Need A Wilson For This Cast-Away

[Honeybadgers]

 

If I remember correctly, Wilson was a volleyball? Very hard to write with those...

 

You really have quite a few options here, but I'd be inclined to recommend a TWSBI, a Vac 700R or a Diamond 580. Both have massive ink capacities, and both write really nicely. Not everyone's a fan when it comes to the brand - but I've found them very reliable, they're significantly cheaper than a Platinum 3776 or a Lamy 2000, and have a larger ink capacity than the F-C Loom!

The 3776 can be had from Asia for a much more sane price in the $70 USD range

 

I think we're zeroing in on the 3776 and 2000 - definitely consider the vanishing point too.

 

The 3776 is, in my eye, a better fountain pen with more personality and the soft fine nib is very expressive. The Lamy 2000 is the better tool, massively durable, good performance. If you want a pen that will also impress someone who looks at your hand when you write, hands down the 3776. If you value utility alone, Lamy 2000. They both write very differently, the 2000 has a bit of a sweet spot where it can be toothy if over rotated, and the 3776 can be toothy if you write with firm pressure. The 3776 soft fine can sing a bit too until it is broken in. It also has a more traditional grip, whereas the tapered 2000 is very much its own animal. Both are easy to clean and care for. If it were my money, and I have a 3776 soft fine in chartres blue and two Lamy 2000's g (EF and F) I say the 3776 is a better all-around pen. More flash, more personality, but it still writes every time thanks to the slip and seal cap. I also find it less mess prone than the 2000 whico can be picky to dripping in the cap with certain inks and requires a wet tissue to clean the brushed steel grip after filling.

Edited November 5, 2017 by Honeybadgers

[Oyerane]

I would go with the Lamy 2000. As it's a piston filling pen it holds more ink than most cartridge/converter pens so will need to be filled less frequently. On the other hand if you wanted a pen that you could carry spare cartridges for then go for a cartridge/converter pen. If you like your Lamy Safaris then maybe consider a Lamy Al-Star or even LX as an upgrade?

 

 

thank you for your recommendation

[EMQG]

Have you considered getting a vintage Parker 51? For the price of a Lamy 2000 you could get a nice 51, and have some money left over! I like my 51s much better than a 2000. They hold slightly more ink and they don't have the annoying slippery metal section. The cap is more secure, too.

[Oyerane]

Have you considered getting a vintage Parker 51? For the price of a Lamy 2000 you could get a nice 51, and have some money left over! I like my 51s much better than a 2000. They hold slightly more ink and they don't have the annoying slippery metal section. The cap is more secure, too.

 

 

i actually considered it as my uncle who is a doctor swore by it, but they are little difficult to come by out here, since I'm living a little away from civilisation these days, the only vendor i have is, "amazon india".

Edited November 5, 2017 by Oyerane

[EMQG]

 

 

i actually considered it as my uncle who is a doctor swore by it, but they are little difficult to come by out here, since I'm living a little away from civilisation these days, the only vendor i have is, "amazon india".

 

Does Amazon India have its own couriers in India, or do they use the Indian postal service?

 

If they use the Indian postal service (or DHL, UPS, FedEx, or some other common shipping method), you could buy from someone in the US, Europe, or Japan, where 51s aren't such a rare commodity, and have them ship it. r/pen_swap on Reddit is a good place to go, as is the classifieds section here and on FPGeeks.

 

If Amazon India uses its own couriers... then yeah, the Lamy 2000 might be a good way to go. Maybe a Pilot Custom Heritage 92 if you can get it?

[Oyerane]

 

Does Amazon India have its own couriers in India, or do they use the Indian postal service?

 

If they use the Indian postal service (or DHL, UPS, FedEx, or some other common shipping method), you could buy from someone in the US, Europe, or Japan, where 51s aren't such a rare commodity, and have them ship it. r/pen_swap on Reddit is a good place to go, as is the classifieds section here and on FPGeeks.

 

If Amazon India uses its own couriers... then yeah, the Lamy 2000 might be a good way to go. Maybe a Pilot Custom Heritage 92 if you can get it?

 

 

They use their own courier service and thats the problem, i live in pretty inaccessible area(in terms of courier delivery). They do have pilot custom 92 as well. Which one would you recommend ?

[Oyerane]

The 3776 can be had from Asia for a much more sane price in the $70 USD range

 

I think we're zeroing in on the 3776 and 2000 - definitely consider the vanishing point too.

