Pen suggestions for a newbie

[robertChiefsFan]

Greetings all. While I have been writing in earnest for a little over a year now, only recently have I moved to using fountain pens. I started with a cheap three-pack of medium nib pens from Office Depot (too wet for my taste) and then ordered a Nemosine Limited Fine nib from Amazon and fell in love with it. I know it's still an entry level pen, but it's satisfied me for now...until the plastic at the end of the cap began to chip and break off. I figured with it being plastic it would crack at some point, but not 10 months in. It writes really well, and I like to cartridge system (I picked up a pack of 30 cartridges from Hobby Lobby with a variety of colors to play with).

Now that I got my feet wet, I'm now looking to add to my collection and am not sure where to start. I stopped by a fine pen store and saw too large a selection to narrow down, but I did ask for some advice there and the saleslady let me test drive a Faber-Castell Emotion, which wrote very well. It is definitely on my Christmas list!

For those of you who have much more experience than I, I'd like to get your suggestions on where to go next. I'd like to know what a good pen would be in the $50-75 range, and then in the $75-150 range. (I'm not in the budget to get beyond $150 at this time).

Thank you in advance,
Robert

[Dreck]

Welcome, Robert.

I am not here to answer your question. In fact, I am probably the last person you would want advice from in this niche, since I abhor Nemosine, do not like C/C systems, and do not intend to expand my collection in the manner which you intend.

I can say that if you enjoyed a Nemosine, anything else will probably feel and write like a dream. They offer a lifetime warranty, so you should be able to contact them through xfountainpens.com for a replacement. Their product may be poo, but at least they stand behind it.


Never fear. Someone friendly and knowledgeable will be along to assist you.

[Wrathen]

I'm still very new into fountain pens the pen I started with was a TWSBI 580 in fine and I love it and it holds a TON of ink it is also a piston filler which I enjoy. It is $50 from GouletPens and pick you out a bottle of ink or some samples it will work out much better than cartridges.

If you wanted to stay with cartridges another pen I have used and really enjoy that is inexpensive ($15) is the Pilot Metropolitan. Its an all metal pen that writes well and uses ether a converter or cartridges. Another pen you could try would be a Monteverde Intima, they are around $50-$60 and can use ether converter or cartridge. I like the Volcano Grey.

Depending on what you want the $100-$150 mark you can get ALOT of good pens. I just got my first pen in this range. I had it narrowed down to a Pilot Custom 74, Pilot Vanishing Point, or a Lamy 2000. I got a good deal from another forum member on a very lightly used Vanishing Point so that what I went with. I think the Lamy 2000 will be the next pen I pick up.

The Vanishing Point you can use cartridges or a converter has a great weight and balance to it and is very nice for me at work cause its a click out fountain pen so I can make quick notes and not have to worry with the cap.

Hope this helps. I know there are alot of good people here with alot of good advice.

[Crazyorange]

Hello Robert
Welcome to the slippery slope of fountain pens. I see you're starting down the slope. Been there and done it. I think in the beginning it's important to try out as many pens as possible. You'll find your tastes will change as time progresses. Just have fun. Realize you may end up with some pens that you don't like, but they will allow you to grow in the hobby.

That all said, my first pen which I enjoy is the pilot prera. It was around the $40 mark. Other people will pop in and recommend.

[jar]

It is hard to go wrong with any fountain pen from Faber Castell or Graf von Faber Castell. They are definitely premium top tier products from a company known for great customer support.

Another one I'd suggest you look at that is near the top of your range would be the Caran d'Ache Ecridor. It comes in a variety of styles, most have great steel nibs but the "55" model also has a gold nib IIRC. There is the standard length and also a shorter model.



http://www.fototime.com/01B44407D04DB10/medium800.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/537F6681C1019C8/medium800.jpg

[Laura N]

That was a great idea to go to a pen store. I will make some pen suggestions, as others will, but my best advice to you is to listen to all of these, look up the pens on the internet, think about what you really want, and then go to the pen store and buy something you like there, even if it's on nobody's list and isn't what you thought going in. Trying them in person is the best idea.

It would help narrow suggestions to know what you like in a pen. Nib width -- do you like extra-fine or broad? Size and weight. Style -- traditional like a Pelikan or more modern like a Lamy 2000. There's no right answer. It's your pen, and it's your money. The only person you need to please in this is yourself.

