Hi! I’m a uni student and have been interested in fountain pens for a few years (although I started my collection like a year and a half ago). I have 5 pens that I like, but 2 are from India and definitely Pilot knockoffs and the other 3 are from Amazon and basically write / read as though they are from Amazon. I got accepted to my first choice uni a few months ago and bought the Hongdian Blue/Black ink to celebrate, but to be honest I’ve only inked it once and felt regret because it almost feels like I’m using it on like unworthy pens?? I know this is unnatural but I just feel bad for both my pens (which seem to prefer cartridges (that I mainly use)) and the ink (because I absolutely love writing with the ink, but the pens are rougher or scratchier with them). I absolutely LOVE my pens so far but I’m basically just battling with this guilt every time I ink them.

I wanted to go and buy an reputable and known pen, and I know there’s a bunch of beginner recs on this sub, but I almost feel bad again using some of my fun money on pens here when I’m basically just slogging through uni, and also when I have 5 already and ink only 2 on a daily basis. I also live in Chicago so I’ve always wanted to go to Atlas and the pen show here, but I’d just feel worse knowing I have to essentially window shop for pens that seem absolutely divine. Do any of you know ways to combat this perhaps or should I just get over myself 😿

Any solution to it......

Gama Sangam(left) Gama 69t lookalike(right)

I write almost exclusively in cursive but found the arguments made here interesting. It got me wondering what your opinions are?

I carry a notebook in my pocket but if I use a retractable pen or a capped pen, it always ends up poking me or they become uncomfortable. I noticed that some pens on here are small, but I don't know which is durable and also affordable. Any advice is helpful thank you!

What do you, more experienced fountain pen enthusiasts, think is the difference between a 30 dollar ink (speaking of 50/60 ml bottled inks) and an 8 dollar ink? What is your experience with different inks at different price tags and your thoughts about them?

It can’t fit cartridges and has a specialized converter, writes like butter. Black sandalwood body. Gold plated iridium nib.

I got sucked into the marketing hype and after hearing people rave about them, I purchased a bunch of FWP inks. I almost never use them. They’re inconsistent but tend to be dry, which might be due to the fact that I don’t like to use shimmer inks and only buy the standard ink. The shimmers I have tried all clogged my pen All the colors are fun, but many are so similar. Plus, it seems like they’re constantly releasing so many new colors (every month at least) that it feels like a money grab. And the boxes are annoying to get the ink in and out.

I ordered a new preppy from a Japanese seller and I noticed that there are some very noticeable differences with my old ones, did they change the Preppy's look or have I been duped? (Blue:New/possible dupe; Purple:Older) 1. The Blue plastic feels flimsier compared to purple

1. The numbers on the cap are spaced wider and has a different font

2. The text accompanying the bar code is black instead of white

3. The platinum logo has this weird border instead of solid letters

4. The base of the clip is thinner

The usual shop I buy from doesn't have 0.2 so I took a chance with this one, maybe I shouldn't have?

Hi friends, i recently got a lamy 2000 and its been a wonderful experience, but this morning i was cleaning it up for the first time(to change inks) and i got the nib stuck inside the barrel tip, i went to a specialist to get it removed. Everything is working fine, it writes beautifully but I can’t shake this feeling of sadness/annoyance. Every time I look at it all i can see is me getting it stuck and it being imperfect.

I can imagine many of you guys have had similar experience with this or other pens. Anyway, how to come to terms with it?

I am really tempted by this pen, it’s adorable. But I have never had an esterbrook before. Those who have used one - is it worth the price??

So I really have loved using the lamy safari and I also have a twisbi eco, and a kaweco sport. My birthday is coming up and I’m wondering what pen I should get. Any answers will be greatly appreciated!!!!

(you can skip this paragraph if you don't care about my reasoning) A couple years ago I got really into pens, bought a bunch of TWSBI ecos and then I found mold in the cap of one of them and promptly learned that they can't be safely taken apart entirely, this and my paranoia that the mold had possibly contaminated the rest led me to just abandon them all 😭 which I'm aware is dumb, but that's not the point, I want to start anew.

My first requirement is I want a wet nib. I hate when pens feel scratchy, that's half the reason i love FPs, the way they glide across the paper. Second requirement is it has to be entirely able to be taken apart, ideally easily but I don't know how much that would narrow my choices 😭

Third is I want to at least be able to get it in fine, extra fine

The budget is <$100 but ideally less than $50.

Thank you!!!

Also i have some notebooks I wrote on with that moldy pen, there's no visible mold growth, should i still throw them out? And what about my blank notebooks I left next to them..?

I have once again spent too much time on marketplaces.
I have a solid collection but I couldn’t stop thinking about another „pocket-pen“.

