Fountain pens

[rogerzilla]

Inspired by the crapness of the free biros at work, I bought some cartridges for my ancient Sheaffer pen (last used to write my design project at university with an italic nib, natch).  It's not the smoothest thing to write with - the nib is probably untipped and even more probably worn out - but it works.  Never leaked, either.

Does anyone else use one?  Oh, and if it's a Mont Blanc then I'm sorry - I wouldn;t pay that much for anything that didn't take my brain waves and do the writing itself 

[Jurek]

Mont Blanc Meisterstuck here, I'm afraid

But someone else payed for it, and I cannot remember the last time that ink flowed through its nib.

I'm much happier with my Pentel P209 pencil.
EDIT - having ground down the tubular nib to around 1.62-non-leg-stabbing-mm. Yep, I've just had the digi-verniers on it .
But that's another thread....

[hellymedic]

I was mostly using Parker 45 or 15 with black ink as my workplace scribing tool until the edict that Ballpoints Must Be Used ended this.
I no longer have the power to grip any writing implement so passed most of my fountain pens and ink of many hues to Auntie C.
(This could keep Julian well-supplied with green ink...)

[Canardly]

Waterman Paris, a leaving gift from a previous employ. If you write a lot (and I do) gels and biros are much harder going.

[pcolbeck]

Several. Lamy are my favourites. I lust after a 2000 but cant really justify it.

[rogerzilla]

Does anyone else use one?

Quite a few: see the topic Carrying a pen. Perhaps you can merge the topics.

Two reasons.

1.This is specifically about fountain pens.

2. Merging really old topics is very difficult in SMF because it only shows a few per page...and there are 258 pages of them!

[Ham]

I have two I use. A Lamy that follows me everywhere, and a Waterman Man 100 in briar wood for Writing with.

It is, possibly, the most beautiful pen ever made.  It was a gift, about 30 years ago.

[Dibdib]

When I remember to grab it on my way out of the door, I generally do a lot of my writing with a Waterman Hemisphere.

Motivation is two-fold. Mostly it's just because it's nice to write with - it's not properly swish like a Mont Blanc but it's a lot nicer to use than the 'orrible ballpoints we given at work.

However, there's a benefit to having a pen on the desk that's just nice enough that people don't absent-mindedly wander off with it... 

[Jacomus]

Mont Blanc Meisterstuck here, I'm afraid

But someone else payed for it, and I cannot remember the last time that ink flowed through its nib.

I'm much happier with my Pentel P209 pencil.
EDIT - having ground down the tubular nib to around 1.62-non-leg-stabbing-mm. Yep, I've just had the digi-verniers on it .
But that's another thread....

That very nib-issue (as well as their fragility) prompted me to go for my current mechanical pencil. Pencil fetish

That one that you have is the model that I dropped down a drain, leading to the purchase of this new one.

I want to like fountain pens, but my writing is quite small and my work pad tends to get a water/coffee/food spilled on it rather frequently.

[Tewdric]

I think I posted in the other thread, but I love fountain pens.  My "best" pen is a Pelikan - M800 in black with an oblique broad nib.

[Pancho]

More than a few Mont Blancs lying around the house here.

My every day rig is a Meisterstuck and matching mechanical pencil. Every day means everywhere - including audaxes for info controls. Also usually pick up another with red ink for work days.

[rogerzilla]

Fountain pens were compulsory at my secondary school; bummer for the southpaws.  Obviously this also opened up the possibility of ink pellets.

Mrs Z went to a private school and was let off because she is left-handed and would therefore smudge everything.

[robbo6]

Strange. I am left-handed*, yet people complement me on my handwriting. Anyway, I was given the choice of anything in the pen shop and came out clutching a Faber-Castell.

*Strictly speaking ambidextrous, but I chose to write left-handed at primary school because left-handers could sit by the window and it stuck.

[Adam]

Fountain pens were compulsory at my secondary school; bummer for the southpaws.  Obviously this also opened up the possibility of ink pellets.

Mrs Z went to a private school and was let off because she is left-handed and would therefore smudge everything.

You could get left handed nibs.  Although I had one when I was at school, it certainly didn't make my handwriting any neater!

[Steve Kish]

I've got a couple here and even have a bottle of permanent blue ink.  Haven't used them in about 15 years, though.

[Fab Foodie]

Mont Blanc Meisterstuck Traveller here.  Been my constant and reliable companion for over 10 years, am lost without it.

Had 2 Shaeffer Targa pens which were just peachy, but lost both of them    So good I might consider buying a s/h one.  Also have a Parker that was a gift 30 years ago, but the nibs gone.

Love fountain pens, mechanical pencils too,  about all I can write legibly with.  Can't abide biro/ballpoints, spawn of the devil.

[Gattopardo]

I have a Lamy ink pen that I enjoy writing with, I just enjoy writing with the pen, for some reason it makes it feel special.

[padbeat]

I've got 2 of these - one with blue ink and one with black - Rotring Esprit, slightly telescopic. About 25 pounds each.


As an engineer, in the environment I'm in, anything more expensive would be daft. I do like them though.

On a side note, red ink (for writing) is the province of Commanding Officers and Captains, and green ink is reserved for Admirals.

I bought some Mont Blanc black ink, but I found it dried much more grey than bog-standard WHS permenant. Sailor Black is gorgeous, but I don't get on with their pens.

[Clandy]

I have a set of Rotring drawing pens somewhere from way back when I was drafting at Dunton R&D.

[Gattopardo]

I have a set of Rotring drawing pens somewhere from way back when I was drafting at Dunton R&D.

you a fordie?

[Pancho]

On a side note, red ink (for writing) is the province of Commanding Officers and Captains, and green ink is reserved for Admirals.

Last time I was working in an RN environment, I used to receive emails from those fellows and thought it was carrying tradition a bit far to have set the font to the appropriate colour.

[Clandy]

I have a set of Rotring drawing pens somewhere from way back when I was drafting at Dunton R&D.

you a fordie?

I was. I served part of my apprenticeship at Dunton (apprentice draftsman), the rest at Barking Tech, the River Plant, and Faringdon Ave.

[mrcharly-YHT]

I have a couple of Rotring Artpens - used to use these all the time, before switching to a rotring pencil.

[Woofage]

Does anyone else use one? 

I always use a fountain pen as my writing looks terrible with ballpoints. Currently I have the following pens on the go:
Parker Duofold Greenwich (Waterman Havana)
Lamy Studio 68 (Monteverde Green)
TWSBI Diamond 530 (Diamine Amaranth)
Lamy Safari Blue/Red with customised nib (Lamy blue cartridge)
Pelikan M200 "tortoise" with 18k nib (Diamine Royal Blue)

Plus a few mechanical pencils.


If you're looking to buy a replacement for your Sheaffer, consider these points:
How much do you want to spend?
Styling: modern or traditional?
Weight: Most prefer light pens, but some like a bit of heft.
Filling: cartridges for convenience or bottled ink?
Nib width: is your writing large or small? Anything unusual about how you hold your pen?
Use: lots of quick notes or writing for longer periods?
Carrying and storage: best pen for home use or throw in bag to take to work?
Brand snob?

[Woofage]

You could get left handed nibs.

Be careful with "left-handed" nibs as there is inconsistency in terminology. Left-handed fountain pen users should really consult a fountain pen specialist before making a choice on a suitable pen. A fast-drying ink often helps too.