pens

[NYCfixie]

Where do you think I got my Lamy stuff (LPS = Bromfield Pen)?

Ask for Anton....he is not the service person but he has been so helpful as I got back into it. The service person is there M-F. PM me for more contact info.

And, do not forget to stop at Falafel King for lunch or dinner.

When my father died back in 2012, I inherited this Sheaffer Targa 1020 Imperial brass fountain pen with a 14k/585 nib, complete with matching brass case and cartridge holder. I believe I purchased it in 1986 at Bromfield Pen in Boston. They're actually still in business (and still on Bromfield Street) so I might swing by to get this pen back in working order. I don't think my father used the pen all that much and after a year or two it got filed away.

[giordana93]

When my father died back in 2012, I inherited this Sheaffer Targa 1020 Imperial brass fountain pen with a 14k/585 nib, complete with matching brass case and cartridge holder. I believe I purchased it in 1986 at Bromfield Pen in Boston. They're actually still in business (and still on Bromfield Street) so I might swing by to get this pen back in working order. I don't think my father used the pen all that much and after a year or two it got filed away.

don't know if you've gone by the shop yet, but it's very unlikely the pen needs any kind of attention. iirc the Targa was a cartridge/converter so no internal sacs or filling mechanisms that would need any service. You might want to drop the nib into some good clean water (preferably distilled, but tap is probably fine too) to dissolve and flush out any dried up ink, but that's all it should need. Let it dry and just pop in a new cartridge or fill a converter. of course it would still be nice to go by the shop to find some fresh cartridges or bottled ink, maybe a converter if you don't have one yet, but the Targa was a nice smooth pen out the box and pretty foolproof. those inlaid gold nibs were beautiful smooth writers

[andrew flowers]

i think a lot of people overstate the amount of effort you need to put into maintaining things

just rinse the pen every once and while

buy something not shit, treat is not like shit, and it will work like not shit

[NYCfixie]

A few more additions...

Lamy 2000 ballpoint (to go with the rollerball I already have)




Lamy Studio - brushed stainless - rollerball and ballpoint

[andrew flowers]

2000 is a really good fountainpen for the money- arguably the best

no idea about anything else they do. Roller/ballpoint for me are throwaway pens I use for work

[NYCfixie]

...Roller/ballpoint for me are throwaway pens I use for work...

I would agree with you if you are talking about cheap/crappy plastic bic/papermate/pilot rollerball and ballpoint pens.

A rollerball such as the Lamy 2000 is as good, if not better, than the fountain pen version of the same model without all the fuss/service (i.e filling with ink, cleaning, leaks). Rollerballs use the same liquid ink as a fountain pen without the service hassles (think of gluing tubular tires - sorry but had to go there).

As for ballpoints, they are necessary when liquid ink (of a fountain pen or rollerball) simply will not work for the need so you must use the "paste ink" of a ballpoint (i.e. triplicate forms, some paper types, restaurant receipts). It's like "tires with tubes", they will never be as good as tubulars (in some people's opinions), but they always seem to work.

I use rollerballs because I do not want the service issues of fountain pens.
I use ballpoints when a rollerball will not fit the need.

I use good quality tires with tubes because I do not want the service issues of tubulars (or tubeless for the road).

[andrew flowers]

I’m sorry, but you are wrong

The delivery of ink is different, and I personally have 20+ inks to choose from. The expressiveness of a gold fountain pen nib cannot be matched. The nib is the soul of a pen, and I can not justify buying expensive items missing one.

Finally, I think the maintenance is really, really overstated. A piston filler like the 2000 holds a ton of ink, and refilling happens every week or two. My 2000 and montblanc 146 are wonderful workhorse pens that give a magical writing experience. Try it

[NYCfixie]

I am sorry my friend but, respectfully, you are wrong.

The delivery if ink is different but neither one is "better".

My Montblanc Classique rollerball, Montblanc LeGrand rollerball, Lamy 2000 rollerball, Lamy Stuio rollerball, and a few other nice rollerballs I have/use are just as nice as their respective fountain pens and need much less service (i.e. no cleaning and change a refill every few weeks at most) so they are more pleasant to use.

You are making the "Campy versus Shimano", "Tubulars versus Tubes", and "Disc versus rim brake" arguments.

I like/use Shimano, tires with tubes, and rim brakes because they just work and need much less maintenance than the alternatives. The pen is a tool and I do not need it to be expressive or have a soul. I use rollerballs and quality paper/notepads which gets the job done.

At least I do not use cheap plastic bic/papermate ballpoints and copier paper which should be left to the heathens.

I’m sorry, but you are wrong

The delivery of ink is different, and I personally have 20+ inks to choose from. The expressiveness of a gold fountain pen nib cannot be matched. The nib is the soul of a pen, and I can not justify buying expensive items missing one.

