Help me decide on my first grail pen! :-)

[Victorian2001]

I would purchase an ONOTO Magna Classic, which you could customise is you would like to. It is a great writer, fantastic weight, and the shape feels nice in the hand. They offer steel, gold, and titanium nibs. I like the steel. They have just put up the cost of gold,  now it is over half the cost of the pen - I feel like that will be the norm now for all pens (so not a criticism of pricing but a reality that we all have to get used to). Good luck finding that grail!

[boilermaker1975]

8 hours ago, ArtfullyInked said:

Thanks for your answer.  I’m suspecting I may like Onoto pens too, as I’m already a fan of ebonite pens.  I’ve only been into pens for a couple of years myself and don’t own but a very few, so will be trying to learn as much as I can here.  Lucky us, I suppose—we have so much territory to explore!  Have you been to a pen show yet?  I haven’t but am probably going to try to make that happen this year.  

 

 

I have not been to a pen show, but it is definitely on my bucket list!

[inkstainedruth]

16 hours ago, ArtfullyInked said:

Thanks for your input.  

I'll concur as to what others have said.  My first Pelikan (a 1990s era M400 Brown Tortoise) has an F nib and I had the idea to maybe use it for drawing.  Only the first ink I put in it, Iroshizuku Yama-guri, was WAAAAAY too wet for that pen -- it was a FIREHOSE!  But then when I put Noodler's Walnut (which is as dry as a bone ) in it, that pen basically saved the ink-- the wet nib coaxed flow out of it.  And Edelstein Smoky Quartz (which to my eye is VERY similar in color to Yama-guri) also behaves very well in that pen.

It may end up having to be a matter of trial and error for you, to see what inks work well (or not) in any specific pen.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[zmija]

18 minutes ago, inkstainedruth said:

It may end up having to be a matter of trial and error for you, to see what inks work well (or not) in any specific pen.

 

Yes, in the case of Pelikan Souveran, properly selected ink is essential.

[ArtfullyInked]

1 hour ago, inkstainedruth said:

I'll concur as to what others have said.  My first Pelikan (a 1990s era M400 Brown Tortoise) has an F nib and I had the idea to maybe use it for drawing.  Only the first ink I put in it, Iroshizuku Yama-guri, was WAAAAAY too wet for that pen -- it was a FIREHOSE!  But then when I put Noodler's Walnut (which is as dry as a bone ) in it, that pen basically saved the ink-- the wet nib coaxed flow out of it.  And Edelstein Smoky Quartz (which to my eye is VERY similar in color to Yama-guri) also behaves very well in that pen.

It may end up having to be a matter of trial and error for you, to see what inks work well (or not) in any specific pen.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

Thanks for sharing your experience—what a shock that first inking must have been 😳 One thing’s for certain: all of the Pelikan input on this thread has me seriously rethinking it as an option.  Yet, I draw only in graphite and occasionally charcoal, not ink.  (I paint with ink.) So I’m not looking for a pen for drawing, mainly just journaling.  Sadly (from a fountain pen angle), my professional life happens mainly in the digital space, so I rarely even need pens at the office.  I imagine a Pelikan might be fun to journal with.  *shrug* Not sure why I’m obsessed with this pen lately, probably only because I imagine it to be a smooth writer that glides across the page.  

[ArtfullyInked]

10 hours ago, boilermaker1975 said:

 

I have not been to a pen show, but it is definitely on my bucket list!

👍👍

[ArtfullyInked]

13 hours ago, Yaaseen01 said:

I would purchase an ONOTO Magna Classic, which you could customise is you would like to. It is a great writer, fantastic weight, and the shape feels nice in the hand. They offer steel, gold, and titanium nibs. I like the steel. They have just put up the cost of gold,  now it is over half the cost of the pen - I feel like that will be the norm now for all pens (so not a criticism of pricing but a reality that we all have to get used to). Good luck finding that grail!

Thanks for your input!  Bad news about the cost of gold.  On nib customization:  I can’t wait to try that!

[ArtfullyInked]

17 hours ago, Lam1 said:

 

Yes, I do have an M800 in EF (or two, or... 😂).

Does it write a true EF? It depends. If the standard is the western EF, then yes. If the standard is Japanese EF, then no.

Typically my M800 EFs write, with Edelstein inks, a hair thicker than a Pilot F with Iroshizuko inks (I mention the inks because that is important to compare the width). The M1000 EF is significantly thicker than that.

