I need help!!

[Mark LV]

I need help! I want to buy three or four high quality fountain pens.

 

For now, all I can say is that I don't want a Montblanc. I tried one and was not impressed. Its writing quality seemed mediocre, no better than a $3 disposable Pilot. Note that I am looking for decent writing pens, not pocket 'bling bling'. I also prefer fine nibs, but NOT scratchy ones! My TOP priority in a pen is smoothness of writing - I want pens that glide effortlessly across the paper.

 

I've done a lot of reading on various forums and have shortlisted the following:

 

Pelikan M800

Namiki VP

Sheaffer Legacy Heritage

Parker Sonnet

Parker 100

Waterman Edson

 

I would like to read your opnions on these pens and also any other suggestions that might suit me. Please don't suggest vintage pens because I'm only looking for modern, new pens. Some guidance about nib sizes would be helpful to me: I've heard that Namiki and Sheaffer nibs have a bias towards fine, while the others have a bias towards broad.

 

Thanks a lot!

 

Mark LV

[wimg]

Hi Mark,

 

Pelikan M800:

I have one, not overly pleased with the nibs; they need a wet ink to write well, IME. And I had to fix both nibs I have for it, a Medium and an OM. No such problems with the plated steel nibs on a M200 or on a M75 (the Go!).

 

Namiki VP:

Great little pen, I just love it. Have a bunch of nibs, and the only negative is the occasional squeaking they do, which wears with usage, btw. Their nibs are about 1/2 size less than what you would expect, so an M is more like an FM, a B more a BM.

 

Sheaffer Legacy Heritage:

No experience with Sheaffer, unfortunately.

 

Parker Sonnet & Parker 100:

After my experiences with my Duofold, I don't particularly like Parkers anymore, although I had quite a few cheap ones that performed very well, specifically the Parker 25 (steel nib). I find Parker nibs scratchy. They all need a lot of work to perform properly, IME. My Sonnet is a cheap dog that sells for a ridiculous price, IMO. One look at the nib and it bends already...

 

Waterman Edson

Ah well, now THAT is a pen!

It always writes, everywhere, it warns you it is getting empty (colour starts fading, but will still write a page or so). It is the pen that signified my return to fountain-pendom, so I may be a bit biased .

It is well-balanced whether you post the cap or not, although a bit heavy, due to its brass inner barrel.

Nib-wise it writes a little narrower than the average European nib, if such a thing exists, and certainly less wide than a similarly nibbed big Parker or Pelikan.

They are very smooth writers, straight out of the box. Some people find them too smooth, but it is my no.1 workhorse, and therefore I don't mind. There is no pen I have come across that allows you to write faster, IME.

 

Ok, enough of the praises for the Edson. There are several more good quality pens out there, like the Sailors, Auroras, Stipula Etrurias, ST Duponts, Omases, Caran d' Aches, Rotrings, Lamys, Faber Castells, etc.

 

I like big pens, so the Sailor 1911 is not my style, maybe the big Profit will do. They tend to get expensive rather rapidly, with increasing size and features. No experience other than the 1911. Smooth nib, about average for sizing, again, IME.

 

Some of the Auroras are great pens, like the Talentum, the 88 (my wife has one - I love it ), and up - oh , I really wouldn't mind owning a Tsugaru-Nuri I must say.

 

The Etrurias, what can I say - I am in love with them. Marvelous pens and nibs, but you have to be prepared to occasionally send one back. But oh, the way they write. I just love the colours and the nibs , especially their Italic ones. And their celluloids, well, so beautiful...

 

ST Dupont, the Orpheo. The cap closes like a vault door, wow. Very smooth nibs, a little peculiar regarding inks used, but very good quality, be it a bit boring IMO.

 

Omas is a little overpriced IMO, but they do have good nibs, not as springy as some people say, as they don't hold a candle in springyness to an Etruria nib, but good nonetheless. Their models a few years ago had plating problems, but I think they sorted that now. Their celluloid models are simply gorgeous. Ogiva or Paragon would be the one to go for, I think.

 

Caran d' Ache is not to my taste, but I hear very good things about them.

 

Rotring and Lamy make "different" pens, I think, in a modern style (even though some of the models are > 40 years old!), but again not my style. I had a Lamy Persona, the black one, and gave it to a friend, who enjoys it. The nibs run wide.

