Most Reliable And Beautiful Sub $300 Fountain Pen

[thepiman]

I'm looking for a very reliable and beautiful fountain pen that i can use on a daily basis to take fast and long notes. I was using a TWSBI Eco which I loved for its butter smooth M nib, its enormous ink capacity and its nifty piston filler mechanism but unfortunately there are two issues with this pen:

1. recently it has started leaving large drops of ink on the page, ruining my notes and making a mess - this behaviour is neither predictable nor conducive to producing neat notes in a business meeting and so until I get this issue fixed (should i send it back to the shop I bought it from - i've only had it 6 months) it is virtually unusable;
2. it doesn't look sufficiently serious for a business pen: it looks more like a fancy college pen, than a business pen.

 

I would consider a Montblanc, but my boss has one and I don't want to copy him. He has the classic Meisterstück so I guess i could go with something different but still made by Montblanc but I would rather be more original. I quite like the Pelikan M800 Grand Place Special Edition in a sort of brown gold black mixture of colours, but it's quite a bit above my price range. The other M800 just look a bit boring. Yes, they would fit the serious pen criteria, but they are a bit too rectilinear for me. I prefer something more cigar shaped. Perhaps I should consider a special edition of the M600, but my concern is that it would be a touch too small. I have a fairly large hand, thought it's not enormous.

 

​I also had a look at the Pilot Custom 845 but it wasn't really my thing. It just didn't appeal to me, although the Con-70 Converter does sound cool as an alternative to a piston filler - I also liked the possibility of using cartridges since that would be much niftier than refilling with a piston filler midway through a meeting.

 

The other pens i own are a Lamy Safari and a Kaweco Sport. I like the Lamy, but it looks a bit cheap for the business meeting setting. The Kaweco Sport only gets my attention when I'm travelling.

 

So what other pens should I be looking at? Any suggestions gratefully received.

 

[Trom]

Although this is the place for reviewing fountains pens already in possession, I recommend that you copy your boss and also buy a MB if you want to feel like him and be a good successor.

Don't buy a better looking or more expensive pen!

 

If you don't want to be a boss you could buy a Visconti Homo Sapiens. Nice pen!

A bit more than $300 though.

Edited March 26, 2016 by Trom

[J_MM]

What about the Lamy 2000? Good for a business setting and very reliable.

[dylim1]

I'd recommend Franklin-Christoph pen, Pilot Custom 823, Pilot Custom 74, or Edison Pen.

[inkandseeds]

Go classic. Buy a refurbished Parker 51.

[bone215]

popcorn time

[Wandering Man]

I like my Waterman Carene.

 

And my Platinum 6337.

 

But my favorite is a 1952 Pelikan 400.

 

Hmmm ... My Parker Premier isn't bad, either.

 

I think you're on your own for this decision.

[Pendel]

I would suggest a

 

PLATINUM Izumo Tagayasan

 

which can be had from Engeika for about $350.

It will be bigger than your Boss' pen, but if that is not an issue, you should consider it. Very classic wood coloring or urushi, very distinctive, very comfortable, very reliable, and a great writer.

 

:-)

Edited March 27, 2016 by Pendel

[MikeF]

A Pelikan M1000 is a very nice serious pen, and the striated green is far from boring; the nib is fabulous. The M800 nib has nothing to do with it...

A Lamy 2000 is a very nice workhorse, but not flashy... there is the stainless steel version, but it is not so comfortable to write for a long period.

A Pilot Custom 823 would be an interesting option...

 

Now if you want something beautiful and want cartrigdes ( I avoided them so far...)... A Montegrappa Miya in dark blue celluloid... with a silver cap (Argento...)! Or a Visconti with the dreamtouch nib ( in paladium). Both are superb writers.

And what about Auroras? Or Omas Paragon... but now we may be out of that budget.

[sannidh]

My recommendations echo the above opinions of fellow FPNers, given you wish to use the pen for business meetings. I have considered pen & nib size/balance + budget < $300 + good ink capacity

 

Personally, I love the Izumo Tagayasan which Pendel has suggested, albeit it's size/shape could attract all the attention from your board . Overall its one of my best balanced pens.

Have also hyperlinked some of the reviews @ FPN.

