Favourite Fountain Pens?

[BoBoJones]

Since coming into the world of Fountain pens, I've wanted to get a Lamy 2000! I've heard nothing but great reviews about that pen! Should I take the plunge?

You should. When you feel the time is right. The Lamy 2000 and the Parker 51 are the most perfect and durable pens I have owned.

[BillZ]

MB Starwalker that my late wife gave me in 2007 for my 62nd birthday. Rekindled my love of FPs.

Conway Stewart Wordsworth LE (38/75). A stunningly beautiful pen that writes like a dream. Picked it up pre-owned, too.

Cross Peerless 125. Mostly because of the Sailor XF nib although it is a handsome pen.

Too many more to try to pick a fave. I have several Japanese F and EF nibs that I enjoy writing with and are also nice.

[katm201]

This is hard! I love all of them...but here are my top 5 (in no particular order):

 

Aurora Optima Nero Perla M

Lamy 2000 F

Pelikan M400 White Tortoise EF

Pilot Custom Heritage Blue FM

Pilot Vanishing Point Water Surface F

Clearly I have a preference for piston fillers!

[Mister5]

Pelikan M200 Cafe Creme Fine. I'll limit it to just this but there are others I have that are great for me.

Edited July 19, 2017 by Mister5

[ParkerDuofold]

Since coming into the world of Fountain pens, I've wanted to get a Lamy 2000! I've heard nothing but great reviews about that pen! Should I take the plunge?

Hi Charlie,

 

That's like asking Yogi Bear if he wants a pick-a-nick basket. Don't feed the bears.

 

Seriously, though, I really don't think you could go wrong with that one...just a couple of caveats... L2K nibs have squared off tipping; which makes them write a little broader than the stock Lamy nibs, so you may want to consider the next size DOWN from what you normally prefer and you may have to get used to writing with the nib... for some, it is a quicker process than for others... just don't give up on it right away

 

Also, make sure you pay the extra $2 and get it from a reputable dealer... some of the stories I read on here sometimes makes me wonder if people are buying bootlegged L2K's.

 

If you have any other questions... just lmk... btw, before you take the plunge... there are two reviews you should read: bphollin's and forgive me for saying it... mine. My photography is total (censored), but read the text and comments.

 

With that under your belt; I know you'll make the right decision for yourself.

 

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/227631-lamy-2000-and-the-origins-of-lamy-design/page-1

 

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/323584-review-lamy-2000-what-i-like-to-call-the-l2k/page-1

 

 

Be well and enjoy life.

 

 

- Anthony

 

EDITED to add links.

Edited July 19, 2017 by ParkerDuofold

[inkstainedruth]

Oh, wow. Where to start. Not sure I can limit it to just 5....

Well, then. Clearly my Plum 51 Demi. And the Red Shadow Wave Vac. Then, um, one of the three M400 series pens, but that's hard to decide between the three of them, so I guess I'll say the M400 Brown Tortoise, since it has the most expressive nib. Then, um the Dark Lilac Safari and probably for the fifth it's a toss up between the Sheaffer Snorkel with the semi-flex palladium silver Triumph nib and my sentimental favorite, my old original Vector (even though the barrel cracked at the threading. Runner up would be the Noodler's ebonite Konrad.

But that leaves out an awful lot of other pens -- the other 51 Aeros, the Cedar Blue 51 Vac with the EF nib, the other Vacs, the other Pelikans, the other Vectors, the lovely little Morrison ring top with the very juicy nib....

I hate threads like this. I'm a Libra and you're making me have to make a decision....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Rindholt]

Montblanc 149

[senzen]

I've come to appreciate all my pens, however humble, I'm still amazed how "even" a $15 Muji can glide with the right ink (e.g. Sailor Souten); I appreciate my Pelikan M400's reliability, ink holding capacity and lack of evaporation, even if it seems to clearly prefer only the best paper. Conversely my Le Man 100 seems to prefer lesser paper. After a long struggle both my Sonnets work well, reliably, and one of them in particular writes like a dream; after putting some wax on their caps they even stopped evaporating in a matter of hours, so Yama Guri and Verdigris look like they should. Even my nightmare pen, a Waterman Laureat, has finally apparently started to behave, after trying all possible permuations between nibs, feeds, sections, converters; it still writes as smoothly as I remember it. Wild ink like Ama Iro, Fuyu Gaki and Mandarin take the sting out of using stodgy black and gold pens.

[MHBru]

Rotring 700, Parker 25, Pilot Birdie, Shaeffer Targa, Lamy 2000 and an awful lot of honourable mentions.

Oooooh.. a rotring 700. Don't see many of those around.. I have the roller ball and pencil but that was before my fp days... now I wish I had one... glad to know it's one of your favs.

[Arkanabar]

Pelikan M200 -- my first Pen of a Lifetime. But since the caps tend to crumble on me when I carry them clipped in a pocket, and since Chartpak no longer extends the warranty past three years, it's now a desk denizen.

Fountain Pen Revolution Himalaya (ebonite). I now want all my pens to be made of ebonite. I love the feeling of traction that ebonite provides, that is absent from arcylic and metal pens. I just can't imagine this pen feeling slick or slippery in the hand. But I'd order it in fine or flex instead of 1.0mm stub.

Pilot Prera. My favorite stub pen; I got my Prera with Pilot's CM nib.

