need fountain pen recommendation for everyday pen

[penwala]

Hello there - my budget is about $ - 150 to 170 --> I don't know what pen to get - i mean certainly less than 150 would be better but so far I have bought this Dunhill AD200 - which is nice but I am not certain if I am getting the best bang for my buck.

(the ad2000 is brand new - purchased from a store going out of business).

 

I currently use SENSA MERIDIAN - and I think it is a bit on the heavy side. I tend to like lighter pens.

 

To give you guys an idea - the BEST PEN EVER in terms of weight balance for me is - SENSA CLOUD 9 ballpoint pen.

I will be grateful for any recommendations ! thanks guys

Edited March 4, 2007 by penwala

[Mike S.]

I'm not familiar with the Sensa Cloud 9, so I don't know whether it would be the right size for you, but the new Sailor Sapporo comes to mind as a value-for-money pen with a great nib in a lightweight package. It's a rather short pen, but has a nice girth and is long enough with the cap posted.

 

I have also seen a couple of posts about Pam at Oscar Braun's having a Pelikan 605 on sale for around $130, with shipping. The 600 is a nice lightweight pen with a great nib.

[georges zaslavsky]

I could go for a sheaffer award in brushed steel http://www.sheaffer.com/instruments/popula...ice/award.shtml.

I have one and use it as work. Despite it has a converter, its nib is smooth and consistent, also it is a very robust pen.

The other solution is a waterman forum, economic waterman like the phileas but with a nicer design.

[adair]

I suggest the Lamy 2000---solid but lightweight, and well within your budget.

[goodguy]

Pelikan M600 would be a very good choice.

Waterman Carene is also a very nice pen.

[JimStrutton]

QUOTE (goodguy @ Mar 4 2007, 02:11 PM)

Pelikan M600 would be a very good choice. Waterman Carene is also a very nice pen.

I would echo these choices, but go the extra mile with the Pelikan and get it from Richard B with a custom nib.

 

You could also consider Vintage, you could get a very nice "51" and a Snorkel for that money, which will give you chance to use two of the best around when fountain pens were the norm.

 

Jim

[BillTheEditor]

This is such a personal choice that (in my opinion), making a recommendation without knowing anything about you is pointless. So if you don't mind a few questions:

 

What's your "everyday" occupation?

Is your approach to work and people more formal or more informal?

Would a pen with a red, yellow, or green barrel clash with you and your job? Would you prefer a black, dark blue, or brown pen? Or does color not matter?

Do you think you would like the convenience of a cartridge/converter pen, or the ink capacity of a piston filler? If you like large ink capacity, would you have a problem with everyday use of an eyedropper filler?

Would you have a problem holding and using a large-diameter pen?

How do you feel about metal pens (flighters)?

 

That should be enough information to narrow the field a bit.

[pvdiamon]

I really liked the way my Sensa wrote, and I agree it is heavy. The Aurora Ipsilon Deluxe is on the light side, like a Cloud 9. You may want to see how it feels. It has a "snap" cap however, not screw on like the Sensa.

 

John

[sleek_lover]

For the money you are gonna spend...

 

A Parker 51

A Sheaf Snork

A Waterman Phileas...

 

Should be able to get all three for $170 with money left over for three bottles of PR ink...

 

Then you will have the start of a really nice accumulation and the added problem of choosing which pen to carry...or what to buy to carry them all in.

 

And no angst about what you do for a living...those three will cover just about any occupation...

 

Bill in Souf Joisey...

[EventHorizon]

Lamy Al-Star or Pelikan M200/M215. The Pelikan will hold more ink which comes in handy if you take a lot of notes as I do. Either pen is under $100.00. The M600 will be more but if you have a budget of $150 - $170 then have at it.

[Glaedr]

I'll add my vote for a "51" or Snorkel.

[HDoug]

I'll make a nomination: The Namiki Vanishing Point (Pilot Capless). I use one of these every day as my standard office-carry. They write so well that it's a shame just to use them for taking notes, etc., so I also use them for "quality time" writing. The push-button retractable nib makes them practical, and the small but smooth and springy nibs make them great fountain pens. If the nib you get is the wrong size, you can get replacements fairly inexpensively, and since the nibs are part of the interior assembly, you can swap them out easily.

 

Of the two below, I'd choose the carbonesque as the every day pen because it's surface is grippy and soft. It it currently has a Richard Binder .5mm cursive, and the other has the regular fine point.

 

All that being said, what makes this "pen thing" fun is that it is completely a matter of personal preference. We rarely get to completely indulge so selfishly, but that's the whole point here...

 

Doug

 

http://homepage.mac.com/hdougmatsuoka/images/pen/vpboth.jpg

[DennisU]

I second HDoug's nomination for the Vanishing Point. I bought my first one a couple of months ago and now have 8 with an assortment of Binder nibs. I carry these more than any other pen. They work very well in office environments. The nib/converter or nib/cartridge assembly is really nifty and convenient.

 

That said, I've read over and over that you either love them or hate them due to the clip placement. I love them.

[pvdiamon]

I think the VP is too heavy, if being compared to a Cloud 9. I also think the VP is a little odd in terms of how the nibs write: Fine is like xtra fine, and Medium is quite broad.

 

John

[linearM]

My suggestion would be a Namiki Falcon. The cost of the pen with shipping should just fit in your price range. The one I have writes beautifully. It has a great feel, graceful, and comfortable to use. I feel it's the epitome of form following function.

[Nikhil]

I suggest the Lamy 2000---solid but lightweight, and well within your budget.

+1 or a VP

[lapis]

M215 or Charleston (in that order).

Or, of course, both!

 

Mike

[jorgerp1]

+1 for a Parker 51; you can find a nice pen on the bay for less than 50$ and if it is an aerometric you shouldn´t repair it

[sph33r]

This thread is almost 2 years old, I'm guessing the person found their pen.