Help A College Student Choose A New Pen

[Runnin_Ute]

Yes, the P45 is old, and no longer made.

But there are LOTS of them on eBay, so they are easily purchased.

I have 2 of them inked right now, and in my pen cup for daily use.

 

I would say

- Decide which of your pens you like writing with the best (Pilot Prera or Kaweco al-sport).

- Get a 2nd of that pen, and use it for your backup pen for school. I prefer to have a matching backup pen.

 

The TWSBI 580 is a nice pen. But it would be a different pen than what you have. As above, I prefer to have matching (or similar) pens.

 

The Lamy 2000 is a nice pen, but IMHO too expensive to take to school. My idea of a school pen is a pen that would not be a significant financial impact if you had to replace it, due to damage, loss or theft. IWO, if you can't afford to replace it, don't take it to school. However, you can use a pen like that at home (where it is safe) to do your homework.

 

IMHO ink capacity is an overblown subject, so don't sweat it. All you need is a routine; at the end of the day, after you do your homework, refill the pen (and your backup pen if you used it). In this way, you start the day with a FULL pen. If you run out of ink or have trouble with your primary pen, switch to your backup pen and keep going.

 

One thing to think about is, screw vs. pull cap. I find a pull cap more convenient to use. If you ever lend your pen to a friend (not something I recommend), most people will try to pull the cap off, which would damage the threads.

The nice thing about the P45 as well. Even though the pen was first introduced to the world in 1960, it was not discontinued until this century!! (2007) So even if you have to replace a nib, they are relatively easy to come by. You can get NOS ones for $12.00. (can you tell I have been looking/)

[benbot517]

One other thing about the 580 is that it's a big pen. It's meant to be used unposted, and is quite comfortable that way.

[rwifilipe]

Thank you all. Now i cant decide between another prera and a twsbi mini ( i really like small pens).

I love the japanese fine nib i have in the prera, they're cheap and very confortable (for me), but i've never tried the twsbi and there are so many good reviews that make me want to try one...

[dkim87]

Thank you all. Now i cant decide between another prera and a twsbi mini ( i really like small pens).

I love the japanese fine nib i have in the prera, they're cheap and very confortable (for me), but i've never tried the twsbi and there are so many good reviews that make me want to try one...

 

Tbh, I am not a big fan of the twsbi mini I have. It is too small that I have to post and I am not a big fan of the screw on posting cap since it is hard to align the clip in a way that is comfortable for me. Also I find the section quite slippery/uncomfortable.

 

I like the idea of the pen, and the visuals of it, but it just didn't work out for me.

[benbot517]

The 580 unposted is the size of the Kaweco Sport posted.

[sandy101]

Platinum Plasir is a cheap, aluminium pen which would be ideal for college, or the Pilot Metro which gets good reviews here.

 

Alternatively, there's the Sheaffer 100 or VFM or even the Diplomat Traveller which is the same price as the Prera.

[freewheelingvagabond]

The Lamy 2000!

[LisaN]

I'm going a different route and suggesting a Pelikan m400.

Just putting it out there.

[Kataphract]

Thank you all. Now i cant decide between another prera and a twsbi mini ( i really like small pens).

I love the japanese fine nib i have in the prera, they're cheap and very confortable (for me), but i've never tried the twsbi and there are so many good reviews that make me want to try one...

I'll be getting a Prera with the calligraphy nib at some point in the future (frankenpenned a Plumix and Metropolitan at the moment). The Pilot Fine and the Twsbi EF nibs are exceedingly close in width. I really can't tell them easily apart. The Pilot is smoother, and that was immediately out of the box, the Twsbi got noticeably smoother over time, but still not as smooth as the Pilot. The point of major difference is the ink capacity. The Twsbi just writes for forever and a day in EF. If you shop around though, you can get the Prera for $20 less despite the similar list price. If you are paying anywhere near the list price for the Prera, I'd take the Twsbi over it. But if you can get the Prera for $30 -$35, then that's a significant price advantage.

