10 Greatest/most Iconic Fountain Pens Ever Made

[jeanvaljean27]

Now I know some of you will roll your eyes at a 'top 10' list, but bear with me here; this is just a bit of fun, but fun we all like to engage in. I know there have been other threads on here regarding the 10 most iconic pens ever made, but as far as I can see they descended into the usual tedious slanging matches about whether mont blanc deserved a place on the list and sagacious statements about the subjectivity of the whole affair rendering it a nonsense. So, a few conditions are needed for this to be a halfway sane and informative debate:

 

1) please put your prejudices to one side; if a pen by a particular make (e.g. mont blanc) deserves to be accorded a place on your list as a pioneering, important, much-copies or merely famous pen, please do the necessary regardless of whether or not you detest that company for its present reputation

 

2) I'm keen on historic pens rather than modern ones, largely because re-inventing the wheel is tedious and often unnecessary; if you include a pen that hasn't yet had a chance to stand the test of time then please say why.

 

3) Yes, I know a lot of us won't have tried out a lot of famous pens - that need be no barrier to expressing a need for it to be included on your personal list because as we all know writing with it is only part of the experience (albeit the most important part, I accept)

 

4) Please try not to include more than 3 different pens by the same manufacturer on the list; that should give adequate scope for peoples' preferences re makes without rendering it into a skewed list where other makes are largely excluded.

 

Right, ground rules established, here's my personal list:

 

 

Parker Big Red Duofold (1920s)

Parker 51

Pelikan M800

Pelikan 100

Mont Blanc 149

Sheaffer Balance (1930s)

Sheaffer PFM

Waterman's C/F

Wahl-Evershap Skyline

Conklin Crescent-filler

 

Over to you.

 

 

JVJ

[coyotewhisper]

My top Ten

1) Waterman BCHR

2. Esterbrook Dollar

3. Sheaffer Snorkel

4. Waterman CF

5. Eversharp Skyline

6. Morrison BCHR

7. Parker Duofold

8. Sheaffer Balance

9. Waterman Taperite

10 Esterbrook J

[Penne Stilografiche]

Now I know some of you will roll your eyes at a 'top 10' list, but bear with me here; this is just a bit of fun, but fun we all like to engage in. I know there have been other threads on here regarding the 10 most iconic pens ever made, but as far as I can see they descended into the usual tedious slanging matches about whether mont blanc deserved a place on the list and sagacious statements about the subjectivity of the whole affair rendering it a nonsense. So, a few conditions are needed for this to be a halfway sane and informative debate:

 

1) please put your prejudices to one side; if a pen by a particular make (e.g. mont blanc) deserves to be accorded a place on your list as a pioneering, important, much-copies or merely famous pen, please do the necessary regardless of whether or not you detest that company for its present reputation

 

2) I'm keen on historic pens rather than modern ones, largely because re-inventing the wheel is tedious and often unnecessary; if you include a pen that hasn't yet had a chance to stand the test of time then please say why.

 

3) Yes, I know a lot of us won't have tried out a lot of famous pens - that need be no barrier to expressing a need for it to be included on your personal list because as we all know writing with it is only part of the experience (albeit the most important part, I accept)

 

4) Please try not to include more than 3 different pens by the same manufacturer on the list; that should give adequate scope for peoples' preferences re makes without rendering it into a skewed list where other makes are largely excluded.

 

Right, ground rules established, here's my personal list:

 

 

Parker Big Red Duofold (1920s)

Parker 51

Pelikan M800

Pelikan 100

Mont Blanc 149

Sheaffer Balance (1930s)

Sheaffer PFM

Waterman's C/F

Wahl-Evershap Skyline

Conklin Crescent-filler

 

Over to you.

 

 

JVJ

9/10 of these pens would be on my top 10 list. Instead of the Conklin, I would have one of the Esterbrook pens on the list.

[ANM]

Here is my top ten. I'd add another or perhaps substitute it for one of the below. It is a Conklin Nozac.

 

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii101/matthewsno/DSCN0474_zps1517cd40.jpg

Edited March 25, 2013 by ANM

[hendrixstrat]

My top Ten

1) Waterman BCHR

2. Esterbrook Dollar

3. Sheaffer Snorkel

4. Waterman CF

5. Eversharp Skyline

6. Morrison BCHR

7. Parker Duofold

8. Sheaffer Balance

9. Waterman Taperite

10 Esterbrook J

 

Interesting how neither Pelikan nor Montblanc made your list. I think they are pretty iconic......

[BT-7274]

I'm pretty sure 10 would be too short a list!

 

At any rate, mine would be...

Sheaffer Targa (This one's my favorite. Flat-end style with the timeless nib of the PFM)

Lamy 2000 (The industrial revolution at its finest)

Waterman's Ideal (any one, as long as it's a hard rubber pen)

Parker Big Red Duofold (Stands out like no other)

Sheaffer's Flat Top (Same case as above)

Pelikan M1000 (A classical piston filler. Interchangeable with MB 149. Oversize piston fillers.)

Montblanc 149 (Of course!)

Pilot Vanishing Point Fermo (The quirky side of fountain pens. Retractable nib.)

TWSBI Vac 700 (The leading edge of 'modern' vacuum fillers, IMO, a modern take on pen styling, not so much on filling though)

Kaweco Sport Classic (The pocket pen. Everyone should have one.)

 

I tried to be fair, but it definitely omits quite a few pens. In terms of styles of pens though, I think everything's covered, from hooded, to flat-top, to outright oversize.

Edited March 26, 2013 by White Expressions

[akustyk]

Kaweco Sport Classic (The pocket pen. Everyone should have one.)

 

I like this! It's a pretty iconic pen, I agree. There's nothing quite like it out there.

