Greetings

[jackwebb]

I wanted to stop in and introduce myself, and say how useful I have found this forum. I used a very inexpensive fountain pen in my younger days, but got away from it due to the lack of accessibility and knowledge. I have been using a Montblanc with cap less gel insert for some time now, but have longed for a good fountain pen. I tend to do extensive research before making a purchase, sometimes it's a fault, which is what brought me here. Instead if buying one quality pen, which was my intention, I now have three on the way and am thinking about a fourth and fifth. I am a long time forum addict and look forward to learning more while I am here.

Joe

[caribbean_skye]

welcome welcome

[jfsisler]

At least if you're like me, extensive research means you're very rarely disappointed with your choices. Now if only I'd done more research before I bought my Saturn...lol. Welcome and enjoy! Let us know what kind of pens we've enabled you to buy. Trust me, once you start it's a slippery slope!

[RuiFromUK]

Hi Joe,

Welcome and I see you have already are very well on the way to pen collecting.

Kind regards,

Rui

[Jeph]

[jackwebb]

Thank you all for the welcome.

At least if you're like me, extensive research means you're very rarely disappointed with your choices. Now if only I'd done more research before I bought my Saturn...lol. Welcome and enjoy! Let us know what kind of pens we've enabled you to buy. Trust me, once you start it's a slippery slope!

It's funny how that works I will research a $20 item for two weeks but I'll spend a day on a car. I actually think it has more to do with accessibility, the items I tend to research are things I can't easily lay my hands on... I swear you would think Louisville Kentucky was in the middle of an African rain forest for the lack of high-end/quality stores available to us.

I actually started my research trying to decide whether I wanted a Montblanc 149 or 146, but all of my research pointed to Pelikan. In the beginning its price being so close to Montblanc, I couldn't justify it. The more research I did the more attractive Pelikan was, in the end Pelikan's nib and feed system won me over this time around. I really wanted an M800 but I didn't like the colors available. I found an M600 in white tortoise, new with a broad nib and jumped on it, that should replace my Montblanc as a daily writer. I have a Lamy Safari on the way for testing inks, I know I will be buying ink by the tanker as I already have three bottles and no pens. Stephen brown introduced me to the concept of flex writing, so I ordered a Noodler's ebonite Konrad to have a go at that. The Konrad is on the truck for delivery today, which is a good thing too because that ink is burning a hole in my desk.

[cwent2]

to the Forum and the obsessio..... er Hobby, yeah that's it the Hobby!

[sharmon202]

Don't be surprised if you find you like the Lamy as well or better than the others for every day writing. My first Pelikan was such a disappointment I might not buy another. Good luck!

[jackwebb]

Don't be surprised if you find you like the Lamy as well or better than the others for every day writing. My first Pelikan was such a disappointment I might not buy another. Good luck!

lets hope not! What Pelikan model did you get and what issue did you have with it?

[Frank]

[tiffanyhenschel]

Welcome! You are finding your way quite well.

[TerraNoir]

I know the feeling of having ink that is just burning holes in your desk...staring at you and screaming "Ink me up!" It looks like you have some awesome pens on their way for you to indulge in the madness. Hopefully you'll share photos and your insight in them!

[Jon Szanto]

Joe,

I can't believe there have been this many responses with no one bringing up "Just the facts, ma'am." <grin>

Welcome to the Fountain Pen Geeks forums! Smaller than the largest pen fora, larger than some, you'll find a comfortable community of pen-centric people here, with a growing body of posts, reviews, and group knowledge. Mostly, you'll find people who are enthusiastic about fountain pens, and fountain pen people.

Join in!

Regards,
Jon

[jackwebb]

Joe,

I can't believe there have been this many responses with no one bringing up "Just the facts, ma'am." <grin>

Its funny, you are only the second or third person in five years who has mentioned the reference, across probably four forums. My girlfriend swears to this day that I gave her a fake name when we started talking, because we met online and I used this screen name... Kids these days.

[Jon Szanto]

[VertOlive]

Actually I immediately had a visual image of Joe Friday taking notes with a fountain pen in hand. Welcome and Good Hunting!