 

Don't take me wrong, the M1000 is a fantastic pen, and probably my favorite overall pen - followed closely by the M800 and, frankly any other Pelikan (that's why I have a... a "decent" number of them). But if a Japanese EF is what you're looking for, the M1000 is not that pen. On the contrary, it is a pen to write deliberately and enjoy the copious amounts of ink flowing into a good quality paper.

 

I also second the Leonardo suggestions - they are wonderful pens. Although, I do not have an EF to say how it writes. My 3 Leonardos have 1.1 mm stubs and I love them.

 

At the end of the day, I suspect that, as the name of your thread says, this is going to be just the first of a long line of great pens. Particularly if you allow us here at FPN to enable you. 😂

 

 

I appreciate your breakdown of Japanese versus Western nibs.  I’m not necessarily looking for a Japanese EF this time around—the more I think about it, the more I’m thinking it would be fun to have something with a different feel—it’s only that this type of nib likely fits my penmanship best, based on what I’m learning here so far.  I suppose it would be wise to get a Pelikan, if I do, with the assumption going in that it would likely not become my “everyday pen.”  Decisions, decisions… 😅

[Victorian2001]

21 hours ago, ArtfullyInked said:

Thanks for your input!  Bad news about the cost of gold.  On nib customization:  I can’t wait to try that!

You could customise the nib but also the body of the pen with an engraving. For example, if you like the blue Pelikan aesthetic then a blue magna engraved with a pinstripe and gilded with silver resin may be up your street or a Magna with a diamond engraved pattern - they do many designs and all are brilliant.

[Mark from Yorkshire]

welcome. Go with what feels right for you. Pelikan and Onoto are great pens to write with. 

[Russprechtl]

On 1/17/2026 at 1:02 AM, ArtfullyInked said:

Wow—great idea, and so much less expensive than traveling to a shop somewhere that has an M800—thanks for the tip!  

I'll echo this. I purchased an Admok M800 with a Bock EF nib. It's been great and seems to be very high quality. I run dry ink in it (Pelikan 4001) to keep the line fine.

[ArtfullyInked]

On 1/19/2026 at 3:04 PM, Yaaseen01 said:

You could customise the nib but also the body of the pen with an engraving. For example, if you like the blue Pelikan aesthetic then a blue magna engraved with a pinstripe and gilded with silver resin may be up your street or a Magna with a diamond engraved pattern - they do many designs and all are brilliant.

 

Yes, customization could be fun.  Although in the Souverän line, the "metal sleeve" 805 and the "Stresemann" models already have these features, so no need to custom order.

[ArtfullyInked]

On 1/19/2026 at 3:07 PM, Mark from Yorkshire said:

welcome. Go with what feels right for you. Pelikan and Onoto are great pens to write with. 

 

Thank you.  I suppose I will...way too long until I'll be able to get to a pen show, and I've got a rather distracting case of the time-for-a-new-pen bug... Ah well, it just means that I'll have yet another opportunity when it's pen show time!    

[ArtfullyInked]

On 1/19/2026 at 3:26 PM, Russprechtl said:

I'll echo this. I purchased an Admok M800 with a Bock EF nib. It's been great and seems to be very high quality. I run dry ink in it (Pelikan 4001) to keep the line fine.

 

Thanks for your input  

[VacNut]

I have met and spoken to the family that revived the ONOTO pen brand. They are very conscientious people, who believe in their craft. That said, I would vote for a vintage ONOTO Magna over the modern productions, any day of the week. Vintage nibs are more suitable to my hand. We have lost the ability to make nibs like the Golden Days.

[ArtfullyInked]

18 hours ago, VacNut said:

I have met and spoken to the family that revived the ONOTO pen brand. They are very conscientious people, who believe in their craft. That said, I would vote for a vintage ONOTO Magna over the modern productions, any day of the week. Vintage nibs are more suitable to my hand. We have lost the ability to make nibs like the Golden Days.

 

Thanks for your thoughts.  Funny, I was back on the ONOTO website last night for quite a while... I'm really liking the Pi pen.  Do you have any familiarity with that one?

 

One more Q about ONOTO:  In your experience, which of their pens have you found to be the smoothest writer, nib size being equal, of course.

[VacNut]

I do not have much experience writing with the modern ONOTO pens other than on a writing pad at their table.

