New to pens. Advice and comments please.

scottish steve · Feb 10, 2011

Hello all
I've recently bought a few Shanghai-made Picasso pens and I'm enjoying them very much. Have spent a few mins on the interweb trying to get some info, principally on refills for when I get home, and have found a couple of sites which sell them and report them as being well-made. I was wondering if any of you stylophiles out there had any thoughts/experience on/of them? I bought another the other day in preference to a Pax at a slightly higher price as the Picasso piece had more weight, better balance and just felt of higher quality. The models I have were inexpensive (78, 108 & 150 RMB) but they look, feel and write like quality items. I have to point out that as a lefty, I simply cannot write with a fountain pen without smearing all over the page, so please bear that in mind. Also, for some reaon, I'm totally averse to buying a Parker. Is this unreasonable or ill-founded? Having looked at pens up to $200 a few years ago while shopping for a birthday present, I have some limited exerience of nice German and French pens, but I don't know enough about the subject to feel I can rest in my own judgement, especially given what I used to think shaving was all about!

The Count of Merkur Cristo · Feb 11, 2011

Hello

Steve from Glasgow, Scotland, but now working in China (Yeah Baby!!!).

I for one, love Montblanc Pens and I have a Rollerball "Starwalker" pen (engraved with my name and been with me over seven [7] years...around $275-$300 range), which I enjoy immensely because of it's weight, large diameter and ease of writing and beleive that all persons regardless of gender...deserve 'the finer thngs' too). :thumbup:

Christopher

"The act of putting pen to paper encourages pause for thought, this in turn makes us think more deeply about life, which helps us regain our equilibrium". Norbet Platt

LuckyR · Feb 11, 2011

scottish steve said:
Hello all
I've recently bought a few Shanghai-made Picasso pens and I'm enjoying them very much. Have spent a few mins on the interweb trying to get some info, principally on refills for when I get home, and have found a couple of sites which sell them and report them as being well-made. I was wondering if any of you stylophiles out there had any thoughts/experience on/of them? I bought another the other day in preference to a Pax at a slightly higher price as the Picasso piece had more weight, better balance and just felt of higher quality. The models I have were inexpensive (78, 108 & 150 RMB) but they look, feel and write like quality items. I have to point out that as a lefty, I simply cannot write with a fountain pen without smearing all over the page, so please bear that in mind. Also, for some reaon, I'm totally averse to buying a Parker. Is this unreasonable or ill-founded? Having looked at pens up to $200 a few years ago while shopping for a birthday present, I have some limited exerience of nice German and French pens, but I don't know enough about the subject to feel I can rest in my own judgement, especially given what I used to think shaving was all about!

You probably know there are plenty of lefty fountain pen users, so it can be done.

As it is, if you are going rollerball, then it is all about the aesthetics of the barrel, the business of the writing is in the refill. Picasso makes many barrels that are pleasing to my eye (and it sounds like you agree). Nuff said...

Austin · Feb 11, 2011

I have owned a few of the Picasso pens. They are available here:

http://isellpens.com/picasso.html

This Chinese pen company has contracted for the rights to sell this pen from the family. They offer nice designs. The packaging is well done as well. The nibs are fairly standard. Nothing special but they get the job done.

They make for nice gifts for folks starting their fountain pen journey. Enjoy them.

Plano · Feb 11, 2011

I have 2 Lamy pens that I love. One is a rollerball studio and the other is a Safari fountain pen. It is hard for me to think of a better starter FP then the safari. BTW I am also left handed and just went with a fine point nib with the Lamy cartrige ink and it has yet to smear. You also have the choice of quick dry ink from noodlers if you want. Either way if you don't want to spend 300 bucks or more on a montblanc I think Lamy make one great pen for the money.

scottish steve · Feb 12, 2011

I didn't even look at anything more expensive than 300 yuan and the ones I've got are far better than anything I've ever owned in the past. I really don't want to get into fountain pens...I might really like them and get an extra A.D. But as metal tubes to hold refills go, the Picassos seem good enough for me....for now. I see rollerball vs. fountain similarly to quartz vs. mechanical or DE vs. Str8. If I do decide to go for another rollerball for around say, $150, what would people recommend?

