One Of The Best Workhorse Pens, The Staedtler Initium Resina.

[KellyMcJ]

Of course, Faber castell is also a great brand. The Loom is $110 at Dymocks in Sydney. So take away $40, that leaves $70. I see what you mean. $70 for the Loom, which is great, is a good price. The nibs on Faber Castells are also great, but the pens don’t look nice in my opinion. I like the E-Motion and the Basic, but that’s about it. The E-Motion is also $160 at Dymocks. And for the price, it’s a better pen no doubt. Looks nicer, feels nicer, made nicer. The nib isn’t as good but not far off, but it’s a better choice and also a good workhorse. I’m not sure about the longevity as I don’t have one of my own but it seems it would keep on going for a while too.

 

Crikey things are expensive in Australia. A Loom is $45 stateside. For $45 it's a great pen. I love mine (actually this reminds me, I should ink it again next time I'm looking to put another pen back in rotation). I recommend them to everyone looking for a starter pen.

 

I wouldn't pay $110 for it. I would (and have) buy another for $45. I've bought 3 so far. Two I gave away (one was specifically bought as a gift, the other was "I really don't need two of these.) They're great pens. But for $110 I can get a pen I like a whole lot more.

[EH86055]

Crikey things are expensive in Australia. A Loom is $45 stateside. For $45 it's a great pen. I love mine (actually this reminds me, I should ink it again next time I'm looking to put another pen back in rotation). I recommend them to everyone looking for a starter pen.

 

I wouldn't pay $110 for it. I would (and have) buy another for $45. I've bought 3 so far. Two I gave away (one was specifically bought as a gift, the other was "I really don't need two of these.) They're great pens. But for $110 I can get a pen I like a whole lot more.

$110 in Australia buys you 11 burgers, a Loom, a Parker IM and 3 bottle still of Quink, or 6 pads of Rhodia. Or a used and beaten up Custom 74. For comparison, a Lamy 2000 at Dymocks costs $320. Take away $60, left with $260. So a Lamy 2000 costs $260 here in Australia. Edited December 27, 2017 by Eric_H

[bobje]

Honeybadgers is right. After writing with one for several months, I agree that the Wing Sung 698 is a hardy and enjoyable pen. No hard starts or skips, and the material holds up well to daily use.

[EH86055]

Honeybadgers is right. After writing with one for several months, I agree that the Wing Sung 698 is a hardy and enjoyable pen. No hard starts or skips, and the material holds up well to daily use.

I’ll try to find one and then review it. Thanks for the reccomendations.

[Honeybadgers]

First off, thank you so much for writing such a detailed response. I have a pen like the WS 618, a Hero 616. And the 320 isn’t too different. The 616 leaks but is otherwise ok and the 320 is so hard to uncap, that when I do, ink sprays everywhere. The Delike with an architect nib might be a good option. I write with the back of my pen pointing to the right, not pointing at me. That makes me unable to get proper flex out of any pen unless I switch to a normal writing position, which, for me, is uncomfortable.

They're immensely different, the hero 616 has NOTHING in common with the 618. The 618 is a far superior plastic, with a completely bespoke design and piston filler. The 616 and 320 both use cheap BPA plastic like is found in a disposable ballpoint.

 

The 320 is also a very old, classic (bleep) chinese pen. Please stop comparing what you have with what wing sung is putting out now. It's like saying old visconti pens suck because you only have experience with their modern palladium garbage QC. I cannot, CANNOT stress how different they are.

 

If you want a FC loom closer to $40, ask someone in the Us to ship you one. I can probably get one to you in the ~$50 USD range. Any store asking 110 AUD for a loom is freaking insane and doesn't deserve any of your business. There really aren't many good fountain pen shops out there. One thing I recommend is japanese stationary stores, they tend to have more reasonable prices, and there is one in most larger cities, usually attached to some kind of large asian grocery.

Edited December 27, 2017 by Honeybadgers

[Jamerelbe]

Even Pens Deluxe, which is one of the most overpriced stationery stores in Australia, sells the loom for ~AU$70 - if Dymocks are asking 110 they're off their rocker! Massdrop sell these regularly for ~US$30 plus postage - but the last time I checked, I could beat that price by ordering from a European-based store. I understand Eric_H that you're still at school (?), so ordering from online retailers may be a bit more tricky - but you made the right decision not to buy a Loom at the price.

