Best-Writing Pen for under $350?

[MJ1619]

Hey everybody,

 

I'm new to the forum and somewhat new to fountain pens. I have always loved them (particularly since my grandfather had several) and a while ago I bought myself a Waterman Charleston. I love that pen, but I am hankering for a new one and thus I turn to you for advice.

 

What in your collective opinions, is the "best" fountain pen on the market (regardless of maker) for under $350? By best I mean the nicest writer (smoothest nib) - a superlative writing experience. I really don't mind that much about looks (to me plain black is classy): my main concern is how it writes. For me, writing with a fountain pen is a tactile experience and I think that a really great pen shouldn't impede the natural flow of words from the writer to the page, it should help it (sounds artsy I know, but that's how I feel).

 

Hope you guys can provide some input. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thank you,

 

Michael

Edited April 28, 2008 by MJ1619

[beezaur]

You can order one from Richard Binder with one of his custom nibs within that budget: www.richardspens.com

 

Scott

 

P.S. Welcome!

Edited April 28, 2008 by beezaur

[lingyuki]

Any Sailor nib-fitted fountain pen! I just started using my Sailor Sapporo Mini and writing with it is just like: wheeeeee.........! Love it. Smoothest writing experience ever!

[goodguy]

Pelikan M800 !!!

[dumdummuoi]

Since your upper limit is far higher than mine, your options may be much different from what I can recommend. Nevertheless, I can't help but chime in when people ask about favorite pens.

 

2 months and 21 pens into the hobby (plus years of writing with FPs back in grade school), my favorite writing experience is still the one I get from my Waterman Carene, one of the first pens I got. My collection includes one of the infamous '51's, a Pelikan M400, a Vanishing Point, a Sailor, a Visconti, and this one still stands out as the best writer I have. The others are superb pens, mind you, and I'm sure people's opinions will differ from my own, but this is still the one I find myself rambling on about here on the FPN.

[Eric072691]

I also have a lower spending limit, I've also got different opinions, whenever my other pens fail me I always turn to my Parker 45, but like said above you can get a pen and then have Richard Binder customize it.

[Inkquest]

Within that price range you have many options. For new pens, the Pelikans are tough to beat as smooth writers (unless you like extra fine, - for some reason those are a hit or miss.. but definitely not smooth as glass)

 

You can get a vintage Sheaffer PFM III (or any PFM model), which is a spectacular writer if in good shape. Or any Sheaffer with the Triumph nib will be in the upper echelon of smoothness. The vintage Sheaffers are tough to beat for smoothness and overall dazzling writing experience. Probably the most underrated pens ever (except by those who use them..)

 

You're also in the range of some very, very nice vintage Parker Duofolds, Double Jeweled 51's, Vacumatics, all can be outrageously delightful writers.

 

You can also find a great many used pens which would sell new in the $400-$500 (and up) range. Montblanc 149's and 146's can be had for that price, Conway Stewart's (I just picked up a wonderful ebonite Duro for a good bit under that). The list of possibilities for under $350 is virtually endless... and amazing.

 

Really, you have tons of options. Take your time and check out a wide range of new, used, and older pens. Head to a pen shop which carries a variety which you can actually hold in your hand and get a feel for. I think one of the biggest mistakes people can make with pens is rushing to make a purchase to quell the intense inferno of heat from the money burning a hole in the pocket, and/or buying a pen based on appearance alone (edit: or recommendation alone... what is a FABULOUS pen for me, may feel like freeze dried cat hineys to you, so you gotta check 'em out for yourself)

 

Good luck and welcome to the forum!

Dave

Edited April 28, 2008 by Inkquest

[ebwatt]

With a budget of $350 there are a number of excellent pens that meet your requirements (including those mentioned above), for example:

1. Sailor 1911

2. Sheaffer PFM

3. Pelikan M800 and under

4. OMAS Paragon (and others)

5. Montblanc 14X (if you buy one second-hand)

6. Pilot Custom 823

7. Parker Duofold (depending on the supplier)

 

These all have great track records (some are disputed - I'm looking your way Montblanc). I think, however, that if you are planning to invest in an outstanding writing experience, it would be worthwhile to try the following:

 

1. Hand test these pens before you make your decision.

2. If you find you prefer one of the Pelikan models, get Mr. Binder to tweak it just right for you (I haven't had this done yet, but the vast majority who have, swear by him).

3. If you find one other than a Pelikan, go for it. You can hardly go wrong with the pens on this list.

 

Eb

 

 

[dumdummuoi]

Come to think of it... at $350 and relatively new to FPs, why not buy THREE pens at around $100 each? Or two, at $175 each. Either way, excellent options abound, especially in FPN's own marketplace, and I really don't see why a non-collector (for now ) should plunk down $350 on a single pen straight off the bat. But of course, to each his own.

[Deirdre]

Aside from used pens, and pens I have that cost just over that pricepoint, the best I've gotten new at that price is a Stipula Saturno from Susanna. I liked it so much, I bought a second one from her, and I just bought my second used one, bringing my total up to four of them.

[darkmatter]

The smoothest writer that I know of is the Omas 360 Mezzo that I own. To my taste is too smooth!

I think it is in that price range for a new pen.

 

Good luck!

[davidv7]

I second the 360 mezzo route.

[mr T.]

What in your collective opinions, is the "best" fountain pen on the market (regardless of maker) for under $350? By best I mean the nicest writer (smoothest nib) - a superlative writing experience. I really don't mind that much about looks (to me plain black is classy): my main concern is how it writes.

