Parker T1 Rare and expensive, but man does it write smoothly. And being titanium it is SO light. As for a beginner pen, I agree with the Metro as the best entry pen. The Jinhaos usually need lots of nib tuning to write smoothly.
I just picked up my first fountain pen, a Pilot Metropolitan with a fine nib. As a left handed person. I have either had ball point pens, that sometimes doesn't write well. Or, gel pens that dries too slowly. So far, I am really liking the Pilot Metropolitan. The ink made by Pilot, drys on paper very quickly. And the pen lays down ink very well. I also really like the light touch needed to write.
@@boomjonggol5757, iroshizuku is the brand I bought. It was the recommended ink in the manual that came with my pen. There was a lot of colors to pick from. I went with a 50ml bottle of asa-gao.
@@micheledickey4066, I could see how it would feel a little heavy for some. Personally, I think it's weight is pretty much perfect for me. However, most of my writing is, jotting down notes or numbers at work.
I’m a High Schooler from Australia, and I use the Lamy Safari fountain pen for most of my class notes. Very uncommon, but people often ask me where they can buy one. In my opinion, it presents great value and everyone should own AT LEAST one. If not the Safari, at least one other fountain pen.
IamPhantom 1758 Good choice! The LAMY is a very reliable everyday pen and it comes in sooo many cute colours. In fact I‘m so intrigued ba the colours, I started to collect them, and I have more than 20 Safaris and Allstars now. 😁
I’m also an Aussie high schooler! I’ve been using a pilot kaküno for around a year and a half and bought my first two Safari’s this week! Many of my class mates ask to use my pen to see how it feels and I have pulled several of them down the fountain pen rabbit hole 😅. I’m surprised schools don’t teach with them in more countries, come on Australia we’re missing out!!
@@MountainsAtMidnight The interesting thing is that in the U.S. The Fountain Pen is a mark of either a Med Student, a law student, or affluence and luxury. About the only place you're apt to see them is in an attorney's office. The Felt Tip is far more common.
I've always been a fountain pen enthusiast like my father. I think Ramy Safari was was my very first own budget one in higschool & I still use a whole bunch at work in my 30s. Twsbi is another good entry level brand. But before you load up on the entry level one, save and invest in good ones. A good midway ones, you can get from sailor -sailor has some good choices below $200. If you spend around $500 even better
My first pen was a Kaweco sport ,she's ideal for travelling and taking everywhere and very easily to modify. The only problem is the the converter it's really small. My second was a lamy joi
I have had trouble finding inexpensive fountain pens that do not leak. The best ones in my experience are Pilot V pens or Varsity, but these are disposable - when the ink runs out you get rid of the pen. Within those limitations, V pens are pretty good and not prone to leakage. Ones that you load up with a cartridge often leak. I don't know if it is a flaw in the pen or if I am doing something wrong.
It just feels better, too. Even when I do cut myself, it doesn't hurt as badly. They also handle butter and lotions better, which I find to make less mess and work better than cream.
TWISBI Eco. At around 30 USD it can be the first and last fountain pen you need honestly. Twist cap that'll never let the pen dry out, piston filling, the pen barrel is the ink window, and a nice assortment of nibs that are very smooth to write with. They're wonderful.
True that. I fell in love with that pen so much that I ended up buying it thrice. One with a medium nib, and two with fine nibs. The ink doesn't dry out. Mine didn't dry out even after 2 months of lying about (in that timespan, my parker IM and Parker Urban dried out and had to be thoroughly cleaned to make them usable).
Love TWSBI!!! I have done eco’s and done higher prices. The eco was my first to see if I liked fountain pens. I still have my first eco, and use it regularly.
My pick was the X450, I love it and it really looks a lot more expensive than it actually is. Also it writes very smoothly, no scratchy feeling and very well made.
I visited the factory of Lamy when I was a child.... i grew up in Heidelberg, Germany. And LAMY safari is kind of the " go to" fountain pen for many pupils.
Spot on suggestions and a great primer for beginners to understand their options to start off. The Jinhaos may be a little troublesome with quality control being spotty from China. The Faber-Castell Grip is another solid option from Germany.
Glad you included the Pilot Varsity. One of my favorites. Many years ago I bought a Mont Blanc 149 which had problems with its ink feed. So I sent it in for a checkup. When I got it back and tested it, there was still a problem with the ink feed. Too little ink came trough. So back it went. When I tested it, this time there was much to much ink flow. So for a third time I sent it back, this time with a Pilot Varsity and a request to adjust the ink flow so that it was the same as the Varsity. MB was not impressed with me at all :) But they did replace the pen with another which solved the problem. Strange that 149 was the only one I had problems with. Must have owned 50-60 MBs over the years. My favorite ones are the 147 Traveler and the Herbert von Karajan homage. And the 145 ballpoint for when I have to fill out forms.
Canadian prices: Pilot Metropolitan: $22-28 Pilot Varsity: $4-7 Jinhao x450: $7 Jinhao x750: $10 Lamy Safari: $34-37 (These are all based on the cheapest/best offers I could find in Canadian prices.) The Pilot Metropolitan is my favorite. I love the simple design, and it's shape. The grip is also amazing, and it comes with my favorite converter. I would definitely recommend this, or a Jinhao as a starter pen. Update: I think that a Jinhao x750 is the most worth it pen for beginners.
I love my Lamy Safaris. I have one with an extra fine and one with a medium nib. I use them for ink sketching with permanent Platinum Carbon ink. I also write with them both daily to keep the ink flowing. I love how durable and practical they are and the fun modern design. I love that I can just refill whenever the ink runs out. Buying these was a choice I made in order to avoid throwing out plastic pens regularly and to eventually save money over constantly re-buying non-refillable black pens for sketching. It has worked out VERY well.
Love your channel, the content is very useful. You mentioned that you use green ink in your fountain pen. I have always been told black ink is considered professional. Is it considered unprofessional to use other colors in a fountain pen?
On important documents black ink is preferred and government paperwork is always done in black ink. Sometimes banks won’t accept checks in odd colours (not black or blue).
jinhao x750 it is hefty, well made, writes well on normal paper, didn't dry out on the nib after months, their own blue cartridge is also good, and cheap.
