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Fountain pens and ink?
mcnicks | Apr 30 2006
Another pen question! I have been experimenting with rollerball type pens and I just cannot settle with them. I have a terrible tendancy to squeeze my pens and place too much pressure on the paper, and anything that encourages me to do that is out. So I have decided to experiment with fountain pens. The first major stumbling block I have is being left-handed. That means I am likely to encounter issues with writing angle and with smudging. However, at least I know that fountain pens require much less pressure to write with, so I am willing to give a few a go. So far, I have unearthed an old fountain pen of mine and some even older ink. After a bit of a clean, it is writing fairly well and, as long as I keep my wrist rotated, I can write legibly without smudging everything. The main problem is that the profile of the pen, where the cap fits, requires me to hold it a bit too close to the nib, which pulls my posture in and brings my hand round to smudging territory. Its still nice to write with, though. I am now on the lookout for fountain pens that write well at different angles, and that are not averse to being pushed across the page by left-handers. I am also hoping that fountain pen inks may have improved over the past 20 years (yes, the last time I dabbled with fountain pens was when I was a teenager). Do any of you have any suggestions? David 72 Comments
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 Just thought I would report...Submitted by mcnicks on May 8, 2006 - 1:03pm.
Just thought I would report back. I received my Lamy Vista (a clear plastic version of the Safari) in the post this morning. I wanted a cheaper fountain pen for work so that I would not have to cart my Lamy Accent around too much. I chose the Vista because a) it was Lamy and they seem good b) everybody had good words to say about the Safari and c) it was in stock. I must say I am very impressed. The Vista may actually write more smoothly than my Accent does, although that might be down to ink and paper. I would say t'hell with the Accent, except for that fact that the Accent is just the right width and weight for me. The Vista feels a bit awkward in comparison. I am sure that the 'triangle' grip section will suit a lot of people but, for me, I seem to need to hold my pen just about where the section ends and the funny bumps for the pen top start. Same thing happens with my Parker Rialto (fantastic pen, but bumpy bits in the wrong places). So, in general, thumbs up for Lamy and thumbs up for Private Reserve ink! David » POSTED IN:
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