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Thread: Spreading the FP love.

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    Default Spreading the FP love.

    I've decided that the best way to spread the love of fountain pens is to have people try it out. I have 10 teachers in the science department, and I have started getting entry level pens to give to them, when I can find them at a good price. Jinhao 750's and Platinum Preppy's so far, with a medium nib. Super excited.

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    Default Re: Spreading the FP love.

    So I guess I was pretty tired last night when I posted this, I never asked the question. What is a good pen for beginners?

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    Senior Member azkid's Avatar
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    Default Re: Spreading the FP love.

    I think the 750/450 are a bit heavy.

    So far I've had good luck with all but one of several Jinhao 51A pens (hooded) I got. That one had baby's bottom but I fixed it.

    Pilot Kakuno is a low cost ($8-10) but good with nibs as nice as the Metropolitan. Triangular grip. They are good for EDC, pocket carry, all plastic and colorful.

    I only bought one Wing Sung 3008 piston filler but have been very pleased with it. Good nib. Sealed cap so it will sit for a month or more without drying out.

    Aside from the stepped section/barrel which I don't love, Pilot Metropolitan is quite nice.

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    Default Re: Spreading the FP love.

    Quote Originally Posted by azkid View Post
    I think the 750/450 are a bit heavy.

    So far I've had good luck with all but one of several Jinhao 51A pens (hooded) I got. That one had baby's bottom but I fixed it.

    Pilot Kakuno is a low cost ($8-10) but good with nibs as nice as the Metropolitan. Triangular grip. They are good for EDC, pocket carry, all plastic and colorful.

    I only bought one Wing Sung 3008 piston filler but have been very pleased with it. Good nib. Sealed cap so it will sit for a month or more without drying out.

    Aside from the stepped section/barrel which I don't love, Pilot Metropolitan is quite nice.
    I agree about the 750 and 450. Those brass bodied pens become tiring after a page of writing. I'm impressed by models by PenBBS and Moonman. They're well made, have good nibs and cost remarkably little.
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    Default Re: Spreading the FP love.

    I've never been big on the fountain pen evangelism thing. A small number of acquaintances have seen me using fountain pens, and asked questions, a smaller number have been inspired to try them themselves. I'm always willing to answer the questions of those who are truly interested and give them advice; in a couple of cases I have given away inexpensive but decent pens. But I wait for people to ask; winning "converts" doesn't interest me.

    Quote Originally Posted by Cookedj View Post
    So I guess I was pretty tired last night when I posted this, I never asked the question. What is a good pen for beginners?
    You can't go far wrong with Pilot. You might even consider buying a bunch of Varsities, which can technically be refilled, but are designed as disposables. They still write very nicely, the ink that they come with will last a pretty long time, and they can be a good pen to start someone off with. The Pilot Plumix is another good low cost pen, but with it's shape it's unsuitable for pocket carry; it's basically a desk pen. If you're suggesting a pen for people to buy for themselves, I would recommend a Pilot Prera, and the common suggestions of Kaweco Sport and Lamy Safari are also good.

    I really don't care much for the Jinhaos I've tried, but I wouldn't say they're actually bad, just a bit heavy as others have mentioned. Your idea of Platinum Preppies is a good one. I haven't used mine in years, but remember them as being quite good; I've just moved on.
    "If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly."
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    Default Re: Spreading the FP love.

    I read Deb's post and said yay, she's back. However, her post was from 2019...;(

    So far, no one upon seeing my use of a FP has shown much interest in giving them a try except one co worker. I bought him a Lamy Safari which he appears to throughtly enjoy.

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    Default Re: Spreading the FP love.

    I've given fountain pens to a number of people, friends and family, as gifts.
    The only one that has taken to fountain pens wholesale has been my sister, who is also my newest pen-pal.
    She knows her inks, paper quality, loves her fountain pen and has outpaced me in improving her penmanship via fountain-pen.
    I get compliments on my fountain pens whenever people see them, but no one ever goes beyond that.
    I'll keep sending them to people as gifts, if anything it's a change to the norm that they will never forget if they give it a try.
    "I can only improve my self, not the world."

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    Default Re: Spreading the FP love.

    Quote Originally Posted by A Smug Dill View Post
    Aside: Detman101, the text in the image in your sigblock looks awfully familiar!
    Congrats on being able to read that.

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    Default Re: Spreading the FP love.

    Quote Originally Posted by FredRydr View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by A Smug Dill View Post
    Aside: Detman101, the text in the image in your sigblock looks awfully familiar!
    Congrats on being able to read that.
    I thought that. I can't read it.
    Regards, Chrissy | My Review Blog: inkyfountainpens

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    Default Re: Spreading the FP love.

    How embarrassing.

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    Default Re: Spreading the FP love.

    Quote Originally Posted by A Smug Dill View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by FredRydr View Post
    Congrats on being able to read that.
    The apparent verbosity caught my eye, and the content is very recognisable to me once I looked a bit more closely… because I wrote it. It's my sigblock on FPN.
    And it's perfectly stated!
    "I can only improve my self, not the world."

