[Suggestion] Small Fountain Pens To Buy?

[Ccnati]

The monteverde poquito has good reviews... It is too small for my tastes, but it is ~$30 and is supposed to be a pretty good pen.

[subbucal]

I would suggest try ASA Genius

 

Its a wonder!

[Algester]

Pilot Birdie. It is not made any more but perhaps they can be found.

they are spotted in my country and it seems they can still be available maybe not "made in Japan" in an exact sence

if the Stella 90S is in your fancy zone of course the Prera will be as well pehaps the Legno as well

Edited January 7, 2015 by Algester

[setriode]

Pelikan 140, small but superb.

[Ted A]

These, I think, are out of production but not for long so show up on e-bay

Monteverde Mini Jewelria

Monteverde Sonata

Laban made a very small pen

Taccia Portuguese is harder to find

 

Pilot Prera is fairly small

Pilot Elite 95 s

Platinum makes a small big cap pen

[Drone]

Just wanted to say thank you to Drone. I had never seen the Lucina before and I really quite like it. Gorgeous photos too. Will put it on my long-term list.

 

For the OP, the Pilot Stargazer would also be a pen for you to consider.

 

Yes, the Lucina is a nice little pen; and good "bang for the buck" in my opinion. I just wish it were easier to find on the market. Normally I carry dark and serious large fountain pens. So the little yellow Lucina is a departure and draws attention from those that know me - especially from the "finer" sex (wink).

 

Here's a post (#29) where I speak about my interpretation of the origin of the "Lucina" name. The Post includes a sound file attachment that demonstrates pronunciation.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/34885-pilot-lucina/?do=findComment&comment=3152499

 

The Pilot Stargazer is one pen I overlooked. Good suggestion. I like the flecked "starry" finish. It is simple yet profound.

 

Unfortunately, at $150+ USD each, IMO the Stargazer is a pricey little pen that Pilot seems to market for export. The Stargazer does have a 14ct. gold nib though. But in reality, even at today's gold prices the small gold nib adds around $35-$50 to the sell price versus steel. So I still consider the Stargazer to be a bit over-priced.

 

Cheers, David

 

P.S., Credit where it is due: The pictures of the yellow Lucina I posted here previously were in-fact (shamelessly) scraped from the Engeika_dot_com Web site. I was on the Engeika site today and noticed where they came from. Thanks go out to Taizo-San.

Edited January 8, 2015 by Drone

[Drone]

Here's a small FP that I just stumbled across on line - the "Tiny" by LOCLEN.

 

From the Kickstarter Page:

 

"Tiny is a pocket fountain pen you can always carry with you and have a wonderful writing experience in any occasion"

 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/598840290/tiny-the-pocket-fountain-pen

 

LOCLEN homepage:

 

http://www.loclen.com

 

And a post on FP Geeks:

 

http://fpgeeks.com/2015/01/tiny-the-pocket-fountain-pen-by-loclen/

 

To save you a bit of time, here's my quick take on the Tiny:

 

So they exceeded their $1,000 USD goal and have $19,000 pledged as of my post time. The pen is $60 and ships in April 2015. This looks like another machined aluminum Kickstarter pen (ala Karas Custom). The Tiny reminds me of a baby Muji Pen It looks like the Tiny is 130mm (5.1") long posted. How long the pen is un-posted is not clear to me.

 

The Tiny has a standard Bock (Germany) Triple System 060 (No. 5) steel nib unit available in F,M, & B. The pen takes a Pelikan 4001 cartridge, which is a short International cartridge. But there's no mention of a converter. Maybe a Monteverde short converter will fit. They are offering an optional machined aluminum tube that carries spare cartridges.

 

It looks like the Tiny posts by screwing the cap onto the end of the barrel. There's no clip on the pen, but they are offering a stamped-steel (clip-on) accommodation clip for an extra $3 bucks. It looks like there are a a couple of color and cap-style options. The hexagonal cap may act as a roll-stop if there is no clip but if you have the Hexagonal cap, the accommodation clip will probably not fit. Thoughtfully, you can buy spare caps of either type for the Tiny. There is a pen-pouch option too.

 

I like the looks and functionality of the Tiny. The price is a bit high IMO, especially if you start adding a bunch of options. The pressing question about this pen is the converter. You can syringe fill cartridges in a pinch, but a converter is a much better solution. As mentioned previously, maybe a Monteverde short converter will fit. But that's yet another thing extra to buy.

 

A two-tone or gold-tone Bock nib option and a matching gold-tone accommodation clip option are two more things that are lacking, especially if you can get the Tiny in the gold anodized version. But you can probably find both of those items from a third-party online somewhere (pen turning supply outlet?).

 

Enjoy, David

Edited January 8, 2015 by Drone

[atunabu]

MB MOZART and CARTIER DIABOLO MINI ... they are good and beautifull Mini FP

[Stephen Lee Ogden]

OHTO Tasche - Fine

 

Last week a friend's pocket caught my eye and I discovered he was carrying a MonteVerde Mini Jewleria ... it was rather nice in person but I think it may be medium only. Clever design ... very classy

[dcwaites]

I have examples of all of these --

 

Jinhao 163 - Small pen, as well made, available in a range of colours

 

Pilot 78g - Lighter than the 163, available in four colours and three nib sizes

 

Sailor ProColor - A bit more expensive than the ones above, but it is a real Sailor. This is a little wider than the two above.

[wildblueroan]

In the 1990s Montegrappa made some beautiful little resin pens that are the same length as a a (vintage) waterman 52V but with sterling appointments. I snagged one at a pen show for $150 and its a dandy.

[georgeb]

Parker 51 Aerometric Demi

[gweimer1]

Continuing on the vintage angle:

Sheaffer Balance Jr - I've had a couple, and I really like the feel and size of these

Parker Lady Duofold

Esterbrook CH

[thoppen]

I just purchased a Waterman 512. Now that is really a small pen