A Nice (and Relatively Cheap) Beginner Pen For Students?

[Astrea]

I recently picked up a Platinum Preppy in an order at jstationery on a whim, and I fell in love with the way it writes- I find that the ink seems to flow better from a nib than from my regular ballpoint pens. So now I'm slightly addicted, and I want to try other fountain pens! My question is, what would be a good pen to start with? I'm looking for a reliable pen that I could take to school for notes, and hoping for it to be relatively inexpensive, as a uni student. I'm also interested in trying out bottled inks and filling a pen up instead of stocking up on cartridges, as the only thing I don't like about the Preppy is how their cartridges don't seem to hold much ink. It's only been 2 weeks and I'm almost already done with the cartridge it came with! I've read threads around this forum about converters and eyedroppers, but I'm not sure which one is better or easier to use

 

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[farseer911]

I would convert it to an eyedropper pen. then maybe move over to a Lamy these are work horses for pens, and the converters hold a decent amount of ink. As far as inks I would go with Noodlers X-feather (great on lesser quality papers) or Noodlers Heart of Darkness. Also good qualities on many papers I use it on.

[Spector]

the pilot 78g is an excellent pen for the 8-10 dollar range. You can find it really cheap on fleabay

[irbyls]

I'm a college student myself, so here are some pens that I enjoyed in my beginner phase:

 

1. Pilot 78G - Awesome little pens; come in red/teal/black/green; $7.45 from Stationery Art. They're available from US sellers, too, but they're a lot more expensive. (I'm not affiliated with Stationery Art in any way. I've just purchased there several times and enjoyed the cheap prices, even though the shipping is comparatively slow.)

 

2. Lamy AL-Star/Vista/Safari - You'll get this suggestion a lot. The Vista runs about $25, the Safari about $30, and the AL-Star about $40. The Vista is clear plastic, the Safari is opaque plastic in a variety of colors, and the AL-Star is an aluminum Safari. The nibs are easily interchanged.

 

3. Esterbrook SJ/J/LJ - Vintage pens that you can find anywhere from $25-$50, and their nibs are easily exchangeable like the Lamys above.

 

4. Parker Frontier - The stainless steal Frontier is a workhorse of a pen; I must've dropped the poor thing twenty times! The stainless steel is easily cleaned, although easily scratched.

 

Hope that helps!

 

Edit to say: I said in the beginning that I "enjoyed these in my beginner phase." I am not saying that I wouldn't still enjoy these pens--I just wanted to make room in my collection for different pens so that I could continue the evolution of my preferences. I still use my AL-Star, I need to buy another 78G, and I wish I still had my Frontier.

 

Whew. Just wanted to make sure that no one thought I was downing on the inexpensive beginner pens!

Edited June 6, 2010 by irbyls

[jBeckett]

I honestly can't say enough nice things about the 78G, I would suggest getting a different converter though like the CON-70 but that's just me.

[murfie]

You can put the standard platinum converter in a Preppy. They can be purchased on eBay from seller engeika (Taizo-san). I personally have Preppys, Safaris, Vistas and Pelikanos. But I would opt for a Pilot Prera - medium nibbed. It can be fitted with whatever Pilot converter you wish. Great color range to boot and very attractive pen.

[Astrea]

Wow, thanks for all the quick replies! I see a lot of recommendations for a Pilot 78g, though I have to ask- what is a CON-70? If I don't use a Pilot converter for the 78g, what would be recommended converters and where could I purchase them? I'm hoping to find a store that sells the pen, ink, and converter together to lower shipping costs. I'm from Canada, if that helps any.

[jBeckett]

You can put the standard platinum converter in a Preppy. They can be purchased on eBay from seller engeika (Taizo-san). I personally have Preppys, Safaris, Vistas and Pelikanos. But I would opt for a Pilot Prera - medium nibbed. It can be fitted with whatever Pilot converter you wish. Great color range to boot and very attractive pen.

