More Expensive Fat-Sectioned Pens

[PotatoJesus]

I know there was another thread about thicker sectioned pens but the OP specifically wanted pens that were under 50 dollars and I didnt want to hijack it into something the exact opposite of what they were looking for. The range for comfortability for me would be 10.5mm - 13mm and I would say the upper end of what I would spend would be ~600 usd. Right now I already have a Pelikan M800 and a Montblanc 146, but i kinda find the Pelikan to be a little more comfortable because it flares out at the end of the section. I am not looking for a pen with a steel nib, not to say that they are not as good at writing, but of course like all things in this hobby, it's a personal preference. So far I've looked at the Homosapiens and I am not sure if I like how shiny the finish gets after some use, along with the quality control issues that I've heard about (though some say its blown out of proportion, but as someone who has never bought one I cannot say). Im kinda lukewarm about demonstrators (don't really like the "clear" versions but do like tinted versions like Pilot Custom 823)

 

Here are a few that I am considering but I would also like some more recommendations to scope out what would be most aesthetically pleasing and a good workhorse (I am planning on using this pen for all my notes and work at school, not worried about thieves 1) most people im my classes arent really interested in my pens besides the "wow your pens look so fancy" 2) I keep watch of my pen case the entire day)

• Pilot Custom 823
• Visconti Homo Sapiens
• Pineider La Grande Bellezza Honeycomb (Can anyone with this pen tell me how the finish feels against your hand when you're writing?)
• Aurora 88

[Kodiac136]

Homo Sapiens would be a good choice imo. I've personally had bad experiences with Visconti, but if you buy it from a reliable source I doubt you'll have issues. You might have a look at a Sheaffer PFM or Legacy, they are incredibly comfortable to grip imo.

[MG66]

Franklin- Christoff model 19

Bexley Prometheus

 

Well under $600 but above $50.

 

Carl

[MG66]

I absolutely love my 823 but it is definitely not fat. I wish it were. A fat 823 would make me consider one man, one pen philosophy. Seriously.

 

Carl

[Lloyd]

CONID Minimalistica, a used Danitrio Takumi, custom pens by Edison/Newton/etc.

[flipper_gv]

I'm sure you can get a Delta Dolce Vita OS for your budget.

[Honeybadgers]

The Homo Sapiens nib QC is not blown out of proportion. Expect to spend $40 having it tuned out of the box, there is about an 80% failure rate of those nibs from the factory. BUT, once they're tuned, they're sublime. Just think of it as an added tax, as the rest of the pens are pretty famously reliably well made. I will never get rid of mine now that it's tuned.

 

The 149 is a great pen, I use mine a lot. Used examples can be had for $400-600. I spent $500 on an early 1990's 149 with ebonite split feed and 14k nib from a reputable dealer with its original box in like-new condition. It's not a bouncy nib, but it's gorgeous to just look at

 

The 823 is about as close to perfect as a pen can get. Every little detail on it has been thought out and perfected. But it's not very thick.

 

Really, the homo sapiens maxi isn't super fat either. it's on the thicker side of a medium section. it still fits the hand wonderfully and I never get finger cramp from it.

 

The pineider le grande belezza is pretty in its standard finishes, but the honeycomb just looks like it's made from bubble wrap, and a C/C doesn't really do much to make it look nicer. The quill nib looks gorgeous, but as soon as I saw how little line variation it actually made, I gave up on buying one. Again, not a very thick section. Also, I recommend to avoid polished metal sections on pens that are used for a lot of notes. I take TONS of notes in school and studying this EKG interpretation book, and I just don't find myself reaching for metal sections very often (exceptions being the lamy 2000 and faber castell loom I have inked right now)

Fingers get slippery and greasy. The Homo sapiens doesn't REALLY get that shiny, I've had mine well over a year and it looks like new despite a lot of use. Also, it's hydroscopic and absorbs some of the sweat from your hands. Definitely my favorite material of any pen ever.

