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So, at this moment I have a cheap, no-name fountain pen with a scratchy "iridium point Germany" nib, but I still love it and want to upgrade to something serious. I`m looking for a stylish, a bit luxury and good writing pen. For several reasons I want to buy it from local store, and thus I`m limited to Monteverde, Lamy, Cross and Conklin, and most of them are available only with medium nibs. I`ve fell in love with the design of Monteverde Invincia Deluxe Rose Gold, however I didn`t get an opportunity to try how it writes. I`ve read several reviews of it, and it seems like I`m going to like this pen, but I`ve also found several topics on this forum about people having issues with Monteverde. So, now I`m struggling to decide: is there any reason for not buying this pen? Should I really be afraid of getting problems with this one? Maybe You would recommend something better from these 4 brands with similar price?

Hello, I'm sure you've heard this question plenty of times, but I'm curious for those who have recently started using fountain pens and their experience. What were you first choices of fountain pens? Which ones did you end up getting and why? I'm currently deciding between the pilot metropolitan, lamy safari and the twsbi eco. Opinion?

This review and others can also be found at my website: www.pensinksandpaper.com At first glance, the Deli S677 might appear to be a cheap marker, a plasticky bit of mass-produced unpleasantness that has no place in the hand of a fountain pen user. One would be surprised, then, when removing the cap to find not a ballpoint tip or a marker’s felt but a nib. Appearance & Design (3/10) – I’m not entirely sure what the creators of this pen were trying to do in terms of visual appeal. They look rather unusual. The caps are a solid pastel color, with a white clip that says “deli” on it. The body of the pen is the same pastel color as the cap, but with small white hearts dotting the area. In the center of the bodies of the pens are cartoon animals, under which there is text that reads “Here is a More Lush Forest.” Your guess as to what they mean is as good as mine. Just before the section on the top of the body there is a white ring with an “inspirational” quote on it. The pink pen reads “I am to grow strong and tall”. The green pen reads “My skin is the most beautiful of all”. The most inspiring of all, though, is the blue pen, which gives us the truly beautiful line of “The squirrel is a typical arboreal mammal”. Running alongside the body of the pen is the model number of the pen and a barcode that my barcode scanning app did not recognize as a product available here in the states. Construction & Quality (6/10) – Compared to other pens of the same price level/target audience, the S677 isn’t terribly built. The plastic feels solid enough, and after some time using the pen and carrying it around in a messy backpack I have not experienced any paint chipping or scuffing. The cap posts very securely, and snaps back onto the body securely and satisfyingly. It actually feels excellent in the hand, if a bit light, as long as you don’t look down at it. The pen is about the length of a Lamy Safari, but a bit lighter and thinner, and if you removed the silly paint it looks and feels remarkably similar to a Pilot Varsity. Nib & Performance (6/10) – The nib us also suspiciously similar to that of a Pilot Varsity. Apart from the S677’s being stamped “Deli” rather than “Pilot”, the nibs are virtually indistinguishable in terms of design, size, and performance. It is smooth and reliable, but don’t expect anything except a nail. The pen writes a tad bit dry, but not dry enough to impede the smoothness or cause any skipping problems. The feed also differs from the Pilot Varsity, as I believe the S677 has a traditional plastic feed rather than a wick one like the Pilot. Filling System & Maintenance – There isn’t all too much to say here, the pen is a Cartridge/Convertor filler. The pen comes with some blue ink cartridges, which work nicely. One point of interest here: the pen does not accept international sized cartridges or convertors, but works perfectly Lamy’s alternatives. Cost & Value (8/10) – The pen was purchased from China for a mere dollar and eighty cents for a pack of three. At that price point, I think that these are a far better buy than Pilot Varsity’s if you can stand their design choices. I wouldn’t use these on a regular basis, because I have much more interesting and good-looking pens that I use and rely on. As pens to give away to people, or to lend as first fountain pens, though, they’re just about perfect. (Again, if the person receiving them can stand the design) Their nail of a nib is smooth and can withstand the pressure of a ballpoint user, and they accept cartridges, putting them a notch above the Pilot Varsity in my book. Conclusion (Final score, 5.75/10) – To be brutally honest, I will not be using these pens again for a while. I have, however, already given two of them away to first-time fountain pen users, both of whom love them dearly and are already looking at more expensive, better pens. As tools for someone who has many fountain pens already, I’d steer clear of these guys. But for a first fountain pen, or giveaway pens, at $1.80 for three these make a pretty great alternative to Pilot Varsity’s, Platinum Preppy’s, and the other cheap “disposables” on the market.

