Which Brand Do You Enjoy The Most And Trust Blindly?

[The-Thinker]

If you are (God Forbid) about to choose one fountain pen brand that you enjoy the most and would stick to for the the rest of your life to use, which brand would it be, which pen/s exactly and why so? share your experience with the brand and how many pens do you own from them!

[corniche]

Hi Thinker,

 

Well, if I was going to be a lemming for a brand; for modern pens, it would be a tie between Pilot and Pelikan as they're both well made and have given me the least grief.

 

For vintage pens, Parker, without a doubt.

 

 

Sean

[The-Thinker]

Hi Thinker,

 

Well, if I was going to be a lemming for a brand; for modern pens, it would be a tie between Pilot and Pelikan as they're both well made and have given me the least grief.

 

For vintage pens, Parker, without a doubt.

 

 

Sean

 

Have you had a sailor nib? what pens do you own from both pelikans and pilots. Btw i have been seeing so many good reviews regarding the vintage parkers, i only own a cheap parker vector (modern) and i had many problems with it, so that is why i have always neglected the brand!

[dogpoet]

Rotring. I've never had any problems with anything of theirs.

[The-Thinker]

Rotring. I've never had any problems with anything of theirs.

 

Interesting i never hear about Rotring fountain pens these days

[senzen]

The one brand, with the decision parameter being "it has to work": Pelikan, one of my m100, m205 x2, m600, m605.

 

The one pen which will likely work and happens to be stunning: Waterman Carène.

 

The one pen which makes my favorite ink look great: Sailor Professional Gear H-M (and Tsuyu Kusa), but I would dearly miss several other pen and ink combinations.

[PAKMAN]

It would have to be Pelikan for me! Although I have more vintage Parkers

 

These Pelikans are in my collection:

 

M-150 – black w/ burgundy cap f nib

M-200 – Tradition blue translucent demonstrator ef nib/ binderized italifine

M-400 – Sovereign blue stripe two tone f nib

M-400 – Brown Tortoise gold m semi-flex nib

M-400 – Brown Tortoise gold f semi-flex nib

M-600 – Grand Place f nib / binderized 1.1mm crisp italic

M-600 – Sovereign blue stripe two tone f nib (extra Med nib)

M-800 – Sovereign blue stripe two tone f customized to a xf nib

M-800 – Sovereign blue stripe ball point

M-800 – Sovereign blue stripe mechanical pencil

M-800 – Sovereign green stripe two tone f customized by Shawn Newton to blue lizard binde

M-800 – Sovereign limited production clear demonstrator f 14k two tone nib

M-800 – Sovereign limited production Blue-o-Blue with a Mike m adjusted xf nib

M-800 – Sovereign limited production Blue-o-Blue ball point

M-800 – Sovereign limited production Brown Tortoise xf nib

M-800 – Sovereign limited production Brown Tortoise matching ball point

M-800 – Sovereign limited production Burnt Orange xf nib

M-800 – Sovereign limited production Grand Place f nib

M-800 – Sovereign Blue Ocean LE #2904/5000 obb nib

M-1000 - Sovereign Newton blue lizard two tone Matsuyama f soft nib

[The-Thinker]

It would have to be Pelikan for me! Although I have more vintage Parkers

 

These Pelikans are in my collection:

 

M-150 – black w/ burgundy cap f nib

M-200 – Tradition blue translucent demonstrator ef nib/ binderized italifine

M-400 – Sovereign blue stripe two tone f nib

M-400 – Brown Tortoise gold m semi-flex nib

M-400 – Brown Tortoise gold f semi-flex nib

M-600 – Grand Place f nib / binderized 1.1mm crisp italic

M-600 – Sovereign blue stripe two tone f nib (extra Med nib)

M-800 – Sovereign blue stripe two tone f customized to a xf nib

M-800 – Sovereign blue stripe ball point

M-800 – Sovereign blue stripe mechanical pencil

M-800 – Sovereign green stripe two tone f customized by Shawn Newton to blue lizard binde

M-800 – Sovereign limited production clear demonstrator f 14k two tone nib

M-800 – Sovereign limited production Blue-o-Blue with a Mike m adjusted xf nib

M-800 – Sovereign limited production Blue-o-Blue ball point

M-800 – Sovereign limited production Brown Tortoise xf nib

M-800 – Sovereign limited production Brown Tortoise matching ball point

M-800 – Sovereign limited production Burnt Orange xf nib

M-800 – Sovereign limited production Grand Place f nib

M-800 – Sovereign Blue Ocean LE #2904/5000 obb nib

M-1000 - Sovereign Newton blue lizard two tone Matsuyama f soft nib

 

Oh that is an amazing collection, you find them reliable? it seems that you love Xf nibs and prefer them like me!

[The-Thinker]

The one brand, with the decision parameter being "it has to work": Pelikan, one of my m100, m205 x2, m600, m605.

 

The one pen which will likely work and happens to be stunning: Waterman Carène.

 

The one pen which makes my favorite ink look great: Sailor Professional Gear H-M (and Tsuyu Kusa), but I would dearly miss several other pen and ink combinations.

Why would the sailor make your favorite ink look great? is it because it is really wet? or is it perfectly tuned ?

[PAKMAN]

Very reliable and yes I am a bit of an xf nut!

[senzen]

Why would the sailor make your favorite ink look great? is it because it is really wet? or is it perfectly tuned ?

 

Magic? Sorcery? It came out bland when I got the pen, I pressed very slightly on the tines and it did become wetter, while remaining smooth, which produces more saturation in this ink; other inks just become darker and for me, boring.

