Thanks for watching! What is your favorite pen to write with? Let us know. If you like this video, don't forget to subscribe and turn on notifications so that you never miss another Hanger Project video. We love your feedback, so let us know what you think and what videos you would like to see!
Favourite pen? oh... MB 149 and 146 fine, Visconti Homo Sapiens Extra-fine, Parker Vacumatic major fine, Waterman nr.7 "RED" nib. My favourite inks: Diamine Sherwood Green, Ancient Copper, Noodlers Black, Black swan in Australian roses and many, many more. Btw, Goulet rocks :D
My favorite is the MontBlanc Diplomat. I have it in a broad tip and it does the most elegant signature ever. For every day use, I use a medium point. I really like Waterman also. I would note, looking at the entry below this, is that the flow of the ink is the major factor in the making of a good fountain pen. I have indeed had fountain pens where the flow of ink was not at a free and easy state, and this is quite frustrating. But get the right fountain pen, with an easy flow of ink, then you barely have to touch the paper, and writing then is such a pleasure. When I was in college, I used an inexpensive Shaffer pen and it was a breeze in class writing notes.It just glided over the paper. With a ball point or roller ball, you have to apply pressure, which is a deterrent to writing. Besides, there is such a great variety of fountain pen ink colors!
In most cases a pen's flow is just a matter of adjustment, and the reason why I prefer ebonite feeds over the more common plastic one is because I can increase the flow to very generous if needs be.
Ebone it also known as hard rubber, its most common on vintage fountain pens (pre 1970) or some modern one like the Noodler's pens. It is nearly impossible to switch to an ebonite feed on a modern pen, since manufacturers mostly use proprietary sizing. Nathan from Noodler's has some great videos about it at his channel InkNeedLastForever (ua-cam.com/users/InkNeedLastForever ).
The amount of snobbery in this comment section is shocking. People insulting his grip, his script, the pen he likes to use and how he fills it. Jeez people, just love the hobby, don't hate on the hobbyist. Don't discourage people from enjoying fountain pens, we're all friends here.
I love fountain pens. People look at you like you are some kind of wizard and are impressed most of the time. Keep a cheap pen for people to try. You do not want to have someone press and spread your tines! Glad you are shared this.
Excellent thoughts Kirby, I agree with all you have said. I have written exclusively with fountain pens since the age of 7 almost 47years! My teacher started me with them as I am dyslexic and using a fountain pen helps so much with that as it forces one to slow down their writing. I would highly encourage you to add a nice restored vintage pen to your collection, a classic Parker 51 would be perfect as they are slim and make perfect every day carry pens and write beautifully. There are plenty of places in the US that sell them, ask Brian at Goulet, he should be able to point you in the right direction for a decent seller. I would love for you to do a video on wrist watches at some point, another of my passions! Thank you so much for your excellent videos, I love watching them.
Thank you for the reply! That's very interesting about you learning to use a fountain pen to write because of dyslexia. We're going to be sending our children to a classical school here in Dallas that teaches all the children how to write cursive. Maybe I'll give him a fountain pen when he turns 7 as a gift for Christmas! The Parker 51 looks awesome. I found this on eBay: www.ebay.com/itm/PARKER-51-SPECIAL-EDITION-EMPIRE-STATE-FOUNTAIN-PEN-NEW-MEDIUM-POINT-NEW-IN-BOX/382159477432?hash=item58fa7adab8:g:rBoAAOSw7NNT9hV0 Adding it to my wish list...
Goulet pens is phenomenal. My now-wife gave me a pen and some ink from their site as a wedding gift and the service was excellent and the prices were, frankly, astonishingly reasonable. Could not agree more with you, Kirby, about their work.
The Hanger Project Because you make using a fountain pen look like it's more for show than for your own. People in the FP community use our pens with pride. And if one day everyone on earth were to go blind but us, we'd be perfectly happy, just looking at our pens all day... Not to mention writing with them
I personally use a FP because of the additional feedback I get vs. using a ballpoint. This video does kinda frame using a FP as being for refined people, but that couldn't be further from the truth. I have multiple colleagues who use FPs that, at first glance could even be mistaken for being ballpoints. Yes a FP can be used to accessorize, but I think it should be done so for your own sake, not to "be better"
A left handed person can use a fountain pen just like a right handed person. If a person is a side or over handed writer, then they might prefer to use a finer nib with faster drying ink. I myself am a left handed writer, and I no issues with using fountain pens. I use all kinds of ink and nib sizes. The thing is to start with one, and try it out. You don't have to use super high end pens that cost a lot. There are pens that are nice looking for lower cost.
As a left-hander who was always reluctant to try fountain pens, I recently picked up and inexpensive Pilot to try out and found that I can write with it just fine. I write like a right-handed person anyway, keeping my hand below the line I'm writing so I don't get smudging or an ink-stained pinky. Thanks for another excellent and helpful video, Kirby.
I used a fountain pen at school as a lefty, the best ones for me had less sharp edges, if I remember rightly. Bic used to make ones for kids that, I really enjoyed using, I dont think the nibs were even especially set up for left handeds
Good video, but it’s easier to keep the converter in when refilling and just dip the nib of the pen directly, and if you want more ink capacity you can push out the ink inside the ink bottle and refill again. This way there’s no need to prime the feed after and it’s cleaner.
I have used fountain pens when I was in school, from 5th grade to 12th grade. We were never allowed to use ball point pens as that was considered detrimental to your hand writing. I have never used fountain pens after that. Feeling nostalgic. Thank you, Kirby.
That is really fantastic. You're the third person to mention this. Once Nathaniel begins to write in school, I will definitely give him a fountain pen as a gift!
I've always been very interested in the elegance dress and lifestyle, although I've never had the money. However! I've been writing using fountain pens and I love it! Goulet Pens, Brian, and his videos, are phenomenal! I love your video as well, and have subscribed!
Kirby, I think you would appreciate a nice vintage fountain pen as well. They can be very elegant, and they were designed and manufactured when a good pen was an indication of an educated man or woman.
That's great! I have a good friend that mixes his own ink. The color of his ink is as much a part of his signature as his signature itself. It's very interesting to see how people who use fountain pens choose their ink colors. Just another way to subtly distinguish yourself.
I've found that removing the converter over time to refill it causes it to become loose, therefore I started to just fill the converter through the pen nib. Of course if you're going to change colors this wouldn't be the best choice, but if you stay with the same color I found it to be a better option. I started with a lower end Waterman I found at Office Depot, which came with a medium nib. It cost me more to purchase a fine nib than the actual pen.
Ah, the fountain pen rabbit hole! :) Generally speaking, I prefer piston fillers (the Pelikan M625 in blue is my go-to everyday writer), though my favorite "specialty" pens are the Mottishaw modded Pilot Custom 912 (XXF grind for Spencerian with added flex) and the gorgeous hand made Desiderata pens in birch burl, an Icarus in red rippled ebonite and a Daedelus in black ebonite (Desiderata uses the cheap, readily available and easily replaceable Zebra G nib). A couple of other pens which frequently make the rotation are the Namiki/Pilot Vanishing Point (raden stripe) with a Richard Binder modified italic cursive nib, Nakaya Picolo Cigar (Cat Enjoying the Moon) in soft fine. Quick note - the carts for the Namiki VP and Nakaya actually hold more ink than the converters - I reuse and refill the carts (after a thorough rinse and dry, of course) with a small syringe and 16 ga. needle (point filed flat). Favorite inks: Iroshizuku Ku-Jaku & Kon-Peki, J. Herbin Caroube de Chypre & Stormy Grey, Pelikan Edelstein Smoky Quartz, Diamine Blood Orange, Noodler's BP Black.
I have own serval fountain pens. Pelikan is by far the best-crafted pen for the price, they have an internal plunger that is sealed -so no more removing carts or converters. The pen is a sealed complete system, so so easy to refill. No mess. I recommend the M200. You can get into one of these from the low 100.00. Amazon and eBay have amazing deals.. Vintage estate sales etc. // Crane and Co is the best paper company, Ensure you get the heat embossing. Crane takes the color dust and bakes it into the paper giving the raises look. // Ink, I have been through so many different ink, Noodlers, Mont Blanc, etc... The Bottom line for me is Pelikan ink. No clogging, amazing colors to choose from, and the glass bottles are heavy and do not tip over during refills. It the is always the little things that will cause you to get frustrated, so when dealing with fountain pens, spend the extra 25-50 dollars and get into a high quality pen that is less fuss and definitely less messy.
