Best Fountain Pens Under $1 Us

[TSherbs]

Yeah , Im pretty cheap too ...

Give me budget stuff over premium stuff .. Especially when it's on my dime .

Lots of budget stuff out there thanks to China at the moment ..

 

No way I could have done everything I am doing now 20 or 30 years ago ..

The internet firstly has changed things immensely , and then Chinese manufacturing .

I now have access to things I could never have dreamed of 30 years ago ..

Ironically, the democratization of the writing world marketplace.

[Sasha Royale]

Jinhao x450 can, sometimes, be found for 99 cents, shipping included. I always buy them. Currently, I have fifteen. Of late, this bargain is hard to find, though the x450 is excellent value at $4. I also like the HERO 266 fountain. Quality can be inconsistent.

At $1 each, take a chance, and find a good one.

[old4570]

Seen the X250 go cheap .. And some times the X750 ...

I do a lot more bids now ... Trying to pick up $10 + Pens for under $5 ...

Most of the time I lose but every now and again !

Picked up a Pelikan for $3 + shipping ( Looking forward to getting that one )

[bob_hayden]

Here is another 77 cent pen with this eBay title.

 

Cute Flower Plastic Fountain Pen With Ink Sac For Kids Gift Korean

 

It's quite similar to the previous 77 cent model but I don't think any parts interchange except possibly the nibs. The plastic seems even cheaper (making the pen a bit slippery) and the nib is a bit narrower and has more tooth but not an unusual amount given how fine it is.  It came with a cartridge that resembles a Hero 359 (i.e., large bore) cartridge, but I actually have a Parker cartridge in mine.  Those often leak by the section in pens that take 359 cartridges, so we shall have to see about that.  It fit fine in the barrel and was readily punctured by the pen.  I would prefer the other 77 cent pen in every way, but YMMV.  This is certainly a useable pen.

In the meantime that other 77 cent pen has been performing very well and 991s remain available for 99 cents.

[nauta_atramentorum]

...I think I have heard of these showing up at Daiso stores but I am not aware of any of those in New England...

...

I've got a Daiso 10 minutes from the house. I'm going to go have a look-see this weekend!

[bob_hayden]

Here is yet another 77 cent pen with this eBay title.

 

Pip Fountain Pen 0.38mm Syringe Pen student stationery office school supplies

This one actually has a brand name on it -- CHREN. (Taking a second look, I find that name on the second 77 cent pen I reviewed here.) They seem to specialize in really cheap plastic pens for children. This particular pen is shorter and slimmer than the previous ones, in fact, I could not find a smaller pen in my collection. OTOH it is only a bit smaller than the last generation of Sheaffer Dollar pens. But unlike those, it does not post reliably, and I found it too small to write with comfortably. (You can post the cap. but it just slides on == and off -- loosely.)

 

The pen takes bottled ink only. To understand the filling mechanism, think about a converter that has a metal shell and metal press bar to squeeze the sac inside. Remove all the metal parts and you will have this pen. So, it is not an eyedropper pen as the word "syringe" in the title might suggest.

 

The cap clicks on. There are five holes where a finial might have been. I wonder if this is a breather hole so a child will not choke if they swallow the cap. Will this result in the pen drying out? The barrel threads smoothly onto the section. There is a loose trim ring between that created a bump my fingers found annoying. Try to arrange for the trim ring to fall off and roll under the couch. The barrel and section join smoothly without it, unlike some Safari clones with wandering trim rings. The barrel and section do differ in diameter so the lump will not be fully eliminated. The barrel is one piece and looks like you could use this as an eyedropper if you cut off the sac, but the plastic is very thin and brittle. The threads joining it to the section are a good fit, and I counted eight turns to screw the two together so a little silicone grease should do ya.

 

The hooded nib was a decent writer out of the bubble wrap, and wetter and smoother after alignment. I have paid lots more for pens with nibs that did not write as well.

 

Recommended for someone with quite small hands who wants a flowery pen with a sturdy pocket clip and has a budget of 80 cents;-)

[bob_hayden]

I saw an eBay USA listing with this title:

 

12Pcs Color ink + 4Pcs Fountain Pen EF F M Nib School student office stationery

 

This is borderline for this thread as I wanted pens under a dollar in quantity of one, but you do get four different pens, and the 12 ink cartridges, all for $3.55, which made it seem a bargain I could not resist. I was expecting pens like the 77 cent ones above and junk cartridges like I reviewed in my cheap cartridge thread but things turned out the other way round. The ink is very nice (and will be reviewed elsewhere later) but the pens are marginal.

