Thanks for another amazing video Helen!! As an avid fountain pen user of 25+ years and a serial ink-changer, I will share that if anyone else is also into changing inks all the time, I'd recommend considering a pen with a converter/cartridge fill mechanism, instead of a piston. Pistons are comparatively more difficult to take apart for cleaning, but are terrific for long writing sessions. I fill the cartridge or converter with a syringe/needle, at about 20% of its max capacity. This way, the ink gets used up within a day or two and I can switch to another ink! I usually have 5-6 pens inked at all times--this helps me rotate through all my pens and inks at a reasonable rate. Always great to see more interest in fountain pens! 🥰
As an avid fountain pen user myself I always recommend the pilot kakuno for beginners! Also the pilot petit1 is great too. It all depends on what the beginner is looking for too I guess. I started with a Lamy safari because it was so popular as a beginner pen and I preferred the look over the metro but I didn’t know the triangle grip would be such a pain for me at the time! Almost turned me off from using fountain pens entirely too until I got myself a kaweco sport later on. Anyways, thanks for another relaxing video!
Petit1 sucks...I guess it's ok for beginners who have nothing to compare it to..but..its made put of cheap plastic that is prone to cracks...the feed holds water too much when cleaning it for a new ink, even when left to dry for days.
I ordered a pilot Metro and returned it within a day. Never have I ever had a pen ink my hand as bad. I now keep a few new Lamy Safari pens with me to gift to people when they ask for a pen. Your collection is amazing!
Recently purchased the TWSBI ECO T Medium. Just ordered a EF. LOVE it. Have had it for 5 days and have used almost half the ink in the piston. Iroshizuku ink and it’s perfect!
Boyyy do our opinions differ when it comes to starter pens! But it dosen’t really matter. What I love about your videos is your voice. So relaxing! I could almost sleep while listening to you, but not in a « boring » kind of way!
Sorry you had a bad day ❣️ Hopefully today is brighter 🌻 Thank you for sharing! Fountain pens always make me happy too. Glad that my tiny collection features some of yours! It makes me feel like I'm making good life choices 😁
Lovely pen collection. I tell myself I don’t need any more fountain pens but something always catches my eye. I bought the Sailor Lecoule, same color, but returned it as it was a horrible writer. I also disliked my Sailor Pro Gear but love my two Sailor Compass pens. I have the Pelikan on my wishlist, but fear the M 800 May be too large. I’ll think about that one awhile longer. I love my two Vanishing Points and Pilot e95s pens so well, the converter capacity doesn’t bother me at all when I accept that I fill more often. Love all TWSBI pens for their ink capacity and wonderful nibs from EF to Stub 1.1 mm.
My first pen was a twsbi. Great starter pen. For the vanishing point converter, the only way I’ve been happy with it is syringe filling and the putting it on the pen. No other method gets it close to full enough. Nice collection!
@@TheCoffeeMonsterzCo it’s a game changer. You just put some ink in the syringe and then you can get a completely full converter and the let it sit so the feed grabs some ink and there’s actual ink capacity then. :-)
Your thoughts on the Pilot Metropolitan were very interesting! The majority of my collection are Pilot Metropolitans and I love them. They write so smoothly, although the ink periodically not feeding through (in my case because I usually need to clean them, or they were inked and sat a little longer than was idea and took a minute to get rolling again) is definitely an occasional issue! I picked up a couple of Lamy Safari pens, and like another person mentioned, the triangle grip was not ideal for me. Still, I appreciate how lightweight they are, so I like them for that. And it was my first experience playing around with an extra fine nib. My other two pens are a pair of Kaweco Collection Sport Fountain Pens in a limited edition iridescent pearl finish (bought two so I could get a fine and an extra fine). They're the only two I own that I haven't used because they're SO PRETTY and I'm so worried my sweaty hands are going to ruin the finish. LOL I think if I decide to go for a higher end pen, though, I'm going to be eyeballing the Vanishing Point. It's so unique!
@@TheCoffeeMonsterzCoYou should definitely try the medium nib Metropolitan/Cocoon. Even though the fine nib is also good, the medium nib is in its own class. I’m not exaggerating when I say that the medium nib is smoother than many other more expensive (gold) nibs.
It's so clear how passionate you are about your pens! I love this side of your personality, it makes me wish we were friends. I took your advice the last time you made a fountain pen video, and got a twsbi eco t, and it's such a pleasure to write with! This time you've turned me on to those cute sailor pens that are less expensive. I'm in trouble 😅. Thanks for sharing your collection, I really loved this and your inks video
Fun video! I have a couple of pilot Vanishing Points and I bought a box of their cartridges years ago in black and when emptied, keep the cartridges and refill them instead of the silly converter. So much better!
I also have strong opinions about the Pilot Metropolitan! I avoided it initially and got it recently just to see what all the fuss was about (and to review it for my journaling channel). Sadly, the shape of the pen (where it has a noticeable ridge after the threads on the grip) does not suit my grip style and it hurts to write with it. I get a big red line on my thumb if I write for more than a minute or two with it. Thank you for sharing your collection and opinions on everything! I’m in the process of trying to decide which gold nib fountain pens to start with once I’ve saved up so this kind of video is very helpful.
I enjoyed the overview of the collection. All great pens. The TWSBI Classic is a leaky pen for me it likely came with a poor seam but shipping from the US to Canada makes a return prohibitively expensive. I would add a Sheaffer Targa to the collection you own and just to enjoy the inlaid nib. A Sailor Calligraphy 1.0 is economical to add to the collection also....Finally a Sailor KOP or Pilot 883 or Montblanc 146 will not disappoint you. APilot Kakuno is a surprise over performer also well worth the $20 dollars as it is super smooth writer and affordable!
Agree on the Sheaffer Targa. I have two that I purchased back in the early 1990s...one medium and one fine...and they're the best pens I own. Buttery smooth if that's your preference.
I also struggled to ink my vanishing points but then I got a snorkel from Goulet pens and THAT was a game changer for me. Using that, I was able to almost completely fill the converter. 😊
This is great review, I m watching this clip a several times go over low end to mid grade fountain pen. I just got three twsbi, trying three different inks and quality. They write so smooth, never had these pen before. Great fountain pen ✒️. Very cost effective. Thank you very much for wonderful review.
