Iconic Fountain Pen?

[Antique Hoosier]

My sister called me and told me her son would like a fountain pen as a graduation present. Suggestions? Guide me to biggest bang for the $?

[maxman]

I always recommend Cross FP's as gifts for people.
The Century II series is a nice, recognizable style.
I have one that I've been using for darn near 20 years now. It works just as well as the day I bought it.

Personally, I am a fan of the Townsend series. It's one of their higher end series, maybe not what you're looking for in a gift.

My only other piece of advice is to get one where the recipient can find cartridges and other accessories easily. It's a little annoying when you have to go order everything online for top dollar.

Cross can be found almost everywhere.

[Suzuki]

How old is the recipient and how much are looking to spend.

If I had to pick one pen as being iconic, it would be my Pelikan 800.

I'm not saying that other pens don't fit this bill, but the Pelikan is a historic brand and this pen's predecessors go back to the early history of the fountain pen.

The fact that its also a great writer (the pen I judge all others by in terms of writing ability) and holds a ton of ink are factors that make this my favourite pen.

[Antique Hoosier]

Graduating from high school, 18.

[Suzuki]

Graduating from high school, 18.

Hmmm, not sure I'd splash out $300 + on a pen then.

Do you know if he'll even use a FP?

[Antique Hoosier]

Chris... This was my concern too. Perhaps a reconditioned vintage one?

[orchestrion]

Although he might not like the looks of it, a Lamy Safari might be a good choice. It's not too expensive if he decides he doesn't like writing with it. There's the option for both ink cartridges and bottled ink (if you buy a converter). They're made of sturdy ABS plastic and the clip on them is really good. I would recommend either a Fine or Extra Fine nib (I prefer the Extra Fine) because European nib sizes generally run wider than what one would perceive as "Fine" or "Medium."

[superbleu]

Nice vintage restored Parker 51, get an aerometric fill vs vac fill if possible.

If he ends up not liking it you/your sister will recoup 90-100% of what you paid for it.

[djh]

You might like to check the Lamy 2000, Mike. I have quite a few pens and my Lamys are relatively rugged, a cool Bauhaus design and might appeal to a youngster. With a little shopping, you should pick one up new for not much more than $100. Good luck.



http://www.lamy.com/produktdaten/content/e34/e39/e63/001_ger.jpg

[W_B_K]

My vote is a silver Parker 180. You can find NOS ones for ~$75-100. Classic fighter styling that a youngster would find "cooler" looking. It is versitale as the nib is usually F/M, M/B, etc depending on which way you use it. The nib is stiff enough to fill out carbonless forms such as FedEx/UPS waybills as well.

http://parkerpens.net/parker180.html

[Antique Hoosier]

Nice vintage restored Parker 51, get an aerometric fill vs vac fill if possible.

If he ends up not liking it you/your sister will recoup 90-100% of what you paid for it.

I like this idea!

[maxman]

18? oh, I thought he was graduating College.
Ok, well maybe stick with a brand like Lamy.
You're not even sure if he'll like using one.

[Slash McCoy]

Parker 51 is indeed iconic. Good resale value. If you don't pay too much you should be able to resell for what you paid for it. It's also a nice writer in very classic styling. I like to think of it as the FatBoy of fountain pens.

[superbleu]

Mike, let me know if you need some places to look for a restored P51.

[john.bradburne]

have a look at fountainpenhospital.com they have a huge variety in price and style. from mickey mouse to montblanc and $20-$2000

[Gray Wolf]

Cross pens are known as classic graduation gifts. A Waterman Phileas is stylish too, without being too expensive.

[Antique Hoosier]

Working a vintage razor for 1958 NOS Fountain Pen trade with an esteemed member now.... B&B never fails!

[DogHair]

Although he might not like the looks of it, a Lamy Safari might be a good choice. It's not too expensive if he decides he doesn't like writing with it. There's the option for both ink cartridges and bottled ink (if you buy a converter). They're made of sturdy ABS plastic and the clip on them is really good. I would recommend either a Fine or Extra Fine nib (I prefer the Extra Fine) because European nib sizes generally run wider than what one would perceive as "Fine" or "Medium."


You might like to check the Lamy 2000, Mike. I have quite a few pens and my Lamys are relatively rugged, a cool Bauhaus design and might appeal to a youngster. With a little shopping, you should pick one up new for not much more than $100. Good luck.



http://www.lamy.com/produktdaten/content/e34/e39/e63/001_ger.jpg

I like the Lamy suggestions. I've been very happy with mine.

