Love my first pen - what should my next move be?

**Brianggilbert** · 05-14-2012, 06:59 PM

I've been writing with my Platinum Plaisir for a couple of weeks now and I absolutely love writing with a fountain.

Staying within a budget under $60, what should my next acquisition be? Anything I should look for on "the Bay"? Is there a solid make/model that would provide some flexibility (interchangeable nibs)?

**Dave258** · 05-14-2012, 07:03 PM

Only pen I can think of in that price range with interchangeable nibs is a Lamy Studio. I like the one I have, and the nibs are cheap! Everything from an EF to a 1.9 stub.

EDIT: Or an Esterbrook. they are pretty easy to come by on ebay, and have interchangeable nibs.

**oc_in_fw** · 05-14-2012, 07:28 PM

and if the Studio is a bit high for you, the Al-Star and Safari share the same nib system as the Studio.

**letsdisinfect** · 05-14-2012, 07:33 PM

Originally Posted by oc_in_fw

and if the Studio is a bit high for you, the Al-Star and Safari share the same nib system as the Studio.

<shameless plug> So does the Vista!!!! </shameless plug>

**mboschm** · 05-15-2012, 12:28 AM

If you ask me, I'd tell you to wait a little longer before buying a new pen. Get absolutely used to this one and decide what you like and what you don't. Then, buy a new pen that complements well your first one.

**warhawk** · 05-15-2012, 04:08 AM

Originally Posted by mboschm

If you ask me, I'd tell you to wait a little longer before buying a new pen. Get absolutely used to this one and decide what you like and what you don't. Then, buy a new pen that complements well your first one.

+1

WARHAWK

**duokun** · 05-15-2012, 07:02 AM

Ill second an Esterbrook. you can find a nice condition Esterbrook on ebay for that and pick up some other nibs from Anderson Pens if ya want. As far as vintage pens go, they are cheap, sturdy, and write well. I love mine.

**Go West Young Man** · 05-15-2012, 11:39 AM

My strategy has been to buy up a lot of cheap pens, get a feel for different sizes, styles, nibs, etc.
I'm not ready to commit to one big purchase yet, because I'm loving the cheapies so much.

Isellpens.com has a bunch of discontinued Hero models for $3, you can't go wrong with any of them. No-one is going to be wowed seeing you pull one of those out in a meeting, but they all seem to write well, without any hiccups, burps or spills so far.

**Miles** · 05-15-2012, 11:45 AM

Good advice so far.

I found the Esterbrook to be too small and lightweight for comfortable writing, but everyone has different preferences. If I may, here is a strong vote for a Lamy safari or al-star. Of the two, I actually prefer the safari. My favorite daily driver for heavy writing use is a Lamy safari, charcoal black with a fine nib. Swapping nibs of the safari/al-star/(studio too, I see) is a breeze, and Goulet Pens have cheap nibs on hand and ready to go. Of course you'll need a converter to go with it, since half the fun is choosing an ink (I like Noodler's Legal Lapis).

Good luck, and happy experimenting!

**Brianggilbert** · 05-15-2012, 03:19 PM

Thanks for all the guidance. After looking at the Lamy offerings, I'm just not really liking the look despite the fact that the general consensus is that they write extremely well. I guess the thing that drew me to the Plaisir is that it appears to be more of a pen than it actually is, despite the modest price point. I'm checking out the Esterbrooks, and I'm figuring the larger size would be more my speed considering the boxing gloves I have for hands.

**oc_in_fw** · 05-15-2012, 05:33 PM

Originally Posted by Brianggilbert

Thanks for all the guidance. After looking at the Lamy offerings, I'm just not really liking the look despite the fact that the general consensus is that they write extremely well. I guess the thing that drew me to the Plaisir is that it appears to be more of a pen than it actually is, despite the modest price point. I'm checking out the Esterbrooks, and I'm figuring the larger size would be more my speed considering the boxing gloves I have for hands.

The Ahab is a fat pen, but know there will be tinkering involved

**Doc4** · 05-16-2012, 12:44 PM

Originally Posted by Brianggilbert

... considering the boxing gloves I have for hands.

I was about to suggest the 78g, but it's a thinner pen so maybe not what you want if 'big' is good for you. You should try a few inexpensive pens to see what you like in terms of nib size, pen size (well, maybe that one is a foregone conclusion) and the like ... before you find your first expensive pen.

**cvac** · 05-16-2012, 02:02 PM

I'm just getting into fountain pens, but here is my 2 cents. Recently I ordered a bunch of pens to try out and they are starting to come in.

One thing I would do if I were you is try to find a brick and mortar store, so you can actually hold and examine pens and see how they fit your hand. If you luck out, they may also have some pens for you to try writing with or at least be able to make some intelligent suggestions in line with the writing performance you think you're looking for.

**Brianggilbert** · 05-19-2012, 07:53 PM

I ended up grabbing a fully restored Esterbrook on the Bay for about the price I paid for my Plaisir. I figured it was fairly low risk.

Thanks all for the suggestions.

**gimpochin** · 05-20-2012, 04:01 AM

When you get some cash aside do yourself right and get a Sailor(talking pen's) these japanese fp will set a high standard.

**Brianggilbert** · 05-25-2012, 01:45 PM

Much thanks to everyone for their help and guidance. I just filled my new (old) Esterbrook LJ with a sample of "Private Reserve Invincible Black". The nib that came with the pen is a little more on the medium side, so I ordered two more finer nibs. The pen writes very wet, but extremely well and the Invincible Black dried pretty darn fast. It's definitely going into the rotation!

**andrew98** · 05-31-2012, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by gimpochin

When you get some cash aside do yourself right and get a Sailor(talking pen's) these japanese fp will set a high standard.

Japanese pens are great, especially if you like nice fine nibs. There's a Sailor for sale here, in fact (shameless plug). Two of my favorite pens are a Sailor and a Pilot. Enjoy the Esterbrook!

-Andy

**gks** · 05-31-2012, 12:49 PM

My first pen was a Lamy Studio (~$60) but I wasn't happy with the Medium nib so I put it down for a year or two. Came back when I needed to write some letters, grew more frustrated. Bought a TWSBI 540 and loved it (Fine Nib, I'd go Medium I think). Ended up getting a 1.1mm Italic nib for the Lamy Studio and now LOVE the pen. It really comes down to nib for most pens in my opinion.

This is where trying before you buy would be very useful. That said, I'm kind of picky.

Lamy Studio - 1.1mm italic nib - 5/5 (pen[$60] + nib[$10] = $70)
TWSBI 540 - 1.1mm italic nib - 4.5/5 (pen[$55] + nib[$20] = $75)

In this case, I'd go for the Lamy Studio, I think it's a better, and cheaper, writer. But you can get the same nib on any of the lower end Lamy's too (Safari, Vista/Al-Star). So, $30+10=$40 or so.

My other pens aren't really in the same category price-wise.

That said, I prefer pens with italic nibs. Just a personal thing. I feel like they add more flavor to the text with minimal effort. They make my chicken scratch look at least somewhat civilized.