Good Cheap Pens?

[Djehuty]

I have gone too long without buying a new pen, and it's making me twitchy. The problem is, I have little in the way of available funds. But I shall not let that deter me! I already have a small collection of cheap Chinese pens. I can't afford the expensive stuff, but I should be able to expand this collection somewhat. And rather than bemoan my financial fate, I thought I might make something of a game out of it. An expedition, if you will, to the heart of deepest, darkest pen country, to find the cheapest of the really seriously astoundingly CHEAP cheap pens.

 

Any advice on where I should begin my search?

[m13a8]

Dollar Student pens! Smeden has them on sale here on the forum for about $3 without shipping. I had one, and it wrote really well! (until it rolled off the counter onto the tile floor...oh my...) It's a piston filler, too!

[Lorna Reed]

If you really want a Chinese pen, the Baoer Eight Horse pen is about the most reliable and the best writer i've had and it looks nice. His Nibs.com sells them I think, or e-bay of course.

[Feanor]

Dollar Student pens! Smeden has them on sale here on the forum for about $3 without shipping. I had one, and it wrote really well! (until it rolled off the counter onto the tile floor...oh my...) It's a piston filler, too!

 

+1. But I prefer the demos.

[bphollin]

It wouldn't be a reco thread without a plug for a Lamy Safari! :ltcapd: I'll add a twist, though: consider getting a stub nib. I've been using a 1.1 (somewhere around the size of a medium, maybe a hair smaller) with great enjoyment.

[m13a8]

Dollar Student pens! Smeden has them on sale here on the forum for about $3 without shipping. I had one, and it wrote really well! (until it rolled off the counter onto the tile floor...oh my...) It's a piston filler, too!

 

+1. But I prefer the demos.

 

I haven't tried a demo yet! I ordered one and it's on its way to replace the dollar I carelessly dropped...

 

As to the OP's questions:

 

I don't know if you prefer measurements in metric or inches, but I'm in the US and still prefer measuring in metric, so here we go!

 

Length is about 12.5 cm

Barrel diameter is about 6mm in the middle, and about 5.5 mm at section.

 

It uses a M nib. I usually prefer F nibs, but this one served me well! Nib was smooth when I first bought it. Not like butter, but exceedingly good for a $3 pen. I am not sure if he accepts money order or not, but you could ask him. He lives in Finland.

 

Here is the post where he sells them:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/146556-many-inexpensive-piston-fillers/page__hl__dollar

[Djehuty]

Excellent, thank you! I've sent a PM about the student pen.

 

This is a most auspicious beginning....

[m13a8]

Excellent, thank you! I've sent a PM about the student pen.

 

This is a most auspicious beginning....

 

You're quite welcome! I hope you enjoy yours as much as I ejoyed mine! Mine still writes ok after its capless fall, but now it's a little toothy...Maybe sometime I'll get brave and try to smooth it down!

 

This pen was actually my daily writer in classes before its fall! Enjoy

[J English Smith]

Vintage Parker 45s on eBay if you don't have one yet...recent ones I've bought have been around $14-16 shipped.

[Easterner]

Smeden also has two Reform models for $8 each and a Dollar 717i Demonstrator for $7.

I purchased some of them and they are a very good value.

For a little more, isellpens.com has the Pilot 78G for $12-- a very good pen also.

[tmenyc]

Kaweco sport classic -- wonderful little cartridge pen, I converted mine to ED. Swisher may still have some.

[mooshi]

Vintage Parker 45s on eBay if you don't have one yet...recent ones I've bought have been around $14-16 shipped.

 

+1 for the Parker 45. After receiving one as a gift from my dad, it's become my new favourite pen. So smooth! And IMHO pleasing to the eye.

 

-- Moo

[cerberusdog]

Every time I am on eBay, on the hunt for a cheap pen, I always seem to end out at "gotoschool888" store. I have seen other posts that have good things to say about their reliability. That would be a good place to start. Not knowing what kind of pen you prefer, here are some recommendations from pens I have picked up in China - cheap.

