Which Fp To Gift To A Beginner?

[AMlines]

Seeing my return to FPs a friend has now evinced interest in the experience. I want to help expand the FP family and want to gift him a beginner's FP along with a notebook

 

His writing is medium and he will be going back to FPs after using them years ago in school. I am thinking I should get -

 

-A C/C - neither thick nor thin. TWSBI seems too thick.

-A Japanese M which will be smooth and inexpensive.

-The grip has to be round, so the Lamy's are out.

 

The brand doesn't really matter, and I assume that he will get service for all brands in Canada.

 

I do however, feel that the pen should be a nice-looking one. Of course, given the budget (~ $ 15-30) choice will be limited, but I'd appreciate your suggestions for nice-looking budget pens.

 

I am considering the Pilot Metropolitan, Diplomat Traveller. How about the Diplomat Magnum? I am leaving out the Plaisir for now, as it seems a little plain.

 

For the notebook I'll just get a slim Rhodia A5 dot book, which should suffice for a beginner.

 

Thanks!

[PAKMAN]

My vote would be on the Metro

[AMlines]

Thanks. I was thinking that that would be a safe bet.

[Tadeo]

The Metro seems like a solid choice.

 

I used to have one but gifted it to my dad and he loves it. Now I feel the craving for another one

[senzen]

The Metro in black is an easy choice, I have it in medium, it glides; decent paper is also a great idea, you might as well make it the complete kit with ink and a converter. Kakunos are cheerful pens but feel cheaper, depends on what's valued more, fun or a feeling of quality. Preras can also be an option depending on the price, I think they use the same nibs, come in interesting colours but are tiny pens.

 

The Muji aluminium pen is also nice, a very elegant design, my four also glide: they take Schmidt and Parker converters, only come in western fine so more or less equivalent to Japanese mediums. With Canadian winters plastic might be more comfortable than aluminium though.

 

I wouldn't assume any service anywhere, unless buying from authorized dealers, and even then...

[AMlines]

The Metro in black is an easy choice, I have it in medium, it glides; decent paper is also a great idea, you might as well make it the complete kit with ink and a converter. Kakunos are cheerful pens but feel cheaper, depends on what's valued more, fun or a feeling of quality. Preras can also be an option depending on the price, I think they use the same nibs, come in interesting colours but are tiny pens.

 

The Muji aluminium pen is also nice, a very elegant design, my four also glide: they take Schmidt and Parker converters, only come in western fine so more or less equivalent to Japanese mediums. With Canadian winters plastic might be more comfortable than aluminium though.

 

I wouldn't assume any service anywhere, unless buying from authorized dealers, and even then...

 

Oh, that didn't occur to me - the plastic Pilot would seem to have one up there too.

I'll check out the others too, but the Pilot seems to be a safe bet for now.

[Addertooth]

I hand out gift pen sets to co-workers who show an interest. But I try to give them a bit of a vintage taste.

The first set was a Waterman Lady Garland (less than $30 on eBay).

The second set was a Waterman c/f Taperite-looking set (less than $25 on eBay).

The vintage touch is appreciated by some people, and the 14k solid gold nibs on the pens give a touch of opulence which is missing from modern

pens with steel nibs.

 

 

Edited September 6, 2019 by Addertooth

[AMlines]

I hand out gift pen sets to co-workers who show an interest. But I try to give them a bit of a vintage taste.

The first set was a Waterman Lady Garland (less than $30 on eBay).

The second set was a Waterman c/f Taperite-looking set (less than $25 on eBay).

The vintage touch is appreciated by some people, and the 14k solid gold nibs on the pens give a touch of opulence which is missing from modern

pens with steel nibs.

 

 

 

Nice, I'll check ebay too

[A Smug Dill]

-A C/C - neither thick nor thin. TWSBI seems too thick.

Objective measures, please. You haven't even specified a model of TWSBI pen as reference. What is the range of diameters (or circumferences) that is acceptable, and is that around the section or the barrel?

 

-A Japanese M which will be smooth and inexpensive.

They can be, but they are not invariably so across makes and models.

 

-The grip has to be round, so the Lamy's are out.

Lamy does not just make Safari and Al-Star models. The Lamy Logo, which can be had for less than US$20, has a round grip and not a triangular one.

 

I'd say Moonman M600S, but without objective measurements I don't know if it's "too thick" or not by your reckoning. The FPR Himalaya can also be quite nice-looking, and I have no problem with either the pens or their nibs; you have a wide choice of nibs with those. (In fact, I just ordered two more FPR Himalaya pens last week, which arrived this morning.) Some Delike models come with a choice of EF, F or M nibs, and generally speaking Delike is my favourite Chinese fountain pen brand. The F nibs on PenBBS 308/309 pens aren't bad, a little broad for my tastes, but for someone after a "medium" nib I think they'll be OK.

[Honeybadgers]

A pilot metro or platinum plaisir get my vote. If I had to choose, I'd probably pick the metro, but some people HATE that little step at the section, and the plaisir doesn't have that.

 

Another option, closer to $30, is the sailor young profit skeleton. it's about $25, but very pretty, well made, and the MF nib is great.

Edited September 6, 2019 by Honeybadgers

[A Smug Dill]

Another option, closer to $30, is the sailor young profit skeleton. it's about $25, but very pretty, well made, and the MF nib is great.

