Top 10 Iconic Pens

[hbquikcomjamesl]

Greetings from San Francisco.

 

From recent experience, I'd have to add the lowly Wearever Pennant to my list, simply for its low price point, high quality of engineering, and exceptional ease of field-stripping.

Edited May 21, 2013 by hbquikcomjamesl

[BruceS]

My rating for top ten iconic pens (in no particular order)

 

Parker Duofold (1920's Big Red Rubber Flatop)

Parker 51 (Vac and Aero)

Parker 45 (argueably the first cartidge FP)

Sheaffer Balance (1930s)

Sheaffer Targa

Waterman Ideal 52 (all versions)

Wahl-Eversharp Doric

Wahl-Eversharp Skyline

Montblanc 149

Parker Jotter (even though it is not a FP it is certainly iconic)

[Belgian FP fan]

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?

[Belgian FP fan]

Better late than never to join the discussion.

I completely agree with you FPFAN. I think when someone would ask the general public, the answers would be roughly in line with the list Richardandtracy gave. Depending on the age of the person in question, starting with the Parker 51 and ending with the Sheaffer Targa, completed with the Parker vector, Lamy Safari and Pelikano for the younger generation. The fountain pen of which the most people of all walks of life have the most active memories of, are the real icons.

[sandy101]

You are missing the humble biro - a pen so iconic that it changed writing history - it knocked the fountain pen from its pedestal , much like how the word processor/computer put typewriter manufacturers out of business.

 

In addition, the "flight safe" nature of the biro solved a problem that the FP presented to air crews in World War 2.

 

Love it, or loath it the 20p bic biro should probably be up there in the top ten of iconic pens.

 

(The OP says top ten iconic pens, not top ten iconic fountain pens).

Edited February 18, 2014 by sandy101

[larsbj]

Intersting views and a lot of good pens. I personally feel that "iconic" is very relative to generation and to the zeitgeist of a given time. My own lack of knowledge and experience with vintage pens (with the exception of a Pelikan 400) make it difficult to make a fair list. However I do miss the Omas Paragon, and the Peli i would vote for is the M800 given that "iconic" is different from "innovative".