FranTest: Affordable Fountain Pens

[@FranLab]

Correction: the Preppy is NOT a Pilot brand pen, the Platinum is not related to the Pilot line, which does explain the differences with the Varsity.. I shot this vlog pretty much out of the box, and well - I was mistaken. But hey - Still a fantastic pen!

[@mnoxman]

That comb like thing at the end is called a 'feeder'.

[@mnoxman]

Bleed is when what you write on one side is clearly visible on the other side. Pool is when it makes a puddle. Ink pooling and bleeding is a function of paper, nib and ink. If you use a "fast" ink like Sheaffer Skrip you will get pooling and bleed through even with the extra fine nibs. If you use a medium nib it will be worse. Pre-Bic Sheaffer pens were fast nibs (Medium/Fine) and with Skrip ink were very fast. He who hesitates pools with that combination regardless of paper. Bic/Cross Sheaffer pens are even faster with less care/poor workmanship and very scratchy nibs. This is for the under $100 Sheaffer pens. The Pilot and Platinum pens (even the least expensive ones) do not do this as much. The nibs, feeders and ink are all well matched. Paper also impacts your pooling and bleed through. Expensive paper with a high cotton or linen content will pool but may not bleed. Cheap or light weight paper will experience bleed. Bleeding in a puddle is guaranteed unless the heaviest weight most expensive bonded paper is used but that would be like writing on a linen table cloth.

[@HillsWorkbench]

Not if the pen is any good. Never had that problem with the cheap ones I used to use. Aside from maybe some of my experiments with making ink with water and food dye!

[@stealthbanana]

Platinum, or Platignum?

[@BertNielson]

Fran, Platinum makes a nicer version, the Plaisir. Same nib, but aluminium body. I love mine. The other feature that keeps them from seeing out is the design of the cap. They have a spring loaded interior cap that seals against the top of the pen. I keep one in my backpack and it has never left me with a dry nib. Lastly, I like that you can convert the pens to an eyedropper pen with a rubber o-ring.

[@ismellbeanscooking]

Fountain pens, slide rules, Heathkit devices - are we related somehow? LOL! I hava a Varsity pen too. I've had it for years and avery time I pick it up, it writes. Keep up the great work!

[@vwestlife]

Fun fact: If you leave eBay feedback saying "The pen is good, but feels a bit cheap", it'll be rejected as containing "offensive language". Apparently eBay's naughty words filter ignores spaces...

[@QuasarRedshift]

Hilarious - must try that . . .

[@rogersmith9808]

HA!! 😀

[@GraemePayne1967Marine]

Stupid computers at work!

[@starsiegeplayer]

So this is like Sean Connery choosing "The pen is mightier" on celebrity jeopardy?

[@stevejohnson1685]

Fran - A couple of art supply stores in Southern California have a great selection of pens, readily browsable. One is Graphaids (in itself, an encouraging name) in Agoura Hills. The other is Mittel's, in Venice (near LAX).

[@flymypg]

This takes me back! Before starting Junior High School in 1969, my engineer grandfather gave me two gifts: A K&E slide rule (with case/holster) and a Cross writing set (fountain pen and mechanical pencil). I loved the Cross fountain pen for casual cursive writing, but found it to be fussy to use for taking notes or drawing, scratching and spritzing if I wrote too fast, blobbing if I pressed too hard. Neither replacing the nib nor trying other inks helped. Better fountain pens cost more than I could afford to lose. BIC disposable pens replaced it in normal use, though I always used the Cross when writing to my grandfather. Similarly, the Cross mechanical pencil used a thick lead, and I always had to rotate it in my hand to find a sharper point. I switched back to wood pencils, and eventually to a Pentel mechanical pencil. The K&E slide rule was my pride and joy, lasting past my first 4-banger calculator, past my first scientific calculator, and falling by the wayside only when I got my first programmable calculator. Now I use an app on my phone, or write a bit of Python. Though I have no desire to return to my other early tools, I did order a Platinum Preppy (fine) with extra cartridges (black) to see if that love from nearly 50 years ago can be rekindled. Thanks!

