A good first FP ?

[Burlington]

My search for a nice FP continues..

Thanks for the previous recommendations on other posts - this was one of them from Platinum.

https://www.cultpens.com/i/q/PT44538...f-fountain-pen

Its around the price range I'm looking in, as something which will be a joy to use and last many many years but not over commit in case it doesn't get as much use as I expect.

I have used FPs all through my school days so am very familiar with them, and this would be to keep in my home-base office, not for when I'm on the road as would really not want leakage on the plane etc..

The other I have on my radar is this:

https://www.cultpens.com/i/q/PT24232...untain-pen-red

Between Pilot, Sailor and Platinum, its Platinum which grabs my eye the most.

I'm not in any rush to pull the trigger, so very open to other thoughts or suggestions as there is a lot to learn still !

[Burlington]

One other I missed:

https://www.nibs.com/pens/nakaya/nak...-kuro-tamenuri

Although this would be over the top end of how much I'm looking at.

Am I right to think the nibs are the same across Platinum & Nakaya, so it's the pen body which drives pricing differences at this stage ?

[subtona]

Chrono bleu is the submariner and nautilus of journe.

It captures 90% of the essence without the price jump and depreciation of other models.

Alternate choice would be the grand sonnerie

[City74]

Um, I think FP means fountain pen in this instance

[subtona]

Originally Posted by City74

Um, I think FP means fountain pen in this instance

some days the eyes work less good than others

[jar]

Originally Posted by Burlington

My search for a nice FP continues..

Thanks for the previous recommendations on other posts - this was one of them from Platinum.

https://www.cultpens.com/i/q/PT44538...f-fountain-pen

Its around the price range I'm looking in, as something which will be a joy to use and last many many years but not over commit in case it doesn't get as much use as I expect.

I have used FPs all through my school days so am very familiar with them, and this would be to keep in my home-base office, not for when I'm on the road as would really not want leakage on the plane etc..

The other I have on my radar is this:

https://www.cultpens.com/i/q/PT24232...untain-pen-red

Between Pilot, Sailor and Platinum, its Platinum which grabs my eye the most.

I'm not in any rush to pull the trigger, so very open to other thoughts or suggestions as there is a lot to learn still !

You picked out some really nice fountain pens, but don't worry too much about the one you select leaking. In well over a half century of carrying fountain pens daily I have only had one or two instances of leaks and at least one of those instances was a brain dead instance of putting the pen in my pocket while the cap was still in my hand.

Remember in Nakayas, Cigars have no pocket clip while writers do.

I have the Platinum #3776 Ascending Dragon, several Izumos and also several writer Nakaya Portables. My Izumos and Nakayas get far more pocket time than the Ascending Dragon.

[Burlington]

Originally Posted by subtona

some days the eyes work less good than others

haha I thought it was just a comment on the wrong thread, but yes Fountain Pen, not FPJ

[Burlington]

Originally Posted by jar

You picked out some really nice fountain pens, but don't worry too much about the one you select leaking. In well over a half century of carrying fountain pens daily I have only had one or two instances of leaks and at least one of those instances was a brain dead instance of putting the pen in my pocket while the cap was still in my hand.

Remember in Nakayas, Cigars have no pocket clip while writers do.

I have the Platinum #3776 Ascending Dragon, several Izumos and also several writer Nakaya Portables. My Izumos and Nakayas get far more pocket time than the Ascending Dragon.

Thanks - A clip is useful sometimes for making sure its well secured in my notebook when I'm moving about during the day, but I do really like the clip free design of the Nakaya cigars, a very unique look.

Would a modern fountain pen also be ok whilst flying even with changing pressures ?

I will keep on going with my research, and learning about them, but this really helps narrow things down for me as even within those options there is a huge amount of choice - Thank you !

[jar]

Originally Posted by Burlington

Would a modern fountain pen also be ok whilst flying even with changing pressures ?

Almost any well made pen since the mid 1940s is fine when flying. The exception is I would avoid eye dropper filled fountain pens that do not have an original equipment shutoff valve. When flying keep the pen nib up during takeoff and landings, best either full or near empty and do not use it during the ascent or descent stages. Once at cruising altitude I have never had an issue writing with my fountain pens in a plane except of course when it's too rough to also have a cup of coffee or a drink.

I'm not much of a fan of fountain pens kept in notebooks or brief cases or folios; I have always kept mine in either my shirt pocket or back when I wore suits and jackets, the left inner jacket pocket. Fortunately I have not had to wear a suit or jacket in almost two decades now.

[Burlington]

Thanks again for the extra information!

