Recommend a cheap pocket pen?

[Horseflesh]

I've received some great recommendations for inexpensive pens that are good performers, and now I am hoping the forum can deliver again... I am hoping to find a compact pocket pen, something similar to the Kaweco Liliput in size, that's in that magical ~$10 range. I want to see how I really get on with that size pen before I go all in and get a Liliput in Fireblue finish for everyday carry. 

 

Metal or plastic, I don't care, but it does need a clip, since it's my habit to clip my pocket pen to the cover of a small notebook. Converter or cart, also not important. But I'd like a Medium nib if I can, and if I can post the cap to keep it safe that's ideal. 

 

If there are other good compact options with different proportions than the Liliput, I'm open to other ideas. I see some Majohn pens that look good... they are fat, but still small overall... but they seem to lack a clip which is pretty important for me. 

 

Thanks if you have any ideas for me. 

[Ron Z]

Wing Sung 3003.  On Ebay. Solid pens, nice writers, cheap, reliable. 

[W Mitchell]

A trifle longer uncapped, a Pilot Prera is budget priced smaller good writer.

[Horseflesh]

This is interesting... Sadly no clip but it looks nice. 

 

https://www.amazon.com/SIPLIV-Stripes-Fountain-Paragraph-Cartridges/dp/B0C13WHDJ6

 

[Horseflesh]

This is EXACTLY what I was hoping to find, amazing. It might be garbage but for $8 I will risk it!

 

Oops, nope, it is 120 mm long. Shoot. 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Classic-Fountain-Business-Signature-Handwriting/dp/B07MXZLXTP

 

[amberleadavis]

I am so happy with my Ohto Tasche pen. Mine is silver, I purchased it years ago for $10 and it has stayed in my wallet ever since.  It is a great purse pen.

 

https://www.jetpens.com/Ohto-Tasche-Fountain-Pen-Black-Fine-Nib/pd/633

 

Length - Capped	9.9 cm / 3.9 inches
Length - Posted	14.6 cm / 5.7 inches
Length - Uncapped	8.5 cm / 3.3 inches

[Horseflesh]

That's just the kind of thing I am looking for, thanks @amberleadavis.

 

Edit: Their Rook looks nice too, though a little bigger. These pens are hard to find though, at least at lower prices. 

 

[amberleadavis]

1 hour ago, Horseflesh said:

That's just the kind of thing I am looking for, thanks @amberleadavis.

 

Edit: Their Rook looks nice too, though a little bigger. These pens are hard to find though, at least at lower prices. 

 

 

I've never tried this company, but I did find it:

 

https://chl-store.com/products/ff-10t?variant=43029920678147&currency=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&srsltid=AfmBOooNa8sp9TH9VRr88zPxedWI1i4cULUt9KJC9-vStMnXfo3aiZH9xfc

[txomsy]

I think that as you say, the classic recommendation is the Kaweco Sport or the Liliput. A design more than 100 years old that has survived the test of time. And I would advice that it is safest to just aim for one of them. It will prove a lot better in the long run.

 

The Sport is the model after which the cheap knock-offs like the one shown above are patterned with some "improvements" (basically increasing its length) and many shortcomings (specially quality control/uniformity).

 

Delike also made a clone of the Liliput, longer as well, the Element. It may still be around, or have clones of the clone, like the clone of the Alpha shown above, itself a clone of the Sport.

 

The main problem is that in that price range you most likely are looking at cheap Chinese pens that are quasi-clones/variants of Chinese clones of European or American models. If the clones (like the Alpha or Element) are short lived, the clones of clones are typically even shorter lived and usually sold under no brand name, so they are more difficult to point out and recommend or even to review (no way to know if the clone you review is the same as that other clone that sells for almost the same, looks almost the same and perhaps has some minimal -possibly relevant- variation, so no comparability).

 

My advice would be to just look in eBay or AliExpress for short, pocket pens and see what comes out, knowing they are likely clones of clones with basically no guarantee, traceability, quality control (likely recirculated rejects from the clone factories) or comparability.

 

Asking for recommendations is (IMHO) moot: there is no way to know if the model I got will bear any relationship with the one you may find, and if it does, at that price QC is usually very low, so your one may be totally different from mine.

 

Indeed, I got some 20 or 30 of the above shown brass clones of the Kaweco Brass Sport for giving away and, among them, there were many differences in quality, materials and design (clip, clip tightness, cap thread insert, glue for the insert, nib, nib housing or friction fit feed, etc...). With these conditions, it is difficult to give any advice other than that for the price you may as well give them a try and see if you are lucky. If you are not, you won't have lost too much.

