Top 10 Iconic Pens

[ToasterPastry]

So Peter came to the our local pen meeting asking us to produce a list of the top 10 iconic pens. He came up with numbers 1-9, and he wanted us to name the tenth. These are pens that he wanted to buy and carry with him on a daily basis, assuming not all ten. I don't necessarily agree with all 10, so I've added a few others. There is no particular order.

 

What's your top 10 that you would suggest for Peter?

 

1. Conklin Cresent-filler

2. Parker Duofold (1920s).

3. Sheaffer Balance (1930s).

4. Wahl-Eversharp Doric or Personal-Point ('Deco-Band')

5. Sheaffer PFM (Snorkel)

6. Parker 75

7. Parker Vacumatic

8. Waterman 55

9. Parker 61

10.Eversharp Skyline

 

others

 

11.Waterman C/F

12.Pelikan 100

13.Pelikan M800

14.Montblanc 146

 

others?

Edited September 9, 2012 by ToasterPastry

[JonSzanto]

Parker seems over-represented, definitely there should be a Pelikan in there. I was surprised by the omission (in the first 10) of MB, given how most people just *assume* it is... iconic. Any Japanese pens fit the status?

 

Interesting thing to ponder.

[jar]

I think the ten listed could well be considered "iconic" even though I wouldn't want to have to live with many of them.

 

I'd probably throw out the Wahl Doric and substitute a De La Rue Onoto plunger filler; substitute the "51" for the "75", the Pelican 100 for the "61" and the Snorkel for the PFM.

[Laura N]

I would include the Parker 51 instead of both the 61 and the 75. I'd put a Pelikan and a Montblanc in the top 10.

 

I'm not necessarily listing pens I'd want to carry, but pens I consider iconic fountain pens.

Edited September 9, 2012 by Laura N

[sjs]

Wow, I didn't expect that list. So much is vintage, and not recent vintage either.

 

I suppose "iconic" is relative to the generation and experiences of those naming the icons.

[Scrawler]

Wow, I didn't expect that list. So much is vintage, and not recent vintage either.

 

I suppose "iconic" is relative to the generation and experiences of those naming the icons.

I think that "iconic" is relative to the times and aspirations of the generation. The Parker P50 is unlikely to get on a list like this, but it represents the ambitions of the "space age" like no other.

Edited September 9, 2012 by Scrawler

[Mags]

Hmmm a top 10 pens....

 

1. Pelikan 800

2. Mont Blanc 149 diplomat

3. Eversharp 1952 lever filler flex nib

4. Aurora Optima

5. Mont Blanc Broehme

6. Shaeffer Targa

7. Omas 360

8. TWSBI 540 Diamond

9. Waterman

10. Sheafer Script School pen

[Florida Blue]

Iconic can be somewhat subjective although some pens like the Duofold and Balance would be hard to argue otherwise.

 

Some contemporary icons could include:

 

1. Lamy 2000

2. Lamy Safari

3. Pilot VP

4. Waterman Carene or Edson

5. Waterman Phileas

6. Cross Century or Townsend

7. Parker Sonnet

8. Pelikan M200 or M400

9. Sheaffer Prelude

10. Sheaffer Nononsense

 

I might include the Namiki Falcon as a runner-up.

Edited September 9, 2012 by Florida Blue

[humsin]

Parker 51 has to make the list

 

No MYU?

 

For Pelikan I'm not going to choose particular models; I'll just say Souveran

 

Montblanc 146 or 149

[Namo]

Difficult - I think that innovation for a given time should be considered as well as success in sale and/or design. This would not per se rule out expensive pens, but certainly make place for some of the lower range. Cultual memory should be considered if we are talking "iconic" and not "best pen" or "most beloved pen" : the Pelikano is certainly still in the mind of a lot of German, Swiss and other Europeans.

 

Pelikan 120 (cheaper version of the 140, hudge succes, incredible pen)

Lamy 2000 (innovative and at the same time inspired by Parker)

Parker 51 (success and imitated so many times)

Parker 45 (first cartridge pen? curse it or love it, but is has to be there)

Pilot Myu (so beautiful)

MB 149 (how can it not be there? It has become THE PEN)

Pelikan Pelikano and/or Lamy Safari (in Europe, so many people learned and are learning to write with either one of them)

Pilot VP (unique)

Wateman Ideal (model? First self filler?). Waterman Man 100 as a beautiful remake

 

I can't go any futher, but certainly more knowledgable members will.

 

As for contemporary FPs, it is always fun to try a guess. But i'ts moe likely that the Bic BP will be THE iconic pen of our time, and then the iPad...TIme will tell...

