Good Inexpensive Vintage Fountain Pen?

[Needhelp]

Sigh, looks like my next fountain pen might be going towards the vintage route. Ok fine what are some great reliable and inexpensive VINTAGE fountain pens? Also please, please, please, please please, please, DONT RECOMMEND ANY PEN WITH SACS as they are difficult to clean and especially sacs in vintage pens will have to be changed which I am not willing to. I want to use a vintage pen for school so it should be reliable. And it should be very very very easy to service by my own as after buying it I am not looking forward to sending out somewhere else as shipping in Kuwait to send it out to someone will be very expensive and it is not reliable.

I am thinking to for a Parker 45 as it can use a parker quink cartridge and that is available in every stationery shop in Kuwait.

I don't mind screw caps and it should be a steel nib as I like stiffer nibs. It should also not be too wet but maybe a nib size close to Lamy fine. And it should be silver trim I don't like gold trims. Price range is under 50-60 dollars.

Thank you for any suggestions in advance.

[Flippy]

It is very hard to find a fountain pen WITHOUT a sac. If I were you, I would buy a restored Parker 51 Aerometric. They are cheap, extremely reliable, and well known for their quality and service. The Parker 51 is arguably one of the best fountain pens ever. It's got a 14k gold nib (Except for the octanium ones.) Restored Parker 51 Aerometrics should have their pli-glass sac replaced, with is known to be really durable. If I were you, I'd go for the Parker 51 Aerometric. Make sure you buy it already restored though, because only then are the very durable.

[Needhelp]

It is very hard to find a fountain pen WITHOUT a sac. If I were you, I would buy a restored Parker 51 Aerometric. They are cheap, extremely reliable, and well known for their quality and service. The Parker 51 is arguably one of the best fountain pens ever. It's got a 14k gold nib (Except for the octanium ones.) Restored Parker 51 Aerometrics should have their pli-glass sac replaced, with is known to be really durable. If I were you, I'd go for the Parker 51 Aerometric. Make sure you buy it already restored though, because only then are the very durable.

Hmm...... I have searched on eBay and found some great deals but would you recommend a fine nib or a medium nib for medium quality paper?

[ENewton]

A fine nib is always safer if you are worried about paper quality.

 

I have two Parker 51 aerometrics, both with fine nibs, and they are wet enough that I am glad the nibs are not wider, given the range of paper I use.

[NinthSphere]

Make sure you buy it already restored though, because only then are the very durable.

 

Literally all of my aerometrics would disagree with you. XP

 

A P51 is my suggestion too though. On medium quality paper, I would agree with the fine recommendation. My mediums can do ok on some pretty (bleep) paper, but they're pushing it. The fines do...fine.

[makas]

Hello

 

I think your pick is the one to go with if you want everything you listed. The Parker 45 is a good cheep workhorse. I like vintage pens of all types, cc not so much but that is what I like. Isn't it great we all don't like the same things! One more for you to look at is a sheaffer Targa. Classy pen and you can get them in all price ranges and styles.

 

Enjoy

 

Mark

[TheRealMikeDr]

Depends on what you consider vintage - I would certainly look at the Parker 45 or Parker 75 if you want to move up to a little better quality. Both are c/c pens.

[sandy101]

The Parker 45 is a good choice. I have two or three - the fine nib is very good.

 

Some P45's come with 14K gold nibs, whilst others come with steel nibs and not all sellers will necessarily know this, or be able to tell them apart. There is a matching biro and propelling pencil - and you can usually get a set with two or three of these for not much more than a single pen.

 

The P45 will also take Parker's current convertor - so you can pop in the slide/screw one and have a much wider choice of ink.

[ac12]

I would not consider a P51 inexpensive, about 2x the OPs budget of $50-60.

 

The P45 would fit your budget. In fact you can probably get two P45s for $60.

Edited September 26, 2017 by ac12

[Needhelp]

I would not consider a P51 inexpensive, about 2x the OPs budget of $50-60.

 

The P45 would fit your budget. In fact you can probably get two P45s for $60.

You are actually right and even some of the P45 are not in my range. But the Esterbrooks are in my range. How are those pens? The J series I can get restored +shipping under 50 dollars.

 

I would also like some precautions listed when handling these pens. That would be very helpful.

Edited September 26, 2017 by Needhelp

[SpecTP]

if you are patient, you can probably find a Montblanc 34 for around that price point on Ebay.

[Needhelp]

if you are patient, you can probably find a Montblanc 34 for around that price point on Ebay.

well, currently they are selling for 200 dollars which is waaay over my budget.But weren't vintage Montblancs a little fragile?