Thanks for sharing! Great advice for sure. I totally agree with spending the extra money to get a nice pen. The Pelikan M200 looks great, and the internal plunger is a fantastic feature.
From own experience pens like those hand made by The Edison Pen Company are beautifully made and look amazing and write really smoothly. The TWSBI range of pens also are extremely good. The pilot pens such as the custom heritage 74 or 92 are very good writers. I've lots of pens in my collection, some vintage, some not made any more but still a few available on amazon like the Pentel Tradio which is a cheap pen and nothing special to look at but writes very smooth. Ideal when you don't want to take the Pelikan M1000 with you to work.
Kirby , Have you tried "Brown Inks"?, they are my personal favorite , I think the brown is "old fashion" and gives a nice warm feel when read.....Thank you for all your videos "much help"👍🏻
You can also just stick the entire pen into the bottle of ink to fill up the converter. I would recommend using the rule of three. Drawing up and expelling ink a total of three times. The first two times are really filling up the feed all the way, the third time allows for a complete fill of the feed and converter. Referring to the filling of the converter around the 5 minute mark.
I have started making my own fountain pens and I am very pleased with the final results. The only thing I am not happy with is the nib where can I purchase good nibs ?
Any suggestions of a good pin? I am looking for something preferably white that has a very feminine look to it but is also a good-sized pen not super tiny. I love the concept of the mont Blanc 149 the classic one but it's black and I really want something white/pastel
Hmm, stay off Amazon on a Saturday night after going out for drinks....It's turns out that!!! I bought the same pen you demonstrated as well.... very convincing video Kirby...
Hello Kirby, I am from India and I have a question to ask. Qn: I have never written with a fountain pen in my life(only ball pens) and now I want to start using fountain pens. What should I start with? PS: As we all have a specific purpose for using a fountain pen, hence I have one purpose too. It is to write essay style answers quickly within a particular time duration. i.e: timed tests. all my life using ball point pens has made my handwriting even worse and prolonged writing is causing pain to my hands and important fingertips. Could you suggest me anything specific to start for my issue. my sole purpose is the above stated... I am looking for a cheap fountain pen which should be helpful in writing for long hours and with a good handwriting, I have small hands and fingers. Also have very small handwriting. I don't have enough knowledge on Fountain Pens !! Thanks Gourab
My favorite pen to write with is a Custom Made "Deluxe Oversize Woodgrain Nox" Fountain Pen, made by C.E. Levi from Canada. It is a Woodgrain and Brass Piston Fill pen, that is so Beautiful everyone wants it who see's it. It also has a Vintage two-tone Sheaffer Medium sized nib in it. I had this made in early 2012......
You should know that C.E. Levi, no longer answers e-mails, for years now. I do not know if he is even still alive, I have his address. If you want pictures and dimensions, please just contact myself @ MikesVintagePens@Gmail.com. I will supply you with what you ask for!
Dear Jonathon, Thank you for your kind and thoughtful birthday gift! Please excuse my atrocious handwriting which is unworthy of the piece of engineering, craftsmanship and artwork I am writing it with and the beautiful paper it is being scrawled into. It is ironic that for all the care and enthusiasm I have for inspiring others to elegance and style, my penmanship looks like a corrupt doctor writing out an illegal prescription for fentanyl on the dashboard of an idling truck. Your Friendship is valuable to me. Kirby Allison
That was cutting commentary, bordering on being cruel and uncivil, but it was also hilarious. I felt guilty for laughing. Fortunately, penmanship, like dressing well, is something we can learn.
Two of the best pens for the money that still look good in a suit pocket are actually chinese - The Wing Sung 618 and 698. Both classy piston fillers, very well made, very good writers. The Nemosine Singularity is another good looking pen that always writes well and has a clip that stands out over a breast pocket as very nice. Under $50, there is no contest, the best writing fountain pen money can buy is the Faber Castell Loom. As for a "cheaper" pen that actually makes people say "wow," almost nothing catches the eye like the huge nib on a Platinum 3776, which can be had on Amazon for under $70. The Soft fine nib in particular is a good intro to the flexibility that people talk about with fountain pens. And lastly, short of a Mont Blanc, the pen with the highest level of pocket presence is probably a visconti. Though set aside $40-50 anytime you purchase a visconti with their hallmark palladium "dreamtouch" nib, as the quality control on the tipping is nothing short of awful, and a nibmeister will charge about $40-50 to tune it to write just how you want. Once set up, though, the dreamtouch is a spectacular nib. If you need a DURABLE fountain pen and want a gold nib, the lamy 2000 is tough as nails. If you want something more classic and cheap, the pilot metro is solid. If you want something much more rugged and designed to be utilitarian (And cheap) the Delike Alpha (in particular with the bent nib) is an everyday writer that took the kaweco brass sport and improved the design, for about $15.
That's great! I'm actually looking at buying a second fountain pen. I was on the fence about a VISCONTI HOMO SAPIENS or a matching Waterman Elegance but in black. What do you think? What is your favorite pen?
persnally, my favorite pen is a worthless work of art, the Visconti Divina Metropolitan in green stacked celluloid. It gets ink stuck inside the section in a way that cannot be cleaned, but stacked celluloid with sterling silver inlaid stripes is amazing. Thus it's unusable. Thankfully I was able to return it, but not after having Coles of London replace it twice trying to get one that didn't do it. The homo sapiens is amazing and annoying all in one. It feels amazing in the hand and looks very nice, the hooksafe cap is awesome, and I like that the ink supply can be shut off. But the nibs are so badly tuned from the factory, just set aside another $50 to have a nibmeister tune it to write properly, because there's a good 80% change it will not out of the box. Once it's tuned, however, the palladium nibs are just spectacular. Personally, on balance, my favorite fountain pen is the vintage parker vacumatic in stacked celluloid. It has that same skyscraper look when held vertically, nibs can be had in incredible arrays of flex, and a really good one is pretty reasonable around $300-400. I also love the scheaffer imperial PFM (pen for men) with an amazing inlaid nib, as well as the scheaffer statesman snorkel with a triumph palladium silver nib. There are tons of incredible vintage pens out there. very close to that would be the wahl-eversharp skyline (vintage) with gorgeous striped celluloid caps, flexible nibs (the "manifold" nib is the nail, everything else is pretty flexible) and I just love the feel and art-deco style. And sentiment wise, I have a vintage early 1900's japanese eyedropper that my mom actually pulled off of a sunken japanese battleship while scuba diving in the 1970's. I'm getting it restored soon enough. Other pens to check out are a namiki maki-e pen, which are true works of art, the conid bulkfiller is also a really incredible pen (like TWSBI's super upscale cousin) or the venerable TWSBI vac700r, I just spent about $300 from FPnibs.com getting a vac700R with a heavily customized wet noodle 14k nib (check out my channel for a short writing demo compared to a vintage waterman 52 wet noodle) The pelikan m1000 in green striped celluloid is also a very high end pen but can have nib issues similar to visconti (though much less common) A Mont Blanc 149 or 146 Meisterstuck are also really great. Personally, I think that until you really know what you like, investing in ultra high end pens is a big gamble. Keep an eye on vendors like Greg Minuskin (one of the best, and most expensive nibmeisters around, but he restores and sells pens at insane prices that disappear within hours) or Nathaniel Cerf at thepenmarket, who also restores pens and sells them at outrageous prices. I have a number of vintage pens from both. Check out a pen show when you can. They're a great way to meet people willing to let you test out their high end pens so you can find what you like. Even China makes some pretty incredible writers. PenBBS in taiwan makes some great acrylic stunners, the Wing Sung 698 is a very pretty piston filler, as is the 618 with a hooded nib. One reliable purchase that any fountain pen enthusiast needs is a Lamy 2000. Fit and finish is better than thousand dollar pens, reliable writers, smooth piston filler, and insanely tough. I have an F and an EF, and I prefer the EF more for everyday use, the F is actually much closer to an M. Don't worry about the "lamy sweet spot" that people complain about. It's massively overblown.
Well - I need two hours to fully digest this incredibly thorough response! Thank you again. Funny, after our exchanges yesterday, I couldn't wait and pulled the trigger on Waterman Elegance Laque Black Gold Trim Medium Nib Fountain. I had been thinking for a while about a matching set of the Waterman Elegance pens - one in Ivory and one in Black - and our conversation made me start thinking about it again. I'm going to look into these other pens and inks!
