Modern Tiny/mini Fountain Pens

[richardandtracy]

If you are prepared to go beyond your remit of current production, then there are milliards of pens to look at.

 

If you are prepared to do that, then one that should not be missed is the Parker 17 Lady . It's a 90% scale pen, a perfectly formed & proportioned hooded nib pen. Delightful for small hands, barely longer than my middle finger and slimmer than my little finger.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[Sailor Kenshin]

But not as teeny as the Butterfly....

[lemanfan]

How about Caran d'Ache Ecridor XS?

[mhguda]

I have two tiny Labans (cartridge only) and three other school pens, no name but European, about the same size as the Labans. Also Jetpens has a Spalding that is about the same size as the Kaweco lilliput (but it has a clip). And there's the Waterman Lady Charlotte. And there's a set by Daniel Hechter, BP and FP, that I got years ago from Apenloversparadise. Then there's the Bruynzeel Mygrip that can be built up from small (about 10cm) with lego-like cylindrical pieces that clip onto each other. Currently I have the bare minimum, four pieces, including the "cap" so it's a mini pen as well. Oh and my newest addition, the Camlin Cute. It is actually the bigger of my small pens.

[brh]

I'm reluctant to mention it, because I want them all for myself, but the Visconti Viscontina is a beautiful, tiny pen. A few years old, but made of vintage celluloid. Available in three colors, and with sterling or vermeil trim. Limited editions, and out of production, but not particularly valuable. Just, eh, go vermeil and leave the sterling ones for me, k?

[floydee1]

There's also the Pilot M90, which for me is the number one in design, and most desirable of the small pens.

You cant beat that all in one integrated nib and body. Its a bit pricey now, but then it is a limited edition. They still crop up on ebay and this forum too.

 

Anyone seeing one of these, will fall in love with this pen. If you get one it may never leave your collection.

I've a fine nib in one of these and is always a talking feature when I pull it out from my jeans or inner pocket of my casual jacket.

 

There is also the original MYU701 to which the M90 commemorates, but I suppose that would now be classed as vintage.

 

Floyd

[Jennings]

OK, so that Jinhao does look serious cool, even if it is cheap. I love the fact it has a built in filler rather than cartridge too.

I'd love to see a pic of the Diplomat Butterfly too...can't seem to find out what that looks like as yet.

The Jitterbug ticks my style boxes...loving that look. Perfect vintage 50s vibe, but maybe a little wide perhaps for being truly tiny. However it’s beaten on looks by...Dillon’s suggestion (you really do seem to be the big little pen man ) the Omas Princess. I think they pip my CS Dinkies looks wise!!! I never post any of my pens either...partly due to the fact that the wear marks would annoy me, but partly because I don't like the resulting balance in my hand. I like all the weight of a pen at the finger end as much as possible. I like the Visconti Viscontina, but the Princess I think I prefer myself.

Wow! That Pilot M90 is really ace! It’s like something the space-race left behind!!! I really like that. The Caran also has a great modern look. The Delta Mini Trend seems to span a bridge between old and new styling.

Is that x10 the “X10 Klein Barclay”? If so, I really like that!!! That’s really doing it for me...only 3.37 inches long, really cool style and also built in filler rather. That could be a winner for my modern style bracket.

I’m really glad I started this thread...I really have been introduced to so many pens I didn’t know existed! Basically I’m loving all your suggestions!!! To answer Richard’s point – I’d love to fond more vintage examples, but I was curious that my smallest pens were all vintage, and wanted to see whether modern manufacturers were still catering to the tiny note pad/diary/pocket niche. It still seems to me that most of the modern pens appearing here are still larger than my vintage Wahl (it’s about 3inches long And ¼ of an inch wide capped, with a ring on the cap instead of a clip) lever filler, which slides into my mini-organiser like one of those tiny betting slip pencils would. I should really put up a pic here.

It does seem that in terms of modern production there are thinner pens out there, and some that are very small in length too, but often they seem to be a normal kind of width to cater for cartridges or a squeeze type bladder filling systems. I think my Christmas list is growing though, which I thank you folks for, and my two favourites so far are the Princess for vintage looks with the x10 for space age vibe!!!

[Sailor Kenshin]

Took a pic of the Butterfly, will post soon.

