A Beginner’s Guide to Fountain Pens

A Beginner’s Guide to Fountain Pens | Fountain Pen 101

Рет қаралды 10,802

Күн бұрын

If you’re interested in starting pen collecting or just want to learn more about fountain pens, then this beginner is for you! Today I share with you easy to digest basics of using fountain pens which includes: Basic fountain anatomy & important fountain pen terminology, identifying visual ink properties, visual comparison of nib sizes and demonstration of how I fill a piston converter, a vacuum fill converter and a cartridge pen. I also go over key things to consider when buying a fountain pen to help guide you on your first fountain pen purchase.
Much needed timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
1:04 - Why a Fountain Pen
3:56 - Fountain Pen Anatomy, All Pen Types
9:20 - Everything Nibs Including Size Demo
14:04 -Visual Ink Properties
17:20 - Meaning of Wet and Dry for Inks or Pens
20:30 - How to fill your Pen: Piston, Vac Fill & Cartridge
27:20 - Swapping your Nib
28:53 - Pen Recommendation
30:16: Recap
↳ Support me: ko-fi.com/frenchyinfocus
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🌱 HELPFUL LINKS & COUPONS
Goulet Pens Cleaning Guides:
↳ Cartridge/Converter: • How to Clean a Fountai...
↳ Piston-Filler: • How to Clean a Fountai...
Some of the Pens I used:
↳ Black Sailor Pro Gear Slim: amzn.to/3xjZqU2
↳ Pilot Custom 823: amzn.to/3JYnUcU
↳ Kaweco Sport, Olive: amzn.to/3Ym8JhY
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🌱 COUPONS
¢: Atlas Stationers (10% off, use code: FRENCHY): tinyurl.com/ASFrenchy
¢: Pen Chalet ($10 off): tinyurl.com/FrenchyPenChalet
¢: Stationery Pal (12% off, using code: FRENCHY) bit.ly/StationeryPalFrenchy
¢: Desk Gems (12% off): bit.ly/DeskGemsFrenchy
¢: Ferris Wheel Press (10% off, use code: FRENCHY): bit.ly/Frenchy-FWP
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🌱 REACH OUT
📷 IG:Frenchyinfocus
💌 LET'S SNAIL MAIL:
PO Box 747
Rio Grande, NJ 08242
USA
📧 E-MAIL:
focusfrenchy@gmail.com
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🌱 ABOUT ME
Hi! My name is Paris. I film everyday lifestyle content surrounding my love for Jesus, Traveler's Notebooks, everything stationery and the occasional spiritual watercolor spread that's full of encouragement. I aspire to create a relaxing community where we can obsess over our love of stationery, encourage each other, learn from one another and most importantly glorify God, even in the mundane parts of our lives.
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🌱 MUSIC
epidemicsound.com
Free 60 day trial: share.epidemicsound.com/qwf823
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🌱 DISCLAIMER
This video is not sponsored. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
*some of these are affiliate links that may help support my channel for a small commission at no additional cost to you!
#fountainpen #stationery #pens

Пікірлер: 69

@belphegor_tv Күн бұрын

I just started with the hobby and my very first fountain pen is the Lamy Scala. I can't wait for it arrive!

@lianelikes Жыл бұрын

What a lovely beginner’s guide to fountain pens! Your narrative is clear and relaxing, and I also thought the way you stored the nozzle in the syringe is a great idea!

@FrenchyInFocus Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much Liane, you are so kind! As y ou know there is so much that can be said about fountain pens so I had a hard time trying to narrow down what I felt was the most important things to know. and yes the mother in me wanted to protect my little one and I thought why not jam the nozzle in there 😂

@lianelikes Жыл бұрын

@@FrenchyInFocus Totally, it is a lot of information to condense so bravo on a polished video!

@sandysjournals Жыл бұрын

Excellent video! It’s not easy to cover fountain pens but you did such a perfect job organizing and explaining all the information! I am sure you’ve inspired many to buy their first pen ❤❤❤

@FrenchyInFocus Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much Sandy!m You are right its so hard to cover fountain pens since there is so much to day about them! This video was originally 2 hours long of me just blabbing about everything. I had to condense and try no to overwhelm anyone lol

@journalwithjas Жыл бұрын

This is an amazing video! So thorough, I really appreciated every minute being full of substance and information even for those who are already on the rabbit hole…me 😂

@FrenchyInFocus Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much!! Your comment made my day!! 😍 I was a bit worried that I didn’t cover enough of the basics, but I figured I could save anything I missed in a part 2 video down the line. You must tell me what you favorite pen right now. The pen rabbit hole is intense, I don’t think I’ve ever met someone with just one pen 😂

@LoriGoertzenHuber Жыл бұрын

Super helpful!!!

