Best Everyday Pen for $100.00 or less ?

[BoxerDad]

In your opinion what is the best daily use, knock around fountain pen for $100 or less.

[Nick A]

Parker 51 Aerometric filler.

Any Pelikan.

[Jeff E]

Among new pens: Lamy Safari, Lamy Studio (black or stainless), Waterman Phileas, Bexley Simplicity, Bexley BX701, Taccia Continental.

 

Among vintage pens: Parker "51" (less than pristine Lustraloy cap/aero filler), Sheaffer Snorkel/Touchdown (common colors, not mint), Esterbrook Dollar Pen, Sheaffer Imperial.

 

The list is hardly complete, anyone care to add?

[Mike S.]

I second the above, but would add a Pilot/Namiki Vanishing Point. If you go to www.oscarbraunpens.com you can probably get one for under $100. I keep a VP on my desk, inked and ready, at all times. You can't beat it for a quick note if someone calls on the phone and you've got your other hand full. Click and it's open and ready to write. Nice, solid feel and very well-made. (I was going to add "for the price" but deleted that because I think it's well made period.)

 

Mike

[wdyasq]

In your opinion what is the best daily use, knock around fountain pen for $100 or less.

You've been given a lot of options. The choice you take may be related to how much you use a pen. If you are a 'note writer', the Pilot VP might be the proper tool. If you spend all day extensively using the pen - 5 pages or so a day, the VP is going to need refilling and you may be better off with an older vintage pen like a Sheaffer Snorkel or TS or Parker "51". New pens with substantial ink capacity might be a Lamy or Pelikan.

 

Ron

[Jimmy James]

If you're looking to spend near $100 on a pen, this list isn't for you. They're all pens I found to be very reliable for well under that mark, though.

 

* Pilot 78G -- squeeze filler and excellent nib. I got mine for $10 new.

* Parker Frontier -- all 3 I have are near flawless writers. I spent between $9 and $20 on each.

* Waterman Phileas -- I have one under the tree, so this is just by reputation. I got mine for $30. My Waterman Kulturs (exceptionally similar pen) write well but can be hard starters. I think I won't have that problem out of the Phileas.

[PAKMAN]

Lamy 2000, ~$100, the perfect knock around pen (nearly indestructable).

 

 

[goodyear]

All the above are good suggestions. It doesn;t get as much love around here as others, but I like the Cross Century II - metal barrel and steel nib, takes a lot of abuse.

[BoxerDad]

Lamy All-Star

[Ghost Plane]

Waterman Carene - bunch going for just under $100 on the fleabay. Elegant, great nibs, idiot proof [or I wouldn't own so many!]

[Deirdre]

I second the above, but would add a Pilot/Namiki Vanishing Point. If you go to www.oscarbraunpens.com you can probably get one for under $100.

I'd second the VP, if only because of the coolness factor. Still, try one before you buy it -- some people find their grip isn't compatible with the pen. Fortunately, mine is.

[southpaw]

All of the above suggestions are good and I'd like to add, if you can find one, the Danitrio Cumlaude. Where else can you find a celluloid pen with a great nib for under $100! Also, don't forget one of the best bargains out there: Reform piston fillers that can be obtained for ~$25 including S&H (great if you like slim pens or can handle it for brief spells).

[ojars]

Lamy Al-Star -- functional, reliable, a nail, modern looks

[Lawrence III]

Waterman Expert II....you should be able to purchase a new one on the Bay for about $50. Have had several. Start every time and very smooth nibs.

[simonrob]

In your opinion what is the best daily use, knock around fountain pen for $100 or less.

