Your top 3 fountain pen brands and why

[kestrel]

56 minutes ago, dipper said:

So far we have over thirty brands that have received one or more mentions in the "personal top 3 brands" lists.

 

That is really interesting, and I have no idea what it means 😃😃.

 

Meanwhile, at the head of the pack, I count the clear leaders as:

 

Montblanc - on 12 lists

Pilot - on 8 lists

Pelikan - on 8 lists

Sheaffer - on 7 lists

Parker - on 7 lists

Sailor - on 6 lists

 

What does that tell us? I have no idea, but it sure is exciting to watch the votes comming in.

It means (I think) that you asked people for their three "top" brands.  The term rather nebulous and leaves a lot of wiggle room for respondents to decide what means "top" for them.  That leads to variety in the answers. 

It also means (I think) that there is considerable variation in the people who have replied.  Some prefer modern and others prefer vintage.  Some like to tinker and some want near perfection out of the box.  We each have different esthetics in how we want our pens to look and balance and feel in the hand and we demand different sensations when nib touches paper.  It's all part of the fun of the hobby/obsession/addiction we share and why this thread has been fun, for me at least, to read.

In the end all that matters is how we feel when we use our pens and inks and paper.  My top pens make me feel good when I use them.

Thanks for the thread.

[Nellie]

Oh, I still like to tinker. I own two Lamys and a Pelikan that I'm happy with now. However, I've only known how to do that since I joined this forum, so in order to make it into my top three, all of a brand's pens would still have to be good writers out of the box. Most people don't like to tinker or send their pens to some kind of nibmeister just to get a decent writing instrument, after all.

[Bo Bo Olson]

I chase the nib and balance.

 

If one only stubs and CI's every other nib, a set of nails from EF to BB....In I find BBB too wide to write. There are some 35 nibs with different flexes, and tipping.

 

If one chases vintage German stubbed semi/maxi-semi-flex nibs, you end up with a different top three than if you chase nails and butter smooth nibs.

 

If you are relatively young, you grew up thinking Large pens are standard/normal, so don't post in they lack balance.

 

If old, then standard sized pens, like the Esterbrook DJ, P-75, or the Pelikan 200/400 are one set, the medium-large/long pens, P-51, Pelikan 600 and Geha 725 and a few others that size, are another set of well balanced when posted pens.

 

Such would give a bias to one's selections. Or the reason for it.

[amper]

TWSBI ECO/ECO-T, because it is hands down the highest price/performance/beauty ratio pen on the market.
Pelikan Souverän, because Pelikan Souverän. Will always be my first choice in expensive pens because they are gorgeous and piston fillers.
Platinum Preppy, because they are cheap as dirt and easily convertible to eyedropper fill, a perfect introduction to fountain pens for novice users, and are great for experimenting with unusual inks. Also comes in a fiber-tip version.

No pen other than the Preppy would ever make my Top 10 list unless it has a piston filler mechanism. If TWSBI can sell the ECO for $30-35, then there is no excuse for more expensive pens to not have pistons. Although I do own a couple of pens that are cartridge/converter only, I will never buy another, now that the ECO exists.

One honorable mention: the Kaimei brush pen. Mine is terminally clogged, but someday I will get around to repairing it. Because it's the best brush pen ever.

[taimdala]

Good grief, how did I not respond to this thread before now?

Better fix that!

 

My top three, in no order of favor or performance, because their rankings change on any given day depending on my mood or task:
 

1. TWSBI: Diamond 580 and Eco. I have 17 Ecos and 8 Diamond 580s. Nearly all of them are EF, though I do have an F, an M, and a Kirk Speer 45° Architect Reverse EF grind. If I had to rank the brand by most pens owned, TWSBI blows all my others out of the water.  (The next closest would be Lamy AL-Star at 15, or 17 if I include the 2 LXes that I own.)
   
   The Eco was the first modern pen I bought after a 10 year hiatus from fountain pens, when I put my 1980s-era Sheaffer No Nonsense somewhere safe where my toddlers couldn't get at it ... and then couldn't find it again when they were grown enough to leave my pens alone.
   
   So I went looking online for a replacement and stumbled across TWSBI in my search. I liked the demonstrator build and loved how much ink it appeared to hold--a far cry better than the bitty Skrip cartriges my NN took. I saw the price wasn't too steep and took a gamble that I would like it.
   
   OMG, wrote beautifully right out of the box, nice and wet even though an extra fine, and the unexpected side benefit was being able to see the ink slosh around like a personal pocket-sized Lava lamp. I was smitten ... and bitten by the fountain pen bug. The rabbit hole opened wide and swallowed me whole.
   