@maxillariadendrobulum4079 7 ай бұрын

This was super helpful! Thanks for showing writing samples for the various nib sizes. I love fine point pens, so now I know what nib size I’ll be looking for. 😊

@FrenchyInFocus 7 ай бұрын

I'm so glad this was helpful ☺ what will be your next pen purchase?

@kan-zee 6 ай бұрын

2:40 I agree...rollerball and ballpoint pens, will give , hand cramps , when writing out reports , journalling etc, for a long time. I am a Spanking newbie with a Fountain pen and love the free flowing ink, No handcramp, environmental friendly, Scribbing tools. I've watched a dozen Fountain Pen videos on KZfaq and majority of KZfaqrs are saying that Lamy F.P. is the most inexpensive beginners Fountain Pens on the market. ***************************************** I am ordering a *Lamy Safari Vista Fountain Pen* & Cartridges, Clear, Fine Nib (💲45.00 cad) (@5:15) *Lamy Z28 Converter* for fountain pen models Abc, AL-star, joy, Lx, nexx, nexx M, safari, vista (💲15.oo cad) and ( @8:29 ) *4 Pack of Lamy Black T10 Fountain Pen Ink Cartridges* (💲19.oo cad). Total cost in _Canadian Dollars_ is *💲80.oo cad* . 🤔I am still on the *"path of perplexity"* , about _"What brand of BLACK ink"_ is the best. I am wondering if there is a fountain ink that is comparable to the Rollerball Sarasa dry x20 pen. (my favorite gel rollerball pen) . Have you any suggestions ?

@FrenchyInFocus 6 ай бұрын

I've personally never tried Lamy due to mixed reviews from friends, but I can see how it would be a great starter pen considering how it takes cartridges and converters. I would say the De Atramentis Archive Ink in black would be a fave in the community. It has a similar lightfastness and waterproof quality as the Sarasa.

@penthevision4706 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for this informative, relaxing and beautiful video 💕

@FrenchyInFocus Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for your kind words 😊 🤍

@kathiegadd483 Жыл бұрын

Best video ever for a beginner!! Thank you!

@FrenchyInFocus Жыл бұрын

🥰 thank you so much!!! I’m so glad you found it helpful!!

@ZolaneG Жыл бұрын

This is super helpful and so thorough, Paris! I'm going to keep this in my library to refer back to and also to share with friends just beginning their fountain pen journey. Your considerations for the type of pen to choose are terrific! Thank you so much for the time and effort it took to create this video. A lot of folks are going to find this makes all the difference as they consider what ink or pen to purchase!🥰

@FrenchyInFocus Жыл бұрын

Oh my dear Zolane! You always make my day! 🥰 I'm happy this was helpful! Theres so much to cover, it was a little overwhelming tbh, but it all worked out in the end 😂

@ZolaneG Жыл бұрын

@@FrenchyInFocus You covered things I never even thought about when I purchased my pens! Definitely going to watch again before I make another purchase!! Hugs to you, sweetie🥰

@hoiyeeau1240 Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much Paris! 🎀💖 Love the tips 🥰

@FrenchyInFocus Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for watching 🥰

@Topscura Жыл бұрын

Your voice is so incredibly pleasant to listen to. I admire your passion for fountain pens. It’s clear you gain tremendous joy and fulfillment from writing with analogue tools. Wonderful stuff! Thank you for sharing Frenchy. I enjoyed every second.

@FrenchyInFocus Жыл бұрын

My goodness, thank you so much for your kind words! I do adore all of my analog tools! There's nothing better than carefully selecting the perfect ink and pen combo for a nice journaling session 😊

@emmemotherofwolves 5 ай бұрын

Thank you! What a great and informative video for a newbie like me! 😊

@FrenchyInFocus 5 ай бұрын

I’m so glad you found this helpful ☺️ have you purchased your first pen yet?

@dashsunil Жыл бұрын

Great close up shots. Excellent video. 😊

@FrenchyInFocus Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much my friend, I tried my best to be as clear as possible ☺️

@queenbuzybee4074 Жыл бұрын

As someone who has used fountain pens since her childhood, I‘d like to say that you did an excellent job explaining the hobby!

