Fountain Pen Day

[vik_thor]

What better way to celebrate Fountain Pen Day than to post a short review? :) I've been using fountain pens almost exclusively for over three years or so at this point.

I decided to do a review of one of the first style of fountain pen I bought, which is the Pilot Varsity disposable fountain pen. >I no longer have the first one I bought. I dropped it one day, and bent the nib, and I was not able to fix it. I bought the seven pack back in July 2015. (I had to look it up. Didn't realize I'd bought them that long ago.) I tend to use them mostly at work.

I like them in general, and they are cheap enough to be first fountain pens for someone to try. (You can order single colors also, not just the 7 pack.)
they dry quickly, and they don't smear. they can bleed through a bit. The blobs beside the names are where I just scribbled a bit, to try to smear the ink, and you can see some bleed through.

The paper I used for this is an old Barnes & Noble sketchbook. Over 15 years old.

Comments

[xoagray.livejournal.com]

I've seen those little disposables before, they're a pretty good choice for someone that just wants to try a fountain pen without hte commitment of buying an expensive one. I have one that I've been using that also would probably fit that bill.

I've been using a Pilot Plumix for around 3 years. It's a nice little fountain pen that you can get for about $12. So a little more pricy than the disposables, but it's refillable so if you like it you can keep it. And it's a nice looking unit to boot. It's very smooth writing for a steel nib, not very flexable though, so definitely aimed more at someone that's looking for a ball point replacement than someone that wants to do anything decorative.

Here's a link to the pen.

http://www.jetpens.com/Pilot-Plumix-Fountain-Pen-Black-Body-Medium-Flat-Italic-Nib/pd/4564

Actually that place has it for a lot less than I paid. ;). But yeah, for the most part this is what I've been using on anything that doens't need to have carbon copies. I'm honestly surprised at how well it's held up. Still writes like new after going on 4 years.

Pens

[vik_thor]

I've heard good things about the Plumix. Don't have one (yet…)

I do seem to be gravitating to Pilot as my favorite pens.
I've got a 78G (discontinued), a couple Metropolitans, and a set of Parallels. (also, a Pilot Knight, that I haven't yet inked up.)
and about six other non Pilot pens.
Along with a couple bottle of ink, and several ink samples…

I may be just a bit of a Pen Addict…
https://www.relay.fm/penaddict
(I'm working my way through the back catalogue of this podcast. Up to about 132 currently, along with listening to the current ones when they come out.)

Re: Pens

[xoagray.livejournal.com]

I've never used a 78G, but it looks similar to one that I've had in the past. (that's not hard considering many pens look that way) One thing I like about that one that my Plumix doesn't have is the clip. The Plumix hasn't got any kind of pocket clip so there's nothing to keep it from flopping around in your pocket. Which makes it less than ideal for actually using away from my desk.
I'd love to find one that doesn't spatter inside the cap every time it takes a little bump. Something I could carry around and use, but that seems to be a really tall order for a fountain pen. I've had Pilot, Parket, Shaffer, and other fountain pens and they all seem to spatter to some degree if I carry them around. But so far I haven't found anything that is reliable enough I don't have to resort to a ball point when I'm heading out and about. (Though, the Plumix does do pretty well).
I wonder if a more expensive / higher grade pen might negate this issue, or if it's just something intrinsic to all fountain pens and is just unavoidable. I mean, at one point people did have to live with carrying these things around day to day, so I'm thinking at some point someone made one that was better about spattering.

I'll have to check out that podcast. I'm admittedly a bit of a pen addict myself, I find myself liking dip pens as well, though I haven't stumbled across a nib that's as comfortable to write with as the average fountain pen yet. (It's just a matter of time I'm sure). I like the fact it takes a little time to think when using one. I find that when I'm having trouble writing something the extra concentration required is a boost. :)

And finally, happy birthday! :) I hope great things come to you today. :)

X