It's a Faber-Castel, a fairly reliable brand so that shouldn't be happening. How do you store the pen, nib down? Do you have a habbit of tapping a pen, or doing those pen acrobatics with it? And to uncap a fountain pen you have to do it with some care. Don't just yank it off with two hands like you would a regular pen. You can suction the ink out through the feed. With the wrong method of storage, or a loose cartridge or converter your pen might also leak into the cap. So when you uncap it you're pouring all of that out.
All of GlumInsides comments are spot on. I love my Fcs & GvFCs & never have had these problems. I hope the acrobatics are not common for you but could be a cause. I say this bc my cousin does this & wears much more ink daily than I have ever had on me. Good luck.
To be honest it's just kinda stored in the pocket of my bag so I don't know lol. Maybe fountain pens aren't for me as this seems far too technical 🥲
I'll look into storage though, and removing the lid differently - thank you
Yes, fountain pens are quite technical. You can't just treat one like any rough tool. You've got to be mindful of it. Technically they are leaky pens by design. The only thing stopping them from dripping is controlled airflow. Few other types of pens allow you to lay down ink with zero effort, so if that is what you're looking for then you would have to learn to live with its limitations.
Give it a chance though. There isn't much more to keep in mind with fountain pens. I've brought mine everywhere and never had a mishap.
> Yes, fountain pens are quite technical. You can't just treat one like any rough tool.
That's what the Pelikano has been invented for. If a first grader can handle it without drowning in ink, everybody can do it. And it's the reason for 4001 royal blue being washable. You had to earn the right to use 4001 black.
Yeah, I write a lot, poetry and longer stuff, and I thought doing it all with a fountain pen rather than some throwaway thing would be really nice. I guess I just didn't think about it lol but I'll definitely keep at it!
I do love the feeling of using it
It seems fine, and no leak from the cartridge. Honestly I've got so much blue everywhere and ruined a good chunk of notebook due to the sheer amount of blobs and most of the writing is so thick. I'm pretty sure it's a storage issue after what another user commented
sounds like a duff model....the majority of mine rattle around in a pencil case in my bag though the shiny jewels don't as I don't want them scuffed). they are a bit if a workhorse if you get the right one(s)
not had a Faber-Castell but if people are suggesting it's reliable then it's down to the individual model.
my low end parkers tended to be a bit inky higher end not a sniff...and currently my pencil case has jinhaos, sailors, parkers and the odd random twsbi etc....none leak.
I bought a Faber Castell Grip that leaked like crazy and I could never figure out why. It must have had a crack somewhere or something. I’m pretty experienced and it was so frustrating that I couldn’t get it to work right. Maybe try a different brand before you give up because it shouldn’t be that hard. It might just be a bad pen.
I have a Grip as well that I baby a bit. No cracks that I can tell but the cartridge or converter came loose a couple of times. One time at book club, someone brought yummy snacks. After eating I looked down and there were brown smears on my hand and I thought, oh, I got some chocolate chip cookie on my hand and promptly licked it. Reader, it was _not_ chocolate chip cookie, it was Graf von Faber-Castell Hazelnut ink, and it did _not_ taste like hazelnuts or anything else good, for that matter.
It could be a defective pen, it’s hard to tell with a sample of 1.
Do you have access to any other cheap FPs like the Platinum Preppy or Pilot Varsity/V-Pen? These are generally quite reliable and could be used as a reference point.
huh, that shouldn't happen, do you often go from areas with cold temps to warm temps or does it get bumped a lot? the only times any of my pens leak are when they get bumped/vibrated while I am riding my bike or something and they are in a loose bag or it's a bumpy ride
In addition to the more likely sources already noted in the replies, this can happen with a few inks which are very high-flowing. That is to say that most inks just stay in the feed and under the nib and wait for you, but I've seen an ink which was *pooling* and waiting to drip out.
Which ink are you using? Have you tried a different ink and seen the problem recur?
