How do you find the pen that is right for you?

[Wrathen]

So I will first say that I'm very new to FPs and I'm very sorry for the wall of text that will follow but I need some advice and direction. If that is not your thing then feel free to stop reading at this point you will not hurt my feelings in the least.

SOOO to date I have only ever used 1 fountain pen.... a TWSBI 580 w/ a fine nib. I have an Esterbrook SJ w/ a fine nib (just snagged for a good price, I'm not sure I'm going to like it but its on its way to me) and 2 vintage pens (I plan on playing with to see if I can make work, but both are too light and thin for me). When I first started looking into fountain pens I had it narrowed down to a Lamy Safari/Al-Star or a TWSBI 580 because I liked the idea a piston/cartridge converter filler. I then managed to catch a good deal on the "For Sale" forums from brleibe on the TWSBI and thus my first pen was bought. I ordered 5 or 6 different sample inks and a bottle of Noodler's Black from Goulet but now I'm not sure where to go as with other pens. I'm not a collector and dont ever plan on going that direction, much like my wetshaving I like to find out what I like, buy what I need, and just enjoy that. After year and a half of trying things broke down and bought a Above the Tie (ATT) 5 piece system and love it it will be the last razor I own/buy.

I would like to own 4-6 pens so I can have 2-3 inked at any given time. Through the end of the year I can spend maybe another $100 or so on pens/NIBs. Ultimately what I would like to have own would be:

2-3 pens that I can carry around daily and enjoy without much worry of hurting them. I think my TWSBI and Safari/AlStar fits this bill really well. Also the Lamy 2000 / Pilot Vanishing Point
1 pen (maybe 2) that does good line variation ... Unless I'm wrong this means I need a Flex or Stub nib. From the videos I have watched it looks like this takes more skill to use (at least with the flex nib) so might not be a good idea for a newbie like myself.
1 "very nice" pen that I keep on my desk at home to enjoy and write with there. This may seem weird but I'll throw it out there anyway, but since I was in my teens (so 20+ years ago) I figured I would most likely go into sales and marketing. I always thought to myself "I know I have "made it" when I can buy myself a Montblanc." Granted it was the only "high end" pen I knew of at the time. Since starting to look into fountain pens I still like the Montblancs but also like Pelikans maybe M600 or something (blue or black as I dont like the greens). That being said I think I still dont know enough about FPs or what I like to make this purchase so I think I will hold off a year or so before jumping on that purchase.

So thus is my conundrum ..... The way I see it my current "problem" is two fold: What NIB size should I get or do I like? and what "kind" of pen do I like? (size, length, shape, etc). I have no local store that sells pens and I cannot find any local club. SO I have no way "test drive" any other pens or NIBs. I'm sure there are bound to be other FP users around but I dont know any.

What I know so far from using my TWSBI 580 (fine NIB):

NIB Size: OK but at times I think I would like it finer. It seems to depend on how small I'm trying to write
NIB Smoothness: NIB seems super smooth to me (but I have little to judge it by)
NIB Wetness: Due to inexperience I'm not sure how to judge but the line weight seems a little light to me without adding more pressure than I think I'm supposed to ... does this mean I need a wetter writing pen?
Weight/Balance: seems wonderful unposted (posted its bad)
Length: unposted seems almost perfect for my hand
Diameter: fits wonderfully in my hand... it could be a bit larger without an issue not sure I would like thinner
Fill: I really like the piston fill method of filling

I have a Esterbrook SJ w/ fine NIB coming in should be here first part of the week but I'll be traveling for work till Friday of next week so wont get it till then. So at that point I'll have a 2nd pen I can see how I like. I have held a FP or two that Office Depot sales I forget which think it was ether a Cross or Pilot and it seemed too narrow. So to this point that's my experience I have to go by.


SO I'm very open to others opinions and guidance but here is the three paths I am considering.