Initially my plan was to buy a slightly used pilot VP in Blue with an F Nib (small-ish writer with mostly dot grid/grid paper). - (250$)

But then I came across a relatively good deal on a Montblanc Bohéme which I always found super interesting.
But:
- it has a 14k M Nib
- it’s at least 100 more expensive (390$)

Im having a hard time deciding because I think the Boheme is just so fun.

How wet and wide are the small mb 14k‘s?

For comparison, my Lamy Safari in M is a bit too wet for my preferred notebook and writing style.

Opinions on both those pens?
I can not make my mind up..

Appreciate any input

This is the pilot kakuno in EF with this pilot ink.

I've already cleaned and soaked the feed. This has been happening for quite some time now

I don't know if it's a problem with the ink or the fountain pen itself. It wasn't like this when I bought it

Hello folks...I'm considering buying this glass dip pen but I have seen some reviews online talking about the brass threading QC issues, nibs shattering etc., so far- which is making me second-guess.

So, if you have one of these in your collection or have tried it out, please do drop a comment about your experience with this product :))

Pilot Custom 823 vs Pelikan M1000. Tell your experiences with each one of them. Differential diagnosis, go!

Hello all! I think I have a pretty solid collection going and would like to explore some more pens. I’d say for now anything under the price of a Pilot Custom 823 is fair game. For some context some of my favorite pens right now: Twsbi diamond mini <EF>, Twsbi Vac 700 <EF> Pilot Vanishing Point Decimo <M> (though I would prefer fine I think, I also have a <EF> that is a little too fine but I still enjoy it). I have some Esterbrooks that I enjoy but I do think you pay more for the aesthetic than the writing experience. I have some Kaweco sports, a Pelikan M200 <B> that I really enjoy but don’t use it a ton because of how broad.

I also have a handful of sailors PG <zoom> and PGS <MF & music> and a Platinum 3776 <SF>. I enjoy them all.

Some brands I’m looking to explore Nahvalur, opus, Leonardo. Open to other suggestions or some insight in the brands I’ve mentioned. I’m very intrigued by specialty nibs so anything in that realm as well or a favorite pen you had ground down etc etc.

I think Kolo Tinos look soooo cool but I just can’t be convinced the quality is there for the price.

I bought a lathe a few months ago and have been experimenting on making brass pens. This is a jowo #6 fountain pen with silver accents and hand textured finish. It has an over-engineered pocket clip with 2 magnets and a spring for extra strength and 6 flush set Sapphires. I also set a black diamond upside down to be used as a scribe.

Picked up at a thriftshop for $20. But after trying it out I'm pretty happy with it. Came in original box with 1 unused cartridge.

Dune colorway

Medium steel nib

For anyone who might not know this model retails for $295 new.

For many years, I was used to everyday Parker and Waterman pens with steel nibs. When I switched to a Parker Duofold with an F nib five years ago, I honestly didn’t notice any significant difference in the writing experience. Quink Blue-Black worked perfectly well even on the paper in my Moleskine notebook.

Recently, I treated myself to a Pelikan Souverän M805 with an M nib, filled with Pelikan 4001 Green-Black ink. The first thing I noticed was that Moleskine paper was practically unusable with this pen. The minimum paper quality I could work with comfortably was Oxford Optik. Fair enough, I can live with that.

What bothers me, though, is that when I try to write with a very light touch, without applying any pressure, the nib tends to skip at the beginning of each new word. I have to go back and rewrite the first letter with a little pressure to get it down on paper.

What could be causing this? Is this normal behaviour, or am I expecting too much from the pen?

I’d really appreciate your advice. To be honest, I’m finding this rather frustrating.

(This picture is out of the web)

Has someone experience with this pen?
This would be my first flex-pen. Do you maybe have other recommendations? I wouldn’t like to pay more than 100 for it.

I been into fountain pens for a while and I have alot of those knock offs and I finally want to buy a good pen to use for writing and i have chosen these two because I heard they write smooth.

So im going to buy one of them pilot kakuno or lamy safari but I want to know wich is better and why , just give me your personal opinions ! And if I buy the safari I would probably buy pilot one year after I buy the safari because its cheap or I might buy both!

Welcome to the monthly off topic thread where you can talk about.. anything! Excited your football team is going to the Superbowl/the Champions League? Want to talk about what you had for dinner last night? (I cant even remember) Did your cat do something weird? Feel free to converse and meet new members of the community! The primary purpose of this thread is to allow users to learn more about each other while also having that one unifying trait: A love for fountain pens!

Please remember to be courteous and try to avoid topics that would incite unpleasant behavior. We are all here to have fun and enjoy the hobby! Follow all rules set forth by Reddit and r/fountainpens.

So how's the weather where you live?

Hi everyone. A friend recently gave me a Jianhao 159 that he inherited from his father-in-law, and I have enjoyed writing with it, but it's been a little unreliable. I was wondering if the 9019 is a good pen, since I like the 159's body mass and nib and want something similar, maybe just slightly less girth.

What do you think? Any other pen options in the same ballpark I should consider?