Fountain pen users, rejoice!

[Scepticalscribe]

There is nothing wrong with Chinese pens in general. If you want something that is high quality (higher than many entry level 'Western' pens), but different in design and colours, then look at the PenBBS range.

As for the old myth of 'copying' designs, then MontBlanc copied the designs of Sheaffer pens and Parker copied elements of early model Waterman pens.

There are several types of IP (Intellectual Property) protection. The three of interest here are Design, Patent and Copyright.

Design refers to the shape of something (like the iconic Lamy Safari). It only lasts 20 years, and cannot be renewed. Consequently a week or so after the Lamy Safari design expired there were a whole heap of cheap imitations that were perfectly legal.

Patent refers to a novel invention, such as a new way of filling a pen, such as a lever fill, crescent fill, converter, piston, vacuum, etc. Patents can be licensed to other entities and can be used by them, but patents also expire, and can then be used by anybody without restriction or cost. Such is the patent for the Pilot Vacuum Filler mechanism and the Mont Blanc screw-in converter.

Copyright refers to a design feature such as a snowflake or arrowhead clip. These stay valid while you pay the fee. Mont Blanc continually keeps the snowflake copyright active, but Parker have given up on the arrowhead clip. You can't use the snowflake without getting into trouble but you can make an arrowhead clip.

There are only so many ways to make a pen, with only a limited number of shapes. Of the several dozen pens I have, only a handful (Parker 5, 51, 75 and 100, Lamy Safari and 2000, PenBBS 323) have elements of originality. Only the Lamy Safari and PenBBS 323 are truly unique, not borrowing elements from previous designs.

I have never had to throw out a Chinese pen because of low quality, but I have disposed of a Skynn 'ergonomic' fountain pen that simply had no intention of ever writing.

I have also thrown out a Parker that was made in India but was also so dreadful I couldn't use it. However, one of my best pens is a hand-made pen from India.

Some of the older, vintage, Chinese pens are a bit dodgy as far as quality, but I have not had any problems with any of the current Jinhao, Kaigelu, Crocodile or Wing Sung pens that I have.

The current Jinhao 82, X350, X850, X159, 9019, Wing Sung 699 (Vacuum Filler and Piston Filler) and Wing Sung 630 (large piston filler) are all excellent pens and well worth your money. I have also heard good things about the Mahjong P136 but I haven't got one yet.

Fascinating post.

I must say that I really love this thread: So interesting, so courteous and respectful in tone and content, so many pleasant people, and always, there is so much to learn.

Wonderful.

 

[DaveFromCampbelltown]

Thanks for throwing in the IP types. But aside that, many of the pens you've come to mention are knock-offs - design wise. And I won't deny having problems with that.

Don't forget to include Parker and Mont Blanc in the knock-off brands, as both copied elements from Sheaffer and Waterman.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Don't forget to include Parker and Mont Blanc in the knock-off brands, as both copied elements from Sheaffer and Waterman.

I had forgotten both Shaeffer and Waterman; my dad had several Shaeffer pens, and I recall that he gave me a couple of them when I expressed a wish to start writing with fountain pens, and I always found them excellent.

Some years later, I treated myself to a Waterman pen or two, but, while they looked beautiful, I must say that I never actually enjoyed the physical act of writing with either of them.

 

[WriteNow]

Waterman pen or two, but, while they looked beautiful, I must say that I never enjoyed actually writing with either of them.

I became aware of Waterman through magazine ads. I remember one that ran around 1990 or so. I can't remember it exactly, but the ad had with a woman talking about all the things she'd given up from her previously exciting and probably lavish life. But she was keeping the Waterman fountain pen, because she needed something thrilling to use to document her boredom. Or something like that.

Fast forward to the late 1990s. I decided to buy a fountain pen. A local stationery store carried a few, including Waterman, at well under $100. Nothing terribly exotic probably, but it would seem exotic to those whose vision of a pen is a 25 cent Bic.

