Best Fountain Pen Sub $75 [Help Please!]

[UK Mike]

I am not keen on TWSBI pens. There is nothing wrong with them if you are fond of demonstrators (which I'm not), but the nibs are not magical as some seem to assume. The Mini is probably the best of the bunch if you can put up with the screw on cap-posting.

Take away the piston filling of the 540/580 and you are left with a pretty average writer, albeit at a good price.

 

You might like to consider the Lamy Studio (much more grown up than the Safari) and the Pilot Prera. I'm not sure of the US pricing but here in UK you can buy a Platinum PTL-5000 fountain pen for £49.00 with a real 14k gold nib.

[BillSXT2002]

You might like to consider the Lamy Studio (much more grown up than the Safari) and the Pilot Prera. I'm not sure of the US pricing but here in UK you can buy a Platinum PTL-5000 fountain pen for £49.00 with a real 14k gold nib.

 

I have used a stainless Lamy Studio for about 7 years, and it has been a true workhorse. Great writer ,reliable, and very durable. I liked it so much that I bought another in black with a stub nib so I can have it inked with the ink I use for signatures.

 

I also like my TWSBI 580 with the 1.1 stub nib. It sometimes doens't start on the first stroke of a letter, but once it does it writes very nicely. It also holds more in than my converter pens, and has a solid feel, even though I tend to heavier pens.

 

My Sheaffer 100 has a very nice smooth nib, and seems to be a solid pen. The Sheaffer 300 is around your price range, and uses the same nib in a nicer pen. I would recomend looking at those as well.

[VAgal]

+1 on the Bexley BX802, Esterbrook, and Sheaffer recommendations. The Esterbrooks are a lot of fun, as Holly mentioned, because there are so many different nibs to choose from. If a lever-filler worries you, Esterbrook also has a couple of aerometric-filling versions, the M2 and A101. They aren't the classic looking Esties, but they have a charm in their own right.

[Steve Teoh]

I enjoyed writing with my Lamy Vista (EF), Sheaffer 100 (M) and my latest indulgence the Sheaffer 300 (M) straightline chase chrome. The Lamy should be more than capable of taking abuse than the Sheaffers which I prefer to use at work as it has a more 'professional' look. The Sheaffers write smoother than the Lamy EF but both has its own characteristics which are appealing.

[de_pen_dent]

Faber Castells. Nice, modern designs; absolutely fantastic nibs that work properly right off the bat.

[Sasha Royale]

I have a forty-year affair with the Parker 45, a constant pocket companion.

I also have good experiences with TWSBI Diamond 540, . Reform 1745, Rosetta Explorer,

and Esterbrook J-series fountain pens. The latter comes in many nib configurations, and

you will eventually include it in your collection. Now is good.

 

What are your preferences in nib size and pen diameter ?

[Jflorek]

I have a 580 and really enjoy it. Although I have used it less and less in the office as it's appearance is not as "professional" as some other pens. I also agree about two vintage pens already mentioned: Esterbrook J series and Parker 51. My 51 came from the UK and cost me about $80. It has been a great pen and is always inked and in my rotation.

[NedC]

A Pilot Lucina is superb, kind of like a C/C version of a Pelikan m200 and can be ordered direct from several Japanese sellers for about $50 plus another $10 for postage. Of the TWSBIs I would only recommend the mini, in part because I insist that pens be comfortably postable, I also think the Classic, clear barrel with black cap, knob and section just looks better than any of their other pens. Steel nibbed Platinum 3776s, the 14K nibbed Platinum standard, the Sailor 1911 Young AKA Somiko are also available from Japanese sellers in the $50 range and are superb pens. You might also look at some Faber-Castell models and the Tombow Zoom 505fp.

[TheGreatRoe]

I love my TWSBI mini. But seriously, if you do an unboxing video for a TWSBI, you'll just be one among many.

 

That Franklin-Christoph Collegia (27) is a great pen--I've got 4. And for $70 you can upgrade to a stub or needlepoint for free, plus free shipping. And I've not seen a lot of videos about the F-C pens, so you'll be doing something new.