The Ten Most Influential Stationery Products of the Past Decade

Notice that I’m not framing today’s post as another “best of” list, but rather something different. Here I’ve tried to identify those stationery products that have most influenced what is currently on the market today, which necessarily may include some products that either weren’t good to begin with or haven’t held up over time as the stationery market has evolved. This list may also include products which weren’t released in the 2010s, but still established their popularity and influence during the past decade. This New Year’s is bittersweet for me. My foray into pen collection (let’s just call it “pen enthusiasm”) really started up again in early 2010, so it’s hard to believe that ten years has passed. Writing this list brought up a lot of feels. I hope it does for you as well. Happy reading!

1. Field Notes. To me, naming the Field Notes pocket notebook, and the brand as a whole, as the most influential stationery product of the past 10 years is something of a no-brainer. I wasn’t going to do a ranked list, but after evaluating my top five, I’m pretty comfortable with the order, and leaving Field Notes as the undisputed No. 1. The Field Notes quarterly edition subscription program has taken on a life of its own, with certain coveted past editions arguably qualifying as design icons. Absent the success of Field Notes and Moleskine (see below), I have a hard time seeing many notebook-focused companies enjoying the level of success they are seeing today. While Field Notes have fallen out of rotation for me personally, that’s more a function of my own needs than anything else.

2. Moleskine. I debated whether to include Moleskine on this list, as the brand launched in the late 1990s and expanded throughout the 2000s, which is when the “black Moleskine” notebook first became synonymous with hipster stationery, and later, omnipresent. Why did I ultimately include it? Because Moleskine inspired countless companies to attempt to “build a better Moleskine” - a black everyday carry notebook that contained consistently decent paper and held up over time. Without Moleskine, would the Leuchtturm 1917 or the Rhodia Webnotebook be as popular as they are, or would brands such as the Dingbats notebook or Endless Recorder even exist?

3. Blackwing 602. Am I talking about the vintage pencil or the modern pencil? How about both? At the beginning of the decade, as the stationery-obsessed began to “rediscover” pencils (or at least talk about them on the internet), you could still find lots of original Blackwings at what would now be considered reasonable prices on eBay. Then CalCedar, maker of the popular Palomino pencil - may it rest in peace - announced that it had acquired the right to the Blackwing and would begin making a modern version of this classic pencil. Today, Blackwing is on its way to becoming a brand to rival Moleskine.

4. Noodler’s Ink. I’ve mentioned numerous times how, ten years ago, Noodler’s Ink was one of the only options if you wanted “boutique” inks in colors other than the standard black-blue-blue/black-red, green, and purple. Five different shades of each color? Now, boutique ink manufacturers such as Robert Oster Signature, KWZ, and Colorverse are the norm, and even old-line pen companies like Pilot and Sailor have vastly expanded their ink lineups to include dozens of colors.

5. Pilot Hi-Tec-C Gel Pen. The so-called “refill that launched a thousand Kickstarters,” and arguably the entire modern machined pen industry. JetPens even built a business around sourcing Japanese gel pen refills that are difficult to find in the U.S. I’ve fallen away from the Hi-Tec-C in recent years, but for those who love needle-tip gel pens and write small, it still has enduring popularity. I still field weekly questions about whether this or that machined pen is compatible with the Hi-Tec-C.

6. Montblanc Alfred Hitchcock Limited Edition Ink. Did this 2012 ink launch the “limited edition” ink craze? In my mind, it did, since it’s definitely the first ink I can remember people purchasing in lots of up to a dozen bottles to hoard, back in the days when there weren’t so many inks that you could find a similar shade elsewhere. Of course, that doesn’t keep people from trying to duplicate what some consider the best red ink ever made….

7. Edison Pens. Brian Gray of Edison Pens was the first to truly take the “custom fountain pen” industry into the mainstream, offering not only custom designs but unique filling systems, including modern recreations of vintage-style filling systems such as the pump (vacumatic) and pneumatic fillers, as well as his own innovations like the “Draw Filler”. Today, those looking to design their own ideal fountain pen can also choose to work with Shawn Newton, Renee Meeks (Scriptorium Pens), Jonathan Brooks, and many others, but Edison Pens kicked off the trend!

