Who makes the best fountain pens today?

[StephY]

Who wants to pay hundreds of dollars for a pen that looks exactly like the pens they sell for $2.50 each at the check out stand of Office Depot. :roflmho:

 

They should sell them along with rolex replicas - a "lifestyle-of-the-rich-and-famous-starter-set" for children for let´s say ten bucks.

 

They do. I have seen some very very good "replicas" in China. That's why I don't bid on ebay for them. Papers and box don't necessarily mean anything. The lesser knock offs do run about $4. The better ones would be more, but none more than $80. US dollars, that is.

 

[dsatco]

Best pens overall: design,nib,quality,price...

Pilot Varsity. They introduce people to a type of pen they have never heard of before, are cheap for low entry to use cost, come in a variety of colors, and are quite durable for a disposable item.

 

I'll second that. They are great pens, smooth as silk, great ink flow, and so cheap. You can't find that in pens that cost 50 times that much. Well, except for Sailors.

 

 

[Deirdre]

Pelikan, Aurora, Sailor, Waterman. These four brands are always reliable.

I haven't tried Sailor or modern Waterman (except in BP), but I'd also add Omas and Visconti to that list.

[Deirdre]

You have it all wrong, my friends: there can only be one, and that is Stipula....

 

Warm regards, Wim

I love Stipula, I just haven't had as much experience with their line. They are my favorite so far.

[jonro]

The best:

Design.

Nib.

Quality.

Price.

 

There is no single answer to that question. The Lamy 2000 combines all of those elements at a reasonable price, if you like its design.

[Inkquest]

My favorite modern pen is the Aurora 88 (the larger version). It has that "feel" of a vintage pen, elegant design, and nice sturdy build. Not the cheapest on the market, but if you like a more vintage feel in a modern pen, IMO the Aurora's win this category.

 

I'd rank the Namiki Falcon a very close second on the list for great feel...

 

 

[PAKMAN]

My vote has to go to Pelikan, I have 7 and love them all!!!

 

My Visconti Wall Street is right in there also.

[sky67]

It may break the bank on the price side, but ST Dupont has my vote. The Chinese Lacquer finish is incredibly durable, the nibs are buttery smooth, and the quality is unsurpassed. The price is the only thing I would change, the weak dollar has made these pens more expensive in recent months. Deals are still out there, though.

 

Steve

[goodguy]

I prefer Mont Blanc over other makers but I dont have any way to prove they make better pens then other makers.

 

For a man who has a beautiful Alfa Romeo ( I have owned 5 myself) as his avatar I am surprised you are so fond of a company who produces pens of such bland design. Who wants to pay hundreds of dollars for a pen that looks exactly like the pens they sell for $2.50 each at the check out stand of Office Depot. :roflmho:

Sorry to disapoint you but the MB Virginia Woolf and the MB Cervantes are gorgeous and you cant find them at office depot.

Mont Blanc isnt just the Masterpiece family (which I love) there is much much more.

[Pen Executive]

Best pens overall: design,nib,quality,price...

 

 

For design, I would go for Conway Stewart.

 

For nib, either Sailor or Pilot - not sure which.

 

For overall quality - a tough one. Cannot say for sure. My favorite brand is Conway Stewart, so I would probably go that one.

 

Price, value for money: probably Sailor.

 

I also like Omas and Waterman. Montblanc is good, but overpriced, and Pelikans are very reliable, but boring.

Edited February 11, 2008 by Pen Executive

[Tony the Tiger]

You see the pens in my stable below. So far, I would have to rate my Lamy Studio pretty high. The only reason the Falcon isn't higher is probably because I haven't learned to take advantage of it's flex capabilities. My new Libelle Vortex is very nice, especially for the price I paid. I'm hoping my Pilot Custom 823 is worth the anticipation I've built up for it.

[mturk]

Ithink it depends on the "price point" as they say in marketing... For the higher end, Pelikan is still the best. They may have had a little trouble with nibs lately, but by and large they are the modern standard for FPs if you actually want to write. In the lower, entry-level category, I think both Lamy and Waterman do a fine job with steel nibs. I hear lots of good things about Pilot/Namiki in both categories, but I have little personal experience with them.

[knitbug]

I have both a Lamy Safari (hearts SMG) and a Palladium Studio, and they are *perfect* performers. For a gal that's huge on the "pretty-factor" and less so on the minimalist look, they are still in my top 3 pens and that says a lot

So here's another one for Lamy

Edited February 11, 2008 by knitbug

[Andrea_R]

Imho Visconti since it is the most innovative company and Twsbi because it produces high quality pens at fair low prices.

 

Companies such as Montblanc and Pelikan are not bad companies but their vintage production is better the modern one, moreover they simply take advantagr of their history. Just my two cents.

[Edwaroth]

Ah,like the "grail" pen we all seek, "best" is an elusive concept. We all have favorites and we even agree on several that offer excellent capabilities and value...The Lamy 2000, the Pilot Namiki Falcon, the Pelikan 200/400 and the Sailor Pro series. My best is not someone elses best and the pens that suits me perfectly will not suit others. I cannot afford ultra-priced luxury pens so I am not able to say if one would even work well for me. That said, I have found price does not always correlate to how a pen will perform or suit. I found this out when I bought an Onoto Magna Classic which I consider to be an expensive pen. I had high expectations for this pen, after all it is a bit of true pen history. The pen itself is beautiful, flawless construction made with some pretty high-end materials. I can't write with it. The size, shape and balance are just not me.The Fine nib writes way too broadly for me, all my closed letters such as "a", "e" and "o" look like solid dots. But it is someone's perfect writer, alas, not mine. I now have have three pens that cost far less and are very close to what are my "perfect", (Pelikan M600, Sailor Pro Gear, Lamy 2000).

[Runnin_Ute]

"Best" is so subjective that it can never really be determined. What is "best" for me will be different than "best" for you or the guy down the street. There are many "good" pens at many price points.

 

I have pens made by Waterman, Lamy, True Writer and Noodler's (a Konrad) - are any of them the best at their price point? Hard to say. Are they all good pens at their price point? I would generally say yes, but varying degrees of good as well. Are any of them the "best" pen for me? Again hard to say - maybe at this point in time.

[iamchum]

There is no "best". There is "best" for a particular individual, but, an overall best pen ever...? I don't think there ever will be something like that. All pens have their pros and cons.

 

Now, if this question was asked specific to me, I might say the pelikan m1000

[Postscript]

Whoever makes the next pen I want to buy. And then...

[View from the Loft]

For me, there is another important factor to consider: customer service.

 

This is a very individual choice, and I will name two companies at different price points:

 

Lamy at the lower end ( and I do NOT mean their products are low quality) and Onoto at the higher end.

[The Blue Knight]

In terms of value only I would have to say Lamy I find the nib on my safari amazing at the price point.

 

Probably Pelikan for overall best nib

Edited June 23, 2013 by top pen