[@flymypg]

Just got my Preppy! I immediately discovered I had developed many bad habits from too many decades of using only ball-point pens. First, I was pressing very hard. The light touch of a fountain pen is so effortless, and far less fatiguing. But it's taking me a little while to remember to LIFT my pen, rather than only pressing less. Second, I was unaware I tend to tap my pen while thinking, which seldom makes a mark with a ball-point, but not so with a fountain pen. I still like to tap while holding a pen (it's a meditative thing, I suppose), so I'm trying to use my ring-finger instead. There are other minor adjustments, but the overall experience has been wonderful. For example, I tend to use just one side of a sheet of paper because of the deep indentation I was doing with a ball-point pen. Now I can flip the paper over and have a smooth second surface! I am seeing a bit of bleed-through, but that will decrease as my speed returns to normal.

[@jlucasound]

You are back, Fran!! Thank You for sharing (almost) all of your knowledge. Congrats on your getting through the bull. 3D Printer, Ladies and Gentleman. Yes, Fran Has One Now. The future is here. A 3D printer in Fran's control can only turn out well. For those of you that are new, Fran is Super Genius. (Not to be confused with any other KZbin Channel). Carry on, young Lady.

[@jbloodwo]

Fran, I love both of my TWSBI's. Only one is currently inked. I nave never had an issue with the filler mechanism. The main point of having the tool and grease is to allow you to be able to re lube the piston if you need to. Also, being able to fully disassemble the pen make it easer to clean if you are changing ink colors. If you are wanting a small pocket/purse pen look at the kaweco sport line. Most are in that price range you mentioned.

[@sski]

Hey Fran, I have a fountain pen collection that goes back to the 1800s. Good to see you're into it like me. Have a goody m'lady.

[@7dreams1935]

I was heavily into calligraphy a few years ago but gave it up when WP programs produced better looking results than I could muster. But I have always had fountain pens and enjoy writing with them. I keep a journal just so my writing skills don't fade away. Thank you for the pen videos. I am now a Pilot user and fan of their product.

[@geosutube]

Sheaffer pens, made in Janesville, WI, also marketed their own brand of ink, called “Skrip;” the great feature of which was their custom ink bottles that had an internal baffle that kept exactly the right amount of ink to fill most pens. The reservoir was filled by tilting the closed ink bottle until the reservoir was full, then unscrew the lid, close the pen, and then screw the lid back on. Popular colors were Blue, Blue/Black, and Black, with Red available tor businesses, and Green and Violet used for fancy addressing.

[@rcelestefelix9299]

I have one of those vintage Skrip bottles of ink with the box. The bottle itself is also thick blue glass and the ink color is Blue/Black. The bottle is almost full and I flipped when I saw the little reservoir inside because I had forgotten about it. We used those fountain pens and ink bottles throughout the 50s, but by mid 1960s, when I was in my teens, we started using cartridges and shortly after that, ballpoint pens.

[@lekoman]

"I have never paid more than $35 for a new fountain pen." "New" being the operative word. We all saw that Parker 51 in your Pens & Pencils video. ;)

[@D-Imagine]

I am guilty of doing the contrary lol

[@StonyRC]

Watched your video back in 2017 and bought myself a Preppy which I'm still using to this day. It kicks the proverbial ASS and I love it. Many thanks for the recommendation Fran - you're a Star-Geek. Love, Respect & Hugs from the UK.

[@paulied5150]

I only use the Pilot Varsity in turquoise. My favorite pen.

[@mikerbikex6656]

Thanks for the review. Just a few friendly comments. TWSBI (pronounced "twisby") is popular with fountain pen people. A piston filler pen at that price is a good thing. The inconsistency in the lines that you noted is also popular with pen people. Also, although you prefer snap on caps, they are less desirable to many pen people than screw on caps. Pens with screw on caps are less likely to deposit little spots of ink inside the cap. The tool for servicing the pen is a wrench. This is also a good thing because it allows the end user to dismantle the pen. Even expensive piston filler pens generally don't open easily for service and have to be sent to the factory or a pen repair service. The Eco also holds much more ink than the Metropolitan. I own both the Metropolitan and the Eco. I use the Eco as my daily walk-around pen. The Metropolitan rests in a box with other pens that I find less enjoyable. Of course, others will disagree. That's what makes us human and interesting (not that I'm that interesting).

[@dietchapstick7890]

Did TWSBI ever fix their QC/QA problems? IIRC a number of owners maybe 4-5 years ago experienced barrels that cracked on their demonstrator models.

