Trying to decide on a cheap pen...

[impossiblebird]

I don't know where you are, but if you were in the UK and wanted a robust, yet not-too-heavy pen that's also a design classic, I'd recommend a Parker 45! I've picked them up secondhand for as little as £4 delivered. You can get them in plastic or stainless steel flighter version, the older models came with solid 14ct gold nibs, and it's easily taken apart for cleaning. It was my first fountain pen, it saw me right through secondary school, and I still use that self-same pen.

 

Over its 40-odd year production history, although some of the details changed on the cap, the essential design remained the same, so the section, barrel, cap, nib, hood and feed of all the 45s (at least of those I've come accross so far, and I've bought a fair few as gifts) are interchangeable, so if you break any part, you can buy another cheaply and cannibalise for parts. Having said which, I've never* broken one in almost 40 years of ownership.

 

*touch wood...

 

If you want a new pen, the Lamy Nexx is very good; easy-grip rubber-feel grip is shaped, but less prescriptive than that on the Safari/AlStar, robust aluminium barrel, plastic cap now with metal oversized clip, and I've seen them on ebay from about £7 delivered (half RRP). And the nib is that same one as on the Safari, AlStar, Studio...

 

Or NOS the Reform 1745 is excellent value: a piston-filler for under $10. Plastic, but I don't feel it's fragile at all; I belive they were designed as an inexpensive good quality school pen.

 

All of the above take any ink I care to chuck at them, from Noodler's bulletproofs to your Waterman's/Quink, and start up well. (Not tried iron-gall)

[dogpoet]

Can I just clarify that impossiblebird is talking about a vintage Parker 45, not one of the current models? Those are nice pens, but they're quite a bit pricier and go for around twenty quid. As said, though, you can get a nice old one pretty cheaply.

If I was going to go for a new Parker myself in your situation, I'd opt for the slightly cheaper Frontier.

[impossiblebird]

Can I just clarify that impossiblebird is talking about a vintage Parker 45, not one of the current models? Those are nice pens, but they're quite a bit pricier and go for around twenty quid. As said, though, you can get a nice old one pretty cheaply.

If I was going to go for a new Parker myself in your situation, I'd opt for the slightly cheaper Frontier.

Yep, I did say secondhand; in fact, I made a secondhand, brand-new and NOS recommendation. Although I see 45s new on ebay UK from £12 (flighter £13) or so plus delivery, personally I can do without the black plastic dome thingy they put on the cap of the newest model.

 

The Frontier is a fine inexpensive pen, though not IMHO as good as the 45, and no design classic. I see the plastic barrel version now on ebay UK for £6 delivered, or £9 in the SS flighter version.

[lzumpetta]

I have two Pilot 78g's on the way, and I'm pretty excited about them.

 

I have to put in a vote for the Lamy's as well, Safari or AL-Star (if you want really want a metal body). They are great writers that you can treat terribly and they won't hold a grudge.

[haziz]

I might suggest that you not overlook pens that are designated "school pens" because of their ability to withstand hard use, read "abuse." The Pelikan Pelikano Junior and the Pelikano are very good writing pens that can stand a lot of abuse. The Lamy school pen is also a very good writer that you can kick like a football. The nib point sizes are limited, usually F and M. But the pens are stout enough that you might consider a custom nib, if necessary. The Pelikano Junior and Lamy school pen are fairly wide pens with a great grip and nice balance that I use in rather rough venues that are not suitable for most FP's. I can recommend them.

 

+1 on the Pelikano, Pelikano Jr and Pelikan Future pens.

Edited March 24, 2010 by haziz

[dogpoet]

Can I just clarify that impossiblebird is talking about a vintage Parker 45, not one of the current models? Those are nice pens, but they're quite a bit pricier and go for around twenty quid. As said, though, you can get a nice old one pretty cheaply.

If I was going to go for a new Parker myself in your situation, I'd opt for the slightly cheaper Frontier.

Yep, I did say secondhand; in fact, I made a secondhand, brand-new and NOS recommendation. Although I see 45s new on ebay UK from £12 (flighter £13) or so plus delivery, personally I can do without the black plastic dome thingy they put on the cap of the newest model.

 

The Frontier is a fine inexpensive pen, though not IMHO as good as the 45, and no design classic. I see the plastic barrel version now on ebay UK for £6 delivered, or £9 in the SS flighter version.

Absolutely. I wouldn't argue with that. It's a hell of a lot better than the Vector, though...

(It's a pity Parker 25s are starting to go for daft money: I'd much sooner one of those to any of the current low end Parkers, to be honest.)

[Juicyjones]

We should just sticky this post and call it "Our favorite inexpensive pens" cause this question gets asked a lot but rarely covered so well.

[Rafal]

I'd ecommend the Parker I.M. pen. It's inexpensive and very, very nice. Full metal construction and a good size.

[m.gee45]

Are you completely put off by the looks of the Rotring Core? If not, consider it. I have a lot of nice pens, but I have become almost obsessed with this pen because it is so smooth and always ready to write. I carry it with me everywhere with no fear of leakage or breakage. It is not a temperamental pen. I love it so much that I bought two more as back ups since it is no longer made. It looks pretty clunky, but I also think this makes it easier to keep up with. You can still find them for around $15. For what it's worth, my high school son likes it as well. Rotring also makes the Surf, which is a much cheaper pen, both in build and price, but it's also a nice writer. If you want something a little more sophisticated, the Parker Frontier Luna in gray is really nice. And, it writes beautifully. It also sells for about $15. Ebay seller Streetfair has all of these pens. I have had two recent transactions with him and both have been smooth and easy. Good luck with your choice!

 

I'm looking into buying a Frontier Luna off of Ebay, but I'm completely new to fountain pens and had a question. it says it doesn't come with a converter, will I need to buy one separately? If so, what kind of converter will work with the pen and how much should I expect to pay?

[ttakacs]

A high school can be a rough place for a fountain pen, and as such, I have (for the time being) been limiting myself to extremely cheap pens for school use. The pen I've been using most frequently has been a Chinese pen, the Baoer 801, and I have been very satisfied with this pen's performance. Recently I have been looking to buy another pen to accompany the Baoer to school. A commonly recommended inexpensive pen has been the Pilot 78G, which is praised as a very smooth writer. However, the Pilot 78G is a plastic pen, and at a similar price I could purchase a metal-bodied Chinese fountain pen (the Baoer 388, for example), which would make me feel more comfortable in terms of durability. So my question is, how good is the construction of the Pilot 78G, and would the smoothness of the pen be enough to justify its purchase over an equally priced pen with a metal body?

 

Allow me to ask what no one has yet bothered to ask: how much are you willing to spend?