Fountain Pen Brands Yays And Nays.

[praxim]

Caveats

Some brands I have in vintage, some new, some both. I am ignoring, or rather not discussing, that element in the following. Classifications do not mean all instances of that brand fit it. Orderings are alphabetical. Experienced pens only

 

Yay (would marry any, and all at once)

Aurora, Lamy, Montblanc, Pelikan, S T Dupont, Waterman

 

Nay (not my type)

Esterbrook

 

Long term fractious lover

Onoto

 

Love them dearly but wouldn't marry

Ancora, Graf von Faber Castell, Santini Italia

 

 

Well, Uncial has already given as comprehensive an answer as one might wish.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Great post Uncial.

I am under impressed with modern Pelikan nibs .....unless all you want is butter smooth.

I was lucky to have '50's stub semi-flex Pelikan and nice springy '80-97 regular flex Pelikans before I got modern. I have some 15 Pelikans, post war, 50-65 and '80-97. One new one.

 

I have the '50's in semi-flex and maxi-semi-flex....27 semi-flex, 16 maxi-semi-flex.

I do have three '50's MB's with semi or maxi-semi flex nibs. A '70-80's one in regular flex and a modern one with the now normal 'Springy' stubbish nib. That nib has good tine bend, but only 2 X tine spread.....as normal on modern MB's.

 

'50-60's Semi-flex and maxi-semi-flex are unmarked in all but Osmia/Osmia-Faber Castel, so are luck of the draw, WOG 1 in 5 is maxi, out side of Osmia.

Osmia, the Diamond nib is semi-flex, the Supra is maxi.....and the gold nibs are as good as the steel. Both are grand nibs.

If the Osmia/O-F-C is cork, you will have to have it recorked. I suggest someone who boils in oil and bees wax like Fountainble. It is well worth it. I have some 8 Osmia/O-F-C pens. Mine are '30's-early '50's.

[Tseg]

My Pilots are machines, working with all inks on all papers well... with that said, a bit soulless in that regard, with no mystery.

 

My favorite writer is my Waterman Carene. Elegant and smooth and very comfortable.

 

My TWSBI nibs have been hit and miss, a Medium being ink starved but a Broad working very well... a bit of a hard plasticky feel. Pretty cool looking for the cost.

 

My Pelikan M1000 has been a labor of love. The Medium nib was a wreck out of the box... gushing... burrs... singing loudly. After significant nib work, I've gotten it to respectable performance, but the line is still Broad+ territory. It is a curious pen to play around with but not a favorite for serious writing. I'm not sure if I'm trying to tame it or it is trying to tame me.

[Pensei]

Uncial's post is great. Here's my shorter version: Pilot.

[pjford]

My view - and it is only my view, as many here will very strongly disagree. You may disagree strongly too, because a lot of it is personal preference.

 

Jinhao: largely pretty rubbish. You doe essentially get what you pay for and while these can be great fun and you can throw any kind of ink into them without worrying too much, they aren't exactly great quality. They can be a bit of a gamble to buy, but (I may have silly been lucky) more recently they seem to have a better track record. Some of them will break or disintegrate quite quickly, being made of quite cheap plastics. Finishes will wear fast. That said, there are one or two models that seem sturdy and reasonably well made. The 159 isn't bad at all. Overall they usually come in at the price of a BIC or cheap ballpoint and tend to last a little longer. Great for starters and ink experiments.

 

Pilot: Can't complain at all. The designs of some pens can be a little dull, but I can honestly say I've never had a bad writer. The Custom 823 is to my mind one of the best pens made that money can buy.

 

Sailor: Nice pens. I avoid the medium nibs as they have a peculiar cut that creates an odd sweet spot. Some of the nibs can be a little spotty on the lower range, but overall they are good pens. The Pro Gear model is especially good (but only if you post). They can come in a dizzying array of nibs, many of which aren't really all that suited to western writing styles. In my experience it is pot luck as to whether you get a nib that is smooth or a nib with feedback (not unpleasantly so though). Only one, a standard 1911, came with a scratchy unusable nib that was smoothed out eventually. Some of the plastics for the standard range are a bit cheap feeling (but still robust) and some of the special editions (such as the Seasons Pro Gears) can have odd blemishes in the finishes. Good value and enjoyable pens when bought direct form Japan.

