Who are the top ranking pen brands?

[pcn]

@PenSir,

I'm quite a newbie at this myself, and I thought that my MontBlanc 146, which I got for my 30th birthday some 20 years ago, was the best pen in the world. Beautiful, writing nicely, and I didn't care about the price, since this was a gift. However, after using it with different inks, it started to bleed, the cap unscrewed easily, and when I dropped it from the table to the floor, it broke in two. The repair costs are approx 60-70% of the new price. So suddenly, in mye head, the MB plummeted from the position of "the best pen in the world". Others have similar experiences with their favorite brands.

 

This is not to start a brand war, but just to show you that what in some people's eyes is the best pen, to others, and maybe eventually in their own, is not neccessarily the best pen after all. Maybe one should say: "The best pen is the one that you bring with you just now"

[sirtoti]

Bic' date=' by far[/quote']

 

XDD

[daTomoT]

I'd say that there is no definitive 'best' brand, just as there can be no definitive 'best' music band/performer/singer. It comes down to taste. Some people swear by their Mont Blancs, others hate them. I am quite a big fan of Pelikan pens, for their reliability, and Mabie Todd (Swan) pens as they are made in England. I have yet to try one, but I hear that Sailor pens have wonderful nibs. Pen makers often like to use superlatives in their highest class pen titles, such as 'Sailor King of Pen' or 'Namiki Emperor'. Don't be fooled.

[XiaoMG]

Your taking odds with their typos is not nearly as laughable as your peevish response to a post that is 3.5 years old.

+1, and I wonder how many others will reply to this thread not knowing it's over 3 years old.

[Chi Town]

Now this is just a guess, mind you, and these are in no certain order, just as they come to mind;SheafferWaterman,MontblancNakayaDanatrioPelikanEdsion (Brian Grey's)BexleyFranklin-ChristophTWSBI

 

[humsin]

Your taking odds with their typos is not nearly as laughable as your peevish response to a post that is 3.5 years old.

+1, and I wonder how many others will reply to this thread not knowing it's over 3 years old.

 

 

I wasn't the one who resurrected this thread...=P

[GallBladder]

Everyone will have their opinion, but on your list, except for Namiki, I would place none of them near the top in terms of quality, but I would certainly put most of them at the top in terms of price. Charging extravagant prices for an average quality pen combined with conducting a well orchestrated advertising campaign in high cost fashion magazines to manufacture an image of exclusivity is a strategy that most of the makers on your list use effectively to make money. If they would just put half of the money they invest in fancy image advertising into improving the quality of their pens they would have some really nice pens.

 

My own list of pen makers that offer the highest quality pens include Pelikan, Stipula, Namiki, Parker, and Visconti.

 

Two other overpriced for what you get to add to your list would be Omas and Cartier.

Bravo!

[rochester21]

For me, waterman makes the best pens in terms of craftsmanship, the build quality on higher-end pens is...i could say perfect. Some models look and feel like a piece of jewelry. I can only speak of the waterman carene and l`etalon that i had, and they were not top of the range pens.

On the other hand, i could never fully trust a pen that is not made out of metal, so german and japanese pens, mostly made from different kinds of plastic material, would not enter my list with the best built pens.

Having said that, there is a difference between the pens with the best finishes and the pens that are the best writers. I never came across one that has both of these qualities...not yet, at least.

Ah, i almost forgot: for me, a pen selling for more than 1000 usd must be made out of solid gold or something like that, otherwise i don`t see how the overall quality could justify the price. Even if they are hand-painted, that doesn`t make the pen write better. A great nib doesn`t cost that much to make either.

Edited November 4, 2012 by rochester21

[mirosc]

+1, and I wonder how many others will reply to this thread not knowing it's over 3 years old.

 

what's the problem? we discuss about pens almost 100 years old - even in fountain pen world the market doesn't change that much in 3 years...

[BrandonA]

I personally got the biggest bang-for-the-buck in Lamy. Nothing else comes even close.

 

Why dig up a thread that has been dead for 3.5 years? And then to state that Lamy may the best is laughable.

