A Man With Small(Ish) Hands Needs A Good Daily Writer Pen

[Johnboy976]

So I have small hands, as the title makes known to you (7.25" from bottom of palm to top of middle finger). I am looking for a quality pen, costing no more than $350, that will work well as a daily writer. I don't care if it is modern or vintage (although modern would be nice). While I am fond of a larger pen, I am looking for something that I can use to write tons of notes. Any brand is game.

[napalm]

While full-size length wise, Pilot Grance is slimmer than their other models.

 

Also the Pilot Elite classic (non 95s). And the Stargazer / Stella.

 

P.S. If you want to go really slim, check the Sailor Chalana.

Edited July 27, 2014 by napalm

[_Stormin_]

Honestly, this is one of those issues where width matters more than length. Do you want a narrower pen vs what you've been using? What's you're current stock of pens and are you having problems with them?

[Joe in Seattle]

Parker 75 sterling silver with broad range of nib choices. Aeromatic filler provides better consistency than modern CC pens.

[frenchguy86]

It should depends mostly on what you like: you want something small in length, small in girth or both? You want something light or prefer something that as more weight to it?

I would personally look at the sailor pro gear, lots of colors, lots of nib possibilities, lots of size range...

 

 

http://www.sailor.co.jp/EXPORT/professional_g/images/hikaku_1.jpg

Edited July 27, 2014 by frenchguy86

[playtime]

A Pelikan M600 is a well-sized pen. without the brass piston fittings of the 800/1000, it is a lighter pen that is ideal for lengthy writing sessions......

 

J

[Ecriveur]

A Lamy Safari is a popular choice, for good reason. It's inexpensive, has a very solid construction, swappable nibs and writes well. Some people don't like the look of it, or the feel of it in their hand, but of course only you can decide that kind of purely subjective factor. Another option would be a Faber Castell Loom. Some people quite like the Pilot Metropolitan but I've never tried them.

 

Other good options are the TWSBI 580 or its little sibling, the TWSBI Mini.

 

All of these pens are $70 or less. You certainly don't need to spend anywhere near $350 to get a solid daily writer.

[Johnboy976]

Honestly, girth does not bother me so much. Really, having too thin of a pen would get irritating.

 

As for the current pens I have, most are long (Visconti Homo Sapiens and Wall Street, Pelikan M800, CS Churchill, Edison Collier, etc). I like them for some reason. However, for most of these pens the weight wears out my hand after a couple pages, the exception being the Churchill and the Collier.

 

As for length, I would like to be able to sit the pen in a pocket. So being compact would be nice.

 

I was looking at an M400 and M600, if this gives you an idea of what I might be interested in.

Edited July 27, 2014 by Johnboy976

[DaveBj]

The Platinum Balance is perhaps the lightest pen that I own. It's a good writer; I barely even know it's in my hand. It's not fancy or expensive, about $50, but then I don't go for fancy.

[sandy101]

Parker 45 - slim, reliable and fairly cheap.

 

Cross Century II - slim, light, all metal and comes with a range of nibs, looks classy and has a lifetime warranty.

 

Pilot 78G - you can get three of these for less that £21 with a fine, medium and broad (stub) nib. Being acrylic/plastic they're the lightest pens around, but nice writers. Three different nibs for less than £21 - it's a good place to start.

[sharonspens]

Since you are already familiar with Edison Pens, have you considered a Pearlette? Smaller, would not be heavy, and should fit nicely in a pocket. It might be similar to the P400 in size.

 

Sharon in Indiana

[ShallowJam]

Parker 51 - Absolute classic daily workhorse of a pen.

 

Pilot Custom - there are a bunch of different kinds but I'd look at the 74 and the 92 perhaps.

 

Lamy 2000 - again, another great workhorse pen with a wonderful material and satisfying cap

 

Custom pen from someone like Shawn Newton - you can pick your shape and material and nib size and just about anything about the pen. they tend to be fairly light as they are machined from ebonite or acrylic and are fantastic writers.

[playtime]

I'd also like to add the Platinum 3776 Gathered/Ribbed. Good length, nice girth, and a pull off cap should you need to jot something on the fly. a writer's pen

Edited July 28, 2014 by playtime

[PAKMAN]

My vote would be for and M400 or M600 Pelikan!

[pen2paper]

your second post included the weight issue.. the size of the Carene would fit your hand nicely, but the weight would not.

several excellent choices suggested above.. Pilot Custom 74, or Edison, Newton would be my choices.

78G is a great small basic pen, but very small, small ink capacity too.

Might you be able to travel to a pen meet or show? Pen folks are very generous sharing test drives to aid in proper fit.

[Renfield]

So I have small hands, as the title makes known to you (7.25" from bottom of palm to top of middle finger). I am looking for a quality pen, costing no more than $350, that will work well as a daily writer. I don't care if it is modern or vintage (although modern would be nice). While I am fond of a larger pen, I am looking for something that I can use to write tons of notes. Any brand is game.

 

I have fairly small hands as well, and my favourite pens are:

 

Sheaffer Snorkel - Amazing Pen. Perfect width, height , and overall pen perfection (for me)

 

Pelikan M200 - One of the smaller pens, but again good weight and size (for me)

 

Lamy 2000 - A pure bred tank. Heavier than most of my pens, but perfectly balanced, so I even post it. A little thick for my liking, but i wouldn't part with it.

 

 

 

78G is a great small basic pen, but very small, small ink capacity too.

 

 

Not that small. The Con 20 holds around 0.9ml, more than most converters

 

Ren

[Johnboy976]

For those with experience, how does the M200 compare with the M400?

[Runnin_Ute]

My vote would be for and M400 or M600 Pelikan!

Mine as well.

[Runnin_Ute]

For those with experience, how does the M200 compare with the M400?

My understanding is size and weight would be identical. The primary difference would be the nib. 14k in the M400.

 

http://ruettinger-web.de/e-index.html

[pen2paper]

 

I have fairly small hands as well, and my favourite pens are:

 

Sheaffer Snorkel - Amazing Pen. Perfect width, height , and overall pen perfection (for me)

 

Pelikan M200 - One of the smaller pens, but again good weight and size (for me)

 

Lamy 2000 - A pure bred tank. Heavier than most of my pens, but perfectly balanced, so I even post it. A little thick for my liking, but i wouldn't part with it.

 

 

 

Not that small. The Con 20 holds around 0.9ml, more than most converters

 

Ren

Thanks for chiming in Ren.. I can easily claim faulty memory today : )

edited to note that the Snorkel is a great pen too.

I left off the Pel, and 2000 simply because their grip area causes my fingers to repeatedly slip towards the nib. But what doesn't work for one, may be ideal for another. That's why the generous test drives are such a kindly gesture at pen meets.

 

oh and the ancient FPN thread of the 2000 torture test was a blast > all but literally ; )

Edited July 28, 2014 by pen2paper