Reddit reviews Parker Urban Fountain Pen Kit

It seems like we have some confused and misinformed people here. I'm going to attempt to clarify this, because it seems like there are interested parties.

There is such a thing as acid free paper, contrary to a claim made by another redditor. There are some papers made of non-acidic fiber as well, such as this book with handmade cotton paper. In addition, wood-based paper is treated with a base during manufacturing that neutralizes the acid to create acid-free paper.

You will only know you have acid-free paper on hand if it specifically says that it is acid free on the packaging. If it does not have the words "Acid Free" on the packaging, it is not acid free, period.

On another note, if you're going to be doing some writing or drawing on your new, fancy, long-lived, acid-free paper, you're going to want some acid-free ink, as well. Bic, uni-ball, Zebra, Pentel all have acid-free ink pens available, but again, make sure it's actually advertised as such.

Or you could go with a non-disposable version, since this is /r/BuyItForLife. Most, if not all, fountain pens that require a cartridge can also use a refillable cartridge converter, so you can use whatever ink you want. I got this Parker pen set for my birthday last year, and while Quink isn't acid-free, it came with a converter I can fill with ink from other pots of ink I have.

But yeah. Acid Free. Very important.

Parker Urban:

Parker Urban Fountain Pen, London Cab Black, Medium Nib with Blue Ink Refill (1931604) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0Z6KP8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_OblzzbXZCWS5G

Parker Urban Kit:

Parker Urban Black and Gold Fountain Pen kit with 4 Ink (1760841) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003EUM9UC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ydlzzb982D5CA

Parker Jotter:

PARKER Jotter Fountain Pen, Stainless Steel with Chrome Trim, Medium Nib, Blue Ink, Gift Box (1955311) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DJBH2LQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_QclzzbNPN09AZ

Parker IM:

Parker IM Fountain Pen, Black Lacquer Gold Trim, Fine Nib with Blue Ink Refill (1931645) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M001FUH/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_lelzzb0YKYHWA

Hi there! Welcome to /r/fountainpens! As a FP newbie myself, I hope I might be able to lend a little helpful advice on your search for a first pen. :)

Jinhao pens, I think most people would agree, are fair performers, and their costs at pennies on the dollar are quite attractive. A piece of advice, though: if you don't mind waiting for a Jinhao pen to be shipped from Asia, try eBay. You can almost always find their pens for a third of the cost as a US-based retailer, if not less. Here's the 159 for $4.50, for example.

Interestingly, many other Jinhao pens are also available on eBay for even less than this one. There's the 156 for $3, the 750 stainless for $3, and the X450 for $1.50, among many others.

Of course, any Jinhao pen you buy will not come with ink. You'll need ink to write anything with any pen! If you're after black ink, you could buy the Noodler's Heart of Darkness bundle, which is a bulletproof ink (which means it has properties that make it difficult or impossible to alter after it's dried on paper) that comes with a decent pen.

The Pilot Metropolitan deserves a nod here, too. It's a heavy pen (as it's made of metal), but some people love that premium feel at this price range. $13 shipped. If you don't like the zigzag pattern on the grip, Parker makes other models. Just search Amazon for the Pilot Metropolitan.

You might also consider the Parker Urban kit from Parker. $40 is a bit steep compared to the Jinhao and Noodler's kit, but it comes with everything you need all in one package. Some people don't much care for the Urban because it uses a proprietary converter mechanism (for filling the pen), but bah, humbug. It's a solid performer and is still easy to fill, even if it does fill differently from other pens.

I'll echo some general advice I've seen on these forums: Lamy pens aren't bad, but they tend to be overpriced. You'll run into lots of Lamy models if you do an Amazon search and filter by average review rating. They are highly reviewed pens. It's worth checking them out if you get more interested in fountain pens, but for starting out I'd recommend one of the units above.

Lastly, if you're feeling luxurious, you might be interested in the Massdrop sale on the Conklin Stylograph Mosaic. This little guy is $55--way more than the $12 Jinhao you started with--but it's also in a different kind of class, more a collector's item or a nice pen than simply a serviceable one. That $55 price tag expires today, and the regular price is closer to $100. I'd recommend a different pen for starting simply because this one is more expensive, but I also thought I'd let you know just in case because the deal is gone after today. :) There's no referral on that link. If anyone would like to help me with Massdrop referrals, my referral link is below.

Massdrop link with referral: https://www.massdrop.com/r/Z9E8TR

The world of fountain pens is big, and I'm just getting my feet wet myself. I hope you find the tips here useful. :)

Alright so...I got my first fountain pen today. A cheap little Staedler whatever. I had a great day writing whatever was on my mind. I think I'm hooked. I've always found writing cursive to be very therapeutic, and it's only now that I realized that I'm adult I can let myself get into calligraphy and fountain pens.