The Hanger Project there are very few pens I buy two of, usually only models that have extremely different writing characteristics. A triple broad 149 versus an extra fine for example. One thing to consider trying out that can be fun are acrylic eyedropper pens. China has several gorgeous designs that really show off the ink. Look at the lecai acrylic eyedropper (check out my channel for one I took and inserted a waterman #2 wet noodle flex nib) and pens made by PenBBS, gorgeous acrylic pens with neat semi-fude nibs that can be eyedropper filled or used with a Parker converter. Both are extremely inexpensive and extremely high quality If you're interested in a "jeans" pen that you don't have to worry about, look on eBay for the Delike brass pen, in particular the model with the "bent" nib, it's a very modified copy of the kaweco brass sport, with a longer barrel to accommodate unposted use and normal converters. It's tough as nails, solid brass, and the bent nib is actually a very forgiving architect nib ( extra fine down, medium across) if you do buy one, it has one weak spot, the converter, so buy a good standard international converter for it. Other than that, I use that pen every day. As a paramedic, I have to have pens that are immensely durable, and wearing a uniform, I also like pens that look good (and easily go into) in a breast pocket. The delike is a great pen. If you're looking for a ballpoint that has history and presence (sometimes a fountain pen isn't the right tool) get yourself a fischer ag-7 space pen, the original pen made for NASA, still made today in the US on the same machinery, only costs about $35 and has an insanely satisfying side retraction mechanism.
Than flush it with water and let it sit in a cup of water for a couple of hours. Than put the cartridge or concerter in. But just check a "how to clean a fountain pen" video
Thanks, Stanley! That's hard to believe. I was never taught proper penmanship. But I enjoy writing nice thank you notes on my stationary and try to send them out regularly!
I'm quite and odd ball I an a blue collar worker I'm a water and waste water treatment work and a part time plumber I have been using fountain pens for several years in the office I have a good higher quality pen and in the field I use disposable fountain pens when a customer signs something and they have to use your pen you get a lot of questions but on the plus side my pens dont get stolen as a lot of people don't like the fountain pens and if they do you know who took it
I have not seen an already-made Parker 45 italic nib. I like the 45s a lot. You’d probably be better off buying a new pen with an italic nib, like a TWSBI Eco. It's an inexpensive entry-level pen with a variety of nib options.
Very well presented - the ink suggestions were very informative. I agree with going with something off black or off blue can be effective. I hope you do a stationery review in the future. One tip - use a fountain pen every week or so or that ink will dry out and the clean up process is no fun. Otherwise a great hobby.
I am thinking about a matching set of red, green, blue and/or black fountain pens. But I keep thinking about how to tell the colours apart. I saw some the other day that had coloured plastic tips on the end of the pocket clip. Are these tips an accessory that can be bought anywhere you know of? I hate the thought of having to resort to a sticky dot for each.
Surely there is a different way... Would be easiest if you could find a fountain pen you like that, itself, comes in different colors, much like my ivory and black Waterman Elegance pens. You could cut some tape and wrap it clip.
I think I have already decided the pen I want. The Waterman Elegance is a beautiful pen though and one I have overlooked in my search so far. This may sound a bit OCD but I want them all exactly the same. Apart from the solution an engraver suggested, either a very small enamel dot on the clip or a precious stone matching each colour set into them.
The abominable Dr Jones That is an interesting thought I hadn’t considered. It would be very easy to have them discretely laser engraved somewhere. A small font or just a single letter.
good god never call yourself a gentleman. That adjective is to be used by others when speaking about you. You strive to be a gentleman, but are ultimately judged on it by your peers. Sorry, struck a nerve.
What is the best option for me as i am a beginner and i never used a fountain pen before and i have a terrible handwriting? I searched and found out that lamy safari is ok, what do you think ? I will keep it in my messenger bag and i feel that fountain pens will spills inc all over the bag is that true ?
Haitham Elamashety I bought a $10 Jinhao pen online and I carried it to school every day through cold winters and nice seasons. I've never had an issue. As for your handwriting, download "Spencerian Penmanship" pdf (free because it was written in the late 1800s). It gives excellent drill exercises for beautiful handwriting, and it addresses the proper way to hold a pen and which muscles you should be using to make your letters. My handwriting was ugly before I started reading this book, and my hand always cramped up when I tried to write.
I have wondered this as well! Looks like an excellent all purpose leather mat. It's in all his videos, but even in the office tour he doesn't say what it is or where it's from.
You were supposed to put the cartridge converter into the pen and submerge the nib into the bottle of ink, then reverse the piston, after that clean the nib and WAIT for the ink to flow from the converter to the feed to the nib.
Yesterday November 3, I visited the Millennia Mall in Orlando, FL. There were about 600 people in lines for the new iPhone X. Then I walked over to the Mont Blanc store where there was no line, not one customer inside the store. Fountain pens are great until you have one leak on your custom made English shirt from Jermyn Street. When you accidentally tip the bottle of ink, that's another challenge. The world is moving on to digital communications, ala the Apple stores. Yet I admit to still owning several fountain pens and when I have the courage, I'll give it a try!
Actually if you do some research you will find there is a huge move back to fountain pens world wide ! the millennials are discovering a thing called tactility , in their world where everything is simple touch or voice activated they at some level are now realising there is something missing and many have moved to owning a manual wind watch and fountain pens etc,,etc.. world fountain pen sales has gone through the roof and is around the $350 million annually , largely driven by the Asia market as they are the biggest cashed up ( China) demographic globally and the fact is they have a culture that has always used fountain pens in their classrooms ! Add this to their hunger for Luxury goods a super expensive BRAND pen from Europe is a must have for them.
I always find it interesting that the refillable item is called a "converter", I can remember when all fountain pens came with a "converter" and the conversion was the cartridge
The best pen is WATERMAN EDSON because you can either use a cartridge or ink (with a pump). Montblanc Meisterstück is great but you need to schlepp an ink bottle around. You are very brave demonstrating this video, wearing a white shirt with French cuffs!
Montblanc piston fillers have a large ink capacity, so don't run out very often. One does not have to "schlepp" an ink bottle around -- travel inkwells are available, and a well-prepared person always has a bottle of ink in their desk (and a backup pen) should either become necessary.
Andrew Butler unless you let your pen sit there for weeks/months without being used you won’t have that problem. If you’re looking for a good starter pen a Lamy Safari is always a good way to start.
I second the motion about the Lamy Safari pen! My first fountain pen was a gray Lamy Safari that was given to me for Christmas 1989 and that pen is going strong 28 years and three days later. The only thing that ever needed to be done was to buy a new converter as the plunger in the original converter eventually wore out and the converter wasn't holding ink they way it should.
As I just found your channel, I am not that familiar with your demeanor or attitude toward criticism. I thought this video was excellent (I just subbed), as an introduction. Some of the comments seem to be more vicious than constructive, so allow me offer a suggestion: make a video on improving penmanship, specifically cursive. A gentleman should have a legible, attractive script. Best of all, no money is involved, just time, a little guidance, a little knowledge, and lots of practice. Much like a bespoke fragrance or shoe, one can develop their own style and flourish which becomes their signature script. My handwriting was totally illegible. In mid 2020, I decided to fix that after watching a video on writing letters in the 18th century (Townsends YT channel). The curator/historian/re-enactor used a quill to write a beautiful letter of readable script that was stunningly beautiful. I watched some more videos on penmanship, bought my first fountain pen, first ink, and started practicing. I chose a mid 19th century script, but added my own flair on certain characters, or took a character from another era. I now have my own script that is consistent and legible. I did buy proper French ruled paper and even a 55* template to put down guides for consistent angle. My handwriting is much more elegant and readable now. I even had custom wax stamps made for sealing my letters. I suggest you make a video starting with reviewing the meanest comments from this video. Then agree with their assessment of your script and accept the challenge to turn this into a strength by showing your journey to developing your own script. One can easily achieve decent (not perfect) script in 4-8 weeks. Maybe interview somebody known to have beautiful handwriting and ask for the guidance. Cheers
Since it looks like some people are affected by my suggestion about how to pronounce the brand name Montblanc in French (as the French mountain), here’s a video where you could check yourself : ua-cam.com/video/50w3K8xuGBQ/v-deo.html
I'm not going to criticize this gentleman, although the video does seem a bit pretentious. I have been a calligrapher for almost 35 years, so I'm pretty familiar with pens, inks and papers. My REAL job is as a freelance journalist, so I write a lot! I would never use a fountain pen 'on the job.' There are so many other cheap pens that work just as well, which I don't have to handle with care. That being said, I do enjoy writing with a good fountain pen.