[@3102169]

Mikerbike x I

[@radellaf]

That was never really a problem with the Eco, just the Diamond series, especially the 530/540 models. The current minis and 580 are, if not 100%, much more problem free. And, as always, they'll send you a new part even years later if you have a problem. If it's years, they might ask you to pay a bit for shipping.

[@SmallGirlBigWorld_]

My new favorite channel on KZbin! You are amazing Fran! Much love.

[@babcombob]

FYI, I worked for a company that made medical equipment as a tester. NO gel type ink was allowed to be used to record anything official. All records had to be kept for 20+ years and gel type inks fade into illegibility in most cases in less than 10 years.

[@Pulsatyr]

My favorite pens are Namiiki retractable fountain pens by Pilot. Although they generally cost around $100, they can be had for much less when newer finishes are released. The previous year's colors are cheap and can be found at places like the Fountain Pen Hospital.

[@OhShitSeriously]

These are the Vanishing Point, Decimo, and (iirc) Fermo lines. The VP and Decimo use a click retraction system, the Fermo a twist, and all share the same nib units; the Decimo is smaller and lighter than the VP, machined from aluminum instead of the VP’s brass, and the Fermo is larger and heavier. They’re all quite good, though - sturdy and reliable, easy to use and maintain.

[@normanbott]

The warning - I've seen folks stir their coffee with a pen ( and drink it afterwards ) so maybe subjecting that pen to hot water may yield unwanted surprises. My eldest son is something of a pen 'geek' - I'm still using some of his castoffs today.

[@marydetray6776]

Oh, one more thing, the TWSBI actually has a special inkwell with which you take the tip off the pen and connect it to the inkwell to fill, this is actually the absolute cleanest filling experience on the market right now.

[@MrPnew1]

Fran you are such a cool Lady with an infectious zest for living and learning. I thank you and yes, good handwriting is a lost art but there is nothing better than seeing some fine penmanship or penladyship :)

[@cdorcey1735]

I used to love my Pilot Varsity, but found that the "snap on" cap eventually would snap off all by itself! I mean, just sitting in a cup on my desk, with no provocation, it would just pop right off! Score a point for the screw-on caps (and even better if they screw on to the back, too). (BTW: I found this channel while figuring out how to use my "new" K&E Leroy II Lettering Set, for which Fran also has a fine video.)

[@7dreams1935]

Fran - I bought the Pilot Metropolitan on your recommendation and couldn't be happier. I purchased a Mont Blanc pen a few years ago and was never much impressed. A very highly regarded (and expensive) brand that gave mediocre performance, This Pilot pen is far and away a better pen, smoother and better balanced. At less than a quarter of the price of the Mont Blanc (on sale.) Thanks, Fran.

[@SianaGearz]

Never liked MB pens, but their ink is awesome, it doesn't go through the paper. I use it in my pens, mostly Parker Vector, which was 20€.

[@HillsWorkbench]

I was always tight with money, used a lot of basic Schaffer fountain pens through school. Parents also got me a Schaffer calligraphy set, which I probably still have somewhere.

[@philipsurette231]

I have 6 fountain pens. My cheapest one was $87. Always use one for signing contracts. wouldn't be without them. Quality ink, is getting harder to find.

[@Richard1855]

The TWSBI (pronounced:"twisbee") Eco is a very highly regarded pen by many pen users worldwide. An excerpt from their website reads:" After 40 plus years as an OEM manufacturer for different global brands, Ta Shin Precision decided to start selling under their own brand, and thus TWSBI was born.TWSBI's name stands for the phrase "Hall of Three Cultures" or "San Wen Tong" in Chinese. The character "Wen" translates into language and culture. The phrase "San Wen Tong" also brings to mind the Hall of the Three Rare Treasures created by Emperor Qianlong as a memorial to three great masterpieces of Chinese calligraphy. The initials of the phrase "San Wen Tong" was reversed and thus turned into "TWS". The last letters "Bi" was added with its literal meaning of "writing instruments". Thus combining the two segments, creating TWSBI." Just thought you'd like to know. Cheers. Regards Richard Han.

[@MountainRaven1960]

You have a lovely mix of brains, humour, and attractiveness.