[Penguincollector]

It’s more than what you want to spend, but a pen club member let me try her Monteverde Mini Jeweleria ($25 new, but probably cheaper if found on eBay) and that was a great little pen. Another member had an Ohto Tasche and that was a good writer, but I seem to recall that the clip was faulty on his. 

[Horseflesh]

On 11/12/2023 at 9:23 AM, Penguincollector said:

Monteverde Mini Jeweleria

 

Good candidate, thanks!

 

@txomsy this quest is more about finding something the right size, and rolling the dice on quality, so I can decide if I even like using a pen this small. If the test goes well then I'll feel better about spending a ton on something like a nice metal Liliput. 

 

I did find an inexpensive Liliput fireblue clone. It's about $30, so more than I wanted to spend on a pen for a size test, but it's interesting. 

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B7GCP4TN

 

 

[Sailor Kenshin]

Wing'S 3007 looks a bit like the Kaweco Sport.  It comes with a converter (or 'they' since they go in quartets), but no clip.  Yet, with how inexpensive they are, you could get an aftermarket clip with money to spare.

 

I should look for a link.

 

Alas.

 

This seems the only way to buy them now.  The single price is what I paid for a quartet when Amazon had them.

[txomsy]

That one has too suspect a look. It is much too similar to the Liliput, and unavailable almost everywhere (including Amazon now).

 

Anyway, if you do not mind that much the quality and want to test the suitability of that size, then that is OK. As I said, the problem of the clones and clones of the clones is that they are usually larger to accommodate an international converter. Which OTOH may be a good thing in itself.

 

The Element seems to be sold as Lanxivi Element now, a longer clone of the Liliput. But like almost everything coming from China, it has experimented a huge boost in price as well (percentage wise, they have doubled their price from one year ago).

 

BTW, I just found that a liliput at 40% discount in Amazon USA: https://www.amazon.com/Kaweco-Liliput-fountain-pen-silver

 

At that price, it is close to the Element. And will give you more choice in nibs.

 

Anyway, probably the best bet is to search for pocket EDC travel fountain pen in eBay or AliExpress.

[Horseflesh]

That's a very good price on the Liliput and makes swallowing the premium for the Fireblue version a lot harder!

[amberleadavis]

I just looked at the Filcao mini's on ebay. I really like Filcao and for the prices you might find one that you love.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/375047777722?hash=item575296edba:g:Ua8AAOSwD4NlMYUW&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAAwIyl8BLGN3uAM30jq0OPrbk437L3WsbxE8B0iNfCPvJCWwP0QdmCe4wBumUlqUgryvam11TipwhLqhDcixFx1MDvHzS6DG8GkaacN97TSn1%2BK0Vje%2F2A4jMuBz1vv4ZvuxlFuendUoSXx9jgx56QjrHhnaj3IPUaWtPPhk0cgfAO6xwQP6UX7o%2Fi0%2BB7ICCGKvJmwhB%2BBQdMfL3fhJ8wWjcMqhOIfg7NF%2Brw1eiUrsx%2F9tsSIx6fqkAtB3YKWaoOxg%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR-zP_PD5Yg

[Horseflesh]

Good idea, thanks!

[Doc Dan]

I am aware that this is far out of your price range, but a TWSBI Diamond Mini would be a good one and maybe the only one. 

[Horseflesh]

That's a nice looking pen but still bigger overall than I was hoping for. It's not the money so much as the size, right now. I want to try a small but cheap pen to see if I even like it. 

 

The Liliput sale was very tempting and I almost got the silver pen... I just don't like how it looks! If I get a nice pocket pen I want either a Fireblue style finish, or copper or brass that will develop a patina. All of which are expensive so I need to make sure I won't hate it first. That's the quest. 

 

I decided to drop ten whole bucks on this pen. Fatter than a Liluput, but just 85 mm long. Fude nib, which I like. I'll just see how it makes me feel and go from there. There were some other great candidates in this thread like the Tasche, and I'll keep my eyes open for them too.  

 

 

 

[PolarMoonman]

Jinhao 82. Lots of color choices, very compact. 

[Doc Dan]

Frankly, I wouldn't let a clip keep me from a nice pen. There is a soft case that has an elastic band for slipping around the front cover of a notebook that is pretty nice. I have the same one without the band. In it I have a TWSBI Go, the pen that ruined me for other less expensive pens because it is so good.