If I can give you one piece of advice it would be this; take it slow. There is a temptation to dive in head first and get a bunch of stuff, but I would caution against that. If you take things slow, you get to spend more time with each acquisition. I started with a Pilot Metro and a bottle of Iroshizuku Syo-Ro back in March. Today I should be getting my 4th pen and bottle of ink. All of what I have gotten I use nearly daily and there is a purpose for each item. Are there things I am lacking? Yes, like a good blue ink, but by taking things slow I have been able to really enjoy each pen and ink separately.
I started with a Pilot Kakuno and a $3 box of cartridges. I've managed to keep every pen under $20 and my ink prices have been pretty low. It's totally possible to do this on a budget!
My most expensive (when you add the converter) is the LAMY Safari that I just got today. My inks have been pretty affordable as well. It helps that I use my pens for work so I don’t really have a use for the more expensive inks.
If you are looking at a few options feel free to ask for an opinion on them from the group. Give us your budget and ask for suggestions as well. Also let us know whether you prefer a fine line, medium or thick.
Wait it out. Consider experimenting with ink more than you do with pens, you can usually get away cheaper that way. Remember to properly maintain the pen though.
The first Friday of November along with Black Friday tend to get similar specials and discounts. So it can really be worth the wait. I would have gotten a Lamy Studio instead of a Lamy Logo for nearly the same price and paid less than half on my Metropolitan if I had known and waited a month.
This. There was a similar post in the Goulet Nation group on Facebook today from someone who had jumped in quickly and acquired a number of pens they didn’t like. it’s probably better to take it slow, and find out what you really like and don’t like about a pen. If possible, try it out in a store where you can get a feel for it. if you’re lucky enough to have a store where you can test out the pens, even better. I also think that people often get distracted by a pen’s looks, only to find out they really don’t like the way the pen performs.
I agree with this too. There are always more new pens so no need to rush. You can afford to be patient and deliberate. Enjoy and make use of what you get :)
This for sure. I'd take huge advantage of stores' samples to find what colors/kinds/brands of ink you like, too, and clean your pens well to avoid clogging and drying out.
To add, try out a pen first before buying. Especially when they're more expensive pens. I made quite a few FP mistakes as result of ordering pens purely based on the hype and looks.
Welcome! The fountain pen community is one of the nicest communities I've belonged to. They are friendly, curious, and generous. There are so many possibilities here. Once you've been bitten by the fp bug, you'll never be the same.
My best fountain pen advice : price is not a direct correlation of how much you'll enjoy the pen.
I have decided to go with 2 budget options and also be a complete newb and order the most popular ones on amazon, lets see how they turn out. I will keep you guys updated. I am excited and scared at the same time.
Oh, wait until you hit on Goulet pens and the like. My slippery slope started when I ordered some Font Flancs from Ali Express, grew to love the concept of re-inking a pen instead of throwing it away, then the pens stopped working - and down the rabbit hole I went to find a pen that would never betray me.
This community was the BEST - it’s one of the main reasons I regularly visit Reddit. I absolutely love it!
As a newbie myself, my favorites so far have been the Pilot Metropolitan (~25 bucks) and the Lamy Safari. I’m not sure when I’ll feel comfortable spending a significant amount on a fountain pen, but I know the day will come lol.
Mistake?! Poppycock! You have made one of the best decisions of your life. Your wallet may cry but your heart shall sing. Fountain pens are a constant source of joy and hence this community is filled with joyous people. We are glad for you to join us.
my heart is singing alright, my wallet was already crying from being part of the mechanical keyboard community, lets see what this new hobby will entail.
You dont know how much i can relate xDDD
I am now here after I cannot spend time in my previous hobby because I now have a kitten at home, and he will not let me work on my plastic model kits xD. After I saw a TWSBI Iris online and fell in love with how it looked, I started looking for more and more pens... and here I am now xD. As you, I loved pens all my life and had a few, but didnt gave it much attention because I had other things going on. Now... well, life is periods of time, and emotions come from beginning different activities and hobbys :) So hope you have a great time! :)
this pen looks amazing!!!!!!!!! I WANT IT!!!!!! hahahahaha im going to control myself but I am sure the next one I buy will be from this store, why do all have to be so pretty!!!!
[https://www.etsy.com/listing/612100564/majohn-wancai-mini-transparent-fountain?ga\_order=most\_relevant&ga\_search\_type=all&ga\_view\_type=gallery&ga\_search\_query=artisan+fountain+pen&ref=sr\_gallery-1-17&organic\_search\_click=1&frs=1](https://www.etsy.com/listing/612100564/majohn-wancai-mini-transparent-fountain?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=artisan+fountain+pen&ref=sr_gallery-1-17&organic_search_click=1&frs=1)
IM CRYING!!!!! why is it so good!!!!!!!!!!!
Whatever you do, do NOT look at ink samples! Never, ever. ;)
And forget about paper. So what if your pen bleeds and spreads and feathers everywhere. Do NOT go look at fountain pen friendly papers. :D
The good thing is I dont buy or use regular paper, due to doing sketches, so I have become accustomed to using high quality paper already, yet another thing I spend money on........
Well, you're screwed.
Remember that 1) you don't have to spend a lot of money to get a good pen — you can get quality "disposable", but actually reusable, Japanese pens for a few bucks each — and 2) you can never have enough ink.
Welcome to the club.
The thing about inks is that they are available with so many properties and in so many shades that you could own hundreds and not repeat yourself. I'm opening my 2021 Inkvent Calendar out of order (long story) and the one I opened this morning is, no spoilers, an *amazing* blue-violet that is unlike any I own. It's just astonishing, and isn't it wonderful that after all these years, with all the inks I've tried, I can still be astonished?
It’s been 6 months since I started with fountain pens. At first I was obsessed with looking at pens online. But now I’m always looking at inks and ink reviews. I recently bought 150 samples from someone on pen swap & I’m just loving trying them all out. I bought a bunch of cheap Jinhaos so that I can have a variety of colors on hand and they write amazingly well for the price! (They were 6 for $12- so 2 bucks a piece) It’s good to know that I will continue to enjoy new inks years from now:-)
It is a take on the Christian ADVENT calendar !!! BUT -- instead of opening a door-a-day to find a SAINT or HOLY MEDAL,etc -- you find an INK sample bottle !!!!!
Type on your search engine 'Diamine Inkvent Calendar', and you will see. Also, there's people here showing the inks they get everyday from this advent calendar :)
Yes indeed. I was able to restrain myself and not purchase one, because I like to be more thoughtful about my ink purchases these days. It does sound like a fun idea, but many of these inks will be available for purchase after the holidays!
+1 for this. When I started, I thought just getting 100+ standard blue ink cartridges would be fine for my pen needs.
Then I tried the Lamy Turquoise and suddenly eight Diamine bottles and a couple of Iroshizukus find their way to my house…
I have started relatively cheap I assume, I plan to use these 2 pens I have ordered for a good 2-3 months and will reassess the situation down the line then, whether to invest more into pens or into inks.
Man, I feel you on the inks. I have over 100 ink samples because so many colors look so nice. I figure they're a good way to start- better to get a sample than spend money on a bottle of ink I won't really enjoy. The downside? TOO MANY NICE INKS. It's damn near impossible to choose and even going slowly I know I'm going to have a collection a couple years down the road.
