Pen for a college student?

[Jimmy James]

The Pilot 78G seems custom-made for this application. Get it with a fine nib, which should be plenty extra fine for you. My medium is finer than many fines I own.

[French]

The Pilot 78G seems custom-made for this application. Get it with a fine nib, which should be plenty extra fine for you. My medium is finer than many fines I own.

 

+1 on the 78G. I seem to remember being able to find them for about $15 shipped on ebay....(I'm not affiliated with any of the ebay sellers )

 

French

[hilasmos]

I have a Pilot 78G, and though it is fine, it certainly writes like an extra fine. I would also recommend that you consider the Reform 1745. You can get it tuned the way you want and shipped for less than $15.00.

[J English Smith]

I love my Wality 52 piston fill - writes as fine as a Hero 616, but thicker barrel and looks as good to the naked eye as a Pel 200 (but larger). I have had no problems with the mechanism or the feed. Aurora Black ink is wonderful in this pen as a counterpoint to the EF nib.

 

Hero 616s are cheap and great. Buy a 10 pack for about $15 on the 'bay.

 

Esterbrook Js on eBay. Score a good one (with a good sac) for about $20-25. Then you can get additional nibs when you want, and it's llike writing with a different pen!

 

And there is always the Reform 1745. Thicker (M) nib compared to the Heros or the Wality. Also a piston filler. Very thin.

[prisonrodeo]

Agree with:

 

- Parker 45 (cheap, rugged, interchangeable nibs)

- Heros (Fine-ish nibs, and the price of a pack of 616s leaves $ leftover to buy ink!)

- Reform 1745 (but the nib's probably too close to a "M")

 

 

[holgalee]

As a student, you will appreciate a tankful of ink. So instead of getting a C/C pen, why not convert a Platinum Preppy into an eyedropper? It makes a cheap and cheerful pen, and you can even grind the nib into italic or a finer point. Remember to coat the threads with silicone grease. Some folks here have experienced cracking of the pen cap or barrel, but I haven't. Just be careful not to over-tighten when you screw the parts together.

[kiavonne]

Pelikan M150 with a XF nib. Around $50. Not that much different than the M200.

[willhopkins]

My current go-to pens for college are the Pilot Precise V5 and Pilot G-2. I'm going to try a Lamy Safari soon for everyday writing, and I have seen a few on campus recently. I've also been using the Pilot Varsity, but I dislike the ink enough that it isn't pleasant to write with regularly.

[farseer911]

After the problems with my Lami Vista, I'm starting to think that it may not be the pen for me. It's also a bit on the long side when posted. My orange Pelikano wrote decently though, but it's a bit on the bright side.

 

I'm looking just a simple decent looking fountain pen with a extra fine nib for around or under $40 or so with shipping. I like the way the Pelikan M200 Demonstrator in Anthracite and the Vista looked. I'm thinking about getting the M200 body with an EF nib, but I don't think I'm ready to spend that much yet.

 

Thanks in advance!

-DL1

 

 

Pilot Prera fine nib, or if you spend a little bit more a Pilot Ecrino, which has more of the looks of the Custom line.

[redshifteffect]

Hero 100 is excellent, but you can also pick up Reform 1745 which I've never had issues with for <$10 shipped from various FPN members. The flighter isn't really too shiny to be distracting, it's probably no worse then most modern stainless steel ball points. People might notice that you aren't using a disposable BIC but that's about it.

[khymeera]

Right now my favorite pen is Namiki Vanishing Point because of its nice weight and the fact it has a convenient retractible nib. But that's in the $120 range. If you're looking for something cheaper, I would recommend some Jinhao or Hero pens. But chinese pens are sometimes inconsistent in performance so you need to watch out for that. It also really depends on what kind of pen you like...

[Aeltar]

The XFountainPens X750 has treated me well. The feed can be a little bit inconsistent, but only with inks that dry up/clog when left in the pen (such as Aurora Black). It was around $15, I believe. I've been thinking of picking up a 78G from HisNibs, though.

 

No affiliation except for satisfied customer.

[Tay6561]

Maybe you should try Pilot Knight. Nib is identical with Pilot Prera but comes with metal body.

[Julio]

I will send you a Vintage Pelikan 140 with a semi-flex nib for your 40 dollars but you need to come out with an extra 5:50 for the postage. The offer only for the College student. Contact bc if you are interested.

