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Suit Worthy, Yet Affordable


Ambrose Bierce

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So I am involved in some extra curricular stuff that calls for me to travel essentially every weekend in a suit. I have a decent collection of affordable pens, but none of which seem fitting In a suit pocket. I am looking for a typical pen that looks classy, but I need to keep the cost as low as possible. Anything above 30 is probably too much because I'll be traveling with it all the time and risk of breaking/losing it is high. Thanks for any help you have!

Edited by FP_Ink_Geek

I am the artist formally known as Ambrose Bierce (I recently changed my username from that). If you love me you'll check out my blog http://fpinkgeek.blogspot.com/ or follow me on Instagram and Twitter @Fp_Ink_Geek :D

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Tight specs, 30USD for an elegant pen. I might suggest some of the Monteverde line on sale at Goulets at the moment. Also, some Chinese pens look expensive but cost little. The caveat is you take chances on how good a writer they may or may not be. Other than suggesting you save up for a nice business quality pen, this is about all I got. Sorry.

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/606/letterji9.png

 

I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.

 

Mark Twain

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Baoer 388.

The price depends on how many you buy. I bought 7, and that got the unit price down to less than $4, shipped.

Looks just like a Parker Sonnet, so a $4 pen that looks like a $100 pen. The black one and the silver/stainless steel/flighter versions looks NICE.

But, 4 of the 5 that I tested, needed to have the nib adjusted to increase the ink flow. Not difficult, but the adjustment had to be made, otherwise it not not usable or not good out of the box.

Only available in Chinese F or M nib size. Not all sellers have the M nib.

 

Rosetta Explorer

$10 - 15, depending on where you buy it.

Only available in M nib. Only finish is glossy black plastic.

 

Pilot 78G

$12 - 25, depending on where you buy it. The black model looks classy. Mine were dry writers, so you may have to adjust the nib to get your ink to flow well.

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

www.SFPenShow.com

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Kaigelu 316 -- $20

Kaigelu 356 -- $6

Pilot Metropolitan -- $15

Jinhao X750 -- $4

Nemosine Singularity -- $20

Hero 616 -- $5

Edited by AuthorofDarkness
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Oh wow, these are some good suggestions! The baoer, pilot, and a few of the FPR pens look spot on

I am the artist formally known as Ambrose Bierce (I recently changed my username from that). If you love me you'll check out my blog http://fpinkgeek.blogspot.com/ or follow me on Instagram and Twitter @Fp_Ink_Geek :D

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Baoer 388.

Pilot 78G

 

 

My experience is the same with the Baoer, but after adjustment it is a great pen. It takes some muscle to unclick the pen which is great suit security.

 

Also, what about the Knox Artistotle at $15? Many don't like Knox, but they've been fantastic in my experience. Pretty tight click. The one pictured is silvery-black with high shine - aka fingerprint magnet.IMG_20150304_211729.jpg

Edited by TheRealScubaSteve
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Black Ahab or Konrad. The Ahab's clip is mighty enough to handle just about any pocket, no matter how thick the material -- presuming stainless steel/chrome plated hardware is sufficiently classy for your needs. And the Konrad has a classic profile. You can buy a f/m unflex tipped nib for either from Goulet for $2. But they're always out of black. A black Nemosine Singularity might also do the trick -- you could buy two.

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I'll second the recommendations for a black Baoer 388, charcoal Kaigelu 316, and black Pilot Metropolitan.

 

I'd also add the Jinhao X450 in some finishes. The green/black mottled finish is very dark, to the point that you could mistake it for black in bad lighting, and the red/black mottled finish is very pretty.

 

The Baoer 388 and Kaigelu 356 take a #5 nib and the Jinhao X450 and X750 take a #6 nib, and they're all cheap enough so you could get a pen and a nib to go with it for your budget.

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I've been very impressed with the Jinhao x750 in black (or red). Gets comments around the office! Writes really well. Bought 3 more to hand out to friends, and 1 for my boss! Didn't tell him it was just £2.99 inc p&p on amazon.uk

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Apologies for lowering the tone of this, but I recall having read that people used to buy Parker 51 caps to put in suit pockets to impress others. Not the pen, just the cap ...

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Question on the 78g; is it eyedropper comfertable?

I am the artist formally known as Ambrose Bierce (I recently changed my username from that). If you love me you'll check out my blog http://fpinkgeek.blogspot.com/ or follow me on Instagram and Twitter @Fp_Ink_Geek :D

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Peyton Street Pens has some pretty nice Sheaffer Imperial seconds (NOS) for $30 that are worth checking out.

I've got a couple of them (Imperial II and III) with Triumph nibs; excellent-writing pens.

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Apologies for lowering the tone of this, but I recall having read that people used to buy Parker 51 caps to put in suit pockets to impress others. Not the pen, just the cap ...

:lticaptd: :lticaptd: :lticaptd: :lticaptd: :lticaptd: :lticaptd: :lticaptd: :lticaptd: :lticaptd:

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