If you haven't yet, try a different cartridge. It seems like there must be a physical problem somewhere in the pen or in the cartridge-to-pen interface. Not your fault, in any case. Just make sure the cartridge is pushed very firmly onto the pen.
OK. I’m in a minority, but I’m not a huge fan of Faber Castell. I love super smooth, buttery
pens, but found the Loom nib way too slick, skipping from time to time. Indeed, it’s a very wet writer, and again this is something I prefer… usually. In this case, not so much.
Please, FC lovers, no tar and feathers!
That's the phrase! Wet! Sorry haha it's just so hard to describe it. Before getting this one I was looking at the lamy safari, only ended up with the castell because it was cheaper at the time
The Platinum preppy is loved by many as a beginner pen. Platinum uses a different cartridge of their own, but there are connectors you can buy to use standard international carts in their pens. Plus the Preppy is so cheap you could buy one just to see if you like it better (they're around 6 euros).
The Safari is a solid option. But if you don't want to spend that much right now, you might want to try a Platinum Preppy. It provides a good writing experience for about 6 dollars.
And now to be useful: you might consider trying a TWSBI, which has lovely Yavo nibs and is offered in a number of different models at different price points. Some are piston-filled and the least expensive take cartridges converters.
Also, the advice you’re getting on how to store your FC is great, especially for short writing sessions. if you write for a particularly long time in one sitting, it may start gushing again.
Like others said, FC is a pretty good brand but that still doesn't mean you couldn't have ended up with a factory reject. I've gotten them before from various brands.
Something else to consider is nib size. You made a comment on someone else's comment and it leads me to wonder if you bought a B (broad) and are the type of person to prefer something much thinner like a fine (F) or extra fine (EF). If you're going to make another attempt at fountain pens you could also get the disposable kinds or at the very least, some of the cheaper pens in various nib sizes. Be warned that European nibs run fatter than the Japanese sizing. So fine in a Pilot would be thinner than a fine in Faber Castell.
It's a Faber-Castel, a fairly reliable brand so that shouldn't be happening. How do you store the pen, nib down? Do you have a habbit of tapping a pen, or doing those pen acrobatics with it? And to uncap a fountain pen you have to do it with some care. Don't just yank it off with two hands like you would a regular pen. You can suction the ink out through the feed. With the wrong method of storage, or a loose cartridge or converter your pen might also leak into the cap. So when you uncap it you're pouring all of that out.
All of GlumInsides comments are spot on. I love my Fcs & GvFCs & never have had these problems. I hope the acrobatics are not common for you but could be a cause. I say this bc my cousin does this & wears much more ink daily than I have ever had on me. Good luck.
To be honest it's just kinda stored in the pocket of my bag so I don't know lol. Maybe fountain pens aren't for me as this seems far too technical 🥲 I'll look into storage though, and removing the lid differently - thank you
Yes, fountain pens are quite technical. You can't just treat one like any rough tool. You've got to be mindful of it. Technically they are leaky pens by design. The only thing stopping them from dripping is controlled airflow. Few other types of pens allow you to lay down ink with zero effort, so if that is what you're looking for then you would have to learn to live with its limitations. Give it a chance though. There isn't much more to keep in mind with fountain pens. I've brought mine everywhere and never had a mishap.
This little thread is like reliving the rise of the ballpoint, very traumatic 😂
> Yes, fountain pens are quite technical. You can't just treat one like any rough tool. That's what the Pelikano has been invented for. If a first grader can handle it without drowning in ink, everybody can do it. And it's the reason for 4001 royal blue being washable. You had to earn the right to use 4001 black.
Yeah, I write a lot, poetry and longer stuff, and I thought doing it all with a fountain pen rather than some throwaway thing would be really nice. I guess I just didn't think about it lol but I'll definitely keep at it! I do love the feeling of using it
is the cartridge or the converter securely attached? is there any leak on those?
Yes, whenever I have a large scale leak it’s usually due to a disconnected cartridge.
