Six Years Of Hard Use Later - A Combined Review Of A Great Many Fountain Pens (Including Sailor, Pelikan, Aurora, Lamy, Pilot, And More)

[rdh]

I would second an earlier recommendation of the Pilot Custom 823. I cycle through my entire collection of pens, but this is the only one that is always inked.

 

For grading, I like to use italic nibs. Not only does the color of the ink stand out, but so does the line variation. A little practice and even a broad italic can write small. You can get an inexpensive Sheaffer NoNonsense (get the older ones with a screw cap) or a 1950s Pelikan 120/140/400 with a broad nib, which is really italic. These Pelikans have flexible nibs, which make them even more expressive. Another suggestion for your drawing is to try one of the Pilot Parrallel pens. You can mix and shade inks or just write with them, but they are not really pocketable.

 

Nice post. I really appreciate it.

 

Dave

[icevic]

If you've skipped six years then you've missed out on the TWSBI offerings. You should look at the Vac 700 and the Mini. The Vac is a consistent writer with some feedback so it might work for you, plus it holds a ton of ink. The best part is that it also has a little plastic travel bottle which screws directly into the nib and allows you to refill on the fly. Very cool.

 

The Mini is a great travel pen because it is small and solid and the cap screws into the back so you can never lose it or have it shake loose. It also holds a lot of ink and has its own fuss-free inkwell which is a beautiful desk piece but a heavy chunk of glass so not suitable for travelling.

 

It is hard to beat the functionality of the VP - really has no competition there, although again TWSBI has some prototype click fountain pens that they are threatening to drop on us.

 

 

And yes, you need to dip into vintage pens. They are fussy but some of the vintage nibs are glorious to write with.

[icevic]

Oh, and the Kwaeco Sport. You should look at that little guy. Clipless but faceted so it doesn't roll, and it posts very securely. Easy to carry in a pocket, well behaved nib that writes everywhere. Uses those little short catridges, but JetPens has a converter now.

 

It's another pen that you dont' think you'll use buy somehow you do all the time.

 

The unspoken secret in these forums is that most fountain pens are not very practical, and many have real problems or design flaws. We don't celebrate enough the ones that are trouble-free and well designed for real-world use.

[JustinJ]

I will also suggest the Pilot 823 pen. I use it everyday and carry it everywhere. It is very easy to fill and holds a lot of ink. The nib is excellent and always a pleasure to use.

[risingsun]

My favorite line of this review:

 

 

Pelikan M605, fine: ... This Pelikan is the girl I have a massive crush on, but we can just NEVER MAKE IT WORK when we try to live together.

 

 

We all know how this feels, and your analogy is a great one. May I suggest spending a little money and send this fine pen to a well-respected nib-tuner and have it put right for you? I have been reading wonderful things about both Indy-Pen-Dance and Tim Girdler lately and I think they just might be able to help the two of you work it out once and for all.

 

Anyway, thanks for sharing your experiences. I really enjoyed reading it.

[basterma]

Nice read. I don't have some of the brands and I had concerns about some of them that your review helped address. Thanks.

[rwilsonedn]

Wonderful information, wonderfully written--thanks! And to add a bit to what others have said, I would suggest exploring the conventional Pilot pens: the 823 if you are intrigued by peculiar filling mechanisms, or the 9x series if you are happy with C/C filling. I think you'll find these pens similar to your 1911, but also significantly different--perhaps the nibs are elegant and responsive on the Pilots, compared to elegant and invisible on the Sailor. But it's hard to capture.

Another direction you might head for at-home, thoughtful writing is into well-restored vintage pens--perhaps starting with the inevitable (and tediously good) Parker 51, and then working back into the more interesting golden age of the Vacs, Sheaffer Balance, and eventually the really early Conklins and Watermans. Happy exploring.

ron

[lahlahlaw]

Great review! I've been eying the VP for a while, the most annoying thing (for me) about fountain pens is the whole capping/uncapping business.

[rorschah]

Question: for all of you recommending me the Pilot 823, how different is the nib from the Pilot 74/92, which I was also looking at? (The 92 is piston, right?)

 

And what are you experiences with the F, MF, and M nibs? I'm basically looking for the finest nib that's still happy and smooth even on mediocre paper.

[rorschah]

And the reason I don't stick around on this board very long is, well, I have a, shall we say, hard to control semi-addictive personality that latches on to things like this, and if I read these boards regularly (instead of dipping in for a serious research session every few years), I spend a huge amount of time starting to think about pens, and less time thinking about the stuff I'm writing about, and this sort of defeats the purpose for me. But I am a weak, weak person.

[rorschah]

The description of the Pelikan 605 is unlike others I've read, and my own experience. Every Pel I've owned has been smooth, and the ink flow consistent, to the point of terminal boredom. As these are tools, have you thought of sending it in for a tune-up?

