Would anyone like to comment on recommended FPs at different price points?
For example $0-20, 20-40 etc, or whatever price points seem logical to you.
For example $0-20, 20-40 etc, or whatever price points seem logical to you.
Price point recommendations
- Thread starter bach_rocks
- Start date
Depends on your writing style, ink and paper. Probably not what you wanted to hear huh? I started out with a cheap Pilot Metro for $13 at Amazon. It took a nib first dive off the desk so I snagged a 80's vintage Waterman Laureat off the bay for $30. I use that at work with Waterman ink, and purchased another Pilot Metro (plus I was able to straighten the nib somewhat on the old one) for around the house use. In the Pilots I use Quink. I have a friend that wants to build one for me once I figure out what I want. These are hand turned that typically run $100 or so. He has a store on Etsy. I probably won't do much more than those. I've used more expensive, but not better.
$0-20
$20-50
- Pilot Varsity - Less than $3 and will give you an idea if you want to explore fountain pens.
- Jinhao and/or Baoer Chinese pens - quality can be a bit iffy at times, and you have to wait for shipping from China. Check for these on eBay.
- Pilot Metropolitain - Great starter pen in my opinion. You can get them in fine, medium, or broad italic. eBay, Amazon, and a variety of online pen stores sell them.
$20-50
- Lamy Safari - Good starter pen. You can find them in sets that will include ink and converter, or buy a la carte. Some folks don't like the triangular grip things, but I find it helpful when first starting out to hold the pen properly.
- TWSBI Eco - I think this is a great economical piston filler.
- Vintage Parker 45 - Good, dependable daily driver, and you can usually find them fairly inexpensive on eBay or various pen sites.
$60-$80-ish - Either a Platinum 3776 Century, Pilot Custom 74, or Custom Heritage 91 bought via a Japanese seller. The Platinum's 14K nib is fantastic and it has a sealing cap that keeps ink from drying for up to 1-2 years or something. I can attest that it works as advertised.
The Pilot Custom 74 is well known for being a good entry-level 14k gold nib pen. Features multiple nib options. Uses the Con-70 push-button converter which is probably the best converter on the market and holds 1ml of ink. The Custom Heritage 91 is basically the same pen, but with Rhodium trim instead of yellow gold, and flat ends.
$100-$120 - The Pelikan M200, Pilot Custom Heritage 92 (from a Japanese seller), and the Lamy 2000. The M200 is a piston-filled pen with a steel nib. Available in multiple colors, and nib units can be interchanged with others if you want different sized nibs.
The Pilot Custom Heritage 92 is a piston-filled pen with a 14k Rhodium nib. Demonstrator, but available in multiple colors. If bought from a Japanese seller, it is among the best "value" pens for features and a gold nib that you can buy.
The Lamy 2000 is basically a modern classic. Launched in 1966, it features distinctive design, a piston-fill system, and a 14k nib. But only available in 1 color (black/stainless steel).
The Pilot Custom 74 is well known for being a good entry-level 14k gold nib pen. Features multiple nib options. Uses the Con-70 push-button converter which is probably the best converter on the market and holds 1ml of ink. The Custom Heritage 91 is basically the same pen, but with Rhodium trim instead of yellow gold, and flat ends.
$100-$120 - The Pelikan M200, Pilot Custom Heritage 92 (from a Japanese seller), and the Lamy 2000. The M200 is a piston-filled pen with a steel nib. Available in multiple colors, and nib units can be interchanged with others if you want different sized nibs.
The Pilot Custom Heritage 92 is a piston-filled pen with a 14k Rhodium nib. Demonstrator, but available in multiple colors. If bought from a Japanese seller, it is among the best "value" pens for features and a gold nib that you can buy.
The Lamy 2000 is basically a modern classic. Launched in 1966, it features distinctive design, a piston-fill system, and a 14k nib. But only available in 1 color (black/stainless steel).
0-20:
Platinum Preppy - $4 and has multiple nib widths so you can experiment with line width for cheap (granted not a lot of variety). It can be converted to an eye dropper if you want to use inks that are not available in their cartridges. (I am not sure if a Platinum converter fits this model).
Jinhao (x450) - Under $10. It has a metal body. It fits standard international cartridges or converters widening your ink selection. Most come with a #6 nib which allows a wide range of nib replacement options to experiment later without investing in new pens.
Pilot Metropolitan - Under $15. Wide variety of colors and styles in a metal body. Available in Fine or Medium nibs. You can replace the nib with a 1.0mm stub or Extra Fine nib if you are willing to buy one of Pilot's cheaper pens (Plumix or Penmanship at ~$8).
Pilot Plumix or Penmanship - I might as well recommend these too. If you are sitting at a desk they are fine, but the are long and shaped funny, with a clipless tiny cap, but at $8 they write well if you are just looking for a cheap desk pen.
20-40:
Noodler's Ahab - ~$20-23 - It's a fun pen and takes a #6 nib which allows the same benefits as before. Wide variety of colors for personal style. The ebonite feed might take some tinkering to get placed right with a good flow. If you want to tinker great, but might be discouraging if you are aren't used to it.
Monteverde Impressa - ~$40 - It's a pretty nice pen. Style is very metallic and Might be a bit flashy. Same benefits as the other #6 nib pens and takes standard international cartridge or converter.