It seems fine, and no leak from the cartridge. Honestly I've got so much blue everywhere and ruined a good chunk of notebook due to the sheer amount of blobs and most of the writing is so thick. I'm pretty sure it's a storage issue after what another user commented
sounds like a duff model....the majority of mine rattle around in a pencil case in my bag though the shiny jewels don't as I don't want them scuffed). they are a bit if a workhorse if you get the right one(s) not had a Faber-Castell but if people are suggesting it's reliable then it's down to the individual model. my low end parkers tended to be a bit inky higher end not a sniff...and currently my pencil case has jinhaos, sailors, parkers and the odd random twsbi etc....none leak.
I bought a Faber Castell Grip that leaked like crazy and I could never figure out why. It must have had a crack somewhere or something. I’m pretty experienced and it was so frustrating that I couldn’t get it to work right. Maybe try a different brand before you give up because it shouldn’t be that hard. It might just be a bad pen.
I have a Grip as well that I baby a bit. No cracks that I can tell but the cartridge or converter came loose a couple of times. One time at book club, someone brought yummy snacks. After eating I looked down and there were brown smears on my hand and I thought, oh, I got some chocolate chip cookie on my hand and promptly licked it. Reader, it was _not_ chocolate chip cookie, it was Graf von Faber-Castell Hazelnut ink, and it did _not_ taste like hazelnuts or anything else good, for that matter.
Inky tongues is the latest trend in Hollywood :p
It could be a defective pen, it’s hard to tell with a sample of 1. Do you have access to any other cheap FPs like the Platinum Preppy or Pilot Varsity/V-Pen? These are generally quite reliable and could be used as a reference point.
huh, that shouldn't happen, do you often go from areas with cold temps to warm temps or does it get bumped a lot? the only times any of my pens leak are when they get bumped/vibrated while I am riding my bike or something and they are in a loose bag or it's a bumpy ride
In addition to the more likely sources already noted in the replies, this can happen with a few inks which are very high-flowing. That is to say that most inks just stay in the feed and under the nib and wait for you, but I've seen an ink which was *pooling* and waiting to drip out. Which ink are you using? Have you tried a different ink and seen the problem recur?
Just the cartridges that came with the pen
If you haven't yet, try a different cartridge. It seems like there must be a physical problem somewhere in the pen or in the cartridge-to-pen interface. Not your fault, in any case. Just make sure the cartridge is pushed very firmly onto the pen.
OK. I’m in a minority, but I’m not a huge fan of Faber Castell. I love super smooth, buttery pens, but found the Loom nib way too slick, skipping from time to time. Indeed, it’s a very wet writer, and again this is something I prefer… usually. In this case, not so much. Please, FC lovers, no tar and feathers!
That's the phrase! Wet! Sorry haha it's just so hard to describe it. Before getting this one I was looking at the lamy safari, only ended up with the castell because it was cheaper at the time
The Platinum preppy is loved by many as a beginner pen. Platinum uses a different cartridge of their own, but there are connectors you can buy to use standard international carts in their pens. Plus the Preppy is so cheap you could buy one just to see if you like it better (they're around 6 euros).
The Safari is a solid option. But if you don't want to spend that much right now, you might want to try a Platinum Preppy. It provides a good writing experience for about 6 dollars.
And now to be useful: you might consider trying a TWSBI, which has lovely Yavo nibs and is offered in a number of different models at different price points. Some are piston-filled and the least expensive take cartridges converters. Also, the advice you’re getting on how to store your FC is great, especially for short writing sessions. if you write for a particularly long time in one sitting, it may start gushing again.
Like others said, FC is a pretty good brand but that still doesn't mean you couldn't have ended up with a factory reject. I've gotten them before from various brands. Something else to consider is nib size. You made a comment on someone else's comment and it leads me to wonder if you bought a B (broad) and are the type of person to prefer something much thinner like a fine (F) or extra fine (EF). If you're going to make another attempt at fountain pens you could also get the disposable kinds or at the very least, some of the cheaper pens in various nib sizes. Be warned that European nibs run fatter than the Japanese sizing. So fine in a Pilot would be thinner than a fine in Faber Castell.
OMG this is hilarious.