Spent $40 on a fountain pen starter kit and almost threw it out after day one

Got that Pilot Metropolitan set from JetPens last week because I wanted to try writing more by hand. First day I loaded the ink cartridge wrong and got blue all over my fingers. Almost gave up right there. But a guy on YouTube showed me how to flush the nib with dish soap and now it writes smoother than any gel pen I own. Still not sure if I'll stick with it or if this is just another hobby I abandon after a month. Anyone else almost quit a new thing on day one?

3 comments

3 Comments

casey_wood212d ago

lmao the "blue all over my fingers" part got me. I did the exact same thing with my first Lamy Safari. thought I was being smart and tried to twist the converter on at a weird angle and suddenly I looked like I was a smurf that got into a fight with a pen. honestly the "almost threw it out" feeling is so real. I almost yeeted my whole setup after I couldn't get the nib to write for like an hour because I forgot to take the plastic film off. but yeah like you said once you figure out the little tricks it's way nicer than a regular pen. hope you stick with it longer than I did with my sourdough starter lol.

the_grace12d ago

the "forgot to take the plastic film off" part is killing me... i legit did the same thing with my first converter. i sat there for 20 minutes trying to figure out why ink wouldn't flow. so when you say you almost yeeted the whole setup, i feel that. but here's my real question though... did you ever figure out the trick to keep the nib from drying out if you don't use it for a day or two? because i keep having to prime mine every morning and it's driving me nuts.

the_xena12d ago

Ugh the drying out thing is the WORST @casey_wood2. In my experience, it's usually a cap seal issue more than anything. Some pens just let air in overnight no matter what you do. I finally gave up fighting it and started storing my Safari nib-down in a little cup with a damp paper towel at the bottom. Sounds weird but it actually helps keep the feed wet enough that I don't have to prime it every morning. Your mileage may vary but it's worth a shot before you toss it across the room.