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Your Best Cheap Pen?


DFerguson

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Noodler's Piston-fill pen. It writes as well as anything in my collection, and it was only $14.

 

I'm still undecided on the Noodler's Ahab. It isn't as smooth-writing as the Piston-fill, but after some tweaking it's a pretty good pen, holds a nice amount of ink, and it's very easy to maintain.

 

Waterman Kultur/Phineas/Harley-Davidson pen or the Waterman H-D Horizon pen. I have several of these that I got for $20 each on Ebay. You'll need to add a converter, but they write smoothly and overall they're a real bargain.

 

Hero 100 or 200A.

 

NOS Sheaffer 330. From the days when Sheaffer was one of the top pen companies. "They don't make 'em like they used to."

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I think all my pens are cheap by the standards of the real enthusiasts around here.:D My most "expensive" pen, a Lamy AL Star, cost me $37.50, and for me that is expensive, even though I've seen how much fountain pens can cost.

 

Of the pens that are cheap even by my standards, the Petit1 is surprisingly good. Cost me $3.30, and I've successfully refilled a cartridge for one. Writes very reliably, too.

"So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable creature, since it enables one to find or make a reason for everything one has a mind to do."

 

- Benjamin Franklin

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I have a Baoer that is really a wonderful writer. I should use it more often.

+1 Without a doubt the 388 is a superb pen, nib as smooth as silk. Just got 5 for £15 including postage from china. I have given quite a few away and everyone has been impressed.

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I think all my pens are cheap by the standards of the real enthusiasts around here.:D My most "expensive" pen, a Lamy AL Star, cost me $37.50, and for me that is expensive, even though I've seen how much fountain pens can cost.

 

Of the pens that are cheap even by my standards, the Petit1 is surprisingly good. Cost me $3.30, and I've successfully refilled a cartridge for one. Writes very reliably, too.

I think you must be one of the more sensible people on here.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

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I think all my pens are cheap by the standards of the real enthusiasts around here.:D My most "expensive" pen, a Lamy AL Star, cost me $37.50, and for me that is expensive, even though I've seen how much fountain pens can cost.

 

Of the pens that are cheap even by my standards, the Petit1 is surprisingly good. Cost me $3.30, and I've successfully refilled a cartridge for one. Writes very reliably, too.

I think you must be one of the more sensible people on here.

For me, Lamy Safari, Pilot Vortex,Pilot Vpen, Pelikan m200(more expensive), Pelikano, Bic, Schneider, Waterman graduate & the best sheaffer nononsense (but the last one is impossible to find in Europe)

I wish A happy New year to all people from this forum

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Pilot Petit 1

 

I'm using it to experiment with inks, especially Noodler's inks that have warnings/reputations. Kung te Cheng was wonderfully behaved in it. Black Swan in Australian Roses skips a lot.

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OK, so it's not a fountain pen, but I've gotten much mileage out of a Parker 45 Flighter bp. The pen is old enough that it pre-dates the time when Parker reinstituted the datecode system. I use the pen on a daily basis and the gold cap/clip is still bright & shiny. I think it cost ten bucks NOS on eBay and came with a working refill.

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My best cheap fountain pen I bought when I was at school, and only recently (~10 yrs after I bought it) found out what it was, that was a Waterman Forum and cost me £1. Sadly it didn't do well in a school bag and has sadly past on.

 

In my current collection I've only bought a pen that is heavily reduced but I would probably rate the Waterman Charleston I bought for £13 or Lamy Al-Star for £6

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I'm not surprised to see lots of safari fans here but I don't think all safaris are created equal.. The 1.9mm broad italic costs exactly the same as the F or M but does glorious things to even my ham fisted handwriting.

 

In a close second is my dawn gold Parker frontier in dawn gold trim. I think it cost me around $15 and the nib is nice and soft and springy and actually compares well (as well as any steel nib could) with my GvFC guiloche gold nib. the plastic feel of the pen is a bit of a let down but I couldn't recommend it highly enough. I havnt seen much talk about them but if you ever see one on special or your just looking to try something cheap and new I would definitely give it a go. (full disclosure: I am the CEO of Parker pens and if frontier sales don't jump 200% this year I'll loose my job.)

WTB: the following GvF-C classic FPs (pref. B or OB nib) or rollerballs: platinum plated, gold plated, solid sterling silver, ebony anello and gold anello, PM me!

