New York Magazine's 100 Best Pens

[Antenociticus]

http://nymag.com/strategist/article/best-pens-gel-ballpoint-rollerball-felt-fountain.html#20

 

New York magazine's list of the 100 best pens is surely of interest for discussion.

 

OK, it's not an exclusively fountain pen list. In fact, 85 of the writing implements ranked here fall into the "it writes but ..." category.

 

On the 15 fountain pens, the writer displays a profound cluelessness.

 

She seems unaware that you can change ink colours (on the Pelikan P40: "The blue ink looks almost purple, and it, too, has a watercolor-y aspect.") or choose among nib sizes (on the Platinum 3776 at No.86: "This fountain pen has a very thick nib and line"; Peilikan M200: "this one has a finer point than the other ones I tested"; Parker Sonnet: "The Parker Sonnet fountain pen has a thick nib that yields a thick stream of ink that’s quite consistent.").

 

When writing about the Sailor Pro Gear Slim she even seems unaware that it isn't only available in black. "The nib feels a little draggy and scratchy across the paper," she observes of the famous Sailor toothiness, "but that seems common of fountain pens." She adds: "Smudging is a problem, but because it’s a fountain pen, it may require more time for the ink to dry." With smudging and skipping, she has not twigged that it might have something to do with the ink, which is turn independent of the pen. (They are at least consistent in testing all the pens on the same Muji paper, though they don't tell you which Muji paper.)

 

The Kaweco Sport creeps in at No.5, second-highest ranking for a fountain pen. Trouble is, the heading is Kaweco Classic Sport, the picture is of the basic black plastic version, and it's priced at $24. But the review is of the considerably more expensive Kaweco BRASS Sport (wrongly identified as the "Kaweco Classic Sport Brass"). And it's as clueless as all the other reviews: "There is no bleed-through. It is also one of the only fountain pens that somehow doesn’t smudge."

 

FWIW, the No.1 pen is the Baron Fig Squire.

 

 

 

 

[Mech-for-i]

In short a writer writing about something she actually had not enough experience nor knowledge about and it seems also she had not done her background research and are not consulting someone who might actually help .. so typical of todays' media content creators unfortunately ; and the best fountain pen goes to ... ah ... Aurora Ipsilon .. Ok I would admit the pen is not bad, but its certainly far from the best

Edited November 23, 2018 by Mech-for-i

[ParkerDuofold]

Hi all,

 

What a bombastic piece of yellow journalism... this is an outrage... ... a rollerball!!

 

Afterall, everyone here already knows that the best pen in the world is the L2K.

 

Be well all... and enjoy life... and your mediocre, non-number one pens.

 

 

- Anthony

[Maurizio]

In short a writer writing about something she actually had not enough experience nor knowledge about and it seems also she had not done her background research and are not consulting someone who might actually help .. so typical of todays' media content creators unfortunately ; and the best fountain pen goes to ... ah ... Aurora Ipsilon .. Ok I would admit the pen is not bad, but its certainly far from the best

Agree - a writer writing a piece about which she apparently has minimal direct knowledge, has done poor research about, and published by editors equally clueless about the subject.

[Antenociticus]

In short a writer writing about something she actually had not enough experience nor knowledge about and it seems also she had not done her background research and are not consulting someone who might actually help .. so typical of todays' media content creators unfortunately ; and the best fountain pen goes to ... ah ... Aurora Ipsilon .. Ok I would admit the pen is not bad, but its certainly far from the best

 

I guess they wanted the "everyman" angle – the experience of the ordinary person, as opposed to enthusiasts such as us lot. Still, it doesn't seem much to ask for them to figure out what a fountain pen actually is and does.

Edited November 23, 2018 by Antenociticus

[ParkerDuofold]

Hi all,

 

Just to follow-up... I suppose we should be thankful that fountain pens were included at all... and that several made the cut... considering most people do not know they're still being made... except for perhaps Montblanc's.

 

Be well all... thanks for posting this, Antenociticus.

 

 

- Anthony

 

 

P.S.: Ironically, I've never heard of the Number #1 pen's brand until now.

[Antenociticus]

 

Be well all... thanks for posting this, Antenociticus.

 

 

You are most welcome.

[Mulrich]

It the writers defense, it took me a couple years of watching a lot of videos and buying a lot of pens before I knew characteristics of good fountain pens and which I consider the top models. It seems obvious that the writer had a very superficial knowledge of fountain pens; hopefully next years list will be more informed.

