What Are Your Favourite Metal Pens?

[Jerome Tarshis]

I got into pen collecting in 2002, having previously thought one pen was quite enough for me. I got out of steady and systematic acquisition of FPs in 2012. Since then I've received a few gift pens and bought a few pens that seemed to cry out to me.

 

Where this leads, on the subject of metal pens, is that much of my buying was guided by a wish I could not admit to myself, that I could go on writing with the Parker 51 Demi that my favorite aunt gave me in 1949.Which I wrote with for 36 years before I lost it. I was afraid that if I bought one I might find it disappointing and not kind to the memory of my aunt, whereas if I bought a different slim pen and was disappointed in it, there would be no great emotional pain attached.

 

So my first metal pen, which I still own and like, was the Cross Century FP. That one was followed by five more, and I also have a Century II and three Townsends. I consider the Townsend as good as I need a fountain pen to be, but I seldom ink the Townsends now. When I did buy myself a 51 Demi I found that it was what I really wanted, and although I use other pens, I realize that I bought those other pens with the 51 Demi unconsciously in mind.

 

There is an Aurora Hastil in plain stainless steel that I like very much. Two Parker 75s, also amiable and the same length as the 51 Demi. And two HEMA three-euro fountain pens, seldom used now, which came as a gift from the Dutch academic who married one of my nieces. The HEMA department stores are surrounded by much warm feeling in the Netherlands, I am led to believe, and I have a warm feeling about those pens and my family.

Edited February 23, 2020 by Jerome Tarshis

[KingsCountyWriter]

My first metal pen was a Kaweco AL sport. As an EDC, it went through heavy use, but then the threads got stripped, and it never closed securely. Relegated to a drawer ever since.

 

I then picked up an Olive Silver Lamy Aion. The weight felt nice, but there is an uncomfortable feeling, similar to fingernails on a chalkboard, when I touch the section. I can't hold the pen anymore. It's a bit dented on the body, something that my ebonite or resin pens have yet exhibited.

 

I also have a Pilot Myu which is gorgeous, even after 40+ years and multiple owners. Unfortunately, the cap doesn't sit securely, and I'm not comfortable using it outside of my home. If the cap was secure, that would be an EDC in a heartbeat.

 

There are a lot of excellent suggestions in this thread, but I don't think anything I've read will make me go back to metal. I'll stick with ebonite, urushi over ebonite, and resins.

[Arkanabar]

Generally, I don't like metal pens. I don't much buy them, preferring pens under 25g when I can. I have a Jinhao 911 engraved with a rather poorly-drawn oriental dragon that might become my outside-the-pocket pen when I no longer have any Hero 616s to use.

I suppose my favorites have been a Baoer 388, which got a fair bit of use once I'd gotten it to lay down ink, and then some Jinhao X750s -- one black, one checkerboard, and just recently one white and one purple. eta: And there's a classic black Pilot Metro waiting on me. But none have compared to e.g. my Pelikan M200s and M205s, or my ebonite FPRevolution Himalayas.

I've given some thought to buying a Lamy Logo, if I decide I just have to have a Lamy with a swappable nib.

But I just don't see how they can compete with ebonite.

Edited February 23, 2020 by Arkanabar

[SoulSamurai]

If I'm not wrong the Muji is Aluminium. Some people are sensitive to this metal, this might be the reason.

 

 

I have other aluminium items that don't irritate me the way the Muji does. My guess is that the Muji is raw aluminium while the aforementioned other items are anodized. However there is also a possibility that the "aluminiums" in question are actually different alloys? I often come across terms like "aircraft-grade", "6065" and "7075" thrown about when speaking about aluminium; my impression is that there are different alloys used in products but they tend to simply be referred to as "aluminium" as if they were pure rather than alloys.

 

It's probably the anodization thing though.

Edited February 24, 2020 by SoulSamurai

[sirgilbert357]

I enjoy both my Lamy Aion and my Diplomat Aero. I would recommend the Aero over the Aion if I had to choose only one between those two.

[bemon]

I actually tend to prefer metal pens so this one's easy for me:

 

Lamy 2000 Steel

Waterman Carene Contemp. Gunmetal (mostly just for looks)

Pilot Vanishing Point

Fisher Bullet

Various metal Cross ballpoints.

 

I could give an honorable mention to the GVFC Classic. Even though mine has a wood finish there's still a fair amount of metal on it.