 

Faber Castell, well, they had the Pen of the Year twice in succession now, and I must say they do look very nice. A bit heavy, and rather wide nibs, but again, quality-wise great pens I think.

 

There are many more good pens out there, but maybe someone else can take over from here.

 

There even are good vintage pens out there you could consider, although I only get excited about flex nibs in vintage pens. I am no longer enamored of rubber sacs and gravity feeds, considering the leaking they tend to cause wherever I go :bonk: .

 

I hope you don't mind my rambling too much. Please do feel free to ask more questions if you have any.

 

Kind regards,

Wim

[antoniosz]

Hi Mark,

 

Please do not take this reply as a sign of condescension. My desire is to help make your experience as smooth as possible.

 

First of all let me start telling you that as of last week I do not own any MB and I have about 300 pens (at least last time I counted). However I used to own several MBs and they were all of them excellent writers. My point is that if you tried a SINGLE pen and it did not work, it does not mean that all the pens of this brand have problems. In fact I have tried many more than the pens I own and there were Pelikans that had problems, there were Sheaffer that had problem and there were Parkers that had problems. 90% of these problems could be corrected with a simple flushing with water or with a tiny adjustment of the nib by my thumb. It appears that about 1-2% of pens depending on brand may have a minor problem and a very smaller percent has a major problem.

 

More to the point - the pens that you are listing are VERY different from each other. Weight, shape, nib characteristics vary as much as you can imagine in your list. Some of them are very wide while some are slim. Some have very stiff nibs while others are soft. To me this means that you are not sure what you want, and this is very natural for a new user (correct me if I am wrong).

 

For this reason my advice is to go to a brick and mortar store, and try all of them. Do not just write one word. Play with them write a lot. Then the characteristics of each one of them will become more evident. Then you buy the pen you like. The problem that you will face (in addition to retail price) is that more stores stock only medium nibs. Another possibility is to buy from a "guaranteed" online outlet - there are few (PAm Braum, Richard Binder etc.) that are willing to test your pen before shipping to you. I am sure that others FPneters will chime here to help.

[wimg]

Antonios,

 

Thanks for adding those comments. I was planning to mention both visiting a B&M store, and asking an Internet dealer to check the pen of choice would be working properly, and I completely forgot all of that while getting carried away with thinking up all the nice fountain pens I ever tried out or own .

 

Kind regards,

Wim

[KendallJ]

I have 4 of the 6 you mention. All other comments are good ones and best way to be sure you get what you want is to compare side by side in person. All are good choices, and each would rank in the top of my collection for sure. If you're looking for functionality, then my ranking would be:

 

1. Legacy (2 or 1, not Heritage)

2. VP

3. 100

4. 800 (my nib had a burr and was a dry writer until I had it repaired)

 

 

VP's are liked by many on this board, including my self. They would probably rank as best value. You'll find some discussion here: VP Thread

 

The 100 is reviewed here (it's my review)

Kendall's 100 Review

 

The legacy is a good pen. I have a linear matte that I got from our own PenHero (www.penhero.com). He has great deals on the whole Legacy series. There was recently a debate on which one was preferable (1,2 or Heritage). I am partial to a 1 or 2 for the touchdown filling system. The heritage has only c/c. Legacy Debate

 

The 800 is probably the biggest pen you have in mind. There are lots of pelikan lovers here. most however have 200-600 series. All my pels have been great writers out of the box except for my 805 which had some nib adjustment required.

 

When you are ready to buy, then Pam Braun is highly recommended for the best prices. www.oscarbraunpens.com She stocks Parker, Namiki, Pelikans. For Sheaffers, www.penhero.com. He has Legacy's all varieties including NOS on 1's and 2's.

Edited January 31, 2005 by KendallJ

[Mark LV]

I think I know what I'm looking for in a pen: one that writes as smoothly as possible!

 

In terms of the nib, I prefer a fairly stiff one, mainly because that adapts better to my writing style. As for the weight, I like pens with a certain 'solidity', so I don't mind quite heavy ones.

 

More comments would be welcome, especially Sheaffer Legacy and Parker related.

Edited January 31, 2005 by Mark LV

[Keith with a capital K]

Mark,

 

Let me first say, welcome to FPN.

