Recommendations Around $100 Total Budget

[Landofnone]

Since i got the fountain pen bug not to long ago. I went ahead and bought the Pilot Metropolitan as a first beginner pen, and i like it very much, even though it is a bit small for my right hand not so much for my left hand. Let me explain. Once upon a time, my fist hit a tree, which resulted in a boxer fracture that never heal correctly because the doctor never put it back in place. Now when ever i hold a pen, my hand feels like a baseball mitt whenever i rest my hand on the paper.

 

I figure a bigger pen would help

 

features i would like to have

Vac filler or piston filler

#6 nib either medium or fine

Bigger pen of course

Just a few that comes to mind.

 

Oh paper, can't forget paper. I been looking at paper that are fountain pen friendly such as Rhodia, Clairefontaine etc. Since i don't see paying $10-30+ for about 96 sheets, I figure i would get some Hp laser paper, I've heard a few members around here saying its very good, even Brian Goulet recommends it.

 

 

Take your best shot at Recommendations.

 

P.S: Fountain pen and paper needs to be in budget.

Edited November 28, 2015 by Davenport

[Algester]

umph... your looking into the vintage market for this

but say something perhaps like TWSBI (50USD but number 5 nib :X) there are a lot of indian pen alternatives that can accept a number 6 nib with a piston unit

the rest will be put into the paper I guess if you can had a Pelikan M200 with a tight budget the better though

[TheRealScubaSteve]

I'd call an Ahab a big pen. Starting less expensive to ensure you find the best size/weight early on would be my suggestion.

[Glenn Atkins]

Vac 700.

 

Glenn

[Scribblesoften]

I like the ebonite Konrads. With your budget you could also buy a couple of extra nibs. I would not recommend the resin pens. You other alternative have already been menionted - the bigger TWSBI's. I would also look for an opportunity to handle some other pens to determine what fits your hand. Local pen clubs or brick and mortar stores. Good luck in you hunt.

Edited November 28, 2015 by Scribblesoften

[jay.is.here]

TWSBI vac 700 (mostly users find cracking issues)

lamy 2000 (but its more than your budget)

Jinhaos (its heavy)

Indian ebonite pens with jowo or schmidt nibs (they normally come as ED or converter) +. is they come in pretty big sizes.

[Runnin_Ute]

Well... you will pay about $15 or so for a ream of 500 sheets of HP LaserJet 24 paper. Assuming you already have at least one bottle of ink, that gives a budget for a pen of $80-$85.

 

New/Modern pens:

TWSBI 580 ($50); Vac 700 ($70)

 

Pelikan M200 Cognac I just got one of these right @ $100. from a Japanese seller on Amazon. They are a bit smaller than the TWSBI's, but they are great pens.

 

You could also get a previously owned M200 in your budget.

Edited November 29, 2015 by Runnin_Ute

[Glenn Atkins]

Well... you will pay about $15 or so for a ream of 500 sheets of HP LaserJet 24 paper. Assuming you already have at least one bottle of ink, that gives a budget for a pen of $80-$85.

 

New/Modern pens:

TWSBI 580 ($50); Vac 700 ($70)

 

Pelikan M200 Cognac I just got one of these right @ $100. from a Japanese seller on Amazon. They are a bit smaller than the TWSBI's, but they are great pens.

 

You could also get a previously owned M200 in your budget.

 

I do like the M2xx, but I fear that if the Metro is too small for the OP's hand, the M2xx might be as well. I own both a TWSBI mini and the Vac 700. I like the mini because 1) it's piston fill and 2) it posts nice in that the cap screws onto the end of the barrel.

 

The Vac 700 is a substantial pen and feels sturdy in the hand, and to me very well made for the price - plus, obviously it's a vac fill, which is kind of neat. Neither of mine have experienced any cracking issues. I don't baby them and I don't abuse them. You can easily use the Vac 700 unposted and still get the sense of a big pen, certainly bigger than the M2xx and the Metro. Again, I love the M2xx but they are small to me.

 

Just for personal preferences I tend to use the HP LaserJet 32lb paper - very nice. And, you can print just about any kind of lines you want from here and other places on the interweb. I duplex mine and use it when I am testing pens. I use the same paper and the same ink to test, that way I know every time what to expect.