[@rickcroucher]

I really like the Preppy. It writes really nicely. The ink flows slipping along on that ribbon of color. Plus you can eye dropper that sucker.

[@Tocsin-Bang]

I love fountain pens. I was brought up with Parker & Waterman pens that had a side lever and a rubber container in the barrel. You refilled with liquid ink from a bottle (Stephen's or Quink) were my favourites. When I started teaching in the early 70s you had to use a fountain pen to mark the register, one with black ink and one with red. You can pay $100s for vintage pens.

[@DavidWatts]

I bought a Parker Frontier in 1994-ish using all of the WHSmith vouchers I got for Christmas and my Birthday, I still use it today.

[@johnbrock1602]

When I was in 2 an 3 grade we always use ink blotters. We put man on the moon we do not need ink blotters any more. Thank you for going over fountain pens I have always like fountain pens. Have seen them fore sale anywhere I will start looking fore them. Thank you

[@marydetray6776]

TWSBI is pronounced "Twis-bee" piston fillers are normally only found in extra high end brands and a twist cap is actually a better more securely air tight seal. Most people regard having a fountain pen that you can completely take apart to be a big plus, because you can completely clean out any old ink before refilling with a new one and since it comes apart completely the dry time is a lot faster. Also if you fill then release the ink and fill again without removing from the ink it will fill completely. I hope you come to find these "minuses" you've described in you're eyes to actually be pluses like most fountain pen users. Also, this pen is not meant to be posted. I have 3 TWSBI 580s and I love them SO much more than the other pens you reviewed here.

[@turboslag]

My handwriting has become terrible over recent years, too much keyboard use and last resort, hastily scrawled note writing! I must reprieve that situation before it becomes indecipherable! So I pledge to start writing 'properly' again! To facilitate that I just ordered a Lamy Vista, as the transparent version of the Safari is known, at least in the UK anyway! The TWSBI is more than twice the price of the Lamy here in the UK. Really enjoy your writing implement vids Fran.

[@deadfreightwest5956]

This popped up today for me, and by some really strange coincidence, there was a jazz tune playing on my car radio just before I got home to see this called, "Speedball." Ring any bells?

[@hydra26actual]

I'd suggest trying out a Noodler's Ink Ahab. Thing's you won't like: it has a screw cap, can write wet with some inks which can create more shading in the line (some people really like that). But it gives you something none of these other pens do, line variation from a flexible nib. You can buy reusable cartridges for it pretty cheap or skip them entirely and use the whole body as a huge ink reservoir by pulling the converter out and converting it to an eyedropper pen. At around $23 for the pen and 5 for a 5 pack of empty reusable cartridges, it's well under the $40 price point.

[@fumfoo001]

I have fond memories of using bulb fill (messy) fountain pens and later cartridge pens in grade school. Now, I often buy pens of decent quality on eBay that write very well for $10 or so and often less than $5. Earlier tonight, I responded to an offer of 50% off on a purchase of 5 pens and bought 2 Jenhao 992, 2 Jenhao 991 and 1 Hero 7036 for a total of $4.09 US including shipping. Just WOW. Of course occasionally I get a pen that has unaccountable quality, but by and large the the Chinese pens are usually quite decent.

[@lloydgarland4667]

TWSBI - pronounce it "Twizbee" :)

[@davidterry3288]

Thanks Fran, I just ordered the LAMY Safari, Pilot Metro and the Preppy. The Preppy I ordered comes with 4 ink cartridges and I also ordered a Lamy Refill Converter. Got it all under less than $50. That is a pretty awesome deal, thanks again for sharing the knowledge.

[@mysticvirgo9318]

The 'finned' part of a fountain pen is called "The Feed" . The 'fins' are a flow control device. So yeah, I can understand how the design of that part would have an effect on the 'feel' of the pen.

[@jeffk204]

Greetings from a fellow Lamy enthusiast here. Another entry level pen worth trying is any of the Nemosine pens. although you may not like the fact that they are also twist on instead of pop-off. I think the argument there is that they are less likely to pop off in your book bag. I don't have a strong preference one way or the other just as long as a pen writes nicely. The great thing about the fountain pen world is that there are plenty of choices for whatever your preferences are. If you like to tinker, another winning combination is a super cheap jinhao x450 or 750 and replace the nib with a zebra G nib. Almost forgot to mention Noodlers pens... They have several entry level pens that use standard size tips which is nice for customizing. I think an entry level fountain pen video part 2 is going to be needed!