A) Buy (from vendor or "For Sale" forum) for another TWSBI 580 with a different NIB

B) Buy different NIBs for my TWSBI (and rewatch Goulet's video so I know how to change them) thus going with a pen I know I like and can try different NIBS .... the downsize of this would be only having one pen inked at a time

C) Buy (from vendor or forum) a Lamy Safari or Al-Star like I intended before I got the TWSBI. This serves trying a different pen and go with a different type of NIB (unlike some people I like the Lamy Safari Design)

I would like to figure out over the next month or so the direction of pen I like because my wife wants to get me a pen for Christmas and I need recommendations to give her. As of write now I'm leaning towards a Pilot Vanishing Point Matt Black or a Lamy 2000 but I have no clue as to what nib to get. I also might change my mind of find something I like better

So I know that is alot to digest feel free to tackle part or all of it. Weigh in on my paths I'm considering or suggest other pens you might think fit the bill for me. Weigh in on how I should go about pen or nib choice and how to find a good fit for me.... or throw in random comments

[jar]

Tastes will change. Today's perfect pen will be jess okay tomorrow. What me worry? Nah, just enjoy the ride.

[manoeuver]

try a bunch. go to a pen show and get crazy. finding out what you like is the joy of the thing.

[Laura N]

Where do you live?

[Wrathen]

Where do you live?

Northwest Florida Panhandle in Gulf Breeze

[bec11mort]

I have quite a few different pens and always seem to go back to my TWSBI for long writing sessions since it fits comfortably in my hand. If you're using a lot of pressure still it's probably good to have a stiff steel nib like the TWSBI that's hard to damage. The Lamy Al-Star is a great pen as well, but make sure you try one first since the grip section is really hit or miss with most people. Personally, my TWSBI pens write smoother, but my Lamys write wetter. When I first started with fountain pens I almost exclusively used extra-fine nibs, but now I enjoy medium nibs, so definitely try a few different things and see what you really like (too much pressure with an EF nib can force it to be more of a M line-width with some pens). Nib-swapping on the TWSBI is really simple, but with the cost of a TWSBI, you're just as well off buying an additional pen since the nib is half of that!

As for the other pens you're considering, I love my Pilot VP. It's a gold nib that's very springy, and that took some getting used to for me (and don't forget that the VP is a Japanese pen, so the fine nib on that is finer than a TWSBI extra-fine nib). The VP is an incredibly convenient pen!

[Laura N]

In the meantime:

A. No.
B. Maybe. But no need to watch a long video -- don't they just unscrew?
C. I think this is better because this way you're trying a new pen and a different filling system. Also you can buy alternate nibs at the same time, expanding your experience for half the price of TWSBI's nibs. For example, you'll have a nice set, together with your TWSBI fine, if you add the Safari with an EF nib, a converter, and M and 1.1 nibs. FWIW, I think the Safari is a great design, and there's no need to apologize for liking it. You'll find lots of Safari fans here, including me, and we tend to ignore the snobs. :)

I would suggest you also buy a basic ink, blue or black, from a pen manufacturer like Waterman, Parker, Pilot, Sailor, Aurora or Sheaffer. That will get you a nice ink for different pens -- a low maintenance ink that won't cause problems. Also great choices are the basic J. Herbin inks. Lamy and Pelikan inks are excellent, too, but tend to run more dry, which may not be great for a beginner trying different pens. Many people on fountain pen boards love Noodler's, but not all inks from that brand are a great choice for every pen, especially when you are a beginner. (Noodler's black is not problematic, but I'm still going to advocate adding a more basic ink.)

When you evaluate your pens, be advised that how it writes depends not only on the pen and nib, but also on the ink and paper.

[Laura N]

I know some great pen guys in and around Orange Beach, Alabama! But I don't know how close that is. There is a pen show in Atlanta every year, if you can travel there. In fact, here (http://fpgeeks.com/pen_shows/) from FPG is a list of pen shows, which seems extremely complete.

I think that the best way to find pens that work for oneself is to try them. So, if you don't want to keep buying and selling, the best way at the beginning is to go to a pen store, like Fountain Pen Hospital in NYC, or to a pen show. It sounds like you might travel for work, so maybe you'll get to a place with an excellent pen store (like NYC, Houston, Santa Fe); if you do, plan to try some pens and to buy right there.

Otherwise, many of us just bought a variety of pens we had heard about, and used them, over the years. That requires some investment, and you do end up with some pens that you don't love as much as you thought, but you can take as much time as you need. And it's enjoyable. I can tell you have a roadmap, which is great, and maybe you want to get there right away. But in many ways the journey is really the best part.