 

http://www.printablepaper.net/

 

Let us know what decision you make and how your venture turns out. Bottom line, get what you think is right for you and ignore all of us! ))

 

Glenn

[Landofnone]

Any recommendation on some Vintage pens.

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

Also consider the Jinhao 159 and the Sheaffer No Nonsense pens. Both are cartridge/converter fillers though.

 

Unfortunately no large OooLaLa vintage pens within your cost constrain come to mind. Often the cachet of a gold alloy nib and the investment in proper restoration bumps the overall price. And the larger (oversize) pens command an additional premium. You might find a User-Grade Parker 51 aero within your cost constraint, but that is more of a full-size pen than a large pen.

> As a matter of technique, consider just how you grasp the pen. I find that by altering my manner of holding a pen I'm quite comfy with a range of size, shape and mass.

 

+1 for the HP LJ 24lb copy/print paper. I consider it to be one of the best widely available penny-a-page utility papers. I use it extensively in my Ink Reviews, and have an Item in my IR template 'Is high-end paper worth it?' In many cases HPJ1124 compares quite favourably to Rhodia 80gsm, but there is greater likelihood of bleed- show-through, line-width gain (spread) and less shading potential. If you can avoid shipping cost, that would be a very good pick.

> For a utility paper I was told that Staples USA has reams of unlined sugarcane (bagasse) paper on offer, but haven't read any Reviews.

> To help plan any splurges, I reckon its worthwhile to check the Classifieds for samples of the higher-end writing papers. (Dear Santa ...)

 

As for ink, the Pilot Blue or Blue-Black are solid workhorses, and large bottles can be sourced from Japan at a nice price, e.g. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PILOT-Fountain-pen-Ink-Blue-Black-350ml-INK350BB-Import-Japan-/181794747113?hash=item2a53cfb2e9:g:93kAAOSwPcVVgRhY. That said, once you have settled on your primary pen+paper combo, and have a better idea of the desired performance and appearance, I suggest getting some samples to see what's what. (Dear Mrs Claus ...)

 

Bye,

S1

Edited November 29, 2015 by Sandy1

[dogpoet]

Definitely not an Ahab or a Konrad: buying three or four of each looking for one that works properly will hike your budget up a bit, however cheap they appear to be.

[Landofnone]

Definitely not an Ahab or a Konrad: buying three or four of each looking for one that works properly will hike your budget up a bit, however cheap they appear to be.

 

What do you recommend.

[dogpoet]

The first pen that springs to my mind is the Lamy 2000, but that's a bit over your budget and I'm not sure it's a #6 nib.

The Jinhao 159 that's also been mentioned above is a large, and very solid pen that I think has the right size nib, but it's a cartridge/convertor, not a vac filler.

One pen that would probably be perfect from an ergonomic angle, given the issues with your hand, is the Tombow Egg, but that's another cartridge pen (and long discontinued), and the fountain pens were hard to find while they were still being manufactured, never mind now.

Maybe one of the bigger vintage Sheaffers would do the job from the viewpoint of size and cost, but the models I can think of tend to be either touchdown or cartridge fillers (or snorkels in the case of the PFM) and have inlaid nibs. There's one place (I think Peyton Street pens) that builds big and very solid-looking ebonite pens around vintage Sheaffer sections. Those are around the top end of your budget, but the people I've seen mention them on here rather like them. That's hearsay though, as I've not encountered one of those myself.

The Parker 100 is a huge pen, but I don't think (I could be wrong) that the nibs are replacable, and it's another cartridge pen. I'm not sure what those go for now, so it could well be out of your budget.

Again there are nib/filler issues, but the Pilot Bamboo is another pen that would probably tick your other boxes if it was still available. I've never seen one on fleabay, so I have no idea what that goes for, I'm afraid.

 

On balance, you've actually got me stumped. I'd have suggested getting hold of a Jinhao 159 (which is a very cheap pen), just to see how the size suits your hand, but given how tight your budget it is, I doubt you really want to risk wasting even five dollars of your budget trying that first.

[Glenn Atkins]

Any recommendation on some Vintage pens.

 

Parker 51 Aerometric with a gold nib, or Parker 51 Special, usually with an Octanium nib, which was Parker's way of saying "not gold." They are functionally equivalent. Some of the differences are: 1) octanium nib, 3) usually a shiny steel cap versus the lustraloy or gold-filled of a regular 51, 3) black cap jewel versus gray pearl, 4) hoop filler versus enclosed filler.