[sharmon202]

I got a M200 demonstrator EF nib. I paid about $100 on sale. I am kind of new to all this but I do know scratchy from smooth, even an EF since that is what I use most. This was the roughest scratchi-est (hope that is an fp word) nib I had tried to date. With the price, the reputation and the wait I had, it should have worked. I was not about to try to fix it myself. After 2-3 attempts to get the vendor to do something they finally did. I think it was my InCoWriMo letter that finally convinced them to do something. They did replace it The second one was not consistent on ink flow, I used Iroshizuku both times in 1st use. I cleaned it and put it away. I have others I can write & play with, without this aggravation. My favorite is my Pilot Cavalier. Beautiful and easy write. My Lamys do better than that Pelikan, good out of the box, smooth. I have a used, inexpensive, Esterbrook 1551 from a flea market I cleaned up and is smooth as butter!
Any suggestion? Thanks for asking.

[jackwebb]

I got a M200 demonstrator EF nib. I paid about $100 on sale. I am kind of new to all this but I do know scratchy from smooth, even an EF since that is what I use most. This was the roughest scratchi-est (hope that is an fp word) nib I had tried to date. With the price, the reputation and the wait I had, it should have worked. I was not about to try to fix it myself. After 2-3 attempts to get the vendor to do something they finally did. I think it was my InCoWriMo letter that finally convinced them to do something. They did replace it The second one was not consistent on ink flow, I used Iroshizuku both times in 1st use. I cleaned it and put it away. I have others I can write & play with, without this aggravation. My favorite is my Pilot Cavalier. Beautiful and easy write. My Lamys do better than that Pelikan, good out of the box, smooth. I have a used, inexpensive, Esterbrook 1551 from a flea market I cleaned up and is smooth as butter!
Any suggestion? Thanks for asking.

That's awful, but if I have any issue with the M600 I will just send it to a nibmeister. I hate dealing with vendors and won't do it if I can help it. Did you try calling Pelikan for warranty? With the nib and feed design I think it would be easy for them to send you a nib and get you fixed up.

[inlovewithjournals]

Ha ha, "buying ink by the tanker".... yep that fits. If we could, we would.

[sharmon202]

I got a M200 demonstrator EF nib. I paid about $100 on sale. I am kind of new to all this but I do know scratchy from smooth, even an EF since that is what I use most. This was the roughest scratchi-est (hope that is an fp word) nib I had tried to date. With the price, the reputation and the wait I had, it should have worked. I was not about to try to fix it myself. After 2-3 attempts to get the vendor to do something they finally did. I think it was my InCoWriMo letter that finally convinced them to do something. They did replace it The second one was not consistent on ink flow, I used Iroshizuku both times in 1st use. I cleaned it and put it away. I have others I can write & play with, without this aggravation. My favorite is my Pilot Cavalier. Beautiful and easy write. My Lamys do better than that Pelikan, good out of the box, smooth. I have a used, inexpensive, Esterbrook 1551 from a flea market I cleaned up and is smooth as butter!
Any suggestion? Thanks for asking.

That's awful, but if I have any issue with the M600 I will just send it to a nibmeister. I hate dealing with vendors and won't do it if I can help it. Did you try calling Pelikan for warranty? With the nib and feed design I think it would be easy for them to send you a nib and get you fixed up.

I had Pelikan and the vendor involved. The Pelikan rep, Chartpak, was going to make it very complicated so the vendor did better/simpler and sent me the replacement pen. I did not even tell either party I was still not satisfied with the pen. I paid almost $100 which was on sale, according to them, I did not feel like spending more for postage and nibmeister work. Is that how this works often? I spend $100+ on a pen then also send to someone to make it nice? Pens good out of the box, so far: Pilot Cavalier EF, Pilot Kakuno EF, 3 Lamy's - Safari & Al Star, Monteverede NightHawk F, Kaweco AC EF. Pens with writing issues: Pelikan M200 EF Demo, Monteverde Artista Candy stripe.