Need a good pen for beginners

[inky10]

Hi guys.

 

I'm new here and I want to know what would be a good pen to start out with.

 

Preferably not too expensive as i'm a student.

 

Thanks.

[kushbaby]

Hi guys.

 

I'm new here and I want to know what would be a good pen to start out with.

 

Preferably not too expensive as i'm a student.

 

Thanks.

 

First of all, welcome!!!

 

 

You will get lots of suggestions, I bet, but let me get mine in here...

 

There are a number of well made, excellent functioning pens that are not pricey. One really excellent example is the Reform 1745. I have been so happy with them that I have bought several NOS ("new old stock"). They all work really well (though nib smoothness varies in my experience, especially if it has been used before). I have recently purchased several Dollar Demonstrators, and have also been pleased (thought they all seem to want to dry out a bit at first). Pilot also makes some EXCELLENT pens such as the Preppy, the Plumix, etc., etc.

 

I have pricey pens and I keep the Reforms and Dollars in regular rotation almost daily because they function really well.

 

Let's see what everyone else says...

 

(For every 6 FPN members, you're guaranteed at least 7 opinions...) :roflmho:

[Bryant]

I vote Lamy Safari, inexpensive and reliable and come with fun nib sizes.

Bry

[kushbaby]

I vote Lamy Safari, inexpensive and reliable and come with fun nib sizes.

Bry

 

OMG!!! How could I forget Safari!!!!!

 

Yes, that is an EXCELLENT choice to begin. It's a sturdy go-to pen.

 

[Rabidferret]

There are actually disposable fountain pens - Pilot's Varsity line. They have amazingly smooth nibs for tools intended to be thrown away after use (although with a bit of know-how and dexterity they can be refilled). If you have never tried a fountain pen before and want to know what it's like, I'd consider them. A google search can turn up online vendors if you can't find any at your local office supply store.

 

The Lamy Safari is a common suggestion for new fountain pen users. It is a low-cost, well-made pen with good quality and I'm quite partial to their nibs. However, some people are irritated by the odd shape of the grip. I can't stand it, although I can appreciate the many positive attributes of the pen; I'd suggest trying out one in a store if at all possible if you intend to purchase one.

 

My current pen of choice to recommend to new fountain pen users is the Jinhao X450. Made by a Chinese company, they have surprising quality for the cost. Mine set me back all of $13 not including shipping, and it's the best Chinese pen I've ever purchased.

 

Best of luck with your fountain pen!

- Jon

[OiRogers]

There are actually disposable fountain pens - Pilot's Varsity line. They have amazingly smooth nibs for tools intended to be thrown away after use (although with a bit of know-how and dexterity they can be refilled). If you have never tried a fountain pen before and want to know what it's like, I'd consider them. A google search can turn up online vendors if you can't find any at your local office supply store.

 

 

I believe I saw them on Amazon for around .89usd a piece without shipping... so under 4usd if you order one pen, probably gets cheaper if you order more... I have a few of them and use them pretty often. Amazing nib for the price, obviously not the finest pen ever made... I think I got my last dozen of them for about 14usd from a local office supply store.

 

At OP... any idea as to a filling system you would prefer?... Or any sort of price range?... Go on down to the "for sale" part of the page here and dig about, I have gotten many wonderful pens here for very little outlay... and the best part is that the pens are coming from actual fountain pen users who can honestly state "this is a good pen that writes well and performs as intended"...

[Tsujigiri]

Take a look at the Dollar Demonstrators, Wality 69L, Lamy Safari, and NOS Reforms. If you're willing to look at vintage pens, you can get incredible bang for your buck. The Esterbrook pens are excellent, and a restored and ready to use used one goes for about the price of a Lamy Safari at pen shows.

[ateebtk]

when i was in ur shoes i bought the lamy safari yellow fine nib and it is my one of my daily writers. It is a well made pen which should last u a long time since it is made of sturdy materials . It has ergonomic grip sections for long note taking sessions. If u decided to buy it get the 5 dollar converter w/ it so that u dont have to buy cartriges. Buying a converter is an extra 5 dollars upfront but u will save in long run since u can use bottled ink of ur own choice/color/brand.

 

also they (lamy safari pens) are smooth writers.

atk

[Daximillian]

Lamy Safari, Pelikan Pelikano and Waterman Philieas were my first FPs and they were all solid writers. Of the three I'd recommend the Safari the most.

I bought my Phileas from lewertowski in e-bay. I recommend him as a seller.

 

I didn't enjoy my Reform 1745 that much - it's piston was very stiff and it behaved poorly with all but my Waterman Florida Blue ink. It was also rather small. But YMMV

 

 

Welcome to the FPN and good luck with your first FP.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Lamy Safari, Pelikan Pelikano and Waterman Philieas were my first FPs and they were all solid writers. Of the three I'd recommend the Safari the most.

