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What Is Your Favorite Pen? <$200


Purphoros

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Pelikan M150 (mine ranged in price from $65 - $150)

> understated good looks (flash without being gaudy)

> piston-fill with decent capacity

> smooth steel nib

> ink window

This all applies equally to the M200 but the slightly smaller 150 fits my hand better (I also find the shorter nib a bit more pleasing visually). I usually have several (5 currently) inked with different colors.

It's hard work to tell which is Old Harry when everybody's got boots on.

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+1

 

27065428157_c744a72d01_k.jpg

 

Awesome shot!

"The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt."

 

B. Russell

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Is this really under 200?

 

Mine was about $167 USD straight from Japan, via j-subculture. Add the price of a converter. The (standard?), well not so small but not king sized pen cost that.

Edited by pseudo88

"The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt."

 

B. Russell

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Ok, busted... this is the King of Pen version @ 2X - 3X more than that. Good eye.

 

Ooooh.

"The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt."

 

B. Russell

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Lots of good options from Pilot, and Sailor. Also if you are buying from Cult Pens plenty of Pelikan's $200 or less, including M400's.

Yeah Japan seems to be getting a lot of love! I'm in the states so Cult Pens wouldn't be my first choice of outlet.

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Yeah Japan seems to be getting a lot of love! I'm in the states so Cult Pens wouldn't be my first choice of outlet.

 

 

I am a US customer for Cult Pens. Shipments from them take about a week to get to Washington State and I got free shipping. In your price range you don't have to pay customs duties. I saved a lot of money on my last Pelikan from then and they even included a free Pelikan leather pen case. They don't always have that special, but for that brand they are the lowest priced anywhere. For other brands there are better places to buy.

 

For Pilot pens the prices are best buying from companies in Japan and sometimes Amazon.

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There are lots of Pelikan 200's, for @ $100 or less. Has a nice springy regular flex nib; in vintage/semi-vintage width. Is a very, very good balanced pen posted.

Holds 1.27ml ink.

 

Is just as good used as new.

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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I am a US customer for Cult Pens. Shipments from them take about a week to get to Washington State and I got free shipping. In your price range you don't have to pay customs duties. I saved a lot of money on my last Pelikan from then and they even included a free Pelikan leather pen case. They don't always have that special, but for that brand they are the lowest priced anywhere. For other brands there are better places to buy.

 

For Pilot pens the prices are best buying from companies in Japan and sometimes Amazon.

I'm very curious about the Sailors to be honest.

Edited by Purphoros
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You need to look for Japanese imports in Sailor to be in your budget. The converters also don't hold a lot of ink. That said they are good pens. I like the three I have had. I currently have a 1911L and a 1911 Realo.

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i have both the Phileas and 159 and agree -- both are very good writers.

 

However, my Sailor 1911M is the best by far for a sub-$200 pen. I'm also considering a Platinum 3776.

 

Waterman Phileas and Jinhao 159.

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i have both the Phileas and 159 and agree -- both are very good writers.

 

However, my Sailor 1911M is the best by far for a sub-$200 pen. I'm also considering a Platinum 3776.

 

For $70 on Amazon the Platinum 3776 is a killer deal on a gold nib pen.

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For $70 on Amazon the Platinum 3776 is a killer deal on a gold nib pen.

 

 

I agree as long as you like a hard nib. If you like softer nibs Pilot is better then Platinum and Sailor.

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I got my Pilot Custom 823 for less than $200 a couple of years ago. Amazon has it for about $15 more, and I would gladly pay that, but I suspect that with a bit of searching you could find it for under your target price. With a fine #15 nib, it's the best writer I have, and a beautifully crafted pen.To answer your question, I have Iroshizuku Ajisai in it. If you want to be scrupulous about staying under $200, I'd get the Sailor Professional Gear, which is also a near-perfect writer and a beautiful instrument. Bung Box Sapphire in this one for me.

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So many choices! Yep, and you are all correct!

 

Erick

Using right now:

Visconti Voyager 30 "M" nib running Birmingham Streetcar

Jinhao 9019 "EF" nib running Birmingham Railroad Spike

Stipula Adagio "F" nib running Birmingham Violet Sea Snail

Sailor Profit "B" nib running Van Dieman's Night - Shooting Star

 

 

 

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I agree as long as you like a hard nib. If you like softer nibs Pilot is better then Platinum and Sailor.

