~) the official pen thread (~

Discussion in 'The Good Life' started by D.irving79, Apr 16, 2009.

  1. D.irving79

    D.irving79 Gemocrat

    ive noticed a lot of pen talk around here, so i figured id start a thread where we can discuss anything and everything related to pens. i myself am a fountain pen user. at the moment i have a ltd. amount but thanks to a good friend (or no thanks depending on how you look at it :laugh042) that amount will quickly be growing. its late so ill list mine later with pictures, but i just figured id get things started now :)
     
  2. superbleu

    superbleu Active Member

    Great idea Dave, used to be Dom and I were the only ones that talked pens we killed the HYD thread more than a few times with our pen talks.

    I like vintage flexy pens: Watermans, Wahl-Eversharp, Conklins, Moores,ect.
    They are fun to use.

    I have a fist full of Esterbrooks, someone once told me they multiply like rabbits, and I would have to agree. These are great starter pens as they are pretty bullet proof and can be found cheap and easy, though they are getting more and more expensive as people have started to see how good of value these pens are.

    I have a couple Parker 51's, and a vac filler(everyone loves the P51, I'm pretty indifferent). I think Sheaffers have better nibs.

    Our own Tom Pike is a pen repair guru, but he's a busy man so be patient ;)

    Once you get into pens, inks and papers will also start to pique your interest.
     
  3. Corey

    Corey Member

    Right now I've got 3 fountain pens that I picked up on the cheap. One is a Penquest, one a Fuliwen, and one is a Reform 1745.

    The Penquest and Fuliwen were picked up on the Bay for about 10 bucks each. The look nice, but I can't get them to fill properly for the life of me. Both of them are piston fillers and don't take up ink until about the last 1/3 of the pistons movement. The Penquest writes nice though. The nib on the Fuliwen is a little scratchy.

    The Reform was picked up on FPN for a very nice price. The guy selling them also "tuned" the pen. It's not as nice looking as the Penquest, but it works and writes like a champ. I've been giving serious thought to picking up another through the same guy.

    Right now I'm running Noodler's Eel Black ink in all the pens. Sooner or later I'd like to pick up a nice bright blue and a warm brown as well.
     
  4. Austin

    Austin Member

    I have a few Mont Blanc FPs as well as Visconti and Waterman. I basically use them for writing letters and writing in my journal. I love these pens.
     
  5. Flatfish

    Flatfish Member

  6. Flatfish

    Flatfish Member

    If it doesn't work. Go onto Youtube and search for Aiken Lambert combo.
     
  7. sol92258

    sol92258 I have no earthly idea

    I've some G2s, and the freebies you get at the bank (had to use my dremel to get that darn chain off, though...)

    kidding aside, I've never gotten really into pens. I do have a couple of Cross pens, but that's as fancy as it gets....................for now.
    since this woodturning bug* has bitten me, I've got plans for several pens in mind

    *by "bug", I mean a 750lb gorilla-sized bug...yeah, I've got it bad :D
     
  8. Truckman

    Truckman New Member

    I must say that all the recent pen chatter has piqued my interest. So much so, that I'm toying with the idea of picking up one of those 'tuned' Reform 1745s that Corey likes. I don't think you can beat the price for what you get, and for a starter looks like a great deal.

    That said, I'm still not totally sold. I do most of my writing at work, and I'm concerned about a) ink not being waterproof and b) being able to make it through 3-ply forms.... I may still pick it up to keep at work and use in the office, though.... we'll see.

    It seems like fun, but may be a bit too impractical for me.

    Thanks for that video Flatfish :happy088 pretty cool :D
     
  9. TomPike

    TomPike Active Member

    Great idea, Dave - thanks for starting a thread on pens!

    There are a lot of great starter pens out there, Matt. Waterproof inks abound in fountain pen friendly mixtures (look for Noodler's inks - my favorite waterproof is Legal Lapis, but they make a nice Black too).

    Stiff nibbed pens for making copies were all the rage after 1925-30 (or so). If you want a great fountain pen with a stiff nib that will last forever, find a Sheaffer from the 1930's or 1940's. They generally have awesome nibs that write better than almost anything else. Lever fillers are fairly easy to restore and can be done by most collectors. Seriously, if you can clean up an old razor, chances are you have the mechanical ability to do simple restorations on fountain pens. Plus, this will give you something else to hunt in antique stores :happy102

    Advice nuggets for vintage pens: Learn what you can, start cheap, ask for advice - heat and patience are your friends when restoring. Like razors, there's plenty to learn. It all seems kind of odd at first, but understanding can come fairly quickly. Most of all, have fun!

    For modern pens, the Reform 1745 looks like a great deal. I don't own one of these, but people like them and they seem nice. Pens at work (especially at a job like yours) should be something that you won't break your heart if they walk away or are damaged. These seem perfect for that.