 

I feel the need to note something about the Prera, if you don't post you pens (putting the cap on the back) it's very short. So for someone like me it's not the best choice. Other than that it's a great pen

 

EDIT: didn't see this post

 

Wow, thanks for all the quick replies! I see a lot of recommendations for a Pilot 78g, though I have to ask- what is a CON-70? If I don't use a Pilot converter for the 78g, what would be recommended converters and where could I purchase them? I'm hoping to find a store that sells the pen, ink, and converter together to lower shipping costs. I'm from Canada, if that helps any.

 

The CON-50 (I said 70, but meant 50) is a converter that fits both the Prera and 78G, they cost about $6-7. If you buy a 78G it'll likely come with the Con-20 converter which works fine but the 50 holds more ink and I find it easier to use.

Edited June 6, 2010 by jBeckett

[iroshizuku]

Pilot 78G should be a good one.

[Jimmy James]

The Pelikano or, if you can do without the clip, Pelikano Jr. seems to me to be the pen for you. The Lamy Safari is also quite popular, but I have never used one.

 

All my Pelikanos write well. While they're a little fussy about the type, they take a standard international converter. The Pelikano runs around $20, and I think the Jr. runs around $10 maybe.

 

I'd avoid the 78G if you are worried about ink supply issues. Unlike the twist converter that most cartridge/converter pens can use, the 78G uses a squeeze converter that is quite low capacity from my experience. It's the worst part about a very good pen otherwise.

[shuuemura]

Get the Pilot Knight. It writes really well, and was the first fountain pen that I treated myself to after the final exam of my undergraduate days.

[jBeckett]

The Pelikano or, if you can do without the clip, Pelikano Jr. seems to me to be the pen for you. The Lamy Safari is also quite popular, but I have never used one.

 

All my Pelikanos write well. While they're a little fussy about the type, they take a standard international converter. The Pelikano runs around $20, and I think the Jr. runs around $10 maybe.

 

I'd avoid the 78G if you are worried about ink supply issues. Unlike the twist converter that most cartridge/converter pens can use, the 78G uses a squeeze converter that is quite low capacity from my experience. It's the worst part about a very good pen otherwise.

 

You're not stuck with the squeeze converter, the Con-50 and any other converter that would fit on a Prera will fit on the 78G.

[Jimmy James]

The Pelikano or, if you can do without the clip, Pelikano Jr. seems to me to be the pen for you. The Lamy Safari is also quite popular, but I have never used one.

 

All my Pelikanos write well. While they're a little fussy about the type, they take a standard international converter. The Pelikano runs around $20, and I think the Jr. runs around $10 maybe.

 

I'd avoid the 78G if you are worried about ink supply issues. Unlike the twist converter that most cartridge/converter pens can use, the 78G uses a squeeze converter that is quite low capacity from my experience. It's the worst part about a very good pen otherwise.

 

You're not stuck with the squeeze converter, the Con-50 and any other converter that would fit on a Prera will fit on the 78G.

 

Isn't the CON-50 the same twist converter used for the Vanishing Point? If so, it's hardly better. I hate those converters so much that my VP is the one converter-capable pen I just refill cartridges for.

 

Also, let's look at pricing (using isellpens as the source for consistency):

 

78G $12 plus what I think is CON-50 for $5.50 = $17.50

 

Pelikano Jr. at $8.50 plus converter for $5 = $13.50

 

Apparently Todd does not sell the Pelikano, but James P at Pear Tree Pens does. Pelikano for $17.50 plus a converter for $6 at his site makes $23.50

 

I can't vouch for the Jr's build quality, but I know the Pelikano is a very substantial and durable pen in my experience. The 78G is a pen I'm glad to own, but it doesn't give me the impression of high durability because it is feather light.

[jBeckett]

I've never had any durability problems with my 78Gs which I admit to abusing in the name of science, or my version of what I like to call science at least. As for the Con-50 there's various threads to be found on FPN about it by itself, it vs the Con-20, it vs the Con-70 and probably all 3 against each other it like my next point comes down to your own preference and techniques, some people find the Con-50 a pain while I've never had a problem with it and find it quite easy to fill completely and now my second point.