 

The 3776 is, in my eye, a better fountain pen with more personality and the soft fine nib is very expressive. The Lamy 2000 is the better tool, massively durable, good performance. If you want a pen that will also impress someone who looks at your hand when you write, hands down the 3776. If you value utility alone, Lamy 2000. They both write very differently, the 2000 has a bit of a sweet spot where it can be toothy if over rotated, and the 3776 can be toothy if you write with firm pressure. The 3776 soft fine can sing a bit too until it is broken in. It also has a more traditional grip, whereas the tapered 2000 is very much its own animal. Both are easy to clean and care for. If it were my money, and I have a 3776 soft fine in chartres blue and two Lamy 2000's g (EF and F) I say the 3776 is a better all-around pen. More flash, more personality, but it still writes every time thanks to the slip and seal cap. I also find it less mess prone than the 2000 whico can be picky to dripping in the cap with certain inks and requires a wet tissue to clean the brushed steel grip after filling.

 

first of all let me start by saying that your posts have been really helpful and they have been totally in line with what i am looking for.

 

can you just clarify one last thing ? if the bling wasn't a factor and neither was ease of cleaning it ? and ill be buying 3776 in medium(soft fine is not available here)(lamy ill buy in fine if at all). just pure writing experience would you still rate 3776 higher ?

 

thanks in advance

[EMQG]

I don't actually have a 92, but I hear very good things. I had a 2000 and traded it because I didn't like it very much. The section was slippery, the cap didn't seem very high quality, and nothing about it deemed worth the price the nib was decent, but not to my taste.

 

I'd pick a 92 because I hear they're very nice, they hold a lot of ink, have good quality gold nibs, and although I don't have experience with them, I don't see anything about them to dislike. I'd get one of those if you can.

 

Pilot Blue Black ink is available in huge quantities (350 mL) very cheap. It's a decently attractive ink that flows well and is semi-waterproof. I think it'd be a good choice for you to pick some of that up too

[Oyerane]

i

 

I don't actually have a 92, but I hear very good things. I had a 2000 and traded it because I didn't like it very much. The section was slippery, the cap didn't seem very high quality, and nothing about it deemed worth the price the nib was decent, but not to my taste.

I'd pick a 92 because I hear they're very nice, they hold a lot of ink, have good quality gold nibs, and although I don't have experience with them, I don't see anything about them to dislike. I'd get one of those if you can.

Pilot Blue Black ink is available in huge quantities (350 mL) very cheap. It's a decently attractive ink that flows well and is semi-waterproof. I think it'd be a good choice for you to pick some of that up too

 

I don't actually have a 92, but I hear very good things. I had a 2000 and traded it because I didn't like it very much. The section was slippery, the cap didn't seem very high quality, and nothing about it deemed worth the price the nib was decent, but not to my taste.

I'd pick a 92 because I hear they're very nice, they hold a lot of ink, have good quality gold nibs, and although I don't have experience with them, I don't see anything about them to dislike. I'd get one of those if you can.

Pilot Blue Black ink is available in huge quantities (350 mL) very cheap. It's a decently attractive ink that flows well and is semi-waterproof. I think it'd be a good choice for you to pick some of that up too

 

I understand what you mean thank you for your timely reply

 

also someone mentioned ordering it from asia, do you know any such site? i would like to see if there is an alternative

 

Thank you

[Sailor Kenshin]

first of all let me start by saying that your posts have been really helpful and they have been totally in line with what i am looking for.

 

can you just clarify one last thing ? if the bling wasn't a factor and neither was ease of cleaning it ? and ill be buying 3776 in medium(soft fine is not available here)(lamy ill buy in fine if at all). just pure writing experience would you still rate 3776 higher ?

 

thanks in advance

 

If you do go for a Lamy 2000, be aware that their nibs run wide. I ordered an EF and am very happy with its performance, in spite of the slightly slippery section. My 3776 in Medium has a just slightly wider line than the Lamy 2000 EF.

[1791thinkshop]

I'd recommend a TWSBI Vac 700r Mini. Great ink capacity, writes great, and EF/F/M/Stub nibs are all great in my experience for scholarly/notes writing. Nibs are also fairly inexpensive. The cheapest place to get them is direct from TWSBI unless you catch a good sale somewhere. The Vac700r is nearly always in my pocket, clipped in my shirt, on the nightstand, or in my hand. I use it nearly every single day in spite of my pen rotations which is use in my journals for the most part. The Vac 700r is my workhorse.

Good luck.

[1791thinkshop]

* Sorry I said contact/ordering from TWSBI direct was the cheapest. It I didn't say how to contact them:

www.twsbi.com

Edited November 5, 2017 by 1791thinkshop

[Honeybadgers]

 

first of all let me start by saying that your posts have been really helpful and they have been totally in line with what i am looking for.

 

can you just clarify one last thing ? if the bling wasn't a factor and neither was ease of cleaning it ? and ill be buying 3776 in medium(soft fine is not available here)(lamy ill buy in fine if at all). just pure writing experience would you still rate 3776 higher ?

 

thanks in advance

 

No contest in that situation - lamy 2000. It's got the durability and reliability. I like the soft fine in the platinum line, the non-soft nibs are hard as nails and I consider them no more useful than a steel nib. The lamy 2000 nib is softer than a non-soft platinum.

