Enjoyment of the hobby with inexpensive pens

[rluka]

If expensive high quality pen is like pomegranate of Hades, I've never tasted it before

[alexander_k]

As one who grew up using and being frustrated with cheap, "school" pens, I have to admit that my enjoyment increased dramatically when I could afford better ones. The nibs in particular were significantly better. Since then I've had some really expensive fountain pens, most of which I've sold after a short period of use. The main reason was that their higher price wasn't due to the higher quality of the writing experience. They were good pens but only as good as more affordable similar pens that used less expensive materials, were no limited editions etc. So, I've come to believe that there's a price range worth exploring; higher or lower than that is hard to justify objectively. As already pointed out, lower-tier vintage pens are well-represented in this range. Pens from the 1950s and 1960s (especially German ones) still remain excellent writers, with wonderful nibs and easy-to-maintain pistons or other filling systems. A Montblanc 22x, for example, can be found at a reasonable price and usually sports a great nib, including some with appealing semiflex and stubs equal to those by Sheaffer. Other brands are even more reasonably priced; people may have discovered Soennecken but Matador, Mercedes and a few others attract little attention.

[Pterodactylus]

Show_response_1185 by Ptero Pterodactylus, auf Flickr

(Serwex MB flex EMF ..... ESS Registrars Blue-Black)


This crappy inexpensive little Serwex pen with the EMF mod on the FPR flex nib despite of it´s poor building quality is one of my favorite pens.
It easily outperforms many of my expensive pens (with much better building quality) because of the awesome (modded) nib.

In general I prefer also pens with a decent building quality, but the joy using one of our tools (pens) is per se not related to it´s price.
Best example are dip nibs which cost next to nothing and outperform (with respect to the line quality) in a skilled hand most other pens.

Btw. I also don´t buy Chinese pens..... (have one Jinhao 159 somewhere in a drawer....that´s enough)

Personally I prefer in general pens with flex or at least semi-flex nibs.
Some of my all time favorites are semi-flex pens from the 50s from Pelikan and Montblanc.

[VertOlive]

I only keep in my collection what I really enjoy. That said, I love them all--from the amiable and colorful Safaris to the elegant Nakaya.

This hobby is very much a "You do you" kind of pastime. Purchase what you're attracted to and the joy will follow.

[Cyril]

I love pens and did not know they excisted to a certain point so I had spent more than $50 a pen.
Suddenly I found there are cheaper pens and they do the same things as expensive pens.

I have tried recently some "Indian pens" and, I must say they are worthless and hopeless. Old and meanless concepts I never ever think of getting one again. Chinese pens are far more better.

[Amanda]

I don't believe there's much correlation between the cost of a pen and how good it is to write with. Some of my inexpensive Chinese pens have become favourites.

With a little more experience I've been able to define my interests and currently the top of that list is resistence to drying out or evaporation. (It seems to be that screw caps are better than snap, piston is sometimes better than cc etc.)

Second is a nib that adds something different - especially when drawing.

Recent inexpensive arrivals that satisfy have been Jinhao 992 and Wing Sung 3008. Also good, but a little more pricey are the WS 698 and Caliarts Ego. The nibs on all of them have been pretty good out of the box and with so little invested are fair game for my attempts at re-grinds for something different.

[TSherbs]

...Recent inexpensive arrivals that satisfy have been Jinhao 992 and Wing Sung 3008. ...

I really like both of these, too.

[jmccarty3]

I'm getting great enjoyment these days from a couple of Sheaffer student cartridge pens just like the ones I used in elementary and high school back in the '50s and '60s. You can pick one up in perfect condition on eBay for $20, and for less at pen shows. I also have several Esterbrooks and TWSBIs that write as nicely as you please. Admittedly, most of my collection comprises much more expensive pens that I also enjoy very much, but not because they write that much better than the cheaper ones. My advice is to collect what you like and learn as much as you can about it. Around here, people value Esterbrook experts as much as they do Montblanc experts.

[grainweevil]

I have tried recently some "Indian pens" and, I must say they are worthless and hopeless. Old and meanless concepts I never ever think of getting one again. Chinese pens are far more better.

There are good and bad pens from both countries; I wouldn't judge that quickly meself.

I do enjoy a well-performing "cheapie", I must admit. Although not vintage ones so much, as they do tend to suffer over the years and life's too short to struggle with shrunken heads caps and disappearing plating. The recent crop of plastic Chinese pens has been very bad news; I was safe from most Chinese models owing to a fervent dislike of the weight of all the lacquered brass bodies, but now... Uh-oh. However, I should confess that what I really like is an expensive pen acquired inexpensively.

[catbert]

Some of my favourite pens are user-grade vintage bargains.

Ultimately, though, I think enjoyment isn't about price but variety of writing experience.

It's worth thinking about diversifying, forgoing more of the same (same pen in different colours, for example) to acquire a pen at a different price point (higher or lower) - not because of the price but because it offers something beyond what you can get at your current price point (again, this could mean going up or down in price).

