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FP_GaF
September 22nd, 2012, 12:49 PM
While commenting to another post I started thinking about which pen brand has given me the best pen experience. I have bought and used pens from quite a few brands and countries. Pelikans, Faber-Castells, Montblancs from Germany, Pilots, Sailors and Platinums from Japan, Visconti, Aurora and Delta from Italy, some new and vintage Parkers and Sheaffers from the U.S., some odd Chinese pens, etc. Well, you get the idea. They are all dear to me and I try to use them all. But there are simply a few that I always come back to for both their beauty and writing quality.

Now, I was thinking which brand is it that inspires me the most. Which brand's design and technical quality speaks the most to me. So then I asked myself what are the three most "reliable" brands in my opinion, by which I mean which ones do I trust most to satisfy my pen taste. Again, this is a combination of design and technology. I am not including price because I am thinking about pens for which I would pay almost any amount of money. Yes, I have my limit and I have not tried every pen on the planet. And I don't own pens that cost more than $500 which means probably that I have missed some really incredible pens. But our fountain pen experience will always be limited since we are constrained in space, time and money. We can't have/try all of them and there will always be an upper limit that we'll pay. But given these boundary conditions I asked myself what are my three favourite brands that I have discovered and used in my entire fountain pen career (which has stretched over more than 30 year since I made my first humble scratches with a fountain pen on a piece of paper in primary school).

Well, if you are still with me, here we go:

On third place Pilot where great innovative ideas meet with high quality manufacturing and very nice design.

On second place Pelikan for their almost flawless technology and for their brilliant nibs that always write like a dream. Their design nearly hasn't changed in one hundred years but I am grateful for that because I like the design very much.

And on first place my favourite of all is... Visconti. Brilliant, beautiful design and technology of the highest grade. Gorgeous materials and never ending innovation.


There you have it. So now it's your turn. What I would like to ask all of you is first not, I repeat NOT, to tell me why I am wrong ('cause I ain't :cool: ), second to take some time and think for yourself about your favourite brands and why they are your favourite ones and third write me a little note to this post with your own ranking. Just your favourite three brands.

Let's have some fun here....

manoeuver
September 22nd, 2012, 03:01 PM
fine choices for sure.

#3: Sheaffer. most of my Sheaffers have come to me second hand. virtually all of them work (really well.) I give cheap secondhand sheaffers to people as FPE.

#2 Pilot. I've used 2 Pilot pens. Both really cheap. They put ink to paper like crazy. Love 'em so.

#1 Lamy.

fountainpenkid
September 22nd, 2012, 03:09 PM
3. Aurora
2.Parker
1. Pelikan

JustDaveyB
September 22nd, 2012, 04:54 PM
#3 Waterman - Solid pens that just work
#2 Lamy - Bulletproof
#1 Sailor - Never had a problem with any of ten I own - All wrote straight out of the box

Tracy Lee
September 22nd, 2012, 05:35 PM
3. Pilot/Namiki - incredibly reliable
2. Parker - write consistently
1. Visconti- no one beats the dream nib. Also, the right amount of heft for folks like me that can't use a light weigh pen. Ah, and beautiful. :)

jar
September 22nd, 2012, 06:04 PM
I don't see a fair way to cut things down to three but I can see a way to fairly break things down into three groups.

Makers where I have two dozen pens or more that have been 100% reliable. That would include Sheaffer, Parker, Waterman, ST Dupont, Montegrappa. I'd trust any pen from one of those manufacturers simply because I've never been disappointed and the sample size is large enough to make me confident.

Makers where I have fewer than than two dozen but all have been 100% reliable. That would include Yard-O-Led, Caran D'Ache, OMAS, Graf von Faber Castell, Conway Stewart, Ferrari da Varese. Again, since 100% of the pens from this group of manufacturers have been perfect, I'd be comfortable buying a new pen from them sight unseen and without trying it first.

