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Looking For Help To Find Pen Brands?


MandaLou

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Hello,

 

Hopefully I've decided on the right section to ask this question.

 

I am currently dating someone who is from Taiwan. He enjoys using fountain pens (and rarely uses any other writing instrument) so I had decided that, as part of his Christmas gift this year, I would get him 2 pens: one from Taiwan (to represent where he was born) and one from Canada (where we reside now). I am fairly certain I have been able to locate a local pen maker where I will purchase the Canadian pen but I am having a difficult time discovering what legitimate brands are out there from Taiwan.

 

I have been able to look at an online store for TY Lee and I've looked at the Tenny site but, as both of them are in Chinese, I'm a little hesitant to settle on something as of yet.

 

 

If anyone has any assistance they can provide, whether it be a good retailer or even just some brands to look out for, I would greatly appreciate it!

 

 

Thank you!

 

- Samantha :)

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TWSBI is an up-and-coming Taiwanese brand.

 

There's also Laban, although I haven't had the chance to try them out yet.

 

Other members will be able to tell you from which reputable websites or retailers you can order these brands.

 

TY Lee is a well-known pen store in Taipei, and thus not a brand. They sell all manner of pens, from various countries and manufacturers.

 

Hope this helps!

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Like Wolverine suggested - TWSBI is pretty much the first brand out of Taiwan that comes to mind - I think there was even a ROC 540 a while back that celebrated the colours of their flag. Canadian pens - I suggest you look for a vintage - Parker, Waterman, maybe Esterbrook ... There are no active pen manufacturing firms to my knowledge and the only ones you will find are people assembling from kits - which while unique doesn't make for a particularly interesting pen.

 

I really suggest you just buy a nice pen that works well and is built well - your partner will probably be happier in the long run. My gf once bought me a gimmick Montblanc and it was just a horrible pen. It would mean more if you took the time to see what brand he is a fan of and what sort of nib he prefers (prepare for a lengthy conversation). If you are in Toronto, take a trip out to Wonderpens - they are extremely helpful. All the best!

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TWSBI is an up-and-coming Taiwanese brand.

 

There's also Laban, although I haven't had the chance to try them out yet.

 

Other members will be able to tell you from which reputable websites or retailers you can order these brands.

 

TY Lee is a well-known pen store in Taipei, and thus not a brand. They sell all manner of pens, from various countries and manufacturers.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Yes, thanks! I was using the translate page on the TY Lee site to go look at the ones from Taiwan.

 

 

Like Wolverine suggested - TWSBI is pretty much the first brand out of Taiwan that comes to mind - I think there was even a ROC 540 a while back that celebrated the colours of their flag. Canadian pens - I suggest you look for a vintage - Parker, Waterman, maybe Esterbrook ... There are no active pen manufacturing firms to my knowledge and the only ones you will find are people assembling from kits - which while unique doesn't make for a particularly interesting pen.

 

I really suggest you just buy a nice pen that works well and is built well - your partner will probably be happier in the long run. My gf once bought me a gimmick Montblanc and it was just a horrible pen. It would mean more if you took the time to see what brand he is a fan of and what sort of nib he prefers (prepare for a lengthy conversation). If you are in Toronto, take a trip out to Wonderpens - they are extremely helpful. All the best!

 

Yes, I'd rather get him a pen that is good quality than a gimmicky one. I do believe he already has the ROC 540. Since he already had a pen from TWSBI I was hoping to maybe find another brand.

As far as Canadian pens go, I live on the east coast. I've found a few local pen makers in PEI and NS so I'm going to go check out their shops to see what they have. Unfortunately, I don't see much for larger retailers around here :/

Thanks!

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Yes, thanks! I was using the translate page on the TY Lee site to go look at the ones from Taiwan.

 

 

 

Yes, I'd rather get him a pen that is good quality than a gimmicky one. I do believe he already has the ROC 540. Since he already had a pen from TWSBI I was hoping to maybe find another brand.

As far as Canadian pens go, I live on the east coast. I've found a few local pen makers in PEI and NS so I'm going to go check out their shops to see what they have. Unfortunately, I don't see much for larger retailers around here :/

Thanks!

If you want to go with "Something old, something new" there's always the option of a Canadian Waterman - if vintage is not out of the question.

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If you want to go with "Something old, something new" there's always the option of a Canadian Waterman - if vintage is not out of the question.

 

 

Canadian Waterman is an excellent choice. For the something new part, Amazon UK has the Waterman Carene for GBP 73

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