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    Default Re: Spreading the FP love.

    Quote Originally Posted by FredRydr View Post
    How embarrassing.
    The Internet is a self-service store...

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    Default Re: Spreading the FP love.

    Quote Originally Posted by christof View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by FredRydr View Post
    How embarrassing.
    The Internet is a self-service store...
    A veritable wank-fest!
    "I can only improve my self, not the world."

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    Default Re: Spreading the FP love.

    Quote Originally Posted by Kaputnik View Post
    I've never been big on the fountain pen evangelism thing. A small number of acquaintances have seen me using fountain pens, and asked questions, a smaller number have been inspired to try them themselves. I'm always willing to answer the questions of those who are truly interested and give them advice; in a couple of cases I have given away inexpensive but decent pens. But I wait for people to ask; winning "converts" doesn't interest me.

    Quote Originally Posted by Cookedj View Post
    So I guess I was pretty tired last night when I posted this, I never asked the question. What is a good pen for beginners?
    You can't go far wrong with Pilot. You might even consider buying a bunch of Varsities, which can technically be refilled, but are designed as disposables. They still write very nicely, the ink that they come with will last a pretty long time, and they can be a good pen to start someone off with. The Pilot Plumix is another good low cost pen, but with it's shape it's unsuitable for pocket carry; it's basically a desk pen. If you're suggesting a pen for people to buy for themselves, I would recommend a Pilot Prera, and the common suggestions of Kaweco Sport and Lamy Safari are also good.

    I really don't care much for the Jinhaos I've tried, but I wouldn't say they're actually bad, just a bit heavy as others have mentioned. Your idea of Platinum Preppies is a good one. I haven't used mine in years, but remember them as being quite good; I've just moved on.
    I'd strongly agree with Kaputnik here. The Pilot Varsity or V-Pen is a great value. I used to buy them in boxes of 10. They last quite a while, don't dry out, and just work. I've given these out to colleagues who admired the fountain pen I was using at work. Later, when I noticed one of my colleagues was using it regularly, I let her try my Twsbi Eco to see the next step. One of my other colleagues took the plunge on behalf of his daughter (Eco + bottle of Pilot Iroshizuku Asa-Gao).

    The Platinum Preppy pens are also good, and do give the cartridge experience early on. I've found them to be inconsistent (dry, skipping, some scratchy, some not). The V-Pens are absolutely consistent (I used them for years before upgrading).
    "The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here..." -- Abraham Lincoln, 1863

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    Default Re: Spreading the FP love.

    I think that different people perceive things differently. I prefer to have a good tool. Bad tools piss me off. If I knew nothing about fountain pens, the receipt of a Preppy or cheap Chinese pen would put me off. I don't want an unreliable or cracked pen, and my first takeaway would be "I've never had a Bic crack like that".

    I'm not trying to bash those pens...they are good value and have their place. I've got a Preppy in my pen roll right now, but it's fogged from the superglue that's holding the barrel together. I much prefer the Pilot Custom Urushi in the slot next to it which to me provides more value.

    If I knew nothing about fountain pens, somebody ought to get me hooked by buying something of more quality. A Pilot Kakuno, Metropolitan, Faber Castel Loom, etc. It's a good tool that will last and not turn me off, while I'm also learning about inks etc. Yes those are more expensive, and not something that you'd want to buy thirty of to give away to a bunch of classmates. But for people who perceive things like me, giving away thirty mediocre pens just creates thirty people who now know not to use a fountain pen. So spend more money, and just give one or two to closer friends or siblings.

    I also think that what you give somebody as a first FP should be something you have experience with: I think a Metropolitan would be great, but if you've never used a Pilot and cannot answer questions from personal experience about different converters or tearing down the nib/feed for cleaning then maybe that's the wrong pen for you to give.

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    Default Re: Spreading the FP love.

    This reminds me that I should get another Wing Sung 601 having given the other three away. I had totally forgotten.
    As it were, I found one of the new stainless and gold "flighter" type.
    Last edited by Chuck Naill; November 11th, 2020 at 12:28 PM.

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    Default Re: Spreading the FP love.

    I have some MR pens for giving away as well as some Jinhao 51A pens. I'm finding the MR does dry out faster than some. It's livable. I've given some of each away.

    Close friends have received monogrammed Waterman Hemispheres and those are good pens and can sit for weeks unused—my wife's does lol.

    I have tried other Jinhao pens but the smaller open nib quality is way too inconsistent. When they get them right they are quite good.

    I've had lots better luck with the hooded nibs on the 51A pens. The cap fit is kind of cheap and rough but, yeah, it's fairly effective.

    Wing Sung pens (3003 and 3008) I've gotten cracked with hardly any use. But their nibs are outstanding and quite consistent. If you ever need a cheap replacement Pilot MR type nib, get a Wing Sung.

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    Default Re: Spreading the FP love.

    I, too, give V-Pens as exploration pens to my students. I can only loan them in class, however (I cannot give gifts to students). But kids are free to try them out. My wife lets all her 2nd graders try V-Pens, too, when they work on writing poetry.

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