Finally there are the makers where I have been more satisfied than dissatisfied and that would include Montblanc, Pelikan, Grifos, Wahl/Eversharp, Conklin (vintage), Franklin Christoph, Mabbie Todd (vintage), Thomas De La Rue (vintage), Venus, Aurora. Some of those makers like Pelikan and Montblanc would fall into the other categories if their QC were higher.

outbackpengeek
September 22nd, 2012, 08:58 PM
3. Parker (vintage)
2. Pilot/Namiki
1. Lamy

I don't know about Pelikan *always* writing well...my M800 doesn't like to write diagonal lines at random times :cry:

JustDaveyB
September 22nd, 2012, 11:18 PM
3. Parker (vintage)
2. Pilot/Namiki
1. Lamy

I don't know about Pelikan *always* writing well...my M800 doesn't like to write diagonal lines at random times :cry:

Pelikan would be my least reliable out of the box.

Saintpaulia
September 22nd, 2012, 11:22 PM
1. Sheaffer
2. Pilot
3. Waterman

KrazyIvan
September 24th, 2012, 09:31 AM
I am torn. All of my pens with the exception of two, just work.

goldiesdad
September 25th, 2012, 06:54 AM
I love all my pens ... the one's that are rough I tweak and make them my fav's ...

Right Now my favs are:

1. TWSBI - with Pendleton Points
2. Pilot's
3. All the rest ...

inky
September 25th, 2012, 08:01 AM
I would have to go with:

1. Edison - these above all others just work for me. Something about the material and design just work for me.
2. Pelikan - I don't have many but the few I have used have always left me with the "Now that's a pen!" feeling.
3. Lamy - These make my list because I don't have to worry about them. They work and they work every time. Well except for my 2000 but that is my fault :)

fountainpenkid
September 25th, 2012, 03:16 PM
I think I'll clarify my list:
1. Pelikan--all very reliable, beautiful pens with a great ink capacity. Not many cases of inky fingers either :)
2. Parker (Modern-Near Modern)--The P75 is one of my go to pens, with a nice heft and even less hassle than the Pelikans.
3. Aurora--The vintage Aurora 88 is one of the best pens ever.I've had two and they prove themselves to be well made, reliable user pens. A bit of a stiff piston, but then again, the ones I've had are hardly prime examples.

Bogon07
September 25th, 2012, 07:59 PM
#1 Lamy
#2 Lamy
#3 Lamy

Just make sure you clean/flush before using the first time.

FLJeepGuy
September 28th, 2012, 03:55 PM
Lamy - from the lowly Safari/Al-Star/Vista through the Studio to the 2000, every one of my Lamy pens are excellent writers and dependable to a fault.
Sheaffer - I've yet to run into a Sheaffer nib I didn't like, particularly the Triumphs and their inlaid nibs.
Three way tie (cheating a bit here?): Graf von Faber-Castell, Cross, Parker - I've got a bunch of them. My FC Classic is excellent as is my first year Cross Townsend. My Parker 21/51/61/75/Premiers are awesome as well. Hard to choose one or the other.

FP_GaF
September 29th, 2012, 01:12 PM
Thanks for all your replies. This is a very interesting read. Quite a few brands turn up multiple times. Especially Lamy seems to have found a place in many a fountain pen lover's hearts.

Petergly
September 30th, 2012, 06:14 AM
1. Rotring. Have a silver 600 with a LH nib. Absolute delight to use - reliable, wet, smooth and beautifully balanced in my southpaw.
2. Mabie Todd. My son got it for me in new York a couple of years ago. Again a delight to use - dryer than the Rotring, but always works, it's a fine and less smooth than the Rotring.
3. Elysee. Have had this one - a Parthenon in black - for almost 13 years; still plugging along.

snedwos
October 1st, 2012, 04:56 PM
Waterman Lamy TWSBI (in no particular order). The only other noteworthy pen brand I have tried is Pelikan, and the nib is a bit faulty.

I've used old inoxcrom, parker and sheaffer pens, but they were beat up by the time i go them, so they don't count.

nomad
October 1st, 2012, 06:27 PM
Onoto, Porsche Design, Visconti Homo Sapien.

