I'm a high school pen-enthusiast, but I need advice on what kind of pen to get. The only fountain pen I have owned is the Pilot Varsity, and I'd like to buy a nicer one, but I don't know what to get. I'm willing to spend up to $150. Can anyone help?
Best Pens For Students
I'm a high school pen-enthusiast, but I need advice on what kind of pen to get. The only fountain pen I have owned is the Pilot Varsity, and I'd like to buy a nicer one, but I don't know what to get. I'm willing to spend up to $150. Can anyone help?
Nate, glad to see you stop by.
Where were we on our Twitter conversation? I believe I recommended the Pilot Vanishing Point, the Lamy 2000, and the Pelikan M205/M215, right? Have you had a chance to check out any of those pens? Any thoughts?
4 Lamy Safaris with converters.
lol. No, no, no.Originally Posted by magnus919
Nate, whatever you do, don't listen to this man!
Hey Nate!
A Pilot Vanishing Point would do you very nicely. Not only is it a much admired pen within the fountain pen community, it also would attract attention (the good kind) in a high school environment. It's a fountain pen, but it's cool! Go to gouletpens.com and find their selection of Pilot Vanishing Points. Unless you really have to have the pink limited edition, you won't spend $150.00.
The pink limited edition is actually a whole different level of coolness. If I were in high school again...
=) Eric
Just a little note to go with Eric's suggestion. The Pilot Vanishing Point doesn't hold nearly the amount of ink of the other two pens. With the Vanishing Point you can use a cartridge, a squeeze converter, or a traditional twist converter. The cartridge holds the most ink of the three, then the squeeze converter, and the twist converter holds the least. If you don't mind refilling the cartridge with a syringe you can actually go quite a while between refills. In my opinion, the squeeze converter offers the best compromise between ease of filling and ink capacity.
Eric also mentioned that it'll attract attention in a high school environment. I imagine any $100+ pen will do that. So make sure you guard it well.
NO!! Don't get the Vanishing Point (unless you plan to buy one that was made around 1985). The novelty of the Vanishing Point wears off very quickly after you start using it. The current design is heavy and poorly balanced, and your hand gets fatigued after writing about one page. It's convenient....and that's about it. I'm not trying to be politically incorrect just to be contrary. I truly would advise against purchasing a VP. If you want to come over to my house and try it for about 10 minutes and prove my point, you're welcome to do so.
If I had to recommend a fountain pen, I'd buy a Parker 51 and have it restored. I like Parker 61s, but I'm afraid someone is going to bite my head off. My very first pen was a Pelikan M215. Well built. Well designed. Feels good in hand. Writes very well (recommend fine point or extra fine). Interchangeable nibs. Don't have to worry about cartridges. I fell in love with the pen so much, I bought 100 other fountain pens. Can buy it for $100.
ToasterPastry! I agree with everything you wrote, politically incorrect or otherwise.
A Pelikan M2xx series pen was on my mind yesterday even as I recommended the Vanishing Point. If I were in high school again, I'd get the pink limited edition and just let the chips fall where they may.
But you're absolutely correct. The Vanishing Point is convenient (with no cap to deal with), but for longish periods of actual writing, the Pelikan would be more comfortable.
You're in San Diego. That's only about an hour and a half from me. What other pens do you have that I might like to try for ten minutes =) =)
Cheers!
Eric
Son of Ragnar
Eric (son of Ragnar), you are welcome to come by any time. I live in Rancho Bernardo neighborhood of San Diego, just south of Escondido. I'm usually available on weekends. Contact me by back-channel and we can meet. You can pick thru the collection. Try inks, pens, whatever.
Hey there! I'm in college and I use a fountain pen to take notes every day. My personal recommendation would be a Pelikan tradition 150 (About $90 on amazon) or a Waterman Hemisphere ($80-100). The Pelikan writes very nicely and feels good for long note taking sessions. I hope this helps!
Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk
Thanks for the advice, everyone! I really appreciate it. Somebody mentioned the Sheaffer Prelude on twitter. How do you guys feel about it?
