Recommendations for online fountain pen sellers

October 2, 2007 7:09 PM

I wish to buy a not too expensive fountain pen. Any recommendation for sites that I should look at? Thanks!
posted by sk381 to Shopping (19 answers total)

I love my Lamy Safari. I carry it everywhere, its a great pen for the money.
posted by pcward at 7:21 PM on October 2, 2007

http://www.fountainpenhospital.com has a "Gift Finder" section that lets you sort by price range.

And I love my Rotring Initial.
posted by Vidiot at 7:26 PM on October 2, 2007

I'm on a fountain-pen-education-and-desensitization plan myself, trying to decide if I like them enough and/or would use them enough to invest in a good one (read: a pricey one).

I have a couple of True Writers from Levenger, and so far I've found them smooth writing, easy to change cartridges, and nary an exploding bit or leak (after a couple of plane trips in both hand luggage and checked luggage). $50-60 depending on style, if that qualifies as "not too expensive."
posted by pineapple at 7:44 PM on October 2, 2007

Weird, but I also have a Lamy Safari, bought from Levenger. My one qualm is that I can't seem to find cartridges for it, which means I'm always on the converter and bottled ink. I'm about ready to cave in and order the expensive bottled inks from Levenger, too, because all the stores just carry Parker Quink, and I don't like it. (It sometimes has serious fading problems, and it's not always saturated enough for me.)
posted by eritain at 7:57 PM on October 2, 2007

I use Pilot Varsity disposable fountain pens, and I love them--I think they're the best of fountain pen and roller-ball pen technology. And there are ways to refill them, although I'm far too lazy to ever do such a thing.
posted by padraigin at 9:29 PM on October 2, 2007 [1 favorite]

I was disappointed with the low-end Lamys. Their ink flow just isn't smooth enough; I couldn't even sign my signature with one of them. I've been much, much happier with my Aurora Ipsilon. The build of the pen isn't very high end, but it has adequate heft, and it writes just beautifully.

The Rotring Initial looks good. I haven't tried it, but it's probably the next pen I'll buy.
posted by mr_roboto at 11:05 PM on October 2, 2007

Seconding the Pilot Varsity "semi-refillables". Cheap, and I like how they feel in my my hand. Minor pain to refill, so I do it when I have 5-6 empties. Occasionally you can find the fine-tip Pilot Varsity at Japanese stationary/pen shops.

Does anyone know an inexpensive reuseable pen that feels like the Pilot Varsity?
posted by sebastienbailard at 11:07 PM on October 2, 2007

Take a look at the imported fountain pens at HisNibs.com, specifically the Pilot 78Gs. They're light pens, bottled ink only, but have a great smooth nib and a stub if you're interested. The site also has Hero pens, but I was never impressed with them: they feel cheaper than the cheapest ten cent Bics, and are very light, thin, and hard to write with.

I also would highly recommend the Waterman Phileas, which should be available in any large office supply store for around $50. Super smooth writer, nicely weighted, looks impressive too. The medium nib writes very wet and thick.

I have many of the Sheaffer cartridge pens, and two Lamy Safaris, but I always come back to the Pilot 78G and the Waterman Phileas.
posted by meowzilla at 12:02 AM on October 3, 2007

You don't give a price range, but for around 60GBP / 120USD I can recommend the Cross Century II. I have it in the Royal Blue and it writes beautifully with a Fine or Extra Fine nib.
posted by mooders at 12:39 AM on October 3, 2007

My standard pen for over 10 years now has been a Parker Sonnet. I've found that the smooth, cheaper finishes are better than the fancier, textured metal ones, but you may find differently. But I do use this pen nearly everyday and ... *sigh* it's just so nice. Even ink flow, perfectly balanced for me.

Have fun finding your pen!
posted by minervous at 4:20 AM on October 3, 2007

My grandfather was particularly fond of Esterbrook fountain pens. They look to be modestly priced on eBay. The ones I used were lever/bladder based so no worries about ink cartridges and they had the potential for Three Stooges comedy gold.
posted by plinth at 4:56 AM on October 3, 2007

I asked a very similar question a long while back. I ended up buying a Waterman Phileas. It was 15 dollars when all was said and done, which sounded like a deal. I bought it on eBay, from a seller that lived in Toronto (my hometown). I'd check eBay.
posted by chunking express at 6:48 AM on October 3, 2007

Best answer: A lot of the ground has been covered here and in the older thread, but anyway. The basic principles: $10 gets you a good starter pen, $20 can get you a great one. Look to Asia, Europe or vintage US models.

