We’ve been picking up some new readers lately, so it seemed like a good time to give our new friends a little idea what they can find on the Tiger Pens Blog.

We’re all about ink pens here, from fountain to ballpoint, and the ways that people use them, whether for writing, office work or creating pieces of art. Occasionally, we’ll touch on notebooks and paper, but there are several excellent blogs that do it so well, we usually leave it to them (we’re looking at you, Notebook Stories, Rhodia Drive and a dozen others).

Our favorite pens are the ones that are relatively inexpensive, reliable and comfortable to use – gels and rollerballs and hybrids from Pentel, Uniball and the like. We’re also fans of novelty pens, or just about any kind of pen that is ‘different.’

In keeping with our love of pens and their uses, we run several regular features on the blog. In no particular order, they are:

Pen Reviews – Fair, honest assessments of the newest disposable and refillable pens, as well as the classics that deserve a new look once in a while. Yes, we probably sell most of them, and, if we like a pen, we’ll tell you…but if we don’t like one, we’ll tell you that, too.

Giveaways – Pens are great fun…and FREE pens are even funner, err, more fun. So, every month, we set aside a special package of pens to give to one of our readers just as our way of saying ‘thanks’ for visiting. If you discovered our blog through one of the giveaways, welcome, and we hope you stay a while.

Totally Random Pen Stuff – This is an occasional feature comprising news about pens coming to market, pen-related stories in the media, and mentions of interesting pen collectors, as well as other miscellaneous pen nuggets of interest.

Conversations About Handwriting – Pens aren’t much good if we don’t use them, and handwriting is one of the most common uses of pens, so naturally we follow the chatter on this topic with great interest. Our occasional handwriting feature collects tidbits of news and opinion on handwriting, from features on handwriting teachers to the handwriting practices of presidents.

Inappropriate Uses of Pens – Some people do the craziest things with their pens…things that pens were clearly not intended to do. Sometimes, they are amusing, other times, mind-boggling. We collect those stories, and once in a while, post them for our readers’ enjoyment.

Penthusiasm! – There is a wonderful, vibrant community of pen enthusiasts online who happily share their endless knowledge of pens through blogs, Twitter and Facebook. Every week, they write dozens of posts about pens, pencils and paper that are, by turns, amusing and fascinating. Each week, we try to round up some of the best ones and share with our readers, in case there is something they’ve missed.

Blog Reviews – Each month, we try to select one pen- or paper-related blog to feature as an outstanding blog. We choose them based on…well, basically, their ‘wow’ factor. If they often have posts that we read, then say, ‘oh wow, that was cool!’ then there’s a good chance we’ll review them at some point.

Guest Posts – We’re continually amazed at the level of expertise or just plain enthusiasm of some in the pen community. When we come across someone who writes brilliant pen posts, whether reviews, anecdotes, or obscure finds, then we invite them to post on our blog, both to help spread the word about them…and to impress our readers with our nifty pen friends.

Tiger Pens News – It’s no secret that we sell pens, but the last thing we want to do is flog our products too much on the blog. This blog is first and foremost about providing our visitors with informative and entertaining posts about pens and pencils. But once in a while, we get in a new product, or have a special deal running that we really want to share with as many people as possible. When that happens, you’ll read about it here. Just not too often.

One thing we’ve been thinking about is adding a regular feature on artists and theworks they create with pen-and-ink and pencil. So many of you seem to be quite talented, and we love seeing the drawings and sketches that you post on your sites and on Twitter. Whether a new visitor or a regular reader, please let us know what you’d think about seeing a regularly featured artist on the blog.

And, if there is anything new or different that any of you would like for us to try, don’t hesitate to leave a comment or send an email using the ‘Contact’ link at the top.

The blog is here for you, so we want it to be exactly what you want.

Now that the fun part – tearing open all those wonderful gifts – is over, it’s time to start thinking about saying ‘thank you’ to the people who put time, effort and money into making your holiday special.

Yes, writing a stack of notes can be tedious, especially if there are a lot of them. But it’s the right thing to do, and it doesn’t have to be a complete chore.

Simplify the process with these quick steps:

1. Make a list of who gave you what. Use the gift tags or cards that came with your packages to help keep them all straight.

2. Choose some fine stationery or ‘thank you’ cards printed on good stock. You don’t show appreciation with notebook paper and plain white business envelopes.

3. Set aside a specific time to write the notes, within at least 3 days of Christmas. Do all the notes at once.

4. Break out your best pen and hand write each note in a slow, neat hand. Be brief. Say ‘thank you,’ mention exactly what the gift was, tell the person how it will be useful to you, and close with another thanks. Shouldn’t be more than three or four sentences, at most.

5. Hand address the envelopes. Labels are just tacky for these types of things.

6. Stamp the envelopes and immediately drop them in the mail. If you wait, you might end up forgetting.

Want to really make your friends and family happy? Take a photo of yourself with each gift, and include the photos with the ‘thank you’ cards.

When you’re done, come back here and tell us all about the neat loot you got!

(Editor’s note: This is the second of a three-part guest series written by Tyler Dahl, a fountain pen restorer with an extensive knowledge of these classic writing instruments.

Part I covered the reasons for wanting a fountain pen, and the pros and cons of choosing vintage or modern pens. Part II continued with more detailed criteria for selecting a pen. In Part III, he offers specific suggestions for first-time pen buyers.)

