Best entry level fountain pen?
Hi I'm very new to the world of fountain pens and I'm a little confused on which option would be best for me. I'm left handed and currently use Mont Blanc rollerball and ball point pens. I'm sure that I can get a great pen for a lot less than a Mont Blanc would cost but would I be disappointed and end up spending more. Can anyone please help.
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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=53.142928,-1.184798
Hiya Ngascoyne!
You can't go wrong with either of these two pens:
Lamy Safari (or a Lamy Al-Star if you like an aluminum body)
and/or
TWSBI Diamond 540
As for being left handed, I just read (yesterday) here in the forums that Waterman Havana is great for lefties because it dries quickly.
Good luck - keep us posted!
=) Eric
Son of Ragnar
When going for a Lamy Safari, you could go for a mk nib. Not too broad, but still rather smooth. It also better/smoother than a normal medium nib in my opinion if you want to use the backside for a finer line. And for its price of admission (under $20) you cannot go wrong. If you afterwards get the feeling that fountain pens are just not your thing you will not have lost much money. And the option to get cheap extra nibs that you can change yourself should not be overlooked.
As for the Waterman Havana: I really recommend the ink as it dries fast; but it is brown, so you might want to use a more "classic" color (blue or black). The normal blue Lamy ink cartridge that should come with the pen should also work, depending on how you write (underhand or overhand/hook).
If I were you I would go to a normal department store that has a section for office or school supplies. You should be able to test a Lamy Safari there. At least here in Germany that would be the way to go. And as for how good they are: My Professor uses a normal Lamy Safari, and not even an aluminium version!
Last edited by Pinkys.Brain; January 25th, 2012 at 07:14 PM.
All good suggestions - if you want something at a lower pricepoint that takes the more widely available international cartridge, the Schneider base is a good bet - very reliable, albeit limited in nib choice (anything you like, so long as it's medium, or meidum left handed). The Pelikano (if you can live with the styling) is a decent choice too - again, international cartridges, until you're ready for a convertor and bottled ink.
I like Waterman's schoolpens (like the Kultur) very much too - they're readily available on the continent (for about 11 euros) but somewhat harder to get elsewhere. The kultur doesn't have a shaped grip, which you might prefer.
The TWSBI is a great pen, although it's a bit more of a commitment (more expensive, bottled ink only). My feeling is that you'd not lose much if you really didn't get on with it though - 2nd hand prices are pretty good.
My personal preference in the starter Lamy range is the Al-Star (slightly better "feel" from the metal body &c) - no denying the coolness of the Vista though! Lamy blue's also a nice, dependable ink - not much feathering on any paper, ime.
Wow, I was just about the also recommend the TWSBI and Safari. My first fp was a Safari. I think the Safari has a much smoother nib than the TWSBI. It's not as well-built, but it writes better.
Safari is a fine pen.
For real cheap you could try one of the bulow pens from xfountainpens.com. I got some for Christmas and they're way better than I expected. left one sitting around (capped) for almost a week, picked it up today and it wrote immediately- that's the test for me, and it passed with honors.
I love the TWSBI's. I think if it's possible for me to get a lemon, I will get it. One of my Lamy's is a lemon (the Al Star...and actually the Studio gives me a bit) But the Safari I have is perfect, and so is the Lamy Joy. Go figure. On the other hand, my TWSBI 540 is a great pen giving me no problems after I washed it out. I got a Cross Solo which is about perfect, a good old Sheaffer No Nonsense which is a go to.
I love my TWSBI 530 and I don't have a Safari but now you've made me curious about the Safari. What nib do you have?Originally Posted by bomgd3
One of the truly great features of the Safari is that their nibs are so easily interchangeable. You can get one Safari, a all the nibs you think you'd likely use, and just swap as needed.
Brian Goulet has a quick how-to video here.
Thanks to everyone who replied. I'm now going on a hunt to track them down. I will let you know how I get on.
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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=53.142987,-1.184944
I have the fine nib, which is probably more like a medium.
I realize that I'm a little late to this discussion, but if you decide on the LAMY Safari or Al-Star, isellpens.com sells them with the converter included. Most other retailers require that you purchase the converter separately.
http://www.isellpens.com/lamy.html
For me, I just think that the Safari should come with the converter. It's a nearly $30.00 pen, which isn't expensive, but it isn't necessarily "cheap" either. At that price, they really should just include the converter.
The Safari (or Al-Star) is a good all-around pen, and is pretty rugged. I've also been relatively happy with the nib consistency. The Medium size nib tends to be "just right"; not too fat, not too thin. I wish that I had purchased this pen right away when I was new to fountain pens. It would have saved me a bit of frustration. I have since purchased several. =)
Good luck, and keep us posted.
Ok. I'll certainly check this out then. My friend has many Safaris and I'll try them out. Thanks
Safari's are good. A little more and you can move into a Pelikan 200 or lower. There are lots of old Pelikans out there for barrels, and you can easily buy a nib from Richard Binder.
I'm left handed. I have Safari's, Al-Stars and a TWSBI 530. Lamy makes a Left Handed nib, I tried it and don't really see how it helps to write. If you write over then you would definitely need to invest in fast drying inks. I write under so the ink drying time is not an issue for me. Good Luck!
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