Amazingly our collection overlaps quite a lot - except colour choices and nibs sizes! I would highly recommend the Pilot Custom 823, I have had it a few months and it is now of my 3 inked pens every month, it's perfect. Would fit nicely in your collection as a Vac filler too
Thank you for the update on your fountain pen collection. I appreciate that you have the pens you need and love and don't feel compelled to keep purchasing more. I also don't like Pilot Metropolitan and gave mine away. I do however absolutely love other Pilot low-end pens like the Prera, the Explorer and the Kakuno. Interestingly, the Kakuno fits the size of my hand perfectly. It is mid-way in length between the Prera and the Explorer. Even though it's the least expensive, it's a favorite. The TWSBI Eco is a wonderful pen too, very sturdy and the large ink capacity is such a positive feature. I find it's a little too long for my hand, but I still use the two that I have unposted from time to time. I plan to get a Pilot E95S for my birthday in September. I'm glad to hear how much you appreciate it now that you've returned to using it.
Love this video. I bought some of the ink shown in the last fountain pen video. Saving up for a high end one, but having fun learning using fountain pens and using them for my surveying notes, studying, planning etc. 🙌🏽🌸❤️
Thank you for this video. For the Vanishing Point, use a Pilot cartridge and fill it using a needle filler and you will not have no trouble with less ink.
I love, love, love your collection. You obviously put a lot of thought and research before buying them. I've used various fountain pens for years. When I wanted to introduce my older son to them, I bought the Pilot Kakuno and I fell in love with it and bought two for myself. I also have a collection of about 10 Lamy Safari pens, some in the special edition colors. I love my TWSBIs. I don't particularly like my Conklin. It's too heavy and cumbersome. I'm also disappointed in my Monteverde. I love the barrel because of the stripes, but it doesn't write as well as most of my cheaper ones. I bought a Pilot Metropolitan, knowing fully well I didn't need it and wouldn't like it as much, but I like the turquoise barrel.
I bought my second tswbi and aurora black ink (thank you for your recommendation) recently! I feel better about buying my second tawnier after watching your video…..I pondered if I should be getting another brand, and if so, which brand? I am still new to fountain pens and my first eco was awesome. Lol - fountain pen insecurity is real. Thank you for sharing! I do love piston fill systems, so easy!
Thank you for sharing your pen collection Helen. Some really interesting and informative insights. Much appreciated. I look forward to owning a Pelikan one day. Loved the video.
Hi Helen! I started with those pens and still collect the TWSBI limited editions and use them a LOT. I love the Sailors so much and now I’m collecting them too lol. Love seeing your pens!
@@vegronica9006 I’d start with one of the steel nib ones! Sailor nibs are ever so slightly textured so they feel a bit like writing with a pencil-you get a little bit of feedback. I like glassy smooth nibs usually but I fell in love with the different feel. That way you can see if you like it before investing a lot. Either the Compass or the Lecoule would be a great intro! They’re also both on the smaller side, so a Pro Gear Slim or 1911 short (which are both gold nibbed and the next tier up) would be about the same size. By trying a Compass or Lecoule you’d also find out if that size is big enough for you, or if you’d want to get a bigger model (Pro Gear regular or 1911L) if/when you decide to move up to a gold one. I kind of regretted starting with the Pro Gear Slims because it turns out I like bigger pens, so having an idea of the size of the smallest ones BEFORE you spend $$$ on more expensive ones might help you out 💜
Nice video ! My first gold nib fountain pen was also the Pilot E95s. My three favorite pens are Lamy 2000, Pilot Custom 823 and the Visconti Homo Sapiens.
I feel the same about the Pilot Metropolitan. I still have mine but it was not a very good choice when starting out. I found mine was very unreliable. I love my TWSBIs the most.
I also started with a Pilot Metro and actually did lose interest in fountain pens for a few years. In my case, I only used Pilot cartridges, but the pen would write like yours did when you stated it never writes like that. Within 48 hours, it would be dry and skipping. I find that if I syringe fill the cartridge with a more lubricated ink (a nice sheening one), it works beautifully until empty, but I didn't figure that out until years later. I recommend Pilot Kakunos as a starter now. Super cheap, smooth writer, and it has a friction fit nib like the Eco so you can easily clean it out (great for shimmer inks). I reuse old cartridges though because the CON-40 is awful 😖 Love your collection!
Great video - I love seeing your collection! I also love the ECO's large ink capacity for taking notes in class and meetings - I still reach for my ECO's over some pricier pens. Thank you for sharing your pens
Interesting to see the differing opinions on starter pens. I have always recommended an inexpensive pen from a major manufacturer for a beginner rather than a cheap Chinese pen. There are some excellent values in Chinese pens, but for a beginner it might be too risky. Even though I have many expensive fountain pens, I routinely use inexpensive pens from Pilot, LAMY, TWSBI, Sailor, Kaweco, Platinum, and others. I’ve progressed (regressed?) from using 1.1 stubs to preferring medium Japanese nibs, and fine European nibs. Most 1.1 stubs (I’ve used) are really wet which I dislike. Two exceptions are a LAMY 1.1 stub, and Pilot’s 1.0 stub. I love both of these nibs. Some Metropolitan’s can be purchased with the 1.0 stub. I really have to take exception to your opinion of the Metropolitan, with the exception of that bladder converter-just throw it away-and get a con-40, or even better for beginner use Pilot Namiki Cartridges. I still use cartridges in most of my Pilot and LAMY pens. It’s simple. I have never had a bad experience with a Metropolitan, nor for that matter, any name brand pen. I’ve given away many of them to friends (and Safaris too). I enjoyed your video, and intend to follow you. Thank you. 😊
I think Pilot Metro is a good starter pen, your opinion is valid but in Asia people start with those converters. Hero uses those converters. It's nib is what means the best pen! For 10-30 bucks piliot metro gives the best experience!