What pens would you recommend for beginners?

There are thousands of different pens out there, and in such a dazzling array of styles and colors too. It’s mind boggling to try to browse through them, and find the right one. Lucky for you, I have some recommendations to help you find a suitable first pen! These are my top picks, but that doesn’t mean they’re the best, or everyone’s favorites. They are however, all very popular, and they’re all great pens. Let’s jump right in!

For modern pens:

TWSBI Diamond 540:

I love this pen. It’s my top pick for any new FP users – the first pen I always recommend. This pen has created a huge fan-base, due to the company’s excellent service, and how awesome the pen is.

Details:

Price: $50.00

Filling system: Piston

Size: Medium/Large

Nib material: Steel

Let’s go over it’s pros and cons.

Pros:

• Very inexpensive for what you get. Lots of value for dollar here!
• Piston filler – holds lots of ink.
• Cool design! I love demonstrators.
• The company’s customer service is A++! They’re the nicest company I’ve ever dealt with. If something breaks on your pen, and it’s a manufacture defect, they’ll send you a new pen or part for free, without a moments hesitation.
• Interchangeable nibs. Huge plus to me. Nib units screw in/out, with no mess, even when the pen is inked. The company gives you a case to hold the spare nib, so you can swap nibs on the go!

Cons:

• You may hate the design. Some people do not like demonstrator pens…
• Steel nib – not really a con to me though. I love my TWSBI nibs.
• The nibs can be (rarely) hit or miss. I have heard mostly good reports, but just a few bad ones. Luckily, if it’s bad, you can get a free replacement, no questions asked!

Overall, I have yet to find a modern pen that even begins to compete with the 540′s value for $. There is nothing quite like it!

Lamy Safari

German made, and built like an absolute tank, the Lamy Safari is a superb pen that can really take a beating. It comes in some wild colors, and it does look a bit goofy. However, if you have a rough job, you’re at school, or you have small children who love messing with your stuff, this may be your pen. It’s practically indestructible.

Details:

Price: $28.00!

Filling system: c/c (cartridge converter – comes with converter)

Size: Large, but lightweight

Nib material: Steel

Some ups and downs:

Pros:

• Very inexpensive, period.
• Practically indestructible. This thing is not built like a tank, it is a tank!
• Has interchangeable nibs, though  they’re not nearly as easy to swap as the TWSBI 540. The plus is that new nibs only cost about $11.00 – dirt cheap!

Cons:

• The design is not very nice, to me personally. The matte black version looks a bit better, but some of the brighter colors look very “pre-school”, if you know what I mean.
• c/c filler. Does not hold a lot of ink.

Overall it’s a great pen, and it just doesn’t break. If you’re rough on your stuff, the Lamy Safari will not be failing you.

Pilot Vanishing Point

One of my favorites in my collection. The Pilot Vanishing Point is a convenient pen, which is exactly what it’s designed for. It is one of the few pens that can be “operated” one-handed. There is no cap to this pen. Instead, it uses a clicking mechanism much like a ball-point, though it feels much smoother to operate.

Details:

Price: $130.00, give or take depending on the store.

Filling system: c/c (cartridge converter – comes with converter)

Size: Medium/Large

Nib material: 14k gold (with the exception of Limited Editions being 18k)

Pros:

• Really amazing, and convenient pen.
• Super fast for on the go writing.
• Very sturdy pen – great for travel.

Cons:

• You may hate the design. I love it. It’s usually one or the other – no in between.
• Does not hold a lot of ink. In fact it holds a very tiny amount compared to other c/c fillers.
• Lacks the “elegance” of a traditional fountain pen.
• It’s expensive for what you get. It’s worth it, but it’s not quite as much value as the TWSBI 540.

I really love this pen, and I highly recommend it. To me, it’s worth the price if you’ve got the money to spend.

For vintage pens:

Esterbrook J series:

One of my personal favorite vintage pens, Esterbrooks are what got me hooked on both vintage pens, and restoring them. Value for dollar, they’re amazing, and they come in such a variety, there’s one for everybody!

Details:

Price: $40.00 depending on where you buy it from. This is assuming it is restored to full working order.

Filling system: Lever filler.

Size: Small, medium, or large depending on which model you get.

Nib material: Steel.

Pros:

• Comes in a huge variety of sizes and colors. Three sizes, six colors. Lot’s to choose from!
• Lever fillers are classic, and fun.
• Interchangeable nibs. The replacements are very cheap (approx. $10.00 for most, with the exception of rare ones), so you can have a huge variety of nibs to pick from.
• Lever fillers are very easy to flush clean. This makes routine maintenance a bit easier and faster.

Cons:

• It’s vintage, so naturally it’s not “super” sturdy. It is strong enough to withstand perfectly normal use though.
• The nibs can be rather hit or miss. I recommend buying one from a restorer, who tests all the nibs before selling them. That’ll ensure you get a good one.

Overall, this is one of my top choices for anyone looking for a less-expensive vintage pen. They’re really fun! I more than highly recommend these.

