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I'm not sure yet, I was under the impression that cartridges were universal and should fit in most if not every cartridge pen.

 

Well seeing that fountain pens have shown up in this thread again (we do have a thread for that :happy102)... I guess I will go ahead and ask a question..

I have off and on extensor tendonitis which causes me pain when writing for any prolonged period of time. Seeing that I usually type, that isn't really a problem. However, when grading, it becomes an issue. I usually use red gel pens. I find that ball points have too much drag. I have had the most success with Pilot G2 and uni-ball 207. Would switching to a fountain pen actually help me avoid some of the wrist/forearm pains I get when writing?

Gatto: Tom Pike, Bong, Dom are also fountain pen folks.

Glad to have you in here as well Rene and Nofa.

What is it... HYD has gone SE and FP?

 

Most are.

 

I'm going to see if my bookstore has the Pilot Varsity and if they do I'm going to give it a try. If I like it I want to get a fountain pen that isn't disposable.

 

Some have had success. While FP aren't necessarily smoother (In fact, generally the finer you go, the more scratchy it will be.), you don't have to press very hard to write. With some pens (and certain inks), people are able to just use the weight of the pen to write. Because of this, it can help people with certain conditions.

 

Some do dry quickly. In my experience, the inks tend to dry slowly, but I use saturated inks and high-quality paper. Both of which cause ink to dry slower. Are you a under or over hand lefty writer?

 

Pen, nib, paper, ink, temperature, humidity... They can all affect writing -- flow, smoothness, drying... Fountain pens are not simple.

 

My first shave brush came in one of those sets! It's a real trooper. I've also had several of the stand-alone brushes, with mixed results... some of them were poorly glued together and don't hold up to the pressures of regular lather building, but if you get one broken in, boy howdy, it is a lather building monster!

Now, anyone got any spare change? I just need about 7 grand. (long story, just venting)

 

Hey Jen - you ARE smart!

Yep, the Pilot Varsity is okay for openers. Your bookstore may have other varieties, any of which will probably be okay.

Ink is another matter. I'd suggest some of the fast drying "Swishmix" Noodler's inks you'll find here. You can refill cartridges with a blunt syringe and it costs a lot less than buying new carts. Chuck (the guy that owns Swisher's Pens) is a southpaw as well, and these inks were developed for him. I think you'll like them. Many other fountain pen inks take a few seconds to dry and if your an overwriter (dare I say hooker?), they'll smear like mad.

Oh, Justin - FPs are great for sore hands. Zero pressure, like a GEM. You get to write with the big arm muscles instead of the little finger and hand muscles.

 

'lo, folks.

I see some fountain pen questions. Oh boy!

Jen - I'm a lefty and have been using fountain pens exclusively for many years now. Yes, I smear ink every now and then, but it's usually only a little smear and doesn't happen very often. Depending on how you hold your pen, you may smear more or less. A very important factor in the science of ink smearification is the ink. Different brands and colors or ink behave differently. As a left-hander, I avoid heavily saturated inks such as the entire Private Reserve line, because they take exceedingly long to dry. Waterman Florida Blue is a very well-behaved ink and it comes in cartridges. It doesn't go onto the paper extremely wet and dries quickly. If your hand is sweaty, though, it'll smudge if you touch it, even if it's dry (it's not a very permanent ink). I've had good luck with Noodlers inks, too, but you won't get those in cartridges. If you ever want samples of liquid ink to try out, let me know.

What color ink do you think you'd want to use?

As for the main differences between a $15 and a $500 pen: pretty much not too much other than the materials and the workmanship/craftsmanship. There are plenty good pens for around the $15-20 mark. If you want new pens, the Pelikan Style, Future, Pelikano, and Pelikano Jr., as well as the Lamy Vista are a few that can be had around that price if you know where to look. If you're okay with vintage pens, more options arise. Send me a PM if you'd like and we can talk more, Jen.

Generally, not as fast. To be honest, though, my writing with a fountain pen is cleaner than my writing with a ballpoint. The side of my palm used to collect ballpoint ink and act as a stamp all over the paper. It was hideous.

If you find ballpoints have too much drag, I'd definitely suggest trying out a fountain pen with a nice smooth nib. To me, the transition from ballpoint to fountain pen was a wonderful one. For most pens, I use the weight of the pen and that's enough to send the tip gliding over the paper. After switching over, I no longer experienced hand cramps like I used to.

 

Hi Tom.

Seems like people just have to talk fountain pens to bring us out, huh?

Have you used the Swishmix yet?

 

Here's my pen of choice:

 

Does it fire lasers?

 

oh no! Say it aint so Jo!

 

Seriously?

Ugh, I just can't get past the 3 pages and your done aspect, let alone the ink just feels all wrong coming out. Plus, the skinny barrel on it combined with the shiny surface just makes it feel cheap-ish to me. The Bic roundstic, on the other hand... With its matte finish, just-right ink flow, and comfortable heft, it's pound-for-pound the best value-for-your-money pen out there.

But that's just me. I know some people swear by the pilot gel pens, and I can't stand those either. Though, I used to really like the original pilot pens.

Now, if I've got a little extra change to spend on a clicky pen, I really enjoy the Zebra f-301... now there's a pen.

 

the straight

OK, so I am trying to find information about FP, but need a TSD style site not FPN. No wonder so many FP questions get asked here.

 

Hope the straight recovers, JoAnna.

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