   That was six years ago and I still have no desire to climb out.
   
   I soon after tried the Diamond 580 to see how it felt in hand and in truth, I can't feel any real difference from the Eco. The nibs on the 580 are just as wet and perhaps the grip section is just a touch smoother and omnidirectional, as it lacks the small nubs that the Eco has. (And the Eco's nubs are nowhere near as intrusive as the shaped grip of Lamy's Safaris and AL-Stars.)
   
   The main benefit of the 580 I've found (YMMV) is how you can unscrew the nib/feed out of the pen as a unit and fill the barrel to the top with a blunt syringe. This also allows swapping different nib sizes in and out, too. One could conceivably buy only ONE Diamond 580 for the barrel and a slew of different nibs for the variety ... and those at half the price of a single pen.
   
   But hell, why settle for just one? More pens = more inked at a time = more fun!
   
   I've had TWSBIs for years, ranging in age from going-on 7 years down to three weeks old and so far none have cracked. Perhaps I've just been lucky in my pens' resin batches turning out well. Or maybe I baby them more than usual--they are either stored gently in cases while on the go or in the glass tank on my desk. (Tank, because a mere cup or mug isn't big enough!)
   
   Either way I recommend them with confidence because in terms of price, they punch well above their weight in looks and performance.
    
2. Platinum Procyon: I have 3, but only 1 is inked right now. But to be honest, it's the only one I need. It made the cut for my cargo pocket EDC because its nib is simply the best: light, fine, just a whisper of feedback. All my Procyons nibs are a Fine, but the line is finer than TWSBI Extra Fine. I prefer finer rather than broader so being restricted to fine is not a problem, it's a bonus!  I've had it inked with Platinum Blue Black ink (cartridges) exclusively since I bought it, but I'm starting to wonder how it would perform with a wetter ink. I'm just waiting to write the current cartridge dry before I start exploring.
   
   (I would definitely welcome any ink recommendations, please and thank you!)
   
   Much like my TWSBIs, the Procyon is a fabulous workhorse pen that looks classier than you'd expect for its price range. To be fair, however, I bought my Procyons at their initial offering price. The cost has gone up a bit since then and if you're looking to buy the limited edition colors, you'll pay even more.
   
   I might go in for the matte black model but I'm waiting to see if they offer it in a gold or rose-gold trim first. Ditto if Platinum ever sees fit to offer it in a pigeon's blood ruby red or sapphire blue or emerald green. I love gemstone colors for a fountain pen. (I know that Platinum Plaisirs come in these colors but I prefer the matte metal of the Procyon over the slick metal of the Plaisir.)
   
    
3. Platinum Preppy, Extra Fine (02) and Fine (03): My daily writer/EDC is the (02) and it's clipped permanently to my focus log which lives in my cargo pocket. Much like the Procyon, Preppy's Extra Fine nib is light, fine, and offers just a whisper of feedback. It allows me to write teeny-tiny (my preference for pocket notebooks) and due to the relative paucity of ink released, it performs well on the craptastic paper Moleskines are routinely bound with (which is what my focus logs are written in).
   
   I have several Preppies: the regular models in their colored barrels, three or four Preppy Crystal, and two Preppy Wa (1st edition). I have two highlighter Preppy pens, too, but they live in the large glass pen tank on my desk where I tend to use them.
   
   Counting up all the different Preppies I own right now, they number ten. I'm thinking of getting more, because the 2nd Edition Preppy Wa is still available ... But I suspect that's just the collector bug nibbling at me.
   
   And though it nibbles, I am generally able to resist it. It only took me 2.5 years to find my comfort zone in make, model, and price. I feel really fortunate that I found my Goldilocks Zone so quickly, else I'd be bankrupt! Now that I know where I fall on the Fountain Pen spectrum, I am better able to judge new pen releases and wait for what I want.

Honorable Mentions:

Vintage Esterbrook SJ:

I have two and have found flex nibs to put in both of them. But I baby them, afraid I'll somehow either spring their nibs (9128 and 2048) or rupture their sacs or ... something! They're antiques and I treat them as such. Perhaps if I use them more, I'll get past handling them like glass but for now, I'm babying them.

Those nibs, though ... they lay down a nice wet line and are really expressive for writing and drawing.

 

Birmingham Pen Company:

I have a Model A TK-421 with an extra fine Nemosine nib. BOY! does that nib make my hand sing! But because it's a precious turned-resin pen, I use it only for special occasions. The nib is a real treat, though, and if I can find a way to EDC it without ruining the finish, I'll use it more often.


