7 MORE Fountain Pen Myths 4K

[@Vermiliontea]

1: Depends on the pen and ink and yourself. Using a Parker office pen and feeding it a strict diet of Quink cartridges is less messy than a ballpoint. You can do that for 30 years without even doing any maintenance on the pen. (or until the pen wears out). And unlike the ballpoint, It will always work, it will write without pressure, it will write on any paper, it will write regardless of your support surface. Ballpoints tend to be choosy about all these things, not to mention all the times a ballpoint will stop writing just for no good reason at all. We *_choose_* to use fountain pens that *_can_* become more messy, but then we do so for *_reasons_* . 2: No. Ballpoint pens are extremely difficult - some would even say impossible - to use, when they decide to not write. Unless for some willful negligence, that is something that will never happen with a fountain pen. 3: Well, nibs usually do become 'better' as the pen is more used as it gets older. The pen's writing position have to be pretty extreme for anyone else to experience it differently though. 4: Why would superior functionality become obsolete? I have an unrelated tip for you: Hard shaving soap and shaving brush outperform "modern" shaving gels and canned shaving foam by about hundred times. It's the idea of plastic pollution and landfills with Bic pens, which have stopped writing for some reason, that is obsolete. 5: From what I've seen, they usually rotate the paper radically and have their hand 'above' the writing line. As both pencils and ballpoints may also smear, depending on materials, it's a good habit anyway. 6: Cartridge: You can carry spares. You need a syringe to fill with choice ink. Converter: If the pen may blob or leak, it can be avoided by expelling air/gas by moving the piston. If none of this matters, well then it doesn't matter. 7: Ballpoint pens are only for writing through layers of carbon copy paper. In the age of computers and printers, ballpoint pens have become as obsolete as carbon copies. People have just not caught on yet.

[@HemingwayJones]

Thanks for the wonderful commentary. Very interesting. By the way, I also use shave soap, badger brush - from Venice of course, and a safety razor. Cheers and all the best!

[@LauraKnotek]

@@HemingwayJones I love shave soap, badger brush (from the UK in my case) and vintage Gillette double edge safety razors.

[@goldensonar]

I really enjoy watching your videos and learning from you. Thank you.

[@HemingwayJones]

Thank you very much! I appreciate that.

[@FireTower03]

I gotta say, you're already my most favourite fountain pen youtuber. Your videos are relaxing and fun to watch at the same time. I've never come accross some youtuber like you!

[@HemingwayJones]

Thank you so much! That is so very kind of you to say. I appreciate it so much.

[@technoraptor7778]

I always hear the old fashion one.. where fountain pens are for old people or that people think they arnt around anymore and are antiques. Even my grandma was surprised they still exist..-_- ...and thought they would be hard to write with. She said her dad had a few fountain pens and was confused about the lever it had to suck up ink ..I told her mine don't use that..and that there are many ink mechanisms. She was flabbergasted.

[@HemingwayJones]

What a great story! I wish I had asked my grandparents more questions as to how things were. All the best.

[@brettcody76]

Hemmingway, What a warm, inviting presence you have. Thank you for your channel, sir. I enjoy and am inspired by your artful use of fountain pens and devotion to the art of writing.

[@HemingwayJones]

Thank you, Brett! You are very kind. All the best.

[@santiagomerinoacevedo7475]

I've watched both videos about fountain pen myths in a row. As you normally do, I consider that you highlight reflections with great intellectual foundation that dismantle preconceived ideas among many people. I am especially glad that you are a great example of generosity for those who approach the fantastic world of fountain pen. And you spend a precious time answering any question, no matter how silly it may seem. Thanks.

[@HemingwayJones]

Thank you very much! That is very kind. All the best!

[@andrewscott9610]

I love your Channel!!! I am a converter guy. I find cartridges messy.

[@HemingwayJones]

Thank you very much! I am happy to have you here, and agree completely.

[@larskamenec]

I don't remember if you covered this in the first one, but the myth people always seem to have is that fountain pens are all hundreds of dollars each. When people ask this I always compare them to watches. If you want top brands and exotic materials, they can be. But there are "Timex" fountain pens (Conklin, Monteverde, TWSBI) and "fashion watch" fountain pens (Jinhao, Wing Sung) that will be nice to use and quite functional at a much lower cost.

[@HemingwayJones]

That is a very good point! Thanks. I’ll save this one for Part 3! By the way, I have always thought of Lamy as Casio.

[@larskamenec]

@@HemingwayJones I can see all the Lami Safari/Al Star variations and colors being a bit like the G-Shock varieties. That is very apt.

[@Sonicman415]

Cool analogy.

[@simonkrupa9524]

Lefty here! I’ve never had any issues at all with fountain pens! Converters are my preferred method of using ink, but cartridges are my preferred method of use for extended travel.

[@HemingwayJones]

Thanks for the great perspective.

[@LauraKnotek]

I like this video better than the first one in this category. ☺

[@HemingwayJones]

I need to compare now! Thanks for watching and for the love to the back catalogue.