Finally, I think the maintenance is really, really overstated. A piston filler like the 2000 holds a ton of ink, and refilling happens every week or two. My 2000 and montblanc 146 are wonderful workhorse pens that give a magical writing experience. Try it

[Mabouya]

Good ballpoints and rollerballs can be considered "throwaway" only because of the relatively low price, and certainly not because of performance, because the good ones are very, very good. Maybe not with the history and "soul" of a fountain pen, but absolutely capable of providing a smooth-as-butter, uniform delivery of ink to paper.

I defy anyone who's ever used a Uniball Jetstream to claim that they didn't think that at that price point it wasn't an incredible writing instrument.

[andrew flowers]

a nice gold nib will provide variable flow and width of the line, adding an expressiveness that cannot be replicated through a rollerball

rollerballs are better, insofar as they work the same every time. My fascination with pens has little to do with the exterior, and focuses on the nib and filling system. As a result I really only have a few nicer piston fillers these days. Different strokes for different folks.

[WMdeR]

i think a lot of people overstate the amount of effort you need to put into maintaining things

just rinse the pen every once and while

buy something not shit, treat is not like shit, and it will work like not shit

Rinse the pen? I refill my work pen, a Lamy 2000, weekly with Pelikan, Schaeffer, or Lamy ink depending on what ink pot I bought for the year. They write beautifully, leak free, indefinitely.

My other pen, a Pelikan 600-series, got demoted when it started attracting attention in meetings. It likewise got refilled weekly and was otherwise a zero-maintenance tool. It also is a nicer writer for this lefty.

They both hold gobs of ink, are easy to use, and aren't too big for my hands. The Lamy gets the nod for complete utility. The Pelikan is a nicer writer and sits better in my shirt pocket, but pen cap rippers are not welcome....

Best Regards,

Will
William M deRosset
Fort Collins CO USA

[andrew flowers]

Rinse the pen? I refill my work pen, a Lamy 2000, weekly with Pelikan, Schaeffer, or Lamy ink depending on what ink pot I bought for the year. They write beautifully, leak free, indefinitely.

My other pen, a Pelikan 600-series, got demoted when it started attracting attention in meetings. It likewise got refilled weekly and was otherwise a zero-maintenance tool. It also is a nicer writer for this lefty.

They both hold gobs of ink, are easy to use, and aren't too big for my hands. The Lamy gets the nod for complete utility. The Pelikan is a nicer writer and sits better in my shirt pocket, but pen cap rippers are not welcome....

Best Regards,

Will
William M deRosset
Fort Collins CO USA

rinsing if it sits for a while, allowing ink to dry in the feed. Or, if you swap inks all the time. Otherwise, modern piston fillers like your lamy or pelikan are super, super easy to fill.

[NYCfixie]

I can agree with all of this and for simple note taking at work, for me, a rollerball (and nice paper/notebook) wins every time because it's a tool. The exterior/aesthetics are interesting to me because I value good industrial design.

If we still lived in pre-computer times, I might spend the time and effort on fountain pens for all my writing as it mattered back then especially when communicating with others. When I do need to send a paper based note, birthday card, or other hand written correspondence, I use a rollerball on the note card/paper and unfortunately a ballpoint on the envelope so the Postal Service does not smear the address and make it illegible (fountain pen and rollerball inks are to prone to damage or complete obliteration by water).

My younger brother collects/repairs/uses high-quality old (and new) fountain pens and spends a great deal of his time and money at Fountain Pen Hospital in NYC. He does it as a hobby and thus can use them for work and personal purposes. In our digital information age, I simply do not have time to waste on maintaining tools (i.e. fountain pens, gluing tubulars) even if they might have marginal benefits.

I have been reading a great deal on pens lately (and watches because my brother collects those too) and it appears the high-end/quality rollerball is having a resurgence especially in Asian countries. Many people who collect the very expensive and/or limited edition fountain pens do not actually use them. One would think they would use less expensive fountain pens for everyday use instead but apparently they are using rollerballs due to low/no maintenance and the resulting ease of use.

I am not disagreeing with the added "features" of fountain pens but for everyday use they are not worth the hassle IMHO.

Great discussion!

a nice gold nib will provide variable flow and width of the line, adding an expressiveness that cannot be replicated through a rollerball

rollerballs are better, insofar as they work the same every time. My fascination with pens has little to do with the exterior, and focuses on the nib and filling system. As a result I really only have a few nicer piston fillers these days. Different strokes for different folks.

[andrew flowers]

Yeah, people love to collect because a special edition pen will probably never be worth less than what you pay for it. Montblanc writers edition, graf von faber pen of the year, or the pelikan sovereign series are all very sought after. This isn’t even touching the Japanese handmade urushi pens!

[giordana93]

(fountain pen and rollerball inks are to prone to damage or complete obliteration by water).

I am not disagreeing with the added "features" of fountain pens but for everyday use they are not worth the hassle IMHO.

Great discussion!

for the sake of discussion: there are a number of waterproof and even "bulletproof" inks available. they don't smear or get obliterated by water.

