One Pen To Rule Them All
February 14, 2018 1:27 PM Subscribe
What is your favorite pen for writing things that should look special and nice (birthday cards, announcements, valentines etc.)?
I have sort of crappy handwriting, but if I work hard enough I can nice it up a bit when writing a card or other special thing. The problem is, I never have anything but old ballpoint pens around the house. I want to buy a pen I save for my special occasion writing. Ideally it would come in red ink, but its not a deal breaker if it doesn't. Calligraphy is not in my box of talents currently, but I wouldn't rule out a calligraphy pen if you think that's the best. I'd prefer the output not to look like a ball point pen, and I'd like to keep the cost under $50.00 if possible.
PS I did look at some other questions about pens on Ask, like this one, but the answers are mostly ball point pen options.
Thank you for your help!
I have sort of crappy handwriting, but if I work hard enough I can nice it up a bit when writing a card or other special thing. The problem is, I never have anything but old ballpoint pens around the house. I want to buy a pen I save for my special occasion writing. Ideally it would come in red ink, but its not a deal breaker if it doesn't. Calligraphy is not in my box of talents currently, but I wouldn't rule out a calligraphy pen if you think that's the best. I'd prefer the output not to look like a ball point pen, and I'd like to keep the cost under $50.00 if possible.
PS I did look at some other questions about pens on Ask, like this one, but the answers are mostly ball point pen options.
Thank you for your help!
I came here to recommend a Pilot Metropolitan and saw gauche already did. Good price for a nice pen, and playing with different ink colors is a lot of fun. Pilot's Iroshizuku line of inks has a lot of nice colors that perform well. This one is my personal favorite.
posted by Gymnopedist at 1:53 PM on February 14, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by Gymnopedist at 1:53 PM on February 14, 2018 [3 favorites]
Pilot v5 rollerball pens are my favorite for writing period, without the hassle of ink and calligraphy. You can't get as fancy as you can with a calligraphy pen, but they're much nicer than ballpoint pens.
posted by snaw at 1:57 PM on February 14, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by snaw at 1:57 PM on February 14, 2018 [5 favorites]
To second gauche; the nicest pens both in terms of how they feel and quality of writing are going to be fountain pens, but they kinda suck for occasional use because they do dry up, and when they do you're going to be rinsing out the pen and it can get messy. But there's nothing like a fountain pen; I favour Waterman, FWIW, but the Pilot Metropolitan is a great recommendation also.
posted by parm at 1:57 PM on February 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by parm at 1:57 PM on February 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
Yeah, fountain pens look nicer than ballpoint, and they're fun to write with. The Pilot Metropolitan is good, and they make several different nib sizes. You can get them on Amazon, too, if you prefer. Even if you don't get a stub nib, it'll still look nice, and you'll have lots of options for ink.
There's a million kinds of ink out there. Noodler's makes good, inexpensive inks, and you can get those on Amazon, too. If you don't want to deal with filling from a bottle, you can buy packs of ink cartridges that you just pop into the pen. Pilot Namiki ink cartridges are pretty good and cheap. Also available on Amazon.
You can also get a Jinhao X750 for like $5, and they write surprisingly well. The one thing about those is that sometimes the nib might be a little messed up when you first get it, which is the only reason I wouldn't recommend them over the Pilot Metropolitan. But at that price it's low risk, and I think they're worth checking out as a second pen. I really like mine.
I'd recommend avoiding anything described as "flex" or "flex nib," because they tend to be trickier to use.
posted by shapes that haunt the dusk at 1:58 PM on February 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
There's a million kinds of ink out there. Noodler's makes good, inexpensive inks, and you can get those on Amazon, too. If you don't want to deal with filling from a bottle, you can buy packs of ink cartridges that you just pop into the pen. Pilot Namiki ink cartridges are pretty good and cheap. Also available on Amazon.
You can also get a Jinhao X750 for like $5, and they write surprisingly well. The one thing about those is that sometimes the nib might be a little messed up when you first get it, which is the only reason I wouldn't recommend them over the Pilot Metropolitan. But at that price it's low risk, and I think they're worth checking out as a second pen. I really like mine.