[Ernst Bitterman]

I think that actual answer to the question at hand is... no. Let me refer back:

Don't forget the Kaweco Liliput. It's about as small as possible and still hold an international cartridge....

 

...and then offer a picture of a Salz Bros. Peter Pan beside an international short:

http://dirck.delint.ca/beta/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Salz-0395j.jpg

 

That, folks, is a small pen.

 

edit; I will also say that it is sort of USELESSLY tiny, and one is rather better off with a Wahl Bantam, a Pilot Petit, or one of those Chinese 'Missile' jobs; small, but a functional smallness.

Edited September 5, 2012 by Ernst Bitterman

[Movis]

I just got my first Kaweco Sport the other day, and it looks exactly as good as you'd think, if not better. I wouldn't consider it a micro pen, but it's my pocket pen and I love it.

[dogpoet]

How about the ever-evolving and currently-elusive Pilot Petit1? I saw those at the DC Show for $1 each (edit: for clarification, they're normally $3.30 each). I didn't purchase any though, and I'm kind of regretting that now!

The Pilot Birdie was a really nice miniature pen as well. No idea why they discontinued those, but they still occasionally turn up as NOS...

[Scrawler]

I have a tiny 1974 Ta Tung which I have been saving for my niece's daughters 6th birthday.

[pen2paper]

Word has it that Twisbi will soon, have their mini in production.

Anyone know what the specs are on its size?

[Sailor Kenshin]

Here is my diplomat Butterfly, alongside a Pilot Petit for comparison... yah, I know this PP is a felt-tip, but it's the same size as the fountain.

 

 

The cap is underneath.

 

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8176/7938634436_e20b9e1175_z.jpg

[Lloyd]

Word has it that Twisbi will soon, have their mini in production.

Anyone know what the specs are on its size?

 

See here...

[Jennings]

OK, so Ernst Bitterman really is on the right tiny track, from a vintage point of view...and you even go so far as beating mine too!!! I've added a pic here so you can see what I mean.

 

But that's vintage...can modern production really go that small in this age of miniaturisation? Or has that been abandoned as they're then too small for the human hand to actually do anything practical with?! Haha!!!

 

The Butterfly's nice...kind of like a smaller version of my WH Smith Messenger I bought back in the 90s. Same style though.

 

That Twisbi pen actually looks quite funky as a demonstrator...I'm not usually a demo-pen fan, but I like that one. Oh dear...another one for the list!

 

Scrawler - what a lovely idea for your niece...although at 6 yeras old are you sure she's not going to just stab cats in the eye, or as a cool dart?! :roflmho:

 

I'm hearing good things about the Kaweco Sport then...I've got one weatched on Ebay, but I really think I'll get in trouble with the better half if I hit the button!!!

[rhosygell]

If you look at Filcao's website (filcaopens.com) you will see that they also manufacture a range of tiny bulb fillers. Nicely made and well presented too.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Oh hey... as long as we're talking bulb-fillers.. Hero 366. Looks a bit like a mini-616. Also Wing Sung Children's Pen, same size, slightly differing shape and trim (plastic as opposed to metal cap). Both niiiice writers.

 

The Pilot Pluminix takes standard internationals, resembles a honey-i-shrunk-the-plumix.

[Scrawler]

 

 

Scrawler - what a lovely idea for your niece...although at 6 yeras old are you sure she's not going to just stab cats in the eye, or as a cool dart?! :roflmho:

 

 

I got my first fp at 6. I consider 6 to be the correct age to give kids pens. Especially kids in my family. On the dart issue. I was so jealous of my (older) sister getting a Parker 51 as a Christmas present when I was 8 that I did use it as a dart, and have regretted it ever since. I have been sure to explain to anyone in my family that will listen, that learning to write properly early, opens up nerve pathways and contributes to a child developing better intelligence.

[richardandtracy]

OK, so Ernst Bitterman really is on the right tiny track, from a vintage point of view...and you even go so far as beating mine too!!! I've added a pic here so you can see what I mean.

 

But that's vintage...can modern production really go that small in this age of miniaturisation? Or has that been abandoned as they're then too small for the human hand to actually do anything practical with?! Haha!!!

 

...

That Guider Mini I mentioned is 1.5" long, or 37mm, capped. That's the same length as an international short cartridge when capped. It's shorter when uncapped.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.