My Pilot Custom Heritage 91 with a soft fine nib is a fantastic writer with just a bit of spring due to the soft gold - I found it for about $80 from Japan a year ago, it may be more now. Its in a dead tie against my Lamy 2000 for my favorite pen for completely different reasons.

 

I love the Pilot Custom 91 because of how it writes. The SF nib has just enough feedback and spring to give me a lot of control and flair in my writing, and brings out the shading in some inks as a result. Its just plain fun to write with and always writes immediately! My only regret is not trying the nib in the larger (and more expensive) Custom 912 body since I suspect it would be more comfortable for long writing sessions. This pen makes me want a 912 or 823 badly.

 

I love my Lamy 2K (EF nib) for the design, aesthetics, and every-day usability with the Makrolon, snap cap, and hooded nib. It wont dry out if I hold it uncapped while thinking or reading, which makes it a fantastic journaling pen or note taker, and is inconspicuous enough to not draw attention. I only wish it wrote a bit finer, since I have small handwriting and mainly use black or dark blue ink in it.

 

CH 91 - inked with Iroshizuku Tsuki-To

L2K - inked with Noodlers Blue-Black

 

Hope that helps!

Edited by AK-47

Whenever you are fed up with life, start writing: ink is the great cure for all human ills, as I found out long ago.

~C.S. Lewis

--------------

Current Rotation:

Edison Menlo <m italic>, Lamy 2000 <EF>, Wing Sung 601 <F>

Pilot VP <F>, Pilot Metropolitan <F>, Pilot Penmanship <EF>

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Probably my Pilot Custom 74, it just glides effortlessly across the page, but I do have a serious soft spot for the TWSBI Vac 700R, the Kaweco Dia2 is just wonderful and the Wing Sung 3008 is my favourite budget pen.

 

Al

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I bought an Aurora Ipsilon at the Atlanta pen show at the Aurora table for $60 & a Parker converter for another $10. It was a salesman's demo with a fine nib and I really like using it. I think Goulet has them for about $100.

Baptiste knew how to make a short job long

For love of it. And yet not waste time either.

Robert Frost

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My Pilot Custom Heritage 91 with a soft fine nib is a fantastic writer with just a bit of spring due to the soft gold - I found it for about $80 from Japan a year ago, it may be more now. Its in a dead tie against my Lamy 2000 for my favorite pen for completely different reasons.

 

I love the Pilot Custom 91 because of how it writes. The SF nib has just enough feedback and spring to give me a lot of control and flair in my writing, and brings out the shading in some inks as a result. Its just plain fun to write with and always writes immediately! My only regret is not trying the nib in the larger (and more expensive) Custom 912 body since I suspect it would be more comfortable for long writing sessions. This pen makes me want a 912 or 823 badly.

 

I love my Lamy 2K (EF nib) for the design, aesthetics, and every-day usability with the Makrolon, snap cap, and hooded nib. It wont dry out if I hold it uncapped while thinking or reading, which makes it a fantastic journaling pen or note taker, and is inconspicuous enough to not draw attention. I only wish it wrote a bit finer, since I have small handwriting and mainly use black or dark blue ink in it.

 

CH 91 - inked with Iroshizuku Tsuki-To

L2K - inked with Noodlers Blue-Black

 

Hope that helps!

From what I've heard some reviewers say the Lamy 2000 is one of the best pens on the market for its price. I guess when you up the budget by another $50 you get a lot more options. That being said I did not expect so much love for Pelikan or Sailor. We've even had a Mont Blanc recommended. I've got so many choices to look through.

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From what I've heard some reviewers say the Lamy 2000 is one of the best pens on the market for its price. I guess when you up the budget by another $50 you get a lot more options. That being said I did not expect so much love for Pelikan or Sailor. We've even had a Mont Blanc recommended. I've got so many choices to look through.

In my (limited) experience I would agree - if you’re looking for a piston filler and gold nib. Only the Custom 91 seems to be in the same ballpark for value, and you get something unique with the Makrolon and hooded nib of the L2K.

 

I think for mid-range ($100-$200) pens in general it really is tough to beat the Japanese big three (Sailor, Pilot, Platinum) on value.

Whenever you are fed up with life, start writing: ink is the great cure for all human ills, as I found out long ago.

~C.S. Lewis

--------------

Current Rotation:

Edison Menlo <m italic>, Lamy 2000 <EF>, Wing Sung 601 <F>

Pilot VP <F>, Pilot Metropolitan <F>, Pilot Penmanship <EF>

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