Buying Your Second Pen
Most of us who buy a first pen begin with an economic choice such as a Pilot Metropolitan, A Pilot 78G, A Chinese pen of some kind or something that its price made us give up on a few aspects of the over all pen in order to make it an affordable writing option. The goal of this article is to not only give a few suggestions for pens to look at, but more importantly help organize your thoughts in order to help you decide on the right choices to make the proper pen purchase for your personality. We are going to focus on three paths to take, and look at the options available within each route. The three paths Im going to focus on here, are upgrading what you already like, or secondly finding something different to compliment your now growing collection, and vintage.
Before we take a look at where to begin your search going forward, lets first focus on what you have already. Now is a good time to sit down and really think about how you feel about your starter pen. When you first get your new pen home, you tend to like it, So its important to really feel it out for a few weeks and consider some of the following for yourself
Universal Options To Consider
If you love how your new pen fits into your life and are not looking for anything different in a nib option, then this or vintage is probably the paths you will want to begin with. There are many ways to upgrade your writing experience while still keeping true to what you already love in your current pen. How and where you use your pen will greatly effect how much use and love your new purchase will get, Although a tub or cursive will dramatically change how your writing looks, you may find bring a pen like this to work just isn't a proper fit, so sticking with a fine or medium nib for yourself may be a better option. Higher end pens put more engineering and cost into the makings of their nibs, both in flow as well as tipping material for feel, at this point don't let the gold versus steel options sway you one way or another, but focus on a quality nib that meets your needs. Since a nib from a great manufacturer as we have discussed a few above already will not be a large part of our focus taking this path, as you should know what you like, the major factors here are look, size and weight.
Upgrade Option 2
You may love your new pen, and not want to upgrade it at all, but a second pen that will compliment your current line up with some variety. The nib of a pen is the most effective way to do this, the difference between writing with a fine nib, and a Broad or a cursive will vary the look of your handwriting quite a bit. Not all nibs are suitable for all tasks though as you may find it difficult to take notes with a 6mm italic nib, so keep in mind how a pen with a different nib can fit into your life. Body materials not only offer different looks, but also can offer different feelings, having different size shape and weighted pens may over time find themselves suited to specific tasks for you such as a work pen, with more durability and basic writing lines, to a journal or correspondence pen that may be lighter more comfortable for longer sessions, with nib options that will improve the look of your entries.
Vintage Option
With limited experience it can be tough to know where to begin with a vintage pen purchase, as well as difficult to be confident a pen is suitable for writing. Vintage pens can offer a look and feeling modern pens just can not match, and although that may be very appealing, a lot of these pens need to be serviced in order to work. If your second pen is going to be vintage, use the internet to look at a few options out there such as the famous Parker 51 or Vac, or the offerings from Sheaffer. If any of these pens speak to what you want in your next pen asking for help on what to specifically look for on your choices in The Nib may save you from a disappointing purchase, we have a lot of experienced members who can offer some great advice. Also be sure to leave room in your budget to have any pen you buy serviced in case your "new" pen requires work before you can use it. Pen shows are on of the best places to make a purchase, although not the cheapest route, you have the best chance at getting a properly labelled and working pen as well as lots of helpful enthusiasts that can answer all your questions. Online auctions have the highest level of inventory that is always ready to sell, But items are often miss represented by both unknowing as well as crooked sellers, be careful when taking this route and please ask for help. Antique stores or malls is a fun way to find local purchases and in some cases can be the cheapest route as a lot of antique dealers do not always know what they have, educating yourself on what to look out for and how to spot subtle differences in design can help you identify some great deals in the wild, make sure you understand how to check a nib to understand if the pen is still usable, serviceable, or no longer function able before you go out, and you can be more confident in your purchases.
Other Considerations
Pen Options To Look At
Although the pens listed below are great pens, They are reference to show a variety of choices that will give you lots of looks, as well as features available to you. By having a look at these different pens and finding what you like or dislike about them it may give you a better understanding of what it is you are looking for, as well as what questions to begin to ask if in need of some help. There are a great many other options out there, don't be afraid to open a thread and ask for recommendations to find a pen within your budget having features you are looking for.