 

Pilot vs Pelikan is in the end going to come down to personal preference, while perhaps comparable in quality they are not comparable in sensibilities, personally I don't enjoy Pelikanos at all, again I have nothing against Pelikan but from my own experiences it's not a brand that works for me within the "student pen" group. Of course considering the price of the Pelikano and 78G, there's no reason not to get both eventually.

[Jimmy James]

Oh, no doubt. I'm surprised this thread hasn't already been overrun with the Safari crowd because it is what I would submit is by far the most popular of the student pen-segment options. In fact, I think I may buy one today at the Raleigh Pen Show.

[eilu]

+1 for the Lamy Safaris. You get a great range of choices on nibs, which is not very common. Plus they're pretty durable.

Heros, Jin Haos and other Chinese pens are also recommended, but it's a bit of a pot shot with these and sometimes you end up with a clunker- but they're dirt cheap, and most are great writers.

[HelzBelz]

I'll join the chorus, then - I've been using fountain pens for many years, but I really wish I'd discovered two pens when I was much younger - the 78G and the Safari. I love both of these pens, and mine see a decent amount of use alongside my vintage and more 'grown-up' pens. The Safari seems to me to have the better build construction, although I'd say the nibs are about equal on quality. Everything else I would normally say has already been said.

[wheezur]

For a very inexpensive pen you cannot beat the 78G. An excellent little pen. The only complaint, as noted by others, is that the squeeze-type converter that comes with is a bit small. Pilot makes two other converters for their pens: the CON 50 and the CON 70. I'm pretty certain that the CON 70 will NOT fit in a 78G. I don't know for sure, but I suspect that the CON 50 is not enough of an improvement (in capacity) over the converter that comes with the 78G to be worth the extra expense. So, for the price, I would recommend that you get two (or three) 78G's and keep them all filled. When one is empty, start using the next and then refill the empty one at your convenience. You are probably going to pay as much for shipping as for one pen, so you might as well add an extra pen to the order.

 

The Safari, also mentioned in several posts, is a popular, well-made, durable pen. There are many hard-core Safari fans out there. The Safari is more expensive, but you'll probably have it for the rest of your life. Seriously, it seems that well-made. On the other hand, if it turns out that it does not blow back your hair, it is probably expensive by college student standards.

 

The Pilot 78G seems durable enough (my daughter has been using hers ~100% of the time at university for two years and it still looks like new) but I doubt that it will last decades. If you are going to cram the pen into the front pocket of your jeans all day, every day, my guess is that the Safari might survive but not the 78G. But, who knows? I have no real data on the durability question.

[AtomicLeo]

I recently picked up a Platinum Preppy in an order at jstationery on a whim, and I fell in love with the way it writes- I find that the ink seems to flow better from a nib than from my regular ballpoint pens. So now I'm slightly addicted, and I want to try other fountain pens! My question is, what would be a good pen to start with? I'm looking for a reliable pen that I could take to school for notes, and hoping for it to be relatively inexpensive, as a uni student. I'm also interested in trying out bottled inks and filling a pen up instead of stocking up on cartridges, as the only thing I don't like about the Preppy is how their cartridges don't seem to hold much ink. It's only been 2 weeks and I'm almost already done with the cartridge it came with! I've read threads around this forum about converters and eyedroppers, but I'm not sure which one is better or easier to use

 

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

Welcome to the world of fountain pens!

 

For notes I would recommend a Pilot 78g with a fine nib.

http://isellpens.com/pilot.html

It can use bottled ink or Pilot cartridges. Its cheap and its a great little pen .

[Astrea]

The 78g still seems to be the most popular on this thread, followed by the Safari and Pelikano. The Safari looks really nice too, though a tad more expensive, so I think I'll try out the 78g first- I found one that came with a converter (I'm guessing it's a CON-20? It doesn't say, but I'm assuming it'll work ok with the pen) for less than $8 on StationeryArt. I also saw a 30ml bottle of Pilot ink for another $8, would that be a reasonable price for ink? Or would I be better off investing in something like Noodler's ink?

 

Thank you all very much for the suggestions- I now have a lengthy list of pens I want to try after the 78g I wasn't really sure where to begin and this thread has been very helpful to me.

Edited June 6, 2010 by Astrea