[TWRDO]

Hmmm. A twice-exorcised thread, but I guess it is a fairly common question. Several excellent recommendations that still apply 4 years later, but as a current college student I think I would also add the new TWSBI to the list. ~$40, holds tons of ink, writes great. It's my new most-used note-taking pen.

[richiethepoet]

Well in school, I use a Parker Frontier. It's dirt cheap and it writes the moment the nib touches the paper. It's excellent actually. Plus, losing it will not hurt nearly as much as losing a Duofold or a Mabie Todd.

[dgator]

The Pilot 78G seems custom-made for this application. Get it with a fine nib, which should be plenty extra fine for you. My medium is finer than many fines I own.

 

+1

 

Just received my 78G black fine nib last week. It has been a joy to write with over the last few days. I've been using it with a Pilot/Namiki black cartridge. The fine nib is quite a bit finer than my 2nd suggestion...Lamy Safari fine nib. Can't go wrong with either pen.

[Bo Bo Olson]

I will send you a Vintage Pelikan 140 with a semi-flex nib for your 40 dollars but you need to come out with an extra 5:50 for the postage. The offer only for the College student. Contact bc if you are interested.

 

 

I'm a collage student, at the U of Hard Knocks and could use a second semi-flex 140....and a semi-flex nib is the only way to fly.

My first vintage semi-flex nib that I recognized was on a Pelikan 140, I horse traded for.

 

The 140 is the same size as my 400 and a 400 is the same size as a 200, a comfortable medium sized pen if you post....that is a great deal. It was the mid level Pelikan in the '50s-60s. I have a school pen a 120 with a regular nib in fine that is a joy to write with. But a semi-flex nib better by a class.

 

Let me warn you...if you get a Vintage Pelikan semi-flex nib you will be ruined for life.

I have been.

 

I have only got regular nibs since I got my 140 by mistake...off Ebay.

 

Living in Germany, I chase 30's-'50's - very early '60s German Piston pens, because the chance of getting a semi-flex nib is very good.

I have some 18+ semi-flex nibs/pens that I got in the last year since getting my first

semi-flex 140.

 

Eventually you will need a B, M and F in regular flex nib, for certain shading inks, because of the color tone you might wish....that regular flex gives at those widths.

Ie with MB Toffee a great shading ink, and my first one I noticed this.

Fine regular flex, was light with dark trails.

Medium was 50-50

Broad was dark with light trails.

 

A semi-flex is a wetter writer per width, than regular. It lays a slightly darker line than regular flex..

The Semi-flex is fine for a slightly ham fisted writer like me.

 

In a stiff nib, the tines don't spread much even under pressure. A regular nib, the tines can spread up to twice a stiff nib with pressure. A semi-flex spreads as much as a regular under pressure, with much less pressure. It is a joy and a half to use.

 

Nibs go like this, stiff (nails) stiff regular, regular, springy, semi-flex.

 

With experience and a very light hand.

Then come flexible nibs, F-1 maxi-semi-flex. F-2 the handlebar mustache Fancy L's and sidewinder rattle snake S's. F-3 the weak kneed Wet Noodle...which you are not ready for.

 

All Flexible nibs are for folks with a real light hand...in that they can be sprung/broken by a ham fisted writer.

 

 

Two years ago, I made the mistake of "collecting" pens of this cheap make and model...not chasing nibs. A year ago I ran into the Mythical Semi-Flex that I had been reading about for so many months. Since then I am not satisfied with nails, and have enough regular nibs to last me a life time.

Actually I now have all the semi-flex nibs I actually need...but want more.

 

 

Take the offer for the Pelikan 140 with a semi-flex nib.

 

 

 

Go to www.richardspens.com/ for the basics of fountain pens. There is also an article there about springing flexible nibs...which I don't worry about with a semi-flex but one should be aware of so one don't try to make a semi-flex dance more than it should.

 

Put Death in search for this section...find Death grip, which shows you the proper ways to hold a fountain pen.

 

Take the deal.

 

Writing is 1/3 nib and flex, 1/3 ink and 1/3 paper.

Edited September 6, 2010 by Bo Bo Olson

[1point1mm]

I'm not in college anymore, but nevertheless, still on the road of learning. Were I back in college, then my "inexpensive" fountain pen would be the Lamy Safari, and the Preppy 03 by Platinum.

 

 

[Julio]

I will send you the M200 for your 40 budget. Contact bc. Offer ONLY for the "College Student."