I’m thinking about a bulk-filler or a zoom nib, for example. Those are much pricier than my average pen. I’m also looking at some of the Chinese piston fillers coming on the market now. Those are a lot cheaper than my average pen.

Variety.

[grainweevil]

Some of my favourite pens are user-grade vintage bargains.

Ah, I should clarify - user-grade vintage can be one of the best ways to enjoy the hobby inexpensively, yes. It's vintage that was cheap when it was new that usually turns out to be a bit of a turkey. Tragically they don't get any better with age. Don't imagine many of today's Jinhaos and Wing Sungs will be wowing the crowds in 50 years time either, although who knows?

[dam]

I love pens and did not know they excisted to a certain point so I had spent more than $50 a pen.
I have tried recently some "Indian pens" and, I must say they are worthless and hopeless. Old and meanless concepts I never ever think of getting one again. Chinese pens are far more better.

Wow, I wholeheartedly disagree with this statement. Indian pens are not worthless, and Chinese pens are not necessarily "better". Come on now. True, a $2 Camlin from years ago (before it was bought by Kokuyo) is a cheap pen, although it is workable. An ebonite pen by Wality, Guider or Gama is a much better value, is relatively cheap and can be tweaked to suit your needs. I don't see the sense in lumping together a bunch of companies whose only common trait is being Indian.

This, I agree with completely:

I only keep in my collection what I really enjoy. That said, I love them all--from the amiable and colorful Safaris to the elegant Nakaya.

This hobby is very much a "You do you" kind of pastime. Purchase what you're attracted to and the joy will follow.

[penwash]

For me, I get a lot of enjoyment from reviving old pens that no one care about anymore.

Whether I restored an inexpensive third-tier pen or an expensive woodgrain ebonite Wahl, I'm equally excited to get them going again.

And I find out in a lot of cases, obscure pens are really cool, it's just they don't get popular because they are so rare.

[amk]

I just bought my most expensive buy ever, a Pelikan 900 toledo. But while I look at some of my earlier buys and wonder why I loved them so much, I still love my little collection of Waterman kulturs and my Indian pens. And I have fun mending unloved vintage pens.

I also love cheapie demos like the dollar pens. great fun if you load them up with a wide variety of colours!

[southpaw52]

The great part of this hobby you can chose what level to spend at according to your budget. A majority of my pens have been bought in the sub $100 range. I collect and use vintage pens ie. Esterbrook, Waterman, Sheaffer., Eversharp.

I'm a pen user before a collector. Yes I have a tight budget to work with, finding used gems at a budget price is great fun.

[catbert]

Some of my favourite pens are user-grade vintage bargains.

Ah, I should clarify - user-grade vintage can be one of the best ways to enjoy the hobby inexpensively, yes. It's vintage that was cheap when it was new that usually turns out to be a bit of a turkey. Tragically they don't get any better with age. Don't imagine many of today's Jinhaos and Wing Sungs will be wowing the crowds in 50 years time either, although who knows?

I should also clarify - was mainly trying to suggest to the OP that price (high or low) can be limiting as a measure of enjoyment.

Yes, there are great vintage bargains, especially formerly top-of-the-line stuff in not-quite top condition. (Took delivery of one such today. )

As for vintage that was cheap or relatively cheap to start with, I’ve had good luck with school pens and mid-range models from top-tier makers - and, of course, Esterbrooks. Stuff made before ballpoints took hold. A German seller once threw in a (50s?) piston-filler Schulkaweco for free. It’s a lovely little (and I do mean little) writer.

As for cheaper modern pens, I have high hopes for a recently purchased Wing Sung 618 but I bought two, just in case. Cheap at twice the price, as they say.

[Jon Szanto]

A couple of thoughts:

• I'll give a 2nd to the mentions of the Baoer 388. It was fine as is but I got it to put an inexpensive German nib in it that had been ground to a crisp italic for me by FPG member DNeal. Honestly, for about a total of $15.00 I'm not sure there is a better cost/performance pen out there. And I never worry about losing it.
• As for vintage, I *still* love to find a beater or bits and pieces and wind up with a killer writer that has a history. Elsewhere on the board yesterday I posted a 1926 Duofold Jr. that I rehabbed. Ridiculous nib, never even touched it. All came together from two variously banged up pens for about $35. Where else can you find a 14k nib for that?
• Lastly, ever year or two I check out some of the latest of the low-cost Chinese pens so I can have to throw in a travel bag but, more to the point, give to people to encourage writing with an FP. This time around it somewhat blows my mind: the Wing Sung 3008, which looks like a TWSBI 540 with a Lamy Safari nib (I've heard they fit). A piston filler that was a smooth writer right from the bubble wrap for $3.25? The world is nuts. (Pic below)

[SIR]

uh oh, I'm going to look at those WS 3008, right now...

[Sailor Kenshin]

Oooo...shiiinyyyyy!

[countrydirt]

Thanks for the heads up on the Wing Sung 3008. Just ordered 4! I'm only out $16 if they are rubbish.