10 Years in the Fountain Pen hobby
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- Опубликовано: 13 сен 2024
- 00:20 - My Journey
02:10 - Ink and paper are important too
03:14 - More expensive is not better
05:26 - Don't believe marketing hype
08:13 - Flex nib fountain pens
10:28 - There is no perfect pen
13:05 - The community is important
I throughly enjoyed this video! Thank you for sharing your fountain pen journey. I've realized that the combination between the pen, ink and paper is more important than each of those separately, too.
Well Said ! after 5 years in the hobby, i found same things - this video can save you a lot of money and disappointments. putting expectation into reality.
Just made the same conclusion yesterday, that a steel nib dip pen might just be on a league of its own.
Great video, a practical person that chooses pens for different use cases. It’s hard to find references like you because the hobby is full of collectors. I came to the hobby like you, to get a better writing experience
Knowing what you know now, what pens would you buy or again or buy instead?
Good question! I made a video about that a few years ago. It's time I make it again. Short answer for you:
1. Pilot Custom 743 medium nib
2. Pilot Kakuno fine nib
3. Platinum Prefounte fine nib
4. Pelikan M120 Iconic Blue broad nib
I had a Pilot 823 F.... I loved it, but was afraid to take it out of the house!!... 2 cheaper pens that write very close to the 823, are the Asvine v126...( or Asvine p20)...and the Hongdian N12.....all of these are under $30.00 each, and have smooth steel nibs.( if you love extra fine nibs, go with the Hongdian...it's EF nib is just a whisper away from the gold F nib on the 823)
It’s a good observation that the online fountain pen threads are more supportive than anything that is directly professional, competitive or connected to sale/resale business. In those chats you will find a lot of smoke intended to shake your confidence.
I enjoyed your view point and opinions. Agree with subtle differences on a few point. But when it come to need, I always “need” one more. LOL
Yeah, I've been there too! There's always one more interesting pen to add to the collection.
A 'perfect pen for this specific need' is how I am curating my collection. I have some pens that are perfect for playing with ink, a VP that's perfect for a specific quick draw need, pens with italic grinds that are perfect for journaling, pocket pens that are perfect for travel, etc.
I definitely agree that there is not 'a grail pen that will end your quest for the perfect pen,' though I feel that pen is presented to us consumers through many different emails/influencers/social media accounts/rising pen brands/exclusive pens/limited edition pens/etc. Of course, that perfect (grail) pen doesn't end up being the perfect pen we expected it to be and the quest continues.
Lots of great info here. Thanks for the video!
It depens. For me a grail pen is based on looks, the nib I can modify to writhe the way I like it. One of my top 3 nibs as writing goes is in a 15$chinese pen I made into an architect. If i could have a nib experience like that on a Pelikan m1000 Fantasia that would be grail material.
Really interesting perspective! I have drifted into pen collecting over the last couple of years. I’ve always had a bit of a stationery fetish and also a love of analogue things, such as watches and cameras. Showing my age, I went to a school from 9 to 13 years old where fountain pen usage was absolutely mandatory - can’t imagine that there are many state schools that still do that now! In the camera world, we have something called GAS - Gear Acquisition Syndrome - I’ve been fighting it for some time and I can feel it happening now with pens. I’ve gone from 2 to 5 in the last few months and need to rein myself in. So hearing your experiences is really valuable, knowing that there is no perfect one. Thanks.
Great video. Really thoughtful and excellent points. Thanks so much for sharing.
I learned a lot from this. Time to give up my flex fp quest!
Different fountain pen users have different preferences, and i totally agree with what you said about those made-up categories.
Regarding flex nibs, the Indian pen maker Magna Carta has recently created some decent flex nibs.
I find this video very interesting. I’m just starting my journey down this rabbit hole. Just received my first two FP. Both are Lamy Safari. One in plastic with medium nib the other in metal (all star) with fine nib. I think this is a good starting point to see if I like more or less weight and what size nib. Looking at a Pilot with a fine or extra fine nib to try something from a different manufacturer with a round grip. What are your thoughts about this approach? TIA.