Sheaffer Snorkel

A true classic. These pens are amazingly complex, and yet fun to use, and easy too. The filling system is pneumatic, utilizing air pressure via a plunger to compress an internal sac. The pen sucks ink through a tiny tube, called the “snorkel tube”. This makes it so that you never need to wipe your pen off after filling. Very nice!

Details:

Price: $60.00 depending on where you buy it from. This is assuming it is restored to full working order.

Filling system: Snorkel/pneumatic.

Size: Medium.

Nib material: 14k gold, or steel, depending on the model.

Pros:

• Amazingly fun filling system.
• Mess free filling.
• Interesting/unique design.
• Comes in many colors and models

Cons:

• Though reliable when properly restored, it does require more maintenance than some pens to keep in good working condition.
• It’s not a “tank”. I’d call it sturdy, but not abuse-ready.
• The filling tube always looks so fragile to me! Luckily it’s retracted into the pen during use, so the chances of hurting are practically none.

Overall, I really love the entire Sheaffer snorkel “family” of pens. They’re fun, quirky, and really good writers (most of the time). Highly recommended if you’re willing to pay for one.

Parker 51

The face of reliable vintage pens – The Parker 51 is iconic, and is one of the best vintage pens ever made. I dare to say it is the best vintage pen ever made. I will keep to the Aerometric filling system for this article. The Vacumatic filling 51’s are great, but I much prefer the aeros, especially for beginners.

Details:

Price: $80.00 depending on where you buy it from. This is assuming it is restored to full working order.

Filling system: Aerometric

Size: Medium.

Nib material: 14k gold in most cases (there are some “octanium alloy” nibs out there).

Pros:

• It just never fails. Once properly restored, they’re as reliable as a fountain pen can be.
• They look cool!
• They can take a beating, and then some. For a vintage pen, it doesn’t get any more rock-solid than this.

Cons:

• It doesn’t exactly look like a fountain pen. I’ve had it mistaken for a ball-point on multiple occasions.
• Nibs can be really bad if you buy one un-restored. Stick to good/trusted re-sellers and restorers.

Overall, there is not a vintage pen I recommend more highly than the Parker 51. If I had to bet money on a pen being reliable and good, my thoughts will always go to this one. If you can afford the cash, I urge you to buy one.

Where can I get one?

The last and final section of this series. Now that you’ve (hopefully) picked out a pen you like, you’re probably ready to buy it! The question is: where on earth do you get one? Well, there are lots of places to shop. some are good, some great, and others are not worth looking at. I’ll go over my favorites here, as well as the ones to avoid.

Recommended:

• Goulet Pen company

Probably my favorite online retailer of pen and ink stuff. They’ve got a huge selection, good prices, and amazing customer service. The owners of the business (Brian and Rachel + “the team”) are young, energetic, and fun people to deal with. Highly recommended.

• Fountain Pen Network

There is a marketplace section, where great deals can be had on new and old pens, vintage and modern – there’s a little bit (well, a lot actually) of everything! I have gotten the best deals on the FPN marketplace, and the forums are a great place to be too if you like to chat pens.

NOTE: You must have an account to sell on FPN. There a few other minor requirements. You can read the rules here.

(Editor’s note: Tiger Pens also sells a number of new fountain pens, including Pilot, Lamy, Parker, OHTO, Waterman and Jinhao.)

There are quite a few folks who re-sell restored vintage pens, including myself. Here is a list of the ones I trust the most:

• Tyler Dahl – Fountain Pens

Well of course I trust myself! Each month I put up around 12 restored vintage (and some modern) pens for sale. All are in fully functional order, and are guaranteed for a year. I occasionally do sales too, (New Years day coming soon!).

•  Richard’s Pens

As a fountain pen repairman myself, I greatly look up to Richard Binder. He is an icon of the FP world. He also lists a monthly tray of vintage restored pens. His prices are more on the premium side, but the pens he sells are certainly well worth it, coming from such a master restorer.

• Main Street Pens – Ron Zorn

Ron Zorn is another restorer who I really look up to. He’s been in the business for many years, and is nothing short of amazing. He has a sales page which is updated every so often with new restored pens. Again, prices are on the premium side, but his work is worth it.

Stores to avoid!

I don’t want to name individual stores to avoid, so I’ll just give you some rules/guidelines to go by:

• If you’re buying a vintage pen, make sure the restorer is trustworthy, and offers a good warranty. The three restorers shown above all offer 1 year warranties. I’d personally recommend nothing less, but if you’re comfortable with a 3, or 6 month warranty, that might be an option. Just make sure it has one.
• Make sure you’re not paying for a “name”. Buying directly from the manufacturer, or from a high-end retail store will just cost more for the name on the package. I like to buy used, but if you want new, seek out the lowest price, without compromising quality and customer service of course.

There is just one “store” I will specifically point out to avoid, for beginners. This doesn’t apply to “seasoned” FP buyers.

Do not buy from eBay!

Let me say that one more time: Do NOT buy a pen (especially a vintage one) from eBay. You just don’t know what you’re getting. I’ve purchased dozens of pen that were “restored,” only to find them in need of a complete (real) restore upon arrival.

Well, I think that’s just about it! I’ve hopefully given you all the info you need to make a good, solid, wise, and enjoyable first-pen purchase. If you have any further questions, you can feel free to ask me anything at: tyler@tylerdahlpens.com.