[Dave258]

I am new to fountain pens, I have a Lamy Safari and 2 Twsbi Diamond 530. The Lamy is very nice, and can be had for $25.00-$30.00. I really love both of my TWSBI's. I have a fine nib and an extra fine nib. Both write great! They go for about $50.00. Not high end, but for an 18 yr old that doesn't even know if he is going to like them, not too expensive.

[LouieGrandie]

My sister called me and told me her son would like a fountain pen as a graduation present. Suggestions? Guide me to biggest bang for the $?

Couple of questions, does he currently use a fountain pen? If so try to find out which one as this will give you an idea. Since you said "iconic" I would suggest a Mont Blanc 145 or 146. Next to consider is what is he going to use the pen for? His college work? You would want something that holds a lot of ink and writes well. Since this is a graduation present you might want something unique.

My suggestion list.

1. Mont Blanc 145/146 in Fine - Nothing says success like a Mont Blanc in the pocket.
2. Pilot Vanishing Point - Great looking pen, practical, unique, smooth writing.
3. Sailor 1911 large size - Sailor is known for their nibs, wide variety to choose from.
4. Pilot M90 - Fun pen with a unique design.

Since this is a graduation and since he did specifically ask for a fountain pen this suggest he knows something about pens and would like something to mark an important occasion which keeps bringing me back to the Mont Blanc.

[Jack Straw]

I would go with a Waterman.

[Antique Hoosier]

I would go with a Waterman.

I left a fine Waterman pen in a limo in Los Angeles in 1997.

I traded one of my favorite Old Sheffield 7/8 razors for a NOS 1958 pen via a fine B&B member... Mission accomplished. Thanks Nelson and thanks B&B members!

[maxman]

That's one heckuva nice gift.
:thumbup1:

[Bayamontate]

I left a fine Waterman pen in a limo in Los Angeles in 1997.

I traded one of my favorite Old Sheffield 7/8 razors for a NOS 1958 pen via a fine B&B member... Mission accomplished. Thanks Nelson and thanks B&B members!

My pleasure Mike. I bought that pen and three other NOS Esterbrooks while on tour in Wisconsin in 1995. The band I was playing with at the time was doing Summerfest and I had 5 hours to kill so I got in a cab and told the driver to take me to the closest antique store. At the time I had a couple of their dollar pens but could never find any J or JLs in good condition and here I walk in and find 3 NOS JLs and a J with their original boxes and paperwork. With no haggling involved, I took all 4 and also got a Fontain wristwatch from the late 1920's.

I would never sell these pens but being a vibe kind of person thought it will be cool for a youngman to get one of them to enjoy.

After reading some of the replies on this thread I decided to throw in a Parker 51 replica in case your nephew doesn't want to carry the Esterbrook around for daily use. Please extend my congratulations on his graduation.

[Antique Hoosier]

Wow! Thanks Nelson, great story and thanks for the bonus. This young man is a musician and will appreciate that it was owned by a professional trumpeter!
My pleasure Mike. I bought that pen and three other NOS Esterbrooks while on tour in Wisconsin in 1995. The band I was playing with at the time was doing Summerfest and I had 5 hours to kill so I got in a cab and told the driver to take me to the closest antique store. At the time I had a couple of their dollar pens but could never find any J or JLs in good condition and here I walk in and find 3 NOS JLs and a J with their original boxes and paperwork. With no haggling involved, I took all 4 and also got a Fontain wristwatch from the late 1920's.

I would never sell these pens but being a vibe kind of person thought it will be cool for a youngman to get one of them to enjoy.

After reading some of the replies on this thread I decided to throw in a Parker 51 replica in case your nephew doesn't want to carry the Esterbrook around for daily use. Please extend my congratulations on his graduation.

[Bayamontate]

In case he wants to know, I'm the trumpeter on the far right, yes, the one with one arm but that's a story for another day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKNRBbQ7O90

[LuckyR]

I always recommend Cross FP's as gifts for people.
The Century II series is a nice, recognizable style.
I have one that I've been using for darn near 20 years now. It works just as well as the day I bought it.

Personally, I am a fan of the Townsend series. It's one of their higher end series, maybe not what you're looking for in a gift.

My only other piece of advice is to get one where the recipient can find cartridges and other accessories easily. It's a little annoying when you have to go order everything online for top dollar.

Cross can be found almost everywhere.

The guy is 18, I like this ^^^^ opinion.