 

Omas: Well, it's all about the nib isn't it? They did have some incredible materials (Arco anyone?) and they are generally extremely wet writers. Very beautiful pens, but their piston nobs always make me nervous. Since folding, the second hand market sells second hand Omas' for a price I wouldn't personally pay. But at times I'm tempted!

 

Montblanc: Yes, they are brutally expensive, but I'm very fond of them. Some of the more recent designs have baffled me and it irritates me that some models don't post. Many will insist that they aren't writers pens, but I have at least two inked at all times. Montblanc is never out of my rotation and the nibs are a dream (if you like smooth, well tuned nibs). The standard line up is boring to some, but I like it's understated classic design aspect and it is extremely well balanced and very comfortable to hold. The 149 is up there with the Pilot 823 in my book.

 

Pelikan: Great pens but the nibs can be very, very firm. Some complain about chronic baby's bottom - I guess I've been lucky. Nice finishes, comfortable, well balanced pens. If you can stretch to match the cost the M1000 is a superb pen. It, the MB149 and Pilot 823 are my Trinity of perfection. The nib is heavenly.

 

Wing Sung: Mixed bag, lots of rubbishy pens with poor design elements and shoddy bits but you can score gold occasionally.

 

Parker: They are good workhorses. I find most of them to be boring. I like the design of the 51, but it's about as interesting as writing with a BIC. They just aren't for me, but I couldn't say they are bad pens. Many here adore the 51.

 

Waterman: Again, great workhorses. the black lacquer on some can be alarmingly soft. The medium nibs write like felt tips. Very smooth and wet, but kind of dull. Some designs are a little more interesting but I just can't garner a great deal of excitement about them. Vinatge Waterman is a whole different ball game. The 52 is worth pursuing,

 

Delta: Now gone, but they did produce good pens. I was annoyed by the stupid fusion nib which I think has probably tarnished my opinion of them. Some of the designs have very poor balance and aren't that comfortable for long writing sessions, but they sure do look pretty.

 

Visconti: Like Lambo's they are beautiful to look at. They have their issues, but if you get a working model they are an absolute dream. The palladium nibs are good, but I much prefer their old gold nibbed pens.

 

Platinum: Nice pens, good work horses, decent nibs. Finishes are...ok. Not bad, but nothing really special. I think they are usually priced correctly for the market.

 

Noodler's: Fun and frustration in equal measure. You don't really buy this because of how beautiful it looks though. Creative use of the term 'flexible'.

 

Conklin: I love the old model crescents, but they can be very finicky. New models are fine, but a bit over priced in my view. The modern Mark Twain is probably the best out of them. More recent models (such as the Durograph) have been better priced. The old Endura's are a joy - very fine pens.

 

Sheaffer: Again, vintage were great, especially the old PFM's. I don;t know what the modern PFM's are like so I can't say. The Prelude models are pretty good. I love the old conical nibs, but they can be quite dry writers. Repair can be a pain.

 

Nakaya: truly beautiful finishes but nibs that I cannot get on with at all. My only advice is try before you buy. My most expensive mistake.

 

Danitrio: Incredible nibs, great finishes and materials - a pen that is far superior as a writer than Nakaya, but the tolerances aren't quite as tight. Expensive....very expensive.

 

Baoer: A few quite good, robust models that will last a decent while. Nibs and feeds can be spotty though; again, it can be a bit of gamble buy, but they are cheap. Can't really say I find them pretty though.

 

Swan Mabie Todd: The pens that put me off vintage! I've had nothing but bad luck and every last model I've owned leaked like a sieve. I really want to love them. Many here will swear by them. the nibs are a joy and the designs are pretty.