[@richfiles]

I just usually snag the Pilot ballpoint click pens from work, and you just made me watch a half hour video on fountain pens! _WHAT IS THIS POWER YOU HAVE!!!_ You didn't even show off LEDs or diode steering, or anything, yet stole my attention! :P

[@fitzjameswood5486]

The 'Section' is the part that usually contains the 'feed' and 'collector' onto which the nib is attached and comes just prior to the nib.

[@pchts1]

This reminds me of the old school fountain pens we had back in the 1960’s I believe the company was Schaffer that had Carthage fountain pens for just a few dollars and the ink was reasonable in price too. I’ve been looking for inexpensive for quite some time but unsuccessful!

[@techietypex]

Metropolitans and Lamy Al Stars are my two current fountain pen favorites. The Al Star is an aluminum version of the Safari, making it a bit more rugged. I've had the cap on one of my Safaris break in such a way that it didn't seal properly. I love watching your videos. Keep them coming

[@asherael]

I tried learning to refill the varsity pens when I heard they were being discontinued, but they never went away. I just love them for disposable use, though I've still got proper pens and dip pens I love to use, for disposable pen needs, they're great. Strongly prefer a narrow fountain pen over those massive bulky ones that cost a fortune.

[@Correctrix]

If you are an engineer, I heartily recommend the Monteverde Tool Pen. It comes in ballpoint, inkball, fountain pen and mechanical pencil versions.

[@davidcoghill8612]

Some people will hate to see this, but my favourite cheap pen I've found so far is the Baoer 801 (and a few of the similar chinese brands). I find it writes very smoothly, especially compared to similar priced non-chinese pens such as the preppy. The biggest problem with the all the chinese pens I've tried has been that the caps wear out, and after a few months wont stay on tightly, but for the price I treat them as semi-disposable. (The reason I need a cheap pen, is that I work in an environment where any pen will inevitably get scratched and damaged , plus I also need to use a waterproof ink, so a cheap pen gives me the convenience of not having to worry too much about regular cleaning.)

[@LMacNeill]

I’ve been using those Pilot Varsity pens for several years now - I don’t hand-write much anymore, and those are more than adequate for my needs. They’re a good-quality fountain pen considering they only cost $3. I might give that Pilot Metropolitan a try, however. It’d be nice to have a proper refillable pen.

[@mattmoreira210]

_"Warning: Do not use this pen other than for writing."_ Geez! Thanks for that! I was going to perform a surgery with it.

[@SianaGearz]

Maybe the warning is that you shouldn't use the tip to push recessed reset buttons on electronics like you do with a ball point.

[@jeffgolden253]

I think they're trying to warn you not to use it for tattooing.

[@davebauman4991]

Yep, exactly.

[@MeaHeaR]

I thinqué Hé mean not pick ur Teeths withé itt

[@katelikesrectangles]

twsbi are wonderful! I have a couple and I love them. I pronounce it twis-bee :)

[@sclogse1]

Here's the best value in regular pens. You find them in the school section of Walgreen's. The Papermate 1.0 M. The variety of behavior you can get from it allows you to draw as if you're using pencil, (and even various levels of pencil hardness) and with a harder press, a fine pen line. For casual drawing, (and of course writing) it's remarkable. No other pen I've used gives me this simple flexibility. But what really sells this pen is that a set of ten is $2.98. And they last a long long time. Make sure it's the 1.0 M. Dark gray look. Don't fall over if it's now $3.98!

[@forestine_]

My current favourite pen is the Pilot Kakuno. It's made for teaching kids to write I guess, but I have some nerve issues with my hands and the big barrel is super comfortable and keeps my hand from cramping. The nib feels like the same quality as their adult pens. I stuck a converter in my main one and I use it constantly.

[@OhShitSeriously]

Kakuno nibs are the same ones used in the Metropolitan and (formerly) the Ergo/Penmanship!

[@NickT6630]

This video is interesting from a different users point of view about fountain pens. As a user and collector of fountain pens, things like the screw on cap and the piston filling mechanism actually make using the pen more enjoyable to use in my opinion.