@FrenchyInFocus Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much!!! It's so encouraging to hear your feedback, especially when I'm still quite new to the hobby 🥰

@my-white-bible Жыл бұрын

Yayyy was looking forward to this video - great job Paris, you answered all the questions I had, and even addressed things I didn't know I needed to know too! I'm glad you showed how to fill the piston ink with clear directions about dipping the whole nib - no other videos I watched explained that part, so I had to figure it out on my own which was an experience... 😵‍💫Thank you for taking the time to make this, it will help a lot of people 🥰

@FrenchyInFocus Жыл бұрын

Oh I’m so glad this was helpful! It took me a while to put this together. I had 2 hours of footage and even more hours of audio 😂 I talked way too much and had a hard time narrowing down the most important bits. Maybe I’ll do a part two of materials and go deeper with the inks

@journalwithjas Жыл бұрын

I think it was just right! I wish this video was around when I was first looking into getting one. Right now my favorite is my Sailor PGS Shikiori Autumn Moon but I recently bought a Pilot 823 Amber and I’m impatiently waiting for it to arrive 😁 watching you show how to fill it was perfect timing.

@gailsbookishthings5191 Жыл бұрын

This is a really interesting and informative video. I would have benefited from a video like this when I began my fountain pen journey a few years ago. I’m glad you chose to mention the nibs size ad far as the size of the actual piece of metal as well as the line size it creates. I could find very little information on that.

@FrenchyInFocus Жыл бұрын

I’m so glad you liked it! I thought the same too, there are tons of reviews and swatches, but not too many fountain pen basics out there. It took me a while and a lot of cash to figure out most of these things 😅

@marvinrandolph4008 8 ай бұрын

I really enjoyed your video. I am starting to have an interest in fountain pens. Your voice is so soothing! I’m so glad that I discovered this video. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise!

@FrenchyInFocus 7 ай бұрын

Thank you so much, you are so kind! Have you purchased any yet?

@rathindranathde6286 Жыл бұрын

Beautifully explained the different features and functionalities of fountain pens. Your soft sweet voice makes everything all the more charming and enjoyable. No doubt you are a very very big fountain pen enthusiast. Thanks a lot

@FrenchyInFocus Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much 🥰 The is the sweetest comment I've gotten so far! I'm so glad you enjoyed this one!

@GenieInTheTecho Жыл бұрын

WoW~ here is so much info.🥰 Thank you, Paris! I remember when I first jump into the rabbit hole, I read a lot of blogs and posts. However, as time flew ~ I forgot a lot and also don't have enough time to find/read papers. Thanks for making this video, it is a great resource 🥰🥰🥰

@FrenchyInFocus Жыл бұрын

Im so happy to hear that! Theres so much to say about fountain pens, but I thought a nice basic video would help me convince everyone to get a fountain pen 😂😂😂

@dsanti9158 Жыл бұрын

This was an excellent beginner's video! I'm trying to absorb information and then visit a store with an inkling of what I would like & not like in a pen. Thank you!

@FrenchyInFocus Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much!!! I'm so glad this was helpful! You must tell me which pen you are eying!

@einarengemoen2486 Жыл бұрын

Very interesting

@jessatlife Жыл бұрын

This was super helpful! I just started my FP journey with a Pilot Kakuno, and I’m ready to move on.

@FrenchyInFocus Жыл бұрын

Ooo pilot kakuno is a good first pen, which are you thinking of moving on to next?

@jessatlife Жыл бұрын

@Frenchy In Focus it’s been hard to choose! I’m on a tight budget, but I want something smooth with plenty of line width variability. :) I ordered all these Ferris Wheel Press inks that I want to write and draw with.

