# General Fountain Pen Information needed



## dbriski (Mar 14, 2008)

One of my good clients is asking about fountain pens.  He specificly asked "How are fountain pens for everyday use?"  I know many people use them everyday, but I also know there are some downsides/ maintenance issues with using a fountain pen.  I haven't used oned so I don't really know what all the good things and bad things about a fountain pen.  It would be appriciated if you could help me give him a brief summary about fountain pens and usage.


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## ed4copies (Mar 14, 2008)

David,

I resolved to use one to learn more.  So, I put it in my desk drawer and make a real effort to use it daily.  Don't skip a couple days (I did), you need to clean out the ink and nib, etc.

Don't use the ink that comes with the pens, get some from Anthony or Lou or Special Reserve.  Seems to give more "open time".  OK, I've already written MORE than I know, let's wait for Lou or Anthony or Gerry or .........somebody who KNOWS fountain pens.


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## gerryr (Mar 14, 2008)

The cons I guess are that you have to deal with the cap, replace the ink when needed and occasionally clean the nib and feed.  Oh yeah, you also have to decide what color ink to use.

The big upside is that people pay attention when sign something with a fountain pen, they notice.  They're easy to use and, in comparison to a ballpoint, require almost no pressure to put down a good line of ink.  They're very personal and it's almost like they become an extension of you because every pen will write a little differently for every person.  I have several with different nib types and widths as well as calligraphic fountain pens I use to address Christmas cards.  And besides all that, they're just fun to use.

Now we can wait for higher authorities, like Anthony and Lou to elucidate more.


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## kirkfranks (Mar 14, 2008)

I will mostly just echo what has already been said...
I also started using fountain pen at work about 6 months ago mostly for the novelty and also to learn more about them so I can better understand how to sell them.

Upside...
It is fun since I am not old enough to have ever been forced to use one in school.

People do notice, and that means I get to tell them that I made the pen too

Writes really nice (even though I have terrible penmanship).

Color of the week club

Down side...
If I go to a meeting where I might have to sit for 20 minutes before writing any notes then I bring a ballpoint.  I don't like to have to take the cap on and off quickly to take intermitent notes and if you leave the cap off too long the ink might dry up and then you get nothing.  Upgrade ink helps the open time.

You have to keep extra ink on hand incase you run out.

I take my pen home to fill (converter) because I don't want to have to do it over the sink in the bathroom.  I could probably keep clean at my desk, but if I have a problem it is a long walk to the sink.

Don't like to offer your pen to other people if want to write a quick note.


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## Firefyter-emt (Mar 14, 2008)

I started to use one daily about a year an a half ago.  I work in the Insurance industry as an auto damage appraiser.  Because of this I work mostly outside and take a lot of notes. I use one year round and the only times I do not use it outside is in the rain or snow.  Wet weather and FP's do not go hand in hand.  I have to log the mileage and locations of my stops on a daily log so I still carry one on rainy days to do this in the car.  I also get a chance to practice good handwriting when I address envelopes to mail my estiamtes out.  

So yes, it is EASILY done on a daily basis with very little change.  I do have a folded paper towel in my car in case I need to "wipe my nib" and I carry two glass vials of ink. One with the "ink of the day" and one of my standby Visconti Sepia just in case I run out.

My "regulars" at the repair shops I deal with all know about it and do notice any new pen that I am using. Although, to be honest, I have not carried one of "my" pens for a while now. I was bitten by the vintage FP bug and have about half a dozen really nice ones I rotate thru and I really love them.  My most recent is a "White -dot" 1950's Sheaffer Statesman touch-down in the most awesome burgandy and a 14k nib ($32.00 shipped) 

Other than the downside of the wet weather (not a normal problem for most) You will get a touch of ink on your finger now and then, FP users don't mind much though. You will need to "maintain" the pen every now and them, mostly to refill it. I do recomend a flush of water to 10% ammonia about once or twice a month to keep it clean.

I find that those glass bottles from Pear Tree Pens are perfect to keep as some "back up refills" either at a desk or in a briefcase. Mine have a special compartment in my briefcase that holds it perfectly.

You can always sell the FP on the fact that if he does not like it, you can always convert it into a RB if he wishes.


