What pen to go for?

[Samuroot1987]

Hello, I am looking at getting my first fountain pen. Im not sure what pen to get. (Sorry to break the flow, But if i make mistakes like waht. Please forgive me. Im a fast typer.) As far as what i need in a pen. I need for it to work for a long time, Not need to many refills, Be good for a somewhat good for a sloppier writer, And be durable. Also good for 7-8 grade. As i am going back to school.

Thanks,

Samuroot1987

[mmahany]

Pens can cost anywhere between 25 cents and hundreds of thousands of dollars. It would greatly help to know what your budget is.

[Samuroot1987]

like 10-20 USD Possabaly I dont realy have one. Under 40 more likely

[Samuroot1987]

For mechanical pencils, Is this a good choice. (Reccomended by the pen addict) Uni-ball Kuru Toga

[Bogon07]

For mechanical pencils, Is this a good choice. (Reccomended by the pen addict) Uni-ball Kuru Toga

Kuru Togas are a good choice as they have a mechanism to rotate the pencil lead to retain a constant point. They are available in a range from budget all plastic models to to premium metal ones.
The downside is they do not come is a wide range of sizes only 3mm or 5mm.

For fountain pens you need to think about how you are going to use one and what you want out of it.
Do you prefer writing in big or small letters as the nib size can be an influence ? Nibs can range from extra fine to broad, the wider the nib the bigger you will need to write your letters.
Do you want to rely on cartridges or will you want to fill your pen with different colour inks ? Availability of refills.
How do you handle you pens do you require a very robust pen or can you take care of a more delicate one ?

Have a look at Goulet Pens Fountain Pen 101 video for some background and explanation of terms.
http://www.gouletpens.com/Fountain_Pen_101_s/1135.htm

[Samuroot1987]

Listing to the videos now, As far as the pen. Sturdy, Medium to large, Id like to fill them. Fast-er writer. Semi-sloppy.

[Bogon07]

I would suggest a Lamy Vista with a medium nib and a Z24 converter. The pen is a robust plastic and being transparent you can easily see how much in you have in the pen.
They usually come with an ink cartridge too. Some sellers will include the converter free while others will charge extra.

However the Lamy Vista (and Safari) has a triangle grip section that some people may not like, so it is best if you can pick up one in a shop to try and see how you like it.

There are plenty of other budget pens level pens as well.
Check out some on-line shops, set your price range and see what turns up and if you like the look of them.

[Samuroot1987]

One pen that has been reccomended is a metro and i think i MAY go with that

[Honey Mustard]

Since you have messy handwriting I would recommend a stub nib. In your price range the Nemosine Singularity with .6mm stub and the Pilot Plumix would both be good options. However, since you want a sturdy pen I would recommend picking up a Pilot Metropolitan and a Plumix. You can pull the nib off of the Metropolitan and put the Plumix stub in its place. This will give you the best of both worlds for a decent price. The Con-20 convertor and proprietary Pilot cartridges both hold a decent amount of ink.

The Uni-ball Kuru Toga is a great choice for a pencil.

[Samuroot1987]

so from what i ahve been told, I would want a stub broad nib, Something like a metro, get a case beacause having a pen in the pocket turns out very bad, find what i like and in the future MAYBY go for a coustom. [I wont do that likely] and go for what fits my writing style. For my "cart" of things to get 2 Pens [school says 2] 2 Pencils [Again, School] 2 cases [one for pens, One for pencils.] Ink, Lead, eracers, and any other stuff?

[Bogon07]

Yes the Pilot Metropolitan would be a good choice and great value for the money. The biggest problem with one will be deciding on the colour.

[Jeph]

I am not convinced that a stub broad is a good choice for fast, sloppy writing. I am a fast, sloppy writer and I frequently find that even a M nib is too broad. The stub that was recommended was a .6 mm stub and not a broad. The European M writes about the same line as a .7mm ("Fine" for rollerballs).
Please check this page for reference http://www.richardspens.com/pdf/strokewidths.pdf and make sure that your scale is correct using the ruler at the bottom.

For pencils, .5mm lead is everywhere as are the pencils.

The number of pens and pencils that I lost or destroyed during those school years is beyond counting so I would hesitate to spend a great deal.

I cannot offer any better suggestions than have already been made otherwise.

[Carole]

Yes, a lot of good suggestions, and I think the Pilot Metro is a good choice. I just tried one and really liked the nib size, easy to use.

About cases: Jetpens has a great selection of pen/pencil cases--I like the Lihit Lab Teffa but they have smaller ones too--lots of styles--and they also have the best erasers. (I couldn't resist the forest critters. Or the cupcakes. Or the penguins and dolphins.)

[mmahany]

Do you happen to live in the US?

[Samuroot1987]

Oregon!

[mmahany]

I have a Stainless Steel Parker Jotter Fountain, Ballpoint, and Mechancial Pencil set I can send you the next time I go to the post office. It's not going to win any awards in the looks department, but it can be your backup set after you get something nicer. PM me your address if you want them.

[Samuroot1987]

Its fine, Keep them! Thank you for the offer though.

[fountainpenkid]

Maybe the TWSBI mini would be of interest to you. They are great for school in my experience.

[mmahany]

Its fine, Keep them! Thank you for the offer though.

I can't say I've ever heard of someone turning down free pens, but sounds good, lol.

[Samuroot1987]

just dont want my adress floating around the internet. :P