Comment by cropher
1 day ago
When it comes to fountain pens and inks, I went down a rabbit hole more than once in the past.
Noodlers makes some unique pens and inks. I have a Noodlers Ahab, for example, that has a very flexible nib. Different than any of the more conventional pens I used before.
But one thing that bothers me about fountain pens is that they are messy. Some of it can be avoided. You don't need a piston filler to dip into your special ink bottle to refill your pen if you don't mind using regular cartridges. But one thing that seems unavoidable is that the "section" (the part where you hold the pen) gets messy when you put the cap on it. I wonder why every fountain pen seems to have this design. One would think that a smaller cap that only covers the nib would suffice.
I wonder if there are fountain pens like this. I feel another rabbit hole calling.
> But one thing that seems unavoidable is that the "section" (the part where you hold the pen) gets messy when you put the cap on it. I wonder why every fountain pen seems to have this design.
FYI, there are fountain pens with a retractable nib that don't have a cap, including for example the:
- Pilot Vanishing Point/Capless/Decimo (there's a cheaper Japanese "Special Alloy" version as well)
- LAMY dialog
- Platinum Curidas
I don't know if they fix your inky fingers issue but if taking the cap on and off is a hassle then these might be worth looking into.
EDIT: formatting
The Ahab nib just gouges tracks into paper, and the pen reeks. Save your money.
I've never ever had a section get messy. Ever.
How do you carry your pens? Do you fly with them a lot?
Not at all. But it seems that the inside of the caps gets messy anyway. Probably from the nib making contact when capping.
Sometimes fountain pens "spit". This happens more frequently if the ink is low, the pressure changes or the pen get rocked a bit more than their liking.
Carrying pens nib up, in a pocket or bag helps. Also some pens are more resistant to this. From my experience Lamy, Faber Castell and Kaweco makes most spit-resistant and accessible pens. I can recommend Lamy Safari, Kaweco Perkeo or Faber Castell Grip 2011 (basically a Perkeo in a different shell), if you want to explore further.
If you have any questions, I'd be happy to help.
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