 

They are not piston or vac fill, and not nearly as large as the Vac 700, and they're usually more expensive unless you get really lucky.

 

Glenn

[Glenn Atkins]

Any recommendation on some Vintage pens.

 

Parker 51 Aerometric with a gold nib, or Parker 51 Special, usually with an Octanium nib, which was Parker's way of saying "not gold." They are functionally equivalent. Some of the differences are: 1) octanium nib, 3) usually a shiny steel cap versus the lustraloy or gold-filled of a regular 51, 3) black cap jewel versus gray pearl, 4) hoop filler versus enclosed filler.

 

They are not piston or vac fill, and not nearly as large as the Vac 700, and they're usually more expensive unless you get really lucky.

 

Glenn

[dogpoet]

Is a p51 going to be big enough? I don't think mine are any fatter than Pilot M(etropol)B

[Runnin_Ute]

 

I do like the M2xx, but I fear that if the Metro is too small for the OP's hand, the M2xx might be as well. I own both a TWSBI mini and the Vac 700. I like the mini because 1) it's piston fill and 2) it posts nice in that the cap screws onto the end of the barrel.

 

The Vac 700 is a substantial pen and feels sturdy in the hand, and to me very well made for the price - plus, obviously it's a vac fill, which is kind of neat. Neither of mine have experienced any cracking issues. I don't baby them and I don't abuse them. You can easily use the Vac 700 unposted and still get the sense of a big pen, certainly bigger than the M2xx and the Metro. Again, I love the M2xx but they are small to me.

 

Just for personal preferences I tend to use the HP LaserJet 32lb paper - very nice. And, you can print just about any kind of lines you want from here and other places on the interweb. I duplex mine and use it when I am testing pens. I use the same paper and the same ink to test, that way I know every time what to expect.

 

http://www.printablepaper.net/

 

Let us know what decision you make and how your venture turns out. Bottom line, get what you think is right for you and ignore all of us! ))

 

Glenn

 

I did think that as well, but is why I mentioned that yes they are smaller. But still thought it was a pen worth mentioning. A lot of us have been down the road of tried pen x and it was too (big, small, heavy, light, fat, skiny) and discovered later through trial and error that pens like the one we dismissed turned out to be well liked. (if not a favorite) So I suggested two very different pens.

 

My first pen was a Lamy Al Star, my second (and third) - a Waterman Phileas. Very different pens. #4 was much heavier - a True Writer Silver Anniversary which is heavier than all the others at 30 grams. Discovered that is my top end for weight. Have a couple in the mid 20's.

[Glenn Atkins]

Is a p51 going to be big enough? I don't think mine are any fatter than Pilot M(etropol)B

 

Probably not for the OP and I agree versus metro.

 

Glenn

[Glenn Atkins]

 

I did think that as well, but is why I mentioned that yes they are smaller. But still thought it was a pen worth mentioning. A lot of us have been down the road of tried pen x and it was too (big, small, heavy, light, fat, skiny) and discovered later through trial and error that pens like the one we dismissed turned out to be well liked. (if not a favorite) So I suggested two very different pens.

 

My first pen was a Lamy Al Star, my second (and third) - a Waterman Phileas. Very different pens. #4 was much heavier - a True Writer Silver Anniversary which is heavier than all the others at 30 grams. Discovered that is my top end for weight. Have a couple in the mid 20's.

 

Good line of reasoning. I like my AL Stars. At first I didn't much like really light pens like the M2xx, but now I'm indifferent between that and a Jinhao 159 as far as weight goes. Two pens that to me are very well balanced are the Pelikan M800 and the Pilot Custom 823, both spendy, however.

 

Glenn

[Runnin_Ute]

 

Good line of reasoning. I like my AL Stars. At first I didn't much like really light pens like the M2xx, but now I'm indifferent between that and a Jinhao 159 as far as weight goes. Two pens that to me are very well balanced are the Pelikan M800 and the Pilot Custom 823, both spendy, however.

 

Glenn

Tried a 159 once - bought a Pelikan 120 M&K and a M205 and one was put in the package. Was disappointed and didn't like how heavy it was even compared to my True Writer Silver Anniversary which is 30 grams. (1.07 oz) I put the 159 up as a PIF.