I was about to suggest this pen myself. I think it has one of the greatest steel nibs that can even compete with way more expensive steel nibs. Also it has a big Ink tank it can last me easily a week without refill.
If you are looking for an inexpensive pen, the Wing Sung 698 and Pilot 78g are great options under 20$. They are presentable and the 78g broad series even comes with italic capabilities. Edit: They come in a wide range of colors from clear, or as I like: black and gold. My Wing Sung 698 has not shown ANY signs of wear in three months, despite daily school use.
The only fountain pen I currently own is a Lamy Safari. I use it for writing in a journal. I use bottled ink and a converter, extra fine nib. I had a Lamy Safari and a Ohto pen made in Japan that cost $15. I forgot why I got rid of it. I had one package of Pilot varsity disposable fountain pens.
The Pilot V pen is brilliant for leaving in your desk at work just for those rare occasions when you forget your good pens as it will write 1st time even if it has not been used in 6-9 months.
I heard a story about someone having a 10 year old V pen start right up, the seal on those are amazing and honestly it's just a brilliant pen all around
My experience is that the Pilot Metropolitan is the best starter pen. The price to quality ratio is unbeatable. I think since pilot makes their own nibs my guess is they have just one line making them. Such that the same master craftsman who make the mighty #50 nib for the Namiki Emperor also make the nibs for the other pens as well (of course with less hand tuning after ). Variety of nib widths and the aprox 20 usd cost is unbeatable. Also with the huge price drop in their Iroshizuku inks what isn't to love about pilot.
Another excellent video, Sven. My favourite fountain pen is my platinum classic from Graf von Faber Castell with a fine nib. For beginners, I recommend looking at the Faber Castell Loom, which is a wonderful pen for about €25-€30. Have you considered doing a video on fountain pen ink as a follow up to this series?
Love the fountain pen video! I would also love to see more, maybe one explaining elegant inks and colours you recommend for professionalism. I personally love using a dark brown or a very dark teal black, especially the Pilot Iroshizuku inks. Maybe even a video on slightly higher end gold nibs too? Fountain pens really add that finishing touch in a quality outfit
I had the lamy and pelikan fountain pens back in school and I remember liking the lamy a lot and was so excited when i got it. (I grew up in germany) i miss using these a lot
I, too, used a red Lamy Safari when I attended school here in Germany. As a matter of fact, I still have that same pen, lying around somewhere (I'm the sentimental type). These days I prefer the fountain pens from Visconti.
My coworkers used to steal my ball pens and I would be left with nothing to write with. Then I decided to buy a couple of Pilot Varsity and it did the trick, nobody wanted to use them because they didn't know how to write with fountain pens. I just wish these pens would come with medium and large nibs. At home I got Staedtler and Sheaffer fountain pens.
Thanks for this video. When I was at school early to late 70's, I always used fountain pen and Parker Biro pens. Despite advances in cheaper biro's I still feel the tips are too fine, especially in the stock stationery cupboard fare that employers provide, and as I do a lot of reviewing and signature/signoffs in my job, I've tried Gel pens which I like but these can be costly for decent ones. I've lost in house moves etc a few pens I had, a decent Schaeffer fountain pen with gold nib being one I was hoping to find. So your video was of great interest as I want something decent, that hopefully work colleagues won't be inclined to "borrow" but equally won't cost the earth. I decided I would try out the Jinhao as they seem cheaply available online for under £6 including the ink converter, and I have plenty of that from doing general and calligraphy work. The local WH Smith was selling a cheap Parker pen £8 down to £4 so I tried, but after just 10 days I'm having ink flow and scratchiness issues. I will try and get the nib out if I can, if not I'll probably just see how the Jinhao performs. However if anyone can recommend a broad nib pen for £30-£40 Max that is a star performer then drop me a comment.
I use the Platinum Preppy .03 daily, and I am happy with it even though it is sometimes scratchy. I also have a Jinhao 601a that I like very much. I am new to fountain pens by the way.
*I prefer B nib, and higher flow, for counterfeit protection.* "Everyone bleeds ink differently. The best counterfeiters can only come close." (Cnt of Thurgau)
Wonderful video as always. My first fountain pen (at 35 y/o) is a Kaweco Sport that I received from Bespoke Post. The M nib on it is a bit too wide for me. Loving it so far nonetheless but really want to see if the Pilot Metropolitan would be better suited for everyday use. Keep up the great work as always!
That was also my first fountain pen from the same source too! It's a tad small for my hands but writes both smoothly and consistently and is one of my favourites now that I'm six in.
I've had the Lamy Safary for a while now, and I'm quite happy with it, and now thank to your video, I understood that it may be because I have tiny hands! :D haha
I just had to say that I loved this video but also absolutely loved the comments! I'm old, but new to fountain pens I sketch and do watercolor and such, but I'm falling out of love with the typical micron pens, to sensitive and have to be held straight up and my arthritis hands don't love the straight up hold nor the pressure needed with a ballpoint even though they're fun for sketching sometimes too. I've heard fountain pens doing need or want much pressure and my very favorite ink/watercolor artists use fountain pens, a lot with fude nibs....with my med bills and almost total loss of work for my hubby, money is a factor, but I would like to fill and pick my own ink and colors and use waterproof ink and something that isn't at all a throw away. A sweet friend just bought me the very inexpensive Amazon basics fountain pen, fine nib, universal (if that's the correct term) converter and some platinum carbon black ink....I'm excited to write with it, but am thinking it won't give me those more expressive lines I want for sketching. Plus, I am left handed, does that make a difference? And I saw a comment where they said they mixed their own ink colors!?!?!!??! Oh wow....I absolutely love mixing my own watercolor and acrylic paint colors for my art stuff, so the thought of mixing my own ink color makes me SUPER excited...though it seems they mentioned that some inks don't go together well and I can't remember the word they used of what will happen, I'll try to find the comment again and paste part of this comment there. But any advice on the above with fudes, and even ones that have nibs you can change out....though it seems like people into this typically just have several different pens that each do something different. I can't afford that...I've seen some lots on ebay, but most don't give any info or even show nibs so scares me to just waste, even small amount makena difference :) My husband knows what art means to me, I only started teaching myself several years ago to help me cope with severe chronic pain, RA and metal all over :) it saves life :) so even when we're this tight he tries to get me a small paint or paper here and there :) so I teased him and showed him I need to try fountain pens for sketching and showed him some very expensive ones and he looked at me like I must have lost my mind completely now!! AaaHHHhaaha Thanks for any help!!