 

What I received was four CHREN pens. Two were similar to the CHREN pens already mentioned and were normal size pens. One writes quite well and the other is quite balky. The other two pens were about an inch shorter and seemed very short indeed posted because almost the entire pen disappears inside the cap. Both write reliably but are rather scratchy. The short pens have a hole in the cap and I wondered if this was to put it on a cord or chain around ones neck. I found these more comfortable to write with than I expected, but I think they are really meant for small children. The listing and the packaging suggest one is getting three different nib widths but any differences seemed within tolerance for a single width.

 

The cartridges turned out to be Hero 359 compatible and that's the real news here as ten of the colors have not been available before in 359 cartridges. The cartridges are available separately for $1.45 a dozen in the same listing. That's really cheap and so far the cartridges (all 12 are in use) seem just fine.

Edited June 26, 2018 by bob_hayden

[eawtan]

I am amazed by the jinhao 993 (aka shark) which is frequently sold for USD$0.99 shipped (converter included) . Wet nib which doesn't dry out or burp.

aesthetics may put-off some people though ...

 

[bob_hayden]

Is it the same nib as the 991, 992, and 599? I would miss a pocket clip and want to shave off the fin;-)

[Drawing61]

A Rotring Rapidograph .30 for $.99 on eBay. My bid was the only one.

[bob_hayden]

Congratulations! I've only been listing things that others can buy at the same price, but I know you can luck out on auctions. I once got an HP LaserJet 4M printer (over $1000 new) for 99 cents.

[eawtan]

Is it the same nib as the 991, 992, and 599? I would miss a pocket clip and want to shave off the fin;-)

 

I have the hooded nib version (993/shark) and don't have the equiv 991/992/599 so won't know... sorry.

[bob_hayden]

The

Cute Flower Plastic Fountain Pen With Ink Sac For Kids Gift Korean

CHREN shows no sign of leaking from the Parker cartridge. This pen tends to dry out if not used regularly,

 

The AIHAO pen continued to work well until the Lamy-style cartridge ran out. It started well and there were no leaks around the base of the cartridge. This is still my top choice in the 80 cents and under category.

[bob_hayden]

The CHREN pack of four pens and 12 cartridges came in two flavors. The cardboard backing of the package could be pink or blue. The review above was for pink. I liked that well enough to try the blue. You do get four different pens meaning mainly different print patterns. The nibs are similar but a nib that was on a short pink pen in one package might be found on a long lavender pen in the other package. I would say more, but it seems moot, as both packages seem to have disappeared from eBay.

[th3]

Is it the same nib as the 991, 992, and 599? I would miss a pocket clip and want to shave off the fin;-)

 

If you did that, what would you write with during Discovery Channel's Shark Week?

[Moonfruit]

I just found this beauty for SG$1 which is about 66cents US.

 

Picking 5 of them up tomorrow so I'll report back later!

Edited July 8, 2018 by Moonfruit

[th3]

Found a couple:

 

Jinhao 992 Trasparent Red Office Fountain Pen Fine Nib 0.5mm Great Gift

 

and

 

Metal Fountain Pen Extra 0.5mm Fine Nib Markers Office School Gift Pens

 

appears to be Yiren, price 99 cents to $1.32 depending on color

The grey and light red are 99 cents

 

quantities are limited on both

[bob_hayden]

Moonfruit, how did those Vector clones work out?

 

Nice finds, th3! That is a good price on a 992. Why did you think the Al-Star clone was from Yiren? I have several such clones and this looks closest to a no-name one that I have and think is OK but not everyone agrees. You can find comments on that from me and sodul in the Wing Sung 6359 thread.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/325645-wing-sung-6359/

 

There I try to sort out the various Al-Star clones I have encountered. I think at least one of every flavor has been OK but for some no name pens it's been one out of two.

 

The sellers you link to do not have very good feedback. I like to see 99.6 and up but that is high for Chinese fountain pen sellers. I'd think twice about anything under 99.0. Still, my experience is that if the item is defective the seller will usually send another with no fuss. If it's not as advertised you may have to take photos and describe exactly what the differences are. This may or may not convince the seller but in my experience it will convince eBay and you get a refund and leave negative feedback and state that you had to resort to eBay to get a refund. Then again you may feel it is not worth the trouble. These days there are so many fakes out there that I do complain just to warn others. You do not have to go through any hassles to just leave negative feedback if you are willing to pass on a refund.

[SteveID]

A 10 pack of Dollar Pens 717s For $8.75 on eBay, or just over 87 cents each. Yes, plastic, yes, cracking potential, but pistons, and a very decent nib, especially for the price, and their clever design for not losing the blind-cap (essentially it's much easier to remove the blind cap when the pen is posted, so the blind-cap stays safely nestled in the big cap) and the nice ink capacity, and of course, cheap.

Edited July 25, 2018 by SteveID

[bob_hayden]

Was that an auction? I am not seeing any prices below $13.99 postpaid for 10 on eBay USA today.