Best writing instruments around today

[mjlf]

I am graduating in the summer, and I am considering buying myself a very good pen. I hesitate as to what to buy, as there are a lot of very expensive pens out there, and I know that once you get above £300 you are really paying for the materials they are made of, and I just want the best writers. I want it to be an everyday pen, one I can use without feeling like I am being flashy with money. I was thinking of a Parker Duofold, the black lacquer one. I know they are the top of Parkers range, but in comparison to other makes how do they rate? I was considering a Mont Blanc, but I suspect you are paying for the name there.

 

Any tips, or suggestions?

[MikeLip]

A classic pen that has great looks and performance at a good price would be a Sailor 1911. Their nibs are hard to beat and as I said - classic. A trifle flashy, but good looking. Also consider Pelikan, the 600 series or so. Actually any of the Pels are going to be good pens. You can spend more than for the Sailor or Pelikans, but how much more you will get for your money is open to question

[Shelley]

Since you are talking in pounds then i would suggest a yard-o-lead, either way thats quite a bit of dosh you are talking about.

Duofolds are good pens, and mont blancs, well there are some good models-but a lot of the cost goes on the marketing hype rather than the construction.

 

Your best bet would be to go to a stockist and try some out.

[Rufus]

I am graduating in the summer, and I am considering buying myself a very good pen. I hesitate as to what to buy, as there are a lot of very expensive pens out there, and I know that once you get above £300 you are really paying for the materials they are made of, and I just want the best writers. I want it to be an everyday pen, one I can use without feeling like I am being flashy with money. I was thinking of a Parker Duofold, the black lacquer one. I know they are the top of Parkers range, but in comparison to other makes how do they rate? I was considering a Mont Blanc, but I suspect you are paying for the name there.

 

Any tips, or suggestions?

 

I have a Parker Duofold Centennial, which is one of my favourite pens. For years, however, it sat in the bottom drawer of my desk because of flow problems with the nib; I sent it to Richard Binder last year and after he worked his magic there's been no looking back. I really like the look and feel of the pen and now that RB has fixed the nib it's a keeper. I don't know if the flow problem is unique to my pen though. Other modern pens of that ilk you should consider are: Pelikan M 800, Bexley Americana, Stipula Saturno and Sailor ribbed Naginata-Togi; I own them all and think they are top-drawer in terms of production quality and in-the-hand performance.

 

[poxy51]

Since you are celebrating your graduation. My advice would be not to settle for one because someone suggested it--but get the one you really want, even if it sounds expensive. Presuming you take good care of pens, you will always have it and know it is the one you chose at graduation. I don't think there is a terrible writer in the class you are looking at and it will mean so much as the years go by.

[goodguy]

There arefew wonderful writer around.You really didnt give us enough info to work with.

Do you like C/C filler or rather a piston filler ?

What kind of a nib ?

Do you prefer a metal or reson body ?

Do you like light weight or heavy

And lots of other details.

 

I will try to guess what you like.

The first obvious pen is Pelikan M800.

This is a bullet proof pen.It writes like a champ with super smooth nibs.

It has a piston filler that holds a ton of ink.The pen is beautiful and classic without being overly flashy and its not that expensive.You can get the pen from Pam for around 240$.

 

Another good pen is the MB 146.I use this pen a lot and its excellent but will cost more then the M800.It is also a super smooth writer with a piston filler that hold a lot of ink.

 

Even though I am not a big fan of C/C fillers the Parker Duofold Centaniel is a great pen that I would also recommend.

Edited March 11, 2008 by goodguy

[mjlf]

There arefew wonderful writer around.You really didnt give us enough info to work with.

Do you like C/C filler or rather a piston filler ?

What kind of a nib ?

Do you prefer a metal or reson body ?

Do you like light weight or heavy

And lots of other details.

 

I will try to guess what you like.

The first obvious pen is Pelikan M800.

This is a bullet proof pen.It writes like a champ with super smooth nibs.

It has a piston filler that holds a ton of ink.The pen is beautiful and classic without being overly flashy and its not that expensive.You can get the pen from Pam for around 240$.

 

Another good pen is the MB 146.I use this pen a lot and its excellent but will cost more then the M800.It is also a super smooth writer with a piston filler that hold a lot of ink.

 

Even though I am not a big fan of C/C fillers the Parker Duofold Centaniel is a great pen that I would also recommend.

 

 

I do like the convertor fillers (is a piston filler like the areomatic ones in the older Parker 45's? as I really like them), fine/medium nib, metal body, if its plain silver, nothing to decotative, I am quite traditional and conservative. Light weight, as my hands are small, and not overly large.

 

Thanks for all the advice.

[Shangas]

A c/c pen (cartridge/converter) is one that can take plastic ink-cartridges, or a converter. There are two kinds, a piston-converter (which you twist, to screw the piston-rod up and down to fill & empty), and the aerometric converter (the squeeze-type converter that you find in Parker '45's).

 

If you're looking for 'traditional & conservative', I think I would recommend a Parker Duofold centennial or international (I forget which one of them is smaller). They're remakes of the original 1920s Duofolds and they're very nice. They work with c/c filling systems, so they're easy to use.

 

---

 

Forgot to add:

 

The difference between a piston-converter and a piston-filler is that with the latter, the filling-mechanism is built into the actual pen, whereas with the converter, it's removable.

Edited March 12, 2008 by Shangas

[sexauerw]

A couple at the top of my list would be an S. T. Dupont Orpheo (or Olympio, different name but same pen) in the large size. Or, a Waterman Edson. Both are fantastic writers as well as beautiful pens.

