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Hi everyone, Does anybody know of a brand of not too expensive paper (for a student) that is FP friendly and that comes in notebooks and/or loose leaf and/or pads that is easy to find in Canada (through places like Amazon or Staples). So far I have had to resort to buying Hilroy notebooks but they are very inconsistent so I'm looking to upgrade to something better for my everyday writing without breaking the bank on something like Rhodia or Clairefontaine. Thank you all very much in advance!

These retractable Luoshi branded fountain pens proved irresistible to me. They have a Lamy Safari sort of profile, and are made of velvety-feeling something or other. Unlike the Pilot Capless, Moonman A1, and others, the layout is like most non-retractables; nib and clip being at opposite ends. Ain't they cute? View the sets here. Pros: Five pens for less than three bucks each. (Even cheeper now than when I bought them at about $16 for the set.) Set is nicely boxed. Comes in a few color variations. Each has its own converter, so you can use whatever ink you like. Each comes with a cap for when the pen's not in use. Comes with box of cartridges. And extra nibs. Have I mentioned, they're cute? Cons: Pale violet ink cartridges (a whole box, included) write a measly, thin line, but stain, and are almost impossible to clean. Due to the unique layout, pens themselves are a little hard to clean, and dry out fast, sometimes even with the cap. A lot depends on the ink. Conclusion: I've been using a couple of these for a month now. If you're curious, or fond of cute, check them out.

Hi Everyone, Last year a pen starting popping up for sale in China that looks like a legitimate reincarnation of the discontinued but beloved Pilot 78G. The interesting thing is that this new pen, the Pilot 78G+, seems to only be for sale in mainland China. At first I thought it was another knockoff like the Wing Sung 659, but then I saw this on the official Pilot website for China. Scroll down to see a detailed comparison of the 78G and 78G+. In short, the major differences are that the 78G+ comes in 2 new colors (bright blue and bright red) and an EF (0.28~0.3mm) nib is finally available. If these EF nibs are nice, this would mean no more having to put a Pilot Penmanship EF nib in a 78G body. Also, the CON-20 squeeze converter has been replaced by the new CON-40 piston style. Before I take the plunge and buy one of these new pens, I wanted to know....do any of you have one of these and how does it compare to the original 78G? http://www.pilotpen.com.cn/upload/fckimage/image/1(14).jpg http://www.pilotpen.com.cn/upload/fckimage/image/2(2).jpg

