Just finished an interesting morning at Parker Pen. Very helpful folks there; everyone wanted to get a look at the pen in Fred's pocket. As these were the same people who repair all the Parker pens they were very helpful. The consensus was that the pen is a "Vacumatic" (apparently spelled several ways) and I will prepare a report on the models of pens available at that time, as well as the measurements. Look for it next week.

I am about to fly out to Europe for a while and am bringing some pens with me (of course) . I know that most ink rollerballs and fountain pens like to leak but do felt tip pens? I'd like to do some drawing during the flights and it would suck if my pens started getting all drooly.

Yes, gel pens work fine. Smile My Micron pens were just fine on a plane trip, too.

Actually, I haven't had a pen leak on me on a plane yet, but I haven't brought any fountain pens on board, since those are known to drool.

Keeping the pen empty is an obvious way to avoid leaking; keeping it full is because most people say air pressure won't act as harshly on the ink as it will in the air. But when a fountain pen leaks on the plane, it's because the increased pressure in the reservoir is forcing the ink out of the pen. This means that even a completely full fountain pen can flood if there's a sharp increase in air pressure/turbulence, so it's best to leave it empty if you have the choice.

If I have to travel with my fountain pens full, I usually put them in a tissue and then in a ziplog bag to put inside my bag just in case. I've been lucky enough not to have anything leak on me, even if it was only half-full. But it has nothing to do with the quality, I've heard the chances of a very good pen leaking are as great as a cheaper fountain pen.

That's about the long and short of it. I fly a lot and have only had one pen consistently leak-- a vintage Parker 51... oddly, that was the one pen everyone said I would have no problem with.

With fountain pens, you have to either fill the pen completely or leave it totally empty to make sure pressure changes won't cause the pen to leak.

Also, you should always keep your pens facing up. And take caps off of suspect pens that might be susceptible to air pressure changes.

I just got the Petit fountain pens from Parker writing company! I'm just wondering, what is the correct way to write with them? Is the metal part supposed to face up, sideways, or down? I tried writing all these different ways and each has a different effect.

If I write with the metal side facing down, it is more scratchy, but also makes a finer point. If I write with metal side facing up, then it's smoother, but also a bolder line. I LOVE these pens! I don't want to write wrong and break them.

The "proper way" is metal side facing up (for the smoother writing). I don't know if it harms the nib or not, but I've seen even fountain pen gurus use them upside down for a different effect.

Generally, the correct way to write with a fountain pen is with the metal part of the nib up. But some pens will write when flipped over- some are even designed to do that so that you can in effect get two nibs in one. There are also some Japanese nibs that vary widely depending onthe angle. I had a great little Japanese "fun pen" that I have since lost which went from xtra-fine to VERY broad depending on the angle.

I have many pens, and I don't really use all of them every month, especially old ones. Some of them strangely spoil when I do a pen test once every two months...

Once I had this New Pastel set and they all sort of dried up at the same time.

Then I had this Pilot V-Pen and the nib sort of clogged up after not using it for about 3 weeks. How should I store these pens properly, and how to increase their 'Life'?

Don't store them upright. Also, a touch of rubbing alcohol rubbed on the point with a q-tip will often free up the flow again.

I've had very little problems of regular pens spoiling. Only some markers dry up after time, but that's a very long time since I've had those markers.

I just store my pens flat in a plastic shoe box or some pencil bag. They don't require any very special care at all. Just don't expose them to direct sunlight or heat which might dry them I guess.

Care and maintenance are important to keep any pen a “good writer.” Here are a few points to remember:

1. Never leave a pen filled and unused for more than a couple days.

2. When not in use, place the pen in a nib up position or at angle where ink leaves the nib. (Do not store roller ball or gel ink pens in point up mode or be prepared to buy a new refill.)
3. If the pen is to be stored, thoroughly clean it and ensure all ink is drained from the nib and reservoir.