Pelikan M200 - Piston Filler with removable nib/section, Both vintage and modern make a great second pen
Sailor 1911 - Different body sizes Avail.
Edison Hudson - Many body material choices Avail
Franklin-Chrsitoph Model 29 Bellus - Speciality nib grinds available
Parker 51 - There is a reason they are so loved long after they stopped production
Monteverde Invincia Color Fusion - Cheapest of options, lots of nib and color choices
Most of us who buy a first pen begin with an economic choice such as a Pilot Metropolitan, A Pilot 78G, A Chinese pen of some kind or something that its price made us give up on a few aspects of the over all pen in order to make it an affordable writing option. The goal of this article is to not only give a few suggestions for pens to look at, but more importantly help organize your thoughts in order to help you decide on the right choices to make the proper pen purchase for your personality. We are going to focus on three paths to take, and look at the options available within each route. The three paths Im going to focus on here, are upgrading what you already like, or secondly finding something different to compliment your now growing collection, and vintage.
Before we take a look at where to begin your search going forward, lets first focus on what you have already. Now is a good time to sit down and really think about how you feel about your starter pen. When you first get your new pen home, you tend to like it, So its important to really feel it out for a few weeks and consider some of the following for yourself
- weight
- length
- comfort
- line thickness (Fine, Medium, Broad, or speciality)
- look
- filler function
- ease of maintenence
Universal Options To Consider
- Look - One of the easiest options to improve upon in a second pen is the look of the pen, with a higher budget comes many attractive pen materials from understated but incredible attention to detail such as Franklin-Christoph, Sailor, Pilot, or Platinums line-ups, to impressive contrasting multi coloured options such as Edison, MonteVerde or Visconti. The look of a pen is not everything, but it can help you go from liking a pen, to loving it.
- The Filler Mechanism - How you use your pen will greatly tell you what kind of filling type is best for you, If your pen is a work horse that gets lots of use away from home, where running out of ink is a possibility fillers that have more ink capacity should be high on your list of features to look at, Piston, or Eyedropper fillers usually offer larger ink capacities then other common filler types. how often you change ink colours also needs to be looked at, as a person who likes to swap out ink every few days may find life a lot better with a filler that is easy to clean. Pelikan and Pilot piston fillers can offer large ink capacities but also are two very easy to clean pens as the nibs can be removed to flush the inside in a matter of seconds. One of the most difficult and most time consuming filling types are Sac fillers such as Pneumatic, Vacumatic, Lever or Crescent fillers, these options are most suited for those who dont change inks often and tend to refill with the same ink once run dry.
- Shape Size and Weight - The size and weight of a pen greatly effect comfort, and thus your overall experience of a pen, certain pens like Lamy have specially designed grip sections that are loved by some, and not by others, and as all hands are different the size of a grip section can also make a big difference. Looking at your current pen get a feel for how your hand feels after long use, if you like the size and weight and feel no comfort issues, you may want to consider a pen of the same measurements or close to it to continue your enjoyment. If you find yourself struggling with your pen after long uses then now is the time to tinker with these measurements to find a pen that fits your hand better. If your pen is only used sparingly for quick note jotting, then the size and weight of a pen may not be an important feature for you to consider, but the shape and function of the cap may be. Pen caps have two basic types, twist and Slip on, for quick field or work use a slip cap is the quickest way to get writing with your pen, but twist caps are also designed by some manufacturers for quick removal. Monteverdes caps on certain models release after only a 3/4 turn. The shape of a pen in field use is also important as not all members will have front shirt pockets to carry a full sized pen, Pens come in a large variety of shapes so have a look at a few and see what will work best for how you are going to be using you pen.
If you love how your new pen fits into your life and are not looking for anything different in a nib option, then this or vintage is probably the paths you will want to begin with. There are many ways to upgrade your writing experience while still keeping true to what you already love in your current pen. How and where you use your pen will greatly effect how much use and love your new purchase will get, Although a tub or cursive will dramatically change how your writing looks, you may find bring a pen like this to work just isn't a proper fit, so sticking with a fine or medium nib for yourself may be a better option. Higher end pens put more engineering and cost into the makings of their nibs, both in flow as well as tipping material for feel, at this point don't let the gold versus steel options sway you one way or another, but focus on a quality nib that meets your needs. Since a nib from a great manufacturer as we have discussed a few above already will not be a large part of our focus taking this path, as you should know what you like, the major factors here are look, size and weight.