[subtona]

Originally Posted by Burlington

haha I thought it was just a comment on the wrong thread, but yes Fountain Pen, not FPJ

[Rafael M]

I also suggest a Platinum 3776, Burgogne, which is a very beautiful semi transparent burgundy, or the 3776 Chartres, the same but in a deep blue. If you order direct from one of the eBay sellers located in Japan the pen will cost you about $85. About $160 from a US seller. The 3776 I ordered with a SF nib, ("soft fine" which has some flex), arrived in a week. The nib was actually like an Extra Fine. It needed a bit of smoothing with grit paper , but then It began to write very well.
The 3776 is a beautiful pen, medium sized, with a gold nib. They have a new cap design which supposedly stops ink from drying out between use.
☛Remember Japanese nib designations differ from Western nib sizes. Their Medium, would be a Fine or Extra Fine, So order accordingly.
$85 for a gold nib...? can't beat that!
Ralph

[jar]

Originally Posted by Rafael M

I also suggest a Platinum 3776, Burgogne, which is a very beautiful semi transparent burgundy, or the 3776 Chartres, the same but in a deep blue.
...

Ralph

Bourgogne:


Chartres:

[Rafael M]

Yes..... I thought they were very beautiful. A real buy! You have good taste !....

[jar]

Originally Posted by Rafael M

Yes..... I thought they were very beautiful. A real buy! You have good taste !....

One issue with your earliers suggestions.

Japanese nibs do not always run more narrow than similar European or American nibs; that is another of the recurring myths out in internet land.

While in some cases that may hold true, particularly at the lowest end, my experience has been that many American and European nibs write as fine or even finer than the similar designated Japanese nibs. Right now I have three Medium nib pens inked, a Sailor 1911S, Platinum #3776 and an Aurora 888P (using a Platinum cartridge) and of the three the Aurora puts down the finest line by a significant margin. The fine and extra fine nibs from ST Dupont and Sheaffer and US Parker and Montegrappa and Ferrari Da Varese also generally run slightly slimmer than the standard Japanese nibs of the same classification.

A second issue is that nibs are graded into ranges and in many cases there is overlap at the extremes.

[Rafael M]

Ok.
I have always heard that so called "recurring myth", and thought it correct. Both Japanese pens that I have owned a Sailor Nagitana, and this 3776 Platinum were both Finer than their designations. The 3776 SF nib was like an Extra Fine, and the Sailor labeled a Medium was like a Fine.
That has been my experience.
Your experience, as you have explained has been different.
Ok.

[stratguy]

My everyday pen is a Lamy 2000 (Macrolon, not steel). I was in NYC a week ago and there is a Lamy store in Soho. I picked up an LX. This pen is fantastic - especially for the money.

https://www.lamy.com/eng/b2c/lx

I got a M nib, and it is so smooth.

[Burlington]

Thanks everyone for the continued advice and information. Really enjoying the research and time to find the right one.

I keep on reading about how strong of a material ebonite and resin are - often described as indestructible. Is this in reference to impact resistance ?

[jar]

Originally Posted by Burlington

Thanks everyone for the continued advice and information. Really enjoying the research and time to find the right one.

I keep on reading about how strong of a material ebonite and resin are - often described as indestructible. Is this in reference to impact resistance ?

Don't believe all of what you hear.

Resin is so vague a term that it is almost meaningless. Some are resistant to many things and retain colors well, some are scratch resistant, others brittle and subject to breaking if dropped. Basically Resin == Plastic; any plastic.

Ebonite is hard rubber. Been around a long, long time in the fountain pen world and will stand up to lots of abuse. I have some that belonged to family members and are approaching 100 years old now and still working and looking fine. But ebonite can also turn color, oxidize and get brittle with age.

Raw ebonite is very subject to UV fading. Here is a fairly new ebonite pen that was used as a sales sample for quite a while before I got it and so exposed to lots of UV light.

Now look at the color of the ebonite that was covered by the cap and so did not get as much UV exposure.

You can see a distinct line where the cap covered the section.

Here are some older samples of ebonite pens. From the left, the first four are ebonite then two modern resin pens, two old ebonite, a modern resin, old ebonite and old resin.

An ebonite pen from the beginning of WWI:

[Burlington]

Thank you ! Beautiful collection. I'm certainly looking for something which will last many many years. All this information and the great photos really help, very much appreciated.

[jar]

Originally Posted by Burlington

Thank you ! Beautiful collection. I'm certainly looking for something which will last many many years. All this information and the great photos really help, very much appreciated.

Thanks. Actually I dropped a cartridge into the Platinum Izumo Aketamenuri after getting it out to shoot the picture for you and so it's what I'm using right now.

[Burlington]

Really stunning ! The depth to the lacquer is beyond beautiful. Thank you

[Bisquitlips]

Holy Smoke Jar!!!!

I have been collecting for 30 ++++ years and you still can flip a booger on me!

Thanks! And I mean that!