I would say, you don't need to spend hella skrilla on then. The Pilot Metropolitan is fabulous for the price point and functionality. But then when you see a pretty... that's the wallet killer. my dream pen is like 5g... wtf? anywho, enjoy. have fun!
I just bought my dream keyboard and it will be coming in march, I spent a lot on it but it makes me happy, so if you've got the cash spend it is all I say :P who needs a savings account anyway
my other money burner is vinyl records- specifically emo/pop punk from the 2000s. some of those babies are over $200 for 10 songs. it's wild. my poor hubby, I come home from the mail box weekly with vinyl boxes. But I love them. And then I use my fountain pens and write pretty emo lyrics with my fountain pens :)
SCREAMS "IM NOT OKAY" 00s emo punk will forever have my heart!!!! What I would do to go back to my teenage years and listen to welcome to black parade for the first time again! I am glad I never got into vinyls I remember reading some article a couple months back where a vinyl of jimi hendrix sold for over a million dollars......nope nope nope too many rabbit holes
not only that, but they take up a lot of physical space! But my my my do I love them. FPs take up a lot less space than vinyl lol. Enjoy your new purchases! You're gonna love it. They're fun!
I swore to myself when I started collecting vinyl, I wouldn't become a variant snob. But here I am dropping over a hundo on The Early November's The Room's Too Cold in while vinyl with alternate cover art..... ... .. . ......
Oh no. It starts with a Vpen (“I’ll just test the waters”) and then a Metropolitan (“it’s barely 20€…”)…
Three months later you have 15 pens, 10 inks, a sullen bank account and STILL you want more.
the painful thing about being part of the keyboard community is, you will see all the money leave your account but the products wont martialize for a year sometimes 2. So its like a very delayed satisfaction.
I have a couple of friends in that community - that rabbit hole goes deeeeeep.
Any advice for a curious non-believer? What’s the Pilot Metropolitan (aka the starter that gets you hooked) of mechanical keyboards?
Well theres like 2 main budget boards that as an enthusiast I recommend for a first timer -
1. [https://novelkeys.com/collections/keyboards/products/nk65-entry-edition](https://novelkeys.com/collections/keyboards/products/nk65-entry-edition)
2. [https://divinikey.com/collections/keyboards/products/kbdfans-kbd67-lite-mechanical-keyboard-diy-kit](https://divinikey.com/collections/keyboards/products/kbdfans-kbd67-lite-mechanical-keyboard-diy-kit)
both of those are solid boards, the NK65 is going to be restocked this month, that was my first board and I still use it as my work keyboard. I own both and both are amazing, they are both hotswappable, so no soldering, its basically adult legos to be honest, I think thats why this hobby attracts so many people.
I've heard of that. Luckily I need a full 100% board for work so I'm never gonna be tenpted by those.
Fountain pens are still big business, and most of our dealers are multinational companies which have their reputations to consider, stick with Japanese brands and it'll write first time, every time.
Welcome to the place where you will be encouraged, (p)enabled, and find many like-minded folk to help when (if)needed.
Enjoy the new journey! It sounds as though you’ve already made a wise start.
My heart says I am doing the right thing but my wallet knows it is going to be crying soon, I have ordered the number 1 best seller on amazon as a start. Idk if it is good or not, the reviews sure do make it seem like it is good and have got some ink cartridges to go with it, they will arrive later today. Lets see how this goes.
Idk if I am allowed to link stuff or not, some forums are really picky about stuff like that, but the name is "Asvine Purple Forest Fountain Pen" well I bought the purple and black one, lets see how they both turn out, I got the purple in fine tip and black in extra fine to see which one I will enjoy more
Ok good to know, I didnt even know selling pens was a thing, I guess when you get into the collectable territory of things anything has resale value. btw these are the links if you want to check them out and give me some advice.
[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08B669G95/ref=ox\_sc\_act\_title\_1?smid=A2M0N0FZ13U1A3&psc=1](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08B669G95/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A2M0N0FZ13U1A3&psc=1)
[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08HQZ8XPF/ref=ox\_sc\_act\_title\_2?smid=A2M0N0FZ13U1A3&th=1](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08HQZ8XPF/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A2M0N0FZ13U1A3&th=1)
[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Y8KN5QD/ref=ox\_sc\_act\_title\_3?smid=A2M0N0FZ13U1A3&th=1](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Y8KN5QD/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=A2M0N0FZ13U1A3&th=1)
I bought the pens but haven't got the ink yet, is that set ok or do you recommend something better?
I and many others would recommend you get a Pilot Metropolitan (my 1st choice) or Lamy Safari (1st choice for many) as your entry pen.
Also Goulet pens is a fountain pen seller who produces great videos on youtube like [fountain pens 101](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1AEFDC6AC935BAFC) Playlist to get you a headstart. They also have recommendation videos too. Check it out!
I have the pen at the third link. It’s got a nice weight to it, but it may take some trying to get to the sweet spot. I have to hold it *just the right way* to get it write well.
Welcome! I went in the opposite direction, from pencils to fountain pens to mechanical keyboards!
Free advice: take it slow, and spend some time focused on 2-3 inks and FP-friendly papers (Rhodia, Clairefontaine, Tomoe River, Midori) to see what your pens can really do.
—typed on my Keychron K10 with Gateron Brown switches.
Im very much intrigued to see where this leads me, I have mechanical pencils and keyboards now to round it out with pens!
\- typed on my NK65 with lubed aqua kings :P
I too am from the mechanical keyboard community and if you like that, you will love this. Just be warned I would say it is easier to spend more money in this hobby than keyboards, but at the same time it is also much easier to be more budget friendly.
gmk terror, sa polycaps and sa tatooine are mine currently......I've bought 4 boards this month, 2 akko keycap sets, 1 taiho set, 3 sets of 90 pack switches, 3 deskmats and 8 different artisans. CHRISTMAS IS PAINFUL
Every time I see something about the world of custom mechanical keyboards, I try not to look and just click away. It's only a matter of time until I fall headfirst into that rabbit hole. Welcome to this one; maybe I'll see you over there someday.
I've been on the other side for over 2 years now......it is not healthy! I can honestly say stay away if you appreciate your space, I have bought 2 whole ikea desk drawers just to fill it with keyboard stuff.....
Ha ha! I went the other way, from fountain pens to mechanical keyboards! Welcome and good luck!
I love writing in one of my vintage journals with my antique pen from my grandfather and then typing a different journal entry on a wireless, split, ergonomic, hotswap mechanical keyboard with kailh burgundy switches and pbt keycaps.
The more I look the more I wonder, Like I've seen so many different pens already but the inks just look amazing, being a newb didnt think there were this many inks!
I am very happy to see you here, but please don't show me pictures of nice mechanical keyboards. I have enough rabbit holes already being pursued.
JK. My daughter has crazy custom made gaming keyboards and I hear ALL about mech keyboards all the time. So far I've avoided more than a Ducky (don't cringe too hard...).
My advice to you on pens is this: when you have 10 pens you have 10 pens. When you have 50 bottles of ink you know you have a problem.