Parker "51". This was my Dad's sole pen for over twenty years, and it still writes like a champ. It is my sole legacy from him, and I won't take it out of my house.

Try holding a Lamy 2000 before buying. I am soo glad that I did -- the little spring ears that hold the cap on bother my thumb.

[tgoto]

Oh, wow. Where to start. Not sure I can limit it to just 5....

Well, then. Clearly my Plum 51 Demi. And the Red Shadow Wave Vac. Then, um, one of the three M400 series pens, but that's hard to decide between the three of them, so I guess I'll say the M400 Brown Tortoise, since it has the most expressive nib. Then, um the Dark Lilac Safari and probably for the fifth it's a toss up between the Sheaffer Snorkel with the semi-flex palladium silver Triumph nib and my sentimental favorite, my old original Vector (even though the barrel cracked at the threading. Runner up would be the Noodler's ebonite Konrad.

But that leaves out an awful lot of other pens -- the other 51 Aeros, the Cedar Blue 51 Vac with the EF nib, the other Vacs, the other Pelikans, the other Vectors, the lovely little Morrison ring top with the very juicy nib....

I hate threads like this. I'm a Libra and you're making me have to make a decision....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

Hahaha

It's ok...you don't have to decide

It is so hard to come up with one, so I will post my favorite pen of the day everyday lol

[tgoto]

Montblanc 144 with EF nib is my favorite pen of the day

(Sailor Jentle Kin-mokusei ink)

[praxim]

I dug out a bit of software I wrote decades ago, designed to simplify ranking of many items by running a Swiss-style tournament (familiar to chess players) with a 5-point comparison scale on each paired choice.

 

Looking to the bottom of the resulting list there was nothing I disliked although a couple of excellent pens surprised by being currently disfavoured. Using them again should fix that . In the top five group were three modern and not cheap pens from Aurora, Lamy and Pelikan, and two vintage 1920s, from Onoto and Waterman. This group was hotly pursued by some S T Duponts and Waterman Man 100s with random other Auroras and Onotos.

 

The most scattered result was from Onoto, having two near the bottom as well as one near the top and otherwise spread about the place.

 

eta: Were I to do it again I am confident ordering would change. Swiss tournaments produce dodgy results in the middle ranges anyway.

Edited July 20, 2017 by praxim

[dogpoet]

Oooooh.. a rotring 700. Don't see many of those around.. I have the roller ball and pencil but that was before my fp days... now I wish I had one... glad to know it's one of your favs.

 

I always think it's a terrible shame they don't get the same respect as the 600 does. It is a lot more fragile (what other pen isn't?) but it's also better balanced, more comfortable in the hand and a lot better looking.

(I really need to get hold of a spare at some point, as it's one of the few pens I can't imagine ever wanting to retire or put to one side, and the fact that it'll be very difficult to replace if something should happen to it niggles slightly...)

Edited July 20, 2017 by dogpoet

[artart]

Diplomat Magnum with a smooth M nib (now with Pelikan purple cartridges)

 

[tgoto]

I dug out a bit of software I wrote decades ago, designed to simplify ranking of many items by running a Swiss-style tournament (familiar to chess players) with a 5-point comparison scale on each paired choice.

 

Looking to the bottom of the resulting list there was nothing I disliked although a couple of excellent pens surprised by being currently disfavoured. Using them again should fix that . In the top five group were three modern and not cheap pens from Aurora, Lamy and Pelikan, and two vintage 1920s, from Onoto and Waterman. This group was hotly pursued by some S T Duponts and Waterman Man 100s with random other Auroras and Onotos.

 

The most scattered result was from Onoto, having two near the bottom as well as one near the top and otherwise spread about the place.

 

eta: Were I to do it again I am confident ordering would change. Swiss tournaments produce dodgy results in the middle ranges anyway.

That is interesting result. Some Onoto pens at the top, others near the bottom...

What was the factor(s) for some Onoto to be near the bottom?

Is there certain model of Onoto I should (or shouldn't) pursue?

[eharriett]

I can understand why threads of this nature are popular. An occasional journal I keep is littered with raves about various of my pens. I could safely say that I like about half of them more than about the other half.

 

 

I know this sort of thing bothers some that the same question is asked before, but this is one of those questions it doesn't bother me at all when it keeps recurring. People come and go from these forums all the time. New products come and go from the market. Always someone new contributing to the discussion.

[ENewton]

My favorite pen, all around, is a Parker 51 demi in plum, but my favorite nib is on a Parker Victory.

[requiescat]

Aurora Optima

Nakaya Naka-ai

Pelikan M200

Wahl-Eversharp Doric with adjustable nib

 

I've heard that the nibs are inconsistent, but I'm fond of my Kaweco Sport for being a less expensive pen that I can just carry around with me.

[mmg122]

Charles...my favorite pens, as follows.

 

Vintage: Esterbrook J (inherited from my Mom), Parker 51 (inherited from my Dad), Sheaffer School Pen

 

Modern: Grifos Mandragola, Faber Castell Classic, Ranga Bamboo, Pelikan Stresseman, Franklin Christoph Model 31 and a Spanish LE Kaweco in Orange which was a recent gift from an FPN friend and which I carry everyday as my pocket pen (with Sailor Apricot, of course).

 

All with broad or broad stub nibs.

 

My favorite daily inks to use are RO Astorquiza Rot, RO Gold Antiqua and KWZ Aztec Gold.

 

Mary

Edited July 20, 2017 by mmg122