8. TWSBI 530/540/580. In addition to custom-designed fountain pens, which can cost hundreds of dollars or more, the 2010s were notable for the reintroduction of mid-range and entry-level writing instruments of a quality unavailable since the so-called “golden age” of fountain pens decades earlier. Leading the pack was Taiwanese company TWSBI, which has now introduced several iterations of its 5XX series fountain pens, in addition to the acclaimed TWSBI Eco. TWSBI designed its initial release, the TWSBI 530, with input from the fountain pen community (making it sort-of-crowdsourced-but-not-really), and tweaked the design throughout the decade in response to customer feedback and quality control issues. Now, TWSBIs are regarded as some of the most reliable low-cost fountain pens available, and their accessible price point has served to keep other companies (relatively) honest.

9. Nanami Seven Seas Notebooks. This entry on the list could easily be “Tomoe River Paper,” but I decided to go with Nanami Paper, which was one of the first companies to offer an accessible fountain pen friendly notebook stuffed with hundreds of pages of excellent ultra-thin Japanese paper. For a while, Nanami couldn’t make enough of their Seven Seas Writer and Crossfield. Though today there are plenty of other companies offering similar notebooks, it’s still hard to match Nanami’s quality.

10. Hobonichi Planner. Perhaps as part of the greater rebellion against digitizing anything and everything, the paper planner has made a comeback. While the planner resurgence could justify it’s own stand-alone article, the Hobonichi Techo makes this list as the first insanely popular fountain pen friendly Japanese planner that is now available in an English-language version. Whether people love the Tomoe River paper or the flexible format, the Hobonichi looks like it’s here to stay, and has driven the popularity of other Japanese planner systems like Kokuyo’s Jibun Techo, my own planner of choice.

A lot on this list is, of course, affected by my own personal experience and preference, and you can argue about the “Top 10” anything, but I don’t think there can be much dispute that all of these were influential. Stay tuned for more year-end recap content over the next couple of weeks! Happy New Year to everyone, and know that I appreciate your readership and support.

Disclaimer: Wherever possible I’ve tried to link to a past post of mine reviewing or discussing the items listed here. Otherwise, I’ve linked to sponsors or the companies themselves.

Thoughts on Purchasing Expensive Pens (or Any Luxury Item)

I’ve been collecting notes and thoughts on this topic for a while now, as I’ve noticed my own acquisitions starting to trend in the direction of purchasing fewer-but-nicer pens, and as more brands seem to be directing significant manufacturing and marketing efforts towards high-end pens and limited editions. Honestly, there are now so many limited/special/store editions on the market that it’s easy to get confused and caught up in FOMO, spend a lot of money, and wind up with an extremely expensive pen that doesn’t meet your needs or isn’t as great as the “hype” made it seem. Believe me, I’ve been there. So I thought it might be helpful to write a piece on my own thought process when acquiring pens - especially expensive high-end pens - and the various considerations and questions that I ask myself as I evaluate whether a prospective purchase is “worth it.”

Before we start, I need to preface this discussion with an acknowledgement that what constitutes an “expensive” or “high-end” pen is subjective, and necessarily changes from person to person. A $50 pen is extremely expensive to some people, and I’m not necessarily talking about financial means. Some people simply prefer a functional daily writer and don’t want to have any more money than absolutely necessary locked up in a writing instrument they might lose. With that understood, I don’t think the analysis changes significantly based on where you draw the line on what’s “expensive” or “high-end.” Hopefully this article has something helpful for everyone.