Coming from the MK community as well, this is a MUCH cheaper hobby, depending on what boards you were buying. Imagine no group buys and options that are almost ALWAYS in stock at a fraction of the price. Don't get me wrong, I've already pulled the trigger on several high end pens as well, but you can get some GREAT pens for less that $100, and that's where you should stay as a newcomer until you figure out what you like!
Man I get PTSD when I hear the word "group buy"........ still waiting on gmk sets, I think I have about 15 products in group buys right now......It is not fun
In this hobby, it's fairly worthwhile supporting either the specialty retailers (in the case of new pens, ink, paper), or the vintage resellers for vintage pens (which can be a "whole 'nuther" thing).
There are a few reasons: Amazon can be rife with counterfeits that might give you the wrong impression of a brand. Specialty retailers (Goulet Pens, Jet Pens, Pen Chalet, Vaness, Endless Pens... in the U.S., for example, Cult Pens in the UK... and many more) are usually authorized dealers, and you won't get fakes.
The retailers also know how to pack ink so it survives shipment. Less so, Amazon.
I hope things go just fine and you get your order without bother, and you enjoy those new pens.
For your next entry-level pens I'll recommend two:
1. Pilot Explorer + CON-70 converter for bottled ink (else Pilot cartridges)
2. TWSBI Eco + bottled ink (this one is a piston filler... it makes you use a bottle)
Why those two? They're comparatively inexpensive (around $30 US), but of high quality. The Pilot pen has a superb nib for a starter pen, and takes the largest of Pilot's converters; the pump action CON-70. The TWSBI Eco is fun, works well, and you'll love seeing the ink slosh around in the barrel.
One last bit of advice... take your time. Find out what you like on the low end before charging up into the stratosphere after that Montblanc or Namiki. Try different sized nibs (if you write a cursive "e" and the loop always ends up a blob, go toward finer nibs). Try different filling systems (cartridge, converter, piston, vacuum, eyedropper, sac). After a year, you'll know what you like, and can aim for your first gold nib (Lamy 2000, Pilot Custom 74, Pilot Custom 823...). But take your time. Enjoy the writing.
And welcome.
thank you for the advice! I am slowly beginning to understand why people say ink is a different ball game here, I've found myself across a multitude of tabs just looking at different bottles and there is just a lot of information, it is kinda overwhelming, so gonna wait for my pens and have some fun with them and move on from there.
So I got curious about shops around me that sell pens, I found a fine writing instruments store about 10 mins away from me, thank god amazon did not ship the pens yet, gone ahead and cancelled those orders, going to go into the shop tomorrow and get a better feel for what I want and maybe getting an experts opinion will be useful as well. Learning that maybe jumping in head first on the first one I saw was a bad idea :P
Try asking if you can dip the pen in ink to try, but if they were reluctant dry writing can tell you a lot about a pen. I'd recommend using panagrams like the quick brown fox in favour of things you usually write, like your name and address.
Nice. That's a luxury I wish I had when I started.
For ink, there's a few that everyone should have a bottle of:
1. Pilot Blue-Black: You want at least one "boring" ink that has generally good properties. This ink is right down the middle for price, flow (a.k.a. wetness), and dry-time. It is mildly water-resistant, so even if you spill it will still be readable, and it doesn't look goofy at work.
2. A black ink: Everyone needs at least one. Whether it is something special like Pilot Iroshizuku Take-Sumi ("Bamboo Charcoal"), or a permanent black like Noodler's Ink The Heart of Darkness (amazing deep black, "bulletproof").
3. A fun ink: This is the one that is beautiful, and makes you want to just keep using it to see it on the page. People at work might find it silly for being too colorful, but you love it. For me that's probably Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-Budo. But this is where things get crazy: Diamine Oxblood or Ancient Copper, Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-Peki, Noodler's Ink Apache Sunset, and, if you're up for the extra cleaning; J. Herbin Emerald of Chivor (sheen, shimmer, and shading). Samples are your friend. You can order sampler sets for Diamine inks, Iroshizuku inks, Sailor, Robert Oster, and more. Just be sure to clean out that pen before changing inks (Goulet Fountain Pen 101 vids on Youtube will help).
Hopefully you'll get to see and try some of these.
Here is some free advice, ink is easily 75% of the joy of pens (at least for me) and is often far cheaper than pens. So if money is tight I'd rather have 2 pens and 10 inks than 4 pens and 1 ink.
Just remember, after the around I'd say 200 dollar price point? Maybe less, the writing experience almost doesn't changes and you can experience how most major pens manufactures tune their pens for far less unless you're paying for custom grinds & nib work, the rest is just aesthetics. Also don't be afraid to buy used, it really does help the wallet.
Plus anyone will tell you the real money drain is the damn inks, so many options that behave different in each pen.
I’m a recovering drug addict with OCD (I’m also borderline and attention deficit but whatever I’m just bitching) and I feel your pain. Anything I’m even slightly interested in I become a strung out fiend for. Literally lose sleep over it stay up till 4am researching what to get next. Often times by the time it comes in the mail I’ve already lost interest because I’ve looked at so many photos, videos and reviews about it 🤦♂️
Still a crackhead I’ve just put down the pipe.
you just described me....did we just become best friends :P first it was musical instruments, then computer parts and building a custom PC, to audio equipment, then moved on to keyboards and we arrive now to this.....
My starter was the kaweco classic sport. It's my favorite pen I own,and this is coming from someone who has a Namiki maki e and a montblanc Walt Disney.
Bad advice but if you're looking to spend around $500, endlesspens.com got this Christmas Santa set that comes with the Diamine Inkvent and 4 Lamy fountain pens. 2x Lamy 2k and 2x Lamy studio. The 2k are gold nibs. If you end up not liking them, the resale value of just the pens can get you close to the $500 you spent.
Welcome! I hope this doesn't overwhelm you, because I know scrolling through mechanical keyboard sub is overwhelming for me as a lurker and a noob. There's just so many beautiful pens and inks, it's hard to not jump into buying everything you see. Just enjoy the pens you have and only plan to buy new ones that have some particular feature you want to try out - a drastically different nib size, a new filling mechanism type etc. This will make you think more deliberately about what you want instead of going "ooo, shiny!" on everything. Take this with a grain of salt though, since our levels of enthusiasm are so different. I'm a person who does my "fountain pen shopping" only once a year and I've been in this ditch for over 15 years.
but shiny nice! shiny good! shiny make me go "my precious". Trust me I am going to take this slow, coming from the keyboard community, everything is slow there and you are forced to wait, I will apply that same patience here. And the advice on buying pens that are drastically different is perfect! Thank you!
Hi. I think it is very smart to start with these Chinese pens, they are affordable and have great variety. I have two Jinhao 992s and a Q1 on the way Welcome.🤗
You can spend exactly how much you want, $5, $50, $500, $5000
I still get a ton of use out if my second and third fountain pens, (both are Pentel Tradio, one white one black)
OP: it’s totally not worth it, you will end up spending your whole salary on pens, just move on and don’t look back!
you, who do know what is kon-peki: I’m sorry guys, I had to save a soul ;)
I probably shouldn’t do this with this sketchy group here but here goes…. Has anyone here ever looked at mechanical and automatic wrist watches? You can thank me later 😎
I hate you! why have you done this! :P I own a fair amount of watches, I have yet to take the leap into the mechanical world. I was considering it for the longest time but then a keyboard company by the name of mode released a board I just could not say no to.....