Pilot Metropolitan:
I have only one, a Metropolitan MT/Metropolitan Retro Pop in Wave Red, Fine.

I picked it up at Oscar Rodriguez's Pay-It-Forward table at the 2018 Triangle Pen Show. It wrote beautifully right out of the box and yet I don't do it justice by using it more often.

I'm not sure why--its fine nib writes extra fine, it has a plastic grip section (no sweaty metal nastiness here!), and it's got a great feel in hand and in action. It doesn't have an inner seal to the cap and perhaps that is the impediment to my using it more. It's just a teense bit dry compared to my personal trifecta of TWSBIs/Procyons/Preppies.

Perhaps I just need a wetter ink. I'm open to ink suggestions, please and thank you.

Lamy AL-Star and Safari:
I have AL-Stars covering the ROYGBIV gamut, 2 LXes in Gold and Marron, and 3 Safaris in the Dark Side Trio of All Black, Dark Lilac, and Petrol.

I strongly suspect that two of my AL-Stars are Asian knock offs, but I love them for their extra-fine EF nibs. They write more like a Platinum Fine instead of a Bock/JoWo EF, teeny and yet juicy enough not be scratchy, so their being a suspected knock off is not a flaw for me. I just can't seem to keep the ink in them from drying out, though.

 

To be sure, I *like* the way the Lamy violet ink cartridge concentrates to a green-sheening violet--a definite plus I can't achieve any other way. 

Still ...

I wish AL-Stars and Safaris had cap liners that sealed off the nibs from air like Platinums and TWSBIs do. I found out how fast the ink would evap out of my Lamys when I took them on a two-week summer car trip through Canada: 5 days riding in the trunk with my luggage, they'd all evapped dry on me. And I hadn't thought to pack extra cartridges. I used my lone TWSBI Eco for the rest of the trip, as it hadn't lost a single drop despite riding in the trunk with the others.

 

(As for why they were all in the trunk with the luggage instead of the air-conditioned cabin with me and my family? My family wouldn't fit in the trunk. 😉 )

Kaweco AL-Sport, AL-Sport Collection, and Classic:
This is a new-to-me brand. I'm not entirely sure I will get more of them beyond the several I've already bought, but I suspect if they get released in the jewel colors I love I may buy more.

I've already fallen hard for their deep red: I have it in both the Special FP and the AL-Sport. I have the AL-Sport in matte black and gold, too. And other than the Special FP in Deep Blue/Navy and in Black, that's as far as my Kaweco purchases have gone.

Performance wise, their EF nibs are wet and silky, their matte metal barrels remain comfy and dry in long writing sessions (I hate sweaty metal! Ack!). Other than a Kaweco Classic Sport my DH abused by leaving it uncapped (and hidden under papers on his desk) for over a year, and which I still haven't been able to revive to its original well-working state, I can definitely say Kaweco makes a lean, mean, writing machine of a pen.

Just all-around great writers.

And yet ... there is something about them that edges them more toward the eye-candy end of the use-spectrum than the workhorse end. For me, at least. As always, your mileage may vary.


And that's it. I have several more makes and models that just aren't used as much as the ones listed above. I have them properly stored, cleaned and empty, and consider them my learning curve acquisitions. They are all lovely and perhaps I will pay them forward and/or penable someone with them some day.

[Arkanabar]

My number one brand by count of pens I own and use right now is Fountain Pen Revolution.  Cheap pens that work well are my jam.  My joy right now is a purple Guru (their entry level piston filler) with a Ultra Flex nib that's just slurping down my bête noire of inks, Bad Black Moccasin (diluted 1:1 with water), without laying down lines so broad they fill all the loops in my writing. The Himalaya V1 and Jaipur V1 are among the most comfortable pens for long-form writing I've ever encountered.  And then there's the Tanoshii Art Pen with the blue dragon urushi lacquer, so very very pretty.  Not all of my FPRs work well, or avoid drying out, but they're cheap, they're tough, they're easy to work on, with many models having ebonite feeds, a variety of nib options, and you are likely to find an absolute jewel if you buy enough of them.  You will probably also get some absolute lemons.

 

There's variability in production, and if you won't tolerate that, look elsewhere.  I tell people having a good pen from FPR is like having a 1972 Lotus Elan S4 -- it may be hard to get working, but when you do, it's bliss to drive.  And nobody beats Kevin at customer service.