[Venemo]

I have a few suggestions:

• Parker 51 - this is an excellent pen if you like its hooded design. It's very durable and although its filling system has a sac, its material is unlikely to break. But if you're afraid, just make sure to buy one in a restored condition. Might be out of your budget though. Your decision if it's worth the money or not.
• Esterbrook J - possibly the best value for your money. Esterbrooks are all great writes! There is a great variety of colours and an even greater variety nibs which are easy to swap. It's a lever filler so it has a sac too. Again make sure to buy from a reputable pen restorer so you won't have to deal with repairing it.
• Parker 45 - not sure if you could call it vintage (was still manufactured in the early 2000s), but it's not a bad pen, and it has a cartridge/converter system which is not as interesting, but perhaps easier to use and maintain. I had one, but it wasn't as pleasant to write with as an Esterbrook. YMMV.
• Parker 21 - the cheap version of the 51. I haven't had one but according to some people on FPN it's a nice pen.

[Flippy]

 

Literally all of my aerometrics would disagree with you. XP

 

A P51 is my suggestion too though. On medium quality paper, I would agree with the fine recommendation. My mediums can do ok on some pretty (bleep) paper, but they're pushing it. The fines do...fine.

Well, I've only had one Aerometric, so I guess I was a little biased??? XD

[dogpoet]

A lot depends on how vintage you're willing to get, Needhelp: I'm sure you get a few purists in here who think that if a pen doesn't have a sac, it can't be old enough. As you're favouring c/c pens and willing to tolerate pistons, a few other names spring to mind besides the Parker 45, though.

If you're willing to use a piston pen, the Reform 1745 can usually be found unused and dirt cheap. Mine also has quite a fine nib for a German pen from the '60s as well, which ticks another of your boxes. Unfortunately, I've never seen a 1745 flighter, so you're stuck with that in a plastic/gold design.

As for flighters that use cartridges, I really like the Parker 25 myself: great looking pen that's rather dated looking in the way '70s modernism always is now. The Sheaffer Targa is another c/c flighter that meets your agendas, but you might not be able to find a nice one for less than £40 now. It can happen, but you'll likely have to do a bit of searching. Makas is definitely right that you can find a plain steel finished Targa for a lot less than the fancier enamel models. The Sheaffer Fashion might be a cheaper alternative if you're not determined that whatever Sheaffer you get has an inlaid nib.

The price issue also rules out a couple of classic Rotring designs that would otherwise be perfect.

[ink-syringe]

Parker 45

Sheaffer NoNonsense

Sheaffer Skripsert Cartridge pens (and just syringe fille cartridges)

Parker 25

User grade Targa or Triumph or C/C Imperial

 

But honestly, the first 2 are my strongest recommendations. Bulletproof & great writers. Easy to maintain.

For a more vintage experience, #3 unhalmarked palladium or steel or if you get the Skripsert Deluxe gold (I have heard 14k and 9k, don't know) short conical nib and lovingly carved ebonite feed and sports about the same form factor as the 45.

 

The best deal going on Vintage now is the Imperial IIs that Peyton Street has but they are Touchdown pens and have sacs.

 

 

Safest choice is a P45.

[PAKMAN]

Either a Parker 45 or 51 would be a great choice. The 45 is a bit thinner if that makes any difference.

[SpecTP]

well, currently they are selling for 200 dollars which is waaay over my budget.But weren't vintage Montblancs a little fragile?

 

Nope. I have been using mine every day. And I picked up mine for under $100.

[Sasha Royale]

In college, fifty years ago, I used a Parker 45 for taking notes. I found it to be durable, reliable, and easy to maintain. For the forty years since, I have carried a Parker 45 in my pocket,everyday.

 

 

The Parker cartridge is large capacity and widely available. I refill my cartridges with bottle ink, using a syringe. I have yet to find an ordinary, fountain pen ink that does not write adequately in the Parker 45. Maintenance is easy, using the rubber, ear bulb, that I trimmed to fit over the section. I simply force water (slowly) through the pen, then place the bulb over the nib, and flush in reverse. Finally, I repeat, pushing only air through the pen. Clean and dry, in two minutes !

Check this site, for the large variety of Parker 45 pens.

 

http://parkerpens.net/apis.html

 

Write with joy.

Edited September 27, 2017 by Sasha Royale

[Mister5]

Reform 1745? Kind of hit or miss with the nibs from the reviews, but it's piston fill, and not terribly expensive. You could probably get a couple of them for your price.