I also really dislike the converter on the Pilot Vanishing Point so now I use an old cartridge that I refill from any ink bottle I want with an ink syringe - super practical.
I love this video so much! There is a lot of overlap between our favourite pens haha. I have 3 TWSBI classics and it is by far my favourite TWSBI model. Probably a good thing they don't have as many colour variations as the ECOs 😅
OMG I'm so glad that I'm not the only one who hates the pilot vanishing point converter owo. I thought it was me and I was doing it wrong and I've kind of moved to using my twisbi more and would maybe consider a lami 2000 or maybe for my graduation a sailor moon pro gear for when I go to college.
I completely agree with you on the Metropolitan! I rarely find people who feel the same way! What ink did you have in the Sailor Progear? It’s pretty 🤩
I think I commented on your past videos to get that Pelikan you wrote about in your hobonichi. I didnt know you got it already. So happy you did! Thanks for sharing. When I decided on my 1st pen I didnt get the Metro because I thought I wouldnt enjoy the squeeze converter too so I got a Pilot Prera instead and love it.
Great video. Same opinion of the Pilot Metropolitan. I have around 100+ fountain pens. I wouldn’t recommend the Metro Just got one and I’m not a fan. I don’t like the fine nib. TWSBI Ecos are some of my favorite starter pens. I have quite a few in all nib sizes. I have 2 of the 580’s. Too heavy for long writing. My Sailor PG with a medium nib is an EDC I love it so much!! I have 2 VPs but don’t really use them much. Great concept though. Lamy 2k very classy and I use mine on a regular rotation. My son gifted me a Pelikan M805 in the Blue Dunes. Smoothest nib I’ve ever written with. Thanks for sharing!!
I love the preppy as a starter. has a good selection of nib sizes and comes in a variety of colors too. the price point is very reasonable as well. What paper are you using? Do you have any faves for fountain pen friendly paper?
I started with the Pilot Metropolitan, but am not a fan of the converter, so rarely use it. I will have to try the Con 40 converter to see if it is better. I love my TWISBI's, I have all the nibs except the largest- I think it is 1.1, or italic? I have found my favorites to be the fine nib and the medium in their ECO line; although, I prefer the medium in the Diamond 580 line. I have the rose gold ECO, but in smoke. It is my favorite looking one. I also have light blue, transparent green, transparent purple, and lilac in the ECO's. My 580 is the Prussian Blue and I love it. It writes smoother than any other fountain pen I own. I do want to try the retractable Pilot in the future, but am saving up for a higher end Lamy first. I tried the Al-Star, but it feels weird in my hand. I think I want to have one or two higher-end pens and then my collection will feel complete. (However, I am tempted by the new limited edition Iris TWISBI color- but so far I've been good at not spending!) Thank you for a fun video. I love learning about different pens.
The pilot metropolitan was my first fountain pen too, but I love it! Although I bought the converter with it, so I’ve never used the one that comes with the pen.
My first fountain pen was a Platinum Preppy. I wanted to explore the world of fountain pens without breaking the bank. Man, did it open up a can of worms and I am hooked! My favorite pens that I have so far are my TWISBI pens. I'm excited to pick up the TWISBI Diamond 580 in Iris! The piston filling mechanism makes filling the pens so easy. My future goal pen would be to try a Sailor (so many beautiful colors) and I'm also curious to try one from Benu. Question for anyone that reads this, do you prefer your pens posted or unposted? 🖋
Ive used a metro as a daily for years. I love it, but the fine is too fine for me. In the medium, its a great day to day performer. Appreciate your opinion though and enjoyed the vid.
This video was really interesting! I liked your descriptions for each brand and how they differed 😯 I noticed that you alternate between medium and fine nibs. Do you a specific preference in terms of thickness?
Helen, I’m looking for a new favorite fountain pen on the higher end. Which is your current absolute favorite pen? I had a pilot décimo and I just hate the piston filler so much I don’t even use it anymore. Thanks! -Flor
Nice collection. You have a very nice and soothing voice. I'm not a fan of Japanese converters either. I don't know why they don't have good converters. Sailor converters are so small, and they use the same one for the King of Pen as well. Such a big pen with such a small ink capacity. Using a broad or zoom nib is like running out of gas every couple of days. Pilot converters, well at least the Con-70 that I've used are hard to fill and clean. Platinum has the best out of the three, but the converter doesn't go into the socket, but over the end of the feed. I don't know if that made sense. Do you know about the Sailor Realo and Pilot Custom Heritage 92? Those are piston fillers. I've heard in Japan they like cartfidges more, hence they don't invest in better converter and piston pens. I really like the way you coss your zeros. I'm going to try that for a while to change things up a bit. Is the M800 with an opaque or transparent body? I like that deep blue color, and the M800 is fantastic. I have the Stone Garden edition. Pelikan is probably my second favorite. Every one I have is such a smooth and great writer.
Love love love your collections! Have been thinking about getting into fountain pens but: a) I’m a lefty, so anything ink is not so lefty friendly 😅 b) Fountain pens are not exactly cheap in Malaysia. I fell in love with the looks of the Pelikan from your previous video, but the price of it here… 😩 Any lefties here with a fountain pen obsession? How do you guys NOT smudge while writing? 😔
The metropolitan works perfectly fine for me if I use it often, but I find that it dries out super fast if I stop using it for a while so I ended up not picking it back up ugh. I even have it on extra fine and absolutely loved using it all the time before I added more fountain pens to rotate, and that time in between pens allowed it to dry up :( I have to dip it into water to get it started again, so I think these pens are too finicky to recommend easily. As for the TWSBIs or any of the piston fill mechanism pens, I love how much ink they hold and how they never dry up so that I basically never have to refill haha. Loving my Sailor pro gear slims right now and starting to eye a few other intro gold nib pens to expand my horizons, so this gave me some good ideas! Thank you :) A couple questions: Do you find the special ‘feedback’ from Sailor pens noticeable, and do you like it? And for the vanishing point, do you find the clip on the nib side ever getting in the way of you writing for extended periods of time? Do you prefer the Decimo or the regular VP?
