# Fountain pens and personal bible study



## Eoghan (Dec 20, 2009)

In my formative years I lodged with a brethren family. The head of the family studied a book at a time and wrote down his thoughts in a jotter. Consciously or unconsciously I have ended up doing the same thing. I do however prefer a fountain pen to any other writing implement. I have tried Word 2000 on the laptop but nothing serves like a notebook and a fountain pen.

I just wondered what the experience of others is? Do you have a favorite pen? I am currently trying to get hold of a Parker 25 on ebay which is what I used at University (before sitting on it some years later).


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## Wayne (Dec 20, 2009)

You might also enjoy these then:
Journibles - Reformation Heritage Books

Back in my college days, the Baptist Student Union folks favored Kohinoor Rapidiograph pens, which were drafting instruments by design. These pens suffered one malady--if you didn't use them daily, they tended to clog or dry up. That tendency led some people to joke that if your pen was clogged, you probably weren't being consistent with your quiet times.


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## Eoghan (Dec 20, 2009)

*Kohinoor Rapidiograph or Kohinoor Rapidiogram*

The rapidogram would appear to be a felt tip pen?  Or do I do it an injustice?

Jordan Conner's Article on "Bringing those panel lines to life!"


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## Oecolampadius (Dec 20, 2009)

I use a gel metallic pen made by BIC. The color of the ink is gold. I use it to jot down some of my thoughts on the margins of some of the books I read. I also use it to underline important sentences.


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## Wayne (Dec 20, 2009)

The Rapidiograph pens are not felt tips, but rather, they work by means of a wire that slips inside of a metal tube. They come in different sizes, but the principle is the same with all--the wire is a close fit to the inside of the tube and so controls the flow of ink.
One key advantage of these pens, for drafting & map-making, is the ability to draw a line of consistent width.


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## LawrenceU (Dec 20, 2009)

I use a Pelikan pen with an EF nib. It is very flexible and a joy to write with. Because of the way the pen is filled, it does not use a converter, I only have to fill it once a week or so. I'm also considering moving from Moleskine books to Rhodia books for my notes. The quality of Moleskine has not been consistent for about a year.

I often find my daughter going to my bookshelf and pulling down my notes for her own study. She loves the fact that her father 'has his own commentary that I can use'.


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## Eoghan (Dec 20, 2009)

LawrenceU said:


> I often find my daughter going to my bookshelf and pulling down my notes for her own study. She loves the fact that her father 'has his own commentary that I can use'.



I had not thought of that! It does seem very fitting and right.


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## Herald (Dec 20, 2009)

As an aside; I've found the my penmanship has gone in the tank since my addiction to email and Microsoft Office.


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## Ivan (Dec 20, 2009)

Herald said:


> As an aside; I've found the my penmanship has gone in the tank since my addiction to email and Microsoft Office.



Mine too, but I love fountain pens but haven't used one for years. I want to change that.


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## Skyler (Dec 20, 2009)

My favorite pen is a mechanical pencil. 

Comes from being an engineer, I suppose... 

edit: The Zebra M-301: http://www.zebrapen.com/products/pen/m-301?c=30


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## JM (Dec 20, 2009)

F-701 - Zebra Pen

It doubles as a self defence tool.


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## ubermadchen (Dec 20, 2009)

I'm limited in my pen choices since I'm left handed. Most pens will mark up my hands and smear my writing. I usually just choose a fat blue ink ball point pen when I mark up my books. For some reason I prefer black ball point pens when writing in my Bible however.


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## jambo (Dec 21, 2009)

I always use in a fountain pen when I am writing anything in the house. It is a black slimline pen with a gold nib which my wife bought me when we got engaged way back in Feb 1983. Although of course the PC has taken over the writing of letters and sermons etc, my own personal diary and and any other thing requiring a handwritten response is all done with this pen.

I always feel the writing is for some reason neater when using a fountain pen. I actually just discovered a couple of months ago that our church treasurer also uses a fountain pen.