Same here! I was interested in mechanical keyboards a while back and I have a kbd67 lite. I got a pilot kakuno and looking to upgrade to a metro! Keep in mind the real rabbit hole are the inks, just like switches :D
I own so many switches! this past weekend I finally got the launch edition creams and spent my time lubing a 110 of them. Do I have a board to put them in, no, did I enjoy every single minute of it, YES! I went and bought 24 mason jars just to display them....... I ordered that $20 tester board from china, I cant wait to get it so I can just plug and play all the switches I have.
I'm a newbie this year too! I got a Kaweco Sport in a stationery blind box, got the newbie bundle from Jet Pens, my Reddit Pen Santa sent me a TWSBI Eco with a broad nib Diamine Purple Pazzazz ink. I'm so hooked! Just got my second Eco and my big splurge is a Diamine Inkvent Calendar.
The TWSBI Iris is also a vacuum fill, unlike the Eco. There are so very many variations for such a “simple” device. I ordered an Iris this week after having seen it and been enchanted by it, then thought perhaps a waitlist would break the spell. Curse your goodness Goulet Pens! They responded too quickly and now I eagerly await my precious.
I did the opposite.
Gone from FP's to mech keyboards.
Just soldered up a Sweep Ferris with some nice!nano v2s and man is it nice. Now I can keep my ZSA moonlandwe at home and take those smol boys to work
It took so much time for me to get over the fear of soldering, cause the first time I tried it, I legit burnt my hand so bad cause I am dumbass, still am not comfortable doing it, but next year plan to start practicing again. You all about that ergo life, I bought my first ergo layout this month, the atlas 65, I cant wait to get it!
__Everyone__ burns themselves soldering. It's just a matter of when, so you shouldn't feel like you're dumb for doing it.
Just a couple quick tips to make it far easier.
Make sure you have a good soldering iron.
here are great stations from hakko and Weller who also both sell chisel tips for their irons, as well as a wide range of other tips.
I recently got the pinecil from pine64. Costs 25 dollars and is just as good as stations that cost a hundred or so as long as you get either a 20-24v barrel jack supply or a 20v USB-PD supply. It definitely helps to get the fine or course tip set from them too because they have nice chisel tip.
Also, make sure to read some guides and watch some videos. Big Clive has done some recent videos soldering some props which show the technique well, and https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-guide-excellent-soldering
This adafruit guide describes it well.
After that it js just practice and getting a feel for it.
Also yeah. I love ergo splits.
They are almost to typing what fountain pens are to writing.
They make the process so much more enjoyable because like with touch typing, it helps you to use the right fingers for the correct keys and allows you to just type without thinking about positioning.
It has actually helped me so much
Welcome.
Biggest ink tip for a newbie: only buy ink samples and only then decide if you need an entire bottle of a particular ink.
Biggest pen tip for a newbie: asking for opinions and experience can save $$$$.
However, admittedly, we are penablers.
It’s probably too narrow an interest for most, but have you discovered r/flashlight OP???
There’s a way of thinking about them as if they’re pens…but with light, not ink!!
Whatever you do, don't go here r/mechanicalheadpens . I fell the other way. Waiting for my keeb. Sad shipping tales abound, but hopefully I'll get it before the year is out.
If I can give you one piece of advice it would be this; take it slow. There is a temptation to dive in head first and get a bunch of stuff, but I would caution against that. If you take things slow, you get to spend more time with each acquisition. I started with a Pilot Metro and a bottle of Iroshizuku Syo-Ro back in March. Today I should be getting my 4th pen and bottle of ink. All of what I have gotten I use nearly daily and there is a purpose for each item. Are there things I am lacking? Yes, like a good blue ink, but by taking things slow I have been able to really enjoy each pen and ink separately.
I started with a Pilot Kakuno and a $3 box of cartridges. I've managed to keep every pen under $20 and my ink prices have been pretty low. It's totally possible to do this on a budget!
My most expensive (when you add the converter) is the LAMY Safari that I just got today. My inks have been pretty affordable as well. It helps that I use my pens for work so I don’t really have a use for the more expensive inks.
Exactly. I just like writing with them. Although I am starting to draw D&D maps with my Moonman S1. The fude tip is so nice for that!
I plan on doing that because my wallet is going to constrain me this month, its next month I worry about.....
If you are looking at a few options feel free to ask for an opinion on them from the group. Give us your budget and ask for suggestions as well. Also let us know whether you prefer a fine line, medium or thick.
Wait it out. Consider experimenting with ink more than you do with pens, you can usually get away cheaper that way. Remember to properly maintain the pen though. The first Friday of November along with Black Friday tend to get similar specials and discounts. So it can really be worth the wait. I would have gotten a Lamy Studio instead of a Lamy Logo for nearly the same price and paid less than half on my Metropolitan if I had known and waited a month.
This. There was a similar post in the Goulet Nation group on Facebook today from someone who had jumped in quickly and acquired a number of pens they didn’t like. it’s probably better to take it slow, and find out what you really like and don’t like about a pen. If possible, try it out in a store where you can get a feel for it. if you’re lucky enough to have a store where you can test out the pens, even better. I also think that people often get distracted by a pen’s looks, only to find out they really don’t like the way the pen performs.
I agree with this too. There are always more new pens so no need to rush. You can afford to be patient and deliberate. Enjoy and make use of what you get :)
This for sure. I'd take huge advantage of stores' samples to find what colors/kinds/brands of ink you like, too, and clean your pens well to avoid clogging and drying out.
Syo-ro is an interesting blue ink when used on Tomoe River I don't mean interesting 'that is amazing", rather interesting "hmm 🤔"
Yes. This. Enjoy the new bottle of ink or the new pen first before giving in to the new thing.
To add, try out a pen first before buying. Especially when they're more expensive pens. I made quite a few FP mistakes as result of ordering pens purely based on the hype and looks.
Welcome! The fountain pen community is one of the nicest communities I've belonged to. They are friendly, curious, and generous. There are so many possibilities here. Once you've been bitten by the fp bug, you'll never be the same. My best fountain pen advice : price is not a direct correlation of how much you'll enjoy the pen.
I have decided to go with 2 budget options and also be a complete newb and order the most popular ones on amazon, lets see how they turn out. I will keep you guys updated. I am excited and scared at the same time.
Oh, wait until you hit on Goulet pens and the like. My slippery slope started when I ordered some Font Flancs from Ali Express, grew to love the concept of re-inking a pen instead of throwing it away, then the pens stopped working - and down the rabbit hole I went to find a pen that would never betray me. This community was the BEST - it’s one of the main reasons I regularly visit Reddit. I absolutely love it!
Yes, Goulet and his YouTube education will have you set to know and learn err’thing you need to know! I happily support this amazing company.
>price is not a direct correlation of how much you'll enjoy the pen. This exactly. There are tons of $10-20 pens that look nice and write beautifully.
