Newbie Advice

[BTJustice]

I decided to bite the fountain pen bug. I am a computer technician by trade. I was doing a computer repair job at a customer's home a few months ago who is into fountain pens. She showed me a Rotring Skynn which seems to be quite comfortable to write with.

 

So last week I got on eBay and ordered a Rotring Skynn with XL nib (broad) in black color and a Rotring Initial with medium nib in silver color. I also ordered a 3 oz. bottle of Noodler's Black Ink. Everything arrived yesterday.

 

I like both pens but something is strange. The Skynn is very comfortable to write with. More so than the Initial but the Initial seems to write more smoothly for some reason. I know the nibs are slightly different in size but they do not look the same. The 'fins' on the Initial stick out on the bottom of the Initial whereas the 'fins' are hidden on the Skynn (the bottom is flat and the 'fins' are between the bottom and the nib).

 

I like how the fountain pens write. Much darker than the Pilot G-6 07 black ink pens I have used for awhile now and much smoother.

 

My question is should I get a different fountain pen and resale these? I need a fountain pen that has a wide body and is easy to hold like the Skynn is. I think I will keep the Skynn but the Initial is not as comfortable to write with. I have a bad right hand but I use that hand to write with. When I write with the Initial, my hand gets tired easily and my hand slow slides down the shaft of the pen.

[southpaw]

My question is should I get a different fountain pen and resale these?  I need a fountain pen that has a wide body and is easy to hold like the Skynn is.  I think I will keep the Skynn but the Initial is not as comfortable to write with.  I have a bad right hand but I use that hand to write with.  When I write with the Initial, my hand gets tired easily and my hand slow slides down the shaft of the pen.

 

First and foremost, welcome to FPN BTJustice! Glad you're here and there are plenty of FP gurus here to learn from. I'm a relative newbie myself (<1 yr with FPs), but I'll take a shot at your issue.

 

The fatigue when writing with the Initial is likely due to its very heavy weight for an FP. When I first got into FPs, I had one and liked it as I thought I preferred heavier pens. As I wrote with more pens, I found my preference quickly shift to lighter pens. You are obviously having problems with the Initial, so you should sell it and get something else. You can post in in the Marketplace or on Pentrace's Greenboard (their marketplace). You may want to go with a light pen as this, IIRC, seems to help people who suffer from fatigue. It's also important to get a pen that's the right size - not too small nor too large, as both extremes can increase fatigue. If you like the way your Skynn feels, I'd start by trying something of the same size.

 

HTH, southpaw

Edited February 22, 2006 by southpaw

[JimStrutton]

Hi and welcome,

 

Now you are finding the enjoyable part of this addiction

 

There is always another Fountain pen to try

 

My wife has a problem with her hand since she got her fingers caught in a door a few years back and did some tendon damage that won't heal. In fact it has her registered with a disability in that regard.

 

I am fortunate to have a range of pens for her to try, but in the end she found the Parket Sonnet with a medium gold nib the easiest for her to write with, so guess what she got for Xmas.

 

I think the key is to try a few pens if you can, if you find your pen is heavy, then try for a wet writing lighter pen. That will just skim over the page with only a bit of guidance from you. Maybe try the Sonnet, but your problem may be different to my wife's, but that is a light pen.

 

Don't think that you have to stick with new pens, some vintage pens can be surprising, just ask here for some suggestions. Also read the Penmanship area on this site, loads of constructive advice there.

 

Best of luck,

 

Jim

[KCat]

the less smooth Skynn may be due to misaligned tines or some other tine problem. If it's scratchy then I recommend contacting the seller about a replacement/repair. Or, contact Rotring on the issue. If these are new pens than they should be under warranty still and it should only cost you shipping to them to fix the problem.

 

you certainly can sell the initial if you don't care for it but you should check with the seller re: a return policy first. I know e-bay folks are often "no returns" and if that was explicitly stated in the auction than of course, you can't do what I'm suggesting. But the Initial has a good following.

 

I prefer a light-weight pen to reduce fatigue and grip size does make a big difference. Sometimes we think that fat=ergonomically correct but it all depends on the individual and your own grip.

[BTJustice]

Thanks for the welcome and info so far guys.

 

I am trying to figure out the shape I want. Something like a Pilot G-6 07 or a Pilot Dr. Grip. A Waterman looks like a possibility but the nibs look big and funny (on the Carene). Maybe it is just me, lol.

[JimStrutton]

Thanks for the welcome and info so far guys.

 

I am trying to figure out the shape I want. Something like a Pilot G-6 07 or a Pilot Dr. Grip. A Waterman looks like a possibility but the nibs look big and funny (on the Carene). Maybe it is just me, lol.

Just a thought here, ignore the look if you can for now and try a pen for the writing experience. Nice looking pens can sometimes be just that, nice looking pocket jewlery!

 

For me at least, my choice of pen is based on how it puts a line on paper. I have an old battered "51" that looks like it has been through the wars, but still writes like a dream.

 

If you can get somewhere to try out a few of these choices, that is going to move you on to what you really want.

