Any fountain pen collectors/enthusiasts?

[Shamrocker]

Rather than necro-bump a thread that's been dead since early '08....

Are any members here fountain pen collectors/enthusiasts? Since many of you collect many different things.... cigars, shaving paraphernalia, military memorabilia, watches, scotches etc. I thought I'd see who might also collect fountain pens. I've always been interested in them, have never got around to actually purchasing one but am considering taking the plunge.

My interest in them probably started about 13 years ago when I worked in a bookstore. I saw some of the nice pens and pencil sets, but what really caught my eye was this wonderfully handmade glass pen and ink bottle. It just looked elegant and like it was capable of being a functional showpiece in a collection.Then I was just a clerk earning minimum wage so I wasn't even thinking about buying anything nicer than a sub-$5 gel roller ball. Years later and now I don't work for minimum wage, so I was thinking of treating myself to one, or mentioning it to the wife as a Christmas idea.

I know there are as many brands of pens as there are distilleries in Scotland, but are there any specific makes you prefer, and why? Do you prefer replaceable cartridges or refilling from an ink bottle? Recommendations for a beginner/noob to fountain pens? Price is a concern for me, since I'm not going to be dropping a ton of cash on something like a Mont Blanc or S.T. Dupont.

 

[obmike]

It is an illness. Check out www.fountainpennetwork.com

I like both vintage and newer pens. I also use both bottle ink and cartridges - but mostly bottle ink. Lamy makes good pens that are inexpensive. Pelikan does the same.

Send me your address and I'll send you one with some ink cartridges.

Mike

 

[punk_lawyer]

I don't use ballpoint pens...

Waterman makes decent enough products and cartridges are relatively easy to find. Enjoy. There really is nothing like the look of writing with a fountain pen.

 

[Shamrocker]

It is an illness. Check out www.fountainpennetwork.com

I like both vintage and newer pens. I also use both bottle ink and cartridges - but mostly bottle ink. Lamy makes good pens that are inexpensive. Pelikan does the same.

Send me your address and I'll send you one with some ink cartridges.

Mike

Very generous Mike! Your generosity will be reciprocated.

I don't use ballpoint pens...

Waterman makes decent enough products and cartridges are relatively easy to find. Enjoy. There really is nothing like the look of writing with a fountain pen.

If I end up liking fountain pens enough, I may end up using one for the proofing and editing I do at work. I don't mind the gel ink roller ball pens we have at work. They are smooth writing but I find after drawing long lines the ink blobs up around the tip. An alternative would be nice.

 

[MadMonk]

Oi vey. I got out of heavy duty pen using, etc many, many, years ago. I am a highly trained and once prolific artist. I had to try EVERYTHING.
Also practiced Calligraphy for many years. Truthfully, The old Mont Blanc Starwalker was a dream. Any OLD better brand pen is going to be real nice, and I suspect superior to anything modern. Over the years, I've stuck my toe in the new water, and the few modern pens I've played with at the store were not good at all, especially if you used older pens.

I would stay away from other Mont Blanc. More eye candy than performance.
Pelikan and a Japanese Pen whose name alludes me were always highly respected. I'm going to have to dig to find the one Japanese pen, I bought like 35 years ago, and get the name. I basically settled on Pelikan. A lot of bang for the buck.

There is something about the tactile feedback and coverage from those old pens that todays do not match.

 

[Pipe Smoker]

Yup, it was an obsession of mine a few years back (truth be told, it actually started back when I was in high school). As soothing and enjoyable as writing with a good pen can be, I came to terms with the fact that they don't really fit my daily routine as they once did. Most of the time I write with a Parker Jotter that I keep in my suit jacket pocket or a disposable pen that I can throw into a redwell as I run out of the office. I do still carry a small Pelican M400 (filled with Private Reserve DC Supershow Blue) in my briefcase at all times. The rest of my pens sit at home in a very nice display box that my wife bought me as a gift.

Pelikan and a Japanese Pen whose name alludes me were always highly respected. I'm going to have to dig to find the one Japanese pen, I bought like 35 years ago, and get the name.

Could it be Pilot (Namiki) ?