Review review

[Wolf]

For me fountain pens are for writing and not for viewing. I bought several nice ones last year after deciding I want bigger pens, like the Omas paragon and the 360, Pelikan M800, Parker Cent and a few others. They all are comfortable and write nice. I use them in rotation.

 

According to the reviews on these and other pens they are all wonderful writers and they are.

It seems that all reviews (about the more expensive pens) are the same.

Nevertheless, some say Sailor is the best Writer, other say the Omas is the best.

I don't see and feel much difference. They are all good.

 

So it makes me wonder. Are people fooling themselves (and me) or am I fooling myself by thinking I must buy another pen because this one or that one will be better than the ones I got?

What do you think?

Edited April 17, 2008 by Wolf

[EventHorizon]

They are all good.

 

For me that sums it up. I do have my favorite (Esterbrook) but like you say, they are all good.

 

[JDFlood]

Well the good news is that you have purchased several good pens. For me it is also all about writing as well. I would also rate the pens you purchase pretty similar in performance (a good thing), I think they were in the same category. Having said that, the difference in writing characteristics is real and can be substantial. But the reviews may be similar since the category of pens you chose are similar. One thing you might to is switch paper a few times. Many times different pens perform differently on different paper. I find paper can make big difference, and highlight the difference between pens. Finally, I remember buying two bicycles one with the top of the line parts and one with one step down, and the first year, just barely noticing a difference, and now, the difference is obvious and profound. Also, give a Montegrappa a try, I find them a notch above the pens you mentioned. Someone will also mention there are only a few nib manufacturers and you may have nibs from the same manufacturers... I am into that kind of detail. JD

[NeoTiger]

They are all good.

 

I would change this statement to "they are all good, but different".

 

Each pen has its own slightly different characteristics, which is why different people have different favourite pens. Some days I might like to write with a smooth stub on a large metal pen, some days I might want a soft flexy nib on a light resin pen.

[goodguy]

For me fountain pens are for writing and not for viewing. I bought several nice ones last year after deciding I want bigger pens, like the Omas paragon and the 360, Pelikan M800, Parker Cent and a few others. They all are comfortable and write nice. I use them in rotation.

 

According to the reviews on these and other pens they are all wonderful writers and they are.

It seems that all reviews (about the more expensive pens) are the same.

Nevertheless, some say Sailor is the best Writer, other say the Omas is the best.

I don't see and feel much difference. They are all good.

 

So it makes me wonder. Are people fooling themselves (and me) or am I fooling myself by thinking I must buy another pen because this one or that one will be better than the ones I got?

What do you think?

Tom

 

Since you put Sailor and Omas in one boat I have no other choice but to answer this.I know I am opening a can of worms but...

 

For me and I repeat for me Omas pens are far superior the Sailor pens I tried.I tried 2 1911 and 1 Togi.They are wonderful writers but in 2 categories they fail

 

1.There nibs are sooo smooth that it completly disconect me from the paper.For many people this is not an issue but for me its a huge thing.Omas nibs talk to me and make me smile with the communication it has.Maybe other Sailor nibs has different charectaristics but so far I didnt have the chance to see one.

2.For me personaly the lack of a nice piston filler on the Sailor pens is a big minus.I heard Sailor KOP is about to come out with a piston.If and when it will I will put it on my future buy list.

 

So its very much a personal issue.

[daveg]

Hey, if it's it got a cartridge filler, sometimes they drop the filling system rating all the way down to 4 out of 5.

 

Yeah there's not that much difference. Most of it is in the nib and any nib can be tuned how you like it. A lot of people seem to attribute random nib variation to product lines. Some companies appear to be more consistent than others (eg: Pelikan or Sailor vs. Visconti) but if your sample size is less than 10 of each, you probably can't tell.

 

At lot of reviews are written during the honeymoon period, when the pen has just arrived. Many of these 5 out of 5 pens will show up in the market place a few months later after the honeymoon is over. It's not just our reviews that are like that though. I read one long gushing review on Amazon that ended by saying that he had just ordered it and couldn't wait to receive it!

 

[Wolf]

Well the good news is that you have purchased several good pens. For me it is also all about writing as well. I would also rate the pens you purchase pretty similar in performance (a good thing), I think they were in the same category. Having said that, the difference in writing characteristics is real and can be substantial. But the reviews may be similar since the category of pens you chose are similar. One thing you might to is switch paper a few times. Many times different pens perform differently on different paper. I find paper can make big difference, and highlight the difference between pens. Finally, I remember buying two bicycles one with the top of the line parts and one with one step down, and the first year, just barely noticing a difference, and now, the difference is obvious and profound. Also, give a Montegrappa a try, I find them a notch above the pens you mentioned. Someone will also mention there are only a few nib manufacturers and you may have nibs from the same manufacturers... I am into that kind of detail. JD

 

Thank you for your useful reply.

Yes, you are right. Paper makes a difference. On one kind of (good quality) paper the Parker Cent skips on the first stroke (maybe only the one I got?) and the omas does write well at once. On clairefontaine however they all perform well.

 

So, you are saying that Montegrappa is in a better writing category. Which model?

Any other pens you would consider to be better than the ones I got? Why are they better?

[Wolf]

So its very much a personal issue.

 

Probably you are right. Although I feel a difference between pens as well, the ones I got are all good writers. Good enough for me. Maybe I'm not a gourmet or didn't try enough pens yet.

[hardyb]

Each user will find pluses and minuses. The difference is based on you and your perceptions. We all have numerious needs and wants and no one but you can address yours. The best pens anyone ever tried are just that, something to try. The opinion of any one novice or expert is just a suggestion or an opinion, not a one hundred percent iron clad, end of all discussion, case closed universal truth. To me, it is the joy of the search, the pleasure of discovery, the richness of variation that make this hobby fun. Life is too short-LET'S GET INKY!

Edited April 17, 2008 by hardyb