Here are some thoughts, off the top of my head.

$50 - $75

In my view, this price range entails a lot of compromises. Some of these suggestions are closer to $80, too. A Lamy Studio is a nice looking pen, with a steel nib (at that price) that's the same as that found on the Safari and Al-Star. A heavy pen. Pilot Prera (try Jetpens for the solid-color ones) is another nice pen with a steel nib, kind of the opposite of the Studio. The Japanese nibs run narrower than the Lamy's nibs will. It's a light pen, and very short, so most people will have to use it posted. Kaweco AL-Sport is a fun pen, very short until you pull off the cap, with no clip unless you add one. It is made for cartridges. Apparently there is a converter available, but I have read mixed reviews. There is also the TWSBI; I can't recommend them due to manufacturing issues but many people like them.

$75 - $150

Candidly, I would focus here. You can get a variety of fine pens for under $150. The Lamy 2000 is a great pen if you like the style and like holding it. Second is the Pilot Vanishing Point -- ditto. It retracts, which is fun, but it's heavy. Pilot has a Custom 74 that is more traditional in style, albeit a demonstrator. Sailor makes two very nice pens, the Sapporo and the 1911M, if you like Sailor nibs, which are hard rather than soft and have feedback rather than being glass smooth. I love Sailor nibs, but not everyone does. All of the Japanese pens I mention have finer nibs. And Pelikan's M200 series is a very nice pen, which gets you into the Pelikan system, albeit with a steel nib. Another excellent steel nib pen would be an Edison. Those are nice pens, with great service behind them, made by Brian Gray. I believe his production pens, however, are only offered by online retailers. Here (http://edisonpen.com/production-line-main-page) is a link to those.

[Jeph]

I suggest that you forego the $100-$150 range for now as there are just far too many options and it will depend on your own tastes and you do not know what those are yet.

I suggest that instead of new, that you go vintage and grab a Parker 45. Basic models are routinely under $20 and should never go above $40, they (almost) always work, can be fully disassembled without any special tools, and take Parker carts as well as a converter. It is small and light and has no threads to bite on your fingers.

I had an eMotion and gave it away. It was a quality pen but just did not fit well with my tastes. It had no other issues. You have tried it and like it very much so there you go. We both have different opinions and both are right at the same time. That is why suggestions are good to give you places to start looking but in the end it is only your taste that matters. Enjoy the search. :)

[Farmboy]

Just get a 51.

[amk]

Have a good think about what you like. Do you like light pens or heavy? big or small? metal or acrylic? bare metal or lacquer? colours or monochrome? That will drive your choices.

For instance if you like wood and metal, Faber Castell is absolutely the place to go. Their nibs are good and the pens have real style, and are well made.

If you like colourful acrylics, in the upper price range you can't do much better than the production line Edison pens. Nibs are okay as they come, though I think worth investing in having them tuned/Binderized/nibmonstered.

And of course for the Bauhaus monochrome lover, or modern minimalist, there's the Lamy 2000. It's a classic, particularly if you like broad nibs - I don't like the fine nibs so much and I think a lot of people find their sweet spot a bit skimpy, but the broads are absolute melted butter!

But I'd say, don't blow your budget all at once. It's worth keeping some pocket money to play around with in cheaper pens, to get a bit of experience playing around with different nibs, different filling systems, different styles. I learned a lot from quite junky Chinese pens when I started out.

[robertChiefsFan]

Thank you all for the variety of suggestions, ideas, and things to think about! As I have done some research today, I admit that I am finding that the charm of using a fountain pen is the filling of the pen with ink. With that thought in mind, I now have more to think about in what kind of pens I want to add to my collection. I do like the simplicity of the cartridge method, but am not at all opposed to having a collection of bottled inks sitting on my desk, too. Thank you, again, for the quick responses and suggestions - they are very much appreciated! I look forward to seeing where this journey into writing takes me!

[Sailor Kenshin]

Thank you all for the variety of suggestions, ideas, and things to think about! As I have done some research today, I admit that I am finding that the charm of using a fountain pen is the filling of the pen with ink. With that thought in mind, I now have more to think about in what kind of pens I want to add to my collection. I do like the simplicity of the cartridge method, but am not at all opposed to having a collection of bottled inks sitting on my desk, too. Thank you, again, for the quick responses and suggestions - they are very much appreciated! I look forward to seeing where this journey into writing takes me!

