Less Expensive Fp Suggestions?

[Dronak]

Hi, all. I've got a small collection of fountain pens right now, and am thinking about getting some others. I've been looking into less expensive options, so that I can get a few pens from different brands and increase the variety in my collection. I like the brands I have, but would like to experience other options. The pens I've noted for consideration so far are ones where I have another of the same brands though: Pilot Metropolitan (I have a Namiki Vanishing Point, and aren't Pilot and Namiki combined somehow now?), Parker IM (I have a Sonnet), and Jinhao 450 and 750 (I have two 250s). On the other hand, these do offer the advantage of using ink cartridges I already own. I'm also looking at the Pelikan P200 because I like cartridge pens, and my old Pharo isn't writing as well as it used to, so I'd like another Pelikan to use instead; this is the one pen on my current list that's a bit more expensive. For reference, I also own a Waterman and a Cartier in addition to the above named brands. Although I've used FPs for many years, my experience is basically limited to just the few pens I own. I'm not very familiar with different brands and models, how much they cost, and how well they work. I was hoping others here with more knowledge would be able to recommend some brands that I don't have, models that don't cost a lot, and would perform reasonably well for the price. Any suggestions you can provide would be appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help!

[ac12]

• Parker 45s, cartridge

Parker 51, aerometric (the 51 Special is the lower price model)

Esterbrook J series, ink sac, expect to have to replace the ink sac

[Danny Kaffee]

The Pilot Metropolitan is a no brainer. Great pen at $15. The Parker IM is nice too. I own both. And this is coming from a former Parker Duofold snob.

[TimTheZaj]

All depends on what less expensive means for you. I'd that's less than fifty dollars, then go for hero 100 with 14k gold nib, which is a really nice writer. If you don't like the hooded nib then go for hero 200, with 14k gold nib as well. Otherwise, maybe an acrylic or ebonite noodlers konrad. If less expensive means less than one hundred dollars then I would go for one of the flagship Japanese pens namely the platinum 3776, sailor 1911 or pilot custom 74. Or if you are in a more Germanic mood than the plant studio although the metal section can be slippery.

[Algester]

but Pilot's flagship model is the 845... that isnt exactly cheap, its like what almost the same price as a Sailor KoP

[pankaj]

Indian ebonite pens medium size with screw in nib ( Jowo or Schmidt ) could be a choice. Better to go for the cheaper models in the range of $ 20 / 30. Except in the nib department, the pens are vfm. With the Jowo/ Schmidt nib of ones choice, that's no issue.

[RyanM]

I really think you're wasting your money buying a cheap pen. I own most of the pens mentioned, and really, they all sit in my draw unused. If you want a nice, cheap pen, i'd go with something from a less known brand like Monteverde. I own a few of these pens, all of which are nice. But honestly, keep the Sonnet, and keep progressing up to a higher brand like Visconti rather than wasting money on cheap pens. I bought a Visconti Rembrandt for $250, and have never looked back.

 

I am giving this advice as someone who owns at least 4 Parker IM's, a Pilot Metropolitan, a Lamy Al-Star, a Parker Sonnet, a Moneteverde Impressa, a couple of Sheaffer Fountain pens, and many more, and never use any of them!

[shawndp]

My suggestion is do not buy cheaper pens for the variety factor... I have lots of cheaper pens that are just plain mediocre and I wish I had never bought. Same for getting the Metropolitan - not sure why everyone writes rave reviews on such a mediocre instrument. If you are used to having nice pens, stick with the better stuff. I have resolved to not buy cheap pens this year and focus on getting a few nice ones. The best "value" propositions come from hunting Japanese pens with gold nibs - like the Platinum 10000...

[Buzz_130]

I'll offer a different opinion. Start by moving away from cartridges. You are paying a premium for convenience, and you are missing out on a wide range of fountain pen inks that may offer new writing experience for your existing pens. Spend a small amount and get the converter for your pens, and go to your favorite online retailer that does sampler-sized inks. For less than $2 apiece, you can get 2-3 fills of every ink with just about every writing characteristic you can imagine. On a small budget, this is the way to go to enjoy the pens you already have (and you have some good ones in your possession).

