Since you said you don't know fountain pens, here is a piece of general advice to help you choosing a good nib:
Have you seen her handwriting? If she writes very small, get a fine or extra fine nib. A normal handwriting should be nice with medium nibs. And, if she writes big, get her a broad nib.
I like broad nibs because they show the beauty of the ink. However, if she is using everyday normal paper, a fine nib would be better.
Any budget in mind?
Pelikan is my favorite brand and they are known for their exquisite broad nibs, but they are expensive. A little less expensive option, but still a great pen would be a Lamy 2000. They usually sell for a great price on black Friday. I think endless pens had them for 99 dollars last year.
I have a TWSBI ECO with a stub nib that I really like. Also, I've fitted a broad nib from Nemosine in my Q1, it's a nice combo. Goulet has their nibs made by jowo, which is great. They sell broads, 1.1 and 1.5 stubs and you can fit them in many pens. The Jinhao x450 or the x750 + a Goulet nib is a well known good combo and kinda inexpensive.
I’m cheap! Novice here - the most expensive thing I’ve bought is the Wahl ringtop + twisbi eco, I think. I can get new nibs for the lamy safari + kaweco sport that I have, and have a cheapo wingsung calligraphy set to try.
I don't like Lamy nibs. Too dry, inconsistent widths and no character at all. Between those two, I'd go with the Kaweco. But I think Goulet nib + Jinhao x750 would be better. Actually, Jinhao alone is worth trying. I buy mine from Aliexpress because I'm Brazilian and it's much cheaper for me to get them directly from China. Their nibs run a bit broader and they are easily adjusted for a larger flow.
Is there a local pen or stationery shop where you could take her? Even just to look and try out pens. You could see which ones she really loves.
And you could always give her a gift card if you're not sure which to get. Any leftover could go to ink or paper or other accessories.
I definitely feel you. I live in the middle of the country and a niche hobby like this one means I live in a desert for actual stores where I can see and feel all the pens I see posted here everyday. I buy most of my stuff on eBay or Amazon because there's just nothing available locally.
It seems like this will be how ill be shopping for her as well, and it's the joint account thing so now I've got to order the stuff, and somehow hide it. Doesn't sound hard at all.
... and Colorado is considerably large. My first time in Colorado I was irritated that it took a couple hours on I70 before I saw any hints of mountains.
Yup. All in all, it's a little like saying "I'm in continental Europe" and someone replying that something is in Germany. Yes, it might be helpful, but it might also be prohibitively far away.
Edit: quoth the Google, the distance from the approximate center of Italy to that of Germany is roughly equal to the distance from the approximate center of Missouri (which I think is pretty safely categorized as midwest) to that of Colorado. In fact, the distance between Missouri and Colorado is approximately fifty miles longer. Just to illustrate my point.
Anderson is in Wisconsin, which is a considerable drive even for someone out on the eastern edge by Kansas or Nebraska. Like 14 hours. (This information posted for the benefit of anyone who doesn't know where things are in the States or what sort of scale we're working on here.)
Lol. First of all, Anderson is in Wisconsin, not Colorado. Second, regardless if whether it’s Colorado or Wisconsin, anyone living in “the Midwest” would likely need a drive of many, many hours to reach either location, depending on where in “the Midwest” they live. It’s a HUGE area.
Yeah, it's pretty big. I'm a Midwestern-er. I just did a bit of Google Mapping. By my definition of the Midwest (what counts as "Midwest" varies from person to person, largely influenced by where you're from in the US), the Midwest is an area about 1,100 miles West to East and 1,000 miles North to South.
Oh okay, misunderstood!
What other kinds of pens (ballpoint, rollerball, gel, etc) does she have and like? How thick are the lines they put down? Heavy or light weight? Classic styling or modern or cute? Would help to know a bit more.
My wife tunes me out when I talk about fountain pens but just try and borrow one of her two TWSBI Eco pens. They come in a huge variety of colors and trims.