I've never had a sailor before but I always liked the brand becuase I heard a lot of poeple talk good about Sailor a friend of mine once told me that their nibs are very smooth and I am a sucker for smooth nibs. So I decided to get one. I know that they have a few big pens and I have tiny hands so Im looking for something smooth and mid sized any recommendations?

Hello all! I am new here but I have been lurking for quite some time trying to gather as much information as I could about pens and ink! I am a nun from the US so I don't have a lot of money to spend on pens, but I do love the art and the beauty that is found in the fountain pen world! I am looking for a workhorse pen, something I am use at work as a nurse, and something for personal writing. I was looking at the lamy safari dark lilac and the twsbi eco... I am a huge fan of anything purple ( you know that lovely shade of blue purple!) What is a good work purple ( dark enough to use at work but rebellious enough to be purple ) and a good journaling purple? ( I have to admit I am intrigued by the diamond shimmertastic lilac satin but I don't want any clogging or pen problems! I am so grateful to this community for the resource and inspiration you are and have been to me! Be back soon!

Hello everyone! I have recently decided that I shall give both my parents the most useful, enjoyable, quite expensive, and memorable gift. (I have recently started to earn money myself) To my dad I decided to give him a fountain pen and a simple squared A4 notebook. I came to this quick decision as to my dad's gift because I frequently saw him use a single cheap 1.0 bic ballpen with a standard, cheap 70gsm A4 spring notebook. The problem is this : My dad is as extreme a minimalist as you will encounter. (and consequently also very, very hard to please with a gift.. It's easy to miss his specific taste) He is in his mid 50's, in a respectable business position, and hates complicated, useless decorations, ornaments, and generally dismisses what is considered 'better' or 'good' and is satisfied with the least of things. It seems logical that my dad would hate or even never use a fountain pen given to him...(especially with the inevitable fuss of inks, cleaning, ink smearing, varying dry times, pen maintenance etc..) but I really want to see him write with a well performing fountain pen that pleases him. It's so hard to imagine a fountain pen that can satisfy all these criteria. For example, any filling system would still seem fussy to my dad (maybe a piston filler COULD be enough)... Does anyone have any good ideas for such a pen? If anyone out their is himself/herself a minimalist maybe you can help out or try and argue as a minimalist as to why you still adopted the fountain pen life. I would say as a general guideline that my dad does seem to prefer a fairly thick grip section. (I had him try some of my pens) (He even said the grip of the Jinhao 159 was reasonable so 11mm to 12mm I guess) He also uses a 1.0 ballpoint daily so a pen available in a good Medium to a Medium~Broad nib would suit. Also I am thinking of spending about 400$ for this pen, I'm making this gift partly because I also want to see my parents use something expensive for a change. Thanks in advance for your thoughtful suggestions! M.

Hi everyone, This is my first post in this forum although I have read a lot of great posts here for some time now just for the sake of knowing about fountain pen. But this time I want to ask a question and get some helpful suggestions. I have been using fountain pen for last 2-3 years but all my pens were below Rs. 35 (indian rupee) except one which was a pierre cardin which was gifted to me. I have used pen like Montex Handy and some Hero pens. Personally I just love Montex Handy, although they are cheap but they are way too smooth with few exceptions. My pierre cardin (don't remember the name) had nib more than a medium grade which I felt was too broad but was smooth but I didn't like it. But now I want to buy a new fountain pen, I have already searched other posts but the pens in them are either expensive or are mostly answered to people outside of India (sorry don't mean to offend anyone). I want to buy a pen within 100-150 (indian rupee). I am looking for: Smooth Nib (between fine and medium but not more than that.)Converter can be used (just hate cartridge).I don't mind the pen being sober or shiny or even being plastic body.Medium sized barrel not too thin nor fat.Light or Medium weight. I searched myself and found Pierre Cardin Identity Fountain pen, which according to the reviews satisfied my requirements. But I was hoping if you people could suggest me something about this pen or may be some other as per your experience, because I just simply don't want to be on the regretting end because it will be the first time I would be spending 100-150 rupee on a pen. I am sorry for any error in this post, as this being my first. Thanks in advance.

