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willshung

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Next to nothing mentioned that I would ever use again. With a large grain of salt, Pilot Prera with a medium nib or Sheaffer Prelude with a fine nib. I have them with the reverse nib sizes, and don't use them. I don't think I like current day pens in this price range. With all the inflation, they are like sub-dollar pens of the 1960s, except that those sixties pens were often better.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

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I believe that "best pen under x$" is a bit too much of a broad criteria, where personal preference comes first. It might need more options to refine the criteria:

 

Most forgiving pen? This might rule out many pens that have been known to have issues out f the box, or that have narrow sweet spots.

 

Most comfortable pen?

This might rule out tripod grip pens and/or others that have clips in the section, a la Pilot Capless

 

Nicest looking pen?

Although (mostly) a matter of personal preference, it might give you an idea of what you like and what you do not like

 

 

Excellent point, it's a bit like people arguing about computer hardware without taking into account the operating system system holding it together, and the complete package's reliability and durability.

 

My $15 Muji have been reliable workhorses, except aluminium might not be comfortable in the cold, the section gets grimy, it dings easily and for some reason Yama Guri doesn't flow well if left unused - all other inks work perfectly.

 

$25 Lamy Safaris are an easy recommendation.

 

I've had reservations about $35 Platinum Cools, one has had starting problems but now decided to behave, the nib is very nice.

"The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt."

 

B. Russell

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Got both the TWSBI eco and pilot custom 74 recently. Definitely would recommend these two for best value under $50 and $100 respectively. The 74 will be more like a $120 to $150 purchase at most B and Ms unless you find a good deal online.

Edited by max dog
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Got both the TWSBI eco and pilot custom 74 recently. Definitely would recommend these two for best value under $50 and $100 respectively. The 74 will be more like a $120 to $150 purchase at most B and Ms unless you find a good deal online.

Wow! I don't know what B&Ms you buy from but I think they must have seen you coming.

A quick search on Amazon and the typical price for a Pilot Custom 74 is around $75

https://www.amazon.com/Pilot-Fontain-Custom-M-Nib-FKK-1000R-DL-M/dp/B001AX3T4A/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1480384976&sr=8-4&keywords=pilot+74+fountain

I really hope you didn't pay anything like what you've stated there.

Edited by Bluey
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Best value -- Parker 45.

Auf freiem Grund mit freiem Volke stehn.
Zum Augenblicke dürft ich sagen:
Verweile doch, du bist so schön !

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Not a lot of pens are great values at new prices.

 

Those that are need to be bought right. Sometimes that means shopping creatively.

I recently purchased a Platinum 3776 Century bourgogne. About $80 from a Japanese seller on Amazon. Same pen from US based seller? $176 (Goulet)

 

A year ago I did nearly as well. A Pelikan M200 Cognac for $100. I don't recall what they were selling for from US based sellers. But it was significantly more than $100. ($150+ maybe?)

 

I have purchased Pelikans for under $50 on ebay in the past if you are willing to buy previously owned.

 

Esterbrook J series are almost always a good value. I have paid as little as $11 and as much as $39. One was restored, the other that job was left to me. But you can get a solid one for under $25.

 

Same with Parker 45's, my favorites are the Flighter models. I once bought a Flighter with a 14k nib for $15.50.

Brad

"Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind" - Rudyard Kipling
"None of us can have as many virtues as the fountain-pen, or half its cussedness; but we can try." - Mark Twain

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Wow! I don't know what B&Ms you buy from but I think they must have seen you coming.

A quick search on Amazon and the typical price for a Pilot Custom 74 is around $75

https://www.amazon.com/Pilot-Fontain-Custom-M-Nib-FKK-1000R-DL-M/dp/B001AX3T4A/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1480384976&sr=8-4&keywords=pilot+74+fountain

I really hope you didn't pay anything like what you've stated there.

Well with the low dollar everything tends to cost more in Canada these days :)

 

I actually bought both pens in Taipei when I vacationed there last month. Ty Lee penshop in taipei (a must visit for any pen person while visiting there. Great selection of pens). After the exchange it worked out to $120 cad for the custom 74. I thought it was a good deal at the time, but I guess not too much.

Edited by max dog
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Not very difficult: you just buy Japanese or German, you'll get the best FPs in the world, and the choice is very wide!

Sorry for the US or other European brands!

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As you can see from the responses, your original question is equivalent to "What is your favorite pen this week?"

If value means perceived goodness divided by price, the answer depends a lot more on your perceptions than on the pen.

ron

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Under $50 (New):

- The various Chinese pens under $10 USD, shipped. Some are good, some less so.

- Pilot, Metropolitan, about $18 USD (includes the converter)

- TWSBI, Eco, about $30 USD

- Lamy Safari/Vista, about $30-35 USD (converter separate)

 

Under $50 (Used):

- Esterbrook J/LJ/SJ (restored/resaced)

- Parker 45

 

Under $100 (Used):

- Parker 51, aerometric

San Francisco Pen Show - August 28-30, 2020 - Redwood City, California

www.SFPenShow.com

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Not very difficult: you just buy Japanese or German, you'll get the best FPs in the world, and the choice is very wide!

Sorry for the US or other European brands!

No, not German, otherwise you'll end up paying lots of money for duds. The better ones are Japanese and Chinese. The German ones rank alongside the Italians.

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I'd have to say the Twsbi Eco. It's a fairly large piston filler with a reliable nib. They don't seem to be having the widespread cracking problems of other Twsbis, therefore I'm comfortable recommending them if you're wanting to move straight to bottled ink. If you want to start with cartridges I'd recommend the Lamy Safari, but I am someone who already uses a triangular grip. Another reason I like the Safari is the interchangeable nibs. The ability to change out nibs gives you the opportunity to find what nib size you like pretty cheaply, which is something I wish I had done. If you really can't stand the triangular grip there's nothing wrong with the Pilot Metropolitan. The price is awesome, and the nib quality control is fantastic. They also just added a 1.0mm stub to the nib lineup, so while there's still not as much choice as you get with other brands it's getting better.

TL;DR, the Twsbis Eco if you want to start straight to bottled ink, the Lamy Safari if you don't and like the grip, and the Pilot Metropolitan if you can't.

"Oh deer."

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