About the author:

Tyler Dahl is a young and enthusiastic fountain pen fanatic. The youngest professional pen-repairer currently out there, Tyler spends much of his time with inky hands, and broken pens.

He keeps plenty busy running his part time restoration business, and two different blogs: Tyler Dahl Fountain Pens, and The Repairer’s Bench.

When he’s not blogging or repairing pens, he’s currently working on building a small house with his family in Tennessee, and helping run the family farm.

(Editor’s note: This is the second of a three-part guest series written by Tyler Dahl, a fountain pen restorer with an extensive knowledge of these classic writing instruments.

Part I covered the reasons for wanting a fountain pen, and the pros and cons of choosing vintage or modern pens. Part II continues with more detailed criteria for selecting a pen.)

Wow! There are so many choices! Can you explain them to me?

Design:

For me, a fountain pen must look aesthetically pleasing if it’s going to get anywhere near my “to-buy” list. I have a feeling that this is important to most of us. Form over function – yes, but I still want a pen that I enjoy looking at and handling. To best show you some different styles, I’ll go over the basics, and include lots of pictures!

Classic pens

A classic pen, to me anyway, is a pen that shows a design that is not flashy, but not plain. It’s classy! Much like a fine suit, a classic pen is just the right thing for those who love formal, but not stiff.

Here is a personal favorite of mine. This pen is far beyond the price range we’re looking at in this article, but it’s the perfect example of a classically designed fountain pen. Shown below is a Pelikan M805 – Produced by a company founded in the early 1840’s, known as the Pelikan Pen Company. This pen however, is a modern pen, being produced in the last few years. Everything about this pen – the lovely pinstripes, the subtle trim, the beautiful nib – it’s a true perfectionist’s outcome of the word “classy.”

Here is another classic-looking beauty. This one however, is a vintage pen. This particular model is a Parker Vacumatic, in the “Major” size. The color is Azure blue, and this one sports a very rare BB stub nib (more on nibs later). This pen has the same classic elegance the above pen, but you can tell it’s vintage, from certain features. There is simply a “thing” about vintage pens that set them apart.

Next up – “cool” pens:

For all you guys reading this article – here is your type of pen! “Cool” pens, as defined by me, are fountain pens that are just plain cool. Best example of course is a picture:

This here is a Pilot Vanishing Point, in the matte black color. This is a pen that I own myself, and is one of my favorites. Though not cheap, this is certainly a viable option for a beginner’s pen, if you can afford it. If you really like this one, I’ve got a whole review of it here. This pen just screams “I’m cool”! And it’s the truth. Everything about the sleek lines, matte texture, and stylized clip – it all looks like something that Batman might use, if he had a fountain pen (maybe he does…).

Retro pens!

This is one area where vintage pens are the winner every time. If you love that retro-awesome look, take a gander at this pen!

This pen here is an Esterbrook – an extremely popular brand of vintage fountain pens. This pen will be shown below, as it is one of my top recommendations for vintage pens! Coming in a variety of colors and sizes, the Esterbrook J series is one awesome looking pen. The pen below is a red Esterbrook, full sized model. They come in green, blue, copper, grey, and black as well!

Elegant pens:

These pens are usually very simple clean. They are very understated, but at the same time, they stand out in their own special way.

This here is a Pelikan M205 – all white, rhodium trim (silver colored as opposed to gold colored). Many people tend to think of white pens as “ladies only” pens, but I disagree. I love white pens, though I will say that are prone to staining, which is a disadvantage.

Modern:

The pen below could also classify as cool, but it is such a perfect example of a modern pen, that I think it needs to be here.

This is the Lamy 2000 – a personal favorite of mine (reviewed here!). This pen is a beautiful clash of design, and function. It’s a utility pen that looks like a piece of modern art. Very cool.

Weird pens:

A strange category, I know.

I call any pen that is just abnormal, a “weird” pen. Here’s a prime example of one, being one of my favorite pens as well.

The TWSBI Diamond 540 (and 530). This pen is called a demonstrator. This means that it’s made of clear plastic, and is built in such a way that the internal components can be clearly seen. I really love demonstrator pens, but some people just don’t. I all comes down to a matter of personal preference.

Now that we’ve covered some of the different types of pen designs out there, you will hopefully be able to better choose a pen that you like. It’s a tough choice, but just remember: feel free to experiment! Buy a pen, try it out, and sell or trade it later on. That’s why I highly recommend joining a community, like the Fountain Pen Network, were you can trade, and buy/sell with other FP enthusiasts.

Size:

This is very important to some people, so I thought I’d go over it real quick.

Some people find certain pens very uncomfortable due to their size. This is once again matter of personal preference. I have always been the type who can use pretty much any sized pen, so long as it’s within the normal range (not XXXS or XXXL).

Here’s a quick comparison sot of some relatively common pens.

We have here, from left to right:

• Pelikan M800. I consider this a large pen, but not quite oversize. It’s very heavy though.
• TWSBI Diamond 540. This pen is almost the exact same size as the Pelikan M800, but it’s much lighter.
• Pilot Black Matte Vanishing Point is very long when the button is included, but since you wouldn’t want to rest your hand there, it drops down to the size of the next pen:
• Pelikan M200. This pen is a small pen. I think the size is very nice, but some people with large hands may find it to hard to use.
• Namiki Falcon. This is kind of a mid-range pen. Not big, not small. Pretty much right in the middle.

