Goodbye Chinese Fountain Pens

[writtenworlds]

Norman Haase at His Nibs adjusts all the Chinese pens that he sells. I wholeheartedly vouch for his service.

Thanks for the link, I'll have to keep that in mind.

The really great thing about Chinese pens? They got me into this mad fountain pen world in the first place :-)

What got me into fountain pens was the search for the perfect pen. It started out with ballpoints, then moved on to gel pens, and then to rollerballs. I do believe I've found the two best rollerballs on the market, for my preferences at least. Then it continued to fountain pens. When you have a fountain pen that writes well and behaves well, it's the best pen out there. It's a shame they tend to be so finicky. Fountain pens have been around for so long, you think they would've gotten it right by now.

[KrazyIvan]

Just one question. Have you tried anything other than Chinese fountain pens?

[Laura N]

Just one question. Have you tried anything other than Chinese fountain pens?

Yeah, exactly. Because I'd say nearly all the pens I've used have written well. What's your budget? What are you looking for in a pen? Maybe the thing to do is get some recommendations for a good pen.

Sometimes if you add up all the money spent on bargain pens, you realize you could have bought one or two great pens. Heck, $15 buys you a Pilot Metropolitan or Sheaffer VFM: neither will set your world on fire, but they are solid and competent pens.

[writtenworlds]

Just one question. Have you tried anything other than Chinese fountain pens?

My first fountain pen came from a little boxed set just called Pen and Ink Fountain Pen. I got that to see if I liked fountain pens, which I did. I don't think that counts as a Chinese fountain pen. All my other fountain pens have been Chinese though.

I actually do have plans to get a Pilot Metropolitan. I hope they don't require any work or tweaking out of the box.

[kaisnowbird]

My Hero 100 also started out as a nice writer, but eventually developed an air leak in the inner cap and had the same problem with drying out quickly. Once I tried a real Parker '51', I never looked back.

Me too. My Parker 51 from 1944 is a lot more reliable and in better condition than the 2012 Hero 100 that I gave up.

I actually do have plans to get a Pilot Metropolitan. I hope they don't require any work or tweaking out of the box.

Feedback on the Pilot Metropolitan appears to be consistent good. My personal experience agrees too -- a fairly good writer, decent construction, real value for money.

[mhguda]

Sometimes the nib on a fountain pen -not just a Chinese pen but any pen - is a little too close to the feed, or not far enough; IOW the nib-feed gap needs adjustment. So, if a pen is too dry or does not even put down any ink, it is not necessarily so that the nib slit needs to be widened. You can widen the nib slit all you want, but if the nib-feed gap is too wide or too narrow, that won't get ink to the paper. I guess what I want to say is, don't assume one solution for the non-writing problem - try to diagnose first so your fix is appropriate. For example if you can get a piece of paper between the nib and the feed, that gap is too wide and you need to narrow the gap. For mild adjustments, I have usually turned the nib and feed upside down and pushed them closer together; if the gap is too narrow, pushing down on the nib while holding it as flat as it will go will usually open up the gap enough to allow ink to pass. That usually also opens up the slit a bit too, so it's a question of slowly feeling around what you are doing, and trying the effect of what you have done before doing something drastic.

Good luck, and I'd say, don't give up on them yet - while there sure are duds, there are some wonderful ones out there, too, and not necessarily the most expensive ones!

[Sailor Kenshin]

Just one question. Have you tried anything other than Chinese fountain pens?

My first fountain pen came from a little boxed set just called Pen and Ink Fountain Pen. I got that to see if I liked fountain pens, which I did. I don't think that counts as a Chinese fountain pen. All my other fountain pens have been Chinese though.

I actually do have plans to get a Pilot Metropolitan. I hope they don't require any work or tweaking out of the box.

What is your budget anyway?

A lot of people might raise eyebrows, but have you tried a Pilot Varsity or a Platinum Preppy?

Ten bucks will get you both, and the Varsity writes almost forever...the Preppy is refillable. Preppy has a choice of fine or medium nib. I kinda prefer the medium.

[KrazyIvan]

I don't want you to take this as an attack. It's not. I am just trying to steer you towards what may work for you and point out that generalizing is not the way to go about it.

Right now your experience is such a narrow band of the full spectrum of what is available. Saying "Fountain pens have been around for so long, you think they would've gotten it right by now." really is not a fair statement. You are judging the entire genre of pens based on your limited experience with what some would consider the equivalent of cheap dollar store pens. I buy cheap pens mainly to practice my nib grinding skills. At one time I was right where you are now. Once I understood the fact there is more out there than cheap Chinese or any cheap pen for that matter, my enjoyment of the hobby really grew at a ferocious rate. I still have not experienced the full spectrum. I don't even think that is possible in one lifetime and my budget. I am trying to get as much experience of what is out there as I can.

As others have said, there are plenty of fountain pens out there that are low cost and would probably serve you better. Pilot is a good starting point as well as Platinum. If you can shell out a little more and you are not left handed, I would say go with a Lamy Safari. A lot is going to depend on your preferences and budget. There are good quality and budget minded pens to be had. Just have fun with it.

