Which Country Do You Think Manufactures The Best Fountain Pens?

[PatientType]

Japan and Germany. Some excellent pen body makers in the UK like Yard O Led and Onoto.

+1 Yep.

[Montblanc owner and lover]

1. Germany- Pelikan, Lamy

2. USA-Sheaffer.Parker

3.England-Conway, other-Waterman forgot where it was manufactured ahaah

4.france-Montblanc,

5.Japan-Nakay, Platium

6.Italy-Delta

WEll, these are my opinion, so obviously you don't have to be like me

You really think Montblanc is french????Montblanc is german!It's written on all theyr pen you know...

[kde]

I've been looking for the answer to this question as well, and I think the answer is a tie between Germany and Japan. Both put out quality on both the low and and the high end, have a great attention to detail, and a lot of pride goes into making these pens. They may never be the most forward in design (Italian pens win there, they are gorgeous) but in utility, usability, reliability they are the best.

[carlosviet]

Not so much about better or best, but I believe that the current situation puts focus on Germany, Japan and Italy. China will be very likely there in a short time.

 

German pens are the standard to which all other pens are compared. Every time anyone buys a good pen, it is pitted or compared to Montblanc and/or Pelikan. That doesn't mean that they are better, but for modern pens, they are the rule.

 

To say that Italian pens are just beautiful, would be a narrow review. I see now that the most interesting innovations come from Italy, particularly in new materials and filling systems, not only design (or not only aesthetic design). If I could subscribe only to one pen magazine to see yearly what is going on in the pen world, I would choose an Italian one. They are, to me, the ones to put in the radar.

 

However; while the most interesting production lines are being designed in Italy, if we are talking about craftmanship, singularity and soul&art in the pen, then there is just Japan. The pen production philosophy that you can find, which could be defined as Taylor-Made Fountain Pens. in the material, the dozens of interesting and unique nibs, not to mention the integrated art of the hand-painted ones, is a privilege.

 

Because I am very curious about new materials and Engineering and Design, that is a feature that makes me grade Italian higher than others. But if I was more interested in art and craftmanship, Japan would be the one for me. Regardless of that, I am sure, I would compare them, at each purchase, with a MB 149/146 or a Pelikan M1000/M800, depending on the size...

Edited August 5, 2013 by carlosviet

[humsin]

Not so much about better or best, but I believe that the current situation puts focus on Germany, Japan and Italy. China will be very likely there in a short time.

 

German pens are the standard to which all other pens are compared. Every time anyone buys a good pen, it is pitted or compared to Montblanc and/or Pelikan. That doesn't mean that they are better, but for modern pens, they are the rule.

 

To say that Italian pens are just beautiful, would be a narrow review. I see now that the most interesting innovations come from Italy, particularly in new materials and filling systems, not only design (or not only aesthetic design). If I could subscribe only to one pen magazine to see yearly what is going on in the pen world, I would choose an Italian one. They are, to me, the ones to put in the radar.

 

However; while the most interesting production lines are being designed in Italy, if we are talking about craftmanship, singularity and soul&art in the pen, then there is just Japan. The pen production philosophy that you can find, which could be defined as Taylor-Made Fountain Pens. in the material, the dozens of interesting and unique nibs, not to mention the integrated art of the hand-painted ones, is a privilege.

 

Because I am very curious about new materials and Engineering and Design, that is a feature that makes me grade Italian higher than others. But if I was more interested in art and craftmanship, Japan would be the one for me. Regardless of that, I am sure, I would compare them, at each purchase, with a MB 149/146 or a Pelikan M1000/M800, depending on the size...

 

 

 

China will never make a good pen, as long as they continue in their current direction. Where others copy and improve, China copies and cheapifies. Just ask yourself what's better, a wonderful resin pen, or an awful $0.99 gold-plated pen? Chinese pens will never be good if they don't pay any attention to quality.

[de_pen_dent]

China will never make a good pen, as long as they continue in their current direction. Where others copy and improve, China copies and cheapifies. Just ask yourself what's better, a wonderful resin pen, or an awful $0.99 gold-plated pen? Chinese pens will never be good if they don't pay any attention to quality.

