What pen to use? and what pens you use? (1 Viewer)

benji_10

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khorne said:
it's not. A decent fountain pen, regardless of what these cheapies say, is 100 (minimum), and is usually heavier, which is bad. Additionally, ink costs me 30-40 dollars a bottle lol.
What determines the quality of a fountain pen is the nib imo. If the nib is rubbish, then it doesn't matter if you have gold or silver plating on your pen with a diamond on the cap because you can't write with it.
And if a pen can't write... :/
The best nibs are generally the gold ones. They are very flexible and they don't feel as "scratchy" as the steel nibs from Lamy. Fortunately, Lamy makes pretty good steel nibs, despite the fact that their QC is a bit dodgy as ohexploitable pointed out, and whether you get a decent nib is pretty hit and miss. And ink shouldn't be that expensive. Even the best ones (Noodler's imo) goes for ~$20, give or take $5 for shipping. My point is to try the Lamy pen out. It's great for an entry level pen, at an appropriate entry price (for fountain pens).

ZombieApocalypse said:
Really? :/
How long does a bottle last though?
I think as long as it isn't too heavy, it wont make much of a difference with me
The one I'm using, the Lamy Vista, weighs something like 2 grams. And a bottle should last a good couple of years.
 

benji_10

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fountain pens don't require any pressure at all to write properly, similar to a paintbrush
And to add to that point, a fountain pen should be able to lay down a line just from the pressure resulting from its own weight. Place the pen in the crook between your index and thumb with the nib on the paper, then drag your hand (thus dragging the nib) without applying pressure to the pen. If it lays down a solid, consistent line then you know you've got a good nib. If it doesn't, then you'll probably have to do some mods to the nib.
 
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pretty much all nibs which say "IRIDIUM POINT" or "IRIDIUM POINT GERMANY" come from the same factory in china i.e. shit

stick to german or american pens
Will do, good sir.

What determines the quality of a fountain pen is the nib imo. If the nib is rubbish, then it doesn't matter if you have gold or silver plating on your pen with a diamond on the cap because you can't write with it.
And if a pen can't write... :/
The one I'm using, the Lamy Vista, weighs something like 2 grams. And a bottle should last a good couple of years.
So you don't really need to refill often? Great!
 
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So you don't really need to refill often? Great!
lamy vista/safari uses cartridges or converter which are relatively small in capacity so you'll have to refill them once or twice a fortnight

edit: that's from an M nib btw, fine nibs will use less ink, broad uses more
 

benji_10

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pretty much all nibs which say "IRIDIUM POINT" or "IRIDIUM POINT GERMANY" come from the same factory in china i.e. shit

stick to german or american pens
Agreed. Not only is iridium very hard to machine (ninth highest melting point), it is also very rare. They used iridium in the 19th century, but virtually stopped since. Other platinum metals are used as the tip in the high end models, or a steel alloy in the lower end models. Basically, if someone advertises that they used iridium, they're bullshitting you. Stick to well known brands.
 

tom-spin

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So fountain pens are good for essay writing?

What makes them so great? Are they faster or or more comfortable?
Sorry I know nothing about fountain pens.
 
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So fountain pens are good for essay writing?

What makes them so great? Are they faster or or more comfortable?
Sorry I know nothing about fountain pens.
they're not really faster, comfort depends on the person, fountain pens force you to hold a pen properly so might be uncomfortable if you hold a pen weirdly i.e. like this:



they don't require pressure to write so would be less straining on your hands after writing for 3 hours in an english exam
 

tom-spin

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they're not really faster, comfort depends on the person, fountain pens force you to hold a pen properly so might be uncomfortable if you hold a pen weirdly i.e. like this:



they don't require pressure to write so would be less straining on your hands after writing for 3 hours in an english exam
Thanks! I'll look into one.
 
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they're not really faster, comfort depends on the person, fountain pens force you to hold a pen properly so might be uncomfortable if you hold a pen weirdly i.e. like this:



they don't require pressure to write so would be less straining on your hands after writing for 3 hours in an english exam
[/IMG]
I hold my pen a bit weirdly now that I think about it...
do you reckon it'd be a problem with a fountain?
 

Drongoski

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they're not really faster, comfort depends on the person, fountain pens force you to hold a pen properly so might be uncomfortable if you hold a pen weirdly i.e. like this:



they don't require pressure to write so would be less straining on your hands after writing for 3 hours in an english exam
btw that's not a fountain pen; his grip is probably correct for that kind of manuscript pen.
 

Drongoski

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I hold my pen a bit weirdly now that I think about it...
do you reckon it'd be a problem with a fountain?
Your grip is 100% bad!!!!

The secret to better & faster handwriting is "correct" handwriting. A good smooth-gliding & flowing pen helps but is not the main solution.



Handwriting Coaching

Handwriting lessons; $80 for a 2-hr session 1-on-1. $40 for small group of 3 to 4 (2.5 hr).

Credentials: I am very familiar with handwriting. I have also observed the shitty handwriting and ridiculous pen-grips of many of my students.
 
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Your grip is 100% bad!!!!
Is it that bad? D:
I'm trying to change it, but it's so hard...
I've been writing like that all my life. Do you reckon it would explain poor handwriting?
I'm looking into pens to help rectify this issue or compensate for my bad grip
 

harrisony

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Is it that bad? D:
I'm trying to change it, but it's so hard...
I've been writing like that all my life. Do you reckon it would explain poor handwriting?
I'm looking into pens to help rectify this issue or compensate for my bad grip
You need one of those weird pens that they give little kids
 

Drongoski

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Is it that bad? D:
I'm trying to change it, but it's so hard...
I've been writing like that all my life. Do you reckon it would explain poor handwriting?
I'm looking into pens to help rectify this issue or compensate for my bad grip
I have been speculating as to why people cannot write properly nowadays. I suspect, in your case, as in many similar cases, you started handling a pencil, crayon, biro when you were in your kindies. You were encouraged to express yourself freely before your hand was fully developed. You handled your pen/crayon any which way you could. Your kindy teacher uttered words of encouragement without realising you were not handling your pen/crayon correctly - besides you were perhaps too young to do so. From this emerges your eventual and current grip and way of writing. Most teachers under 30 have little idea of the "proper" way to write.

One of the key villains for bad handwriting was supposed to be the writing instrument. Hence we have so many bos threads on the best fountain pen etc.

On sunday I was trying to encourage my yr-9 student to improve his handwriting. I told him that, even if he can do all the questions, in an exam maybe he would only complete 8 questions instead of 10, all because of his relatively poor & slow handwriting. I also pointed out to him that he has time to improve his handwriting if he wanted to and was serious about it. I think I'm yet to convince him of the importance.
 
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