I'm sure I remembered those Waterman ads I'd seen. (It certainly was something i remembered when I bought the Allure.) I was fired up to get a Waterman, at least. But I examined the pens. They didn't have inked demonstrators, but they did let customers handle the pens. And I found I much preferred a Cross they had. I'm not sure I even necessarily knew the name, then. If I did, it certainly wasn't as known a name in my mind as Waterman, let alone Sheaffer (which was the brand that--to that point--had been almost all my fountain pen experience, apart from one vintage Parker desk pen I had.) But I liked what I saw of the Cross, so I got it. It turned out to be a very good pen.

Interestingly, given how much I like Pilot now, I have wondered if the nib on that Cross was a Pilot nib. The pen was made in japan, and I've heard that Pilot provided at least some nibs to Cross.

One might wonder why I got the Allure years later when I passed on Waterman. One factor was the realities of the different eras and different situations. In the late 1990s, I was buying a pen that i knew I'd use a lot. In late 2022, I was in place of thinking: "I don't really write much by hand anymore, and any pen is good enough. But a fountain pen would be fun to have again and use for some stuff like Christmas cards!" The Allure was cheap and I figured would be good enough. Plus...I remembered the ads, and it sort of amused me thinking of getting a thrilling pen to document my boredom as I wrote Christmas cards.

 

[WriteNow]

I tried to find that Waterman ad with no luck. But I think this ad being sold on eBay was probably part of the same campaign.

1990 Waterman Fine Fountain Pen Gilded Gold Vintage Print Advertisement | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1990 Waterman Fine Fountain Pen Gilded Gold Vintage Print Advertisement at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

[WriteNow]

And another ad sold on eBay, similar approach:

1989 Waterman Paris Sterling Silver Fountain Pen Vintage Print Advertisement | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1989 Waterman Paris Sterling Silver Fountain Pen Vintage Print Advertisement at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

[GerritV]

Gorgeous.

Well wear.

I look forward to reading about how they write, and what they feel like in the hand (ergonomically), ease of writing, and so on.

Not really a rollerball person, but I did ink up the fountain pen with Quink black.
The nib has "W GERMANY" engraved in it, so it might be a Jowo or a Bock - but I'm not a nib connaisseur.
I also did some research on Bugitron. They seem to have offered a wide spectrum of products, and fountain pens were just a small part of their business . So the pens might have been outsourced to a third party.

Either way, the writing experience is OK, not WOW but fairly nice for what appears to be an Extra Fine nib.
Well balanced pen (impossible to post the cap), not too heavy and with a comfortable section.

Since both the barrel's thickness and length are ideal for me to hold it loosely and relatively high up (as if it were a brush), I like the pen more for drawing and specifically for hatching and cross-hatching, so that's what I ended up doing the past few days.

Maybe I'll take it with me for outdoors urban sketching in the Summer.

 

[Sunset Cassette]

Oh, I’m rather pleased to find fellow fountain pen users here on this forum.

Please forgive my less than elegant photo, but pictured is my Pilot Vanishing Point decimo with a medium nib, my daily driver at work.

Anyone else have experience with retractable fountain pens such as the Platinum Curidas or the Lamy Dialog lineup?

 

[GerritV]

Oh, I’m rather pleased to find fellow fountain pen users here on this forum.

Please forgive my less than elegant photo, but pictured is my Pilot Vanishing Point decimo with a medium nib, my daily driver at work.

Anyone else have experience with retractable fountain pens such as the Platinum Curidas or the Lamy Dialog lineup?
View attachment 2356643

First of all, welcome to this thread of fountain pen lovers.
Secondly, congratulations on your gorgeous looking Pilot VP. I love its deep blue color.
I once tried a Pilot VP when visiting my stationary shop. Guess it was a <M> as well, very smooth writer indeed and a gusher. But the "upside down" clip hasn't yet grown on me.