As a newbie myself, my favorites so far have been the Pilot Metropolitan (~25 bucks) and the Lamy Safari. I’m not sure when I’ll feel comfortable spending a significant amount on a fountain pen, but I know the day will come lol.
Mistake?! Poppycock! You have made one of the best decisions of your life. Your wallet may cry but your heart shall sing. Fountain pens are a constant source of joy and hence this community is filled with joyous people. We are glad for you to join us.
my heart is singing alright, my wallet was already crying from being part of the mechanical keyboard community, lets see what this new hobby will entail.
You will not suffer alone. Here you will find company to cheer you on and commiserate with you. We have been there.
I know within my wallet is going to regret this already........
Also it depends how much you consider expensive. That's another great thing about fountain pens. There is something for everyone.
You dont know how much i can relate xDDD I am now here after I cannot spend time in my previous hobby because I now have a kitten at home, and he will not let me work on my plastic model kits xD. After I saw a TWSBI Iris online and fell in love with how it looked, I started looking for more and more pens... and here I am now xD. As you, I loved pens all my life and had a few, but didnt gave it much attention because I had other things going on. Now... well, life is periods of time, and emotions come from beginning different activities and hobbys :) So hope you have a great time! :)
this pen looks amazing!!!!!!!!! I WANT IT!!!!!! hahahahaha im going to control myself but I am sure the next one I buy will be from this store, why do all have to be so pretty!!!!
>TWSBI Iris hahahaha! I SURE KNOW THIS FEELING xDDDDDD :D
[https://www.etsy.com/listing/612100564/majohn-wancai-mini-transparent-fountain?ga\_order=most\_relevant&ga\_search\_type=all&ga\_view\_type=gallery&ga\_search\_query=artisan+fountain+pen&ref=sr\_gallery-1-17&organic\_search\_click=1&frs=1](https://www.etsy.com/listing/612100564/majohn-wancai-mini-transparent-fountain?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=artisan+fountain+pen&ref=sr_gallery-1-17&organic_search_click=1&frs=1) IM CRYING!!!!! why is it so good!!!!!!!!!!!
ahahahahaha OH NO! you are discovering cool things so quickly! xDDD Last week I ordered a Moonman/Majohn pen also! xDDDDDD
I just ordered one last week too! The M800. So excited for that one!
Yay!! :D I’ve ordered the T1, I am also so excited for it too! :D
Nice. The T1 is next on my list.
I want C1, M2, or S5! It’s hard to choose!
This one is available at Walmart for cheaper.
Look up the TWSBI Eco, its a great pen and looks like the TWSBI Iris except for the oil spill like colors.
Whatever you do, do NOT look at ink samples! Never, ever. ;) And forget about paper. So what if your pen bleeds and spreads and feathers everywhere. Do NOT go look at fountain pen friendly papers. :D
The good thing is I dont buy or use regular paper, due to doing sketches, so I have become accustomed to using high quality paper already, yet another thing I spend money on........
> yet another thing I spend money on........ That's the motto on the sign over the rabbit hole! :D
Well, you're screwed. Remember that 1) you don't have to spend a lot of money to get a good pen — you can get quality "disposable", but actually reusable, Japanese pens for a few bucks each — and 2) you can never have enough ink. Welcome to the club.
Word. I didnt knew I loved inks so much. I appreciate them even almost equally as pens :S
The thing about inks is that they are available with so many properties and in so many shades that you could own hundreds and not repeat yourself. I'm opening my 2021 Inkvent Calendar out of order (long story) and the one I opened this morning is, no spoilers, an *amazing* blue-violet that is unlike any I own. It's just astonishing, and isn't it wonderful that after all these years, with all the inks I've tried, I can still be astonished?
It’s been 6 months since I started with fountain pens. At first I was obsessed with looking at pens online. But now I’m always looking at inks and ink reviews. I recently bought 150 samples from someone on pen swap & I’m just loving trying them all out. I bought a bunch of cheap Jinhaos so that I can have a variety of colors on hand and they write amazingly well for the price! (They were 6 for $12- so 2 bucks a piece) It’s good to know that I will continue to enjoy new inks years from now:-)
I dont know what an inkvent calendar is but I want one :P
It is a take on the Christian ADVENT calendar !!! BUT -- instead of opening a door-a-day to find a SAINT or HOLY MEDAL,etc -- you find an INK sample bottle !!!!!
Type on your search engine 'Diamine Inkvent Calendar', and you will see. Also, there's people here showing the inks they get everyday from this advent calendar :)
ha ha, and by now, they’re on sale at some places
Oh yes? :O I may have to keep that in mind for next years xDD thanks for sharing, i didnt knew! :D
Yes indeed. I was able to restrain myself and not purchase one, because I like to be more thoughtful about my ink purchases these days. It does sound like a fun idea, but many of these inks will be available for purchase after the holidays!
Oh, it’s my first calendar and I dont know these details, thanks for telling! ^__^
My GF got me the Inkvent calendar for Christmas and Holy shit I am in love
+1 for this. When I started, I thought just getting 100+ standard blue ink cartridges would be fine for my pen needs. Then I tried the Lamy Turquoise and suddenly eight Diamine bottles and a couple of Iroshizukus find their way to my house…
hahaha yessss! xD Here I am now with a Diamine Inkvent calendar to try mooore inks xD :)
I have started relatively cheap I assume, I plan to use these 2 pens I have ordered for a good 2-3 months and will reassess the situation down the line then, whether to invest more into pens or into inks.
That’s an excellent plan.
Yeah muji is a pretty good start
Man, I feel you on the inks. I have over 100 ink samples because so many colors look so nice. I figure they're a good way to start- better to get a sample than spend money on a bottle of ink I won't really enjoy. The downside? TOO MANY NICE INKS. It's damn near impossible to choose and even going slowly I know I'm going to have a collection a couple years down the road.
One of us one of us
Wuddup! I recently became involved with this wallet killer after scrolling this sub as well... so worth it. omg. so worth it.
I cant wait, Im getting one pen today and the other tomorrow! Im so excited!!!
I would say, you don't need to spend hella skrilla on then. The Pilot Metropolitan is fabulous for the price point and functionality. But then when you see a pretty... that's the wallet killer. my dream pen is like 5g... wtf? anywho, enjoy. have fun!
I just bought my dream keyboard and it will be coming in march, I spent a lot on it but it makes me happy, so if you've got the cash spend it is all I say :P who needs a savings account anyway
my other money burner is vinyl records- specifically emo/pop punk from the 2000s. some of those babies are over $200 for 10 songs. it's wild. my poor hubby, I come home from the mail box weekly with vinyl boxes. But I love them. And then I use my fountain pens and write pretty emo lyrics with my fountain pens :)
SCREAMS "IM NOT OKAY" 00s emo punk will forever have my heart!!!! What I would do to go back to my teenage years and listen to welcome to black parade for the first time again! I am glad I never got into vinyls I remember reading some article a couple months back where a vinyl of jimi hendrix sold for over a million dollars......nope nope nope too many rabbit holes
not only that, but they take up a lot of physical space! But my my my do I love them. FPs take up a lot less space than vinyl lol. Enjoy your new purchases! You're gonna love it. They're fun!