Of course you know that cartridges can be refilled from bottled ink, using a plastic pipette or a doohickey syringey thingy sold by Goulet.

I have four Nemosines, thinking of adding two more. ;)

[ac12]

For those of you who have much more experience than I, I'd like to get your suggestions on where to go next. I'd like to know what a good pen would be in the $50-75 range, and then in the $75-150 range. (I'm not in the budget to get beyond $150 at this time).



Here are my choices (within my limited range of familiarity)
New
Less than $50
- Lamy; Safari, Al Star, joy, Logo
- Pilot; 78G, Metropolitan

$50-75
- Lamy; cp1

$75-150
- Lamy; Studio, 2000
- Pelikan; M150, M205 (on sale)

Personally, I go semi-vintage/vintage, but the prices are all over the map based on the specific pen:
- Esterbrook: LJ
- Eversharp: Skyline
- Parker: 45, 51, 75, 180, Classic, Vac
- Pelikan: M1xx series
- Sheaffer: snorkel, touchdown, Imperial, Targa

As was mentioned ergonomics enter the picture also.
There are a LOT of good pens that I won't use, because I do not like the way it feels in my hand (too fat, too heavy, bad balance, etc)

[AZBennett]

I am also a vintage guy and niw someone who repairs pens. That being said I will offer a modern pen and a vintage pen that I would recommend.

Karas Kustoms Ink - 85-105 USD currently they are running a 15% off discount code for two weeks or so which puts this in your middle range. The pen is the epitome of an EDC fountain pen. All metal, very rugged and tough but surprisingly elegant writing experience. It comes with a piston converter that holds quite a decent amount of ink. Nib sizes are German Fine, Medium and Broad, Schmidt Nib units. My Fine lays down a wondedfully wet, smooth line and is a joy to write with. The design is modern but with the anodization and colors available the pen takes on a personality rather than just a cold metal tool.

Eversharp Skyline - 50-150 USD, those are restored/repaired prices. These are my favorite pens. Sure they are a tad more delicate than Sheaffers and Parkers from the same time period, but those pens did have the sleek, sensual lines that the Skyline does. They don't have the majestic flex nibs or equally near needlepoint rigid accounting nibs. They variety of mix and match styles available in barrel, cap and derby colors make these pens very customizable even 70 yeara later. Their feeds are MAGNIFICENT, fully maximizing the potential of the nibs. The clip system is super strong ensuring it won't gonflying off your person. And the writing experience is one I can't find in other pens. These pens altered my life where writing was concerned.

Those are my two suggestions. Whatever you choose, may the pen serve to help you create wonderful new memories!

[VertOlive]

Welcome, Robert.

Could you go back to the pen store and try a bunch more? Ask to try different nib sizes too. Then look inside and see how they fill (cartridge, convertor, piston) so you know what that's like too.

Think what struck you most. Then just dive in!

Don't forget the ink and paper.

[velo]

Greetings all. While I have been writing in earnest for a little over a year now, only recently have I moved to using fountain pens....

rCF I bought my first fountain pen because of the amount of (creative) writing I had to do. So my recommendation is a pen that you find comfortable. Something easy to maintain and use.

Personally I would look at modern pens. When you start getting into the hobby more then you can get your vintage groove on.

[tandaina]

I would humbly suggest considering a Pelikan M200.

Here's why. They can be had for a reasonable price new from many places in a variety of lovely colors. (I'd suggest a demonstrator so you can ENJOY all that ink sloshing around in the barrel.) The nib units are interchangable, and being steel are pretty darn affordable. So you can play around and discover which nibs you really enjoy at a reasonable cost. You can even (if you act fast) get a stub or italic from Richard Binder (richardspens.com) for it at a really reasonable price for a Binder ground nib. One pen, many, many writing experiences.

They are well built pens that will last you many years. Well balanced, just a joy to write with. And sort of like skittles, they come in soooo many colors to collect. ;)

And then, then you can start to try some antique Pelikans, and then you will know pen Nirvana. Truly. I've written with everything from modern Nakayas that cost $1k+ to antique Montblancs (and modern) and hands down, without a doubt it is the antique Pelikans that stand quietly above them all. When I have Richard Binder, or John Mottishaw grind a nib for me? They do their best to mimic an antique Pelikan. They are that good.