[praxim]

Fat-sectioned pens with flared end for comfort are found in the Santini Italia range. I have three of their "Colours" model. In appearance, they are not exactly a black MB 149 so they provide great variety. Filling is cartridge or converter. Santini make their own gold nibs and very nice ones they are too. Check also used Ancora models by the same designer.

[Driften]

None of the pens you listed are wider then a m800 and I think my Aurora is a little thinner in the section. If you like the m800 you would like the Visconti Homo Sapiens. Just get it from a place that will test the nib before shipping, or allow you to exchange it if there is a problem.

 

If you want something wider, then a Montblanc 149 has a thicker section then any of the pens you list.

[PotatoJesus]

The Homo Sapiens nib QC is not blown out of proportion. Expect to spend $40 having it tuned out of the box, there is about an 80% failure rate of those nibs from the factory. BUT, once they're tuned, they're sublime. Just think of it as an added tax, as the rest of the pens are pretty famously reliably well made. I will never get rid of mine now that it's tuned.

 

The 149 is a great pen, I use mine a lot. Used examples can be had for $400-600. I spent $500 on an early 1990's 149 with ebonite split feed and 14k nib from a reputable dealer with its original box in like-new condition. It's not a bouncy nib, but it's gorgeous to just look at

 

The 823 is about as close to perfect as a pen can get. Every little detail on it has been thought out and perfected. But it's not very thick.

 

Really, the homo sapiens maxi isn't super fat either. it's on the thicker side of a medium section. it still fits the hand wonderfully and I never get finger cramp from it.

 

The pineider le grande belezza is pretty in its standard finishes, but the honeycomb just looks like it's made from bubble wrap, and a C/C doesn't really do much to make it look nicer. The quill nib looks gorgeous, but as soon as I saw how little line variation it actually made, I gave up on buying one. Again, not a very thick section. Also, I recommend to avoid polished metal sections on pens that are used for a lot of notes. I take TONS of notes in school and studying this EKG interpretation book, and I just don't find myself reaching for metal sections very often (exceptions being the lamy 2000 and faber castell loom I have inked right now)

 

Fingers get slippery and greasy. The Homo sapiens doesn't REALLY get that shiny, I've had mine well over a year and it looks like new despite a lot of use. Also, it's hydroscopic and absorbs some of the sweat from your hands. Definitely my favorite material of any pen ever.

 

If I was actually going to get a Visconti would it be better to buy through nibs.com because they set up the pens before shipping?

I'm kinda disappointed to hear that the 832 isn't very thick because I really live the more reserved took but I really can only find thicker pens comfortable. Im glad that you brought up the 149 because even when writing with my M800 and 146 I find myself looking for something even thicker (and a little heavier), I do like the fit/finish of both pens so I think I might just upgrade to the M1000 and 149 and just sell off what I have (thought I would have to find a red stripe M1000..have they ever made those because it is my favorite finish)

I've seem many people mention that the pineider le grande belezza honeycomb looks like bubble wrap but I really like the way it looks and ironically i don't really like the standard finishes, though your point about the metal section instantly turned me off as I have sweaty hands.

Looks like this thread has me "upgrading" my collection!

[PotatoJesus]

None of the pens you listed are wider then a m800 and I think my Aurora is a little thinner in the section. If you like the m800 you would like the Visconti Homo Sapiens. Just get it from a place that will test the nib before shipping, or allow you to exchange it if there is a problem.

 

If you want something wider, then a Montblanc 149 has a thicker section then any of the pens you list.

Yeah it seems like I am leaning towards 149 and M1000 which although a pricey realization leaves me still looking for 1 other pen to stay fully loaded (1 black, 1 blue and 1 fun color)

[PotatoJesus]

Fat-sectioned pens with flared end for comfort are found in the Santini Italia range. I have three of their "Colours" model. In appearance, they are not exactly a black MB 149 so they provide great variety. Filling is cartridge or converter. Santini make their own gold nibs and very nice ones they are too. Check also used Ancora models by the same designer.