[OcalaFlGuy]

Though I'm not so fond of the Jadeite Sheaffer material and would probably substitute the Black model, I can't argue against any of ANM's choices. It's hard to pick Just 10 Really Good choices for Iconic pens IMO but he's got them covered pretty well. Good Job ANM. (Man, where is a LIKE post tab when you really need one? )

 

[EDIT] Ok, maybe I'd make one change and substitute an Estie J for the P-75 (Since the 51 is already in there.) Still a great list.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

Edited March 26, 2013 by OcalaFlGuy

[OcalaFlGuy]

 

Interesting how neither Pelikan nor Montblanc made your list. I think they are pretty iconic......

 

I think a MB is only Iconic if you're an MB fan.

 

It sure doesn't fit what I feel is Iconic.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[penrivers]

Sorry, a little touch of iconoclasia, an iconic fountain pen requires most of all time and prestige. I think some

like the Pelikan 1000 and twsbis are really newborns in the fountainpen world. Prestige

they have but are new wines, lol I wish to say lets wait , but no, buy it if you can.

Edited March 26, 2013 by penrivers

[pajaro]

Parker 51

Sheaffer translucent cartridge pen

Eversharp Skyline

Sheaffer Imperial

Montblanc 146

Wearever

Sheaffer Triumph

Cross Century

Parker Big Red oldtimer

Sheaffer Dolphin

 

Esterbrook doesn't make my list, because I never heard of them until joining this network. Not in 50 years of using fountain pens did hear them mentioned, nor did I see any in stores.

 

BHCR anything is so old as to be only a collector thing. I have tried to include pens known to pen users generally, beyond the pen in crowd.

[pajaro]

Interesting how neither Pelikan nor Montblanc made your list. I think they are pretty iconic......

 

I think a MB is only Iconic if you're an MB fan.

 

It sure doesn't fit what I feel is Iconic.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

You write this often. I think it's an inaccurate assessment, but you are entitled to the opinion.

 

I am neutral on MB generally, but, with the Parker 51, the 146 and 144 are the best pens I have used. I will say that during the late 80s and 90s when every jerk had an empty NOS MB in his pocket I almost threw all of my MBs away. So, I am not unsympathetic to dislikers of MB. I demur at the point of cutting off my nose to spite my face, though.

 

[moylek]

 

I am neutral on MB generally, but, with the Parker 51, the 146 and 144 are the best pens I have used. I will say that during the late 80s and 90s when every jerk had an empty NOS MB in his pocket I almost threw all of my MBs away. So, I am not unsympathetic to dislikers of MB. I demur at the point of cutting off my nose to spite my face, though.

 

 

"NOS MB"?

[yolrgrand]

 

Interesting how neither Pelikan nor Montblanc made your list. I think they are pretty iconic......

 

I think a MB is only Iconic if you're an MB fan.

 

It sure doesn't fit what I feel is Iconic.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

You broke the OP's rules-just give a list or clam it

[Poseidon]

Iconic (Cambridge Dictionary): Very famous or popular, especially being considered to represent particular opinions or a particular time:

 

Given the conditions above, I can only think of two iconic fountain pens: the Meisterstuck 149 and 51, both equally legendary. Given some more time, I believe the Targa will be the next iconic pen.

[yolrgrand]

Aurora 88

Conway Stewart Churchill

Dunhill AD 2000

Lamy Al-Star/Safaris

Lamy 2000

Montblanc 149/146

Namiki/Pilot Vanishing Point

Omas Paragon

Omas 360

Parker 51

Parker Vacumatic

Parker Duofold

Pelikan 1000/800

Sheaffer Balance

Stipula Etruria

Twsbi

Visconti Homo Sapiens

Waterman Edson

 

Sorry 10 doesn't quite get you there

[12345Michael54321]

The lists already given are pretty good, but I can't believe the Waterman Patrician hasn't been included anywhere.

 

Also, while oft engendering strongly polarized opinion, I think the Pilot/Namiki Vanishing Point deserves a place on the list. It's been around for... what, probably close to 50 years now? Besides, what icon better represents the fountain pen's valiant, but largely futile, response to the ascendency of the ballpoint, than the Vanishing Point?

Edited March 26, 2013 by 12345Michael54321

[playtime]

Waterman 12

Waterman Safety

Parker Duofold

Pelikan 100/100N

Sheaffer Balance (especially the OS)

Parker Vacumatic

Pelikan 400/400N (NOT the NN)

Montblanc 149

Parker 51

Pelikan M800

 

Future Classic:

Nakaya Long Piccolo

Pilot/Namiki Elabo

Edited March 26, 2013 by playtime

[ANM]

Here are a couple I am not sure of. I'd either include them to bring the total to 12 or remove the P 75 and flip a coin which of these two I'd include: a Conklin and an Eversharp.

And Bruce, here is your black Sheaffer's

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii101/matthewsno/DSCN0477_zps267f6a37.jpg

 

As great as an Esterbrook might be, I'd not include them in any top ten listing.

Edited March 26, 2013 by ANM

[ele]

Pelikan 400 (classic user vintage pen that is widely available)

Parker Vacumatic (king of gimmicky and intersting filling systems)

Parker Duofold (great highly sucessful pen with a great style)

Mont Blanc 149 (the epitome of class for so many)

Parker 51 (like a pen from another planet)

Pilot Vanishing Point (the retractable nibbed fountain pen)

Esterbrook J (Iconic inexpensive pen for so many)

Sheaffer Targa (inlaid nib=enough said)

Waterman's no. 7

TWSBI Diamond 530-580 (best represents the current state of the hobby)

Edited March 26, 2013 by ele