Not sure if this topic was here before. Search mode didn't came out with this. So what was your very first pen? My first was Hero, I was abt 12 (I dont remember exactly) as far sa I remember it wasn't good writing instrument. Abt 3 years later I bought myself a Parker, I dont have it any longer & I dont remember whitch model it was (some cheaper one it cost 12-15$). My first more serious one was Waterman Maestro, it was a gift from my grandparents for my 18th birthday. I still have it, it didnt write but I keep it for sentimental reasons.

Hi guys, I'm hoping this is in the right place. I start school in August for BioChem, and I'm looking for a reliable pen to get me through college. I'm willing to spend up to 80$, although that's a bit flexible. Over the past year I've used the Pilot Varsity, and I finally want to take the plunge on my first real pen. I'd rather avoid the Lamy Safari, just because of how ugly they look. Also, what's the best websites to be buying these pens that you are suggesting? Thanks!

Or: Did your first pen influence your current collection? Expanding a little from the ongoing school pen thread, do you think your earliest fountain pen experiences, at school or elsewhere, shaped your current pen preferences? What’s the primacy effect? As I understand it - actual psychologists out there, please correct - we remember and attach greater importance to the first in a series. So, in the case of pens, our first pen, if we liked it, creates a template for what we think of as a pen, and what pens we like. So, the questions are:1. What was your first pen?2. Did you get it at an impressionable age?3. What pen or type of pen best represents your preferences today?4. What similarities, if any, do you see between the two? My answers:1. Sheaffer Imperial II Deluxe with a touchdown filler (I believe).2. Yes, around 10 years old.3. Post-war Italian piston fillers.4. Similar appearance, superficially similar filling systems. My first pen clearly influences my collection today: - It was black with a silver cap. Most of my pens are black with silver caps. - It was a touchdown filler. I seem to have a thing for plunger-type pistons. (Yes, I know the touchdown mechanism is totally different, but as a child I thought it filled on the upstroke, with interesting results. )On the other hand, the Sheaffer was a nail and I prefer semi-flex if I can get it. How about you? Can you trace any direct influences between your first pen and your current collection, or have you broken free of your programming?

I've been researching Noodler's Ahab Flex for a while, and I really really like it. Particularly the flexiness. I've been interested in fountain pens for a couple years, and my actual firsts were a pack of pilot varsities, which turned me off from fountain pens because of their weird scratchiness (which may or may not have been my fault; I was younger and dumber) I know the ahab can't compare it to a true flex pen, but I'm a poor high school student, so 20 bucks is a lot to me. It totally seems worth it from what I've seen, even though a lot of what I've seen tell me (beginner) to stay away from it till I've amassed some experience. I've also looked at "flexy" fpr dillies that have a similarly affordable price that seem to have a rep for being pretty safe (or safer than an ahab at least), but I don't really like their appearance, and the ahabs seem to have more line variation and flexibility, which is what I'm totally in love with. I also really like the ahab because I am equally obsessed with calligraphy, and would like to learn it myself, so I was thinking about buying the speedball calligraphy kit on amazon, but I'm not sure if I should go with the type with an oblique holder or a straight one. I'd like to try Ornamental/Spencerian/Engraver's type calligrapby rather than gothic. One of the reasons I want the Ahab despite obvious drawbacks (like my newbity and tinkering) so much is because of the beautiful works I've seen done with the pen, which I'd also like to be able to do someday. Does anyone know if this is a decent book to staft with? (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0486409511/ref=ox_sc_act_image_6?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER) I have looked into a lot of other types of pens that probably would have been way better as a first pen for me like lamys and pilots or preppies and jinhaos and the like, but I also feel like I couldn't survive without the Ahab. Should I just give up on the Ahab and go for something more dependable (like a workhorse lamy or a cheaper and safer dilly)? Like I said, I'm a really poor hs student with only like 50~70 dollars to burn on a fountain pen, both calligraphy and fountain pen ink, a calligraphy set, and a calligraphy book. Sorry for the trouble, and thanks for the help

