My story is in fact quite interesting. I was fortunate to have a British education in Egypt where the use of fountain pens was mandated for all subjects. As children luxury pens were not allowed so we all had Chinese our folks bought at any store that held stationary. We never had problems of skipping or railroading, but for my teenage mind, the next stage in life involved only ballpoints as an "emotional graduation". About five years ago I began to commemorate happy occasions with higher end pens and hence Parker came to my life. I still have this beautiful Sonnet in blue lacquer then came the Fougere Mistral in silver barleycorn guilloche pattern. I fell in love so much that by some intuition decided to begin a new journey with fountain pens. I didn't need any rite of passage and immediately opted for a Leonardo Zero Grande Mosaico Hawaii with a 14K nib. I cannot describe the joy upon receiving it in a beautiful box and since then have never looked back. I thank my school.
I started with a 20 dollar Amazon pen. It wasn’t great but good enough to get me hooked. Got into them abut a month ago. Since then I’ve gotten a Wordsworth and black, 6 jinhao shark pens, 8 jinhao lamy knockoffs, a Picasso 916, a diplomat magnum, a lamy al-star, and I JUST ordered the TWSBI vac 700r and I CAN NOT wait for that pen and the inkwell to get here.
Very nice! That’s quite the collection already! I find you get curious as to what else is out there and how they write. The TWSBI Vac 700R is an amazing pen. One of my favorites. All the best!
Ha! It's sustainable to own 60 or 70 if they are vintage😉. Seriously though, my distaste for throwaway culture was a big reason I got into them. Now I want to get into rebuilding them and turning things that might have been thrown away into antiques. I'm a Pilot fan as well. I love my 912 with the FA (falcon) flex nib. Also have a twsbi diamond 580 with a stub nib. I noticed how great the stub nib on it was too.
I feel a bit guilty about that. It is not sustainable when you have so many. One TWSBI could last 100 years. At least they are in good care. It is a fun hobby too. All the best!
Jinhoa's are an excellent value but they are not uncommon to need some adjustments new... This is no problem if you know how to make those adjustments. For me learning how to make those adjustments will help you in your future life with fountain pens.
lol it’s cheap in beginning but after get your first pen, the hobby starts getting expensive 😅. First fountain pen was a LAMY Safari and my daily use is either a Pilot Vanishing point fermo or the LAMY Scala.
I think the Parker Jotter (new model) is a nice little pen, it's smooth, fairly wet and has an ageless design and it costs less than 15$. I already have 2 of them and both are really good.
I started with the parker im then I upgraded after loving it to a parker sonnet Premier which is like a top of the line sonnet and I love it even more.
My first fountain pen was a Platinum Preppy. I had no idea writing could be a whole *experience* and for only about $10 too! It really started me on this journey, soon after I got a TWSBI Eco-T and have gone further and further down the pen and stationery rabbit hole since then.
My first pick for a starter fountain pen as a gift to someone is the Majohn A1, given that you can do some nib alignment tunning and smoothing to compensate for the poor QC. Probably one of the best bang for the buck for a click retractable fountain pen. Although it is slightly heavy. For a starter fountain pen to buy for yourself, I'd say pilot kakuno.😜 Personally, I started with a Lamy al-star, which was gifted to me. I wanted to love it but I hated the grip😅
I love all your fountain pen information. Thank you. I see from your insignia that you are in Maine? Are there any brick and mortar pen stores up here where someone can try a pen before buying? I mean, closer than Appelboom in Boston?
Eric, thank you for the kind comment. I am appreciate it very much. Sorry to disappoint, but the shirt is from Maine; LL Bean to be precise while its wearer is in Massachusetts. Appleboom is the only brick and mortar pen store I know. I so miss Bromfield!
My thought with this video is to get people into fountain pens as soon and as cheap as possible. The problem with Jinhaso, as you probably know, is that some of them are great and others, not so much, and the finish is just OK. But, they do work and are a better option than a Bic pen. Take care.
I think that was a Jinhao X450 in the video and not the X750. I like the X450 and keep one in my drawer at work. My favourite low cost pen at the moment is a Hongdian 1841. I consider it to be very well made and writes beautifully. I dislike the Lamy Safari design. The Pilot Metropolitan has an uncomfortable 'step up' between section and barrel. I like the Kaweco Sport Classic and the TWSBI Eco. I think the Hongdian 1841 would make an excellent 'starter' pen. It's comfortable to hold and has a nice wet nib unlike some Chinese offerings. The quality of the plastic is pretty decent too.
You’re right of course. I am forever doing that with this one. I cannot keep the model straight. I’ll have to try that Hongdian. My wife has one of those highly decorated Hero pens in yellow that is awesome.
@@HemingwayJones I was swayed into buying the 1841 by Doug Rathbun who has an excellent review of the pen on CZcams. You may wish to watch his take on the pen. It can be bought with either a gold or steel nib. Mine is the steel nib. Also it seems to come in black or red. I chose the red and it looks really nice.
My story is in fact quite interesting. I was fortunate to have a British education in Egypt where the use of fountain pens was mandated for all subjects. As children luxury pens were not allowed so we all had Chinese our folks bought at any store that held stationary. We never had problems of skipping or railroading, but for my teenage mind, the next stage in life involved only ballpoints as an "emotional graduation".