 

 

I've had the same experience with two Pelikans now, so think it's not just the one. I'm not saying they're not ultra-smooth and consistent *in good circumstances*. It's just that when they leave their sweet spot, they get funky. I mean: certain ink combinations just turn it way too gushy and bleed-throughy on recycled paper (even though the writing is smooth). Other ink combinations make it really scratchy and unpleasant on really cheap paper. Other ink combinations make it spill out too much ink on really smooth paper (like Rhodia). It's not that it isn't *awesome* in its sweet spot, but that it really wants to be in its sweet spot.

 

But I think it's actually the physicality of the object beyond the nib that's really important. i was thinking about this on the drive in - writing about this, and listening to all your responses, got my brain thinking.

 

Let's compare my (beautiful, wonderful) Pelikan M605 to the (sturdy, simple) Lamy Safari. In particular, there's the smoothness of the barrel, the dependability of the clip, and the dependability of the post. The M605 rolls around a lot unposted; posted, the cap wobbles unless I really push it down there. If I kind of distractedly post the cap, it's liable to come off and drop something on the ground. I've dropped cap and almost dropped pen while holding the posted cap a lot of times. The Lamy: never.

 

So here's something I have to do all the time: lecture form a podium, taking questions, and scribbling notes to myself about what I want to say while people way smarter than me are firing questions at me. Podiums are slanty, and a lot of times the lip at the bottom is really shallow. Here's things I do: unthinkingly post the pen and start writing. Put the pen down thoughtlessly while thinking about what I'm going to say. Fiddle with the pen and flick it around in my hand while I'm talking. Distractedly clip the pen to myself, open and posted, sometimes sideways on my shirt collar.

 

here's what has happened with the M605: when I put it vertically on the lip of the podium, it slid and bounced off the lip. When I posted it and held it by the cap and absently fiddled with it, it's come flying out of its cap (and I had to catch it in midair). I've clipped it to myself and it's fallen off.

 

Here's what happens with the Lamy: nothing. When I put it on the podium, something about the interaction between the octagonal barrel and the clip makes it STAY PUT. When I post it and fiddle, it has never, ever, ever come free of its cap. I can clip it in any direction - I apparently clip it sideways to the top of my shirt all the time, even open and posted, and it STAYS PUT. I don't even know I'm doing it.

 

An ex-girlfriend has clipped her Lamy Safari to her bikini top at the beach while writing notes, forgot it was there when she started running, and it stayed there for a 2 mile run. (Apparently she noticed it quickly, but it seemed so secure she decided to just not worry about it.)

 

(The Pilot VP has similar qualities - even though the barrel is smooth something about the clip placement makes it stay put even on weird slangy surfaces. I've put it down unthinkingly a thousand times on a slanty podium and it's never rolled off.)

 

Of course, you can always say: the Pelikan is a delicate beautiful object that needs to be treated with care. And it's true. I imagine it's ideal circumstance is on a nice desk, with an edged blotter, and a little pen-stand or pen box. The Lamy and the Pilot VP, on the other hand - it's clear to me that some engineers or human-usage designers *worked the hell out of this thing*. The way the clip and/or barrel just helps it not slide, all that stuff. I think those pens started with some engineer, who rides the train and makes presentations and all that, thinking about everything that annoyed them about most pens and designing solutions. Less artful, more engineered/designed.

[rdh]

The Pilot 823 has a number 15 nib (about 1 inch). It is the largest one Pilot makes. It has a springy feel to it and has a bit of feedback. The 74 has a number 5 nib (ca 3/4 inch). Still large, but not the same. If you order the 74 from a Japanese vendor, you can get many different colors and a variety of nibs that are not available in the US. There is a noticeable difference in the feel of the 2 pens. The 74 is good, the 823 is great. Note that both have very large ink capacities. The 74 has the push-button con-70 converter and the 823 is a vacuum filler, where the whole barrel fills with ink like a piston filler, but a different mechanism. Both are extremely easy to fill.

 

Dave

 

Question: for all of you recommending me the Pilot 823, how different is the nib from the Pilot 74/92, which I was also looking at? (The 92 is piston, right?)

 

And what are you experiences with the F, MF, and M nibs? I'm basically looking for the finest nib that's still happy and smooth even on mediocre paper.

[kazoolaw]

here's what has happened with the M605: when I put it vertically on the lip of the podium, it slid and bounced off the lip. When I posted it and held it by the cap and absently fiddled with it, it's come flying out of its cap (and I had to catch it in midair). I've clipped it to myself and it's fallen off.

 

Here's what happens with the Lamy: nothing. When I put it on the podium, something about the interaction between the octagonal barrel and the clip makes it STAY PUT. When I post it and fiddle, it has never, ever, ever come free of its cap. I can clip it in any direction - I apparently clip it sideways to the top of my shirt all the time, even open and posted, and it STAYS PUT. I don't even know I'm doing it.

 

 

 

Just like some vehicles are off-roaders, so too are some pens and others do well on a desk. Every tool has its purpose. You've done a fine job matching the design to your purpose.

 

Best wishes

[rorschah]

 

Just like some vehicles are off-roaders, so too are some pens and others do well on a desk. Every tool has its purpose. You've done a fine job matching the design to your purpose.