[@Sonicman415]

Each fountain pen is unique unto itself, this is especially true with vintage pens. I enjoy that aspect. I much prefer the interaction I have with a fountain pen over a ball point. Capping mechanisms can play into my writing experience as well. Lamy 2000 has a great capping feel. This is why I will eventually get a Diplomat Aero.. the Zeppelin shape is quite fabulous too. I love the converter because I prefer bottled ink.. though I will fill a cartridge w a syringe to get the color I prefer. My Pilot E95S is one where I refill a cartridge for ink capacity because it takes such a small converter..

[@HemingwayJones]

Hello My Friend. Thank you for the great comment. Very interesting and well reasoned. Keep in touch.

[@santiagomerinoacevedo7475]

With respect to Myth #2 for me there is no doubt that writing with a fountain pen is better, more pleasant and more comforting than using a ballpoint pen. However, it is time consuming and requires some dedication. I stopped writing with fp for many years, because I considered that I did not have that time and that necessary relaxation and now I have taken it up again with a redoubled illusion. It's all a matter of assessing whether it's worth it or not. For me, this is undoubtedly the case, and that’s why I follow people like you.

[@HemingwayJones]

That is true. It takes enough time that you can make a hobby out of it. It is enjoyable though, as we know. Back when I used ballpoints, I had really bad luck with them. They had always run out of ink or exploded in my pocket. All the best.

[@texasboy5117]

OK: here is the right answer! The cartridge and the converter are the same after you get the ink flowing in a dry pen. I use converters 100% of the time at home, as I can control which color of ink I want. When I travel by plane I use cartridges 100% of the time. I always pack a dry pen and a few cartridges which I put in after I land. I also remove the cartridge before flying home. This is to avoid ink coming out due to pressure problems. Thus the right answer! Yes I know there are all kinds of pens which avoid this problem but I’m following the right way!

[@HemingwayJones]

I love it, My Friend! Your confidence is affable! Vac Fill is nice for the plane too! All the best.

[@kimberly3706s]

Challenge accepted! (I never lose at the game of “Chicken” - although it might’ve been a childhood game only in my neighbourhood and not universally known.) I admit I used to be a cartridge snob…I preferred the greater selection of colours available by bottle and the higher eco-friendliness; but eventually I learned that a cartridge can be cleaned and reused, and can be filled with one’s favourite bottle-exclusive ink. I was also presented with a very sentimentally meaningful gift, my first Montblanc: a beautiful Boheme Blanche, which cannot accept a converter or be eye dropper converted. I couldn’t resist using it, or insult the loving gesture with which it was presented to me, just to align with my superiority complex, lol, so I got off my high horse and became a cartridge user (Montblanc made me do it 😅). I have matured, and no longer disdain cartridges for any pen model or think that only newbies use cartridges; although I have not had the purpose of convenience or travel for my personal cartridge use.

[@HemingwayJones]

When in doubt, blame Montblanc! Lol. Love it. I agree with everything you say here and cannot take exception. Although, is a cartridge a cartridge if you are refilling it? Isn’t it then a type of piston-less converter?!? See, I got you out of all your guilt.

[@Kimbopolo]

If we were unable to fill cartridges with our own ink choices, I would be a converter-only acolyte. As it is, I enjoy both methods. Thanks for the interesting discussion!

[@HemingwayJones]

This is a very good point! The first time I used the syringe I almost got it everywhere, I wasn’t expecting it to move so fast.

[@robbinallan3767]

Hello Hemingway! I hope you get all the feedback you're hoping for. Lord knows people have enough opinions. I remember my father resisting my request for a fountain pen when I was 9 or 10 because he grew up with them and was so enamored of ballpoints. He insisted fountain pens were too much hassle and mess. As I sit with my ink stained fingers, I say call it Joy! Fingerpaints for adults, writers and artists. Have you seen Inky Rocks splash ink around? Looks fun to me. As for your cartridge vs converter, I prefer converters for the exact reason you mention. Easy access to extra ink for whatever reason. Thanks for the fun video. ps love that Egyptian themed ink well and after your review, I have a Montblanc Egyptomania on order. Yay!

[@kimberly3706s]

My “wrong side of the tracks, working class” parents have always thought me an odd duck for my childhood interests, but despite not understanding my requests or even knowing how to spell or pronounce them, I was always indulged (eventually, sometimes after years of pinching and saving). I still remember the later related to me story of how my mother visited various music shops to no avail, until she found the one employee who understood her request for a CD with “a classical music song that sounds like Taco Bell. It’s supposed to be famous, according to my 9 year old.” and I was correctly gifted with a CD that included my request for Pachelbel’s Cannon in D Major. In a similar vein, I received the Schaefer Calligraphy set, one Christmas after asking Santa for “a calligraphy pen” and it I have it (and still use it) today, all these decades later. My 9 year old self wants to give your 9 year old self a hug, because you would have used and enjoyed a fountain pen just fine, even if your grown ups didn’t agree with its appeal or think it suitable for your young age. ♥️

[@HemingwayJones]

You do?!? You have it on order!? Congratulations. I cannot wait to hear what you think. I have a follow up video coming out on it next Thursday! I hope you like it. Thanks so much for the wonderful comment! I appreciate the kind feedback!