No pen should be left without using so long that it dries out. Or should ever go more than two months without being cleaned. Even a pen that stays wet can very slowly build up a layer of crystalized ink, or ink components, until they stop writing as well as they should, or start having hard starts. This can take a long while, or can happen within a couple of months, depending on the ink. But when it does happen you may not even realize what the problem is, and cleaning a pen like this is a pain. You have to completely disassemble it and scrub the feed, and like soak the feed in a bleach solution to clean out the ink line. That said, my Metropolitans, I have eight, stay wet for a couple of months in testing, but if a pen stays wet for one week, it's totally your fault if it dries out. All you have to do to keep a pen wet is write a few words one a week. If you can't do that, there's a problem. Either you just don't use fountain pens enough to matter, or you have more of them inked up than you can actually use. Where did you find a Metro with an extra fine nib? They come in medium and fine, and the fine is really a specialty noib. The medium, which is the same as a western fine, is for writing. These pens are NOT finicky in any way. You just aren't using them, you're filling them up and then using other pens for too long. That's your fault, not the pen's. Metropolitans actually have a much loner than average period of staying wet. TWISBI pens seem top never dry out, but you should still clean them every two months, and only put as much ink in as you will use over that period. You should need to refill two or three times, or more, during a two month period. If not, I see why the Metro dried out on you. You need one pen inked up at a time. Certainly no more than three. I use a milliliter of ink for writing each day, and usually more than a milliliter for art. I keep eight metros inked up at all times, and they never, ever dry out because I use each of them regularly, whether for writing, or for pen and ink sketches and drawings. The number of pens in rotation should be based on how much ink you use, and on the types of pens you have. Any snap cap will dry out faster than the average screw on cap, and you have to take this into account when you select rotation pens.
Hi Hellen, I was wondering if there were inks that you use and find best to work with the Hobonichi planners. I have a few Noodler's inks that are very were and smudge the paper. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you for this video! Hopefully it boosted your mood to be handling all those beautiful pens. I appreciate the time you took to give your opinion on each of them. So helpful. I would like to know how to change ink colors halfway through if you only had one pen or do you have to use it all up and then switch. Is it best to buy pens and inks online, or are there good retail stores? Blessings for a better week!
Hi, Great intro to fountain pens. For the twsbi, do you use a different pen for each colour? Or can you just change the ink cartridge and use one pen? Thank you everyone!
Do you change inks if you want a different color or do you always use up what you fill? Coming from someone with one TWSBI and I want two more color inks!
im going throough something i used to love to write and i cant find a good pen that wont scratch of bleed out id end up with black everywhere on fingers and hands and shirts. i cant afford anyone but a bic right now maybe i wont write i stopped writing in my planner here and ther so sad
The converter on the vanishing point is terrible. I take the cartridge that comes with it, empty it and put my own ink in it with one of those syringes they sell for fountain pens.
Thanks for another amazing video Helen!! As an avid fountain pen user of 25+ years and a serial ink-changer, I will share that if anyone else is also into changing inks all the time, I'd recommend considering a pen with a converter/cartridge fill mechanism, instead of a piston. Pistons are comparatively more difficult to take apart for cleaning, but are terrific for long writing sessions. I fill the cartridge or converter with a syringe/needle, at about 20% of its max capacity. This way, the ink gets used up within a day or two and I can switch to another ink! I usually have 5-6 pens inked at all times--this helps me rotate through all my pens and inks at a reasonable rate. Always great to see more interest in fountain pens! 🥰
As an avid fountain pen user myself I always recommend the pilot kakuno for beginners! Also the pilot petit1 is great too. It all depends on what the beginner is looking for too I guess. I started with a Lamy safari because it was so popular as a beginner pen and I preferred the look over the metro but I didn’t know the triangle grip would be such a pain for me at the time! Almost turned me off from using fountain pens entirely too until I got myself a kaweco sport later on. Anyways, thanks for another relaxing video!
Thank you!
Thank you for the recommendation!!!
My Kakuno in fine is one of my favorites. I love the way my handwriting looks with it.
@@stephaniemitchum9820 The Pilot Kakuno is my first fountain pen that I've bought to try and so far I love it.
Petit1 sucks...I guess it's ok for beginners who have nothing to compare it to..but..its made put of cheap plastic that is prone to cracks...the feed holds water too much when cleaning it for a new ink, even when left to dry for days.
I had a pilot metropolitan as my first purchase too! Totally loved it. Started however with some other hand-me-downs from my dad.
I ordered a pilot Metro and returned it within a day. Never have I ever had a pen ink my hand as bad. I now keep a few new Lamy Safari pens with me to gift to people when they ask for a pen. Your collection is amazing!
I cant Handel that triangular shape 🙄
@@hectorrosario8447 Not for everyone. It took a bit of getting use to, but it forced me to learn to hold a pen the" right" way.
Recently purchased the TWSBI ECO T Medium. Just ordered a EF. LOVE it. Have had it for 5 days and have used almost half the ink in the piston. Iroshizuku ink and it’s perfect!
When I was watching you write with the Pelikan I could just feel how smooth that was ☺❤
Yesss it’s butteryyy
Boyyy do our opinions differ when it comes to starter pens! But it dosen’t really matter. What I love about your videos is your voice. So relaxing! I could almost sleep while listening to you, but not in a « boring » kind of way!
Sorry you had a bad day ❣️ Hopefully today is brighter 🌻 Thank you for sharing! Fountain pens always make me happy too. Glad that my tiny collection features some of yours! It makes me feel like I'm making good life choices 😁
Thank you so very much!!
Helen, I too am addicted to all things fountain pens!!! Thanks for this awesome video!!!!
I got the pilot metropolitan fountain pen for my birthday and I love it so much.
Thanks for the video! I got myself a TWSBI Eco fountain pen and I've been loving it. Very easy to use!
Thank you so much Diane!! I'm glad you love it too!