My own baseline for what I consider a “very expensive” pen is roughly $500. Some might set the baseline even lower, and there’s definitely an argument for that. I chose $500 because this price point captures most brands’ non-limited or standard edition “workhorse” pens such as the Pelikan M800/M600, Aurora 88, Montblanc 146, Sailor Professional Gear, Pilot Custom 823, and even some Conids. (While the MSRP on some of these pens may be greater than $500, you can usually find them below that, either by purchasing on sale or with a discount code, or by acquiring them secondhand in barely used, or even mint, condition.) Once you get past this baseline price point, in my opinion you are definitely paying for more than functional hardware - i.e., a gold nib, build quality, filling system - and get into more subjective forms of “value” like artistry and branding. I think hard before purchasing above this baseline price point, and if I do, there has to be a compelling case. I use my pens, so I’m not a pure collector in the sense that my primary focus is on making sure the pens do not depreciate in value for later appraisal or resale. I may buy something because I view it as a “work of art,” but it’s a functional piece of art that I still intend to put to good use as a writing instrument.

Leonardo Officina Italiana makes some of my favorite limited and special edition pens currently on the market. They’re all handmade, and the runs truly are limited - especially those in rare celluloids.

First Consideration: What Exactly Am I Paying For, and Why Am I Spending this Money?

I firmly believe that you don’t need to spend more than $65, tops, to get a reliable fountain pen to use as a daily writer. For $200 or less, you can purchase what I consider one of the best-designed fountain pens ever made, the Lamy 2000, which is my own “desert island” writing instrument. As I mentioned above, once you pass a certain price point, you stop paying for additional functionality and get into things like design, artistry, and, yes, branding and hype. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. But one thing I do try to do when contemplating an expensive acquisition is figure out exactly what I’m paying for and why I’m fine with paying it. For example, a $600 Nakaya is not $600 because it’s a “better” pen than a $150 Platinum 3776 in terms of functionality. For the most part, they write similarly because they feature the same nib, and the Platinum might actually be a “better” choice for most people to take to work everyday because it posts and the pen is lightweight. The Nakaya, however, is a vehicle to showcase artistry, namely the Japanese tradition of Urushi lacquer work and other traditional pen designs. Do I really like the design of this particular Nakaya, or is this a FOMO-driven acquisition influenced by online discussions and/or podcasts? Put another way, do I like this pen and want one because “other people” are telling me I should have one in my collection?

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Two limited edition fountain pens that I’m glad I purchased. On the left is my Delta Fusion 82 in “Pompeii” celluloid, and on the right is the Leonardo Momento Zero “Maestro” in discontinued Omas Burkina celluloid. I grabbed both of these immediately, knowing they really were limited and won’t last.

Second Consideration: Is this “Limited” or “Special” Edition Really That Unique?

When considering the purchase of a “limited” pen, I try to remember to ask myself how “limited” or “special” the pen actually is. In my opinion, these two marketing taglines are overused. Case-in-point: I own a couple of Montblanc Writers Edition fountain pens, which retail for nearly $1000. I’m a Montblanc fan, and generally appreciate the brand’s design and build quality, but is a run of 16,000 fountain pens really limited enough to qualify for the “limited edition” designation, and command the sort of price being asked?

In my opinion, probably not. Older Writers Edition fountain pens, like the Hemingway and Agatha Christie, command higher prices on the secondary market because Montblanc made fewer of these pens, and they’re difficult to locate. That’s exactly what some pure collectors want to see - appreciation in the value of the pen due to scarcity. But it’s hard to see a run of 16,000+ pens that cost $1000 apiece appreciating in value anytime soon, which is why you can find later Writers Editions like Virginia Woolf, Charles Dickens, Friedrich Schiller, etc. for much less than the original retail, sometimes still NIB (“New in Box”). If you’re a user, like me, that’s not a bad thing at all, which brings me to the third consideration….

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On the other hand, Pelikan limited and special edition fountain pens tend to linger, like the M101N pictured here, and you can get extremely good deals towards the end of the year….

Third Consideration: How Badly Do I Want This Pen Now, and Should I Wait for a Price Drop?

