A Short Guide to Your First Fountain Pen

Interested in fountain pens but don't know where to start? I've got you covered. I'll cover some pens that offer a good starting point, explain their filling mechanism, and maybe even offer a little color commentary.

# Platinum Preppy - the cheapest good pen
https://www.jetpens.com/Platinum-Preppy-Fountain-Pen-Black-03-Fine-Nib/pd/24021
At $5.50 the Preppy is the most affordable option on this list and can often be found in office supply stores making it accessible as well. Despite the low price the nib is fantastic.

The Preppy takes Platinum (brand) inc cartridges, which come in a decent array of colors.
https://www.jetpens.com/Platinum-Black-Ink-2-Cartridges/pd/1456

Looks too much like a cheep pen? Just feel like spending more money? The Preppy has you covered! Platinum periodically releases limited edition Preppy's was a variety of fun barrel designs.
https://yosekastationery.com/products/platinum-preppy-fountain-pen-wa-second-limited-edition

Like any cartridge pen the Preppy can be outfitted with a converter to use bottle ink.
https://yosekastationery.com/products/platinum-fountain-pen-converter

# LAMY Safari - an opinionated classic
https://www.gouletpens.com/products/lamy-safari-fountain-pen-lightrose-special-edition
We're jumping now to about $30. The Safari is a true classic and the triangular grip helps guide your fingers to the correct position for fountain pen writing.
This is another cartridge pen, accepting any of LAMY's ink cartridges. LAMY does release a special edition ink each year so you can find a few more options if you look around but the base range of inks is pretty similar to Platinum.
https://www.jetpens.com/LAMY-Black-Ink-5-Cartridges/pd/1922

LAMY also makes their nibs available separate from the pen, allowing you to test different nib sizes on the same pen if you like.
https://www.jetpens.com/LAMY-Fountain-Pen-Nib-Stainless-Steel-Finish-Extra-Fine/pd/9681

Converter:
https://www.jetpens.com/LAMY-Z-28-Fountain-Pen-Converter/pd/1941

# Pilot Metropolitan - my first fountain pen
https://www.gouletpens.com/products/pilot-metropolitan-fountain-pen-black-plain
For $25.50 Pilot offers a very classic and very well made fountain pen in the Metropolitan. The brass body offers a little more weight than plastic and you really can't go wrong with a pilot nib, imo.

Pilot also offers a much wider array of inks in cartridge form. Basic Inks:
https://www.gouletpens.com/collections/pilot-ink-cartridges/products/pilot-namiki-black-ink-cartridges#
Expensive Inks:
https://www.gouletpens.com/collections/pilot-ink-cartridges/products/pilot-iroshizuku-yama-budo-ink-cartridges#
And the Variety Pack:
https://www.gouletpens.com/collections/pilot-ink-cartridges/products/pilot-parallel-mixable-colour-assorted-pack-ink-cartridges#
On top of that, this pen comes with a converter so you can use bottled inks right out of the box.

For a slightly cheeper option that uses the name nibs as the Metropolitan but engraved with smily faces, the Pilot Kakuno line is intended for children but never disappoints.
https://www.gouletpens.com/products/pilot-kakuno-fountain-pen-clear

# TWSBI Eco - the cheapest piston filler
https://yosekastationery.com/search?q=TWSBI+Eco
Starting around $33 the TWSBI Eco is notable for being a markedly cheep piston filler pen. Unlike the above options this pen takes no cartridges, instead bing filled exclusively from an ink bottle. As pens go they also look fantastic, offering a clear view of the inner workings.

# Bottled Ink
https://vanness1938.com/collections/fountain-pen-main-page
So you've gotten a converter for your pen, or just started with an Eco? Time to dive into the deep end! Bottled inks offer a near infinite variety of color and style options from basic workhouse blues and blacks to fancy art inks then never fully dry but looks fantastic until you inevitably smear them.

Now for a few ink terms. Shading inks vary in saturation across your stroke, giving your writing a distinctive fade from one end of a line to the other. Sheening inks dry slowly but create a distinctive sheen on the surface of the paper as they do. Shimmer inks are inks with glitter in them. What more could you want? Finally, document inks are waterproof once dry, making damage less likely.

I strongly recommend starting with ink samples. These are small quantities of inks separated in sample containers by retailers. Purchasing a variety of samples will let you figure out what inks you actually like without being left with large bottles of unwanted remains.

A final note: The owner of Noodler's Ink company is an antisemite. Do not buy his inks.

# Paper
https://www.gouletpens.com/products/notebook-sampler-package-set
Fountain pens are pickier about paper than the ballpoint pens you're probably used to. For the most part any normal paper *can* be used but you might want to look for products that advertise themselves as fountain pen friendly for better looking results. Fountain pen ink is quite wet and can absolutely soak many ordinary papers, causing your lines to become messes and ink to show up on both sides of the page.

A notable shoutout here. Kokuyo copy paper is probably the best printer paper that is also fountain pen friendly.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Kokuyo-Copy-Paper-FSC-Certified-Paper-A5-500-Sheets-KB-30N/113869560

# Cleaning and Maintenance

Despite the image you don't need anything fancy to clean your pens, you simply need to push water through them to remove ink residue from the nib and feed. For a piston filler this is a simple matter of sucking up and squirting out water until it comes out clear. For cartridge pens many people use a bulb syringe to push water through but there's plenty of ways to accomplish the same task.
https://www.gouletpens.com/products/goulet-bulb-syringe

Inevitably your pen will pick up paper fibers in-between the tines. You might be able to pull them out with tweezers but if they get really stuck in there you'll want a thin brass sheet to run between the tines and clear the fibers out. This might also be necessary if your pen becomes clogged with some shimmer or sheening inks.
https://www.gouletpens.com/products/goulet-brass-sheets

# Final Thoughts

If you, like me, find that fountain pens feel much nicer to use than regular ballpoints and rollerballs then there's a whole world of different designs to pick from. Every aspect of the fountain pen, from the tip of the nib to the piston nob on the back, comes in a wide array of options and styles. The infinite customizability of the fountain pen is its biggest strength - you can spend forever trying new pens and even modifying existing ones.

If you've got a well stocked stationary store nearby you might be able to try different pens and get advice about inks and paper. Check them out.