For Information: Bought: At least a decade ago from WHSmith's (large stationery shop), reduced to half price (£3-£4... I think). Availability: This is about the easiest fountain pen to lay hands on in the UK and, as I understand it, it certainly isn't difficult to find in many other parts of the world, either, whether in a high-street shop, a supermarket or on the net. The price hasn't risen too much in the last decade, either. If you want a fine nib you may not get one quite so easily, though, and extra fine stopped being made ages ago! There's a bit of a story behind this one, for me: You have to understand, me and the Parker Vector model, we go way back... When I was nine, I changed schools. My first school had carried a few of the 1970s “progressive educational” ideas into the 80s which, in part, meant that once you could print something vaguely recognisable as lower case letters (and my parents had ensured that I had started school being able to do that), they just left you to get on with handwriting the best way you could. However, my new school insisted on fountain pens! I couldn't even do “joined up” writing. At around the same time, my favourite Aunt was diagnosed with lung cancer and was receiving intensive chemo- and radio-therapy. My parents and I visited her every Saturday, often in hospital, and one of us must have mentioned that I had to have a fountain pen, because she gave me £10 and told me to go and get myself a pen for school. That was how I got my first Vector fountain pen. It was a “flighter” model and I had my name engraved on it. I loved that pen, and it became doubly precious after my Aunt died the following year. We moved to Scotland when I was 13 and it got lost during that move – I grieved for that pen. Moving on, rather a lot of years, I wandered into a branch of WHSmith, probably for a magazine or newspaper, but WHSmith sell two things which I can't resist, books and pens, so when I saw a bargain bin with Parker pens I made a beeline. I ended up buying a navy blue Vector (the colour is now discontinued, but there is a brighter blue version) and a magenta/gunmetal ballpoint (I still have the ballpoint somewhere but I don't even know what model it is – a bit like an Urban, but it pre-dates that, so I'm not sure). That Vector began to live in my handbag and amazingly (considering I've never been all that careful with it) it has survived to this very day. I have to admit it's well past its best now, even if it is still a very decent writer. I thought I'd review it while it's still in the land of the living. Appearance/Design – 6/10: This pen is very utilitarian; there's nothing fancy or exciting about it, but it is very practical and it gets the job done. The only semi-unusual part of the design is the metal section (brushed stainless steel) with a plastic body – I can think of others, but not one so inexpensive. Other than the section/nib, the end-cap on the barrel and the clip are also metal and the clip is in the traditional Parker arrow-shape, though without any engraved fletching. The clip has plenty of spring, so no problem clipping it to most everyday things. Here's a link to the Vector “family” on the Parker website: http://www.parkerpen.com//ProductDisplay?storeId=12002&urlLangId=-11&productId=11514&urlRequestType=Base&top_category=12001&langId=-11&catalogId=12002. Parker may call it “chic”, but even though I have a lot of affection for the Vector model, objectively, “dull but worthy” is probably a better description of the design, here's mine: http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2865/10134263335_1343b988de_b.jpg Parker Vector by Geordielass78, on Flickr Perfectly good pen, but a little boring, really, isn't it? As you can see mine's a bit (OK, a lot) scuffed – it's a 10-year-old daily carry (handbag pocket with at least 1 other pen, a propelling pencil, a mobile phone and sometimes keys) and you may even be able to see that's it's less than 10 years ago that I kicked the habit of chewing pens when lost in thought! Calling it boring is slightly unfair of me, it has clean straight lines and I like the contrast between the steel and plastic parts of the pen which, perhaps, makes it a little more classy than the average inexpensive plastic bodied pen. The only other thing worth noting is that it has a sturdy plastic “ring” around the bottom of the nib which gives it, almost, a semi-hooded look. The nib itself is very small and narrow, without a breather hole and PARKER printed across it just below the slit. What has to be noted in its favour is that, even though this is a 1980s design, meant for the younger/less affluent end of the market, instead of the pen equivalent of a huge permed mullet, enormous shoulder-pads, fluorescent eye makeup and earrings that could double as chandeliers, Parker kept the design simple and reasonably refined. That's all I have to say about it, there isn't much more, is there? Score-wise, I hovered between 6 and 7, but I think the tug to 7 is based on my personal affection for the pen. Really, it's a very functional design, but just a bit plain and unexciting, so I think it has to be 6/10. Construction/Quality – 10/10: This surely has to be a high scoring category, after all its still going after 10 or more years. The plastic part is light but robust – well it was robust. The body has several hairline cracks around the threaded end now (hence my surmise about it not lasting much longer). I know exactly how they came about, and it's mostly my fault. I was screwing the (metal) section into the (plastic) body about a year ago, after refilling, and I over-tightened (I knew not to do that on this pen, but I wasn't concentrating). Unfortunately, after you've cracked it once, it becomes a lot easier to do a second time. I imagine this is probably an inherent design flaw in the plastic models when used a little heavy-handedly - the metal's rigid and the plastic has a enough give to be slightly over-tightened, but not enough to survive if you are really being vigorous. Still, it took about 9 years for it to happen, so it certainly can't lose construction/quality points for this. When it comes to my original flighter model it was practically indestructible – that pen was accidentally knocked off desks onto hard classroom floors numerous times, occasionally while uncapped, and took no harm, even when landing nib-down. I think it was stood on, at least once (the barrel, not the nib – I don't think it's that tough). I like the nib a lot, but then again I would, I'm used to it and it's used to me – but I'll go into that in more detail later – it's undoubtedly a good quality nib for this money, though. A very solidly built, reliable pen, and for an inexpensive workhorse, rather than a status symbol or future heirloom, a 10+-year lifespan is pretty impressive! So I have to give it 10/10. Size and Weight - 6/10: It's fairly light, especially considering it's partly stainless steel, and I guess it manages that by being fairly small. Don't get me wrong, it's not tiny, but I do think it's smaller than average – width-wise, anyway, lengthwise, it's actually pretty big, if you post it. (Thinking it was on its last legs, I decided to replace it with a stainless steel Jotter, now that is a teeny pen – not my best purchase.) Compare it to a Parker Jotter and Platinum Preppy: http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3759/10138797266_91707e16f5_b.jpg Parker Vector Comparison by Geordielass78, on Flickr It is quite a narrow pen, which, added to the unyielding metal section, doesn't always make it the most comfortable to write with for long periods. Because I've spent so much time writing with one, over the years, I don't notice (until too late – i.e. when my hand starts to ache) that it's too small for my hands but, really, I'm more comfortable with a larger pen. For a child who is of an age/skill level to have fully-developed fine-motor skills (i.e. happily uses a fountain pen and always holds it correctly) or a woman with smaller hands, though, this makes a great pen – I just have clodhopper's hands. It's not minuscule and they are very common, both in this model and the similar roller-ball, so it's often used by men (and women with big hands), but for people with relatively large hands there are more comfortable pens out there. In summary, it's a compact pen, but posted it's a very good length for even the largest hands. Unfortunately, even if it was 20-25% fatter, it still couldn't be called a wide pen. It's light, which is often easier, but it's not ideal for prolonged use, unless you have small hands. I don't feel it can have more than 6/10. Nib Performance - 10/10: This nib is used in the Vector and Jotter and was used in the Reflex and others in the past (I can speak for the three pens named, since I have one of each) and I believe it's also currently used in the IM and Urban – in other words, if you have tried a current model Parker in the lower-cost half of their range you will have used one. You'll have your own opinions on it, in that case, but I really like it. It looks undersized to me in the IM and Urban, but here it's in proportion and looks neat and appropriate (I'm afraid I'm back to the dull but worthy language) but this section of the review isn't about how it looks, it's about how it performs. It has almost no spring. However, for a cheap steel nib, it is smooth and a real pleasure to write with. This one has had a lot of time to adapt to my writing style (and for a good proportion of the last decade it was one of only two fountain pens I regularly used, so it has been well broken in) but I don't recall it ever being at all scratchy. My two much newer Parkers with the same nib bear this out. This is a medium, and as this nib was also on my first fountain pen, it is, I think, unconsciously the standard by which I judge whether another medium nib is truly medium or not. When compared to half a dozen other mediums I own, this actually seems quite fair (though my “identical” Jotter nib is a very broad “medium”, so they aren't 100% consistent). Anyway, here is a sample to give you an idea of how it writes (the ink is Diamine Amazing Amethyst, though the colour is slightly off in the photo): http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2853/10134351646_38ec18e8fd_b.jpg Parker Vector Sample by Geordielass78, on Flickr It's got a great feed, no skipping, no hard starting (even left several weeks without using) and is fairly wet, though not a “gusher”. As you can (hopefully) see from the picture, it can produce decent shading with the right ink. All in all, it's a great nib for the money. A true medium, smooth, on the wet side; I can't fault it. I'm giving it 10/10. Filling System/Maintenance - 8/10: With that metal end-cap, it isn't an eyedropper candidate, but if it is likely to be used as a school/work pen, I can recommend the cartridges, for convenience as well as a lot of ink capacity (but not much variety of ink). Parker cartridges are the second most readily available, after the international ones, (in the UK, at least) and they can (apparently, I don't speak from personal experience) also take the far more uncommon Aurora ones. You can get two types of converter for Parkers but I've only ever had the (smaller) basic piston filler version, so I'm not 100% sure if it takes the "deluxe" twist one (I'm fairly sure it does, but help with that, anyone?) The piston filler doesn't hold much ink, which is great if you quickly grow bored with using the same colour, but wouldn't be much use if you were sitting a 3-hour exam or were spending a full day at Uni, taking screeds of notes in every lecture. This isn't the most maintenance-friendly pen. I've regularly cleaned it using water (sometimes with a little washing-up liquid) but have never been able to take the section apart. I tried again recently (I even watched Stephen Brown's disassembly line video for this pen to get some tips) and still couldn't do it. At its age, I'd really appreciate being able to take it apart for a deep clean, especially as it was a work pen used exclusively with black Quink for many years. Quink's well behaved, but I'd still have liked to have given the nib and feed a really thorough clean when I was swapping to lighter inks (to be fair, I just soaked it with a little washing-up liquid in water, overnight, and it seemed fine). (I've never tried, but it may be worth pointing out, to anyone interested, that the Vector has the reputation of being able to deal with inks that should be kept at least a mile away from most other pens. Even if you don't particularly like the pen, you could still choose to buy one for iron-gall inks and others than can be harsh to a more delicate pen's innards. However, if you do try them in it, that could make it even more irksome that you can't take it apart occasionally for a thorough cleaning.) Excellent availability of both cartridges and converter, able to be used with anything short of India ink, but with poor ability to then disassemble it to clean makes this a difficult to score section. However, it doesn't seem to have to be dismantled to remain in a well-maintained condition, so 8/10 is fine, I think. Value for Money - 9/10: If anyone's reading this with an eye to purchasing, it's no good me speaking from the point of view of what I paid 10 years ago, it needs to relate to what I'd pay now. However, the cheapest I've found it new (online) is £4.50 (with a slightly garish print). In plain colours/black, you can find it online for £6.00-£8.00 or £8.00-£10.00 for a flighter (with a small premium to get a fine nib). You'll pay a little more on the high-street. For this price, you are getting a great nib, a robust body, decent inoffensive looks, total reliability and a very recognisable brand. It is an excellent pen for the money and but is narrowly misses out on a 10 because it is rather on the small side and, frankly, is a bit boring, still, it is easily a 9/10. Final Conclusion/Total Score - 8/10: These UK manufactured Parkers all seem to be sturdy and reliable (I'm including my Jotter and Reflex (and previous Vector) in that statement, so it's not quite the sweeping generalisation it may at first seem). These days, you are likely to find Vectors that are made in either France or China, I believe (unless you find NOS). I don't, for a moment, say that the quality is going to be any worse, but I can't comment on whether there will be any difference (for good or ill). All I can do is rate this pen (while referring to my first one too) and it's very good. The average score is 8/10. That seems about right – it has its faults, but over all I have never had serious complaints. As hardy as this pen has proved, I'd recommend the flighter if you want extra toughness – as long as the cost difference remains negligible it's worth it. There are other (more expensive, more attention-grabbing) contenders for someone's first fountain pen, but this one is so easy to lay hands on, pleasant to use and so reliable that I think anyone could (and should) consider it – it's not “excitement, adventure and really wild things!” but it will get the job done, and do it well. Last question - is it a classic? Perhaps. In the sense that it has stood the test of time and is recognisable to an awful lot people, then perhaps that's a "yes".

