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Recommend A Fp For Heavy Useage


Spaceman Spiff

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Pens that I may end up considering:

TWSBI 580 & Vac 700: I would prefer not to use a demonstrator FP, but other than that, these appear to be very popular.

 

There is also the TWSBI Classic, what came out around Christmas.

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Pelikan M200: well over my budget (unless I was looking at the wrong one)

black m200 binderized-> $112 from Richards pens. 12 bucks for binderizing =worth it :). he can adjust the wetness to whatever you like.
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I'm on the bandwagon for TWSBI Vac 700 and the Italix Parson's Essential.

Franklin-Christoph, Italix, and Pilot pens are the best!
Iroshizuku, Diamine, and Waterman inks are my favorites!

Apica, Rhodia, and Clairefontaine make great paper!

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The Pilot Metropolitan is my standard pen recommendation for someone on a budget now. It is very robust, has good hand feel, and the nibs write pretty well. It is a much more solid pen than the 78g but also happens to be like $5-7 more. It's also nice in that although it only comes in a M nib, you can buy several of the inexpensive Pilot pens and easily swap out the nibs (like a penmenship if you want a EF nib). Pilot ink cartridges hold just a bit under 1mL from what I understand and you'll be hard pressed to find a bigger ink capacity unless you go for a piston filler, vacuum filler, or maybe eye dropper.

 

Someone else had mentioned the Pilot Custom 74 and I can second that suggestion. I own one and while it's a plastic pen, it feels very robust. I trust the Pilot plastics much more than I trust the TWSBI plastics. You can also get a variety of nib sizes for the 74 as compared to the metropolitan. Once again you would have to deal with the Pilot cartridges though, but the 74 also holds the con70 converter which holes 1mL of ink, giving you just a little bit more ink. And if you were to get a F or EF, the Pilot finer nibs are very stingy with ink and I think you'll find that 1mL will last quite some time. It also looks like the 74 could be converted to eye dropper use but I've never tried it and honestly I probably wouldn't recommend it as you might get ink burps on your pages. The 74s can be had for just under $100 including shipping if you order from one of the sellers in Japan.

 

Both of these Pilot pens can also be very classy and understated depending on the color you get. And another thing to note is the Metropolitan is a slip cap making it very convenient to take on and off while taking notes while the 74 is a screwed off cap which can take a little longer to uncap. But honestly I feel these two pens conform to your requirements better than many of the others recommended.

 

The Vac700 comes in a smoke demonstrator which I feel doesn't stick out nearly as much as the very translucent demos but I feel the overall design kind of draws attention to itself.

 

And in terms of old Parkers, I will admit I love my Parker 51 but it's one of those pens that barely makes my rotation. It's robust, holds a good amount of ink, writes well, and I managed to get it at a decent price for a pen in great condition. Two caveats though. When I was bidding on the pen, I was taking a bit of a risk. It didn't seem like the seller knew that much about fountain pens and the pictures weren't the best. But I had heard that generally the aerometric P51s are pretty bulletproof so I went ahead and bid, and probably because of the risk the final price wasn't as high as others. Second problem is that the pen writes too broad for me. It's probably what most might consider a medium but it's very wet and on cheap paper I have to use at work it just doesn't work out. So because the 51s aren't marked readily with a nib size, even if the seller notes a nib width its probably just an estimation. And no matter how many times my friend tells me that F nibbed 51s are common and broader 51s are rarer and more sought after, all I ever really see are broader nibbed 51s.

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Go on eBay and buy a Pilot Custom 74 and also buy a Pilot Con-70 converter. You'll have more ink capacity than some piston-filling pens with the convenience of a cartridge/converter system. And Pilot makes great nibs, so it should write well from the start. If you don't like the 74 you should be able to sell it here quite easily.

 

Stay away from TWSBI as they have many quality control issues.

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Through college, I used a Parker 45 for all the reasons that you cited. However, this pen has a slender body.