 

I tried this ink in a fine and wet m605, it looked good, but not spectacular.

[Arkanabar]

The brand I trust blindly is Pilot. When somebody expresses interest in fountain pens, I recommend Pilots for reliability, and Jinhaos if they think 10-15USD is too much for one pen.

 

The brand I most enjoy shopping for, buying, and tinkering with is Fountain Pen Revolution. They have superior form factor, customer service, and with the Triveni and Himalaya lines, beauty, especially at their price point.

 

The brand I most enjoy writing with is Pelikan, without a doubt. I may only have three, but there have been very few times that I have not had at least one of them inked up. A Pelikan was my first Pen of a Lifetime.

[Tseg]

I want to say Pelikan, but nib abiltiy of M1000's are notoriously challenging, and I had the same experience with 2 nibs in a row - sloppy wet and unmanageable, a nibmeister fixed the 2nd one. I also want to say Pilot, but I ended up having to make a slight nib adjustment on a Namiki Yukari Royale because on a certain downstroke I was making I was getting a 1/2 line. It was relatively easily remedied, but not happy I had to touch up the nib on a $1K+ pen. The brands I own where all was perfect from day 1 are Kaweco and Leodardo Officina Italiana, but I know not all have had the same experience.

 

What brands have arrived with a major defect?

• I got a new Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze Age with a big gouge sticking out of the nib-collar key slot used to unscrew the nib... exchanged for a new one then added a Homo Sapiens Elegance and both are perfect and amazing
• I got a Platinum Ultra Extra Fine and the nib would not write. I had ordered from Asia so a return was not ideal. Trying to brass shim the needle point nib one of the needles immediately bent off. I've now "converted" the nib into an M-F (without tipping). I'm not very warm to the pen or brand but sing the praises of my Platinum Black Carbon Ink
• I got a TWSBI 580AL and the Medium nib would run dry after a page. Despite my best efforts, I could not resolve, so got a TWSBI Broad nib and it works perfect

[alexwi]

Lamy. I have a few Safaris and a CP1. Never had an issue with any of them.

 

Then there are certain models from certain brands that never disappoint, such as the Parker 45 (I'm a big fan), the 75, and the 180.

 

alex

[sail1942]

I vote for TWSBI. What other pen brand can you completely disassemble? What other brand has for all purposes a lifetime warranty as long as you own it? When I contact TWSBI about a malfunctioning or cracked part they don't give me the run around, they send me a replacement and all I pay is the postage. This is the best customer service of any pen company.

[The-Thinker]

so i guess we are similar in that department

 

Very reliable and yes I am a bit of an xf nut!

[The-Thinker]

 

Magic? Sorcery? It came out bland when I got the pen, I pressed very slightly on the tines and it did become wetter, while remaining smooth, which produces more saturation in this ink; other inks just become darker and for me, boring.

 

I tried this ink in a fine and wet m605, it looked good, but not spectacular.

that is interesting! i have been thinking of making my sailor a tad wetter too! did you open up the tines by bending the tip and doing the "fingernail technique" on youtube ?

[The-Thinker]

The brand I trust blindly is Pilot. When somebody expresses interest in fountain pens, I recommend Pilots for reliability, and Jinhaos if they think 10-15USD is too much for one pen.

 

The brand I most enjoy shopping for, buying, and tinkering with is Fountain Pen Revolution. They have superior form factor, customer service, and with the Triveni and Himalaya lines, beauty, especially at their price point.

 

The brand I most enjoy writing with is Pelikan, without a doubt. I may only have three, but there have been very few times that I have not had at least one of them inked up. A Pelikan was my first Pen of a Lifetime.

I would suggest the same pens as well! I have been considering buying a FPR pen, specially that they are getting really popular these days! what is it about pelikans that makes you wanna come back to them (ps my first ever fountain pen was a pelikan m200)

[The-Thinker]

 

I want to say Pelikan, but nib abiltiy of M1000's are notoriously challenging, and I had the same experience with 2 nibs in a row - sloppy wet and unmanageable, a nibmeister fixed the 2nd one. I also want to say Pilot, but I ended up having to make a slight nib adjustment on a Namiki Yukari Royale because on a certain downstroke I was making I was getting a 1/2 line. It was relatively easily remedied, but not happy I had to touch up the nib on a $1K+ pen. The brands I own where all was perfect from day 1 are Kaweco and Leodardo Officina Italiana, but I know not all have had the same experience.

 

What brands have arrived with a major defect?

• I got a new Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze Age with a big gouge sticking out of the nib-collar key slot used to unscrew the nib... exchanged for a new one then added a Homo Sapiens Elegance and both are perfect and amazing
• I got a Platinum Ultra Extra Fine and the nib would not write. I had ordered from Asia so a return was not ideal. Trying to brass shim the needle point nib one of the needles immediately bent off. I've now "converted" the nib into an M-F (without tipping). I'm not very warm to the pen or brand but sing the praises of my Platinum Black Carbon Ink
• I got a TWSBI 580AL and the Medium nib would run dry after a page. Despite my best efforts, I could not resolve, so got a TWSBI Broad nib and it works perfect

 

It is sad how much of problems you have gone through, even with japanese pens that are said to be very picky about their QC. Have you ever tried to used a Sailor pen

[The-Thinker]

Lamy. I have a few Safaris and a CP1. Never had an issue with any of them.

 

Then there are certain models from certain brands that never disappoint, such as the Parker 45 (I'm a big fan), the 75, and the 180.

 

alex

was thinking of getting a Lamy 2000 i have heard many good reviews about it!