 

MB 149 (it will stille be THE PEN)

Waterman Edson

Lamy Safari

Visconti Homo Sapiens

Lamy Dialog line

Noodler's Ahab

 

to be completed

[mdbrown]

I'd have to go, in no certain order...

 

Montblanc 149

Parker 51

Sheaffer Balance

Sheaffer PFM

Waterman Expert

Eversharp Skyline

Pelikan M800

Parker Duofold

Vanishing point

Esterbrook SJ

 

I find at least 3 of these as just about iconic as you can get whether you like them or not. The duofold, the 149, and the waterman expert are among the most copied pen designs ever I would think. I think the vacumatic should be there but I can't think of any pen to replace...

[lurker]

This will not end well.

[torstar]

You really have to go out of your way to try to prove whatever point you are dreaming up to not include a single MB in your top 9...

 

Really now kiddoes....

 

[Scrawler]

You really have to go out of your way to try to prove whatever point you are dreaming up to not include a single MB in your top 9...

 

Really now kiddoes....

 

The problem with lists like this is that it is difficult to include pens that you have no experience of. I personally would love to be able to include am MB 149 in my list, but as I have never touched one, it would be hearsay, or parroting the opinion of others. Also each of us has individual reasons for finding a pen to be "iconic". And what we recognize as being an icon is likely to be affected by our socioeconomic class and circumstances.

[Namo]

I like that kind of questions - I think it's fun and if I play the game (it is a game, only a game), it forces me to think about FPS, what they ae, should be, have been o ae becoming.

 

I think that the "iconic" question is pointing toward this: it is not the best pen o the pen that writes the better; you don't have to write with a pen to declare it "iconic". This is why the MB 149 is THE PEN, like it or not. I've never written with it, but I recognize it the second I see one; in a movie, when a "bougeois" takes out a pen, it is a MB, and a 149 most of the time; in a café, when some buisness person takes out a pen, even a BP, it is a MB... we are taking about IMAGE here, I think. And of course, the image is partly fomed by the aspirations of a time, by the socio-economic status of people, by what a pen, o a FP is at a given time. Today's iconic pens are likely to be expensive ones, even luxury items, since writing with a FP is a kind of luxury in itself.

 

And well, as I said, I find these thread very fun to read, esp. when people ae saying why they think this pen is better, o one of the best, etc.

[ToasterPastry]

My response:

 

"Iconic" pen, at least how we defined it, is defined as that innovation or design that really set it apart from writing instruments of that time. From that point onward, every other manufacturer copied that design, or simplified that design. It could be a look, the feed design or the filler design. A TWSBI is a fine pen, but still suffers from design and manufacturing problems. Meanwhile, Noodler's has taken the greatest designs of the last 100 years and incorporated it into a company philosophy that a fountain pen should not be a luxury item. But that's not a unique philosophy.

 

I'm fascinated by all of your responses. I am most interested to know why Jar included Onoto De La Rue, and MDBrown included the Waterman Expert. Interesting choices. I liked the Lamy 2000. But which one do you throw out? Now, one could argue, why does this matter? Why not get 11 pens, or 13 pens? For one thing, it's Peter's list of pens he wanted to buy. So Peter makes the rules.

 

The Parker 51 was a complete oversight on my part. We talked about it. We all agreed at the meeting. Somehow I didn't write it down. Actually, Peter didn't write it down. I'll blame Peter. I could say I intentionally didn't include it to provoke some kind of visceral response from '51' owners. Whatever the case, it worked.

 

Two of us at the pen-meeting are huge Parker '61' fans. So the '61' was included. Obviously, being the first capillary-filler gives it some special recognition. But I think we could fairly take that one out.

 

The Waterman C/F preceded the Parker 45, so I didn't include the '45.' Waterman C/F was the first production cartridge filler. I hate cartridge-filling pens. But I love the C/F.

 

None of us at the meeting are huge MontBlanc fans. I think the MontBlanc pen has to viewed as -- I'm sorry I'm going to just say it -- just a pen. I think the MontBlanc became a status symbol after around 1984. There is nothing special about its design. It doesn't redefine anything. However, since I did say "iconic," it deserves a mention. As Namo correctly pointed out, it's "THE PEN," when anyone ever talks about fountain pens.

 

Here's my personal list updated and corrected.

 

1. Conklin Cresent-filler Sorry, don't understand the mystique of this pen. It was not on MY list. It was on Peter's.

2. Parker Duofold (1920s).

3. Sheaffer Balance (1930s).

4. Wahl-Eversharp Doric or Personal-Point ('Deco-Band') I love both of these pens, but the Skyline is by far the most popular design.

