Looking For A Gift...feeling A Bit Overwhelmed!

[Zacximus]

Hello FP Connoisseurs,

 

I am looking for a gift for my girlfriend, but am new to the FP world and need a bit of advice.

 

After spending a good portion of time sifting through the forums and reviews on FPN, I am more informed in terms of what is available, but also more overwhelmed. So any advice on pens would be greatly appreciated!

 

What I am looking for:

A pen in the $60-100 range that has a classic/refined look. She enjoys designing greeting cards, so it would be used for calligraphy purposes mostly, but also the occasional daily writing task. I would prefer a pen that is on the smaller/lighter side with a fine or extra fine nib, that can be easily swapped. This would be her first FP, so I would like it to be something special and reliable!

 

I have read many posts about the Pelikan M200 and Lamy 2000, but am not a huge fan of the look of these pens. I like the look of the Pelikan Epoch 360, but I do not know anything about its reliability or size/weight.

 

Thanks for your consideration and opinions!

[NinthSphere]

Have you considered a restored Esterbrook? A J model isn't huge, but an SJ or LJ would satisfy smaller pen preferences. You would certainly have a large selection of easily swappable nib units.

[Muncle]

Someone might be able to answer this: does the TWSBI have an Italic nob? One of those, or even the mini, with an alternate italic nib would allow her to do some good calligraphy too.

[Runnin_Ute]

A 1.1 and 1.5 italic is available for the 580

[Giordana]

If she doesn't mind metal pens, a Lamy Studio or Kaweco Al Sport would be nice options, especially as they both have calligraphy nibs available. They, however, don't hold much ink if she'd use the 1.1mm+ tipped nibs. For my kaweco, I don't mind as I enjoy the cute J Herbin cartridges. Another plus for both is that the nibs are inexpensive.

[inotrym]

How about a Pilot Stella 90s (aka Stargazer)? (it's well within your budget if you buy it directly from Japan)

 

Not feather-light but smallish and cute. Stunning finishes and a really nice 14k nib. (Pilot is well known for the quality of their nibs)

Unfortunately it comes only in two nib sizes and none of them is a stub, but I think this pen is a joy to use and well worth its price.

[lisadan]

Can't help with the pen question, but

[AZBennett]

I would recommend any of the myriad of vintage ladies purse or lanyard pens. Many are equipped with flex nibs of some variance. Wahl, Moore or Conklin ringtop pena would fit the bill. Slightly larger but still what I would consider small would be pens like the Aikin Lambert Capitol Lady, Moore L-82 or Wahl Rollerball clip or "crown cap" pens. You can find lovely restored pens like these among the classifieds and in your price range.

[cellardoor04]

Why not a gift card, and you visit a brick and mortar shop with her to try some pens out? It's nice of you to give her such a gift, but I find the experience of using a fountain pen is very subjective to an individual's tastes and preferences. I'm sure she would appreciate you going with her to pick something out, too. For something relatively expensive ($100 on a pen is a lot for non-FP crazy folk), she might want something she'd love and really likes to use

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

+1 for a TWSBI, either the Vac or the Mini, which can fit inexpensive nib+feed units of various nib widths. (I thought a Red Esterbrook J would be an excellent option, but the widest nibs are about 0.7mm.)

 

I like the TWSBI as the nibs can be removed, which enables fast thorough no fuss clean-up. Numerous colour options as well, but not as many as an Estie.

 

Bye,

S1

 

__

S1 ♥ Estie

[Zacximus]

Looks like I have some good leads! Thanks everyone for the quick responses. And one of the reasons I have been having a hard time is because there aren't any brick and mortar stores around to even look at options...except for Staples, but I didn't see anything promising there. Thanks for being so welcoming and helpful!

[shawndp]

Zac - when I first got the Pelikan M205 I was not impressed - it didn't strike me as a $100+ pen but it is an amazing writer and you have the ability to screw in nibs. I have a B, BB and Arabic Italic that does some interesting lines and couldn't be happier with how it turned out. As suggested the TWSBI is a nice option too - you can purchase additional nib units that are easy to switch. I almost bought my gf the Mini in Rose Gold but went with a Sailor Pro-Gear instead. $100 buys you a dynamite Japanese pen from Japan (Platinum 3776 for instance) or the Vanishing Point (this is my gf's current fav fountain pen). All the best!