I'd recommend avoiding anything described as "flex" or "flex nib," because they tend to be trickier to use.
posted by shapes that haunt the dusk at 1:58 PM on February 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
Oh yeah, and if you just want to give fountain pens a try without dealing with refilling the pen or anything, there's also the Platinum Preppy, which writes really well. Unlike most fountain pens, they're not meant to be reusable, but they come loaded with ink and ready to write.
posted by shapes that haunt the dusk at 2:01 PM on February 14, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by shapes that haunt the dusk at 2:01 PM on February 14, 2018 [3 favorites]
This is such a personal question, and it's going to depend on your handwriting, the size of your hand, the paper you like to use, and other hard-to-quantify things. Your best bet truly is to find a place near you that sells lots of pens in varying degrees of Fanciness so you can try them out.
I've gotten a surprising amount of pleasure out of this simple $15 Muji fountain pen. It's lighter in the hand than the Pilot Metropolitan, which I like. It comes with a black cartridge but will take international cartridges in any colour you fancy -- you can also use a converter to write with whatever.
posted by halation at 2:05 PM on February 14, 2018 [4 favorites]
I've gotten a surprising amount of pleasure out of this simple $15 Muji fountain pen. It's lighter in the hand than the Pilot Metropolitan, which I like. It comes with a black cartridge but will take international cartridges in any colour you fancy -- you can also use a converter to write with whatever.
posted by halation at 2:05 PM on February 14, 2018 [4 favorites]
Lamy Safari fountain pen! I have one with an extra-fine nib and it makes even my chicken scratch look classy.
posted by orrnyereg at 2:38 PM on February 14, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by orrnyereg at 2:38 PM on February 14, 2018 [3 favorites]
A Lamy Safari fountain pen with an oblique nib!
posted by jgirl at 2:41 PM on February 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by jgirl at 2:41 PM on February 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
If you want to try a stub nib for super cheap, maybe try the Pilot Plumix. I have two and they make my awful handwriting look pretty classy. And you can get red ink cartridges for it.
posted by darchildre at 2:44 PM on February 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by darchildre at 2:44 PM on February 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
I really like the Sharpie Marker Pen. Lovely line thickness, comes in several colors, truly won't bleed through regular paper, satisfying to hold.
posted by danceswithlight at 3:01 PM on February 14, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by danceswithlight at 3:01 PM on February 14, 2018 [5 favorites]
Seconding the Muji fountain pen: the full-length one has a pleasing (if not very broad) nib, and takes two international cartridges or a piston converter. Doesn't dry out as fast as some fountain pens, so you won't be constantly refilling it.
(Muji also make a compact fountain pen with the same nib, but it takes one short cartridge and no spare.)
posted by scruss at 3:08 PM on February 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
(Muji also make a compact fountain pen with the same nib, but it takes one short cartridge and no spare.)
posted by scruss at 3:08 PM on February 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
Better link to Sharpie Marker Pen (that set actually has red in it). Not a fountain pen, more of a thin felt-tip pen. I have previously used the Pilot Precise v5 (recommended above) for years, but I like the Sharpie Marker Pen more.
posted by danceswithlight at 3:08 PM on February 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by danceswithlight at 3:08 PM on February 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
I am obsessed with the Sharpie pens. I am a teacher and use them for ALL of my grading. They don't bleed through paper and the ink flows in a really consistent way. They come in lots of colors (orange is my signature for grading), and you can buy an entire box of red ones.
posted by katie at 3:57 PM on February 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by katie at 3:57 PM on February 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
We like the Sakura Pigma Micron, various nibs and colors at a reasonable price.
posted by ovvl at 4:00 PM on February 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by ovvl at 4:00 PM on February 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
I co-own an independent art supply store, and when people ask us this question we always recommend the Pentel Tradio. (Link doesn't go to my store—though believe me, I wish I owned JetPens!) The ink flows as quickly as a fountain pen, but unlike fountain pens, it has a flexible plastic nib that can be used at any angle. Accidental ink blots are also not as much of a problem. You get some variation in line width because of the flexible nib, which makes your handwriting look nicer than a fixed width. And it comes in red!
posted by roast beef at 4:18 PM on February 14, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by roast beef at 4:18 PM on February 14, 2018 [3 favorites]
The pilot Vpen is a disposable fountain pen and around $4. It comes in red (and purple! And teal!) and I like it as much as my pilot metropolitan. If I were you, I'd buy some different low end fountain pens, and decide if you like the medium.
posted by Valancy Rachel at 4:18 PM on February 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Valancy Rachel at 4:18 PM on February 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
Would highly recommend the Pilot Prera, which is, sadly $6.00 out of your stated budget at Goulet Pens. On Amazon you can find them cheaper (this solid blue one is quite nice).
