I just thought I’d let you know that one of my Duofolds is an extra-fine nib. I use Parker Quink blue-black and don’t have any problem with ink flow. So you might want to give that a shot if you plan on using bottle ink with an extra-fine nib.
Oh, one more thing. If you’re looking for good inexpensive paper for everyday writing I write on Ampad Embassy grey legal pads. They are great for fountain pen writing. For some reason the grey is much better than the yellow or white pads.
I have a Cross Metropolitan fountain pen that I use infrequently. The last time I used it, it was skipping, even with a fresh cartridge. I cleaned the nib by soaking it in cold water, which is what the pen sites seem to generally recommend, and a lot of dried-up ink came out. Now that I’ve reassembled it, I can’t get it to write at all, although there is fresh ink on the back of the nib at the little hole there. Anyone have any suggestions, or have I killed it? 
At work, it’s got to be the Uniball Vision Exact, in Fine, not Micro. For journal and important things, my Cross Classic Black pen with felt-tip refills in fine, not medium. It was given to me by my father when I finished seventh grade (I was skipping eighth and proceeding to high school, so it was like a graduation gift). I have lost and found it a few times, lo these 22 years.
I recently got the matching Cross Classic Black ballpoint pen and mechanical pencil, but the felt-tip is the sentimental favorite, and is one of the few (maybe only?) items I have had that long.
“How do you use your Sharpie?” That ad took on a whole new meaning after I saw “Secretary” this past week 
Can anyone give me a review of the Waterman Phileas Fountain Pen? I’m on an extremely limited budget, and I know Waterman pens are known for quality. But does anyone have information on how finicky this pen is with regards to ink (I know my friend has some fountain pens that get, uh, cranky when she uses particuclar inks), if it writes smoothly or if it’s scratchy, etc?
D Marie - do you have a converter? If you do, fill a cup/bowl whatever with lukewarm water, suck up some water with the converter, and then force the water out a few times. Does the trick for me.
sweisamkeit - buy it. I’ve used three different kinds of ink in mine (The cheapest I could possibly find) and have NEVER had a problem with it.
Thanks, chique, that seems to have done the trick! I forgot I had the converter until you mentioned it. 
Another lefty here, and another fan of the gel pens. I also like the bic round stic.
As someone mentioned, being left-handed makes it difficult to use fountain pens. Which reminded me of this: I remember that when I was in grade school the erasable pens were all the rave. My teachers wanted us to use them so that we didn’t have crossouts all over our papers. But the ink from those things dried very slowly. We poor lefty kids would wind up with blue ink all over the side of our hand and pinky finger and our classwork would look like just a big blue smear. It didn’t take long for the teacher to tell some of us not to use erasable pens. Do they still make and sell erasable pens? I haven’t seen one in a long time, but then I never go looking for them.
zweisamkeit - The Waterman Phileas is an incredibly well made pen and worth every penny you pay for them. People are going to think you paid twice the amount you did and they are actually a nicer pen than some of their higher priced brethren. I love them.
Zoff, I keep Quink on hand just for those finicky pens. Skrip (Sheaffer) is also very good for troublesome pens.
If you aren’t going to use a pen for a prolonged period it’s important to make sure they’ve been thoroughly cleaned. I run into this problem fairly often and if water doesn’t work I use 409 cleaner in a 1:5 ratio or a little diluted household ammonia.
Sheaffer red ink is alo a fantastic pen cleaner. Running a tank full through a pen can yield marvelous results.
I had a good day… I acquired a mint, in the box Parker 45 Flighter (stainless steel) that has never seen ink. It even had the original Parker/Eversharp turquoise cartridge and the protective outer cardboard sleeve. The Parker 45 is an awesome pen, well made, and incredibly easy to service. This one will never see ink but I have another on it’s way to use as a daily writer.
Feynn, pen freak that I am, I don’t think I would ever want to buy a pen that I wouldn’t write with.
If I was a gajillionaire, I would probably buy both versions of the Mont Blanc Skeleton and use them.
Oh, and Zoff, thanks for the paper tip. When I’m writing, I go through drafts (I used to do a lot of recreational fiction writing, for nobody’s eyes but my own, and I’ve started doing it again), so an inexpensive legal pad or three might be just the thing for my rough drafts, before I go to the composition book for the final draft.
Thea - If I had a million dollars… I’d buy these.
http://www.penlovers.com/stylophiles/may02/05pkr.htm
You will be looking at the “Holy Grail” to many collectors.