[ac12]

Without a local store or pen club you are really in a tight spot.
Internet purchases are really a gamble. You can get dimensions and weight from places like Goulet. That helps to narrow things down.
But until you get it in your hand and start to write, you really don't know how it will REALLY feel like.
Try to get to the closest pen show before you get too many pens. Then you can handle the pens and feel what they are like.

You can get a Safari, with all the nib you want to try XF,F,M,B, and 1.1, 1.5, 1.9
Just realize that the Lamy nib may not match up with another brand. Example a Lamy F = old US Parker M and a Pilot M.
And the Safari makes a good everyday carry pen.

The nib smoothness is affected by several variables.
- One is the tipping of the nib and how smooth it is.
- 2nd is the paper. The surface texture of the paper can make a nice pen feel lousey. So you need SMOOTH paper. And if you use a XF nib, you also want a HARD paper, so the tip does not go into the paper as you write. So you want a SMOOTH HARD paper.
- 3rd is the ink and pen. What I mean here is the amount on ink that is put on the paper. And the ink. The ink acts like a lubricant, and some inks are more slippery than others. Not enough ink and the pen feels like it is dragging on the paper. Get enough ink and the pen is gliding in a pool of ink. Of course you don't want too much ink, then it take a long time to dry.

Wetness is really subjective and can change based on task. It is how wet YOU want the pen/ink combo to be, for a particular task. Some inks need a wet pen to show their colors. Other people want a dry pen, so they can take notes fast and not have to wait for the ink to dry to turn the page in the notebook. So you may want a dry pen for taking notes in school/work and a wet pen for signatures and writing letters.

And the pen should write with little or no pressure from you. A fountain pen does NOT need to be pressed down like a ball pen does. If you have to press down to get ink flow, then you need to either switch to a wetter ink (like Waterman) or have the nib adjusted for the ink.

For your pen with line variation, I would get a Lamy Safari with a 1.1 italic nib. I use a 1.1 on my Lamy joy as my journal writing pen. It gives me line variation without the work and hassle of a flex pen. I used a Lamy 1.1 on last years Christmas cards. You can try the wider 1.5 or 1.9 nibs if you think the 1.1 is not wide enough. You just need enough space to write.
For flex, I am going to give you the recommendation I got and followed. Get a dip pen; $2 flex nib (Nikko G or Hiro 41) + $3 straight holder or better a $13 oblique holder, and you probably have a better flex setup than just about any flex fountain pen you can find. Granted a dip pen isn't as portable and convenient as a fountain pen, but the results are as good or better for a much cheaper price. And just so you understand, flex writing is S-L-O-W writing.

Now as to your Christmas pens.
I have a Lamy 2000, and it is now in my collection. It is too fat and heavy for me to comfortably write with, so it took early retirement. And it was just as you write, an internet purchase w/o being able to hold the pen in my hand. As soon as I picked it up, I knew it was going to be a challenge, and it was, and it lost. However if you like the TWSBI, you may be fine with the L2000.

gud luk

[Wrathen]

Thanks everyone for the advice so far. This Sunday I'm traveling to Des Moines Iowa for a week for work (I wont have much time to play). I did a search and looks like there might be two places I can go look at pens The Quill & Nib and The Art Store. My hotel is near the Art Store so I can for sure hit them up but not sure I'll have time to drop in on the Quill & Nib since the one day I will have more free time, Sunday, a day they are closed.

I have a friend who lives in Atlanta maybe I'll see about getting time off and drive the 5 hours up there and stay with him and walk the show.

[ac12]

I have a friend who lives in Atlanta maybe I'll see about getting time off and drive the 5 hours up there and stay with him and walk the show.

Yes, do the show.
Bring $$$ You might find the penS you want.

[Wrathen]

I have a friend who lives in Atlanta maybe I'll see about getting time off and drive the 5 hours up there and stay with him and walk the show.

Yes, do the show.
Bring $$$ You might find the penS you want.

Since I can crash with my buddy and dont have to spend the $97 to stay at the show that's like a pen or two right there!

[Laura N]

Thanks everyone for the advice so far. This Sunday I'm traveling to Des Moines Iowa for a week for work (I wont have much time to play). I did a search and looks like there might be two places I can go look at pens The Quill & Nib and The Art Store. My hotel is near the Art Store so I can for sure hit them up but not sure I'll have time to drop in on the Quill & Nib since the one day I will have more free time, Sunday, a day they are closed.