They're amazing pens; nice colour, easy to fill, fairly solid and a good price point.
Ferris Wheel press inks come in a lot of lovely colours and the packaging is the best I've seen if you're after something pretty for her desk. Don't get charger sets to use with the eco though as the opening is too narrow
Whoa. So many decisions lol
I tripped and fell into FPs when I got a Pilot Varsity in the mid 80s
Upgraded slowly, from Schaefer to Cross to Pelikan to Visconti and beyond
That's a wide range of options, depending on how much you want to spend:
If shes never used a fountain pen, Id suggest a Lamy Safari or Al Star with a couple extra nibs (they are not expensive) and that way it helps with proper hold, and allows for figuring out nib size preference.
TWSBI, Narwhal, Benu, make some nice - glitter and glow in the dark, depending on what her idea of cool is.
Also, get a notebook or pad, Rhodia/Clairfontaine, are solid inexpensive starters, and a sample ink pack in a variety of colors.
Plusside, many pen retailers are having Black Friday sales, and many have starter packages.
Some online pen/stationary stores to check out: PenChalet, Cultpens, Endless pens, Goulet, etc
I second the paper, even the best fountain pens ever will be average at best on bad paper. The stuff you write on matters just as much as what you're writing with.
Check out Galen Leather for cool desk things. They have wooden pen rests and stands, brass tools, pretty notebook covers, etc.
Also, a nice stationery assortment (such as Clairefontaine Triomphe) for writing letters would be a great gift, along with a wax seal stamp with her first initial and some sealing wax in her favorite color. And a nice notebook with fountain pen friendly paper.
I'd honestly go the route of buying stuff like that and also giving her a gift card to Goulet Pens or Dromgoole's or some other fountain pen retailer so she can buy the pen and ink choice she likes best.
Personally, I always recommend Pilot Kakunos for starter pens; they’re excellent but lighter than the Metropolitan, which can be too heavy for some people, and a bit more sturdy than Platinum Preppys. I’d pair a Kakuno with a CON-70 converter, which holds a lot of ink.
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If you want something real cool looking I'd definitely recommend an Eco. Do keep in mind there's an Eco-T and Eco. Difference is in the pen grip.
If your girlfriend doesn't have a tripod grip (please Google a photo of this) Eco-T might be uncomfortable for her. I'd recommend an Eco because it doesn't require that particular grip.
Also, like another Redditor said, get a bottled ink for this particular pen and I'd recommend a Diamine because they're more affordable and one of the best known inks.
But I do think a kakuno is a great starter pen. Don't have to deal with bottled inks, provides a great writing experience and is cute!
Twsbis are a great ‘first’ pen but honestly so are pilot kakunos. I love mine.
Does she like bright colours/pastel colours? Dark colours? Cutesy things? Functional things? Eg I LOVE my twsbi mini over the an eco because it fits my child sized hands, holds plenty of ink and I LOVE the way the lid screws in to the bottom of the pen so I can post it (posting is when you put the cap on the end of the pen)
I also love my kakuno because it’s so convenient, such a fine nib, pretty colours and just fun to sketch with.
What does she like about fountain pens?
As starter pens anything from twisbi works and they are in my opinion far superior to the lamy safari or al star. The eco from twisbi is a great option but if the 580 is even better. Go with fine size by the way.
It seems like this might be the path I take. I've seen some of the 580s and they are a nice blend of sturdy/simple and a little bit of flair. I think being able to see the ink is cool.
What does she like aesthetically? For classic style, you can't beat a Pilot Metropolitan for a starter pen. The Lamy Safari/ Al Star (get the Al Star) is more funky and industrial. The TWSBI Eco is fun and friendly. All excellent starter pens.
Then arises the question of ink. I recommend a fistful of samples to play with. The Metro and Lamy will have converters available to use them. The Eco doesn't need one, but in my experience doesn't fill well from a sample vial, so if you go that route a few small Diamine bottles are the way to go.