Thea - If I had a million dollars… I’d buy these.
http://www.penlovers.com/stylophiles/may02/05pkr.htm
You will be looking at the “Holy Grail” to many collectors.
Feynn, I had asked you about inks and you recommended Pelikan, but they don’t seem to offer as deep of blue as I’d like so I went to the pen store and bought new ink for my Waterman Carene. I bought Private Reserve’s Lake Placid Blue. I love it. Much deeper blue than the Quink I was using.
While at the store, I fell in love with the Parker 51. Parker has done a limited run (supposedly only 3000 pens) so I’ve snatched one up. Set me back $350 but my wife was begging me for a Christmas present suggestion… so I have to wait until after Christmas to use it.
Algernon - You can’t go wrong with Private Reserve, their colours are wonderful.
You got as new 51? You bastard!!!
Gold or silver? You bastard!!!
I am actually on the hunt for a vintage 51 Flighter, they are currently selling for around 350.00.
David Nishimura has an incredible site and a whole section devoted to one of the greatest pens ever designed…the Parker 51. You will be able to see the similarities between the new 51 and many of the vintage models, especially those with the Empire cap design.
And once again… you bastard!!!
You’re new 51 might very well become an instant collectors item and a good investment.
I used to use Parker ballpoints and fountain pens at school but when I got to uni’ they couldn’t stand the expense or pace and I changed to those groovy Japanese rolling balls. The best seem to be those that dish out the most ink for a smoother touch. I’m not sure what the brand I go for most is as the local newsagents always seem to have different ones available. Bic biros and the like never seem smooth enough for anything else but scribbling notes on the phone but at least they’re good for newpaper crosswords, they don’t soak or rip the page.
BTW anyone here have a Fisher spacepen. Write anywhere my ass! The dam rollerball jams up with gunk when it promised it wouldn’t
(satisfied grin) Yep. A new Parker 51. My pen looks exactly like the picture in the link I posted above. Black barrel with the gold and silver Empire cap.
In the reproduction of the 51, Parker also reproduced the original case and thick booklet (I’m not sure what’s in the booklet because, well, it’s my Christmas present after all.) According to my pen dealer, he says the retro pens were produced in only two barrel colors, the black and a deep turqoise (which just screams 1950s).
I’m happy.
Algernon, the Bastard.
I know what y’all mean - I got an old (1941 military issue) Sheaffer fountain pen/mechanical pencil set off eBay for the amazing price of only $32. The both work flawlessly, and I don’t have to orry about finding cartridges that fit, since I FILL THEM FROM THE INK BOTTLE! How quaint (of course, I do have at least one black fingertip for the rest of the day)! I am amazed that modern fountain pen manufacturers rarely offer a matching pencil to go with the pen - that would certainly heighten the attraction to me at least. Anyway, my old 1941 writes like a dream. I only wish I had a fine caligraphy tip to screw in it when I want to get fancy.
I’m actually amazed at how hard it is to find a good, inexpensive ($10-25) fountain pen here in Vegas. Maybe I’m searching in all the wrong places? I’ve checked both Office Max and Office Depot, but all they had were Shaeffer calligraphy sets or one or two fountain pens priced at around $30. And the selection literally consisted ot two pens- both Watermans, both had large nibs, can’t see how anyone could write with them- a medium nib gives me problems because I have small handwriting. I just wonder what kind of huge-fisted behemoth could write with a nib tip that large. At Wal-Mart, you have your choice of a Shaeffer Reaktor, which is actually a nice go-pen, they write well, and they’re cheap, so if you lose one, it’s not big, or a Parker Reflex, which seems like a nice enough pen, but my nib choices were medium, medium and medium, and I must have a fine nib.
Somebody suggested to me that I try a gift shop at the mall, but I’m afraid if I did, I’d be looking at 100.00+ pens, and I really want a nice one in the $10-20 range to use as a go-pen.
I’ve never actually seen a pen with a fill mechanism up close and personal. I’ve only seen pictures or heard stories about them. I’ve only ever seen cartridge pens- some of the more expensive ones come with a converter, like my lovely Shaeffer did. I’m still waiting for my ink that I ordered- it was shipped priority mail yesterday, so I’m thinking probably tomorrow.
For me it’s my green Waterman Phileas fountain pen. Oddly enough, my second favorite pen is a cheap Bic pen, those blue-inked see-through plastic pens with the blue caps that you can get in a pack of seven or so for a $1.40 or something, probably less.