Most Durable Fountain Pen?

[tonybelding]

I think the Lamy 2000 has the most established reputation as a "ruggedized" fountain pen, with its Makrolon® body. The only possible disadvantage is that if you drop it point-down on a hard surface, it might be difficult to source a replacement nib. You'd have to get that direct from Lamy, I assume.

 

I think my Bexleys are pretty tough -- and they're very easy to completely disassemble, and replacement (steel) nibs are inexpensive and readily available.

[79spitfire]

With some BHR pens functioning after almost 100 years, I would say any of the second tier heavy ones have a good chance of being what your after.

 

Kaweko ALsport is legendary in it's durability as well.

[goldiesdad]

I am really a newby when it comes to FP but I would vote for the Estie and 51 both have survived over time and are still

plentiful today ...

 

I have a Lamy and they appear built well to handle a tumble or two ...

[nxn96]

I'm with those who suggest that one should define "durable" within the reasonable limits of how one might treat any precision instrument. If your watch isn't water resistant, don't wear it while at the water park.

 

I have over 25 Parker 51's, mostly Aerometrics. With few exceptions, they are pens that came to me "used", and I couldn't say how carefully the prior owner(s) treated the pen. While some of these pens have required repair work, in general they require surprisingly little attention beyond normal maintenance given their age and prior use. To this end, I would say my most common immediate repair issue with pens acquired off of eBay relates to pens that the seller claimed to have "restored" despite having little skill or knowledge to perform that work (know your eBay seller!); nothing to do with "fragility" issues related to the pen itself.

 

Given enough time, you're going to drop a pen; at some point it's going to drop out of your hand, fall out of your pocket, roll off your desk, etc. It happens. Irrespective of the pen itself, whether it's capped or the nib is exposed is going to have a lot to do with how well the pen survives the fall. Over time, I've dropped my share of pens, usually a distance of somewhwere between a foot or yard, without permanent damage; but usually the pen was capped. Given that most of my "regular users" are pens with metal caps or metal caps & barrels, that probably also helps preserve the integrity of the pen when dropped. However, were I to go to the second floor of my house, open a window and fling my pen down to the concrete driveway below, I doubt the metal cap is going to fully "protect" my pen.

[dickydotcom]

I had a Parker 45 Flighter in college that survived a drop from my shirt pocket down the center of a stairwell from the 3rd floor to the concrete on the ground floor. The cap went flying and the end of the pen took a dent, but no ink was lost, and the pen continued to write as if nothing had happened. For several years, until it disappeared when I was a grad student.

 

I was (and still am) impressed.

I was going to suggest the Parker 45 Flighter too. A good sturdy pen with a partly hooded nib.

Dick D

[PAKMAN]

Vintage I would think Parker 51

 

Semi vintage to modern Lamy 2000

 

In between Rotring 600 in Lava finish

 

Modern TWSBI 540 and

 

Expensive modern Visconti HS Lava

Edited June 12, 2012 by pakmanpony

[Silvermink]

Rotring 600. That thing could stop a bullet.

[celesul]

I've been using a lot of cheap Chinese pens, and most of them are actually very durable. My Wing Sung 220 might be my most durable, but my Lanbitou pocket pen and Hero 616 are also in no danger of breaking. The Wing Sung 220 has a nail of a nib, while the Lanbitou and the Hero 616 have hooded nibs, so that area is well protected, and the section of all of these are strong. These have all survived some drops, and generally inconsiderate college student use. A long drop should result in a cap of ink, but usually nothing worse. And best of all? I don't have that frantic panicked feeling when something happens to these (mind, if I did, it would be followed by a sense of relief, because these pens aren't very interested in dying). They tend to be no more than $5, so should they break, they can be easily replaced. Fortunately, that hasn't yet been necessary.

 

Oh, and the Wing Sung 220 and Hero 616 have been left inked, untouched, for months at one point. After a quick cleaning, they were up and running. And if it's only been a few weeks they don't even need that. They'll just start writing immediately.

[terminal]

Vintage I would think Parker 51

 

Semi vintage to modern Lamy 2000

 

In between Rotring 600 in Lava finish

 

Modern TWSBI 540 and

 

Expensive modern Visconti HS Lava

 

This is exactly what I was going to type!

