What Is Your Best Writing Pen Under $25...under $50

[zermatt7]

Out of all your pens What is your favorite - best writing pen under $25...Under $50 ?

Cartridge or Refillable?

And with what ink ?

Edited April 16, 2011 by zermatt7

[chupie]

You know, I have this extraordinarily inexpensive Wing Sung hooded pen that I pulled out this a.m. and remembered not being thrilled with how it wrote. I blasted the heck out of it and filled it with PR Naples Blue. I have no idea why I didn't think I liked it! I'm actually kind of impressed with it. All I can think is that in the past I have been joined at the hip to bolder line nibs and stub nibs. This is more of a fine. I think hisnibs.com has them for under $20. I'm such a (bleep). I can't believe this has been sitting in a drawer for two years.

 

ETA: Though I don't remember the style or model number, it's kind of like a Parker Wannabee, I believe. Looks rather like them.

EETA: haha. I had no idea that was a no-no word! OK, how about, I'm such a pinhead?

Edited April 16, 2011 by chupie

[mdbrown]

For me it's my recently acquired Pilot 78g with a bold nib. Excellent writer for under $20! Along with that are the Liangbo pens that I have kept for my collection, very smooth and reliable.

 

Under $50 would be the eversharp Doric jr. Very smooth and flexible nib...

Edited April 16, 2011 by mdbrown

[Jimmy James]

Under $50 is easy -- TWSBI Diamond 530

 

Under $25 is harder. I have a good number of very nice Hero and Wing Sung models. I have a couple Jinhaos I am very fond of. The majority of my Parker Frontiers were under $25 and write well. Most of my Waterman pens that have the Phileas-type body (Phileas, Kultur, Harley Davidson) were both under $25 and write well. I think I'll give the award to a Sheaffer Craftsman Touchdown model I got for $20. It has a sweet medium #3 nib.

[carlc]

Under $50 - I'm with Jimmy - TWSBI - but I do like the Sheaffer 444 (you can get them NOS for about $43

 

Under $25 - a Chinese button filler from the 60s that Speerbob was selling a way back - nice nib for the price (comparatively rubbish ink capacity though).

[nm4]

Under $25: I enjoy my Pilot 78G B-nib the most. Love the stub nib with line variation. A steal for the $. If I wanted a round nib pen without any line variation would probably go for a Lamy vista/safari F-nib.

 

Under $50: If I wanted a pen with line variation I'd go Lamy Al-Star/Safari with 1.1 italic nib. If I wanted a round nib pen my Waterman Phileas M-nib is unfathomably smooth. My TWSBI is an awesome pen but it's not as smooth and consequently can't be called the best writer.

 

NM

[Black Rose]

For me it's my recently acquired Pilot 78g with a bold nib.

+1

 

Of the fountain pens we currently have, this pen is the one that makes you go "Wow, that is nice!!!".

[jdooney]

under $25... I like the Hero 616; under $50 hero 100

[davidw]

under $ 50 - hero 100 flighter ( closely by TWSBI)

 

under $ 25 - hero 616 jumbo

[mongrelnomad]

Under $25 - easy: Lamy Safari c/c. Really can't be beat.

[FlyFast]

My best writing pen, at any price, is a Hero 329 from HisNibs.com. I'm convinced that whatever they do to the Heros they sell is magic. This $15 pen beats every other MB, Parker, Stipula, Lamy, and Pilot/Namiki that I own. The lowly Hero is my workhorse pen and would be the last pen I would ever give up.

My Hero loves Noodlers (especially Red), J Herbin (Terre de Feu), and Diamine Syrah.

No affiliation with anyone, just very satisfied.

[sexauerw]

The candidates are:

 

Best writing pen under $25

1. Sailor Arrow from Bob Speerbrecher, Japanese fine steel nib, quite smooth, $18 plus $3 shipping.

2. Parker 45 from the late Dennis Bowden, medium steel nib, very smooth, $20 shipping included

3. Platinum PN-500 from Bob Speerbrecher, Japanese fine steel nib, quite smooth, $20 plus $2.50 shipping

4. Reform Clear Cartridge Pen from Pendemonium, medium steel nib, smooth as glass, $20 in store

 

Best writing pen under $50

5. Cross Metropolis, from Leigh Moser, medium steel nib, very smooth, $30 shipping included

6. Sheaffer Imperial VIII, from Don Jacobson, medium steel nib, extremely smooth just short of glassy so that there is a touch of feedback, $30 shipping included.

7. TWSBI Diamond 530, from Speedy, fine steel nib, quite smooth, $39.99 plus $5.15 shipping

8. Sheaffer Imperial 500 "Dolphin", from Michèle Bullock, fine steel nib, quite smooth, $40 in person

 

 

 

 

 

And the winners are:

<$25 category - #4, the Reform Clear Cartridge Pen with an Honorable Mention to #2, the Parker 45.

<$50 category - #8, the Sheaffer Imperial 500 "Dolphin"with an Honorable Mention to #6, the other Sheaffer Imperial.

 

But really, all eight pens are winners!!!

[oldjock]

Best writing pen under $25 No contest for me beena Lincoln bought from our own Hari,

this pen is just to much. Never a problem, fine nib writes flawlessly Never lets me down.

I have a well known and loved pen which costs considerably more yet does not deliver as consistently.

[Jimmy James]

Best writing pen under $25 No contest for me beena Lincoln bought from our own Hari,

this pen is just to much. Never a problem, fine nib writes flawlessly Never lets me down.

I have a well known and loved pen which costs considerably more yet does not deliver as consistently.

 

Ooh, I think you just changed my answer. My Lincoln is good, but your response reminds me of the Reform Classico I got from Speerbob. It's fantastic and was less than $25.

[Feanor]

Under $25, Diplomat Traveler, from back when it was under 25.

Under $50, TWSBI.

[bluemagister]

Under $25: My Platinum Carbon Desk Pen, which writes like a dream

Under $50: My Waterman Phileas, which puts pens costing 4x as much to shame.

[monochromejournal]

Under $50 - TWSBI 530

Under $40 - Kaigelu 333

[Joshua J.]

My best writing pen is the Platinum Carbon, the Sailor Desk Pen would probably take second spot. Someday I'll own a Nakaya, but as far as laying a smooth thin line I have a feeling that nothing is ever going to be significantly better than these two.

[pmsalty]

Under $25.00: My Vintage Sheaffer Admiral, $2.50 at a flea market, $1.00 for a new sac. Nice soft nib, wonderful writer one of my favorites!

Under $50.00: My Hero 200a flighter, a Parker 75 clone with a 14K nib. Nice sturdy pen. Always writes, filled with BSB and no issues!

PMS

[jahk]

Doesn't anyone else have a Pelikano or Pelikano Jr? They're the best writers in that price range that I have in my collection. Heck, for under $25.00, I could write with a Jr. in each hand!