Help me choose my second fountain pen

February 21, 2006

Hi all,

I am relatively new to the fountain pen world, but I think I am hooked. I have been using a Pelikan GO pen for the last few weeks to grade papers (I teach 8th graders). I am looking for something with the same writing quality, but a nicer look and feel.

A number of pens on Richard Binder's site have caught my eye. In particular, I am considering the following pens:

the Filcao Columbia (designed by Richard Binder)

Taccia Imperial Portuguese (or Andante?)

Pelikan M215

About a year ago I purchased a Pelikan M250 mechanical pencil. Would this be approximately the same size as a 200 series fountain pen? I hope not, as I find it hard to use the pencil over an extended period of time.

I have been researching these pens on this site, and appreciate all of the reviews that folks have written. Any comments on the relative merits of the pens above, or any other help / suggestions that you could pass along would be appreciated.

Thanks for your help

February 21, 2006

Sean,

Welcome to the disease of buying, using and collecting fountain pens! (maybe). Based on the pens you've listed, I have a couple of comments -

1) The Pelikan 200 is probably too small. I had a Pelikan M400 Honey and it was too small for me. I find the 600's to be about the right size.

2) I've heard good things about both the Taccia and Columbia - note that the Columbia is a button filler, so you'd need to make sure you have bottled ink available if you are using catridges. Also, button fillers don't hold as much ink as other sacced pens, so if you don't like filling your pen with ink frequently (I do, so I actually like button fillers!) then you might want to think about a different pen.

Since you are looking in the ~100 range, you might want to consider picking up a vintage pen - there are a number of pens - Parker Vacumatic, Parker 51, Shaeffer, Esterbrook (can be had for about $40) that would make an excellent introduction to the world of vintage pens. I'd say pick one up from Richard's site but all the vintage pens are sold

weepstah

February 21, 2006

Sean,

Welcome to the disease of buying, using and collecting fountain pens! (maybe). Based on the pens you've listed, I have a couple of comments -

1) The Pelikan 200 is probably too small. I had a Pelikan M400 Honey and it was too small for me. I find the 600's to be about the right size.

2) I've heard good things about both the Taccia and Columbia - note that the Columbia is a button filler, so you'd need to make sure you have bottled ink available if you are using catridges. Also, button fillers don't hold as much ink as other sacced pens, so if you don't like filling your pen with ink frequently (I do, so I actually like button fillers!) then you might want to think about a different pen.

Since you are looking in the ~100 range, you might want to consider picking up a vintage pen - there are a number of pens - Parker Vacumatic, Parker 51, Shaeffer, Esterbrook (can be had for about $40) that would make an excellent introduction to the world of vintage pens. I'd say pick one up from Richard's site but all the vintage pens are sold

weepstah

February 21, 2006

Sean,

Welcome to the disease of buying, using and collecting fountain pens! (maybe). Based on the pens you've listed, I have a couple of comments -

1) The Pelikan 200 is probably too small. I had a Pelikan M400 Honey and it was too small for me. I find the 600's to be about the right size.

2) I've heard good things about both the Taccia and Columbia - note that the Columbia is a button filler, so you'd need to make sure you have bottled ink available if you are using catridges. Also, button fillers don't hold as much ink as other sacced pens, so if you don't like filling your pen with ink frequently (I do, so I actually like button fillers!) then you might want to think about a different pen.

Since you are looking in the ~100 range, you might want to consider picking up a vintage pen - there are a number of pens - Parker Vacumatic, Parker 51, Shaeffer, Esterbrook (can be had for about $40) that would make an excellent introduction to the world of vintage pens. I'd say pick one up from Richard's site but all the vintage pens are sold

weepstah

February 21, 2006

Weepstah,

Thanks for all of your replies. I think that I am more in the market for a new pen. However, I am curious - what makes you suggest a vintage pen? Why would I choose one of the pens that you have mentioned over a new pen?

My Pelikan pencil is too small. Would I have this same problem with a Pelikan 215 fountain pen?

Also, how would you compare the ink holding capacity of a button filler (such as the Columbia) with that of Pelikan's piston filler (which is how my Pelikan GO is filled)?