4. Always use first quality fountain pen ink. (Never India ink or technical fountain pen ink). Generally, the age of the stock is not a concern.

Cleaning is always a good idea and there are some proven techniques to help. Any pen left unused several weeks with ink in it is likely to become clogged, to one extent or another. A partial blockage can be indicated by gaps in ink flow to the paper. Soaking in lukewarm water will loosen the clog adequately for a flow of water to further help eliminate it. I have a small, deep bowl I’ve adopted for this purpose. A slow stream of water seems to help and also keeps the water clear so you can better see what’s going on. This approach works well for nibs that are standalone, meaning they use a cartridge or converter. For piston fillers it gets a bit more complicated. Soaking the nib should free the clog adequately to get some flow to the reservoir. During soaking you might want to use the slow stream of water to assist. If this doesn’t work, it’s a trip to the pen repair nearest you. I don’t use ammonia or other chemicals to free a clogged pen, some people do. My only venture in this area is to add a little mild soap to the water, mix thoroughly, swirl the nib around in it a little, then let it soak.

Rotring had a very nice fountain pen cleaning container out a few years ago, designed for technical fountain pens but I removed the basket to adapt it to other pens too. It works nicely if you can find one. Alternatively, a small jar or plastic container with a sealing top will serve the purpose. If you use one of these containers and want to agitate the water some it helps, but don’t get too active about it. Just a nice gentle turning motion to move the nib through the water (or vice versa).

I generally rotate my pens, keeping two or three active at one time. Remember though, I use the pens daily. When they have been cycled through, I clean them and put them in their appropriate place in the cases. The pens with sterling silver barrel and cap require more attention and polishing, but all the materials benefit from care. A jeweler’s rouge cloth works well. They are offered by some of the pen sites at a reasonable price.

I am bereft. I wanted to recommend a writing pen to someone, so dug out my favorite cheap one — a Berol Fontaine — and then went looking for a source on the web.

Doesn’t exist. So not only can I not only not suggest it to someone else, I must face the end of my relationship (something like ten years old) with this charming pen.

And then, adding insult to injury, I discovered that Berol purchased the Osmiroid company. From my days at Reed, that was the calligraphy pen; now I see that most models have been canceled.

Do any of you in Europe or elsewhere have sources for these fountain pens?

I think several European manufacturers still make cheap fountain pens with a range of nibs for calligraphy, but at the moment I can't remember their names. The names Stadler and Swan occur to me, but I don't think the one I threw away (it was worn out) came from either.

Ballpoints and their many variants seem to be universal these days, but are the enemies of decent writing.

Try the names I have suggested by searching for a non-American domain (e.g. co.uk or de).

The Berol Fontaine, however, is a cheap but wonderful-writing plain fountain pen, meant to be used and thrown away. I suspect I bought it in Paris, perhaps ten years ago, used it for a while, and then set it aside. I was a little surprised that it still wrote when I noticed it recently, but it is now drying up, and the model seems to have disappeared.

That was a suggestion going back to my schooldays. Another suggestion, going back to my children's schooldays in Germany, is Pelikan (a very old manufacturer), which I've now remembered was the maker of my old 'calligraphic' pen set, which was very like the set offered by Osmiroid at $11.97. Osmiroid is now made in China, by the way.

Berol is known to me only as a maker of fiber pens; it does offer an 'italic' fibre pen, but that doesn't give the variable spread that you get with a split nib; it may be what you mean though.

That was a suggestion going back to my schooldays. Another suggestion, going back to my children's schooldays in Germany, is Pelikan (a very old manufacturer), which I've now remembered was the maker of my old 'calligraphic' pen set, which was very like the set offered by Osmiroid at $12.95. Osmiroid is now made in China, by the way.

Berol is known to me only as a maker of fiber pens; it does offer an 'italic' fiber pen, but that doesn't give the variable spread that you get with a split nib; it may be what you mean though. Pelikan is sold here at art supply stores — I have many of their pens, including flat-nibbed styles.

