The Best Pen Brands

[KCat]

Pelikan and Sailor. every time.

 

My VP M always starts. The F can be a bit more troublesome if it's been sitting more than 2 weeks.

[Matt]

Pelikan

Sailor

Cross

Lamy

 

All these brands are very reliable. Never an issue.

 

Matt C.

[tomw]

Dear John,

 

I'd like to sencond the praise for Lamys. They all work well for me.

 

I have noticed that some inks are better than others in resisting drying out in the nib/feed than others. I recently bought some stipula blue-black and I have found that it seems to dry out more rapidly in capped pens and in uncapped pens alike. I think my now ancient Lamy B/B ink did this as well. In contrast, my new favorite, Sailor ink, seems to be wonderful in that regard - always starting. It is well behaved on paper as well.

 

cheers,

 

Tom

[OiRogers]

To continue the praise for some and suggest another...

 

My Lamy and Pelikans *Always* start immediately, never the faintest issue.

 

Also have had great luck with a Pilot/Namiki Knight series... its fast becoming a knockaround favorite.

 

Sadly, my experience with MB has been about 50/50... my slim line and 146 start right up... my 22 and 342 are a bit balky....

[Garageboy]

My Parker 51 has a tiny piece missing off the hood. I uncap for a minute and its dry when I run PR Naples Blue in it. Any other ink I use has not given me a prob

[Robert Hughes]

I think the question is not important. A pen that doesn't start after several weeks? Touch it with a little water and get it going. Asking a pen to be fresh after several weeks of non-use is about like asking a head of lettuce to stay fresh in the 'fridge for several weeks - it's not in the nature of the elements.

 

Remember the equation: <Anything good> + <time> = <garbage>

[jkrewalk]

I think the question is not important. A pen that doesn't start after several weeks? Touch it with a little water and get it going. Asking a pen to be fresh after several weeks of non-use is about like asking a head of lettuce to stay fresh in the 'fridge for several weeks - it's not in the nature of the elements.

 

Remember the equation: <Anything good> + <time> = <garbage>

 

I respectfully disagree with you. As the other posts have proved out here there are several major brands that start everytime - even after sitting for a long time. I believe this post has turned out to be more of a "poll" if you will and has proved out that -BY FAR- the vote goes to Pelikan, Sailor and Lamy more than any others. And with these brands - you CAN expect hem to start even after long periods of non use!

 

It is the design of the feed system that permits this kind of performance.

 

So here is my formula instead: Superior design = better performance = greater reliability (ie better starting)

 

Also, your statement refers to vegetables - there are many things that actually get finer with age and some vintage pens are a perfect example of this. I have pens that are 80 years old that still write as good as new. They cannot be compared to vegetables.

 

Superior starting is in the design and ths poll has proved these 3 brands have it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

[girlieg33k]

Pilot Varsity -- first time, every time.

Twotone

I've left them for months UPRIGHT and they still write perfectly. You can't get that for 100 times their price.

I have Pilot Varsities that are over a year old that still start immediately. Some are thrown in desk drawers, others stand upright -- they never fail. Then again, most of my pens start every time unless I'm using Levenger cartridges. I also had problems with Noodler's Highland Heather nearly clogging pens. Most problems with "hard-starting" have to do with bad behaving ink.

[Mike S.]

I agree with the praise for Pelikan, Sailor, and Pilot, and agree with the comments that good design and good QC are what we're really talking about in this thread.

 

I would like to put in a vote for Omas pens (at least those made more than a couple of years ago). I have several (10) and they always start right up, assuming I've filled them within the last 3 weeks or so. My opinion is that the ebonite feeds in the higher-end Omas pens draw the ink better than the plastic feeds in so many modern pens.

 

On the vintage side, allow me to put in a vote for the Parker 51 and the Sheaffer PFM. I have about 15 Parker 51s and assuming they are clean and have been properly restored, they start instantly for me. I only have one PFM (a PFM V), so I am not able to judge these on the basis of a large sample, but my PFM is an example of what I think a good FP ought to be -- it writes smoothly and instantly with an extremely light touch, the body is just the right size and weight for my writing preferences (very subjective), and it looks cool and makes me want to write with it. I recently bought a large Sheaffer Balance with a wonderful flexible fine nib that has been a pleasant surprise -- an instant starter, with reliable inkflow, that responds to a very light touch.

