Best Pens Under 200

[Ambrose Bierce]

Long story short, I am able to spend around 200 bucks on a FP. I am pretty confused by this price range, and know hardly any of the options. I'm looking for what you think to be one of the best pens for under 200$. Why ever you may think that.

[Fabienne]

TWSBI, my EDC. They are about $60 for the 580 and you have to love the nib. Broad is broad and not a "Japanese broad" which I call a fine/medium. Nope, these are just about perfect for me. They are very smooth but you still get some "roadfeel" and it's very nice. They are demos, which let you know how much ink you have left. Hefty but not over heavy. Piston filler and you can take the whole thing apart and put it back yourself if you are so inclined. Great customer service if you need it (MUCH better than Pilot by a country mile). Comes in a great box with silicone grease and a wrench for your amusement. What is not to love? That's just the 580. They sell a vac filler, minis, fancy rose gold trimmed ones. The variety is amazing as well. A tremendous pen for a tremendous price. Yes, I am biased, they just won my heart.

[Notgatherox]

What do you like in a pen? Any preferred filling mechanism? Weight and size of the pen you prefer? Length?

 

 

But anyhow, I'm going to suggest a few pens that I know of. The Pilot Custom 74 (or the Heritage 92, if you prefer piston fillers. But the 92 doesn't have a soft nib. Only the 91 has one.) has a soft nib that's great for daily writing. The CON-70 holds over 1ml of ink so you'll be fine.

 

The Lamy 2000, a workhorse pen, the pinnacle of Lamy, a great example of Bauhaus design. Piston filler too, and it doesn't draw too much attention.

 

A Pelikan M200/205/215. Reliable piston filler pen that I use daily myself.

 

Or maybe the Platinum Century 3776. Beautiful resin (especially the blue one!) and has a special seal that prevents drying out for up to two years.

 

Good luck and enjoy your new acquisition!

 

 

 

~Epic

[jar]

Consider getting a real pen, one with something of a pedigree,

[Blue_Moon]

Any of the Franklin-Christoph Brand: http://www.franklin-christoph.com/

 

Specifically, Models 19, 02,03, and 20. They are exquisite fountain pens, and they are so well made that they come with lifetime guarantees. You can't beat their customer service. They will go far beyond just selling you a pen, if you need any assistance with anything. Can't say enough good things about them. Also, it's incredible that you pay so little extra to go from their regular nibs (which are fantastic) to the Masuyama nibs.

[avlisyar]

How about the Edison line sold by some retailers.

The Collier, in particular is quite nice for under $200.00.

 

I will also agree with Blue_Moon on the Franklin-Christoph

pens. I have a few with the Masuyama nibs and they are

hard to beat.

[tomgartin]

The usual suspects: Lamy 2000, Pilot VP, Namiki Falcon, Pelikan M200, TWSBI 580 (or 580AL), or Edison production line (Collier, Beaumont, Herald, Pearlette).

 

Other worthwhile contenders: Franklin-Christoph (I like the 19 and 03), vintage Parker 51, Sailor Sapporo (or 1911 mid-size), Platinum music pen, vintage Pelikans (M400, 140, maybe the 400NN if you look hard enough), Kaweco Dia2, used Waterman Carene, vintage Eversharp Skyline, or a vintage Sheaffer Snorkel.

 

That's a lot of variety, but I hope that helps to give you an idea of the vast options you have in your price range. Have fun choosing!

[kbrede]

Any of the Franklin-Christoph Brand: http://www.franklin-christoph.com/

 

Specifically, Models 19, 02,03, and 20. They are exquisite fountain pens, and they are so well made that they come with lifetime guarantees. You can't beat their customer service. They will go far beyond just selling you a pen, if you need any assistance with anything. Can't say enough good things about them. Also, it's incredible that you pay so little extra to go from their regular nibs (which are fantastic) to the Masuyama nibs.

+1

 

I'm partial to the model 20 and 66, with a broad Masuyama italic nib.

Kent

[maverick777]

The usual suspects: Lamy 2000, Pilot VP, Namiki Falcon, Pelikan M200, TWSBI 580 (or 580AL), or Edison production line (Collier, Beaumont, Herald, Pearlette).

 

Other worthwhile contenders: Franklin-Christoph (I like the 19 and 03), vintage Parker 51, Sailor Sapporo (or 1911 mid-size), Platinum music pen, vintage Pelikans (M400, 140, maybe the 400NN if you look hard enough), Kaweco Dia2, used Waterman Carene, vintage Eversharp Skyline, or a vintage Sheaffer Snorkel.

