$35-$40 Gold Nibbed Japanese Pens On Amazon

[Honeybadgers]

These pens are kind of an underground secret. I've always heard they were in the $60-80 range when people found them, but some Japanese Amazon sellers (not those new scammers that are charging $5 for a Pelikan) seem to have some stock in F and M in both black and red bodies for each. I bought the red seremo in F and black 5000a in F.

 

The PTL-5000a and Seremo are basically identical. I've heard the seremo is a little softer, but the 5000A has a hair better build quality, and the sections are almost interchangable. They're simple wing style nibs, saving on gold, and I expect I'll have to do some tuning once I get them, but I like a pen with feedback anyways.

 

Honestly, these things are cheaper than the platinum Balance, which I consider a fantastic pen. The 5000A is about $35, and the Seremo is about $42. I bought them, and if I don't really like them, giving them away to friends as gifts. Really can't go wrong with a gold nib at this price, you're almost buying a pen at the cost of the gold itself.

 

Link to the platinum HERE

 

Image taken from the Goulet blog

 

Link to the Pilot HERE

 

Edited July 16, 2017 by Honeybadgers

[zubzub]

I have the Seremo, but for $20-$30 more you can get a bold 3776 for $63 with prime. Or another 3776 for $68. IMO the Platinum Century 3776s are greater than Pilot's lineup when it comes to cost.

Edited July 17, 2017 by zubzub

[amberleadavis]

Do they have any stub nibs?

[Honeybadgers]

No, they're extremely basic (as reflected by the price) EF, F, and M (amazon only has F and M)

 

Adding more nib options would really drive the prices up.

[Pendarion]

These pens are kind of an underground secret. I've always heard they were in the $60-80 range when people found them, but some Japanese Amazon sellers (not those new scammers that are charging $5 for a Pelikan) seem to have some stock in F and M in both black and red bodies for each. I bought the red seremo in F and black 5000a in F.

 

The PTL-5000a and Seremo are basically identical. I've heard the seremo is a little softer, but the 5000A has a hair better build quality, and the sections are almost interchangable. They're simple wing style nibs, saving on gold, and I expect I'll have to do some tuning once I get them, but I like a pen with feedback anyways.

 

Honestly, these things are cheaper than the platinum Balance, which I consider a fantastic pen. The 5000A is about $35, and the Seremo is about $42. I bought them, and if I don't really like them, giving them away to friends as gifts. Really can't go wrong with a gold nib at this price, you're almost buying a pen at the cost of the gold itself.

 

Link to the platinum HERE

 

Image taken from the Goulet blog

 

Link to the Pilot HERE

 

Following your link, the Pilot one is only £7.99 and free shipping to the UK. That can't be right... Can it?

[Flippy]

Amazon is gold for 3776 Centuries. I have seen them for 60 as well, but if you want the ones that are from sellers that are fufilled by Amazon, you will have to pay a little bit more, generally 70-80$

[Chrissy]

Following your link, the Pilot one is only £7.99 and free shipping to the UK. That can't be right... Can it?

 

That is a scammer. Never buy anything from a Just Launched "two word name" seller who is selling 341 pages of pens from the US for $7.99 or $9.99 unless you want to wait 3 weeks for a fake Safari from China.

[Pendarion]

 

That is a scammer. Never buy anything from a Just Launched "two word name" seller who is selling 341 pages of pens from the US for $7.99 or $9.99 unless you want to wait 3 weeks for a fake Safari from China.

As I thought. That's where the link led, though!

[terim]

 

That is a scammer. Never buy anything from a Just Launched "two word name" seller who is selling 341 pages of pens from the US for $7.99 or $9.99 unless you want to wait 3 weeks for a fake Safari from China.

 

Yes, that's exactly what you get! We've had problems recently with Chinese sellers who list under the listings we created for our new old stock Sheaffers and Parkers. They offer the pens at $5 in the hopes that some sellers have set up their listings with automatic low price matching, then they hope to buy up all your legitimate stock at this forced low price! We had one of our Sheaffer 440 new old stock listings removed by Amazon due to inauthenticity, and I'm pretty sure this was caused by a seller shipping a bogus pen that they listed under the listing we created.

[Honeybadgers]

As I thought. That's where the link led, though!

 

Whatever scammer was up there has been taken down and the pens are at their normal prices again.

 

I got the pilot Seremo in the mail last week along with my first 3776 (soft fine) and I have to say, that while the 3776 is a phenomenal pen...

 

The seremo is a monster of a deal. Mine didn't come with a converter, but I have plenty of spares lying around. It's extremely thin and well balanced with an amazingly satisfying snap cap.

 

If you like thin pens, the pilot at least (waiting on the platinum still) is an amazing deal. it's kind of a western F, not really a japanese F, but it also is nearly as soft as the 3776 soft fine with the same amount of flex. Really nice, springy nib and incredibly light and well balanced, and an especially great deal if you like thin, pencil-like pens.

 

For faber castell loom money, this is a LEGIT gold nib. I do think the 3776 is a better pen from a fit and finish and overall look standpoint for only about $25 more, but if you don't have that much or specifically want a thin, light gold nib pen that you don't have to worry about getting lost or stolen, the pilot Seremo is an incredible writer and an outrageous value.

 

I'm going to primarily use iron galls (platinum citrus black and Rohrer and Klinger Scabiosa) with the seremo since it's an inexpensive pen that won't corrode.

 

If you are looking at a prera, the Seremo is simply better in pretty much every way.