Budget Pens II

[pvdiamon]

I've been seeing posts on a variety of relatively inexpensive pens, like the Pelikano, Pilot Knight, Lamy Safari, and I know there are Parkers and Sheaffers too. It would be interesting to see some comparisons among these, and even comparing them to Heros and Wality's. I hope someone has had experience with several of these to write about them, as it's easier to make decisions that way, than reading about each separately.

[French]

I have a Lamy Al-Star (Safari with aluminium body), a Pelikan GO! and a Wality #52. The Pelikan GO! has the wettest line and smoothest nib. The Wality writes a wetter broader line (it is somewhere between fine and medium, but listed as fine) than the Lamy. My Al-Star has a fine nib which has a little tooth.

 

The GO! and Wality are both piston fillers, the Al-Star is a cartridge/converter. The pistons on the GO! and Wality are good, the GO! is somewhat smoother, but the Wality's works fine. Both hold a lot of ink.

 

 

Depending on my mood, I like writing with each of these pens. I'm not sure it is fair to compare the Wality and GO! with the Al-Star, since I paid about $30 for the Al-Star and 1/3 that for the Wality and 2/3 that for the GO!, and the GO! came with a kCAT vial of ink.

 

I would say the Al-Star produces the finest line, then the Wality, then the Pelikan. The Pelikan really seems to glide across the page, a very nice nib on a very inexpensive pen.

 

I hope this helps,

French

[randyholhut]

I would say that of those pens, the GO! is the smoothest writer.

 

I used to have a Safari with a Broad nib, and never really liked it. The ink flow was irregular and uneven compared to the GO!, which starts up easily even after sitting for a few weeks.

 

The GO! piston fill is a plus, too.

 

If you can't get a M200 (or 150 or 215), the GO! is a nice alternative for around $20.

 

And given that the prices on Hero 100s at some dealers are down to around $25, they are definitely worth getting, especially if you like fine nibs. While the 329 and 616 are allright for knockaround pens, the 100 is much better in terms of fit and finish.

 

I got a stainless version of the 100 recently and it is a very good pen for the price.

[Macuser]

I agree that the Hero 100 is a much better built pen than the 329. I also have the stainless steel 100 and it is in my regular rotation. I use my Hero 329 as a red ink pen, for when I need to make marks on a document.

[Apollo]

Pelikans, Lamys and Pilots will have better fit/finish overall compared to Heros and Walitys. That's not to say Heros and Walitys are bad pens, they're just a bit more pedestrian.

 

Personally, I've never tried a Pelikano, but I have a couple of Lamy Safaris, and a Pilot Knight (this is my second Knight) and they're pretty consistent writers across the board. and fit/finish is very good.

 

My Hero 100 Gold is a pretty decent pen for the money and of much better quality than their 616. I have 2 Walitys, a 52 piston filler and a 69L eyedropper. Not much to write home about as far as looks go, but they are very reliable writers. Despite both pens having fine nibs my 69L lays down a much broader line than my 52. Another thing to note about Wality pens is the scent emitted by their ebonite feeds. My 52 doesn't have much of a noticeable scent unless you place it right under your nose, but my 69L was gross. I had to soak the entire section in soapy water, rinse it several times and let it air out to bring the stink down a notch.

[pvdiamon]

I just received a Sheaffer school pen in the mail (red clear barrel, cartridge only, the type I used in grade school!) and am surprised at how well it writes. It is small (4 7/8 inches) when in the pocket, but 5 3/4 inches when writing capped. It is also rather light. It has a steel fine point nib. It writes very similar to my Sheaffer Prelude fine point, but actually seems to glide more. I'll have to use it more to decide how much I really like it, but at first use, I'm very impressed for such a budget pen ($5 + shipping from a Penbid auction). I need to use waterproof ink, so I used a syringe to drain a skrip cartridge, and refilled with Noodlers black.

[rowdy]

Thought I would throw my two cents in. Another good pen that is a budget pen (IMHO) is the Parker Frontier. Although Parker has discontinued them they are still available. I have 5 of the Flighter finish with gold trim.

