Pen Recommendations

[suet]

Hi...
just looking for some help please in buying a new fountain pen....

requirements - looking for F or EF nib which is smooth, not scratchy on paper and is firm (not soft nib) and puts down a good amount of ink....

thank you for any help

[dneal]

There are a lot of pens that meet those requirements. Can you provide more information? Price range would be a good place to start.

Pretty much any nib can be smoothed and adjusted to personal preference.

[suet]

ok thanks - i want something reasonable so not just a cheap fountain pen - maybe around $200 - is $400 USD....
not keen on plain looking pens - but something colourful, i like celluloid look... etc


There are a lot of pens that meet those requirements. Can you provide more information? Price range would be a good place to start.

Pretty much any nib can be smoothed and adjusted to personal preference.

[Chip]

Celluloid in beautiful colors and patterns? First pen that popped into my mind was Aurora, an Italian maker with some excellent pens in your price range. I have an Aurora Optima limited edition gold cap pen that's a joy to write with.

[Jaguarish]

Pilot metropolitan. Reliaby smooth, many body color options. Don't be fooled by the low price - it is an excellent pen.

[dneal]

I am a sucker for nice celluloid - although now the material is often acrylic - and I agree with Chip that Aurora makes some attractive pens.

Aside from appearance, I've discovered over the years that there are many other qualities I find important; and I've sold many attractive pens I simply didn't enjoy in use. Often those discoveries were made after a significant investment. Although I love Lamy's 2000, and have managed to accumulate 4 or 5, many people discover they can't abide the "nubs" that secure the cap. They don't bother me. I am very fond of Pelikan's M800, but discovered a few times that they just aren't comfortable in my hand.

There doesn't seem to be a great deal of rhyme or reason at times. I bought an Aurora 88 Nebulosa (the purple one) for my wife. I enjoy writing with it and later purchased an Optima for myself - and couldn't get along with the way it felt in my hand. Nakaya's Cigar, Piccolo and Naka-Ai are wonderful, but the Neo-Standard had to go.

Right now, you're likely to simply get a list of everyone's favorite; which might or might not work for you. The more information you provide, the more likely you would receive a useful suggestion. Do you have pens you like, and ones you don't? Can you articulate why?

Now that I have got that out of my system... The Japanese "Big 3" (Pilot, Platinum and Sailor) are all safe bets "out of the box". Sailor offers perhaps the most firm nib. All regulate ink flow very well. German pens tend to be "wetter" (lay down more ink) than Japanese. I have found that very few people complain about Pelikan's M200 or 400 series, they come in a variety of patterns, and are relatively inexpensive (key word is "relatively"...). They're certainly in your price range and are essentially the same pen. The 200 offers steel nibs and the 400 comes with gold. The 400 also offers "nicer" options for visuals, although mostly striated patterns. For a little more money, at the top of your range are the limited edition M101N.

For truly attractive celluloids, vintage is an option; but in my experience also offer their own issues (regulation of ink flow and a vulnerability to atmospheric caused "burping"). If you choose a reputable vendor instead of taking your chances on eBay, you are much more likely to get an attractive, celluloid, good-writing pen at a price well within your budget.

[Lloyd]

Size? New or vintage? Custom ok?

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[FredRydr]

The OP has experience with quality fountain pens, based on his/her posts to date, even selling them, so it's not like he is asking as a newbie.

Based on what you've listed above and mentioned in the past, I suggest an Aurora Optima with its current design that's been offered for decades. Check the classifieds here. Zhivago always seems to have a few on hand.

[Jaguarish]

Here are some nice looking pens with interesting nibs:
Stipula Etruria Magnifica in Wild Honey, with flex nib
Taccia Spectrum in umber tortoise, with music nib by Sailor
Vintage Pelikan 400nn, with flexy writing (right side up) and able to swatch (upside down) for drawing

[suet]

thanks for the comments.....so i have a Mont Blanc Meisterstuck with a 14k medium nib - i dont like it as the nib feels too soft - the pen size is ok. I have a Tosca with an iridium point M nib - its nice and hard and i like to write with this....sadly after not using for 2 days it takes ages to get the ink flowing again. I also have a Parker Duofold International Pearl & Black with an 18k left oblique which is nice to write with and not too soft....I have a Lamy with a M nib and this is great to write with as nice hard nib and wet......

[suet]

the Taccia Spectrum in tortoise with steel nib looks good thanks....