Parker Sonnet 18K Vs Edison With Steel Nib(Any Of Them) Vs Visconti Van Gogh(Steel Nib)

[SotirisK]

Hello everyone, I am relatively new in the fountain pen world and I have a serious problem deciding wich pen to buy. I have about 130-150 eur. available and I have decided that I like those three pens. I know they are totally different, but i have no experience with pens of this price-range, so I would really apreciate reading your thoughts and ideas... if you can also suggest an other pen, I would really like to know!

Edited November 11, 2014 by SotirisK

[CoolFool]

I've never used a Parker Sonnet 18K or a Visconti VanGogh, but I do have a few Edisons. One of the many things I like about Edison is that you can get the pen made to suit your own tastes. You can mix and match materials and styles to get what is a probably a unique pen that is an expression of yourself. I don't know about the other two, but Edison pens tend to be large and light weight, a great combination in my opinion, but not necessarily for everyone.

[SotirisK]

Thanks!

[lisadan]

I have two Sonnets, but I don't have any experience with the two other pens. I find the Sonnet very nice, smooth writer (both my pens have M nibs) and very attractive. You can find nice Sonnets, not just the basic models, significantly less than 130 Euros. Just be careful of who you buy from, since there are many Sonnet counterfeits out there.

[freewheelingvagabond]

Hello everyone, I am relatively new in the fountain pen world and I have a serious problem deciding wich pen to buy. I have about 130-150 eur. available and I have decided that I like those three pens. I know they are totally different, but i have no experience with pens of this price-range, so I would really apreciate reading your thoughts and ideas... if you can also suggest an other pen, I would really like to know!

Would be best if you can visit a shop and check out the pens yourself. You would perhaps find shops selling Parker Sonnets and Visconti Van Goghs. I have a Sonnet with an 18k nib and it is a joy to write. However, with Sonnets it is best to buy from a reputable brick and mortar store because:

 

1. The Sonnet is one of the most widely counterfeited pens.

2. There has often been a lot of talk about their inconsistencies in quality control. A pen bought without testing could be a hit or a miss for this particular model.

 

Other pens you could consider would be

 

Lamy 2000

Lamy Studio 18k

Waterman Carene

Waterman Charleston

Sailor 1911 mid size

Sailor Sapporo

similarly priced pens from Namiki/Pilot

 

In my opinion you should definitely check out the Japanese pens around that price point. And I personally would prefer a gold nib.

Edited November 11, 2014 by freewheelingvagabond

[Joe in Seattle]

My Edison is a better writer than the Parker Sonnet I had. In fact, I sold the Parker.

[SotirisK]

I hadn't ever see the waterman charleston! Its really cool! It is said to be really stiff though... Does it really have no line variation?

[Fountainer]

I use Sonnet every day. It's a handy pen that fits well between my calendar with it's slim body. Snap off-cap and good posting option makes it a work horse. It's not the most reliable pen as many people have had issues with it. Me too i had to adjust it quite a bit when i first bought it, but it has worked well ever since (2,5 years). It only skips in very fast draws. The nib is thin gold and has a soft feel. That's something to consider, when some may look for a stiffer nib. I guess Visconti also may have somewhat soft touch because of the wide breather hole that takes away some structural strength.

 

Pens can seem great in photos, but make sure you find details about their actual dimensions and weights. About the size, i actually prefer Parker Frontier over the Sonnet, but the quality is not nearly the same. Edison seems to have a threaded cap, while Sonnet has a snap off-cap. You need to decide which one you want to use? I personally like threaded caps but that being said, my everyday pen is the Sonnet so it's not that big deal for me. I still keep searching for a bit bigger pen with threaded cap and very decorated appearance.

[SotirisK]

I actually prefer the threaded caps, they are much cooler in my opinion Do you happen to own a waterman Charleston?

[Fountainer]

Nope, i'm not a huge collector anyway. I'd like to buy one more pen, but it should have a piston filler or something like that. Right size, threaded cap, fancy decoration, posts well, works well, not too heavy, some green color maybe... That would do for me.

 

You made me watch a video of the Charleston. It said to be a toothy writer, so not the smoothest... But opinions may also vary. Other than that, i think the pen is ok. Waterman Expert and Phileas come with some marble pattern on them, but they have snap off-caps. Phileas used to be a lot cheaper but is often overpriced today.

[SotirisK]

I have readed in some forum topics that the charleston is smooth but hard although i believe this has to do with the tuning of the nib... wich video did you watch?

[Fountainer]

I watched "BestFountainPen"'s video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCTT6IMfmXQ

Rumours about smoothness are confusing. I tried hard to find out is Aurora Optima smooth or not, but couldn't make my mind by reading opinions. Smoothness is not objectively tested, though i think it could be tested somehow and get real results in numbers. Also softness would be quite easy to test by adding certain amount of weight on the pen and measure how much the nib bends. Pens are not ment to be rocket science, but prices are high for a pen so would be nice to know will i like it or will i go through the trouble of selling it away and finding a new one that may or may not be good.

 

Short nibs must be generally stiffer, i assume. Longer ones can flex more, but the width, thickness and material affects greatly. In the case of Sonnet, i think the thickness of the nib is not sufficent to deliver enough ink in very fast, long line drawing and so it may skip. It never skips in normal writing, though. They could make it thicker and more reliable, but this is ment to be a soft nib and therefore thin.

[fabrimedeiros]

I own a two sonnet, a Mina (Edison) and several Visconti. Van Gogh is the best in my opinion. They are wetter and I love them.

[freewheelingvagabond]

I hadn't ever see the waterman charleston! Its really cool! It is said to be really stiff though... Does it really have no line variation?

I was assuming you want a stiff, rigid nib. If you want something that is somewhat flexible and gives line variation, look at the Namiki Falcon resin with soft fine nib.

[Algester]

Smoothness is subjective but if you like something smooth I guess try the faber-castell ondoro nib grades f-b

[Algester]

I was assuming you want a stiff, rigid nib. If you want something that is somewhat flexible and gives line variation, look at the Namiki Falcon resin with soft fine nib.

 

I would say go cheaper how bout custom 74 or custom heritage 91 with soft fine nib

Engeika has it for 90usd minus shipping

Edited November 11, 2014 by Algester