Advice Wanted For Mid-Price Work Pen

[doctorinky]

Hello,

I've used fountain pens since school; (Parker Vectors, then a Parker Frontier) then a few years ago I splashed out on a Waterman Carene (M nib) whilst at medical school as I was making page upon page of notes. I adore my Carene; it's absolutely the perfect pen but I don't want to carry something of that value round at work. I do however like to use a fountain pen at work as I write all the time.

 

I'm a junior doctor in the NHS, so my pens do get a fairly hard life. I've got a Lamy Safari (Fine nib, cos the Waterman Carene is very broad, but I think the fine is a little too fine and actually I'm missing the breadth) which I love but after a couple of years of abuse I'm ready to upgrade it to something slightly blingier - although of course the Safari will get some outings. I did get a Monteverdi Monza the other week for variety, but it has already spilt ink everywhere and fallen to pieces. Booo!

I write a LOT in patient notes; on a busy day I get through an entire cartridge and then some, so it's one of the tools of my trade.

So, in terms of budget and trusted brands I suppose I'm looking at
Lamy Studio (SS nib, can't afford the flash one)
Waterman Hemisphere
Waterman Expert

I know Lamys are fabulous, but I also love my Waterman to bits! Accepting that this is a compromise pen - a bit special, brings joy when I use it but doesn't cost the earth in case it gets nicked/dropped/whatever - what would people recommend? Thinking around £50ish - am open to other brand suggestions too. Flow is very important (on normal A4 paper, nothing flash), as is feeling nice in the hand, looking smart, ability to hang from a lanyard/clip effectively (NHS banned white coats a few years back so clipped onto lanyard is the usual spot), durable (wipe clean!!).

Any ideas fountain pen fans?

Edited July 12, 2018 by doctorinky

[Carrau]

Mr. Pens Italix pens would be in your ballpark, very large selection of interchangeable nibs, excellent customer service, and are from Britain-largely good reviews, on the heavy side. Platinum 3776 pens on eBay might be around your ballpark as well. A Parker 51 at the right price would be another good work pen, with great ink capacity, not too flashy. Ive used all these pens on hospital rounds for years, as well as Lamy Safaris, and have enjoyed using them all to write patient notes in records, and to take notes during interviews.

Edited July 12, 2018 by Herrjaeger

[Keyless Works]

The Waterman Expert is a really good pen. Easy to quickly uncap and the cap posts on the back of the pen with a click. You get free nib swaps with Waterman too so you can change it out of the size you get is not correct for you.

 

Lamy nibs are really hit or miss unlike Waterman in my experience. I would throw a Parker Sonnet or an Aurora Ipsilon into the running...all have very good nibs and reliability. You could also consider buying a Pilot Custom 74 with a 14kt gold nib new from a Japanese seller.

Edited July 12, 2018 by Keyless Works

[ac12]

On a lanyard, hmmm, cap needs to be secure.

 

You can easily change the F nib on your Safari to a M nib.

The nibs are made to be user changeable.

 

Lamy Safari, Vista (clear Safari), Al Star (aluminum body), all basically the same pen.

TWSBI Eco, screw cap, piston filler.

Pelikan M200, screw cap, piston filler.

Platinum 3776, screw cap, piston filler.

 

Warning, the Lamy Studio is a HEAVY pen, and the chrome section might be slippery.

[Manalto]

I too suggest a Platinum 3776 Century. One has served me well now for three years of heavy writing in an academic setting. The fine point is good for writing in cramped spaces and has been consistently reliable. It has never leaked a drop despite some rough knocking around and only skips when running dry. (I refill cartridges with a syringe to have color flexibility.) Light yet substantial, it's well-balanced in the hand. The red is clear, deep and rich, yet understated. (If you chose blue I wouldn't hold it against you, I suppose.)

Edited July 12, 2018 by Manalto

[Manalto]

Oops - duplicate post.

 

Forgot to mention - the cap of the Platinum screws on.

Edited July 12, 2018 by Manalto

[akrohn2010]

+1 for a TWSBI - either an Eco for price or 580/580AL for style. Good size, in your budget, well-made with great customer service, and enough wow factor to be special without being overly valuable.

 

Disclaimer: no affiliation, customer only. In full disclosure my TWSBI Vac Mini developed cracks on the threads that caused leaks but TWSBI customer service expedited a new barrel and cap for $3 shipping, no questions asked.

[KellyMcJ]

What kind of cap do you prefer, snap/click or twist?

There are plenty of attractive options in your price range or even below- you might look at some of the piston fillers from China these days, PenBBS is making some in beautiful acrylic. They're inexpensive enough that if something happens to them it's no big loss.

 

TWSBI is a very good recommendation.

I carry a Sailor Sapporo and can't recommend it highly enough as it has served me well.

 

You can also go the "built like a tank" route and get something from Kara's Kustoms. They'll be releasing one very soon that has a snap cap and is in your price range. They're C/C or Cartridge only pens though- if you want to use cartridges those are good options.

 

For tough, cartridge and inexpensive, Jinhao has some great options and you can upgrade the nibs fairly easily.

