Piston Filler Comparison (M600, Lamy 2000, Pilot Ch92, Twsbi)

[SanjayG]

Very comprehensive review! Can't tell you how much this topic has helped me.

 

After purchasing a Pelikan M200, I was on the lookout for one more pen to complete my rotation for the next year or so. Was leaning towards the Lamy since there is a massive price cut on Amazon or even the TWSBI since it's half the price and would give me a bit of cash to purchase a couple of inks.

 

Finally decided on the CH92 after reading your post. I really like the design and the FM option seems the best bet for me (writing notes). Should be dispatched soon and will receive it within 2-3 weeks from Japan.

 

 

Would you say that the M600 is a better writer overall than the CH92? The Pelikan is a pen I want to own in the distant future but going by the review, I'd say the CH92 can and does match it for performance. Even the steel nib on my M200 is amazingly smooth so perhaps a move to the M600 isn't necessary.

[maverick777]

Very comprehensive review! Can't tell you how much this topic has helped me.

 

After purchasing a Pelikan M200, I was on the lookout for one more pen to complete my rotation for the next year or so. Was leaning towards the Lamy since there is a massive price cut on Amazon or even the TWSBI since it's half the price and would give me a bit of cash to purchase a couple of inks.

 

Finally decided on the CH92 after reading your post. I really like the design and the FM option seems the best bet for me (writing notes). Should be dispatched soon and will receive it within 2-3 weeks from Japan.

 

 

Would you say that the M600 is a better writer overall than the CH92? The Pelikan is a pen I want to own in the distant future but going by the review, I'd say the CH92 can and does match it for performance. Even the steel nib on my M200 is amazingly smooth so perhaps a move to the M600 isn't necessary.

The CH92 offers a more springy writing experience than the Pelikan m600. This is not better or worse just different. Both are very smooth. I prefer the extra springiness at this point in time. I enjoy both but slightly prefer the CH92 writing experience. And I do mean slightly.

 

As for whether or not the m600 is worth the extra money over the m200 or m400 I'd say that has more to do with the girth of the grip section than the writing experience. For me, the m20x/40x have too small of a grip section for my liking. The m600 is the perfect size for my hand. The CH92 will give you a good idea of what an m60x is like since the length and girth of the grip section is very similar.

 

In any case I hope you enjoy the CH92 when it comes in. In my opinion it's the greatest bang for the buck fountain pen.

[sd10521]

Thank you for the great review and information. I did recently pick up a M600 EF for a pretty good price and really enjoy it a lot, a very smooth writer and comfortable to use.

Now you have me desiring a Pilot for a future purchase to ease my curiosity.

Thank you.

[morbidsteve]

Can you share where you're getting your pens for so cheap??

[OakIris]

Can you share where you're getting your pens for so cheap??

Who are you addressing this too? I could have missed it, of course, but I reread the thread, didn't see any prices listed, so you have confused me! (Not that it takes much to do so. )

 

Thanks to this review and other positive reviews and comments I have read about the pen, the Custom 92 will be my next pen. Still trying to decide upon the color and nib, but I am leaning towards getting the blue version with an FM nib.

 

Holly

[Algester]

Can you share where you're getting your pens for so cheap??

Japanese pens are cheaper in Japan beyond that I'm sure the other pens are totally regulated by their respective branches...

[samgeee]

Thanks so much for writing this. I found it extremely informative and helpful.

[jasonchickerson]

You lost me when you rated the TWSBI and the Pilot on par with Lamy 2000 in the Looks category. Good writeup nonetheless.

[Sridhar]

Nice bit of writing there, Maverick. I was always tempted by the CH92, but held off since I had a TWSBI, but your comparison settled the issue at the expense of wallet. I especially liked that the "value" aspect was based on what you paid for it than the retail price

[Buzz_130]

Very nice comparison review! Of your list of manufacturers, I own 1 Pelikan (M805), 1 Lamy 2k, 1 TWSBI (Vac 700), and several Pilots.

 

I wandered through my initial purchases of fountain pens in a similar fashion: my first "expensive" pen was the Lamy 2k and then later bought a TWSBI. Had I understood and found Pelikan earlier, I may have stayed only with this brand and explored their vintage pens. About the time I bought the Pelikan from Richard Binder, I was also getting a few vintage pens, and my tastes started to change to completely vintage flavor. But I can also say, after living in Tokyo, that the modern Japanese pens from the big 3 are the modern fountain pens to buy. They still have the craftsmanship and feel of the vintage pens.

 

I actually enjoyed reading the quotes from your writing samples! Where did you find those?

 

Buzz

[maverick777]

You lost me when you rated the TWSBI and the Pilot on par with Lamy 2000 in the Looks category. Good writeup nonetheless.

 

Hah. It's definitely subjective and I think it's the rose gold editions that are nice. The regular versions of the pens aren't anything special to look at.

 

 

Nice bit of writing there, Maverick. I was always tempted by the CH92, but held off since I had a TWSBI, but your comparison settled the issue at the expense of wallet. I especially liked that the "value" aspect was based on what you paid for it than the retail price

 

Thanks! The CH92 is still a great value at the regular internet price of $130 or so. It's a much higher quality pen than any TWSBI for sure.

 

 

Very nice comparison review! Of your list of manufacturers, I own 1 Pelikan (M805), 1 Lamy 2k, 1 TWSBI (Vac 700), and several Pilots.

