Need Help From The Experienced Experts

[drewmey]

Being an engineering student, I am normally a mechanical pencil guy. I am not a pen collector (yet ). However, I am in the market for a good, solid, metal pen that will last. So I decided to come to the pen experts to see if they had a recommendation for me.

 

What I want:

I will be needing a pen for more permanent work in my field (commercial construction) for signatures, proposals, and bids. I probably won't be using it for lengthy writing. I was going to get a Lamy Safari or even Al-Star. However, I had the opportunity to hold a Lamy Safari and was not happy with the weight or the fact that it was plastic (even though it was nice plastic). When I I write with mechanical pencils, I normally use a rotring 600, 800, or staedtler 925-25 to give you an idea of my taste. I would prefer a look more similar to those than a sleek, modern looking pen. I am hoping to spend <$50 but would increase my budget slightly if there was a great pen that I liked the look of. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

[GabrielleDuVent]

Parker IM? Made of metal, and quite cheap.

[Uncle Red]

A Levenger L-Tech, will feel a lot like a drafting pencil. Kaweco AL Sport or Special. Schrade Tactical Pen.

[Joe in Seattle]

Rotring made ballpoints and fountain pens. I have both. They are built for the ages. The steel F nib on my Lava 600 is as smooth and reliable as a gold nib. Inquire here, or go to a reliable EBay seller.

[yogalarva]

I don't have one, but the Lamy CP1 is around $50, looks very classy, and I think the thickness is on par with a mechanical pencil. It's pretty thin, but if you are more interested in looks and will be using your pen briefly then it might be a good idea. Lamy nibs are also interchangeable, which is a nice plus. :-)

[drewmey]

Thanks guys for all the great ideas. Already knew about some rotring pens that I love the look of. They are just a little out of my budget unless I could find a really good deal. With just first impressions, I really like the look of the Levenger L-tech. I'll read up on all of them and see if one stands out. Thanks!

[Sasha Royale]

Parker 45 in "brushed" stainless steel is in the price range. It rides nicely in the pocket.

I think you will appreciate the design that allows easy and total user maintenance of the pen.

It is "vintage", but very reliable and millions have endured for decades. A Parker 45 has been

in my pocket, daily, for forty years.

 

If you were graduating with your engineering degree, or from medical school, or entering the job market as a junior

executive, my gift to you would be a Parker 45.

[hbdk]

This:

http://www.cultpens.com/acatalog/Cult-Pens-Mini-Fountain-Pen.html

No affiliation just a happy customer (not of the exact model though, but it might be what you are looking for )

[JLS1]

If you like Rotring MPs, then it makes sense to get a Rotring FP too. Otherwise, you might spend more money buying multiple cheap pens than the Rotring costs to replicate how the latter feels/works.

 

FWIW, there was this thread on FPGeeks from someone selling some Rotring FPs; you might want to consider the Newton, which is also a fairly heavy, all-metal pen. I've got a Newton (not the Lava, unfortunately) and found it to be a pretty good pen...

[drewmey]

Parker 45 in "brushed" stainless steel is in the price range. It rides nicely in the pocket.

I think you will appreciate the design that allows easy and total user maintenance of the pen.

It is "vintage", but very reliable and millions have endured for decades. A Parker 45 has been

in my pocket, daily, for forty years.

 

If you were graduating with your engineering degree, or from medical school, or entering the job market as a junior

executive, my gift to you would be a Parker 45.

Didn't you catch that I am an engineer graduating soon...hint hint :-) Ha but thanks for the good idea. I'm checking that one out too.

[Tadeusz]

Lamy 2000, maybe. I know it may be over your budget, but you could find them used for only a little higher than $50. A nice graduation gift, maybe :-)

 

It has that unmistakable Bauhaus style, which means it isn't flashy enough to attract too much attention (read: thieves).

 

And it is practically indestructable.

[georgeb]

Parker 25

[rwilsonedn]

Mr. Pen in the UK sells some lacquer over brass pens (the Parson's Essential, for instance) that have built up a wonderful reputation of late.

You might take a look at them here: http://www.mrpen.co.uk/index1.html.

ron

[WirsPlm]

If you don't mind a slight potential for needing tinkering, Chinese pens are often heavy and good writers (plus, the price is right for taking along with field work), try the Jinhao 450 and 750 as a starting point, they're good pens for a very good price (sadly, the catch is that QC is not always the greatest, but I've never had a Jinhao pen that didn't work so you should be alright).

Edited March 14, 2014 by WirsPlm

[drewmey]

Just for information purposes, I chose to go with a Levenger L Tech Stealth with a TWSBI 580 1.1 Stub for a signature pen and a Rotring Rapid Pro Ballpoint with a Parker Gel Refill for a quick notes pen. Thanks for all the help. It made me think a lot about what I wanted and gave me some good options to look at. Would have killed the budget if I hadn't saved up so many Amazon/Bing Rewards gift certificates.