Looking to Purchase a New Pen!

[alexgalexg]

Hello folks, I'm looking to purchase a new pen but am very new to the fountain pen lifestyle (about a month now). For pens I only have a Parker Jotter fountain pen and 2 inks, Mont Blank Irish Green and Parker Quink in black. I find that my fountain pen looks more like a marker when it writes and would like something a little nicer.

Here is what I am looking for:

-A good daily driver (this means ideal for pages of fast notes in college or at work)
-Not really looking to spend more than $70 but if it's really phenomenal I will consider going a little higher
-I like older style or "cigar" style designs
-Preferably with medium tip (the right amount of flow and elegance but not so much ink that the drying times make it impractical for out of the house use)
-Preferably easily attainable on sites like amazon that I can trust

I know you fountain pen enthusiasts may want my hide for wanting a cheaper pen but I am new to all this and don't want to dive right into the deep end. I'll buy myself a $350 pen as a graduation gift after college or something like that. Thank you all!

[Blue Note]

In the $80-$100 range you could probably find a Platinum 3776, a very good Japanese pen with a 14k gold nib. With a medium or broad nib they are superb writers. In a blind writing test I’d be hard pressed to tell the difference from my $450 Pelican M800 or my similarly priced Mont Blanc 146.

[Chuck Naill]

I've enjoyed using the Lamy Al-Star (aluminum) with the fine point for all things work and general writing.

[amk]

The 3776 is a lovely pen though I find Platinum's nibs can write a little dry (so you need to be careful with inks; but Waterman blue is always good in them). So +1 for that idea!

[alexgalexg]

Thank you all for the input. I will definitely keep them in mind. I definitely want something that writes on the wetter side and hopefully even with some nice, defined lines. I know that's more of a gold tip thing which gets expensive with pens like the sonnet but again, I want to be sure I am going to get a ton of use out of it by playing around with cheaper ones before I go for something legendary.

I was also looking at pens such as the Parker IM with medium tip but im worried its just the same tip I have on this jotter so it will write the same. Anyone have any input on the pilot metropolitan with medium tip? Doesn't look all that classy and I know the converter is not the best but Im curious how good of a writer it is.

[Chuck Naill]

I've found the Waterman ink I am using to be more wet than the Pelikan in the Lamy.

[alexgalexg]

I was debating trying Waterman Ink for a blue color when the time comes. Hard to say though, I had a sample of the Parker blue and liked that very much. Not a big blue ink writer but when I do I want it to pop like the Parker ink does.

[alexgalexg]

Thank you to FredRydr who messaged me a link to the absolute perfect pen. Exactly my style with a nib that will really show off my inks but still be a good daily driver. It's an American pen too which is a big plus in my book! I will share more about it when it comes in!

[ambimom]

Karas Kustom ($100 fully customizable), the ever popular Pilot Metropolitan which may be cheap ($11-15), but a solid performer. I'd suggest a TWSBI 580 or 580 Diamond ($50 to $60 ) great pens but the cleaning of the piston mechanism can be tricky for beginners. Someone here has suggested the Platinum 3776. I love, love, love mine. As for Lamy Safari and Lamy 2000, I own both, but I don't like either. The Safari's sharp ridges are uncomfortable to hold for long writing sessions and the nib on the 2000 has to be held in a particular way for the ink to flow... Yet, people swear by them. I also love my Pelikan 200, which is in the $120+ range. I bought mine almost 20 years ago, so it was about half that price, but it is still one of my favorites. As for inks, I'm partial to the Pilot Iroshizuku inks. Colors are subjective but they do have a huge selection from which to choose.

You might try Fountain Pen Revolution. They have a bunch of excellent pens with all kinds of nibs and styles in the $20-$50 range. Their customer service is outstanding.

[Sandy]

Avoid the Parker IM. They are not very good. They dry out quickly, the ink flow is not great and they are dry writers.

The Parker Sonnet is a better choice - you should be able to get one of the cheaper trims within your price range.

A Platinum #3776 with a broad nib would probably do. The broad nibs are smoother.

Other pens in your budget - Faber Castell Loom/Basic and maybe the E-motion.

The cross Century II maybe, but buy a convertor as Cross's cartridges are expensive and limited

[Sailor Kenshin]

Thank you all for the input. I will definitely keep them in mind. I definitely want something that writes on the wetter side and hopefully even with some nice, defined lines. I know that's more of a gold tip thing which gets expensive with pens like the sonnet but again, I want to be sure I am going to get a ton of use out of it by playing around with cheaper ones before I go for something legendary.