If you're into fountain pens, chances are you know who Kanwrite is. They're the largest nib manufacturer in India and their models like the desire and heritage have garnered critical acclaim all over the world. They also (allegedly) make some of Noodler's pens as well. But that's not all the models they make. They make some pretty good inexpensive pens as well... some of which are a good choice for students and beginners who would like to start their fountain pen journey. Today I'm going to look at Kanwrite's cheapest offering, the Apex. A simple eyedropper pen that can be found at about ₹60 - 100/- INR(less than $1-2 USD) in India. And for the TL;DR of it, it's a pen that, if you want a good beginner pen or you want to venture into the world of eyedropper pens, this is a good place to start. So, let's crack on... Design and Build This is the cheapest pen that Kanwrite offers, and you can tell... not necessarily on the build quality, but you can tell why they chose to go with an eyedropper for this, you're basically paying for the nib, feed and a plastic housing. But beauty lies in simplicity... right? For the minimal amount of materials used the pen looks and feels solid. Even though it's at the bottom of the barrel compared to other Kanwrites, ink it up and it has the same amount of character and appeal as other fountain pens. They have various tints for the plastic, but I went for the demonstrator look because, well... I'm a sucker for those. The pen is made of the same plastic that is called a "celluloid derivative" by Mr.Nathan Tardif himself, and yes... it has the smell, but not that much compared to other pens that I have that's made of the same material(lookin' at you... Kanwrite PC converter). and yes... it can handle drops like a ballpoint... I accidentally dropped it back side down about 3ft from the ground, and aside from a temporary ink fountain that covered my floor with purple ink, the pen wrote as soon as I picked it up and put It on paper(probably because the fall helped prime the feed even more). The cap is a simple screw in cap that takes around 2 turns to open/close. and the clip is sufficiently tight yet easy to clip into even thick fabrics. it also has Kanwrite stamped on it, alongside the heat embossed Kanwrite logo in the barrel. Overall for a ₹60/- pen, it looks distinctive, and that's good in my books. The only issue is that the pen has minor flashing marks on the inside of the section, probably due to not properly trimming the injection molded parts, but other than that, a solid pen that is well built. As for size, well... it's a small pen... From left to right: Kanwrite Relik Jinhao X450 Airmail/Wality 71JB(cartridge converter system) Kanwrite Desire Kanwrite Apex Nib, Feed and Writing Experience Kanwrite is a company Known for their nibs, so it shouldn't be a surprise that this one will also be a good nib, right? Well, we'll get to that in a bit. Let's first take a look at the nib, shall we? The nib is a Kanwrite No.00 stell nib in fine. The same nib that is used in the Relik and perhaps even the same size as in the Airmail 77 and Camlin 47. It's a tiny fella, and couple that with an ebonite feed that is sufficiently finned, and you can rest assure that reliability will be a strong suit of this pen... and it is. I have never run into any dry out issues even when left uncapped for the better part of an hour. So suffice to say, it's a reliable writer. Talking about how it feels while writing, well, the pen is a small guy. But even for me, a guy with a hand the shape of a kayak(slim and long...) writing it unposted was fine, but I'd still recommend posting it as then it's in my opinion a perfect size for writing with. Talking about writing, and well... It writes just like a Kanwrite. Very smooth for the most part with a hint of a feedback. It's less than you get while writing with a pencil but you feel that you are writing. This is with TNPL 70gsm copier paper though. Move on to a better paper like a Classmate or Rhodia, and the nib just glides... honestly, as much as the Airmail 69T that I shoehorned a Kanwrite No.35 nib into(Check that one out here). And I'm baffled that you can get this writing experience out of a pen that costs around the same as a ghee roast in a restaurant. Now the pen is an eyedropper and does take around 2ml of ink. And like most eyedroppers it does burp, but when the barrel is so low that you are not refilling the pen out of pure ignorance and laziness. So, refill it when the ink gets to about 1/8th mark, which'll last you more than 2-3 ballpoints. Plus, everything is friction fit, so it is easy to clean. Before getting into the conclusion here's a writing sample of this pen. Conclusion and Final verdict Honestly, there isn't much to say about it, if you have a Kanwrite PC, Saloon, Relik or any of the lower end ones, the experience is somewhat similar. and for just 60 rupees, you can't go wrong. Like I said in the beginning it's a pen that, if you want a good beginner pen or you want to venture into the world of eyedropper pens, this is a good place to start. It is a cheap and effective gateway drug into the world of fountain pen. couple this with a ₹25/- bottle of bril blue, and you're pretty much set for at least half a year, or more. Thanks for reading my write up and I'll see you around...