Upgrade Option 2
You may love your new pen, and not want to upgrade it at all, but a second pen that will compliment your current line up with some variety. The nib of a pen is the most effective way to do this, the difference between writing with a fine nib, and a Broad or a cursive will vary the look of your handwriting quite a bit. Not all nibs are suitable for all tasks though as you may find it difficult to take notes with a 6mm italic nib, so keep in mind how a pen with a different nib can fit into your life. Body materials not only offer different looks, but also can offer different feelings, having different size shape and weighted pens may over time find themselves suited to specific tasks for you such as a work pen, with more durability and basic writing lines, to a journal or correspondence pen that may be lighter more comfortable for longer sessions, with nib options that will improve the look of your entries.
Vintage Option
With limited experience it can be tough to know where to begin with a vintage pen purchase, as well as difficult to be confident a pen is suitable for writing. Vintage pens can offer a look and feeling modern pens just can not match, and although that may be very appealing, a lot of these pens need to be serviced in order to work. If your second pen is going to be vintage, use the internet to look at a few options out there such as the famous Parker 51 or Vac, or the offerings from Sheaffer. If any of these pens speak to what you want in your next pen asking for help on what to specifically look for on your choices in The Nib may save you from a disappointing purchase, we have a lot of experienced members who can offer some great advice. Also be sure to leave room in your budget to have any pen you buy serviced in case your "new" pen requires work before you can use it. Pen shows are on of the best places to make a purchase, although not the cheapest route, you have the best chance at getting a properly labelled and working pen as well as lots of helpful enthusiasts that can answer all your questions. Online auctions have the highest level of inventory that is always ready to sell, But items are often miss represented by both unknowing as well as crooked sellers, be careful when taking this route and please ask for help. Antique stores or malls is a fun way to find local purchases and in some cases can be the cheapest route as a lot of antique dealers do not always know what they have, educating yourself on what to look out for and how to spot subtle differences in design can help you identify some great deals in the wild, make sure you understand how to check a nib to understand if the pen is still usable, serviceable, or no longer function able before you go out, and you can be more confident in your purchases.
Other Considerations
- Budget - If your confident quality pens are for you, then I suggest trying to take you pen budget to around the $100.00 mark as its about this budget a lot of features and quality find there way into a pen. The less you have to pick and choose at features you want, or have to give up in order to meet your budget, the more likely you are to really love your new pen.
- Exchangeable Nibs - A lot of pens such as Lamy, MonteVerde, or Franklin-Christoph offer different nibs that can exchange on your same pen. Having a quality pen with this option can save you money down the road as buying varying Nibs to fit one pen can give you a lot of options. But also consider you can only have one nib inked at a time.
- X-Factor - A pen can meet every criteria mentioned above, but you may find yourself still drawn to another pen for some unknown reason you can not explain. It may not be logical but this is part of what makes us human, this is only your second pen and you will have time to add more later, if a pen is calling your name that much consider you may find it just flat out fun and exciting to own. In these cases, your pure enjoyment to that little voice should also be considered in spit of everything that makes sense to the contrary as we are here to also have fun.
Pen Options To Look At
Although the pens listed below are great pens, They are reference to show a variety of choices that will give you lots of looks, as well as features available to you. By having a look at these different pens and finding what you like or dislike about them it may give you a better understanding of what it is you are looking for, as well as what questions to begin to ask if in need of some help. There are a great many other options out there, don't be afraid to open a thread and ask for recommendations to find a pen within your budget having features you are looking for.
Pelikan M200 - Piston Filler with removable nib/section, Both vintage and modern make a great second pen
Sailor 1911 - Different body sizes Avail.
Edison Hudson - Many body material choices Avail
Franklin-Chrsitoph Model 29 Bellus - Speciality nib grinds available
Parker 51 - There is a reason they are so loved long after they stopped production
Monteverde Invincia Color Fusion - Cheapest of options, lots of nib and color choices
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