John the Monkey
October 4th, 2012, 08:33 AM
I only have cheap Watermans, but I've yet to buy a bad one.

Every Pelikan I've owned has been good (various Pelikanos, a Steno)

I like my TWSBI 530, and I'd trust TWSBI's nigh legendary customer service to sort out any problems with a pen I did buy from them.

Honourable mention to Lamy as well, although I've only owned Safaris, a Vista and an Al-Star.

penultress
October 4th, 2012, 05:29 PM
It is really good to see everyone's most trusted.

I don't have a wide range:
#3 - Pelikan 200 italic - beautifully smooth (both Pelikans I have are nice)
#2 - TWSBI Diamond 540 with M nib - smooth and fun (I'm curious about the minis)
#1 - Lamy Safari with 1.1 italic - it writes so effortlessly (I would grab this one on my way out the door)

southpaw52
October 8th, 2012, 02:21 PM
My choices for three durable pens;
1.Sheaffer
2.Waterman
3.Esterbrooks

pajaro
October 10th, 2012, 08:09 PM
Montblanc (146, 144)
Esterbrook
Reform

jtballistic
October 18th, 2012, 05:30 PM
#1 - Sailor
#2 - Aurora
#3 - Lamy

dannzeman
October 18th, 2012, 09:12 PM
Wow, this is difficult.

3. Graf von Faner-Castell
2. Pelikan
1. Lamy




--Sent from my mobile.

Smooth Scooby
October 19th, 2012, 03:53 PM
mine are duke, parker and lamy.

Newjelan
October 20th, 2012, 05:20 AM
1. Visconti
2. Lamy
3. Pelikan

bluejay
October 23rd, 2012, 10:21 AM
I'm surprised by how many fountain pen users say Lamy in their top 3. I found them terrible. Wash it 10+ times plus ultrasonic bath and then you got it working. Pilot is the only pens that work out of the box. Just buy from a nibmeister and you will be happier.

tytoalba
October 23rd, 2012, 11:15 AM
Just picked up a restored Sheaffer demi yesterday.. sure reminds me of how delightful these pens truly are...
Pilot for their great nibs.
Lamy for rugged basics.

this entirely leaves vintage flex nibs off the list. add a new rubber sac, and they are ready to go.

fountainpenkid
October 23rd, 2012, 05:03 PM
Just picked up a restored Sheaffer demi yesterday.. sure reminds me of how delightful these pens truly are...
Pilot for their great nibs.
Lamy for rugged basics.

this entirely leaves vintage flex nibs off the list. add a new rubber sac, and they are ready to go.

what's a sheaffer demi? Do you mean a tuckaway model?

AtomicLeo
July 16th, 2013, 07:06 PM
Reviving this old thread....

#3 Pilot/ Pelikan Tie. I find that Pilot has excellent choices <$100, but was disappointed with the one high end pen, a metal Falcon. Have had horrible experiences with cheaper (<$100) Pelikans, but have been very happy with my m600 and m800.

#2 Lamy. Own a dozen Lamy pens and only one didn't write well out of the box, a M Lamy Safari in Charcoal.

#1 Sailor. Fantastic writers. Handle any ink I use and just joy to use.

MadAmos
July 16th, 2013, 09:03 PM
#3 Pilot #2 Edison #1 Nakaya These are so close together that the order is somewhat meaningless and on any given day the order could change.

Waski_the_Squirrel
July 16th, 2013, 09:04 PM
I'll join the zombie fun!

These are not ranked.

Noodler's: I own a bunch of these and the quality is consistent. The pens are quite well behaved.
TWSBI: This is a step up the ladder from Noodler's. I find these consistently predictable.
Parker: Not a single one of these pens thrill me, but they're all consistently predictable.

I would add Cross, but I'm afraid I've only owned one Cross fountain pen, so I can't make any predictions.

Paul-H
July 17th, 2013, 01:12 AM
3 pens that just work no matter how long they have been left and work exceptionally well are

Parker 45
Parker Duofold AF
Parker 51

Anyone notice a trend here.