Hello again to all my FPN friends, After acquiring too many inks and far too many pens, I thought it was time to turn this obsession toward papers in order to round out the experience. I just received a blank notebook in the mail from a Chinese stationary company called Kinbor (www.kinbor.net/). They seem like a Chinese version of Midori and offer very similar products (at much lower prices, of course). Here's an article about the company that has nice photos of their products. I'm thoroughly impressed with the paper in this A5 notebook. Although this paper is 80gsm and quite sturdy, it's also very supple and floppy like Tomoe River paper. The sewn binding is better than most I've seen; the journal will lie open completely flat regardless of what page you open to. The paper texture is much smoother than Midori paper but not slick like Rhodia and Clairfontaine, again reminiscent of Tomoe River. I've only tested a couple inks with really wet pens so far but there has not been any bleed through or even show through, although a little feathering in same cases. It is advertised to be fountain pen friendly (see picture below). These journals are currently offered in A6 and A5 with the options of blank, dot grid, graph, a blank/dot grid/graph combination, 7mm lined, lined with red side rule, thick sketchbook paper, and a calendar/planner combination. They come with either white or brown covers. I'm in no way affiliated with the company, but I thought I'd ask about these journals because this is the first Chinese paper I've ever tried that has actually blown me away. That's saying a lot because I live in China and have tried lots of papers over the past few years, most of them being quite unfriendly to fountain pens and often unbearable toothy as well. I'll try to post a review once I spend more time with this journal and run in through some tests.