 

Jim

[BTJustice]

Where can one go to try out fountain pens? Most stores don't sell them and I doubt they are inked so you can try them right? I suppose there are fountain pen shows but they are usually far away from my location.

[twdpens]

If you post your location (eg town/city) then I'm sure there'll be someone who knows of a good pen shop not too far away.

 

Alternatively, get 1 or 2 (or more) of the popular models second hand. I'm thinking here of, for example: Parker Sonnet, Lamy 2000, Pelikan M200/M250/M400, (vintage) Parker 51 etc. Try them out and if you don't like them sell them for what you paid. You'll only lose the postage cost and this will probably work out less than the cost of travel to a distant pen shop or show.

 

Martin

[BTJustice]

I am having a problem. I used the Skynn tonight during class for notes. Do fountain pens have problems with drawing straight lines? I usually have to re-try to make a line 3 times before the pen makes the line. I also have to re-try making my "T"s and when crossing them.

[Michael Wright]

I am having a problem. I used the Skynn tonight during class for notes. Do fountain pens have problems with drawing straight lines? I usually have to re-try to make a line 3 times before the pen makes the line. I also have to re-try making my "T"s and when crossing them.

This should not be happening. As you've had problems already with the Skynn, a slight scratchiness, then the odds are that the tines are a bit out of alignment. That would certainly be the first thing to check for.

 

There is a slight possibility that you're changing the angle of contact of the pen with the paper when you rule a horizontal. You might, perhaps, check that you are holding the pen so that both tines are in contact with the paper (I was going to say that the slit should be in contact with the paper, and then realised that was a logical impossibility, but you know what I mean). If the tines *are* misaligned, then this could make the alignment more sensitive, too.

 

If you need instructions on aligning the tines, there are plenty of people who can help you. You've probably got a loupe already -- about 10x is OK for examining nibs, on average. Adjusting alignment is something everyone can do, though as a computer tech you'll probably be happy getting onto more advanced stuff.

 

Good luck

 

Michael

[BTJustice]

I looked at the tines as closely as I know how to and they look nice and even to me. The pen writes well I think. It is just annoying about the stuff it does in my previous post. If I had easy to follow directions, I would check the tines to be sure.

[Michael Wright]

I looked at the tines as closely as I know how to and they look nice and even to me.  The pen writes well I think.  It is just annoying about the stuff it does in my previous post.  If I had easy to follow directions, I would check the tines to be sure.

 

It is not too hard to tweak them into alignment, perhaps by giving a little twang downwards on the higher one with your thumbnail (wimg's technique). Don't try to do it all at once.

 

More on nibs at http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref_info/nib_primer.htm

 

http://www.nibs.com/article1.html

 

And this just in, from the first celebrity nib fixer:

 

http://www.nibs.com/Article6SmoothingAdjusting.htm

 

You probably don't want to grind away at the moment, just check the adjustment.

 

I could have saved myself time at the beginning of this post if I'd known of John Mottishaw's article on smoothing, but I'm not going to delete it now.

 

Michael

 

Edit: I had an attempt to illustrate the problem with ASCII art, but it totally failed to render properly on the web, so I've scrubbed it. Read what the experts, Mottishaw and Binder, have to say.

Edited February 24, 2006 by Michael Wright

[JimStrutton]

To add to what Michael has suggested, you may find this article of interest:

 

http://www.penmuseum.co.uk/master%202.htm

 

Jim

[BTJustice]

As far as I can tell from the links provided, the nib is just fine. It is almost like ink is not getting to it when I make my "T"s and cross them. I was incorrect about the Skynn. It has a medium nib.

 

As for the other fountain pen, the Rotring Intial, it has a broad nib. I think it is a good pen, but the design of it doesn't work from me. Where I hold the pen when writing is made of metal. I think that is the reason my hand slides down it. If that area was made of plastic or rubber it would be fine. I think I will list it in the marketplace forum.

[BTJustice]

The Rotring Initial is for sale...

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...?showtopic=8119

[Allan]

If you tell us where you are we might be able to direct you to a local store where you can test drive other pens. General area is OK, no need for specifics if you are leary.

 

Allan

[BTJustice]

Springfield, IL

[Michael Wright]

A local store might be able to tell you what's wrong with the pen that doesn't like horizontal lines. Beats me, at the moment, I'm sorry to say.

 

Good luck

 

Michael

[Allan]

Springfield, IL

Gilbertson Claybourn

Purveyors of Fine Writing Instruments

55 E Chicago Avenue

Chicago, Illinois 60611

Tel: (312) 573-8075

 

Executive Essentials

Woodfield Mall

Schaumburg, Illinois

 

Makielski Inc.,

3838 N. Main St.

Mishawaka, Indiana

Tel: 219.259.2500

 

Pendemonium

619 Avenue G

Fort Madison, Iowa 52627

Tel: 319.372.0881

Toll Free: 1.888.372.2050

 

Pen Place

Country Club Plaza

4706 Central

Kansas City, Missouri

64112

Tel: (816) 931-4474

 

Hope this helps!

 

Allan

[BTJustice]

250+ miles to the closest one on that list.