I have one problem with my Waterman fountain pen. When I do fast strokes (like a signature), the ink doesn't flow out easily, disrupting the stroke. I tried flushing the pen but it still isn't optimal. Suggestions?
You can look up tutorials online on how to open up a nib in order to make it write "wetter" its pretty simple but there is always a risk of damiging your pen. The second option would be to open up the feed, but you cannot open up plastic feeds, only ebonite ones, not that this cannot be undone. The third option is the safest and easiest, use a "wetter" ink, which has a more generous flow, that may help you with the problem, i think Goulet pens has a lot of information about inks, look for high flow (like Noodler's Eel), you can search for high flow inks by ticking the "lubricated" box when looking at bottled inks. I hope this helps.
I would send it off to a nibsmith in order to get it perfect. Pendleton pens does a great job, you can tell him if you want to increase the flow, increase the smoothness, etc.
I would refrain from making your own ink, unless both or multiple colours are from the same brand. Some companies make them more thick or with different ingredients so it's best not to risk it unless they are made by the same company.
I am having trouble finding your shoe shine carpets on your website. I think it would be something my husband would really like. I so enjoy your videos and I continue to look for similar videos and websites for the well-dressed woman.
Haha. That's funny! I try to never even take my fountain pens out of the office. I'm too afraid to lose one of my nice ones... Sadly, it has already happened once.
Sir, an excellent pen and demonstration. However, when you go to ink a pen using a "converter", you waste too much ink (flushing and priming the nib). If you have an unfortunate accident, and chances are that you will, these permanent inks, as you stated, are impossible to remove. Thank you for your video, Sir.
I’m sure I’ll be repeating others. That is not how you fill a pen. The converter should be attached to the pen and you fill through the nib. Also you need to be mindful about what type of ink you are using with regards the pen. Different ink has varied mineral content. If you are not careful the pen can effected. Also discuss blotting paper too. And whether you the paper you are writing on will take the ink. Sorry to be a pest, I’ve been writing with a fountain pen for 35 years, I had to learn all this from experience.
Just for your information, you should pronounce Montblanc : "Monblan". You're not supposed to pronounce the "t" and the "c" that are silent. No big deal but I really don't get why all American people want to pronounce these letters when i can't think of any English word with a final pronounced "c" ?
Epic, there is your word. Now in a sentence: You are a epic dumb ass for assuming you know everything about how Americans speak or pronounce their words.
Shawn Grage Shawn Grage Wow !! That’s such a sweet answer !! It surely gives a nice “idea” of American people !! Hopefully, I know plenty of American UA-camrs and bloggers that perfectly accepted to get better at pronuncing this brand name correctly. I really don’t get why you’re reacting so harshly ! And even more since I’m not even talking to you....
In my eyes fountain pen are tools. They are tools to help when you're writing hours on end to reduce hand strain and enjoy the experience more. However, considering the flashiness of your pen, and your appalling 'handwriting' which is simply print writing, you are only using a fountain pen as a fashion statement.
FishGun And he's holding his pen wrong. His hold causes more tension in the hand and fingers, making it more difficult to form easy curves. The pen should be over the first nuckle.
I have several good fountain pens. My favorite by far is a Parker DuoFold custom model. I like Waterman and Parker inks. I'll have to try the Montblanc ink although I'm not a fan of their pens.
The Hanger Project if it is ok I would like to recommend you to check The brand sailor . The nibs a are the best . It is quite different from what you have but they have a nice range of lovely high end pens especially the maki-e .
Give the guy a break. For us regular people who grew uo with FP as child it does seem pretentious a rich person getting into it. Yes it does, still it is good if more people do and Goulet Pens is the best advice for a newbie.
Thanks for watching! What is your favorite pen to write with? Let us know.
If you like this video, don't forget to subscribe and turn on notifications so that you never miss another Hanger Project video. We love your feedback, so let us know what you think and what videos you would like to see!
Favourite pen? oh... MB 149 and 146 fine, Visconti Homo Sapiens Extra-fine, Parker Vacumatic major fine, Waterman nr.7 "RED" nib. My favourite inks: Diamine Sherwood Green, Ancient Copper, Noodlers Black, Black swan in Australian roses and many, many more.
Btw, Goulet rocks :D
My favorite is the MontBlanc Diplomat. I have it in a broad tip and it does the most elegant signature ever. For every day use, I use a medium point. I really like Waterman also. I would note, looking at the entry below this, is that the flow of the ink is the major factor in the making of a good fountain pen. I have indeed had fountain pens where the flow of ink was not at a free and easy state, and this is quite frustrating. But get the right fountain pen, with an easy flow of ink, then you barely have to touch the paper, and writing then is such a pleasure. When I was in college, I used an inexpensive Shaffer pen and it was a breeze in class writing notes.It just glided over the paper.
With a ball point or roller ball, you have to apply pressure, which is a deterrent to writing. Besides, there is such a great variety of fountain pen ink colors!
In most cases a pen's flow is just a matter of adjustment, and the reason why I prefer ebonite feeds over the more common plastic one is because I can increase the flow to very generous if needs be.
Hate to show my lack of knowledge on the matter, but what is an "ebonite" feed? I would be glad to switch to it.
Ebone it also known as hard rubber, its most common on vintage fountain pens (pre 1970) or some modern one like the Noodler's pens. It is nearly impossible to switch to an ebonite feed on a modern pen, since manufacturers mostly use proprietary sizing. Nathan from Noodler's has some great videos about it at his channel InkNeedLastForever (ua-cam.com/users/InkNeedLastForever ).
The amount of snobbery in this comment section is shocking. People insulting his grip, his script, the pen he likes to use and how he fills it. Jeez people, just love the hobby, don't hate on the hobbyist. Don't discourage people from enjoying fountain pens, we're all friends here.
I mean he himself is incredibly snobby so🤷🏼♂️
This is a place for intense snobbery.
In any case, you should absolutely not remove the piston when filling your pen.
I love fountain pens. People look at you like you are some kind of wizard and are impressed most of the time. Keep a cheap pen for people to try. You do not want to have someone press and spread your tines! Glad you are shared this.
Although you can fill up ink this way, its wrong. Have the converter attached to the pen and then insert the nib into the ink pot.
Santhosh Ram Gunasekaran We filmed a second video showing how to insert the nib directly into the ink well.
Or fill it with an ink syringe, available from Goulet Pens. (You can refill cartridges this way too.)
I’ve spent the last 3 weeks researching fountain pens and you drop this gem! Perfect timing. Thank you, Kirby.
Let us know with which pen you decide to go!
I'm a fountain pen fan. I use it everyday, even at work. Great video.
Excellent thoughts Kirby, I agree with all you have said. I have written exclusively with fountain pens since the age of 7 almost 47years!
My teacher started me with them as I am dyslexic and using a fountain pen helps so much with that as it forces one to slow down their writing.
I would highly encourage you to add a nice restored vintage pen to your collection, a classic Parker 51 would be perfect as they are slim and make perfect every day carry pens and write beautifully.
There are plenty of places in the US that sell them, ask Brian at Goulet, he should be able to point you in the right direction for a decent seller.
I would love for you to do a video on wrist watches at some point, another of my passions! Thank you so much for your excellent videos, I love watching them.
Thank you for the reply! That's very interesting about you learning to use a fountain pen to write because of dyslexia. We're going to be sending our children to a classical school here in Dallas that teaches all the children how to write cursive. Maybe I'll give him a fountain pen when he turns 7 as a gift for Christmas!
The Parker 51 looks awesome. I found this on eBay: www.ebay.com/itm/PARKER-51-SPECIAL-EDITION-EMPIRE-STATE-FOUNTAIN-PEN-NEW-MEDIUM-POINT-NEW-IN-BOX/382159477432?hash=item58fa7adab8:g:rBoAAOSw7NNT9hV0
Adding it to my wish list...
