Jump to content

Indestructible Pen For Someone Who Writes A Lot?


enzio

Recommended Posts

Hi!

 

I'm looking for a good fountain pen. I'm a high-school student, I write very much (I use up a Platinum Preppy cartridge in about 2.5 days!), and I'm relativley new to fountain pens, I've only used a Preppy. I take apart/fix/modify/lose/break/bite my pens. So most of my pens are short lived... (I already managed to crack my Preppy after a week of usage) So I need a good pen in the $20-$30 category. I also have quite small hands. I live in Middle Europe. And I want a kind of a "cool" pen, but not too flashy, though this isn't a priority. I also like fine nibs. I also need the pen to support cartridges.

 

  • Here are the pens I've tried out in shops: Platinum Preppy: Currently using this one, I like it very much, but I want a better one. ~$3
  • Lamy Safari/Vista/Al-Star: Didn't really like it, grip wasn't too comfortable, and a bit ugly. ~$22
  • Sailor High-Ace: I really liked this pen, especially the very fine nib. But the metal and plastic combination wasn't especially nice, and the plastic felt cheap. ~$15
  • Parker Urban: Nope! ~$60
  • Parker Vector: Very nice, liked it very much, but the metal grip wasn't too comfortable, and I'm sure, that I would bite on the plastic end, and the cap wouldn't fit anymore. ~$60
  • Parker Jotter FP: This one was my favourite! The plastic grip was comfortable, it was small but fitted into my hands, looked cool. ~$60
  • Pilot MR/Metropolitan: Was a bit bulky. And was only avaible in gold, which I didn't like too much, but otherwise a great pen. ~$40
  • Kaweco Sport: Just plain ugly, and uncomfortable. ~$30

(The prices are the prices of the pens in the shops, but I would order the pens from eBay.)

 

So what do you think? And other recommendations? Any tips/tricks?

BTW, is Luxor's quality as good as a normal Parker's?

 

Thanks very much!

Edited by enzio
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 52
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • enzio

    11

  • Mercian

    5

  • Skyppere

    3

  • mirosc

    3

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

If you are rough on your pens, and you chew on them, maybe stick with the disposible pens, but try the Pilot Varsity (or V Pen). Less prone to cracking than the Preppie. Hold a fair amount of ink, and you can refill them.

 

Another option is a 10-pack of Hero 616 pens.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

PS

Just noticed you said, "I also need the pen to support cartridges" and my suggestions don't do that.

 

Edited by doggonecarl
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello! You listed the MR/Pilot Metropolitan and mentioned that it is kind of bulky and only available in gold. Maybe take another look at the Metropolitan. The grip section is quite narrow, the pen is about $15, and it comes in all sorts of design variations and colors including animal prints that I think are cool. It is available in Fine point and comes with a squeeze cartridge so you can use bottled ink if you want. I love the Metro and think it's a lot of pen for $15.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

doggonecarl:

Thanks! The Hero looks nice, but I might not want to use a "fake" pen, And the cartridges aren't a necessity, but they're good to have. How good is the quality of the 616s? What's the best place to get them?

Edited by enzio
Link to comment
Share on other sites

JazNine:

I tested the Pilot MR, the grip section while being thin, wasn't too comfortable to use. And the shipping cost is nearly equal to the pen's.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My usual recommendation goes for a "Flighter" Parker Frontier - comfortable section, supports cartridges (Parker type), very good nibs, and metal body for happy chewing :-)

I've used mine without regrets for a long time!

 

Another possibility: Parker 45

 

Both can be completely disassembled.

 

Or do you need the pen to support international cartridges?

Edited by mirosc

Greetings,

Michael

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would second the metropolitan. It is available in many different colors and designs now...

ANYWAY here's another rout. Chinese Pens, in my personal experience are terrific. Inexpensive,

they write well right out of the box and they come in a HUGE variety of designs and sizes and colors.

Here is a site for them. I've dealt with this gentleman for years and he stands behind everything he sells.

I heartily recommend him.

http://www.hisnibs.com/

 

have fun and let us know what you end up with!
cheers

skyppere

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My usual recommendation goes for a "Flighter" Parker Frontier - comfortable section, supports cartridges (Parker type), very good nibs, and metal body for happy chewing :-)

I've used mine without regrets for a long time!

 

Another possibility: Parker 45

 

Both can be completely disassembled.

 

Or do you need the pen to support international cartridges?

The Frontier is quite expensive compared to the Vector. Is it worth it? How comfortable is it for long writing sessions? And what do I need to pay attention to, when buying vintage pens, such as the 45?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would second the metropolitan. It is available in many different colors and designs now...

ANYWAY here's another rout. Chinese Pens, in my personal experience are terrific. Inexpensive,

they write well right out of the box and they come in a HUGE variety of designs and sizes and colors.

