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Best Fountain Pen Sub $75 [Help Please!]


kandi215

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Hello everyone,

 

I have always been a viewer of posts on FPN, yet I have never contributed. This time, I need a little help, from my fellow fountain pen lovers.

 

What would be an amazing fountain pen in the sub $75 range? I already have a Sheaffer 100 and a Lamy Safari. I was looking at the TWSBI mini or TWSBI 540 or TWSBI 580. How do you feel about these pens and what are some others?

 

I will be doing an unboxing and review once I purchase this pen and you can find other unboxings and reviews on my YouTube channel [Kandi215 Reviews and Unboxing Central].

 

I would like to thank you for your time!

 

Kandi215

 

 

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I personally don't have any experience with TWSBI, but they seem to be a fanboy favorite on this forum. In your price range I'd recommend a Levenger True Writer, perhaps on clearance, with a stub nib. They're nice looking and nice writing pens given the price.

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Love my Twsbi 540 broad nib. Writes like a juicy medium and the piston-fill works fine. Justindo is correct with your considering Levengers. I have three and all are great writers. Go to the eBay Levenger outlet and find some nice pens for a good price!

empyrean Conklin,Stipula Pyrite, Bon Voyage & Tuscany Dreams Siena, Levengers, Sailor 1911,Pelikan M200, Bexley BX802, AoLiWen Music Notes pen, Jinhao's,1935 Parker Deluxe Challenger, 1930s Eversharp Gold Seal RingTop, 1940s Sheaffer Tuckaway, 1944 Sheaffer Triumph, Visconti Van Gogh midi, Esties!(SJ, T, and J),Cross Townsend Medalist & Aventura, 1930s Mentmore Autoflow, A bunch of Conway-Stewarts 84, Platinum 3776 Chartres Blue(med); Montegrappa Elmo (broad nib), Delta "The Journal" (med nib), Conklin Yellowstone (med nib)
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Well, I've been going off about my new Franklin-Christoph, recommended to me by a member of the FPN.

Their Model 27 is $70 shipped. I got mine with a broad italic nib and it is just the best to write with. Their custom nibs are also ground by well-known Micheal Masuyama. (custom as in needlepoint, stub and italic)

 

It writes so darn well out of the box. The only thing that holds it back is my often oily hands getting on the paper, which I've had since getting an IBM Selectric II that needed TLC. :)

 

post-81520-0-19450200-1369913397_thumb.jpg

Edited by Nashten

"Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not; and often at times we call a man cold when he is only sad." ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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FC and TWSBI are both wonderful pens for the money. I have a TWSBI 540 and a 700 and love them dearly. My father has a Franklin Christoph and he really likes it, but he doesn't write much.

http://www.venganza.org/images/fsm.png

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I have no experience with TWSBI, but in the under $75 range, I like the Monteverde Invincia Color Fusion. You already own my favorite inexpensive pen, the Safari, and if you like that how about another Lamy--the Pur or the Safari upgrade Al-Star.

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One of the best pens of all time is a parker 51, which you can get for $75 if you are patient, dont mind spending the time to learn about what to look for and shop around.

Edited by cellmatrix
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For an extra 5 bucks you could get a TWSBI Vac 700. I personally have the 580 which is a pleasure to write with, holds alot of ink and just looks cool.

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I would check out pens by Pilot. In particular, the Prera. For slightly more than your budget, you can get the very nice Lucina. A very similar pen to the Lucina is the Ecrino, which can be found on Amazon for less than $50, and it is a steal. Remember that the nibs on these pens are true Asian nibs, with the Medium equivalent to a Lamy Fine.

 

Dave

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I agree that the TWSBI 580 is fantastic - although it's plastic, it has a very high quality and sturdy feel. Mine is extra-fine, so understandably it has some tooth, but it's still a very nice writer, and I imagine the wider nibs are very smooth.

 

By the way, your video review of the Pentel Kerry helped me decide I wanted to buy it!

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I did not see the Pilot Metropolitan listed this is a very good pen and at around $15 for a pen that can be refilled with the included converter IMHO a steal.

Amos

 

The only reason for time is so that everything does not happen at once.

Albert Einstein

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Yup, the TWSBI Mini is keeper as is the F-C Collegia. One of my favorites is the Pilot Lucina, less than 60USD on ebay.

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I agree that the TWSBI 580 is fantastic - although it's plastic, it has a very high quality and sturdy feel. Mine is extra-fine, so understandably it has some tooth, but it's still a very nice writer, and I imagine the wider nibs are very smooth.

 

By the way, your video review of the Pentel Kerry helped me decide I wanted to buy it!

I am happy that you decided on making that purchase! I hope that more of my reviews can have that impact! :D

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I did not see the Pilot Metropolitan listed this is a very good pen and at around $15 for a pen that can be refilled with the included converter IMHO a steal.

 

I already have two of these pens. But would agree that, that pen is a great fountain pen for the price!

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Two pens.

1) The Kaweco Sport costs about $28 on ebay. Amazingly good nib and feed for the money. The downside is it is not full size, and you need to purchase the pocket clip separately.

 

2) I bought a Bexley BX 802 on ebay for $53. This made in USA pen is full size, has a German Bock nib, and has a fancy cracked ice finish of such high level that it is my only cheap pen that blends in with my expensive pens.

Bob

Pelikan 100; Parker Duofold; Sheaffer Balance; Eversharp Skyline; Aurora 88 Piston; Aurora 88 hooded; Kaweco Sport; Sailor Pro Gear

 

Eca de Queroiz: "Politicians and diapers should be changed frequently, and for the same reason."

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Although the above recommendations are excellent you may also want to check out places such as Goulet Pens, Fountain Pen Hospital, and Peyton Street Pens (there are other good pen places) for some of their sales items) as a good source of lower cost buying opportunities.

 

I have purchased several Monteverde pens and although the ones I have are somewhat hefty, I really like their "fine" titanium coated nib and the way they write. Yes, they do cost less than $75.00 and I recently saw a nice one (imo) on FPH for $55.00.

 

Enjoy whatever you choose!!

-S-

“Don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today, because if you do it today and like it, you can do again tomorrow!”

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You might want to consider vintage pens. As cellmatrix stated, a Parker 51 would fit the bill, as would various vintage Sheaffer or Esterbrook fountain pens. With patience, you can get fully restored vintage pens for your budget amount; many of the Esterbrooks can be had for even less, and then you get to try out a "gazillion" different Esterbrook nibs until until you find the one or ones that you prefer. :) You don't need to go through eBay; check the classifieds here, or various recommended sites. Peyton Street Pens, for example, sells NOS fountain pens that are well worth the price - here is a list of Sheaffers currently offered, to give you an idea: Sheaffers $70-$90 range

 

 

Holly

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I would go for a TWSBI 580 over the mini, personal preference, but my 580 gets more use because I find it a nicer size to handle.

 

I don't know what Pelikan m200's sell for over there, they can be had here for about £60, or even an M215 (the metal bodied equivalent) for the same money on Amazon.

 

The Pilot 78g is a fantastic (in terms of performance and value) pen, the fine is a very very fine, the brad is really a stub. This might be one to try and get with your 'change' from $75 if you have any, they sell for about $10 on ebay.

For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love. -Carl Sagan

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