Goulet pens is phenomenal. My now-wife gave me a pen and some ink from their site as a wedding gift and the service was excellent and the prices were, frankly, astonishingly reasonable. Could not agree more with you, Kirby, about their work.
as a regular fountain pen user, this video makes me feel like a pretentious ass.
Why? How?
Too high class for him 😂😂😂 It makes a fountain pen seem so much more classy than a regular pen i suppose
K.D.P. Ross until you made that comment you were right.
The Hanger Project Because you make using a fountain pen look like it's more for show than for your own. People in the FP community use our pens with pride. And if one day everyone on earth were to go blind but us, we'd be perfectly happy, just looking at our pens all day... Not to mention writing with them
I personally use a FP because of the additional feedback I get vs. using a ballpoint.
This video does kinda frame using a FP as being for refined people, but that couldn't be further from the truth. I have multiple colleagues who use FPs that, at first glance could even be mistaken for being ballpoints.
Yes a FP can be used to accessorize, but I think it should be done so for your own sake, not to "be better"
I agree with the you about the benefit of handwritten notes. I always send handwritten thank you notes.
Great video. I write quite a few personal notes in business. Using a fountain pen and better stationary will most definitely make my notes stand out.
Would be nice to see a follow-up featuring somebody who’s left handed giving tips for using fountain pens.
...that would be interesting! I'll stay on the lookout!
A left handed person can use a fountain pen just like a right handed person. If a person is a side or over handed writer, then they might prefer to use a finer nib with faster drying ink. I myself am a left handed writer, and I no issues with using fountain pens. I use all kinds of ink and nib sizes. The thing is to start with one, and try it out. You don't have to use super high end pens that cost a lot. There are pens that are nice looking for lower cost.
Ted dibiasi lmao
As a left-hander who was always reluctant to try fountain pens, I recently picked up and inexpensive Pilot to try out and found that I can write with it just fine.
I write like a right-handed person anyway, keeping my hand below the line I'm writing so I don't get smudging or an ink-stained pinky.
Thanks for another excellent and helpful video, Kirby.
I used a fountain pen at school as a lefty, the best ones for me had less sharp edges, if I remember rightly. Bic used to make ones for kids that, I really enjoyed using, I dont think the nibs were even especially set up for left handeds
I admire the Vanity Fair prints behind you! I am proud to own two myself, kind and generous gifts from my friend, Wayne.
Good video, but it’s easier to keep the converter in when refilling and just dip the nib of the pen directly, and if you want more ink capacity you can push out the ink inside the ink bottle and refill again. This way there’s no need to prime the feed after and it’s cleaner.
You're totally right. This is actually the better way!
This whole channel is so much work to cosplay Dwight Schrute
Chiyori Nakanishi HHAHAHAAH
I have used fountain pens when I was in school, from 5th grade to 12th grade. We were never allowed to use ball point pens as that was considered detrimental to your hand writing. I have never used fountain pens after that. Feeling nostalgic. Thank you, Kirby.
That is really fantastic. You're the third person to mention this. Once Nathaniel begins to write in school, I will definitely give him a fountain pen as a gift!
I've always been very interested in the elegance dress and lifestyle, although I've never had the money. However! I've been writing using fountain pens and I love it! Goulet Pens, Brian, and his videos, are phenomenal! I love your video as well, and have subscribed!
Kirby, I think you would appreciate a nice vintage fountain pen as well. They can be very elegant, and they were designed and manufactured when a good pen was an indication of an educated man or woman.
Decent video and good instructions on how to fill for beginners.
Anybody else feel like this guy has been using a fountain pen for a week after watching a bunch of vids.
Been using Midnight Blue from Montblanc for years. My favorite ink
That's great! I have a good friend that mixes his own ink. The color of his ink is as much a part of his signature as his signature itself. It's very interesting to see how people who use fountain pens choose their ink colors. Just another way to subtly distinguish yourself.
Yeah sometimes I combine the Montblanc Midnight blue with my J Herbin red roses scented ink to give it a nice aroma
I've found that removing the converter over time to refill it causes it to become loose, therefore I started to just fill the converter through the pen nib. Of course if you're going to change colors this wouldn't be the best choice, but if you stay with the same color I found it to be a better option.
I started with a lower end Waterman I found at Office Depot, which came with a medium nib. It cost me more to purchase a fine nib than the actual pen.
Ah, the fountain pen rabbit hole! :) Generally speaking, I prefer piston fillers (the Pelikan M625 in blue is my go-to everyday writer), though my favorite "specialty" pens are the Mottishaw modded Pilot Custom 912 (XXF grind for Spencerian with added flex) and the gorgeous hand made Desiderata pens in birch burl, an Icarus in red rippled ebonite and a Daedelus in black ebonite (Desiderata uses the cheap, readily available and easily replaceable Zebra G nib). A couple of other pens which frequently make the rotation are the Namiki/Pilot Vanishing Point (raden stripe) with a Richard Binder modified italic cursive nib, Nakaya Picolo Cigar (Cat Enjoying the Moon) in soft fine. Quick note - the carts for the Namiki VP and Nakaya actually hold more ink than the converters - I reuse and refill the carts (after a thorough rinse and dry, of course) with a small syringe and 16 ga. needle (point filed flat).
Favorite inks: Iroshizuku Ku-Jaku & Kon-Peki, J. Herbin Caroube de Chypre & Stormy Grey, Pelikan Edelstein Smoky Quartz, Diamine Blood Orange, Noodler's BP Black.
Thanks for sharing! I"m going to check out some of these inks!
My favourite is waterman ivory charleston fountain pen which was a gift from my dad and that pen matters to me a lot.
What a great gift! Thanks for sharing. And a beautiful pen at that. I've always been partial to Waterman, and their Ivory colors are very elegant.
I have own serval fountain pens. Pelikan is by far the best-crafted pen for the price, they have an internal plunger that is sealed -so no more removing carts or converters. The pen is a sealed complete system, so so easy to refill. No mess. I recommend the M200. You can get into one of these from the low 100.00. Amazon and eBay have amazing deals.. Vintage estate sales etc.
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Crane and Co is the best paper company, Ensure you get the heat embossing. Crane takes the color dust and bakes it into the paper giving the raises look.
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Ink, I have been through so many different ink, Noodlers, Mont Blanc, etc... The Bottom line for me is Pelikan ink. No clogging, amazing colors to choose from, and the glass bottles are heavy and do not tip over during refills. It the is always the little things that will cause you to get frustrated, so when dealing with fountain pens, spend the extra 25-50 dollars and get into a high quality pen that is less fuss and definitely less messy.
Thanks for sharing! Great advice for sure. I totally agree with spending the extra money to get a nice pen. The Pelikan M200 looks great, and the internal plunger is a fantastic feature.
From own experience pens like those hand made by The Edison Pen Company are beautifully made and look amazing and write really smoothly. The TWSBI range of pens also are extremely good. The pilot pens such as the custom heritage 74 or 92 are very good writers. I've lots of pens in my collection, some vintage, some not made any more but still a few available on amazon like the Pentel Tradio which is a cheap pen and nothing special to look at but writes very smooth. Ideal when you don't want to take the Pelikan M1000 with you to work.
I'm in the market currently, and am going to take your advice to the letter thank you
anthony peltier spend an hour on fountain pen network and go learn something from the community.
Well explained and inspirational.
Kirby , Have you tried "Brown Inks"?, they are my personal favorite , I think the brown is "old fashion" and gives a nice warm feel when read.....Thank you for all your videos "much help"👍🏻
You can also just stick the entire pen into the bottle of ink to fill up the converter. I would recommend using the rule of three. Drawing up and expelling ink a total of three times. The first two times are really filling up the feed all the way, the third time allows for a complete fill of the feed and converter. Referring to the filling of the converter around the 5 minute mark.
Yep! We addressed that on a subsequent video.
I have started making my own fountain pens and I am very pleased with the final results. The only thing I am not happy with is the nib where can I purchase good nibs ?
Great video. Thanks for uploading it.
Any suggestions of a good pin? I am looking for something preferably white that has a very feminine look to it but is also a good-sized pen not super tiny. I love the concept of the mont Blanc 149 the classic one but it's black and I really want something white/pastel
Check out Goulet Pens.com -- they'll be able to provide you with a great recommendation.
Good video...for my birthday last year i bought myself Mont Blanc 145-Meisterstuck Classique ....beautiful in every way
That's a beautiful pen also!