 

 

Fot that amount of money you can buy ten very good fountain pens. And if you're somewhat new to fountain pens, maybe you can try very cheap and very good pens like lower end pens from Pilot, Pelikano's or lower end Lamy's. The already mentioned Sailor pens are ok. Most important is that there is no correlation between the quality of the pen and it's retail price.

 

[Beechwood]

What in your collective opinions, is the "best" fountain pen on the market (regardless of maker) for under $350? By best I mean the nicest writer (smoothest nib) - a superlative writing experience. I really don't mind that much about looks (to me plain black is classy): my main concern is how it writes.

 

 

Fot that amount of money you can buy ten very good fountain pens. And if you're somewhat new to fountain pens, maybe you can try very cheap and very good pens like lower end pens from Pilot, Pelikano's or lower end Lamy's. The already mentioned Sailor pens are ok. Most important is that there is no correlation between the quality of the pen and it's retail price.

 

Interesting comment on looking at a spectrum of pens. My pen of choice is either a 149 or a 146 from Mont Blanc. I have just bought 4 pens from China at a total cost of $20 including shipping and there is very little difference in the quality of the written word and the smoothness of the nib. in fact I like the all metal construction, and therefore weight, of the cheap pen more than the 146.

 

Perhaps for the Budget of $350 you could buy one for Sunday best and others for every day?

 

 

 

[georges zaslavsky]

Omas 360 Magnum, Omas Paragon, MB 146, Parker Vacumatic, Parker Big Red Duofold Senior and Waterman Le Man 100.

[MJ1619]

Hey Everybody,

 

Thank you to everyone for the replies as well as the recommendations and very good advice. I've got a lot more to consider than I first realized. I didn't know so many pens could be had for under $350. I think I've been under the mistaken impression that to get a pen that writes really well you need to pay an exorbitant price. The price I came up with was arbitrary - just happens to be what I've saved up over the years.

 

Thanks to those who suggested some classics; I hadn't even thought about vintage pens.

 

Ebwatt, you're absolutely right. I need to try out these pens in person (which I am going to do as soon as I get a chance).

 

Two more questions if I may: one, does the nib material mean that the pen will write well? In other words, is a gold nib better than an iridium, etc? Or is it really a matter of the way in which the nib was crafted? Second, I really haven't heard that much about OMAS before. I suppose I've been inundated with the advertising from several of the more publicized brands, but from what people have said, I gather OMAS makes some excellent pens. Am I correct in this conclusion?

 

Thank you again for all your help. This is great forum.

 

Michael

[Rapt]

My two favourites for writing currently are:

 

Stipula Ventidue with 1.1mm Ti stub nib

 

and

 

Pelikan M605 with 0.5mm Binder Cursive Italic nib.

 

Both used were well under your $350 price point.

 

I'm expecting my Omas 360 Vision will join these when it comes back from Sean at PenRx.

 

The Pilot Prera ($35) and Sailor Mini ($100) are also very nice writers but much plainer pens.

 

Nib material has very little to do with feel since nearly all pens write on an "iridium" tipping material. The Gold or steel is simply the main body of the nib, but both are available in a whole range from stiff to flexible.

Edited April 28, 2008 by Rapt

[Robert Hughes]

How about a Lamy Safari? That's a really good writer for a heckuva lot less than $350.

 

Some of my best writing pens are old Esterbrook J's that cost about $15 apiece off the 'Bay. Or Parker 51 aerometric's for $50 each.

 

You don't have to start at the high end - it's good to know what a standard, good quality writer does in your hand, then investigate the bling pens after you've got a decent introduction.

[Rufus]

Aside from used pens, and pens I have that cost just over that pricepoint, the best I've gotten new at that price is a Stipula Saturno from Susanna. I liked it so much, I bought a second one from her, and I just bought my second used one, bringing my total up to four of them.

 

I second the Stipula Saturno, which I too bought from Susanna. It seems with four that Deirdre has put her money where her mouth is. Other modern pens in your price range that are worthy of consideration include the Pelikan M800, Bexley Americana, Bexley America the Beautiful, Parker Duofold Centennial, Omas Ogiva, Glenmont from Brian Grey (Edison Pen Co.) and Visconti Van Gogh Maxi. If you opt for a Pelikan or Bexley buy it from either Richard Binder or John Mottishaw and you'll be assured of fine writing pen.

 

 

[Tsujigiri]

At $350, you'd have to be paying for something other than writing experience, like brand name, flagship status, precious materials, etc. Steel nibs will work just as well as gold in theory, but a pen with a gold nib is more likely to be one the manufacturer has taken the extra effort to tip properly. Gold does not corrode as easily as stainless steel, and can be made flexible in many cases, but it does not affect the smoothness.

 

OMAS is a very competitive contendor for smoothest nibs, along with Sailor and Pelikan. I would very much recommend a Sailor over an OMAS, though. The Sailor nib is much more fun to write with, and can be gotten in a much finer size. The pen itself is also much better built; my OMAS' piston fell apart unexpectedly and is now somewhere for repairs. They have general quality control issues such as uneven plating, misalignment, etc. Sailors have nibs made by the company itself and tested. They start up perfectly every time and give a smooth, wet line. Pelikan and OMAS, along with (I recall hearing about 30?) other manufacturers, use nibs made by a German manufacturer called Bock. The nibs have some flex to them, and are well-made.

 

I'd also recommend the Lamy 2000. It has a very smooth nib, piston filling, more or less smooth grip, and reasonable cost. For the price that you stipulated, you could get a 2000, a Pelikan, and a Sailor, and have spent your money very well.