Ya’ll jealous of my black 08 prismacolor fine line marker and pilot precise v7 rt.

Okay what the fuck is that last one? Why does it sound like a sports car marketed to males 14-26?

  • 404@lemmy.zip
    14·
    9 months ago

    It’s not a stupid question!

    First of all, it’s a fountain pen, which means its nib construction and method of delivering ink is completely different from ballpoint pens: a fountain pen pushes liquid ink down the nib slit through capillary action. See close up here. The ink flows smoothly and you don’t need to push against the paper when writing. Most fountain pens are refillable and you can choose any ink colour you like.

    A regular ballpoint pen has a small ball, held in place inside the casing by a tiny spring, and typically uses thick, oily inks. See close up here. The ink is delivered through friction (ball vs paper), which means you have to push harder against the paper when writing. It can lead to fatigue during long writing/sketching sessions.

    Now, there are “ballpoint-like” pens that take liquid ink, called rollerball pens. See close up here. They’re usually a good option if you want a smoother writing experience and more ink options than your standard ballpoint offers. With roller balls though, I’ve had the issue where the ball casing wears down and the spring shoots out the ball like a projectile, spewing ink everywhere … I find that the fountain pen nibs are more durable if you take good care of them.

    As for the Lamy Safari, it comes in all three options but the most common one by far is the fountain pen version.

    • OmegaMouse@feddit.ukEnglish
      4·
      9 months ago

      Thanks for the info. I didn’t realise fountain pens worked using capillary action. When I was younger we had to use fountain pens in school for a few years and I remember them being slightly frustrating. But nowadays I don’t need to write nearly as much/whilst under pressure, so I could see a fountain pen being quite nice. Plus, I’m pretty sure the ones I used were cheap and scratchy; if the brand you mentioned is good quality I might give one a go.

      • DrRatso@lemmy.ml
        2·
        9 months ago

        The safari is exceptional, cheap and common, however the standard nibs they come with are a bit hit and miss, but generally fine to try out, a good lamy replacement nib is just about 10 bucks iirc.

      • 404@lemmy.zip
        2·
        9 months ago

        Yeah, I’m very happy with it and it’s usually recommended as a good starter pen, along with the Pilot Metropolitan for those who want a metal body and/or a more traditional look. Check that one out too if you’re interested!

        • OmegaMouse@feddit.ukEnglish
          1·
          9 months ago

          I ended up getting a Safari fountain pen and wow! It’s so smooth. Way better than any I’ve used in the past. I’ve been writing stuff for the hell of it just to try it out. I’m so used to pressing down with some force whilst using a ballpoint (especially the first time you use it each day) so this makes a nice change.

          Thinking back to when we were made to use them at school, we were told that the nib would wear down to fit our writing style… which I think was nonsense. Pretty sure I used to use more pressure than was necessary back then, to try and get the pen to ‘mould’ faster. If I’d been taught to use them correctly maybe I’d have enjoyed it more back then.