I’m sad no one replied to this! I’m in a similar way - chronic illness and pain, including in hands, love watercolor (also interested in learning calligraphy in my case, would love to make an illuminated manuscript of sorts), and have a Kaweco Sport that I enjoy but definitely don’t get appreciable line width variation with. Would love to hear about Fude nibs and inexpensive flexible/blunt/etc. nib possibilities. I can barely manage anything these days, and like you can not get a collection to try, nor can I go in person anywhere, as I’m immunocompromised. :( Wishing you luck - if you have found anything to advise since making your comment, please share!
This video has been an immense help in starting my fountain pen collection! Thank you so much for making it very clear to someone with little fountain pen experience such as myself.
Got to love the ink having cost more than the pen, haha. That said, I'm hardly the one to judge, as I have one Iroshizuku ink for each month in the year.
Oh, all in all, I have 50+ bottles of different kinds of inks from different brands - plus my calligraphy inks, as that's a hobby I made the mistake of getting way too deep into. I did a 12-set of Iroshizuku as a (questionable) method of limiting the amount of ink I buy. The theory is that I only really need to fight my instinct to buy more inks by the automatic rotation keeping things "fresh". Why iroshizuku? 1. They are super reliable. I've got my Pilot Custom 823 and every one of the works like a dream: that's not always the case with some other ink manufacturers, like Diamine, where some inks are awesome and others feel a tad weird. If one forces oneself to us an ink for a month, it'd better be very functional. 2. They look nice in the glass covered bookshelf I hold them in. They form a little "ink calendar", as the twelve boxes sit in their monthly order with the current month extruding out. 3. I got the first few more cheaply, and then the perfectionist in me struck and I had to complete the collection at whatever cost. If you're using a Pilot Metropolitan, I do think something like Diamine will give you a much better value - at least in Europe, a bottle is 2-3€ and a lot of the colours are absolutely fantastic. Aqua Blue, Scarlet, and Mint immediately spring to my mind as awesome colours. In the US, I'd still tend to steer away from iroshizuku and other premium products as you'd be far better off saving for a gold-nibbed pen than paying for nice glass bottles. The inks shine in their consistency across colours and have all around most pleasant properties, but really what you are paying for is the fancy bottle. Seriously, that bottle is *expensive* to produce and is easily the top cost in the product. They did finally get them mass produced last year, but even now it is expensive.
I highly recommend the Jinhao 250! It’s durable and comfortable. It has a converter and it’s smooth. Got mine with 10 cartridges and one converter for $1.80
You can, but you would have to clean the pen out, so the inks don't mix. You can either do this under running water, if you were using a cartridge, or by draining your converter and filling/unfilling repeatedly with soapy water instead of ink, until the water runs clear. This is actually one of the biggest benefits of fountain pens. Brian Goulet has a great video on "Pen Cleaning and Maintenance."
I would like to suggest the TWSBI ECO as another great starter pen. It's a piston-filler demonstrator pen for only about $30. This is around the same price you would pay for a Lamy Safari along with a converter. TWSBI pens in general are great value for price. TWSBI has been around for decades but for most of their history they've been exclusively a manufacturer of fountain pen parts for other companies.The ECO is the "economical" version of the TWSBI Diamond 580 (which is still economical at about $55). Besides a slight variation in the design of the cap and barrel, the only real difference between them is that the ECO has a clip and finial made out of slightly less fancy materials. The functional aspects of the ECO are the same high quality as more expensive TWSBIs. They are fitted with good Jowo nibs. It should also be noted that TWSBI provides excellent customer service. And they even include a wrench and silicone grease for servicing your pen. The ECO's wrench is made of plastic but I think it actually works better than the metal ones the others come with.
I do vouch for Pilot Metropolitan Medium nib fountain pens. Inexpensive and yet provides silky smooth writing. It is important to use good ink to ensure good ink flow. I use parker quink. Only drawbacks with these pens are that they have a rather small grip.
I always have some of those varsity pens around. I just love them! Just recently bought a Jinhao pen & I am SO impressed with it. Definitely doesn't look like a $5 pen. I used to have a collection of Lamy & Parker pens. Somehow they hot lost when I last moved 😭
Lord, the way you use a converter is currently freaking me out, it should have been number 8 on your mistakes with fountain pens video. Removing the converter like a cartridge applies wear and tear to the converter and pen and will decrease the life of the pen (it'll start leaking after a while). It is recommended to keep the converter in and use it like piston pens, only take off the back of the pen and get the ink into the converter through the nib.
Does anyone know why this pen has tripled in price? I've wanted one forever but couldn't afford it, but I saved up enough money and was going to get one, but it's now three times as expensive and I can't find out why. Is it now made out of more expensive materials or something?
@@animenolifer2 Good grief, I normally don't do that.. At the time I meant the Pilot Metro specifically, but I've been shopping around lately to find something else and I've noticed it with just about everything. All pilot products that I was interested in have either vanished entirely, or have tripled in price. The Pilot Pitit was my second choice and it isn't sold at any of the fountain pen sites I know of. Same for the other choices I had. Two years ago, I could get a Jinhao for two bucks, and now the same one is ten or more. Last time I shopped around was in 2018, but I wasn't doing well financially so put fountain pens off and everything has skyrocketed since then, and I was just curious as to why.
Great stuff! Now I can slowly get into fountain pens and I'll have you to thank for it! In my home country, we also had to use fountain pens for calligraphical reasons but one was expected to start using a ballpoint pen later on, "as the grown ups".
