Thanks for dropping in! I completely know what you’re going through (except for learning with Parkers- wish I had!)

Everyone who loves FP’s now has experienced the same (as well as the absolutely horrendous state of paper in the US).

There are some saving graces out there. There are some wonderful experts on all things fountain-pen.

Pendemonium (www.pendemonium.com) is running a bit low on pen stocks, but they have a ton of extra parts and carry a good batch of inks (and converters etc.)

There are others I hear being talked about well… Swisher Pens, The Fountain Pen Hospital, Richard Binder (nib artisan).

Some of those early Sheaffers were really complex… the snorkels etc., are insane to fix. Nibs, are a different story, but sometimes are difficult… for instance, the Pelikan nibs that come in the screw-out nib-units. I had one jam up into the nib-unit recently, and the experts require a special tool for it, so I’m also forced to send it away.

Other pens (like the Parker) require removing the hood, and having a bit of resin on hand to reseal the hood after it’s off. Not complex, but you might need a few general tools to get some of these things done.

To be honest, for the fountain-pen enthusiast, these little snafus become part of the joy of having their pen. Especially if they resurrected an old beauty. Even inks (check out Noodler’s) are getting very interesting and searching for just that shade, or perhaps an invisible one for journaling, takes on the air of a hobby of love, instead of a labor of frustration.

Here’s wishing you enjoyment and ease in coming back to the ink-hood! Please drop back in if you need help finding anyone who is good. Do check out the Fountain Pen Network, a wonderful resource (with some excellent people and opportunities for repairs or sales of your pens etc.)

Drop in anytime!
-Allen

ps- I quickly stopped trying to find FP materials or parts locally when I realized how wonderful and varied the supplies were online in the right places (and for excellent prices) – for good paper check out Exaclair papers (Rhodia, Clairfontaine, etc.)

First, I’m not an expert, so take this with a bit of skepticism, but here are some ideas for you..

As I mention above, paper can play a very very big role, almost equally as important is ink. Sometimes an ink will just not play nice with paper. But there are other factors that can also frustrate getting ink onto paper. For instance, there can be a poorly made nib (probably not the case here), or improper wear on the nib can cause problems (probably also not the case here). The reason I mention these last two, is there’s a situation called “baby bottom” where if you can think of a baby’s bottom sitting on a table or floor, between the cheeks so to speak there’s a void… that portion of the bottom may not be touching the table… if it isn’t, and that’s where ink comes from (horrible analogy, but that’s the term they use in the pen world), then if it can’t touch the paper, the paper can’t wick the ink to the page.

Another possibility, is that new from the factory, the pen may not “like” the ink, and may not wick the ink into the nib. That sometimes happens.

So, there are a lot of possibilities here. Possible solutions are as follows:
1) if you bought from a pen store, go back and ask them about it- mention it doesn’t seem to be flowing well, they’ll probably ask to try it out and see if they experience the same… every once in a while there’s a dud, but waterman is a good company, so I kinda doubt it’s that, but it might be.

2) Try different papers! Lots of different paper- specifically from as many different companies as you can find. The old notebook papers etc., from mead will be horrible, but nicer paper like Rhodia, Clairfontaine, Crane etc., should flow very nicely with smooth writing.

3) Different ink. Sometimes the ink is the culprit. It could be one specific ink, or it could be a slew of the same manufacturer, or it could be a pen and ink combination that would be a problem. This will generally be a “wetting” issue, where the ink won’t like to be touching the pen as I mentioned above, and hence a new ink may solve that and make the problem disappear. [see 4 for a more permanent solution to this- the pen may need washing]

4) sometimes people have had success with a very mild 409 & Water wash of the pen (look it up to make sure I’m correct on this)- you basically use a spare old cartridge or converter to suck up 409 & water (very dilute) and push it through the nib to clean the nib and section out. This takes a lot of time, as it will have the tendency to store water and 409 solution for quite a while (pen will need drying, and your lines initially will be quite weak with ink until you get past the water).

