Looking For A Pen Set To Give As A Present.

[Wek]

Hello,

 

I am looking for a really "fancy" and professional pen set (preferably) that includes a fountain pen and a ballpoint/rollerball pen to give as a special gift. I don't know any about pens or where to begin looking so I am hoping you guys can help me with this. I have a budget of about $500.

 

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[NinthSphere]

Do you know anything about the recipient's preferences wrt materials, colors, nib sizes?

[Wek]

Do you know anything about the recipient's preferences wrt materials, colors, nib sizes?

I am pretty sure he is not a pen aficionado. The pens I have seen him use look nice but definitely not something you would find on this forum (<$50).

Edited October 15, 2016 by Wek

[NinthSphere]

Maybe something like a Parson's Essential fp & bp (or the rb waaaaaaaay down at the bottom) then?

 

$500 can do a lot, but it really depends on nailing some things down to narrow the field somewhat.

Edited October 15, 2016 by NinthSphere

[Mastiff]

Great thought but I would seriously think hard about it. 500 is not a small amount of money, and there is a possibility that he/she will never use it. Worse, it is not uncommon to see those 'unwanted gifts' pop up on ebay.

[NinthSphere]

Great thought but I would seriously think hard about it. 500 is not a small amount of money, and there is a possibility that he/she will never use it. Worse, it is not uncommon to see those 'unwanted gifts' pop up on ebay.

 

Agreed. Pens are a nice, practical gift, but I would be wary of spending too much without having a better idea about preferences. It would be a shame to see a good pen tucked away for lack of use due to some perceived unfavorable quality or somesuch.

[sandy101]

Cross have some nice gift sets. The Cross Century set is a nice set - and comes with a matching biro. You could add a Convertor to give them more flexibility.

 

The Parson's Essential is also a good shout. The nibs on these are something special - you certainly will not go wrong with one of those.

 

The Cross Century is a light pen, and the Parson's is heavier if that helps you choose.

[TheRealMikeDr]

Great thought but I would seriously think hard about it. 500 is not a small amount of money, and there is a possibility that he/she will never use it. Worse, it is not uncommon to see those 'unwanted gifts' pop up on ebay.

 

I agree with Mastiff. I got my wife a decent Cross BP pen for Christmas ($50) a few years back and while she likes it, and uses it on a regular basis, it's because it was a gift from me - not because it's a nice pen. If I had given her a $200 Montblanc BP pen I think her sentiment would be the same. She's just not a pen person. Now - when she gets a nice $500 bag or pair of boots that's a totally different story!

[AL01]

You could go with some NOS pen sets..... I gave my teacher a NOS Sheaffer Imperial II for a gift and she got reallllllllll dreamy over it! If your business partner has lived through the reign of Fountain pens than an older pen set may not be a bad idea.

 

If he/she likes understated pens than he/she may like a Parker 51/61. You could even find a MB set for under that price but don't take my word for it.

 

Now if you like newer pens than you could gift him/her a Lamy 2000 set, (another understated pen), or you could go with a Pelikan Mx00......

 

And the list goes on and on and on and on and on and on............... (Let me know if you need more help.)

[AL01]

I forgot to let you know, but if your business partner doesn't own ink then you'll have to buy him/her an ink bottle.

 

Safe brands for ink: Waterman (cannot recommend enough!!), Sheaffer (Wetter than Waterman, great for any nib size, ugly bottles), Parker Quink BLUE (Avoid black for it's grey and blue/black because it dries turquoise), Montblanc is good too but I have never used it.

 

YOU CAN TRY Noodler's, Private Reserve, or Sailor Jentle inks BUT they don't like overly wet nibs nor do they like Esterbrooks. (That I can say with confidence.)

 

(BTW Esterbrook pen sets are good too.)

[Wek]

Sorry for the late reply. Thank you everyone for your input, really appreciate your help.

 

Just a quick clarification, when I say my boss isn't into pens I meant that as a collector. He uses pens a lot for administrative work and note taking, which he does only a daily basis. I mentioned my budget was $500 but if possible I would like to keep it around $250, I figured it would have to spend that much after seeing MontBlanc prices.

 

I have checked some of the pens mentioned. Most of them seem to be individual pens. I rather get a set so both pens will be together in a single box. Also, could you guys recommend trusted online places (based in the US) to browse/buy quality pens?

 

Edit: Quick question. Are Cross and Parker still seens as quality brand? I have seen a lot of really cheap/low quality pens from both brands pop up everywhere. I was trying to stay away from these two brands for this reason.

Edited October 19, 2016 by Wek

[Sasha Royale]

WARNING : Heresy follows.

 

Half of the gift set will be wasted. How will you feel, when the $300 fountain pen is given to the teenage son, who loses it ? What happens when a ballpoint pen person slips an uncapped fountain pen into his shirt pocket ?

 

Your boss is a ballpoint pen person. He has never voiced an interest in a fountain pen. Why not give a nice ballpoint pen ? Conduct a reconnaissance to determine whether your boss likes slender or fat pens. Get advice from the membership concerning the BEST aftermarket refills. (with a bp, it's all about the refill.)

 

For this, I like Waterman -- Hemisphere, Carene, Perspective, Expert, etc.

Great selection. ! Handsome pens ! Waterman is a pen. Montblanc is jewelry.

 

(I warned you.)

Edited October 19, 2016 by Sasha Royale

[sandy101]

I have several Cross Pens and they are all very good. The nibs are hard, the ink flow is reliable and if they break you can send them back for repair under the life time warranty. Like most pen makers, they do have cheaper ranges, but the Century II is in my opinion a fairly solid choice for someone who may, or may not use it. Cross do have pen sets on their website - the have FP and ball point, and ball point and pencil sets. However, as Sasha said you have to be careful about the size. Cross ballpoints are quite thin and may not suit.

 

 

Parker, in my opinion is a difficult kettle of fish. I've found their current cheaper range to be disappointing. Certainly not as nice as their vintage ranges. The Parker 45 knocks spots of the current range of IMs. Their 2016 jotters are a welcome return to form. To put it simply there are better pens out there at the same price.