Top 10 Iconic Pens

[mikerph]

Difficult - I think that innovation for a given time should be considered as well as success in sale and/or design.

 

 

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...

 

Given your criteria, the Parker (T-ball) Jotter will either immediately lead or follow the BIC. The iPad is a babe in the woods given the longevity and sales figures of the two pens.

I was going to mention these since we were discussing"pens" and not fountian pens. In the same vein, what about Pentel's first "rollerball" produced in the mid-late 60's? Its pretty iconic.

Edited September 14, 2012 by mikerph

[mikerph]

Actually the Reynolds Rocket ball point pen was sold in major US department stores in the US after WW-2 severl years before the Jotter came out. It left the marked because it was expensive and not as practical as later ballpoints. I believe that Reynolds was connected to the Biro pen in europe and South America that eventually became the BiC.

[david1600]

Aurora 88

Conway Stewart 58

Onoto Plunger

Omas Paragon

Parker Duofold red/ mandarin

Pelikan 100

Montblanc 146

Sheaffer Flattop

Wahl Doric

Waterman Le Man

[Miketsheehan]

I can't come up with 10, but those I can are sort of representative/iconic for their decade:

1. A Safety Pen from the 1900's. Innovation leading to self contained FP's.
2. An Onoto N (later 3000) plunger filler with under & over feed. (1910's, successful self filler)
3. A Parker Duofold (1920's, market domination)
4. A Parker Vac (1930's innovation)
5. A Parker 51 Vac (1940's innovation)
6. A Parker 61 Capilliary Fill (1950's innovation, even if eventually unsuccessful)
7. A Parker 45 c/c (1960's innovation & market domination)
8. Platignum school pen (1970's flight to cheapness & poor quality)
9. An MB 149 (1980's move to luxury product placement)
10. A Sheaffer Targa (1990's plethora of finishes)
11. A Visconti Homo Sapiens (2010's novel materials & manufacturing)

Food for thought anyway.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

 

 

Fascinating list. Love the explanations. You essentially supported our feelings about the Parker 61, an innovative design. While I hate giving too much support to Parker, they produced and engineered some beautiful pens. Love the explanation supporting MontBlanc 149.

I can appreciate Visconti in their attempt to bring back Italian design.

 

I'm confused, did the Waterman C/F precede the Parker 45? Therefore, would not the C/F be given the nod? I guess you could support Parker, because they sold a lot of them.

 

5 Parkers on the Top 10 iconic pen list? Yah . . . No.

[Miketsheehan]

Difficult - I think that innovation for a given time should be considered as well as success in sale and/or design.

 

 

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...

 

Given your criteria, the Parker (T-ball) Jotter will either immediately lead or follow the BIC. The iPad is a babe in the woods given the longevity and sales figures of the two pens.

I was going to mention these since we were discussing"pens" and not fountian pens. In the same vein, what about Pentel's first "rollerball" produced in the mid-late 60's? Its pretty iconic.

This is FOUNTAIN pen network . . . Yah . . .No

[tomgartin]

How about these pens? They seem iconic.

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4XNXj6Bsdpc/Tgt_rLu9G9I/AAAAAAAAAIE/5EreM9AxPEY/s1600/signing%2Bthe%2Bdeclaration%2Bof%2Bindependence.jpg

 

[Scrawler]

How about these pens? They seem iconic.

<snip>

They are romanticized and improperly depicted. The feather part of the quill should have been removed.

[tomgartin]

How about these pens? They seem iconic.

<snip>

They are romanticized and improperly depicted. The feather part of the quill should have been removed.

 

Good to know. After getting ink on my fingers a few times I started to marvel at how they were able to keep those white feathers so *clean*

[Dinasaurus]

They are romanticized and improperly depicted. The feather part of the quill should have been removed.

Wait, whaaaat?? My mind. It's been blown!

[infius]

how about the Lamy 27 and a nakaya maybe?

[minimax447]

Barring the fashionable* MB 149,

how many of that list will be hailed as icons in thirty years' time?

Precious few, I'll wager, although I think the Edson has half a chance.

The icons have already been made and most of them are vintage both because it takes time to establish an icon and they don't build 'em like that any more.

 

 

 

 

*Fashion: What goes out of fashion. (Coco Chanel.)

[Miketsheehan]

Barring the fashionable* MB 149,

how many of that list will be hailed as icons in thirty years' time?

Precious few, I'll wager, although I think the Edson has half a chance.

The icons have already been made and most of them are vintage both because it takes time to establish an icon and they don't build 'em like that any more.

 

 

 

 

*Fashion: What goes out of fashion. (Coco Chanel.)