 

Wahl Eversharp: Nice deco design pens, interesting nibs. I'd recommend, but bear in mind they can be quite small in the hand depending on what model you buy.

 

Lamy: I like the design of the 2000 but the nib's sweet spot just started to annoy me so much that I sold the pen. I still have a few Safari's and Al Star's. Work horses that are a bit ugly. They do a good stub.

 

TWSBI: I've a bit of a soft spot for TWSBI. I've sold a few but never had one crack, which is a very different experience to many others. The stubs are great. The Eco is fantastic value for what it is. The AL is a bit big if you post.

 

Montegrappa: Can have poor finishes on the mid-tier level and some mid-tier nibs can be poor. For the price it should be gold, but is often steel. Nice pens though. I'd recommend going expensive to get a good one.

 

FPR: The only pens I would recommend someone to avoid. Just awful on so many levels. Your mileage my vary; some love them.

 

Lingmo Lorelli: Did I spell that correctly? Anyway, they are alright. Piston nobs are loose and beyond irritating. They write fine. Time will tell how long they last. I donut have high hopes.

 

GVFC: I like them, but can never get hugely excited by them. Great quality, good nibs, some very nice designs at the very high end.

 

Stipula: A bit of a mixed bag really. Some of their special editions look unusable but are in fact very comfortable writers and well balanced. The nibs are pot luck. Not what it once was. Avoid the Splash model like the plague.

 

Netunno: Nice pens, great nibs. Rare to find one these days.

 

Markiaro: I really liked these and the company produced some very fine leather goods. The Starfish model is a little old style steel nibbed pen that hits the buttons for me. Worth chasing down but nibs could be a little hit and miss but have enough tipping to be worked on easily.

 

Ranga: There are lots of Indian ebonies out there and Ranga are one of the better ones. I find lots of the models far too big to use and have had trouble with the eyedroppers, but you can get converter ones which are worth a look. Sometimes you can get unsightly machine tooling on the barrel. Nibs are ok.

 

Asa: I think they might be the best of the Indian type pens out there. Nicely finished but you do pay for it. Standard nibs made elsewhere.

 

Esterbrook: The modern iteration is over priced junk that is best avoided. The old models are fun, easily repaired, swappable nibs - great little pens, but in recent years their prices have slowly risen. Still good value though.

 

Diplomat: Rarely heard of, although the Aero model caused a stir a while back (and quite rightly so). Nice pens, steel nibs that are a little dull, but not bad at all. The little flower print has a tendency to rub off.

 

Hero: Generally not bad. Some old models had weird slightly bouncy steel nibs. Not exactly beautiful, but perfectly functional and cheap.

 

Kaweco: Good designs but don't necessarily appeal to me. If you want something nuclear proof I'd recommend them. Nibs can be somewhat spotty, but they are good about replacements.

 

Edison: Nice pens, well finished, standard nibs. Some interesting deign aspects. I find them a little over priced for what they are (please don't lynch me).

 

Franklin Christoph: Interesting pens. Not for everyone, but the designs are good and they have nice balance and a certain pared back aesthetic. The specially tuned nibs are excellent and the cursive italics are the best out there in my view.

 

Conway Stewart: Good pens in lovely materials. Even the newly revived branding has garnered favourable attention. Definitely worth a look.

 

Scriptorium: Ever dream of a open that doesn't exist? Here is the place you can have it made. Highly recommend. Priced just right.

 

Crocodile: Boring, cheap Chinese pens. They're ok. Sometimes the feeds can make them very dry writers.

 

Laban: A brand that doesn't get a lot of attention but is definitely worth a look. Some great designs, nice nibs and decent quality for the price. Some are huge, but a lot of fun.

 

Italix: Many fans of this brand, but I'm not one. They are priced well for what they are and offer a bewildering set of nib types which make it a great place to buy if you want to experiment. I can't shake the feeling that they are rebranded Jinhao's, but to be fair, the pens I own from them have stood the test of time and the finishes are still flawless which is more than can be said of the vast majority of Jinhao's I've bought.