Another thing to consider for size is the thickness of the grip-section, simply referred to as the “section” by most of us. A Pelikan M800 has a very thick grip section, as does the Pilot Vanishing Point. The Pelikan M200 and Namiki Falcon both have much thinner sections.

I prefer a bigger section to grip on, as it’s more comfortable for me. Chances are though, if you’re not picky, you won’t have too many problems.

Nibs

This is a very important consideration in choosing the right pen. The nib is the part of the pen that actually touches the paper, and makes the words (or lines if you like to draw). Without a good nib, any fountain pen (even the nicest one), is worthless, except for use as a decoration.

I’ll try to keep this is short, but easy to understand. First I’ll cover nib sizes:

Nib Sizes:

It’s important to pick the right size of nib for yourself. You don’t want to end up writing with something so big that you can’t read your own cursive, and you don’t want a line so small that you can’t see it. This is purely personal preference again, so I will just show you the options, and give you my personal suggestions.

All companies will offer you the choice of a F, M, or B nib. That would be “fine”, “medium”, and “broad”. Some companies even offer XF, XXF, BB, and BBB options. We won’t get into those, because honestly, I think they’re a bad choice for a new FP user.

Sadly, there is not “standard” for sizing nibs. This means that one companies F might be close to another companies medium. Generally speaking, Japanese made nibs tend to run a size smaller, and German nibs tend to run a size bigger.

Going off of what is approximately average, here’s what I recommend:

Fine nibs: If you like using .05mm 0.5mm lead in your mechanical pencil, and you love those nice ballpoints with the “ultra-fine” tips, I would recommend a fine nib for you.

Medium nibs: If you like using .07mm 0.7mm lead, and normal “bic ink sticks”, you’ll probably love a medium nib.

Broad nibs: Do you like the soft line of those thicker HB pencils? Perhaps you like to write with a Sharpie “ultra-fine” marker? A B nib is very close to these, and will probably be very satisfactory to you.

Once again, this boils down to a personal choice. I will say this – if you’re unsure, go with the smaller size. If you pick one to small, at least you can use it while you decide what to do. If you get a nib to big, you may not be able to even write with it.

Nib styles:

There are many different “types” of nibs that I simply won’t go into in this article. These are things to discover for yourself as you learn more about fountain pens. For a good starting point, read my extensive nib article here. This will jump start you on all the basics of nibs, and a little beyond.

Nib materials:

Many pens offer luxurious 14k and 18k nibs. Most inexpensive pens offer steel nibs. There is much discussion on gold being better than steel, however you can take my word for it – a steel nib, if properly tuned, can write just as good, if not better than any gold nib.

Filling systems:

Yet another important aspect of selecting a new fountain pen: You need to select a filling system that you like. Loading up your pen with ink can become a chore if you have a filling system that requires re-filling often, is difficult to use, or is unreliable.

For the sake of time, I will cover the most common filling systems. These are the ones you will see first, and will run into most often.

c/c filler:

A c/c filler is short for a cartridge/converter filling system. This is the most common filling system of all, especially with pens under $100.00. A c/c filler is a pen that is equipped to take a cartridge, or a converter. A cartridge is a small plastic tube filled with ink. Once the ink is gone, you toss it. A converter however, is for use with bottled ink, and uses a small piston mechanism to draw ink into the pen. It is reusable until the mechanism wears out.

Pros:

• A c/c filler is convenient because you can keep a few spare cartridges in your bag or purse. Then if you run out of ink, you can refill on the go.
• Easy to replace if it ever becomes damaged, and new ones are only $5.00 or so.

Cons:

• Holds very little ink, in most cases.
• They’re just not very “fun” to use.

Piston filler:

A piston filler is like a giant version of a c/c filler. Instead of being a converting unit that is installed into the pen, a piston is built into the pen. Piston fillers are known for reliability, and massive ink capacity. Pistons do need to be serviced every once in a while, but this is something that you can usually do yourself.

Pros:

• Holds lots of ink! This is very important to me.
• Very reliable.
• Piston fillers are very fun to operate and use.
• They don’t wear out under normal use.

Cons:

• They need to be serviced every once in a while.
• If you like to change ink-colors often, you may not like the huge capacity.

Lever filler:

Most commonly seen on vintage pens, lever fillers use an internal reservoir (made of latex, called a “sac”) to hold ink within the pen. Lever fillers are classic, iconic, and are very easy to use. They hold a moderate amount of ink, and last for a very long time.

Pros:

• Fun and easy to operate.
• Last for a pretty long time before wearing out, and need no service along the way.
• It’s a classic!

Cons:

•  They do eventually wear out, in about 30-50 years if properly taken care of. Replacement can be done at home, if you’re adventurous and want to invest in some inexpensive tools. Otherwise, one can get them restored for around $25.00 – $30.00.
• Unlike modern plastics, they do not take abuse well. The internal latex sac can be destroyed if ink is left to dry out in it for months without use.

Eyedropper:

An eyedropper pen is one that fills by using a syringe, or eyedropper to shoot ink straight into the pen barrel. These fillers hold the most ink of any kind, but they present some minor annoying problems.

