Looking for a FP for university use

[iqhu]

Hey there!

I am currently looking for another fountain pen for university.

But the deatails first:

My first pen after I got interested in fountain pens was the Montblanc 146 (LeGrand I guess?) with a BB nib. It was basically a late high school graduation present to last christmas. I really like that pen beacause it is the most classic and fancy pen for me. And with that nib on, my handwriting finally looks kind of good too :D Of course i have also used fountain pens in high and primary school, most time of it some kind of waterman. But that does not count.

Anyways I am looking for a more portable (and fine-nibed) fountain pen for university. The MB is too valuable (and a little too big) for me to take it to university and also the nib does not suit writing down numbers in my maths and economics courses. So I stumbled over the CdA Ecridor fountain pens. They have a very clean and classic look, look durable and are (i think so at least, haven't seen one IRL yet) smaller. Also i just saw the Kaweco Special FP, which looks also quite nice, with being even cheaper. In conclusion they would be better suited for taking them with me and writing down my notes.

So what is your opinion on these pens? Or do you have any suggestions (privided you got my idea what I am looking for) Any experience and comments are appreciated :)

[fountainpenkid]

Parker Vacumatics, Sheaffer Balances, Pelikan 400s or m400s are all pens I've had great success with during school. The Pelikans are probably my favorite, but they are hard to find under $100, unlike the others.

[kia]

Welcome to FPGeeks, iqhu.

Personally, I liked the Pilot/Namiki vanishing point pens for my work and seminars. The have the advantage of no cap to lose, and are "click and go." The ink converters do not hold much ink, but the proprietary cartridges hold more ink than any other I know of, and I could get through a day easily, before refilling a cartridge at home. The cartridges are also the easiest to refill, though I wouldn't want to refill any cartridge on the go. But, having spare cartridges for when in a pinch, a good choice.

The pen is near indestructible, and nib units are extremely easy to swap out. The nib units can be had separately for a backup and very small price in comparison to buying a whole new pen. The Japanese nibs write finer than western/european nibs, and a fine or extra fine nib would work fine, in my estimation, for writing numbers and equations. Your paper and ink choices will also be factors, though.

Some people do not like the clip placement on the vanishing point pens. I never had any issues with them.

Price is lower mid-range (for me) at about $150 USD.

That would be my top choice.

You may also want to consider the Lamy Al Star. That would be the most economical choice, perhaps. Lamy takes proprietary converters and cartridges, too, but the nibs are also easily changed, is my understanding, and they also have finer nibs available for more precision writing. It's around $40 USD.

On that note, the Lamy 2000 is a piston fill pen and will hold plenty of ink, no cartridges or converters to mess with, is sturdy, and can be had for around $160 USD. Many a university student has gone this route.

[iqhu]

Thanks for the answers so far, what a fast community ;)

@fountainpenkid: the pens you suggested look nice, but in their own way. As with the pens i wrote about in my post, I am looking for a sleeker, more clean design. Oh and the pens you suggested (not the Pelikan, of course) seem only to be available vintage, right?

@kia: I didn't think about these vanishing point pens yet, they are quite exotic IMO. but they may indeed be a good idea.
Also, I have to say, i am a little prejudiced (if that is the right word) against Lamy Al Star pens. Almost everyone in primary school had these and I just don't see myself writing with one of those..

The Lamy 2000 on the other hand looks sleek, even though a little fat, but modern and holds a lot of ink. That is definately a plus!

[ac12]

As you indicate, I would personally NOT take any expensive pen to school. Too great a chance to loose it, or have it stolen.
In my book, school pens are "expendable." Expect that they will be lost or stolen, and that you will just get another one to replace it.

Where are you located, and what is your $$ budget for the pen?

I used a Parker 45 with a Fine nib thru college.
So, without any further info from you, I would recommend a Parker 45 with a Fine nib. But, the P45 has been long out of production, so you have to find one on eBay or one of the shops that stocks older/used pens.

For today's pens, either a Lamy Safari or Al Star with a XF or F nib, or a Pilot Metropilitan or MR (depending on where you live)
The Pilot is absurdly cheap for a good writing pen, only $15. You can buy 2 Pilot Metros for the price of 1 Lamy Safari.

I also recommend that you have TWO pens, a primary and backup. When you run out of ink in the middle of class, it is much faster to switch to the backup pen than try to change ink cartridge in the middle of class, and missing a bunch of what the professor is lecturing. I say this from experience of only using one pen and having to do the cartridge change in the middle of class. Better yet, use the ink converter and load ink from a bottle. Then every evening AFTER you do your homework, reload the pen, so you are starting the day will a FULL load of ink.