 

I've used all the pens on your short list except for the Parker 100 and Edson and have found them all to be good pens, Mont Blanc does make a decent pen but I think there are better pens on the market for much less money. My experience with new pens is pretty limited as I am primarily a user and restorer of vintage writing instruments.

 

Other new pens that are well worht considering are the entry level pens from Parker and Sheaffer such as the Frontier and 45 as well as the Sheaffer Javelin and Balance, a pen that can be found online at very good prices. Another favourite is the new Conklin Glider, it's a substantial pen that is beautifully finished and a terrific writer.

 

I'd take Antonios' advice and would get out there and try as many pens as you can to get a really good idea as to what is available.

 

You will probably find that your list will grow considerably and perhaps you might want to re-consider looking at vintage pens which are often a superior value to many modern pens.

 

I'd cite examples like the Sheaffer pens from the 50's such as the Snorkel, Touchdown, and lever filling variants, Parker 51's, Vacumatics, Esterbrooks, and pens like the Eversharp Skyline. You should consider that a properly restored vintage open like a Snorkel or aerometric 51 will still out perform and outlast most of the new pens on the market while retaining it's value.

 

I know you said "only new and modern" but sometimes you have to think outside the box and not deny yourself the opportunity to try some truly spectacular pens.

 

Cheers!

 

Keith

Edited January 31, 2005 by Keith with a capital K

[KendallJ]

I think I know what I'm looking for in a pen: one that writes as smoothly as possible!

 

In terms of the nib, I prefer a fairly stiff one, mainly because that adapts better to my writing style. As for the weight, I like pens with a certain 'solidity', so I don't mind quite heavy ones.

 

More comments would be welcome, especially Sheaffer Legacy and Parker related.

Stiff nib, huh. Out of your list, the Parker 100 is probably the stiffest. Sheaffer, VP, and Pel all have a little bit of give to them. Out of the 4 I have the 100 was smoothest right out of the box, but with all the good repair persons around, you can always make the nib smoother if you want.

 

All of the pens on your list I would classify as medium weight. I don't go any higher than that because the pen is uncomfortable for long periods of writing. But they all have the certain heft you're looking for.

 

Welcome to the board!

[kjervin]

I recently purchased a Retro 1951 Scriptmaster "Mary Ann" (the white one). It retails around $70 and is a really smooth nib, not real Flexible, and if you turn the nib over, it writes as a fine (it' s a medium the right way round. It also avail in a fine, but not sure how that writes). I would recommend it a something to give a look to if you can run across one in person. It is made from Cellulose Acetate and feels really nice in the hand. Something to think about.

 

I have a Pellikan M800, but of all my Pelikans, it is not my favorite writer. It is less responsive then the others, but if you like hard nibs, it might be for you.

 

The VP is a great pen, no reservations.

 

I also brought an Aurora Ipsilon Deluxe with the Gold Nib (14K fine) which writes really well. Also worth a look.

 

 

The problem with selecting a pen from a description is, however, that one of the most important parts, how it feels in your hand is not only subjective, but not easily quantifiable. Still, I hope you give some of these a try if you can. The more pens you try and the more you try to internalize why you like or dislike a particular pen, the more you can figure out what you like. Of course you don't need to have tried every pen on the market, but if your short list is six pens, and you are looking to buy three or four, you are mostl of the way there. Still, nothing beats having them in hand to try. You might find trying them as much fun as buying them. Have fun and enjoy the process!

 

Kj

[KCat]

Well, I'm one of the PElikan nuts - but to be honest, I've never held an 800 so can't comment on that particular pen. I do love the 200/400 pens (these are small-medium sized pens.) Pel nibs seem to be dependable and quite smooth, even in the XF range. They do run wide, IME.

 

Namiki VP - one of my favorites, Kendall pointed you to a thread on the topic. I love mine and the fine nib is actually an XF if not a bit finer than that. not dry writing though - about medium flow. a Heavy-ish pen but so comfortable and balanced (to my hand) that I can get past that weight.

 

Parker Sonnet - I own two. They're nice pens and easy to keep clean with their screw-in nibs, but they are 18K and very springy. If you like that, that's good.

 

Parker 100 - haven't tried it, heard good things about it.

 

Waterman Edson - haven't tried the Edson but the WM pens I have tried were excellent. Just that most are too heavy for my tastes.

[Keith with a capital K]

Mark,

 

Another way to check out some pens...