StylinLA · Feb 12, 2011

I like the Waterman's Steve. Not sure which to recommend in that price range, but I'm very partial to my Waterman Exception rollerball. Big, substantial, heavy. Sort of squarish. I sort of enjoy that Waterman is a little tough to find.

I have one very nice Waterman fountain pen that is now discontinued (Opera). Really a nice pen, and I'm no expert but there seems to be some sort of "break in" with fountain pens where the nib seems to adjust to your style and vice versa. This one and I have bonded. I have the matching rollerball.

I don't want to start you on another AD, but I will quietly suggest you check out the Pilot retractable fountain pens. They're not too pricey (80 quid or so) and they have a big sort of "wow" factor when people see it's a fountain pen you just clicked open. Does away with fuss of uncapping it. Operate on cartridges which I prefer personally. Pilot is a branch of the Namiki pen company (and your realllllllly don't want to look Namikis. LOL. Wish I hadn't).

(Sorry Steve, I just had to suggest Pilot so I could write "quid.")

instpasr · Feb 12, 2011

I'm looking at one of the namiki vanishing point pens as we speak they look really cool. I got bit by the bug courtesy of our friend Groat and his fountain pen PIF.

StylinLA · Feb 12, 2011

instpasr said:
I'm looking at one of the namiki vanishing point pens as we speak they look really cool. I got bit by the bug courtesy of our friend Groat and his fountain pen PIF.

They're slick as goose shyt and nice to write with. They might fall a skosh short of being very elegant in the "pen head" world I'm guessing. But I feel like I should get a commission for talking them up.

I had a concern about leakage or some such, but I'm over a year with mine with no incidents. Pretty solid for a tricky design.

instpasr · Feb 12, 2011

StylinLA said:
They're slick as goose shyt and nice to write with. They might fall a skosh short of being very elegant in the "pen head" world I'm guessing. But I feel like I should get a commission for talking them up.

I had a concern about leakage or some such, but I'm over a year with mine with no incidents. Pretty solid for a tricky design.

Good to hear a recommendation from the field, I sure I'm going to get one now. :thumbup1:

Plano · Feb 13, 2011

Check out the Lamy 2000. They are 100 bucks or less and if they are anything like the studio it will be well worth the money.

merali · Feb 13, 2011

I second Waterman. Excellent weight and balance, smooth nibs.

Another excellent brand is Jinhao (also from Shanghai). You'll find a great array of designs. A lot of care and attention seems to go into the manufacturing process. The nibs are very smooth, and the weight and balance are both very good.

The truest way to find a good pen though is to go down to the shop and give it a try. Feel it in your hand. Write a few lines with it. See how it works with your particular method of writing.

scottish steve · Feb 15, 2011

Thanks for the comments. I'm going to have to wait for now as I think I'm about to go for a Mido tonneau for 7,700RMB ($1,168) with my next salary. Will post if I do go for it and try to include pics.

LouieGrandie · Feb 15, 2011

If you are in China currently you should see about taking a short trip to Japan. Fountain pens are very widely used there and most of the better department stores have vast pen departments where you can sample a wide variety of pens. Since you are in China you should look into Pilot and Sailor pens from Japan. They have world class fountain pens and unlike a lot of Chinese pens they are not knock-offs of popular brands.

You might want to drop in at the Fountain Pen Network www.fountainpennetwork.com

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New to pens. Advice and comments please.

scottish steve

The Count of Merkur Cristo

B&B's Emperor of Emojis

LuckyR

Austin

Plano

scottish steve

StylinLA

instpasr

StylinLA

instpasr

Plano

merali

scottish steve

LouieGrandie

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