Now working from home permanently, I write quite a bit, notes I need to refer back to, and have discovered my hand writing is awful, through lack of use.
Would like to slow down and write properly so I can read what I've written lol, and get some enjoyment from writing
What's a good pen to get, new or second hand , budget 150 ish
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Lamy 2000 fountain pen with a fine nib. Check out Pen Heaven or Cult Pens.
I do think this very good advice for the OP’s situation; and little outlay from which he might scale or stet.Originally Posted by seabiscuit
^ This ^
If you buy here
https://www.cultpens.com/i/q/LM09382...0-fountain-pen
And at checkout use the code birthday15 you get another 15% off so that £200 pen becomes £128 after the discount they already applied. No brainer. It is a piston filler so buy some decent ink for £8 or so.
Up the scale a bit the absolute best writer before getting into silly money is IMHO the Pilot 823. The nib is just phenomenal. I'd go medium as Japanese nibs tend to be smaller than their Euro counterparts. Imported from Japan around £220 after VAT
But the Lamy as suggested earlier is an all time classic and a superb Bauhaus design. You'd not go wrong with that.
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The TWSBI Eco is a fantastic starter fountain pen.
Agreed, and super value too.
David
Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations
Rotring Art Pen. Get a 1.5mm nib to force you to write larger.
In the Sotadic Zone, apparently.
Is 1.5mm regarded as fine?
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I've had several fountain pens over the years and the only one that has stood the test of time and remained steadfastly in my pocket is a humble Lamy Safari.
OK, it's brightly coloured plastic rather than exotic finishes but it's nice to write with and most important of all, always works the moment I get it out; something I could never say for some of the more expensive pens I've owned.
Nib is Medium, many other colours are available but mine is easy to find when I put it down.
And in your pocket for less than £20 :-)
Nothing wrong with a Lamy Safari. I think a lot of people will probably stay here.
I use A Parsons essential and never had a problem. Real step up in class as well.
https://www.mrpen.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d184.html
This!I've had several fountain pens over the years and the only one that has stood the test of time and remained steadfastly in my pocket is a humble Lamy Safari.
OK, it's brightly coloured plastic rather than exotic finishes but it's nice to write with and most important of all, always works the moment I get it out; something I could never say for some of the more expensive pens I've owned.
Nib is Medium, many other colours are available but mine is easy to find when I put it down.
And in your pocket for less than £20 :-)
Agree 100%, everyone who sees it and asks about it loves it too...
I haven't actually tried a Lamy Safari fountain pen, but they're probably excellent. The rollerball is absolutely the best you can buy and it's only about £50.
Having had quite a few fountain pens, I would have to say if I could only have one for around OP's budget, it would be anything with a Bock titanium nib. I've got a Namisu pen with one of those and it's far better than many pens costing 3x as much. Then it's just a question of finding a body that's comfortable, the right weight. and suits how you hold your pen.
Apparently TWSBI will accept these nibs, but you'd need to put some research into getting the correct size etc. I'd say TWSBI is probably the best value starter pen overall and you can always upgrade the nib later. A decent steel nib such as the ones that come in a TWSBI or most entry-level fountain pens will generally work well after it's run in, but that will take a few months, so you need to be patient. My first fountain pen was a Parker Sonnet and I have another identical one I was given as a gift. The difference between the run-in one and the hardly-used one is huge, so when people talk about this, they're not imagining it.
Namisu make some nice pens and will supply titanium nibs (although annoyingly they no longer offer it as an option on the pen - you have to buy an extra nib, but at least it's guaranteed to be the correct size). Being a micrbrand are a bit more unusual than the typical Parker, Pelikan, Watermans, Lamy, etc. They have sales frequently, but you have to like the minimalist, weighty machined metal aesthetic they go for. Especially as most of them have nothing to stop them rolling off a table or any way to post the cap should you wish to, although they have some newer models that cover these bases as well.
The TWSBI 580 is just well-designed all around, nicely balanced size & weight, looks great, and doesn't cost much.