 

I have had a longer relationship with Pelikan than any other brand.  My first Pen of a Lifetime was a blue swirl M200 F.  I still have that pen, and it still writes like a champ.  I have one M400 and three more M2xx, one of which is ALWAYS inked and NEVER fails.  If I were at a desk writing all day, one of these would very likely be my primary pen.

 

I like to have a "51" clone with the original closure mechanism of six leaf springs in the cap and a clutch ring between section and barrel for jotting in the narcotics log.  I can clip such a pen to the outside of my breast pocket, pull it free from its cap to jot something down, and slip it back into the cap one-handed.  Originally I preferred a Hero 616 for this, but IMX the XF Jinhao 51A has better consistency.  I have never had either model just drop free from the cap when worn this way.  

 

I freely admit that a large part of my preferences come from not seeking after the very best writing experience, but my desire to have good stuff cheap.  I have really wonderful pens that are too hard to replace to make it to the top.  I have my dad's aero F "51" that still writes like a champ.  My wife got me a MontBlanc 72 with a delightful soft nib that I rarely use.  I have a Prera Iro-Ai that has my favorite stub nib thus far.  And then there's the Platinum Plaisir, the first pen I ever bought two of.

 

@kmcmichael, the Jaipur v2 is small?  It has a 10mm section, easy.  The Indus, Guru, and Muft are all more slim. Only their Darjeeling is girthier.  Or is your problem with its length?

[Nmarie33]

1. Pilot - I have several from the 1960s through today. It's my most reliable, quality go-to brand and they have options at every price point. The only ones I've tried that I didn't like were the Varsity and the Metro. 

 

2. Platinum - I love the Preppy line and its "fancy" Prefounte version. Everyone can afford them, they perform great, you can use them with questionable inks without worrying, you can take them anywhere, and they never dry out. 

 

3. Vintage Esterbrook - They are affordable, easy to repair, pretty, and I love the swappable nibs. They are built like so sturdy and perform as well or better than many modern pens. I've tried the J, SJ, LJ, CH, Deluxe, A101, and M2. I love them all. 

 

 

 

 

[Arkanabar]

@Nmarie33 , there is another fancy version of the Preppy -- the Plaisir, which is the anodized aluminum version.  I have put Preppy sections into Plaisirs, and it works fine.

[senzen]

Probably...

 

Pelikan, it's the closest to perfection according to what I value: reliability, comfort, consistent ink colours; some even manage to be stunning, from what I have the M605 in solid blue, 140 in black and chrome, M205 in aquamarine, olivine, clear blue, red, M120 iconic Blue...

 

Waterman because compared to stodgy Pelikan and a world currently awash in clumsy copies they often tried to go beyond the usual designs, sometimes succeeding and sometimes not. Carènes make everything else look old, 33 are something to behold, 515 and Hundred Year which I don't have represent a specific idea of perfection from another age.

 

Number three would probably be Sailor, in a tight race with modern Pilots and vintage Parkers. I am mesmerized by the saturation my Pro Gear large M and B achieve, even if it wasn't a given finding the one in midnight blue at half price; while the 912 WA represents a kind of perfection, and Vacumatic, 75, 50 and 50 achieved a timeless design few others managed.

 

[TgeekB]

Pilot would be first based on my 743. It’s the pen I go to the most. I have a metro also which I think wins for inexpensive pens.

 

Sailor is next. The nibs. Oh, the nibs. Such a different writing experience than any other. I have a Sailor Pro Gear blue train special edition and it writes like a pencil.

 

3rd place is tough, so many choices. I guess I’ll go with Montblanc though I just picked up a Platinum 3776 that I’m really liking.

 

let me add that I use and enjoy many smaller brands that are quite fun to use and bring a plethora of unique colors and styles. Let’s not forget them!

[countrydirt]

1. Lamy - I have 4 Safaris, 1 AlStar, 6 Studios and 2 2000s.  They all work well, even if I rarely use the Safaris or AlStars anymore.

2. Pelikan - I have a 200 and 600.  Both are in regular use

3. Vintage Esterbrooks - Dead simple and were inexpensive to acquire.   

[wspohn]

My favourites are:

 

Waterman, perhaps due to the long history of the brand and resultant plethora of models that are interesting.

 

Parker because I like their design and the degree of variation available

 

Sailor as their design and nibs are superb.

 

Honourable mentions include MB, not because they create all sorts of not very limited Limited Editions but for their writing quality in the 149 and 146 ranges, Yard-O-Led as I love sterling pems and good production quality (kind of the opposite from Conway Stewart) and after that a bunch of others for specific models

 

[Horseflesh]

Platinum, because Preppies can be found dirt cheap, write well, and don't dry out. 