 

Peters of Kensington are another online retailer (with a physical presence in Sydney) who often have good discounts on their pens - at the moment they've got some Parker IMs going for under AU$20 (plus postage). Worth a look if you want to try one one - I bought a Parker Urban from them a couple of years ago (also under $20 at the time), but rarely use it...

[EH86055]

They're immensely different, the hero 616 has NOTHING in common with the 618. The 618 is a far superior plastic, with a completely bespoke design and piston filler. The 616 and 320 both use cheap BPA plastic like is found in a disposable ballpoint.

 

The 320 is also a very old, classic (bleep) chinese pen. Please stop comparing what you have with what wing sung is putting out now. It's like saying old visconti pens suck because you only have experience with their modern palladium garbage QC. I cannot, CANNOT stress how different they are.

 

If you want a FC loom closer to $40, ask someone in the Us to ship you one. I can probably get one to you in the ~$50 USD range. Any store asking 110 AUD for a loom is freaking insane and doesn't deserve any of your business. There really aren't many good fountain pen shops out there. One thing I recommend is japanese stationary stores, they tend to have more reasonable prices, and there is one in most larger cities, usually attached to some kind of large asian grocery.

Sorry, I must have been thinking of something else when I said the 616 was similar to the WS 618. I searched it up and it looks fairly nice. I might get the demonstrator version.

[EH86055]

Even Pens Deluxe, which is one of the most overpriced stationery stores in Australia, sells the loom for ~AU$70 - if Dymocks are asking 110 they're off their rocker! Massdrop sell these regularly for ~US$30 plus postage - but the last time I checked, I could beat that price by ordering from a European-based store. I understand Eric_H that you're still at school (?), so ordering from online retailers may be a bit more tricky - but you made the right decision not to buy a Loom at the price.

 

Peters of Kensington are another online retailer (with a physical presence in Sydney) who often have good discounts on their pens - at the moment they've got some Parker IMs going for under AU$20 (plus postage). Worth a look if you want to try one one - I bought a Parker Urban from them a couple of years ago (also under $20 at the time), but rarely use it...

Indeed, Dymocks is crazy. I don't know why I still shop them. Out of the 5 pens I have bought from them, 2 have been faulty.

And here is an example of crazy pricing:

Pilot Custom 743: $700.

I guess it's just that I happen to walk past and it's just too tempting.

[Shinawong]

Nice looking beginners or everyday workhorse pen. Ive always been a huge fan of all of Staedtler's pens, will have to get around to buying one of these in blue sometime. Thanks for the review.

[EH86055]

Nice looking beginners or everyday workhorse pen. Ive always been a huge fan of all of Staedtler's pens, will have to get around to buying one of these in blue sometime. Thanks for the review.

No problem!

[schulste]

When I saw The Pen Habit's review of the Resina and read your review, I was convinced to give the Resina a try. I used to be an architectural draftsman and used Staedtler lead holders and pens exclusively, so it would be a nice connection. I was able to pick a blue one up for about 50 Euros so I wasn't too worried about there being more plastic that it looked like. I agree with you about how it writes. I like the weight and the dimensions. But mine does not post securely at all. Discovered that when the cap went flying across the room. I retired the pen, but the replacement is exactly the same. I'd be curious to hear your experience. Staedtler customer service says that they have had zero complaints about this and I've had the problem with 2 of 2 pens I've seen.

[gistar]

I got a resins simply because I like Staedtler products. The nib is extraordinary but I find the section and weight unsatisfactory. Still an excellent EDC pen and cheap if you compare it with other pens. I also bought a metal leather clad Initium. Same excellent nib, and high quality, but I would not buy one at full price.

[1nkulus]

Nice pen. I like the screw cap but the pricing is optimistic.

 

I will consider the Initium Metallum if I can get a great deal. I like Staedtler products but FP might not be their forte.

[adatse]

Thanks for the review! First time I’ve heard of this pen. Thanks for sharing