Lovely pen collection. I tell myself I don’t need any more fountain pens but something always catches my eye. I bought the Sailor Lecoule, same color, but returned it as it was a horrible writer. I also disliked my Sailor Pro Gear but love my two Sailor Compass pens. I have the Pelikan on my wishlist, but fear the M 800 May be too large. I’ll think about that one awhile longer. I love my two Vanishing Points and Pilot e95s pens so well, the converter capacity doesn’t bother me at all when I accept that I fill more often. Love all TWSBI pens for their ink capacity and wonderful nibs from EF to Stub 1.1 mm.
Currently my number 1 choice for beginner AND inexpensive pens are the Preppies, Prefounte, or Varsity. Haven't tried a Kakuno yet.
With the Pilot Decimo, I use an empty cartridge and fill it with a syringe. It holds a lot more ink that way. Much more handy as I use it as my EDC.
I came to the comments to say this too. You get double the ink capacity by refilling cartridges. So much easier and so few people talk about it.
My first pen was a twsbi. Great starter pen.
For the vanishing point converter, the only way I’ve been happy with it is syringe filling and the putting it on the pen. No other method gets it close to full enough. Nice collection!
Gahh I need to get a syringe then! Was hoping to avoid the extra step 😭
@@TheCoffeeMonsterzCo it’s a game changer. You just put some ink in the syringe and then you can get a completely full converter and the let it sit so the feed grabs some ink and there’s actual ink capacity then. :-)
Honestly ink syringes make refilling spent cartridges just as easy and quick. The ones at jet pens are less than 2 dollars and work well.
@@TheCoffeeMonsterzCo I LOVE my ink syringe. I use to to fill converters can cartridges. I find it might easier and less messy.
I’ve had similar issues with the Metropolitan. When it writes, I love it, but sometimes that ink flow is awful.
Your thoughts on the Pilot Metropolitan were very interesting! The majority of my collection are Pilot Metropolitans and I love them. They write so smoothly, although the ink periodically not feeding through (in my case because I usually need to clean them, or they were inked and sat a little longer than was idea and took a minute to get rolling again) is definitely an occasional issue! I picked up a couple of Lamy Safari pens, and like another person mentioned, the triangle grip was not ideal for me. Still, I appreciate how lightweight they are, so I like them for that. And it was my first experience playing around with an extra fine nib. My other two pens are a pair of Kaweco Collection Sport Fountain Pens in a limited edition iridescent pearl finish (bought two so I could get a fine and an extra fine). They're the only two I own that I haven't used because they're SO PRETTY and I'm so worried my sweaty hands are going to ruin the finish. LOL I think if I decide to go for a higher end pen, though, I'm going to be eyeballing the Vanishing Point. It's so unique!
Gahhh it could be that I just got a faulty one from the beginning!!! I know many many people like them so I wasn't sure why I never did :(
@@TheCoffeeMonsterzCoYou should definitely try the medium nib Metropolitan/Cocoon. Even though the fine nib is also good, the medium nib is in its own class. I’m not exaggerating when I say that the medium nib is smoother than many other more expensive (gold) nibs.
I have a Metropolitan Retro Pop and I like the way it writes. However, I also love how smooth my TWSBI Eco Limited writes as well.
@@charlenejo2490 I have yet to try a TWSBI but that sounds very promising!
It's so clear how passionate you are about your pens! I love this side of your personality, it makes me wish we were friends. I took your advice the last time you made a fountain pen video, and got a twsbi eco t, and it's such a pleasure to write with! This time you've turned me on to those cute sailor pens that are less expensive. I'm in trouble 😅. Thanks for sharing your collection, I really loved this and your inks video
Fun video! I have a couple of pilot Vanishing Points and I bought a box of their cartridges years ago in black and when emptied, keep the cartridges and refill them instead of the silly converter. So much better!
i do the same, holds way more!
I also have strong opinions about the Pilot Metropolitan! I avoided it initially and got it recently just to see what all the fuss was about (and to review it for my journaling channel). Sadly, the shape of the pen (where it has a noticeable ridge after the threads on the grip) does not suit my grip style and it hurts to write with it. I get a big red line on my thumb if I write for more than a minute or two with it.
Thank you for sharing your collection and opinions on everything! I’m in the process of trying to decide which gold nib fountain pens to start with once I’ve saved up so this kind of video is very helpful.
I enjoyed the overview of the collection. All great pens. The TWSBI Classic is a leaky pen for me it likely came with a poor seam but shipping from the US to Canada makes a return prohibitively expensive. I would add a Sheaffer Targa to the collection you own and just to enjoy the inlaid nib. A Sailor Calligraphy 1.0 is economical to add to the collection also....Finally a Sailor KOP or Pilot 883 or Montblanc 146 will not disappoint you. APilot Kakuno is a surprise over performer also well worth the $20 dollars as it is super smooth writer and affordable!
Agree on the Sheaffer Targa. I have two that I purchased back in the early 1990s...one medium and one fine...and they're the best pens I own. Buttery smooth if that's your preference.
Thank you so much for the recommendations!!
I’m so fascinated about fountain pens and love seeing your collection. One day I’m going to get one. Thanks so much for this video ❤
I also struggled to ink my vanishing points but then I got a snorkel from Goulet pens and THAT was a game changer for me. Using that, I was able to almost completely fill the converter. 😊
a snorkel?
This is great review, I m watching this clip a several times go over low end to mid grade fountain pen. I just got three twsbi, trying three different inks and quality. They write so smooth, never had these pen before. Great fountain pen ✒️. Very cost effective. Thank you very much for wonderful review.
My favorite pens are Lamy 2000, Platinum 3776, and Taccia Covenant SE.
the classic fountain pen is super amazing to write with.
Yes!!! Love the piston too!
Amazingly our collection overlaps quite a lot - except colour choices and nibs sizes! I would highly recommend the Pilot Custom 823, I have had it a few months and it is now of my 3 inked pens every month, it's perfect. Would fit nicely in your collection as a Vac filler too
Thank you for sharing this even though you weren’t having a great day. This helped make my day a little better. Cheers from Denver 💛
Thank you for the update on your fountain pen collection. I appreciate that you have the pens you need and love and don't feel compelled to keep purchasing more.