[@robbinallan3767]

@@kimberly3706s Thank you. That is so sweet. I did hear my parents describe me once upon a time as the weird one. I guess I was. I did end up, eventually with what sounds like a very similar Sheaffer calligraphy pen. It was a cheap plastic thing with a couple different colored ink cartridges. This was probably 1970 or 71 so only a year or so later. I loved that dang pen. A friend recently found another one and gave it to me. The cartridges are all dried up but it was a thrill just seeing that pen again. I also got hold of a Parker Vector at some point too. For several decades, just regular ballpoints and pencils were my souvenirs of choice from anywhere we traveled. At this point I have more paper, ink and writing implements than I could use in several lifetimes. Doesn't seem to slow me down much though. Lol. I guess I'm still the weird one.

[@kimberly3706s]

@@robbinallan3767 Glad to have found a kindred spirit! I am still the weird one in the family, so finding others, whether in person or online, who share similar interests is always wonderful! My Sheaffer kit came with a whole bunch of cartridges in a variety of colours. (Peacock was my favourite, but I hoarded the last one and it dried out - lesson learned, don’t delay in enjoying the favourite things!). I worry that my new cartridges will dry out before I manage to use them, I have a few colours, but none as fabulous as that Sheaffer Peacock, lol. I know that Sheaffer is “entry level”, but it still works and is still great fun to use! I was thinking of getting the Kaweco Calligraphy set, but I think the Kaweco feed doesn’t keep up the ink flow well enough, whereas the set I already have works great…also, it works with a modern converter, although it only came with cartridges back in the day. I still love a great ballpoint (well I favour rollerball over ballpoint to be honest), there are some high quality refills (Schmidt, Uniball, etc.) - definitely keep using your souvenir ballpoints (maybe upgrade your refill)! We can love all the writing tools and stationery, not even just for specific purposes, such as ballpoints for carbon paper, but interchangeably and within the same letter or journal entry. It’s all fun.

[@Sonicman415]

Omg Inky Rocks vids are like movie shorts.. the slow motion splashing ink shots rule. I love all things Egyptian, I’ve toured there and studied Egyptian mysticism.. I need to own that pen.. one day. Congratulations on your order!

[@jamiederego8345]

Love your channel, Hemingway! I just got into fountain pens a few months ago. I’ve been using Thornton’s multicolor disposable pack with a medium nib to get the feeling of these pens first. I also purchased a Pilot Metropolitan in Turquoise with a medium nib (using cartridges) for my first actual fountain pen - from Amazon. These myths really helped me to learn more about these really cool pens. I’m also an avid daily journalist, novelist, and teacher, so these pens will be used a lot. Any more advice and tips to share will be great! Any other pen suggestions are also welcomed.

[@HemingwayJones]

Thank you so much, Jamie! I appreciate your kind comments. Keep in touch. If I think of any I will let you know. I also have a bunch of tips on TikTok if you are over there. Same name. All the best always.

[@michaeldavis9693]

I played in bands my whole life. One time an old guitar builder explained to me that old guitars sound good, because over time the molecules tighten fro the years of vibration.. and cigarette smoke, sweat and such. Not only that, but he explained that it would even sound better playing the music that got it to that point. I thought about that back then and I’d remembered back to being a teenager and I remembered that I always skated better with skateboards that I really liked and believed in, even if I couldn’t but on paper or explain mathematically why. It was the belief itself that was important. Does the pen conform to your usage? Yes and no. There is definitely enough pseudo science to make it seem that it would be possible. You can see why it would be believable… like a religion. It’s the faith in your personal tool, your Excalibur, the thing you cherished and took care of like a child, will only work at its peak performance with you, and maybe that faith itself, that connection with your magic device, that is the source of one’s creativity.. or maybe it lends its power to you. Either way, if one believes that this tool works this way and they believe it enough, it becomes reality.

[@HemingwayJones]

This is a great comment. Thank you.

[@santiagomerinoacevedo7475]

Regarding the 6th myth and talking about the controversy between cartridge and converter, I think it is more ecological and more sustainable to use a converter. The less plastic we use, the better for our planet. Of course we can also recycle and reuse empty cartridges, but not everybody does it.

[@HemingwayJones]

This is an excellent point and something I speak about on TikTok to try to convert people to reusable pens. All the best.

[@festivaljapan]

amazing. I'm your fan.

[@HemingwayJones]

Thank you so much!!!

[@FireTower03]

I definitely want to use converters at home, but my mom won't let me because she thinks it could get a bit to messy. I have some unused ones that came with the pens when i bought them. I think filling up a pen with a converter would make the entire fountain pen experience even more relaxing. But when i'm at school, it's definitely way more conventient to use cartrigdes, cause you can just put some extra cartridges in your pen case for when you run out of ink during class.

[@HemingwayJones]

Those are excellent points. Thanks so much for the great comment!

