Click to view our Accessibility Statement or contact us with accessibility-related questions
jlamb
67
Jul 3, 2016
I believe that Cross cartridges are proprietary. Meaning they won't fit inside most pens. So if you want to be able to use the cartridges you currently have, you will need to buy another Cross pen.
Many pen brands use their own proprietary cartridges. This presents a choice if you want to go with something other than Cross. You can buy a pen that takes standard international cartridges, which gives you the option of having other pens in the future that can all use the same cartridges. Or you can go for a brand with proprietary cartridges with the knowledge that if you get different brand pens in future you will need different cartridges.
Gouletpens.com is a good place to start looking. They have a large, well-reviewed range, respectable pricing and excellent customer service. If you contact them they will help you find exactly what you need.
As for individual pens, something like the Italix Parson's Essential (standard cartridges), the Platinum 3776, or the Pilot Vanishing Point (both proprietary) are often recommended as excellent workhorse pens. I own and recommend both the 3776 and the Parson's Essential, though I find the solid brass body of the Parson's Essential to be on the heavy side for all-day use. The pens I use most are the much cheaper Pilot Metropolitan filled with Pilot Blue Black or Rohrer + Klingner Salix and a vintage Parker 51 filled with Iroshizuku take-sumi or Pelikan 4001 Black.
Regarding nib sizes: Japanese nibs are finer than Western nibs. A standard rule of thumb is that a Japanese M is equivalent to a Western F. This is not always the case however, so it is best to ask the retailer if you are unsure.
As for inks, what do you need from them? If you want to be able to write on paper that isn't designed for fountain pens I recommend Pilot Blue Black, which is waterproof and performs well on just about all paper. You can find it cheap on ebay, though shipping from Japan takes at least a month (for me in Australia). Diamine, Noodler's and Sailor inks have wide ranges and followings for various reasons. What you end up going with will depend on how much you want to spend, what's easily available in your country and what kind of paper you use.
gouletpens.com (USA) cultpens.com (UK) lacouronneducomte.nl (EU)
I would recommend the above stores as good places to start.
Good luck!
Dr.McCoy
345
Jul 10, 2016
jlambI'm not wedded to the Cross system. The pen I've got has served me well over the last 3ish years - but I've had some annoyances along the way with the cartridge system and the clip failing on me.
I love the Pilot Vanishing Point - but it's out of my budget right now. I really don't think that I want to spend more than 80USD and 50 is really a better goal. The Parson's looks nice as well, but it seems to be difficult to get a hold of outside of UK/EU.
I'm eyeing the LAMY CP-1 Massdrop has right now. Do you have any opinions on that?
As for inks - I imagine the most versatile is the best option right now. I'll do everything from writing cheques, note-taking, groceries, etc. I come in contact with a wide variety of papers throughout the day. I'll check out the Pilot blue-black you mentioned - are there any keywords I should be looking for when trying to find a suitable ink?
Thanks for all the info! Really helpful.
PRODUCTS YOU MAY LIKE
Trending Posts in More Community Picks