What Are The Most Ergonomic Pens (For You)?

[georgeb]

I prefer pens with smooth areas above the nibs.  For example, Parker 51 and ones similar to it.  The most ergonomic pen I have is the Laban Mento because of its size and shape.  Others include the Cross Aventura, Waterman Carene, Sheaffer Legacy II, Jinhao X159.  Which ones do you find ergonomic?

[gregamckinney]

I have large hands with (early) arthritic fingers.  I find pens with the fattest section possible the most comfortable to use for long sessions.

 

greg

[Penguincollector]

I like slender pens that fit my odd grip. Sailor Chalana, Japanese pocket pens, Salz Peter Pan, Parker 180, Sheaffer slim pens. I enjoy both hooded and open nibs, prefer 14k.

[OCArt]

The pens that fit my hands perfectly are the Pilot 823 and MB146.

[K Singh]

I find large, or rather Jumbo-sized, pens to be most ergonomic. Here in India we easily get such pens in ebonite or acrylic. My top pick in terms of ergonomic is Kim ACR Jumbo pen.

[lamarax]

The OMAS 360, hands down (forgive the pun). I also find the sections on the Aurora 88 (modern) and the Optima very comfortable for long writing sessions. Pelikan M800 is not bad either in that respect.

[senzen]

As long as the section is thick enough (11mm at least) or very ergonomic (Parker 75) and not slippery, I don't have too much trouble.

 

The only strange one to hold for the first three seconds is a Dunhill Dress Classic Gemline, with its section that goes from square to round.

[TSherbs]

Most comfortable pen that I have ever held: Lamy Nexx

 

 

[langere]

For me, the most comfortable pens are the ones that have the best balance.   Most older Sheaffers do that for me, including the PFM.  But the best ever, for me, is the Sheaffer Balance Millennium.

 

Erick

[georgeb]

I would like to add the Waterman Phileas and Montblanc 146.

[Tashi_Tsering]

I prefer large pens, one of my favorites is the Montblanc 149.

 

I recently came across a vintage fountain pen of unknown make: R.M. "Always Ready", the pen is very similar to a larger Waterman 42. This pen is just great in my hand: very good size, balance, weight and no step/threads under the fingers. I am not a fan of safety pens, but this pen is just beautiful.

 

 

[MuddyWaters]

On 12/13/2024 at 2:27 AM, Tashi_Tsering said:

I prefer large pens, one of my favorites is the Montblanc 149.

 

I recently came across a vintage fountain pen of unknown make: R.M. "Always Ready", the pen is very similar to a larger Waterman 42. This pen is just great in my hand: very good size, balance, weight and no step/threads under the fingers. I am not a fan of safety pens, but this pen is just beautiful.

 

 

 

Wow that's a nice pen and it does look indeed comfortable, given no steps and threads.

[AmandaW]

My grip has my middle finger curled under and supporting the section (resting between the two knuckles). Pens with a short section, especially if there are sharp threads or a significant step down, can get very uncomfortable very quickly.

[Bo Bo Olson]

I grew up in the era of standard sized pens, Esterbrook, Wearever (with a very good springy regular flex nib)...made for workers and worker kids pens.

I find the standard sized 200/400/P-75 and medium-large 600/P-51 to have great balance....along with the skinny large Snorkel. Part of the grip size and slope  IMO is the balance.

 

My best balanced pen is the slighly back heavy, thicker girthed, standard sized MB 234 1/2 Deluxe. I do like my Pelikan 600's size and width, but can't affored even old and used more than the single 600 I have.

I have had that with a semi-flex B, that I loved for ages on that 600, before having the double ball BB nib stubbed to a butter smooth stubbed B/1.0 nib. In it is semi-nail, it has to be butter smooth. It has nothing else going for it as a nib.

Second best balanced....a skinny medium large semi-flex Geha 725...third a standard sized semi-nail P-75 (the balance is so good it negates being a smei-nail). 4th a 400nn semi-flex.

