What Are Your Favourite Metal Pens?

[SoulSamurai]

 

Anodization is basically a resin powder coat. It's more likely that there's some nickel in the aluminum alloys that bother you.

 

Also, aluminum rarely if ever causes reactions in people because it oxidizes immediately, and aluminum oxides are unbelievably tough and pretty much inert to most things.

 

 

Nickel huh? Interesting. That could be it.

[SoulSamurai]

 

 

Yeah that muji pen has a cheap and gross feeling to it, imo too.

 

 

Well I'm glad it's not just me!

[Honeybadgers]

I have no idea why y'all think the muji feels cheap. It's obviously entirely subjective, but it feels like a rotring 600 pencil in quality to me. The knurling is very nicely machines and everything fits together nicely.

Edited March 16, 2020 by Honeybadgers

[txomsy]

For a long time, the "metal" decision was a major one for me, I had been breaking so many plastic pens that I wanted something that could stand my careless, absent-minded personality. In long lost times, finding a full-metal pen (section included, and specially section, which was what I more frequently broke) was difficult. Nowadays there are so many to chose from that that is no longer a concern. Just pick up any you fancy.

 

I now consider that once the metal thing has been set aside, it is more important the nib. For a long while I favoured nails, and I still love my Noblesse when I have to travel and fill forms, but lately a new beast is taking the place of favourite. It is a most humble $3 clone of the Delike Alpha that I got several to tinker with and give away. I have kept one in the pocket for almost a year constantly now, but the one that excels is one where I substituted the stock nib with an FRP flex nib I had modified with the Ease-My-Flex mod. Took me some time to get its flow right, but nowadays it is an easily flexing pen that never fails to write from starts, and that being so cheap I do not care to have rattling in a pocket with the other clone. The only drawback is that they have a plastic cylinder which seems to be where the threads engage (though I have some doubts) as the Delike, and which on occasion has come out on uncapping. Not a major issue, for it also means it is very tight and does not evaporate or dry, and since these are so cheap I can always take the nib to another one.

 

Still, if I could have done it properly to a 050 unit I would have preferred a Lilliput or Kaweco Sport. I'm still trying though.

[Marten]

In the following order...

 

Cross Peerless 125

Parker Sonnet Stirling Silver

Namisu Orion Ti

[adamselene]

I LOVE BRASS PENS.

 

Waterman Carene

Kaweco Brass Sport

Namiki Vermillion Urushi No.20

ST Dupont Olympio XL

 

 

My Favorite now is a MB 146 Size platinum facet with grest M nib

 

A pen that doesn’t get a Lotta love here except for me is the Waterford Lismore in either platinum or silver, both RB and FP.

 

and the cross Townsend’s. The art deco platinum is really beautiful. And the enameled S T Dupont’s, and a platinum cladded one. And Cross signature and Pinnacles, and a platinum peerless 125 on the way. And…

Edited August 4, 2020 by adamselene

[N1003U]

I bought a Kaweco Supra in brass a couple of months ago, and it has really grown on me. Without the barrel extension, it is a great compact form factor that posts up into a full-sized pen with a lovely #6 nib. The drawback is that one is stuck using short cartridges or a tiny compact converter in the non-extension configuration.

 

With the barrel extension, the Supra becomes a lovely full-sized pen that takes long standard cartridges or a converter, yet still gives a bit of compact feel when closed.

 

The Supra brass also has a decent heft without being crazy heavy.

[carola]

I mostly prefer non-metal pens (Pelikans, Eversharp Skylines, some Parkers, Edison,...) but there are some metal pens in my small collection I do like very much.

 

Diplomat Aero in orange with dark grey (or is it black?) trim

Pilot Myu 701 M-500BS (that´s the black striped one)

Lamy 2000 stainless steel

Sheaffer Legacy Heritage Palladium (no metal section)

Centropen Barclay 1305 in silver (probably coin silver) (no metal section)

 

Very different pens but every one of them has some features I enjoy very much. Even the Pilot Myu, that is barely usable without posting the cap, has found a way to my heart. I usually hate writing with the cap posted, simply won´t do it - but this one is my only pen where posting makes sense to me and where it suddenly is o.k. (after having struggled for several weeks, trying to write it without posting - yes, I can be stubborn).

