Smooth writing $15 Huashilai fountain pen

[Read the post]

That blue marble would look great with the Medici Shirred Crushed Velour interior of a '74 Cadillac.

2 Likes

I love fountain pens, but if it’ll leak in my shirt pocket, I ain’t carrying it. Nothing but the two-buck Pilot Varsity for me.

1 Like

I carry a Pilot Vanishing Point for the non-leaking fountain pen experience.

1 Like

Isn’t that what your pocket protector is for?

4 Likes

Suddenly all the Zapf Branigan jokes make sense now.

2 Likes

I’m probably unhealthily fond of Pilot Better ballpoint retractables.

Wait. You carry a pen in your shirt pocket? I’ve never seen anyone do that in real life…

I’ve known a few. They were engineers, drafters, teachers, or editors.

1 Like

Ok, to be open and honest here, I’ve always sort of secretly mocked the blackwing pencil fetishism that seems to happen here on BB. Phew… Now on to my fountain pen fetish!

I’ve got an old rotring 700 that I love, and would love to have a backup, but at ~$150 minimum used (since they’re no longer made), I just can’t bring myself to buy another. I’ve heard positive things about the Montblanc Noblesse, but same problem as the Rotring 700.

I just don’t like how large diameter pens feel in my hand.

Anyone have any suggestions for a slim fountain pen that comes with an “ef” nib, that also has some heft (i.e. not cheap plastic knock off)?

maybe this one? i’ve never tried it, but it looks interesting. sailor is a respected name, at least for high-end pens; i don’t know anything about their intro lines.

you could always buy a stack of “disposable” Platinum Preppy pens and eyedropper convert them to refillables.

I totally did that too at the first pencil post I saw here on BB. But then I was curious enough to get suckered in… Now I’m kind of a fetishist of all types of writing implements.

There is an important typo in the review, which lists the nib as 18kg.

Amazon, however, lists the nib as 18kgp – which means it’s not solid, it’s plated.

Plated fountain pen nibs don’t last long. The initial feel disappears when the plating goes, and that happens quickly because the pressure on a nib point is high owing to the tiny surface material that is exposed to the paper (less area across which to distribute the pressure).

As a result, these are likely wonderful pens until you fall in love with it, and then it jilts you when the plating wears off. Better you invest in a nice pen with a nib that is solid – most any material will do, so long as it is solid. The wear-in process should make the pen great, customizing to your hand – unless it is plated, in which case the “customization” is the exposure of the material under the plating to the paper, corrupting the most important connection of all, between pen and paper.

1 Like

At 0145 EDT 06/07/15 Amazon.com says it is unavailable and doesn’t know when it will be

Cool, for ~$17, I’ll have to try one.

Cool! If you happen to remember, please drop me a msg about how it performs. I like the chunkier pens myself, but I’m curious about this one if only so I have something to recommend.

There just aren’t luxury sedans like there used to be—and should be.

Jason, you have to get one of these, the Levenger L-tech Stealth. It’s the fountain pen Jim Phelps would use.

Yes, even the nib is black.

Ordered. It was $10 less via a popular online retailer, btw.

I got a Fine nib. I am not a bold/medium writer. We’ll see! It sounds FANTASTIC for $89.

Solid brass in “None more black” – awesome.

So was the one I ordered - I just got it this morning. :grinning: I prefer to link to manufacturers’ sites.

2 Likes