Why Pilot Prera? The nib is a joy to use: smooth, flows nicely with no skips, and has an undefinable element to it that makes it outstanding; don't ask me what. It's also incredibly inexpensive for what it offers; the Metropolitan is very good, but the Prera is outstanding. There's sort of a cushion when you put on the cap, and then this satisfying click when the lid snaps into place. Really amazing design. They come in fun colors and transparent bodies as well.
I have one that I tried to convert into an eyedropper pen and I made a mess of it and the cap is now stained and cracked; nib is still perfectly fine. I don't use it anymore, if you're in the U.S. send me a memail and I can mail it to you. It's a phenomenal pen and should be the introduction pen to those curious about fountain pens, but the Metropolitan and Lamy Safari will win out as they're much cheaper.
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 4:30 PM on February 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
Why Pilot Prera? The nib is a joy to use: smooth, flows nicely with no skips, and has an undefinable element to it that makes it outstanding; don't ask me what. It's also incredibly inexpensive for what it offers; the Metropolitan is very good, but the Prera is outstanding. There's sort of a cushion when you put on the cap, and then this satisfying click when the lid snaps into place. Really amazing design. They come in fun colors and transparent bodies as well.
I have one that I tried to convert into an eyedropper pen and I made a mess of it and the cap is now stained and cracked; nib is still perfectly fine. I don't use it anymore, if you're in the U.S. send me a memail and I can mail it to you. It's a phenomenal pen and should be the introduction pen to those curious about fountain pens, but the Metropolitan and Lamy Safari will win out as they're much cheaper.
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 4:30 PM on February 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
If you don't want to deal with the whole fountain pen thing, I really love the OptiFlow--very smooth to write with.
Cheap and comes in several nice colors!
posted by exceptinsects at 4:37 PM on February 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
Cheap and comes in several nice colors!
posted by exceptinsects at 4:37 PM on February 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
Also: there's this fun, easy to access, not intimidating at all video from Jet Pens about Faux Calligraphy, if you want to give it a whirl.
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 4:38 PM on February 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 4:38 PM on February 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
→ … Faux Calligraphy
(BTW, you can do this really well with cheap Crayola pointed markers, laying the point flat to get thick downstrokes. One of my niece's friends is a minor Instagram star with her marker calligraphy, and it's great to watch her produce fast, pretty work with such cheap pens.)
posted by scruss at 6:36 PM on February 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
(BTW, you can do this really well with cheap Crayola pointed markers, laying the point flat to get thick downstrokes. One of my niece's friends is a minor Instagram star with her marker calligraphy, and it's great to watch her produce fast, pretty work with such cheap pens.)
posted by scruss at 6:36 PM on February 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
Uniball Vision in black or blue. I hoard them at work and guard them with my life.
posted by sundrop at 7:08 PM on February 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by sundrop at 7:08 PM on February 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
For pen with a little heft to it, I like the Jinhao X750. For something light, Pilot Kakuno is nice. Both are inexpensive; the Kakuno enough so that I bought Goulet's set of 3 so I can have different colored inks at one time. I have Kakuno in the medium nib and find it quite thin to my tastes. The nib Jinhao X750 comes with is wider, but only in comparison. I swapped out the cartridges in the Kakunos for a Pilot CON-40 Converter and have been using them and the Jinhao X750 with a variety of Noodler's inks. Also: bottles and cartridges of red ink. Both will take different nibs if the nib breaks or you'd like to try something different, like a stub nib that will give you a calligraphic feel without the actual calligraphy.
They do bleed through cheaper paper and smear on the shiny/coated stuff that some cards are made out of, so watch for that. I use scrap paper to blot as needed or just accept a few light smudges as the charming price of using a fountain pen in world of ball points.
posted by carrioncomfort at 12:51 PM on February 15, 2018 [1 favorite]
They do bleed through cheaper paper and smear on the shiny/coated stuff that some cards are made out of, so watch for that. I use scrap paper to blot as needed or just accept a few light smudges as the charming price of using a fountain pen in world of ball points.
posted by carrioncomfort at 12:51 PM on February 15, 2018 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
The disadvantages are: that you will have to use the pen semi-regularly to keep the ink from drying out in the pen; clean it occasionally; occasionally live with ink stains on your hands; and that you may fall, as many do, down the rabbit hole of fountain pens as a hobby.
posted by gauche at 1:36 PM on February 14, 2018 [7 favorites]