Drive-By Shootings - The Most Over-rated Pen & Why

[turban1]

In two lines or fewer, what is the most over-rated fountain pen?

[GeeTee]

Lamy 2000...runs wide, no real FP experience, boring design and hurting my fingers with the metal cap holder thingies. *ducks*

[Akumar]

Lamy 2000...runs wide, no real FP experience, boring design and hurting my fingers with the metal cap holder thingies. *ducks*

 

Montblanc FP. Made of fragile resins overpriced. Boring designs in under 500 USD range.

 

[diplomat]

Lamy 2000...runs wide, no real FP experience, boring design and hurting my fingers with the metal cap holder thingies. *ducks*

 

 

*fainted*

[eric47]

Namiki/Pilot Vanishing Point. Nib is nice. But trap door is somewhat fragile (mine broke twice) and traps ink -- a pain to clean and can leave unwanted spots. Depending on finish, paint on clicker can wear rather quickly. Gimmicky. *runs for cover*

 

[Edit: Added "gimmicky" because I had space. ]

Edited July 24, 2009 by eric47

[Deirdre]

At the risk of being run out of town: Lamy Safari.

[Ondina]

Lamy 2000...runs wide, no real FP experience, boring design and hurting my fingers with the metal cap holder thingies. *ducks*

 

Psss....wanna trade?

[Ondina]

Namiki/Pilot Vanishing Point. Nib is nice. But trap door is somewhat fragile (mine broke twice) and traps ink -- a pain to clean and can leave unwanted spots. Depending on finish, paint on clicker can wear rather quickly. Gimmicky. *runs for cover*

 

[Edit: Added "gimmicky" because I had space. ]

 

Make room for me.....

[diplomat]

At the risk of being run out of town: Lamy Safari.

 

Yes, but: why? It's a design thing or there is more?

 

Ciao,

[twdpens]

Parker Vacumatic. Lovely pen ruined by an over-complicated and difficult to maintain filling mechanism.

 

Martin

[dandelion]

"LE" and "SE" - regardless of brand. A simple way to make something seem special. Some LE/SE pens are indeed special, but I think it is more a marketing hype to get the prices up. Some LEs are series of 15-20 thousand pens and that is not LE for me. I'd say that, for example, the handpainted Nakayas that aren't labeled LEs are true LEs in comparison. I think it is a silly label.

[greencobra]

At the risk of being run out of town: Lamy Safari.

You got that right, someone had to say it.

[Akumar]

Parker Vacumatic. Lovely pen ruined by an over-complicated and difficult to maintain filling mechanism.

 

Martin

 

That is because they are very old. I personally think they are the best pens ever made if we can single out one pen to be the best.

 

[twdpens]

That is because they are very old.

 

Even when they were new they were a pig to flush out .

 

Martin

[Glenn-SC]

MB - horrible writing performance (bad ink flow), cost too much and do too little

[hari317]

The Parker 51 IMHO. I have used many and a few NOS examples too nothing special.

[trent]

Lamy 2000---would be a great pen if it didn't have systematic leakage problems. (In other words, it wasn't just me.)

 

And then, I'd say, backing up slowly with my hands up: the Parker 51. No! Don't shoot! I love the design, but I have tried several and cannot see what the fuss is all about. The lines had a thinnish, ball-point feel, even in medium. Certainly not the worst pen I've tried, but no-where near as perfect as my Aurora Ottotanto, nor as pleasurable to write with as a Parker Vac or some Sheaffers...(Now I make a sudden run for my life!)

Edited July 24, 2009 by trent

[mikerph]

Lamy 2000...runs wide, no real FP experience, boring design and hurting my fingers with the metal cap holder thingies. *ducks*

 

Montblanc FP. Made of fragile resins overpriced. Boring designs in under 500 USD range.

I agree, they are not that special as their prices here would lead us to believe. I have a 149,Solitaire,146, 144 and several Noblesses. I think that some of the best Mont Blancs for the money were the S series metal pens of the 1980's. There were affordable, very hard to damage and wrote well. Why did they quit selling them here?

[asimplemaestro]

#1 would be the Safari or the 2000. Hated the way the 2000 nib felt and the Safari made me gag every time I saw it...then I noticed the clip and...well...nvm.

 

#2 would be the 51. I think they're good pens but way overrated. However it's definitely a status symbol here to say that the 51's your fav so there's that to consider. Ha

 

<run for cover with his overpriced and bad writing Montblancs in tow>

 

 

[Mrsal]

the MB 149 (dont hurt me! i still want a 146!)