 

Wancher: Began life as a cheap Japanese pen maker with a most unfortunate name. Have begun to produce some really very interesting pens and have had a number of good associations with Sailor recently. The old makie-e pens they did years ago are screen printed but pretty good and nice writers.

 

I think I better stop, if you haven't already died of boredom reading this. Pilot, Pelikan and Montblanc are a good place to start, I really don't think you can go wrong, but it will likely depend very much on your personal preferences of course. If you go vintage I would say, be ready to get stung and be ready to tinker (sometimes endlessly). When you get a working pen it can be a joy, but you can have an awful lot of pain along the road to it.

Italix pens are not rebranded anything and do not come from PRC or any association with Jinhao. The exception is the 'Deacon's Doodle' which is a Chinese, comes from Baoer and is the disassembled by us, nibs ground and adjusted.

[TSherbs]

I don't own many pens, and have not owned many over the six years now that I have been using them (after a long hiatus). I have no brand that I would avoid; I have found decent pens among all the brands that I have tried. But I own nothing more expensive than a Pilot Custom 74. Perhaps if I spent more than $125 on a pen I would have more particular standards.

[Maurizio]

Uncial's post is great. Here's my shorter version: Pilot.

 

Ditto that!

 

Uncial - I enjoyed reading your post and was not bored at all.

 

Thanks for posting your opinion.

Edited April 3, 2018 by Maurizio

[Pichak]

Love this topic. Thanks for the question and all answers.

[jrhudgins]

Such a helpful discussion, and interesting the comments related to the pen quality and those related to the nib preferences. I haven't a fraction of the experience of most of you, but these are my choices. On the verge of trying a Nakaya..., and getting another Aurora 88 with a finer stub for the fun of having choices.

 

Yays: Aurora 88(with Mottishaw stub), Pilot 823(Waverly) and E95s(Fine), Pelikan M800 and M1000 both Fine, Lamy Safari (EF and Italics) as a workhorse.

 

Hmmms: Sailor 1911 and Realo with H-M nibs--I enjoy the pens themselves, but have not had good luck with their nibs, which are too scratchy for me even after good adjustments. If I could find a nib that works for me, then...; Pilot VP- Again, I enjoy the pen, but the weird feedback from the stub nib is distracting.

[Arkanabar]

I am really fond of Pelikans; I have three (M200, M205, and M400, all in fine). The M200 had its nib unit sent in a half-dozen or more times, trying to get one I liked. This was before I gave any thought to nib tuning, and some ten years before there was FPN. I have two Platinums (both Plaisirs, with 0.5mm medium nib units pulled from Preppies), and I'm very fond of them, too. I have an aerometric Parker "51" that is nigh-flawless, and a 2d generation pen that was my dad's only pen for thirty years or so. I have only one Pilot, but I can recommend them to potential new users without any reservation whatsoever.

I recently got my first ebonite pen, a Fountain Pen Revolution Himalaya. I really like the way ebonite feels, and I'd love to have some more ebonite pens. It has a sort of traction that other plastics lack.

Other pens I have on my "want to buy" list are a Pelikan M600, a Platinum 3776, and a Lamy 2000. That last one, I used to dislike. It has a cap retention spring in the section, and one of the points used to aggravate the pad of my right thumb. But I now hold pens further back from the point, and that spring point no longer bothers me. I don't like the triangular grips that are endemic to most of Lamy's other models.

All of the Jinhao's I've had have been very good writers, though none have been too durable. But they're so inexpensive, who cares? (I paid $5 for an X750, and got a few others for free.)