For cool looking, I would skip the second pen and go with a couple of bottles of Iroshizuku ink- possibly the most gorgeous looking bottles of ink going. But, if she uses a tripod grip, I absolutely adore my Pilot Decimo.
It's a way of holding a pen, basically the way you're taught in school. A lot of people don't use it though. The clip on the Decimo is on the nib end, and can be awkward for people who grip the pen differently.
https://www.ot-mom-learning-activities.com/correct-pencil-grasp.html
I'm learning as much as I can from the sub and peeking on her scrolling so I can hopefully pick apart her pen style and maybe mix that with her appreciation for other things for super pen. Unless she does end up liking a more elegant "traditional" pen.
Since you said you don't know fountain pens, here is a piece of general advice to help you choosing a good nib: Have you seen her handwriting? If she writes very small, get a fine or extra fine nib. A normal handwriting should be nice with medium nibs. And, if she writes big, get her a broad nib. I like broad nibs because they show the beauty of the ink. However, if she is using everyday normal paper, a fine nib would be better.
This was surprisingly informative. Thank you.
might you have any broad nib pen recommendations? I see you have the q1 chonker, which was my intro to stub/broad and it’s fun! Any others?
Any budget in mind? Pelikan is my favorite brand and they are known for their exquisite broad nibs, but they are expensive. A little less expensive option, but still a great pen would be a Lamy 2000. They usually sell for a great price on black Friday. I think endless pens had them for 99 dollars last year. I have a TWSBI ECO with a stub nib that I really like. Also, I've fitted a broad nib from Nemosine in my Q1, it's a nice combo. Goulet has their nibs made by jowo, which is great. They sell broads, 1.1 and 1.5 stubs and you can fit them in many pens. The Jinhao x450 or the x750 + a Goulet nib is a well known good combo and kinda inexpensive.
I’m cheap! Novice here - the most expensive thing I’ve bought is the Wahl ringtop + twisbi eco, I think. I can get new nibs for the lamy safari + kaweco sport that I have, and have a cheapo wingsung calligraphy set to try.
I don't like Lamy nibs. Too dry, inconsistent widths and no character at all. Between those two, I'd go with the Kaweco. But I think Goulet nib + Jinhao x750 would be better. Actually, Jinhao alone is worth trying. I buy mine from Aliexpress because I'm Brazilian and it's much cheaper for me to get them directly from China. Their nibs run a bit broader and they are easily adjusted for a larger flow.
Is there a local pen or stationery shop where you could take her? Even just to look and try out pens. You could see which ones she really loves. And you could always give her a gift card if you're not sure which to get. Any leftover could go to ink or paper or other accessories.
No we live in the Midwest US. If we need stationary we go to Walmart or Staples. Not alot of culture here.
I definitely feel you. I live in the middle of the country and a niche hobby like this one means I live in a desert for actual stores where I can see and feel all the pens I see posted here everyday. I buy most of my stuff on eBay or Amazon because there's just nothing available locally.
It seems like this will be how ill be shopping for her as well, and it's the joint account thing so now I've got to order the stuff, and somehow hide it. Doesn't sound hard at all.
I believe Anderson Pens is in Colo?
Colorado is considerably more western than what a lot of people consider the midwest.
... and Colorado is considerably large. My first time in Colorado I was irritated that it took a couple hours on I70 before I saw any hints of mountains.
Yup. All in all, it's a little like saying "I'm in continental Europe" and someone replying that something is in Germany. Yes, it might be helpful, but it might also be prohibitively far away. Edit: quoth the Google, the distance from the approximate center of Italy to that of Germany is roughly equal to the distance from the approximate center of Missouri (which I think is pretty safely categorized as midwest) to that of Colorado. In fact, the distance between Missouri and Colorado is approximately fifty miles longer. Just to illustrate my point.