Osmiroid was acquired by Berol. And the Berol pen I have (and want more of) is, as I said, a fountain pen — not a felt-tipped or other modern sort of thing. It may also be as dead as the dodo, alas.

I use a Waterman fountain pen - in UK we have Parker, Scheffer and the expensive Mont Blanc pens.

All the talk of pens brought back childhood memories of inky fingers and blots: I am left-handed, and for many years had a "real" Osmiroid refillable pen in silver pearly plastic, with a left-handed italic nib, which has a 45 degree angle in it to try and counteract the inherent awkwardness of pushing the nib instead of pulling it. You'd never think so seeing my crabbed scrawl today, but I used to win prizes for my immaculate italic handwriting in my youth. Years of keyboarding and slight arthritis have put paid to that !

I use a Waterman fountain pen - in UK we have Parker, Scheffer and the expensive Mont Blanc. Montblanc sure is expensive (we have those here too), and I was never able to persuade myself they were worth the money (to me, I mean).

We also have Parker and Schaefer (I think those are American brands, or were, back in the day when countries produced most of their own goods). And I have three Watermans I like, all acquired in France. I suppose someone here must sell them, but in Paris they are like low-hanging fruit, dangling in front of me wherever I go!

Waterman was the chap that invented fountain pens, but the company he founded in England is now owned by Gilette, as is Parker and Rotring.

Years of keyboarding and slight arthritis have put paid to that !Same here! I used to get lots of praise for my handwriting as a schoolchild, but can now barely sign my name. My mother, who is almost totally blind with immaculate degeneration still has a beautiful signature and legible handwriting, and my father, who had Alzheimer's, could still sign credit card vouchers legibly until the time he had to be institutionalized, fairly late in the progression of the disease. I've always favored Rotring fountain pens as being well made - though not necessarilly cheap.

Do any of you in Europe or elsewhere have sources for (Berol Fontaine) pens?

I have had a bunch of these (5 blue, 8 black) in my desk for years. I think I ordered them because I liked the Pilot disposables when I was in Japan, and the Berols were the only ones available in our stationery catalog. I can't remember why I stopped using them. If your address hasn't changed since the last time I sent you something (about six years ago), I'll send these, too.

I have had a bunch of these (5 blue, 8 black) in my desk for years. I think I ordered them because I liked the Pilot disposables when I was in Japan, and the Berols were the only ones available in our stationery catalog. I can't remember why I stopped using them. If your address hasn't changed since the last time I sent you something (about six years ago), I'll send these, too.My address has changed. I’ll send the new one to you.

It is difficult to see why you don't invest in a small bottle of ink then, or if you want to keep it simple, why you don't add to that a ordinary dip pen (though then you might really be scratching around for a supplier).Maybe it would make things clearer if I explain that I have thousands of pens, all types: fountain pens (calligraphy, writing, drawing, ruling), stick pens, with nibs for show card lettering, calligraphy, drawing, and writing), bamboo drawing pens, goose quill pens (very hard to use), felt-tipped pens of all sorts, and more.

This particular pen, however, is a nice sketcher and decent writer — and happens to be disposable, which means the ink is sealed up inside, so I can throw it into my handbag without fear of a leak. I want more, but cannot have them. The Pilot disposable, to my recollection, is much less wonderful, but I guess that’s all there is for now.

The Pilot disposable is okay; the unavailable Berol Fontaine is wonderful. But that’s always the way: the one you want is the one you cannot have!

I wonder if the modern Osmiroids even have left-handed nibs as an option. They must, I suppose — there are enough calligraphers around to support that, especially as they already have the tooling.

My handwriting is also pathetic now; some days I can scarcely sign my name legibly! But I still try, and when thinking about typefaces, like to start with pen-written characters. Helps keep the computer in its place!

Still not looking for calligraphy pens though — I just want my simple fountain pen, one that doesn’t leak, that writes (and draws) smoothly, and doesn’t call for any fuss.

