Hello everyone, I have not been carrying by fountain pen daily, anymore, for almost a year. A little because of inconvenience, because I work in a hospital administration and my work is quite hectic. Also perhaps because people constantly ask to borrow a pen, SERIOUSLY does no one carry their own pen anymore?, and there's no way I'm giving them my fountain pen to bend and tweak and germ-up. My only decent fountain was a fine nib Lamy Safari, which is a good pen, just didn't feel like a good fit for me. So I am looking for a new one, in the $50-$100 range. Not a fan of the Pilot Metro, or Jionhaos, I'm singling in on the TWSBI Diamond or 700 VAC. Your thoughts? Anyone have experience with either of these that can attest to their comfort, durability, etc? Thank you!
Next Level Fountain? Maybe TWSBI
- Thread starter TreadwayJohnA
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I've not used the diamond, by my everyday pen for the last year has been a TWSBI eco. I have maybe a half dozen pens, of various shapes and configurations, and it is the most comfortable pen I have used. I like that the piston fill means it holds more ink as well, so I don't have to fill as often. I got the demonstrator as well, so I can see what level the ink is at. I have been very happy with my ECO purchase over the last year, I would expect the diamond or 700 to perform equally if not better.
Have you thought about a VP? It's what I use at work because I need to quickly take notes here and there during meetings and such, and it's extremely convenient to not worry about a cap.
Slightly outside your price range, but they can be found fairly close to that range on the Bay.
Slightly outside your price range, but they can be found fairly close to that range on the Bay.
I have the TWISBI 580 AL model and it is used daily. I've owned it for a few years and it still writes as it did on day one. Great value for the money. It is a substantial pen that feels good in my hand. The cap does not post well! If that's an issue go with a pen with a cap that does post well. My recommendation for a posting pen, costing more money, is a Lamy 2000.
There are reports of TWSBIs cracking, I can imagine that your pen has the cap going on and off many times a day. You are just about on the money for a Parker 51, an iconic pen which some collectors and pen users maintain is the best pen ever.
If that doesnt appeal I would look to a more modern Parker, almost anything apart from the Sonnet and perhaps the Parker Frontier, well under your budget at around $10-15.
If that doesnt appeal I would look to a more modern Parker, almost anything apart from the Sonnet and perhaps the Parker Frontier, well under your budget at around $10-15.
I can certainly 2nd the Pilot VP or Lamy 2000. These pens are keepers.
I probably don't have enough TWSBI mileage to criticize them fairly. But there are some other choices you could look at with a $100 price ceiling.
And of course, at some point you can start looking at vintage pens, which often write very well, with total cost of the pen plus restoration sometimes quite low. But that's another thread.
- Pilot Custom Heritage 91 or Custom 74. These are functionally almost identical, with a differently shaped body. If you buy from a Japanese eBay dealer or third party Amazon seller, it should come under your limit; I paid about $75 for a CH 91 plus an extra $10.50 for the super-sized CON-70 converter.
- Platinum 3776 Century. Again, the low prices come from eBay or Amazon, and you may have to buy the converter separately, but the basic plastic versions of these are very affordable. The 14k nibs are very stiff, but smooth writing. I suggest a medium.
- Pelikan M200 or M205. Actually, I'm not sure what $100 or less deals you can find on these nowadays, but these are smooth writing and very reliable. A bit on the small side, which is actually my preference, but might not be yours.
- The Makrolon version of the Lamy 2000. I don't think you'll come in under $100 on this, but you can come fairly close. Mine was $124 shipped, and I think I've seen lower than that.
And of course, at some point you can start looking at vintage pens, which often write very well, with total cost of the pen plus restoration sometimes quite low. But that's another thread.
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- #8
I was never really well-versed with Parkers, but after researching them for the past few days I have realized that I must own a Parker 51! Preferably a Vacumatic, but an Aeromatic would equally satisfy me! I will have to keep my eye out for them at the local swaps and antique malls, there has to be one there I'm sure. While researching I was never quite able to find out the ink volume that the PLI-Glass bladders hold, how much ink can you pack in one of these bad boys, or rather how long will one fill last for regular to moderate writing? Thanks again!
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I used to use an aero for notes all day long and never had an issue on capacity, the Vac should hold a little more. If it is a potential concern you could always leave a spare bottle of ink at work/college etc. Most US nibs are fine to medium. most UK 51s are medium to broad, a broader nib will always use more ink than a fine, but still unlikely to be a problem.
51s bought in the wild will probably need some degree of attention which will hopefully be limited to a good flush through with clean water but I would avoid pen caps with dents and with initials/names, if they are very cheap, under £10/$12, then still buy them but expect them to be a parts pen for you or others.
This article may help;
http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/f...-in-the-wild-parker-51-in-your-hand-now-what/
Look carefully at the nib, you need the tines to be complete and in line. The 51 is not prone to cracking, very light scratches can be polished out. You are seeking for a tidy looking complete pen, most problems can be fixed, replacing parts is more expensive and troublesome.