[@gio87vr]

I have a tip of advice about it, when I go to the university I take with me at least 2 pens, it's impossible that I can use all the ink of a single pen in a day, so I have always a full one and the one I'm using with halfway used ink. When I have exhausted one converter I have a full pen that let me keep writing. With a little rotation (maybe with a 3rd pen at home to use when it's cleaning time) it's possible to keep using only converters even outside. Think about it as a "secondary weapon" of sort. And I think if you show your mother that you are so careful that you won't make a mess with filling and cleaning she'll let you choose your favourite method. Careless people can mess up even with cartridges anyway. 😅

[@joefaracevideos]

Like you I use pens that have both converters and cartridges but I feel that for the pens where I am using cartridges, I would like to put converters in them when I can...But I don't have any expensive pens, FWIW

[@HemingwayJones]

It gets pricey keeping up on all the converters. At least we buy them once. All the best.

[@ChrisGVE]

Cool set of thoughts and great that you share them. Though I'm not necessarily in agreement with the way you go about them: a. Fountain pens have the potential of being indeed messy, and we all know that it does not need much ink to get it everywhere. I think we cannot reject that fact as a myth, but rather embrace that and say that once in a while it is simply OK to have some ink on our hands :) b. The point about "this is my pen" is probably linked to the other point you are making about the technological advances. I'm not old enough to really compare, but I would not be surprised that with fountain pens of old they were forming to the user over time and indeed sharing them with someone else could mess up that silent fine tuning that was happening when the owner was using the pen. With new pens I would not be surprised that this does not apply anymore given all the progress made with nib technology. c. But I still cringe when someone else uses one of my beloved pens, probably mostly without reason, but there is always the risk that that someone will not know how to use a fountain pen and apply too much force messing up the tines. Though, I'll admit this is probably more irrational fear than fact. Anyway these are my thoughts and for the rest I agree with you (including the converter thingy). Thanks for your meaningful videos!

[@HemingwayJones]

Thank you for the excellent comment. I should have added that it’s the nature of the messiness that people fear. They act as if they are like little time bombs about to explode in your pocket or to being spewing ink all over. But your pouts are indeed valid. Wish you all the best.

[@angeliemaguinda]

My very first fountain pen order is on the way and I'm really excited for it to arrive along with a diamine majestic blue ink. This video is really helpful. Before purchasing one i really did contemplate a lot but in the end made the purchase! I'm currently a college student, a journalist and currently writing my own novels. The pen would be used quite a lot

[@HemingwayJones]

Hello and thanks so much. I am so glad the video was helpful. Let me know what you think once the pen arrives. Wishing you all the best.

[@angeliemaguinda]

@@HemingwayJones I just got my fountain pen and ink today! It's a Pilot Metropolitan in a fine nib. It's pretty awesome. I'm still adjusting with the pen being heavier than expected though but overall, my experience was great. I found that using it made writing cursive so much easier (I mainly write in cursive so that's definitely a plus)

[@56phil020244]

I prefer converters to cartridges. The thought of all that plastic from used cartridges going to land fills or worse bothers me. It seems the there is less waste when using converters. I've heard that the converter for the Kaweco sport is a pain. As I've never used one, I can't be sure. I plan on buying a plastic sport in early May and making it an eye drop pen. Wish me luck.

[@HemingwayJones]

Good Luck, Philip! That is a great pen. I prefer converters too. The sport is tiny and fiddly, but it works fine. I use one. All the best!

[@tradebuzzscalptradinglive7296]

Hi what is the pen at 3:30 ? It is a real classic looking one!

[@HemingwayJones]

Thank you! It’s the Montblanc Egyptomania. I have a review on it posted as well. It’s amazing.

[@tradebuzzscalptradinglive7296]

@@HemingwayJonesThank you! Appreciate your response.

[@James-uc5gg]

I'm left-hand and I absolutely love writing with fountain pens as ballpoints make my skin crawl (it's an ASD tactile thing). At this point in time I am using a Pilot falcon with an S.F. nib and the pilot shin-ryoku ink And I have no trouble whatsoever from it as I write with my hand above the line of scrip which gives my writing a very slanted look.

[@HemingwayJones]

Thanks so much for the information.

[@williamhughes1067]

Hello -- Thanks for another great video. I cannot confirm or deny any of your "myth-busting" conclusions. However, I would be cautious about naively lending a fountain pen to a novice user or anyone else, for that matter. Before I retired I experienced several incidents of having my pen handed back to me in a damaged state. Once, when I loaned a pen to my senior vice president boss, he proceeded to write with such pressure that he badly bent the nib. Another instance was when I handed a pen to a gentleman who forgot his own pen in his office (no doubt it was a cheap ballpoint) before a meeting. I can only assume he didn't understand the dollar value of my pen because he proceeded to fuss and fidget with it as if it were a cheap disposable pen until it was absolutely ruined (the nib and clip were both bent and destroyed). Yet another instance was when an out-of-town executive failed to return a pen to me before departing for the airport. When I contacted him later about the pen, he swore he'd returned it to me, which he had not.

[@HemingwayJones]

Such horror stories. So sorry! Thanks for the kind words. I am envisioning a future “fountain pen horror story” video. All the best, My Friend.

[@bovnycccoperalover3579]

I don't care if fountain pens are considered old fashioned. I myself am old fashioned and wear it as a badge of honor. Although I am quite older than you, HJ, ball points certainly dominated in my youth. Retirement is similar to the Mahler lied based on the poetry of Rucker, "I am Lost to the World (Ich bin der Welthander gekkommen, in the original German). It's a very popular lied and there are many versions on KZbin. My favorite is Abbado conducting the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra with Czech mezzo-soprano Magdelina Kozena singing.

