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What Pen To Buy?


Waltz For Zizi

What pen to buy?  

25 members have voted

  1. 1. What should I spend my money on?

    • Pelikan m400 white tortoise
    • Lamy safary white+Lamy Al-star Pacific+Pilot Prera white+Faber castell ambition white sand +Pelikan m205 white


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I have a certain amount of money reserved for pens I'm not sure what to spend it on. I could either buy a pelikan m400 white tortoise (which is one of my grail pens), or a lamy safari white + a lamy vista pacific + a pilot prera white + faber castel ambition white sand + pelikan m205 white. I like white pens, and although I have only two right now I plan of owning more.So what is your opinion? Shoud I get the white tortoise or the five other pens?

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  • Erik Dalton

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What do you currently use for daily writing ?

Which fountain pens do you own and use ? Which do you like best ?

Sorry for being vague, but we should choose more than a pretty, white pen.

Fountain pens are for writing.

Edited by Sasha Royale

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

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I would suggest the Pelican. Buy pens you would really like, go for quality rather than quantity. You might also look at vintage pens, though I can't think of a white vintage pen!

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I own about 20 pens, some expensive ones also (Caran d'ache leman, Caran dache varius, GvFC Classic etc), and my favourites are the very light ones like a Pelikan m200 Cognac, I can write longer with them.

All the pens I chose are mostly lightweight, plastic body, that's what I prefer, but the Lamy s I don't think I can take them out of the house, they look too childish and unelegant, so I'd only use them in the privacy of my house( but I just don't own one, and I'm tempted.), the rest are ok.

 

Would I miss on anything if I don't buy a Lamy safari/al star,because Pelikan m200 and FC Ambition I already own in a different color?

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I'd go with the Pelikan M400 white tortoise of the choices you list. But I would also recommend an Ivory waterman Charleston for you to consider. A really nice writing pen that is no longer in production, but there seems to be a lot of them around. Hard to find a pen with an 18k nib for $150 these days.

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I would suggest the Pelican. Buy pens you would really like, go for quality rather than quantity. You might also look at vintage pens, though I can't think of a white vintage pen!

 

I think that the emphasis on quality over quantity is the best advice, especially for your long term satisfaction. I believe that the more pens I acquired and tried out, the less satisfied I was, and the more I became a collector. Do you want to be a collector, or would you likew to have some very nice pens that will unquestionably give you satisfaction every time you use them? Do you want to spend time developing rotation schemes or do you want to just pick up one of a few pens and write?

 

In 1970, just out of college and in the Air Force, I bought a Parker 51 set. I used it for many years until I started to develop this materialism ailment of wanting to try out and fool with lots of pens. Then I used the 51 about two days a week. More or less. Recently I saw a thread in here about a challenge to use the same pen and ink for thirty days. I have been using that first Parker 51 exclusive since then, and it is better than EVERY other pen I have or have tried. A sublimely smooth and slightly wet line that can be modulated with slight differences in writing pressure. A quality pen is better than two hundred plus pens every time. Not monetarily, but in terms of pure writing satisfaction.

 

I have a Pelikan M400 White Tortoise. Fine nib. It is almost as smooth as the Parker 51, but changes in writing pressure don't make a difference. Still, I like it better than my several M200s, M200 demos, M250s and M400s (earlier). Flex means nothing to me, The White Tortoise is a beautiful and durable pen. You can change nibs easily, and I have several.

 

Still, you might have to buy all those other pens. They are decent pens. Do you want to be a collector, a writer, or both?

Edited by pajaro

"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 started off a user. Began to fancy myself a collector. Realized I had progressed to an accumulator. I just love my pens...lol..

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The M400.

 

There's only so many pens you can use at once.

 

I'm finding that the "quality" ( predominantly more expensive pens) get more pocket time than the cheaper ones.

 

You'll buy the cheaper ones, and then buy the M400 anyway. Don't fill your place with stuff you won't use.

 

M400, with good paper and decent ink would be my choice.

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OK, I'm going to break the rules.

 

First. Go for the White Tortoise. Personally, this pen would not leave my house. I have many pens that are in this category, of use only in the house, where it is safe.

 

Second. Then also get one of the other white pens, for casual use outside the house.

 

As for why the WT would be a home only pen. I was talking with a friend of mine, who lost/had stolen about 6 Montblanc pens over the years. He figures people stole most of the pens from him, either on purpose or accidentally.

 

How do you steal a pen accidentally? If you give someone a pen to use, then they cap the pen and put it in their pocket without thinking that the pens is NOT their pen. And if you do not have the pen engraved, you likely won't get the pen back.

To prevent this, you UNCAP the pen then give them the UNPOSTED pen, and you hang on to the cap. When they go to cap the pen, YOU have the cap. If they stick the uncapped pen in their pocket, they get a big inky stain on their pocket, as a penalty for taking the pen.

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

www.SFPenShow.com

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Hi,

 

Hmm

 

Of the options listed, I suggest an M200 and a Prera.

 

I like the Prera for its compact form and goodly girth of its section.

 

One thing with the M200 and M400 is that they will both accept a vast array of nibs, some of which are vintage, so have a different writing experience than current production nibs. Our friends in the Pelikan Forum can provide much experience, knowledge and wisdom on selecting a nib that suits you and the M200.