Those would be my recommendations: TWSBI if you want something you can upgrade, fiddle around with easily if/when you want to, and will "just work" out of the box. Or Namisu if you want something that looks like it cost a lot more than it did, feels weighty, and will make people ask "what's that pen you have?" To be fair people will probably ask about the TWSBI too, especially if you go with the 580 and not one of the more boring "classic" or "precision" models. But I suppose you could compare the difference in aesthetic to Damasko vs G-Shock.
Quite the opposite.
Awesome thanks for the advice
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Exactly, quite the opposite. I find that my handwriting descends into a spider's crawl with a fine nib.
In the Sotadic Zone, apparently.
Medium is described as 0.6mm when googling , would 1.5mm be the right nib to start with?
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I don't honestly know. The advantage of the Rotring and a few of the other recommendations above is that you can probably buy one of every nib size and still remain within your budget. One other thought might be to buy a multi-nib calligraphy set but I don't have any experience of those.
In the Sotadic Zone, apparently.
You can buy a beginners nib for the Lamy Gyp posted. Described as medium but somehow different.
Another Lamy 2000 recommendation from me - it’s the Speedmaster of the pen world in my opinion, timeless, very well made, and if looked after, will last at least one lifetime. Oh and the Lamy service centre in Germany is absolutely superb to deal with.
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I've bought the Lamy 2000 medium nib and a bottle of ink using the link and birthday15 code above, £143 quid delivered
Thanks for all the advice, will experiment with nibs and start with medium cheers
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Off the wall suggestion - how I started a collection
Get a Parker 45 or two off the bay
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_f...5&_sacat=14001
start with a medium nib and go from there.
It can be habit forming
B
The best fountain pen ever was the Parker 51. They are bomb proof and will take abuse, lots of spares about, easily repaired. They just go on and on.
Do a google, there is shiploads of info on them.
Just to sound like a saddo WIS, make sure the tassie (little shiny decoration at the end of the cap) is still there as affects the resale value.
They are the perfect pen.
They've actually just reissued it btw
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Not the same pen though, a shocking shadow of itself with inferior parts and materials.
Same as Montblanc, they use plastic where ebonite and metal used to be and are no way worth their £600 price tag now, its not the same pen anymore.
Excellent! Enjoy
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Something which you may like to check, if you haven't already done so. Whilst nibs for the Lamy Safari are readily available and relatively straightforward to replace, I seem to recall from when I looked into it a while back that the same is not quite so true for the Lamy 2000.
I think I'll get a few of the those suggested form eBay for a bit of fun and see which I prefer
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Pelikan M205
Cheers I'll get the pen shop man to change the nib
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Lamy Safaris are great - a wonderful start to fountain pens. But may I also recommend the Metro? Similar price, and there is a reason why the FP thread on my "other forum" was, for a long time, sub-titled "Just get a Pilot Metro".
No need to go crazy for your first few pens. A couple of bottles of ink, wash out used cartridges and use a syringe or pipette to refill them with wonderful and interesting colours. Or buy Lamy cartridges bulk on eBay in different colours. Fill a pot, reach for a cartridge at random. Don't even wash the pen through - just let the colour fade through as you write.
I recently found Lamy Safaris for sale at a local mall, and bought four.
Try a fountain pen at a local stationers or better still, buy a refurbished Parker 51 from a reputable vintage pen dealer ... most vintage pen dealers will fit a nib to suit your needs.
https://www.heritagecollectables.com...ker/parker-51/
"Well they would say that ... wouldn't they!"
Reform 1745, M-nib.
You can find them NOS on eBay.
Maybe the best budget pen ever made.
Italix Parsons Essential from MrPen
Nothing to add with respect to the pen choice, but a couple of other things to consider are:
- Choice of paper - many ‘bleed’ when using fountain pens
- Choice of ink - some, bizarrely, will fade over time!
A quick google popped up this Lamy 2000 for £106 plus 6 shipping.
https://www.bigpen.co.uk/en-gb/a/J40...ountain-f.html
Dont know the seller or anything. Anyone like a punt?
This thread has got me thinking about borrowing my 11 year old's Safari and giving it a try. My hand writing is atrocious. Maybe a fountain pen will make me work on improving it.