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## TrueConvert (Dec 21, 2009)

*Zebra F-301*

This is simply the best pen I've ever written with. I just ordered a dozen of them from Amazon. LOVE THEM. Looking to begin the "commentary" for my children as well. Good idea.
Amazon.com: Zebra's F-301 Stainless Steel Retractable Ballpoint Pen 0.7mm Black Dozen (27110AMZ): Office Products


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## nasa30 (Dec 21, 2009)

My two favorites. Parker Duofold







and my industrial Rotring




My dad has a Sheaffer snorkel from the 40's that I love as well.


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## VilnaGaon (Dec 21, 2009)

I use exclusively a $3 Parker pen from Wal-Mart. I know what it is like to have a favorite pen, although I thought I was the only one with this ""problem"".


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## jawyman (Dec 21, 2009)

I have always been a lover of pens and especially fountain pens. When I was an exchange student in Germany (many years ago) I was introduced to Montblanc fountain pens and have been hooked ever since. Here is a picture of the pen I use for the bulk of my journaling and written correspondence. It is a Montblanc Meisterstück black and gold, wide nib. I love it and I own around 73 different Montblancs.


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## Ivan (Dec 21, 2009)

jawyman said:


> I own around 73 different Montblancs.



Wow! Simply...wow!!


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## Kevin (Dec 21, 2009)

JAWYMAN IS MY NEW HERO.

I love mont blanc, but for everyday use I use a waterman.


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## Bookman (Dec 21, 2009)

I have a Waterman fountain pen and I so desire to use it, but the ink does not flow consistently. For lack of a better word, the pen skips when I do the upper and lower loops of letters. Am I moving the pen too quickly? Does it just need to be broken in? I really want to be a Fountain Pen Guy, but I can't stand for my letters to be missing parts!

And I agree that the Zebra F-301 is the best ballpoint ever. I've never found a pen that writes better, smoother, and more consistently (unlike my Waterman!).


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## AThornquist (Dec 21, 2009)

I have never seen, let alone used, one of these fancy fountain pens. Teach me: what's the point of them? How are they different from "Pilot" pens you can buy at the hickmart in town?


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## Eoghan (Dec 22, 2009)

It is hard to explain the difference between a biro and a fountain pen. A biro is for writing a shopping list. A fountain pen allows penmanship, it encourages "handwriting", you think of _how_ you are writing. 

Fountain pen ink is wet and flows (similar to gel inks, which probably explains their popularity) a biro has a drier ink which is transferred to the page. 

In the biro, the ball rotates as it is pressed into the paper leaving the ink behind. In a fountain pen nib, the ink flows of the nib as it touches the paper.


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## AThornquist (Dec 22, 2009)

Eoghan said:


> It is hard to explain the difference between a biro and a fountain pen. A biro is for writing a shopping list. A fountain pen allows penmanship, it encourages "handwriting", you think of _how_ you are writing.
> 
> Fountain pen ink is wet and flows (similar to gel inks, which probably explains their popularity) a biro has a drier ink which is transferred to the page.
> 
> In the biro, the ball rotates as it is pressed into the paper leaving the ink behind. In a fountain pen nib, the ink flows of the nib as it touches the paper.



Thank you  For a lot of writing, is there a practical benefit to using a fountain pen, such as speed, or is it just a lot prettier?


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## jawyman (Dec 22, 2009)

Ivan said:


> jawyman said:
> 
> 
> > I own around 73 different Montblancs.
> ...



Most were gifts given over the years by others who know my love of pens. I most certainly would never spend that kind of money. I do have them insured though.

-----Added 12/22/2009 at 09:08:50 EST-----



Kevin said:


> JAWYMAN IS MY NEW HERO.
> 
> I love mont blanc, but for everyday use I use a waterman.



Please don't make me a hero for owning a lot of Montblancs. The blessing of owning them is as the economy here in W. Michigan gets worse and worse, I can sell them off.


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## Grillsy (Dec 23, 2009)

I am a fountain pen connoisseur. I prefer Sheaffer. But I am not above using others. Plus I just got Fountain Pen Hospital's new catalog in a few weeks ago, maybe it is time to trade up.

I wish the we could all return to fountain pens. They are such a pleasure and full of class. Every man needs a good wife and a quality fountain pen.