 

As most said 3.5 years ago it is purely subjective and everyone will have their own opinion. I think most could guess my biased one.

 

This thread and all the "what is the best pen under xxxx" or "what is the best pen for my job in xxxx" are pointless and ultimately pose the same question just worded differently.

[pajaro]

This thread and all the "what is the best pen under xxxx" or "what is the best pen for my job in xxxx" are pointless and ultimately pose the same question just worded differently.

 

I like what you wrote here.

[olivier78860]

[...] And then to state that Lamy may the best is laughable.

[...]

 

Not more laughable than any other opinion. He stated that it was the best price/quality ratio for him.

And to be honest, even if I dislike this pen, a Lamy Safari has a far better price/quality ratio than any Montblanc or S.T. Dupont.

[plumista]

My opinion: if one pen is THE ONE pen, then it is the Lamy 2000; second, Aurora or S.T.Dupont; third, any other...

 

Plumista

[william2001]

Really depends on your preference.

There are many famous pen companies out there, but it's your choice to pick the best one for you.

-William S. Park

[georges zaslavsky]

For me, waterman makes the best pens in terms of craftsmanship, the build quality on higher-end pens is...i could say perfect. Some models look and feel like a piece of jewelry. I can only speak of the waterman carene and l`etalon that i had, and they were not top of the range pens.

On the other hand, i could never fully trust a pen that is not made out of metal, so german and japanese pens, mostly made from different kinds of plastic material, would not enter my list with the best built pens.

Having said that, there is a difference between the pens with the best finishes and the pens that are the best writers. I never came across one that has both of these qualities...not yet, at least.

Ah, i almost forgot: for me, a pen selling for more than 1000 usd must be made out of solid gold or something like that, otherwise i don`t see how the overall quality could justify the price. Even if they are hand-painted, that doesn`t make the pen write better. A great nib doesn`t cost that much to make either.

Waterman used to be something exceptional when they were manufacturing the man 100, now they make mediocre nibs with very bland designs and no real innovation as it is the case for the serenite, edson and the exception. Montegrappa, Omas, Stipula and Visconti make exceptional celluloid pens with original filling systems despite they cost more than 750$ offer far more for the money than Waterman.And between a pelikan m1000 and a waterman edson, I choose the m1000

Edited August 11, 2014 by georges zaslavsky

[WaskiSquirrel]

This is an old thread!

 

I always have trouble with the word "best" unless it is defined. Imagine saying what the best car is. A Toyota Camry? A Porshe 911? The backseat passengers in the latter won't think so! Even within a brand there is a lot of variation. As a pen example, I like the Noodler's Konrad but not the Noodler's Creaper.

 

The other problem with "best" is all the emotion and feelings that are tied with the opinion.

 

If one does define "best" in order to narrow it down as in, "What fountain pen has the best flow in fine point nibs?" you will get a few posts talking about how bold nibs are better. Even when those are edited out, you'll be left with some selection because there aren't objective numbers. If someone hates holding a pen or doesn't like something about the manufacturer, it's hard to be objective about the ink flow.

 

That's why I don't like the reviews that assign a number to everything. The numbers have the appearance of looking objective, but they're really not. As a real life example, give the same paper to a room full of teachers. They will not all give the same grade.

 

Any time someone wants a "best" they should define that term as much as possible and then read the suggestions with an awareness that they are still subjective or even inexperienced. For example, my "best" isn't going to have a lot of high end pens in its experience.

 

Now, in fairness, the OP did limit the post to "finishing". But, some people will prefer the colors of a Visconti or Pelikan over the black of a Montblanc 149. Others prefer the reverse. There is still lots of room in there.

[arran]

A brand that shows some self respect to itself!

Not all brands have the same highest quality standards.

Sometimes when buying a new modern pen , I am still astonished how these pens can leave the factory.

Bad nibs , misalignment , decentered feeder and bad after sales,.....

Throughout the years I learnt that only a few brands fullfil some requirements

Montblanc , Pelikan , Sailor and Platinum.

Conid , Caran d Ache and Dupont amongst others!

Onoto also has astonished me in a positive way