Thay have some nice looking pens although it sucks that they don't seem to sell direct, as I looked at all of their resellers and they don't have the finish that I am interested in

[PotatoJesus]

CONID Minimalistica, a used Danitrio Takumi, custom pens by Edison/Newton/etc.

I think Conid pens are definitely nice but I remember seeing a post where they have prototypes with japanese hard rubber are models with this material available yet? Because as much as i like black on pens I would love to own a pen with that mustard yellow finish

[Lam1]

I also don’t consider the pilot 823 and Visconti HS to have a fat section - and the threads on the HS were a pain for me. Sold the 823 and gifted the HS.

 

You best bets are the M1000 and 149 (btw, there is no M1000 in red stripes. Only black and green - there was a SE Demonstrator, but you said you don’t like those). The nibs on those are very different, with the M1000 being soft and the 149 stiff.

 

A delta Dolcevita Oversized is even fatter and would fit your budget (Chatterley Luxuries still has them, last I checked. Figure another $ 50 to get the thing to actually write ).

 

Another one that I would recommend is the Waterman Edson. With a bit of patience you can get one in your budget. Absolutely gorgeous pen, IMO.

 

Finally, there is the Sailor King of pen resin (in that budget), if you can live with the ridiculous converter ((I use cartridges in my pro gear).

[Honeybadgers]

 

If I was actually going to get a Visconti would it be better to buy through nibs.com because they set up the pens before shipping?

I'm kinda disappointed to hear that the 832 isn't very thick because I really live the more reserved took but I really can only find thicker pens comfortable. Im glad that you brought up the 149 because even when writing with my M800 and 146 I find myself looking for something even thicker (and a little heavier), I do like the fit/finish of both pens so I think I might just upgrade to the M1000 and 149 and just sell off what I have (thought I would have to find a red stripe M1000..have they ever made those because it is my favorite finish)

I've seem many people mention that the pineider le grande belezza honeycomb looks like bubble wrap but I really like the way it looks and ironically i don't really like the standard finishes, though your point about the metal section instantly turned me off as I have sweaty hands.

Looks like this thread has me "upgrading" my collection!

 

The 823 is very similar to the homo sapiens. The homo sapiens is noticeably heavier. the 149 is not a heavy pen. If you want to try a 149, I do honestly recommend getting a jinhao 159 to test first. it's got nearly identical dimensions, and is much heavier. The 149 is kind of an interesting beast. Nothing about it really FEELS like a pen that costs a thousand dollars. it's balanced, it writes well, but the only things that stand out on it are the white star and the ENORMOUS nib (which is honestly what sold me on it. I'm such a sucker for a huge nib) but there are no really exotic materials. It's definitely classy and timeless though. Still, for my money, a tuned homo sapiens takes the cake. I forgot to mention the M1000. That's my next grail pen. I've used one before, and that nib is a LOT softer than the 149. The 149 is a nail and has been for several decades, even the 14k model I have. the M1000 is almost a semiflex. I loved it. But also, m1000 nibs CAN have overpolishing from the factory, just like the visconti, though the problem is nowhere near as widespread.

 

I personally think you should buy a homo sapiens if you can, and just spend a little money having it tuned. If you like a real extra fine, the EF nib is going to be too broad anyways, they tend to run so wet that they write a whole step broader. Again, while they are almost guaranteed to be nightmares out of the box, once they are tuned, they are un-freaking-believably good writers, the palladium nib is bouncy and soft and awesome, the balance and weight are spot on, and that material feels so amazing in the hand, almost like silicone crossed with silk.

 

SUPER broad sections seem nice and comfortable, but when I take notes, I tend to write pretty intricately, and I find that control is more important, so I tend to gravitate towards more medium-sectioned pens, and my hands are quite large. I love my 149 for short note taking sessions, but for pages and pages, pens like the lamy 2000 and homo sapiens get the nod. If I have to write for HOURS, I prefer super light and slim pens that write very wet with no pressure. For my patient charting, I prefer a wing sung 601. in the field, a delike alpha since it's indestructible. But for my notes tonight, it's a lamy 2000 EF, a 14k SF nibbed faber castell loom, and a pilot custom 91 SF.