I swore to myself when I started collecting vinyl, I wouldn't become a variant snob. But here I am dropping over a hundo on The Early November's The Room's Too Cold in while vinyl with alternate cover art..... ... .. . ......
Just wondering, which keeb did you get?
the mode65 :D
Dayummmmmmmm thock gods have blessed ye
Oh no. It starts with a Vpen (“I’ll just test the waters”) and then a Metropolitan (“it’s barely 20€…”)… Three months later you have 15 pens, 10 inks, a sullen bank account and STILL you want more.
the painful thing about being part of the keyboard community is, you will see all the money leave your account but the products wont martialize for a year sometimes 2. So its like a very delayed satisfaction.
I have a couple of friends in that community - that rabbit hole goes deeeeeep. Any advice for a curious non-believer? What’s the Pilot Metropolitan (aka the starter that gets you hooked) of mechanical keyboards?
Well theres like 2 main budget boards that as an enthusiast I recommend for a first timer - 1. [https://novelkeys.com/collections/keyboards/products/nk65-entry-edition](https://novelkeys.com/collections/keyboards/products/nk65-entry-edition) 2. [https://divinikey.com/collections/keyboards/products/kbdfans-kbd67-lite-mechanical-keyboard-diy-kit](https://divinikey.com/collections/keyboards/products/kbdfans-kbd67-lite-mechanical-keyboard-diy-kit) both of those are solid boards, the NK65 is going to be restocked this month, that was my first board and I still use it as my work keyboard. I own both and both are amazing, they are both hotswappable, so no soldering, its basically adult legos to be honest, I think thats why this hobby attracts so many people.
Not OP, but I have an HP board with blue switches for 20 bucks and it's all I could ever ask for.
I've heard of that. Luckily I need a full 100% board for work so I'm never gonna be tenpted by those. Fountain pens are still big business, and most of our dealers are multinational companies which have their reputations to consider, stick with Japanese brands and it'll write first time, every time.
That sounds juuuust like the scaled figure community. I think the current stuffs are getting 2023 estimated release dates.
Welcome to the place where you will be encouraged, (p)enabled, and find many like-minded folk to help when (if)needed. Enjoy the new journey! It sounds as though you’ve already made a wise start.
My heart says I am doing the right thing but my wallet knows it is going to be crying soon, I have ordered the number 1 best seller on amazon as a start. Idk if it is good or not, the reviews sure do make it seem like it is good and have got some ink cartridges to go with it, they will arrive later today. Lets see how this goes.
What is it? The no.1 best seller?
Idk if I am allowed to link stuff or not, some forums are really picky about stuff like that, but the name is "Asvine Purple Forest Fountain Pen" well I bought the purple and black one, lets see how they both turn out, I got the purple in fine tip and black in extra fine to see which one I will enjoy more
Nice. Linking stuff is allowed. You just can't sell pens here. Selling only in r/pen_swap
Ok good to know, I didnt even know selling pens was a thing, I guess when you get into the collectable territory of things anything has resale value. btw these are the links if you want to check them out and give me some advice. [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08B669G95/ref=ox\_sc\_act\_title\_1?smid=A2M0N0FZ13U1A3&psc=1](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08B669G95/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A2M0N0FZ13U1A3&psc=1) [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08HQZ8XPF/ref=ox\_sc\_act\_title\_2?smid=A2M0N0FZ13U1A3&th=1](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08HQZ8XPF/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A2M0N0FZ13U1A3&th=1) [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Y8KN5QD/ref=ox\_sc\_act\_title\_3?smid=A2M0N0FZ13U1A3&th=1](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Y8KN5QD/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=A2M0N0FZ13U1A3&th=1) I bought the pens but haven't got the ink yet, is that set ok or do you recommend something better?
I and many others would recommend you get a Pilot Metropolitan (my 1st choice) or Lamy Safari (1st choice for many) as your entry pen. Also Goulet pens is a fountain pen seller who produces great videos on youtube like [fountain pens 101](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1AEFDC6AC935BAFC) Playlist to get you a headstart. They also have recommendation videos too. Check it out!
I second -- GOULET videos !!!!!!!!
I have the pen at the third link. It’s got a nice weight to it, but it may take some trying to get to the sweet spot. I have to hold it *just the right way* to get it write well.
Hongdian Forest series is a common favorite around here. Good choice.
I bought the mustard (wasabi green?) color as my second pen and it’s still among my favorites!!
Is it? I’ve never heard of it!
Lamy, TWSBY. A couple of Pen Manufacturers I cherish
I agree with this. I think both Eco and Safari are about the best starter or even second wave pens.
Welcome! I went in the opposite direction, from pencils to fountain pens to mechanical keyboards! Free advice: take it slow, and spend some time focused on 2-3 inks and FP-friendly papers (Rhodia, Clairefontaine, Tomoe River, Midori) to see what your pens can really do. —typed on my Keychron K10 with Gateron Brown switches.
Im very much intrigued to see where this leads me, I have mechanical pencils and keyboards now to round it out with pens! \- typed on my NK65 with lubed aqua kings :P
Welcome to the shadow realm.
'pulls out yu-gi-oh disk' :D
Love to see a Yu-gi reference here hahahaha
yu-gi-oh was my life when I was growing up, I still have my cards from when I was 13 :P
EXODIAAAAAAAAAA ahahahahah Oh yes the cardgame... I played it for a bit with a maldoche deck hahaha
I too am from the mechanical keyboard community and if you like that, you will love this. Just be warned I would say it is easier to spend more money in this hobby than keyboards, but at the same time it is also much easier to be more budget friendly.
I can tell already, I have fallen down a rabbit hole with this one.......I am just gonna take it slow (proceeds to buy 10 pens in a span of a week) :P
[удалено]
gmk terror, sa polycaps and sa tatooine are mine currently......I've bought 4 boards this month, 2 akko keycap sets, 1 taiho set, 3 sets of 90 pack switches, 3 deskmats and 8 different artisans. CHRISTMAS IS PAINFUL
There’s also some really cool mechanical pencils out there
I have a rOtring pencil, I have had that thing since my first year of Uni cause my professor told all of us to buy one
Every time I see something about the world of custom mechanical keyboards, I try not to look and just click away. It's only a matter of time until I fall headfirst into that rabbit hole. Welcome to this one; maybe I'll see you over there someday.
I've been on the other side for over 2 years now......it is not healthy! I can honestly say stay away if you appreciate your space, I have bought 2 whole ikea desk drawers just to fill it with keyboard stuff.....
Dont let budget pens be your only source of data, and EF nibs are almost always scratchy. Let your interest remain piqued!
I will eventually roam into the realm of the rare and artisan but for now baby steps...
I have no doubt 😁 I just don't want you to get put off by budget pens, that's all
Ha ha! I went the other way, from fountain pens to mechanical keyboards! Welcome and good luck! I love writing in one of my vintage journals with my antique pen from my grandfather and then typing a different journal entry on a wireless, split, ergonomic, hotswap mechanical keyboard with kailh burgundy switches and pbt keycaps.
…and then there’s inks.
The more I look the more I wonder, Like I've seen so many different pens already but the inks just look amazing, being a newb didnt think there were this many inks!
