Which pen (manufacturer) offers the best value?

[calvin82]

I think its Lamy. All their pens are affordable in price yet good in quality and design.

[JJBlanche]

If I were to vote for the best pen value out there, in terms of performance and quality versus cost, it would be a tuned 1745 (and not just because I sell them). Otherwise, my vote would go to a Binder tuned Pelikan or Sailor.

[offbase]

Does Esterbrook even PRODUCE pens anymore??? I would've gone for Stipula (Etruria), but I guess there was no room for such massive modern pen sellers as Wahl-Eversharp, Esterbrook, Platinum and Caran D'Ache. To tell you the truth, I've never known anyone who's ever even TRIED a Caren D'Ache. No offense, but you needed to take more time preparing your poll. Missing Sailor and Stipula (two of the more popular among posters here), while including two manufacturers who don't even exist anymore, invalidates it to me.

[Pink Ink]

A lot of pen manufacturers make pens in a wide range of price points. Pilot has the $25 Vortex or even less with the $10 Penmanship. And then it goes up from there up to thousands for some of the Namiki pens. For me, a good value is something that's inexpensive yet can last a long while.

 

For me, good value would be something like the Pilot Cavalier -- metal cap, metal barrel, metal section, nice fine point for $50.

[piembi]

....Pelikan offers the best value IMO today and at least (if not the best) service today.

YES, things have changed in the last 10-20-50 years, but as re TODAY, I'm sticking to Pelikan. ....

 

I am in the Pelikan camp, too. My daily user pens are vintage Pelikan 400/400NNs. Accompanied by a M400 pre 97. They are utterly reliable. And Pelikan offers outstanding service! None of the other pen companies did any repair work on my pens for free. Pelikan does frequently!

 

And just to make it clear: all those pens had been ebay purchases with one problem or another. Only one had been my old university pen. Me being totally stupid (or ignorant at this time) did not soak the pen with the dried ink but tried to operate the piston = broken piston :bonk: :bonk: :bonk: Not exactly the pens fault ....

 

 

[sasdrtx]

Just one pen? Impossible!

 

I'm not sure how to vote on this poll, as the question in the post is not the same as the one in the title. "Best value" isn't the main criterion I would use if I had to choose just one pen for the rest of my life. :hmm1:

 

[OcalaFlGuy]

Ok, here's my .02 (and remembering the original question was based on VALUE)

 

If we're talking vintage, for value then and today, it's hard to beat Esterbrook. Who else had the color variation they had? They are also very durable. They suffer few of the "ills" many of the other more appreciated vintage pens do. Pull up an Estie nib chart and show me how many other makers had that wide a selection of nibs that are still readily available over a 70 year timeframe, especially nibs that are so easily replaced. Even today, for $30-45 you can get a fully restored Estie that looks better and may even write better than the day it was made 60+ years ago.

 

So far as Modern pens go, my vote goes to Cross (remember, we are talking value here). Thankfully there are so

many of you who poopah Cross as that makes so many of them very affordibly available for the rest of us. I got a

brand spanking new 14kt gold (and that's gold filled) Century Classic II with an 18kt gold nib shipped for $80 that

like all Crossi, writes like a dream. Tell me THAT'S not value. Cross pens write wonderfully, from the cheapest pen they make to their higher priced spreads. I'll put their warranty up against any pen maker in the world. Totally

no quibble, fix or replace for the life of the pen whether it's the original owner, or the 10th owner, no paperwork

required. Show me another pen company that will let you buy a used pen off of ebay, oh, say, with a F 18kt nib, send the pen back in with $10 and get it back with a brand new 18kt M nib. That my friends, is VALUE.

 

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[Spaceman3750]

It's a toss up between my Levenger Truewriter and the Cross Apogee I will buy in due time.