No, it doesn't matter what type of ink you use in either pen as long as you use ink made specifically for fountain pens. Diamine has a nice variety of inks that are comparatively inexpensive. Pilot Iroshizuku inks are beautiful but pricey. Waterman and Sheaffer are also good but there's hundreds of inks out there. Pick a major brand and choose whatever color you like. Have fun.
These days whenever I write with a fountain pen I use the same pen I used in high school more than 50 years ago. It is the Sheaffer Glidewriter and although it is cheap it is incredibly smooth. Made in North America before they closed the factories here. It also brings back memories of my youth.
The inexpensive Pelikan pens are more difficult to find here. I think the cheapest is the Twist, which is around $15, and it only comes in a medium nib, with no converter. Plus, it's a kid pen and looks like it with its big twisting plastic barrel in bright colors. That makes it a terrible choice for nearly all adults. The Metro looks professional, especially if you get it in one of the sober colors like black or silver, and you get the converter with it, too. Best deal of all, although the prices are about to go up in January to make it closer to the Lamy in cost. It still beats out the Lamy with the converter, but only barely.
I just bought 3 Lamy Safari because they have such beautiful colors! Is that even wise? I don't know. Should buying only 1 and saving my money for a better fountain pen in the future better? Maybe. But still, I can't find myself wanting to return any of them hahhaha
TheBeetlewings yeah! And my favourite thing about it is that it can easily be converted into an eyedropper (ie: using the pen body as the container for the ink rather than using a cartridge/converter). It allows me to use the pen for a long time without needing to refill :)
I, too, grew up in Germany. 😊 Started on a Pelikan fountain pen (there was Team Pelikan and Team Geha rivalry among the students!); then switched to Lamy (was the cool brand then, I guess). Still love yhem both. 😊👍
What is your favorite pen and why?
Gentleman's Gazette I lose alot of my pens so my usual daily carry is a pilot metropolitan so I don't break the bank when I lose it.
Parker T1 Rare and expensive, but man does it write smoothly. And being titanium it is SO light.
As for a beginner pen, I agree with the Metro as the best entry pen. The Jinhaos usually need lots of nib tuning to write smoothly.
Lamy safari, lefthanded. Do a video on fountain pens for all your lefty fans!
Parker urban black and gold
Parker. I started using it in school too!
I just picked up my first fountain pen, a Pilot Metropolitan with a fine nib. As a left handed person. I have either had ball point pens, that sometimes doesn't write well. Or, gel pens that dries too slowly.
So far, I am really liking the Pilot Metropolitan. The ink made by Pilot, drys on paper very quickly. And the pen lays down ink very well. I also really like the light touch needed to write.
Thanks for sharing!
Which Pilot ink? Namiki? Iroshizuku? Their 350ml ink?
@@boomjonggol5757, iroshizuku is the brand I bought. It was the recommended ink in the manual that came with my pen. There was a lot of colors to pick from. I went with a 50ml bottle of asa-gao.
I have this pen and it is a bit heavy for me. I like to use fountain pens for all of my writing and I write quite a bit.
@@micheledickey4066, I could see how it would feel a little heavy for some.
Personally, I think it's weight is pretty much perfect for me. However, most of my writing is, jotting down notes or numbers at work.
I’m a High Schooler from Australia, and I use the Lamy Safari fountain pen for most of my class notes. Very uncommon, but people often ask me where they can buy one. In my opinion, it presents great value and everyone should own AT LEAST one. If not the Safari, at least one other fountain pen.
IamPhantom 1758 Good choice! The LAMY is a very reliable everyday pen and it comes in sooo many cute colours. In fact I‘m so intrigued ba the colours, I started to collect them, and I have more than 20 Safaris and Allstars now. 😁
I’m also an Aussie high schooler! I’ve been using a pilot kaküno for around a year and a half and bought my first two Safari’s this week! Many of my class mates ask to use my pen to see how it feels and I have pulled several of them down the fountain pen rabbit hole 😅. I’m surprised schools don’t teach with them in more countries, come on Australia we’re missing out!!
@@MountainsAtMidnight The interesting thing is that in the U.S. The Fountain Pen is a mark of either a Med Student, a law student, or affluence and luxury. About the only place you're apt to see them is in an attorney's office. The Felt Tip is far more common.
Send them to Heidelberg in Germany^^ Here they are being produced ;)
In Germany, the pupils get a fountain pen and learns how to use and write wih it.
I was given a fountain pen last year, and I used it for school writing. It was deffinately worth it. If you haven't tried it, you deffinately should!
Noodler's Ahab is my beginner's favorite! An excellent pen with a flex nib.
I've always been a fountain pen enthusiast like my father.
I think Ramy Safari was was my very first own budget one in higschool & I still use a whole bunch at work in my 30s. Twsbi is another good entry level brand.
But before you load up on the entry level one, save and invest in good ones. A good midway ones, you can get from sailor -sailor has some good choices below $200. If you spend around $500 even better
My first pen was a Kaweco sport ,she's ideal for travelling and taking everywhere and very easily to modify. The only problem is the the converter it's really small. My second was a lamy joi
I have had trouble finding inexpensive fountain pens that do not leak. The best ones in my experience are Pilot V pens or Varsity, but these are disposable - when the ink runs out you get rid of the pen. Within those limitations, V pens are pretty good and not prone to leakage.
Ones that you load up with a cartridge often leak. I don't know if it is a flaw in the pen or if I am doing something wrong.
I can recommend Wordsworth and Bläck. They are quite nice. And inexpensive.
Is the Cross Bailey fountain pen a good fountain pen
No answer yet
Oof. I recently lost my Parker IM, does anyone know any other pens that can fill the void left by its departure? :(
Will it last a year? I want to use FP that can last a lifetime...
say you had mentioned an auction site on the web where you have sold some of your pen collection - also art- what is it again?
The scribe sword is a really nice fountain pen and isn't very expensive
Every student still used the Lamy Safari at least once in Germany^^
Joschka Bernhardt I did lol
Facts
standard
I've used Pelikan ;p
Lamy Masterrace.