[Burlington]

Thanks for all the tips !

Stunning pen, larger than anticipated (despite reading measurements) with the cap on, but really feels great in the hand.

Keeping it dry and unused until later in the year for a special date. Will post some more about it in a few months once I have chance to sample the writing.

Regarding cleaning - I’m reading distilled water for flushing ink between each refill.

What about for the cap and barrel ?

Should the worse happen and I do damage the nib ever, is it back to Japan for a fix, or can it be switched out myself ?

Next project is to make a pen case, but this won’t be a little while yet !

[jar]

Originally Posted by Burlington

Thanks for all the tips !

Stunning pen, larger than anticipated (despite reading measurements) with the cap on, but really feels great in the hand.

Keeping it dry and unused until later in the year for a special date. Will post some more about it in a few months once I have chance to sample the writing.

Regarding cleaning - I’m reading distilled water for flushing ink between each refill.

What about for the cap and barrel ?

Should the worse happen and I do damage the nib ever, is it back to Japan for a fix, or can it be switched out myself ?

Next project is to make a pen case, but this won’t be a little while yet !

I have simply used tap water with a single drop of dish detergent per 8 ounces of water to flush pens followed by plain tap water flush. If your tap water has high mineral content then buy a bottle of distilled water and one bottle should last a lifetime.

For the outsides and inside cap I just just a wet cloth followed by dry soft cloth and microfiber polish cloth.

Platinum, like most Japanese companies does not sell nibs separately; only as a complete unit. But most damage to gold nibs can be straightened out by a good fountain pen technician and the nib itself is the same one used on a Platinum President which is far less expensive to buy should the nib be so damaged that it cannot be straightened.

Did it come with the Kimono? If not, check out the ones made by Taccia.

Also, Platinum makes a $1.00 adapter that will allow you to use any International Standard cartridges.

And just for fun; one of my Platinum converters:

The little gold fish and seaweed are painted on the inside of the converter.

[Burlington]

Thanks - yes it did come with a lovely kimono, but I quite like something from leather for the extra protection on the outside and will add a very soft interior.

It came with a very high quality feel converter but no gold fish - they are a lovely little addition.
Is there is preferred way to draw the ink - through the nib, or just fill the converter directly from the bottle ?

Good to know about the nib, and repairs being possible...would the President nib be possible to 'transplant' in the worst case ?

I have already switched to carrying in my pocket when moving around the office in readiness for the addition in a few months

[jar]

Originally Posted by Burlington

Thanks - yes it did come with a lovely kimono, but I quite like something from leather for the extra protection on the outside and will add a very soft interior.

It came with a very high quality feel converter but no gold fish - they are a lovely little addition.
Is there is preferred way to draw the ink - through the nib, or just fill the converter directly from the bottle ?

Good to know about the nib, and repairs being possible...would the President nib be possible to 'transplant' in the worst case ?

I have already switched to carrying in my pocket when moving around the office in readiness for the addition in a few months

I prefer drawing ink in through the nib and really suggest not filling the converters directly. The reason is that when you fill the converter directly and then put the converter into the pen it's far too easy to let a small amount of ink get on the converter lip and then onto the feed itself. Over time these add up to result in leaks.

Yup, a President nib is easily transplanted.

Some folk have reported their Platinum converters seized up, they simply could not turn the piston. I have never had that problem and have been using the converters in my Platinum and Nakaya and even Aurora 88P, Duo-Carts and 888P pens for decades. But just in case, order a spare to have on hand. Also, a touch of silicone grease applied with a toothpick to the edge of the piston head and the screw itself can't hurt.

[Burlington]

Originally Posted by jar

I prefer drawing ink in through the nib and really suggest not filling the converters directly. The reason is that when you fill the converter directly and then put the converter into the pen it's far too easy to let a small amount of ink get on the converter lip and then onto the feed itself. Over time these add up to result in leaks.



Yup, a President nib is easily transplanted.



Some folk have reported their Platinum converters seized up, they simply could not turn the piston. I have never had that problem and have been using the converters in my Platinum and Nakaya and even Aurora 88P, Duo-Carts and 888P pens for decades. But just in case, order a spare to have on hand. Also, a touch of silicone grease applied with a toothpick to the edge of the piston head and the screw itself can't hurt.

Great information and advice ! Thank you.

Will report back once I have been using the pen for a while.

[jar]

One other thing to buy and have on hand is an old fashioned squeeze type ear bulb. When it comes to flushing your pen you can spend hours using the converter to flush the pen or thirty seconds with an ear bulb.

[Uncle00Jesse]

Buy a Pilot Custom 823, see if you like it and go from there. It’s teetering on high end and you’ll likely be sufficiently happy with it for years to go. It’s the be all end all for many writers out there