[iqhu]

@ac12: Well, my budget is preferably <100€. But for a nice pen like the Ecridor... I would probably even pay that much. Loosing is indeed a problem, getting it stolen luckily not so much. Otherwise I would never had taken my MB to class^^
And I don' think I would take two pens, I'd just keep it filled. I still have loads of ballpoint pens in my bag.

[reprieve]

There have been some excellent recommendations so far.

The Lamy Safari or Al-Star is a great suggestion, as is the Pilot Metropolitan. Another low-cost option is the Kaweco Sport: it's cheap, the nibs are smooth, it's pocketable, and it's a great bang about workhorse pen. There's a squeeze converter available, but it doesn't hold much ink so I just use mine with cartridges (which are convenient to carry--and if you run out of ink, you can just pop in another one without any mess or fuss).

If you want an affordable piston filler with a good bit of ink capacity, I would recommend the TWSBI Mini or TWSBI 580. If you get one of the demonstrators or the "Mini Classic" model (a partial demonstrator, which has a black cap and section and piston knob but still has a clear barrel), it's easy to see the ink level at a glance since you don't have to uncap the pen to look at an ink window or unscrew the barrel to check a converter or cartridge.

There's also the Pelikan M200/M400. It's a classy looking, reliable piston filler. The nib units unscrew so you can buy multiple nibs and switch between nib sizes easily. The M200 is a bit cheaper and comes with a steel nib while the M400 comes with a 14k gold nib. I like the steel nibs quite a bit but the gold nibs are very nice as well. If you go the Pelikan route, you may want to consider an extra-fine nib as the fine nibs tend to run a bit wide and wet.

Another option to consider is the Platinum 3776. Platinum's fine nibs are very fine and very precise. The cap has a "slip and seal" inner cap that prevents the nib from drying out (I have several of these pens and the cap mechanism really does work). This has become one of my favorite pens. The only downside is that you have to use Platinum-branded cartridges. But it comes with a converter, which holds a nice amount of ink, and the fine nib is fine enough that the ink won't run out as quickly.

[fountainpenkid]

I used a TWSBI mini and a Parker Slender Vacumatic interchangeably as school pens last year, and the far better pen in terms of reliability was the Vacumatic...the pen holds more than twice the amount of ink that the mini does, and didn't leak around the grip section like the mini. The grip is also much more comfortable because the threads are rounded and small and don't cut into the hands like the mini's threads. That said, the mini was charming, and posted more securely. Another plus is that you can maintenance the pen yourself easily, unlike the Vacumatic which requires expensive tools or a professional. My mini also developed a crack on the barrel. The celluloid of the vacumatic is much more drop resistant...much more likely to ding than to shatter. The m200 is a great idea as well, I've had great luck with Pelikans.

[everybodylovesbacon]

I would never bring a fountain pen to school that you weren't comfortable with losing.

I would very highly suggest the Pilot Petit and Pilot Kakuno. Both pens are extremely lightweight plastic, use cartridges (the Kakuno can also take a converter), and have excellent F nibs (the Kakuno also offers an M nib). Both also come in a variety of colors and are super portable. The best part? The Petit costs about $4, and the Kakuno is about $16. The nibs are impeccable and effortlessly lay down solid lines of ink. I've written with both of these pens for extended sessions (writing without a break for over an hour) and have had no hand fatigue. They consistently write flawlessy and require no maintenance or tinkering. I purchased both of mine from www.jetpens.com.

The prices of these pens are so low, I really hope you at least give them a try. I think you'll really like them, and I know they'd be perfect for use at school. Good luck!

[Waski_the_Squirrel]

You didn't give a price range. However I agree with you that in the college environment, you want pens which won't hurt if they're lost or damaged.

However, I personally love Pilot pens and find them trouble free. I don't have experience with the lower-end Pilot pens, but I have read good things about them. In fact, buy 2: that way you can use 2 colors in your notetaking. (I find this extremely helpful.)

At a slightly higher price point, you might look at the TWSBI pens. I do have experience with them and am quite satisfied with them. Personally, I like the Noodler's pens, particularly the Konrad model.

Finally, there are some good, lower-cost Parker and Cross pens that will give you trouble-free if unexciting writing.

I went through college with a Parker Vector and a Cross of some kind (the skinny chrome one). I didn't figure out the 2-color thing until grad school.