I was also looking at pens such as the Parker IM with medium tip but im worried its just the same tip I have on this jotter so it will write the same. Anyone have any input on the pilot metropolitan with medium tip? Doesn't look all that classy and I know the converter is not the best but Im curious how good of a writer it is.

Pilot Metropolitans are excellent little writers, and a great choice for limited budgets. The carts are huge and eminently refillable, so converters aren't all that necessary.

[amk]

The other thing that springs to mind - right streamlined rounded shape, but a more modern style - is the Lamy 2000. You'll be lucky to find one new in your budget range but second hand ones come up and there's the occasional sale. Get a B nib and you'll be really happy with the way it writes - I have one with a BB and it's a wonderful writer, really wet, smooth, and fun to use.

Whatever you get - post a photo up here so we can enjoy!

[alexgalexg]

My new pen should be here tomorrow. I ended up going with an old American Sheaffer that was restored and has a 1mm cursive italic nib. I will certainly post about it as soon as I get my hands on it. Thanks for the input everyone it was greatly appreciated.

[Kaputnik]

Avoid the Parker IM. They are not very good. They dry out quickly, the ink flow is not great and they are dry writers.

Just going to add some personal experience. A Parker IM was my first fountain pen, about 8 years back. It dried out horribly after just an hour or so capped, and could have made me give up on fountain pens. But I decided to try at least one more, one of Pilot's less expensive models, I think, and was hooked.

But just out of curiosity, several years later, I tried something I saw suggested on another forum. I screwed the section from the Parker IM into the body of a Pilot Metropolitan. Of course, it was also necessary to use a Parker cartridge. With this change, the pen did not dry out, and proved to be quite a reasonable writer. So the problem with the IM's design was evidently a faulty cap seal. Of course, for all I know, it may have been improved since, but I'm not interested in finding out. And with my curiosity satisfied, I don't use the IM/Metro any more.


The Parker Sonnet is a better choice - you should be able to get one of the cheaper trims within your price range.

A Platinum #3776 with a broad nib would probably do. The broad nibs are smoother.

Other pens in your budget - Faber Castell Loom/Basic and maybe the E-motion.

The cross Century II maybe, but buy a convertor as Cross's cartridges are expensive and limited

The only one of these with which I have experience is the Platinum. I like mine with the medium nib, and could be happy with it as a daily writer.

If you buy from a Japanese dealer on eBay or Amazon, you might also stay within your price range with a Pilot Elite, which is an excellent pen.

[Pterodactylus]

Despite that you already bought one now (if you are invested by the Virus you likely will buy some others soon ;) ) I would recommend to do the next step with your next pen and buy a piston filler.
Imo they are a step upwards compared to converters/cartridge pens.

They hold significant more ink than C/C pens, which is a tremendous advantage for people which write a lot.

I know that some will not agree, but for me the C/C filling system belongs to the cheaper entry pens, "serious" pens have something else, like a piston or vacuum filling system.



The entry to the piston filler world could be a Pelikan 200, 205 pen or a TWSBI like the Eco, Mini, 580.

Some examples......

https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/259fb5e6-8a21-42f5-a528-43fbc5b86e8d/ddf3ijb-694e6cd4-5cd3-404f-8218-8b1d14bd19eb.jpg/v1/fill/w_1212,h_659,q_70,strp/quote_orson_welles_by_ptero_pterodactylus_ddf3ijb-pre.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9 .eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZ DQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTg yMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7Imhla WdodCI6Ijw9MTA3OCIsInBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzI1OWZiNWU2LTh hMjEtNDJmNS1hNTI4LTQzZmJjNWI4NmU4ZFwvZGRmM2lqYi02O TRlNmNkNC01Y2QzLTQwNGYtODIxOC04YjFkMTRiZDE5ZWIuanB nIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTE5ODAifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlc nZpY2U6aW1hZ2Uub3BlcmF0aW9ucyJdfQ.w_7JSsNeXYCcVQeb-W2omxpexv3QINsVbqEx-1YtA_E (https://www.deviantart.com/ptero-pterodactylus/art/Quote-Orson-Welles-811418519)
Quote+Orson+Welles+by+https://www.deviantart.com/ptero-pterodactylus+on+@DeviantArt (https://www.deviantart.com/ptero-pterodactylus/art/Quote-Orson-Welles-811418519) by Ptero Pterodactylus (https://www.deviantart.com/ptero-pterodactylus) on DeviantArt