    Cheers,
    Tom
     
  10. Corey

    Corey Member

    Check out the Noodler's Bulletproof inks. They're water proof, resist bleach and UV breakdown, and have anti-fraud properties and are about as permanent as it gets. Just don't get it on your clothes or that permanent quality won't be such a good thing. :D
     
  11. JayKay

    JayKay 3000 posts and all I got was this lousy title

    I'm a user. I've got a ton of nice writing cheap chinese pens. I've got a waterman phileas and a few others I cant think of. My favorite ink is PR American Blue. I like to mix it with the bulletproof noodlers for a just in case type of protection. I mixed a few different bulletproofs and whatnot for a lab pen I used. I got strep all over the notebook one day. Did a full ethanol soak and could still read my pages. AWESOME!

    Although I'm not in school at the moment so I dont write much so I dont use them much.
     
  12. Truckman

    Truckman New Member

    Thanks Tom, Corey, and Jay for the ink advice. Are there any B&M stores to find the Noodler's Bulletproof inks? And what can I expect to pay? I think I may go ahead with that Reform, then. Cheap enough that if I don't like it, I'm not out a ton, and if something did happen to it here at work..... well, I'd still be ticked, but not nearly as bad as if it had been a more expensive vintage pen....
     
  13. Austin

    Austin Member

    Not too many B&M stores carry Noodlers. You can find it at Fountain Pen Hospital in New York. Paradise Pens in a lot of areas carries Mont Blanc, Private Reserve (A great ink too) and other brands but not Noodlers.
     
  14. JayKay

    JayKay 3000 posts and all I got was this lousy title

    I cant think of any that carry it either. I used to order it online from that guy who sells all the chinese pens for good prices. He always had the best prices on Noodlers. Also, I would recommend a Waterman Kulture. They are the clear equivalent to the phileas. Great pens for ~$20 with converter. Or you can use it as an ED. I love mine.
     
  15. superbleu

    superbleu Active Member

    Matt look here
    They run 10-15 dollars a bottle, but a bottle will last a longgggggggggggggg time. (unless you spill it)

    Jetpens.com has noodlers inks with free shipping on orders over 25 dollars
    swisher pens and peartreepens.com has them also

    for the reform pen, check this thread, JJ is a good guy.
     
  16. Jimbo

    Jimbo New Member

    I love fountain pens. Started when I was 12 when my father gave me a Schaeffer when I began High School. I still have that one - it has the most beautiful nib I have ever used, but then I guess it has had 26 years to wear in... It has the older type squeeze bladder.

    Over the years I have picked up a few more FPs along the way. Some Parkers, a Mont Blanc, Waterman, and most recently a vintage Onoto lever filler.

    My favourite blue ink is Waterman's Florida Blue. My favourite black ink is Quink (Parker, I think??). I have tried the Mont Blanc ink in non-Mont Blanc pens - too viscous (or something), and it all ended up in the cap after a day :(

    James.
     
  17. D.irving79

    D.irving79 Gemocrat

    ok, took some photos that arent so hot of my small but probably-soon-to-be huge collection.

    morrisons lever filler. 1917 i think ? given to me by a very good friend..as were all of these.. and i blame him for this new AD :)

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    federal eyedropper. black hard rubber.

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    arnold lever filler. one of a few restore jobs on my hands. the same arnold that made the arnold fountain pen safety razor.

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    eagle twist filler. restore job. the info around the cap reads "eagle pencil co. new york pat. jan. 23 1913"

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  18. MsBlackwolf

    MsBlackwolf Queen of Critters

    Some fine looking scribblers there, Dave. I'd jump in and buy something, but I haven't a clue what to look for, so I'm going to watch n learn n ask dumb questions :)
     
  19. D.irving79

    D.irving79 Gemocrat

    trust me, im still in a semi clueless state.
     
  20. MsBlackwolf

    MsBlackwolf Queen of Critters

    On my desk and being used are: 2 dip pens with Esterbrook(sp) vintage nibs, a cobolt blue/sterling trimmed inkwell filled with plain old Speedball black, 1 Parker Vector FP, 1 Parker steel/gold trim pen, 1 vintage mechanical pencil in that neato olive/pearly swirly patterm thats saysepenco in the gold colored pocket clip, and one of those newfangled Triconderoga pencils my students use. I inherited a collection of Parkers from an uncle and an aunt who both worked at Parker pens here in Janesville, Wisconsin. I know absolutely NOTHING about most of them. As some of you pen buffs already know, they are in the original packaging and have never been used. I'll post some pictures in this thread of some of those I've yet to even identify and for sure pictures of the protypes and employee Xmas editions. Thanks, Dave, for starting a pens thread, GREAT idea!
     

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