 

It is a common misconception that China makes *only* cheap products. They produce to a price point. There is a lot of high-end stuff being made in China as well. Most of the inexpensive dross you see is b/c that is what sells - so the market is merely meeting the demand.

[rochester21]

Sheaffer and Parker still make pens in the US ??

[rochester21]

 

 

 

China will never make a good pen, as long as they continue in their current direction. Where others copy and improve, China copies and cheapifies. Just ask yourself what's better, a wonderful resin pen, or an awful $0.99 gold-plated pen? Chinese pens will never be good if they don't pay any attention to quality.

Although i agree that the chinese are more interested in making things cheaply than improving a design or making their own designs, i can`t really say that they don`t make- or will never make a good pen. I`m saying this because i`m familiar with the low quality and bad design which some well respected brands put in their products. My guess is that in some cases pens are actually designed to break or to develop corrosion, loose caps etc. And that`s not quality.

Actually, i noticed that pens made 50 years ago are of better quality than modern pens(1960-today) made by the big western companies.

 

The chinese, on the other hand, make better pens today than they did 20, 30 years ago. They use solid materials, like brass, and some of their "iridium point made in Germany" nibs are actually very smooth. Not to mention the huge price gap.

 

Oh, almost forgot- in my book, there`s no such thing as "wonderful resin"( ). The only resin i know is that of trees. In the industry, they use plastic- good plastic, or bad plastic. Each variety comes in with different name, but if it`s made from oil, then it`s plastic.

Edited August 5, 2013 by rochester21

[carlosviet]

 

 

 

China will never make a good pen, as long as they continue in their current direction. Where others copy and improve, China copies and cheapifies. Just ask yourself what's better, a wonderful resin pen, or an awful $0.99 gold-plated pen? Chinese pens will never be good if they don't pay any attention to quality.

 

In the past 20 years, that kind of prediction has failed in multitude of products and it has cost a lot to traditional companies who didn't consider the chinese production as competition, because "they would never get the good quality".

 

China can do whatever they want, whenever they want it. If they produce inexpensive pens to supply mostly their internal demand, it's because they designed the production thus. As soon as they find demand for higher quality, they will do it.

[maus930]

USA Parker and Sheaffer are just history - can't count them -- In my opinion it is a dead heat between Germany (Mont Blanc), Japan (Sailor, Namiki) and Italy (Stipula)

 

All of my favorite pens come from one of those three

[stevekolt]

I don't know about best ( I own a multitude of mfrs. pens, MB, Visconti, Delta, Lamy, Parker, Pelikan etc.) but my favorite of current production pens is Edison (USA). Order the filling system, barrel/cap material, and nib YOU want, and it just works. Fabulous fit and finish, and Brian is very customer service oriented. I WILL be ordering more Edison's!

Edited August 7, 2013 by stevekolt

[Florida Blue]

Sheaffer and Parker still make pens in the US ??

Not anymore.

 

Sheaffer makes pen in China (all the lower-end and mid-range models), the Czech Republic (the Legacy Heritage) and Italy (the Valor). I'm not sure where the new Taranis is made.

 

Parker makes pens in China (IM, Urban, Vector Premium, Jotter Premium) and France (standard Jotter and Vector, Sonnet, Premier and Duofold).

 

The French-made Parkers are made at the Waterman factory in Nante. Parker and Sheaffer are also two of the few companies that still produce their own nibs in-house, instead of buying them from Bock or JoWo.

 

Any who, my vote is for France: Parker, Waterman, S.T. Dupont, Cartier and Oldwin.

Edited August 7, 2013 by Florida Blue

[pokermon]

I like brands not countries, but if you put a gun to my head and forced me to name countries I would say Germany and Japan for modern production. Vintage would go to Germany and American. Not too into the vintage Japanese stuff although they have some great pens in the vintage era, but they don't stand out like the American makers.