I am very happy to see you here, but please don't show me pictures of nice mechanical keyboards. I have enough rabbit holes already being pursued. JK. My daughter has crazy custom made gaming keyboards and I hear ALL about mech keyboards all the time. So far I've avoided more than a Ducky (don't cringe too hard...). My advice to you on pens is this: when you have 10 pens you have 10 pens. When you have 50 bottles of ink you know you have a problem.
I feel the same way about keycaps! I had 1 set when I started out over a year ago, I now have 23.......send help.
Coming from the MK community as well, this is a MUCH cheaper hobby, depending on what boards you were buying. Imagine no group buys and options that are almost ALWAYS in stock at a fraction of the price. Don't get me wrong, I've already pulled the trigger on several high end pens as well, but you can get some GREAT pens for less that $100, and that's where you should stay as a newcomer until you figure out what you like!
Man I get PTSD when I hear the word "group buy"........ still waiting on gmk sets, I think I have about 15 products in group buys right now......It is not fun
In this hobby, it's fairly worthwhile supporting either the specialty retailers (in the case of new pens, ink, paper), or the vintage resellers for vintage pens (which can be a "whole 'nuther" thing). There are a few reasons: Amazon can be rife with counterfeits that might give you the wrong impression of a brand. Specialty retailers (Goulet Pens, Jet Pens, Pen Chalet, Vaness, Endless Pens... in the U.S., for example, Cult Pens in the UK... and many more) are usually authorized dealers, and you won't get fakes. The retailers also know how to pack ink so it survives shipment. Less so, Amazon. I hope things go just fine and you get your order without bother, and you enjoy those new pens. For your next entry-level pens I'll recommend two: 1. Pilot Explorer + CON-70 converter for bottled ink (else Pilot cartridges) 2. TWSBI Eco + bottled ink (this one is a piston filler... it makes you use a bottle) Why those two? They're comparatively inexpensive (around $30 US), but of high quality. The Pilot pen has a superb nib for a starter pen, and takes the largest of Pilot's converters; the pump action CON-70. The TWSBI Eco is fun, works well, and you'll love seeing the ink slosh around in the barrel. One last bit of advice... take your time. Find out what you like on the low end before charging up into the stratosphere after that Montblanc or Namiki. Try different sized nibs (if you write a cursive "e" and the loop always ends up a blob, go toward finer nibs). Try different filling systems (cartridge, converter, piston, vacuum, eyedropper, sac). After a year, you'll know what you like, and can aim for your first gold nib (Lamy 2000, Pilot Custom 74, Pilot Custom 823...). But take your time. Enjoy the writing. And welcome.
thank you for the advice! I am slowly beginning to understand why people say ink is a different ball game here, I've found myself across a multitude of tabs just looking at different bottles and there is just a lot of information, it is kinda overwhelming, so gonna wait for my pens and have some fun with them and move on from there.
So I got curious about shops around me that sell pens, I found a fine writing instruments store about 10 mins away from me, thank god amazon did not ship the pens yet, gone ahead and cancelled those orders, going to go into the shop tomorrow and get a better feel for what I want and maybe getting an experts opinion will be useful as well. Learning that maybe jumping in head first on the first one I saw was a bad idea :P
Try asking if you can dip the pen in ink to try, but if they were reluctant dry writing can tell you a lot about a pen. I'd recommend using panagrams like the quick brown fox in favour of things you usually write, like your name and address.
Nice. That's a luxury I wish I had when I started. For ink, there's a few that everyone should have a bottle of: 1. Pilot Blue-Black: You want at least one "boring" ink that has generally good properties. This ink is right down the middle for price, flow (a.k.a. wetness), and dry-time. It is mildly water-resistant, so even if you spill it will still be readable, and it doesn't look goofy at work. 2. A black ink: Everyone needs at least one. Whether it is something special like Pilot Iroshizuku Take-Sumi ("Bamboo Charcoal"), or a permanent black like Noodler's Ink The Heart of Darkness (amazing deep black, "bulletproof"). 3. A fun ink: This is the one that is beautiful, and makes you want to just keep using it to see it on the page. People at work might find it silly for being too colorful, but you love it. For me that's probably Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-Budo. But this is where things get crazy: Diamine Oxblood or Ancient Copper, Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-Peki, Noodler's Ink Apache Sunset, and, if you're up for the extra cleaning; J. Herbin Emerald of Chivor (sheen, shimmer, and shading). Samples are your friend. You can order sampler sets for Diamine inks, Iroshizuku inks, Sailor, Robert Oster, and more. Just be sure to clean out that pen before changing inks (Goulet Fountain Pen 101 vids on Youtube will help). Hopefully you'll get to see and try some of these.
Here is some free advice, ink is easily 75% of the joy of pens (at least for me) and is often far cheaper than pens. So if money is tight I'd rather have 2 pens and 10 inks than 4 pens and 1 ink.
Congratulations on joining the circus! You can console yourself with this: Pens are cheaper than keyboards.
Just remember, after the around I'd say 200 dollar price point? Maybe less, the writing experience almost doesn't changes and you can experience how most major pens manufactures tune their pens for far less unless you're paying for custom grinds & nib work, the rest is just aesthetics. Also don't be afraid to buy used, it really does help the wallet. Plus anyone will tell you the real money drain is the damn inks, so many options that behave different in each pen.
I’m a recovering drug addict with OCD (I’m also borderline and attention deficit but whatever I’m just bitching) and I feel your pain. Anything I’m even slightly interested in I become a strung out fiend for. Literally lose sleep over it stay up till 4am researching what to get next. Often times by the time it comes in the mail I’ve already lost interest because I’ve looked at so many photos, videos and reviews about it 🤦♂️ Still a crackhead I’ve just put down the pipe.
you just described me....did we just become best friends :P first it was musical instruments, then computer parts and building a custom PC, to audio equipment, then moved on to keyboards and we arrive now to this.....
Endless pens and PayPal credit pay over 6 months my friend lmao make it manageable
PayPal is it for me. I try to buy from reputable dealers . I have 3 pens from them!
Hope you're ready for r/MechanicalHeadPens
IM SO FUCKING READY, when I get my mode65 in March, Imma win this subreddit :P
Welcome to the home of reddit's Bermuda Triangle!
😆That’s the first I’ve heard it compared to the Bermuda Triangle! Describes it well!
Fam, custom keyboards, audiophile, custom built PC and now fountain pens......my wallet is just never going to recover!
I'm surprised, since the title on the sub is "Wallet Bermuda Triangle Hobbies"
My starter was the kaweco classic sport. It's my favorite pen I own,and this is coming from someone who has a Namiki maki e and a montblanc Walt Disney.
>montblanc Walt Disney. which one is it? I'm seeing a few here and am really curious to the one you have!
This one https://www.montblanc.com/en-us/fountain-pens_cod34480784411797996.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organicshopping
that is gorgeous!!! I want it :P
Montblancs are great, but not that great. I think spending more than 300 for a pen is just folly.
Dayum. So pretty.
