What ball-point pens are we using?

[tiger02]

I was hoping to do it for less than a hundred bucks

 

[Etienne]

Originally Posted by j

I have tried using fountain pens and couldn't get used to it
In France, kids at school use fountain pens, in every school I know (public or private, downtown or suburbs). I always kept the habit.

In general I have a nice fountain pen for my desk at home and I carry four (green, blue, black, red) less expensive ones to work. My "nice" pen is currently a Mont Blanc (lost the previous Waterman one), and my "work set" is currently middle-of-the-line Watermans (I recently lost the set I had kept from high school, made of very cheap pens).

I very seldom use ballpoints or rollerpoints. Mainly to take notes in seminars or conferences if I have somehow forgotten my own pens.

 

[designprofessor]

Originally Posted by Nantucket Red

Just for fun, see if your Montblanc says "Made in West Germany" anywhere on it. They don't make those any more.

What are the other fountain pens? There may be some valuable vintage pieces that can easily be restored.

Parker, Waterman. I'd have to go back and dig 'em up.
I'll check the Mont Blanc. I'm looking at a good fdora also, so I'll be hitting you up for pointers on that as well.

 

[Nantucket Red]

Originally Posted by designprofessor

Parker, Waterman. I'd have to go back and dig 'em up.
I'll check the Mont Blanc. I'm looking at a good fdora also, so I'll be hitting you up for pointers on that as well.

Parker and Waterman are two of America's "big four." The other two are Sheaffer and Wahl-Eversharp. Esterbrook is another name to pay attention to in the vintage sphere. They were inexpensive lever-filled pens in pearl plastic of various colors, had stainless nib and clip, and were built like tanks.

 

[designprofessor]

Originally Posted by designprofessor

Parker, Waterman. I'd have to go back and dig 'em up.
I'll check the Mont Blanc. I'm looking at a good fdora also, so I'll be hitting you up for pointers on that as well.

Well I checked it says Germany (very tiny) along the top band. Where are they made now just out of curiosity?

 

[Nantucket Red]

Originally Posted by designprofessor

Well I checked it says Germany (very tiny) along the top band. Where are they made now just out of curiosity?

Montblancs are still made in Germany AFAIK. I once knew someone who had a Pelikan that was marked "Made in West Germany," which of course dated it to when there was still a West Germany.

 

[Thracozaag]

Originally Posted by tiger02

I was hoping to do it for less than a hundred bucks

Try Ebay or the Fountain Pen Hospital, sometimes you can get lucky.

koji

 

[javyn]

I'm with Bradford as far as fountain pens go. I have tried them at various stages and always end up making the paper and my left hand a big, ink smeared mess. Ballpoints are the neatest/cleanest, but they just don't write that well. The rollerball is the perfect compromise for me, writes well and is just a little messy. Reply to post #1, Kent, I used to use one of those Uniballs you have pictured, it wrote well but the damn things always leaked. I don't know why they make them clear like that on the handle, I guess so you can be warned then when the ink inevitably starts to spill out of that thing. (Hell, the illustration you have of your Pilot is already starting to leak it looks like) Here is a link showing the Mont Blanc refills working in a Pilot G2 pen. I suppose, that means the Pilot G2 refills would work in a Mont Blanc roller....