 

Hongdian, because you can get really nice all-metal pens with color-matched nibs for under twenty bucks.  

 

Wing Sung, because you can get outrageously cheap pens that work pretty well, with a wide variety of nib options. Honorable mention to Jinhao for similar reasons. 

 

Many other brands make really nice pens, and prettier pens. But apparently I am cheap, because what I find most appealing is a good value. 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

Pelikan, Osmiroid, and Sheaffer.

 

Because they're not snob-appeal brands, and because of the two Parkers I own (both of which require disassembly for filling), the antique with the hooded nib looks like it's ashamed to be a FP, and the more modern one looks like bad modern art.

 

And I am in complete agreement with "Horseflesh." I'm after function, economy, and practicality. And I'd much rather carry my 5 low-end Pelikans, than one MB (or high-end Pelikan, for that matter) that costs more than the 5 low-end Pelikans combined.

[jmccarty3]

I'm going to have to split my choices into two groups, Vintage and Modern.

 

Vintage

 

1. Montblanc from the '50s. Wonderful nibs, even on the third class 300 pens. Workhorse pens made to last forever.

2. Pelikan from the same era, very competitive with Montblanc's quality and price. The type of pen an average businessman would use when most people only owned one fountain pen.

3. Sheaffer, especially the Touchdowns and Snorkels. Admittedly, I found their filling mechanisms fascinating, but it's hard for me to forget that their student pens were what I learned to write with. I love the tubular nibs, especially those with the upturned point. Nice selection of colors.

 

Modern

 

1. Namiki produces a wide array of beautiful maki-e pens with superb Pilot nibs. I prefer the larger nibs, from 15-50 size.

2. Nakaya, with its imaginative designs and a wide variety of Platinum nibs that are custom ground and tuned for the customer.

3. Sailor, always dependable and ready to write, with the characteristic "pencil" feedback that I enjoy so much. I particularly like their 21k nibs for the 1911, Pro Gear, and KOP pens.

[Ceilidh]

>>but it's hard for me to forget that their student pens were what I learned to write with<<

 

Me too. I still have a few of those little cartridge pens. When I was using those in elementary school (some time in the stone age), I didn't realize they were fountain pens, because, well, they were "cartridge" pens. Fountain pens  of course were what my parents used - with a bottle of ink that no sane adult would let an 8 year old near.

[MatteoM]

Montblanc: because of the 149 (but only pre-owned, obvisouly)

Sailor: for the nibs

Pelikan: bacause they always work

 

Honorable mention: OMAS (if only they were still in business...)

[Lam1]

1 - Pelikan. I like the design, easy to to change nibs (you can even put a vintage nib on a modern pen, getting the best of both worlds), low maintenance and they always write, even after months inked and left unused. Also, I love the M1000 nibs. If only they would drop the section ring from their design....

 

2 - Monblanc. Dependable pens and they are always coming out with new designs (most of which, admittedly, I don't like) and, recently, new nibs. If only their nibs weren't nails... (yes, I know, own and like the calligraphy Flexible nib, but I'm not too impressed). They are true workhorse pens, contrary to some rumors.

 

3 - Pilot/Namiki - excellent and well-made pens that just work. And their F nibs are fantastic (I have to make an effort to not keep my Yukari inked at all times). The design may be a little boring at times.

 

I'm surprised to see almost no mention to Italian pens - particularly because lots of people sing praises to Leonardo et al.

 

[Chimera01]

Every brand seems to have models that work well for me and others that don't. So I'll include models here:

 

1 - Sailor - King of Pen, for the nibs

2 - Pelikan - but *only* the M1000 - once again, for the nib 

3 - TWSBI - I'm partial to the Eco 1.1 mm stub

 

An honorable mention to Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze Age, which I never thought I'd like. It has quite taken me by surprise and is now part of my daily carry. Nobody here speaking up for Leonardo, or is that a European thing?

 

 

[Chimera01]

On 12/24/2022 at 12:45 AM, sandy101 said:

Cross - not the most exciting pens, apart from the Peerless.

Cross! Yes. I have five Peerless 125's. The threads on two of the caps have cracked and now fall off. No idea how to get them fixed. I do have a Zoom nib unit on one of them. Absolutely love these pens, gutted about the design fault with the cap, though. Nibs for the Peerless 125 all made by Sailor, though... so would that count as a vote for Sailor?