 

If you want to branch out, I would echo ac12's recommendations and find some classic fountain pens. The Parker 45 and Esterbrook J are as cheap as a Lamy or Pilot Metro, and you'll get a feel for an era of fountain pens with removable nibs. Want to write on carbon copies? Use Estie's manifold nib. Stub nib? Flexible F? Just unscrew the nib and feed and replace. The Parker 45 offers the same but is a squeeze filler instead of a lever filler. Both come apart in seconds for cleaning and repair. (The Parker can use your Parker cartridges as well.) I use these pens for my most saturated inks and have become my iron gall test pens as I know I can clean and replace just about everything.

 

Buzz

[Intellidepth]

I wouldn't go backwards unless you're going to use them for experiments or are likely to just have them hanging around in case someone sees u using an fp and wants to try one out. Buzz's idea is great. Use converters, explore inks, and carry a cartridge for emergencies. Or save your cash and go sideways to a new model/manufacturer at the level you are already at.

 

I have 3 Jinhao x450s. One was a sweet writer, the other two aren't. I can't even get one of the nibs aligned properly to the feed with any amount of tweaking - either the nib curvature is out, or the feed is incorrectly manufactured. The feed can't be shifted in its seat, as it has a specific shape to sit in the feed housing. They were all bought for and used for experiments. The two dodgy nibs are now being used in a new nib grinding experiment. For experiments, they are superb. Pretty indestructible. As writers? Hit and miss. Very wet writers though, all three.

[Randal6393]

Your list of pens seems focused around cartridges and converters. The sweetest nibs are often found in piston fillers. My list of pens would be Noodler's Konrads and Ahabs (with Goulet nibs), Lamy's, Bexley's, Conklin's, TWSBI's, and Parker's. In pretty much that order. Of course, every penman has his special favorites.

 

The Konrads and Ahabs are piston-filled with a flex nib originally. I like the Goulet nibs, made by JoWo in Germany, and excellent, wet nibs.

 

My favorite Lamy is the 2000, again a piston filler. Also have a couple of very nice Studios. The other Lamys tend to be to small around for my tastes. But many writers swear by them. The easy nib change-out is a big plus in my book.

 

And the others give good service but are "just pens" to me.

 

Whatever you choose, good pens are fairly easy to come by. Enjoy yourself,

[hbdk]

For Parker I would suggest a Frontier - cheap but a very nice writer.

 

I understand you wish for variety - it is fun. I have bought quite a few Chinese pens for that reason. My best Chinese writers have been: Jinhao 601, Kaigelu 368, Jinhao Century (Doufold clone) and Baoer 388.

[ancalagon]

An NOS Sheaffer 330 or 440 (about $30-$40) might work for you. I'd also second the recommendation to try moving away from cartridges -- it's convenient enough if you have a small number of pens, but it isn't that much more convenient than a bottle of ink and a converter. If you manage not to get bit by the ink bug and don't go crazy buying a bunch of bottles you'll never finish off, it's cheaper than cartridges.

[Dronak]

Thanks for the responses so far. I'll try to provide a few comments on some of them. As far as "less expensive" goes, I kind of expect most FPs to cost over $100, so I'm thinking less than that and less than ~$50 or so if possible. Most of my pens are in this range. The Cartier is the one noticeably expensive pen I have, and I think the Namiki is second but was significantly cheaper having gotten it on sale when this older version was retired. I think my other five were all under $100; the Parker Sonnet was, being at the low end of the line, and I kind of doubt any of the other four cost more than it did.

 

While it's probably true that cheaper pens won't perform as well as more expensive ones, I haven't had major issues with mine. The Waterman and Parker work well, IMO. One Jinhao is nice (rather wet though) while the other isn't so much for me (rather dry), but these were really cheap, so I wasn't expecting amazing performance. My Pelikan doesn't seem as good as it used to, but it's not bad. So I wouldn't mind getting some others similar to them, in terms of price and quality. I do understand the point about saving money towards getting higher-quality pens, and there's validity to that. I'd consider something in say the $100-$300 range, which to me is reasonable for a FP -- not too expensive, but also not cheap -- but am not that interested in something that's say over $500. My Cartier Diabolo presently lists at around $700, and I'm not looking for something like that. I'm generally satisfied with having this one expensive pen, and it has sentimental value to me as my PhD graduation gift from my parents (engraved with my name, too), so it's always going to be special to me; I suspect I'd still prefer it even if I had others in its range just because it was my PhD gift.

