I’m not trying to diss the dip pen; I think they’re great.
That is a nice reason to use them too.
Although I’m not sure it’s exactly practical for most people.
It’s not practical to carry around. You have to use it sitting at your own desk. And even if you could carry it around, it would cause too much rumpus to pull out a bottle of ink in the middle of a meeting, say, and start dipping your pen.
Sorry for being totally weird, but I think that’s very romantic. My grandfather did that too. 
I won’t be weird about it if you aren’t. 
I keep a cheap ballpoint to give to people when they ask for a pen.
If I’m using a cheap fountain pen like a Preppy I don’t mind handing that to people. It’s pretty sturdy.
I Use one of the cheaper RotRing cartridge pens from Fountain Pen Hospital. It is called Core and has a medium nib. I find it makes me write neater and I think people still appreciate a hand-written note.
Thanks
Q
I love Rotring as well.
A few of their designs are a bit unconventional. Some may say ugly.
But I think they are well made and pleasant to use!
I wanted to add that I never hand my fountain pen to others. Not because I think I won’t get it back, but because they usually don’t have the “hand” (for lack of a proper word) to use one. My wife for instance, makes whatever she writes look like scratches on the page.
Q
Which is why I love my Lamys - the flow is so steady that it’s almost like writing with a ballpoint. I’ve converted my mother and cousin to fountain pens in the last six months.
Besides not knowing how to write with one, they don’t know how to open it. I’m still furious at the TSA agent who grabbed my Reform pen out of my pocket and stripped the threads by pulling the cap off.
:eek: Christ!
I’m not familiar with Reform pens. Are they expensive?
Even if not, that is ridiculous.
While most of my writings are digital (as an IT guy). I carry my Lamy logo with me to take notes.
Now you guys make me want a new pen…
In practice, in my experience, if you’re keeping a manageable number of pens inked and using them all regularly then storing them on their sides (as I generally do) isn’t problematic at all.
Yep! - my favorite is my Pelikan M200.
If you crack a zombie joke over a year old thread, you’ve got issues.
That being said, I just found myself getting into fountain pens, partly because they’re cool, partly because they’re pretty much the best of the limited options out there for everyday writing with brown ink. I bought some Platinum Preppy pens a few years ago, enjoyed using them, and thought I’d delve a bit deeper. I started with a Lamy Safari, then a Pilot Metropolitan, and most recently a Jinhao 250.
It’s an inexpensive diversion if you stick to entry level pens (which seem to write quite well), and don’t get obsessive over ink collecting and paper snobbery. They’re also great conversation starters. I’m tempted to go a step deeper, and try out Noodler’s infamous Baystate Blue ink.
I like brown inks. Noodler’s Walnut is my everyday ink - waterproof, dark but still recognizably brown. What do you use?
Seventy-six posts and no one has mentioned the sex appeal factor?!? :dubious:
I once had a girl fall head over heels in love with me after I started writing to her weekly* with a fountain pen. She thought my handwriting was waaaaaaay cool! :o
*And no, it wasn’t a strictly long-distance relationship.
In high school, I used a Faber-Castell drafting pen with capillary flow of India ink – waterproof and no bleed. The tip was a needle tube with a wire attached to a small weight, I got in the habit of shaking the pen (bouncing the weight in the nib) to get the ink flowing. It took a very soft touch, I did not loan that pen out. I think I still have a few of those lying around here somewhere – they are no longer available from Faber-Castell, though I think the Koh-i-noor Rapidograph is pretty similar.
Right now, Pelikan Brilliant Brown. I’m just getting started with bottled ink, though. I have Diamine Ancient Copper on my shopping list, but it might be a bit too bright for professional use.
Oh … I’ve got another Pilot Metropolitan on the way. 
I love fountain pens. I used to find them a pain to carry around but I seem to have learned how to do it (after bleeding ink across three continents and ruining various nice handbags).
I like Waterman pens and I like Waterman ink, but I also like a variety of colors, which either Waterman doesn’t make or I can’t find, so I have some others. But I like Waterman’s brown ink just fine–also South Seas blue.
The Pilot Varsity are good everyday pens and I will let someone else use one of those. I like the ones that come in packs of 7. Rainbow colors!
I also have Private Reserve Orange Crush, but it doesn’t really look orange on the page. Kind of light brown. I would like a better orange and a good yellow-green.