 

As long as you have the pen swapped out within 30 days, coles of london is the visconti retailer for the US and will handle nib issues within 30 days. Goulet will handle them, no questions asked for 90 days (and will test them, but as far as I know, unless you are paying to have it tuned from the seller, they will just dip test it, and a dip tends to hide baby's bottom due to the super saturated feed)

 

So if nibs.com will TUNE it before they ship it, that's the way to go. I personally buy anything I can from Goulet, as they have treated me so well as a customer.

Edited July 27, 2018 by Honeybadgers

[PotatoJesus]

I also don’t consider the pilot 823 and Visconti HS to have a fat section - and the threads on the HS were a pain for me. Sold the 823 and gifted the HS.

 

You best bets are the M1000 and 149 (btw, there is no M1000 in red stripes. Only black and green - there was a SE Demonstrator, but you said you don’t like those). The nibs on those are very different, with the M1000 being soft and the 149 stiff.

 

A delta Dolcevita Oversized is even fatter and would fit your budget (Chatterley Luxuries still has them, last I checked. Figure another $ 50 to get the thing to actually write ).

 

Another one that I would recommend is the Waterman Edson. With a bit of patience you can get one in your budget. Absolutely gorgeous pen, IMO.

 

Finally, there is the Sailor King of pen resin (in that budget), if you can live with the ridiculous converter ((I use cartridges in my pro gear).

That really sucks that there is no red stripes M1000 but if my memory is correct there was somebody, (maybe newtonpens?) who would put in a new bindie, but I think that I would have to provide my own material to make it out of but I have no idea where I could get the pattern. Sailor KOP seems to have a sizable grip section and I dont think that I would be too upset using a cartridge with the pen if I had a finer nib on the pen.

On the visconti part what about the threads bothered you? Did they rub up against your hands alot or just make it uncomfortable to hold in general? With the way that I hold my pens I think that my thumb might lay on them, it has never been a problem with my other pens, but the threads on them are more flush to the pen

I like the thickness of the Dolcevita Oversized but the orange while beautiful isnt a color that I really like that much too bad there isnt a red version

Edited July 27, 2018 by PotatoJesus

[PotatoJesus]

 

The 823 is very similar to the homo sapiens. The homo sapiens is noticeably heavier. the 149 is not a heavy pen. If you want to try a 149, I do honestly recommend getting a jinhao 159 to test first. it's got nearly identical dimensions, and is much heavier. The 149 is kind of an interesting beast. Nothing about it really FEELS like a pen that costs a thousand dollars. it's balanced, it writes well, but the only things that stand out on it are the white star and the ENORMOUS nib (which is honestly what sold me on it. I'm such a sucker for a huge nib) but there are no really exotic materials. It's definitely classy and timeless though. Still, for my money, a tuned homo sapiens takes the cake. I forgot to mention the M1000. That's my next grail pen. I've used one before, and that nib is a LOT softer than the 149. The 149 is a nail and has been for several decades, even the 14k model I have. the M1000 is almost a semiflex. I loved it. But also, m1000 nibs CAN have overpolishing from the factory, just like the visconti, though the problem is nowhere near as widespread.

 

I personally think you should buy a homo sapiens if you can, and just spend a little money having it tuned. If you like a real extra fine, the EF nib is going to be too broad anyways, they tend to run so wet that they write a whole step broader. Again, while they are almost guaranteed to be nightmares out of the box, once they are tuned, they are un-freaking-believably good writers, the palladium nib is bouncy and soft and awesome, the balance and weight are spot on, and that material feels so amazing in the hand, almost like silicone crossed with silk.