I also don't like Pilot Metropolitan and gave mine away. I do however absolutely love other Pilot low-end pens like the Prera, the Explorer and the Kakuno. Interestingly, the Kakuno fits the size of my hand perfectly. It is mid-way in length between the Prera and the Explorer. Even though it's the least expensive, it's a favorite. The TWSBI Eco is a wonderful pen too, very sturdy and the large ink capacity is such a positive feature. I find it's a little too long for my hand, but I still use the two that I have unposted from time to time. I plan to get a Pilot E95S for my birthday in September. I'm glad to hear how much you appreciate it now that you've returned to using it.
I'm Early!!!
Just wanna say I love you!!
And patently waiting for your vlogs!!!
Love you more!! I hope to do more soon~
Love this video. I bought some of the ink shown in the last fountain pen video. Saving up for a high end one, but having fun learning using fountain pens and using them for my surveying notes, studying, planning etc. 🙌🏽🌸❤️
TFS Helen 😊 I hope you’re having a better day today 💗
Rewatching this so I can decide which pen to buy for your latest fountain pen ink release with Robert Oster !!! So flipping excited ❤❤❤
Oh gosh such an old video hahaha. Let me know what you decide on!! And thank you so much for your support
@@TheCoffeeMonsterzCo I decided on the Twsbi eco fine nib, so excited to try it out!
Nice video and pen collection. You have quite a few of the same pens as I do. Pleasant presentation too. Your printing is lovely.
Thank you for this video. For the Vanishing Point, use a Pilot cartridge and fill it using a needle filler and you will not have no trouble with less ink.
I love, love, love your collection. You obviously put a lot of thought and research before buying them. I've used various fountain pens for years. When I wanted to introduce my older son to them, I bought the Pilot Kakuno and I fell in love with it and bought two for myself. I also have a collection of about 10 Lamy Safari pens, some in the special edition colors. I love my TWSBIs. I don't particularly like my Conklin. It's too heavy and cumbersome. I'm also disappointed in my Monteverde. I love the barrel because of the stripes, but it doesn't write as well as most of my cheaper ones. I bought a Pilot Metropolitan, knowing fully well I didn't need it and wouldn't like it as much, but I like the turquoise barrel.
I bought my second tswbi and aurora black ink (thank you for your recommendation) recently! I feel better about buying my second tawnier after watching your video…..I pondered if I should be getting another brand, and if so, which brand? I am still new to fountain pens and my first eco was awesome. Lol - fountain pen insecurity is real. Thank you for sharing! I do love piston fill systems, so easy!
So glad you love the ink! I would so pilot is a good rand to dabble into!
Thank you for sharing your pen collection Helen. Some really interesting and informative insights. Much appreciated.
I look forward to owning a Pelikan one day. Loved the video.
Glad it was helpful! I hope you get to own this beauty one day as well!
Hi Helen! I started with those pens and still collect the TWSBI limited editions and use them a LOT. I love the Sailors so much and now I’m collecting them too lol. Love seeing your pens!
Thank you Sarah!!! Hehe yes TWSBIs are amazing collectibles!
I love my TWSBI
Which Sailor would you recommend for someone new to the brand?
@@vegronica9006 I’d start with one of the steel nib ones! Sailor nibs are ever so slightly textured so they feel a bit like writing with a pencil-you get a little bit of feedback. I like glassy smooth nibs usually but I fell in love with the different feel. That way you can see if you like it before investing a lot. Either the Compass or the Lecoule would be a great intro!
They’re also both on the smaller side, so a Pro Gear Slim or 1911 short (which are both gold nibbed and the next tier up) would be about the same size. By trying a Compass or Lecoule you’d also find out if that size is big enough for you, or if you’d want to get a bigger model (Pro Gear regular or 1911L) if/when you decide to move up to a gold one. I kind of regretted starting with the Pro Gear Slims because it turns out I like bigger pens, so having an idea of the size of the smallest ones BEFORE you spend $$$ on more expensive ones might help you out 💜
Nice video !
My first gold nib fountain pen was also the Pilot E95s.
My three favorite pens are Lamy 2000, Pilot Custom 823 and the Visconti Homo Sapiens.
I want to try the 823!!
I feel the same about the Pilot Metropolitan. I still have mine but it was not a very good choice when starting out. I found mine was very unreliable. I love my TWSBIs the most.
I also started with a Pilot Metro and actually did lose interest in fountain pens for a few years. In my case, I only used Pilot cartridges, but the pen would write like yours did when you stated it never writes like that. Within 48 hours, it would be dry and skipping. I find that if I syringe fill the cartridge with a more lubricated ink (a nice sheening one), it works beautifully until empty, but I didn't figure that out until years later. I recommend Pilot Kakunos as a starter now. Super cheap, smooth writer, and it has a friction fit nib like the Eco so you can easily clean it out (great for shimmer inks). I reuse old cartridges though because the CON-40 is awful 😖
Love your collection!
I love the Twisbi ECO! I just got one at one of your older videos using it. Such a great beginner pen!
Thank you for the suggestion. :)
Leather pens holder is so beautiful...
Great video - I love seeing your collection! I also love the ECO's large ink capacity for taking notes in class and meetings - I still reach for my ECO's over some pricier pens. Thank you for sharing your pens
Me toooo!!! It's my trusty pocket pen!
Oh my goodness! Another surprise vid! Yay! Gonna go watch now!
Happy Tuesday Helen. I want that pink fountain pen. I actually want the Sailor Pro Gear in Rose Gold 💞💞💞
It's so cute and pretty!
Interesting to see the differing opinions on starter pens. I have always recommended an inexpensive pen from a major manufacturer for a beginner rather than a cheap Chinese pen. There are some excellent values in Chinese pens, but for a beginner it might be too risky. Even though I have many expensive fountain pens, I routinely use inexpensive pens from Pilot, LAMY, TWSBI, Sailor, Kaweco, Platinum, and others. I’ve progressed (regressed?) from using 1.1 stubs to preferring medium Japanese nibs, and fine European nibs. Most 1.1 stubs (I’ve used) are really wet which I dislike. Two exceptions are a LAMY 1.1 stub, and
Pilot’s 1.0 stub. I love both of these nibs. Some Metropolitan’s can be purchased with the 1.0 stub. I really have to take exception to your opinion of the Metropolitan, with the exception of that bladder converter-just throw it away-and get a con-40, or even better for beginner use Pilot Namiki Cartridges. I still use cartridges in most of my Pilot and LAMY pens. It’s simple. I have never had a bad experience with a Metropolitan, nor for that matter, any name brand pen. I’ve given away many of them to friends (and Safaris too). I enjoyed your video, and intend to follow you. Thank you. 😊
I think Pilot Metro is a good starter pen, your opinion is valid but in Asia people start with those converters. Hero uses those converters. It's nib is what means the best pen! For 10-30 bucks piliot metro gives the best experience!