 

1. Pilot Custom 823

1a. Smoke - Review

1b. Amber - Review (smoke is less transparent, but amber is fun )

2. Pelikan m80X - Review - Difficult to go wrong with this

3. Visconti Homo Sapiens - Maxi (Oversize) - Review (The 23k-Pd nib simply rocks, budget may exceed 350 $)

4. Faber Castell Intuition - Review - The pen is beautiful, however has a smaller nib compared to size#6 of the above mentioned ones, and the converter holds a fair amount of ink (around 1 ml)

Edited March 27, 2016 by soniknitr

[DrDebG]

One of the things I love about FPN are all the different opinions.

 

My two nicest FPs for business are my Franklin Christoph Panther 40. It has a 14K Masuyama medium italic nib which I love and takes extremely crisp notes. The pen is light enough for long note taking sessions, extremely reliable and does well with just about any ink I put in it. Cost $320.00. Check out

www.franklin-christoph.com.

 

My other "business" pen is a Delta Capri Marina with a fusion nib. I found it new on eBay for $160. It has been extremely reliable and looks very nice.

 

Another to consider is an Italix Parsons Essential or Captain's Commission. The Captain's Commission is a very classic looking pen and is quite weighty. You can choose from several different nib types, including gold nibs. I bought my Captain's on MassDrop for around $75.

 

One last thing - check out www.massdrop.com. They have a gorgeous Pelikan 400 for around $275.

[Lam1]

One of the things I love about FPN are all the different opinions.

 

Indeed!

 

I happen to think that black pens are boring and that the Pelikans M800 are the best pens out there, and far from boring. But to each his/her own.

 

Two pens that I like a lot and were not mentioned (with patience and some searching around they can be found below $300) are

 

- Parker Duofold Centennial: classic design, beautiful nib with good size and option of colors.

 

- GvFC Classic: variety of materials with superb finish and feel (I have the Grenadilla). The nib is a bit small but proportional to the section thickness (it is thin, but comfortable) and ultra smooth.

 

Since the OP prefer cigar shaped pens, I'm surprised that the following two were not mentioned:

 

- Sailor 1911 Large. But personally I don't trust Sailor converters (based on bad personal experience)

 

- Pilot 743: the black one has a variety of nib options, uses the Con-70.

 

(Both well within the price range).

 

Good luck with your search, and let us know which one you will pick up.

[max dog]

You can't go wrong with a Pelikan. I'd suggest the iconic green striated Souveran:

M600 (will need to extend the budget) or

M400 will fit perfectly in the professional office setting.

 

Or Lamy 2000. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Edited March 27, 2016 by max dog

[thepiman]

Thank you so much for all these suggestions, particularly the ones I had never heard of! Will do my research and report back!

[MikeF]

Just to help you find some beauty...

 

http://www.gbapen.co.uk/IMAGES/MONTEGRAPPA/MG_MIYA_ARG.JPG

 

 

[Calabria]

If your boss has a MB I wouldn't copy him; getting a Pelikan M800 in EF (the Stresemann would be suitable for a business setting, or the black version) would show that you share an interest in fountain pens, but are not trying to imitate him (or her). Pelikan is a workhorse and has a large ink capacity. You can pick them up at a discount on Amazon.de or even better, missingpen.de

[LuckyKate]

+1 for Pelikan I used exclusively a Pelikan 250 several hours a day for 10 years. It still works great and I still love it, though I have a lot more pens now.

[TassoBarbasso]

I'd try to get an old-series Visconti Van Gogh maci with the 14k nib. Understated but creative. Also, Aurora Talentum or a used Optima/88. Sailor is a good option too, but would remind a lot of your boss' MB. I have a Pilot 845 and I love it, it's super-reliable, beautiful, perfectly crafted, but might be above the 300 threshold

[Pensei]

Agree 100% that you can't buy a MB. I'd vote for an 823 or whatever is the best Pelikan you can find within your budget. Of course, there is the issue that I bet at least half the people who have a 149 also have a Pelikan on standby, but as long as you have yours in play before you see the boss's, then I guess it's OK.

[thiagojp]

My recommendations are:

1- a sailor 1911 L demonstrator, with gold fittings. Mine's always looked at in awe by the people I work with and my students. Love it's F nib.

2- an Edison pen, you can even design your own pen, and they have some cool filling systems.

3- a Franklin Cristoph, especially with a Masuyama cursive Italic. I love their "ice" finnish.

4- an Omas arco brown, it looks stunning, and have outstanding nibs. The problem is the cost, way out of your budget.

5- a Platinum briar wood, with a soft fine nib. I love the texture of mine.