Hmm, stay off Amazon on a Saturday night after going out for drinks....It's turns out that!!! I bought the same pen you demonstrated as well.... very convincing video Kirby...
I grew up pressing W key on the keyboard to run and walk..... Playing video games.... Nowadays I mostly spend time with my Lamy.
Tf?
So your around 14?
@@gnomilius no, 15
@@pamus6242 cool, I'm into fp's aswell. I still play video games haha.
Good video!
That's a nice office
Hello Kirby,
I am from India and I have a question to ask.
Qn: I have never written with a fountain pen in my life(only ball pens) and now I want to start using fountain pens. What should I start with?
PS: As we all have a specific purpose for using a fountain pen, hence I have one purpose too. It is to write essay style answers quickly within a particular time duration. i.e: timed tests. all my life using ball point pens has made my handwriting even worse and prolonged writing is causing pain to my hands and important fingertips.
Could you suggest me anything specific to start for my issue. my sole purpose is the above stated...
I am looking for a cheap fountain pen which should be helpful in writing for long hours and with a good handwriting, I have small hands and fingers. Also have very small handwriting.
I don't have enough knowledge on Fountain Pens !!
Thanks
Gourab
Love my Waterman. However I fill via the tip with the converter inside the barrel.
Yes... that's what I am doing now.
My favorite pen to write with is a Custom Made "Deluxe Oversize Woodgrain Nox" Fountain Pen, made by C.E. Levi from Canada. It is a Woodgrain and Brass Piston Fill pen, that is so Beautiful everyone wants it who see's it. It also has a Vintage two-tone Sheaffer Medium sized nib in it. I had this made in early 2012......
I'll have to check that out!
You should know that C.E. Levi, no longer answers e-mails, for years now. I do not know if he is even still alive, I have his address. If you want pictures and dimensions, please just contact myself @ MikesVintagePens@Gmail.com. I will supply you with what you ask for!
In future, one might take care to clip all visible hang nails (4:43) prior to production of a tutorial on extra levels of refinement.
Noted.
Dear Jonathon, Thank you for your kind and thoughtful birthday gift! Please excuse my atrocious handwriting which is unworthy of the piece of engineering, craftsmanship and artwork I am writing it with and the beautiful paper it is being scrawled into. It is ironic that for all the care and enthusiasm I have for inspiring others to elegance and style, my penmanship looks like a corrupt doctor writing out an illegal prescription for fentanyl on the dashboard of an idling truck. Your Friendship is valuable to me. Kirby Allison
That was cutting commentary, bordering on being cruel and uncivil, but it was also hilarious. I felt guilty for laughing. Fortunately, penmanship, like dressing well, is something we can learn.
Two of the best pens for the money that still look good in a suit pocket are actually chinese - The Wing Sung 618 and 698. Both classy piston fillers, very well made, very good writers.
The Nemosine Singularity is another good looking pen that always writes well and has a clip that stands out over a breast pocket as very nice.
Under $50, there is no contest, the best writing fountain pen money can buy is the Faber Castell Loom.
As for a "cheaper" pen that actually makes people say "wow," almost nothing catches the eye like the huge nib on a Platinum 3776, which can be had on Amazon for under $70. The Soft fine nib in particular is a good intro to the flexibility that people talk about with fountain pens.
And lastly, short of a Mont Blanc, the pen with the highest level of pocket presence is probably a visconti. Though set aside $40-50 anytime you purchase a visconti with their hallmark palladium "dreamtouch" nib, as the quality control on the tipping is nothing short of awful, and a nibmeister will charge about $40-50 to tune it to write just how you want. Once set up, though, the dreamtouch is a spectacular nib.
If you need a DURABLE fountain pen and want a gold nib, the lamy 2000 is tough as nails. If you want something more classic and cheap, the pilot metro is solid. If you want something much more rugged and designed to be utilitarian (And cheap) the Delike Alpha (in particular with the bent nib) is an everyday writer that took the kaweco brass sport and improved the design, for about $15.
That's great! I'm actually looking at buying a second fountain pen. I was on the fence about a VISCONTI HOMO SAPIENS or a matching Waterman Elegance but in black. What do you think?
What is your favorite pen?
persnally, my favorite pen is a worthless work of art, the Visconti Divina Metropolitan in green stacked celluloid. It gets ink stuck inside the section in a way that cannot be cleaned, but stacked celluloid with sterling silver inlaid stripes is amazing. Thus it's unusable. Thankfully I was able to return it, but not after having Coles of London replace it twice trying to get one that didn't do it.
The homo sapiens is amazing and annoying all in one. It feels amazing in the hand and looks very nice, the hooksafe cap is awesome, and I like that the ink supply can be shut off. But the nibs are so badly tuned from the factory, just set aside another $50 to have a nibmeister tune it to write properly, because there's a good 80% change it will not out of the box. Once it's tuned, however, the palladium nibs are just spectacular.
Personally, on balance, my favorite fountain pen is the vintage parker vacumatic in stacked celluloid. It has that same skyscraper look when held vertically, nibs can be had in incredible arrays of flex, and a really good one is pretty reasonable around $300-400. I also love the scheaffer imperial PFM (pen for men) with an amazing inlaid nib, as well as the scheaffer statesman snorkel with a triumph palladium silver nib. There are tons of incredible vintage pens out there.
very close to that would be the wahl-eversharp skyline (vintage) with gorgeous striped celluloid caps, flexible nibs (the "manifold" nib is the nail, everything else is pretty flexible) and I just love the feel and art-deco style. And sentiment wise, I have a vintage early 1900's japanese eyedropper that my mom actually pulled off of a sunken japanese battleship while scuba diving in the 1970's. I'm getting it restored soon enough.
Other pens to check out are a namiki maki-e pen, which are true works of art, the conid bulkfiller is also a really incredible pen (like TWSBI's super upscale cousin) or the venerable TWSBI vac700r, I just spent about $300 from FPnibs.com getting a vac700R with a heavily customized wet noodle 14k nib (check out my channel for a short writing demo compared to a vintage waterman 52 wet noodle)
The pelikan m1000 in green striped celluloid is also a very high end pen but can have nib issues similar to visconti (though much less common)
A Mont Blanc 149 or 146 Meisterstuck are also really great.
Personally, I think that until you really know what you like, investing in ultra high end pens is a big gamble. Keep an eye on vendors like Greg Minuskin (one of the best, and most expensive nibmeisters around, but he restores and sells pens at insane prices that disappear within hours) or Nathaniel Cerf at thepenmarket, who also restores pens and sells them at outrageous prices. I have a number of vintage pens from both.
Check out a pen show when you can. They're a great way to meet people willing to let you test out their high end pens so you can find what you like.
Even China makes some pretty incredible writers. PenBBS in taiwan makes some great acrylic stunners, the Wing Sung 698 is a very pretty piston filler, as is the 618 with a hooded nib.
One reliable purchase that any fountain pen enthusiast needs is a Lamy 2000. Fit and finish is better than thousand dollar pens, reliable writers, smooth piston filler, and insanely tough. I have an F and an EF, and I prefer the EF more for everyday use, the F is actually much closer to an M.
Don't worry about the "lamy sweet spot" that people complain about. It's massively overblown.
Well - I need two hours to fully digest this incredibly thorough response! Thank you again. Funny, after our exchanges yesterday, I couldn't wait and pulled the trigger on Waterman Elegance Laque Black Gold Trim Medium Nib Fountain. I had been thinking for a while about a matching set of the Waterman Elegance pens - one in Ivory and one in Black - and our conversation made me start thinking about it again.
I'm going to look into these other pens and inks!
The Hanger Project there are very few pens I buy two of, usually only models that have extremely different writing characteristics. A triple broad 149 versus an extra fine for example. One thing to consider trying out that can be fun are acrylic eyedropper pens. China has several gorgeous designs that really show off the ink. Look at the lecai acrylic eyedropper (check out my channel for one I took and inserted a waterman #2 wet noodle flex nib) and pens made by PenBBS, gorgeous acrylic pens with neat semi-fude nibs that can be eyedropper filled or used with a Parker converter. Both are extremely inexpensive and extremely high quality
If you're interested in a "jeans" pen that you don't have to worry about, look on eBay for the Delike brass pen, in particular the model with the "bent" nib, it's a very modified copy of the kaweco brass sport, with a longer barrel to accommodate unposted use and normal converters. It's tough as nails, solid brass, and the bent nib is actually a very forgiving architect nib ( extra fine down, medium across) if you do buy one, it has one weak spot, the converter, so buy a good standard international converter for it. Other than that, I use that pen every day.