There are not many pens that you can buy today, use it for a year or two and sell it for more than you pay for it. I used to buy 51s for £20/$28 four years ago, these pens now sell for £50/$60 on ebay. I saw an unused rare colour 51 sell for $400+ last week, so you can do very well indeed.
They remain one of the best designed and manufactured pens of all time, they do not have the flair of a flexible nib that was commonplace in earlier pens but such flexibly nibbed pens may not be suitable for you and your writing style, especially if you print rather than write in cursive or need to write quickly.
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- Thread starter
- #10
Due to the complexity of the Vacumatics, and the possibility of stumbling into a money-pit of a restoration I think I will stick with a Aeromatic for now. Have a few bids in on the bay, with any luck I should have a Parker 51 by next week! Thanks for all the input guys, I appreciate it!
A Parker 51 is indeed a good choice. I have a P51 Special that is nice and wet.
I own two TWSBI's - a 580 and an Eco. I have had the 580 for almost two years and it has been terrific for the most part. Around the end of August or early September the cap cracked. I sent an email, along with $3 for postage and had a new cap in under a week. (holiday weekend) I have other more expensive pens (2 Pelikan M200's, among others), and this gets as much or more use than many of those. The Eco I have had since about March. The Eco is a 1.1 stub and the 580 is a B that I had stubbed by Art of ArtsNibs.com with his Tomahawk grind.
I own two TWSBI's - a 580 and an Eco. I have had the 580 for almost two years and it has been terrific for the most part. Around the end of August or early September the cap cracked. I sent an email, along with $3 for postage and had a new cap in under a week. (holiday weekend) I have other more expensive pens (2 Pelikan M200's, among others), and this gets as much or more use than many of those. The Eco I have had since about March. The Eco is a 1.1 stub and the 580 is a B that I had stubbed by Art of ArtsNibs.com with his Tomahawk grind.
I have a TWSBI 580 that I use on a regular basis. I have had no issues with this pen and find it very satisfactory. I have a VAC 700, it is too big for shirt pocket carry IMHO and is sits unused out of rotation for the time being. I think the issue of cracked TWSBI pens is mostly a thing of the past, a QC problem that was largely eliminated in current production pens. YMMV
To the original question, if I had $50-$100 to spend on one pen, I'd save a few more bucks and get a Pilot Custom Heritage 92 ... the piston filler ... and be done! You can get them from Japanese e-bay sellers for just over $100! I own two of those, and one TWSBI, and I certainly prefer the CH 92.
On the question of vintage 51s, there may be one or two on offer in the next St Sue Auction (I have no idea for sure, but there are usually some pen offerings, including often a vintage Parker) and the pens that make it into the auction tend to come from guys who know pens and won't pass on a dud.
On the question of vintage 51s, there may be one or two on offer in the next St Sue Auction (I have no idea for sure, but there are usually some pen offerings, including often a vintage Parker) and the pens that make it into the auction tend to come from guys who know pens and won't pass on a dud.
I generally agree. I think mine had to do with it didn't like being clipped to the placket of a Polo shirt or something. After all it took 21-22 months to show up.
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- #16
Thank you for the suggestion, I believe I will drop a few hints to the wife about the Pilot CH92 as a Christmas idea. I do, very much so, like the looks of it and have read thouroughly that it's a fine performer! In the meantime, I just won a bid on a Parker 51 and hope to have it at my doorstep by next week. The Parker 51 looks like a fine classic that I would have eventually purchased regardless, so I'm glad that I was able to snag one in good condition for a decent price. Does anyone have experience with refinishing 51's, i.e. Buffing out minor scratches and polishing? Thank you all and God Bless.
TreadwayJohnA, what ever you do, don't use any sort of power tool to polish any pen, do it by hand with a soft cloth and mild abrasive paste. If you don't get the results you desire, send it off to a penmeister rather than risk ruining a classic pen.
If there are minor scratches on the pen I would use a product such as Meguiars Plastic Polish, mild abrasive and produces a good shine.
as Nortac has suggested, its worth sending off to a pen specialist if you are at all uncertain, it should come back looking like new for a modest cost.
as Nortac has suggested, its worth sending off to a pen specialist if you are at all uncertain, it should come back looking like new for a modest cost.
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- #19
Thanks for the suggestions, I appreciate you guys. From the auction pictures I cannot really see any scratches or gouges, I was simply thinking of buffing the pen a bit to bring back it's luster. As suggested, I will lightly hand-polish it with a bit of Meguiars just to refresh it and give it a second wind. I'm sure that will suffice.
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- #20
What nib size do you own, prefer? I usually prefer finer nibs, myself (my Lamy Safari is a F., and I love it's size). So I was wondering if the CH92 F.M. nib would be relatively the same as the Lamy F.?
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