@-bluedog- Жыл бұрын

With the Kaweco Sport (which is a Pocket Pen) you do have the option of using a mini converter. That is very small, so you'll need to refill quite often, but you are able to use bottled inks without having to deal with a Syringe. And what you forgot to mention: The Materials that a Pen is made from. The Kawecos are either of Plastic (you may call that raisin, if you like) or of different Metals. The most common of those is Aluminum, but there are also some of Steel or Brass or even Copper. And the Feed can be plastic or Ebonite, which is the case for some vintage Pens. When it comes to nib options, you could also have added that there are Platinum coated or gold nibs with a rhodium plating, for those who do not care about the price tag of a Pen... Kaweco makes even a Sport out of massive Silver... and you can have some others coated in multi-coloral emaille, for the price of a car or so, if you like and can lay down that amount of money. One of the more exotic materials a pen is made of, is some mixture of pulverised lava and raisin, as Visconti has done for some of the "Homo Sapiens-Models. Of course there is also all kinds of wood or leather-Insert, and porcelaine or some 3D-prints... When asked about my first Pen, that was a Pelikan, back at second grade of primary school back at the beginning of the nineties. I then continued with those and some Patromatic or Herlitz Pens for about two decades, mostly one after the other, because those cheap Pens did not tend to last any longer than a few years before breaking or leaking. After fountain pens disappeared from supermarkets, because they where no longer mandatory in schools, I switched over to a metal-made Parker and I also discovered converters and with it the possibility to use bottled ink in no matter what fountain pen. So it began to make sense to collect fountain pens, and since they also started to be more expensive, I developed a clear preference for all-metal pens, because they do not break like the ones out of plastic or raisin, and you can get spare parts, mostly nibs and feeds. Since I got my first Parker some 15 years ago, I also like the additional weight of metal Pens, and not only their shinyness and ruggedness. As long as you take good care for the nib, they literally can last a lifetime, no matter how scratched and patinaed the outside may get over the years.

@FrenchyInFocus Жыл бұрын

Thank you for your comment and information! I originally included material types for each piece available for fountain pens, I even filmed it. I ultimately decided not to include the footage as I really wanted this video to be about the true basics of fountain pens. I did not want to overload a person new to fountain pens with this type of information. Perhaps, if this video has a lot of interest, I can do an "Intermediate" Part 2 Fountain Pen video. Ah yes the Visconti is on my list of the next pen to try! I'm very curious about that lava body. I really enjoy gold nibs and want to step away from resin bodies as I have way too many! Lol I did not grow up using fountain pens. It wasn't until my early 20s when I stumbled upon a Pilot Varsity at the Michaels by my college campus. Of course, I destroyed that pen by pressing too hard thinking it was a flex nib for calligraphy 😂 I will have to try a metal-made Parker. I do enjoy weightier pens! I've have also been eyeing the vintage pens and I think that might be a financially dangerous hobby, lol!

@-bluedog- Жыл бұрын

Yes, it is (financially dangerous...). Thats why I stay away from gold nibs so far and only dream of the more expensive pens. For me, fountain pens are still more for daily use than a collectors good. I just recently crossed the line of owning more pens than I can have in use at a time, but have been somewhat picky on what pens I bought within the lower price range for a decade or so. I found out that my parker pen I use on a daily base was produced in the first quarter of 2005, so it is, almost vintage, although I bought it new. Only its finnials are plastic... Thats for shure the oldest surviving pen I ever owned and the (metal) Kaweco's can sure do that too. The plastic ones have the advantage of beeing much cheaper, but are too lightweight to feel really good for me... P.s: Don't forget to order a converter for a parker pen. They don't take standard international cardridges, and there are not many ink colours in parker cardridges other than blue, black, turqoise and purple, although the quink is a very good ink.

@victoriafeng364 Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for this video! Very helpful even though we have different tastes in pens :)

@FrenchyInFocus Жыл бұрын

Im glad you liked it, who knows you might end up liking one, one day lol

@littlestarplans Жыл бұрын

Love it!! Do you have a video showcasing all of your ink and fountain pens collection? :)

@FrenchyInFocus Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much 😊 I do have a video of my ink collection that posted over the summer, but my collection has tripled since then 🤭 A pen collection video is long over due, I need to add that to my list!

@Rookiejournal_ Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for this video! Very helpful and I wish i had these all information before I bought a fountain pen. But lucky im happy with my first fountain pen. I am new to this world and decided to buy TWSBI eco as my first. Love it very much! I think the piston filling is really for me as it's easy and TWSBI can hold lots of ink as I write a really long letters on my pen pal letters. The only thing that I wish i knew is the Fine nib on TWSBI is thicker than i thought it'd be. So my next one is definitely gonna be an EF. Regardless, the TWSBI F really shows the shading ink really well. Thank you so much for your video. A new subscriber here 🥰. I really hope you'll have a video about ink in the future ❤

@FrenchyInFocus Жыл бұрын

The TWSBI is such an amazing first pen! I love them too! I found that I prefer pens that hold a ton of ink too, I journal way too much and my letters are more like novels😂 Ah yes, My first Pen was a German Fine and I quickly realized EF specifically the Japanese EF is my absolute fave. When it comes to those chroma shading ink, a fine or a medium is the smallest I can go or else those rainbow qualities wont show. I suppose there's a time and place for broader nibs. What color TWSBI did you get and what will be your next color?? You can always email TWSBI and order an EF from them. I did that twice 🤭 I'm so glad you enjoyed this one and thank you for subscribing! I just head over to yours and instantly subbed! I LOVE pen pal videos!! I'm gonna have fun binging through yours this week😍

