Are Japanese Pens The Best Value?

[parnesh]

I have a couple of Pilot pens and they are awesome. Worked great right of the box and are very well priced as well. Looking at current yen rate and comparing against European pens, I wonder if Japanese pens bought form Japan are some of the best value pens around?

 

Edit: To be clear, the proposition is for currently available and in production pens.

Edited November 3, 2014 by parnesh

[Anirban4u]

I agree to that. even after being a sheaffer fan.

[KBeezie]

I have a couple of Pilot pens and they are awesome. Worked great right of the box and are very well priced as well. Looking at current yen rate and comparing against European pens, I wonder if Japanese pens bought form Japan are some of the best value pens around?

 

Depends on what you want, but this has been my feeling as well. The value is a little better being in the United States and importing than some other parts of the world. Also every modern Japanese pen I've purchased has been just fine out of the box without issues compared to the (albeit limited) new modern western pens I've gotten.

 

Some of the prices seem to be ever better on some of the popular Platinum pens, like a Century 3776 (Around $80-90 shipped instead of $180). But seems you can also get a Pilot Custom 74 for around 60-80$ shipped or a 742 with a waverly or SFM for around $120.

 

The price isn't the main thing that attracts me to the Japanese pens, but rather the out-of-box quality and my affinity for finer sized nibs. So for modern I tend to lean in that direction.

 

For vintage I kind of go anywhere for south of $100, but mostly towards American (Vintage Sheaffers before the 60s, Eversharps, etc), but for anything past 60s I seem to look at Japanese again, like the Pilot Elites or similar Sailor/Platinum equivalents to their short Elites. Personal preference is finicky. I would probably be a big fan of vintage Japanese like 50s or before, except being in the United States they're not exactly accessible, and information about them is even harder to find in an english speaking source.

 

My favorite 'cheapie' is a Pilot Petit1 with a Fine nib, I've not found any other pen in the $2-3 price range that could beat it for reliability, comfort and smoothness.

 

Currently, not counting vintage (before 60s), I have 7 western pens, and 8 Japanese pens. But I can easily part with 5 or 6 of the 7 western pens, and maybe only 3 of the 8 Japanese pens. Starting out, I didn't think I was going to care for any of the Japanese brands, initial impression and lightness made me think they were cheaply built before trying them.

[napalm]

Yes.

[shuuemura]

I agree totally, and I wonder why.

[maverick777]

No question. I keep eyeing Pelikan pens but I can't justify paying double or more than Japanese pens. For now I'm happy with my stable of CH92's.

[collectibles114]

No question. I keep eyeing Pelikan pens but I can't justify paying double or more than Japanese pens. For now I'm happy with my stable of CH92's.

 

I don't know, I have two low-end Pelikans (an M150 and an M200) and I'm blown away by their quality for the price—they write better than any Japanese pen I own.

 

But I think I would still agree with you when I look at the grand scope of Japanese pen brands. They're solidly built for the most part and can produce some fantastic writers.

[daintydimsum]

Yeah. I enjoy Japanese pens a lot more than European pens, and they are generally cheaper. YMMV of course.

[maverick777]

 

I don't know, I have two low-end Pelikans (an M150 and an M200) and I'm blown away by their quality for the price—they write better than any Japanese pen I own.

 

But I think I would still agree with you when I look at the grand scope of Japanese pen brands. They're solidly built for the most part and can produce some fantastic writers.

 

Which Japanese pens are you comparing your Pelikans to? For the price range of the M150/M200 I was able to buy a Pilot Custom Heritage 92 and a Pilot Stargazer. both have 14K nibs that write incredibly smooth. The Pilot Custom Heritage 74 and 91 would also be in the same price range and also offer 14k nibs. The M400 is nearly twice the price of these pens for a 14k nib Pelikan and it's hard to imagine it would be a superior writing experience.

 

I'm not saying that the M200 is a bad pen by any means, but I do think it's on the high side for a steel nib pen. Especially with the Lamy 2000 also in the same price range.

 

I'm hoping to try out a Pelikan at the next Pen Club meeting in my city next month. I don't have first hand experience with Pelikans so I'm interested in your comparison.

Edited November 3, 2014 by maverick777

[Icywolfe]

There are some exceptions for the buying pens from JP is cheaper rule. The Elabo is more expensive than what US retailers sells them for.

 

They are great value, especially for Pilot, when I open the box and pop the cartridge I know it will work without flushing. It's like they makes them so perfectly.