Here is a site for them. I've dealt with this gentleman for years and he stands behind everything he sells.

I heartily recommend him.

http://www.hisnibs.com/

 

have fun and let us know what you end up with!

cheers

skyppere

Thanks very much, but I've decided against the Metropolitan.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What a about Pilot Kakuno or Prera? They use the same nib as the Metropolitan. The Kakuno has a triangular grip and the Prera is light and short.

I really like them. You can get a Kakuno for 15€ and a Prera for 25€ on eBay.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Frontier is quite expensive compared to the Vector. Is it worth it? How comfortable is it for long writing sessions? And what do I need to pay attention to, when buying vintage pens, such as the 45?

not really - on ebay (what you mentioned as your primary source) I see the Vector for about €13-17, the Frontier for about €16-19.

I find the Vector to be quite flimsy, the Frontier is an improvement (or rather the Vector is a stepdown...)

The disadvantage of the Frontier is that the section is covered with a thin layer of soft rubber, which starts to show wear and tear after some time. If so, just peel it off completely (easily done) and you a regular shiny section.

I've been writing with the Frontier long sessions, too. I liked it - but that's always very subjective

Greetings,

Michael

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can write hours with my Sonnets, but those are out of your price range with starting around 80$ on ebay, but they really reliable workhorses. Not mention their classic look.

Maybe some cheap Jinhao, although I'm kind of afraid from Chinese pens. Brought two Kaigelu, supposed to be good, but eventually worthless. But many at here highly values Jinhao, because they are damn cheap and can work really good.

 

Best advice: try to learn to take care your pens, in long run a pen around Sonnet level could be your workhorse.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

doggonecarl:

Thanks! The Hero looks nice, but I might not want to use a "fake" pen, And the cartridges aren't a necessity, but they're good to have. How good is the quality of the 616s? What's the best place to get them?

 

Do you have a very tight grip ? It would foster hand fatigue. Try to relax your grip.

The HERO 616 is not more durable than the Preppy, and ink capacity is small, but

carry two or three.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/331424668145?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

Also the HERO 266 is similarly hindered with small capacity and is very slender,

However, you can afford to carry several.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/331450138756?

_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

A Parker 45 flighter is a good writer, with a conservative appearance, and a high

capacity cartridge. The body and cap are stainless steel. 20 - 25 euros, I think.

 

How about a Jinhao 159 ? You can carry several extra cartridges in a candy tin.

At $12, it does not have a "fine" nib, but it is a "war club" . I doubt you will break it.

Auf freiem Grund mit freiem Volke stehn.
Zum Augenblicke dürft ich sagen:
Verweile doch, du bist so schön !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Parker 25 flighter. Very sturdy vintage stainless steel pen. Can be found for $20-$30 on eBay.

Parker IM - an all metal pen, bad for your teeth ;) On eBay under $20

Duke 209 - nice Chinese all metal pen. On eBay under $15 (shipping is usually free)

Baoer 388 - a Parker Sonnet clone. Very cheap, under $10, shipping included.

Edited by lisadan

Dan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What's not already mentioned: You could dive into the world of Indian pens. There are many companies in India that produce hardy, reliable writers at very reasonable price points.

Many of them are made of Ebonite, which (smells nice/interesting and) fits your requirement of 'cool but not flashy'.

Many Indian pens are eyedropper-filled pens (which you wouldn't like as opposed to cartridges) but there are some that have either cartridge/converter options or built in fillers. Also many Indian pens come standard with a fine nib.

 

Take a look at the FPR Triveni and Triveni Jr. I have a Jr. (because I like to post my caps) and I feel it's well worth the money. Like, I 'get' the package, I understand what FPR was trying to achieve here, and I think they delivered it. (I never used it with cart/s though, only converter) I have the standard fine nib for it and mine was quite nice 'out of the box'.

 

Asapens also sells a variety of Indian pens. Both these sites offer very low shipping costs.

Edited by mike.jane
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have you considered one of the Nemosine line?

 

I have the Nemosine Singularity, it's very confortable to use on long writing sessions, very smooth, comes with a converter and a few cartridges and it's within your price range.

 

Besides the Singularity they also have the Fission and the Neutrino.

 

http://www.nemosine.com/

 

You can easily find it at Amazon or ebay.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cartridges are so incredibly expensive.....really.

You need a pen with a converter, and a with have big selection of bottled ink, so much cheaper.

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Man you gotta stop biting the ends of your pen.

Paint it chili paste or something.

 

I would give the Lamy Safari another try.

The reason for this is, the Safari seems to be a quite rugged pen, and would likely stand up to you.

Try it some of the more fun colors.

San Francisco Pen Show - August 28-30, 2020 - Redwood City, California

www.SFPenShow.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33494
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26624
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...