Very Cheap Pen For A College Student (<$20)

[celesul]

So, I suspect that the price means a Chinese pen is my best bet. I haven't been spoiled by anything expensive yet, so my tastes are hardly refined enough for me to care to spend more. I have two pens so far: one very scratchy annoying Hero pen (from a pack of 10 that a friend had) and a Bookworm 709 that I got from hisnibs. The Bookworm pen writes very smoothly and is gorgeous, but is both too small for long note taking sessions where I am forced to keep pace with a fast talking professor to be comfortable, and a bit too flashy for the classroom. It is absolutely perfect for journal writing, which is what I intended it for anyway.

 

I'll be much too busy to fool around with adjusting an uncooperative pen (which I've got one of anyway), so should I order something from hisnibs, on the basis that his adjustments will prevent the scratchiness and finickiness that my Hero pen exhibits and my Bookworm doesn't? What pen would be quite light but also big enough to be comfortable for frantic note taking? I have rather small hands, so I'm not looking for anything enormous, but I do find slightly chunkier pens more ergonomic for extended use. I suspect I'd also appreciate a hooded nib, if possible, to prevent the ink from drying during pauses in note taking. A fine nib is also good. I also want it for use with bottled ink, and if it requires a converter, would factor that into the cost of the pen. I really like the piston filler on the Bookworm 709. The Hero I have uses a squeeze filler thing, and I don't like that one very much. Among other things, it doesn't seem to pick up much ink, and I cannot ever tell how much it has. With the Bookworm, it is obvious. Would a Hero 616 be appropriate? A Bookworm 702 is flashier, but looks comfortable and uses a piston filler, which I prefer. So does the Uranus 621 and the Uranus Harlequin. I think I'm most interested in hearing about people's experiences with the Bookworm 702, the Uranus 621, and the Uranus Harlequin. The Uranus pens also look suitably casual for a classroom.

 

Many thanks!

[winterwings]

Maybe try a jumbo sized 616? Uses a squeeze filler, though.

I enjoy my 78G, from StationaryArts - I got it for only 7.45. Pretty sure this uses a squeeze filler, though.

I was 'paid it forward' a Wing Sung 233 a couple of months ago, and then went and bought a few on eBay, because I think they're great. It uses a squeeze filler too, though.

[KrazyIvan]

+1 on the 616. It should be the defacto inexpensive pen on everybody's list. As long as it is a real one you are good.

Edited September 13, 2011 by KrazyIvan

[hbquikcomjamesl]

Or a Pirre Paul's. C/C, and it won't hold 2 short-internationals back-to-back, but it comes with a converter.

[bekki2308]

Parker Jotter/15 if you can get hold of one :-)

 

I used one for uni for two years and its not scratchy and for the price (I am in the uk and it cost me £10 thats about $15) it is perfect and one of the best pens I own :-)

[Danist]

In college, I used Parker Vectors as my knock-around, toss-in-bag, and general-abuse pens. You can probably find a couple in your price range online. Mine took a lot of abuse. The cap seals better than my Chinese knock-arounds (below), so you don't have to worry about it while it sits in your bag over vacation -- it'll still write when you get back. They are also easy to clean, and converters are available for bottled ink (the Parker refills are also easy to refill with a blunt ink syringe).

 

In the office, the Hero 616, 007, and 266 are my knock-around pens. However, when I don't use the smaller Heros (007 and 266) daily, they tend to dry out too quickly when capped. The Vectors don't have that problem.

 

Also, in general, with a cartridge-converter pen, you can carry a couple cartridges (in a ziplock baggie, I'd recommend) for an out-of-ink emergency... rather than carrying around a bottle and attempting to fill a faux-aerometric on a tiny little lecture hall desk. Spilling a bottle of iron gall on the person next to ya probably isn't a great way to make new friends.

Edited September 14, 2011 by Danist

[Trebster]

You can find a NOS Sheaffer No Nonsense for considerably less than $20. The No Nonsense is perfectly named and will serve you very well for a long time.

[J English Smith]

Suggestions:

 

Parker 45 - all around good pen - nibs vary but most are good - go for a F or XF, nibs run a bit wide

Wality (piston filler) 52 - about $16 - nice piston filler, I like better than the Reforms

Esterbrook J (you can find a decent one for between $20 and $25)

Parker 25 (they often go for a lot more, but all of mine have been snagged for $20 or less)

Sheaffer 300 or Imperial IV (you'd probably have to pay in the $30s)

 

Good luck!

