Pen For 25 girl birthday

[littletim]

I posted in my intro about my broken Pilot Prera. I loaned it to my sister-in-law who sat on it. All is forgiven since it is an accident.
The main point is she used it a lot. The whole refill in one writing session which would normally take me a whole week. She has been helpful with the family with me out of the country. Her birthday is the Feb. and I would like to buy her a fountain pen.

She likes the feel of the Lamy Studio. The heft of the pen.
She felt the Pilot was too fine.
I think a medium nib would be good.

Choices:

Lamy Studio higher end of the price
Parker IM. Don't much about
Sheffear 100 heard good things

What else should I consider?

[00Photo]

My wife really likes this one:

http://www.gouletpens.com/Monteverde_Neon_Pink_Intima_Fountain_Pen_p/mv40130.htm

[Bogon07]

How about a the new 2014 pink safari with converter & a free bottle of ink also a choice of nibs including italics at the WritingDesk UK. They have low overseas shipping costs and the price will be less VAT if you are outside the UK. + a cartridge.

Lamy Safari 13 Fountain Pen pink plus Z24 converter 2014 version
Free bottle of Diamine Cerise ink with every pen
http://www.thewritingdesk.co.uk/showproduct.php?id=10116

[VertOlive]

Be sure to add some extra cartridges, this girl's a writer!

[littletim]

I have to see if we can't find some review of the Monteverde.

She (Mary) though the Lamy Safari was too light. She did like the grip section of the Lamy Safari thought. I thought about the Lamy al-Star.

No opinions about either the Parker IM of the Sheffear 100?

I will get her a converter with the pen, Noodler's Purple Heart or Apache Sunset, and Quo Vadis Habana.
Maybe even a ink sample package from Goulet.

[Mr. JW]

If she likes a heavier pen, she might prefer the Sheaffer 100, which has some heft to it. The only drawback to that pen, to me anyway, is the all-metal section which felt a little slick in my hands. But, the nib (M) was smooth and wrote well.

[Bogon07]

I don't feel there is a particularly noticeable weight difference between the Safari & Al-Star - more a choice between aluminum or ABS plastic.

The Studio is a nice pen but the chrome grip section on most can become slightly slippery in some conditions. The Brushed stainless steel Studio has a black plastic grip section which many claim is better to use.
Perhaps a tubular Lamys like the CP1, PUR, Logo, ST might be worth a look or the more expensive Scala or Accent - they all take the same nibs.

Mrs Bogon has a Monteverde Artista Crystal (but similar weight to the Safari/Al-Star) that she bought herself & I have a Prima which I am very happy with.

[ac12]

I had high hopes for the IM, but the IM was an exercise in frustration...for me.

Cons:
#1 - The pen has a short nib AND a short section.
This might be OK for someone who holds short, but I hold fingers at 2.5cm and thumb at 4cm back from the tip. That puts my grip/fingers on the fattest part of the section and barrel, making for an uncomfortable grip. I do not like to hold the pen close to the tip. A short nib needs a longer section to compensate, or expect the writer to hold the pen on the barrel. For me, this was the downside of online ordering, I could not hold the pen and feel how the pen felt in my hand. If she holds at 2.5cm or shorter from the tip the grip should work out.

#2 - At 30g, the IM is a rather heavy pen, if she is used to lighter pens (most of the pens I use are down at about 15g).
I understand that the Urban is a similarly heavy pen.
I just checked, the Lamy Studio is 31g, so the IM is essentially the same weight as the Studio.
I do not like heavy pens for extended writing.

- Be aware that the "royal blue" pen is not a blue but more a shade of purple. I was rather upset when I opened the box. Again a problem of not buying the pen where I could see the exact color in my hand. The anniversary Penman blue color is probably closer to what I would like.

Pro:
- The good thing is if she does not like the standard M nib, she can send the pen back to Parker to have Parker replace the nib with a different size nib. But here is the tricky part, the exchange window is valid only for 28 days after purchase. In her case, she could probably argue that the 28 days should start from when she received the pen, and I would guess that Parker would go along with it.

- The nibs, both the original M and the exchanged F nib are nice writers, with Waterman ink. I did not have to fuss with the nibs at all.

[Jeph]

I think that Bogon said most of the things that I wanted to say so I will try to come up with something original.

I have not tried the Sheaffer 100, but I have an old style Prelude that is very nice with some heft. I think that the plastic section makes a difference. I did a breif search and the current ones are overpriced in my opinion. I think that she would still probably be happy with the 100.

I assume that your original Prera had the M nib which is why you do not get her one since the Pilot M is too fine.

The first thing that I thought of when I saw the Prera was the TWSBI 580. Similar price, uses German nibs so a M would be M, piston filler, clear like the Prera, changeable nib units, etc. The drawback is no posting the pen and it does not really have the heft of the metal pens. But it would be another option.

[Runnin_Ute]

Just checked the specs on Goulet.....

Al Star 22 grams
Safari & Vista 17 grams

While it doesn't sound like a lot - it would be a noticeable difference. And it is heavier than a Pelikan M600 (17.4 grams- Binder's site/18 g @ Goulet) In the Pelikan line you have to go to the M800 @29 grams & the M1000 @ 33 grams for something heavier.
An Esterbrook J is 15.6 grams.

[Laura N]

Of your choices, I prefer a Lamy. The Studio is very heavy, so if she likes a heavier pen, I'd go for that. I second the advice to get one with the rubber grip section.

In use both the Safari and the Al-Star are light, to me. If she posts the cap, perhaps the Al-Star will be heavy enough, but if she writes unposted, I think the Al-Star might be too light for her tastes.

A Lamy fine nib is appreciably wider than the Prera's fine nib. If she writes enough to empty a converter or cartridge in a day -- wow, by the way -- I might go for a fine nib, just to make an ink fill last longer.

[Bogon07]

- Be aware that the "royal blue" pen is not a blue but more a shade of purple. I was rather upset when I opened the box. Again a problem of not buying the pen where I could see the exact color in my hand. The anniversary Penman blue color is probably closer to what I would like.


It is worth noting the satin metallic finish of the colours of Al-Stars & some Studios can be dramatically influenced by ambient lighting and surroundings.
Some will appear very different under high contrast & muted shop lighting compared to natural light.

[stevekolt]

To answer your last question regarding alternatives…if she likes a heavier pen, an Italix Parsons Essential from Mr. Pen would seem to fit the bill. I really enjoy my 3.

[littletim]

Update:
I bought the Sheffear 100, noodle purple heart, and a Leuchtturm notebook. Thanks for the help.

I was surprise on how thick the Sheffear was in size. The medium nib wrote thick and wet.

[Faustine]

That sounds like a fantastic gift package, I'm sure she will love it!


The medium nib wrote thick and wet.

I have a Sheaffer Prelude, which I think is the same or similar nib as the 100 series (?), it is a medium and I adore it - it writes like butter its so smooth!