx. :embarrassed_smile:

 

All of the 3 pens I have were bought off Ebay. I currently have a MB P145, Lamy Studio, and an OMAS Milord resin (pre-2005). THe Lamy is my carry pen, the MB my correspondance pen, and the OMAS is being binderized!

 

eyeing an OMAS bologna celluloid now, but..... $$$ not enough.

 

 

Paladin: OMG what kind of exam requires 6 hours of writing?!?! I'm practically dead after 3 hours! :ltcapd:

[graceaj]

Hello!

 

I'm from NTU too and I just bought my first fountain pen. Loving how it writes compared to a ballpoint. Am not that bothered by the nib creep. It does not appear as long as I slow down my writing a little and use as little presure as possible on the paper. I am using a Sailor XF nib though as I take notes in margins and I tend to scribble. Good as my everyday pen. I'm so tempted to get so many pens right now it's ridiculous. :embarrassed_smile:

 

The irony is that the ballpoint I used to use always leaked to some degree. Much worse than the nib creep of the fountain pen. Was an Uniball Signo 0.38, the finest ballpoint tip I could get in Popular. It always leaked, and the worst time was when it flooded the entire cap, much to my surprise, so I am glad to make the jump to a fountain pen.

 

Hi and Welcome! I know that feeling of wanting to buy every thing that catches my fancy myself. By the way, I think you mean 'feathering' rather than 'nib creep'; you may be confused otherwise when you see the terms used by others.

 

nib creep is not ink slowly emnating from the slit and coating the nib? isn't feather what happens on paper instead while you write?

 

Yup, that's correct. But you said that nib creep doesn't appear as long as you slow down and use as little pressure as possible, which sounds like what one would do to avoid feathering, while nib creep usually happens regardless of your writing speed or pressure. Sorry if I misunderstood. :embarrassed_smile:

 

[njwbert]

Yup, that's correct. But you said that nib creep doesn't appear as long as you slow down and use as little pressure as possible, which sounds like what one would do to avoid feathering, while nib creep usually happens regardless of your writing speed or pressure. Sorry if I misunderstood. :embarrassed_smile:

 

it's okay. i'm using noodler's now. it seems to creep much less if i reduce speed and pressure. the moment i speed up or use just a little more pressure the creep comes back. with a vengeance.

[graceaj]

Yup, that's correct. But you said that nib creep doesn't appear as long as you slow down and use as little pressure as possible, which sounds like what one would do to avoid feathering, while nib creep usually happens regardless of your writing speed or pressure. Sorry if I misunderstood. :embarrassed_smile:

 

it's okay. i'm using noodler's now. it seems to creep much less if i reduce speed and pressure. the moment i speed up or use just a little more pressure the creep comes back. with a vengeance.

 

Ok, now you're confusing me. Don't you mean feather? As in the ink spreading out on the paper? While nib creep is just ink coating & staying on the nib.

[njwbert]

Oh hi! Another person in NTU! We should start an NTU pen club! I'm in Bio Sci btw. I suppose you don't need a collection to enjoy using your FP. Besides, as long as you have more than 2 FP, that qualifies as an FP collection, no? :roflmho:

 

Paul

 

well that would be an interesting club. but just wondering how to hold it or really organise it haha... english manuscript and calligraphy club as opposed to chinese calligraphy?

[holgalee]

Hi I'm new to this forum Am getting interested in fountain pens!

 

I have a Herlitz Tornardo, a red cap and blue body Herlitz, and a silver metal Herlitz with gold clip. Does anyone know the model names of the last two type? I like how the red and blue Herlitz writes on Double A 80gsm paper, but the words look a bit too 'broad' on lecture pad which is thinner. I find the Herlitz Tornardo a bit too fine while the silve one is too wide.

 

Is the a FP that you can recommend to me for writing on lecture pad? I don't like too fine nor too wide, and I don't like scratchy nibs. Unfortunately my budget is a bit low as I'm just starting out, so well within $100 is good. I don't mind second hand FP either.

