My list of 5 most favorable pen makers are:

1.Mont Blanc (what a surprise ha ? )
2.Pelikan
3.Visconti
4.Delta
5.Waterman

After the obvious Mont Blanc in first place I put Pelikan.I have the utmost love and respect to this German maker and other then MB these pens are my favorite.
Visconti came on third because they make amazingly beautiful pens and not forgeting to keep the quality very high.
In fourth place and very close to Visconti is Delta.Delta makes wonderful pens with the quality close to the German makers.
Waterman is the last in the top five favorite makers.Waterman is the only one from the original 3 BIG American past makers that in my eyes still makes interesting new pens.

1 Nakaya
2) OMAS
3) Bexley
4) Pelikan
4) Marlen/Krone (surprised you didn't I?)

1. Sheaffer (vintage of course)
2. Parker (still vintage)
3. Lamy
4. Pelikan
5. Mont Blanc

I love Sheaffer, but Parker has to be right up there. I love my Lamy 2000. Pelikan also has some great pens. Well, I own a Mont Blanc but I still haven't filled it, but I put it there because I couldn't think of another brand I've used right now.

My responses will be a bit different. Come to think of it, the responses to this will be all over the map, which is what makes our hobby so interesting....I have mostly vintage pens so here goes...favorable is a tough word to describe a pen.

1 Parker - longevity, variety, change make their pens, especially early Duofolds, "favorable" to me.
1. Sheaffer - same reasons as Parker - who doesn't love a snorkel? I live right between WI and IA so its a tie.
3. Pelikan - I love the 100 and 100N
4. L.E. Waterman - the old US Company(not the current Waterman) - their eyedroppers and hard rubber pens - wish I had more...
5. Conklin and anyone else that made crescent fillers - just a cool filler.

Five doesn't seem enough.

Phil

1. Lamy
2. Pilot
3.
4.
5.
the others are blank as I have not tried any other FP brands.

... not necessarily in this order

1. Pelikan
2. Signum
3. Sailor
4. Sheaffer
5. .... so many, so many

Goodguy: What happened to Omas? I would have thought it would make your top 5. Isn't the Paragon your favorite writer?

Here's my top 5

[list=1]

1. David Oscarson
2. Pelikan
3. MontBlanc
4. Namiki (toss up with Parker)
5. Waterman

In no particular order:

Tibaldi 2G
OMAS
Aurora
Waterman (modern)
Pelikan

Actually, that's pretty much the particular order.
Best,
David

Pelikan
Lamy
Nakaya
Namiki
Tighe

I would say my "5" are:

-Pelikan
-Waterman
-Sheaffer
-Parker
-Lamy

Tough call, since I would also include Eversharp, Namiki, and Montblanc!
Could not say top ten, heh?!

I have only two favorites, both vintage:
1. L.E. Waterman
2. Sheaffer

For my money, the best are:

Scheaffer: for the great balance the pens have and their nibs. And Snorkels are neat!
Parker: Great pens over a long period of time. Love my Parker 100s but then also my 51...
Sailor: Couldn't ask for better nibs
Pelikan: Ich bin doch Deutsch! Fantastic quality
Conklin/Visconti: Those new pens are actually excellent and I really love the colors (I'll say that of both companies' pens)

Erick

1. Vintage Parker
2. Pelikan
3. ?
4. ?
5. ?

Pelikan, Lamy, Aurora, Parker, and Pilot

Oh man, this one's hard.

1. Stipula
2. Visconti
3. Aurora
4. Omas
5. Pelikan

Aside from the inexpensive pens I own, I also own pens from the following (and am quite happy with them):

Cleo Skribent
Conklin
Conway Stewart
Cross
Daily Herald (unknown maker for this)
Dani Trio
Marlen
Montblanc
Namiki/Pilot
Nettuno
Pelikan
Recife
L. E. Waterman
Waterman

Parker
Namiki-Pilot-Sailor all about equal
Pelikan-the older ones
Sheaffer-the older ones...don't have a snorkel that works
Mont Blanc and not necessarily in that order.

Company ------------ Pen Example


1. Pilot/Namiki ------------- Custom 823
2. Waterman ------------- Vintage 94
3. Danitrio ------------- Urushi
4. Sheaffer ------------- Balance
5. Aurora ------------ Optima

I own more brands but these are my favorites.

PS: I love my Parker "51"s but don't really feel any of the other styles.


Joi

Visconti
Lamy
Stipula
Dani Trio
Penchetta

It was hard to leave out my Parker's & Sheaffer's, but you did only say 5

Pilot
Lamy
Parker (mainly because of the "51"s and Vacs)
Cartier (the one pen I own really grew on me over time)

Not in any particular order:
1. ST Dupont - I have 2 of them and they are very very nice.
2. Visconti
3. Waterman
4. Pelikan
5. Sheaffer

I have had no personal experience of MB, Delta, Tibaldi, Aurora, Omas, etc. but have seen some of these pens and IMO quite decent too.

Montblanc (guilty, but can't help it)
Kaweco
Pilot Namiki
Lamy
Hero (some are really good)

My entire (tiny) collection of 13 pens only encompasses 6 brands so I started thinking about which one I would leave out. But it made me feel mean and depressed...