> Less money in the pen, but more money in the nib.

 

And yes I confess, I have an M400 White Tortoise - clearly an Object of Desire. (OhOh)

 

Bye,

S1

Edited by Sandy1

The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

 

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I'm going to go different than what I usually do here and say the M400 White Tortoise. Because if I had the budget to buy that pen, I would over the others.

 

And I love my 2 M200's (Cognac and old style blue marbled). I have an Al Star and the others for me are ok, but don't really say gotta have it. Plus my Platinum 3776 Century Bourgogne gets as much use as some others.

Edited by Runnin_Ute

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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I own about 20 pens, some expensive ones also (Caran d'ache leman, Caran dache varius, GvFC Classic etc), and my favourites are the very light ones like a Pelikan m200 Cognac, I can write longer with them.

All the pens I chose are mostly lightweight, plastic body, that's what I prefer, but the Lamy s I don't think I can take them out of the house, they look too childish and unelegant, so I'd only use them in the privacy of my house( but I just don't own one, and I'm tempted.), the rest are ok.

Would I miss on anything if I don't buy a Lamy safari/al star,because Pelikan m200 and FC Ambition I already own in a different color?

I enjoy the quirky look of the Safari. I think it's a great knock-around take-anywhere pen. But, if you can't see yourself taking it out of the house, I'd skip it.

 

I do think you'd like the Prera.

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I voted for the modern M400....even though I don't care for the fat and blobby semi-nail nib. I prefer the 'true' regular flex of the 200 which is as good as the '82-97 gold M400's nibs.

 

Both are standard sized pens that are very well balanced posted. Once when pens were used all day, a light, nimble well balanced pen was what was sold. Top of the line pens and even second tier pens had to be well balanced, light and nimble.....or they didn't sell.

 

The clunky Large pens and the metal pens were not in, because they are clunky.

I never saw a Sheaffer PFM....a large thick pen, in real life....just in advertisements.

People who grew up with standard and medium-large pens before the bling large clunkers became normal, know about balance.

 

Either the 400 or the 200 will do for a life time of writing and can be left to your grand kids so they can leave it to their kids.

 

The difference in material can be felt if one has both, if not the 200 will feel fine. It is made with lesser materials. I expect a 200 to last just as long as the 400.

The 140 was also made of lesser material than the original '50-65 400/n/nn. I have two of them and they are very good pens. I have a W.Germany 200, an Amethyst, and a 215.

 

I not liking the modern nib only have a 600 that finally got made a stub by Fountaible. I had swapped the M nib in for a BB, in I didn't know then, if I wanted it in stub or CI. In the meanwhile I had a '50's semi-flex B in it. :puddle:

 

I have a '90-96 Germany M400 and it's gold nib is as good as the 200's. Both are true regular flex.....giving it a nice ride. I have two Celebries (one in steel, one in gold and both =) and a 381, with that era's nibs. (Some folks coming over from nails think 'true' regular flex ... to be semi-flex in the tines move! :yikes: )

I also have some 5-6 post war and 400 & an NN. That are semi or maxi-semi-flex. Later you can buy both a semi-flex and maxi-semi-flex '50-65 nib. If you buy the 400 it is the progression you can do....even if you 'only' buy the 200, those nibs will fit.

 

With semi-flex for shading, one has to match the ink to the paper more than with a 200 which is a dryer nib, that shades well. I would expect the modern 400 being semi-nail to shade well too.

In a 200's nib is springy, a semi-flex nib could be described as springy ++.

 

 

The 200 will be nice and smooth......the 400 because of the fat and blobby tipping might be butter smooth. The modern M400/600 is a semi-nail nib. My 600's nib was only that....butter smooth.

The 200 is a springy, 1/2 a width narrower nib (as all Pelikan nibs use to be) that writes a nice clean line. The tipping is not so blobby.

Mostly I like good and smooth, the step under butter smooth. My 215 and Amethyst are very smooth....but not 'quite' butter smooth. They won't be hard to control on slick paper.

 

It depends on how much experience you have. How many pens are nails.....semi-nails.....and do you have a pen that is 'true' regular flex.................I think that is the 'so called' soft Japanese nibs.

I have no experience with Japaneses pens outside of a Sheaffer made there that I sold in it was a nail, and I have the bare minimum in nail and semi-nail.

 

What I suggest is buying your White Tortoise, and a steel 200's nib. I think the gold plated 200's nib are overly expensive. A steel 200's nib use to cost $27. I don't know what they cost now.

 

I trans-mailed 200's nibs to a pal in England, in there are fools in Germany who refuse to mail outside of Germany. I became very impressed with that nib, having tested them. In I had so many semi-vintage and vintage 400's thought I didn't need a 200. So I bought a 215. Then the W.Germany one fell into my hands in a live auction lot..................then I bought NEW the Amethyst.

Out of my 80 pens only @ five were new.

 

In there are so few fountain pen users, no one would know you have a steel 200's nib on your white tortoise M400. :) If they do...then just explain, it's a better nib than it's gold one.

Edited by Bo Bo Olson

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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Consider 2 quality entry level gold nibs. The m205 plus a $150 platinum 3776. That's about the cost of the m400.

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