Pros:

• Holds TONS of ink!
• No maintenance, no mechanics, never wears out.

Cons:

• Can be inconsistent when it comes to ink flow.
• They can blob/drip ink onto the page during writing. High end ones may have an air-valve to prevent this, but most of those are in the $300.00+ range.

Okay, I think that has basic filling systems covered. Ready to move on? Good, so am I.  There are dozens more filling systems out there, but I simply can’t cover them all.

Conclusion:

Ultimately, what you get is what you like. If you want an eyedropper-filler, and you don’t care if it has some minor problems, then go for it! I am just making suggestions, and giving you the info you need to make a purchase that you’ll enjoy.

Be picky, be selective, have fun!

Coming up tomorrow in Part III, Tyler makes some suggestions on the best pens for first-time buyers.

About the author:

Tyler Dahl is a young and enthusiastic fountain pen fanatic. The youngest professional pen-repairer currently out there, Tyler spends much of his time with inky hands, and broken pens.

He keeps plenty busy running his part time restoration business, and two different blogs: Tyler Dahl Fountain Pens, and The Repairer’s Bench.

When he’s not blogging or repairing pens, he’s currently working on building a small house with his family in Tennessee, and helping run the family farm.

(Editor’s note: This is the first of a three-part guest series written by Tyler Dahl, a fountain pen restorer with an extensive knowledge of these classic writing instruments.)

Hello to all of you who are reading this article! My goal here today is to help you in picking out your first fountain pen! It’s a difficult decision, and selecting the right one can be difficult. There are so many options, and with all the great articles and reviews out there, it can be mind boggling to a beginner.

By the end of this series, you should be able to make a wise choice on selecting your first pen. If you’re having a hard time, you can always send me an email, and get a personal response to your questions. Though I am a bit busy with business sometimes, I always make time to talk pens with people, especially beginners.

As with all my reviews and articles, I’m going to provide you with a little list of what we’ll be covering here. By breaking this down into categories, you should have an easier time not getting lost during the read, and scanning through if you bookmark it for reference.

My personal writing style is very “conversational”. I hope you’ll enjoy it, cause I sure love writing it! The way I’m going to break up this into categories is by using questions, and answers. Here goes:

• Part 1: Why would I want a fountain pen, and which is better for me, vintage or modern?
• Part II: Wow! There are so many choices! Can you explain them to me?
• Part III: What pens would you recommend for beginners?

Now, with that list in mind, the best place to begin is at the beginning, with question No. 1.

I’ll begin with a short list of the benefits of using and owning a fountain pen.

•  They’re downright fun. This may sound like a lame reason, but it’s not. Writing can sometimes become a chore, and a burden. By using a writing instrument like a fountain pen, writing can become a joy!
• They’re better for your hands. Ever gotten cramps from writing? Chances are you were using an “ink-stick”. This is the term which fountain pen owners use to denote a ball-point pen, usually of the “100 for $5.00) variety. A fountain pen is much better for long periods of writing, allowing the hand to relax, and write without becoming fatigued.
• The personalization! Who doesn’t love a useful item, which is custom tailored to your hand? This is what makes fountain pens so much fun! There is SO much to customize with a fountain pen. Here’s some quick examples:
• There are thousands (hundreds of thousands) of pens to choose from. LOTS of variety. There is something there for everyone.
• Each pen can have a different type of nib, and a different filling system for drawing ink. For those of us mechanical geeks (like me), it’s really cool to pick out a pen with a complex ink drawing system.
• Ink colors! There are at least over 1000 different colors of inks available, from a variety of brands. You can’t even begin to approach that with a ballpoint! Best of all, a single pen can use as many inks as you like, one at a time of course. This means that you can own only one pen, but you can have a stash of 20 inks (or more) to choose from, each time you re-fill.
• Lastly (though there are many more reasons, I can’t give them all, for the sake of time), there is the nostalgia of using a fountain pen. Something sacred and wonderful about the “rituals” involved with caring for, and using it. Everything from filling it up, to cleaning it – it’s all special, and really keeps us close with our writing instrument. Sounds cheesy, but trust me, you’ll love it the first time you get to fill your fountain pen!

For me, a fountain pen is really just another tool. But it’s a special tool. One of the few tools that you can connect with, on a personal level. Though I consider myself a user, and not a collector, I still enjoy the intrinsic value of owning a fountain pen.

Indeed, in this modern day of smart phones, and super-techy gadgets, it is downright refreshing to have a delightful tool that never runs low on batteries, never has software crashes, and never gets outdated!

If you still don’t want a fountain pen now, I don’t know what to tell you! After all, what could you not love about a fountain pen? Sure, they require some light maintenance, and a little upkeep/devotion, but with a fountain pen, it’s fun to perform these tasks, not annoying. If you’ve decided that you do indeed want a fountain pen, read on for more information.

Vintage or Modern?

So, you’ve finally made the decision to buy a pen, right? Well now you’re probably looking at the dazzling array of different options available. There are hundreds of thousands of different pens on the market, and many of them have some extremely winning qualities. What you need to do is decide what you want for your fountain pen.

I group fountain pens into two main categories: vintage pens, and modern pens. There are ups and downs to both types of pens. I will explain here, the most important pros and cons of vintage and modern fountain pens:

Vintage fountain pens

Pros:

•  You often times get more pen for your $ than with a modern fountain pen.
• You get the added nostalgia of the pen being vintage .
• A vintage pen has history behind it, each one has a unique story.
• You might just prefer the retro style!