I'm looking for a reliable daily writer, an inexpensive - let's say under $50 - fountain pen with a section that's 10.5mm-12.4mm in width. As I continue to learn more about fountain pens I find that I like thicker sections. My favorite nib still has to be on my Metropolitan M, but the 8.4mm section (acccording to the GouletPens site) is so narrow it's painful for me two write more than a half page with it, so had to I clean it out & put it away. My main writers are a bunch of F and M Preppy and Plaisirs, and a M Kakuno. Their 10mm sections' widths are just about the minimum I can write with for long periods, but I'd love something a bit thicker. (I'mfine with light pens though, and I prefer to write unposted.) My favorite-feeling pen I've used is the Jinhao 159, which GouletPens notes has a 12.4mm section. But I've had terrible, repeated issues with all my Jinhaos drying out and hard-starting (using various inks), as well as occasional feed problems with two different replacement Jowo B nibs. If I could get a Jinhao 159 that didn't dry out I'd be in heaven, but the pen's design (and the cheap plastic feeds, which sometimes reseat the nibs after continued use) are design issues that I don't think can be avoided. From my research one possible pen option I came across that's close to my needs might be Monteverde's Giant Sequoia, which is a bit outside my budget, and bigger/heavier than I'm used to. Azizah's review says the section is 10.8mm which might could work well for me. Are there any decent thicker-grip pens I should consider in my price range?