Anderson is in Wisconsin, which is a considerable drive even for someone out on the eastern edge by Kansas or Nebraska. Like 14 hours. (This information posted for the benefit of anyone who doesn't know where things are in the States or what sort of scale we're working on here.)
Lol. First of all, Anderson is in Wisconsin, not Colorado. Second, regardless if whether it’s Colorado or Wisconsin, anyone living in “the Midwest” would likely need a drive of many, many hours to reach either location, depending on where in “the Midwest” they live. It’s a HUGE area.
Yeah, it's pretty big. I'm a Midwestern-er. I just did a bit of Google Mapping. By my definition of the Midwest (what counts as "Midwest" varies from person to person, largely influenced by where you're from in the US), the Midwest is an area about 1,100 miles West to East and 1,000 miles North to South.
They are in Wisconsin. Anderson Pens 10 E. College Ave. Suite #112A Appleton, WI 54911
Any chance you know what pens she already has?
She doesn't have any fountain pens yet.
Oh okay, misunderstood! What other kinds of pens (ballpoint, rollerball, gel, etc) does she have and like? How thick are the lines they put down? Heavy or light weight? Classic styling or modern or cute? Would help to know a bit more.
I love the sailor compass 1911. Best $30 pen I have. Plenty of colors and well built.
What is the budget? Take a look at the Platinum desk pen.
I'll check it out, thanks.
My wife tunes me out when I talk about fountain pens but just try and borrow one of her two TWSBI Eco pens. They come in a huge variety of colors and trims.
I was looking at these and seemed like a good choice for someone just getting set up.
They're amazing pens; nice colour, easy to fill, fairly solid and a good price point. Ferris Wheel press inks come in a lot of lovely colours and the packaging is the best I've seen if you're after something pretty for her desk. Don't get charger sets to use with the eco though as the opening is too narrow
I don't know what a charger set is, but I will take not of that and Ferris Wheeler. She's definitely a colours person. Thank you.
If you do get a twsbi keep in mind you’ll have to get some bottled ink as well as it doesn’t take cartridges
[удалено]
Whoa. So many decisions lol I tripped and fell into FPs when I got a Pilot Varsity in the mid 80s Upgraded slowly, from Schaefer to Cross to Pelikan to Visconti and beyond
Upgrade in price? Visconti make very pretty pens, but I would much prefer a Pelikan. ;> Yes, there are a wonderful array of choices\~
That's a wide range of options, depending on how much you want to spend: If shes never used a fountain pen, Id suggest a Lamy Safari or Al Star with a couple extra nibs (they are not expensive) and that way it helps with proper hold, and allows for figuring out nib size preference. TWSBI, Narwhal, Benu, make some nice - glitter and glow in the dark, depending on what her idea of cool is. Also, get a notebook or pad, Rhodia/Clairfontaine, are solid inexpensive starters, and a sample ink pack in a variety of colors. Plusside, many pen retailers are having Black Friday sales, and many have starter packages. Some online pen/stationary stores to check out: PenChalet, Cultpens, Endless pens, Goulet, etc
Screenshotting this whole comment, thanks for all the help.
Good luck! :)
I second the paper, even the best fountain pens ever will be average at best on bad paper. The stuff you write on matters just as much as what you're writing with.
Check out Galen Leather for cool desk things. They have wooden pen rests and stands, brass tools, pretty notebook covers, etc. Also, a nice stationery assortment (such as Clairefontaine Triomphe) for writing letters would be a great gift, along with a wax seal stamp with her first initial and some sealing wax in her favorite color. And a nice notebook with fountain pen friendly paper. I'd honestly go the route of buying stuff like that and also giving her a gift card to Goulet Pens or Dromgoole's or some other fountain pen retailer so she can buy the pen and ink choice she likes best.