[Tas]

http://www.taskyprianou.com/fpn_namisu_nova.jpg

Namisu Nova.

So good, I own two.
Never tire of using either

Edited February 24, 2020 by Tas

[Estycollector]

I enjoy the look and feel of the LAMY Al-Star

[BernieC]

The Rotring 600 Lava is my favorite. I have several metal pens in use including Parker 75 and a Cross Century.

[Antenociticus]

I'm not the biggest fan of all-metal pens, but my Kaweco AL Sport rattled happily around in my pocket for years and years. I also like the two anodized aluminium PenBBS 323s that I have.

[pajaro]

Cross Century from 1980, 10K gold filled, fine. Still writing.

[PAKMAN]

Rotring 600 Lava, Parker 75 Sterling Cisele, Yard-o-Led Grand Victorian, Parker 51 Flighter, these are some of my favorite metal pens...

[adamselene]

Rotring 600 Lava, Parker 75 Sterling Cisele, Yard-o-Led Grand Victorian, Parker 51 Flighter, these are some of my favorite metal pens...

 

+1

[wspohn]

Love metal pens. Some of mine:

 

Waterman CF

 

 

MB 146 vermeil (Gold plate on sterling)

 

 

Classic ZJ1 sterling (MB 149 for size comparison)

 

http://www.rhodo.citymax.com/i/non-rhodo/tn_ZJ1_Mozaique_sterling_silverMB149_open1.JPG

 

Aurora

 

http://www.rhodo.citymax.com/i/non-rhodo/d3_1.JPG

 

And about half of my Parker 75s are metal

 

http://www.rhodo.citymax.com/i/non-rhodo/parker1.jpg

[Karmachanic]

The gold 149 I inherited from uncle Auric.

[greencobra]

i own 1 metal pen, a sheaffer targa medici diamond. but it has a resin section so i'm ok with that. i have a omas asrte italiana paragon ht fountain pen that has a polished metal section...hate that. not fond of metal pens if i have to touch the metal when i write. too bad, that omas is a nice writer too.

[MoriartyR]

I don’t mind whether a pen is metal or plastic, though I sometimes prefer the weight and sense of quality that can come with a metal pen. Metal sections are ok but a warmer, softer material can be a little bit nicer. But it really doesn’t matter that much and I find I adapt easily to these things.

 

Anyway, my favourite metal pen is definitely my Montblanc Heritage 1912 (if lacquered metal counts, it’s probably the best of all worlds for my tastes). I love that pen.

 

I also enjoy very much my Graf von Faber-Castell Tamitio as an easy-to-carry pen with a real quality feel. I would like to get a couple more of these.

[YonathanZ]

I enjoy my Parker Sonnet a lot. The section is plastic, though, otherwise I wouldn't touch it...

[Honeybadgers]

 

 

I have other aluminium items that don't irritate me the way the Muji does. My guess is that the Muji is raw aluminium while the aforementioned other items are anodized. However there is also a possibility that the "aluminiums" in question are actually different alloys? I often come across terms like "aircraft-grade", "6065" and "7075" thrown about when speaking about aluminium; my impression is that there are different alloys used in products but they tend to simply be referred to as "aluminium" as if they were pure rather than alloys.

 

It's probably the anodization thing though.

 

Anodization is basically a resin powder coat. It's more likely that there's some nickel in the aluminum alloys that bother you.

 

Also, aluminum rarely if ever causes reactions in people because it oxidizes immediately, and aluminum oxides are unbelievably tough and pretty much inert to most things.

[MuddyWaters]

 

 

I have other aluminium items that don't irritate me the way the Muji does. My guess is that the Muji is raw aluminium while the aforementioned other items are anodized. However there is also a possibility that the "aluminiums" in question are actually different alloys? I often come across terms like "aircraft-grade", "6065" and "7075" thrown about when speaking about aluminium; my impression is that there are different alloys used in products but they tend to simply be referred to as "aluminium" as if they were pure rather than alloys.

 

It's probably the anodization thing though.

 

 

 

Anodization is basically a resin powder coat. It's more likely that there's some nickel in the aluminum alloys that bother you.

 

Also, aluminum rarely if ever causes reactions in people because it oxidizes immediately, and aluminum oxides are unbelievably tough and pretty much inert to most things.

Yeah that muji pen has a cheap and gross feeling to it, imo too.