A while back, I purchased a fountain pen called the Indus from Fountain Pen Revolution. With that pen, you get an integrated, piston-filler (capable of full disassembly) with a very smooth steel nib with ebonite feed. However, that pen had some quirks (like a wiggly clip, a weird smell, and a very skinny grip) that made it less than perfect, even at that price point. I still like and use my Indus, mainly because of its most excellent nib, but I don't love it as much as I could. For those who don't know, Fountain Pen Revolution (hereafter FPR) is a brand dedicated to low-cost fountain pens, all of which are manufactured in India. India produces some excellent pens--evidenced by the fact that some well-known brands (Stipula and Esterbrook come to mind) rebrand and price-up lesser-known Indian brands for the US fountain pen market. FPR is run by Kevin Theimann, a wonderfully friendly chap who is likely to send you a personal email thanking you for making an order. He's good people, and I'm hoping he succeeds with this business model. After getting my Indus, and perusing some other models on the FPR site, I was intrigued enough to try again. This time, I went for the "Himalaya" model: A thicker pen than the Indus, with a push-pull piston converter (think Noodler's Neponset), and the same #5.5 steel nib and a larger ebonite feed. I chose the Indigo Blue acrylic finish. When I opened the pen, all I could say was "Wow." The blue acrylic is simply stunning, with deep chatoyance and multiple swirls of color. I have two other pens with similar finish: a Levenger True Writer Classic and a Retro 1951 Tornado, and the Himalaya is more beautiful than either of those. The pen is of medium length and width, I’d say; almost the perfect size. I have large hands, and it fits me perfectly. I’d wager smaller hands would find it just as comfortable. The screw cap can be removed in one full rotation, and posts securely with an almost undetectable click. Posted, the pen measures just about 6 inches, which to my mind is just about the perfect length for writing. The grip section is nicely tapered with a flare at the nib end to keep your fingers from sliding off onto the nib. I’d almost wish the nib were larger, but the way this nib writes I can’t complain about that. The pen’s converter works perfectly. It screws into the section and there was already some silicone grease on the threads to ensure a good seal. I’ll make a note to replenish that from time to time. I inked it with Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-Peki to match the pen’s aesthetic, and did a quick writing test. Again, wow. This pen writes. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 meaning the nib slips across the paper as if it were made of ice, I give it a solid 8.5. My Waterman Expert 3 medium is a 9, and my TWSBI Diamond 580 broad is a 9.5. The Himalaya is a very smooth writer, and it’s already destined for my regular EDC rotation. I keep coming back to the price of this thing, but I can’t ignore it. I can’t think of another pen under $30 that looks and writes as well as this one. And don’t give me Lamy Safari and Pilot Metropolitan, those pens are good and all, but *yawn*. This is a beautiful pen with character, one that you won’t be afraid to take to the boardroom, and also one you won’t be too afraid of losing. If you haven’t yet checked out FPR, I recommend you do so today: the site is www.fountainpenrevolution.com.

Don't know if you guys have noticed this. Posted on Bobby which is arguably our favorite Chinese based fountain pen seller: https://www.instagram.com/p/BxymyYNj_hV/?utm_source=ig_web_options_share_sheet Specs are still unknown, probably a standard #5 nib, available with the shut-off valves etc. What caught my eyes is the caption which if true, then the price will be less than $10. Hopefully at that price I'm not getting a limp acrylic.

A quick search on the forums didn't reveal an easy answer to this question. I recently saw a post in which someone indicated that a "cheap" fountain pen was any pen less than $100. This seems relative to me given that any pen that is more than $25 would be an expensive pen for me currently. Question: What criteria do you use to establish whether or not a fountain pen is cheap/inexpensive?

I've figured out that the Pen and Gear brand notebooks sold exclusively at Walmart are fountain pen friendly! They aren't quite up there with Tomoe or Rhodia or Clairefontaine in terms of quality, but I've basically never experienced feathering with this paper, with the ONLY exception being feathering along a single paper fiber, which hardly qualifies as feathering, and I've used this paper with dip pens and fountain pen ink (for calligraphy). I can only speak for the spiral notebooks with a colored plastic cover, but I've been using these notebooks for years and the quality remains the same and consistent. You wouldn't be able to tell by feel of the paper but it's actually pretty amazing with a variety of inks. And the PRICE! Last time I bought any it was about $1 a standard sized notebook. If you want proof, check out my Insta @pen.meets.ink! And it shows a pretty good amount of sheen, if you care about that too. Just wanted to let people know since it's easier to get your hands on these notebooks when back to school season starts, and it's GREAT if you're still in school