Obviously I have others but the question was which 3

Paul

john
July 17th, 2013, 02:28 AM
Every brand in fountain pen industry will has good and bad side. Base on the user's preference. Even the $10 dollars pen will write great.

AndyT
July 17th, 2013, 02:36 AM
Johnny-come-lately here didn't even realise that this thread existed - good question.

Waterman and Mabie Todd are my main interests as far as old pens go, and since I've yet to meet one of either I didn't like, that's easy.

For the third one, and in a spirit of mild devilment, let's go for Noodler's. Regarded as pen kits rather than finished items they can be trusted to provide a good deal of fun, and a writing instrument with a bit of character.

jacksterp
July 17th, 2013, 03:21 AM
Without further adieu -

1) Lamy - these pens have proven their loyal following. Consistently dependable, reasonably smooth and easily altered with ten second nib swaps. The 1.1 nib is super.

2) Pilot/Namiki - everyone of my five writes and writes well even if unused for many weeks.

3) TWSBI 540 - another stellar pen when left for long periods. Nib to paper - instant writing. An incredible value for a piston filler.

pencils+pens
July 17th, 2013, 05:51 AM
If repeatedly purchasing a pen of a certain brand is a test of brand loyalty then in reverse order of most owned brand pens, my preferences are:

3. Noodler's
2. Parker
1. Sheaffer

Of the three, I own the least Noodler's and I own 12. I don't own more than two of any other brand, although Lamy (2) and TWSBI (1) have break-out potential.

drgoretex
July 17th, 2013, 11:01 AM
I have only rarely ever had a pen work perfectly 'out of the box' the way I want it to.

Having said that, the brands that I own that are the best, most utterly reliable, trustable, dependable brands are:

1. Pelikan
2. Pilot
3. Sailor

To each their own...

Ken

ethernautrix
July 17th, 2013, 11:12 AM
Nakaya and Pelikan... and... um....

de_pen_dent
July 17th, 2013, 12:47 PM
- Pilot
- Platinum
- Sailor

Have a whole bunch of pens by them - each one has worked perfectly. Something Montblanc, Pelikan, Visconti, Lamy, Conway Stewart and ST Dupont cannot say.

UK Mike
July 17th, 2013, 06:06 PM
1. Sailor
2. Visconti
3. Platinum

......... and the least trusted
1. TWSBI
2. Parker
3. Montblanc

tandaina
July 17th, 2013, 06:39 PM
(All these brands are for VINTAGE, I buy almost no modern pens.)

Pelikan
Montblanc
Parker

Moxoftritonytes
July 18th, 2013, 11:38 AM
Sheaffer
Pelikan (vintage)
Faber-Castell

reprieve
July 18th, 2013, 03:19 PM
Nakaya
Pilot
Pelikan

amk
July 20th, 2013, 12:25 PM
No 1 - Lamy. From the Safari all the way up to the Lamy 2000, including Accent, Studio, and CP1. All work, all robust.
No 2 - Parker. Though I don't know about modern ones (I stop at the Parker 25.)
No 3 - Pilot. Specifically for its cheaper pens, which are amazing value and write nicely (though I don't like the nib with its flared corners aesthetically, it works).

dajhek
July 20th, 2013, 02:33 PM
Lamy
Parker 51
TWSBI 540

Fawkes
July 20th, 2013, 09:31 PM
I'd say my three are:

Pelikan: love their designs, classic and elegant (especially the tortoises which are my favorite), great nibs and flawless German craftsmanship.
OMAS: never had a bad experience with them. Elegant, Deco inspired designs with some of the best nibs (and ebonite feeds) on the market. If I could only keep one pen for my life it would most likely be my black Paragon.
Montblanc: Both my vintage and modern MBs are elegant, robust and, well, amazing. Their nibs are fantastic.

LAMY is a tie for first in my mind as my 2000 is incredibly dependable and I need not worry about it ever. Its such a good pen it has me thinking of going for the stainless steel version.