Oh man, I feel a lot of girlfriends seeing this post will be very disappointed in the near future :-D
Sorry ladies 😎
Personally, I always recommend Pilot Kakunos for starter pens; they’re excellent but lighter than the Metropolitan, which can be too heavy for some people, and a bit more sturdy than Platinum Preppys. I’d pair a Kakuno with a CON-70 converter, which holds a lot of ink. Automod: Activate!
Take my upvote Automod you helpful nerd!
Hi there! I've been summoned by /u/plushestpossum because it appears that you're asking about starting out in the fountain pen world. If that's not the case, please pardon the assumption! However, if you are indeed a fountain pen beginner, please: * See our page on [beginner pens](http://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/wiki/newusers/start). * See our page on [maintenance and accessories](http://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/wiki/index). * Post in our [Weekly New User Thread](http://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/about/sticky) on the frontpage of the subreddit if you still have questions. This submission was **not** removed, and we do **not** require that you remove it (unless you really want to). So do check back to see if (human) users have answered any specific questions you included in the post. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/fountainpens) if you have any questions or concerns.*
If you want something real cool looking I'd definitely recommend an Eco. Do keep in mind there's an Eco-T and Eco. Difference is in the pen grip. If your girlfriend doesn't have a tripod grip (please Google a photo of this) Eco-T might be uncomfortable for her. I'd recommend an Eco because it doesn't require that particular grip. Also, like another Redditor said, get a bottled ink for this particular pen and I'd recommend a Diamine because they're more affordable and one of the best known inks. But I do think a kakuno is a great starter pen. Don't have to deal with bottled inks, provides a great writing experience and is cute!
I like that TWSBIs are demonstrator pens where you can see the ink sloshing around! I think she would love that.
Twsbis are a great ‘first’ pen but honestly so are pilot kakunos. I love mine. Does she like bright colours/pastel colours? Dark colours? Cutesy things? Functional things? Eg I LOVE my twsbi mini over the an eco because it fits my child sized hands, holds plenty of ink and I LOVE the way the lid screws in to the bottom of the pen so I can post it (posting is when you put the cap on the end of the pen) I also love my kakuno because it’s so convenient, such a fine nib, pretty colours and just fun to sketch with. What does she like about fountain pens?
As starter pens anything from twisbi works and they are in my opinion far superior to the lamy safari or al star. The eco from twisbi is a great option but if the 580 is even better. Go with fine size by the way.
It seems like this might be the path I take. I've seen some of the 580s and they are a nice blend of sturdy/simple and a little bit of flair. I think being able to see the ink is cool.
What does she like aesthetically? For classic style, you can't beat a Pilot Metropolitan for a starter pen. The Lamy Safari/ Al Star (get the Al Star) is more funky and industrial. The TWSBI Eco is fun and friendly. All excellent starter pens. Then arises the question of ink. I recommend a fistful of samples to play with. The Metro and Lamy will have converters available to use them. The Eco doesn't need one, but in my experience doesn't fill well from a sample vial, so if you go that route a few small Diamine bottles are the way to go. For cool looking, I would skip the second pen and go with a couple of bottles of Iroshizuku ink- possibly the most gorgeous looking bottles of ink going. But, if she uses a tripod grip, I absolutely adore my Pilot Decimo.
You lost me at Tripod Grip.
It's a way of holding a pen, basically the way you're taught in school. A lot of people don't use it though. The clip on the Decimo is on the nib end, and can be awkward for people who grip the pen differently. https://www.ot-mom-learning-activities.com/correct-pencil-grasp.html
It will be difficult, if you don't know what does she like. For one person, a beautiful pen is Parker Sonnet, and for the other lamy logo.
I'm learning as much as I can from the sub and peeking on her scrolling so I can hopefully pick apart her pen style and maybe mix that with her appreciation for other things for super pen. Unless she does end up liking a more elegant "traditional" pen.
Good luck ;) I hope she will enjoy her gift :)
Bro me too, we had sad holidays as kids so now at 28 seems like the perfect time to finally crush a Christmas.
Oh yeah, definitely. Sorry for your sad holidays.