Best Pen Under $300 To Last A Lifetime?

[TheRealMikeDr]

Well - my first question would be - How long do you expect to live and how old are you now?

 

If I had to get rid of all my pens (I don't have a lot - only 40) except ONE (under $300) and just use that for the rest of my life - which one would it be?

 

Hmmm - I would probably keep the Lamy 2000. The one downside is the piston filler. If I'm going to a desert island I would prefer to have a cartridge/converter pen as there is less chance for trouble over the long haul. In that case I would probably take my Pilot Custom 74.

 

It's a fun exercise!

[jar]

Well - my first question would be - How long do you expect to live and how old are you now?

 

If I had to get rid of all my pens (I don't have a lot - only 40) except ONE (under $300) and just use that for the rest of my life - which one would it be?

 

Hmmm - I would probably keep the Lamy 2000. The one downside is the piston filler. If I'm going to a desert island I would prefer to have a cartridge/converter pen as there is less chance for trouble over the long haul. In that case I would probably take my Pilot Custom 74.

 

It's a fun exercise!

The cartridge pen on the desert island is a great choice. Roll up the notes and put them in the empty cartridges and post them on the seas of life.

[pajaro]

The cartridge pen on the desert island is a great choice. Roll up the notes and put them in the empty cartridges and post them on the seas of life.

 

A very interesting thought. One's imagination could develop a saga from it.

[batman94]

I am considering buying the Lami 2000. Should I order from Amazon? It comes down to under $200. If i buy it from a local shop it's at least $350. I heard their production quality is not persistent though.

[eharriett]

Bo Bo Olson: Thank you for some useful advice. I wish I had that a couple months ago. It is a nice way to start off in this hobby.

 

Of course, this from the guy who went from 1 pen to over 10 in 3 months

[tinta]

I am considering buying the Lami 2000. Should I order from Amazon? It comes down to under $200. If i buy it from a local shop it's at least $350. I heard their production quality is not persistent though.

Would your local shop stand behind what they sell & make sure that you 2000 writes the way it was designed to do? Are they experts in fountain pens?

Amazon is a reseller that does not particularly care about how well your pen will write. It may give you a more preferable price but then you are on your own.

[Cryptos]

I got my 2000 from missing-pen on eBay. Cost me $140 (USD) including shipping to NZ. And Rolf (the seller) tested the nib for me first. Great service all round. Only thing is it took nearly a month to get to me because Deutsche Post sucks.

[batman94]

The guy at the store was an expert. The shop specialized in pens. I bought Lamy 2000 for $300 aud which is about $225 usd. I know I got ripped off but I tried a few pens and I really loved this one. Amazon is unpredictable as few contain really bad pen(checked reviews). I wish Empty_of_Clouds messaged earlier then I would have bought from e-bay. Kinda feeling bad for paying an extra $100 aud for it but the pen is too awesome.

[batman94]

Paid the extra bucks for guaranteed authenticity. They looked like a high end shop and was situated in a high end place (QVB). The shop name is Pen Ultimate. All other shops were selling it for over or at $350

[batman94]

I feel so sad because I got ripped off for such temptation ....
at the same time I'm also happy that I finally bought a pen that I can keep forever

[Cryptos]

I would say that it is worth what you paid for it. Super pen. You know, there is not much point in chasing prices. Example, I bought my partner a Sony Xperia phone. 3 weeks later the price had dropped by a $100. Annoying? Certainly. But that's just what happens from time to time. You should see some of the shockers I've had with pens. The 2000 was one of my very few good first time buys.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Eharriet, Thank you. I normally don't add the Chinese pen part to my rant.

I had moved past them in economical 'no name' German pens and Geha 790 was then 'cheap'.

I am at fault...and take 100% responsibility for the price jump of the Geha 790 from E12-19 to it's now with luck E40-70.

If you look hard you can still find a Geha 790 for E19...with lots of luck and time. 40 is a good price, for a pen @ as good as a Pelikan 140/400. Actually due to scientifically orientated and detailed examination ....the Geha 790 has a hair better nib than the Pelikans. As pointed out by two respected posters here and confirmed by me. Very scientific...we each had some Pelikans and Gehas. And could press and guess with the best.

 

They too come in both semi-flex which are a bit better than Pelikan and I do have a maxi, that is better than my two Pelikan maxi's.

 

It is that then classic torpedo shape , used by the '50's Swan and MB's 146/9.

Three rings =790.......two rings = 705? I never had enough money to chase that Geha's answer to the Pelikan 140.