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## RussFairfield (Mar 14, 2008)

There are a lot of things you can tell people about using a fountain pen. 

You need to tell them they might find a message in the fact fact that 60 years ago everyone used a fountain pen, and today everybody uses a ballpoint or rollerball pen. The military was the first to make the switch because you can't sign your name through 9 carbon sheets with a fountain pen. The rest of the world soon followed because Scripto made ballpoint pens available and Bic made them cheap.

You can tell them there are a few eccentric diehards who still prefer a fountain pen for the connection with all of the great authors and statesmen of history who did their work with pen and ink. They can spot these fountain pen users by their ink stained fingers, the ink stains on their handkerchiefs, and the large permanent ink blotches in the borrom of every shirt pocket.

You can tell them that a fountain pen is an attention grabber, because most people have never seen one used. If they are single, you can tell them a fountain pen will attract more women than a dog or a fancy car. 

You can tell them that using a fountain pen is like smoking a pipe. It takes a lot of preparation, a lot of fiddling to keep it going, and frequent pauses to clean and relight; but in between there are moments of pure pleasure. And, a fountain pen doesn't stink. 

You can tell them they can give the fountain pen to their grandchildren. All they can do with a ballpoint is throw it away. 

And you can tell them that 60 years ago everybody used a fountain pen because that's all there was, and today everyone uses a ballpoint because they don't know any better.


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## Firefyter-emt (Mar 14, 2008)

You know there was an interesting tid bit over on FPN the other day about how Babe Ruth used fountain pens to sign baseballs.  I thought that was cool.


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## hughbie (Mar 14, 2008)

David,
i have just started using a fountain pen.  some at work and here at home.  i have a light hand when it comes to writing so using a fountain pen almost comes naturally.
my wife came home from work earlier this week (she's a nurse at a bone and joint clinic) and told me of a man that came in and used a caligraphy pen and his caligraphy style to fill the entire sheet out.  all the women in the office eewwwwww'd and aaaahhhhh'd all over it.
i guess this confirms what was said earlier in this thread.
the best way to sell a pen is to be familiar with it.  make yourself one and use it......you'll be surprised with it, i'm sure.  at least i was!


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## DCBluesman (Mar 14, 2008)

There's a good reason why Babe Ruth (and virtually all of the other players of that era or before) signed baseballs with fountain pens.  The ballpoint pen didn't really catch on until the Frawley Pen Company introduced the "Papermate" model in 1949.  Prior to that, ballpoint pens were a novelty and notoriously finicky...even more so than fountain pens.  Baseball historians will remember that the Babe died of throat cancer in 1948.


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## Jim in Oakville (Mar 14, 2008)

I decided to learn more about fountain pens a few years ago as I was being asked more and more if I offered them. So I made a few and made one my own user.  I use it almost daily now and I learnt a great deal in that time that has helped me a lot.  

I also asked questions of other users and found that there was a lot of variety in common questions, ink, weight, nibs, pumps etc.  

I finally settled on a gold nib that I like, a few inks that I like and a pen design that I like.  

Working through all of these variables has also made me a better pen maker, I am able to offer better knowledge in variations on pens to my customers.

Pro's and Con's...hmmm, it is up to each person to know what they like and don't like, but I can tell you there are no set rules.


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## DCBluesman (Mar 14, 2008)

> _Originally posted by dbriski_
> 
> One of my good clients is asking about fountain pens.  He specificly asked "How are fountain pens for everyday use?"


To me, that questions is similar to asking "How are fresh flowers for the home once a week?"  

Writing is writing in terms of putting color and line on paper.  You can write with a crayon.  In fact, most Americans use a ball point pen the same way they learned to use their crayons...grind it into the paper.

A fountain pen will not be ground into paper...at least not for long and not without damage.

A fountain pen requires the writer to think as he forms letters and because our minds think far faster than our hand can write, the author of a handwritten document often produces a better thought out product.  If nothing else, he has thought about what he is writing and taken care to form letters that are not smeared or unrecognizable...for the most part (There are ALWAYS exceptions.)

