Rugged fountain pens?

[Karmachanic]

Trench pen.

[Aelfattrum]

2 hours ago, Detman101 said:

I had one of the FPR - #5 Ultraflex Nibs on my "Delike - Element" but removed it because the feed could not keep up with the flex. I went back to the stock nib and then upgraded to a homemade 0.9 Stub...which oddly is super juicy. I never could figure out why the flex nib just wouldn't work with the plastic feed and gave up trying.

I'm not entirely surprised. I have an FPR pen with an ultraflex nib - it works well but it has an ebonite feed and is so wet that it has "section creep" esp. with wetter ink. The ultraflex nibs really want to lay down massive amounts of ink, I think. I wonder if one of their "plain" flex nibs might be able to better cope.

[Detman101]

46 minutes ago, Aelfattrum said:

I'm not entirely surprised. I have an FPR pen with an ultraflex nib - it works well but it has an ebonite feed and is so wet that it has "section creep" esp. with wetter ink. The ultraflex nibs really want to lay down massive amounts of ink, I think. I wonder if one of their "plain" flex nibs might be able to better cope.

I've found that with the FPR Ultra-flex nibs...the "Color" that you choose has a large bearing on the "Wetness" of the nib.
For their "Silver" steel Ultra-flex nibs....prepare for a gusher! Whether the pen has a plastic or ebonite feed...these nibs have always flowed too heavy for me.
Their "Gold/two-tone" Ultra-Flex nibs are fairly normal to a little dry in their "Ink-Conductivity".
I tend to roll with their "Gold/Two-tone" flex nibs because I'd rather have it a bit drier than overly wet...but mainly because I've figured out how to make ink wetter...but not drier.
I can compensate for a pen with a dry-nib...I cannot fix a pen with an overly-wet nib.
 

[Aelfattrum]

@Detman101Ah, that's interesting! I assumed the "Silver" vs "Gold Two-Tone" was purely an aesthetic difference. (Also, I don't think I got a choice on the pen I bought from them.) Maybe I should try out the "Two-Tone" nib - as it stands I don't think my FPR pen can be anything other than a desk pen.

[Detman101]

Just now, Aelfattrum said:

@Detman101Ah, that's interesting! I assumed the "Silver" vs "Gold Two-Tone" was purely an aesthetic difference. (Also, I don't think I got a choice on the pen I bought from them.) Maybe I should try out the "Two-Tone" nib - as it stands I don't think my FPR pen can be anything other than a desk pen.

Ahhh yes. If the pen you purchased did not come with the choice of which color "Ultra-Flex" nib you received...then that could be a problem based on what you expected.
To this day...I have not found a way to restrict the high ink-flow on the silver ultra-flex FPR nib. And it IS the nib, because when replacing the silver UF nib with any other flex nib...the ink flow is normal. I can put that silver UF nib on any pen and it turns into a gusher. I once considered that nib an anomalous item that was a rare find...until I bought a second and third silver UF FPR nib and they did the same thing. Now I know...it's just the silver UF FPR nibs.

[JosephKing]

On 6/8/2021 at 5:08 AM, tim77 said:

Some years ago Rotring made a pen called the Altro.  It used normal ink cartridges, but the tubular nib was quite unlike  a classical fountain pen.  It resembled a beefed-up version of Rotring's technical pens, and could take quite a lot of abuse.  Unlike a technical pen the tip of the nib capillary was rounded, so it was reasonably smooth and could be used for writing as well as drawing.  Sadly no longer in production.  I know of no other fountain pen that could withstand being dropped on its nib.

 

 

 

On 6/8/2021 at 12:17 PM, tim77 said:

Ironically the plastic is probably quite fragile by now.  I used one for years and years during my school days (long since broken and lost) and I think it used ordinary standard international cartridges.

 

This pen is exactly what I've been looking for.  And the Altro sections fit in a 900 body along with a standard converter.

 

Thanks Tim!

[Estycollector]

LAMY Al-Star

[como]

+1 on Kaweco Sport Brass. If I had a job working in outdoor environment, I would get that and put in my pocket! 

[Antenociticus]

Worth looking at the SCHON DSGN pocket pens.

 

The Kaweco AL Sport is my own go-anywhere, hard-as-nails choice. If I was going to go for a heavier and even more indestructible Kaweco Sport, I'd buy the steel one rather than the brass.

 

The Kaweco Liliput is a really nice object, but it's a little too fiddly for situations where you might want to make a quick note on the hoof.