Doug

1. Montegrappa
2. Montblanc
3. Delta
4. Omas
5. Pelikan

1. Nakaya: beautiful lacquerware
2-3: Namiki/Pilot and Sailor: excellent nibs
4: Montblanc: Charlemagne is a special pen for me
5. Danitrio

Ruud

Montblanc
Pelikan
Parker
Omas
Waterman

No brand loyalty here whatsoever. Only unfailing allegiance to pens I have experienced and kept:

1. 1938 Pelikan 100, M nib
2. 1938 Pelikan 100N, EF nib
3. 2007 Pilot Custom 845, F nib
4. 1997 Waterman Edson, Stub nib
5. 2006 Pilot Custom 742, FA nib

1. Pelikan, 400 vintage and new
2. Lamy, 27 and 2K
3. Montblanc vintage
4. Parker vintage
5. ???

any other brand I have is far behind my favourite four ....

Today:

Sailor
Pelikan
Aurora
Waterman
Montblanc.

Bye.

ST Dupont (beautiful metal pens with excellent nibs)
Pelikan
Aurora
Stipula
Omas

Honorable mention: Visconti, Sailor (if these companies made piston fillers, they would have made the list)

If I had been asked to submit this list 3 years ago, it would have included Waterman and Sheaffer. However, neither company has any decent pens in its current production line now that Sheaffer has stopped producing the Legacy Heritage, and Waterman has stopped producing the Liaison and the L'Etatalon.

Conway Stewart - I love the fact that they'll make them the way you want them
Sailor
Visconti
Pelikan
Parker - a sentimental pick

1] Yard O Led
2] Visconti
3] Krone
4] Marlen
5] Waterman for the Carene

My top 5:
1) DaniTrio
2) Pilot/Namiki
3) Lamy
4) Parker
5) Hero

1. Vintage Parker
2. Vintage Sheaffer
3. Aurora
4. Vintage Pelikan
5. Namiki/Pilot

I specified vintage for Parker, Sheaffer and Pelikan because I prefer these pens over their current offerings.

1. Parker
2. Sheaffer
3. Mabie Todd (Swan, Blackbird)
4. Pelikan
5. Eversharp

1. Caran d'Ache
2. Waterman
3. Parker
4. Dunhill
5. Pelikan

1. sailor
2. pelikan
3. parker
4. aurora
5.

deleted post

Sheaffer (Ft. Madison production)
Parker (vintage)
Waterman's (New York)
Pelikan
Waterman (modern)

1 - Yard 'O Led
2 - Montblanc
3 - Conklin
4 - Visconti
5 - Conway Stewart

1. Paper Mate (only their fountain pens)
2. Pilot
3. Waterman
4. Bic/Stypen
5. Ballograf


Honorable mention: Inoxcrom, Pelikan, Caran d'Ache
Didn't list Parker here because of their latest 'made in China' pens, the IM and the Reflex.

1. Sheaffer vintage
2. Parker vintage
3. Waterman's vintage
4. Pelikan
5. Lamy

In no particular order, as it varies by pen model:

Parker (vintage)
Danitrio
Pilot
Duke
Pelikan

The common link? Buttery smooth nibs, and understated good looks, at least in the models I like. Any pen maker can make a pen which is not understated or good looking, and IMHO, if it is not understated, it is NOT good looking.

Donnie

Parker ... "51" 45, even the Vector
Sheaffer ... Snorkels
Hero ... write well. I can use any ink and not worry. Great classroom, travel pens.
Pilot ... the inexpensives, 78G, Petit1, have exceptional smooth nibs
Sailor... only have the "ink pen" and it has a wonderful nib

Pilot and Sailor, based on the inexpensive nibs, the others must be wonderful.

Bexley
Conklin
Conway Stewart
Pelikan
Sheaffer

Good thread!

1. Sailor
2. Pilot
3. Duke
4. Platinum
5. Jinhao

Lisa

1. Sheaffer. What can I say? I love my Targas as well as PFMs, Imperials, etc.
2. S. T. Dupont. Orpheo, need I say more?
3. Pelikan. I have four, all wonderful.
4. Waterman. Think Edson.
5. Danitrio. A black and a white Brillante and a Barytone; I simply don't know how they make such wonderful pens for so little money. Dynamite looks and great performance as well. Best value on the planet!

OK, can't resist the temptation to chime in.
1. Wahl/Eversharp
2. Diamond Point
3. Vintage Sheaffer
4. Vintage Parker
5. Vintage Waterman
Phil

1) Sheaffer (vintage)
2) Parker (vintage)
3) DaniTrio
4) Pelikan
5) Pilot

Top three being American companies (showing my patriotism on super tuesday ). I'd love to try an Italian pen or some of the better Chinese pens, but I just don't have the funds right now.

In no special order

1. Omas
2. Visconti
3. Stipula
4. Conway Stewart
5. Pilot (for the VP's only)

My response is based on how many I own of each brand...

Modern:
1. Stipula
2. Visconti
3. Conway Stewart
4. Omas
5. Pelikan / Pilot-Namiki (tied)

Yet, the brands that I've had 100% satisfaction, out of the box, are:
-- Caran d'Ache
-- S.T. Dupont

Vintage:
1. Sheaffer
2. Conway Stewart
3. L.E. Waterman
4. Parker
5. Esterbrook / Wahl / Mabie Todd (technically not a tie, but close enough)

Edited: Added vintage list...