With a ballpoint or rollerball pen, the line width is fairly static.  Because of this, we resort to underlining, printing, capitalizing, inserting parentheses and other writing tricks to convey emotion.  An experienced fountain pen user can change his emotion by varying the line widths and changing colors of inks.  

Take a look at a copy of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.  Do you think the signatures, particularly John Hancock's, would have been as impressive if they were written with a one line fits all ballpoint?  And if you have not received a letter from a lover who used jasmine scented tanzanite ink, you have missed one of the great joys of life.  

So back to those fresh flowers every week...as the Russian proverb says, "Take time to smell the roses."  And I will add, take time to write a beautiful, fountain pen written note to someone.  They will appreciate it far more than an email.


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## Buzz (Mar 14, 2008)

"And you can tell them that 60 years ago everybody used a fountain pen because that's all there was, and today everyone uses a ballpoint because they don't know any better."

Thats a great line Russ

I've just started using a fountain pen because as a maker and seller of them I need to know about how to use and maintain them, and as others have said they certainly do catch the eye when pulled out of the pocket.

Just have to watch that I don't go the way Lee has and start another (potentially very expensive) hobby by developing too big an interest in vintage pens.


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## gerryr (Mar 15, 2008)

As Russ noted, people who use fountain pens tend to be eccentric, but if you want to be really eccentric, smoke cigars from Habana AND use a fountain pen.  I know at least three people who fit that description.  One of them lives in Arizona and likes to play golf.[:0][}]


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## Sfolivier (Mar 15, 2008)

I've used a fountain pen all my life (and I'm in my 30's). In western Europe, they are still very common. Actually everyone uses them from the equivalent of Junior High to College. If you have to sit for 8 hours and write, you don't want to do it with anything that forces you to push hard on paper. Plus they write usually darker and are easier to reread.

In France, most general stores (equivalent to Safeway) and bookstores carry several brands of ink (usually in cartridges, converters are very rare). Most people consider that fountain pens are "real" pens, and that the rest is just cheap plastic stuff that is somewhat convenient for light duty note taking... As a matter of fact, school children are supposed to switch to fountain pens as soon as possible. As a kid, I remember thinking that pencils and ballpoints were for "babies" that didn't know yet how to write well . 

The conception that fountain pens are a thing of the past is very American. It is probably fueled by their relative scarcity and by cookie cutter cliches such as:
- FP users always have ink on their fingers: I don't and most of my friends didn't. If you use cartridges, it's actually difficult to get ink on your hand...
- You have to clean and maintain your FP: most FP I owned, including my 10 year old student pen have never been cleaned. Trust me they have seen miles upon miles of lines.
- FP dry all the time: Greatly exaggerated. How many times did I have a cheap ball pen die on me and require vigorous drawing on paper to get going again? Overall, my fountain pens have been more reliable than my BICs. 

It's funny how cultural habits are created and rarely challenged...


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## dwmcreynolds (Mar 15, 2008)

Being left handed, I never thought I could use a fountain pen. Not long ago I made a Statesman, and found that it was a joy to write with, although it's a large pen. I made a Statesman Jr. with amboyna burl that I carry daily. About six months ago I started working part time in a corporate environment for the first time in my life, and I have frequent meetings with the executives. Whipping out that pen to take notes has made quite an impression, and I will probably be selling more than a few pens to these folks. In my private practice (I'm a commercial real estate appraiser) I try to have a new one with me when I meet with my regular clients. More than once they have asked to see the pen, and are really grateful when I tell them it's theirs.


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## Sfolivier (Mar 15, 2008)

dwmcreynolds, there are fast drying inks that might make your life even easier (although I can't remember who makes them, I'm sure someone else will remember and post about them ).


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## DCBluesman (Mar 15, 2008)

Ultra Black, Ultra Midnight Blues and Ultra Sherwood Green from Private Reserve are all fast-dry inks.  Both Anthony and I carry them or they are available at better stationery stores.