A little while ago a supplier sent me a Rotring Core fountain pen as recompense for a delayed order. It looks a little odd but is superb to use and very comfortable to use. It's quite chunky and that makes it easy to grip -- in fact it's the most comfortable pen I've ever used.

It's not designed to be disposable. Though rich people might treat it as such the rest of us would use standard ink cartridges.

A little while ago a supplier sent me a Rotring Core fountain pen as recompense for a delayed order. It looks a little odd but is superb to use and very comfortable to use. It's quite chunky and that makes it easy to grip -- in fact it's the most comfortable pen I've ever used.

It's not designed to be disposable. Though rich people might treat it as such the rest of us would use standard ink cartridges.

Fountain pens make great gifts. They're personal, stylish and fun, not to mention very useful in everyday life.

There are so many fine pens to choose from, and you can guarantee personalization by having them engraved. However, because there are a lot of options, choosing the "right" pen for that special person on your gift list can be intimidating. Here are some tips for making it easy and enjoyable instead.

1: Focus on the other person's preferences, not your own.
If you like the same things, you've got it made. But that's usually not the case. Put yourself in the other person's shoes and you're off to a good start.

2: Decide how much you want to spend.
This can help you narrow the field and not get too distracted. But give yourself a reasonable range so you'll still have plenty of choices. Sometimes a slightly more expensive writing instrument will make a big difference in quality, performance and appearance.

3: Evaluate a handwriting sample of the person.
This is especially helpful if you're going to pick out a fountain pen. And it's easier than it may sound. For instance, a fine nib is your best bet for smaller writing or writing that has slimmer lines. On the other hand, a medium to broad sized nib works well for writing that's larger and darker. If the sample wasn't written with a fountain pen, it will either confirm or change the decision you made as a result of Tip #2.

4: What type of writing instrument?
There are four choices: Fountain Pen, Ball Point Pen, Roller ball Pen and Mechanical Pencil. What type is used as an everyday writing instrument? How about for special occasions like signing documents or writing personal correspondence? What is his or her profession? Answering these questions will help you determine the type.

5: What's the person's style?
Is he or she traditional, a trend setter or somewhere in between? Get your clues from personal or business attire, accessories such as watches, jewelry and eyewear, even what the person drives. These answers will help you pick a pen brand, finish, color and more, until you've made your final selection.

A fountain pen is a pen that has a reservoir of water-based ink. Like something forbidden, has the thought of owning a fountain pen left you feeling like you were out of your league? Captivated by the art of writing, the type of pencil or pen you use makes a tremendous impact on your penmanship. Are you intrigued by the classic elegance of artistic, well engineered fountain pens that can seduce, as well as intimidate you at the same time?

Today the fountain pen is not used as much anymore with the creation of the Bic pen and the pens that come with ink in them and when they run out, you simply throw them away and use another. It was not until the early 1920s that fountain pen improvements not only gained in popularity but also in reliability.

The first mention of fountain pen can be traced to the Egyptians. If you take good care of your fountain pen, it will last you a lifetime.

There are two techniques that allowed fountain pens to be self-sufficient: The lever filler and the button filler. If traveling by plane, it is a general rule to follow with fountain pens to fill or empty them completely and keep them stored in vertical position with the point upward.

When not using the pen, keep it stored vertically with point upward to prevent ink from settling in and clogging the feed. When ink doesn’t flow properly, the gap between the tines should be checked and cleaned with a razor blade. Pen cases are available in the shape of an easel, upright-standing frames, cheroot box-like cases with transparent glass tops, cups and many more.

Pen cases are made of wood, leather, metal and glass with detailed attention to aesthetics. Fountain Pen innovators created filling systems that gave optimum performance in their reservoir designs. International cartridges of all makes can be used in some fountain pens, while others accept only cartridges of their own brand.