For the past couple of years, I have made 90% of my pen acquisitions in November, December, and January, which is when most retailers run inventory clearance sales and holiday promotions, starting with Fountain Pen Day sales and running through the post-New Year’s clearance events. At the top of the list for retailers to clear out are those “limited” and “special” edition pens that haven’t sold over the past year or two - after all, they need to make room for the next year’s releases that start shipping in February and March - and if you wait patiently enough you can often find the “older” pens discounted as much as 60%, or even more once you factor in holiday coupon codes that are always floating around. With respect to the Montblanc Writers edition pens noted above, I found two of them at around 70% of what they originally cost, and was able to use a 20% off Black Friday coupon to get the price down even further. In short, if you can resist the FOMO, patience can pay off. If a limited edition isn’t really “limited,” just wait for a while, and I suspect you’ll enjoy that pen all the more having paid half the original purchase price.

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Aurora limited and special editions typically remain available for at least a year or so. I waited a year for the Aurora 88 Sigaro Blu to go on sale and got a slightly better price than I would have had I purchased it upon release.

Final Thoughts

Choosing a pen is a uniquely personal experience, and as you gain experience, you’ll develop your own set of considerations, or even rules, that you take into account when building your collection or accumulation. I do hope this piece is helpful. I’ve made my share of mistakes in my decade or so in the pen hobby, and the ones that always burn the most are when I gave into the FOMO and purchased something expensive that I either didn’t really like it or could have purchased a year later for half the money. On the flip side, I’ve also missed out on some truly limited releases because I dawdled, but I tend to regret those instances less because there is always going to be something else to take its place. Trust me on this one.

Happy holidays, everyone! After tomorrow’s “Links” post, I’m signing off until after the New Year, when I’ll be back with all sorts of new things in store for 2020 and the next decade!

The Best Value Buys in Fountain Pens in 2019

When I evaluate items purchased or sent to me for review, I focus on a few key points. The first, and to me, the most important, is quality. If something is a poorly made piece of junk barely capable of putting ink on the page, I don’t care what it looks like, how little it costs, or how easily replaceable it is - I won’t recommend that anyone purchase the product. The second point is practicality. I use my pens, so in the context of reviewing I consider the pen’s functionality as a daily writer. Did I need to adjust the nib out of the box? Does the pen balance well in the hand? Does the cap post to my satisfaction? Is the pen so comfortable to use unposted that I don’t care? Is ink capacity an issue for longer writing sessions?  The third factor, which I’ll focus on today, is the pen’s overall value proposition. Though the concept of value is highly subjective, and much depends both on the traits and features that one considers important as well as one’s budget/price sensitivity, I’ll assume for purposes of this particular article that the majority of my readers are willing to spend anywhere from $20-$200 on a fountain pen, and share most of my personal preferences in terms of what they look for in a pen. With this in mind, I’ll discuss several pens that I think give you a lot of bang for your buck. 

Value Considerations In a Fountain Pen Purchase

So what do I look for? To me, whether or not a particular fountain pen represents a good or bad value proposition starts with the price point at retail. In today’s market, I consider the baseline price of a high-quality steel-nib fountain pen that will give you years of consistent service without much fuss to be around $135. If a pen I’m reviewing falls around this price point, has a good nib, is comfortable to use, and doesn’t feel inexpensively made or mass-produced, I generally consider that pen to be reasonably priced and a “fair” value. As you would expect, if a pen ticks all those boxes and falls below this $135 mark, it becomes a better “value proposition” (i.e., you get more for your money). Pens that exceed my baseline price point can still be good value propositions, but they need to offer something more that distinguishes them from run-of-the-mill offerings. 

With respect to those much less expensive pens that I consider great value propositions, I feel that I am getting something in terms of the writing experience that one would typically only find in a more expensive pen. For example, an injection-molded plastic TWSBI may not feel as well-made or appear as attractive as a pen from Franklin-Christoph, but it does offer a reliable, smooth piston mechanism with a large ink capacity for less than $70. For that reason, I think TWSBI generally offers excellent value. Similarly, pens by PenBBS and Moonman have exceptionally smooth nibs, and I understand that Moonman nibs are actually hand-tuned at the factory. This is something you don’t usually find on inexpensive pens that can be purchased for under $20.