[parnesh]

 

I don't know, I have two low-end Pelikans (an M150 and an M200) and I'm blown away by their quality for the price—they write better than any Japanese pen I own.

 

But I think I would still agree with you when I look at the grand scope of Japanese pen brands. They're solidly built for the most part and can produce some fantastic writers.

 

 

To give an example, the Pilot CH 92 is $120 pen with a 14K nib and a piston filler. A comparable pelikan would be the m600 which is about US$280 + on german ebay. I do have a m215. It is a great pen but the nib out of the box was horrible and steel nib.

[cpmcnamara]

I think there are a few more budget options with Japanese pens at the $20 and $100 range. But it depends - Japanese special editions seem even more overpriced to me than german versions. And I like the construction of a Lamy 2000 over a vanishing point (at the same price point).

There are plenty of other reasons to go Japanese. I placed pens in a pelikan case this weekend when I was moving and put it in my coat pocket (lots of moving around). My M600 leaked all over the place, there wasn't a drop from my Japanese pens. Japanese pens and functional reliability go hand in hand

Edited November 3, 2014 by cpmcnamara

[The Pantaloon Duck]

http://i.imgur.com/bGdnGrV.jpg

 

That pen up there ^^^ cost me £65.57 including delivery from Japan. I reckon that's pretty good value

[LuckyKate]

I absolutely love Japanese pens and own several. The aesthetics and the nibs appeal to me greatly. That said the annoyance of a cartridge converter can be too much for me at times. Pelikans are fantastic sturdy and beautiful pens with a solid utilitarian vibe. And the nib and beauty of my new Optima blows me away.

 

The notion of "best" really depends on "best for what."

[Dr.Grace]

I generally agree. Although I love my Pelikans, I feel European pens are getting much too expensive these days.

[parnesh]

 

 

The notion of "best" really depends on "best for what."

 

Hence the notion of best value, i.e what you get per unit price purely from a writing perspective. Ofcourse the aesthetic value and nib preferences will be different for different people (my new Optima blows me away too although I could get a Sailor Pro gear realo for about half the cost I paid which was significant discount over retail, I would pick the Optima).

 

And there will be exceptions too such as the Lamy 2000.

[aawhite]

I lived there for a while and came across many good pens at most reasonable prices, and most of all, they have consistent quality.

 

In short, I find Japanese pens as value for money.

[a m a r g o]

I've only played with Pelikan's, Lamy's and Pilot's... and i'll have to agree, the japanese ones are the best so far with the least invested in them. That, of course, doesn't diminishes my love for the german ones.

[Algester]

Being what they are yes but if your going to compare the big 3 Pilot by far has the best price range of offerings compared to Sailor and Platinum plus the vast library of Pilot's offering not saying that the conservative Platinum is by far arguably good but Sailor for their prices can't possibly compete with Pilot in that regard but man their inks... That is something I want to hold and enshrine orz...

But some of Sailor's exclusive retailer pens are damn good to look at

Edited November 4, 2014 by Algester

[LuckyKate]

 

Hence the notion of best value, i.e what you get per unit price purely from a writing perspective. Ofcourse the aesthetic value and nib preferences will be different for different people (my new Optima blows me away too although I could get a Sailor Pro gear realo for about half the cost I paid which was significant discount over retail, I would pick the Optima).

 

And there will be exceptions too such as the Lamy 2000.

 

A Pelikan 250 (in my avatar) and a Lamy safari were my only pens from 2007 to 2014. In that space of seven years I used the Pelikan 250 for several hours a day or about 20 pages. I used the Lamy safari to grade.

 

In seven years I never thought about my trusty pens. They just worked. Then once this last May I had a hair removed from the Pelikan. At the same time, Tim Girdler reground the nib to a stub as the medium nib was a bit worn. That pen still works great, has never leaked a drop, has no nib creep, funky pistons. I am convinced it is indestructible. It just works and works.

 

The Lamy Safari unfortunately sprang a leak and has become a bit of a pita in the last six months.

 

It was while I was getting my Pelikan 250 fixed this past June that I held a blue striped M600, which led me to a white tortoise. Which led me to FPN. Which led me to Which led me to two Nakayas.

 

I plan to use these Nakayas until they fall apart. For me value means the pen is quasi indestructible and gives me joy with its beauty over time. The joy and beauty component of my Japanese pens' value is a reality.

 

I'll know in ten years if my Japanese pens last over time given the kind of labor they will do for me.