Mags
July 28th, 2013, 09:42 AM
The three brands which readily come to mind are: Mont Blanc, Pelikan and Parker.

mcolen
July 29th, 2013, 10:58 AM
1. Pilot
2. Bexley or Edison (tie)
3. Pelikan

discopig
January 19th, 2014, 02:03 AM
1. Pilot/Namiki
2. Lamy
3. Parker

ilangai
January 19th, 2014, 02:57 AM
Mmm.. an old post came to live :)

1. Pelikan - Most of my pens are Pelikans, modern and vintage, and all of them are reliable workhorses.
2. Pilot - They always write! From cheap to expensive, they have phenomenal nibs..
3. Faber-Castell - Those nibs flow like magic.. and the looks and design of the pens are fascinating.

kaisnowbird
January 19th, 2014, 09:00 AM
1. Pilot/Namiki
2. Lamy
3. Parker

Agreed.
1. Pilot; 2. Lamy and 3. Vintage Parker. :thumb:

erpe
January 19th, 2014, 09:14 AM
Kaweco
Parker
Waterman
Hero/delta/kaigelu/faber-castell
Difficult to pick really, all my pens work, the ones that don't/didn't are in a shoebox until I get around to make them work

kia
January 19th, 2014, 10:47 AM
3. Dani Trio. I like the eyedropper pens but I also like their less expensive models with c/c. I really love the size and feel of a Takumi. And, I love the maki-e artwork on my pens, especially my custom octagon Larkspur and Ladybird pens.

2. Pilot. All of my Pilot pens have written well right out of the box, and they are all very reliable workhorses. Wouldn't trade away my Pilot pens, especially my vp's.

1. Edison Pen/Brian Gray. I've been getting pens from Brian since his days of modifying kit pens! The Edison pens have done nothing but improve, in materials and nibs, and I really like being able to get a custom pen made just for me if I want it. Brian works with me for nib tweaking if needed (I like a fine line, but I also like wet flow - how's that for an oxymoron). I do enjoy my Edison Pens.

Mags
January 19th, 2014, 10:59 AM
1. Sailor
2. Pelikan
3. Sheaffer

4. Edison

Adhizen
January 19th, 2014, 11:24 AM
Lamy
Yard o Led
Visconti

Lady Onogaro
January 19th, 2014, 11:57 AM
This is my first post in the group. I have been reading the blog, and I joined for (or in time for) InCoWriMo 2014. I followed Azizah's link to the forums (which I didn't know about until today).

For me, my favorite pen brands are Lamy (love my extra fine), Pilot, and TWSBI. I just bought a couple of Jinhaos, and while I like them, I don't feel they are going to be my favorites. Plus, I did replace the nibs with Goulet nibs, which seem much better than the Jinhao nibs (though I did like the appearance of the Jinhao nib). In any case, if you have to change the nib to like a pen, can you say you like the brand for the purpose of this question? I wouldn't think so, but I would like to know what others think.

pengeezer
January 19th, 2014, 01:04 PM
Wow........this is hard to choose. In my estimation,#3 is as good as #1.


#3--Lamy Safari(only type of Lamy I own)
#2--Omas(vintage and new)
#1--Aurora(Optima & Talentum)



John

Waski_the_Squirrel
January 19th, 2014, 01:07 PM
I can't remember if I ever posted in this thread, but tastes change, so here are mine.

1. Noodlers: I know what I'm getting, and I've had good luck with them.
2. Pilot: very reliable pens that write for me without issues
3. The only other brand of which I own multiples is Edison. To tell the truth, Edison has been totally reliable, but I have some other concerns with the brand that make me not want to put it on this list. I think Parker is pretty trustworthy, but gave away those, Cross is trustworthy, my one Pelikan is trustworthy, and I really want to put TWSBI on the list, but I've had trouble with a few of these.

