Good Fountain Pen For Law School?

[Nonsensical]

I wouldn't recommend either a Kaweco eyedropper or a pen that is short international cartridge only to any student.

 

OK, but why, specifically? Are people down on Kawecos in general? They seem well reviewed on Goulet etc.

 

Agreed that being limited to short international cartridges would be a pain for a student who's taking notes all day, but have people had problems with the eyedropper trick? From the video, it looked like an easy way to carry a pretty impressive volume of ink...

Eyedroppers aren't the exactly known for being...trouble-free, low maintenance or extremely dependable.

What if the pen is being jostled around in a bag, and starts to unscrew itself?

What if, when unscrewing the cap, you accidentally loosen the section as well?

What about blobbing and other issues known to be associated with ED pens?

It may sound silly and trivial, but when you have just that one pen, it becomes a pretty serious.

That's probably why. If the OP were asking for one of several pens to take to class, I'd recommend a Kaweco, no doubt about it. However, for just the one single pen, probably not.

[Parker51]

Given the price point, I suggest a Sheaffer Prelude. I have found the ones I have to be reasonably robust and quite good writers. I have had the modern Parker's suggested and had problems with fit and finish holding up. The only low end Parker I would suggest is an old Parker 45, as it is truly not a low end pen though it is frequently priced as a low end pen. Wile I value the Waterman pens I have, and one can sometimes get an excellent Vintage Waterman for a good price, the low end modern Waterman's I have wore out quickly.

[MikeC]

> Eyedroppers aren't the exactly known for being...

> trouble-free, low maintenance or extremely dependable.

 

(litany of potential woes snipped)

 

Ah, understood. Thanks!

Edited April 27, 2012 by MikeC

[trueblue]

I know everyone's experience is different, but I carry my Kaweco Ice Sport eyedropper with me everyday without any particular care and I've never had a problem. It's usually just clipped to a pocket inside my messenger bag, but sometimes I just throw it in the bag. No leaks, no ink blobs, no accidental section removals.

 

Granted, I check the thread seal regularly and clean/reapply silicone grease whenever I refill.

 

I love the pen and the amount of ink it holds.

 

Note: I'm not nearly as carefree with my Platinum Preppy eyedropper. The brittle feel of the plastic makes me too nervous.

[tonydent84]

To be honest, I'd stay away from the cartridge-converter pens unless you're willing to spend the money for refills a LOT. I'd stick with a pen that has its own filling system like a piston filler because they tend to hold a lot more ink. The TWSBI seems to be right up your alley, or a low-end Pelikan Souveran like the 200.

 

I'm in a situation similar to yours and I learned the hard way that cartridges and converters are not the way to go. A great Cross fountain pen that wrote super smooth, felt super comfortable, and looked gorgeous was almost useless when it came to school. That was because the cartridges were most practical so I can refill them, but the price was a rip off. And I don't take ink wells with me to class, so I was stuck using another pen every time I ran out of ink (which was almost all the time).

 

The other pens recommended are great, but when it comes to the vast amount of information you're likely to be writing down, it might be best to fill your pen one time each day before you leave to class, and bring a second as a backup. A converter pen will run out by the time lunch comes around (if you're lucky). But the TWSBI might last you a couple of days. The Pelikan might also be out of your price range if you decide to get it new.

[MikeC]

Has the original poster gotten a TWSBI?

 

Yep, a TWSBI 540. (see post #29 of this thread)

[tonydent84]

It is pretty interesting that the board was nearly unanimous in suggesting the same pens to the OP. The main responses were TWSBI, Lamy Safari, or the Pelikan (least recommended of the three I think, but no official count). But it makes me wonder if there are many other good choices at the $50-$75 range that aren't merely novelties for enthusiasts.

 

After the threshhold of $100-$150, I can recommend perhaps over a dozen pens that not only write very well but are extremely reliable, comfortable, fun to use, and have a large ink capacity. Below that threshhold, there are only a couple of pens I would recommend, and some of those even coming at the far low-end of the price spectrum like the Parker Vector.

 

 

I guess I'm wondering if the number of fountain pens suitable for the rugged tasks of student life while still being relatively inexpensive are that few.

[nickapos]

I guess I'm wondering if the number of fountain pens suitable for the rugged tasks of student life while still being relatively inexpensive are that few.

I went through my MSc course and the next 5 years as a bank employee with a 2 GBP pen I bought from WHSmith. So it is certain that there are inexpensive pens who are good writers. On the other hand this pen is certain to have a relatively small lifespan ( it has already a cracked cap). So if you want something inexpensive and above average, then your choices are limited.