 

What about caligraphy pens from Art Friend? Is there a brand that's 'better'? Thanks

[Readymade]

Hi I'm new to this forum Am getting interested in fountain pens!

 

I have a Herlitz Tornardo, a red cap and blue body Herlitz, and a silver metal Herlitz with gold clip. Does anyone know the model names of the last two type? I like how the red and blue Herlitz writes on Double A 80gsm paper, but the words look a bit too 'broad' on lecture pad which is thinner. I find the Herlitz Tornardo a bit too fine while the silve one is too wide.

 

Is the a FP that you can recommend to me for writing on lecture pad? I don't like too fine nor too wide, and I don't like scratchy nibs. Unfortunately my budget is a bit low as I'm just starting out, so well within $100 is good. I don't mind second hand FP either.

 

What about caligraphy pens from Art Friend? Is there a brand that's 'better'? Thanks

 

Welcome

 

A cursory search on FPN will turn up lots of recommendations for good pens below $100 - even less than $50.

 

The usual problem with writing on lecture pads is that the paper is too thin so ink bleeds through to the other side. There isn't really a pen that can address this issue since it's a problem with the paper itself. What you could try doing is use a pen that's more dry and ink that's a little thicker (e.g. Noodler's instead of Waterman). (But that combo could have its own issues.)

 

Or you could try using thicker paper. It's not that expensive and your pens will thank you for that

 

For better quality calligraphy pens, you probably need to look beyond Art Friend. Try a Sheaffer NoNonsense pen with Italic nib, or a Lamy Joy. They come in a variety of nib widths, and are also available in sets.

[holgalee]

Thanks, Readymade, for your helpful reply! Yes, FPs are indeed addictive; I can tell that already. Just got a Lamy Safari from Kino yesterday It's nice and smooth to write with. Nib is fine, am hoping to get an extra fine one another day so that I can write smaller. I checked out the Art Friend at Taka but it only have one brand of calligraphy pens--called Manuscript--on display I think. Some of the forumners have such beautiful handwriting that I'm thinking of picking up caligraphy, but want to start with something inexpensive.

[holgalee]

Just wondering: if I write using the 'reverse' of the Lamy Safari nib, will I spoil it? :embarrassed_smile: I don't use much pressure... I just wonder if the extra fine nib will be too scratchy. Also, will using a thicker ink make the lines thinner? I'm using a Lamy cartridge now. TIA!

[tankahn]

The Lamy Safari is designed for students and for inexperienced hands.The fountain pen have been used by thousands of students in its heyday. Its still a good choice for non stop writing during exams. The ones for students with steel nibs were so tough that my friend used them as darts. The question you can ask yourself is whether you would enjoy writing with the nib upside down. I find it unpleasant. Even with Richard Binder's specially designed italifine nib.

 

Just wondering: if I write using the 'reverse' of the Lamy Safari nib, will I spoil it? :embarrassed_smile: I don't use much pressure... I just wonder if the extra fine nib will be too scratchy. Also, will using a thicker ink make the lines thinner? I'm using a Lamy cartridge now. TIA!

 

[yucki8aby]

does anybody know where to find oblique dip nibs in singapore?

[abelkoh8]

i don't think Singapore has them. Anyway I have decided that Mont Blanc has nice looking inks and i use them in my Hero 336 on fullscap and there is little bleedthrough. i will post pictures soon.

 

 

[XxDrAg0nxX]

wow a singapore section

 

my humble cheapo collection

 

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t181/xinglong83/pencollection.jpg

[yucki8aby]

what are the FPs in that pic? a parker frontier, a parker 45 flighter and what else?

[devilmanan98]

 

 

 

Refilling an fp with an eyedropper is very easy .

 

1. open the pen

2. use an eyedropper and take some ink ( i take 1ml)

3. drop it in the ink barrel and release the ink .

4 . Done with no wiping and wash the eyedropper .

 

 

 

[XxDrAg0nxX]

what are the FPs in that pic? a parker frontier, a parker 45 flighter and what else?

 

The other 2 are watermans

 

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t181/xinglong83/watermanpen.jpg