So..That Amazon Prime day thing has a few Parkers and R0trings. Would this be a good idea for the next purchase? Any better deals on right now?

http://amzn.com/B003EUM9UC

You can get a Parker Urban with a bottle of Quink Black ink, a converter, a polishing cloth, and 4 cartridges (2 Black / 2 Blue) on Amazon.com for $37 USD. It is a pretty solid pen, from my own experience.

The Nemosine Singularity is not a bad option for $14 USD. (It comes in LOTs of colors too.)

The Muji Fountain Pen is also a solid starter pen for $16 USD. It is of a sturdy aluminum make, and writes quite well.

The rest are the Standard starter pens, like the Pilot Metropolitan, Lamy Safari, et cetera.

Lamy Safari - EF Nib

Parker Urban - M Nib

Pilot G2 - 0.38mm

I have tiny handwriting, so I tend to go with finer points on pens.

I would consider a restored vintage pen like an Esterbrook J or a Sheaffer Balance. They have a completely different feel to them, look really nice, write really well, and will give you something to talk about. Esterbrooks also have tons of nibs available to them, so if you don't like the way one writes then you can always get another.

If vintage pens are not your cup of tea, then what you can get will largely depend on how much you are willing to spend. In the $50 range I would look at either the TWSBI 580 or Parker Urban (the Parker Urban is available from Amazon in a gift set for about $40, or by itself for about $35). At $75 to $80 buying a Platinum 3776, Pilot CH91, or C74 from a Japanese seller (either on Amazon or eBay) would be the way to go.

• Vintage: Quality vintage pens (especially Esterbrooks) are often available at /r/Pen_Swap for a good price. You can get them from eBay too, but I would avoid this unless you know what to look for and what to avoid.
  
  
• Parker Urban:
  
  Individual: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009ESLB3Y/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A163PEXZF726JB
  
  Gift Set: https://www.amazon.com/Parker-Fountain-Medium-Cartridges-1760841/dp/B003EUM9UC/ref=sr_1_1?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1466189370&sr=1-1&keywords=parker+urban+fountain+pen
  
  
• TWSBI 580:
  
  http://www.jetpens.com/TWSBI-Diamond-580-Clear-Fountain-Pen-Fine-Nib/pd/14069
  
  
• Platinum 3776:
  
  https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Doffice-products&field-keywords=platinum+3776&rh=n%3A1064954%2Ck%3Aplatinum+3776
  
  
• Pilot CH91:
  
  https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Doffice-products&field-keywords=pilot+custom+91&rh=n%3A1064954%2Ck%3Apilot+custom+91
  
  
• Pilot C74:
  
  https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Doffice-products&field-keywords=pilot+custom+74&rh=n%3A1064954%2Ck%3Apilot+custom+74
  

Sounds like you are very confused. First of all I looked at the kit I that I think you mentioned and I think it could be a good fountain pen, although maybe a bit bold. Since you are a lefty, it might leave a lot of ink on the page that might smear as you are writing. However, I have heard good things of Parker Quink, which is the ink provided in the kit and that it dries relatively quickly. It is also somewhat water resistant, which will probably important for you if you are writing letters.

One thing I will mention, is that most people on this subreddit don't have a Parker Urban as their first pen, and most here get pens like the Pilot Metropolitan or the Lamy Safari as their first pen. Honestly, it shouldn't make much of a difference.

To answer some of your questions:

• Private reserve makes a fast-drying variety of ink. I don't know how well it writes. My Private Reserve DC Supershow Blue is NOT water resistant. Noodler's might make a fast drying ink.
  
• Tips on nibs are generally all the same and it doesn't matter. Gold tipped nibs sound like the worst idea ever though (but gold nibs are fine)
  
• Paper is going to be problematic for you. Good papers are water resistant and that makes sure that the ink does not spread and feather into the paper. However, for you that means that it doesn't soak into the page and takes longer to dry, which as a lefty means that you may potentially smear your hand with ink. No idea what cotton rag paper is, but sounds cool.
  
  Really, just getting a fountain pen will answer a lot of questions you have. For example the question on pressure... it depends on the pen, and you don't want to bend your pens out of shape by pressing them too hard.
  
  

Okay! Here are my ideas:

A luxurious sweater. A fountain pen. Rayban shades. A Keurig.

Here is another link for the same price, no referrals:

https://www.amazon.com/Parker-Urban-Black-Fountain-1760841/dp/B003EUM9UC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1527692672&sr=8-2&keywords=parker+urban+black+gold+kit

I've freaked out in a half sleep state thinking it was 7am. I thought I was going to be late for school until my sister and mom calmed me by explaining it was 7pm. I went back to sleep.

I like this off your list =] (and many other things)

Amazon my man.

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B003EUM9UC/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_tvArub1DF2R03

Couldnt find it?

https://www.amazon.com/Parker-Urban-Black-Fountain-1760841/dp/B003EUM9UC/ref=sr_1_5?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1479157472&sr=1-5&keywords=Fountain+pen+kit&refinements=p_n_shipping_option-bin%3A3242350011

What about this?