2. I really don't get the hassle part. I don't write daily with my fountain pens and they are mostly pretty cheap pens, but they don't tend to dry out, and when it's time to re-fill them, it's as simple as throwing in a new cartridge (same hassle as a decent roller ball using refills) or dipping the nib in a bottle of ink for a few seconds, wherein there is actually a moment of fun choosing the color or brand, as they all have their personalities.

3. ball points and to a lesser extent roller balls still require a tiny bit of friction to get that ball rolling. not so with a fp. a smooth nib will glide over paper and the ink is wicked away; with a flexy nib you can vary the line width or play with an italic nib. it can--but doesn't have to be--mindful, if you know what I mean; not unlike shaving with a double edge blade vs a cartridge. Many pens also have the option of popping in a different width nib, so you can go fat and expressive or super fine

4.have you seen the number of colors and brands of ink? even standard blacks and blues have great variance and it's just a pleasure to change things up. not to mention cheaper in the long run, less waste and land fill (a tenuous argument to be sure, but still).

the hassle argument might apply to vintage or rare pens, but only for collectors who don't use them regularly, and there's always the cartridge and disposable options

[andrew flowers]

good points, but for anything bulletproof/waterproof you should be careful putting the ink expensive/hard to clean stuff. Anything permanent will usually accomplish this by depositing some sort of particulate on the page. Unfortunately, said particulate can also clog pens. Other options, like iron gall inks, can corrode the inside of your pen. Document safe is one thing, but if you require full waterproofing, use a cheap fountain pen or a sharpie.

[giordana93]

good points, but for anything bulletproof/waterproof you should be careful putting the ink expensive/hard to clean stuff. Anything permanent will usually accomplish this by depositing some sort of particulate on the page. Unfortunately, said particulate can also clog pens. Other options, like iron gall inks, can corrode the inside of your pen. Document safe is one thing, but if you require full waterproofing, use a cheap fountain pen or a sharpie.

I didn't think Noodler's bulletproof had a particulate, but that it rather somehow binds itself to the cellulose. the one bottle I have tends to do nib creep if anything and doesn't seem to clog more than others. I don't think it's sharpie permanent. Then again, several of my standard inks are described as permanent and they seem so--namiki & parker to name 2. even ball point stuff can wash out--the paper itself loses integrity

[MisterDangerPants]

Thanks so much for the advice and direction! I haven't stopped by Bromfield Pen yet but plan on swinging by soon.

Anyway, I thought I'd share the only other pen (and pencil) of note that I have. Here's a Parker set that my grandfather received as an anniversary gift from General Electric (in Lynn, MA), where he worked there his entire career. Guessing from the insert they were made sometime around 1971. My father inherited them when my grandfather died in 1985 and now they're in my possession. I don't think they've ever been used, quite frankly. There is absolutely no wear. I'll also be bringing these over to Bromfield.







Oh @NYCfixie, I haven't tried Falafel King yet. I walk by their establishment on Summer Street whenever I visit a sister agency over on Sleeper Street (Early Education & Care). I've had several meetings there over the past couple weeks and a few more scheduled in the upcoming weeks so I'll have to make sure I can grab lunch before/after!

Where do you think I got my Lamy stuff (LPS = Bromfield Pen)? Ask for Anton....he is not the service person but he has been so helpful as I got back into it. The service person is there M-F. PM me for more contact info. And, do not forget to stop at Falafel King for lunch or dinner.

don't know if you've gone by the shop yet, but it's very unlikely the pen needs any kind of attention. iirc the Targa was a cartridge/converter so no internal sacs or filling mechanisms that would need any service. You might want to drop the nib into some good clean water (preferably distilled, but tap is probably fine too) to dissolve and flush out any dried up ink, but that's all it should need. Let it dry and just pop in a new cartridge or fill a converter. of course it would still be nice to go by the shop to find some fresh cartridges or bottled ink, maybe a converter if you don't have one yet, but the Targa was a nice smooth pen out the box and pretty foolproof. those inlaid gold nibs were beautiful smooth writers

[Mabouya]

Guys,

How important is the ink? Is it mostly a question of personal preference?

I ask because when the last of my 4-pack runs out, I'm soon going to graduate from Pilot Varsity as my EDC pen to a Pilot Metropolitan, and maybe for kicks I'll get a TWSBI piston-fill too. The Metropolitan comes with a cartridge, which I'll use, but then I'll probably switch over to the converter, at which point I'll need to use bottle ink.

TIA

[NYCfixie]

enjoy going down the rabbit hole...




And a few more...
The Goulet Pen Company - ink - YouTube

Guys,

How important is the ink? Is it mostly a question of personal preference?

I ask because when the last of my 4-pack runs out, I'm soon going to graduate from Pilot Varsity as my EDC pen to a Pilot Metropolitan, and maybe for kicks I'll get a TWSBI piston-fill too. The Metropolitan comes with a cartridge, which I'll use, but then I'll probably switch over to the converter, at which point I'll need to use bottle ink.

TIA