[Lady Onogaro]

I have been using a Kakuno lately (I saw a review of one on Anderson Pens blog, and they treated them quite seriously, despite the happy face), and I love it. It puts down a really fine line and it's a light pen. I would recommend it or a Plumix. Writing with a fun pen that you really like makes everything a bit more enjoyable, don't you think?

[Spikey Mike]

I would look at a fine nibbed Parker 45 Flighter or 25 ... both are not very expensive to buy and therefore if it went missing it wouldn't be the end of the world, both are reliable work horses.

[iqhu]

I have to admit, I am currently kind of sold on the TWSBI 580, because I love looking in there and they appear to be a decent value.

Again, thanks for all your suggestions.

What would you guys recommend as a nib size? F or EF? Basic task is note taking in economics classes.

[AndyT]

A Parker 25 saw me through my education from age 12 onwards. Frankly it's not a pen I'd delight in nowadays, but it did meet three important criteria: robust, reliable and not too fancy.

Nowadays the equivalent might be a Pilot Metropolitan, which has the distinct advantage of taking international cartridges and converters (or at least the UK version does).

[Jeph]

I have to admit, I am currently kind of sold on the TWSBI 580, because I love looking in there and they appear to be a decent value.

Again, thanks for all your suggestions.

What would you guys recommend as a nib size? F or EF? Basic task is note taking in economics classes.

First, I am almost always biased towards EF nibs. With that disclaimer I would get the EF. I still have some brain cells left that date bck to college days and I remember frequently cramming extra notes in all the time. You also get more information per page with the EF. It is also better for math. And you will get more mileage out of each load of ink.

I have the EF for the TWSBI 580 and it writes very well. I have had no issues, but it does not see much use anymore. Not because I don't like the pen, but because I usually have something fresh off the bench that needs a test drive.

I will also add that the TWSBI 580, although good value, is a little more than I would have been comfortable paying in college. $15-$20 would have been more my speed as opposed to $50. I used mainly mechanical pencils, and I went through a ton of them. And each new one made me cringe when it came time to pay. That is a lot of beer money sitting there in your hand.

[Flake]

I will toss out my two cents here. I'm also on the Vanishing Point bandwagon.

I'm a graduate student and I teach for my university. I waffled over getting my vanishing point for nearly a year - I have never regretted that money. It's so easy to pull out of a bag, use, pop it back. I love it for seminars where I need to make quick notes - if I left a pen uncapped that long it would need a bit of work before it started again. I switched to it in lectures almost exclusively after watching people accidentally knock my caps around the room jostling the table or just having to cap/uncap constantly.

[Cookies]

For school use there are a few things I find it necessary to keep in mind.

Price - Anything that you would have a hard time replacing is no-go for school in my opinion. Even when you're careful things get misplaced or stolen
Nib - As you mentioned fine is ideal for note taking. Especially if you're going to be writing on papers given out in class which aren't usually the best quality. Additionally it needs to be able to sit without drying out when the professor goes off on a tangent.
Cap - I find screw caps unsuitable for note taking because of the time it takes to unscrew and post. The extra few seconds don't sound like a lot but some professors are very quick speakers and getting behind right at the beginning of the lecture is a huge pain.

I will second the Vanish Point/Fermo/Decimo. The retractable nib is perfect for taking notes during a lecture. The Fermo and Decimo are pricey but I definitely think it is worth the price.

Parker 51 - You can keep the 51 uncapped for quite some time before it dries out which I love. You can find some fantastic deals on these guys as well.

Sheaffer Imperial or Targa - You have to cap these when taking a writing break, but the slip-cap is quick enough to un/cap and I find these are extremely reliable pens.

Pilot Prera - I always have one of these with me in my classes. I love the small size (completely preference though) and the light weight means I can write for ages without my hand becoming fatigued. I think they're overpriced at $50, but you can find them around $35 US which I consider a fair price and it's not heartbreaking if you should lose it. Pilot cartridges hold a good deal of ink as well.

As for the TWSBI pens I've had a few EF nibs and a couple 1.1 and the EF nibs have been consistently awful. Scratchy and unusably dry right out of the box. TWSBIs aren't exactly know for their reliability or QC either, so if you're going to use one for school I would highly recommend having a backup. Piston fillers are unbeatable for heavy note-taking though.

[pengeezer]

Just to toss in my 2 cents--

I would consider the Lamy Safari or the Vista(if you like demonstrator type pens). They're great writers,sturdy,easy to use.
If you want to go up in price,you might want to consider the Lamy Dialog 3. It's similar to Namiki's Vanishing Point where you
just click out the nib.I would also go with what Jeph said--get them with EF nibs.

