WTB - Nice Writing Pen (Suggestions?)

[TrackingSound]

Hello All,

I have always been a fan of nice pens and writing instruments. As far back as I can remember my Dad has always owned a Mont Blanc or Waterman pen for his briefcase. I recently purchased a nice briefcase/laptop bag (I am an IT professional) for myself - pictured below - and have a portfolio which is similar in color. I would like to find a nice, reasonably priced pen to have for signatures, interviews, and writing letters. I looked into the traditional Mont Blanc pens and I am just not willing to drop 400 bucks on a pen at this point.. maybe a little further on in my career :001_smile

Perhaps some of you gentleman out there are willing to part with a nice pen at a reasonable price or can point me in the direction of something classy, professional, and practical that would be fitting of a 28 yr old.

My Dad has always told me that fountain pens are hard to maintain, so I may steer away from that route and go with a nice rollerball that will last me awhile.

As always, your opinions are greatly appreciated.

[Austin]

Check out the Visconti line of pens. This Italian company produces a beautiful line of pens in different price ranges. You rarely see one of these pens among the sea of mont blanc and watermans. Check them out at www.fountainpenhospital.com . Good luck.

[tm3]

for under $50 you can get a waterman phileas fountain pen that has a bit of a "bling" look to it and that performs as well as more expensive pens.

if you want to stay away from fountain pens (which i can understand as i have a love/hate relationship with them myself), check out Lamy rollerballs. you can also use the readily available G2 rollerball refills in the Waterman expert, or with some modification in a Mont Blanc.

fountainpennetwork.com will have many, many more options for your confusion!

[Cheech]

I think that the "hard to maintain" part may be a little bit of an urban legend these days. Modern sacs (should you go that way) rarely fail, or you can opt for cartridge, converter, or pumps. If they are allowed to sit for a long time, the nib can dry out, but usually a quick dip in water gets them going. Some pens can be let unused for a while and still write as soon as they touch paper (I once let my Pelikan 1000 sit for an unholy 6 months, and it wrote right off the bat!).

+1 on the Phileas. There's also the Parker 51 (which I have had great luck with). You may want to cruise the boards at FPN for a while and have a look around before buying. Also, you may want to stop by a pen store and try some out to get a feel for your preferred size nib.

I think I have a Danitrio Tactical I picked up a while ago somewhere. Super signature pen, but just too wide & wet for everyday use. If you're interested, let me know.

[scarver]

+ 1 on the Waterman Phileas. And they have a ballpoint version if the fountain scares you off.

But if I were buying a fountain pen, I'd go with my favorite brand, Pelikan.

You should have no problems with a fountain pen unless you get in a pressurized airplane. (Don't ask).

[WaterBoo]

Awhile back, after I got into method shaving with DE and straights, I got into fountain pens. I have one of each of the pens mentioned. I think you couldn't go wrong with a Pelikan or a Sailor....... then you can get into inks..... kinda like all of the creams, lotions, etc. that method shavers have......

WaterBoo

[joel]

Lamy 2000

[DeaconKC]

Modern fountain pens are excellent pens overall. The Pelikan line is especially nice. Piston filler, so it holds a lot of ink, great nibs and ultra reliable. The 215 and 400 series are great writers and very well respected.

[Sticky]

I like the Fisher ballpoint pens. They write on many surfaces (including most plastics) and even upside down. The Space Pen model is small and fits in your pants pocket or wallet without poking a hole in it. Downside: Don't depend on the clip, it tends to fall off. Not a problem since I get the no-clip model anyway.

[TimmyBoston]

Pelikan M200, M400 or M600. (The 800 is spectacular, but it's in the $400 range you wanted to avoid) All much better than Montblanc and just as elegant.

[Kit Walker]

I went the fountain pen route some years ago, because I suffer from carpal tunnel and the beginning stages of arthritis. They were just easier on my hand. I kept having them stolen, and kept buying them.

Then I discovered gel pens. They require ZERO maintenance, have even less drag than a fountain pen, and will lay down ink just as reliably. I settled on the Pilot G-2, and it puts down ink just as well as my expensive Waterman fountain pens, which are all in the possession of someone less honest than myself. True, they're not as pretty, but I can buy a case of them for what I paid for a single fountain pen. (Or I can buy just one, and put the rest of the money towards that straight razor that I'm lusting for).

Seriously, if you are looking for a pen to WRITE with, not as a status symbol, you can't go wrong with a high quality gel pen.

[liege]

I use a pen from Franklin-Covey called the Retro 1951. It's a ballpoint, very heavy, and writes really well; nice balance. About $25.00, if I remember correctly.

[TonyJ]

I like Fisher spacepens. On the table the AG7 (http://www.spacepen.com/airandspace.aspx) is my favourite and in pocket carry chrome bullet (http://www.spacepen.com/bullet.aspx).

[Bill Smith]

My suggesion for a really nice pen that is built to last is the Pelikan Souveran line, my personal favourites are the M400, M600, and M800 series.

At some point I want to get the M1000.

[CigarsandFiretrucks]

For something a little different, Benchmade makes a very unique pen (simply called the "1100 Pen Series"). It's made of anodized aluminum and uses the Fischer Space Pen cartridge. It has a nice weight and feel, and in a pinch you can defend yourself with it! We had a dozen in-store and sold every one of them this Christmas. There's a picture of it in the link.

www.cigarsandfiretrucks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=10_39&products_id=464

[mmack66]

The Uni-ball Jetstream pen is the best writing pen I have ever used. It isn't fancy though.