I bought my Phileas from lewertowski in e-bay. I recommend him as a seller.

 

I didn't enjoy my Reform 1745 that much - it's piston was very stiff and it behaved poorly with all but my Waterman Florida Blue ink. It was also rather small. But YMMV

 

 

Welcome to the FPN and good luck with your first FP.

 

 

Put a touch of pure silicon grease inside on the piston after unscrewing the nib.

 

Or in piston pens that you can not unscrew the nib, try sucking up some glycerin and water.

[Gran]

If you like vintage and want to be able to change nibs, the Sheaffer cartridge pen has served very well. These usually sell for $10 or less.

 

A nicer pen, no longer in production, and with nibs that can be changed, the Parker 45 has gotten many through university, too. Probably $20-30 for a nice, basic model.

 

The Pilot 78G has a very nice nib and can be had for less that $15.

 

I use all these and am very pleased with them.

 

Inoxcrom has some nice pens at very reasonable prices.

 

Here are the pen reviews:

 

http://www.fountainp...hp?showforum=34

 

If you'd like to, you could post in the Want To Buy section in the classifieds here. Many of us buy pens from those here on FPN.

Edited December 19, 2009 by Gran

[ExcaliburZ]

Lamy Safari or Parker Vector are both solid beginner pens. I also say get a Pilot Varsity so you can get used to writing with a fountain pen without doing damage to the nib.

[inky10]

Wow!

 

Thanks guys for all the great advice! Thats tons of great info.

 

I'll probably get Lamy Safari after all. People I know says its pretty good and you guys

had good experiences as well.

 

The grip isn't really an issue for me, as I regularly use those grips.

The price is perfect and it's nearly indestructible.

Colours are nice as well.

 

I'll have a look at the Want to Buy section here as well.

 

Thanks

[BillZ]

Inky10,

You didn't say where you are located. The Lamy Safari is a good pen for the price but it uses proprietary cartridges. There is a converter available for an extra $6USD. Extra nibs run about $11.50USD. If there is apen store near you that sells Lamy you don't have a problem. If you want to go the cartridge route maybe something that takes International Shorts instead?

[goodguy]

Lamy 2000

[georges zaslavsky]

waterman forum, waterman laureat and waterman expert first generation which are ideal pens for beginners.

[Rabidferret]

Wow!

 

Thanks guys for all the great advice! Thats tons of great info.

 

I'll probably get Lamy Safari after all. People I know says its pretty good and you guys

had good experiences as well.

 

The grip isn't really an issue for me, as I regularly use those grips.

The price is perfect and it's nearly indestructible.

Colours are nice as well.

 

I'll have a look at the Want to Buy section here as well.

 

Thanks

 

I'm glad to hear you're not bothered by the grip on the Safari. I really wish I was, because there are several attractive points to that line. We've talked about the cost already, so I won't go into that. As a cartridge/converter pen you can carry cartridges in case of unexpectedly running out of ink (assuming you purchase the converter, which you should!).

 

Best of all though is the nib design. This nib, the Lamy Z50, is used on many of the fountain pens Lamy produces (CP1/Logo/Linea, Studio, Safari/Al-Star/Vista...and I might be forgetting some) and all the ones I've come across have been quite smooth for low-end nibs. Its biggest selling point is the ability to easily pull the nib unit out - just stick a piece of tape on top of the nib and pull straight forward, away from the pen. This allows you to get directly at the ink feed for a thorough cleaning, or replace your nib if it is damaged or you desire a different line width. It's very gadgety.

 

Best of luck with the Safari,

- Jon

[welch]

I don't like the safari grip, and I think the pen is just ugly, so consider this:

 

- the nib is pretty good

- yes, get a converter, but Lamy cartridges carry a lot of ink, and Lamy ink isn't bad at all

- best of all, Lamy service is first rate. I returned by Lamy 2000 three times because it would not flow smoothly; after the second time, I joked to Marilyn Brown (Art Browns) that I was going to stand on a stool in the middle of the NY Pen Show and break the pen apart. She said, "No, no...they are good pens and Bob Nurrin, their repair specialist, is a conscientious guy. Give them another chance." I did, and Bob replaced both nib and feed. Now I have a excellent writing L2000. Finally understnd what all the Lamy cheering is all about.

 

I might suggest my dear, old Parker 45, but the Safari is still in production...and for some reason, younger people thing it's a good looking pen. I guess that the "modern" / "post-modern" divide in aesthetics?

 

(Oh, and I have, use, and like the brushed-steel Studio with black-rubber grip. Good design.)

[cpsantillan]

1..Parker 45

2..Lamy safari

3..Waterman phileas/kultur

4..Pilot 78g

5..Cross solo

You can get each one of them between $20-25,plus the converter,and sometimes some of them come with the converter included,as a student probably I would choose the safari,but in my experience the other 4 pens are more smooth when writing than the safari...