Sheaffer Sagaris - Maybe $40 (but likely $50) - its a great pen and writes amazing. It's a little small in the hand, but posts well. Takes Sheaffer proprietary cartridges but comes with a converter. It's a very bare bones design, and professional or classic look.
Platinum Preppy - $4 and has multiple nib widths so you can experiment with line width for cheap (granted not a lot of variety). It can be converted to an eye dropper if you want to use inks that are not available in their cartridges. (I am not sure if a Platinum converter fits this model).
Jinhao (x450) - Under $10. It has a metal body. It fits standard international cartridges or converters widening your ink selection. Most come with a #6 nib which allows a wide range of nib replacement options to experiment later without investing in new pens.
Pilot Metropolitan - Under $15. Wide variety of colors and styles in a metal body. Available in Fine or Medium nibs. You can replace the nib with a 1.0mm stub or Extra Fine nib if you are willing to buy one of Pilot's cheaper pens (Plumix or Penmanship at ~$8).
Pilot Plumix or Penmanship - I might as well recommend these too. If you are sitting at a desk they are fine, but the are long and shaped funny, with a clipless tiny cap, but at $8 they write well if you are just looking for a cheap desk pen.
20-40:
Noodler's Ahab - ~$20-23 - It's a fun pen and takes a #6 nib which allows the same benefits as before. Wide variety of colors for personal style. The ebonite feed might take some tinkering to get placed right with a good flow. If you want to tinker great, but might be discouraging if you are aren't used to it.
Monteverde Impressa - ~$40 - It's a pretty nice pen. Style is very metallic and Might be a bit flashy. Same benefits as the other #6 nib pens and takes standard international cartridge or converter.
Sheaffer Sagaris - Maybe $40 (but likely $50) - its a great pen and writes amazing. It's a little small in the hand, but posts well. Takes Sheaffer proprietary cartridges but comes with a converter. It's a very bare bones design, and professional or classic look.
Yes, the Platinum converter fits the Preppy. And it costs twice as much as the pen.
Yes, the Platinum converter fits the Preppy. And it costs twice as much as the pen.
You can always just use a syringe to refill the empty cartridge, or for about $4 extra for supplies do the eye dropper conversion.
- Thread starter
- #8
Thank you, friends, for your thoughtful replies. They were exactly the kinds of responses I was hoping for. I am pretty new to FPs, and there is a lot of information to take in all at once. Your replies narrow the field for me and help me keep it all focused. Thanks again.
I would add the Nemosine Singularity for $15-20, Noodler's Ebonite Konrad for $40 plus the cost of a replacement nib, changing the nib from the Noodler's "flex" nib makes it a very serviceable pen. At just under $60, I like the Monteverde Prima.
Ah, the Prima. My first fountain pen. Bought in an actual pen store, too. Keeping in mind that Monteverde nibs tend to run small (like Japanese), it's a handsome thing. Just get that nib checked first, if you can. Nibs coming out of YAFA these days are pretty scattershot in terms of QC.
The (now discontinued) color of mine, "Brown stripe", was called "almost like Pelikan's Tortoise" by Norman Haase of HisNibs.com. Now owning a Pelikan Tortoise, I can say that they're not even in the same galaxy, but it's still a nice resin with deep, rich sparkly color. Since it was my first pen, it'll always have a place in my heart. I'll never get rid of it.
I lucked out with my Monteverde Prima Tiger Eye pattern pen, originally purchased for SWMBO, The fine nib writes very smoothly.
In the last 6 weeks or so this is what I have picked up:
late December, arrived early January, a Pelikan 120 Merz & Krell M nib (black) needed some cleaning up is all. $17.49+shipping
Since then I have picked up 2 Esterbrooks.
A red SJ with 9450 nib under $25 shipped. Although it was represented as needing a sac it didn't. (I checked)
A gray J with 9461 that did need a sac. I am into it about $15 including the replacement sac shipped.
The J gets more use as it is a little fatter nib. I currently have a Venus Fine in it instead of the 9461 Fine. It also fits my hand better than the SJ which is shorter.
Of course a Parker 45 is a great pen. I have picked them up from about $15 to about $30. Both standard and Flighter, with and without 14k nibs. My first 45 was a Flighter with 14k nib, I paid $15.50+shipping. It was in great shape. Harder to get those kinds of buys, but they are out there.
late December, arrived early January, a Pelikan 120 Merz & Krell M nib (black) needed some cleaning up is all. $17.49+shipping
Since then I have picked up 2 Esterbrooks.
A red SJ with 9450 nib under $25 shipped. Although it was represented as needing a sac it didn't. (I checked)
A gray J with 9461 that did need a sac. I am into it about $15 including the replacement sac shipped.
The J gets more use as it is a little fatter nib. I currently have a Venus Fine in it instead of the 9461 Fine. It also fits my hand better than the SJ which is shorter.
Of course a Parker 45 is a great pen. I have picked them up from about $15 to about $30. Both standard and Flighter, with and without 14k nibs. My first 45 was a Flighter with 14k nib, I paid $15.50+shipping. It was in great shape. Harder to get those kinds of buys, but they are out there.
I bought myself an Impressa (black and rose gold) to celebrate passing the bar exam; it has quickly become my favorite pen since my custom (rifle brass) pen has started skipping.
That's one of the finishes that I have and it's gorgeous. The Impressa shape isn't the most classic shape around, but in that finish it looks perfectly professional. I know some have complained about about Monteverde nib's but I can't say I have had any problems.
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