This sounds like a good approach to me!
great video thanks for sharing
only 1 year , but already agreed to all of it.
Nice video. I do think there will be a perfect fountain pen for an individual if he search enough and knows exactly what he/she wants. Also a TWSBI do deserve a place in your collection.
I used to have a TWSBI Eco and TWSBI Diamond Mini AL. They aren't for me. But great pens for others.
My 10 year experience is that cheap hooded new fountain pen with roller ball type ink system is awesome. I could have baight 5 same pens instead of 1.
People who aren't trained for Spence, copperplate, ES, etc., will inevitably spring the flex fountain pen nibs. I started FP hobby in 2014, got my first taste of flex with Ahab, started learning Spence casually in 2015. I started seriously studying OP in 2016-2017ish, and lost interest in FP pretty much.
Love the video and it is true. You buy one, and are always searching for the next one!! One question, have you come across the Magna Carta 600? I would like to hear your opinion!
I haven't tried the Magna Carta 600. Big pens aren't my preference and I steer clear of flex nibs now. But it looks really nice!
@@putteringpenman Thanks, just needed someone to help me avoid falling in the purchase trap!! Hahahahaha!!
I just got into this hobby 2 months ago and I already have 6 pens. I feel ashamed of myself 🙁
Oh dont be ashamed… I managed to have over 100 pens after just a year of collecting. 😱
Don't be ashamed! You're finding out what you like and don't like.
6 pens is reasonable - its useful to have a full array of nibs - extra fine, fine, medium, broad, double broad and one or two stub nibs 1.1 and 1.5. Its also handy to have a couple of additional pens to use different inks in. They dont have to be expensive.
Can you suggest me how do i start with Calligraphy?
I am 2.5 years into fountain pens and improved my Cursive in this time.
What type of calligraphy do you want to do? If you want business penmanship, lookup The Palmer Method. If you want pointed pen calligraphy, look at Dreaming In Script's Engrossers Script course. For broad edge, checkout John Paul Stevens.
@@putteringpenman thanks I will research on these topics 😀
I learned that gold nibs are overly hype and a good steel nib writes basically the same 😅
What is your favorite one??
Not for me, I much prefer the bounciness feeling of some gold nibs, like the Pilot E95s and Vanishing Point for example. You don’t get that on a normal steel nib. I agree with your statement for stiff gold nibs like some Sailor, Lamy 2000, etc…
They're not hype. Most gold nibs are bouncier and more responsive than your average steel nib. This is just fact.
Agree with you both, some gold nibs tend to be softer, but my experience with the gold nibs I have (platinum and sailor) have been quite stiff. I also have a Schmidt steel nib that is pretty soft that I get line variation just with my normal pressure, not sure if all Schmidt nibs are like that and I hear some pretty mixed things about them, but so far with my experience they have been great
@@Ajohnsmith2 yeah, it’s a personal choice too, some people prefer stiff nibs and some prefer soft nibs, and yeah, steel can be soft, much usually requires a big nib or cutouts. I’m in love with my E95s, it’s a bit soft and very precise. I haven’t tried Sailor nibs but I’ve tried Pilot stiff but very smooth steel nibs like in the metropolitan and kakuno, and I like it, but I prefer a little bit of softness.
There's a reason why modern FP nibs are not flex nibs. It's because flex nibs on fountain pens are terrible and prone to breaking.
Not true. A lot of old fountain pens from the 30's, 40's, and 50's often had quite flexible nibs which were great for writing with and getting decent line variation. Currently flex nib pens from Fountain Pen Revolution, The Good Blue, Noodlers, etc all make flex nibs that work well and are robust
while you're right, there's no such thing as the perfect fountain pen, I stopped collecting when I got a Lamy 2000
Agreed. I stopped buying new pens for a long time after I got my Pilot Custom 743. Sometimes a pen is just that good!