 

It is probably exactly the difference in material and finish I love with my pens, metal or not. Touching them is just... nice. Looking at them as well. And writing them of course.

Edited August 4, 2020 by carola

[bemon]

I actually tend to prefer metal pens so this one's easy for me:

 

Lamy 2000 Steel

Waterman Carene Contemp. Gunmetal (mostly just for looks)

Pilot Vanishing Point

Fisher Bullet

Various metal Cross ballpoints.

 

I could give an honorable mention to the GVFC Classic. Even though mine has a wood finish there's still a fair amount of metal on it.

Since this post I've acquired a Karas Kustoms Ink. It doesn't write any better than any of the above, but I like it for it's rugged feel. It leaves me with the impression that it's a weapon I could club a charging bear to death with and then casually uncap it to write about the experience.

[carola]

Since this post I've acquired a Karas Kustoms Ink. It doesn't write any better than any of the above, but I like it for it's rugged feel. It leaves me with the impression that it's a weapon I could club a charging bear to death with and then casually uncap it to write about the experience.

Just had to look up your bear club...

As I have been to Canada for a year in my teens, I know it isn´t altogether impossible this will happen one day.

[bemon]

Just had to look up your bear club...

As I have been to Canada for a year in my teens, I know it isn´t altogether impossible this will happen one day.

Well not in Toronto, but we're in the process of moving into the country. So I should probably ready the bear club.

[mana]

I would go for first gen black rOtring 600 but that is mostly due to the aesthetics. I do so very much prefer them lighter pens...

 

That said, there are a few that I really would not mind owning, all Montblanc funnily enough...

• Montblanc WE Jules Verne,
  
• Montblanc Solitaire Le Grand Stainless Steel (First gen, smooth),
  
• Montblanc Solitaire Le Grand Sterling Silver (Pinstripe) and finally,
  
• Montblanc Martelé.

They all just look... wonderful.

[brokenclay]

I like the skinny metal pens from the 90s. I have a Waterman Graduate, a Pelikan Signum, and a Targa 1001, all brushed steel.

[JosephKing]

 

Latest favourite is the Platinum Procyon

[bemon]

 

Latest favourite is the Platinum Procyon

I keep eyeing up a Diplomat Aero but every time I see one uncapped that step down turns me off.

 

What are they all? I only recognize a few.

[A Smug Dill]

Why is the Diplomat Aero in the photo nib-less?

 

I keep eyeing up a Diplomat Aero but every time I see one uncapped that step down turns me off.

I must say I didn't mind the step-down on the Diplomat Aero to begin with, but strangely it seemed to bother me more gradually over the past eighteen months.

 

What are they all? I only recognize a few.

I only recognise half of them; funnily enough, they're the first four.

#1 is a Diplomat Aero

#2 is a Faber-Castell e-motion

#3 is a Pilot Capless Vanishing Point

#4 is a Namisu Orion

[carola]

And #5 might be the Platinum Procyon mentioned in the post.

[JosephKing]

1. Diplomat Aero (nib was being used in another pen at the time because it's a great nib, but I don't prefer the weight/section combination)

2. Faber Castell e-motion

3. Pilot VP

4. Namisu Orion

5. Karas Kustoms Ink, V2 (with an o-ring to keep the cap tight when closed)

6. PenBBS 350 (with a filed down Bock nib)

7. Michael's Fatboy Silencer II

8. Tuff Writer Precision Press

Edited August 6, 2020 by JosephKing

[MuddyWaters]

Thanks for the picture Joseph King. I have that e-motion model as my current favourite metal pen. Tried a cross peerless but would say the Faber Castell is more comfortable with a better center of balance.

[tleek]

I like metal pens as much as plastic ones.

 

Waterman Carene has become a favorite.

Lamy al star.

 

I had a karas Kustoms I liked but I sold it.