[ac12]

 

So did I. Class of 1971 .

 

 

You beat me by a few years. BBA in '76

[ateke]

Twsbi mini with extra fine nib. well i do also favor fine nib pens over broad ones and ended up getting the twsbi mini, will receive next week hopefully, i think twsbi extra fine and prera fine nibs are almost similar in line width and not to mention extra ink capacity lol

 

I have also used prera with fine nib but it was a bit scracty and had to swap the nib from pilot MR fine.

As for twsbi, i have only used twsbi classic with extra fine nib. The nib was really smooth and offered consisten fine line but didnt like the pen because it didnt let me post the cap lol

Edited January 31, 2015 by ateke

[Vinayj009]

Why don't you get into vintage pens. Buy a vintage Pelikan or a cheap montblanc or a swan or a nice flex waterman

[Mercian]

If you have enough money to buy a LAMY 2000, and you also like the idea of a hidden nib, I recommend that you at least consider buying a Parker "51" with Aerometric filler.

 

They were designed in a time when fountain pens were the only pens available - so they had to be reliable 'workhorse' writers that one could comfortably use all day. And the "51" was Parker's top-of-the-range 'flagship' pen for Executives.

The Aerometric filling system is very reliable, and millions of these pens were produced. They have a large ink capacity and they are (like the LAMY 2000) a design classic.

They also have a pull-off cap, but unlike the LAMY 2000 they do not have the small metal fins that some people find irritating.
I, like many people, find the "51" to be extremely comfortable in the hand - which is an important consideration if you're thinking of buying a pen to use all day at college.

Even though they are old pens, they are so well-made that you could just buy one and then use the money you've saved (compared to the price of a new 2000) on inks & paper.

Or you could get an Aerometric "51" AND then pay for it to be completely serviced by an expert, and re-fitted with a totally clear ink sac and a new nib of whichever width you'd prefer (which is what I did when I bought mine).

On the ‘Parker’ board in the ‘Brand Focus’ section of FPN there are people who will happily help you to find the best "51" available within your budget.

Lastly, I do recommend that you try to find examples of any pens that you are thinking of buying, and then seeing how they feel to your hand.
It doesn't matter if everyone else in the world thinks that a particular pen is ‘the best pen ever’ - if it doesn't feel right in your hand you should buy something else.

I wish you the best of luck with finding whatever you choose to buy, and then many happy hours of writing with it

Cheers,

M.

Edited February 1, 2015 by Mercian

[Rubicon]

Hi,

I've been using fountain pens for a year now and i have a parker sonnet and a parker 45 that i use mainly at home.

I also have a pilot prera and a kaweco sports classic both with fine nib that i use in college to take notes.

Now i want to purchase a new pen, not only to extend my "collection" but also to have in rotation with the two i use in college. Here are my options so far:

 

1) buy another prera - i can get them arround 32€ directly from japan. i really like the fine nib and i have small hands so the size of the pen is perfect.

 

2) buy a kaweco al-sport (60€) - an aluminum version of the sports classic, i like the design of the pen, and they are really small, but the ink capacity is limited (i reffil the standard small cartriges with a seringe).

 

3) twsbi 580 (60€) - i've never tried one but it seems to have a large ink capacity, but maybe a little too big and flashy to use in college?

 

4) lamy 2000 - this one is much more expensive than the others but i like the way the nib is "disguised". it seems that when you're using it people didn't notice it is a fountain pen, which is a plus for me.

 

Please let me know your oppinion. i'm looking for a durable and a pen to use in a daily basis that goes unnoticed by most people.

 

Thank you

The only thing I have to say is, Lamy 2000 is very good at being unnoticed, that's for sure. Sometimes I don't even notice it. Then I lose it. This is from someone who's never lost another pen. I think I've just lost my SECOND Lamy 2000 in two years. I keep wondering why it's this model- I use it a lot, and it's sort of, er, discreet. Bothers me a little, really. Because I'm currently debating whether I should buy it again.

Edited February 1, 2015 by Rubicon