Ich glaube in Deutschland ist der Safari auch gut billiger als in den Usa
When I switched from a cartridge razor to a safety razor, I kinda want to do the same thing with my writing tools. No waste, classy, stylish. 💪🙏
Me too!
It just feels better, too. Even when I do cut myself, it doesn't hurt as badly.
They also handle butter and lotions better, which I find to make less mess and work better than cream.
Next step, go straight razor and quill
The archaic brings about a sense of security! But they are also pretty darn good!🐕😺😻🙀😽😸
Funny that I found my enjoyment for fountain pens through my journey into a safety razor as well. I honestly believed that I was the only one.
TWISBI Eco. At around 30 USD it can be the first and last fountain pen you need honestly. Twist cap that'll never let the pen dry out, piston filling, the pen barrel is the ink window, and a nice assortment of nibs that are very smooth to write with. They're wonderful.
True that. I fell in love with that pen so much that I ended up buying it thrice. One with a medium nib, and two with fine nibs. The ink doesn't dry out. Mine didn't dry out even after 2 months of lying about (in that timespan, my parker IM and Parker Urban dried out and had to be thoroughly cleaned to make them usable).
Yes that is a good pen as well. I didn't find it quite as reliable as the Safari, but it's a great pen.
Love TWSBI!!! I have done eco’s and done higher prices. The eco was my first to see if I liked fountain pens. I still have my first eco, and use it regularly.
My pick was the X450, I love it and it really looks a lot more expensive than it actually is. Also it writes very smoothly, no scratchy feeling and very well made.
me who fills the cartridge with a siringe
I started with Lamy Safari. Definetly recommended!
Ok
i personally disagree, i find it to feather too much. you are uneducated. you are what is wrong with this world.
jk bro i agree i love you jesus
god loves you
Ok what about my wallet and i live in ph every dollar cost 50 pesos
I'm using Jinhao 159 in school and everyone thinks that it costs 100 euros. Btw I live in a Germany.
I visited the factory of Lamy when I was a child.... i grew up in Heidelberg, Germany. And LAMY safari is kind of the " go to" fountain pen for many pupils.
I used to visit Heidelberg for work at least twice a year. I do miss it.
Spot on suggestions and a great primer for beginners to understand their options to start off. The Jinhaos may be a little troublesome with quality control being spotty from China. The Faber-Castell Grip is another solid option from Germany.
Glad you included the Pilot Varsity. One of my favorites. Many years ago I bought a Mont Blanc 149 which had problems with its ink feed. So I sent it in for a checkup.
When I got it back and tested it, there was still a problem with the ink feed. Too little ink came trough. So back it went. When I tested it, this time there was much to much ink flow. So for a third time I sent it back, this time with a Pilot Varsity and a request to adjust the ink flow so that it was the same as the Varsity.
MB was not impressed with me at all :) But they did replace the pen with another which solved the problem. Strange that 149 was the only one I had problems with. Must have owned 50-60 MBs over the years. My favorite ones are the 147 Traveler and the Herbert von Karajan homage. And the 145 ballpoint for when I have to fill out forms.
I collect old and new fountain pens and agree with the points in this video.
I have 120 bottles of ink, too... But that's a different video!
It's too bad that Sheaffer did away with their Skrip ink bottles. I still have a few that I use today.
LOL, I live in Heidelberg, but I didn't know Lami makes their Pens there! Like everyone in my Class has a Lami Pen! (I have the Jinhao X450)
Canadian prices:
Pilot Metropolitan: $22-28
Pilot Varsity: $4-7
Jinhao x450: $7
Jinhao x750: $10
Lamy Safari: $34-37
(These are all based on the cheapest/best offers I could find in Canadian prices.)
The Pilot Metropolitan is my favorite. I love the simple design, and it's shape. The grip is also amazing, and it comes with my favorite converter. I would definitely recommend this, or a Jinhao as a starter pen.
Update: I think that a Jinhao x750 is the most worth it pen for beginners.
I swear we are being ripped off. I get pens from Pakistan and I can get about 20 to 25 really good pens for one metropolitan.
Could you please divulge the link for pilot?
@@mohammadadil4175 Who needs 25 pens?
isnt the canadian dollar at least 1.25 times the worth of the
US?
@@Captain_MonsterFart A man with 24 friends, obviously!
My favorite part about the Lamy Safari is that you can mix and match colors among your collection (or with your friends).
I love my Lamy Safaris. I have one with an extra fine and one with a medium nib. I use them for ink sketching with permanent Platinum Carbon ink. I also write with them both daily to keep the ink flowing. I love how durable and practical they are and the fun modern design. I love that I can just refill whenever the ink runs out. Buying these was a choice I made in order to avoid throwing out plastic pens regularly and to eventually save money over constantly re-buying non-refillable black pens for sketching. It has worked out VERY well.
Love your channel, the content is very useful. You mentioned that you use green ink in your fountain pen. I have always been told black ink is considered professional. Is it considered unprofessional to use other colors in a fountain pen?
On important documents black ink is preferred and government paperwork is always done in black ink. Sometimes banks won’t accept checks in odd colours (not black or blue).
@@prepperjonpnw6482 thanks for the clarification! Guess I have to get 2 pens now
jinhao x750 it is hefty, well made, writes well on normal paper, didn't dry out on the nib after months, their own blue cartridge is also good, and cheap.
TWSBI Eco is a great beginner pen as well -- piston filler and a decent nib for around $30
Andrew Cook yeah, great pen. It also has a grip similar to the Safari.
I was about to suggest this pen myself. I think it has one of the greatest steel nibs that can even compete with way more expensive steel nibs. Also it has a big Ink tank it can last me easily a week without refill.
Yeah that would be great but it has now gone up to around $100-$110 Aud
@@jonathanlynch8089 are you sure you´re not looking at the 580? Because on GouletPens they still go for 30$
Agreed. First you buy an eco. Then you love it and buy an Opus 88 demonstrator. 😎
If you are looking for an inexpensive pen, the Wing Sung 698 and Pilot 78g are great options under 20$. They are presentable and the 78g broad series even comes with italic capabilities.