[@HemingwayJones]

Thank you for the wonderful comment! Thanks for watching too! We are both happily Old Fashioned but still timely!

[@patrickblindeman5847]

As for the change in usage when someone else writes with your fountain pen...I've also heard that this isn't true....but...I'm not going to test it anyway. Because deep down I'm not completely convinced anyway.😜😃 As for the rest of the myths I totally agree with you👍Thank you again for this beautiful presentation, can hardly wait for the next one

[@HemingwayJones]

Thanks so much, Patrick! I appreciate the kind words. I feel like it’s true too.

[@elainenabors9832]

My dad was naturally a left handed writer and the nuns at his Catholic school made him write right handed… slapped him with a ruler if he used his left hand 😳

[@HemingwayJones]

Oh boy! My Mom went through the same thing.

[@Scouzeboy]

Greetings from Australia. Interesting video. Hi Hemmingway, we have had this conversation before on a different forum. You included a few shots of writing with your journal on your lap. Sorry, but this makes me cringe, because to me, writing needs to be done at a desk; or at least on a lap-desk. How do you do that? 😀 I'm left handed but I write with the nib to the fore and not with a curved wrist, so therefore no smearing. Sorry for bringing up about the lap writing. Love the music. I give Gymnopedie I to my piano students for Grade V. Please keep the videos coming. A possible video subject: Travelling with pens/fountain pens in hot climates. I live in Adelaide where we have one of the hottest/driest climates on earth. I seldom take my pens out with me but soon I will be holidaying in Darwin where it is more tropical. My pens are going with me. Stupid Question: does the ink dry out any quicker when on the road and in hot climates?

[@HemingwayJones]

Hello My Friend! I just write the way I do because when I was coming up I had to write any place I could. I am very glad you like my background music. I imagine the timing for Satie is challenging. Thanks for the great video ideas! Not a dumb question at all. I imagine that they would if exposed to dry air or direct sunlight. Keep them out of the light and capped and you should be fine. All the best and thank you for your kindness! I am so sorry that you must cringe through my journaling B Rolls! I just filmed some in the historic cemetery in Salem, MA,. All the best.

[@Scouzeboy]

@@HemingwayJones Looking forward to that one.

[@cb7560]

Thanks for another interesting video. You've made some good points. I actually find filling pens from a bottle a right pain in the arse. I know it will upset the fountain pen police, but I have to confess I prefer to use cartridges, as they are easier to use and less messy. Contrary to what you say, I also find fountain pens are hard to write with (even though I have been using them, on and off, for 50 years). The fact that pens, sections and nibs are all different is what makes them "hard" to use for me, as you always have to orientate the nib just so. This means I have to spend a lot of time thinking about how I need to write as opposed to what I am trying to write. As a professional writer, who writes all of his drafts in longhand in the first instance, this really slows me down. I actually write mostly in pencil and ballpoint these days as these are far better to use for long form writing; you just pick them up and they always work (on any paper). My mother once told me that before ballpoints were readily and cheaply available when the Bic was released (mid 1950s) most peoples' daily writing implement was a pencil - they only used fountain pens to write letters and for work. They could also buy everyday pens with a lot more nib options, such as rounded "kugel" nibs and obliques, so pens could accommodate more writers' styles and were therefore "easier" to use. Something else worth mentioning is that there has been a quantum leap in terms of ballpoint ink over the last 20 years, and modern refills from likes of Pentel, Pilot, Caran d'Ache and Schneider are way better and really nice to write with. To me, writing with fountain pens is a hobby and not an everyday thing. When I left school, where we had to use them, I did not use one for about a decade, as I had had enough of them! Fountain pens are also now excessively expensive, as manufacturers have moved up-market since the 1960s and 1970s, as fountain pens have ceased to become an "everyday" tool.

[@HemingwayJones]

Wonderful comment and thank you for the insights. I’m glad to get a glimpse and the breadth of your experiences with these pens. All the best and stop by again soon.

[@laurensjaarsma766]

As a left handed i can tell you this: When using a fountain pen i have my hand higher on the barrel than using a roller ball, using a fountain pen i hold it roughly where the screwing part is. Its nothing you think about, it pure instinct (just tested it) I have to say that holding the pen a few centimeter highter is also (for me) more of a natural grip, its write better for me, maybe you right handed should try it and give youre opinion on that. Regarding the "not let anyone else using youre pen cause they ruin the nib myth": please keep it that way, most people do actually think that. I will not, never ever, give someone my fountain pen to make a note. There expensive, saved a long time for them so i wont take the risk that someone puts the nib on paper with too much force and bent it. Keep in mind 99% never used a fountain pen so why take the risk. Maybe i would lent it to someone who uses a fountain pen, but i seem to be the only one in my workspace. Then a suggestion regarding the mess filling a pen: consider a traveling ink pot, Visconti has one and it works to perfection and allmost all pens can use it. Its very usefull for piston / vacuum fillers but also works for converters. Its not cheap but once used you will never go back with dipping youre pen in a inkbottle. Then for the cartridges: only suitable if you want a boring blue of black ink. The thing with fountain pens is that because there special in all the ways, why not make the filling of the pen special. Not only the thousands of colours that available in ink pots but also the unique way you put them in the pen, just enjoy that extra effort as a part of the total fountain pen using expierence.