On much more expensive pens (say $250-plus), I apply the “Lamy 2000 Test.” I can usually purchase a Lamy 2000 - probably my favorite fountain pen on the market - for $200 tops, and typically less. What is there about a more expensive pen that justifies spending the extra money? Is the pen made from an uncommon or special material, like celluloid or a manufacturer-exclusive acrylic? Is the pen a special or limited edition with a theme that holds particular meaning for me? Is the pen hand-turned by a small maker or a collaboration where a portion of the proceeds goes to a cause I care about? Do I love the aesthetics of the pen so much that I simply don’t care about having to shell out the extra money? 

My 2019 Value Recommendations

With these considerations in mind, what fountain pens do I think represent the “best value” in 2019? 

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Lamy 2000. It’s hard to beat the Lamy 2000 as a value proposition, especially when you can grab it for less than $150 on sale or by using a coupon code. I won’t go into what I like about this pen as a daily workhorse for the umpteenth time - you can read my “Workhorse Pens” profile here - but for the money you will get a reliable, lightweight piston filler with a 14k gold nib. The way prices are trending these days, a similarly equipped pen from another major brand like Pelikan would run you at least $300. (Purchase Here)

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Anything From Franklin Christoph. The main selling point about Franklin-Christoph pens are their nibs, with the unique resins and acrylics coming in a close second. The Franklin-Christoph Model 20 is one of my personal favorites, and it starts at $165 with a standard nib, but you have the option to add a hand-ground S.I.G. (Stub Italic Gradient) nib for $20, or a Mike Masuyama specialty grind for $25. (Prices are for steel nibs; gold nibs cost extra.) The ability to add a customized stub or italic nib to an already exceptional fountain pen, and still come out under $200, equals huge value in my book. (Purchase Here)

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Leonardo Momento Zero. One of my favorite new brands is Leonardo Officina Italiana, and I am a huge fan of their Momento Zero fountain pen. The base model is a hand-turned acrylic pen with a stainless steel nib - on paper, nothing special - but Leonardo offers unique materials that I think have the look and feel of vintage celluloid, with the pens starting at $169 retail and often ending up priced even lower. That represents outstanding value for such a high-quality handmade pen. My one very high-end purchase this year was one of the Momento Zero “Maestro” sets, which gave me very little hesitation since pens made from those specific Italian celluloids are retailing for much more than the Leonardo set when considered on a per-pen basis. (Purchase Here)

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TWSBI ECO. For those looking to break into the world of bottled ink without spending a lot of money, it’s hard to do better than the TWSBI ECO. Retailing at around $30 or less, you get a well-made pen with a good steel nib, large ink capacity, and a reliable piston. TWSBI also has started to release the ECO in a range of transparent colors, making it a fun and inexpensive series of pens to collect, if that’s your thing. Honestly, if I had to, I could make do with a TWSBI ECO as my sole daily driver. (Purchase Here)

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PenBBS 308. At the sub-$20 level, you have PenBBS, which I’ve found to be one of the more fun and reliable inexpensive brands. While I don’t have enough experience with their more sophisticated filling systems (vacuum, syringe, and piston fillers) to make a long-term judgment on their durability, the cartridge-converter PenBBS 308 can be found for less than $20, and comes in a range of unique, colorful materials that I’ve never seen at this price point. I also really enjoy the slightly upturned nib, which I’ve consistently found to be a smooth writer. (Purchase Here)

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Pilot Pens in General: The Pilot Custom 74, the Pilot Custom Heritage, and the Pilot Vanishing Point will all net you a pen with a gold nib for $200 or less. (The Custom Heritage runs around $220 but 10% discount codes are fairly easy to come by.) Though the Vanishing Point and its slightly smaller sibling, the Decimo, have their fans and detractors due to the placement of the clip, which can interfere with grip depending on how you hold the pen, the Custom 74 (cartridge-converter) and Custom Heritage (piston filler) are standard-shaped pens that most can use quite comfortably. In my opinion, they are also both highly underrated and don’t receive nearly the amount of attention they should. (Purchase Here)

This isn’t intended to be a sophisticated economic analysis of the fountain pen market, just a general discussion of what I consider when offering my opinion on whether specific pens represent “good value” or, on the other hand, are overpriced. Different people will have different considerations, but I thought it might be helpful to my readers to lift the veil a bit on what I consider in the course of my reviews. Feel free to reach out or comment if you have any further questions.