[Superficial]

I’d be considering a Pilot Vanishing point. If you need to write short things often then a VP is ideal because it’s very convenient. It would also be the best for hanging off a lanyard since the clip is on the body of the pen so it physically can’t come uncapped. However, if you write pages of prose then something like the Lamy 2k is probably better IMO since it has a better ink capacity. Both are interesting, refined and luxurious without being ostentatious (if you are worried about that).

 

Out of conventional pens (at least the ones I’ve tried, I’d probably say the L2K has the most reliable cap security, but the Studio is also very good (a very positive click), as is the Safari. I personally won’t use anything with a twist cap to hang from a clip, although if you must, the 3776 has the best screw cap mechanism (the slip n seal cap makes the screw engage a bit more securely. Hard to describe but it works). I wouldn’t in a million years trust a TWSBI Eco/580 or especially a Pelikan m200 to hang from a lanyard.

 

Having said all of that, my favourite work pens (I am also an NHS doctor (SpR)) are my Pilot Custom Heritage 92 and my Pilot Custom 823. They’re just great writers. I keep them in a pocket so don’t worry about them falling due to screw cap failure, and most of my writing is multi-page reviews of patients so the convenience of easy uncapping isn’t that important to me.

 

Most of my suggestions are a bit more than you wanted to spend, though. To be honest for £50 you won’t really improve on a good Safari/Al-Star all that much. IMO you have to step up to the £80 ish level to get a significantly better writing implement (Pilot Custom, 3776) and at ~£100 you can get a lovely pen that will do everything you need.

[sciumbasci]

The Expert: it's a great pen

[Pensei]

Being a doctor means you can use your Carene out of the house!

[Runnin_Ute]

I paid about $80 USD for my 3776 including the separately purchased converter. ($7.50) I bought it through Amazon from a Japanese seller.

 

I don't have one, but for a lanyard use the Vanishing Point may be one of your better options. Even though it might be over your budget. I prefer lighter pens. (30 grams capped is my top end and I am pretty firm on that, prefer much less by as much as half)

[AidenMark]

Hemisphere: a great pen for not so much money. Always writes beautifully. Looks far more expensive that it is. Shrugs off life in a briefcase and rolling off desks.

[Ron Z]

The problem with any of the Waterman products mentioned is that the cap clutch is plastic, and wears, and eventually fails to hold the cap on. There is no effective way to repair them when that happens, and that applies to any pen that has a clutch molded into the inner cap. I get that screw caps can unscrew on their own, not good either.

 

I would look for a pen with metal in the cap clutch. They'll hold much tighter for a long time, and can be repaired if they wear. A Sheaffer Targa has a metal cap clutch, as does a Rotring Newton, a Lamy 2000, A Parker 75, even a Parker 51. I'm sure that there are others, but those are the ones that come to mind at the moment.

[mrwlfc]

The Eco is an awesome option for the price. I love mine. I also can highly recommend the Platinum 3776 if you buy from Amazon/Ebay. I got mine for around 70US, and I absolutely love it. It feeds wonderfully and my medium nib holds up well on all sorts of paper. It is a true workhorse pen with a big, beautiful nib.

[LuisAAbrilRomero]

I would recommend a Wing Sung 601. Slip cap, big ink reservoir, light pen, nibs are usually well tuned, and you can buy 2-3 pens for the price you have in mind.

 

Out of the pens mentioned, I can wholeheartedly recommend the Lamy Studio.

[Freddy]

Firstly..doctorinky Welcome Aboard enjoy your time here.

For your consideration a Parker "51" Aerometric {Bullet-Poof} or Vacumatic

will meet your needs.

Fred

.. a motion to adjourn is always in order.

[Schreibner]

I have two Waterman Expert ballpoints and the rollerball. They're classicly professional looking. The Studio appears modernly professional with it's distinctive clip and finish. I was going to recommend the Platinum Balance which is inexpensive but I think your choices look more elegant.

[Arkanabar]

I am a CNA in a skilled nursing facility, and rarely write an entire line at a time, mostly copying down vitals or meal notes. I carry a Hero 616 clipped to the outside of my scrub shirt pocket. It is an inexpensive copy tribute of the aerometric Parker "51".

 

To write, I pull the pen loose from the cap, wrapping three fingers around the barrel and index finger and thumb holding the cap; I can cap and uncap it one-handed without issue. In a year or so, the barrel has unscrewed from the pen a number of times, but the pen has only come out of the cap once, while transferring a combative resident who may well have grabbed it. Which is all a long-winded way of saying I too recommend a restored Parker "51" (or a pack of Hero 616s, if you can find a reliable seller who won't pass counterfeits).

 

All those recommendations for the Pilot Vanishing Point also apply to the Pilot Decimo, which is a bit smaller, quite a bit lighter, and a little less expensive. Pilot's ink cartridges can be refilled with nearly any eyedropper once you remove the sealing disc, and then resealed -- there are videos on youtube.

[DaveyWonder]

I also work in healthcare and write constantly. I alternate between the Lamy 2000 and pristine Parker 51 aerometric depending on my mood. I also mix in my Visconti Homo Sapiens Dark Ages from time to time. All are basically indestructible, open (and secure) very easily, have huge ink capacities, and none grab too much attention.