I will tell you that the Pilot Metropolitan is probably a good first pen. I don't have one but I recently had an old high school buddy tell me via Facebook that they tried their first fountain pen (because of my constant posting of fountain pen related topics) and it was the Metropolitan. He is loving it so far.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I'm a southpaw and have, like, ten Safaris. Nooooo problemmm!

[KrazyIvan]

I'm a southpaw and have, like, ten Safaris. Nooooo problemmm!

You and Bogon. Ask Ana of wellapointeddesk.com and she will disagree. A buddy here at work is also one that the Safari is not going to work for him but I steered him towards the Kaweco Classic Sport.

[writtenworlds]

What is your budget anyway?

My budget is really only about $20 for any given pen.

I have to say, the Sheaffer VFM does look lovely. Any good words on this one?

[AndyT]

Like Ivan, I've bought cheap and cheerful pens to tinker with and give away to potential addicts enthusiasts ... it's almost a disappointment when they play nicely as supplied. They really aren't the best place to start if you want to hit the ground running and enjoy writing straight away. Too much chance of getting a lemon.

I reckon I'm probably just about the only person here who doesn't own either a Safari or a Metropolitan. There's no particular reason for that, and all those other people can't be wrong. I do have a Kaweco Sport but got unlucky with that one (it's not just Chinese pens which can come with jammed nib tines), so that gets a resounding thumbs up for design and cuteness but only a tentative recommendation for performance. My suggestion for a starter pen other than the Lamy or Pilot would be to save up a little extra for a Faber Castell Basic.

[kaisnowbird]

What is your budget anyway?

My budget is really only about $20 for any given pen.

I have to say, the Sheaffer VFM does look lovely. Any good words on this one?

Here is a link to the Awesome Review of VFM by the our totally awesome mods. (I miss Eric. Thank goodness we still have Dan!)

I would rate the Pilot Metropolitan higher for its slightly thicker diameter and a much better filling choices. Cartridge only fills should be reserved for tiny pens. Sheaffer should know better. The Metropolitan on the other hand comes with a Con-20 converter and cartridges.

[Tracy Lee]

I reckon I'm probably just about the only person here who doesn't own either a Safari or a Metropolitan. There's no particular reason for that, and all those other people can't be wrong. .

Right there with you, Andy, I have neither. But early this year all I seemed to be hearing from everyone us how much they love their TWSBI pens so I bought one based on that alone. I haven't been disappointed. So, if a good contingency here says these are good pens in that range, I say trust in your geeks and give them a try for sure. :thumbup:

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

[KrazyIvan]

I love how all the recommendations are slowly creeping up in price. Don't underestimate the power of the Dark Side!

[writtenworlds]

What is your budget anyway?

My budget is really only about $20 for any given pen.

I have to say, the Sheaffer VFM does look lovely. Any good words on this one?

Here is a link to the Awesome Review of VFM by the our totally awesome mods. (I miss Eric. Thank goodness we still have Dan!)

I would rate the Pilot Metropolitan higher for its slightly thicker diameter and a much better filling choices. Cartridge only fills should be reserved for tiny pens. Sheaffer should know better. The Metropolitan on the other hand comes with a Con-20 converter and cartridges.

The review was really good, except for the pen causing fatigue when written with for a long time, and the fact that a standard converter won't fit it. I write most of my first drafts by hand, so extended writing comfort is important. And I don't like not being able to use one of my standard converters in it for easy access to my bottled ink. I may give this one a pass.

I love how all the recommendations are slowly creeping up in price. Don't underestimate the power of the Dark Side!

[Mesu]

The Chinese pens have worked well for me: smooth nibs and no skipping. Any minor problems are easily resolved.

The only problem with them is they are quite heavy and my hand is light. I don't like putting much pressure on the nib which ends up in my hand balancing out most of the weight and tiring out easily. Maybe, the reason why they are rarely inked.

[ndw76]

I have had a couple of hero 006 pens. One I gave away after an experiment, one I broke while playing with nib grinding, and the last one is a keeper. Converted to an eyedropper with an IPG gold coloured nib. This is my cheapest and one of my best pens. This is my go to pen for math.

[AndyT]

Right there with you, Andy, I have neither.

Gosh, two of us.

I love how all the recommendations are slowly creeping up in price. Don't underestimate the power of the Dark Side!

Teehee! There is a logic to it, though. Long ago in a decade far far away I started out with some truly terrible pens but it wasn't until a Parker 25 came my way that I started to like fountain pens. Skipping the first couple of rungs of the ladder at the outset is probably worth doing, finances permitting.

The review was really good, except for the pen causing fatigue when written with for a long time, and the fact that a standard converter won't fit it. I write most of my first drafts by hand, so extended writing comfort is important.

The Chinese pens have worked well for me ... The only problem with them is they are quite heavy and my hand is light.

Time for me to mount my hobby horse and point out that when people used to earn a living by writing all day most pens were made of ebonite, celluloid or similarly light materials, and came in at about a third of the typical weight for a modern pen. What really mystifies me is this business of some modern manufacturers actively engineering excess mass into their designs.

[Sailor Kenshin]

What is your budget anyway?

My budget is really only about $20 for any given pen.

I have to say, the Sheaffer VFM does look lovely. Any good words on this one?

I have the matte black. Nice little pen that takes standard international carts. I think around $15. Which puts it in the league of the Met, which takes proprietary carts and has a converter I loathe. But I keep getting free ones.