 

I've only used one so far and they are a great writing, bulletproof pen. My daily user has been in my rotation for 3 years and is still chugging along. The only drawback is that when posting the barrel tends to have wear marks but with a combo of fine steel wool and Simichrome every year or so seems to rectify the issue. It travels well and you can feel ok if you put it into a pocket in your briefcase. Although they are a pen that need to be kept in use as if you let them sit for a couple weeks they dry out a bit (or in my case I've had the ink evaporate). Just flush, fill and go.

 

I'll stop now. Thought I would add.

 

Rowdy

[John Cullen]

HI JUst to add, I have a Wality 56 ( I believe it is) and I would say it is a nice pen for the $12.00 but the Fine nib, while smooth, is pretty fine and unless I keep the pressure really light it feels like it is a tad sharp and giving me resistance on the paper.

 

It is smooth, and the tines are not off and so there is no catching, but there is a definite feel that there is resistance from the paper, which is basic copy paper without any special coating.

 

Not a bad pen but nothing to jump up and down about.

 

I think the Phileas is the smoothest cheap ($20) fountain pen and with waterman you also get the good service, at least in the US you do.

[tryphon]

The Tryphon "Liu" is an excellent deal at 20 dollars. Solid, well finished and a good writer.

http://www.tryphon.it/service/liu1.jpg

 

Buy it directly from the distributor by emailing me at tryphon@tryphon.it

The pens are shipped from Florida and shipping is $4.20 by priority mail to any CONUS destination. We take VISA and MC and Paypal cash or quasi cash!

[tryphon]

Another view of the "Liu", showing the two-tone nib. The "Liu" takes international-size cartridges or a standard converter. We examine every pen before we ship it!

 

http://www.tryphon.it/service/liu3.jpg

[PaulK]

HERO: can anyone speak to their kt. gold nibs? How are they in terms of quality, performance, and durability? Thanks in advance.

 

Paul

[amh210]

How does one pronounce LIU?

 

Andy

[tryphon]

How does one pronounce LIU?

 

Andy

Lee-you the Chinese way. It is named after a character in Puccini's opera "Turandot".

[krz]

HERO: can anyone speak to their kt. gold nibs? How are they in terms of quality, performance, and durability? Thanks in advance.

 

Paul

Paul, I have a stainless body Hero 508 with a stainless nib and it was so nice and smooth I bought a fancier black pearl Hero with a 22k gold plated nib. The gold nib has intermittent dry spells :bonk: , so I'm going to have one of our nibmeisters look at it some time.

 

The Stainless 508 is a gem though and is my main "don't leave home without it" pen.

 

All the best,

[Little Bill]

I'd like to give a hearty plug for the Pilot Knight. I normally use F and XF nibs, but the Knight writes so smoothly and displays ink so wonderfully, that I don't mind using a M nib on the Knight. They are understated in their refinements, though classy looking. They have a good feel, being all metal. The bladder mechanism works just fine for ink refills, but they do come with one Pilot/Namiki cartridge. For those who are inclined, a syringe (maybe an eyedropper?) can be used to fill the cartridges with the ink of your choice if you don't like the bladder mechanism (or want to view ink levels). I own several Knights and love to just randomly grab one every morning and head off to work. I can't say enough about them as a very smooth writing and inexpensive, pen!

[Matt]

PaulK,

 

I have two higher end Heros with open gold nibs. One is a 12k and the other a 14k. I have been very happy with them. They are very reliable and are springy to the point of almost being flexible. They are workhorses as well.

 

Matt C.

[Little Bill]

Ooops. I forgot to mention that I use S.T. Dupont black ink in one Pilot and I suspect that it contributes to a smooth writing experience with a medium nib.

[TheNobleSavage]

I have some Duke Gold Nibs and they are nice and smooth with a slight spring to it. It writes like a medium fine line with a medium ink flow, not heavy and not stingy!! Nothing like the typical steel Chinese nibs that come out of mainland china.

 

TNS

[DRP]

Dux 612 is a surprisingly good pen and recommend it for people looking for something cheap -- and good, as well. I bought a few from Ray Blake for 4½ British pounds apiece. That converts into $7.85 US based upon current exchange rates. That price includes shipping.

 

If anyone is interested, there are a couple of reviews of this pen including one I prepared. I really like the pen and it's hard to beat the price. It is made in Pakistan.

 

Full Disclosure Statement: I have no financial or other interest in Dux pens or Ray's business other than being a satisfied customer who appreciates a reputable business and wants to see good people do well in their ventures.

 

David