As a paramedic, I have to have pens that are immensely durable, and wearing a uniform, I also like pens that look good (and easily go into) in a breast pocket. The delike is a great pen.
If you're looking for a ballpoint that has history and presence (sometimes a fountain pen isn't the right tool) get yourself a fischer ag-7 space pen, the original pen made for NASA, still made today in the US on the same machinery, only costs about $35 and has an insanely satisfying side retraction mechanism.
I love fountain pens, but being a lefty they're hard to write with due to the skipping. Any thoughts or ideas?
Fountain pens aren't supposed to skip so much. I had the same problem tho. Try take out the cartridge or converter
Than flush it with water and let it sit in a cup of water for a couple of hours. Than put the cartridge or concerter in.
But just check a "how to clean a fountain pen" video
Thank you so much for the advice.
Why not put the nib into the ink with the converter attached? Is your method just a preference. There is also the eye dropper method. Good video.
bit late but what is the names of the paper are you using from crane paper
Hi Kirby! You have really nice penmanship!
Thanks, Stanley! That's hard to believe. I was never taught proper penmanship. But I enjoy writing nice thank you notes on my stationary and try to send them out regularly!
I'm quite and odd ball I an a blue collar worker I'm a water and waste water treatment work and a part time plumber I have been using fountain pens for several years in the office I have a good higher quality pen and in the field I use disposable fountain pens when a customer signs something and they have to use your pen you get a lot of questions but on the plus side my pens dont get stolen as a lot of people don't like the fountain pens and if they do you know who took it
NATHAN NEVILLE That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing.
What's the best way to clean/flush my old Parker 45 ?
Can I get a new medium italic job unit for it ?
These are advanced pen questions... definitely out of my wheelhouse. I'd shoot them over to gouletpens.com.
I have not seen an already-made Parker 45 italic nib. I like the 45s a lot. You’d probably be better off buying a new pen with an italic nib, like a TWSBI Eco. It's an inexpensive entry-level pen with a variety of nib options.
Rick Duncan
Grateful for the response. Thank you.
Check this video out of the disassembly of a 45. ua-cam.com/video/lUNqdM4GPvA/v-deo.html
You said a cartridge is not refillable, IT IS, you can use a syringe. Rinse them well and you can use any color ink you want.
Very well presented - the ink suggestions were very informative. I agree with going with something off black or off blue can be effective. I hope you do a stationery review in the future. One tip - use a fountain pen every week or so or that ink will dry out and the clean up process is no fun. Otherwise a great hobby.
As soon as my son begins to practice penmanship at school, I'm going to get him a proper fountain pen.
Would love to do a stationary review in the future. It's on my list!
Holy shit this video opens to a man straight out of a 1950's television advertisement for Scheaffer.
I love fountain pens and noodlers
I am thinking about a matching set of red, green, blue and/or black fountain pens. But I keep thinking about how to tell the colours apart. I saw some the other day that had coloured plastic tips on the end of the pocket clip. Are these tips an accessory that can be bought anywhere you know of?
I hate the thought of having to resort to a sticky dot for each.
Surely there is a different way... Would be easiest if you could find a fountain pen you like that, itself, comes in different colors, much like my ivory and black Waterman Elegance pens. You could cut some tape and wrap it clip.
I think I have already decided the pen I want. The Waterman Elegance is a beautiful pen though and one I have overlooked in my search so far.
This may sound a bit OCD but I want them all exactly the same. Apart from the solution an engraver suggested, either a very small enamel dot on the clip or a precious stone matching each colour set into them.
The abominable Dr Jones That is an interesting thought I hadn’t considered. It would be very easy to have them discretely laser engraved somewhere. A small font or just a single letter.
I love the small font idea.
The Pelican M200 come in different colours, hold a lot of ink and are really reliable so maybe take a look at those?
I can only imagine a sequel to this episode: "How to write in Cursive" will be appropriate in the next few years.
c3cubed 😂 Yes - sadly - my cursive has been a modern casualty.
Stationery is spelled ERY.
Bobby Reed But it is stationary...
Bobby - thanks! That's embarrassing. Not sure how we missed it. Woops!
Your stuff is so so high level, very enjoyable. I use a sterling Cross btw; it makes such a difference in a gentleman's day.
good god never call yourself a gentleman. That adjective is to be used by others when speaking about you. You strive to be a gentleman, but are ultimately judged on it by your peers.
Sorry, struck a nerve.
incorrect Bobby Reed is correct stationery.
win using a fountain pen do you print or use cursive the most
I have a question, where in your site do you have the lether blotters?
We don't sell leather blotters....
What is the best option for me as i am a beginner and i never used a fountain pen before and i have a terrible handwriting?
I searched and found out that lamy safari is ok, what do you think ?
I will keep it in my messenger bag and i feel that fountain pens will spills inc all over the bag is that true ?
Haitham Elamashety I defer to @Goulet Pens
Haitham Elamashety
I bought a $10 Jinhao pen online and I carried it to school every day through cold winters and nice seasons. I've never had an issue.
As for your handwriting, download "Spencerian Penmanship" pdf (free because it was written in the late 1800s). It gives excellent drill exercises for beautiful handwriting, and it addresses the proper way to hold a pen and which muscles you should be using to make your letters.
My handwriting was ugly before I started reading this book, and my hand always cramped up when I tried to write.
Hey, what’s the name of the pad under the paper you are using ?
I have wondered this as well! Looks like an excellent all purpose leather mat. It's in all his videos, but even in the office tour he doesn't say what it is or where it's from.
I just looked it up it’s called a leather desk pad. It’s on eBay
You were supposed to put the cartridge converter into the pen and submerge the nib into the bottle of ink, then reverse the piston, after that clean the nib and WAIT for the ink to flow from the converter to the feed to the nib.
Yesterday November 3, I visited the Millennia Mall in Orlando, FL. There were about 600 people in lines for the new iPhone X. Then I walked over to the Mont Blanc store where there was no line, not one customer inside the store. Fountain pens are great until you have one leak on your custom made English shirt from Jermyn Street. When you accidentally tip the bottle of ink, that's another challenge. The world is moving on to digital communications, ala the Apple stores. Yet I admit to still owning several fountain pens and when I have the courage, I'll give it a try!
Actually if you do some research you will find there is a huge move back to fountain pens world wide ! the millennials are discovering a thing called tactility , in their world where everything is simple touch or voice activated they at some level are now realising there is something missing and many have moved to owning a manual wind watch and fountain pens etc,,etc.. world fountain pen sales has gone through the roof and is around the $350 million annually , largely driven by the Asia market as they are the biggest cashed up ( China) demographic globally and the fact is they have a culture that has always used fountain pens in their classrooms ! Add this to their hunger for Luxury goods a super expensive BRAND pen from Europe is a must have for them.
Thank you Hanger Project!
I always find it interesting that the refillable item is called a "converter", I can remember when all fountain pens came with a "converter" and the conversion was the cartridge
haha. I agree!
The best pen is WATERMAN EDSON because you can either use a cartridge or ink (with a pump). Montblanc Meisterstück is great but you need to schlepp an ink bottle around. You are very brave demonstrating this video, wearing a white shirt with French cuffs!
You can use a converter for any pen that takes a cartridge.
Montblanc piston fillers have a large ink capacity, so don't run out very often. One does not have to "schlepp" an ink bottle around -- travel inkwells are available, and a well-prepared person always has a bottle of ink in their desk (and a backup pen) should either become necessary.
Thanks for the video, I’m considering purchasing a fountain pen soon, does the ink ever dry up in the cartridge?
Andrew Butler unless you let your pen sit there for weeks/months without being used you won’t have that problem. If you’re looking for a good starter pen a Lamy Safari is always a good way to start.
I've never had the ink dry in the cartridge, but it certainly can in the nib. Just flush under the faucet and shake dry.
I second the motion about the Lamy Safari pen! My first fountain pen was a gray Lamy Safari that was given to me for Christmas 1989 and that pen is going strong 28 years and three days later. The only thing that ever needed to be done was to buy a new converter as the plunger in the original converter eventually wore out and the converter wasn't holding ink they way it should.
