Fountain Pen Suggestions, £50 And Under. Gift For Newbie.

[A440]

It's that time of year and present buying has started.

 

A family member has expressed an interest in a new pen for Christmas. I'm thinking what a perfect opportunity to see if they would get on with a fountain pen. My budget is £50 or under...any thoughts or suggestions most welcome.

[Erik Dalton]

Defiantly a twisbi. They are the most user friendly pen around, easy to clean and maintain. They even come with their own wrench and bottle of silicone grease, all together in an impressive packaging.

[dojocho]

Look for something that fits the personality of the receipient, there are a lot of pens and finishes that suit your need. TWISBI, Lamy, Pelikan, Kaweco and Pilot are but a few examples.

 

Happy hunting...it's all about the chase!

 

regards,

Hugo

[dylim1]

Are you looking for a thin/thick, light/heavy pen?

 

There are a lot of options out there.

Here are some of my suggestions:

Pilot Kakuno, Lamy CP1, TWSBI ECO, TWSBI 580, LAMY Nexx M, Pilot Custom Heritage(buy directly from Japan), Kaweco Sport, Kaweco AL-Sport.

[A440]

Are you looking for a thin/thick, light/heavy pen?

 

 

It's for a female adult, so a medium size pen perhaps...

[sandy101]

Since you live in Britain, the Italix Parson's Essential from Mr Pen - and you can get her name engraved on the pen as well. Go for the regular (tipped) medium nib and she won't need to buy another pen - ever.

[Martinsroom]

I'd go with a TWSBI

[Runnin_Ute]

I think the heavy/light question is something that needs to be explored. Has she tried any of your pens? If so, were there pens she liked better than others? This exercise might offer some clues as to types of pens she might like.

[innerdunnart]

I would stay away from TWSBI. For all their good properties, and they have many, it will likely break. That is not a good introduction to fountain pens.

 

I would suggest Faber-Castell, perhaps a basic or ambition. The nibs are excellent.

[migo984]

Platinum Cool. Great mid-size pen. Very comfortable in the hand. Lighti and well balanced. Well made. The steel nib is very unusual for a Platinum - soft and responsive. The medium writes just a little on the fine side and is dry smooth. Takes Platinum brand cartridges or buy the small international adapter (for a couple of quid). I use mine (I have several of these pens) with the standard Platinum converter.

 

It's a demo and is available in clear, blue or pink. The clear is my favourite. Fun for a newbie as they will be able to see the ink in the cartridge or convertor.

 

Usually £29 from Cultpens, but they have 20% off Platinum pens at the moment.

 

http://www.cultpens.com/i/q/PT27611/platinum-pgb-3000a-cool-fountain-pen-clear

[Water Ouzel]

I would stay away from TWSBI. For all their good properties, and they have many, it will likely break.

Today's Twsbi 580 aren't the same as those 530's from three or four years ago.

 

"Likely" is not likely to be correct nowadays.

[dk76]

I'm a newcomer to FP's. I'd recommend the Platinum Cool. Feels nice and writes smooth. Mine came with a converter. So that's a plus.

 

I also got the TWSBI Classic. I like it. The writing doesn't seem as smooth as the Platinum though.

[innerdunnart]

Today's Twsbi 580 aren't the same as those 530's from three or four years ago.

 

"Likely" is not likely to be correct nowadays.

The sub-forum poll has 19 from 114 580s cracked. I understand response bias, but that is about as likely a rolling a three when you roll a die.

[jay.is.here]

Try some indian ebonite pens...they are awesome.

[hbdk]

LAMY Safari/AL-star or maybe Nemosine singularity. Pens that are very low maintenance and always seem to work.

[dogpoet]

Would the lady in question expect a "proper" fountain pen with an internal filling mechanism, or would a cartridge/converter pen be considered acceptable? As we're talking about a Christmas present here, a few of my kneejerk responses for NOS vintage models are going to seem a bit too cheap in both senses, sadly...

[Ian the Jock]

I would heartily recommend the Parsons' Essential too.

If I received one as a gift I'd be knocked out, however, I would say to go for a medium cursive stub rather than a straight medium.

The cursive stub is very user friendly, and when she writes with it, her handwriting will look magnificent.

 

I reckon that there aren't many pens under £50 that would create as good an impression when opening the box, or when you use it for the first time, as this does.

 

Out of all of the pens mentioned, this is the one that would do it for me, were I to receive one, especially as a 1st fountain pen.

 

Ian

[owend]

Platinum PTL-5000: £45 at Cultpens (less 20% discount = £36). Slim, classic looks, 14K gold nib, converter included, great value writer. The nibs write smaller than European, so a Medium is nearer a European Fine.

[bigt]

If she might appreciate something not brand new you could consider a beautiful vintage pen,such as a Conway Stewart or a Swan/ Blackbird - just look at goodwriters web site ( no affiliation- but a happy customer )

.Last year I gave my brother-in law a nice Esterbrook that I had restored and that seemed to go down very well. Fifty quid should get you a very nice pen- you might then struggle to give it away!

Tony

[A440]

Brilliant, that's loads of ideas to explore. A big thankyou for all the suggestions. I'll take a good look at everything and make a decision!