About five years ago I began to commemorate happy occasions with higher end pens and hence Parker came to my life. I still have this beautiful Sonnet in blue lacquer then came the Fougere Mistral in silver barleycorn guilloche pattern. I fell in love so much that by some intuition decided to begin a new journey with fountain pens. I didn't need any rite of passage and immediately opted for a Leonardo Zero Grande Mosaico Hawaii with a 14K nib. I cannot describe the joy upon receiving it in a beautiful box and since then have never looked back. I thank my school.
Hello Gihan,
What an amazing pen journey! Love it. Thanks so much for watching!
I started with a 20 dollar Amazon pen. It wasn’t great but good enough to get me hooked. Got into them abut a month ago. Since then I’ve gotten a Wordsworth and black, 6 jinhao shark pens, 8 jinhao lamy knockoffs, a Picasso 916, a diplomat magnum, a lamy al-star, and I JUST ordered the TWSBI vac 700r and I CAN NOT wait for that pen and the inkwell to get here.
Very nice! That’s quite the collection already! I find you get curious as to what else is out there and how they write. The TWSBI Vac 700R is an amazing pen. One of my favorites. All the best!
Ha! It's sustainable to own 60 or 70 if they are vintage😉. Seriously though, my distaste for throwaway culture was a big reason I got into them. Now I want to get into rebuilding them and turning things that might have been thrown away into antiques.
I'm a Pilot fan as well. I love my 912 with the FA (falcon) flex nib. Also have a twsbi diamond 580 with a stub nib. I noticed how great the stub nib on it was too.
I feel a bit guilty about that. It is not sustainable when you have so many. One TWSBI could last 100 years. At least they are in good care. It is a fun hobby too. All the best!
Thank you for mentioning left handed writers, I appreciate that.
Sure! That’s very important!
@@HemingwayJones Thank you for replying. Cheers.
Jinhoa's are an excellent value but they are not uncommon to need some adjustments new... This is no problem if you know how to make those adjustments. For me learning how to make those adjustments will help you in your future life with fountain pens.
lol it’s cheap in beginning but after get your first pen, the hobby starts getting expensive 😅. First fountain pen was a LAMY Safari and my daily use is either a Pilot Vanishing point fermo or the LAMY Scala.
That is very true! 😂
I think the Parker Jotter (new model) is a nice little pen, it's smooth, fairly wet and has an ageless design and it costs less than 15$. I already have 2 of them and both are really good.
You know, I should pick one up. Maybe I’ll do something with it for the channel. Thanks!
That was my first fountain pen! I still have it 15 years later and it’s still one of my favorite.
Wow Bloody Great video 📹
Thank you! You are too kind.
I started with the parker im then I upgraded after loving it to a parker sonnet Premier which is like a top of the line sonnet and I love it even more.
That sounds awesome. Those are some great pens. All the best.
My first fountain pen was a Platinum Preppy. I had no idea writing could be a whole *experience* and for only about $10 too! It really started me on this journey, soon after I got a TWSBI Eco-T and have gone further and further down the pen and stationery rabbit hole since then.
What is the line from Lawrence of Arabia? Big things have small beginnings!
My first pick for a starter fountain pen as a gift to someone is the Majohn A1, given that you can do some nib alignment tunning and smoothing to compensate for the poor QC. Probably one of the best bang for the buck for a click retractable fountain pen. Although it is slightly heavy. For a starter fountain pen to buy for yourself, I'd say pilot kakuno.😜
Personally, I started with a Lamy al-star, which was gifted to me. I wanted to love it but I hated the grip😅
Kakuno is so cute! Love that one! Thanks for the comment!
Lamy all day every day I will recommend this pen until I die
I love love your passion! Thank you,.
I love all your fountain pen information. Thank you. I see from your insignia that you are in Maine? Are there any brick and mortar pen stores up here where someone can try a pen before buying? I mean, closer than Appelboom in Boston?
Eric, thank you for the kind comment. I am appreciate it very much. Sorry to disappoint, but the shirt is from Maine; LL Bean to be precise while its wearer is in Massachusetts. Appleboom is the only brick and mortar pen store I know. I so miss Bromfield!
Me, who already has a vanishing point and Lamy 2000:
hmm. interesting
Nice!
Good price point, but still surprised to see a Jinhao on the list! They’re very nice looking pens for sure.
My thought with this video is to get people into fountain pens as soon and as cheap as possible. The problem with Jinhaso, as you probably know, is that some of them are great and others, not so much, and the finish is just OK. But, they do work and are a better option than a Bic pen. Take care.
I think that was a Jinhao X450 in the video and not the X750. I like the X450 and keep one in my drawer at work. My favourite low cost pen at the moment is a Hongdian 1841. I consider it to be very well made and writes beautifully. I dislike the Lamy Safari design. The Pilot Metropolitan has an uncomfortable 'step up' between section and barrel. I like the Kaweco Sport Classic and the TWSBI Eco. I think the Hongdian 1841 would make an excellent 'starter' pen. It's comfortable to hold and has a nice wet nib unlike some Chinese offerings. The quality of the plastic is pretty decent too.
You’re right of course. I am forever doing that with this one. I cannot keep the model straight. I’ll have to try that Hongdian. My wife has one of those highly decorated Hero pens in yellow that is awesome.
@@HemingwayJones I was swayed into buying the 1841 by Doug Rathbun who has an excellent review of the pen on CZcams. You may wish to watch his take on the pen. It can be bought with either a gold or steel nib. Mine is the steel nib. Also it seems to come in black or red. I chose the red and it looks really nice.
@@HemingwayJones I am curious about the Hero pen belonging to your wife. Do you know the model number?
@@davidanderson3425 I don’t. It’s lovely though. It’s in a nice case. I posted about it over at TikTok.