(also interested in most other GvF-C products in general, i.e any writing tools, leather goods, advertising/packaging)

 

photo-77650.jpg?__rand=0.32259700+1322887954

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Assuming most people might consider under $0 inexpensive and under $30 cheap, my favourite cheap pen is a vintage Esterbrook SJ with 1551 student nib resacced and purchased bor $32, $25, or $28 depending on which colour I'm referring to.

 

These pens are nice looking, workhorses, write beautifully, and make me smile every time I use them. They're easy to clean, especially since the nibs are removeable. And, I have to say, having used them off and on for 50 years, I have never worn one out. The only failures have been lost pens or dropped on the floor nib first.

"how do I know what I think until I write it down?"

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Vintage Waterman Emblem found lurking in a large lot of cheap pens on the bay. Cost less than a dollar plus the cost of a new sac. It has some cosmetic issues but it is one great writer by any standard.

 

A Frankenpen found in an antique mall. Cracked lemon ice Wearever button filling body and cap with some other manufacturer's section and a generic plated nib. 25 cents plus the cost of a new sac and it writes better than my Pelikan 400.

Dave Campbell
Retired Science Teacher and Active Pen Addict
Every day is a chance to reduce my level of ignorance.

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My good "Cheapies" include:

 

-Lamy Vista Safari

 

-TWSBI 530 Demo

 

-Reform Demo "Skywalker" (Isellpens about 5-6 years ago)

 

-Retro 51 Tornado Stainless

 

-Parker 45

 

-Estie J/LJ/Safari/M2

 

All good and all $40 or less

(Except for the TWSBI and the Esties, all are under $30!)

 

Frank

 

 

 

"Celebrating Nine Years of Retail Writing Excellence"

"When, in the course of writing events, in becomes self-evident that not all pens are created equal"

 

Federalist Pens and Paper (Online Pen Store)

 

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Use Forum Code "FPN" at Checkout to Receive an Additional 5% Discount!

 
 
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I have a number of pretty inexpensive pens I count among my favorites, including a Parker 45, a Kaweco Sport, and my Hero 1000. The Bic disposable I picked up at Staples a few weeks ago is excellent for only a few bucks.

Adam

Dayton, OH

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.

-- Prov 25:2
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Lamy Safari,without a doubt, the best bang for buck pen imo

 

I dont really like my pilot 78g that much but I am looking at a baoer 388

http://i.imgur.com/EZMTw.gif "Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored" -Aldous Huxley

 

Parker 45 F, Lamy Safari EF, Lamy 2000 F, TWSBI Diamond 530 F, Reform 1745 F, Hero 616 F, Pilot Varsity F, Pilot 78g F,

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i have an array of chinese pens that are low priced pens ("cheapies", to some) that are great writers: dukes, dancheron, luoshi, baoer, bookworm, etc. great buys, for the money!

 

here are some.

duke (vendor's pic):

http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n419/peterpaul_rguez/KGrHqJlwE3JGSyKeqBN4WCWG0Kg_12.jpg

yiren (vendor's pic):

http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n419/peterpaul_rguez/KGrHqIOKp0E3uZ2ByBOBdiQBOQ_3.jpg

hero (vendor's pic):

http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n419/peterpaul_rguez/hero389.jpg

 

and some more:

http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n419/peterpaul_rguez/P8045855.jpg

 

all of these cost less than $10 american, with the exception of the Duke Spider -5th from the left on the bottom photo- that was $15.

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I vote for the Lamy Al-Star or Safari. They are easy to grip and are stellar performers (as far as my current Lamy stocks are concerned).

My collection: 149 EF/F/B/OBB, Collodi B/Twain F/Mann F, 146 M, Silver Barley F, M1000/M800 B'o'B/M800 Tortoise/Sahara/415 BT/215/205 Blue Demo, Optima Demo Red M/88 EF & Italic/Europa, Emotica, 2K/Safaris/Al-Stars/Vista, Edson DB/Carene BS, Pilot 845/823/742/743/Silvern/M90/Makies, Sailor Profit Realo M/KOP Makies/Profit Makies/Profit 21 Naginata MF&M/KOP/KOP Mosaiques/Sterling Silvers,Platinum #3776 Celluloids/Izumos/Wood pens/Sterling Silvers,YoL Grand Victorian, and more (I lost counting)

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