Dont know if anyone has mentioned them but for me without doubt the best starter fountain pen has to be a Visconti. About £100 for one of their least expensive pens their nibs are so easy to use, never dry up and the ink flows perfectly. I have tried a few Lamy pens from the safari up and especially the safari one I found scratch and poor ink flow. Never had that problem with Visconti just about the only complaint I can think of is many of their pens are rather thick, I have never understood why they do this but you can find slimmer ones for a little bit more. Either way they are well worth it.
My experience with Visconti is with the Homo Sapiens range. Utterly phenomenal pen. I had the bronze age version.
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Another bit of advice, always, always and I mean always buy washable ink. If you get any permanent ink on your shirt you are another shirt down.
I have the same pen, and can only agree. The nib just glides over the paper, and basalt material it is made from feels weirdly wonderful.
--Tim
I remember learning to write with an italic nib at school, mid 60s -70s, since when I've mostly used fountain pens. I'm sure it helped me with not only writing, but thinking about what I was writing. I work in Italy at the moment and Italian students write as if they're training to be doctors. Maybe 5% of my students enjoy writing, with the majority asking why they need to write. They do have a point, texting, e-mails cover most of their needs. Nearly all have never written or received a thank you letter or a post card, but when asked which they would prefer to receive, text or letter, all say letter. The constant testing of students and the need to complete the set work stops teachers and students spending a little more time on learning how to write. It's a real pity.
MrsV is a big fountain pen-ner and I have a few.
My favourite of hers is the Waldmann commander. It's fabulous. Sterling silver and hand enamelled. Writes like a dream.
Reasonably budget at 275.
https://www.executivepensdirect.com/...YaAoEcEALw_wcB
I have one from that range and one from their entry level range (Van Gough). In reference to someone above the VG is a steel nib it however is such a smooth writer I can’t help but be impressed with it I certainly found it to be better than others I have tried costing far more.
I think what also impressed me was the nib did not dry up even after a few days without use a problem I constantly found with other brands (Lamy for example).
I have a few Japanese pens I know Sailor are supposed to be another brand far better than their competitors but never got around to trying them out.
If you like a larger pen, I'm a big fan of the Cross Townsend. Price varies but usually starts from about £120 upwards depending on model.
I find them incredibly smooth to write with straight away. Even ink flow.
The Cross site frequently have discounts, also check out the clearance section of the website.
Cross are another good brand, even their other pens are excellent quality a very overlooked brand.
I'm not sure I'd call the Cross Townsend a larger pen. It's relatively slim by fountain pen standards. It's about 2cm longer than the Parker Sonnet (another smaller pen), but most of that is cap, which is also quite large and heavy compared to the body of the pen. Hence posting or not massively changes how it balances (which can be a pro or a con depending on how you look at it).
Personally, I don't think the Townsend is all that great. It's just OK. Over time I've found the Parker Sonnet to be more reliable and it was about half the price of the Townsend. The fit & finish of the Cross is marginally better. But then again, it's not remotely in the same league as a Parker Premier, which can occasionally be found on sale for about the same price (admittedly not at the same price as the Townsend when it's also on sale).
Never had a problem with scratchy nibs with Lamy, including the Safaris. I'm intrigued to try a Visconti now, though they all seem to be stainless steel nibs until you get up to the pricey ones? (I like a chunky pen.)
I like the Lamy 2000, I use one as a daily pen and really like them. Someone else has already mentioned Pelikans, and they make a great pen. I've got a 200 upgraded to a nib from a 400 (gold instead of stainless) and an 805 at the moment in daily use. Also, the humble Kaweco Sport for a daily user is excellent because it is so compact and handy. My favourite is a brass one that I've put an upgraded nib into (I like a bit of weight in my pens).
Dave E
Skating away on the thin ice of a new day
Pen collectors often consider Conway Stewart to be the best starter pen and indeed, some of the smaller models are often referred to as "as a schoolboy pen".
Working from home, it's a vest
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Ok, if you get a splash of permanent ink on your vest, you will be one vest down.
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