Fountain pen/ink starter kit

Nisse said:
And best el cheapo pens? India: already mentioned. China: ?
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People seem to really like two brands in particular when it comes to cheapie Chinese pens: Jin Hao and Hero.

Especially the Jin Hao pens have quite the following and many claim that they often are excellent pens. It doesn't hurt that you can pick a brand new one up on ebay for $5 (or less) with free international shipping :)
 
Been doing more pondering on this.

Has anyone used the Lamy Safari? Did you find the grip helpful, or a nuisance.

In theory it appeals, as it's designed to encourage beginners to adopt the correct grip.

This would not be my first fountain pen, but the last time I tried I couldn't get the hang of it (didn't try for long to be fair).

I believe this is because my current writing style is so bad - hand planted solidly on the page, pressing on hard, all the movement done with the fingers rather than the arm.

This time around I intend to go back to the drawing board and overhaul my writing style completely in the hopes of ending up with more attractive handwriting.

Maybe the Safari would help with this?
 
Captain Blondebeard said:
Been doing more pondering on this.

Has anyone used the Lamy Safari? Did you find the grip helpful, or a nuisance.

In theory it appeals, as it's designed to encourage beginners to adopt the correct grip.

This would not be my first fountain pen, but the last time I tried I couldn't get the hang of it (didn't try for long to be fair).

I believe this is because my current writing style is so bad - hand planted solidly on the page, pressing on hard, all the movement done with the fingers rather than the arm.

This time around I intend to go back to the drawing board and overhaul my writing style completely in the hopes of ending up with more attractive handwriting.

Maybe the Safari would help with this?
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I find the Safari very comfortable and feels natural the way I hold the pen (which is the usual thumb and forefinger on top and middle finger below). Not everyone likes the way it forces you to hold it. If you hold your pen weirdly then you won't like it.

If you couldn't get along with the Lamy before it doesn't bode well that you'll like it next time. However if you are successful in retraining yourself to write correctly the "forced grip" of the Lamy might at least take out one variable for you so you can concentrate on the other areas.
Like with razors, YMMV comes into it a lot but at least a Lamy Safari is not a large investment.

An interesting point about Lamy's and German pens is that German schools still teach children to write with fountain pens, which is why German pen companies are so common and excel in the beginners' end of the market. There's still an industry there which explains why many parts (e.g. nibs) are made there.
 
Captain Blondebeard said:
Been doing more pondering on this.

Has anyone used the Lamy Safari? Did you find the grip helpful, or a nuisance.

In theory it appeals, as it's designed to encourage beginners to adopt the correct grip.

This would not be my first fountain pen, but the last time I tried I couldn't get the hang of it (didn't try for long to be fair).

I believe this is because my current writing style is so bad - hand planted solidly on the page, pressing on hard, all the movement done with the fingers rather than the arm.

This time around I intend to go back to the drawing board and overhaul my writing style completely in the hopes of ending up with more attractive handwriting.

Maybe the Safari would help with this?
Click to expand...
I didn't like the Lamy Safari grip at all and ended up PIFing it.
I just couldn't get used to being forced to hold it in a certain way.

It might have had something to do with being a southpaw.

I prefer the all round barrels. My current go to is a Parker Vector.
 
I popped into paperchase on my way home from work and picked up a Lamy Safari. For the price, I figured it's not a big deal if I don't get on with it.

So far so good though. The grip feels natural, I've rapidly adapted to a more appropriate pressure, and it's actually pretty forgiving of my poor technique - finger writing.

There are already a few other pens I want...

At least I feel like this will be reasonably self limiting - I could never own really expensive looking pens, as they would only draw attention to my crap hand writing.
 
Another quick question for you pen aficionados. Probably tells you something about my dangerous thought processes this, but there you go.

How do you juggle multiple pens? I'd have thought they'd all dry out.

I can see myself having maybe two or three on the go, one at work, one in the pocket, one at home. Any more than that and I just don't do enough writing to keep em running.

Do you have a rotation? Flush them out before you put them away?

How long can you leave a fountain pen inked up before it dries out?
 
Captain Blondebeard said:
Another quick question for you pen aficionados. Probably tells you something about my dangerous thought processes this, but there you go.

How do you juggle multiple pens? I'd have thought they'd all dry out.

I can see myself having maybe two or three on the go, one at work, one in the pocket, one at home. Any more than that and I just don't do enough writing to keep em running.

Do you have a rotation? Flush them out before you put them away?

How long can you leave a fountain pen inked up before it dries out?
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I usually have half a dozen pens on the go, usually each with a different ink, and at different places round the house.

Usually two or three are less expensive pens, from which I choose one to put in my pocket when I go out. One of these is a Kaweco Sport.

If I don't plan to use a pen for a while, I flush it out, dry it and put it away. Currently used pens are stored upright in china pots.

A properly capped pen won't dry out very quickly. It's difficult to generalise, as it depends on the ink in use, the type of reservoir, and the fullness. Air is needed to dry out ink, so a half-empty pen will dry quicker than a full one.
 
I have a couple of fairly expensive pens, but the Lamy Safari is still one of my favourites. I find the triangular grip section to be very comfortable, the converter clicks into place with its little nubs so that it's secure, and the nibs are cheap and easy to replace. I have the Vista which is the transparent version and it gets a lot of use. I prefer it to my Al-Stars as I find the plastic to be more tactile.
 
I bought a couple of cheap Chinese pens to get the feel for different nibs and found that they are all to wide my upper limit being my Medium Pilot so maybe a suitable pen would be a Lamy Vista in Extra Fine.
 
My biggest problem is really lack of a proper handwriting after years of abuse and a fountain pen will not by itself change this so time to Google: handwriting, style, training, lesson, book, class...
 
Nisse said:
My biggest problem is really lack of a proper handwriting after years of abuse and a fountain pen will not by itself change this so time to Google: handwriting, style, training, lesson, book, class...
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It's not too difficult.

Somewhere in this or other writing or penmanship threads on TSR, I said that the guiding influence on handwriting in the UK in the 40s, 50s and 60s was Marion Richardson. Google that and see what resources you can find.

I still have my old stuff (why, I don't know), but looking at my school books from Tanglin Primary in Singapore, in 1954, writing books were ruled with staves like music books. Following that arrangement is pretty good for forming and spacing your writing.

The knack is to get basics right, as I describe, and then form your hand. We're all different, which is the joy of it. I don't know how old you are, but I beg to suggest that, as an adult, you have by now formed your own style. You need to decide whether you're into calligraphy and writing style, or want to improve ( rather than change),the hand and style you have.

I might add that I have a son close to 40, whose writing is dreadful, and some small grandchildren, who I want to be able to write in at least a "fair hand".
 
Nisse said:
I bought a couple of cheap Chinese pens to get the feel for different nibs and found that they are all to wide my upper limit being my Medium Pilot so maybe a suitable pen would be a Lamy Vista in Extra Fine.
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I'm waiting for a $2 x450 Jin Hao. It's a medium nib (seems impossible to find these pens with a fine nib) so I am pretty sure it will be too wide for me...but at a couple of bucks w/ free shipping I thought I'd give it a go.
 
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