So, since it’s a new pen, and you mention in another comment of yours that you could go back to the store, you might want to try that. See if they see a problem as well… most good pen places will allow you to dip the nib to experience writing with the nib and pen, instead of filling the pen with ink. This may be an ok test, but in your case, it might have had so much ink, there wouldn’t have been a problem until you got it home and got a cartridge on it. [There could be an air-bubble trapped, perhaps- that migth cause ink flow problems also... but I'm not sure on that one.]

Ultimately, if you’re new to fountain pens, and want better expert advice, sign up for the free forum at “Fountain Pen Network” (.com I believe) There are some amazing people there, many many expert pen gurus who fix pens, and have had many years of experience. They’re extremely kind to new comers as well. So, this is perhaps a perfect newbie question for the pen-repair forums!

In the end, Hazel, I hope that your new pen gets working properly. If the store is mean to you, please don’t worry, get on Fountain Pen Network and there’ll be guys/gals out there who can help you out. But, you might want to start with the store. You may have that one dud out there, and it’d be much less hassle to change it out if the pen guys agree with you that there’s a problem.

I hope this helps a bit, and thanks for dropping in!! I hope you get it sorted out, as a fountain pen, when it works well, can be a very beautiful thing to experience writing with.

Best of luck!
-Allen

I started to write with fountain pens about a year ago when i purchased a cheap Parker I.M. (in deep black) for about £10 which i have been using daily ever since.

However recently i have had the desire to obtain a new fountain pen, and as i had been using my fountain pen more and more decided to get a slightly more expensive model.

So yesterday i found myself in a shop purchasing a beautiful red Waterman Hemisphere fountain pen for £45. I use bottled ink so i also got a converter for it. I am very pleased with it and it writes very well.

I just started my fountain pen trek with a disposable Pilot Varsity, but I have no idea where I’ll go from there (any advice is appreciated).

I have always used FPs; at school (many years ago!) we had a master who claimed to have “Birosis” – a disease, he said, which made him completely unable to read anything written in ballpoint so, if your work was in BP, you got no marks!

I used to work in an office and ws bought a gold-plated Parker Jotter for my birthday after an office whip-round. Fortunately, it was stolen 18 months later and I could go back to writing with FPs.

I agree there are all sorts of problems with modern papers but given the correct materials writing with a FP is a genuinely sensual experience. What’s more, there is a dimensionality to the writing which comes not just from the shape of the nib but also from the pressure applied and so forth.

I understand why people use BPs but the FP is, for me, the better option all-around.

I too am a university student like astrodude and personally I find that with a little bit of practice and discernment as to which notes to take, I more than keep up with the class in note taking. Besides, my Professors have commented that my exams are easier to read (despite my horribly broken Italian)

I learnt to write with a cheap Hero 606 (long lost now and probably in a landfill somewhere). When I was reintroduced to my first love I purchased a Parker Frontier for my school use and a Parker 45 for my correspondences. (Yes, I am one of the few who still hand writes letters) I have my eye on a Cross Century II, but I can’t justify another pen to myself just yet. I absolutely love using my pens. There is something about using a FP that gives a certain charm to writing, even if all your writing is some word to look up later. Even the recipients of my letters have commented (via email, despite my best efforts) that there is an indescribable charm to opening and reading a personal letter (as opposed to junk mail and bills) One of my correspondents has actually taken to writing me back, although she insists on typing and printing her letters (baby steps).

I’ve seen the Mont Blancs and yes they certainly are exquisite pens. I simply do not have $500.00 to spend on one. I must for now content myself with the Parkers, Watermans, Crosses, and Pelikans. Wait a minute… those are pretty damn good pens in their own right. I have also been able to examine some of the Chinese manufactured pens and I must say that they can rival some of the European and American lines in quality. I might well find myself owning one sometime down the line.

As a side note, I still carry a BP everywhere I go. Only because I almost wept when my first Frontier was destroyed by someone who asked to borrow my pen and failed to tell me that they had no idea how to use a fountain pen. It is a reality that BP’s will always be with us, most people simply will not put the time into learning to use a FP or are simply incapable of appreciating a fine writing experience. So all my fellow FP enthusiasts, be warned, carry a BP, it may spare you some tears.