[@flarpmonkey]

you and my grand mother would be best friends. I took her to a pen store and she spent 200$ on fountain pens. it was Castle In The Air in Berkeley, CA

[@therealfranklin]

Yeah, I used to get looks back when I delivered flowers (1990s), and asked the recipients to sign, and handed them a fountain pen. I really like heavier pens, but I think it's more of a moment of inertia thing, cos I wrote fine with ghetto dip pens made from old nibs and (fairly long) chopsticks. The really long tail seemed to satisfy that need for some mass when writing. But I have an old White Dot that's made of thick brass, and it's kinda hard to beat the feel.

[@turbo5467]

I do like fountain pens but not had one for years. After watching your video i got myself a Parker and a lamy fine nib love it.

[@priestland1]

You have an amazingly calm and soft method of talking, not being American am unsure which part of the Sates your accent comes from.

[@reneejones6330]

Wow. I have not had a fountain pen since college, and I had not realized that there were such inexpensive modern options! Time to try one again!

[@AndyFiorello]

My first decent fountain pen was a Pilot Metro, they are very nice pens. I also have that same kind of TWSBI that is my daily writer.

[@mnoxman]

Pilot (Varsity) is different than Platinum (Preppy). They are different companies. Pilot makes a Petit1 which is much the same as a varsity. The key to the ability of the platinum pens to be capped for a year is the spring loaded cap. It is a patented design. I can attest that it can indeed be capped for at least 9 months. I 'private reserve' ink in a Preppy and it works well. I also use Noodlers "Nikita red" too and experience no stuttering or flow issues for 3-5 months of being capped. Jetpens.com kicks ass. I have used them for years now. I give refillable pens and highlighters as Holiday gifts. It is great that I can give refills years afterwords. OH btw the fountain pens that you saw in the 1930s comedy are Sheaffer Snorkel models. Sheaffer sold to BIC back in the early 2000 and screwed the town in IOWA where they made pens. Bic then sold Sheaffer to A. T. Cross and 'affordable' pens (e.g. < $30) are crap. The Pilot and Platinum pens are far superior.

[@DoctorNoMD]

Thanks for this video, Fran. I have a couple TWSBIs in my collection/stable/flock/posse. I have a VAC-700 (extra-fine nib) with Noodler's Bulletproof Black ink, and a TWSBI Mini (1.1mm stub nib) that gets different inks every few weeks. I also have a Platinum Preppy that I got free with a bottle of Noodler's Blue Ghost ink. Such a great little pen.

[@michelletulumello661]

You should try the Wing Sung. It's very similar to the TWSBI but there is a lock out feature on the piston. I like the way you think

[@DoRC]

I'm wondering if they consider the thread on cap to be a feature as it's less likely to accidentally come off. I can't imagine making the threads is easier or cheaper than a snap fit.

[@neilspector9221]

That part that controls the ink flow is called the feed.

[@keithwhitney7491]

Fran, as a retired academic, if you are going to look at a pen “scientifically,” then at least ask yourself how to fill the TWISBI in a way that does allow you to eliminate or significantly reduce the air bubble. If you were to look at TWISBI’s very thought-out (your words) diagrams and fill the pen as noted, you could reduce that bubble. In the end, I agree the (Platinum) Preppy (with incredible price) and the Pilot Metropolitan (still well below $20) are incredible pens. I also love the Al Star! The TWISBI is loved because it is designed to let you tinker! :)

[@marksmod]

Some people prefer screw on caps, as do I. I do not like Lamy's snap on caps because they can be easily damaged by heat or mechanical stress. Plus, when I write with a fountain pen, I usually can take my time unscrewing the pen, since it is part of the experience. Its the same reason why I like rolling cigarettes.

[@bob963me]

I think some one mentioned this before, but I can not locate the comment, my apologies for being redundant. The TWSBI pen writing darker in the turns is called shading and it is probably due more to the ink than the pen, it is my understanding that most Mont Blanc inks do shade. That being said, it is hard to achieve shading in finer nibs. It is a property quite desirable by many fountain pen enthusiasts. I have see people using cotton swabs, brushes, and even knives (this last is affectionately known as the Tardiff Test) to obtain the greatest degree of shading when sampling an ink. They go bananas over it, and love their pens to do it. It drove me nuts when I branched out from black inks as at the time I preferred solid even lines from my pens. The Metropolitan and Preppy probably the best values on the market today. They are astounding pens for the price you pay.