[willhopkins]

If he gets curious about fountain pens or is unsure how to care for it, make sure to send him to the Fountain Pen Network (http://fountainpennetwork.com).

[Bayamontate]

Great suggestion from WillHop, this is a great source of information on everything fountain pen.

[Shavely Manden]

A friend of mine who's got the Fountain Pen AD recommended the Twisbi Diamond 530 as a good beginner pen -- evidently, it was designed to the requests of a fountain-pen forum as a sort of back-to-the-basics pen. It's $40 from the Twisbi eBay store (http://stores.ebay.com/TWSBI-Pen-Store/Fountain-Pen-/_i.html?_fsub=1289261013&_sid=993516013&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322), which seems like it'd be about the right budget for a high-schooler.

(I don't have any experience with these, other than messing around with my friend's, b/c the shaving ADs have been taking up all the budget lately...just thought I'd mention what'd been recommended to me.)

[Isaac]

If you think he will take care of it, these are some of my favorites. Montblanc 149. The flagship pen for Montblanc

http://gregminuskin.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Picture-121311.jpg

[LouieGrandie]

If you think he will take care of it, these are some of my favorites. Montblanc 149. The flagship pen for Montblanc

http://gregminuskin.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Picture-121311.jpg

I would agree but if he is young a 149 would be too big for his hand. A 146 or 145 might be better suited.

[DunEdinRanger]

What about the ink? :001_smile

[Wil]

What about the ink? :001_smile

:lol::lol::lol: you really want to start that?....

[DunEdinRanger]

What about the ink? :001_smile


:lol::lol::lol: you really want to start that?....

I'm just saying, a fountain isn't going to work too well without some ink...

[Wil]

I'm just saying, a fountain isn't going to work too well without some ink...


Isn't there a nice limited edition somewhere?.....:blink:

[DunEdinRanger]

Oh yes there are several... Also exclusive inks, sold only in one store...

[rickboone1]

Bang for buck... TWSBI.

[instpasr]

I left a fine Waterman pen in a limo in Los Angeles in 1997.

I traded one of my favorite Old Sheffield 7/8 razors for a NOS 1958 pen via a fine B&B member... Mission accomplished. Thanks Nelson and thanks B&B members!

Any chance of seeing a picture of this lovely pen?

[justjcez]

I'm a fan of the M90 or vanishing point. Both are unique and noticeable to anyone regardless of their pen knowledge. At work I regularly use both and people notice quickly that I'm using something different. The Vanishing Point may work better as it is a retractable pen that is easier to use (I'm not good at capping pens). Both pens are much cheaper than Mont Blanc, but more expensive than Cross and Lamy.

I have a number of Mont Blanc pens, ranging from a 147 to the larger more unique pens which go unnoticed by most non-pen people. If you give him one, you'll have to give him something more substantial when he graduates from college!

[DavyRay]

Well, that is a good result. I like Esterbrooks. I would drool at the chance to pick-up one NOS. That was a great find.

[Suzuki]

The Easterbrooks are great pens for the money - make sure the nib isn't too fine, or they can be scratchy. Also, you may want to have the inc sac replaced as an original, unused ink sac could be quite brittle - lots of guys do this type of restoration work for very reasonable prices (swap out the old sac for a new one). The other issue with an Easterbrook is that if they are left unused for a while, they will gum up.

The Vanishing point, while I find hard to classify as iconic, is a great pen and at about $125 new, would be a great choice for a teenager because of its convenience factor. FYI, to those who may be interested in a VP, the nibs run narrow.

As for the Mont Blanc pens, while the 149 is nice, its also huge and I think that MB pens are way overpriced and, many of the examples I've handled aren't great writers - I'd take a Pelikan over a MB any day. But obviously, this is a personal preference.

[Bayamontate]

http://www.esterbrook.com/pens0/egrnl.jpg

The is a Esterbrook company picture of the same pen, Mike can post the actual picture when he receives the pen today or tomorrow.

[DunEdinRanger]

http://www.esterbrook.com/pens0/egrnl.jpg

The is a Esterbrook company picture of the same pen, Mike can post the actual picture when he receives the pen today or tomorrow.

Excuse me whilst I drool!

[Shangas]

Unless the boy's expressed interest in fountain pens, I wouldn't bother buying him an iconic fountain pen.

Why should you? He won't appreciate it.

Buy him a good-quality, nice-looking fountain pen from a well-known manufacturer that won't break the bank. Show him how to use it and look after it and see what happens from there. No sense in buying the biggest and best if he doesn't even know the rest.