Or you could get a two Safaris,a Safari and a Vista,or two Vistas--save yourself some money.


John

[milkb0at]

The TWSBI 580 is a good option as it has a large ink capacity. Something like a Pilot VP can use cartridges, of course, but if you're using bottled ink then I wouldn't count on the converter lasting the day. The 580 takes a good amount of ink and, being a demonstrator pen, it's dead easy to see if you're running low. The screw cap isn't quite as convenient as the VP or indeed a cap on a Safari or similar.

The F nib on the TWSBI is good, but I haven't tried the EF. Thinner nibs are great for note taking and make the ink last longer.

Personally, I used a Lamy Al-Star with an EF nib for my post-grad studies, alongside a decent mechanical pencil.

[Oncdoc]

Twsbi fountain pen 580 ef nib I found is fantastic. Depends on the ink you use. YMMV

[Mags]

When I was in University I loved to use a Sheaffer Targa. Medium nib. They are around on EBay and took cartridges or a converter. I use to use Osmiroid green all the time. Ahhhh the memories

[kaisnowbird]

Here is my $0.02:

In case you are still thinking about CdA Ecridor, I'd say that as much as I love the pen, it's not very suited for Uni environment, because:
- Expensive looking, which encourages sticky fingers;
- the pen is thin and the grip section thinner, may not be suited for long writing sessions;
- I've heard of at least two cases where the inner cap becomes loose after some extensive use.

+1 on the Pilot Vanishing Point.
It's super convenient. Their nibs are highly reliable. And they come in many colours and finishes, which means you can pick your favourite that it will standout on a desk full of notes, books and other clutter that often happen to uni students. Some Japanese retailers on ebay sells them with 'special alloy' nibs, instead of gold ones, which reduce the price even further. The alloy Fine is definitely finer than most ball points.
Pilot cartridges are cheap. I'd just keep a small pack of them in the bag together with a trusty ballpoint (don't ban me) in case the ink runs out and not to worry about carrying a back up FP.

[ac12]

I used an old Parker F nib. And that seemed about right for use on college ruled paper to cram as much notes onto a page as I could, and be able to insert additional notes between lines and make small notations. I do not know what the old Parker F would correspond to on the TWSBI, but it is very similar to a Lamy XF nib, about .020 to .022 inch (approx 0.5mm) tip width. But for that small a nib, you have to select your paper well. If the paper is not SMOOTH, it will slow down your note taking, by creating friction and drag on the tip.

If the paper that you use is not smooth, I would go up to a 0.030 inch (0.7mm) nib, as a reasonable compromise. This is the width of the Lamy F nib.

The finer nibs also make your ink supply last longer.
But you are cornered in to darker inks due to an optical illusion. As the ink line gets narrower the ink appears to be lighter. This is due to your eye seeing more white paper than ink. This happened on 2 of my XF nib pens, where the blue looked washed out. My option is blue-black or black ink for those XF nib pens, to give the eye more contrast to see the ink.

[snedwos]

The Lamy Studio is another great option (my indisputable daily writer), and the Lamy Nexx series is also fantastic especially if you don't get on with the grip on the safari/vista/al-star. I have a twsbi fine nib. Too dry, not wonderful to write with.

[Oncdoc]

Decimo is lighter and easier for me for quick writing than my regular vanishing point pen. Sailor professional gear slim is also excellent. Don't loose them though.

[GHCToolman]

I used a Pelikan M200 through graduate school and that's the pen I would vote for. Just a great writer with good ink capacity.

I have a Vanishing Point now and love it, but the ink capacity may be limiting depending on your volume of note taking. The clip on the VP can also be an issue for some depending on writing style.

[Woody]

Lamy Safari. It can suffer a beat down the keep on tickin. Get some good ink and rock.

[velo]

The first fountain pen I bought for myself was a Lamy Al-star aluminium. Purchased to use at uni because my handwriting was so messy and made even worse when trying to keep up with lecturers and tutors. It's battered and bruised but I still own and use that pen. Never missed a beat.

[iqhu]

Lots of my post somehow didn't make it through.

Anyways, thank you all for your suggestions, I finally decided on a TWSBI 580. I am the geek who loves seeing the inner workings ;)

[velo]

I really like mine. Cool seeing ink in the pen and on the paper with the 1.1 stub.

[Fawkes]

I think you made the right choice and since you like demonstrators, the Pelikan M800 demo with engravings might be an interesting choice in the future. Its an expensive pen, but one to shoot for a graduation treat.