I think it's certainly a capable pen, and at a decent price too. Personally, it doesn't really do anything for me. I would save a few bucks and buy the TWSBI 540 for $55 shipped. But, if you don't like clear pens then the 540 won't appeal to you.
I would consider a LAMY Safari and a TWSBI 540. You can buy both together for less than $100. Both are cool and very hi-tech looking. The TWSBI can be totally disassembled by the user which is very unusual for a fountain pen. Check them out a www.gouletpens.com
Hi nate!
I am a highschooler too! (freshman). I use a Pelikan m400 for school. It is my nicest pen at the moment, and is a really great user as well as a looker, but I'm afraid it won't fit your budget (I got mine at a steal of $180). I think a similar pelikan--the m200 or the cooler m205 would be the best choice. I take at least 6 pages of notes a day with my m400, and it writes for the whole schoolweek without a refill. It is light in the hand( it won't weigh you down). The m200 actually holds MORE ink than my m400. Don't get a lamy--unless you're getting a 2000 (even that is risky b/c of the quality control.) Here's my nibmeister's review of the "hit or miss" pen: http://tylerdahlpens.blogspot.com/20...lamy-2000.html. He loves it, but "lemons" can be common.
Good Luck,
Will
How about a TWSBI? Or a Sheaffer Prelude?
My first pen was a Lamy Safari fine nib with Aurora Black back in college. Great starter pen, I'd highly recommend it. Twsbi is nice too. I think the more expensive pens require some trial to discover which "clicks" best with you. For example, people rave about the Lamy 2000, but I find mine to be too smooth and lacking feedback. My current favorite is the Pelikan M215.
Thinking back to high school and how many pens were borrowed, lost, or stolen... I probably would not bring a $100+ pen to school. My friend is a teacher and she got a lamy safari and Parker 51 stolen out of her bag. Just my opinion. I'd recommend getting a twsbi or other sub $50 pen and then using the rest of the money to get a better pen to keep at home. A few months ago I bought a five pack of baoer 388 on eBay for under $30 which I really enjoy (they have a cursive italic nib). Out of the five only one ended up being a dud after about a month- but still a bargain. Also take a look at esterbrooks and safaris (don't really like them, but they've gotten many favorable reviews.)
I'm a long way away from my student days, but the pens that travel to my day job are;
1 x Hero 616 (Fine nib, aerometric filler, holds a ton of ink- currently filled with Rotring Brillant Ultramarine - I got 3 for around £5, and all have been reliable, probably the best Chinese pens I own).
1 x Schneider Base (£8, filled with Diamine Teal - medium nibbed, dependable workhorse sort of a pen)
1 x Lamy Vista (£16, currently filled with Lamy Blue - EF nib - I use this for writing in my planner)
1 x Pelikan Steno (£20ish, discontinued, filled usually with a "business" variety of blue, blue/black or black. Fun pen with an unusual flexible fine nib - also used in my planner (fine enough for the small spaces))
1 x Rotring Esprit (£20ish, discontinued, filled with Diamine Dark Brown. Nice compact pen with a smooth "F" nib.)
1 x Parker Jotter FP (Flighter) (£6 - now discontinued in the flighter, I think, filled with Quink Black. Very reliable, nice fat wet medium line).
I also carry a couple of mechanical pencils & a jotter ballpoint with a gel refill (for lending out, addressing envelopes &c)
I do own a TWSBI and several Esterbrooks, but they stay at home.
In the op's position, I'd not like to take anything I couldn't replace fairly easily, personally. The Safari(s) and converter seems like a good choice to me.
Last edited by John the Monkey; January 4th, 2012 at 01:52 AM.
I'll recommend a cheap pen that you won't weep for if it's lost or stolen. A lamy Safari would work well, or a Pelikano. Bulow? all these can be good writers. go for one that won't attract attention. unless you're using it to attract attention.
From my own personal experience as a highschooler, a vintage Pelikan 400 is an incredible daily user. You can find them for less than $150 on FPN. And about expensive pens at school, I use well over $200 of 2 pens every day in my pockets (on the weeks where I use my m400 and my Paragon, more like $400 :0). I've never lost a nice pen. Because when they're nice and you really like them, you care about them and don't loose them.
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