Hi all, today I was in my local branch of the UK chain of discount stores ‘Home Bargains’. I chanced to walk past their stationery section, where my eye lit upon a sales pack that contained a cartridge-fill fountain pen and two cartridges, for the price of 59p For those of you who do not live in the UK, that bricks-and-mortar store price of £0.59 includes my country's sales tax of 20%. At today's exchange rate, £0.59 = 0.69€ = $0.77. As a ‘purchasing power’ comparison, at the time of typing this the price of a 2-pint bottle of whole milk in my local supermarket is 80p. The ‘huge’ investment outlay gets you a "MADE IN CHINA" transparent plastic pen that has a completely-unmarked nib (which I assume is steel and ‘medium’), and also two cartridges of ink that the packaging describes as black. The cartridges are slightly shorter than standard ‘Short International’ cartridges (I measured them at 34mm long, whereas an SIC is 38mm long), but their nipples look like they might be the same size as those on a SIC. The pen's grip section looks as though it might be slightly too-small for my paws (I am 6'1" tall), but I am certainly curious enough about it to ‘risk’ the sum of 59p to find out Bon; after I have run some dish-cleaning water through it to remove any manufacturing residue, I shall run one of its cartridges through it, and then some Waterman ‘Serenity Blue’ for comparison, and a SIC of ‘WH Smith’ branded black ink too. Once I have collected and collated all this ‘data’, I shall post a review of it on the relevant board here. After all, I wouldn't want to inadvertently be the cause of any FPN user ‘wasting’ their hard-earned 59p on one of these if it turns out that the thing doesn't write very well Cheers, M. [Repeatedly edited to correct FFE's ]

Hey everyone, So im new here as a member, but I've been browsing the forums as a guest for quite a while, and one thing ive noticed is lacking is a single thread talking about Indian pens that are excellent deals, and ones that aren't worth even the cheap price. Recently ive stumbled across a wonderful website called fountainpenrevolition.com which im sure many of you have heard of, where they sell many many many kinds of Indian fountain pens, most of which are very inexpensive. This intrigued me, because id never seen much on Indian fountain pens. So in short: I think it would be nice to use this thread as kind of a compiled list of all known knowledge on these Indian pens. In your experience are there Indian pens that were cheap yet are beautiful writers and part of your daily use? Or are these seemingly low prices really too good to be true? Which pens do you suggest? Which do you suggest not getting?

Hello, I was wondering if there were some dependable brands that provided cheap fountain pens for beginners but also had a screw on cap. I wanted to introduce my cousin to fountain pens, but i have yet to find an inexpensive screw on cap pen. As always thank you for reading, Sincerely, The Beginner

I bought these pens on a whim @ $10.99 on Amazon because I wanted to try piston-fill fountain pens. I bought the Extra Fine (EF) but they write more like a Fine (F). They aren't the prettiest pens you'll own, but they write beautifully and have a HUGE ink resevoir. I honestly can't even predict how long it can go without being refilled. They come in a nice box and are suitable for gifting. They are currently $8.99 and Prime Day on Amazon is coming up on the 16th. BTW, I've discovered that Prime Day lasts 36 hours, not 24. At this price, I highly recommend these pens by Yakura. They won't replace your favorite Waterman, but they're excellent for the price. Use my link and it makes a donation to the Big Cat Rescue, a sanctuary for big cats formerly abused or kept as pets. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D66W29Z/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3G6PCMUR76G3T&psc=1

So I just received a Pilot Petit from Japan and I think it's a wonderful little inexpensive pen. it writes much finer than the Varsity that I tend to use on the go (because I once lost a good pen...). Even though it is short, it fits well in my hand and I think is a great pen to live with a checkbook, wallet, or small purse. No, it doesn't write like my Sailor, but if I lose it I won't be tearing myself up.

I'm interested in acquiring some of the best of the inexpensive (<$35) Chinese fountain pens. There are so many pens that fall into this category on eBay that it's hard to know what to choose. Are there any especially good models out there? My main interests are pens that are reliable and made of reasonably attractive materials. I'd don't like blinged up pens. Just simple designs using good materials (considering the price). I already know of leading brands like Jinhao, Duke, Kaigelu, etc. so I'm much more interested in recommendations of specific models. Any help?.

TWSBI nib units, that is. I have an italic and a fine, just lying there pathetically, and no bodies to host them. They are from the 540 series, I believe....so, what inexpensive and easily attainable not-metal pen bodies (besides Noodler's Ahab) will these fit? Thanks for your suggestions!