 

Please keep in mind that I have a strong preference for vintage pens, so consider my bias when I state my opinions.

 

The Pi Pen is interesting, a clever design. The $500+ price tag has a gold-plated stainless steel nib. A 18K nib is another +$300. A converter is another extra cost. The pen is black resin. 
 

At those prices you should consider purchasing a restored Vintage ONOTO MAGNA with a #7 14K nib, translucent celluloid cap, and barrel. The nib will likely be more flexible and comfortable for writing. The celluloid is more comfortable in the hand. The MAGNA should be about $1000 restored. A black pen will be less money.

 

All the parts of the MAGNA would have been manufactured in the UK and assembled in the UK. The Modern ONOTO pens have parts sourced from around the world, and assembled in the UK.

 

I do not know how many Pi Pens have been made, but it is uncommon for modern pens to appreciate in value, because there are still numerous pens available.

 

I have noticed vintage pens prices on the rise recently. The MAGNA is a pen that holds its value. I assume part of the rise in cost is that there are fewer and fewer MAGNAs every year due to use and breakages.

 

Just my opinions…good luck 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JasonR]

32 minutes ago, VacNut said:

I do not have much experience writing with the modern ONOTO pens other than on a writing pad at their table.

 

Please keep in mind that I have a strong preference for vintage pens, so consider my bias when I state my opinions.

 

The Pi Pen is interesting, a clever design. The $500+ price tag has a gold-plated stainless steel nib. A 18K nib is another +$300. A converter is another extra cost. The pen is black resin. 
 

At those prices you should consider purchasing a restored Vintage ONOTO MAGNA with a #7 14K nib, translucent celluloid cap, and barrel. The nib will likely be more flexible and comfortable for writing. The celluloid is more comfortable in the hand. The MAGNA should be about $1000 restored. A black pen will be less money.

 

All the parts of the MAGNA would have been manufactured in the UK and assembled in the UK. The Modern ONOTO pens have parts sourced from around the world, and assembled in the UK.

 

I do not know how many Pi Pens have been made, but it is uncommon for modern pens to appreciate in value, because there are still numerous pens available.

 

I have noticed vintage pens prices on the rise recently. The MAGNA is a pen that holds its value. I assume part of the rise in cost is that there are fewer and fewer MAGNAs every year due to use and breakages.

 

Just my opinions…good luck 

 

 

 

 

 

 

@VacNut While I agree with you wholeheartedly that the vintage Onoto nibs are a dream, let's not put anyone else in the market for a Vintage Magna just yet.  Unless of course you like broad nibs, then by all means check out the lovely vintage lever-filler on eBay right now for like 695GBP plus untold hundreds in shipping and customs fees for the privilege of living in the US.

[VacNut]

2 hours ago, camelsuspicious said:

@VacNut While I agree with you wholeheartedly that the vintage Onoto nibs are a dream, let's not put anyone else in the market for a Vintage Magna just yet.  Unless of course you like broad nibs, then by all means check out the lovely vintage lever-filler on eBay right now for like 695GBP plus untold hundreds in shipping and customs fees for the privilege of living in the US.

Yes, go to a pen show and test out the MAGNA. One should always test write a pen at those prices.

 

Shipping and Tariffs are troublesome to the US. I do not know if they will charge a tariff if you buy from the ONOTO Website. The listed address is in the UK.

There are tariffs and then the processing charges from the shipping company, which can almost equal the tariff. Robbery!!!

 

Tariffs may be unavoidable…or are they….🤔🤔🤔

[boilermaker1975]

9 hours ago, VacNut said:

Yes, go to a pen show and test out the MAGNA. One should always test write a pen at those prices.

 

Shipping and Tariffs are troublesome to the US. I do not know if they will charge a tariff if you buy from the ONOTO Website. The listed address is in the UK.

There are tariffs and then the processing charges from the shipping company, which can almost equal the tariff. Robbery!!!

 

Tariffs may be unavoidable…or are they….🤔🤔🤔

 

The last time I purchased from Onoto was September, so shortly after the tariffs. They shipped by DHL. The shipping cost I was charged was $37.34 and I got the pen like 3 days after ordering. I had to pay the duty to DHL, which was 15%, but there was no state sales tax charge. DHL emailed me a link to pay the duty.

 

It could be different today, Onoto may add the duty when you check out. I know with Cult Pens when you go to check out they add the duty.