Again, thanks for your thoughts.

Some pen videos · February 21, 2006

However, I am curious - what makes you suggest a vintage pen? Why would I choose one of the pens that you have mentioned over a new pen?

I will answer for Sean, because I was about to suggest the same thing.

You can buy a mint Sheaffer Snorkel with 14K nib for $50-80.

You can buy a mint Esterbrook and several nibs for $40-80.

You can get an excellent condition Parker 51 Aerometric for $70-$100

You can get an very good condition Parker Vacumatic 14K nib for $70-$100

You can get excellent Eversharp skylines (the less exotic varieties) for about $50

You can get a good condition Red Ripple Hard Rubber 52 Waterman for $100.

You can get an excellent condition Parker 45 - the exotic ones (shields, circlets, TX, etc) - for $50-75 and many more common ones for much less. 14K or steel nib.

Compare what you can buy with the same amount in terms of modern pens...

I started with modern many years ago and I still like many of them. But IMHO you get more value from vintage. ..

AZ

February 22, 2006

Thanks for all of your replies. I think that I am more in the market for a new pen. However, I am curious - what makes you suggest a vintage pen? Why would I choose one of the pens that you have mentioned over a new pen?

My answer would be that fountain pens reached their peak in the 1940s and 1950s, and nothing since has improved the basic technology -- lots of wonderful new materials, but they essentially help the manufacturer rather than the user. The pens antoniosz is suggesting are amongst the best ever made -- for some of them, you'd say that no *better* pen has ever been made, just different -- and they also have distinctive advantages in functionality or looks. By and large pens don't wear out; they can get damaged, and some materials can perish (notably rubber), but if you get an old pen in restored condition from a good seller, you can expect it to be at least as reliable as a top quality modern pen.

Plus, they're old. Which may be a plus or a minus for you, depending on how you feel about using a fifty year old artefact for routine writing.

Good luck, whether you do ancient or modern

Michael

oh yes, some old pens have stripes. Nice stripes.

Edit: corrected poster's name for the list of suggestions.

Edited February 22, 2006 by Michael Wright

February 22, 2006

However, I am curious - what makes you suggest a vintage pen? Why would I choose one of the pens that you have mentioned over a new pen?

I will answer for Sean, because I was about to suggest the same thing.

You can get an excellent condition Parker 51 Aerometric for $70-$100
You can get an very good condition Parker Vacumatic 14K nib for $70-$100
You can get an excellent condition Parker 45 - the exotic ones (shields, circlets, TX, etc) - for $50-75 and many more common ones for much less. 14K or steel nib.

Parker 45 Flighters are available for under $35.00 fairly often.

In the more modern range, you might consider a Parker 100. (I think someone on here had one for sale.) Prices vary on these, but they are usually between $120 and $185 on the high end. ONce in a while, you can find one for less.

You might also stumble across a Parker Sterling Silver Fougere Sonnet , like this one:

Parker Sonnet

-Bruce

February 22, 2006

Eeek!

Sorry for the multiple posts - it wasn't registering so it reposted 3 times, hopefully the moderator can clean it up.

Sean, Antonios is right about the cost of very nice vintage examples versus modern pens. Typically someone new to the hobby will only buy new pens, and while this makes sense, it's hard to beat the return you will get with a nice Vac/51/Snorkel/etc. I play a game at work - guess which pen is 2 years old, and which one is 75. You can't tell unless you know in advance.

I am not trying to run down modern pens at all, I like them and have several - the Filcao's look nice (I haven't tried one). And I quite like Conway Stewart 58's, but modern Conway Stewarts are pretty expensive - in the $250 range. If I was going to recommend a new model to you, it would be a Pelikan 600, because the Pelikans are very reliable pens, and it's easy to switch nibs if you decide to try italic/stub or a thinner or broader line.

As for button fillers, most of the ones I have hold around 8-10 drops of ink. I think my lever fillers are more in the 15 drops range. Pistons, vacuum fillers or eyedroppers will hold more ink because there is no sac.

If you were interested in trying a vintage pen, I would look to get one from a well known seller or someone you trust rather than fishing for one on Ebay - knowing that the pen is restored and ready to write will save frustration.