 

You know that's right about the parker 45 -- kind of a red herring to throw in. I mean, these things are... of negative value. People will pay you to take them, and yet they are really durable. Of course no CC (afaik)

 

Edit: this was also in response to KKSHADOW but I failed at multiquote

Edited June 12, 2012 by terminal

[Andrew H]

You know that's right about the parker 45 -- kind of a red herring to throw in. I mean, these things are... of negative value. People will pay you to take them, and yet they are really durable. Of course no CC (afaik)

What do you mean, "these things are... of negative value"?

[ethernautrix]

Sketchy said his TWSBI Micarta seems nearly indestructible -- at least when carried in his pocket with his keys, there has been no scratching or marring. Seems like a great knockabout pen -- and I'll find out for myself soon enough.

 

But the winner has to be Ricky's Edison Morgan made of Torlon. Perhaps he'll stop by to explain.

[AltecGreen]

Torlon Pen

[fabrimedeiros]

All pens are prone to break or, at least, to be damaged. Excluding nibs, of course, my vote goes to Visconti Homo Sapiens. The barrel is made of a thick Lava resin, shock proof and scratch proof. And the trim (Bronze Age), when oxidized, becomes more beautiful, in my opinion.

 

Lamy 2000 is another tough pen. It's made of the resistant polycarbonate.

 

Parker 51 is made of acrylic that's resistant too, but, teoretically, polycarbonate is even more resistant.

 

Edited: Many people say MB pens (mainly, Meisterstück series) are fragile. However, my experience says the opposite. I've been let the 146 and 149 caps drop dozen times, because the caps on these pens don't post in a safe way, and, nevertheless, any crack was produced! The Precious Resin is pretty tough in my experience.

Edited June 12, 2012 by fabrimedeiros

[georgeb]

Parker 25

[Jdaschel]

I would get a solid aluminum pen. Or any pen that is really light. and scratch resistant. Usually the heavier they are, the heavier they fall.

[jslallar]

Parker 51 has survived so long aand is still gong strong, so even though it doesn't seem to be scratch and fall resistant, there must be something to it. The silver caps are known to pick up scartghes easily and alos dent more. Steel and gold caps do better. The plastic is a plastic like most pens and would ofcourse show marks if use a hammer and chisel or your swiss knife.

 

Frontier has problems that its cap tnds to become loose and wobbly after some time (say baout a yea of regular use).

 

What you are looking for is probably a steel pen (any would do) eg Parkers Frontier, Sonnet or 45, or Waterman Hemisphere, Sheaffer Imperial 444, etc in all steel, but tthe most difficult ot damage pen is Parker 25 IMHO.

[fabrimedeiros]

I would get a solid aluminum pen. Or any pen that is really light. and scratch resistant. Usually the heavier they are, the heavier they fall.

 

 

A pen made of Al would be resistant and nice too. But I don't remember if there is any pen whose most parts are Al. :hmm1:

[Durham K]

I had a few Rotring Rivette FPs and tested one to demonstrate durability to a student by striking it with a wooden mallet. I know now it was not the way to treat a pen but they were available in shops at one time. I thought at the time that it was the best "school" pen as it was alomst indestructable. As a group of my students did some product testing prior to the UK launch by Rotring we were left with some samples. I found it interesting that Rotring changed the nib of this pen from the excellent flatter nib to the slightly curved nib similar to the Freeway and New Orleans pens. While I think about it the Rive is very tough if a little quirky. When I think of the number of cracked Parker Vectors I used to find at school a few years ago, I wonder if a tough pen is good for sales.

[Marlow]

Parker 45 flighter or Rotring 600. Nuff said.

[tomgartin]

You know that's right about the parker 45 -- kind of a red herring to throw in. I mean, these things are... of negative value. People will pay you to take them, and yet they are really durable. Of course no CC (afaik)

What do you mean, "these things are... of negative value"?

I'm also curious what that means. I know it's a bit overshadowed by the popularity of the "51" but I've owned a couple of Parker 45s and thought they were terrific. And they definitely take CC since that's what it was initially designed to do--Parker's first CC pen. Lamy converters are a perfect fit in case you have trouble finding a Parker made converter.