 

For me, balance counts more than girth....Would I take a Pelikan 600 with a vintage semi-flex nib over my standard sized semi-flex MB 234 1/2...mixing it up with them even steven is my medium-large nice girthed '48-59 MB146.

 

Mixing it up in it is standard is my MB 14...so I didn't have to buy a 144... The last two have moved way up the my best list.

But what most amazed me for balance is the standard width MB 32, a very nimble semi-flex pen.

 

One of these days I got to ink them all and test them....no where near girth champ, but so flink and nimble is the MB 32. More than my Pelikn 400/400nn...perhaps as good as my Ghea 725. Now that would be a test.

..............

For a large pen, the thin Snorkel has grat balance...a P-45 has good balance...the best balanced  IMO of the large pens.

 

I do post my pens or the standard or medium-large pens would have no balance.

 

Do buy Andreas Lambrou's book on fountain pens.

I didn't know anything despite of having some 25 megs of info copied fromthe com.

 

How was I to know the 234 1/2 Delux was a modern '50's slicked up 139..in standard size...in I'd never heard of a 139...only the 146/9. And then I'd not thought the 139 all that pretty.

 

In a live acution lot, there was a 400nn, BP&BP and some sort of short ugly MB that would drive the price high. I as going to put that Pelikan BP and MP, into the next auction or Ebay same with that ugly MB. Wanting only the 400nn' which ended up 4th on my noobie 20 pen balance test. 

 

Semi-flex KOB...slightly thick girthed brass gutted, so back balanced 123 1/2 (nib size) , was not supposed to even be in my top 10 or 15 balanced pens.

It won, and 4th was that 400nn, I was chasing.

 

Is it still my best balanced pen.....I don't know....but in a balnce test besides the top three, Geha 725 and the P-75 would also be 3 vintage MB's. The medium-large 1948-59 146, MB 14 and that semi-flex MB 32.

I don't care for the Stately large 1970-now, 146 as a well balanced pen. It is better than the 800,but not up to the previous medium-large 146.

 

This is the Delux an over priced pen...I expect a normal, well more affordable MB 234 1/2 to be as well balanced and have a semi-flex nib.

Normal is missing the meisterstuck clip and has two thin cap rings instead of the fat fancy one.

 

[jmccarty3]

On 12/10/2024 at 12:23 PM, lamarax said:

The OMAS 360, hands down (forgive the pun). I also find the sections on the Aurora 88 (modern) and the Optima very comfortable for long writing sessions. Pelikan M800 is not bad either in that respect.

I'm a left-handed underwriter, and cannot use the OMAS 360 at all. Wish it had a rotatable nib like the Parker 75 (the most ergonomic pen ever).

[TheRedBeard]

Parker 51 is unbeatable for me: perfect design, shape, size and balance.

 

[Beechwood]

I had a bad habit with holding a pen and tended to rotate the pen as it touched the paper.

 

The Pelikan Twist fixed how I held a pen so that it was square to the page.

 

I have no knowledge of this hypothesis but I can imagine that German schoolchildren are tutored in handwriting with the Twist.

 

https://www.pelikan.com/int/products/writing/58-fountain-pens/61-twist-fountain-pens.html 

[SpencerianDream]

My preference is something approximately Montblanc 146 sized. I can use a 149 size but it’s a bit big. I can use a smaller pen but it’s not perfect. I like the pen to be light-ish but a little weight is nice. 20-35 grams. If the pen is weighted toward the section that’s nice too. 
 

One of my favorites in the hand is actually a 1990s Montegrappa with a sterling section. The weight and gentle curve of the section is very nice for holding and balancing the pen, even when posted. 
 

 

 

[Sailor Kenshin]

Girthy and lightweight, postable, with no metal section.

[Estycollector]

All of the pens and pencils that I have are easy for me to use, even with some age-related osteoarthritis. When I had an MB-149 in the '90's it was appreciated for being large and attractive, but not especially better for using. 

 

Since I use an FP every day, and ink whatever suits me at the time, I can easily adapt between a slender pen and those that are not like the Lamy Al-Star.