[J English Smith]

Oh yeah, and Hero 616s are pretty good little pens. If you get a good one, they are about 75% of the experience of a P51...

[vistafan]

Baoer 388! It has a wonderful, smooth nib and even comes with a converter.

[Julio]

I vote for a Monteverde Riviera for your budget delivered to US. Good looking pen for school note taking. Any input from anyone here?

[hbquikcomjamesl]

Parker 25 (they often go for a lot more, but all of mine have been snagged for $20 or less)

There's actually somebody who LIKES Parker 25s?

[J English Smith]

Yeah, actually, I do. The nibs are not exactly sublime or subtle but they write well because the pen has a huge feed/collector - it actually looks a lot like the 51 collector. That's why the flow is so good. It's a very well balanced pen and the clip is strong for those of us who generally carry via shirt pocket. The plastics are sturdy. The flighter finish is durable.

 

100% superior to any current Newell/Rubbermaid stuff, with the possible exception of the Duofolds; and much better than the Vector line, IMO.

 

It's a good daily driver kind of pen and I like the 80s look - certainly brings back that period in product design.

 

I would say they are good pens to snag for ~$20. The folks who are paying the big prices to get every version - well -I don't quite get that. If a black one came my way, I'd take it, though.

[TSWard]

I like the Parker 45 too.

When I wanted to save money in college, I used pilot v5s or pilot Varsities.

I hate being that guy, but there is a huge difference between 20 and 40 bucks. I thought that fountain pens weren't worth the trouble till I spent a few extra dollars and bought an esterbrook. Only then did I finally find what I was looking for, and then went down the Parker, lamy, bexley, twsbi, etc, etc path.

[Namo]

Pelikano.

[J English Smith]

Though, Jim, I would say - the Sheaffer 330 is a far more refined nib than the P25, and for little more scratch. Still steel, but definitely buttery - (in wine terms, like a nice oak-y $20 Chardonnay as opposed to the P25's $6 Barefoot).

[Watercycle]

when it comes to extended note taking i still have lamy safari EF at hand, granted i don't like it in any other situation

 

just the fact that it isn't really expensive...

it writes smooth like any fountain pen should...

isn't flashy (even the tip) considering the solid black...

and the good line width... (narrow enough for standard notebooks)

 

the beauty of fountain pens with note taking just emphasizes on the fact that ink slides across the page by having the tip on it vs applying force

 

put safari with noodler X-feather and you have a good note taking tool =)

 

 

but if your getting high grade notebooks I guess x feather is out of luck

Edited September 13, 2011 by Watercycle

[rwilsonedn]

Many good ideas here. Given your preference for a slightly larger hooded-nib pen, rather than taking a chance on getting a good Parker, I would suggest a large-version 616 from either His Nibs or isellpens. Both are great sellers in my experience (no affiliation.) Note that the 616 comes in two sizes: regular and large. And the ones from reputable dealers are real Hero pens, very unlike the counterfeits that people often get in the ten-packs on eBay.

ron

[stine4115]

I suggest the Sheaffer No-Nonsense pen also! THere are lots of colors, they take a cartridge that holds a lot of ink and they write first time, every time. Look on ebay. They are a real work horse.

[JOBPM]

I second the 78G. It's the best pen I own under $20. I use it in class everyday. The plastic is definitely cheap, but it feels pretty sturdy. I wouldn't worry about it taking a tumble off a desk. Mine also starts reasonably well after left uncapped for a few minutes. A quick scribble and you're off. I got mine from Hisnibs for $18 I think, converter included.

 

The Kaweco Sport is also pretty good, though as a pocket pen it only accepts short international carts. I think these can be converted to eyedroppers. They're very light weight, but the thickness of the cap may give it that chunkier feel you're looking for.

 

If you're willing to expand your budget a bit you should look at the TWSBI 540, the Rotring Initial, the Parker Urban, and Sailor's Procolor 500. The TWSBI 540 in particular is very nice, and practically a steal for the price. It'd be worth checking out the classifieds for a used one.