[@HemingwayJones]

I tend to hold my pens higher to and to cradle them in my hand. We all have our custom grips. Yes, it feels like we shouldn’t lend out our pens and certainly not to anyone who doesn’t know how to write with them! Thanks for the tip on the traveling ink pot! I love the look of them too. Thanks for the great comment. I love your thoughts on filling. Make it special, reverently. All the best.

[@husseinawhci]

Sir can i replace nib size f instead of ef for the same fountain pen like lamy safari

[@HemingwayJones]

Yes. Nibs on Lamy Safari slide right off. They are super easy to replace. Barely an inconvenience.

[@gio87vr]

About nib adapting I have inherited a pen, and I find extremely hard to find the sweet spot, it's a Parker Duofold International, so it's not a problem of quality. After close inspection and some trials I understood that somehow the sweet spot was not at the center of the nib, but I had to rotate a little counterclockwise the pen to find it because the other tine was a little smaller on the point of the nib and I could see the problem with my naked eye. Unfortunately the original owner left us sometime ago so I don't have any means to find how he truly used the pen, or if the pen had some rough handling. So in my opinion it's possible that some habit of the writer could change the pen in some way, more like it seems I have proof of that. About the argument between cartridges and converter I have used for a really long time cartridges, but I feel better with the converter. Yes the cartridges are more faster to use, are more "foolproof" and a long one can contain more ink than a classic converter but the packs contains a really small number of them so you have to buy them frequently, they are harder to find in physical stores where I live, especially the non standard ones, when you use them the pen start writing after a while (when you fill a pen the ink is already flowing in all the body, feed and nib, it starts writing immediately) and let you clean the pen more easily if you don't have the bulb syringe. Overall for me is a smashing victory of the converter.

[@HemingwayJones]

Very great points and perspective. Thank you!

[@gio87vr]

@@HemingwayJones I almost forgot, I was gifted a Waterman Expert 2 in 1997, I was 10, I was too young to know that a cigar shaped pen should never be let rolling on a desk, so it dropped on the nib, it bent. I stored it as it was, bent and inked. After some years I opened it again and I was horrified to find that the Waterman ink I left in the pen had corroded the metal on the surface of the nib. I tried to clean it but it wasn't dirt, so it wasn't useful to do it. I stored it away for almost 10 years, then I chose to fix my mistakes, I found a nib+body replacement for the Expert 2 on the Internet (unfortunately not the same pattern) and now I can use it again! Now I know better than keep a pen I don't use inked with aggressive inks, now I don't let my pen rest on desk uncapped, and it was thanks to that pen that I learned these extremely useful lessons.

[@HemingwayJones]

@@gio87vr that is a great story. I think the first pen I owned that I snapped in half was an Expert. Great pens. I have two rollerballs now.

[@bovnycccoperalover3579]

Lazlo Biro, A Hungarian invented the modern ballpoint pen in 1938. It was originally called a Biro and some people still call it that.

[@HemingwayJones]

Here’s to the inventor!

[@davidanderson3425]

Thank you, Hemingway, for once again exposing some commonly held views about fountain pens. Whether those views be true or, indeed, only myths is a matter of opinion. It does seem to me that such views are born from ignorance and usually held by individuals who have probably never used a fountain pen in their lives.

[@HemingwayJones]

Very great point, My Friend. I hope all is well and wish you all the best.

[@314jrock]

This is the first time that I ever heard someone correlate pen performance with using cartridges or converters. This has never crossed my mind because the benefits of using converters or cartridges has nothing to do with the performance of the pen. There is no difference in performance between the two. The three reasons why I prefer converters are because bottled ink is cheaper than ink cartridges, you have more color choices, and you don't have to wait for the ink the reach the nib before writing. I know that some people use an ink syringe to refill their cartridges, but I would rather just buy a converter.

[@HemingwayJones]

Thanks for your perspective. All the best.

[@sathishrao7926]

Here’re my views: FPs are in general messier than ballpoint pens, more so in some special cases… Eg., try filling a pocket pen with a mini converter by dipping it in a half empty ink bottle ! FP users are an absolute minority! I’ve worked both in the US and India and I don’t quite remember anyone else using a FP at work (at least in Tech industry). Now a days I prefer to carry a retractable pen like VP or Curidas to meetings, so the others think I’m using a ballpoint pen and don’t give that ‘Oh - Fountain pen !’ look ! In general I prefer converters, but only the modern ones (excluding the horrible Con-40) and not the vintage aerometric/vacumetric/sac-filler type converters ! FPs can be considered not ‘easy to use’ due to the fact that not all the papers we use are FP friendly, not to mention incompatibility between some FPs and some inks !

[@HemingwayJones]

All great points. By the way, I used your question in the Q&A video. Coming up soon.