I have been reading numerous guides and tips on picking up the first fountain pen and it seems like the Safari/Al-star/Vista are by far the most recommended pens in the lower price range. Now I'm not gonna be using my pens for regular notes or anything like that. I'm only gonna do calligraphy and fine letters with them etc. Therefore I was thinking about picking up one of the mentioned pens with a broad nib, however when I was scrolling through Cult Pens list I came across a pen called lamy Joy which seems to fit the bill since it comes with a 1.1 italic nib and it's a good 7 euro cheaper, however it's not very reviewed. http://www.cultpens.com/i/q/LM09594/lamy-joy-fountain-pen I found like 2 reviews saying it's a good pen, but that's slightly little to base a purchase on. Does anyone know anything about this pen? Also a second question: Will a broad nib on a Safari/Al-star/Vista make visible line differences? I would hate to buy a "good" pen and then figure out it's too narrow to make italic calligraphy.

Hello Everyone! I am getting my first fountain pen today along with a set of ink and pads. Any ideas with ways to practice? And tips for usage (cleaning, good nibs, etc?) Thanks! Rachel

Hello, Forum! I have been using cheap Chinese fountain pens for over three years (and also a Lamy Safari) and they aren't cutting it for me anymore. I REALLY want to buy an amazing fountain pen that will become a life long writing instrument. The only problem is that there are way too many pens to choose from ;~;. Some specifications: A sexy nib, a marble/ resin look, and also it can't be one solid color. I apologize for having to make a selfish first post, but I feel that this is an unbiased place.

I remember I got my first pen in September. It was a Pilot Varsity 3-pack. I used the black one first. It was the coolest experience ever!!! My old ballpoints and erasable pens were quickly forgotten and I still have the empty pens today! Since then I have a very odd selection of a Pilot Metropolitan, Lamy Safari, and a gifted Montegrappa Parola. What was your first pen?

Hi, hello, everybody I've decided to come out of lurking to ask for advice about purchasing my first pen, I've selected a few candidates, however I'd like to know if there is anything I may have overlooked. I joined almost a year ago while I was looking for information on the Montblanc Noblesse Oblige and the Chopin, but I decided to sit on it for a little while longer. If there's anybody who would like to help me make the best decision for my lifestyle, I would greatly appreciate it. I'm looking for a pen that I would be happy to grow with, a companion for other tools that I cherish, namely a Leica M2; I'd like a pen that comes close to embodying what the M2 represents to me i.e. a classic design in its simplest form -- perhaps designed to outlast its owner. It's a very early M2, as far as Ms go it is stripped of everything: it lacks a traditional shot count, light meter, self-timer, modern loading system, modern rewind, hot shoe etc. What this means to those who are unacquainted, it is sometimes very difficult love in light of more modern, albeit still archaic, Leica cameras. I'd like to spend $300, however I will extend the budget for the right pen. If it helps, I'm in a somewhat fortunate position to be a university student earning money, whilst still living at home, so I don't pay rent, utilities, or anything other than my own transport and phone bill; being an extra five hundred dollars out of pocket merely means I might not be able to buy nice shoes. I'd also like to add that the M2 was my first film camera, a year later I bought an M6--has an inbuilt meter--from a limited production. It has all the fancy modern additions, but I don't quite like it--it doesn't speak to me and I've considered selling it. I'm currently looking at a gold trimmed midnight blue Noblesse Oblige, it feels like it fits the bill: classic, slender design. However I worry for its longevity and its build quality as I have read that its barrel is made of plastic as it belongs to Montblanc's pseudo-budget line of sorts; I believe it is also priced quite high ($300) for such a pen, as I might be able to buy another Montblanc with the same amount of money.One of the reasons why I do not like the M6 is that it is made of a lighter magnesium alloy, which feels cheap compared to the chromed brass of the M2. I'm the type of person who enjoys fine things at my own pace, this means that I might enjoy the must have thing from the last century and dress like your grandad... I suppose. I've been fixated on the Noblesse Oblige for about a year, and I do not want that to steer me in the wrong direction. Could I have possibly overlooked other pens? Thoughts, and or opinions would be appreciated. I would be eternally grateful if somebody would care to help me out in anyway possible.