More specifically: first, the filling-system dilemma. Cartridges are convenient, but most people quickly feel constrained by the cost and range and quickly shift over to bottled ink with a converter, so you might want to skip that step and go straight to a pen with an internal filler.

Next, size. There are good cheap and chunky pens like the Lamy Safari/Vista/Al-Star, or the Waterman Phileas/Kultur (the latter harder to find in the US, but lighter and funkier). There are smaller pens too, along the lines of the Rotring Core, but nothing quite up to the vintage Esty Js plinth mentioned, which can be nabbed from eBay for $10 or so, but usually need a sac replacement. Match them with a lightly-used or NOS nib (2xxx or 9xxx -- here's a list of styles) and you're away.

Next, nibs: the world seems to be divided into 'finer! finer!' types (who like the Hero accountant pen) and 'broad and flexy' types. Fine-ish and firm tend to be good places to start, since they cause fewer problems with flow.

At the moment, I'm very much liking the Sailor school pen I got for $10 from this eBay seller: smooth steel F nib with some character and variation, but cartridge only. I'd also recommend HisNibs and iSellPens for their low-cost Asian pens, especially the previously-mentioned Pilot 78G. The (German) Pelikan GO! (aka M75) is a fantastic piston filler, but discontinued and hard to find; for new, current pens, the Pelikano range of school pens (cart/conv) offer a nice blend of quality and low price.

Sheaffer's current cartridge pens are crappy by comparison with their older school pens, or the 1990s Triumph Imperial reissues: avoid them.
posted by holgate at 7:33 AM on October 3, 2007

I don't know about sites to buy from, but in my experience, Monteverde makes some good fountain pens at a pretty good price.
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 8:15 AM on October 3, 2007

i love my rotring fountain pen i got from levenger a number of years ago. another place i've picked up a few pens from is http://www.fahrneyspens.com/
posted by rmd1023 at 9:13 AM on October 3, 2007

If you can refill your own cartridge (more color choices, better for the environment), you should look into Windsor & Newton calligraphy inks. They come in a variety of colors and they are great quality.
I am a fountain pen enthusiast and used to be a calligrapher, and that was the ink I liked the best. I find it to be the most consistent in terms of color and flow.

If this will be your first pen, I agree with those above who say to try a plastic inexpensive one first, just to see if you like the lines and flow of a fountain pen. You'll have to get used to writing in a slightly slower, more deliberate manner so that you don't smudge. You'll get used to it and speed up soon, but if you happen to hate it, with a cheapo plastic pen, at least you won't have wasted a chunk of change on a heavy metal one.

Another thing to consider is your hand size. I have small hands with thin fingers and most Mont Blancs, for example, are too heavy and thick for my comfort.
posted by rmless at 9:20 AM on October 3, 2007

I must take this opportunity to push Noodler's Ink, which is the best ink I've tried. I've tested the "Bulletproof" promise, and they're not kidding. Once it's dry, it won't run, ever. I use a Phileas daily, and fill it with Zhivago (black with just enough green to make a difference). I bought my pen from the local office supply store, and one day I intend to upgrade to something nicer, although really it's quite nice for a $30 pen.
I also like the Pilot Varsity, and refilling them isn't very hard as long as you have a dropper. I will caution you about Windsor & Newton inks-- make sure you get the line specifically designed for fountain pens, as they make a wide variety of inks which are not, and will clog your pen and cause you heartbreak. Always make sure that the ink you put in it is designed for fountain pens.
posted by leapfrog at 9:44 AM on October 3, 2007

I like Parkers. I have one with a big, gold nib that I love to write with.

I buy cartridges for each of my pens once, and then I have a friend with a medical background get me some syringes and hypodermic needles.

You can then mix your own ink colors, or use whatever bottled ink you like, and fill the cartridges with the hypo. When you finish, make sure your syringe and hypo are thoroughly cleaned, and off you go.

I guess maybe I should worry about drug charges (hypos are considered drug paraphernalia in many localities), but I don't carry the hypos around, and I also don't use them...recreationally.
posted by SlyBevel at 10:13 AM on October 3, 2007

Take a look at Fountain Pen Hospital.
posted by DandyRandy at 2:13 PM on October 3, 2007