One Pen Under $200

[Bamapendude]

So I want to step up a level in my pen collection from some of the low end vintage pens, pens from china and pens from India I have acquired so far.

 

Requirements and Wishes:

 

Budget under $200

Wish to have a Gold Nib

Looking for a Fine nib with very good line variation and flex.

Can be new used or nos

 

I keep on eyeing Pelikans but not sure what model. Also interested in alternatives. I want to make this a daily writer pen fun but not too expensive to enjoy using it.

 

 

[Raif79]

You can hunt down a Pelikan 400, 400nn or 100n for under $200.

[Bamapendude]

Any preference on which of the 3 would be the best?

[Lam1]

I think that all three are excellent and probably it is more a matter of preference for the looks and size. There is also the Pelikan 140, which usually costs less than those mentioned by Raif79 (with a bit of patience you can get a 140 in excellent shape for less than $100).

[ac12]

Check out Peyton Street pens.

For flex, it WILL be vintage and USED. No one makes a good flex nib today.

 

You really want to think about using a flex pen every day.

Some flex pens are stiff enough to be used as a daily pen. But others are soft enough that you do NOT want to use it as a daily pen, as they flex too easily and get in the way of daily writing tasks (like shopping lists, etc).

I prefer a stiff nib (a nail) for daily writing, and reserve the flex nibs for letter writing.

 

BTW, if you have not used a flex nib pen before, be VERY VERY careful. Press too hard, to get a nice flex, and BOING...you spring (ruin) the nib.

Edited June 26, 2016 by ac12

[Bamapendude]

What about recommendations for non flex nib in this price fine nibs

[Lam1]

All the mentioned Pelikans also come with stiffer nibs .

 

Are you looking only for vintage? Or are modern pen suggestions also allowed?

 

Oh, and if modern are allowed, would you consider buying from abroad?

Edited June 26, 2016 by Lam1

[parnesh]

Pelikan 400 series pens are great and most are semi-flex (apart from the accountant nibs and maybe a few others). Amongst the modern pens, I highly recommend Pilot pens (912,743 or Falcon) with soft nibs for semi-flex or the FA nib for flex. While these will not be as good as vintage nibs, I find them very nice for everyday writing, the price is great and the CON-70 holds a lot of ink.

[Bamapendude]

All the mentioned Pelikans also come with stiffer nibs .

 

Are you looking only for vintage? Or are modern pen suggestions also allowed?

 

Oh, and if modern are allowed, would you consider buying from abroad?

Yes modem is ok buy abroad ok if I can find reputable seller

[Lam1]

Ok. In that case, there are lots of great possibilities for stiffer nibs, but, as far as I know, not many for flex and line variation.

 

The Pilot Falcon has SF nibs that give you a some flex/line variation, but in my experience not a whole lot. I have never used a FA.

 

Another possibility is a Pilot SU (stub) nib, which is not flex but has line variation. The Pilot 742 (CC) can be bought with SU in your price range (it also seems to have the FA). The Pilot Vanishing (CC, heavier) point also has a SU (which I love), but you need to know if the clip would not cause you any problem - I absolutely love the VP!!

 

If you give up flex and line variation, then there are many, many other possibilities. Examples:

 

Pilot Custom Heritage 92: Piston filler demonstrator (light).

Lamy 2000: Piston filler, built like a tank (very stiff nib, at least mine is; intermediate weight).

Modern Pelikan M400: classic design and excellent piston filler (light; less than $200 only if bought from abroad).

Platinum Century 3776: CC, nice largish nib with a little feedback, in my opinion the absolute best bargain out there for about $85-$90 (light; smallish pen, but posts well).

 

Another possibility is to consider a NOS Pelikan M250 or M400 from the 90's (both light pens). The nibs from that period are very springy and have a lot of character (and they are piston fillers). They can be obtained from abroad for about $170-175 shipped (if you want to know from which seller, PM me and I send you the link - no affiliation other than leaving all my money there ). The only problem of these pens is that they are addictive.

 

My personal preference would be the Pelikan M400 (or M250), followed the Pilot VP and the Platinum 3776.