 

My pens are all cartridge/converter, and all but one came with a converter so I already have the capability to use bottled ink in most cases. I just haven't. I like having the option, and I'm not sure I'd want to get a pen where bottle-filling is the only option. I don't think I'd want to go with vintage pens either. With my degree of use so far, paying for the convenience of cartridges hasn't been a big concern. I wasn't going through ink that quickly, and the convenience of being able to re-ink quickly is kind of important to me, because I'm usually using my FPs to take notes in meetings at work. I am writing more now though, so my rate of ink usage may be increasing. Since I do have a number of pens, it could be worth trying out some bottled ink with some of them, since I understand that bottle ink is cheaper in the long run. But so are double edge razor blades, and I've tried shaving with them but still tend to prefer cartridge razors. Sometimes convenience just wins out. So although I'm not sure using bottle ink will make me want to switch over, it may at least be worth trying for the experience and seeing how it works. Even if I like cartridges most of the time, I could use bottle-fill when I'm not in a rush.

 

I'll have to take a closer look at the pens that were suggested when I have more time, since I'm not familiar with many of them. It seems like there are at least a few ways I could go in general, and many pens and/or inks I could choose from should I want to buy something new, so taking some time to consider my options. Thanks for your feedback so far.

Edited April 3, 2015 by Dronak

[sandy101]

If cheaper is less than $100 and it's for a collection, I would suggest

1/ Platinum Preppy - these are nice pens, the new ones come with the slip'n'seal mechanism. For their price, I've never been disappointed.

2/ A pilot 78 - I have a couple with the broad stub nibs - now, I need to spend the time learning how to use them properly, but my sister-in-law demonstrated with them and got some lovely lines.

3/ Faber-Castell anything. I have the Loom, but there are other models out their. Their nibs are beautiful for the price.

4/ Italix Parson's Essential from Mr Pen. I don't know what Mr Ford does, but his nibs are very nice. If you want more bling for your buck, go for the Captain's Commission.

5/ A Jinhao/Chinese pen of some kind. My X450 works well, but it is an oil slick on a page - it put out a lot of ink - it works well, but you'll need thicker paper.

6/ The Tasche PF101 - an ingenious example of a pocketable Fountain pen. Not a lot of cash, but it is nifty.

Edited April 3, 2015 by sandy101

[Zebra]

If you haven't tried the Jinhao 159: I think it's a great value pen. A bit heavy but very nicely balanced if your grip is higher up. It is a thick pen, that has a very similar shape to the Sailor King of Pen and hence feels great in the hand.

Edited April 3, 2015 by Schwarzschild

[gweimer1]

My suggestion is to buy pens to learn about them, and get exposed to different types of pens. Don't buy cheap pens because they are cheap; don't buy expensive pens because they are expensive.

 

So, if you are on a budget, there have been some good suggestions. I'll repeat and add.

 

Esterbrook J - a great place to start with both a vintage pen, and a lever filler. I'll go one step further and suggest getting a 9668 medium nib. If you get one, it won't be your only one for long.

Parker Duofold - If you are looking for the writing experience, and not a collector, you can find a good Duofold in your range. They're wonderful pens, and you'll learn what a button filler pen is like

Parker 51 - Just an all around great pen. There's a reason why they remain so popular. Get an aerometric version to experience the squeeze fill.

[spaceink]

Lamy Safari with a converter.

 

I avoid cartridges not just because of price but also because my ink options widen so much more than just the boring standard blue or black. I can enjoy dozens of Diamine iand J Herbin colors without propping the pen companies' preferred wasteful method (financially and environmentally, on our end) for inking.

Edited April 3, 2015 by spaceink

[max dog]

Of my lower cost pens, I really like the Kaweco. Their steel nib, shared among most of their models, is quite impressive. Smooth and responsive. The Classic Sport ($20), Dia2 ($100) are two models of theirs that come to mind.

Edited April 3, 2015 by max dog

[RyanM]

I find the Monteverde lineup is very good, and reasonably priced. I purchased a Monteverde Impressa, which cost me $60 from Goulet Pens, and absolutely love it.