 

[GerritV]

What started as a dilemma between the Asvine P36 and the TWSBI Diamond 580 ended in me purchasing a TWSBI VAC700 R. I ordered it online, at a brick and mortar stationary shop not too far from where I live.
The pen was delivered within 24 hours, and came gift wrapped, along with a handwritten "Thank You" note, some candies, and a catalogue. Really a very nice unpacking experience indeed.
This is my first TWSBI, my first vacuum filler and my first #6 nib. Guess I'm in for some fun playtime

Thanks to all who commented on buying Chinese products (or not), but so far I'm happy with my choice.

 

[GerritV]

My wife and I were going through some old cardboard boxes in the cellar, when all of the sudden we found a nice white paper box that looked almost like a MacBook Air box. Inside, wrapped in a black cotton sack, there was this fancy "croc" leather A5 notebook cover from a brand I never heard of, but is still around : Matras (apparently based in Turkey).
This must have been a New Year gift or something from way back when. I thought I'd share our little discovery.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

What started as a dilemma between the Asvine P36 and the TWSBI Diamond 580 ended in me purchasing a TWSBI VAC700 R. I ordered it online, at a brick and mortar stationary shop not too far from where I live.
The pen was delivered within 24 hours, and came gift wrapped, along with a handwritten "Thank You" note, some candies, and a catalogue. Really a very nice unpacking experience indeed.
This is my first TWSBI, my first vacuum filler and my first #6 nib. Guess I'm in for some fun playtime

Thanks to all who commented on buying Chinese products (or not), but so far I'm happy with my choice.

View attachment 2356800

View attachment 2356801

Have you any Japanese fountain pens, paper, or products?

 

[Scepticalscribe]

My wife and I were going through some old cardboard boxes in the cellar, when all of the sudden we found a nice white paper box that looked almost like a MacBook Air box. Inside, wrapped in a black cotton sack, there was this fancy "croc" leather A5 notebook cover from a brand I never heard of, but is still around : Matras (apparently based in Turkey).
This must have been a New Year gift or something from way back when. I thought I'd share our little discovery.

View attachment 2365505

Now, that is absolutely beautiful - simply gorgeous - and is just begging to be used as part of one's life on a regular basis.

 

[GerritV]

Have you any Japanese fountain pens, paper, or products?

I don’ have any Japanese fountain pens, too conservative design for my taste I guess.
As for paper, Midori MD (Japan) is my favorite brand. In both their own notebooks and the Traveler’s C° refills.
And Pilot Iroskizuku Tsuki-Yo (Japan) is my favorite ink.

 

[GerritV]

I don’ have any Japanese fountain pens, too conservative design for my taste I guess.
As for paper, Midori MD (Japan) is my favorite brand. In both their own notebooks and the Traveler’s C° refills.
And Pilot Iroskizuku Tsuki-Yo (Japan) is my favorite ink.

Oops, I must apologize here. I actually do have a Japanese pen: the Traveler's C° Brass Fountain Pen.
But let's admit, that's a different league from the typical Pilot, Platinum, Sailor...

 

[stanza.richi]

Oh, I’m rather pleased to find fellow fountain pen users here on this forum.

Please forgive my less than elegant photo, but pictured is my Pilot Vanishing Point decimo with a medium nib, my daily driver at work.

Anyone else have experience with retractable fountain pens such as the Platinum Curidas or the Lamy Dialog lineup?
View attachment 2356643

You aren’t alone 👍🏻 my actual daily is a Capless Carbonesque Blue!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Oh, I’m rather pleased to find fellow fountain pen users here on this forum.

Please forgive my less than elegant photo, but pictured is my Pilot Vanishing Point decimo with a medium nib, my daily driver at work.

Anyone else have experience with retractable fountain pens such as the Platinum Curidas or the Lamy Dialog lineup?
View attachment 2356643

May I join with @GerritV in extending a warm welcome to you.

I am delighted that you have discovered this quite lovely thread of fountain pen lovers, some of whom have considerable expertise on the subject and who have been wonderfully generous sharing their knowledge (and experience) with the rest of us.

Please feel free to join us with any thoughts, comments, questions, queries that occur to you.