 

Best wishes

 

Exactly. I've never tried to say that the Pelikan is a bad pen. It's an excellent pen for one context of use. I think the off-roader analogy is great. That's what I was trying to say: I'm a pen off-roader, a brutal and abusive one, and for a while I was making pen decisions based on taking it for a short spin in good weather on manicured track. I was paying attention to the wrong qualities for my actual needs.

[mrchan]

Thank you for your insight into all the fountain pens you have used, liked, loved, disliked, etc. I agree that after a while, despite amassing a collection of sorts that, I think most people will eventually end up with 2 or 3 favourites, one or more of which will always be in the active rotation. When I've used all my pens for 5 years or so perhaps I shall come reply to this post with my own experiences.

[mongrelnomad]

A while back I too did a giant comparison test, because I find that relating numerous long-term experiences gives a much better feel for the relative qualities of the pens themselves, and the preferences of the reviewer, than a single pen in isolation. This fine review supports my theory.

 

I share some of your sentiments (I love my Auroras and Sailors), though not others (I LOATHE modern Pelikans), but I can't help but think you should search for capacity in your next pen. Perhaps a vacuum or plunger filler of some sort, giving you the ink choice of an integrated system, with a the capacity you require. Something with a lock-up seal would also help with your just-about-to-miss-the-bus moments.

 

I don't know what your price sensitivity is, but I'd seriously look at:

 

•Pilot Custom 823 (relatively cheap, great nibs - comparable to your Sailor, huge capacity); I'd go for an MF as my F's sweet-spot is very narrow

 

•Conid Fountainbel Bulkfiller (probably the perfect pen for your needs - giant capacity, delrin plastic isn't slippy, steel/gold/titanium replaceable nibs, posts incredibly securely with rubber o-rings)

 

Anyway, thanks again for an incredibly informative review.

Edited November 8, 2013 by mongrelnomad

[readonly]

Thank you very much for writing this up. It's the best type of review one can wish for, a real user who has long-term experience with the products. In times where people (collectors, mostly) get a pen, play around with if for a few hours, and do a video on it where they mostly drool over the looks of the pen, such valuable contributions are rare. It would be great if this review format inspired others to do similar things, maybe even a separate review forum or index. At the very least, people should state for how long and how intense they have been using the particular pen(s) they are reviewing.

 

Of course, it is too easy to do a quick review after having just received a new pen. I cannot really blame anyone for that. We are so excited about the new acquisition that proper use and a dissociated sober perspective on the item's qualities become nearly impossible.

[cybaea]

Fantastic post, thank you!

[VillersCotterets]

There's all this research that students respond really well to green, rather than red, ink for grading - it differentiates it from their writing color, while not seeming hostile or critical.

 

+1 Orange also works well. It's associated with cheerfulness and never seems hostile.

 

 

Yeah - a food critic friend of mine said that there was a vast difference between what wine or beer was impressive on the first sip, and which one actually stayed lovely and not cloying, and lived comfortably with the food on your plate. Same thing with pens.

Same thing with the Pepsi challenge and the notorious failure of New Coke.

 

 

 

Sip tests, where testers drink only small quantities of a product, often produce diametrically different results to home-use tests. While many people will prefer a sweeter drink when just having a small amount they will find such drinks too sweet when drunk in any quantity. The tests also fail to take into account something called “sensation transference” which is when testers attribute their emotional attachment to a product to the taste of the product.

 

 

 

Long term reviews, like yours, are a lot more valuable than first impressions. So, thank you a lot!

[JustinJ]

Question: for all of you recommending me the Pilot 823, how different is the nib from the Pilot 74/92, which I was also looking at? (The 92 is piston, right?)

 

And what are you experiences with the F, MF, and M nibs? I'm basically looking for the finest nib that's still happy and smooth even on mediocre paper.

I purchased the fine nib. I use it on the newspaper, cheap paper, and expensive paper. It writes on everything well. The fine nib also uses less ink. When I received my Pilot 823, I had to give it more ink flow. You may like the setting from the factory. At first, I was a little disappointed with the pen material. I have been writing with Nakaya pens for last three years. The craftsmanship is not on the same level as the Nakaya pen but the Pilot is also cheaper.

 

I purchased the Pilot 823 to be my carry pen. I was not comfortable carrying my more expensive pens around with me everywhere. I am often around smaller children or in crowded places. After a few weeks of carrying the Pilot, I grew to appreciate it. I do not treat it gingerly and it has held up beautifully. I can not think of a better made pen for the price. It has great utility and a nice nib with a little feedback. I do not like glassy nibs myself.

 

I've had piston filler pens and the Pilot 823 filling system is vastly superior. It fills up quickly with no mess and little fiddling. The filling system and nib are the best parts of the pen. The pen can be filled from a 5 mL ink sample vial. I've actually only had a little over 2 mL of ink in a sample vial and the pen sucked most of the ink out of the vial.