Good luck in your search and don't forget to let us know which one you chose.

Edited June 26, 2016 by Lam1

[max dog]

Lamy 2000 is an excellent writer.

[Raif79]

Any preference on which of the 3 would be the best?

Only personal preference. I love the design and looks of the 100 and 100n's. When capped it is a very small pen. When posted it becomes a full size. I've got a few and the nibs range from EF to F. They are great. Just a good looking neat old pen.

[Buzz_130]

You have a wide range of options for pens in your price range. If you look vintage, you'll find most of them will have gold nibs. However, your price range will have some challenges with flex. But don't necessarily confuse flex with line variation. You can get good line variation with a stub.

 

For our recommendations to be useful, you'll need to tell us more about what you like and don't like about your Chinese and Indian pens. Weight, size, diameter, posted vs unposed - all will weigh heavily into a pen recommendation.

 

Buzz

[flipper_gv]

Lamy 2000 is an excellent writer.

 

It's a great (amazing) working pen, but it usually doesn't wow people.

 

I'd say maybe go for a 1911 Realo.

 

http://www.engeika.com/product/139

[Namo]

Any Platinum. Awesome nibs.

[Boniface]

The best writers I have are vintage Pelikans, mostly 400s. I have bought three pens from Penalusa.com and I have been very happy with them.

[Gilkv]

If you are willing to put some effort into the search, I would encourage you to hit some antique malls/stores and look for some of the older (50s-60s) Parker duofolds. They write great, are easy to maintain and the nibs are magnificent. They can be had for between $75-150 typically, so they won't tear a hole in the pocket book. That's just my personal $.02 though.

[dogpoet]

If vintage models are acceptable, I think there were gold-nibbed Targas available at one point. (Sadly, I doubt you'd get a PFM that didn't need restoring for $200.)

 

As for modern pens still in production, the Pelikans look better, but I prefer the Lamy 2000 to use myself.

[jar]

Line variation and fine nib may well be the biggest hurdle. Usually getting those two characteristics will mean finding an older flexible nib pen and good examples of that in your price range are scarce.

 

Another option is to find a pen that is factory marked as a Fine Cursive or Fine Italic nib. Unfortunately most manufacturers did not mark nib size or type in any permanent fashion so in most cases it becomes a mater of trust between buyer and sellers. One exception would be the recently departed Conway Stewart who offered cursive italic stamped nibs on all their pens. A Conway Stewart #58 IF Cartridge/converter might be a great choice and available within your price range.

 

The third option is to find the pen you like in a medium or broad nib and have one of the nib folk grind it to suit your hand and desires. That is likely the most reliable and least expensive option out there. If you start with a Japanese B or Western M nib there should be plenty of material to allow customization for you.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Standard sized 400-(400n hard to find 1955 only)-medium-large 400nn, '50's-65. Unless it has a H for hard or D for nail's nail, it will be semi-flex or maxi-semi-flex.

 

Can be had in tortoise in German Ebay,,,, if you can find someone that takes Paypal and will ship out of Germany.

Should be able to get one from 100-140 Euro if you hunt....can spend a fortune on a Buy Now pen. Hunting is half the fun.

 

The vintage nib will give you good line variation. I have a vintage 400n semi-flex B nib in my 600.

 

An Oblique will give you more. Nibs of that era are @ 1/2 a size narrower than modern.

An OB will be like a fat modern M.... a good writing nib (not a signature nib like a modern ....and an OB is wide enough to be easy to get use to oblique.

 

An OF will take you a bit of time get use too.

A trick if you get an OF, aim the clip between the slit and the edge of the nib. Grip the pen, put it to paper and write. That will give you an automatic cant that puts the nib flat to the paper.

 

I highly favor Pelikan pens from this era....they have great nibs.

 

Standard sized Geha 790 is great too....and the steel nib is = to the gold ones, and can be had for '30-70 euro. They are as good as Pelikan...they competed for the same market and from the same town.

I was a fool, gold nib snob for a long time...but Geha and Osmia steel nibs are great, as good as their gold nibs.

 

It is possible to get Pelikan Tortoise pens of that era for the same price as green stripped.