Pelikan-Vera
January 19th, 2014, 01:25 PM
For me: Pelikan, Montblanc and Soennecken all vintage nibs with F, M, B or OB nibs.

mhosea
January 19th, 2014, 01:44 PM
I think for vintage pens, it would have to be Sheaffer for me in the #1 spot, maybe Parker in #2. I like modern pens, and I have bought quite a few, but I "trust" no modern pen brands, either as result of experience or due to lack of it.

raging.dragon
January 19th, 2014, 01:57 PM
1. Visconti for their design, innovation and generous warranty. The nibs and plunger (power) fillers are also pluses. On the down side, I've had to adjust a few nibs and take advantage of the warranty a few times. But the pens that needed work have been solid and reliable performers after I got them sorted out.

2. OMAS, because I love the 360 design, the feel of OMAS's gold nibs, and the reliability of their ebonite feeds.

3. Chatterley Pens/Luxuries. Most of my favourite Deltas and Stipulas have been collaborations with Bryant.

Runners up would be Delta, Stipula and Conway Stewart. Delta have my favourite piston filling mechanism, and along with Conway Stewart are the only big manufacturers who regularly make sac filling pens (lever and button fillers). Stipula, like Visconti, are innovators who experiment with different fillers and designs.

Woody
January 19th, 2014, 05:40 PM
Pilot, Sheaffer. My third would be Edison. Edison's lately bring me a trouble free writing experience.

Tracy Lee
January 19th, 2014, 07:00 PM
Visconti for virtually the same reasons as raging.dragon noted. Add the heft of their pens which I love. Delta a close second. Their nibs, the regular ones, are just amazingly smooth and beautiful. Right now my Edison is three - no issues and I use it an awful lot. And I will +1 on Chatterley Pens.

tandaina
January 19th, 2014, 07:32 PM
Pelikan, Montblanc (vintage, I have none newer than 1950s), Nakaya.

Chi Town
January 19th, 2014, 10:21 PM
The 3 pens that I have the most of are;

1) Waterman

2) Sheaffer

3) Parker

Close behind are the Italians!

Malcolm
January 19th, 2014, 11:28 PM
Montblanc, Lamy, and Pilot...in no particular order.

migo984
January 20th, 2014, 04:45 AM
1. Pilot
2. Platinum
3. Sailor

85AKbN
January 20th, 2014, 08:33 AM
Lamy
Italix
Pelikan

jde
January 21st, 2014, 08:28 AM
Edison Signature or custom pens (just don't happen to own a production line)
Pilot (that is going to make @trhall very happy)
Danitrio (from the 'cheap' to the maki-e)

steveH
January 25th, 2014, 08:17 PM
- Pilot
- Sheaffer (ranging from 35 - 70 years old)
- Twsbi

With Platinum, Lamy, Kaweco, Eversharp, Mabie-Todd, Ranga and Noodler's wrestlng in the scrum for next place.

amk
February 3rd, 2014, 10:09 AM
Was going to say Lamy, Lamy, Lamy - but Bogon07 got there first!

TerraNoir
February 3rd, 2014, 10:22 AM
I would have to say, Lamy, Pilot and Noodler's with Goulet nibbage. Those nibs are fantastic and I love the design and colors of Noodler's pens. I'm a tinkerer at heart.

lisantica
February 9th, 2014, 06:59 AM
Three brands I tend to buy most are:

#1 Pilot - VPs, Custom 74, Custom 823, Fermo, Metropolitan, all stellar.
#2 Pelikan - love 'em...I prefer the older ones, 80s etc.
#3 LAMY - Safari, Al-Star, Studio have all been superb for me.

On my list of want to try are:
Edison & Sheaffer

Kaputnik
February 16th, 2014, 09:53 AM
I'll cheat a little, and give two answers, one for modern pens, one for vintage.

Modern:


Pilot. My VPs are my favorite modern pens bar none, and I like my Falcon quite a bit too.
Pelikan. I would buy any of their M type piston fillers with no worries.
There is no clear # 3, although I have some good individual pens from different modern makers.