I have a little bit of interest in an ebonite Noodler's Konrad, because ebonite. But only a little bit of interest, because I have experience with a fair number of Noodler's pens; three Nib Creapers, three Ahabs, a resin Konrad, and two "Nikita" eyedroppers. The Konrad will dry out if left capped for a few hours, to the point that only wetting the nib and feed will get the ink flowing again. One of my three Ahabs drips ink nonstop, no matter what I do. And the Nib Creapers are just plain cranky. So I tend to be leery of Noodler's pens, and don't expect to buy any more.

On the other hand, I learned pen tuning by fooling around with my various Noodler's pens.

Like Uncial, I find my Stipula Splash to be unusable. If the nib is fully seated in the section, the tines spread too much for the pen to be usable. I'm going to PIF it, to see if I can find anyone who hopes to learn anything from this turkey.

Visconti has a reputation of being the Alfa Romeo of pens -- expensive, Italian, and prone to breakdown.

[sub_bluesy]

In my honest opinion, all pen brands are yays. Also all brands will need work the more pens you buy. You just have to pick a pen or brand and ask how bad do you want it? If you're willing to put up with the issues of a particular pen for the aesthetics, then go for it. If your willing to put up with bad aesthetics for an awesome nib, then go for it. Otherwise, have a plan to fix either by doing the work yourself or finding an expert that deals with that particular brand. If that fails, be sure you can return the pen. I’ve had nothing but surprises with this hobby.

[avlisyar]

I've had fairly good luck over the years with most pens that I have purchased.

That being said:

 

The yays:

Bexley ... I probably have 20 pens and each one has performed excellent.

No issues at all and Howard Levy is one of the best people to

deal with.

Franklin-Christoph ... I have 5 of their pens and while the designs are fairy

simple, they write right out the box. Their nib offerings are very

good. Their customer service is as high as you can get.

Peyton Street Pens ... They have their own line of Indian Ebonite/Acrylic

pens that are made for them. They use JoWo nibs and every one

I have (six) performs flawlessly. Terri Morris, the owner, goes the

extra mile if there are any problems.

TWSBI ... I have had extremely good luck with their pens especially the ECO.

I own a dozen and have had minor issues which they took care without

hesitation.

 

The nays:

Stipula ... I have a Vedo which just does not write. I have struggled with this one

for years.

Monteverde/Conklin ... I agree that these are hit and miss. If you get one that writes,

it is a fairly decent pen.

 

 

 

 

[benbot517]

One question I ask myself if I'm seriously considering a pen is who would I buy this from if I wanted to be sure it would write?

Pilot, Platinum, and (probably, never tried one) sailor make pens I'd feel comfortable buying from anywhere, including direct from Japan, in which case I would be on my own without warranty if something goes wrong. I'd feel comfortable doing that because their quality control is outstanding. I trust that the pens they make will write without issue. The lower price point getting direct from Japan is worth the risk of it not working because of the quality control these companies have.

Other companies, like Visconti, I would only ever consider getting from someone like Dan Smith or Classic Fountain Pens (no affiliation) because if I buy from them I can be sure the pen will work because of their independent testing and tuning.

Should it have to be this way? No. But that's the way it is right now. Ideally all companies would have qc like pilot, but they don't, and that's a shame.

[Maurizio]

Just would like to let you know Uncial I liked your long and informative post so much I’ve bookmarked it for my future reference.

[Rubicon]

Lamy

I've bought a couple of their pens, including 3 Lamy 2000's. I lose them. Yes. I'm terrible. I know. Of the three, one was a bit of a dud because the nib was really scratchy. But Lamy pens are overall good and reliable.

 

TWSBI

I keep hearing good things about them, so I got a Vac Mini. It skips. Big time. I don't know what to think.