Cons:

•  Vintage pens tend to be more fragile (not all of them) than their modern counterparts.
• Vintage pens often need repair before they are functioning again. This is the same as restoring any antique when it has been out of use for a lengthy period of time. This is all dependent on where you buy your pen from. There are many reputable sellers of vintage pens who will guarantee them working for you. I will provide a list of places to purchase pens from at the end of this article.
• You might dislike the certain filling systems that vintage pens use. I personally love them! They are a lot more unique than most modern filling systems. I’ll talk more on filling systems in just a minute here.

Modern fountain pens:

Pros:

•  Modern pens are usually very sturdy, due to the new plastics we’ve invented recently. This is very important if you are a student, or work at a job where your pen will be subject to some light “abuse”.
• Many people, including me, prefer some of the modern styled pens. Most particularly when you’re looking at a lower price range.
• Modern fountain pens are guaranteed to work when you get them, unless of course you have a strange occurrence of a manufactures defect. Luckily most companies and retailers will replace your pen if it’s not working properly.
• Most modern pens will last longer without the need to be re-furbished. Vintage pens need their internal components replaced every 15-20 years, or more depending the filling-system.

Cons:

• Modern pens can have a tendency to not write well out of the box. This is not uncommon, but it’s not extremely common either. It is something that you should be aware of. Luckily if your pens has been purchased from a good re-seller, they will make sure that the nib has either been tested beforehand, or that they have a good return policy.
• You may dislike the filling systems available for modern pens. Most of them in the lower price range will feature filing systems that just aren’t as good as a vintage pen for the same price.

So now we’ve discussed the pros and cons of vintage and modern pens. In Part II, I am going to go into more detail on different aspects of them.

About the author:

Tyler Dahl is a young and enthusiastic fountain pen fanatic. The youngest professional pen-repairer currently out there, Tyler spends much of his time with inky hands, and broken pens.

He keeps plenty busy running his part time restoration business, and two different blogs: Tyler Dahl Fountain Pens, and The Repairer’s Bench.

When he’s not blogging or repairing pens, he’s currently working on building a small house with his family in Tennessee, and helping run the family farm.

What do you do when you’ve finished with a used ink pen – toss it in the trash?

Probably, because that’s what we all do. It’s about the only thing you can do with an old pen.

Complete pens can’t go into normal plastic recycling bins because they contain bits of metal, as well as the remainder of the ink. The barrels themselves are typically “Type 5 recyclable plastic,” according to Pilot, but all metal components and the refills have to be removed before recycling.

So, even if you disassembled every pen you use, you would still be left with a pile of clips, plungers, springs, barrel rings, screw-on tips, and refills.

As the Sustainable Attorney explained it recently, in a blog post about pen recycling options, his office uses potentially thousands of pens and markers every year. Trying to break down and recycle parts of pens would simply take too much time for too little result.

A student in China has even started collecting empty ink cartridges in an attempt to keep them from ending up in landfills.

Dong Yufei told China Daily:

He came up with the idea after he took the college entrance examinations last June. He noticed that many students, himself included, just threw away empty refills after the examinations.

He made a quick calculation.

“I would chuck away about 100 refills each year if I used up one in three days. The several thousand students in my school would consume hundreds of thousands in a year. Then how about our city, or our province?”

He learned that refills contain pollutants including volatile substances, ink and plastics that cannot fully break down if not recycled.

“Without recycling, numberless waste refills will cause great pollution,” said Dong, who decided to collect enough of them so that at least the plastic refill tubes could be recycled.

The only problem is, now he has more than 150,000 refills – and nothing to do with them. The recycling factories he’s approached have turned him down. And an experiment to remove the ink from each refill with a needle failed.

So, where does that leave the rest of us who use disposable, or even refillable, pens?

There are a few choices.

One is a company called Terracycle, which has what it calls Writing Instruments Brigades. The way it works is that groups sign up, collect used pens, pencils, markers, etc. and send them into Terracycle. The company says it can remake them into everything from park benches to trashcans. Each brigade gets points for collecting the used pens, and those points can be redeemed for charitable donations to non-profits and schools.

Unfortunately, there are no open brigade slots in the US right now, so you would have to join the waiting list. However, Terracycle and Bic recently announced a UK partnership to collect used pens. So far, they’ve taken in more than 100,000 writing instruments and have slots open for 77 more brigades, according to the website.

Other than that, there aren’t a whole lot of other options.

The World Environmental Organization recommends disassembling pens and using the various parts for, among other things, making bird cage perches, allowing older children to play with them as toys, and turning them into homemade decorations.

Yeah, not terribly helpful.

Of course, you could always send your used pens to Costas Schuler, otherwise known as The Pen Guy. He has collected more than 10,000 used pens as an art project that covers his 1981 Mercedes 300SD. And he’s still collecting, hoping to end up with more than 1 MILLION pens to use for giant murals.

Meanwhile, Lexmark has been making some technological advances in recycling ink. The printer manufacturer works with a company called Close the Loop to turn used inkjet cartridges into new ink pens. Last year, they released a rollerball version and have now come out with an updated pen that is more like a felt-tip marker.

