pen advice, best pen for $200 or so

[memphislawyer]

ok, sold my waterman charleston, xf nib. want a broader nib so i can see the depth of color of my florida waterman blue. i like the resins and celluloid. silver accoutrements (furniture, clip) preferred but not mandatory.

 

here are some pens i am thinking of

 

pelikan 605 for $129

pelikan 400 something honey tortoise for $119

bexley submariner grande around $200

bexley schrenazde

visconti midi and maxi van gogh

filcao

some others

 

sam

[DrPJM1]

What size letters do you write? If an XF nib is to your liking then try a medium nib. If you write large letters try a stub.

 

From my experience:

Can't go wrong with a Pelikan 600, it's my favourite size and the nibs are 1st class.

Bexley's have wonderful nibs too, and a great stub nib.

Visconti nibs are a little too dry out of the box.

Never seen nor handled a Filcao in person.

[southpaw]

Out of the ones you've listed, I'd say the Bexley would be my pic. It's a wonderful piston filler and the nibs are tops. I've got a gray one that I reviewed here and The Noble Savage's review of the same pen (different nib) is here.

 

I'd also consider the Danitrio raw ebonite ED fillers, either in rough or gloss finish. Not a lot of flashiness, but if you want a good writer that holds a ton of ink, this seems to be it. Lots of nib choices as well. (Disclaimer: I haven't written with one . . . yet. Mine's in the mail as I write this.)

[Escribiente]

If you are willing to spend just a tad more, you could get the Omas MoMA. It's made of vegetal resin. The nibs have a slight bouncy feeling, and the flow is perfect, because, as all Omas pens, the feeder is made of ebonite. They show up on e-bay for about $210.

[JRodriguez]

Could you give us some more info on what your hoping to get out of the pen. Personally, having just purchased an DaniTrio, its a superb writer. The Sailor Pro Gear would be another, and is available with the color scheme you mentioned.

[Apollo]

Sam, all the pens you mentioned are great. The trick now is narrowing it down to the one suited to your purposes.

 

If you really want to appreciate the depth of the WM Florida Blue ink your using, you may want to select a pen with the colour to match like the Signum Orione in sapphire blue with a medium nib. You can get it with either a gold or steel nib and in cart/converter or piston filler mode. Incidentally, Richard Binder has the piston filler Oriones with 18k nibs for $235.

[memphislawyer]

well, i am looking to use the pen around the office, mainly for writing appts into a calendar, or signing letters, or making out checks, or notes for files. i also want something kinda flashy. im not much of a collector, as i have two ballpoint pens: a black meisturstruck pen, black ink, the smaller of the two, and a now discontinued cartier diablo all silver with the blue cabochon. i carry the silver one about 80% of the time. i could easily sell or trade the meisturstruck.

 

i tend to write smaller, so the xf nib worked well, it just made the florida blue look so pedestrian. i saw some exemplars that really made colors stand out. i am thinking of getting a fun pen from the guy who has those german pens for like $35 delivered with the all gold nibs in a fine. just to maybe use a havana brown or a purple ink.

 

i really dont like the look of an all black body pen: if so, im going with a MB. i did check out richards site. that is where i saw the bexleys in better depth. the submariner grand in blue he has, but is out of stock, well, i think it is oversize but it is piston fill and about $200. he also has that red one that is a smaller size. not too wild about the gold on it, as i prefer silver.

 

there is a 400 series white tortoise pelikan at altmas for $119 and a 600m in all blue there for $129. these are decent. i can get maybe a 800 pelikan blue black for $180. i dont know the difference in size between an XF nib and the 0.4 fine nib and 0.7 medium.

 

keep the ideas coming. i really appreciate the depth of knowledge on this board. oh, by the way, the pen i get would really be a workhorse. id use it everyday

 

sam

[memphislawyer]

southpaw and TNS, loved your reviews. if i can get it at a decent price, id love a schrenadze. from what i am reading, the lines produced are wider than usual, so maybe i should get fine instead of medium? anyplace to get it sub $200, like each of you did?

 

sam

sblass@gmail.com

[paco638]

Sam,

 

I purchased the Pelikan 605 from Altman. It is a great pen and a wonderful writer. But it is not flashy at all. I also have a Pelikan Picadally Circus. Now that is a flashy pen!! I picked that up at Avalon Pens for $245. The pen that I have coming tomorrow is the Stipula Duetto Artic with a platnium Stub nib 0.9. This pen is beautiful. You can get them at Swishers for $165.00. Hope this helps.

 

 

Mike

[Bill]

...also want something kinda flashy....

For $200 I'd go for the 605 or SMG, but my 400 white honey tortoise is absolutely the most attention-getting pen so far. I can whip out a favorite cool vintage or modern celluloid and nobody notices, but the WT often gets positive comments. Even my wife, who gets all manner of free pens from vendors (including MB look-alikes) and ignores my pen fetish, had a wow moment when she saw it.

 

Women in particular seem to like it. If I was single and on the prowl, I'd carry it all the time instead of having to walk a dog or a friend's baby ;-)

 

Bill

[amin]

If you want a fancy-looking great writer for $200, I highly recommend picking up a used aureloid Aurora Optima. They turn up fairly often on the Pentrace.com market board. I bought one recently and its gorgeous. A bit too fancy for my everyday use, but sounds right up your alley. I paid the equivalent of $190 for mine, mint condition in red aureloid. For a Florida Blue match, blue aureloid would be a stunner.

[memphislawyer]

i saw the optima and it is one i would consider but the prices are over $300 for it new. and i still like the sheharadzeh the best. if i got a deal on one, id pull the trigger and order that. but the $119 white tortoise at altmans or the $129 blue 600 m are very appealing pricewise.

 

i think it is gonna be one of these three. anyone spot some deals email me. i am ready to buy. also think i am gonna get one of those german piston fillers for a fun pen to use with purple or brown ink

 

sam