 

Montblanc

Good nibs and quality control. Never had a problem with them. Their nibs are all buttery smooth. A bit too smooth in my estimation, especially on paper like Rhodia and Leuchtturm1917. But if smooth is your thing, you can't go wrong with MB. I have been consistently impressed with all of their pens. I admit, their design can range from classic (boring) to stately (bling) to gaudy (did somebody put all the precious metals known to man on a stick?). But all of them are presentable pens, unlike a lot of Italian brands. Sometimes they are gorgeous. Eye candy. Then other times they look like really expensive sticks. The gaudiness of MB does not remotely touch how gaudy and ridiculous Italian pens can be, especially the limited editions. I think if you can overlook the price (vs the stingy or nonexistent use of quality material- not that "precious resin" again- and charge a thousand bucks), MB probably scores the highest in my book taking into account quality and design. Consistently reliable, great pens.

 

Nakaya

Beautiful pens. Nibs are not as smooth as MB, but not scratchy either. It's a happy medium. The craftsmanship of the barrel is what I like them for.

 

OMAS

The one pen I had was great. Then it got stolen. No problems whatsoever. Buttery smooth nib. I know they have a bad reputation with quality control, but I've not experienced it.

 

Pilot

I had a vanishing point. It was scratchy. I sold it. Maybe my expectations were too high, but that was disappointing. I couldn't stand writing with it. The sound and sensation of the scratchiness gave me chills down my spine.

 

Noodlers

Got an Ahab. Had some fun with it. But ultimately it was the most painful writing experience I've ever had. I don't know where it went, and don't really miss it.

Edited May 9, 2018 by Rubicon

[pjford]

 

Our Italix brand pens are not sourced from China and are not made by Jinhao

Edited May 29, 2018 by pjford

[Bo Bo Olson]

I had forgotten to mention the Pelikan 200-215 nibs, in it is seldom I buy new pens (215, 200 Amethyst both in M, and a EF for editing in the new Marbled brown.) I do like the 200's springy regular flex, 1/2 width (same width as vintage and semi-vintage Pelikan nibs = to the gold or steel '90's nibs......not 'quite' as springy as the W.Germany 200) & the clean line they lay.

 

In I like shading inks, regular flex in the somehow disrespected M & F do a very good job, being dryer than semi-flex.

 

I really don't see folks talking about regular flex nibs much, so have no idea if any one makes them any more out side the 200. I could suspect Japanese to do so. Aurora??? Well they do have their old semi-flex out under an Up Market type of name, but those are extra. I don't know about their regular nibs.

Edited May 29, 2018 by Bo Bo Olson

[truphae_inc]

Sorry that you've had that Visconti trouble - it's one of our favorite brands! Other tops would be Montblanc (obviously), Montegrappa, ST Dupont, Aurora, Pelikan, Pilot, and Nakaya.

[flipper_gv]

Never ever heard any major issues with these brands:

- GvFC

- Caran D'Ache

- ST Dupont

 

But, truth to be told, the majority of known pen brands produce good pens.

[pjford]

Endless speculation over the years as to where in the world 'Italix' pens are made:

Parson's Essential. Barrel and cap made in Taiwan, nib and feed and converter are made in Germany. Nib cut and reground, polished in UK

Churchman's Prescriptor. Barrel and cap made in Taiwan, nib and feed and converter are made in Germany. Nib cut and reground, polished in UK

Captain's Commission. Barrel and cap made in Taiwan, nib and feed and converter are made in Germany. Nib cut and reground, polished in UK

Deacon's Doodle. Made in China

Freshman's Notator. Barrel cap made in Taiwan nib and feed made in China.

Viper's Strike. Barrel and cap made in Taiwan, nib and feed and converter are made in Germany. Nib cut and reground, polished in UK

Imperium Sterling Silver. Made in Germany.

Imperium State. Barrel and cap made in Taiwan, nib and feed and converter are made in Germany. Nib cut and reground, polished in UK

English Curate. Barrel and Cap made in UK, nib unit made in UK, converter is German, Nib cut and regorund, polished in UK.

Commodore's Credential. Barrel and cap made in Taiwan, nib and feed and converter are made in Germany. Nib cut and reground, polished in UK

Originalis is hand made in England from mostly UK components. Converter is German.

So there it is, no single company makes an Italix pen, we source components and commission pens much like the big pen makers do.