 

That's a lot of variety, but I hope that helps to give you an idea of the vast options you have in your price range. Have fun choosing!

 

That's a good list. I'd add Pilot CH92, Pilot Custom 823, Pilot 912, Pelikan M215,

[WaskiSquirrel]

I'm going to recommend a few pens that I actually like and have used and owned. I won't get into pens I don't like or which I wouldn't buy again.

 

In this price range....

 

• Lamy 2000 - nice writer, iconic, and both the broad and the fine have unique characteristics; this pen is my most highly recommended on this list.
• Pilot Custom 74 - A nice cartridge-converter pen that writes very well and has a high quality feel
• Pilot Custom 92 - A piston-filler and writes just as nicely as the Custom 74 because it has the same nib
• Platinum 3776 - I didn't like it at first, but it has really grown on me: a pleasant cartridge-converter

 

However, there are also some nice pens at a much lower cost...

• A.G. Spalding and Bros fountain pen - A $35 wood pen that looks sporty and writes far above its price point
• Noodler's Konrad - a unique flex nib; also very versatile, and I prefer the acrylic version
• TWSBI - They're interesting pens, and attractive; bonus: change out the nibs if you want -- I prefer the TWSBI 580, but the vac700 is nice and has a fun filling mechanism
• Lamy Safari - A nice writer, less exciting, but a good pen

[langere]

All excellent suggestions! I have most of these pens, but to my mind the very best deal is the one jar mentioned - the Aurora Archivi Storici. Those are amazing pens and it is impossible to beat that price.

 

Erick

[sandy101]

My go to pen is the Visconti Rembrandt, which cost me £100, which translates into $150, or thereabouts.

 

The Rembrandt has a steel nib section, which screws into a resin back - this means that the pen has some weight at the front and is light at the back. As a result it is a bit easier to work with than my all metal Diplomat Excellence A, which cost about the same, but is significantly heavier.

 

Not sure how this help exactly, but I have not been disappointed by the Plantinum Make-I, Diplomant Excellence A or Visconti Rembrandt which all came in at around the £100 price point. I prefer the Visconti as the metal front/resin back works better for me than the all resin Platinum and the all metal Diplomat.

 

That's my tuppence.

[BillZ]

I look at $200USD as the divide between steel and 14K nibs. You can get some really good pens in the 125-175 range and if you move up to 250 you can get some really good pens, too. Good luck.

[Oranges and Apples]

A Pilot Custom 823.

[beboy]

If you are like me and like springy 14k nibs, try Pilot cheaper models, like Celemo, Grance or "Custom", all under $100. Or maybe, like others suggested, the Pilot Falcon in resin.

 

At that price, I would try to get a vintage Montblanc 221 with 14k nib on an auction on ebay (I wouldn't advanture myself to get a 14X model there though).

[ele]

Like jar said, go vintage! The selection and value is unbeatable.

The Pelikan 400 (or if you really must, a used modern m400), as some have mentioned, would be my first choice. The screw-in nib design on these is far better than that of the TWSBI, and they fit very nicely in the hand, unposted or posted. The ink capacity is great--over 2ml on the vintage model--and they are easier to flush than a Pilot custom 823 or custom 74. The nibs on these pens are the real star though, as they come in many sizes, and the vintage examples can easily be found with semi-flexible nibs.

Other good options are the Parker "51" aero, the Sheaffer Snorkel (if you like thin pens), the Aurora 98 or 88 (both can be found with excellent flex or semi flex nibs, though the latter is too fussy for rugged 'throw around' pocket use), Parker 61, Parker Vacumatic (not a pocket pen if in a daily carry--will burp when ink level low), '30s-'50s Swan leverless pens (excellent flex nibs and great styles at low prices), '20's and 30's hard rubber Waterman's (amazing nibs though less rugged than the others I've mentioned). The list goes on and on, and there are MANY other pens equally as reliable as some of the older ones I've listed.

Best of luck!

Edited April 12, 2015 by ele

[emerson]

Els got it right. That'll buy a very nice Parker 51 Aero and some ink and paper good along with. Dependable writer, great design, durable, and if you don't like it, you can always sell it on and recover your cost.

[tinta]

I would vote for most of the Franklin-Christoph offerings that mount the larger size # 6 nib units. For under 200.00 USD the nibs would be one of JoWo's stainless steel models.

Solid performers.

I'm also a huge fan of the Sailor 1911 Standard with 14K nibs. With a customized nib, their price would be a little over the two hundred mark.