Edit: They come in a wide range of colors from clear, or as I like: black and gold. My Wing Sung 698 has not shown ANY signs of wear in three months, despite daily school use.
Which better, a lamy safary or a normal parker IM fountain pen? They have nearly price.
The only fountain pen I currently own is a Lamy Safari. I use it for writing in a journal. I use bottled ink and a converter, extra fine nib. I had a Lamy Safari and a Ohto pen made in Japan that cost $15. I forgot why I got rid of it. I had one package of Pilot varsity disposable fountain pens.
The Pilot V pen is brilliant for leaving in your desk at work just for those rare occasions when you forget your good pens as it will write 1st time even if it has not been used in 6-9 months.
I heard a story about someone having a 10 year old V pen start right up, the seal on those are amazing and honestly it's just a brilliant pen all around
My experience is that the Pilot Metropolitan is the best starter pen. The price to quality ratio is unbeatable. I think since pilot makes their own nibs my guess is they have just one line making them. Such that the same master craftsman who make the mighty #50 nib for the Namiki Emperor also make the nibs for the other pens as well (of course with less hand tuning after ). Variety of nib widths and the aprox 20 usd cost is unbeatable. Also with the huge price drop in their Iroshizuku inks what isn't to love about pilot.
Another excellent video, Sven. My favourite fountain pen is my platinum classic from Graf von Faber Castell with a fine nib. For beginners, I recommend looking at the Faber Castell Loom, which is a wonderful pen for about €25-€30. Have you considered doing a video on fountain pen ink as a follow up to this series?
I sign documents and write cards with a Mont Blanc meisterstuck but my daily pen is a cheap and cheerful Lamy Safari.
We don't usually call things cheap. Just inexpensive 🤗
Love the fountain pen video! I would also love to see more, maybe one explaining elegant inks and colours you recommend for professionalism. I personally love using a dark brown or a very dark teal black, especially the Pilot Iroshizuku inks.
Maybe even a video on slightly higher end gold nibs too?
Fountain pens really add that finishing touch in a quality outfit
I had the lamy and pelikan fountain pens back in school and I remember liking the lamy a lot and was so excited when i got it. (I grew up in germany) i miss using these a lot
This guy sounds best played at .75 playback speed. Otherwise it’s like learning about pens from the micro machines man.
I, too, used a red Lamy Safari when I attended school here in Germany.
As a matter of fact, I still have that same pen, lying around somewhere (I'm the sentimental type).
These days I prefer the fountain pens from Visconti.
I recently purchased a Sheaffer fountain pen and I don't think I like it very much. Could you tell me what you think about this brand??
3:42 Note: the Metropolitan is sold as the “Cocoon” in Japan. (The design is apparently meant to resemble the cocoon of a silkworm.)
Yes in Korea either. i was confused to hear metropolitan which I had known cocoon
Bought a Safari just today. It came with a converter. It feels pretty scratchy to me, but that might just be my inexperience.
Ha, thank you. I just decided to get into fountain pens and my first was actually the Pilot. And I'm actually looking to upgrade from there.
My coworkers used to steal my ball pens and I would be left with nothing to write with. Then I decided to buy a couple of Pilot Varsity and it did the trick, nobody wanted to use them because they didn't know how to write with fountain pens. I just wish these pens would come with medium and large nibs. At home I got Staedtler and Sheaffer fountain pens.
Thanks for this video. When I was at school early to late 70's, I always used fountain pen and Parker Biro pens. Despite advances in cheaper biro's I still feel the tips are too fine, especially in the stock stationery cupboard fare that employers provide, and as I do a lot of reviewing and signature/signoffs in my job, I've tried Gel pens which I like but these can be costly for decent ones. I've lost in house moves etc a few pens I had, a decent Schaeffer fountain pen with gold nib being one I was hoping to find. So your video was of great interest as I want something decent, that hopefully work colleagues won't be inclined to "borrow" but equally won't cost the earth. I decided I would try out the Jinhao as they seem cheaply available online for under £6 including the ink converter, and I have plenty of that from doing general and calligraphy work.
The local WH Smith was selling a cheap Parker pen £8 down to £4 so I tried, but after just 10 days I'm having ink flow and scratchiness issues. I will try and get the nib out if I can, if not I'll probably just see how the Jinhao performs. However if anyone can recommend a broad nib pen for £30-£40 Max that is a star performer then drop me a comment.
Love fountain pens
But they aren't for left handed people, l always mess up my writing
I use the Platinum Preppy .03 daily, and I am happy with it even though it is sometimes scratchy. I also have a Jinhao 601a that I like very much. I am new to fountain pens by the way.
*I prefer B nib, and higher flow, for counterfeit protection.*
"Everyone bleeds ink differently. The best counterfeiters can only come close." (Cnt of Thurgau)
Finally !!! Someone showed me HOW to fill a fountain pen !!! THANK YOU SO MUCH !!!
6:10 what? I pay $5, and I don't even get a nib made of solid gold? What a scam :)
Wonderful video as always. My first fountain pen (at 35 y/o) is a Kaweco Sport that I received from Bespoke Post. The M nib on it is a bit too wide for me. Loving it so far nonetheless but really want to see if the Pilot Metropolitan would be better suited for everyday use. Keep up the great work as always!
That was also my first fountain pen from the same source too! It's a tad small for my hands but writes both smoothly and consistently and is one of my favourites now that I'm six in.
I've had the Lamy Safary for a while now, and I'm quite happy with it, and now thank to your video, I understood that it may be because I have tiny hands! :D haha
I have one too. I use it everyday for work.
My first fountain pen is $106 and it’s the Scribe Sword in blue
I just had to say that I loved this video but also absolutely loved the comments! I'm old, but new to fountain pens
I sketch and do watercolor and such, but I'm falling out of love with the typical micron pens, to sensitive and have to be held straight up and my arthritis hands don't love the straight up hold nor the pressure needed with a ballpoint even though they're fun for sketching sometimes too.