[georges zaslavsky]

waterman laureat, waterman forum, sheaffer snorkel or sheaffer valiant vac fill

Edited April 30, 2012 by georges zaslavsky

[sbroda]

Unless law school has changed a lot in the last 20 years, most law students would be better off using a fountain pen with a broad tip in place of a highlighter. First year students tend to spend their waking hours highlighting and underlining everything.

 

A Lamy Al-Star with a 1.9 nib would do the trick. Windsor & Newton make a cheap yellow ink that's perfect for this use.

Edited April 30, 2012 by sbroda

[Shinwah]

I would have suggested a Noodler's Ahab with a Knox K35 nib or a Noodler's piston fill with a Knox K26 nib from xfountainpens. They're both decent writers that add up to about 30$.

[tspin46]

It is pretty interesting that the board was nearly unanimous in suggesting the same pens to the OP. The main responses were TWSBI, Lamy Safari, or the Pelikan (least recommended of the three I think, but no official count). But it makes me wonder if there are many other good choices at the $50-$75 range that aren't merely novelties for enthusiasts.

 

>-clip-<

 

 

I guess I'm wondering if the number of fountain pens suitable for the rugged tasks of student life while still being relatively inexpensive are that few.

 

I am really impressed with the Taccia Merit which has a good size converter and is a very comfortable pen to use. It is currently on closeout sale at isellpens - no cut, no affiliation just good service - the idea that you need a huge ink supply to get you through the day is erroneous. You need the ink supply when you are briefing the cases, which if you have any common sense you do at your desk at home/dorm room where you have your ink bottle handy. You actually do not have to take voluminous notes in class since you should be thinking along with the class discussion and arguments.

 

After 40 years of practice I should get it right one of these days.

[2GreyCats]

Lamy Safari or Platinum Plaisir. You said your preferred price range was $30 or less, and these both fit that bill....

<snip>

ETA: You might want to try to get an ink syringe (Goulet has them for $5) and just use it to refill cartridges from a bottle. Don't have a good suggestion for what to use to close the hole if you want to carry around refilled carts...

 

I have a solution for that, BTW. Eons ago, in my undergraduate days when my best friend and I were blending Sheaffer red and Sheaffer brown to get a nice rust color, we just used a bit of adhesive tape to cover the cartridge hole. It worked OK, but they stayed in my desk--I wasn't carrying them around.

 

However, I just tried something that ought to work much better, the other day when I popped a brand-new international cartridge out of a non-working pen. I lit a candle for a few minutes, blew it out, waited a minute, then scooped up some of the warm soft wax and used the wax to seal/cap the open cartridge until I'm ready to use it. Worth a try -- but definitely put it in one of those itty-bitty zip bags in case the wax cap were to come off, so it doesn't ooze out.

[2GreyCats]

It is pretty interesting that the board was nearly unanimous in suggesting the same pens to the OP... The main responses were TWSBI, Lamy Safari, or the Pelikan...

<snip>

Below that threshhold, there are only a couple of pens I would recommend, and some of those even coming at the far low-end of the price spectrum like the Parker Vector.

 

I guess I'm wondering if the number of fountain pens suitable for the rugged tasks of student life while still being relatively inexpensive are that few.

 

For "rugged", "reliable", and "to be used by a student" -- I'd say you can't go wrong with a NOS Sheaffer No Nonsense. It writes reliably, starts instantly, refills are easy to find, and I sell Pens has them in green or navy for about $9. Used ones on eBay tend to *start* around $10 or so, though I just picked up 2 in an auction (one of them a Vintage!) for $12 because the description was written badly and the seller didn't know what she had.

 

What I loved about the NN in school was that I could arrive almost-late to class (typical for me, I'm afraid), yank it out of my purse, unscrew the top and be writing as soon as I had to be. No shaking it or scribbling little circles like my ball-point-using classmates... ;-)

[Tom Aquinas]

Lamy 2000, it has a large ink capacity, but always have a second pen fountain or ball pen in case of accidents. This applies to all tertiary courses where a lot of writing is involved.

[Butler51]

I used two Parker 51s vacumatics during my three years in law school and for many years thereafter during practice.

I chose the Parker 51s because they were uncomplicated to use, I could write with them all day and into the night, even while leaving the caps posted.

They are durable pens, well suited to the constant note-taking you'll engage during law school, both in class and while studying.

 

When it came time for the Bar Exam itself, I switched to ballpoint pens, but only for the exams. During my exam prep., I continued using the Parker 51s.

 

You can pick up Parker 51 specials or user grade Parker 51 vacumatics for decent prices.