 

Without knowing your nib preference, aesthetic sense, what sort of filling system you prefer, etc., it's hard to say. If you want a wide range of nib options, consider a Pelikan 200 (for the widest, buy from Richard Binder, who offers customized nibs in addition to the usual range and makes sure it writes properly before sending it out to boot). For a radically different look, at about $100 you may be able to get a Lamy 2000 from martiniauctions (not only is Regina Martini good to deal with, Lamy provide a wider range of nibs in Germany than in the US). Like the Pelikan 200, this is a piston filler, so no cartridges. If you want a degree of flex and an otherwise superb writer, you may also be able to find a Namiki Falcon for c. $100 (especially if you want to dip a toe into ebay). With the Lamy 2000 and Namiki Falcon you get a gold nib, by the way; that's not the case with Pelikan 200 in that price range. Among those three, I don't know what my first choice would be - I have a Binderized Pelikan 200, an oblique medium Lamy 2000, and a Namiki Falcon and wouldn't like to be without any of them. (My only hesitation in recommending a Lamy 2000 would be based on the negative performance reports from some contributers here.)

 

If you don't mind the cigar-band-esque ornament and the narrower range of nib options, the much cheaper Waterman Phileas are worth considering - they perform and write very well (and, should this matter, they take cartridges). Cheaper still, I've yet to meet a Lamy Safari that didn't write very well (albeit a bit less wet than those mentioned so far). What's more, unlike the Phileas they don't look like a cheap attempt to mimic an expensive pen but have a distinctive look that's all their own (I'm especially fond of the yellow version; you may not like any of them...).

 

If you're willing to do a little importing from the far east, you may want to consider Pilot; the inexpensive 78G, if you select a B nib, is a pretty good introduction to the world of cursive italics, while ujuku in Japan carries a range of Pilots for less than $100 that you won't find in the U.S. at all, including the Custom 74, which has a rather wide array of nibs (gold, to boot) to choose from. Reports at fpn support my experience that Pilots (and Sailors and Platinum) are very reliable performers.

 

That said, I would note that my favorite pens -- both aesthetically and in terms of performance -- for which I've paid less than $100 have almost all been vintage (how else can one get real flex?), but since buying vintage pens can be a bit hit-or-miss -- more hit than miss if you buy from sellers here or at pentrace -- and varies with who's selling what at any given time, it's less easy to make a direct recommendation.

 

Simon

[juhtolv]

In your opinion what is the best daily use, knock around fountain pen for $100 or less.

 

Oh, well… There are so many options in that price range. Let’s concentrate on pens I own and have actually used:

 

- Pelikan Pelikano

- Pelikan Future Silver

- Pelikan Grand Prix

- Pelikan Steno

- Lamy Vista

- Parker Jotter

- Herlitz Tornado

 

Maybe from those experiences I can draw a conclusion that also Lamy Safari, Lamy Al-Star and non-silvery Pelikan Future would be very good knock around pen: Lamy Vista is “just” demonstrator version of Lamy Safari. Lamy Al-Star is “just” Lamy Safari in aluminium coat. Pelikan Future Silver is “just” Pelikan Future made of silver-coloured or -painted plastic.

 

My favourite pen is Waterman Philéas but I really don’t dare to just “knock around” it: I carry it in my pocket, but putting it to backpack or basket is out of question. Parker Reflex would be good knock around pen, but its nib will dry very easily, if you don’t write with that pen almost every day.

Edited December 23, 2007 by juhtolv

[fjf]

One of the small pelikans would do it. The cheaper is the m200; in the demo version is a pretty pen, and a workhorse writer.

Edited December 23, 2007 by fjf

[playpen]

Without hesitation I would suggest a VP but carry a bottle of ink with you if you have to take lots of notes at one time. Filling this pen in public is a great conversation starter!

[lovemy51]

KAWECO!

[slimnib]

I second the above, but would add a Pilot/Namiki Vanishing Point. If you go to www.oscarbraunpens.com you can probably get one for under $100.

I'd second the VP, if only because of the coolness factor. Still, try one before you buy it -- some people find their grip isn't compatible with the pen. Fortunately, mine is.

 

 

Careful about this pen, do not buy without testing. I just cannot use because of clip placement.

 

Harv