Looking for my next pen.

[HeathnKara]

I'm new to the board, but I've found a lot of good information on here. I have a Retro 51 Tornado fountain pen with a medium nib, and so far I've been happy with it. I'm looking to get a new pen that can use bottled ink, and to take a step up in quality. I've narrowed it down to the following four pens based on price and style. Any thoughts on their comparative quality and usefulness for a relative newbie to fountain pens?

 

1. Aurora Ipsilon

2. Laban Kaiser

3. Pelikan M215

4. Waterman Charleston

 

Thanks for taking the time to respond.

 

Heath

[woodwindmaster06]

If you dont have a pelikan yet go with that!

[KendallJ]

If you dont have a pelikan yet go with that!

Agreed. I had a Charleston and the cap wouldn't stay posted. The plastic is quite hard and the cap can't grip it. Also low on flow as Waterman's tend to be.

[Apollo]

Nice choices there HeathnKara. I do own a Pelikan M215 and a Waterman Charleston (Ivory/GT) with a medium nib. The Charleston is a great looking pen but be wary of ink flow issues. Mine is really finicky when it comes to inks. About the only ink that works well with it is Parker Quink.

 

I would say without question go with the Pelikan M215. As a piston filler, it holds an impressive amount of ink and it isn't all that expensive. You'll also be amazed at how reliable Pelikans are. Another plus is that the nib on the M215 can be unscrewed if you want to swap it out for a gold one.

[RyanL27]

Just another vote for the m215 here. Like Apollo, I also own one, and it's an impressive pen for the price. All the standard Pelikan quality is there: piston filler, great interchangeable nib, and quality construction. The metal barrel and detailing only improve upon a great classic pen and add just enough weight to be a great writer. My m215 is the pen I use for all note taking in class, so it's used more than any pen I own and has held up really well. I wish Pelikan would make a couple more colors, so I could add another to my collection.

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

Yes, go with the M215.

 

Dillon

[KCat]

any pen in the Pel 200 family will be an enjoyable experience as long as you keep in mind that it is smaller than the other pens you listed.

 

KCat the Pelikan Addict (all 200s and 400s thus far)

[Leslie J.]

I'd go with the Pelikan. Very easy to fill straight from the bottle, and reliable. It will be a smaller and lighter weight pen though. I am not fond of the Charleston, although it looks great. The nib seems too small for the heavy body. I have an Aurora Ipsilon that wouldn't write at all until I had the nib custom ground, so I couldn't really recommend that off the start either, although it is now one of my favourite writers.

 

You'll like being able to switch out the nibs on the Pelikan, that's a great feature. Stock Pelikan M200 nibs are fairly inexpensive too.

[FrankB]

I will add my voice to the Pelikan vote. As has already been said, keep in mind it is rather small, but it is a nice pen.

[southpaw]

Pelikan all the way. Since you've chosen the M215, I'm guessing that you prefer a heavier pen. If not, the M200 is also highly recommended. (Later you can get some custom nibs from Richard Binder - no affiliation, just one of many happy repeat customers).

 

BTW, welcome to our little corner of the net, aka The FPNuthouse!

[Michael Wright]

I have to say that I am actually fond of my Charleston, though I like fine nibs and moderate flow, which may have something to do with it. But the Pelikan would be the one to get first, especially as it's a genuine piston filler, and all the others are cartridge loaders that can take a converter.

 

The Aurora Ipsilon is nice, but I think you need to go up the range in Auroras before you get really distinctive pens (I'm very fond of my Optima). I don't know Laban, sorry.

 

Remember KCat's remark that the Pelikan 200/400 pens are small -- but they are eminently holdable.

 

Best

 

Michael

[Maja]

Pelikans are great....Go for the M215!

My M200 was the pen that got me back into using a fountain pen so Pelikans have a special place in my heart....

I have an Aurora Ipsilon and it's a nice writer, but I'd go for a Pelikan....

Haven't tried a Waterman Charleston or a Laban Kaiser, but they look nice....The Kaiser is a fairly large pen, no?

[emrecan]

Yeah great pen from Pelikan reliable and good.Piston filling is cool too.And the pen looks like very classy pen.(Actually better than M200,IMO of course)When you turn the Dark Side of The Pelikan there's no turning back

[RichardS]

A lone voice :ph34r: gently suggests ... the Laban Kaiser

 

Allowing for the fact that it's not so much oversized as over-oversized, it feels great in the hand and surprisingly wieldy. I like mine very much, with its bold nib (in fact, more like bold/medium) and platinum plated clip and band. And the nib runs smoothly, wetly and all those good things.

 

Sometime, you'll get a Pelikan; everybody does - it's The Law. But first, why not try something a bit more individual? I did, and never regretted it!

 

Best of luck whatever you choose,

Richard

[inkyfingers]

Not like you really need my opinion, apparently, but I say go with the Pelikan. They just really can't be beat. But I would recommend you go out and buy a gold nib for it, as I imagine it will come with a steelie. I personally prefer the feedback/response of the Pelikan gold nibs.

[Ray]

Whatever you do, don't get the Pelikan!

 

Nah, only kidding. The M215 is the one, although I'll echo comments above about the M200.

 

I don't know the Laban Kaiser, but I do have a Mento. It's an enormous pen and from what Richard says above, so is the Kaiser. Given the relative smallness of the Pelikan, that may well be the factor that sways you.

 

Let us know which way you go and what you think of your new pen.

 

Ray

[Apollo]

Indeed, please let us know what you think about your soon to be new Pelikan M215.

 

http://www.nexternal.com/swisher/images/Pelikan_215_Blue_FP_500.jpg

[HeathnKara]

Thanks for all the responses, but the responses have generated a couple of questions.

 

1. I see the repeated comment I'll paraphrase as "The M215 is a small pen." Is that just relative to the larger Pelikan pens and the Kaiser and Charleston pens? Or is it smaller than your average fountain pen?

 

2. I see where nibs can be purchased fairly inexpensively. I would think that M200 nibs fit the M215, but aren't they just gold plated? Is there a difference in the writing quality of a steel and gold plated nib? Or do the M250 nibs fit also, as I think they were 14K.

 

Thanks again for the help.

 

Heath

[Apollo]

Yes, the nibs on the M200's are gold plated, but the M250's 14K gold nib does fit the M215. I can tell you that in actual writing, the difference between the steel nib of the M215 and a gold nib of the M250 is minimal. The M215's nib is a little stiffer than the M250's, but it's still a smooth writer. Here's a size comparison of the Pelikan M215:

 

From left to right:

Pilot Vanishing Point, Lamy 2000, Sailor 1911, Pelikan M215 and Waterman Charleston

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/CosmicSuperchunk/SizeComparison056.jpg

Edited October 18, 2005 by Apollo

[HeathnKara]

Thanks Apollo for the visual. Makes it easier to see what everyone is talking about.