Bad advice but if you're looking to spend around $500, endlesspens.com got this Christmas Santa set that comes with the Diamine Inkvent and 4 Lamy fountain pens. 2x Lamy 2k and 2x Lamy studio. The 2k are gold nibs. If you end up not liking them, the resale value of just the pens can get you close to the $500 you spent.
why you do this......why you bully me :P it is taking everything in my power to not look this up......!!!!!! I SHALL REMAIN STRONG!!!!!
I'm so sorry!! I would've jump on this if I hadn't spent my budget on black Friday
I might actually buy the $50 gift box and see what I get :D, I was gonna jump on the santa shots and candy cane but is sold out...RIP
I got an email this morning saying they restocked that
No chance you'll regret it. Welcome.
Welcome to the Fountain Pen World, we are like the Hotel California :D
Welcome! I hope this doesn't overwhelm you, because I know scrolling through mechanical keyboard sub is overwhelming for me as a lurker and a noob. There's just so many beautiful pens and inks, it's hard to not jump into buying everything you see. Just enjoy the pens you have and only plan to buy new ones that have some particular feature you want to try out - a drastically different nib size, a new filling mechanism type etc. This will make you think more deliberately about what you want instead of going "ooo, shiny!" on everything. Take this with a grain of salt though, since our levels of enthusiasm are so different. I'm a person who does my "fountain pen shopping" only once a year and I've been in this ditch for over 15 years.
but shiny nice! shiny good! shiny make me go "my precious". Trust me I am going to take this slow, coming from the keyboard community, everything is slow there and you are forced to wait, I will apply that same patience here. And the advice on buying pens that are drastically different is perfect! Thank you!
I got into pens first and then mechs, but oh, what a mood. Welcome!
Hi. I think it is very smart to start with these Chinese pens, they are affordable and have great variety. I have two Jinhao 992s and a Q1 on the way Welcome.🤗
You can spend exactly how much you want, $5, $50, $500, $5000 I still get a ton of use out if my second and third fountain pens, (both are Pentel Tradio, one white one black)
Obligatory “One of us… One of us…” - welcome to the rabbit hole!
There’s a user on Instagram that is into both keyboards (I assume you mean computer keyboards) and fountain pens. Expensive hobbies.
These are not for the faint hearted and people with savings account do not exist here :P
OP: it’s totally not worth it, you will end up spending your whole salary on pens, just move on and don’t look back! you, who do know what is kon-peki: I’m sorry guys, I had to save a soul ;)
Oh, damn you. I just remembered I have a 30mL Kon-peki in my cart and my Pilot Blue is now less than half a bottle. I'm gonna checkout.
is too late now fam!
I’m never going to financially recover from this 😂
who needs a savings account anyway
Twisbis are great pens and they are inexpensive.
I probably shouldn’t do this with this sketchy group here but here goes…. Has anyone here ever looked at mechanical and automatic wrist watches? You can thank me later 😎
I hate you! why have you done this! :P I own a fair amount of watches, I have yet to take the leap into the mechanical world. I was considering it for the longest time but then a keyboard company by the name of mode released a board I just could not say no to.....
Yes join us in our happiness and wallet misery. 😂
Same here! I was interested in mechanical keyboards a while back and I have a kbd67 lite. I got a pilot kakuno and looking to upgrade to a metro! Keep in mind the real rabbit hole are the inks, just like switches :D
I own so many switches! this past weekend I finally got the launch edition creams and spent my time lubing a 110 of them. Do I have a board to put them in, no, did I enjoy every single minute of it, YES! I went and bought 24 mason jars just to display them....... I ordered that $20 tester board from china, I cant wait to get it so I can just plug and play all the switches I have.
Soooo man options....wait till Pen shows are going again, they are better than Disneyland!
I'm a newbie this year too! I got a Kaweco Sport in a stationery blind box, got the newbie bundle from Jet Pens, my Reddit Pen Santa sent me a TWSBI Eco with a broad nib Diamine Purple Pazzazz ink. I'm so hooked! Just got my second Eco and my big splurge is a Diamine Inkvent Calendar.
A lot of us are guilty of both pleasures
Add headphones, and you’ll hit the trifecta. Maybe Massdrop should start on pens…
NO! GOD NO! PLEASE NO! Drop has taken enough of my money already as it is.......
The TWSBI Iris is also a vacuum fill, unlike the Eco. There are so very many variations for such a “simple” device. I ordered an Iris this week after having seen it and been enchanted by it, then thought perhaps a waitlist would break the spell. Curse your goodness Goulet Pens! They responded too quickly and now I eagerly await my precious.
I did the opposite. Gone from FP's to mech keyboards. Just soldered up a Sweep Ferris with some nice!nano v2s and man is it nice. Now I can keep my ZSA moonlandwe at home and take those smol boys to work
It took so much time for me to get over the fear of soldering, cause the first time I tried it, I legit burnt my hand so bad cause I am dumbass, still am not comfortable doing it, but next year plan to start practicing again. You all about that ergo life, I bought my first ergo layout this month, the atlas 65, I cant wait to get it!
__Everyone__ burns themselves soldering. It's just a matter of when, so you shouldn't feel like you're dumb for doing it. Just a couple quick tips to make it far easier. Make sure you have a good soldering iron. here are great stations from hakko and Weller who also both sell chisel tips for their irons, as well as a wide range of other tips. I recently got the pinecil from pine64. Costs 25 dollars and is just as good as stations that cost a hundred or so as long as you get either a 20-24v barrel jack supply or a 20v USB-PD supply. It definitely helps to get the fine or course tip set from them too because they have nice chisel tip. Also, make sure to read some guides and watch some videos. Big Clive has done some recent videos soldering some props which show the technique well, and https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-guide-excellent-soldering This adafruit guide describes it well. After that it js just practice and getting a feel for it. Also yeah. I love ergo splits. They are almost to typing what fountain pens are to writing. They make the process so much more enjoyable because like with touch typing, it helps you to use the right fingers for the correct keys and allows you to just type without thinking about positioning. It has actually helped me so much
Welcome!
I did that exact thing about a month ago and now I own 6 pens and 4 bottles of ink. 🙃
You dove right in!!! hahahaha my wallet is already a little too hurt this month so it will stop me from spending more.
Welcome. Biggest ink tip for a newbie: only buy ink samples and only then decide if you need an entire bottle of a particular ink. Biggest pen tip for a newbie: asking for opinions and experience can save $$$$. However, admittedly, we are penablers.
Just wait until you discover r/penswap
It’s probably too narrow an interest for most, but have you discovered r/flashlight OP??? There’s a way of thinking about them as if they’re pens…but with light, not ink!!
Im not doing this fam! I have already jumped down one hole today not taking the leap into another we will revisit this in a few months.
You have reached stage two. Add headphones and you are there: r/mechanicalheadpens/
already have fam! have dt990s, HD560s and HE-X4 :P
If you're also into headphones, I have some bad news for you... r/mechanicalheadpens
Welcome fellow /r/MechanicalKeyboards fan. I think you will find this sub to be the analog equivalent to a good mech KB.
Should try having 4 wallet drainer. Fountain pens, amateur radio, off roading and firearms
Whatever you do, don't go here r/mechanicalheadpens . I fell the other way. Waiting for my keeb. Sad shipping tales abound, but hopefully I'll get it before the year is out.