Maybe along the way, they’ll figure out a feasible method for reusing old ink pens.

Until then, you can try sending pens to some of the collectors mentioned above…or just store them in a big bin in the garage until something better comes along.

Following up on the Pen Warrior’s recent post, we spotted another article that might help parents select the right school supplies to get their kids through the coming academic year.

Among the suggestions from the Othello Outlook:

• Colour-code notebooks, folders and other supplies into matching sets for each subject, allowing your student to find the right materials more quickly.
• Avoid overdoing it with bright colours or glittery decorations…too much can be a distraction.
• Consider erasable markers and pens, such as the Pilot FriXion, so children can easily correct mistakes without rendering classwork unreadable.

The article also included an interesting, and somewhat surprising, note about paper usage among students raised on flash drives and smart phones.

Despite technology, the average student uses 11 sheets of paper daily. All this reading and writing can lead to eye problems, especially when there’s a stark contrast between the printed word and the brightness of the paper. Look for paper with lower levels of brightness.

(How many of you are old like us and remember going to school with a Trapper Keeper full of loose-leaf paper? For some reason, though, they were never available in the UK.)

Meanwhile, if you’re looking for pens for your children, we always recommend the Stabilo ‘s move easy and the Lamy ABC for beginning writers. Both are built for children’s smaller hands and are designed to encourage proper finger placement.

For older students, a good gel stick pen such as the Uniball Signo Gel Grip will offer a nice, a smooth writing experience while being relatively inexpensive to replace when it’s inevitably lost. The Signo also comes in a variety of scented inks that might appeal to your tween.

If you’re trying to stick to environmentally friendly products for school, Paper Mate now has ballpoint pens and mechanical pencils made partially from biodegradable materials.

And finally, students looking for a little more style in their pens can try the School Sherpa from Paradise Pens. It’s a pen shell with a chalkboard-and-alphabet motif that will hold a variety of Uniball, Pilot and Sharpie refills. At almost US$30, the Sherpa is a little pricey, but it does have panache and, as the company mentions, can also make a nice gift for a teacher.

Hope this helps. Feel free to share any school supply experiences you’ve had so far.

For many years I have been a fan of the standard No. 2 (or HB in the UK) pencil as they always felt comfortable to hold and when you need a few moments contemplation, spend some time with a sharpener. I have love quality pencils like Faber-Castell and Rhodia but I am equally at home with the office version from Staples.

They also appeal to my trying to be more eco-friendly because apart from the lead or more correctly the graphite centre, this is one writing instrument that is fully recyclable. There is however, one problem. However hard you try, you will always end up with a stubby piece of pencil that is too uncomfortable to use but still has many pages of use left in it. I then have the dilemma to either carry on using the pencil until its hurt my hand or recycle what would otherwise be a perfectly useable pencil

I then remembered that many years ago when doing a summer job, there was a guy who used to put his stubs into narrow metal tubes in order that he could continue using the pencil. A search online then revealed the answer to the dilemma – the pencil extender!

These handy tools were originally used by artists who wanted to get the maximum use from their expensive pastel or watercolour pencils but are now widely available for all pencil aficionados. Simply insert your pencil into one of these handy tools and its then it is possible to continue using the pencil down to the last 2-3 cms. The open end of each extender has a metal ring that ensures that the pencil is held securely.

Generally retailing at around £2, not only are they functional, they can be quite elegant too. I purchase two, one with a marble effect and the other with a smooth wood effect. Now I do not have any qualms when I recycle the stub as I know that the pencil is beyond use.

Pilot pens have created an application that lets you “Write by Hand on the Computer”. You use the app to turn your handwriting into a digital font; this can then be used to send personalised “handwritten emails”.

Watch the Pilot Handwriting Demo Video

It all looks very impressive but is it any good? I logged in to www.pilothandwriting.com to give it a try The first thing I had to do was create an account at Pilot Handwriting .Com; this was very quick and easy. I hate have to fill out lots of personal information that is not required and probably only gathered for the benefit of a marketing department to harass me later.

After watching the video I was confronted with the next screen which had no instructions but I figured that I probably had to click on the printer icon.

This I did and printed off the template. Then I filled out the template using my Pilot Capless fountain pen filled with Sailor black ink (for the inkophiles among our readers).

Once the template was filled out there was a choice of using a web camera, scanner or a jpeg to upload the image. Since I did not have a web camera or scanner handy I decided to use a digital camera and upload a jpeg.

The first attempt failed as I had cropped to just outside the black border and there was a message on screen saying that it could not recognise the whole of the template. I undid the crop and put more space around the image which then uploaded without any problems.

Now for the big test did it work I clicked write by hand and copied and pasted this blog post into the screen. Much to my amazement the copy and paste worked. I then emailed it to myself to see what I would receive. I think that i was expecting the handwriting to be in the body of the email, instead it was as an attached jpeg.

Click Image to Enlarge

Once I got over the initial disappointment the result is actually very good. Even if Pilot could not resist adding an image of a Pilot Frixion pen.

I don’t think that it is something I will personally use on a regular basis. But I can see why Pilot Handwriting .Com is becoming very popular.

Has anybody else tried it, or are you thinking of using it? As always we would love to hear from you.