I have a friend who lives in Atlanta maybe I'll see about getting time off and drive the 5 hours up there and stay with him and walk the show.

Okay I am posting too much, but.... It's a decent hike from Des Moines, but Fort Madison, Iowa is the former home of Sheaffer Pen. I've always wanted to go. :) If you have any interest in vintage Sheaffers, the town has a Sheaffer museum and a store called Pendemonium (https://www.pendemonium.com/), run by very nice people. Caveats: I don't know if either is open on Sunday, and Pendemonium is mostly vintage.

There may be some FPG people in Des Moines. In fact, maybe you could politely PM our fearless administrator Dan. He might have some good advice about the area.

[ac12]

Laura
Pendemonium has moved to Arizona.

[Laura N]

Laura
Pendemonium has moved to Arizona.

Whoa, you take six months off, you miss everything! It's a bummer for those of us in the Midwest, but great for the Fiorellas. Good for them!

[Jon Szanto]

My dear friend Laura has already spoken The Truth: get thee to a Pen Show!

Show! Show! Show!

Also, we need to get Tracy Lee in here (I'll ping her) to see if she has any FL ideas for pen places or gatherings...

Short of spending a lot of time and cash on buying a bunch of pens, sight unseen, to try to find what you want, a good pen store or a pen show are the very best (Show!!) to sample a lot of pens. It will, in the end, be worth any investment in time and money, and will cause far less frustration and useless expense.

I'm just back from a vacation and my brain is (thankfully) mush, but I'll see if I have any more pinpoint ideas after I mull it over. Good luck, you are on a happy journey! http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb204/EnvoyC/emotes/danceman_r.gif

[sharmon202]

What was useful to me when I started about a year ago to decide my nib size...when you get to where you can try some, go until you close up the space in your e's and o's. I use F/EF for almost all but find some uses for a bit broader or a stub. Be sure to try a stub somewhere.

[snedwos]

Engeika

[dannzeman]

...There may be some FPG people in Des Moines. In fact, maybe you could politely PM our fearless administrator Dan. He might have some good advice about the area.
Now I know why my ears were burning. :)

There are a few of us here in Des Moines. I live in Ankeny, just a few minutes north and would be happy to meet you for dinner or drinks, wrathen. I might be able to round a friend or two and do some show and tell.

My advice for your situation would be to get to a pen show. I know it's expensive, but the amount of information and experience you'll gather will far more valuable than spending that same amount on pens over the internet. Hold off on any purchases and save everything you can for a pen show. Many vendors will let you ink, or at least dip, pens to try them out and I've never come across a single one that wouldn't let you handle one and pretend to write with it. Another plus about going to a show is that there are usually a few nibmeisters there. This means you can take the pens you just bought, go to them and say "I would like my nibs to write exactly like such-and-such" and they can adjust it on the spot.

[Jon Szanto]

My advice for your situation would be to get to a pen show. I know it's expensive, but the amount of information and experience you'll gather will far more valuable than spending that same amount on pens over the internet. Hold off on any purchases and save everything you can for a pen show. Many vendors will let you ink, or at least dip, pens to try them out and I've never come across a single one that wouldn't let you handle one and pretend to write with it. Another plus about going to a show is that there are usually a few nibmeisters there. This means you can take the pens you just bought, go to them and say "I would like my nibs to write exactly like such-and-such" and they can adjust it on the spot.

I asked a friend, and doesn't sound like much available in the FL area for stores, but you should have your sights set on the Miami Pen Show, which seems to happen in July. Everything Dan said is spot on. I've also been informed that the Atlanta show might actually be closer, and from what I've seen, looks to be a very fun gathering.

BTW: While it takes a second to figure it out, Susan Wirth always maintains a Calendar of Upcoming Pen Shows (http://home.netcom.com/~swirth/2000.htm) which might be a handy reference for those who travel, etc.

[Wrathen]

Ya from where I am Miami is like 10hrs or more but Atlanta is 5hrs. I have talked to the wife and she said it sounded like fun so in April looks like we will be driving to Atlanta

[Jon Szanto]

Ya from where I am Miami is like 10hrs or more but Atlanta is 5hrs. I have talked to the wife and she said it sounded like fun so in April looks like we will be driving to Atlanta

Yay!