[Scrawler]

 

 

 

China will never make a good pen, as long as they continue in their current direction. Where others copy and improve, China copies and cheapifies. Just ask yourself what's better, a wonderful resin pen, or an awful $0.99 gold-plated pen? Chinese pens will never be good if they don't pay any attention to quality.

China makes what the western companies operating there demand. They went there for cheap and plentiful labour and they dole out business on the basis of who will accept to do it for the lowest price, and who will break environmental rules to do it. The Chinese people are capable of a far higher standard of craftsmanship than is evident by the products that you are currently buying. When given supplies and left to do what they wish for themselves, rather than to fill the commercial demands of others, the Chinese are among the cleverest and most skilled artisans in the world. I strongly recommend that anyone who believes that Chinese do not pay attention to quality, go spend half a year at one of their provincial art universities.

[firebug]

China makes what the western companies operating there demand. They went there for cheap and plentiful labour and they dole out business on the basis of who will accept to do it for the lowest price, and who will break environmental rules to do it. The Chinese people are capable of a far higher standard of craftsmanship than is evident by the products that you are currently buying. When given supplies and left to do what they wish for themselves, rather than to fill the commercial demands of others, the Chinese are among the cleverest and most skilled artisans in the world. I strongly recommend that anyone who believes that Chinese do not pay attention to quality, go spend half a year at one of their provincial art universities.

 

Hi there scrawler,

 

I completely and absolutely agree with you. Art and Craft are a part of any Chinese person's life. It is very evident from the craze of chinese pottery. Their vases, antique ones sell for 100s of thousands of dollars.

 

Having said that, they lack proper entrepreneurial capabilities and understanding of the western part of the world. Had they been able to do that, they would have been far more successful in creation of their own brands.

 

Having said all that, loiminchay, I believe is an expensive brand out of chinese stable and it's very good quality.

 

rgds

[georges zaslavsky]

Sheaffer and Parker still make pens in the US ??

Nope. Parker ceased to manufacture its pens ins the US after 1988 and Sheaffer last made US models were 2003-2004 models. Parker now manufactures its pens in France. Nowadays Sheaffers are made in Czechokoslovkia and Italy for the top of the range pens and China for the entry level ones.

[GabrielleDuVent]

 

I expect the good people of Hamburg, Germany would be surprised to find out that they are really Frenchmen.

 

Considering just how much "French are wusses with nothing but frills" I get from my German friends, I don't think they'd be surprised, but rather extremely angry. Of course, there's the ever-popular "Who can make the German most angry" annual inter-continental competition in Europe, so expanciluser might be training for that.

 

I'd vote for Japan, but then again I'm Japanese and I'm very proud of our culture pre-WWII, so I'm severely biased.

[Kaweco]

 

Considering just how much "French are wusses with nothing but frills" I get from my German friends, I don't think they'd be surprised, but rather extremely angry. Of course, there's the ever-popular "Who can make the German most angry" annual inter-continental competition in Europe, so expanciluser might be training for that.

 

I'd vote for Japan, but then again I'm Japanese and I'm very proud of our culture pre-WWII, so I'm severely biased.

Hello

Sorry, I can`t translate "wusses" and I am not sure about yout intention

Thomas

[scribbler77]

I emphatically agree with the comment that countries do not make pens. People, usually employed by companies, do. Among my favorites are Namiki/Pilot (Japan), Pelikan (Germany), and Aurora (Italy). Among my disappointments are Montblanc (Germany) and Stipula (Italy)--both of the latter for lack of quality control. (My Montblanc Diplomat leaked despite two trips to the repair specialist; I never could make the converters fit the two Stipula pens I bought, and the nibs required fine tuning--not true of any of my six Pilots, not counting the Varsities.)

[apkayle]

I consider a good pen to be a smooth writer, durable, beautiful, and widely available at an affordable price ($100 or less).

 

By that standard, I'd have to say China and India produce the best pens. But if I had to strictly on quality while disregarding price, I'd say Japan's pen makers are pretty consistent on making quality fountain pens that look beautiful and write nicely in a variety of nib settings.