[ericthered2004]

You'll get a million suggestions--there are tons of higher-end pens in your price range, and all have their devotees. Pelikans are very highly thought of, and definitely traditional in their design. You might have a job finding one to try out, however, in the UK. And here's my suggestion: do not neglect the upper-end Sheaffers. The Legacy's may be a bit heavy for you, however the Valor is a nice lightweight pen, pretty easily available, bigger though ergonomic, which will last you a lifetime, and no nib (in my view) writes better than the best of the Sheaffers. In other words, let not their relative ubiquity blind you to their quality!

 

Hearty congrats on your forthcoming graduation.

 

 

cheers,

eric

[Shangas]

Also like to add that the Montblanc Meisterstuck range is also nice and classic. Also quite light and very comfortable to write with over long periods of time.

[goodguy]

There arefew wonderful writer around.You really didnt give us enough info to work with.

Do you like C/C filler or rather a piston filler ?

What kind of a nib ?

Do you prefer a metal or reson body ?

Do you like light weight or heavy

And lots of other details.

 

I will try to guess what you like.

The first obvious pen is Pelikan M800.

This is a bullet proof pen.It writes like a champ with super smooth nibs.

It has a piston filler that holds a ton of ink.The pen is beautiful and classic without being overly flashy and its not that expensive.You can get the pen from Pam for around 240$.

 

Another good pen is the MB 146.I use this pen a lot and its excellent but will cost more then the M800.It is also a super smooth writer with a piston filler that hold a lot of ink.

 

Even though I am not a big fan of C/C fillers the Parker Duofold Centaniel is a great pen that I would also recommend.

 

 

I do like the convertor fillers (is a piston filler like the areomatic ones in the older Parker 45's? as I really like them), fine/medium nib, metal body, if its plain silver, nothing to decotative, I am quite traditional and conservative. Light weight, as my hands are small, and not overly large.

 

Thanks for all the advice.

I have the perfect pen for you.

PARKER 75 !!!

Parker stopped producing this pen few years ago but they are abondend on ebay.They range between 75$-130$ for the regular models.

They are all metal pens,all very light weight,not too big,excellent writers and have C/C filler.

You simply cant go wrong with this pen and you dont have to spend a fortune to get it.

It is also very easy to swap nibs if you get the American model with the swivel nib.

The British models didnt have the swivel nibs.

Edited March 12, 2008 by goodguy

[Susanna]

You can also look at a celluloid pen, like the Visconti Wall Street. Regular or Limited (under or above the 300 pounds).

[Chris]

I bought a Cross in sterling silver for my graduation and never regretted it.

The Townsend is quite heavy (well balanced in my view) but writes like a pen should - without thinking.

 

Chris

[mjlf]

I bought a Cross in sterling silver for my graduation and never regretted it.

The Townsend is quite heavy (well balanced in my view) but writes like a pen should - without thinking.

 

Chris

 

 

I have a Cross ATX, am I mostly quite happy with it, apart from it doens't have a screw cap, which I am looking for.

 

 

[JDFlood]

Good question. One consideration might be what kind of job you will be getting. If you are heading more sales oriented Mont Blanc might be the way to go.

 

But if you are just starting out, I would consider Pelikan. They are readily available, from my point of view designed with writing in mind first, and fashion / prestige second (MB other way around). To me this is the best possible "standard brand" choice before you get into the higher level Italian or Japanese pens. I used a Pelikan for years in my early carreer. You can always match it with a pencil, roller ball or ball point if signature or technical work become important. They are high-end but you will not be critisized for being superficial as is possible with MB. I really like my Parker Duofold, I like the way it writes and looks. But it still doesn't feel as quality a piece as some other pens at the same price. So, my vote would be Pelikan... the size that fits your hand the best. Good luck. I am sure you have years of great FP experiences ahead of you. JD

[georges zaslavsky]

You have a bunch of pens that can do the trick, take your time and try all of those you like. It will help you to chose the perfect writer.

[CharlieB]

Let me add my voice to those who are recommending the Pelikan M800. This pen is elegant, reasonably priced, and has a cool piston-filling mechanism. It is less expensive than the equivalent Montblanc pen, but it has all the same bells and whistles as the Montblanc. It is the same price as the Parker Duofold Centennial, but the Parker lacks a piston filling mechanism. Another advantage of the M800 is that you can buy it in black, green stripe, blue stripe, or red stripe.

 

I also agree that you should go to a brick and mortar penshop and try out as many pens as possible so you can form a good idea of what you really want.

[mjlf]

Let me add my voice to those who are recommending the Pelikan M800. This pen is elegant, reasonably priced, and has a cool piston-filling mechanism. It is less expensive than the equivalent Montblanc pen, but it has all the same bells and whistles as the Montblanc. It is the same price as the Parker Duofold Centennial, but the Parker lacks a piston filling mechanism. Another advantage of the M800 is that you can buy it in black, green stripe, blue stripe, or red stripe.

 

I also agree that you should go to a brick and mortar penshop and try out as many pens as possible so you can form a good idea of what you really want.

 

 

I have not had much experience with the piston filling system, how reliable are they? I mean will they wear out and need replacing ten years down the line?

 

Pelikan is a name that keeps coming up...It certainly looks nice, I shall have to find a decent pen shop somewhere, but goodness knows where, they seem to be a rarity over here, well where I come from anyway.