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## Sfolivier (Mar 15, 2008)

I actually had the feeling you were going to be the "someone" answering Lou


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## jcollazo (Mar 16, 2008)

Early in my life (early 70's) I trained to be an architect. My handwriting, especially my printing, was immaculate. Through the years and different career changes my writing has become sloppy due to laziness. Now, with a FP I turned a few weeks ago, I find myself wanting to take the time to write. My penmanship _has_ improved in these few weeks but it is nowhere where it once was. Give me several hundred thousand more characters with the FP and I just may be proud of my handwriting again.


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## Firefyter-emt (Mar 17, 2008)

Joe... Maybe it is time for some nice paper?? [}]


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## JohnU (Mar 17, 2008)

This was the perfect question for many of us and thank you all for the pointers.  Ive only made rollerball and ballpoint but wanting to try my hand at a FP.  This may be the push I needed.  Any suggestions on what to start with?


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## CrazyBear (Mar 17, 2008)

> _Originally posted by JohnU_
> 
> This was the perfect question for many of us and thank you all for the pointers.  Ive only made rollerball and ballpoint but wanting to try my hand at a FP.  This may be the push I needed.  Any suggestions on what to start with?



My first fountain pen was a Baron. (part of a group that I bought from Lou )

I turned them and sold two..( I dont sell many pens) I currently use a Baron FP (Upgrade gold .....I Know.I Know) dressed in black Ox Horn. The pen is the best I have ever made. I am extremely proud of it . (But cant get  a good enough photo to post here)

The reason I love this pen is the size and the weight and it is a joy to write with.

So I guess I would recomend the baron ( in any plating)


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## Sfolivier (Mar 17, 2008)

I prefer the Junior Gentlemen II over the barons. From what I've read here the threads are more durable (plastic / metal) and I think they have one of the best stock nibs (pretty easy to find replacements too). Black Ti/Rhodium is my favorite plating, the cap inserts looks better than for the other plating combination (but hey, there's no accountability for taste).

Overall the Baron/Jr Gent kits are very similar.

I tried a couple of elite and classic fountain pens from PSI and I really didn't like them. Too flimsy and overall cheap looking. I know they don't cost as much and can be tempting, but I think they would be a sad first FP experience.


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## dbriski (Mar 17, 2008)

Thanks all for the great insight.  I have been wanting to turn myself a fountain pen for a while now, but I have other obligations keeping me from pen turning and personal projects.  Occationally when an order comes in I can turn one but until I get other flatwork projects done I won't be able to get to a personal pen.


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## jcollazo (Mar 17, 2008)

> _Originally posted by JohnU_
> 
> This was the perfect question for many of us and thank you all for the pointers.  Ive only made rollerball and ballpoint but wanting to try my hand at a FP.  This may be the push I needed.  Any suggestions on what to start with?



A Jr. Gent II or a Jr. Retro. Here's a link to my first FP that I mislabeled as a Jr. Rebel:
http://www.penturners.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=34457

It's no harder than any other pen.


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## thompenshop (Mar 24, 2008)

I find this discussion interesting since for the past 7 years I have been a member of a discussion group on the net that collects only fountain pens (there are exceptions of course). Take a look at that list if you care to. I'm sure the moderator (Tom Zoss) would welcome you. The list is reached by the following link: pens@zoss.com   Once a person subscribes he/she will receive approximately 50 email a day that are discussion about fountain pens. The emails come either in digest form or one at a time all day long. 

On my website I have an article that I wrote a couple of years ago about fountain pen nib selection. There is also an article about things to consider when one dicides to become involved with the hobby of pen turning.

My web address is:  http://www.thompsonpens.com

Happy turning!  Chris Thompson


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## Firefyter-emt (Mar 24, 2008)

Chris, that is a very impressive website you have there, nice job!


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## jjudge (Mar 26, 2008)

I can't see it -- website is empty
(Mac Safari, Linux Firefox, Windows Firefox + Safari, Palm TX with Opera,
Windows is in a secure environment that doesn't allow IE or activeX)


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## marionquill (Apr 4, 2008)

"Originally posted by JohnU

This was the perfect question for many of us and thank you all for the pointers. Ive only made rollerball and ballpoint but wanting to try my hand at a FP. This may be the push I needed. Any suggestions on what to start with?"





I just made a cambridge fountain pen with Thuya burl and it is AWESOME  I love the blank and the kit looks classy and the large size is nice to write with.


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