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## Ivan (Dec 23, 2009)

Grillsy said:


> Every man needs a good wife and a quality fountain pen.



I must get a fountain pen, then my life would be complete.


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## Bookman (Dec 23, 2009)

Bookman said:


> I have a Waterman fountain pen and I so desire to use it, but the ink does not flow consistently. For lack of a better word, the pen skips when I do the upper and lower loops of letters. Am I moving the pen too quickly? Does it just need to be broken in? I really want to be a Fountain Pen Guy, but I can't stand for my letters to be missing parts!



Problem solved! I went and purchased some Waterman ink cartridges, replaced my converter with a cartridge--problem solved! The pen writes perfectly! Now I'm a Fountain Pen Guy!


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## LawrenceU (Dec 23, 2009)

From my beloved high school English teacher:

'For all of you: Remember a real pen has a piston. It doesn't use cartridges. And, is never filled by a converter.'

I must agree that I have followed his sage advice. I've never regretted it. The one time I had a cartridge / convertor pen (a very expensive one given to me) I regretted it, and my suit coat regretted it. I rebuilt it into a Frankenpen with an old Parker barrel.


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## SemperEruditio (Dec 23, 2009)

I'm relatively new to fountain pens. Been using one for about 2 years now. I started with a Lamy and have yet to upgrade to anything else. It uses a stainless steel nib which I thought was fine till I tried a gold nib. 

The difference between a fountain pen and ball point is that you are not digging a trench into the paper and depositing the ink into said trench.


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## Bookman (Dec 23, 2009)

LawrenceU said:


> From my beloved high school English teacher:
> 
> 'For all of you: Remember a real pen has a piston. It doesn't use cartridges. And, is never filled by a converter.'
> 
> I must agree that I have followed his sage advice. I've never regretted it. The one time I had a cartridge / convertor pen (a very expensive one given to me) I regretted it, and my suit coat regretted it. I rebuilt it into a Frankenpen with an old Parker barrel.



Thanks for the info. I didn't know what a piston is so I had to look it up on the internet and found a video of filling a piston fountain pen. Guess I'll have to make my next fountain pen a piston! I've got some great violet _J. Herbin _ink and I don't want it to go to waste.


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## Scott Bushey (Dec 23, 2009)

I just purchased this bad boy:


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## Wayne (Dec 23, 2009)

Let's go neanderthal: Is anyone using dip pens, even occasionally? 

After seeing this guys stuff on eBay, I had considered it.

I did buy one of the pewter pen stands from him, since it also makes a convenient stand for x-acto knives and some other tools I use.


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## LawrenceU (Dec 23, 2009)

Bookman said:


> LawrenceU said:
> 
> 
> > From my beloved high school English teacher:
> ...



Try out a Pelikan demonstrator. They are relatively inexpensive and are excellent pens. Plus, you can see all the little goodies inside them


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## Ivan (Dec 23, 2009)

Any suggestions for a good fountain pen, preferably one under $70.


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## nasa30 (Dec 24, 2009)

Wayne said:


> Let's go neanderthal: Is anyone using dip pens, even occasionally?
> 
> After seeing this guys stuff on eBay, I had considered it.
> 
> I did buy one of the pewter pen stands from him, since it also makes a convenient stand for x-acto knives and some other tools I use.


 
My wife will use a dip glass pen occasionally. They actually work well.





-----Added 12/24/2009 at 05:49:16 EST-----



Ivan said:


> Any suggestions for a good fountain pen, preferably one under $70.


 


Not quite under $70 but this is a good standard pen for the price.

Amazon.com: Pelikan M200 GREEN MARBLE Fountain Pen-Broad: Pelikan: Office Products

Reactions: Like 1


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## Bookman (Dec 24, 2009)

Ivan said:


> Any suggestions for a good fountain pen, preferably one under $70.



I've been doing some research, and the Pelikan M150 is looking like a great starter pen in that price range.

And thanks for the great advice, Lawrence! Much appreciated!


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## FenderPriest (Dec 24, 2009)

I use the BP Zebra F-301. A solid metal frame with a reliable pall-point ink write. I only use these. I refuse to use other pens. I only use Moleskin journals.


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