 

I wandered through my initial purchases of fountain pens in a similar fashion: my first "expensive" pen was the Lamy 2k and then later bought a TWSBI. Had I understood and found Pelikan earlier, I may have stayed only with this brand and explored their vintage pens. About the time I bought the Pelikan from Richard Binder, I was also getting a few vintage pens, and my tastes started to change to completely vintage flavor. But I can also say, after living in Tokyo, that the modern Japanese pens from the big 3 are the modern fountain pens to buy. They still have the craftsmanship and feel of the vintage pens.

 

I actually enjoyed reading the quotes from your writing samples! Where did you find those?

 

Buzz

 

I agree that Japanese pens are great modern pens to buy in terms of construction, nib quality, and bang for the buck. Having said that, I just acquired a Pelikan M215 which has given me a new baseline on what can be achieved with a stainless steal nib. I put the M215 on par with my Pilot CH92. The Pelikan EF stainless steel nib is just as smooth if not a hair smoother than my Pilot FM nib which was/is my favorite nib. The steel nib also has more springiness to it than my gold Pelikan nibs which makes it even more similar to the Pilot nibs. Although I do prefer the size of the CH92 more, so the Pilot still gets a very slight edge. I probably need to update this comparison since I've acquired an M215, M400, and M800 recently.

[ailevin]

I just received a Pilot CH92 Medium, and I was surprised at how broad it is. My CH74 in Fine is slightly but noticeably finer than Pelikan XF. The M600 in XF has been one of my favorites, and I use it as a standard for comparison with other pens. I prefer the slight "give," I wouldn't really call it flexibility of the nib on the CH92, and the CH92 nib is if anything smoother than the M600, but I'm sure a great deal of that is the difference between XF and M. The Pelikan 600 nib writes a nicer, wetter, and more consistent line. Also, I have noticed that the CH92 can be hesitant on upstrokes, so perhaps the nib needs adjustment. Since I'm going to have the CH92 ground to a cursive italic, I don't intend to play with the nib or have it professionally adjusted before that. Frankly, I have rarely experienced, nor do I expect perfection in a nib right out of the box.

 

I am very pleased with the weight, balance, and filling mechanism on the 92. I have the smoke demonstrator, and it is dark enough that it doesn't scream demonstrator, especially when filled with ink. In fact, it doesn't scream anything with its simple lines and clean utilitarian looks. I am looking forward to using this pen regularly as a cursive italic.

[maverick777]

I just received a Pilot CH92 Medium, and I was surprised at how broad it is. My CH74 in Fine is slightly but noticeably finer than Pelikan XF. The M600 in XF has been one of my favorites, and I use it as a standard for comparison with other pens. I prefer the slight "give," I wouldn't really call it flexibility of the nib on the CH92, and the CH92 nib is if anything smoother than the M600, but I'm sure a great deal of that is the difference between XF and M. The Pelikan 600 nib writes a nicer, wetter, and more consistent line. Also, I have noticed that the CH92 can be hesitant on upstrokes, so perhaps the nib needs adjustment. Since I'm going to have the CH92 ground to a cursive italic, I don't intend to play with the nib or have it professionally adjusted before that. Frankly, I have rarely experienced, nor do I expect perfection in a nib right out of the box.

 

I am very pleased with the weight, balance, and filling mechanism on the 92. I have the smoke demonstrator, and it is dark enough that it doesn't scream demonstrator, especially when filled with ink. In fact, it doesn't scream anything with its simple lines and clean utilitarian looks. I am looking forward to using this pen regularly as a cursive italic.

 

Congrats on the new pen. I have read that Japanese mediums run about as wide as a western medium and sometimes this catches people off guard since the F and XF nibs are so much finer than western nibs. It's another reason I haven't purchased a Sailor pen. I want to get their MF nib, but it's offered in a very limited range of pens. Japanese FM is my ideal nib size for Japanese pens. Pelikan XF and Pilot FM is pretty much identical in line width.

[sannidh]

Loved the review..Thank you

[Mangrove Jack]

Nice review. You have answered many questions and cleared up grey areas. Thanks.

[andylaw28]

The Lamy 2000 is truly worth every penny for its performance vs value!

[Leftytoo]

Thanks for the great review. I've owned the Lamy 2000 and the Pelikan Souveran 600. The Lamy 2000 is getting a stub grind, so the slight baby's bottom (M nib) is not an issue. The Pelikan just plain works, but a little boring to me. I have two more piston fillers you don't yet own: A Sailor Realo and a modern Aurora 88 full size. The Sailor (I own 3), like the Pelikan, does the job but also is somewhat boring and the body is so short it must be posted - not a full size pen.

 

The Aurora 88 full size is something else. By far the best modern pen I've owned, and that includes a Nakaya. Perfect fit to the hand, classic styling, robust construction, and the nib (mine, a stub) has got the feedback and shading that I've only gotten before from custom ground nibs. Save up for this one!

Bob

[fly_us]

I should get a bottle of Diamine Red Dragon, that red is really stand out.

[dfo]

I keep my Lamy 2000 (F) inked with Diamine Red Dragon. It writes extremely well and I enjoy the minute shading.

[junlon]

Thanks for the great review.

 

My Pilot CH92 FM (with Waterman Serenity Blue ink) writes about the same line width was Pelikan M200 F (with Peilikan 4001 Royal Blue ink). However, CH92 is much wetter - may be because Waterman is a wet ink(?).

 

Your TWSBI writing samples show 580 EF got thicker lines than 580 F - which is a bit odd. TWSBI got quality control issues in their nib sizes?

Edited August 13, 2015 by junlon