[D.Irving79]

clicky top. never a twisty bottom.

[Suzuki]

A bit more info in terms of what you're looking for would help - you've indicated you don't want to spend $400, but how much do you want to spend?

You've also indicated you're not sure a FP is for you - while I'm a big fan of the FPs, they're not for everyone and not something that I'd chuck into the bottom of a briefcase (even with a good modern FP, you're asking for trouble). Finally FP's do best when they're used regularly.

WRT to rollerballs, its all about the refill - some companies have lousy refills that, despite costing several dollars more than a good disposable rollerball, don't work nearly as well. Lamy makes a good RB refill and I think the Parker gel ink refills are very good. That being said, I wouldn't spend my money on a fancy rollerball when my disposable Pilots work great and don't cost that much.

Onto the FPs, a good entry-level FP will cost you $30 to $40, but wont' be much to look at - the Phileas is a decent looking pen, but I'm not a huge fan of it unless you can get a fine nib. The Safari is a much better writer (IMHO) and has a more modern look. I'd suggest at least trying an inexpensive FP before shelling out on a higher end pen.

If you do decide to shell out on the higher end pen right off the bat, I really think that Joel hit the nail on the head with the Lamy 2000 - for $125 or so, you get a fantastic pen with understated, but very cool styling and its a piston fill (you have to use bottled ink) with a fantastic gold nib. One of these in fine or medium is all the pen you'll need and the design is classic/timeless. I can't say enough good things about the 2000 - its a ton of pen for the $$$ and I think the styling would suit someone in the IT field as its both retro and futuristic at the same time.

Here's a picture:

37491

[jakuda]

...

Then I discovered gel pens. They require ZERO maintenance, have even less drag than a fountain pen, and will lay down ink just as reliably. I settled on the Pilot G-2, and it puts down ink just as well as my expensive Waterman fountain pens,........

Seriously, if you are looking for a pen to WRITE with, not as a status symbol, you can't go wrong with a high quality gel pen.

To add upon the above post, you can cheaply buy a Waterman rollerball pen (from ebay or other online places) and instead of using the waterman rollerball refills, just use the Pilot G2 refills which fit nicely. You get the nice writing of the gel ink, and the look and feel of a Waterman pen. The Pilot G2 refills are also much cheaper to purchase.

[ginantonix]

Not my area of expertise, but I have never been able to get used to a fountain pen. I often have to write hard enough to imprint those pressure-sensitive copies, and fountain pen ink runs when it gets wet.

Personally, I like the Waterman pens - they look nice, write smooth, and I find them very comfortable in my hands. My hands, however - go somewhere where you can try out several models and see what will not give you hand cramps with lots of writing.

And my guilty secret? Day to day, my 'everywhere' pen is a Bic Crystal in black ink. I must have two dozen in all the areas I may be in (each operatory, plus two at my desk, three in my consult room, etc.) and several boxes in reserve. That way I don't get mad if they walk out with the patient, staff....

[Penn]

You might want to consider Levenger pens - offered in the grand tradition of recommending what you yourself own. I have both a rollerball and a ballpoint and I'm super happy with them, though I never test drove anything at higher price points. I think they have a store in Boca if you ever get that way.

If you get a decent pen, you'll enjoy decent paper. Levenger index cards are an absolute joy, too.

I also carry a space pen everyday, everywhere. A Space Pen is a good place to start. You might find that it's enough for you.

[Ferannia]

Hello All,

I have always been a fan of nice pens and writing instruments. As far back as I can remember my Dad has always owned a Mont Blanc or Waterman pen for his briefcase.

You are never wrong with Pelikan. Classy and a classic, and a reliable pen. Color and a nib size are your preferences. My favorites are F nib for all office use, and M for private correspondence and everything else. Most likely you'll like M600 size. Big plus on Pelikan: piston filler.

Or, if it's about a budget, get a black Waterman Phileas with F nib.

[baggiez]

I've always been a big fan of fountain pens. My daily users are either a Lamy Safari or a Waterman Expert. Check Ebay for some prices and you may be pleasantly surprised.
As others have said, I would recommend not spending too much until you work out your preference.

[txengineer]

I was shopping for a new pen recently and came across a really good sale at Cross - sometimes 75% off.

http://www.cross.com/catalog/productlisting.aspx?cat_name=Winter+Sale

I get hand cramps from writing with cheap ball point pens, but I found one I really like - a Zebra G301 Gel. Two for five bucks at Office Max. Writes effortlessly and I can leave them all over the house!

[glennz]

I agree with all the Pelikan recommendations above; I know I love mine.

I would add the Pilot Vanishing Point / Capless to the list. Lovely heft and balance, typical Asian nib sizing, lovely writer. Only downsize is convertor capacity: it doesn't hold a great deal of ink. If I am writing a lot, I can get two days tops from it.

And the recommendation on the Parker 51 is spot on. I picked up a vintage one, a Vacumatic model, and it has treated me superbly. Regardless of time idle, it writes straight off every time!

[RoyalKooparillo]

Lamy 2000

Had one of these, and it leaked from every conceivable place a fountain pen could leak...Lots of folks love 'em, but it seems as though poor seals are fairly common with the 2000s. Lamy does have first rate customer service, however.

I recently pulled the trigger on a Lamy Vista with an XF nib that I'm looking forward to trying out.

I'm really partial to the Visconti Divina, the Nakaya Decapod, and the S.T. Dupont Orpheo.

[DeaconKC]

On the Cross FPs the ATX is built like a tank, writes like a dream and is super reliable.