[@dietchapstick7890]

A few years ago I went crazy with fountain pens. I had to put them away when I temporarily moved to a very cold area, they were pretty much impossible to use after taking them inside and outside due to the temperature shifts. My conclusion after trying a number of pens is that several sub-$40 models write and function fine, but they don't give you the smooth writing experience that the more expensive 14k gold nib pens do.

[@ameliabuns4058]

Oh you're a fountain pen lover too?

[@angrycat3525]

Ah, yes - I remember my first fountain pen, back in the day when you had to buy a jar of ink to fill it. I got pretty good with the pen, but it never seemed to fail that in the middle of taking notes, the ink would run out - the middle of a class was NOT the best place to refill that sucker! I think I'm going to have to try out the Preppy and see if I have better luck with it; however, as an addict to the Uni-Ball extra fine point roller pens (great for really tiny print!), I sense a real challenge on the horizon. Great post!

[@OhShitSeriously]

Try a Pilot Kakuno in extra-fine. If you like the nib but not the body, you can swap it into a Metropolitan.

[@TheNevermind007]

God I love your voice, could you read a book for me to fall a sleep to?

[@Pulsatyr]

The part is called a feed or section block depending on era and country.

[@edmclaughlin4923]

Great Video Fran. I will be getting some pilot metropolitans. I like the safaris too! With the TWSBIs, it seems to me that the silicon grease for the piston may mix with the ink if not applied to the piston in the correct way.

[@seekingtko3146]

There's a hole on the pan and I believe it's available that the position of this vehicle dictates the venting it could be the venting temperature it could be the venting of of barometric pressure but not so much I don't think but I think it's temperature actually 5:50 I think the fans get warm and that's why you need a vent hole you know just make sense to me

[@HIgginFlips]

All of these are good fountain pens. My preppy is about 3 years old now and still working fine except for a loose cap (fixed with some tape on the cap). Careful though, fountain pens can be a great way to burn money quick. (from personal experience lol)

[@AafkeArt]

I'm going to try the Preppy. I get my pens and pencils from Jetpens as well! I really love the Pilot Metropolitain, I think they are amazing quality. i also like the very fine nib. I have put a Plumix nib in one of my Metropolitains as well. And I like the Noodler's Ahab, the Ahab can be taken apart completely and adjusted to your liking. It has a flexible nib. And I have a couple of Jinhao's, which you can also customize with other nibs. They are very heavy metal.

[@marydetray6776]

Also, ink and line variation is considered a GOOD thing with fountain pens, it helps to see the shading in high end inks. 😉

[@ashknoecklein]

I love your channel!

[@stealthbanana]

Have a wee look at Ohto fountain pens. My go to ones have been the Spirit, or the Dude. Very inexpensive and feel great.

[@MarkPMus]

I've often heard TWSBI pronounced "Twizby". It's a bit more expensive over here in the UK (nearer £60 GBP) but still extremely cheap for a piston filler. Hence your experience with the loose filling cap. Normally you'd expect a cartridge/converter filler for that price. Try a Waterman Hemisphere pen for about the same price as the TWSBI.

[@tmf866]

I just thought you might like to know, most people pronounce TWSBI as "twiz-bee". Thanks for the great video! I actually just bought a Pilot MR Retro Pop myself for only $13, but haven't used it yet. Pluses: It's very attractive. Minuses: It doesn't use international standard cartridges.

[@OhShitSeriously]

That’s actually a plus! Pilot cartridges can be refilled and resealed; standard ones can’t.

[@Deckardsvr]

Fran, i wanted to say thank you for the last video about pencils and pens, i've tried the Lamy Safari M and since then it's my favorite fountain pen.

[@turnermorgan1176]

Check out Fahrney’s Pens near Washington DC. Good selection of all kinds of pens. Warning: Very expensive pens in the store, also!

[@michaeldruth]

I greatly enjoy your electronics posts but you really got my attention with this. I learned to write with a fountain pen and just never liked ball points. I have a couple of good pens but they stay home. I carry LAMY Safaris for all my daily writing. Bi don't care for the twsbi either. It is pronounced twiz-bee. I'm definitely a LAMY fan.