 

 

Eh, I think you're actually talking about the Sailor Profit Junior there. The Sailor Young Profit is a very different product line, and I'm getting that information from the horse's mouth, so to speak, and not relying on what some retailer in an English-speaking country may have decided to call a product (erroneously or otherwise).

Edited September 6, 2019 by A Smug Dill

[jchch1950]

Lamy Logo.The nibs can be change very easy if he wants to have a different one.

[AMlines]

Objective measures, please. You haven't even specified a model of TWSBI pen as reference. What is the range of diameters (or circumferences) that is acceptable, and is that around the section or the barrel?

Sorry, I should have done that. I am thinking something in the range of the Plaisir grip (9.6mm) or the Metropolitan's (8.4mm).

 

TWSBI Eco seems too thick (9.1mm). Basically, something that does not have too much variation between the grip and the body diameters, but is neither as thin as a Lamy CP1 nor thick as fatter pens from other brands.

Lamy does not just make Safari and Al-Star models. The Lamy Logo, which can be had for less than US$20, has a round grip and not a triangular one.

I missed that. On Goulet and other US sites I see it going for $36-40. Even on Cultpens it's $30.

Actually, I see your point about specifying dimensions. At first glance it seemed like the Logo would be too thin both in the grip and body to make a comfortable writer for me. And when I checked the dimensions I realised the grip is nearly the same as my Plaisir, and the thickness continues to be almost same on the body. Now, I am tempted to get one for myself to check it out - ha ha!

I'd say Moonman M600S, but without objective measurements I don't know if it's "too thick" or not by your reckoning. The FPR Himalaya can also be quite nice-looking, and I have no problem with either the pens or their nibs; you have a wide choice of nibs with those. (In fact, I just ordered two more FPR Himalaya pens last week, which arrived this morning.) Some Delike models come with a choice of EF, F or M nibs, and generally speaking Delike is my favourite Chinese fountain pen brand. The F nibs on PenBBS 308/309 pens aren't bad, a little broad for my tastes, but for someone after a "medium" nib I think they'll be OK.

Thanks! I'll check these out.

[AMlines]

A pilot metro or platinum plaisir get my vote. If I had to choose, I'd probably pick the metro, but some people HATE that little step at the section, and the plaisir doesn't have that.

 

Another option, closer to $30, is the sailor young profit skeleton. it's about $25, but very pretty, well made, and the MF nib is great.

 

Yes, I am having to think if that step may not end up putting off beginner. Strangely, I can't find the Profit Skeleton with any of the main sellers. But, I'll check.

 

How about the Diplomat Magnum? Does it perform as well as the Plaisir and Metropolitan? And isn't it a European company? So, if I want the Plaisir M equivalent I should get the Diplomat B?

[A Smug Dill]

Strangely, I can't find the Profit Skeleton with any of the main sellers. But, I'll check.

Be careful and precise with these pen model names. Sailor Proske — short for Profit Skeleton — is a Nagasawa Stationery Center shop exclusive model. Actually, three different models, with gold trim, ruthenium trim and "antique gold" trim respectively. I doubt you'll find too many US or European fountain pen (online or bricks-and-mortar) stores carrying those in their product catalogues, but JetPens has them.

 

However, JetPens no longer carries the far cheaper Sailor Profit Junior clear demonstrator I think Honeybadgers was talking about.

[Carrau]

I believe the Faber Castell Loom is another pen that has been recommended on other threads-its prices seem to range from upper $20 to $40s and everything in between.

[AMlines]

Thanks, both. I'll keep these in mind as I finalise the purchase.

[SoulSamurai]

Regarding the Diplomat Traveller: I recently obtained one myself, in the "flame" heat-coloured metal finish. The pen is a bit skinny, and it takes a bit more force to uncap than I'm used to, but it's fairly comfy and the nib is very nice. I haven't seen them for less than $50 myself though.

 

How about a Delike Alpha? It's a bit novel as it's a smaller pocket pen (basically a very slightly larger Kaweco Sport for a fraction of the price), but it's a comfortable size to use when posted. It's available in some nice acrylics if you want something pretty, and also in plain metal (brass or aluminium) if you want something less showy. I don't recommend the painted metal colours though; the paint on mine started to flake immediately. Personally I wasn't fond of the balance on the metal version, and you might need to glue the pocket clip down if you want to be able to rely on it, but there's people on these forums who swear by the pen, so it's worth considering.

 

[Brianm_14]

A Sailor LeCoule would be a great converter choice. Nice looking, especially in red. A solid performer that lays down a nice line and which is resistant to drying out.. Online from Germany makes some nice converter pens which really don't get the "airplay" their quality, performance, and good looks deserve.

 

The Moonman line has been shaking things up with great designs, a solid commitment to service, great prices, and very nice nibs. Converter models are available across their wide line.

 

All of these easily top the Pilot Metro and Lamy Safari, which were once my standard "first-timer" gift pens.

[A Smug Dill]

The standard Sailor Lecoule is a ¥3,000+tax pen, so it's unlikely to fall within the O.P.'s US$15–$30 budget. I have three Lecoule pens (and a fourth one one the way), and I like them more than well enough in spite of their only being available with MF nibs, but I don't think the pen model fits within the criteria. They're also a bit small; I can use it in my small-to-medium hands, but I don't think it's a pen for everyone. (For reference, it's exactly the same form factor as the Sailor Professional Gear Slim, but a lot lighter in terms of weight.)