# Wanting to Turn Fountain Pens



## dankc908 (Feb 5, 2010)

Okay - I have had 2 people request fountain pens after looking at my Slimlines and Gatsbys.  I think I'm ready to start trying it.  My questions, now, are:  What kit would be best for my first FP effort?  Are there any warnings I need to be aware of before I start?  Where might be the best place to buy 'parts' to replace any future 'goofs'.  Any other recommendations and advice would be greatly appreciated.  By the way, I have loved fountain pens for years and use them often.  I have several low-end pens for which I need to find replacement nibs and get them back in working order.  I would, probably, become my own best customer.

Thanks for any help any of you can offer!

Dan


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## David M (Feb 5, 2010)

just me , but i like the sedonas , round top . not very pricy . 
makes for a nice pen.
David


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## OKLAHOMAN (Feb 5, 2010)

Can't go wrong with any of the Jr.'s from CSUSA, as to replacement parts the only available part are nibs, available from a couple of members here. My favorite nibs come from DCBluesman (Lou Metcalf) @ www.heritagepens.com also from www.exoticblanks.com where you can also get extremely good blanks,nibs,even kits and combine shipping.


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## thevillageworkshop (Feb 5, 2010)

Classic and Classic Elite are good choices to start with because they are easy to turn and easy to assemble.  Also if you need replacment parts you can just order another kit for less than the parts sometimes cost. Try www.thevillageworkshop.net


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## glycerine (Feb 5, 2010)

One thing people seem to like.  When the cap is posted, the clip should line up with the nib... This can be a little tricky when putting the pen together.


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## jskeen (Feb 5, 2010)

Just a few random thoughts for the beginning fountain pen turner.  Almost all the FP kits available now are also available as a rollerball kit the only difference is which section is supplied (oh, and the rb kits come with a spring, fp's don't).  Most threads are identical enough to freely swap back and forth from a rb section to a fp section at will.  Thus "turning" a fp is no different than an rollerball.

Which kit should you turn?  Depends on what you can afford to spend, vs what you want.  You can get fp kits anywhere from $6 each to around $100.  My personal favorite is the Jr. Gent.  It comes in all the best platings, it has nice metal to nylon threads in the cap, the threads are plated to match the rest of the kit instead of being black enamel (except for the low end gold kit) so they won't wear through.  You can get spare tubes for them easily, (including colored ones less likely to show through plastic blanks).  It also ALWAYS comes with a plated metal front section, with a separate plastic holder that threads in to hold the nib and feed.  

Some kits use a one piece all plastic section to hold the nib and feed, and I have had several problems with these, both breakage, and not holding the nib and feed well enough  for the ink to feed well.  Now some of them are fine, but why take the chance if you don't have to.  I ALWAYS ask a vendor if the sections are all plastic before I order.  

Most people start out with the jr size pens just because of the price of kits, and the drill bits needed for them.  However, I have found that the larger full size gent pens are usually less prone to problems with the fountain pen sections, are more comfortable (for me) to write with and are easier to turn because the finished material around the tube is a little thicker.  They are not light to carry around in your shirt pocket though.


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## Manny (Feb 5, 2010)

Make a stretch pen. 1 barrel to turn good plating if you buy from Aaron


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## Mr Vic (Feb 5, 2010)

Pick a kit you like such as the Sedona or Baron/Navigator (different names from different sources) and do several with the same plating but in roller ball and fountain. Say 3 roller balls to 1 fountain pen. You can use different woods or acrylics. If the customer wants a specific pen, but in a fountain pen you simply unscrew and swap the nibs. I get a lot more counter sales of roller ball then fountain pens thus the suggested ratio. Others might offer opinions.


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## Dan_F (Feb 15, 2010)

My preference are the Churchill or El Grande from Berea, available from any of the resellers such as Arizona Silhouette. They have an all plastic section which I much prefer to metal for feel and weight control, and they are comfortable and well balanced, not too heavy. Don't try to post the cap though, throws the balance way off.

Dan


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## Mickey (Feb 19, 2010)

Run over to Rocklers and take advantage of the closeout on their Majestic FPs for $19.99 (regular $58.99). Rollerballs are also closeouts at the same price.


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## drayman (Mar 19, 2010)

i have used fountain pens all my life, well nearly. i use a gents fountain pen as my everyday one. that alone has got me loads of sales. my demo pen is a jr gent filled with private reserve ultra black. my daily one is inked with noodlers baystate blue. by using good quality ink improves your pen x20.i allways carry some clairefontain paper too. so when the potential customer tries the pen they fall in love with it. oh dear another sale.
i have only had 2 issues with the component nibs, 5-10 min fettling them with no problems. because i could not find a decent fountain pen to write with. got me into making pens in the first place. and believe me the nibs are of great quality.


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