# How best to use a FP



## Hayseedboy (Feb 7, 2008)

All,

I have yet to turn a FP.  They certainly are more beautiful in their design than rollerballs.  That said, I only remember writting with one as a 10 or 11 year old boy that was confused with how it worked.

Well... I'm still confused.  When writting with one do you have a large learning curve or can one just start using one.

Secondly, how do you store one without it drying out on you?

Thanks!
lr


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## rlharding (Feb 7, 2008)

I don't recall ever learning how to use a fountain pen.  I remember sometimes getting ink on my fingers and it was because in earnest at my studies[^] my fingers had slipped down to the nib itself. You do have to break one in by using it and getting it to conform with your writing style/angle at which you hold the pen while writing.

As for it not drying out.....never been a problem because I use it all the time.  If I am moving and don't want to imagine ink dripping everywhere I take the cartridge out and run water through it.


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## R2 (Feb 7, 2008)

Hands up all of you poor deprived souls who did not do any of the following:
 Mix ink powder with water at school to make ink and then, having done so, spill it on your shirt or flick it at your sworn enemies?
 Spill copious quantities of ink across the pages of your best[:0] work?
 Dig the old Post Office style nibs through several layers of paper as you learnt to write?
 Snap the middle sections of your nib off and use the remaining piece to make an evil, two pronged paper dart?
 Graduate to a fountain pen in first year of high school?  You were probably given one by your proud parents as a Christmas gift.
 Compare your pen with every other pen in the class? And then wished you had a better or cooler pen?
 After a full six months at high school be able to debate, with prodigious authority,the merits of diiferent fountain pens?
 Try to write with smaller lettering than any other peson in the whole school?
 If you missed these expeiences then you had a sadly deprived upbringing.[}]


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## holmqer (Feb 7, 2008)

The key thing to keep in mind when switching from a ball pen to a fountain pen is to use a light touch. Ball pens require more pressure to write then you would want to use for a fountain pen. To give you an idea how light of a tough will work with an FP, I can cradle an FP in my hand such that the only pressure on the nib is the weight of the pen itself, and it produces a nice line.

Another thing is to remember to hold the pen such that the tines of the nib are parellel to the paper. When switching from a ball pen where orientation does not matter, this can be hard to remember for some folks.


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## rherrell (Feb 7, 2008)

Wow, didn't realize I was deprived.


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## Firefyter-emt (Feb 7, 2008)

Yes, much of what is said is true, but with the steel nibs of our kits you can almost transition from a ball point with little change. Heck, thos steel nibs will work with carbon copies!  Now take that Montblanc I picked up the other day and it's like writing with a spring it's so flexiable. I have had to start to carry an old slimline in my clipboard to useon carbon paper as I can no longer use the Montblanc on it.

I am working on a new "pen holder" that will hold the pens upright. I saw this really nice wood one over at FPN.  The best thing is to keep pens not in rotation nib up, and empty of ink. 

Now this is not mine, and I forget who made it, but I like it and plan to copy it. I assume there is a ball bearing in the base to allow the top to spin around. Not needed, but easy to do and very cool.


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## jeffj13 (Feb 7, 2008)

Let's not overthink this.

Pick it up in your hand and write with it.  If you are not getting the result you want or something does't seem right, make adjustments( pressure, angle, etc)until you are satisfied.  If you still aren't satified, consider the nib, ink or paper as a source of the problem.

jeff

jeff


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## gerryr (Feb 7, 2008)

Since you haven't used a fountain pen in recent memory, I have two recommendations.  Either buy a Lami Safari for Anthony (Penworks) or make your own Baron, Jr. Gent/Retro/Statesman fountain pen and get a semi-flex steel nib form Lou (DCBluesman) to replace the kit nib.  Neither of these really require any break-in period, they just write from the beginning.  I guarantee you will like either one.


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## Sylvanite (Feb 7, 2008)

When someone asks me about different styles of pens or inks, I get out a regular ballpoint, a gel-ink ballpoint, a rollerball, and a fountain pen.

I let them write with the regular ballpoint while I tell them the pros and cons of its construction and ink formulation.  Then I let them try the gel-ink ballpoint, then the rollerball, and finally the fountain pen.  Each time, I explain about the ink differences, and the various pens' writing charactistics.

With each step, people invariably comment about how much smoother that pen writes.  Most everybody is astonished at the feel of the fountain pen.  I don't give any special instructions along the way except to say that each successive pen requires less pressure and to just let the fountain pen glide over the paper.

I don't think there is a significant learning curve to begin using a fountain pen, other than a light touch.  Of course, an afficionado will tell you that a fountain pen enables a lot more nuance in one's penmanship.

Regards,
Eric


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## donald19 (Feb 7, 2008)

To answer your first question the learning curve is what you make of it. It does take time and patience to use a fountain pen  with grace and ease. Patience pays off when you can finally write cursive freehand it's like magic. Everything flows onto the paper.  Calligraphy kits can be bought at most bookstores.  This is a good place to start as it will give you a basic starting  point.  As a stamp collector I've had the fortune of collecting old mail from the 1800's and some of the writing styles are awesome to see and read.


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