 

You can also check out the Trade forum for good deals and even post a "wanted" message if there is a particular pen you are looking for... sometimes the deals there are much better than you will find anywhere else and any reputable restorer / seller / trader will offer a money back guarantee if you are not pleased with a certain pen.

[Karin]

I got my Pelikan 800 in red with an OB nib. OOOOOH, I really like it.

It`s a hefty pen, but it feels well made, sort of like a Mercedes. (not the sports model) and no I don`t own one I took a chance on the OB nib, but I`m not at all sorry that I got it. I`ve wanted an 800 for a long time and it`s one of my favourites. But then I have way too many favourites it seems

[Mark LV]

I just bought a Namiki VP. First impressions are generally good; very smooth nib, not heavy at all (unlike what some people are saying), but a little 'cheap' looking. However, in terms of writing performance it's as good as any.

 

I'm pleased with the purchase.

[wimg]

Hi mark,

 

Congratulations on your choice! A very nice, good quality pen, very nice springy nib., and very convenient, the one-hand operation!

 

A neat thing about it is that nibs are cheaply and readily availble too, so if you get bored with the current size nib, just get another .

 

I don't know whether you use cartridges or the converter. Personally, I like the latter, as it allows you to switch colours fairly often (a point often overlooked in cartridge fillers). Actually, you could carry a few spare nibs in thin tubes, each with a different fill, as the nibs come in complete insert assemblages. Hey, you are giving me ideas here .

 

What nib and what colour pen did you get, and why if I may be so bold to ask?

 

Thanks in advance,

Kind regards,

Wim

[KCat]

I just bought a Namiki VP. First impressions are generally good; very smooth nib, not heavy at all (unlike what some people are saying), but a little 'cheap' looking. However, in terms of writing performance it's as good as any.

 

I'm pleased with the purchase.

Well, Mark, "heavy" is subjective. Since you like pens with some heft, then the VP is probably just right. To me, it's heavy but well-balanced, therefore very comfortable. But I like M200s and 400s - considered among the lightweights out there and rightfully so. I didn't care for the VPs with the gold-colored trim as the gold is sort of a rosey color that looks of lesser quality. The rhodium, IMO, looks nicer. I certainly don't think it looks cheap but I think part of that perception for some folks (including myself for a while) is due to it looking so much like a ballpoint. Most people don't even notice it when I use it in public unless they notice the clip being in such an odd place. I avoided a VP for a long time - convinced the clip would drive me nuts. Instead, i find it "guides" my grip to the right spot. This is the heaviest pen I can use for an extended period.

 

Anyway - glad you like it - that's what matters the most. Enjoy!

 

Wim beat me to it but I was going to ask: What nib did you get (and did you know you can get other nibs for $14 from Pam should you get adventurous?) and are you using cartridge, aero filler or piston filler? What ink do you have in it?

 

You see - these are very important things that the rest of us must know in order to live vicariously through our pen cohorts.

 

p.s. - I don't quite feel the "springy" quality to it that others have mentioned. But that may have to do with the XF nib?

[mchristi]

I just bought a Namiki VP.

Oooo, cool! When it's time to acquire another pen (I need to give a little break to my budget) I'm thinking it'll be a Namiki VP. (Unless I get distracted by some other bright, shiny object first.)

 

And, do tell what nib, what color and what ink you're using. KCat is quite right. It's part of our vicarious thrill.

 

Mark C.

Edited February 3, 2005 by mchristi

[Mark LV]

Well, the VP seems light to me, that's all I can say. To some it will seem heavy - fair enough. It does look cheap - you would think it costs $20 - but not junk. I use the convertor because where I live (UK) you can't easily find Namiki cartidges; filling the pen i quite a fiddly process! The clip doesn't bother me particularly, but I still wish it wasn't there.

 

Has anybody tried the Namiki Falcon? How different is it from the VP?

[KendallJ]

Very different, and VERY light. It is a "pseudo flex" pen, and I think the VP looks more expensive than the falcon. VPis a paperweight compared to the Falcon.

[KCat]

Echoing Kendall. In photos, the Falcon looks rather nice, in the hand it is very light and feels "plasticky" - I love mine - but we're back to that light/heavy thing.

 

I think the Falcon is overpriced. Fortunately, mine was bought second-hand. I do love the nib but I'm not a flex purist.