I've heard fountain pens doing need or want much pressure and my very favorite ink/watercolor artists use fountain pens, a lot with fude nibs....with my med bills and almost total loss of work for my hubby, money is a factor, but I would like to fill and pick my own ink and colors and use waterproof ink and something that isn't at all a throw away.
A sweet friend just bought me the very inexpensive Amazon basics fountain pen, fine nib, universal (if that's the correct term) converter and some platinum carbon black ink....I'm excited to write with it, but am thinking it won't give me those more expressive lines I want for sketching. Plus, I am left handed, does that make a difference?
And I saw a comment where they said they mixed their own ink colors!?!?!!??! Oh wow....I absolutely love mixing my own watercolor and acrylic paint colors for my art stuff, so the thought of mixing my own ink color makes me SUPER excited...though it seems they mentioned that some inks don't go together well and I can't remember the word they used of what will happen, I'll try to find the comment again and paste part of this comment there.
But any advice on the above with fudes, and even ones that have nibs you can change out....though it seems like people into this typically just have several different pens that each do something different. I can't afford that...I've seen some lots on ebay, but most don't give any info or even show nibs so scares me to just waste, even small amount makena difference :)
My husband knows what art means to me, I only started teaching myself several years ago to help me cope with severe chronic pain, RA and metal all over :) it saves life :) so even when we're this tight he tries to get me a small paint or paper here and there :) so I teased him and showed him I need to try fountain pens for sketching and showed him some very expensive ones and he looked at me like I must have lost my mind completely now!! AaaHHHhaaha
Thanks for any help!!
I’m sad no one replied to this! I’m in a similar way - chronic illness and pain, including in hands, love watercolor (also interested in learning calligraphy in my case, would love to make an illuminated manuscript of sorts), and have a Kaweco Sport that I enjoy but definitely don’t get appreciable line width variation with. Would love to hear about Fude nibs and inexpensive flexible/blunt/etc. nib possibilities. I can barely manage anything these days, and like you can not get a collection to try, nor can I go in person anywhere, as I’m immunocompromised. :(
Wishing you luck - if you have found anything to advise since making your comment, please share!
There is one missing in my opinion- Kaweco Sport- I do recommend it
I have Kaweco. It is cancer to write with, but very consistent for ballpoint regulars.
The pilot mr in a bookstore in the mall costs $13. Luckily I saw that instead of online which costs around $19.99
First Like Then Watch, Every Week New And Quality Content
This video has been an immense help in starting my fountain pen collection! Thank you so much for making it very clear to someone with little fountain pen experience such as myself.
What paper was used for this video? Thanks.
I prefer a Lamy Safari pen very covinient and a variety of color.
I love fountain pens. I need to learn how to use them.
Did you learn?
I want to know too
idc how good life get im not dropping 100$ for a pen
My favourite pen is the Pilot Metropolitan, I actually own one with Iroshizuku Shin-Kai ink.
Jaden S Shin-Kai 😍
Got to love the ink having cost more than the pen, haha.
That said, I'm hardly the one to judge, as I have one Iroshizuku ink for each month in the year.
DoctorPC Damn bro 12 inks, I guess it's 'cause the ink is "high quality."
Oh, all in all, I have 50+ bottles of different kinds of inks from different brands - plus my calligraphy inks, as that's a hobby I made the mistake of getting way too deep into.
I did a 12-set of Iroshizuku as a (questionable) method of limiting the amount of ink I buy. The theory is that I only really need to fight my instinct to buy more inks by the automatic rotation keeping things "fresh".
Why iroshizuku?
1. They are super reliable. I've got my Pilot Custom 823 and every one of the works like a dream: that's not always the case with some other ink manufacturers, like Diamine, where some inks are awesome and others feel a tad weird. If one forces oneself to us an ink for a month, it'd better be very functional.
2. They look nice in the glass covered bookshelf I hold them in. They form a little "ink calendar", as the twelve boxes sit in their monthly order with the current month extruding out.
3. I got the first few more cheaply, and then the perfectionist in me struck and I had to complete the collection at whatever cost.
If you're using a Pilot Metropolitan, I do think something like Diamine will give you a much better value - at least in Europe, a bottle is 2-3€ and a lot of the colours are absolutely fantastic. Aqua Blue, Scarlet, and Mint immediately spring to my mind as awesome colours. In the US, I'd still tend to steer away from iroshizuku and other premium products as you'd be far better off saving for a gold-nibbed pen than paying for nice glass bottles. The inks shine in their consistency across colours and have all around most pleasant properties, but really what you are paying for is the fancy bottle. Seriously, that bottle is *expensive* to produce and is easily the top cost in the product. They did finally get them mass produced last year, but even now it is expensive.
Metropolitain is a great pen.
I highly recommend the Jinhao 250! It’s durable and comfortable. It has a converter and it’s smooth. Got mine with 10 cartridges and one converter for $1.80
I have the pilot metropolitan it's a really good pen. I recommend. ✍🏻
Can you use the same fountain pen if you want a different ink color? Not sure if mixing and matching colors would ruin your inks.
You can, but you would have to clean the pen out, so the inks don't mix. You can either do this under running water, if you were using a cartridge, or by draining your converter and filling/unfilling repeatedly with soapy water instead of ink, until the water runs clear. This is actually one of the biggest benefits of fountain pens.
Brian Goulet has a great video on "Pen Cleaning and Maintenance."
Also Platinum Preppy offers great bang per buck.
Anyone else just watches these and never ends up buying anything??
I would like to suggest the TWSBI ECO as another great starter pen. It's a piston-filler demonstrator pen for only about $30. This is around the same price you would pay for a Lamy Safari along with a converter. TWSBI pens in general are great value for price. TWSBI has been around for decades but for most of their history they've been exclusively a manufacturer of fountain pen parts for other companies.The ECO is the "economical" version of the TWSBI Diamond 580 (which is still economical at about $55). Besides a slight variation in the design of the cap and barrel, the only real difference between them is that the ECO has a clip and finial made out of slightly less fancy materials. The functional aspects of the ECO are the same high quality as more expensive TWSBIs. They are fitted with good Jowo nibs. It should also be noted that TWSBI provides excellent customer service. And they even include a wrench and silicone grease for servicing your pen. The ECO's wrench is made of plastic but I think it actually works better than the metal ones the others come with.