 

Narrow but long, cool looking - Hero 257

Larger, heaviest of the lot - Hero 85

Larger, nice, and metal, lighter than the 85 - Hero 89

Larger, black and chrome, lighter than the 85 - Hero 592

 

I have used them all, off and on, and found them decent. When you consider the price, all under $8, they are great knock around pens.

 

 

Best of luck on your hunt.

Rick

Edited April 7, 2010 by cerberusdog

[Possum Hill]

It wouldn't be a reco thread without a plug for a Lamy Safari! :ltcapd: I'll add a twist, though: consider getting a stub nib. I've been using a 1.1 (somewhere around the size of a medium, maybe a hair smaller) with great enjoyment.

+1

 

It's just fun to write with that nib, whether with some bright ink or something conservative and subdued.

[dexaco]

I haven't tried a demo yet! I ordered one and it's on its way to replace the dollar I carelessly dropped...

 

As to the OP's questions:

 

I don't know if you prefer measurements in metric or inches, but I'm in the US and still prefer measuring in metric, so here we go!

 

Length is about 12.5 cm

Barrel diameter is about 6mm in the middle, and about 5.5 mm at section.

 

It uses a M nib. I usually prefer F nibs, but this one served me well! Nib was smooth when I first bought it. Not like butter, but exceedingly good for a $3 pen. I am not sure if he accepts money order or not, but you could ask him. He lives in Finland.

 

Here is the post where he sells them:

http://www.fountainp...age__hl__dollar

 

Are you sure about those measurements? 12.5cm long, yes, but the diameters seem awfully slim. I don't have the student pen to measure, but the 717i demonstrator, at the same 12.5cm length, is about 10.5/11 mm on the barrel, and about 9mm midway along the section. On the referenced post by Smeden the student pen looks similar in size to the 717i. In fact, length for length, if anything the student pen looks slightly fatter.

 

Derick 

[m13a8]

It wouldn't be a reco thread without a plug for a Lamy Safari! :ltcapd: I'll add a twist, though: consider getting a stub nib. I've been using a 1.1 (somewhere around the size of a medium, maybe a hair smaller) with great enjoyment.

+1

 

It's just fun to write with that nib, whether with some bright ink or something conservative and subdued.

 

I'll have to +1 that too! I wrote with the 1.1 on someone's Safari once, and it really was a lot of fun to write with! I have a 1.1 on the way for my Logo

[two2tone]

overstock.com has Waterman Harley Davidson pens (same as the Phileas, but with flames) for $17.50.

 

buythecasesales.com has Parker Vector fountain pens for $6.50 each.

 

Twotone

Edited April 7, 2010 by two2tone

[Feanor]

It wouldn't be a reco thread without a plug for a Lamy Safari! :ltcapd: I'll add a twist, though: consider getting a stub nib. I've been using a 1.1 (somewhere around the size of a medium, maybe a hair smaller) with great enjoyment.

+1

 

It's just fun to write with that nib, whether with some bright ink or something conservative and subdued.

 

I'll have to +1 that too! I wrote with the 1.1 on someone's Safari once, and it really was a lot of fun to write with! I have a 1.1 on the way for my Logo

 

I have a 1.5 on my Vista, and the feed just can't keep up with the nib.

[JMX]

That's weird. All my Safaris and also my Vista ED have no problem feeding even the 1.9 nib. What ink are you using?

[Nitesiter07]

 

I have a 1.5 on my Vista, and the feed just can't keep up with the nib.

 

The only issue i've ever had with my 1.5 or my 1.9 on my Safari is when I've not cleaned out the nib feed very well when I switch inks. Im not familiar with the internal workings on the Lamy feeds, but it seems like theres a tiny ink reservoir underneath the actual nib that is harder to rinse out. (Maybe some kind hearted Lamy-smith could help us out and explain how Lamy feed work)

 

I'd say soak the nib assembly in an water/ammonia solution for 20 minutes and see how much more ink comes out. For me the pen has written beautifully ever since I started to be conscientious about when I change inks.

 

 

Let me know if that works out for you.

 

 

Dave

Edited April 7, 2010 by Nitesiter07