[@leewmlee]

The ink in preppy cartridges are normal fountain pen ink. When the cartridge is empty, u can reuse the cartridge by injecting fountain pen ink in it (pls don't use India ink).

[@davebauman4991]

10:13 That's an updated version of Hero brand pen made in China. Probably made under contract through Pilot of Japan. Gonna be a collector's rare item soon.

[@blipco5]

I have a Mont Blanc which is awesome but I haven't used it since the early 90's. I believe it was pricey, a friend gave it to me. I write better with it because it tends to drag on the paper (compared to a roller ball) and controls any erratic hand motion.

[@danrulz98]

Interesting, I never really gave any thought to fountain pens. For a while I was using the Zebra Sarasa Clip pens from Japan, in particular the 0.3mm ones, but 4/5 stopped working after about a month, so I started getting Fisher pressurized (space) pens which have been fantastic. I even gave out Fisher matte black Cap-O-Matic pens as Christmas gifts and my friends really like them. I will give this a try though, I went on Ebay and bought a WingSung 9130 pen (made by Hero in China) and a bottle of Lamy ink (oddly the cheapest coming from a US seller). The 9130 is an $8 pen, so we'll see. If it's terrible I'll consider getting a Lamy pen, since they seem to be going for around $30 now. If you'd like Fran, I don't mind ordering another one of these WingSung pens to send to you to see what you think.

[@TheScottytr6]

Great vid! It would be interesting to see a tear down of of one of those $3 pens to reveal the magic within!

[@peterjpuleo4133]

I have bought three Platinum Preppys. One works well and the other two do not work at all. They will not lay down any ink despite several treatments I have applied.

[@GraemePayne1967Marine]

I bought a 5-pack of the Varsity pens the first time I saw them! Didn't even have to think about it. The first time in 50 years I had seen pens I could afford. And they write well! These Varsity pens have motivated me to improve my penmanship to my 1960's standard. History: I was born in England and had my first two years of education there. The first day of school we started learning to WRITE: cursive, with a dip pen. Yes, with an inkwell on the right front corner of the desk. I'm left handed, so I quickly learned to write with my hand relaxed and below the current line, so I would not smear the wet ink. It actually pains me when I see American lefties writing with their hand hooked up and over the line and trying to write that at. The only thing I can ascribe it to is that maybe they were taught that so they could better copy the strokes of the Palmer method. Probably the biggest shock in my education was when the family emigrated to Canada in 1956, and I was put in school at a forced age-appropriate level, with children beginning to learn to PRINT with stubby pencils on foolscap. Not a good time for me.

[@neilspector9221]

The Metropolitain is a great starter pen. I have 2 of them. But i really like my Lamy the best.

[@joacimwennerberg8310]

Hey Fran! :) Thanks for your knowledge and thoughts about fountain pens. I have never used one( i think). Will order some now. Have a nice week!

[@GordieGii]

Hey Fran, There are at least a couple Fine Writing stores in here in Toronto. (Ontario, Canada) The one I go to is called Laywine's and my son goes to a different one, the name of which escapes me. Laywines.com isn't much of a website but the store is a nice little boutique store, if you are ever in Toronto.

[@panther105]

Had my fountain pen infatuation stage a while ago (ok, 15 years ago in Japan) but they are not designed for left handed people.

[@bookaufman9643]

I'm just wondering where you shop for your pens because I went to look for the pilot preppy and the pilot varsity on Amazon and couldn't find anything less than about 8 bucks for the varsity and a couple bucks more for the preppy. Are there good and cheaper alternatives for a refillable nib pen or maybe not even a refillable if you can get a few of them package together?

[@alexmood6407]

Well spotted that feed is the most important part of the pen. It was last part of the pen that was perfected.

[@mlr6530]

It's called the "Feed"......

[@notrightmeow3357]

I had a Pelican fountain pen that I used at work for eight years. The reason it lasted so long, is because no one wants to borrow (and forget to return) a fountain pen.

[@kuro68000]

The warning is like "do not drink" on western products, only rather than enumerating all the possible dangerous behaviors they cover all bases by saying "writing only".

[@paullacotta5645]

I love cheap fountain pens but I dropped big bucks on a Namiki Emperor and have no regrets. No other pen comes close to the writing experience.