[A Smug Dill]

In short a writer writing about something she actually had not enough experience nor knowledge about and it seems also she had not done her background research and are not consulting someone who might actually help

I'd say that's the 'joy' or 'licence' of being the author of an opinion piece published in a 'journal' notwithstanding as opposed to an investigative journalist. It also bears remembering that the folks who are passionate about some subject X, and may even be exceptionally knowledgeable about X, are (and ought to be regarded as) a minority among the readership, and whose views and sentiments cannot be considered representative of the broader 'community' and society, much less authoritative on the subject.

 

If ever you fancy yourself part of a group of enthusiasts/aficionados/devotees that sees such writers, readers of their articles, and others as 'outsiders', then keep repeating the mantra, "This is a democracy, and in that regard I'm a member of a minority."

 

I say so as someone who spent more time, money and effort on this hobby than at least 90% of the population (and, say, 90% of New York Magazine's readership).

 

I suppose we should be thankful that fountain pens were included at all... and that several made the cut... considering most people do not know they're still being made... except for perhaps Montblanc's.

Exactly. There is no reason to imagine why our particular pursuits and preferences ought to be elevated to something in the mainstream, let alone something that compares favourably to other things in the mainstream.

 

Edit: fixed typos

Edited November 23, 2018 by A Smug Dill

[Mongoosey]

Yes, this is a list I do not take seriously and I do use ballpoints and gel pens along with my fountain pens.

 

It's looks to be about a weeks worth of research by an ignoramus. OK, that's harsh... two weeks worth.

[mitto]

Hi all,

 

What a bombastic piece of yellow journalism... :

 

Afterall, everyone here already knows that the best pen in the world is the L2K.

 

 

 

 

- Anthony

No. It isn't. It is Parker 51.

[praxim]

No. It isn't. It is Parker 51.

 

Superseded, obviously, by the Aurora 88.

[Mongoosey]

 

Superseded, obviously, by the Aurora 88.

+1 on the aurora 88,

 

But you know that author doesn't know what they're talking about if they haven't included the Lamy 2k, which is at least still in production and on the relatively more affordable side.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Well I imagine, that woman....will have a 'Been There, Done That' T-shirt &...back to ball points the rest of her life.

[bobje]

In defense of the team that produced this piece they employed a systematic methodology of testing; they are transparent with their method and biases; they perform a service designed to help online shoppers; they are writers who use these products regularly; they consulted with experts, many of whom we know; and they are clearly focused on everyday writing tools for everyone, not just for fountain pen enthusiasts. I am thankful for the teams who perform service journalism like this, because I do not have the time or resources to systematically test 10 rice cookers.

 

Their methodology is clearly indicated:

 

We consulted a panel of experts, picked through personal favorites, and mined our own pen coverage to determine the top contenders. Then we called in and tested dozens upon dozens of gels, rollerballs, felt-tips, ballpoints, and fountain pens, and put them to the test. The resulting list is a ranking of the top 100 pens, according to Strategist editors and writers. One note: A lot of what makes one pen better than another is completely subjective. Some of us prefer a finer line and some of us a thicker one (even within the Strategists ranks, there is dissent). One persons beautiful pen might be no more than inoffensive to another. The finer the point, the scratchier its likely to be. And if you disagree (or have a favorite we missed), share it in the comments we just might test it when we update this list in the future.

 

Candidates

 

Before we started testing pens, we did a wide sweep to determine which ones would make the list. We trawled through our own archive, looking for pens favored by highly opinionated people like André Aciman and Curtis Sittenfeld, pens from around the world, writers and illustrators favorite pens, and even the best-reviewed pens on Amazon. Then we branched out and consulted pen bloggers like Ed Jelley, Jessica Chung of Pretty Prints & Paper, and Ana Reinert of The Well-Appointed Desk; pen shop proprietors like Brian Goluet of The Goulet Pen Company, Elaine Ku of JetPens, and David Cole of Pen Heaven; and even ballpoint-pen artists Rafael Augusto and Nathan Lorenzana, who use the humble tool to create intricate works of art often on Instagram.

