The best fountain pen money can buy?
July 21, 2017 10:12 AM   Subscribe

On the spur of the moment, I have been tasked to research the purchase of a fountain pen that will be a gift by a large group of people to someone on a special occasion. The person in question will be using the pen, so it needs to be known for its function in addition to any other qualities pens of this price range may possess. The price range would need to be anywhere from 300-600 (cost matters, it can't be cheap even if a cheaper pen is better, hey, I know).
posted by nanook to Shopping (14 answers total) 7 users marked this as a favorite
 
JetPens will have the answer.

Some guides that will help:
Exquisite Fountain Pens for Everyday Use
Luxury European Fountain Pens
Luxury Japanese Fountain Pens

Most of the pens in these guides fall within your price range, or slightly under.
posted by daniel striped tiger at 10:28 AM on July 21, 2017 [1 favorite]


Sorry, I have to say it, but size (and shape) matters. Many excellent pens will not be comfortable for a given individual. It's not the best gift, unless you can get hold of some of their present pens and match the gift to the present pens.
posted by JimN2TAW at 10:30 AM on July 21, 2017 [7 favorites]


My father is a bit of a fountain pen collector, and he fancies his Mont Blanc above the others. There are a few in the upper end of your price range on their site. Amazon appears to have more options well within your range.
posted by dearwassily at 11:01 AM on July 21, 2017 [1 favorite]


If your giftee is a fountain pen aficionado, then you should definitely pursue some intel on their collection, preferences, and/or wish list. Even just knowing what their current favorite pen is would be useful.

Also: the fountain pen subreddit is very friendly, and very helpful.
posted by gnomeloaf at 11:02 AM on July 21, 2017 [3 favorites]


Depending on your lead time, you may want to investigate some custom makers: Edison Pens, Carolina Pen Company, Scriptorium Pens, and Newton Pens. Non-custom stock may be immediately available from some of these.

More recently on the pen making scene is the Kanilea Pen Co., which has some stunning materials inspired by the imagery of the Hawaii .
posted by audi alteram partem at 11:12 AM on July 21, 2017 [2 favorites]


It's at the upper end of your budget, but the pen I'd buy if I had 600$ burning a hole in my pocket would be the Visconti Homo Sapiens. It's very unique, as its made from Italian lava and has a patented hooked lock mechanism. It might not be the ideal daily driver, but it does seem like the kind of pen you'd use when you're trying to impress and would certainly make a magnificent gift.

Another great ~300$ option is the Pilot/Namiki Vanishing point in one of their limited edition finishes. It's one of the few retractable fountain pens and the only clicky-top one other than Pilot's smaller line, Decimo. This is 100% an every day use pen, which I state from personal experience (I own two and love them to bits.) Even the basic models are still very nice gifts at 120-150$ each.
posted by OMGTehAwsome at 11:39 AM on July 21, 2017 [2 favorites]


Seconding the Vanishing Point, which is just extremely cool if you're a pen person.
posted by The Bellman at 12:00 PM on July 21, 2017 [1 favorite]


As others have said, pens are very personal and choosing one for someone is hard. If you can get some intel from them about what kind fountain pen they like (do they like it with a heavy balance, for example?) and use, that would be key to picking the right pen. I'm a big fountain pen user when writing by hand and I would much rather use an inexpensive Lamy or Kaweco pen than an $800 Mont Blanc. Like I'd be pleased that someone got it for me but I'd put it in a drawer and then pick up my $70 Kaweco and get back to writing.
posted by dis_integration at 12:22 PM on July 21, 2017 [2 favorites]


I second everything OMGTehAwesome and dis_integration have said about a pen at this level being quite personal (pen size, finish, nib material, nib size ... ) and that some reconnaissance is necessary. It shouldn't necessarily be hard. Have someone close to the gift recipient ask them to talk about their fountain pen collection. They will probably get an earful.

And in addition to the pens suggested thus far, I'd add the Pilot Custom 823, which has a pretty clever filling mechanism and is, I am informed, a delight to write with.
posted by gauche at 12:33 PM on July 21, 2017 [1 favorite]


I'd concur that preferences vary quite a bit.

As to specifics, I will second the Vanishing Point recommendation; I finally got a basic one earlier this year, and it has quickly become my favorite modern fountain pen. Both unique and a very practical design.
posted by brennen at 1:34 PM on July 21, 2017 [1 favorite]


The most beautiful pen I've ever given, and it is made by a LEGENDARY British company, is the Yard-o-Led pen I found via -- of course -- Metafilter, in this thread. You cannot beat the beauty of their pens, which are made from sterling silver, or the craftsmanship. Every review I've read has raved about their quality. My giftee adored hers. And I want one myself someday.
posted by bearwife at 4:32 PM on July 21, 2017 [2 favorites]


The obvious answer for a gift pen in this price range is a Montblanc, it has the brand recognition, a bit like Rolex with watches.
However my recommendation would be to look at the Pelikan Souverän range, which I think offer great build quality and a slightly more understated design. Pelikan are a big company like Montblanc, so spare parts should be easy to find if you ever need them, they also have some very nice limited editions.
Size does matter but I don't think you could go far wrong with an M600 for a woman or an M800 for a man, fitted with an F nib.
posted by Lanark at 4:59 PM on July 21, 2017


Yaaaaas Visconti Homo Sapiens is delicious looking and has been on my Pinterest board for years. But, note, Visconti is quite heavy (if memory serves). If you can, do scope out if he or she has a pen weight preference. I'd fear less about nib preference, bc I think they're usually easy to replace (do double check!).

Otherwise, an elusive color of Vanishing Point is nice, perhaps you can find an out of production one?

And, for some extra fancy, pair with fancy ink like Pilot Iroshizuku in limited colors.

Goulet Pens on their blog or YouTube channels may have some recommendations.
posted by ellerhodes at 6:27 PM on July 21, 2017


Sorry, I have to say it, but size (and shape) matters.

Also fine, medium, or italic nib? (Japanese sizes running one size smaller, so a Japanese fine is a western extra-fine.)
posted by sebastienbailard at 9:06 PM on July 21, 2017 [1 favorite]


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