Inexpensive Pens With Steel Nibs

[warblerick]

I started reading with interest the posts regarding expensive pens with steel nibs, until I realized it was just going round and round and making me dizzy...

So, how about inexpensive pens with steel nibs? I have several, all pretty good writers though with steel there is little flex. Mine include:

 

A 2009 Conklin Crescent in desert red marble (the name is something like that, though not exactly), which writes very nicely and is a pretty cool pen to boot.

 

2 Stipula Passaportos; one with an italic nib (green moss or something, a LE from FPH), and a LE Baltimore Blue Harbor from Bertram's Inkwell, in Fine (I think). Both good writers.

 

2 TWSBI mini's, one in clear demo with a 1.1 stub italic and one classic with a fine nib. Both excellent writers.

 

A Libelle (cannot recall the model, but it has a dragonfly on it), c/c with a medium nib, also a pretty good writer.

 

I may have others that I can't recall, and I have a Stipula Model T but that has a titanium nib. And these days the classic mini TWSBI is my EDC.

Most of the rest of my pens have 18 ct gold nibs. Funny I don't think I have any with 14 ct. gold nibs...

 

How about you?

[pajaro]

Cross Solo: I have four of these. Two came along with a bunch of Esterbrooks for about $30 for all, probably about $5 each for the Solos, medium gold plated nibs. Then one fine for $25 and one EF for $28. These are among the best writing pens I have used.

 

Esterbrooks are also pretty good. The Renew nibs screw into most of the Estie pens. Commonly available at less than $25. You can pay more also.

 

I bought an inexpensive steel Waterman with flat ends for $12. An exquisite writing fine. No idea what model.

 

Parker 21 and Super 21. Smooth writers, I paid $19 NOS for a Super 21. A great, smooth writer.

 

Edit for spelling, as usual.

Edited August 14, 2013 by pajaro

[Uncle Red]

Sheaffer No Nonesense. Pelikano JR. Both are very reliable pens.

[rwilsonedn]

The No Nonsense and some of the Estis are particularly interesting to me because they both have a reputation for being virtually invulnerable and always great writers. Yet some of the Esterbrook nibs and, as one of our contributing nibmeisters pointed out a week or so ago, most of the NNs, are untipped. Conclusion: not only can inexpensive steel nibs write very well, but apparently untipped steel nibs can write well and last a long time.

ron

[ac12]

Many of my pens have stainless steel nibs. As I write with very little pressure on my pen, I personally do not see how gold will make much of a difference. The tips won't flex with the light pressure that I write with. And I do have a few pens with gold nibs to compare my SS nibs to.

[jar]

Some of the best writing pens ever made are the Sheaffer steel nibbed Imperial and Imperial Triumph pens.

[warblerick]

Some of the best writing pens ever made are the Sheaffer steel nibbed Imperial and Imperial Triumph pens.

Were they considered "inexpensive" in their day?

[JessR45]

My Taccia Portuguese with steel nib ("Iridium Point Germany") rivals some of my gold nibs in smoothness and writing pleasure. This is a keeper for me. Also my humble Pilot Prera. They are practical, reliable and perform well above their price points as far as my preferences go. If I did not get attracted to the bling pens, I would happily settle for these two.

[sargetalon]

I never have understood the whole gold vs steel debate. I have 27 steel nibbed pens and 23 gold nibbed pens, most of the steel nibbed being relatively inexpensive. I have stellar examples from each camp and not so stellar examples. I think a well made nib is the key regardless of what it is made from. The only thing gold may have in its favor is a bit more flex and therefore character but flex is not for everyone.

[jar]

Were they considered "inexpensive" in their day?

 

In the lineup of the day, yes. They were at the inexpensive level, higher than the cartridge blister pack pens but lower than the White Dot pens.

[pajaro]

I never have understood the whole gold vs steel debate. I have 27 steel nibbed pens and 23 gold nibbed pens, most of the steel nibbed being relatively inexpensive. I have stellar examples from each camp and not so stellar examples. I think a well made nib is the key regardless of what it is made from. The only thing gold may have in its favor is a bit more flex and therefore character but flex is not for everyone.

 

If you keep cutting to the chase like that, people will think you aren't on board the Juvenile Jitney.

[pajaro]

 

In the lineup of the day, yes. They were at the inexpensive level, higher than the cartridge blister pack pens but lower than the White Dot pens.

As I remember it, these pens were not inexpensive at the time. I couldn't afford them.

[jar]

As I remember it, these pens were not inexpensive at the time. I couldn't afford them.

Well I guess inexpensive is pretty vague.

 

In 1963 the steel nib Dolphin was $5.00 and about the same for the entry level Triumph Imperial. Of course there were also many even less expensive Sheaffer steel nib pens in the cartridge and stylist series.

 

AbE, hit the key too soon...

 

For example, in the 1960's a Triumph Imperial or Dolphin cost about 4 hours labor even at minimum wage.

Edited August 14, 2013 by jar

[tomgartin]

I'll back you up on the TWSBI Mini. It's every bit a rival to my L2K.

[Florida Blue]

Most of my steel nibs are Parkers that were relatively inexpensive.

 

My Parker 21 Super writes a nice dry, fine line and it's smooth.

 

My IM writes a drier line as well, but it's also smooth (this one may be a bit too dry for my taste).

 

My Rialto writes a wet and smooth line. This can produce some spring (although it's just a fancy Vector nib).

 

My Sonnet writes a wet and very, very smooth line. This is probably my best steel nib, but it is also on the most expensive of the bunch. The Sonnet nib is nice and springy, even soft as times.

 

Another great steel nib that I have is a Pelikan 1.0mm nib on an older M100. It is also somewhat springy, but the nib produces a lovely italic script.

 

I do have a Lamy Vista. At first I didn't like the nib, but over time and with different inks I enjoy it. It can be scratchy, but it writes a wet, medium/broad line.

[Sasha Royale]

A hundred years ago, inks were corrosive. Much of the environment is corrosive.

Gold nibs were a good innovation. Large gold nibs became prestigious and

decorative. In recent decades, the ink formulas cease to be corrosive. Stainless

steel is corrosion resistant.

 

Gold tends to have a bit more flex than stainless steel. My writing does not benefit

from flex. My Pelikan M400 nib does not write better than my Pelikan M215 nib.

I can detect no difference between gold and steel in nibs of the Parker 45.

 

That said, the huge gold nib of a Pelikan M1000 is prettier than the TWSBI nib.

[TSherbs]

I actually consider nearly all the pens listed here so far as "expensive," and I don't own any of these.

 

My best "inexpensive" pen with a steel nib is my Kaigelu 356 ($7). It rivals my Lamy Safari, which I consider mid-range at $28. I also really like my Nemosine Singularity 1.1 ($15).

 

Needless to say, I do not own a pen with any gold in it.

[Felix1]

Bexley Elegancia with Medium stock nib. Not very smooth, this will be my only steel Bexley.

[dragonfly7]

I'm very much a newbie here and have less than 10 pens but my new Pilot Metropolitan feels smooth as butter on any paper I've written upon. A Waterman (don't know the model) I got at an office supply store has gold and steel nib in the coloring and is very smooth also but it cannot be a real gold nib for the price. The Lamy AlStar and Safari are pretty smooth and the worst so far is the Esterbrook I picked up at a Honolulu antique store (x-tra fine but SCRATCHY).

[Bwassung]

Jinhao nibs, the big ones on the x450. gold plated steel, good amount of flex, really wet. they only come as a western medium/broad. Im really consider sending mine out to be stubbed.