 

After you get one of these....

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/B6FmJVwB2kKGrHqEOKm4EyyFEhzKZBMwIPTRw_12_zpskew3nmrm.jpg

 

then it's time for the Geha 725 a grand pen, designed to beat MB and did. One of my three (then) perfectly balanced pens....rolled gold trim.

It had been a 100E pen...out of reach. During the SA world cup, when all the English were in South Africa or lost betting on England I got one for only E50..................two weeks later two went for E25.

I do have permission of Penboard. de for the good picture.

I must take a picture of the clip....two very slightly curved lines make that clip one of the Great Classics.

There is a problem....that really don't matter after the ages....the cap can develop a minor micro crack. I had read about that. Mine didn't have it. I checked even with my loup. Some 7-10 days later....I had that micro crack. There is no dry out....the crack is micro...cosmetic only and you got to look hard for it.

I'd buy more of the 725, but it's only in black and gold...the rolled gold cap 735 is on my list.....the basic 10 that got away. My money tree's annual migration over the alps, was delayed until all it's leaves were picked in St. Moritz. The cast on his limb was real....he falls down the mountain as much as I do.

 

Do make sure the nib is 100% ok in it can't be re-attached. I don't think any of the inlaid pens could.

This pen cost some DM380 when new...that was back in the days of when the Dollar was Almighty $95....and you could buy a fleet of Snorkels for that.

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/geha1%20-%20Copy_zpstockjbgs.jpg

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/Goldschwing%20nib-2%20-%20Copy_zpslfjx1ael.jpg

Edited December 8, 2016 by Bo Bo Olson

[Arkanabar]

As for the extra money you spent on your 2000 (a good choice, as you got to hold it and find out whether or not the "ears" bother you like they do me before you bought), I wouldn't cry over it too much. You're going to have that pen for the rest of your life. Even at minimum wage, you ought to be able to earn $100 in less than two days. A relationship with a good shop employing expert staff has value in and of itself, as I know from my experience with bicycles. They will be able to suggest stationery and inks, not to mention other pens.

You do have a huge whackload of options for under $300 (is that AU or US?).

Like Bo Bo Olsen, I do not recommend jumping in to the "Pen of the week in the mail" club. I do advocate buying a number of cheap pens, until you have a better idea of what tickles your fancy and floats your boat. Variations in girth, weight, nib, feed, filling system, materials, ink, and length all affect the writing experience. Buy them one at a time, use each for a couple of months, paying attention to what you like, what you don't, what you wish was different, and apply what you've learned from each to the purchases of the next.

Unlike Bo Bo, I think that super inexpensive Chinese pens are a legitimate way to find out. However, $30-40 vintage pens can probably be re-sold at a minimal (or no) loss. Since you ought to wait a moderate interval between new pens, with discipline it may be possible to stack up enough for a pretty good pen on each purchase. But that's if you're willing to put in the time and effort to find the deals and sell the duds. Inexpensive pens can be given away relatively painlessly.

A Parker 45 Flighter will teach you a number of things, like what you really think of somewhat weightier pens, and the nibs screw out for easy swapping -- lots are available.

[Bo Bo Olson]

As I said, I've no experience with cheap Chinese pens...do have a Cross.

But he wanted life long....which could be done with a Cheap metal pen.

IMO metal pens are too much alike to have a big judgment field.

 

Besides which I was telling him 'a' truth, we are no longer living in the One Man, One Pen days.

 

And there are a great number of fine, used pens to be had......most of us here, so have our 10-20-40 or many more than my 70. Only 4-5 were new.

I find new pens...out side of Chinese to be expensive on the whole.

 

Take your time....when in doubt take more time. That pen will be there tomorrow, next week or next month.

What do you want the nib to do?

What filling system do you want?

 

P-45 will do....Mine is English and has 'true regular flex' and there for a bit more flex than what I expect from US Parker...I don't know...I don't have a US made one. It is an easy pen to take apart, put back together again. I have one with a rolled gold cap, so it's a tad more back weighted than a plastic cap one.I have some real old...'90's Parker Quink solv-x cartridges. They are so old they are half dried out. I used my needle syringe to put a bit of water in the cartridge...up to the line...works fine. A good, classy cheap pen. :headsmack: There I was trying to get down to less than 17 pens inked. WoW!!! only 8 pens inked...

 

There are many very good or even top of the line semi-vintage...mid '90's and before to @ 1970 pens.