[robertChiefsFan]

So where does one find the Pelikan M200? I looked online and was not able to find it readily available.

[tandaina]

So where does one find the Pelikan M200? I looked online and was not able to find it readily available.

Gold spot pens has them, but for more than I'd pay. Amazon has the boring old black ones (which are great pens, sure but I prefer the demonstrators.). Pen Boutique (http://www.penboutique.com/showproduct.aspx?ProductID=5223&SEName=pelikan-series-m200-italic-nib-black-fountain-pen&gclid=Cj0KEQjw8aeiBRCknPXk-u_V_4gBEiQAD2-mgTDsefre6Ur-JXbGN9PDm74S8uUTdj7b8lDwA1ANbHcaAmIf8P8HAQ) has them as well, with the italic nib which is nice and a little harder to find.

Easiest place though is through a member of this forum. ;) Like here (http://fpgeeks.com/forum/showthread.php/2762-2012-Special-Edition-Pelikan-M200-Clear-Demo-Fountain-Pen) and here (http://fpgeeks.com/forum/showthread.php/7768-Special-Edition-Pelikan-M200-Cognac-Demonstrator-Fountain-Pen-With-Italic-Nib).

Send him an email (in his listings) about what pen you want and he'll hook you up. Reliable seller.

I bought like ONE pen from a regular merchant and almost all my other pens have come from forum members or pen shows. ;) Way better deals from fellow collectors!

[Bold2013]

Faber Castell basic because they have smooth nibs, use cartridge or converters are large in size and come in multiple styles.

Man that was an intense run on sentence

[ac12]

Look for Pelikan M200 or M205.
The 200 is gold trim, the 205 is with silverish trim
PenChalet had some on sale.

[AtomicLeo]

I would encourage you to buy from the shop you mentioned in your first post. I have bought a handful of pens from my local shop and have never been disappointed with any of them. Can not say the same for online sales.

The 50-75 dollar range is tough. Most of the modern pens in this range are steel nib pens which can be found in cheaper pens and you are paying for looks not improved nib performance at this price point. There are some great vintage options in this range like the Parker 51.

Now the 75-150 you can get into some interesting pens, some ones I would recommend are

Lamy 2000
Pilot Vanishing Pilot, lots of colors and interchangeable nibs
Sailor 1911, firm but fantastic nibs
Platinum 3776, a gold nib pen and is one of the cheapest gold nib pens today
Edison production pens like Collier, steel nib pens but the build quality is outstanding at this price

[Sailor Kenshin]

I would encourage you to buy from the shop you mentioned in your first post. I have bought a handful of pens from my local shop and have never been disappointed with any of them. Can not say the same for online sales.

The 50-75 dollar range is tough. Most of the modern pens in this range are steel nib pens which can be found in cheaper pens and you are paying for looks not improved nib performance at this price point. There are some great vintage options in this range like the Parker 51.

Now the 75-150 you can get into some interesting pens, some ones I would recommend are

Lamy 2000
Pilot Vanishing Pilot, lots of colors and interchangeable nibs
Sailor 1911, firm but fantastic nibs
Platinum 3776, a gold nib pen and is one of the cheapest gold nib pens today
Edison production pens like Collier, steel nib pens but the build quality is outstanding at this price

That would be for the smaller size 1911, and really closer to $160.

[mhosea]

I find these questions really difficult because fountain pen + people combinations are difficult to predict. If you can see your way to setting aside the cartridge-filling bit, I have some ideas for your consideration.

On massdrop.com there is a Lamy 2000 deal up again (3 days left) https://www.massdrop.com/buy/lamy-2000-fountain-pen. The only reason I haven't gotten one is that my grip puts my fingers right on top of the cap retention tabs. I hold Parker 51's over their clutch ring as well, but it is a very different-feeling thing. That brings me to the subject of Parker 51's. It took me several years to warm up to Parker 51's, and there is a "learning curve" with the hooded nib since it is so easy to rotate it out of position. Nevertheless, a restored Parker 51 is a robust thing. The vacumatic versions are a pleasure to fill, and the aerometric versions are tough enough for any ink you want to use (provided they have been restored with a new stainless steel breather tube).