[Parker51]

I'd say that's the 'joy' or 'licence' of being the author of an opinion piece published in a 'journal' notwithstanding as opposed to an investigative journalist. It also bears remembering that the folks who are passionate about some subject X, and may even be exceptionally knowledgeable about X, are (and ought to be regarded as) a minority among the readership, and whose views and sentiments cannot be considered representative of the broader 'community' and society, much less authoritative on the subject.If even you fancy yourself part of a group of enthusiasts/aficionados/devotees that sees such writers, readers of their articles, and others s 'outsiders', then keep repeating the mantra, "This is a democracy, and in that regard I'm a member of a minority."I say so as someone who spent more time, money and effort on this hobby than at least 90% of the population (an, say, 90% of New York Magazine's readership).Exactly. There is no reason to imagine why our particular pursuits and preferences ought to be elevated to something in the mainstream, let alone something that compares favourably to other things in the mainstream.

I understand your comments, however, it does appear that the writers were typical of most newspaper and magazine writers I have met and known. Their passion is in the writing and they do not have a great passion for research, nor do they typically have any particularly all encompassing analytical capabilities. That is why they are working scribes. They are willing to work for low wages, long hours for little acclaim and recognition, often placing themselves in unpleasant situations and sometimes danger. Journalists do us all a great favor, but they typically throughout history only penetrate the skin of a subject. You can look at journalism throughout history and ask yourself, how could so many journalist throughout so much of history missed so much? The answer was and is deadlines. This was as indicated, not a peice of long term investigative journalism. And the writers likely are of about average in regard to research; that of a typical careful shopper, not a Scientist.

That said, I personally have never fired a firearm; be it gunpowder, or smokeless powder, be it a hand gun, long gun, cannon; howitzer, smooth bore, Napoleon, high velocity, quick firing; ack ack, pom pom, externally powered; chain, coffe mill, Gatling; Vulcan or any other type, but I can describe them all in detail and many, many more. I have the vocabulary and analytical capabilities to have a detailed conversation about that field and many, many others. In fact I likely can pass in English as at least a knowledgeable novice in most hobby or areas of hobby like interest. You gentle reader may be the same. I have noticed this to be the case of many participants in this hobby. So, please remember that the poor writer is likely a regular person, not like you or me. Thank them for their work, offer to help them gain more knowledge. Be glad you don't have their largely thankless job where each time they stick their nose into any subject and write about it they annoy some people who for a variety of reasons know a whole lot more than they do about it.

Edited November 23, 2018 by Parker51

[Parker51]

To be brief, please, lighten up everybody.

Edited November 23, 2018 by Parker51

[putteringpenman]

Be well all... and enjoy life... and your mediocre, non-number one pens.

 

Great perspective

[A Smug Dill]

So, please remember that the poor writer is likely a regular person, not like you or me. Thank them for their work, offer to help them gain more knowledge.

I don't think they ought (or need) to be either excused or understood by hobbyists "like you or me", because they haven't done anything to wrong anyone.

 

Nobody – in the general population, or in the community (however one chooses to define his/her "community"), or in a position or role in the media to communicate to a large number of other members of the public – needs to agree with one's personal or professional opinions. We cannot and should not demand that others validate our views or vindicate our sentiments on any subject; and, the more strongly we feel about something, the more we should take pride that we're in a minority and others don't think or feel like we do. I certainly don't think there is any reason or obligation to either "educate" others, or want others to be "educated", with an implied goal of aligning them with our views and positions – i.e. try to change them, instead of changing ourselves, in the name of seeking consensus.

 

If someone is less "knowledgeable" than ourselves, and therefore they (openly or otherwise) disagree with our views on a subject, let them.

 

If someone is knowledgeable – perhaps more knowledgeable than ourselves, or at least they see it that way – and (openly or otherwise) disagree with our views on a subject, good for them.

 

Why do we want or care that these writers/journalists, and anyone who may be influenced by their published opinions, don't agree with 'us' – especially when 'we' don't, can't, won't (and probably shouldn't) agree among ourselves? There is no prize and no advantage in making our value assessments of which pens are good a mainstream thing.

[Antenociticus]

Well, I work in books and magazines and I've put together plenty of "service pieces". I don't really care whether people's opinions are different than mine, on this subject or any other outside the political sphere, though if you're going to follow someone's advice, it helps if that advice is well-informed. And this list is a laughably shoddy piece of work. Maybe it was simply too ambitious for their time scale; the mix-up about Kaweco seems evidence of hurry.