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Venturing into the World of Fountain Pens

Exploring the World of Fountain Pens

I've become interested in fountain pens and spent a few weeks researching online to develop a plan for approaching this newfound hobby. My goal is to invest in about half a dozen pens over a period of sixteen months and hopefully acquire a decent level of knowledge and experience in using and maintaining fountain pens. I also aim to develop some degree of penmanship.

1. Practice Phase (Pilot Varsity, Pilot Metropolitan) - 2016 (1 Month)

Having absolutely zero experience using a fountain pen, I am starting small with some Pilot Varsity and Metropolitan pens.

Pilot Varsity - October 2016

Online, there have been many rave reviews about the basic $3 Pilot Varsity or Platinum Preppy, and I was okay getting either one. My local office store had the Varsity in stock, and I picked up a pair to begin writing. The selection was limited; they had only Medium Point in Purple Ink (other choices were Red or Pink).


Pilot Metropolitan - October 2016

I went ahead and ordered a Pilot Metropolitan from Amazon for $13, along with a dozen blue ink cartridges. This will be my first true fountain pen, and I plan to carry it around for the next few months as my everyday work pen.

 

2. Training Phase (Platinum #3776) - 2016 ~ 2017 (12 Months)

At this point, I'll be ready for some serious pens and will invest in the Platinum #3776.

Platinum #3776 - November 2016

I've heard a lot of good things about this pen, and it will become "My Signature Pen" to replace the Metropolitan. I am drawn to this pen based on its innovative cap and seal system that allows the ink to stay wet for much longer. Otherwise, I would have considered going straight for a Platinum President. Another reason for choosing this one is its price: about $75 for a Fine Point, whereas the President costs $225.

 

3. Graduation Phase (Platinum #3776 Again) - 2018

To close out my entry into fountain pens, I'll add one more pen in early 2018, likely a second Platinum #3776.

Why a Second Platinum #3776?

Based on my research, this pen seems to be right at the sweet spot on the cost-benefit curve. While there are certainly many fantastic pens to choose from, they often cost several hundred dollars and don't offer much more than the #3776. I would like to own the Red and Blue standard #3776.

4. Future Plans

I am avoiding making specific future plans for now, but I will likely pick up more pens as I discover new aspects of this hobby. My goal is to limit my purchases to exceptional pens and focus on "Quality" over "Quantity." It would be far more interesting to share something rare and exceptional versus a collection of decent but plain pens.

Update (11/18/16)

After learning that Platinum pens could take months to order from Amazon, I decided to place an order immediately. To my pleasant surprise, it arrived within a few weeks, even though it was expected in January 2017.

I also invested in a bottle of Iroshizuku Kon-Peki ink. This has prompted me to review my original plan, and I am likely to deviate by purchasing additional Pilot Metropolitans and several bottles of Iroshizuku ink to experiment with different colors. For now, I plan to buy the 3-sampler (15 mL) bottle sets and select different blue, green, and red inks.

I'm leaning towards Shin-Ryoku (Green) and Asa-Gao (Blue) to add to my collection, along with another Pilot Metropolitan (Green) to join the family.

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