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@silhelm @inherentlee Ok, two questions:
First: what was your "gateway" to this hobby? What made you think, this is it, this is a thing I want to do?
Second: What would you recommend for somebody just starting out, to help them make that decision?
First, it doesn't have to be a whole hobby - it can just be a tool you use. That's what it was like for me for a long time. I pivoted into hobby/collecting between 2016-2020, so gradually I can't call it a decision. That said it took me until 2022 until I got a pen pricier than €50, and I don't see myself as a serious collector, more casual "oh I want that".
I started using dip pens for art in the mid nineties, and got my first fountain pens a few years later; (cont) 1/7
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First, it doesn't have to be a whole hobby - it can just be a tool you use. That's what it was like for me for a long time. I pivoted into hobby/collecting between 2016-2020, so gradually I can't call it a decision. That said it took me until 2022 until I got a pen pricier than €50, and I don't see myself as a serious collector, more casual "oh I want that".
I started using dip pens for art in the mid nineties, and got my first fountain pens a few years later; (cont) 1/7
@mhoye a manuscript calligraphy kit, which still is holding up well and I hear they're still good value for money if you want a stub nib (a wider nib so it goes thick thin, and can be used for certain styles of calligraphy). Then I got some pens for my daily writing, and then it kept slowly growing, slower at first, then quite fast once it was becoming its own dedicated hobby for me, then I figured out what I like and now I think I buy more thoughtfully. (Now to the actual answer) 2/7
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@mhoye a manuscript calligraphy kit, which still is holding up well and I hear they're still good value for money if you want a stub nib (a wider nib so it goes thick thin, and can be used for certain styles of calligraphy). Then I got some pens for my daily writing, and then it kept slowly growing, slower at first, then quite fast once it was becoming its own dedicated hobby for me, then I figured out what I like and now I think I buy more thoughtfully. (Now to the actual answer) 2/7
@mhoye The reason I like fountain pens is I like how the pen nib feels compared to a ball pen, takes less effort to write, and I like the vast variety of inks and how they look different in different pens/nib combos and on different papers. Some nibs have a feedback (like a pencil on textured paper) and some are so silky smooth I have to look to see I'm really writing. A fountain pen doesn't have to be pushed into the paper, so it's gentler on the hands too. 3/7
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@mhoye The reason I like fountain pens is I like how the pen nib feels compared to a ball pen, takes less effort to write, and I like the vast variety of inks and how they look different in different pens/nib combos and on different papers. Some nibs have a feedback (like a pencil on textured paper) and some are so silky smooth I have to look to see I'm really writing. A fountain pen doesn't have to be pushed into the paper, so it's gentler on the hands too. 3/7
@mhoye For someone considering whether fps could be a good tool for them, I'd recommend trying several different pens, different brands and nib widths. Not every pen recommended is good for every hand! If going to a specialized shop is possible for you, do that, but if not, there are cheaper pens (less than €5 in europe!) that are frankly great. 4/7
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@mhoye For someone considering whether fps could be a good tool for them, I'd recommend trying several different pens, different brands and nib widths. Not every pen recommended is good for every hand! If going to a specialized shop is possible for you, do that, but if not, there are cheaper pens (less than €5 in europe!) that are frankly great. 4/7
@mhoye You can also ask people you know online (cough) for recommendations based on what you like and your needs, and maybe they'll also have something to sell/trade/gift. 5/7
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@mhoye You can also ask people you know online (cough) for recommendations based on what you like and your needs, and maybe they'll also have something to sell/trade/gift. 5/7
@mhoye The pen I am suggesting if you're just starting out is a platinum preppy, for the record. It comes with ink, and if you like it you can buy refills. Getting something like a pilot varsity or the zebra equivalent (disposable pen but with an fp nib) is also good to just try it out and get used to what it feels like and how to write with it. 6/7
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@mhoye The pen I am suggesting if you're just starting out is a platinum preppy, for the record. It comes with ink, and if you like it you can buy refills. Getting something like a pilot varsity or the zebra equivalent (disposable pen but with an fp nib) is also good to just try it out and get used to what it feels like and how to write with it. 6/7
@mhoye It does not have to be an expensive hobby, or expensive to start, is what I am trying to say. People see nerds like me with pricey pens and lots of ink bottles and think I've not money nor space for that - but it can just be a pen and some spare cartridges, or a bottle of ink, too. Or anything in between! That's what I was like for 20 years.
(I also have opinions on ball pens, and gel pens, and will buy refillable good ones of those too) 7/7
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@mhoye It does not have to be an expensive hobby, or expensive to start, is what I am trying to say. People see nerds like me with pricey pens and lots of ink bottles and think I've not money nor space for that - but it can just be a pen and some spare cartridges, or a bottle of ink, too. Or anything in between! That's what I was like for 20 years.
(I also have opinions on ball pens, and gel pens, and will buy refillable good ones of those too) 7/7
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@danwwilson
Yep! Or well, daily writer is easy/hard: whatever is at hand. I use several pens every day and rarely the same ones several days in a row. I do tend to have a lot of pens inked simultaneously (more than 50, I try to keep it below 80, currently failing), but many of them have such excellent seal they can be ignored for months or a year and no hard starts. I love having the choice — what nib, ink, grip am I in the mood for — variety is my habit. 1/ -
@danwwilson
Yep! Or well, daily writer is easy/hard: whatever is at hand. I use several pens every day and rarely the same ones several days in a row. I do tend to have a lot of pens inked simultaneously (more than 50, I try to keep it below 80, currently failing), but many of them have such excellent seal they can be ignored for months or a year and no hard starts. I love having the choice — what nib, ink, grip am I in the mood for — variety is my habit. 1/@silhelm @danwwilson do you have recommendations on how to find fountain pens with that kind of good seals? (or brands to avoid if a good seal is a required feature) -
@silhelm @danwwilson do you have recommendations on how to find fountain pens with that kind of good seals? (or brands to avoid if a good seal is a required feature)
@valhalla
It takes very exact tooling to get it right every time. Many brands manage it seeming on random (a pen of the same make, colour even, might fail), some has made it A Thing to sell pens with a good seal. One of those brands you already know; Platinum - from the preppy to the pricey ones they all have a good seal. Pilot prera is a model also sold with that quality advertised.
1/ -
@valhalla
It takes very exact tooling to get it right every time. Many brands manage it seeming on random (a pen of the same make, colour even, might fail), some has made it A Thing to sell pens with a good seal. One of those brands you already know; Platinum - from the preppy to the pricey ones they all have a good seal. Pilot prera is a model also sold with that quality advertised.
1/@valhalla Looking at a cap might tell you Things: are there air holes in the cap (kakuno, looking at you)? Are there an inner soft liner cap?
It's not a guarantee but those things heighten/lower the chance. Fwiw I have a lot of kaweco sports with excellent seal, and some without. Lamy basically always fail the seal test (the best I've tried was the studio, still imperfect). Pelikans too aren't great. Sailor are pretty good but not as good as platinum.
2/ -
@valhalla Looking at a cap might tell you Things: are there air holes in the cap (kakuno, looking at you)? Are there an inner soft liner cap?
It's not a guarantee but those things heighten/lower the chance. Fwiw I have a lot of kaweco sports with excellent seal, and some without. Lamy basically always fail the seal test (the best I've tried was the studio, still imperfect). Pelikans too aren't great. Sailor are pretty good but not as good as platinum.
2/
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