Vintage:


Parker. Love my Vacumatic, and my 51s.
Sheaffer. A couple of Imperials, an Admiral, some School Pens. All very reliable.
Esterbrook. I have to love the Js and SJs, and so many nib choices.

snedwos
February 16th, 2014, 12:01 PM
1. Lamy
2. Lamy
3. Lamy

If we're talking about trust. As in, pens to save my life.

Cookies
February 16th, 2014, 01:29 PM
Pilot
Sheaffer (vintage)
Franklin-Christoph

Murfie
February 22nd, 2014, 04:24 PM
By 'trusted' I'm assuming brands that will work out of the box first up consistently, without any problems and be good dependable writers.


Pilot
Sailor
Delta

erpe
February 22nd, 2014, 10:33 PM
Just out of curiosity: is anybody keeping stats on the mentioned brands? :)

bleunuitguy
February 23rd, 2014, 12:57 PM
1. Pelikan
2. Lamy
3. Vintage Parkers

The Pelikans and Lamys have never failed me. :)

penstaking
April 10th, 2014, 04:57 PM
pelikan, pelikan, pelikan. writes out of the box infallibly always and every time. damaged feeds, damaged nibs, damaged casings...they always write. not necessarily the most exciting implement, however. but for reliability, yes.

amongst other brands and if i could add a fourth to the list, aurora, which always for me (i have four of them) always writes, again, under almost any condition. but again, not always an inspiring write.

high-end temperamental brands (for me these are visconti and montegrappa) are more dynamic in the hand, but less reliable. for me they render a more exciting line and a more thrilling experience.

deccanboy
August 28th, 2014, 10:23 AM
1.faber castell
2.lamy
3.sheaffer/waterman
Really, people you must try faber castell to believe... smoother than a few gold nibs I own really.

Cob
August 28th, 2014, 11:40 AM
As far as writing in concerned, I love my Swans, my old Waterman's and my Osmias.

As for structural integrity, well that's another matter: Waterman's pens so often have missing clips and dubious plating. I think that the Swan clips are better on the whole, whilst many of them are now missing some of the plating (OK I concede they are very old!) and as for the Osmias (I have two) one doesn't have the original cap and the other is missing its original clip so it's not easy to comment about them. The Osmia 884 piston filler is excellently thought out and as I wrote elsewhere, easy to repair. And I much prefer the Waterman's lever box filler - a great system - to the Swan's spring clips - especially the early ones that have two springs - aaarrrgghhh!

I do appreciate of course that it is profoundly naïve to expect perfection in an imperfect world!

Cob

Silverbreeze
August 28th, 2014, 12:56 PM
Edison, Pelikan, Pilot

Anytime I have had an issue it's due to actual damage I or a former owner caused

Hawk
August 28th, 2014, 01:57 PM
I like older Parker's especially 51's and newre Pelikans M600, 800, 1000. To rank them depends on my mood for vintage or modern.

igor61
August 28th, 2014, 02:40 PM
I like older Parker's especially 51's and newre Pelikans M600, 800, 1000. To rank them depends on my mood for vintage or modern.

Pelikan 800

Omas Paragon

Aurora

Parker

Deb
August 28th, 2014, 03:09 PM
Swan
Conway Stewart (the original company, not the present-day one)
Pre-1940 Waterman

gwgtaylor
August 28th, 2014, 03:26 PM
Parker, Edison and Bexley. Love these brands

Silverbreeze
August 28th, 2014, 04:51 PM
Parker, Edison and Bexley. Love these brands

Never tired Bexley are they pricey?

gbryal
August 28th, 2014, 05:06 PM
Lamy with Safari-type nib (Al-Star, Safari, Nexx...). All of mine write every time, same as last time, and so far have survived dropping like a champ.

I don't have long or varied experience sufficient to name two others, but I would say that any pen I have that has a JoWo nib has been great, whether it's my Edison, my TWSBI, or a Jinhao 159 with aftermarket nib, and that they all have written consistently and predictably well if matched to a good feed and adequate converter. I can say that I'd buy a TWSBI or an Edison again, and that don't think I'll need to (but my TWSBI experience has been post-540).