5. Sheaffer PFM (Snorkel)

6. Parker 75 <-- I'm sorry, I'm keeping this one. This pen has survived for 30+ years. It's a classic design combining the best engineering with a very Madison Avenue look.

7. Parker Vacumatic <-- I wanted to take this one down, but it is such a beautiful and perfect writing instrument. Copied frequently.

8. Waterman 55 <-- I love this pen, but replaced it with the MB 146/149

9. Parker 61 This should have been the Parker '51'

10.Eversharp Skyline

11. Pelikan 100 <-- First piston-filler. I like the Pel 400 better, or even the M800. But this pen started it all.

12. Waterman C/F

13. MontBlanc 146/149

 

That's 10 pens.

 

I would not have included Esterbrooks because Wahl-Eversharp's "Personal-Point" preceded the Esterbrook. One could make an argument for David Kahn's "Wearever." This company successfully produced beautiful pens at a cheap price. You see them everywhere. They just don't resonate well with the collector market. I happen to love Auroras, but just couldn't fit them into the Top 10 list.

Edited September 9, 2012 by ToasterPastry

[minimax447]

51, of course.

 

C/F, Yes.

 

Snorkel? It is a pen enthusiast's pen. Much innovation is not "iconic" whatever that overworked adjective means this week. I'll let it stay but there are Imperials and the tubular nib pens that at least deserve consideration.

 

Platignum junior cartridge pen. Fortunately they seem to be extinct. I can take some of the credit for that. When I learned to use one, there was no way I could see it equalling a ballpoint in performance and it still doesn't! I'd know it if I saw it. Substitute a Wearever, Pelicano or 616 according to geographic preference.

 

Montblanc 149. I'll declare an interest here. The bloated ugly tasteless thing is not, in my opinion worth the ink inside it and gives fountain pens a bad name.

But it is instantly recognisable and many people aspire to it because it is expensive so it must be good, so it is in.

 

Lamy Safari. The difference between a good school pen and the rest. Tough,, practical, nearly unbreakable and recognisable, probably a better term than iconic.

 

A Duofold, certainly, but the yellow one. If you know about the big red then the yellow one has the wow factor that makes it the icon.

 

Watermans Ideal lever filler. A quality job of its time.

 

Parker, again. Everybody recognises a Parker so they are well represented. The 45. Ubiquitous, durable and popular.

 

That leaves one. I'd have a Waterman Concord as it was my youthful aspiration for its graceful style but the Rotring 600 or Kaweco sport might well be deserving cases.

[sarahfar]

Some of these I like, some I love, and some I don't....

 

Montblanc 139

Montblanc 149

Pelikan 100

Pelikan 800

Omas Paragon

Parker Vacs

Parker 51

Waterman 52, 52 1/2, 55

Sheaffer take your pic anything Celluloid, vintage and OS

Omas 360

Pilot/Namiki VP

 

 

But most of these are iconic and widely recognized by both people who are familiar with pens and pen nuts....

[Bo Bo Olson]

Why put a MB on the list when

 

#1 pre '30's Kaweco (with the US Morton or Kaweco made Morton style nib) would make more German sense. (Both Soennecken and MB chased Kaweco back then for who made the best German pen.)

#2 Soennecken especially in the '50's when Lambrou rates it as the best pen of it's era, over the MB 146-9 and the Snorkel.

 

#3.The Pelikan 100 of course as the first successful piston pen.

#4. That first Sheaffer sac pen.

#5 the Sheaffer Balance every one copied it; still are look at the MB clones 146-9.

 

#5.Paul Wirt's pen from 1900, the best pen in the world...don't have, never will, but, it was once for a generation the best pen around.

#5. Cronkin's first pen as used by Mark Twain.

 

#6. One of course needs the Vac.

 

#7. The King of Pens (50s-60s), the Snorkel.

 

#8 Sheaffer Targa, sure was an In Pen in it's day.

 

#9. The 51.

#10 The 75....yep, in I bought it over a Snorkel, it got to rate high. The 'cisele' pattern made it something more special than the Sheaffer's cross hatched sterling silver version. The word 'cisele' came in long after 1970 when I'd bought my...cross hatched 75.

[jar]

I included the Onoto as probably the best execution of a plunger filler pen ever, and because the US is not the world and in the then rest of the world (British Empire), ONOTO was king. I included the Pelikan 100 for much the same reasons; it was a well executed piston filler that was very popular and was the basis for almost all Pelikan pens since then.

 

I threw out the PFM and the "61" because both were pretty much failures; the PFM didn't sell well at all and the "61" was just ahead of the available materials and so prone to early death (and losing its way because the arrow fell off).

 

I did not include a Montblanc pen because there is simply very little original about any of their pens.