What Is Your Favorite Cheap Pen? (<$30)

[dragonmanus]

So just thought I'd ask other users, since I find myself using very cheap pens more and more. What is your favorite low budget fountain pen? My collection consists almost completely of Jinhao's Baoers, and free noodlers pens. I find myself using them more than my pilot metro, ahab(though it leaks and replacement is on the way) and others.

 

So, please post what your favorite or favorites are in the low end of the price spectrum, what nib, and why they're your favorite cheap pens or even favorite pens. If you can post pictures that's even better.

[FOUR X FOUR]

Firstly, I applaud you for not being politically correct. I think my very favorite cheap/sub 30 dollar pen, would have to be the Schrade Tactical fountain pen. Followed closely by the the Platinum Preppy

[AndyKeir]

Without hesitation I can say my favourite sub-$30 is my Jinhao 159, specifically the gold trim one.
Performance way beyond what it cost.

[dragonmanus]

Firstly, I applaud you for not being politically correct. I think my very favorite cheap/sub 30 dollar pen, would have to be the Schrade Tactical fountain pen. Followed closely by the the Platinum Preppyimage.jpg

Thanks for posting! See I didn't even know about that fountain pen. Just got my EF platinum preppy today. stillh aving a nightmare time getting Kon-peki ink at a reasonable price and without waiting two months. When it arrives though, there will be a preppy applying some blue. definetly going to look into a tactical fountain pen. what nib sizes is it offered in and any ideas who has the best offer?

Edited January 15, 2016 by dragonmanus

[dylim1]

Mine would be Lamy Nexx M and TWSBI ECO.

[gerigo]

Platinum preppy or it's fancy sibling, the Plaisir. I also LOVE my Parallels, enough to consider making a fancy body for it.

[maus930]

I second the vote for the Jinhao 159 I probably have a dozen, i gift then to new pen users or friends who need a pen. available on Ebay for $10 +/-. I find them to be reliable and very good writers

[dogpoet]

Another vote for Jinhao. I favour the 750 over the 159 myself, though.

 

Also, the Reform 1715 (or whatever year it is), the now dead and gone Pilot Birdie and Pluminix, the Preppy (definitely enjoying the one I have to hand) and the Pelikan Pelikano.

[Rita_K]

The Pilot 78G. They are still available at JStationery for under $15 ( no affiliation, just a satisfied customer ). The B is a nice smooth stub-ish nib and the EF is great for sketching.

[dogpoet]

The broad 78G is a wonderful pen, very true.

(The narrower ones aren't too shabby, either...)

[rwilsonedn]

Far too many good choices for me to pick a favorite.

I'd have to start with the Pilot Varsity, a faultless writer that is almost free, and you can refill it.

Add to that the Petit1, maybe the world's most underrated pen: pocketable, bulletproof, and a wonderful writer.

At a more conventional level, there are the Pilot 78G and its close relative, the Pilot Tank--faultless pens.

But if you are willing to learn the technique for using eyedropper pens, there is a whole universe of Indian pens, ranging from machine-made and virtually free to literally hand-made to order, and from interesting-looking to magnificent. They range from being decent writers with a little adjustment to being excellent out of the box.

It is a big, wide world to explore!

ron

[pajaro]

Kaigelu 356. Looks like a matte blue Sonnet, but writes better. Has a medium nib that writes like a fine.

 

Frankly, though, none of my under $30 pens are really favorites of mine. I think it would be good advice that you should not spend too much on cheap pens before getting one of the better pens like a Parker 51, Montblanc 144, Montblanc 146, a Conway Stewart or something like that. You could spend a lot of money on cheap pens and just end up with a bunch of cheap pens.

[amk]

Ron is right. You can have a lot of fun with Indian pens. It's worth not getting the cheapest but the second tier up - you will get a lot more fun and the outlay is still very reasonable.

 

Pilot 78g is a great little writer, even cheaper of course the V-pen!

 

But my favourite I think, just sneaking under your budget last time I looked, is Lamy Joy with an italic nib. It's nicely made, good quality plastic, writes beautifully and looks gorgeous. It won't suit everybody - it's not a shirt pocket pen - but it suits me very well particularly when I'm in a calligraphic mood. I spent the money saved on extra nibs :-)

 

For pens not currently available, but good if you can get them, I adore the previous Pelikano (translucent barrel, aluminium cap, translucent plastic clip) and have a lot of affection for my stable of Sheaffer No Nonsense (which come with a choice of calligraphy or standard nibs).

[Postscript]

For me my Montblanc 146 or a simple Dex pen.

 

Post Script

[hbdk]

LAMY Safari and Nemosine Singularity - they are both great writers and low maintenance at that.

[sirgilbert357]

I'm a bit of a hypocrite to say this since I'll be selling it soon, but my Osmiroid 65 is by far the best under 30 dollar pen in my collection. Stupidly easy to re-sac if needed since the section unscrews, it takes Esterbrook nibs, Venus nibs or original Osmiroid nibs. And I have the full set of original straight Italic Osmiroid nibs in the box, in addition to my Esterbrook nibs. So I have like 9 pens in one, lol...

Edited January 15, 2016 by sirgilbert357

[dragonmanus]

For me my Montblanc 146 or a simple Dex pen.

 

Post Script

Not exactly a less than $30 pen but thanks for the addition.

[Maurizio]

1 - Pilot Metropolitan by far the best value for the money

 

2- Platinum Preppie

[AlanO]

For me it has to be the Lamy Safari, with its range of easily changeable and cheap nibs - the stub nibs aren't as smooth and easy-flowing as, say, TWSBI nibs (the TWSBI Mini 1.1 is my favourite nib of all), but for the price they're excellent - and the Lamy Fine and Medium nibs are very good indeed.

 

It's the nib flexibility and the converters that don't fall apart that put the Safari ahead of the ultra-cheap Jinhao X750 and 159 for me, but those Chinese pens are amazing at the price.

 

Alan

Edited January 15, 2016 by AlanO

[xyverz]

LAMY Safari and Nemosine Singularity - they are both great writers and low maintenance at that.

 

I bought a Singularity Demonstrator specifically for the WoW factor after converting it to an eyedropper. I'm quite happy with it, but I did swap out the nib for a Goulet EF.

 

Also, I love my Safaris. All 8 of them.