Kaputnik
August 28th, 2014, 06:39 PM
Pilot, based on a large sample. I won't actually count the number of Pilot pens I have at the moment, but they have all been first rate in their own way, from the humble Varsity to the Custom Heritage 92. Okay, I'll admit I don't like the Metro, but that's because I find it uncomfortable to hold, not because it's bad quality. And I have had to tweak a couple of nibs slightly, but only slightly.

Pelikan, based on a small sample. In fact I have only three, but what I have gives me confidence in the brand.

For a vintage entry, Esterbrook. Of course, with a vintage pen you may get something that doesn't write very well, or is downright broken to begin with, but Esterbrooks are easy to fix up, and are great writers once you find at least one swappable nib that you like.

gwgtaylor
August 28th, 2014, 06:47 PM
Parker, Edison and Bexley. Love these brands

Never tired Bexley are they pricey?

Depends where you look. I think they're very reasonably priced. Check out richardspens.com and his Barbara's Attic section (no affiliation) and you can find some great prices. Also check out ebay seller JuddPerl (I think) for great NOS pens. Really nice stuff.

Newjelan
August 29th, 2014, 02:04 AM
Pilot, Pelikan, Lamy

Silverbreeze
November 7th, 2014, 06:35 AM
Edison
Pilot

Anything Richard Binder or Pendleton Brown tuned before selling

GING GING
November 24th, 2014, 02:51 PM
#1 Lamy
#2 Lamy
#3 Lamy

Just make sure you clean/flush before using the first time.

What do you think of Lamy? Lol

sharmon202
November 24th, 2014, 03:42 PM
Pilot, Edison, Lamy-Mostly Pilot

ChrisC
November 24th, 2014, 04:54 PM
Montblanc's from the 50's and before never disappoint, Parkers from the 50s and earlier, and vintage Pelikans

brewsky
November 24th, 2014, 09:28 PM
Pelikan. New and especially old.

tinysnail
November 24th, 2014, 11:15 PM
Pelikan, Pilot (so. dang. consistent.), and Pelikan again.

Rusty888
November 25th, 2014, 02:56 AM
From only my experience.

Mont Blanc visconti Lamy

Brisboy
November 25th, 2014, 04:42 PM
I'll echo what others have said.

Pilot, Parker and Lamy tied for first with Sheaffer a close fourth.

Chi Town
November 26th, 2014, 07:23 AM
Well, in no partcular order but here goes;

1) Visconti Michelangelo, Medium Nib

2) Montagrappa Fortuna (gunmetal finish) Blb on Blk incl the Nib, Medium Nib

3) FosFor Pens.com - Afzilia Burl - Medium Nib

Chi Town
November 26th, 2014, 07:57 PM
Parker, Edison and Bexley. Love these brands

Never tired Bexley are they pricey?

I don't think so.......Unless you get into the Limited Editions

AtomicLeo
November 27th, 2014, 01:00 PM
(1) Sailor, I've never had a bad or fussy nib from them.
(2) Lamy, one finicky nib on a charcoal Safari out of dozens of great pens
(3) Pilot, although I was disappointed with their metal Falcon.

brewsky
November 27th, 2014, 05:36 PM
1. Pelikan
2. Pelikan
3. Esterbrook

SawtoothJL
November 29th, 2014, 11:56 AM
Platinum, platinum, sailor.

GING GING
December 7th, 2014, 11:06 AM
This one is tough for me to answer. If I can replace the word trust, with the word like, it would be easier to answer.

Ian
December 7th, 2014, 08:02 PM
1) Pilot -always works right out of the box whether the pen is $3 or $300
2) Franklin-Christoph - they adjust the nib when you buy it so you know it will work. If you buy the pen at a show they do this process while you watch and ask for your feedback
3) Delta

The two Montblancs I have purchased new worked great out of the box and write without any problems after not using them for several weeks. I don't have enough examples of any other brand to make a judgment.

Alex2014
December 9th, 2014, 05:57 AM
1. Pelikan
2. Parker
3. Sailor