A critic offering no value and taking no position on the topic at hand - my favorite kinda post

[rroossinck]

1. Montblanc 149

2. Parker Duofold

3. Parker 51

4. Lamy 2000

5. Namiki/Pilot Vanishing Point

6. Pelikan M800

7. Aurora 88

8. Visconti Homo Sapiens

9. Dunhill AD 2000

10. Omas 360

Interesting choice in #9. What's your rationale?

 

Also interesting that none of the pens on this list are lever-filled. Seems like there'd be a spot reserved for that, since it was a pretty massive improvement in a filling system.

 

Although it's a bit of an oddball, I'd add a Waterman's Ink-Vue. Cool, and very efficient, take on a lever filler (especially since it was a compound lever). Might also include one of the Sheaffer's Triumph nibs. It was important enough that Sheaffer's patented it, after all.

 

Good to see this discussion come back around. Always fun to argue about this.

[Miketsheehan]

1. Montblanc 149

2. Parker Duofold

3. Parker 51

4. Lamy 2000

5. Namiki/Pilot Vanishing Point

6. Pelikan M800

7. Aurora 88

8. Visconti Homo Sapiens

9. Dunhill AD 2000

10. Omas 360

Interesting choice in #9. What's your rationale?

 

Also interesting that none of the pens on this list are lever-filled. Seems like there'd be a spot reserved for that, since it was a pretty massive improvement in a filling system.

 

Although it's a bit of an oddball, I'd add a Waterman's Ink-Vue. Cool, and very efficient, take on a lever filler (especially since it was a compound lever). Might also include one of the Sheaffer's Triumph nibs. It was important enough that Sheaffer's patented it, after all.

 

Good to see this discussion come back around. Always fun to argue about this.

 

First, I don't consider this discussion an argument.

 

The Dunhill AD 2000 in my view is the best-looking, best-built pen ever made, especially the carbon fiber model. I consider it the pen around which my entire collection has been built. Also, it has a functional shape, with the oh-so-clever escalating clip design. Nibs are wonderful. Filling system is a serviceable cartridge/converter from Namiki. Cool factor is very high, insurmountable really.

 

Odd-balls don't qualify as iconic IMHO. Lever fillers are cool but not one that breaks into my top 10 iconic list. Sheaffers are solid pens, but none scream iconic to me. Having a patent on something is a snore.

 

I currently don't have a Waterman as I find them boring.

 

Thanks

[FPFan]

I just finished reading this entire topic and find it rather interesting. It is very definately slanted directly to the overall context of this website in that it focuses immediately and primarily on fountain pens, and fountain pens used by, shall we say, "zealots." The fact that we belong to this community makes each of predjudise to the brands of FP we each individual prefer, use, and care about. So, that gives this topic, along with much of the "board" in general a subjective matter.

 

What would happen if we took this topic to the street of any major city in a developed country, asked the everyday man or woman on the streets what they thought the most ICONIC pen would be? What kind of answers do you suppose we might get. Would we even get responses that included the fountain pen as an ICONIC pen? If we asked specifically about the catagory of fountain pens would the majority even know what it is or would they say something like, "I didn't think those still existed! Do people really still use those?" Or maybe they would think it was just for big business(men/people) and bankers for BIG deals?

 

I'd love to know what the average John/Jane Doe has to say about this question.

 

What do you think they would say?

[Sagar_C]

Among the pens I have used personally I think following 5 (in no specific order) should be there in the top ten.

 

Parker Senior Duofold (1920s)

MB149

Lamy2000

Sheaffer PFM

Parker 51/Aurora 88

[PAC 1957]

Here's my top 10 list:

 

1) Momtblanc 149/146

2)Parker Duofold

3) Aurora 88

4) Omas The Paragon

5) Omas 360

6) Parker 75

7) Parker 51

8) Pelikan M600

9) Montblanc Bohème

10) Waterman Edson

[steviebee]

I once watched an entire Super Bowl by myself in order to coach the Broncos into beating the Packers (which they did -- you're welcome, Broncos fans!)

 

 

On behalf of all of us Broncomaniacs across the globe, indeed throughout the space/time continuum, thank you Ma'am!

 

And I see you were active the following season too

[Fabienne]

How about these pens? They seem iconic.

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4XNXj6Bsdpc/Tgt_rLu9G9I/AAAAAAAAAIE/5EreM9AxPEY/s1600/signing%2Bthe%2Bdeclaration%2Bof%2Bindependence.jpg

Yea, but they are disposables.

[nicholasyeo]

For me, the list keeps changing - and it should, but right now, these are worth considering:

 

 

Lamy 2000 / Safari

Pelikan Souveran

Mont Blanc 146 / 149

Pilot Capless / MYU 701

Parker Vacumatic / Parker 75 / Parker 51

Omas Paragon / 360

Aurora Optima / 88

Visconti Homo Sapiens