[georges zaslavsky]

Sheaffer Triumph and Sheaffer PFM. The nib on my Triumph never let me down and the vac fill filling system is very reliable. The PFM is also another rugged pen I love for its fast writing palladium nib. 

[Arkanabar]

On 6/11/2021 at 1:58 PM, Detman101 said:

Ahhh yes. If the pen you purchased did not come with the choice of which color "Ultra-Flex" nib you received...then that could be a problem based on what you expected.

More than once, I've asked Kevin at FPR to swap nibs for me, as I generally prefer the CT aesthetic to the two-tone, and he's always been more than willing.

[bisbob]

On 6/11/2021 at 1:58 PM, Detman101 said:

Ahhh yes. If the pen you purchased did not come with the choice of which color "Ultra-Flex" nib you received...then that could be a problem based on what you expected.
To this day...I have not found a way to restrict the high ink-flow on the silver ultra-flex FPR nib. And it IS the nib, because when replacing the silver UF nib with any other flex nib...the ink flow is normal. I can put that silver UF nib on any pen and it turns into a gusher. I once considered that nib an anomalous item that was a rare find...until I bought a second and third silver UF FPR nib and they did the same thing. Now I know...it's just the silver UF FPR nibs.

totally agree. I've spent far too much time trying to adjust/tune my FPR ultra-flex. But it remains a gusher. Kevin of FPR has a new UF nib unit in the mail to me, but I am still expecting the same results. I hope I am wrong.

[bisbob]

Totally agree. These ultra-flex nibs do create some nice flex. Originally, my Jaipur v2 was a real gusher and I could not get again kind of thin line on paper. AT best, it was a wide medium. Now that I've fiddled with it I can get a finer line and some nice flex, but it is a very wet writer. And only barely useful. I'm hoping a replacement UF fro FPR will perform better, but I am skeptical.

[Detman101]

2 hours ago, bisbob said:

totally agree. I've spent far too much time trying to adjust/tune my FPR ultra-flex. But it remains a gusher. Kevin of FPR has a new UF nib unit in the mail to me, but I am still expecting the same results. I hope I am wrong.

 

2 hours ago, bisbob said:

Totally agree. These ultra-flex nibs do create some nice flex. Originally, my Jaipur v2 was a real gusher and I could not get again kind of thin line on paper. AT best, it was a wide medium. Now that I've fiddled with it I can get a finer line and some nice flex, but it is a very wet writer. And only barely useful. I'm hoping a replacement UF fro FPR will perform better, but I am skeptical.

I hope that your replacement is less gushy than your current.
I had hoped to try the Gold Ultraflex FPR nib someday...but I've heard that Gold nibs are just as gushy.

[smitbret]

Birmingham Pens Model C Ironsides

 

Milled stainless steel bodied pen.  Standard international converter/cartridge and a JoWo #6 nib that's easily swapped out if necessary.

 

I have no doubt that I could use this pen to bust out a window in a car that is sinking into a lake.

[wspohn]

I have a Parker 51 Flighter - you could probably drop it off a tall building and come off with nothing more than scratches.

[Mercian]

If you only intend to use the pen as a pen (as opposed to using it as a makeshift prop, wedge, or pry-bar), then I recommend pens that were designed for use in the most-hostile environment of all - High Schools 😱

 

The Lamy Safari is robust, and you can swap its nib on-&-off easily. Those nibs are inexpensive, and widely available in a good variety of nib-widths.

The aforementioned Parker 25 is another good choice.

The all-stainless-steel versions of the Parker Vector are robust, IF it isn’t too skinny for your hands.

Cheap too. Luxor make them under license in India.
The all-steel Parker Frontiers (also made by Luxor) are robust, but their caps don’t ‘post’ on the back of the pen as securely as those of the Vector or 25.

 

The metal-bodied (steel, aluminium, and brass are available) pens made by Kaweco are reputed to be very good too.
I don’t personally own any of those, because I think they all seem to be a little small for my paws.

 

You only need to buy ‘tactical’ pens if your intention is to use them as tools for things other than writing.

Edited March 11, 2022 by Mercian
Clarification

[Estycollector]

The Wing Sung 601 "flighter" . I don't recommend dropping it off a tall building....LOL!!

 

And if it doesn't make it, you are only out $22. 

[bunnspecial]

No longer made, but a Parker 45 flighter. 
 

Inexpensive second hand, indestructible, and there are dozens of nib varieties in both grind and material that are easily swapped. 
 

The semi-hooded nib is also well protected 

[Charles Rice]

If you really have to have a fountain pen out where it is likely to become toast. go as cheap as you can.  A Pilot Varsity or something just as cheap.