 

The TWSBI Diamond 580/540 has a larger, round grip section. The filling system is a self-contained piston,

rather than cartridge. The transparent ink reservoir capacity is three or four times that of a large cartridge.

The nib assembly "screws" off in seconds, for changing or replacement. You can fill by emersion of the nib into

an ink bottle, as with other pens. However, the dedicated TWSBI ink bottle allows filling without going through

the nib. It is virtually "spill-proof". Very thoughtfully engineered.

 

TWSBI customer service is excellent.

Auf freiem Grund mit freiem Volke stehn.
Zum Augenblicke dürft ich sagen:
Verweile doch, du bist so schön !

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I've used both Pilot 78Gs and Pilot Metropolitans for several months, and found them to be very, very sturdy pens. They both use Pilot's cartridges and converters and I've not found that the ink capacity was a problem, with both going for a day or several days (the carts and converter both hold about .9 mL of ink). If you use the carts you can always swap one in, and bonus, Pilot carts are the easiest to refill (and can be resealed for transportation!).

 

If you want more capacity than that, you basically need to go to integrated filling systems, which means your options are probably limited to either Chinese pens that have cheap aerometric systems or vintage lever fillers. For vintage lever fillers, Esterbrooks are the nicest and sturdiest, but prices have been going up for a while (unless you want to repair your own), so expect to spend about $50 to get a fully restored pen or $30 to get and restore one yourself. Esterbrooks have been a favorite of students for generations and are very light and easy on the hand. You can get them in marbled cellulloid patterns or in solid colors, and all Esterbrook nibs are easily interchangeable so you can order another nib if you don't like the one you have. Nibs typically run $8-$10.

 

For cheap aerometrics from China, you want to use a reputable seller who will sell a good product. Try looking at the Hero pens available from isellpens.com (Hero 616, Hero 329, a few others I forget) and searching FPN for reviews. Chinese QC is not up to modern standards, so expect to have some issue that needs fixing (you might not, which is then a pleasant surprise). Most Chinese pens for the domestic Chinese market use a thinner F nib, but many pens made for export have a wider nib (IME, Jinhao nibs are often wider, Hero nibs are finer). Also, Chinese pens often aren't well-balanced for lots of writing, and I find the solid metal pens particularly bad for this (the plastic pens are light so it doesn't matter as much).

Edited by WirsPlm
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TWSBI Mini in black is an option if you don't like the demonstrators, plus the nib is very firm if you're used to ballpoints. My Mini with an EF nib is the pen I've been using for writing for the last year, it holds plenty of ink and being able to post the cap by screwing it on is a big plus for me.

 

Parson's Essential is very well built and the converter holds loads of ink, I'm not sure what shipping would add to the price but the pen is around £40, I don't like how it posts so use it unposted, for the money it's a hard pen to beat.

 

Kaweco All Rounder or Dia 2 might be worth looking at too, they have plenty of nib options and can take regular international converters.

 

A really cheap option is the Jinhao 159, it's well built and takes international converters/cartridges, the nib is a medium(i think) but for £5 it might be worth a gamble :)

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Parker 51 is probably your best bet. That said, the Pelikan M400 or 400 is a very good option as well. I like my Twsbis, but I think for the work you'll be doing a tried and trusted pen will suit you better. From personal experience, the Twsbis feel cheap and uncomfortable during a long note-taking session.

Edited by ele
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Whilst I appreciate you have discarded the Pilot 78g, I'd urge a re-think. The fine nib one I have is exceptionally smooth, and whilst there is no doubt this is a budget pen, it is good value for money.

 

I'd hope the ink cartridge would last for the time span you require, but if not then its easy to swop them out compared to refilling a piston filler.

 

Vintage pens are great, I have a variety, but I would think not the best option for you based on price/restoration/filling hassles.

 

They also make them in black, blue, red barrels which you can match to your ink colour if thats important.. :)

 

Good luck with your hunt...

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Stay away from TWSBI as they have many quality control issues.