 

I could say the same for me old-style Omas Paragon, my Pelikan 800, my Pilot Custom 823, or my Parker 51 flighter. These pens write extremely well with a light touch, they feel great in my hand, and they look great and inspire me to write. (My Sailor 1911s are great writers, but not so inspiring to look at.)

 

I have also had good luck with Bexley pens and I have a very good example of an Aurora 88. I also have several Viscontis, a Waterman Edson, a Delta Dolce Vita, a Nakaya piccolo, and a couple of Montblancs (a 149 and a Jules Verne LE) that have proved to be very trouble-free writers. I have had some trouble with a couple of Montegrappas and the new Omas pens with the plastic feeds (in my case, the new 360, which I simply could not get to write and ended up exchanging for an old-style 360 Vision that works perfectly).

 

 

[hamadryad11]

if it can't write as well as a 10 cent BIC that will start every time then it is worthless. After all - it is a pen - it's sole purpose in life is to write! Surely I am not asking too much?

Sorry, I don't have any new suggestions to add, but I will say this: You must have much better luck with BIC pens than I've had. I've thrown out many nearly new BIC pens because I couldn't get them writing again. And rarely will a ballpoint of any kind work for me immediately if it's been sitting for a few weeks without being used. They're also largely useless in sub-zero temperatures (yes I do occasionally write outside in the winter). I'm so looking forward to getting my new Pelikan pen, because I'd love to have at least one pen that doesn't have these sorts of problems.

[chuancao]

I would have to say that my Pelikan and my Lamys are my best writers. Unfortunately, I would have to say that it is my Mont Blanc that always has trouble getting started. A very annoying problem considering the cost.

 

Thornton:

 

Yes, my new MB also would take a sec or two to start. With Aurora blue, it has improved substantially. But there will still be occassions in which it starts a bit slowly. PS I have a fine nib (which really writes the same as a medium).

[EventHorizon]

My Pelikan with LAMY ink has never failed me and I must say that my Esterbrooks with 2xxx nibs have never failed (also with LAMY ink). I recently started using Diamine ink also so lets see how that goes.

 

P.S. Very nice collection........even though you only have one Esterbrook

 

Edit - I recently added a Sheaffer "School Pen" with a 305 nib (pictured below) to the rotation and I must say it has performed with out a hitch so far.

Edited February 21, 2008 by EventHorizon

[georges zaslavsky]

I never had starting probs with my Montblancs, with my Pelikan 800 and with my vintage Parkers. The Omases I own never had a single starting problem.

Edited February 21, 2008 by georges zaslavsky

[Robert Hughes]

The Omases I own never had a single starting problem.

Wouldn't that be 'Omasses'? 'Omassus'? Or perhaps, 'Omai'?

 

Oh, my!

[MikeLip]

The Omases I own never had a single starting problem.

Wouldn't that be 'Omasses'? 'Omassus'? Or perhaps, 'Omai'?

 

Oh, my!

 

Omasi is correct. Obviously

 

As for pens that always work, for me it's been Pelikan and Sailor. Pelikans may not be the most exotic pens in the world, but they seem to be 100% reliable.

 

[gregoron]

Ditto with Pelikans. In addition, I also never had this problem with my vintage Esterbrooks.

[skybird]

Quote

If its a pen its sole purpose in life is to write

unq

No way at all - for me its sole purpose is to look pretty and be collectable.

Then - if it is not a mint unused pen - I may take it out and use it for a while.

 

Instant starter

My 1928 Big Red Duo even after 2 weeks.

My old 51 - but my 61, if I don't use it, dries up quickly.

[langere]

No problems with my Sheaffers, Pelikans, Conklins, Sailors, and Pilots.

 

I've had problems with my Omas and with my Parker 51 (!!!)

 

Erick

[langere]

Having read through the whole thread and remembering what else I have, Esterbrooks work perfectly all the time.

 

Problems with Waterman and with Visconti, but very minor...

 

Erick

[Bela]

Funny you should ask that question, jkrewalk: yesterday, I managed to write with my father's Parker 51. He died in 1980, and no one had used his pen since then, so that's 28 years. All I did was 'suck up' a tiny drop of water with the pump. The ink it contained got diluted a little bit and the pen started almost immediately. I couldn't believe it.