Hope this helps,

weepstah

February 22, 2006

My answer would be that fountain pens reached their peak in the 1940s and 1950s, and nothing since has improved the basic technology -- lots of wonderful new materials, but they essentially help the manufacturer rather than the user. The pens antoniosz is suggesting are amongst the best ever made -- for some of them, you'd say that no *better* pen has ever been made, just different -- and they also have distinctive advantages in functionality or looks. By and large pens don't wear out; they can get damaged, and some materials can perish (notably rubber), but if you get an old pen in restored condition from a good seller, you can expect it to be at least as reliable as a top quality modern pen.

Plus, they're old. Which may be a plus or a minus for you, depending on how you feel about <<BEING>> a fifty year old <<PLUS>>artefact<<>> routineLY writing.

Good luck, whether you<<ARE>> ancient or modern

Michael

oh yes, some old pens have stripes. Nice stripes.

Edit: corrected poster's name for the list of suggestions.

Dear Mr. Wright--

After some judicious editing, I think I can sorta agree with your post. Kinda. Vacumatics and Snorkels and Touchdowns can all be kinda finicky when it comes to HOW one fills them, because, as we who own them know, the seals can get blown to hell (or New Zealand, for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere) and back. Even leverfillers and the variations on that theme can have their moments...ever get a cocked J-bar? Nothing can run your day and a white shirt than a punctured Estie sac.

Ever have to explain to your wife why your thumb is inky...after you thought you had enough paper towels to wipe off the excess ink when filling that aeromatic Hero big-nib? Never happens with a nice cartridge-filler--which, while brought to its apogee in my beloved, Harley Earl-designed Waterman C/Fs (and plagerized by the Evil Nasties at MB and don't-get-me-started-I-am-in-a-good-mood) has never been really been completely trasmuted to a coolness I think it could be...

But I ramble. I mainly disagree on your point that things are not better that they are worse. I contend that the state of the art is pretty damn fine. We can get Hero Busy Bees for about what an Estie cost 1940--a buck. We can get one exapmle of some stupid pocket jewelry for the combined domestic output of several small island nations. And they all write.

'nuff said.

Signed

Mr. Wright

(and if that don't confuse folks, nuttin' will...) :bonk:

February 22, 2006

HI, One thing to think about is that with a modern pen you have a warranty, if the pen is new. In other words, if the nib is scratchy you can probably return the pen and get a nib exchange. With a vintage pen you might not be able to do that, depending on the seller.

I can only report on my own experiences and so I am not making any larger claim here, but I have found I am more satisfied with modern nibs than vintage nibs.

I think different people want different qualities from their nibs and it just takes some time to figure out what you want. Some people like a nib that allows the user to feel the paper, and other people want a nib that skims over the paper like a wet finger on glass. Some people do not want to "hear" a nib while writing, and other people enjoy hearing the nib "scratch" on the paper. There is no right or wrong here, just preference and comfort.

I think you need to check out a number of different pens, or as you did tell people which pens you like and ask for recommendations of similar pens. If I Had a Go I would be able to offer a recommendation, but I do not own one of these pens.

good luck,

February 22, 2006

Hi Sean,

I have a Pelikan GO! and I really like it, but as with any addict I needed more, different, 'better?'. Size wise, the Lamy 2000 is about the size of the GO!, is a piston filler, and can be had for around $100 from Pam Baun (http://www.oscarbraunpens.com). There are reviews of the Lamy 2000 on FPN, the search feature will let you find them. I like the simplicity of the look of this pen, and it is a fine writer.

Another option is a Dani Trio raw ebonite Densho (eyedropper filler). I bought mine from Kevin Cheng (winddoc of FPN) for about $150. This pen is a dream to write with, my fine nib is ultra smooth, and it is a big pen.

A third option is a Wality pen. These can be had for less than $20, and while they are budget pens, mine is an exceptional writer. It has the appearance of being nicer than the GO!, but aside from width differences, the plastic body feels very similar in my hand.

I hope this helped a little,

French

ps. the usual disclaimers about not being affiliated with any seller, just a satisfied customer apply.