My Metro writes beautifully, it works with international cartridges or converters (bought in Europe).
Your lettering is very nice. Love all your pens.
I also really dislike the converter on the Pilot Vanishing Point so now I use an old cartridge that I refill from any ink bottle I want with an ink syringe - super practical.
I love this video so much! There is a lot of overlap between our favourite pens haha. I have 3 TWSBI classics and it is by far my favourite TWSBI model. Probably a good thing they don't have as many colour variations as the ECOs 😅
Yesss! The turquoise one is especially pretty!
OMG I'm so glad that I'm not the only one who hates the pilot vanishing point converter owo. I thought it was me and I was doing it wrong and I've kind of moved to using my twisbi more and would maybe consider a lami 2000 or maybe for my graduation a sailor moon pro gear for when I go to college.
Have you ever had problems with your Twsbi pens cracking? I really want to try an Eco but I’ve been scared off by complaints about their durability.
I completely agree with you on the Metropolitan! I rarely find people who feel the same way!
What ink did you have in the Sailor Progear? It’s pretty 🤩
I think I commented on your past videos to get that Pelikan you wrote about in your hobonichi. I didnt know you got it already. So happy you did! Thanks for sharing. When I decided on my 1st pen I didnt get the Metro because I thought I wouldnt enjoy the squeeze converter too so I got a Pilot Prera instead and love it.
I LOVE the TWSBI fountain pens!
Very nice collection of pens ❤️
Great video. Same opinion of the Pilot Metropolitan. I have around 100+ fountain pens. I wouldn’t recommend the Metro Just got one and I’m not a fan. I don’t like the fine nib. TWSBI Ecos are some of my favorite starter pens. I have quite a few in all nib sizes. I have 2 of the 580’s. Too heavy for long writing. My Sailor PG with a medium nib is an EDC I love it so much!! I have 2 VPs but don’t really use them much. Great concept though. Lamy 2k very classy and I use mine on a regular rotation. My son gifted me a Pelikan M805 in the Blue Dunes. Smoothest nib I’ve ever written with. Thanks for sharing!!
Agree with everything!!! The Blue Dunes one is so so so pretty~
Wow! I thought I had a lot! I have about 20, and about 10 are Lamy Safaris. I'm not going to buy any more of their special edition colors.
I love the preppy as a starter. has a good selection of nib sizes and comes in a variety of colors too. the price point is very reasonable as well. What paper are you using? Do you have any faves for fountain pen friendly paper?
I'm using a Rhodia pad here! My favourite~
I started with the Pilot Metropolitan, but am not a fan of the converter, so rarely use it. I will have to try the Con 40 converter to see if it is better. I love my TWISBI's, I have all the nibs except the largest- I think it is 1.1, or italic? I have found my favorites to be the fine nib and the medium in their ECO line; although, I prefer the medium in the Diamond 580 line. I have the rose gold ECO, but in smoke. It is my favorite looking one. I also have light blue, transparent green, transparent purple, and lilac in the ECO's. My 580 is the Prussian Blue and I love it. It writes smoother than any other fountain pen I own. I do want to try the retractable Pilot in the future, but am saving up for a higher end Lamy first. I tried the Al-Star, but it feels weird in my hand. I think I want to have one or two higher-end pens and then my collection will feel complete. (However, I am tempted by the new limited edition Iris TWISBI color- but so far I've been good at not spending!) Thank you for a fun video. I love learning about different pens.
The pilot metropolitan was my first fountain pen too, but I love it! Although I bought the converter with it, so I’ve never used the one that comes with the pen.
I love that emerald twsbi pen.
I did enjoy your video and it appears that German fountain pens are your top choices. Great job!💋
V beautiful collection you got there.
The press plate “converter” is actually for cleaning not filling with ink.. since you can’t see how much ink a con 40 is better.
My first fountain pen was a Platinum Preppy. I wanted to explore the world of fountain pens without breaking the bank. Man, did it open up a can of worms and I am hooked! My favorite pens that I have so far are my TWISBI pens. I'm excited to pick up the TWISBI Diamond 580 in Iris! The piston filling mechanism makes filling the pens so easy. My future goal pen would be to try a Sailor (so many beautiful colors) and I'm also curious to try one from Benu. Question for anyone that reads this, do you prefer your pens posted or unposted? 🖋
Preppys grip is too thick
I have a pelikan m400 in that same color and I also have a twsbi eco.
Ive used a metro as a daily for years. I love it, but the fine is too fine for me. In the medium, its a great day to day performer. Appreciate your opinion though and enjoyed the vid.
This video was really interesting! I liked your descriptions for each brand and how they differed 😯 I noticed that you alternate between medium and fine nibs. Do you a specific preference in terms of thickness?
Thank you Charnay!! Hehe I just like having a variety!!! Bold is a bit too bold though 😅
Helen, I’m looking for a new favorite fountain pen on the higher end. Which is your current absolute favorite pen? I had a pilot décimo and I just hate the piston filler so much I don’t even use it anymore. Thanks! -Flor
Nice collection. You have a very nice and soothing voice. I'm not a fan of Japanese converters either. I don't know why they don't have good converters. Sailor converters are so small, and they use the same one for the King of Pen as well. Such a big pen with such a small ink capacity. Using a broad or zoom nib is like running out of gas every couple of days. Pilot converters, well at least the Con-70 that I've used are hard to fill and clean. Platinum has the best out of the three, but the converter doesn't go into the socket, but over the end of the feed. I don't know if that made sense. Do you know about the Sailor Realo and Pilot Custom Heritage 92? Those are piston fillers. I've heard in Japan they like cartfidges more, hence they don't invest in better converter and piston pens.
