I have recently started using a Waterman Phileas fountain pen and become hooked on fountain pens! I am looking for something that I am going to use all the time - at work for taking notes, etc. I have been using bottled ink and typically having to refill about every 4 - 5 days unless I am taking a large quantity of notes.

Now that I am using the FP every day, I was wondering whether I should upgrade from the basic Phileas. I have been looking at Signum Orione, Namiki Vanishing Point and a little more expensive Krone Moderne. I was trying to stay in the $125 and less category.

- What differences will I see/feel with a more expensive pen? Quality of materials, etc?

- Do I really need to make the plunge to a gold nib? The Orione is steel but got good reviews.

- On the vanishing point, I have read all the input / feedback here which is overall positive, but I am concerned that the converter is so small that I will be filling throughout the day.

Any input and comments are appreciated.
Mike

In that price range, you can probably consider a Pelikan M400 or M250.
Both have 14kt gold nib and reliable work horses.

Also, a Waterman Liaison (brand new) can be had if you look hard enough, try google of PT green board has one now in FINE.

Another one may be a Taccia -- all have nice smooth steel nibs in your range and you can still add a Binder flair to the nib and keep the change = )

There are a plethora of good FPs available at or below $125!
Do you like:
heavy or light
wide or slim
short of long
C/C or piston
new or vintage?

There are lots of <$30 pens (like the Phileas) that write well and will do so for a long time.

Above that you get more exclusivity, more expensive materials, unique colors or patterns, and more robust construction, and/or better build quality.

I would never disagree with Kitty and would add a vintage Parker "51" or in new production, an Eversharp Skyline, Sheaffer Balance II, or a Lamy 2000.

How about a Parker 75 in Sterling SIlver and with a personal point? Ohhh!

More expensive pens will get you better materials, exclusive designs, exotic filling, etc, but in the end what matters is writing performance.

I have a Namiki VP Mandarin that I use daily. I had Richard Binder grind the Bold nib in to a stub and it is fantastic. With this pen though, I tend to use Pilot's Black cartridges as it's hard to tell how much ink is left in the converter. It has good capacity with the converter, but due to the design, you only see a sliver of the clear part. Even with heavy writing, it should last you through a few days (as long as you stick with the normal factory flow rate). VPs are great pens and are just about ideal for traveling.

I'd second the recommendation for a Pelikan M250. As piston fillers, they have excellent capacity and the translucent windows will let you know how much ink is left in it. You could even go with a full demonstrator type to see the mechanism.

These days nibs seem to be of such good quality that gold vs steel doesn't matter as much as design and the feed it is attached to.

For a modern but "vintage" touch, consider some of Filcao's offereings like the Columbia, Atlantica, Nobile, Sylvia, etc. They are button fillers of excellent capacity with outstanding nibs of both gold or steel.

I'd also say to be wary going down the path of fountain pens. I now carry four every day, but there are others who seem to carry a lot more with them. You'll not likely run out of ink when you have enough pens on you!

You have some excellent options, both modern and vintage, in this price range. Generally speaking, since you are concerned about ink capacity, you might want to consider a piston filler, or if a C/C pen then one that accepts the international sized cartridges. Several terrific choices have already been posted - I don't think you could go wrong with any of them. Steel vs Gold on the nib is a non-issue in terms of usability IMO.

A great workhorse pen (ok, who didn't see this coming ) is a good user grade Parker Vacuatic major. Holds a ton of ink, 102% more than it's competitors I've been told. Plus it can be dropped from an airplane or even filled with acid! Check here for details. All joking aside, it's a rock solid everyday user (just like the 51). However, being new to pens, I wouldn't expect you to jump on the vintage bandwagon yet.

In any case, welcome to FPN, and let us know how your decision works out.

weepstah

Lemon,

Thanks for the input - when you say that the Vanishing point should last a few days - is that with the cartridge or using the converter with bottled ink?

Thanks

Hi,

Its a bit out of your price range (~$150), but a DaniTrio raw ebonite Densho holds a ton of ink and is a great writer.

I'll second the vote for a Lamy 2000, piston filler and great writer. My 2000 is a regular carry for me.

I hope this helps a little,
French

The Vanishing Point is a really nice pen. The additional benefit of using one is that it will start a lot of conversations since hardly anyone ever sees a retractable nib fountain pen. . . short story - I was consulting some years ago at the Chicago Tribune and one of the execs I was hooking up some computer equipment for had a Namiki Vanishing Point and I commented on it. She was really proud of it and went on for a couple minutes about how cool it was and how you just never see them. After she finished I pulled out my VP which was the exact same model as hers! I'm not sure what she thought but it was an interesting look :-)

I have Pelikans (200s and a 605) and a Vanishing Point... all are truly reliable pens...
HOWEVER, the only problem with the VP is the ink capacity... it just ain't there...
If you are going to be taking a lot of notes all day long, you will need to have additional ink on hand.... I have a medium point on mine and it does run out on a long day of note taking....
The Pelikans will write all day and probably into the next without refilling.. and you can get a Pelikan 605 for $129 delivered from Altman Luggage... beautiful blue with silver fittings.

Now, if you are looking for something really classy in a very minimalistic way take a look at the Dani Hanryo... A stunning pen that has gotten rave reviews around here... and for only about $110... The Hanryo is somewhere between a Pelikan 600 and 800 in size, but supposedly a whole lot lighter.

I WILL be getting one at the DC Show this year (don't tell SWHTM).... just not sure if it is going to be a fine or a stub nib... that is why I am waiting..

If you look at PT green board, there is a green strip Pelikan M400 for 20% less that your budget = )

Glenn,

To answer your questions....

Do you like:
heavy or light HEAVY
wide or slim WIDE
short of long DON'T KNOW
C/C or piston I AM CURRENTLY ONLY USING BOTTLED INK
new or vintage? FOCUSING ON NEW

Based on this...any other rec's??

Within those criteria I would pick from the following:

Waterman Liaison
or a
Sheaffer Legacy II

You'll have to watch for these to come available at this price.
(Sorry, just woke up and my brain is still fuzzy)

I think either a Pelikan M250 or Vanishing point would be perfect, they are great pens.

If you like a heavy pen the Pelikan 2XX and 4XX series pens may not be what you want as they are not very heavy. The Vanishing Points are substantial but the clip is a deal killer on that pen for me, but that is a very personal matter.

Heavy does rule out a lot of vintage pens and some modern ones as well since acrylics and celluloid materials don't have the heft of lacquer over brass.

Yes, the Vanishing Point is a great office-carry pen because of its retractibility, but as you note, the converter is small. You can still get a Pelikan M605 (600 in blue) for $129 including shipping from Altman Luggage. I think all they have are medium points. I recently took both these on a business trip and used the VP for notes, and the 605 for letters and journaling etc. That system worked fine.

You could just carry converters for the VP and replace them when empty, but I don't like the ink in Namiki converters -- too thin for my taste. I like Private Reserve inks which are very saturated. But if I only had one pen, the VP would be the one.

Just my $0.02.

Doug