 

SUPER broad sections seem nice and comfortable, but when I take notes, I tend to write pretty intricately, and I find that control is more important, so I tend to gravitate towards more medium-sectioned pens, and my hands are quite large. I love my 149 for short note taking sessions, but for pages and pages, pens like the lamy 2000 and homo sapiens get the nod. If I have to write for HOURS, I prefer super light and slim pens that write very wet with no pressure. For my patient charting, I prefer a wing sung 601. in the field, a delike alpha since it's indestructible. But for my notes tonight, it's a lamy 2000 EF, a 14k SF nibbed faber castell loom, and a pilot custom 91 SF.

 

As long as you have the pen swapped out within 30 days, coles of london is the visconti retailer for the US and will handle nib issues within 30 days. Goulet will handle them, no questions asked for 90 days (and will test them, but as far as I know, unless you are paying to have it tuned from the seller, they will just dip test it, and a dip tends to hide baby's bottom due to the super saturated feed)

 

So if nibs.com will TUNE it before they ship it, that's the way to go. I personally buy anything I can from Goulet, as they have treated me so well as a customer.

I as someone who favors more stiff pens, would the M1000 require a much softer touch not to flex?

How exactly do you hold your visconti, because now that Lam1 brought it up I my thumb will most likely sit on top of the threads and I don't think that it would be very comfortable, you're making me consider the homosapiens but the threads seem to be much more prominent which could cause issues with my grip. I dont really know if I will buy from nibs.com because they dont seem to have a normal grind nib down option for the nib customization, just straight to needle point

[Lam1]

My problem with the HS was that my thumb also stays on the threads, and in the HS this would bother me after a little while. There were also two other problems, the only way to reliably fill mine was using the travel inkwell; and to cap/uncap mine was really annoying. But it is a beautiful pen and mine had a really nice nib (out of the box) I must say add that I only gifted it to my son, because he really likes Visconti pens. Otherwise I probably would have kept it.

 

I believe you are right in that Newtonpens is the one that puts a new bind on Pelikans. For what is worth, it is rumored that this year they will release a M1000 Stresemann.

 

I believe that (given the financial possibility, of course) the M1000 and the 149 should be in any collection. They are both wonderful (and very different) pens and you can’t go wrong with them. Both can be obtained at very reasonable prices from Europe.

 

One that is absolutely gorgeous (IMO), satisfies your criteria of fat section, but is a bit above what you intend to spend, is the MB Dumas. Something to keep in mind for the future .

[PotatoJesus]

My problem with the HS was that my thumb also stays on the threads, and in the HS this would bother me after a little while. There were also two other problems, the only way to reliably fill mine was using the travel inkwell; and to cap/uncap mine was really annoying. But it is a beautiful pen and mine had a really nice nib (out of the box) I must say add that I only gifted it to my son, because he really likes Visconti pens. Otherwise I probably would have kept it.

 

I believe you are right in that Newtonpens is the one that puts a new bind on Pelikans. For what is worth, it is rumored that this year they will release a M1000 Stresemann.

 

I believe that (given the financial possibility, of course) the M1000 and the 149 should be in any collection. They are both wonderful (and very different) pens and you can’t go wrong with them. Both can be obtained at very reasonable prices from Europe.

 

One that is absolutely gorgeous (IMO), satisfies your criteria of fat section, but is a bit above what you intend to spend, is the MB Dumas. Something to keep in mind for the future .

I am very happy that I can order the Pelikan for much cheaper from Cult Pens but where should I go for the Montblanc? (That MB Dumas is quite lovely looking, this forum leads me down a dark path )

 

How long did it take the grip section to irritate your thumb? I was kinda getting sold on Visconti but the threads could be a big problem for me

[SpecTP]

Yeah it seems like I am leaning towards 149 and M1000 which although a pricey realization leaves me still looking for 1 other pen to stay fully loaded (1 black, 1 blue and 1 fun color)

 

Conid Bulkfiller would make that threesome an EDC set that you will never outgrow.