 

To the OP: You'll hear some negative remarks about the TWSBI. I was skeptical myself for a long time. However, you'll also find that TWSBI has almost a cult following because people love them so. TWSBI did have some cracking issues awhile back, but since that time, they've modified the pen and reinforced it with metal bands. If you still have concerns, and you order from Goulet, you can get them to test it for you before it gets out the door.

 

 

Parson's Essential is very well built and the converter holds loads of ink, I'm not sure what shipping would add to the price but the pen is around £40, I don't like how it posts so use it unposted, for the money it's a hard pen to beat.

 

Mr. Penn's website will tell you how much the total cost - product plus shipping will be. You have to enter your country in the field in the "Pick Your Currency" link on the left side of the page near the top. I'm in the US and a Parson's Essential with shipping is around $75.00 US depending on choice of pen color, engraving, etc.

Franklin-Christoph, Italix, and Pilot pens are the best!
Iroshizuku, Diamine, and Waterman inks are my favorites!

Apica, Rhodia, and Clairefontaine make great paper!

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"As I put a bit of pressure, often in the heat of the moment, the tip of fineliners get pushed back inside and they no longer work."

 

The first thing to do is make sure you stop pressing too hard. This will wreck almost any FP nib. If you find you can't do this then you could look for an older pen with a manifold nib, designed for use with carbon paper so able to stand some pressure.

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There is also the TWSBI Classic, what came out around Christmas.

 

Oh yeah! I forgot the Classic came out. It's a very nice looking pen although I don't know if its metal or plastic. It's a piston filling, so it holds more than a cartridge & has a small bit of demonstrator over the grip so you can see how much ink is inside.

 

It IS a new model, though. It could have unforeseen problems.

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The Pelikan m200 is around $90 and has a great capacity with a buttery smooth piston mechanism. I love mine, although it is rather light and if you have large hands you may find it unsuitable.

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I have to add my support for the Parson's Essential. Great pen, robust and reliable (and the new colours are superb). Plus excellent service from Mr. Pen. I have used mine every day for over 18 months. It has travelled with me on planes, trains and ferries and never a problem.

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I find it amazing that Noodlers pens have not been mentioned. The Ahab with a F nib and converted over to an eyedropper would be ideal in my opinion. Being that your in college, finances could be limited. If it was me, I would look at Noodlers pens and pick up several. I would also look at getting different nibs as apposed to useing the flex nib that comes with the Ahab. They come in different colors and are classy looking.

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The following pens are either not suitable or do not sit well with my sense of vanity:

Pilot 78g: does not hold enough ink due to type of cartridge used.

Unless you decide to set it up as an eyedropper-fill. The Metropolitan uses the same converters, but being metal isn't amenable to being used as an eyedropper-fill pen.

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Unless you decide to set it up as an eyedropper-fill. The Metropolitan uses the same converters, but being metal isn't amenable to being used as an eyedropper-fill pen.

Agreed!

I currently have a black 78G with me right now (broad/1.0mm CI, converted to ED). I actually took the risk and eyedropped this pen without an o-ring or silicone grease. I have used this configuration for 3+ months and have never had any leaks or ink burps (as opposed to Indian eyedroppers that vomit half the ink supply if you accidentally tap it against anything).

 

If you do plan on getting a 78G (especially the broad stub), make sure to spend some time in making the pen wetter. I found that all four of mine wrote extremely dry OOTB, but with a few minutes of work they now are perfect writers.

“My two fingers on a typewriter have never connected with my brain. My hand on a pen does. A fountain pen, of course. Ball-point pens are only good for filling out forms on a plane.”

Graham Greene

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I find it amazing that Noodlers pens have not been mentioned. The Ahab with a F nib and converted over to an eyedropper would be ideal in my opinion. Being that your in college, finances could be limited. If it was me, I would look at Noodlers pens and pick up several. I would also look at getting different nibs as apposed to useing the flex nib that comes with the Ahab. They come in different colors and are classy looking.

 

See my post #26.

No, I am not going to list my pens here.

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