Awesome
As I just found your channel, I am not that familiar with your demeanor or attitude toward criticism. I thought this video was excellent (I just subbed), as an introduction. Some of the comments seem to be more vicious than constructive, so allow me offer a suggestion: make a video on improving penmanship, specifically cursive.
A gentleman should have a legible, attractive script. Best of all, no money is involved, just time, a little guidance, a little knowledge, and lots of practice. Much like a bespoke fragrance or shoe, one can develop their own style and flourish which becomes their signature script. My handwriting was totally illegible. In mid 2020, I decided to fix that after watching a video on writing letters in the 18th century (Townsends YT channel). The curator/historian/re-enactor used a quill to write a beautiful letter of readable script that was stunningly beautiful.
I watched some more videos on penmanship, bought my first fountain pen, first ink, and started practicing. I chose a mid 19th century script, but added my own flair on certain characters, or took a character from another era. I now have my own script that is consistent and legible. I did buy proper French ruled paper and even a 55* template to put down guides for consistent angle. My handwriting is much more elegant and readable now. I even had custom wax stamps made for sealing my letters.
I suggest you make a video starting with reviewing the meanest comments from this video. Then agree with their assessment of your script and accept the challenge to turn this into a strength by showing your journey to developing your own script. One can easily achieve decent (not perfect) script in 4-8 weeks. Maybe interview somebody known to have beautiful handwriting and ask for the guidance. Cheers
This guys handwriting is atrocious , he should use a Bic pen and stop the madness .......
bluefishbrad when I read this I thought you were exaggerating but then I finally saw it. Atrocious is an understatement.
Right? I was expecting some beautiful handwriting, maybe Spencerian if he was for real.. but no.
I almost cried when I saw his handwriting
Since it looks like some people are affected by my suggestion about how to pronounce the brand name Montblanc in French (as the French mountain), here’s a video where you could check yourself : ua-cam.com/video/50w3K8xuGBQ/v-deo.html
I'm not going to criticize this gentleman, although the video does seem a bit pretentious. I have been a calligrapher for almost 35 years, so I'm pretty familiar with pens, inks and papers. My REAL job is as a freelance journalist, so I write a lot! I would never use a fountain pen 'on the job.' There are so many other cheap pens that work just as well, which I don't have to handle with care. That being said, I do enjoy writing with a good fountain pen.
I have one problem with my Waterman fountain pen. When I do fast strokes (like a signature), the ink doesn't flow out easily, disrupting the stroke. I tried flushing the pen but it still isn't optimal. Suggestions?
You can look up tutorials online on how to open up a nib in order to make it write "wetter" its pretty simple but there is always a risk of damiging your pen. The second option would be to open up the feed, but you cannot open up plastic feeds, only ebonite ones, not that this cannot be undone. The third option is the safest and easiest, use a "wetter" ink, which has a more generous flow, that may help you with the problem, i think Goulet pens has a lot of information about inks, look for high flow (like Noodler's Eel), you can search for high flow inks by ticking the "lubricated" box when looking at bottled inks. I hope this helps.
I would send it off to a nibsmith in order to get it perfect. Pendleton pens does a great job, you can tell him if you want to increase the flow, increase the smoothness, etc.
I defer to the other two gentleman's suggestions.
Slow down. Style is when you take (! ) the time required and need not revert to speed.
Style is not (!) about "productivity".
Chinese JinHao fountain pens are great.
I would refrain from making your own ink, unless both or multiple colours are from the same brand. Some companies make them more thick or with different ingredients so it's best not to risk it unless they are made by the same company.
Which company pen is best
Impossible to say...
Kirby reminds me of Robert Childan from Man in the High Castle. Quite the society man.
Ivory?! As in elephant tusk??
Ivory Color... you can't buy a new pen made out of Ivory.
A black edge on stationery was actually used by houses in mourning
If you really want a quality fountain pen without breaking the bank - invest in a Lamy - it’s smooth as silk.
How do you prime a fountain pen that has a cartridge
I'm not sure. I suppose you don't.
What if you want to switch ink colours? Do you need to clean out the cartridge? thx
This was an elegant video on fountain pens as well, Sir! 🖋✒️
I am having trouble finding your shoe shine carpets on your website. I think it would be something my husband would really like. I so enjoy your videos and I continue to look for similar videos and websites for the well-dressed woman.
We should be getting more soon, but unfortunately not in time for Christmas.
Simply fine. There is Valentine's day, Father's Day and his birthday as well as just because. Have a wonderful holiday!
I just got a TWSBI ECO & LAMY Safari
As the French say '" You can loan your wife, but NEVER your fountain pen; someone might damage the nib!
Haha. That's funny! I try to never even take my fountain pens out of the office. I'm too afraid to lose one of my nice ones... Sadly, it has already happened once.
Sir, an excellent pen and demonstration. However, when you go to ink a pen using a "converter", you waste too much ink (flushing and priming the nib). If you have an unfortunate accident, and chances are that you will, these permanent inks, as you stated, are impossible to remove.
Thank you for your video, Sir.
I’m sure I’ll be repeating others. That is not how you fill a pen. The converter should be attached to the pen and you fill through the nib. Also you need to be mindful about what type of ink you are using with regards the pen. Different ink has varied mineral content. If you are not careful the pen can effected. Also discuss blotting paper too. And whether you the paper you are writing on will take the ink. Sorry to be a pest, I’ve been writing with a fountain pen for 35 years, I had to learn all this from experience.
It’s better to stick the nib in the ink to fill it
I’ve haven’t seen a pen that you suck up the ink since I was at school, nowadays I use the cartridge ink
Harold clark Problem work cartridges is that you can’t prime the nib. Converters are way better...
Just for your information, you should pronounce Montblanc : "Monblan". You're not supposed to pronounce the "t" and the "c" that are silent. No big deal but I really don't get why all American people want to pronounce these letters when i can't think of any English word with a final pronounced "c" ?
margessw
- Aspic
- Zodiac
- Psychic
- Acrylic
- Chaotic
- Colonic
- Endemic
- Idyllic
- Nomadic
Tyler Ocon Oh man !!! Thanks for the heads up !!! 😂🤣
Epic, there is your word. Now in a sentence: You are a epic dumb ass for assuming you know everything about how Americans speak or pronounce their words.
Shawn Grage Shawn Grage Wow !! That’s such a sweet answer !! It surely gives a nice “idea” of American people !! Hopefully, I know plenty of American UA-camrs and bloggers that perfectly accepted to get better at pronuncing this brand name correctly. I really don’t get why you’re reacting so harshly ! And even more since I’m not even talking to you....
margessw I am fluent in French and you do pronounce the sea and other French-speaking people I know do as well, blanc/blanch
Hello! You are such a wonderful speaker sir! :D
In my eyes fountain pen are tools. They are tools to help when you're writing hours on end to reduce hand strain and enjoy the experience more. However, considering the flashiness of your pen, and your appalling 'handwriting' which is simply print writing, you are only using a fountain pen as a fashion statement.
FishGun
And he's holding his pen wrong. His hold causes more tension in the hand and fingers, making it more difficult to form easy curves.
The pen should be over the first nuckle.
It would be easier if you stuck the converter into the pen first before sucking the ink into the converter
Yes - this is the better way to do it.
I feel like a pretentious ass with my pilot Petit1 now
I have several good fountain pens. My favorite by far is a Parker DuoFold custom model. I like Waterman and Parker inks. I'll have to try the Montblanc ink although I'm not a fan of their pens.
I'm obsessed with fountain pens - I won't use anything else!
They're incredible... I'm write either with a fountain pen or a pencil.
No Waterman Pens on the Goulet website...!!
Try colored ink, like green .how is that you don't have the urge to buy more fountain pens?
Oh, I have the urge...
The Hanger Project if it is ok I would like to recommend you to check The brand sailor . The nibs a are the best . It is quite different from what you have but they have a nice range of lovely high end pens especially the maki-e .
Thanks! I'll check them out. I have a friend that really likes Sailor.
Preference for dip pens (artist/cartoonist)
Not really... I just use this for daily writing.
The Hanger Project understandable. As for me, I like that the ink for dip pens give a beaver line, particularly for daily writing.
*heavier
Ink won't be perminant on everything,it reacts with cellulose in paper so it's perminant.
Give the guy a break. For us regular people who grew uo with FP as child it does seem pretentious a rich person getting into it. Yes it does, still it is good if more people do and Goulet Pens is the best advice for a newbie.