Hello, I'm fairly new to the world of fountain pens. I've picked up about 10 now, and I keep buying more and enjoying tinkering with them. I have purchased high priced pens for my g/f (high-priced for me), like the vanishing point and the Lamy 2000. For myself, though, I can not imagine spending that amount on a pen. Up to this point, I have been doing the frankenpen thing with Jinhao pens and Anderson / Edison / Goulet nibs. I went to the Dallas Pen Show, and I purchased a Franklin-Christoph nib assembly. I had to remove the nib and feed from the F-C section / collar. However, even as just the nib and the mismatched feed it is amazing. I would love to find an inexpensive pen body that will accept the Franklin-Christoph nib assembly. It's my understanding, that it is a common size; a jowo #6 screw-in unit. So far, the most humbly priced pen body I have found has been the MrPen's Parson's Essential at about $45, plus another $15 for shipping. Any help finding an inexpensive pen body that will take the entire screw-in jowo / Franklin-Christoph nib assembly would be appreciated. I apoligize in advance if I used any incorrect terminology. Thanks!

Hey everyone I'm wondering what nibs I should use for Sanskrit (Devanagari) and Tibetan scripts. Also, I am looking for cheap pens with said nib for a class I'll be teaching in September. The students will be required to write in Sanskrit in a notebook for homework. Ideally one that is an eye-dropper or converter. So I want a decent pen/nib for myself but need a cheap alternative for my students.

I bought pads from a Big Store, and they turned out to be paper towels with lines printed on them. Even so, I struggled doggedly to use them. But now I'm done, and I'm looking for something nice to write on, yet still inexpensive. Or even cheap! Does anyone know of a CHEAP, white, lined 8 1/2 x 11 top-bound pad? US sources only, please, readily available, and low-cost... as I already have pads from Levenger, Rhodia, Clairefontaine, and a few precious Staples Bagasse. And many thanks for your help!

For some of my writing (journaling, mostly) I like sheen. However, the ink that I have with the most sheen is Bungbox 4B, which is quite dear ($$$.) What are some good options- color doesn't matter too much as long as it is on the darker end of the spectrum- for a good sheening ink on Tomoe River paper that is of a less expensive make? Thanks for your suggestions! greg

The Jinhao 611 is one of the several pens that I bought from ebay. They came to me shipped in a padded brown envelope rather than "coffins" or boxes. If I remember correctly, I paid no more than $7 for each pen + shipping. I purchased 3 of them because I was attracted to the simple streamline shape. I wanted a pen that would be very comfortable for someone who uses mechanical pencils because they are so straight and plain. https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/uploads/imgs/fpn_1447577001__jinhao_611.jpg I liked the barrel colors that were shown in the picture of the ebay auction. One is a solid color in the red, rosy, cyan range, the others are a russet and a blue that appear to be acrylic with the depth of color that sometimes goes with that sort of plastic. All three are straight, uncharacterized barrels. They are .65oz/18.42g; 5 1/8 inches / 156.2 centimeters in length capped; 6 1/4 inches / 190.5 centimetrs posted; and .39 inches / 10 mm in diameter. The nib appears to be stainless steel. The ones that I have are fine nibs. They come with standard Jinhao converters. I had hoped that they would take international cartridges because I do not use fillers or bottled ink. I removed the plunger filler and inserted an international cartridge. It took a lot of fussing about with it to get anything to flow. The first thing I noticed was the tines of the nib were tight together. I had to use a syringe to pump water through it. It really didn't take any pressure to get the water to flow through it, just a quantity enough to fill the grip and the nib. When I finally did get the water to flow through it, the pen leaked from every possible joint. The grip is in 2 pieces and it leaked through where they are pressed together. After I got the ink flowing through it, I began to have hopes that it would work better, which it did for a short time. By the time I finished writing one full page, the pen was leaking from where the barrel threads on to the grip as well as from where the grip is pressed together. All together, I'd give the pen a 2. Perhaps it's a chance I took in buying these pens. It's possible that some are better perfomers than others. They are nice in appearance, and seemed at first impression to be of at least fair quality, but when put to the test they did not rise to the occasion. It is possible that using the filler is the answer. That remains to be seen.

Hello, I would like to know your opinion on the value of a vintage Montblanc Carrera pen that is in an apparent good condition. The seller is offering a yellow barrel/ black cap model that uses cartridges. There's no box, or manuals or anything like that. I've been unable to see photos of the nib but the seller states that is in good condition (medium) and I will be able to test this in his presence. He wants $100 for this pen. Do you think it is worth it? I'm new to fountain pen collectorship and so far I've only own a Parker Vector and a Lamy Safari and -pending repair- a Cross Century Classic from the '80s. I want a pen that I could use while at my home office with the occasional outing to see clients. My other question is, how hard or easy is it to find cartridges for this pen? Thanks!