I really like the way you coss your zeros. I'm going to try that for a while to change things up a bit. Is the M800 with an opaque or transparent body? I like that deep blue color, and the M800 is fantastic. I have the Stone Garden edition. Pelikan is probably my second favorite. Every one I have is such a smooth and great writer.
I like my Metropolitans, but do like my TWsbis best.
This may have been already suggested, try filling your converters with an ink syringe.
Do you have any opinions on Parker pens, Waterman's pens and Faber Castell pens?
Awesome video.
Love love love your collections! Have been thinking about getting into fountain pens but:
a) I’m a lefty, so anything ink is not so lefty friendly 😅
b) Fountain pens are not exactly cheap in Malaysia. I fell in love with the looks of the Pelikan from your previous video, but the price of it here… 😩
Any lefties here with a fountain pen obsession? How do you guys NOT smudge while writing? 😔
Lol.... my parents are using those... Girl they have been co opted. They are not yours anymore. Love mom and dad. 💕💕😅😅😅😅
The metropolitan works perfectly fine for me if I use it often, but I find that it dries out super fast if I stop using it for a while so I ended up not picking it back up ugh. I even have it on extra fine and absolutely loved using it all the time before I added more fountain pens to rotate, and that time in between pens allowed it to dry up :( I have to dip it into water to get it started again, so I think these pens are too finicky to recommend easily. As for the TWSBIs or any of the piston fill mechanism pens, I love how much ink they hold and how they never dry up so that I basically never have to refill haha. Loving my Sailor pro gear slims right now and starting to eye a few other intro gold nib pens to expand my horizons, so this gave me some good ideas! Thank you :) A couple questions: Do you find the special ‘feedback’ from Sailor pens noticeable, and do you like it? And for the vanishing point, do you find the clip on the nib side ever getting in the way of you writing for extended periods of time? Do you prefer the Decimo or the regular VP?
No pen should be left without using so long that it dries out. Or should ever go more than two months without being cleaned. Even a pen that stays wet can very slowly build up a layer of crystalized ink, or ink components, until they stop writing as well as they should, or start having hard starts. This can take a long while, or can happen within a couple of months, depending on the ink. But when it does happen you may not even realize what the problem is, and cleaning a pen like this is a pain. You have to completely disassemble it and scrub the feed, and like soak the feed in a bleach solution to clean out the ink line.
That said, my Metropolitans, I have eight, stay wet for a couple of months in testing, but if a pen stays wet for one week, it's totally your fault if it dries out. All you have to do to keep a pen wet is write a few words one a week. If you can't do that, there's a problem. Either you just don't use fountain pens enough to matter, or you have more of them inked up than you can actually use.
Where did you find a Metro with an extra fine nib? They come in medium and fine, and the fine is really a specialty noib. The medium, which is the same as a western fine, is for writing.
These pens are NOT finicky in any way. You just aren't using them, you're filling them up and then using other pens for too long. That's your fault, not the pen's. Metropolitans actually have a much loner than average period of staying wet.
TWISBI pens seem top never dry out, but you should still clean them every two months, and only put as much ink in as you will use over that period. You should need to refill two or three times, or more, during a two month period. If not, I see why the Metro dried out on you. You need one pen inked up at a time. Certainly no more than three.
I use a milliliter of ink for writing each day, and usually more than a milliliter for art. I keep eight metros inked up at all times, and they never, ever dry out because I use each of them regularly, whether for writing, or for pen and ink sketches and drawings. The number of pens in rotation should be based on how much ink you use, and on the types of pens you have. Any snap cap will dry out faster than the average screw on cap, and you have to take this into account when you select rotation pens.
Fountain pens(like preppy)grip tend to be too thick for me, can you recommend good fountain(beginner ) pen with thinner grip?
Hi Hellen, I was wondering if there were inks that you use and find best to work with the Hobonichi planners. I have a few Noodler's inks that are very were and smudge the paper. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
You are a bad influence on me. I just started with fountain pens. Bought a Pilot Kakuno fine nib and as a beginner, I’m finding it to be a great buy.
Thank you for this video! Hopefully it boosted your mood to be handling all those beautiful pens. I appreciate the time you took to give your opinion on each of them. So helpful. I would like to know how to change ink colors halfway through if you only had one pen or do you have to use it all up and then switch. Is it best to buy pens and inks online, or are there good retail stores? Blessings for a better week!
can you use printer ink with these fountain pens/ because I bought a couple boxes of ink. it was a cheap price. thank you
Hi, Great intro to fountain pens. For the twsbi, do you use a different pen for each colour? Or can you just change the ink cartridge and use one pen? Thank you everyone!
Is it worth buying pilot e95s fountain?what about build quality and writing experience of the pen?any issues problems while using the pen?
Ooooo i made it! But it's 1am now :')
I don’t even use the converter for my sailors or my pilots lol. I end up just filling a cartridge with the ink that I want and use that instead
Do you change inks if you want a different color or do you always use up what you fill? Coming from someone with one TWSBI and I want two more color inks!
im going throough something i used to love to write and i cant find a good pen that wont scratch of bleed out id end up with black everywhere on fingers and hands and shirts. i cant afford anyone but a bic right now maybe i wont write i stopped writing in my planner here and ther so sad
I am confused between buying TWSBI ECO, PILOT PRERA and SAILOR PRO GEAR. Can you please guide me?
Cute video 😊👌🏻
Just a comment probably already made many times about fountain pens: the most expensive pens are not necessarily the ones that write better.
The converter on the vanishing point is terrible. I take the cartridge that comes with it, empty it and put my own ink in it with one of those syringes they sell for fountain pens.
Oooo that's a great idea!!
Looking for a new fountain pen 😊💜🐦⬛
U read my minddddd hahahaha!!!
Based
My Amazon cart is now full of fountain pens 😂😂
I think you don't know how to use the squeeze converter try using the hero fountain pen from the 90s