Sheaffer snorkels that have been restored with new synthetic sacs are also a great choice. They don't hold as much ink, but they have the most regularized ink flow of any pen I have ever used, bar none.

The Sheaffer Targas here http://www.mainstreetpens.com/pensales.htm are sure to please, but did I hear something about not liking the pen to be too wet? Maybe no Targas for you then.

I liked all of my Sailor pens, but all but one of the several required nib smoothing for western (horizontal) writing because of the nib design. IMHO, one simply cannot buy Japanese pens designed and marketed for the Japanese market and expect them to be ideally tuned to horizontal writing if they have not been readjusted for it. Even Pilot sets their nibs up in such a way that up-strokes are very dry. It's just a matter of tuning, but it's something to know. Both Pilot and Sailor make pens that I would love to recommend, but there's this adjustment barrier. They may work for you without readjustment if you write with heavy pressure.

[oldstoat]

My advice is a bit different from the other suggestions, good though they are.

I would not go into your upper price bracket at first. Almost inevitably you'll find, as you write with fountain pens that you begin to learn what you like, and you may find the pens you thought you liked aren't the ones you stick with. That makes it quite difficult if you've blown your budget. I would suggest that you go for a vintage Parker 45 or 51, and maybe a Pilot 78G and few different inks ( Diamine 30ml sample bottles are cheap). That way you learn what you like and still have money to move on

[pajaro]

When I got out of college in 1970 I bought a new Parker 51. I didn't buy another fountain pen for years until I bought some Sheaffer Touchdown Imperials at a going out of business sale. Borrowers broke the nibs on most of those Imperials. In 1983 I bought a Montblanc 144 and 146. And a couple of 164 ballpoints. Mainly I used the Parker and the Montblancs even to this day. Along the way I tried a few pens, and they ended up in the junk drawer: Cross Century, Sheaffer Imperial C/C pens, and a couple of hundred Parker 51s cheap from yard and garage sales.

Then I discovered pen forums and bought at least a couple of hundred pens new and used from Waterman, Esterbrook, Pelikan, Pilot and other Japanese pens (can't even remember some of the names, that's how memorable they are) and a whole bunch of others. When the dust settled recently, I still use the original Parker 51 fine, the Montblanc 144, and a Parker 51 NOS that I put a broad stub into. The other pens are a distraction, and I have sold many of the Parker 51 hoard and other pens and still have about 200 needless fountain pens.

Point is, decide if you want to be a pen hoarder/collector, or if you want to be a fountain pen writer. If the latter, find one to four good pens that you love and buy no more.

The best oens I have found out of this are the Parker 51 and the Montblanc 144. Either available vintage for under a hundred bucks and $150 on ebay, respectively.

Other good pens: Pilot Prera, Waterman Phileas, Waterman Laureat, Sheaffer Touchdown Imperial, Esterbrooks, Pelikan M2xx, mainly vintage and not too costly. There are others, but do you feel the need to buy everything like the other pen nuts? If you get a couple of good pens and stop there, I think you will enjoy this more than if you become another pen hoarder. This can get to the point where you are just buying more dustable items, like colectors of other stuff.

[bash13r]

Awesome thread robertChiefsFan!!

Nice thread for a newbie...some helpful comments.

I consider myself a user of fountain pens & the thought of just having a few good ones & choosing the right pens out of the millions of choices is very daunting.

Good luck with your search robertChiefsFan.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I can see owning fewer pens. I was just pondering that myself, thinking of my early days when I had fewer than ten pens and about four or five ink bottles.

However. Four pens is far too few if you love color and inks and have a one pen, one perfect ink for it kinda thing going on.

[Cob]

Watch ebay and for the equivalent of $75 or so you can with care pick up a nice old Mabie Todd Swan or perhaps a Waterman's Ideal (Canada) 32. These almost always have lovely nibs that speak to you; admittedly the Waterman's often have rubbishy electroplating, but the nibs - at least the Canadian ones are usually superb.

Admittedly, such a pen would probably need an overhaul, but provided there are no cracks and the nib s good, then this will not be costly.

Cob

[Sailor Kenshin]

Watch yer PM... ;)