(TWSBI Mini 1.5 italic ..... Diamine Smoke on the Water)

https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/259fb5e6-8a21-42f5-a528-43fbc5b86e8d/dcrws3l-708449fb-d40c-42a8-880c-f18b58f986ec.jpg/v1/fill/w_1072,h_745,q_70,strp/quote_mark_twain_by_ptero_pterodactylus_dcrws3l-pre.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9 .eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZ DQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTg yMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7Imhla WdodCI6Ijw9MTM3NyIsInBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzI1OWZiNWU2LTh hMjEtNDJmNS1hNTI4LTQzZmJjNWI4NmU4ZFwvZGNyd3MzbC03M Dg0NDlmYi1kNDBjLTQyYTgtODgwYy1mMThiNThmOTg2ZWMuanB nIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTE5ODAifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlc nZpY2U6aW1hZ2Uub3BlcmF0aW9ucyJdfQ.7Fhdcqp3Jf2dCbcU cnoLH-ONHTpn9RNmB1Yo8TfZg5U (https://www.deviantart.com/ptero-pterodactylus/art/Quote-Mark-Twain-772473153)
Quote+Mark+Twain+by+https://www.deviantart.com/ptero-pterodactylus+on+@DeviantArt (https://www.deviantart.com/ptero-pterodactylus/art/Quote-Mark-Twain-772473153) by Ptero Pterodactylus (https://www.deviantart.com/ptero-pterodactylus) on DeviantArt

(Pelikan M205 Blue-Marbled - B EMF ..... Colorverse Crystal Planet provided by Scooby 921)

https://live.staticflickr.com/5810/21876571284_eceb55cc82_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/zka9tw)

(Pelikan M200 Demonstrator - M italic ..... Diamine Purple Pazzazz)

https://live.staticflickr.com/569/22562251473_fb6e94149e_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/AnKriK)

(Pelikan M215 Raute, Pelikan M200 Demonstrator, TWSBI Mini)

[alexgalexg]

Oh I am sure more pens will come in the future. But very slowly. See I have another disease that throws my bank account into the ER often and that's cars. Two AMC Jeeps, both daily drivers one of which I restored in 2016 with a lift and an engine I put in with a better head on it, A high end Ford and an 81 Honda motorcycle. Nonetheless I find money for other things and thankfully my other half puts up with it!

Thank you for the examples those surely do write nicely! I know my new pen is coming with a piston filler converter. I believe it's going to be a fairly wet writing pen so if this becomes an issue for work/college practicality I will certainly be asking about ways to upgrade the pens ink storage if at all possible.

Speaking of ink, I ordered Diamine Oxblood about a month ago and it finally came in today. Looks good even in my Parker Jotter. I like that it's a shade that isn't commonly used in the normal world outside of pen enthusiasts yet it's very business appropriate. I am excited to see my inks in action tomorrow when the new pen arrives!

[Chuck Naill]

The Wing Sung 601 Parker 51 clone arrived yesterday from Amazon for $19. Appears to be well made and writes very nice, as nice as the fine point Lamy, maybe a bit smoother.

[Lady Onogaro]

Thank you all for the input. I will definitely keep them in mind. I definitely want something that writes on the wetter side and hopefully even with some nice, defined lines. I know that's more of a gold tip thing which gets expensive with pens like the sonnet but again, I want to be sure I am going to get a ton of use out of it by playing around with cheaper ones before I go for something legendary.

I was also looking at pens such as the Parker IM with medium tip but im worried its just the same tip I have on this jotter so it will write the same. Anyone have any input on the pilot metropolitan with medium tip? Doesn't look all that classy and I know the converter is not the best but Im curious how good of a writer it is.

You might want to consider the Moonman FP. It's a surprisingly nice writer for the money. I have the C1, which comes with a converter, but if you must have a cigar shape, then there is the M2 eyedropper.

JetPens carries both, though you can get them easily enough from China via Ebay.

[david.allie]

Pterodactylus, what pad/paper are you using in the samples?


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[Pterodactylus]

Pterodactylus, what pad/paper are you using in the samples?


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Itˋs a Clairefontaine 90g/m2 notepad my favorite writing paper.