The progression of writing apparatuses has taken a profound leap of success since the quill pen. The eyedropper filler ink pens have the maximum capacity to hold ink, with the least capacity attributed to the piston refills pens.

Most fountain pen seekers take a stroll through eBay looking for great deals. However, one secret to huge bargains are fountain pens up for an auction that are spelled wrong. There are a lot of people that have no clue what that fancy pen they found at home or inherited is worth, so they put it on eBay.

Many people misspell words. They wonder why there are no bids. Here's why . . . the item does not show up in eBay searches . . . nobody knows it's there. Many times you could be the only bidder.

You can find numerous "eBay Misspelling Tools" available online.

People have no idea what they are actually offering, not only do they misspell the name, they haven't a clue how to describe the fountain pen or take a compelling photo. It's recommended that you email the seller any question you might have.

However, make sure the pen has at least one bid (preferably yours) on it . . . before you tip off the seller that they actually have a fountain pen of substantial worth up for an auction. Once a bid has been made, the seller cannot change the price or description of that item.

You can find many of these pens in great condition, minimal brassing, clean and correct nib, a lever box in great shape, etc.

There is 'safe trading' advice offered by eBay that you should take to heart. By reading this advice you will be able to eliminate the anxiety of buying a product you can't personally check out, while buying it from some stranger.

Warning: there are a lot of fake fountain pens up for an auction on eBay. Do you know how to spot one?

- Does it have a serial number?
- Where should the serial number appear on the fountain pen?
- Is the country of origin spelled correctly?
- Name of a manufacturer spelled correctly?

If you are still unsure on what you are looking for, there are many fountain pen forums online. These experts will be more than happy to answer any question you might have, just type in "Fountain Pen Forums" into any search box and then look around.

Not only should you be aware of fake pens, but be aware of bidder scams. Although rare in fountain pen auctions, it still happens. This type of scam is run by one person in control of two eBay accounts or two people with separate accounts. One eBay account will place a small bid on your fountain pen. Then another eBay account will place a very high bid. Right before your fountain pen auction is about to close, the high bidder will cancel or withdraw their bid, leaving the low bid as the winner. Setting a "reserve price" on your fountain pen will avoid this scam.

Hopefully, this information is beneficial to you in your quest to find a great bargain and not get taken when shopping for fountain pens at the world's largest flea market.

So, you're not happy with your pen, eh? Or perhaps you thought that Parker in the window was the perfect one until it tossed its cookies at the very moment when you were signing that special contract. Either way, you seem to have come to the right place. Here is what to look for when choosing a fountain pen.

Size: A big barrel alleviates pressure on the fingers (read: you don't have to grip the barrel as tightly), but if you have small fingers, a big barrel will feel awkward.

Weight: Most of us like the initial feel of a heavy barrel, but if you are planning to write for a prolonged time, the extra weight will tire you faster.

Filling device: Most modern pens can be filled with converters / cartridges. This is great, as it seriously decreases the time taken to fill a pen. If you have difficulty in filling your fountain pen, click here.

Nib Type: People with small handwriting should choose a fine nib. People like bold writing should choose a medium nib. As broad nibs are difficult to find, I won't comment on these. You should basically balance the advantages of a nib with its disadvantages. A fine nib is not as smooth as a medium nib, but creates a finer line.

Remember these tips and you will get yourself a great fountain pen!

My grandfather was a R&D for Parker back in the 50s through 70s. He actually left all his pens to my father, but he gave me a few(about 50), the one I really hope my father gives me is the prototype Parker Space Fountain Pen. The actual pen used by astronauts is made by Fisher, and uses an internally pressurized ink well to write in Zero g, but when the space race was just starting up NASA held a bidding war among pen companies. Parker's engineers knew they needed a pressurized well but at the time couldn't make one. So they developed a small thumb pump that would be manually pumped to pressurize the well before writing. I guess NASA thought it was too much for their astronauts to pump the pen so they turned down the bid. A couple of years latter Fisher submitted their design and it was ultimately accepted.