 

If you don't have any control over the quality of the paper you are writing on, I would suggest the EF 2000 over the F. I use my EF far more than my F. If you are pretty much only going to be writing on good paper, go for the F.

 

The F is a bit smoother, yes, but fountain pens shouldn't actually be glassy smooth. If you wanted a crazy smooth pen, get a rollerball lamy 2000 or a fischer space pen (ballpoint) fountain pens should have a tiny bit of tooth (not scratchiness, but that sensation that you are touching nib to paper) And both the EF and F lamy 2000's are quite good in that regard

 

That said, you can get a pilot custom 92? That changes things. The 92 is a superior pen in every way except the durability (stainless steel and makrolon are just not gonna be beat by any pen short of a metal one) and the clip (the lamy 2000's clip is just a work of art against almost everything short of visconti) And I highly recommend a 92 in F. Japanese M nibs are really a big jump from F, they pretty much mimic western M's identically. So based on your writing sample, you want the F. The 92 holds a boatload of ink, the demonstrator models are gorgeous, and pilot's nib quality control may well be the absolute best in the world.

 

One issue lamy has is some of their nib QC in the grind size can be a bit weird. Some of their EF write like F, some F like M, some M like F, etc. My F is a pretty wet, broad F, and my EF is a very true to form EF. It's one of the lamy quirks, but something you should know going in. If you want absolute precision in consistency, go with japanese pens.

Edited November 6, 2017 by Honeybadgers

[jar]

Gave my Lamy 2000 away, have a whole herd of Platinum #3776s.

[Oyerane]

 

No contest in that situation - lamy 2000. It's got the durability and reliability. I like the soft fine in the platinum line, the non-soft nibs are hard as nails and I consider them no more useful than a steel nib. The lamy 2000 nib is softer than a non-soft platinum.

 

If you don't have any control over the quality of the paper you are writing on, I would suggest the EF 2000 over the F. I use my EF far more than my F. If you are pretty much only going to be writing on good paper, go for the F.

 

The F is a bit smoother, yes, but fountain pens shouldn't actually be glassy smooth. If you wanted a crazy smooth pen, get a rollerball lamy 2000 or a fischer space pen (ballpoint) fountain pens should have a tiny bit of tooth (not scratchiness, but that sensation that you are touching nib to paper) And both the EF and F lamy 2000's are quite good in that regard

 

That said, you can get a pilot custom 92? That changes things. The 92 is a superior pen in every way except the durability (stainless steel and makrolon are just not gonna be beat by any pen short of a metal one) and the clip (the lamy 2000's clip is just a work of art against almost everything short of visconti) And I highly recommend a 92 in F. Japanese M nibs are really a big jump from F, they pretty much mimic western M's identically. So based on your writing sample, you want the F. The 92 holds a boatload of ink, the demonstrator models are gorgeous, and pilot's nib quality control may well be the absolute best in the world.

 

One issue lamy has is some of their nib QC in the grind size can be a bit weird. Some of their EF write like F, some F like M, some M like F, etc. My F is a pretty wet, broad F, and my EF is a very true to form EF. It's one of the lamy quirks, but something you should know going in. If you want absolute precision in consistency, go with japanese pens.

 

 

it makes a lot of sense what you are saying and i have finally ordered platinum century 3776 fine(soft) and i feel i made the right decision, maybe the next pen would be pilot 92 or lamy 2k.

 

Thank you everybody and particularly you Sir, for being a wonderful guide in what seemed to be a very confusing situation to me. If words could be exchanged for moments in movies this one would surely be "O, Captain, My Captain" moment from "Dead Poets society". (before anyone again points out, Indians are not like this)

 

 

An epilogue-

 

Before i signed up on this forum it was pretty intimidating for a neophyte like me but the help i got is overwhelming, thank you each and everyone who replied to this post. All of you are amazing. Im not aware of social niceties of such platforms so forgive me for this dramatic monologue, but I will say it again, ALL OF YOU ARE AMAZING

Signing off,

​Cast-Away Who found his Wilson

Edited November 6, 2017 by Oyerane

[Oyerane]

I'd recommend a TWSBI Vac 700r Mini. Great ink capacity, writes great, and EF/F/M/Stub nibs are all great in my experience for scholarly/notes writing. Nibs are also fairly inexpensive. The cheapest place to get them is direct from TWSBI unless you catch a good sale somewhere. The Vac700r is nearly always in my pocket, clipped in my shirt, on the nightstand, or in my hand. I use it nearly every single day in spite of my pen rotations which is use in my journals for the most part. The Vac 700r is my workhorse.

Good luck.

Thank you for your recommendation

Edited November 6, 2017 by Oyerane

[Sailor Kenshin]

Well? What color 3776?