For me Vintage starts around 1970 and before.

 

It would be a crying shame if the OP got a P-75 and refusing to post it, found it too small. When I found it; at the time I was noobie enough to look for perfectly balanced pens....ie 20 pens or less; one of my three perfectly balanced pens.

All were so different.

 

Of course you need an Esterbrook....had you been a noobie some 7 years ago you'd been told so, first thing!!!. $15 a pen....but all the noobies took orders, and got their basic 5-6 so the prices are now $30-40....and no one tells a noobie...as automatic as breathing that for a first or second pen one needs a nice colorful Estie. Light, nimble, robust. In standard sized DJ, thinner SJ, or medium small LJ.Double jewel...in the '40-40's were single jewel...no jewel at the bottom of the barrel. Same strength and good looks though. Slim J, Lady J. Once I had 5 of the 8 grays.

You do need an Estie, you do, you know!

For someone who wants a pen to last a life time, an Esterbrook has already ...and you can give it to your grand child.

....one of each is a start.

OK.....I bet you can't buy just one.

 

Somewhere in your first 5-7 pens would be Estie time. I only have two left...a classic marbled blue SJ and a DJ Copper. I had a my 10-12 once.

Do go over to Esterbrook subsection. They are some pretty and classic lever pens. Like a P-51, Snorkel, one of the pens one 'must' have eventually.

[TheRealMikeDr]

I feel so sad because I got ripped off for such temptation ....

at the same time I'm also happy that I finally bought a pen that I can keep forever

 

You didn't get ripped off by any stretch - it's a great pen!

 

We all make choices - I bought my Montblanc new from a boutique - paying 3 times what they go for used (in very nice shape) because I wanted a new one with papers. Did I overpay - probably - but it doesn't matter because I got what I wanted and will keep the pen forever.

 

So don't worry about what you paid - enjoy your pen!!

[OmegaMountain]

If you got it a better price than what other retailers in your area were offering it for, then you didn't get ripped off. Some things are better to be bought in person if possible rather than taking a chance on the Amazon monster. Plus, you supported a local business instead of a mega company. When I bought my first Swiss watch it was in Geneva, Switzerland on a trip and that was before I understood that you could negotiate price. So, I ended up paying full retail. I don't regret it a bit because I have a wonderful piece that is a nice momento of a great trip. You'll probably always remember buying that 2000 and will have it with you for many years to come. Congrats on the purchase and enjoy!

Edited December 8, 2016 by OmegaMountain

[tinta]

Batman94, I'm glad that you are enjoying your store-bought 2000. Price-wise, these small specialty stores cannot compete with large internet re-sellers.

B&M stores need our support, specially if these stores offers us good after purchase service.

[sandy101]

Paid the extra bucks for guaranteed authenticity. They looked like a high end shop and was situated in a high end place (QVB). The shop name is Pen Ultimate. All other shops were selling it for over or at $350

 

You were not ripped off. You got to go into the store, try a range of pens and buy one that suited you. A service you cannot get on the internet, and one that costs a shop more in overheads. You also have a shop to return the pen to should anything go wrong.

[batman94]

Honestly, this is the best community ever. Thank you so much. My work is pretty (bleep). Very hard labour. Saved up this and a few hundred dollars more to buy my dad a watch(which i will in boxing day, kept the money aside but used up money from my food and transportation expense). Your words really made me feel better. Thank you so much.

So I have been writing for 2 days in my journal. I have to admit. I have never felt more connected with a pen. Something depressing happened with my life today. Idk why but when I wrote down about my feelings in my journal. I felt a deep connection with my pen. I might sound like i am overstating things but I'm really stating what i felt.

I do not feel ripped off at all anymore. I think my money was worth it. This is legitimately one of the best investment of my life. You guys are awesome. Thank you so much.

By the way, I realized that the shopkeeper switched the upper portion of the stainless steel Lamy 2000 with this one because he did not have a fine version of the black Lami 2000. I don't mind though. But still, is it a bad thing? Was it stupid of me to not say anything about it? The pen wrote like a breeze so I did not bother.
On another note... I am using Iroshizuku ink by Pilot. Is it any good? The guy at the shop suggested me to get this ink. He was selling it for $50 but gave this for $15 since I bought the pen

Edited December 9, 2016 by batman94

[batman94]

Basically, the top half is of the stainless steel version. The bottom half is macralon... i.e 2 Lami 2000 infused into one. Or he might have changed the nib only

Edited December 9, 2016 by batman94