What Would You Recommend?

[wd7512]

I'm looking for a pen thats quite slim (a bit like a pencil), preferably metal, is quite light for quickly scribbling down notes, has a fine or even better EF nib and is durable reliable etc for under £50, what would you recommend?

[zubzub]

What's up

I was looking for the exact same thing!
Here's a list of pens under $65 ($50 GBP)

 

Muji Aluminum

Lamy CP1

Lamy Logo

Ohto Tasche
Faber Castell Ambition

Cheap options:
Jinhao 15 , 126, 699
Baoer 3035, 801

 

[ThomasB]

Targa Slim...You can get them off of ebay for the price you are looking for

[RocketRyan]

Waterman hemisphere can be had for around that price, actually I have one you could buy for that price (inked once) or if you shop around a personal favourite of mine the cross century 2. You can always upgrade the cross nib to an 18k later when funds allow.

[Runnin_Ute]

Parker 45. The Flighter version is brushed stainless steel. All have metal caps.

[sandy101]

Parker 45 is a good choice. The fine nib is decent. You might even get a Parker 51 for less than £50.

 

The Cross Century 2 is another option. you'll get one for under £50 on a deal somewhere.

 

The Diplomat Traveller is another option. Diplomat pens are sturdy and come with nice nibs.

[ac12]

. . . if you shop around a personal favourite of mine the cross century 2.

 

I don't consider the Century 2 (9.7mm diameter) to be a very slim pen. The larger Century 2 series was brought out because people thought the original Century pens were too thin/slim.

 

The slim pen is the current production Classic Century. About the diameter of a standard wood pencil, 8.1mm barrel diameter. That might be too thin. But Cross confused the situation by making a larger diameter (9.7mm) version of the Classic Century and did not change the name

The new larger Classic Century will accept an ink converter, the original slim Classic Century will NOT

 

BTW, for the OP, the Lamy cp1 is 9.4mm diameter.

Edited June 6, 2017 by ac12

[sandy101]

The Cross Century 2's section is tapered, so the section is narrower the closer you get to the nib. The barrel bulges out a bit so it rests easier in the hand.

[RocketRyan]

I have a century 2 and believe me the section really isn't much bigger than a pencil.

[RocketRyan]

Section of the cross is 8.5mm in the middle. I know I am sad but I felt compelled to check.

I'm hoping I don't spend tomorrow measuring all my pens sections now.

[ac12]

Section of the cross is 8.5mm in the middle. I know I am sad but I felt compelled to check.

I'm hoping I don't spend tomorrow measuring all my pens sections now.

 

That is what I did one day.

I took out the caliper and started measuring pens; nib tips, sections and barrels

Then I got out the scale and started weighing them.

 

Here is a question with a twist. Where do you measure the diameter on a tapered section, like that on a Parker 45 or Lamy 2000?

Edited June 6, 2017 by ac12

[RocketRyan]

Indeed a conundrum, on the macralon version of the lamy i suppose at the join. The Parker i suppose is like the pfm... anyone's guess. I do quite enjoy those types of pen.

[goodpens]

The Pilot Cavalier seems to match what you're looking for--slim design, metal, available with Pilot fine nib (which is closer to European XF), US$33.50 at Jetpens.com.

[senzen]

I found Parker Vectors painfully skinny but might be what you're looking after; I have four Muji aluminium pens, very nice, reliable, F nib is thinner than my other european F, thicker than japanese F. They sell for about $15. If Muji only has the shorter version, which you might also like, ebay has them.

[wd7512]

Thanks for all the replies! i will look into each of the pens you have recommended.

[Misfit]

You might check out Regal at jetpens.com. I have the Regal Alice 177. They sell a converter separately.

[praxim]

Aurora Hastil will do everything except your price. Maybe later.

[guyinkits]

TWSBI Diamond 580 EF will get you what you are looking in a good looking demonstrator with piston filler. It's a reliable writer that feels very smooth for an EF nib.

[SoulSamurai]

The two pens I have who's grips are too skinny for me are the Parker Vector (available in stainless steel) and the tiny Kaweco Liliput (which is a little outside your price range at about $60+). I just picked up a Lamy Logo, which is slim but not too slim (for me at least). I found the Noodler's Nib Creaper to be very comfortable despite being quite slim.

 

I think the Parker Vector is the most practical of the lot if the grip is comfortable for you, as writes well, has a convenient snap cap, and mine is quite reliable (no hard starting etc), followed by the Lamy Logo (which also has a snap cap but hasn't been as reliable or as good a writer).

[ncpenfan]

Lamy cp1 is the same size as a pencil. The cara d'ache ecridor would also fit your needs. Lamy is less expensive and you can easily get a new nib.