Parker is still my favourite. My school insisted that we should use fountain pens, not ballpoint or rollerballs or any of that nonsense. I probably went through a dozen different makes of fountain pens before I settled on a Parker Frontier, which has been serving me well for several years now (I don't think they're being made any more though).

I've always found that when writing on paper, the only choice that feels right is a fountain pen. Ballpoints seem to skitter across the page uncomfortably, but you get a nice feeling of traction and flow with fountain pens.
Any one who doesn't carve their own quill pens using feathers from an ostrich they raised themselves has never actually written.
I like nice pens, but usually stick with whatever ball point is on my desk. I'm not sure I agree that ballpoints skitter across the page, but that's just me.
I collect fountain pens and focus mostly on Parkers. Of the ones in my collection, my personal favorite is the L'etalon.
How is this different from keyboards? Professionals who write a whole lot tend to buy good pens (ie. doctors and lawyers). Professionals who type a whole lot are more likely to buy decent keyboards rather than the $2 mush clone PC keyboard. Doesn't conceptually sound that different other than a keyboard doesn't need refills.
Now, Miguel, don't look askance on a nice gel, they write smooth as supermodel-skin and can be had in quantity cheap as Superfund-site dirt. But I'm lucky, in that the company I work for contracts Parker to manufacture our corporate leave-behind pens (nice thick twist-barrells with a rubber grip and brass accoutrements) that I steal mercilessly from HQ and use almost exclusively. They are a nice massy ballpoint, with a distinct heft and solid, conservative semi-gloss black ink - not a smear in a case. I typically carry two at all times, one to write with, the other to offer to damsels-in-distress or colleagues-fumbling-for-crappy-bics as necessary. Email me a dropstop and I'll send you one :)

At my desk, I also employ a selection of Sharpies, black blue and red, for day to day markups.
I can't remember the last time I handwrote more than a paragraph in a sitting.

I enjoy a good pen, but convenience far outweighs any other factor. I have a $60 Lamy, but I prefer to use something I'm not afraid to lose. Being left-handed, though, it is very important to me that the ink dry very quickly. I'm not one of those lefties that wraps the hand around to fake being a righty. I'll be pushing my hand through the ink just after I write it.

If it is an ink that is going to smear, it isn't a pen I'm going to use (which rules out most of the really expensive, nice pens). Further, I find 90% of fountain pens to be so thick that they are completely uncomfortable to hold for more than a couple minutes.
Right-handers have no idea what we lefties go through. Which reminded me of another Spenglerian sign of decay: 20 years ago, all manufacturers (even the good cheap ones, like the marvellous Osmiroid) had left-hand nibs readily available. Now it's almost an extinct industry...

I solve the ink-drying problem by huffing and waving and not minding looking like an idiot, btw. I also have permanently inked-in hands, like manipular tatoos, of course.

I'm not one of those lefties that wraps the hand around to fake being a righty

Fountain Pen Terms you may not know
Pen Terms:

Ink supply:
Reservoir: area within the pen which holds the ink.
Built-in-piston: installed device to draw the ink into the
reservoir.
Converter: removable piston attached to the feed.
Cartridges: disposable, pre-filled ink containers
which attach to the feed.

Fountain Pen Body:

Nib: actual writing tip of the fountain pen; usually has two equal sides
[tines] separated by a slit.
-sizes: fine, medium, broad/wide
-tip is usually rounded and made of gold flexible,
softer]or of iridium [more durable, harder].
-nib may have an angle [oblique nib and reverse oblique];
good for left-handed people if you “push”, use the oblique
nib and if you “pull” your pen, use the reverse oblique.

Feed Unit: located underneath the nib.
-regulates the flow of ink from the reservoir.
-usually made of hard rubber [vulcanized] and usually has
multiple grooves to increase the surface area and
decreasing the chance that ink would flood the pen.

Barrel: the largest part of the body and it will hold the reservoir
and does connect to the nib.