 

Below is a shot of the three pens i used during law school, the bar exam, and during practice. The Parker 51 vacumatic and the Montblancs are the actual pens I used at the time. The maroon Parker 51 "aerometric" (corrected) was a post-law school acquisition.

 

I used Parker 51 vacumatics because I thought the pens held more ink than the aerometrics, an assumption for which I never sought proof.

 

I used the Montblanc lever action ballpoints during trials and depositions (blue ink in the black ballpoint; red ink in the red ballpoint).

 

Anthony

Edited May 25, 2012 by Butler51

[goldiesdad]

I just got a Pilot 78G from isellpens .... Man is this a great pen ... under 13 bucks get a couple with different nibs ...

[Butler51]

Well stated "2GreyCats." The "NOS Sheaffer No Nonsense" are rugged, dependable, and inexpensive cartridge pens.

I owned a couple of them during law school, but stuck with my Parker 51s because of habit.

 

I think I own seven or eight of the NN now, all in different colors with various nib formats, including italic.

 

Anthony

Edited May 25, 2012 by Butler51

[Tom Aquinas]

Well stated "2GrayCats." The "NOS Sheaffer No Nonsense" are rugged, dependable, and inexpensive cartridge pens.

I owned a couple of them during law school, but stuck with my Parker 51s because of habit.

 

I think I own seven or eight of the NN now, all in different colors with various nib formats, including italic.

 

Anthony

Indeed, your acclamation is well stated also. Any student reading Law or otherwise studying who has the need of a pen requires reliability and a large ink capacity. The pen should be,I suggest, in the economy to mid range because as students accidents occur. I had to replace a P75 nib after the almost new pen fell out of a folder in the Law Library. That hurt. I like the P51 ,I always have one at hand today, and yes used one on campus( and lost one on campus).It was a good pen but bear in mind that was in the day when the 51 was still manufactured, but now it is a revered collector's vintage pen and has reached the stage where respect for age occurs . That is not in a lecture theatre or a tutorial classroom. I like the Lamy 2000 because it is in production, has an ergonomic design and its' ink capacity is immense, more than a 51. It is a pen that you could well and truly use in practice. You do however need a second pen , even if it is a ball pen. A cheaper pen which can be lost if you leave it in the library is ideal, and Shaeffer have always manufactured good practical "no nonesense" products. A cartridge pen is ideal because extra ink can be easily carried, I regular carry a cartridge pen because it can be quickly refilled, furthermore is ideal for travel.Good luck and may Themis (goddess of Justice) help you in your endeavours.

[jslallar]

Here is a list of pens made especially for Law Schools:

1. Milord Objection: The bright orange yellow colour immediately attracts attention when held high above the head, and if that should fail, it is fitted with a blinding light at the back of the barrel which can be lighted with a switch. gaurateed to get the judges eye, and to momentarily stop your opponent lawyer from speaking and bereaking his train of thought.
2. Onion Skin Pen: So named not because of the shape but the effect. Fool proof mood change in the judge with instant sympathy for the witness. Recommended to be handed to the judge on any pretext possible before your client gets on the stand, and the judge will start crying tears of sympathy for the poor soul so wrongly treated by the world.
3. The Rottweiler: Gaurateed to make the judge feel like eating the witness quite like the trained Rottweiler on duty outside a high security prison. ecommended to be exchanged for the Onion Skin just before the star witness for your opponent gets the stand.
4. THWCP: The Hostile Witness Converter Pen or THWCP for short has a spinning wheel hidden in the barrel with alternating black and white lines. Gauranteed to hypnotize the witness in les than a second. Easy to hide and use. the hypnotized witness is preprogrammed to say YES to wink with right eye and NO to wink with left eye - ask away - and do not fear the witness anymore. Especially recommended for the expert witnesses like doctors and technicians called in by your opponent.
5. Lavender Memory: The court scribe wil be unable to write anything in the records which is not favourable to you with this pen.
6. Venus Pen: Named the Venus but actually it is an exact copy of Marilyn Monroe, and the heels of the shoes are the nib. BTW the shoes are the only thing MM is wearing. Male jurors are gauranteed to forget about the evidence being presaented by your opponent ad start scribbling notes in a hurry, and the female jurors are gauranteed to snort and start giving disapproving looks to their male peers, but more importantly they too will forget about listening to the evidence being presented.

CAUTION: Do NOT use any ofthese pens for yourself.

You should go with the ordinary Parkers, Sheaffers, Lamys etc for your own notes. Any of them will do fine by the way.

 

DISCLAIMER: Only fun amd pun was the intention of this mail. If you are a Lawyer reading this beleive me I love YOU in particular and all your colleagues, in general. This is the truth, the solemn truth and nothing but the truth, So Help Me God!