I agree with this recommendation.
Lamy Safari, every day of the week and twice on Sunday.
Heidelberg ist von mir auch sehr nahe, viele grüße aus Mannheim :)
Wow sehr schön! Grüße aus der Niederlande
I do vouch for Pilot Metropolitan Medium nib fountain pens. Inexpensive and yet provides silky smooth writing. It is important to use good ink to ensure good ink flow. I use parker quink. Only drawbacks with these pens are that they have a rather small grip.
I always have some of those varsity pens around. I just love them!
Just recently bought a Jinhao pen & I am SO impressed with it. Definitely doesn't look like a $5 pen.
I used to have a collection of Lamy & Parker pens. Somehow they hot lost when I last moved 😭
In the US there is a tendency away from the BB or 03B. We use any one in a series of stub nibs (1.1mm, 1.5mm, 1.9mm).
Raphael, can you please do a video on proper golf attire?
Polo, tuck it in
Matt Seelye you got it, lol
Thank you. Make more fountain pen videos please.
I've enjoyed using fountain pens on and off for years (am 55 now), which is somewhat odd, as my penmanship is atrocious.
Lord, the way you use a converter is currently freaking me out, it should have been number 8 on your mistakes with fountain pens video. Removing the converter like a cartridge applies wear and tear to the converter and pen and will decrease the life of the pen (it'll start leaking after a while). It is recommended to keep the converter in and use it like piston pens, only take off the back of the pen and get the ink into the converter through the nib.
The Pilot Varsity can be refilled but it does involve some work and certain tools. Just sayin'
Jinhao pens get compliments and write SO well
Does anyone know why this pen has tripled in price? I've wanted one forever but couldn't afford it, but I saved up enough money and was going to get one, but it's now three times as expensive and I can't find out why. Is it now made out of more expensive materials or something?
TheMountainWulf which pen?
@@animenolifer2 Good grief, I normally don't do that.. At the time I meant the Pilot Metro specifically, but I've been shopping around lately to find something else and I've noticed it with just about everything.
All pilot products that I was interested in have either vanished entirely, or have tripled in price. The Pilot Pitit was my second choice and it isn't sold at any of the fountain pen sites I know of. Same for the other choices I had.
Two years ago, I could get a Jinhao for two bucks, and now the same one is ten or more. Last time I shopped around was in 2018, but I wasn't doing well financially so put fountain pens off and everything has skyrocketed since then, and I was just curious as to why.
0:54 This is the Castle of my hometown in Germany 😂 what are the chances ..
My List:
1) Lamy
2) Lamy
3) Lamy
4) Lamy
5) Lamy
What ever happened to the intro saying "In today's video..."?
Touché...
Great stuff! Now I can slowly get into fountain pens and I'll have you to thank for it!
In my home country, we also had to use fountain pens for calligraphical reasons but one was expected to start using a ballpoint pen later on, "as the grown ups".
Does it matter what type of ink you should use for the metropolitan pen, and if so what kind of ink should you use? Same goes for the Chinese pen.
No, it doesn't matter what type of ink you use in either pen as long as you use ink made specifically for fountain pens. Diamine has a nice variety of inks that are comparatively inexpensive. Pilot Iroshizuku inks are beautiful but pricey. Waterman and Sheaffer are also good but there's hundreds of inks out there. Pick a major brand and choose whatever color you like. Have fun.
Another great video I randomly stumbled upon, earned the subscription, fell in love
These days whenever I write with a fountain pen I use the same pen I used in high school more than 50 years ago. It is the Sheaffer Glidewriter and although it is cheap it is incredibly smooth. Made in North America before they closed the factories here. It also brings back memories of my youth.
Good to know that sir. It is said that goods of those era produced in america were of very high quality.
Pelikin pen.... I thought for sure you would recommend a Pelikan....
What's the cheapest Pelikan pen?
@@micheinnz 2€ I think for the Pelikan fun pen. The school pens are about 10 - 15 €. I'm not sure if they are sold outside the EU a lot.
Oh, that's good to know. Sadly, I live about as far from the EU as it's possible to get, so it's unlikely I'll see one here.
The inexpensive Pelikan pens are more difficult to find here. I think the cheapest is the Twist, which is around $15, and it only comes in a medium nib, with no converter. Plus, it's a kid pen and looks like it with its big twisting plastic barrel in bright colors. That makes it a terrible choice for nearly all adults.
The Metro looks professional, especially if you get it in one of the sober colors like black or silver, and you get the converter with it, too. Best deal of all, although the prices are about to go up in January to make it closer to the Lamy in cost. It still beats out the Lamy with the converter, but only barely.
GodblessYouAll🙏🏽💜✝️💜🙏🏽
Raphael can you please not make a video about walking sticks?
I love fountain pens, that being said would it be too much of an inconvenience to do a medium price range?
endlich ein Deutscher der ordentliches Englisch spricht. Made my day
I just bought 3 Lamy Safari because they have such beautiful colors! Is that even wise? I don't know. Should buying only 1 and saving my money for a better fountain pen in the future better? Maybe.
But still, I can't find myself wanting to return any of them hahhaha
My current favourite cheap FP is the Kaweco Sport. I've gotten a consistently better pen than Lamy.
Nicholas Tan I completely agree, I have both and much prefer the Kaweco.
I have large hands, so Eco-T was what I settled into, but I really need a Kaweco Ice Sport at 1 point of my life 😂
I love my little Kaweco Sport. Great travel pen
TheBeetlewings yeah! And my favourite thing about it is that it can easily be converted into an eyedropper (ie: using the pen body as the container for the ink rather than using a cartridge/converter). It allows me to use the pen for a long time without needing to refill :)
So true.
I, too, grew up in Germany. 😊 Started on a Pelikan fountain pen (there was Team Pelikan and Team Geha rivalry among the students!); then switched to Lamy (was the cool brand then, I guess). Still love yhem both. 😊👍