[@Wolverine3660]

Hemingway - about Myth #3, I dont believe it, but, I have used it as an excuse to not let people use my favorite pens. I have had a few nibs destroyed by friends who had never used FPs, so, I dont let them use my pens, except for my 4 Lamy Al-Star FPs. I let my friends use the Lamy's, because, I dont mind if they somehow manage to damage the Lamy steel nibs. :):)

[@Wolverine3660]

Also, I prefer to use convertors in mypens. I grew up in India, where I never saw a convertor, we mostly used cheap, poorly manufactured, Indian pens. No, not the pens manufactured by Ranga today, we students in North-Eastern India all used poorly manufactured, plasticy pieces of junk. So, our pens were useally eye-droppered. I saw my first cartridge when I came to the Univ of Michigan, Ann Arbor!!!! Therefore, I have never gotten used to using ink carts, and I usually have pens that use convertors, or are pens with piston fillling mechanisms.

[@HemingwayJones]

Hello Wolverine! Always nice to hear from you. Yes, I keep a rollerball pen handy for lending to people for the same reason. All the best.

[@HemingwayJones]

That makes sense. Somehow I need to do a video on how our histories inspire our pen choices. Lots of wisdom in your post.

[@Wolverine3660]

@@HemingwayJones - thanks for your kind comments.

[@HemingwayJones]

@@Wolverine3660 Always! Thanks for being here.

[@kimberly3706s]

I do believe a fountain pen nib can be altered by the individual user, but it happens over decades of heavy use in that individual’s exclusive use should that user have an unconventional grip/writing style, and generally only happens with Vintage gold nibs. The modern nib, either steel or gold is unlikely to be influenced by an individual’s usage, but a vintage nib in the same modern user’s hand today could possibly find itself altered given enough time and heavy user-quirkiness. Today, as in yesteryear, a fountain pen is merely in a user’s custodianship until such time (barring damage or destruction) as it is passed to a new owner, it does not pass along the original owner’s personality quirks. 😅 If it did, there would be no after-market sales, no vintage pen purchases, and certainly not the higher after market prices of past year LEs.

[@HemingwayJones]

Hello Kimberly! I love this comment and your perspective. You always have something interesting and well reasoned to offer. Thank you!

[@davidanderson3425]

I agree with your comment Kimberly. If you purchase a vintage fountain pen that has been used constantly for many years there will be a certain amount of smoothing to that nib. Then, if a new owner happens to hold the pen at a slightly different angle the nib will, over time, be altered again.

[@kimberly3706s]

@@davidanderson3425 I have bought a couple of vintage pens with nibs that definitely bear their original owner’s use, but I specifically loved the way the nib writes, the previous owner’s usage improved the pen! It’s like getting a custom grind without the extra fee.

[@SalBC62]

In the beginning... One of my first adulthood fountain pens (as a child, I had to write with fountain pen because it was mandatory in the elementary school I attended) was a Sheaffer Javelin that I still have and use and I had no knowledge of converters so I used it with cartridge and always had ink on the inside of the cap. Of course, every time I grab it I ended with my fingers stained. Since I put a converter in that pen, it never happened again. So... Now all my suitable pens have their own converters.

[@HemingwayJones]

Wonderful! That Shaeffer is a great first pen. Well done.

[@technoraptor7778]

Lucky...I wish I could of used fountain pens growing up...people just don't have much faith in kids doing anything right i guess..hence the giant crayons that exist for kindergardeners, and all this washable marker stuff...how are they to learn? And it's almost a right of passage to accidentally make a mess with a fountain pen or ink...it happens. Just part of life.

[@HemingwayJones]

@@technoraptor7778 I agree completely. I have a 5 year old and she makes messes!

[@jess53nz]

Never heard the only use for signing you name! What a waste of a pen! I'd write everything with fountain pens if i could! (Not realistic at my work) Cartridges and converters are both great! I aslo like refilling cartridges.

[@HemingwayJones]

I have friends who keep a MB on an ink stand and only use it or signing. Just their choice, but so strange to me! Oh well; it's a big world. All the best to you.

[@jess53nz]

@@HemingwayJones wow! Though i suppose that's a while different level of pens than me and my lamys.

[@ichirofakename]

1. It's not a myth that fountain pens are messy in MY hands. Particularly when cleaning. 2. "Huge" community of fountain pen users? Uh… maybe not. Certainly not compared to the billions using ballpoints. 3. When writing left to right, righthanders can pull, where lefthanders are forced to push, which is mechanically inferior. Is it worth it? I don't know, I'm righthanded. 4. My myth #1: The results of writing with a $100 pen. I have closely compared my writing with a Sailor Candy ($8) and a Sailor Pro Gear Mini ($140), and besides an irrelevant miniscule difference in line width, they look identical. This comparison also reveals that nib size has no effect on the results, my Myth #2.

