What Pen Company Do You Recommend?

[Runnin_Ute]

Under $170....

 

*TWSBI - have had good success with both the 580 and the Eco

*Platinum - only have a 3776 Century, but it is a wonderful pen and can be had for under $100 if you buy through a Japanese seller. Around your top end from someone like Goulet Pens.

*Lamy - Al Star (my only), Safari, 2000

*True Writer - this is the Levenger brand of pens. They run from about $59-$99. There is a different higher end version that uses a different nib that is near your top end. (~$160 or so)

*Pelikan - the M200 and M205 lines can often be found in your price range.

 

Many vintage pens can also be had in this price range.

Pelikan 140 and others

Esterbrook J series pens - these will be under about $40 restored - 3 models, each in 6 different colors (red, blue, green, gray, black and copper)

Vintage Parkers- 45, 51 and others.

 

Noodler's Konrad can be hit or miss. Mine worked well out of the box, have since changed the nib to a Goulet branded Jowo Broad. Works even better.

 

Parker IM - I would advise you pass. Both of the ones I have write well when they write. But they dry up quickly. Haven't been used in a extended period of time. Probably over a year.

 

The Cross Aventura I had was nice, but it didn't speak to me. Wrote well, but I didn't use it much. I forwarded to someone who would. Maybe it was the aesthetics - I don't know.

 

The Jinhao's I have had were a mixed bag. The 159 was heavier than I liked, and the nib left a lot to be desired. I passed it on. The 599 (Lamy Safari knock off) I have is much better, although when I got it the M nib had been stubbed. I enjoy it. So it is kind of apples/oranges comparison.

[Bluey]

 

 

I was very clear in my original post about that topic. I said that the time required for a pen to dry out and begin having difficulty writing can vary from a matter of hours in the very worst examples to several months in the best of them, and that most pens fall somewhere in between those extremes.

 

"Regular usage" means a pen is inked and kept on my desk or in a pocket, ready to write, as opposed to being flushed and put into storage. (And when I first said "regular usage", I was specifically replying to someone who thought I was talking about putting pens into storage still inked, which I never do.) It does not mean that I write with the pen every day. Sometimes I pick up a pen that has been sitting idle (or only very occasionally used), inked, capped for a week, or two weeks, or sometimes even longer. These are the pens that often (not always) do not write as they should. I don't think that is "inexplicable" at all.

In that case perhaps you could submit your new definition of "regular" to the Oxford English Dictionary.

 

 

 

Back on topic, the OP won't go far wrong if he starts on some lower cost Jinhaos and Heros to get a flavour of his likes and dislikes in the fountain pen market. The next level up would be to try some gold nibs for experience, such as the Platinum 3776, Pilot Custom 92, or Sailor 1911S. All of those can be had for less than $100 and are great pens.

Edited January 2, 2017 by Bluey

[TWRDO]

To add to the other great suggestions here--

 

Edison production line pens are $150 US, which puts it around $200 AUS, but definitely worth a look if you're considering a bit more expensive pen. Link here: http://edisonpen.com/production-line-main-page

[Ecriveur]

I'm looking to expand my collection, i'm relatively new to fountain pens and as such, would love to hear recommendations and peoples' experiences with particular makes and models. Also, what companies produce really well-made pens?

 

 

For some reason, despite being a small, niche industry, there are plenty of good fountain pen companies around. It's hard to generalize about entire companies. They all have their relatively more popular or less popular models, and of course some aspects of a pen are subjective.

 

I would say that all the really big name fountain pen companies have one or more models of pen that have a lot of fans, for good reasons.

[NathanGrimaud]

Pelikan would be my recommendation!

Thankyou!

[NathanGrimaud]

$0 - $170 ? Okay ! Forget the $0 pens. My suggestions --

Current brands : LAMY , Pilot , TWSBI. Bexley.

Vintage : Parker, Waterman, Esterbrook, Sheaffer.

 

LAMY 2000, Bexley Corona, Parker 45, Parker 51, Esterbrook J-series, Waterman Phileas, Waterman Hemisphere.

 

Jinhao x250, Jinhao 500, Jinhao x450, Jinhao 159 are cheap and serviceable.

Chances of getting a bad one are about 10%. Of getting a very good one are about 50%.

The Waterman Hemisphere range caught my eye, have you any experience with them?

[rudyhou]

this is too general. it all really depends on what you look for in a fountain pen. weight/size/nib/style etc...

 

in general japanese brands tend to make their nibs write a finer line than the european ones. and the japanese brands tend to have their pens also smaller and/or lighter than the european ones. and they also much more into simplicity when it comes to style.

 

there are exceptions, but again, it really depends on the specifics you look for in a pen, and the price range you willing to spend.

 

as for me, the brands i like are Omas, Pelikan, Pilot, Platinum, Sailor, Twsbi.

Edited January 6, 2017 by rudyhou

[praxim]

The Waterman Hemisphere range caught my eye, have you any experience with them?

 

 

You would do fine with a Waterman, although I do not own a Hemisphere. A steel-nibbed Expert was my workhorse for many years. Now I have several others, one modern, several neo-vintage (1980+) and several real vintage (pre-1940). Despite the ownership transitions, I consider they still make a good pen.

[max dog]

Used montblancs are always nice.

[TheRealMikeDr]

The Waterman Hemisphere range caught my eye, have you any experience with them?

 

I've got a blue Hemisphere. It's a small-ish (girth) pen with a small-ish nib that writes great. No hard starts or skipping and it could sit for days then start right up. It's all metal and I think looks pretty nice. The section on mine would have a tendency to come loose every once in a while but not a big deal. If you like thin metal pens it's a winner!

 

Here's mine - sitting next to my Carene:

 

http://i1351.photobucket.com/albums/p799/sandygriff/Waterman_zps0u2qb2wq.jpg

Edited January 6, 2017 by TheRealMikeDr

[matteob]

I don't spend a fortune on pens but would second the Platinum Century 3776: good value from -J-subculture and a beautiful writer. The TWSBI ECO is a wonderful pen for the money and is one of my most well used pens. Jinhao I would recommend too. They are very cheap,reasonably well made, the nibs write well and they are easily upgradable. You can fit a better converter and a German nib for not a lor of money as the nib and feed are friction fit. The Noodlers Ahab is a cheap and versatile pen and a good intoduction to flex nibs. I like Indian pens too. I would recommend Subbu at ASA pens: good service and easy to pay, Guider Pens: lovely finish, courteous service but can only pay by bank transfer and Ranga Pens.

[sandy101]

I have a steel tipped Waterman Hemisphere. It is a good pen and it should be possible to get one for a good price. Mine was second hand (a charity shop find). They are easy to maintain and write well. They do write a bit wetter, so the medium line can appear a bit broader than most, so make sure you pick the right nib - a fine or medium will be good.

 

Certainly the Waterman is better than the current crop of Parker IMs and such like.

 

Also make sure you get the Waterman inks. Their South Seas Blue (can't remember its current name) is a beautiful ink, as is the Havana Brown.

 

There is a new range of Hemispheres with elaborately decorated finished which are pricier than the standard models.