@Rookiejournal_ Жыл бұрын

@@FrenchyInFocus do you reckon TWSBI fine would be alright with chroma shading ink? I am now so interested with chroma shading ink after you mentioned it! And i am currently binge-watching your videos! I just watched your autumn ink swatches and oh my!! Im so in love with the sailors'! My TWSBI colour is mint-blue. Very similar to tiffany blue colour and im so in love with it! I currently only have one ink 😂 Diamine teal. Your swatches video helped a lot! . My absolute wish list is the TWSBI diamond rose gold one 🥺 its just so beautiful. Ahh thank you so much you're so sweet! Im so happy algorithm took me to your video! Im learning a lot and kindaa get into the rabbit hole of fountain pen 🙈

@stationery.shenanigans Жыл бұрын

Such an awesome video!!! (also that Korean square bottle of ink is looking cute 🧐) I think a lot of people have some interest in fountain pens, but the "experts" scare them away by making it sound so unapproachable (or that you HAVE to buy certain expensive pens and inks to truly be involved in the hobby)

@FrenchyInFocus Жыл бұрын

MMM yes the experts 🙄 I've personally encounter some of the rudest folks from these experts. at the end of the day it's a pen and I have cheaper pens that are 5 dollars that write smooth if not smoother than a gold.

@pilesofthings 6 ай бұрын

my first fountain pens were the Jinhao 80 and Muji fountain pen. Both are still in my top faves. The muji nib if so good, I even prefer it to my gold nib pen! And now that I am in the "nib exploration" phase of my fountain pen journey, the Jinhao 80 allows me to try unique cheap grinds before investing in a whole pen with a unique nib. Really enjoyed watching you fill the vac pen lol, it was both terrifying and satisfying.

@FrenchyInFocus 6 ай бұрын

I keep hearing so many good things about the Muji fountain pen! I definitely need to try that one. The Jinhao route is so smart! I didn't know they offered different grinds! There are so many I want to try, but I'm too scared to spend the money and absolutely hate the pen 😅 Where do you get these?? Oh and the vac pen is my absolute fave to fill, so much so that I even look forward to pen cleaning day - I don't know why people hate cleaning vac fills

@pilesofthings 6 ай бұрын

@FrenchyInFocus so my jonhao 80 and nibs I get on Ali express, the nib was only $4 I got a naginata grind to try..it's such a cool nib, though I know I wouldn't have liked it at the start, but now I don't mind playing around with different line widths. The trick is to keep searching for a place or deal that does free or cheap shipping. Translating English to Chinese and Japanese often get different results in the search too. Now I know if I find a nice pen with a fine to medium cursive nib that it's gonna be my next love, but that I'm ok with just playing around with my cheap naginata type nib and that it's not gonna be a main writer for me. I've seen people do these nib experiments with lamy safari pens.. but the Jinhao 80 is even more affordable 😜 Ahh the vac fill, it's been tempting me for so long, I'm a little scared to get a cheap one I don't know if the mechanism will work as well...for now I'll keep watching others with their vac fills lol

@koko.journal21 Жыл бұрын

I was thinking of buying a Kakimori dip pen, and it looks so fine :) You own a Korean ink! It's also famous in Korea :)

@FrenchyInFocus Жыл бұрын

I LOVE Korean everything, food, stationery, anything 😂 I have a few of these Wearingeul inks and they are some of my favorites. I find their colors so unique 😍 The kakimori nib is amazing! It writes like a Japanese EF, which I love because I’ve inked pens only to be disappointed that it doesn’t look as good as it did in the swatch. They are made really nicely too, I wish I bought it sooner!

@henryviera7825 10 ай бұрын

Kaweco sport converters fit in the travelers company fountain pen

@FrenchyInFocus 10 ай бұрын

No they don’t, only the old squeeze ones do. Unless you fill it less then halfway, but then you’re not getting much ink capacity at all

@basicdose.9872 Жыл бұрын

I dare say miss Frenchie knows a thing or two about fountain pens.

@FrenchyInFocus Жыл бұрын

😂 Thank you my friend

@Dentoumushi Жыл бұрын

Thank you for your video. I am starting in the fountain pen world. I am so interested in buying a Kaweco now, but idk if I buy a Fine or a Medium nib 🥲