[@kimberly3706s]

I think the low cost versus high cost pen writing experience comparison is a Red Herring - it really depends on the individual production house. Sometimes it’s very true that a $10 model writes inferior to that same company’s $100 model. What people are really saying when they cite a higher end pen as “better” is that within the Western market, a higher end pen was more likely individually tested and tuned in factory than its lower end sibling from the same maker (which of course isn’t always the case); the Eastern market does tend to have a more universally applied individually tested pen production for both their high and low lines, but that is influenced by the many economic and cultural factor differences. Culture and employment standards play a huge role in a company’s standard practices. What you’re really saying is that a hand tuned steel nib writes with minuscule difference compared to the more expensive material cost of the gold nib. I completely agree - one could argue that unless one’s personal handwriting style benefits from the bounce of a softer nib, the expensive material of gold (which is beyond the pen company’s control) is unnecessary. Of course there’s another quality of fountain pens in which a higher end might be the better in comparison to its lower cost sibling: weight and balance. Again higher cost pens don’t always have better weight and balance (and weight is a personal preference for each user, in and of itself it’s not a universal indicator of quality, although many have that misconception). My child-sized hand and preference for long writing sessions mean that a lighter weight pen tends to be more useful for me; but did the production quality control check my individual pen’s balance? Some companies do, others don’t. I don’t think you’ve myth-busted by merely citing one particular brand’s general quality of production, exercised on both their high and low lines. I could equally cite a particular brand that proves the “myth” is factually true. We cannot extrapolate either as being applicable to fountain pens in any general sense.

[@ichirofakename]

@@kimberly3706s I guess I've had rather good luck with my lower-end purchases - I only remember 2 or 3 that didn't write up to my expectations. I want beginners to know that they can have a full, wonderful fountain pen experience for

[@HemingwayJones]

Another wonderful comment, My Friend. All the best.

[@kimberly3706s]

@@ichirofakename Absolutely! My collection is small enough that I still have Jinhao, Moonman and other entry level, low cost pens alongside my high end pens…but if I prune my personal collection, I admit they will be the first to go, especially if they write extremely well, because I could give them to a newbie as a great first impression into the hobby. I have noticed my “low end” is getting higher in cost than when I started in the hobby years ago. I also admit that the look of a pen matters to me, often matters more than the nib’s writing quality, because nibs can be worked on or swapped out, but as Keats said: “beauty is truth, truth beauty….” I have nice handwriting no matter the quality or type of my writing utensil (as long as it has basic functionality - without any functional writing instruments I could write beautifully in air, but it wouldn’t be discernible by others), so I lean more towards enjoying the item in my hand to the fullest for my own personal preference, because it spends countless hours in my hand, against my skin. Writing is an act of intimacy. I can knit with any yarn, and with many items that aren’t yarn at all; but I don’t have the same level of personal pleasure during the many the hours of work required, as when touching the prettiest of the highest quality that I can afford…knowing the yarn was produced sustainably, with the smallest possible carbon footprint, supporting a small, family-owned farm, perhaps even off a single sheep know the name of, is a luxury indulgence that I can now afford (which wasn’t always the case). I strongly believe that an artist is never paid as highly as their work merits (this is true for the factory workers in Jinhao or Sailor, as for single artisan makers, or highest end pen production companies). I don’t begrudge high costs and I believe the low cost Sailor pens do a disservice to the employees, a devaluation of their talent and skill; but of course we can only pay as high as we can afford, so it’s a beautiful sacrifice the artisans make to enable their art to be as openly available to as many people as possible, across the economic barriers. Those of us who have a little more, should pay a little more, and not begrudge it…the only real power we have is with our purchasing dollar - I want use my purchasing to “vote” in support of higher worker wages, safety and work environment, support the development of artisan skills and craftsmanship, and good treatment of workers (healthcare benefits, pension, etc.), as well as Eco-friendly corporate initiatives, etc. I can’t do that with

[@ProudPlatypus]

I'm left handed, that's not a problem. Things get a bit more fussy if you go into specialised nibs. For flex nibs I think you pretty much need to become an underwriter, which is where this exact issue comes up, but it doesn't apply to stiff nibs in any meaningful way. And any oblique nibs unless stared otherwise, are right handed. But it's a pretty rare nib choice for fountainpens, most opt for the strait stub nib.

[@illustratedjournal]

Generosity? Yes, if only someone would be generous and gift me a Visconti Homo Sapiens (Bronze Age please) or I'd even accept at a Sailor 1911 Realo Maroon GT 21K Gold Medium nib! Any takers?

[@annamay6351]

I will have to say you are so wrong on pens not adapting to you. I will use a sports analogy to illustrate my point. My senior year we started out 0-2 for the season. Then we won the third game. I wore the same same top as I wore on our win on game day for the rest of the season and we won every remain game until the State tournament. We had to travel and our coach made us dress up for the travel and arrival. We were eliminated in round one. Why, it was because I couldn't wear my lucky top - prove otherwise, you can't. Now back to fountain pens. I challenge you to loan your most used and loved fountain pen to someone you know and trust that writes a lot every day. When you get the pen back it will feel different in both holding it and in writing. In both cases of sports and fountain pens, whether it is all your mind or not, it is just as real as to you that it is different. No amount of science will convince anyone that it isn't real.

[@HemingwayJones]

I love this comment. I agree; a pen feels sullied by other people using in, but rationality, I am sure it is in my mind. Mostly certain, like 85%.