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates.

Picking a "Workhorse": How To Choose A Fountain Pen for an Everyday Writer

By far the most common question I receive from readers, as well as other people in my everyday life who know that I love pens, is how to choose a fountain pen to use as an everyday writer. Sometimes, they even specify that this will be the only pen they plan to own/use! I basically write for a living, both here and at my day job, so I don’t take this question lightly and it’s also a difficult question to answer, because so much depends on personal preference, not to mention financial circumstances. The truth is that there are a variety of excellent options if what you are looking to do with the fountain pen is actually write. The best choice for you, however, depends upon your particular preferences and circumstances. This post offers my thoughts on different factors you should consider when selecting a pen you plan to use every day.

First, Budget

Be honest with yourself, and don’t feel pressure to stretch financially, because in today’s fountain pen market there are going to be viable options at any price point, even on the extreme low end of the pricing scale. If you are willing to spend as little as $25 you can purchase a reliable pen and avoid serious quality control issues. In any event, even if you have more flexibility, I would think hard before spending more than $200, since using a pen as a daily writer does bring with it the increased risk of loss, theft, and damage.

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PenBBS has absolutely blown me away this year. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to get a reliable writer that holds a ton of ink.

Filling System

From the perspective of a writer, a fountain pen’s filling system is more important than many people make it out to be. If I’m busy at work, I can burn through a cartridge or a converter in an afternoon. If I’m in a place where I can’t refill, or don’t want to carry multiple pens, I need a pen that holds a lot of ink. My personal preference is a piston or vacuum filler, since these hold significantly more ink than a converter. Eyedroppers are another option, but for daily use I would highly recommend a Japanese-style eyedropper that uses a valve to prevent ink spilling or burping into the cap when the pen is not in use, especially if the pen will be carried in a briefcase, backpack, handbag, etc. where it’s going to get jostled around.

For those who don’t write a dozen pages or more a day, a cartridge-converter pen should work perfectly well for daily use, and you may find it more convenient to have the cartridge option if the pen runs out of ink at work. Just be aware that many brands (specifically Pilot, Sailor, Aurora, Lamy, and Platinum) take proprietary cartridges, so you will be limited to cartridges and ink colors made by that specific brand, unless you want to refill the cartridges yourself using a syringe or bottle-fill from the converter.

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Piston fillers or cartridge-converters? Again, you have multiple options, and the best choice for a daily writer depends on how often you need to refill, and the most convenient option for refilling on the go. From left, the Pilot Custom 74, Lamy 2000, and Pilot Custom Heritage.

Weight and Balance

Once you’ve narrowed your budget and decided what type of filling system you want, the most important consideration becomes how the pen feels in your hand. Remember, you’re going to write with this thing every day, so while looks are important, comfort is key. Two of the most important things I look for in a pen are weight and balance. The two concepts are related, but distinct. By weight, I’m referring to how heavy the pen is. Certain types of pens (particularly metal pens made of copper, stainless steel, or brass) are better suited, in my opinion, for shorter notes and pocket carry, because their heft can make your hand quite tired after several pages. There are exceptions, but I’m dealing in general rules-of-thumb today.

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I’ve tried a lot of pens, and none feel better in my hand than the Lamy 2000, which is made of Makrolon, a type of polycarbonate. It’s quite lightweight.

Balance is a different issue, and relates to where the weight of the pen sits. Do you post your pens, like me? If so, make sure that the cap isn’t too heavy because it will back-weight the pen and make writing awkward, even if the pen isn’t that heavy overall. Front-weighted pens (i.e., those with metal sections), typically don’t pose the same problem, since many people, myself included, prefer a pen in which the weight is shifted to the front, which keeps the nib on the paper and offers an additional degree of control over your handwriting. Because weight and balance are such a key consideration, it’s important to be able to either hold a pen in person prior to purchasing, or purchase from an online retailer that permits returns, especially if you’re shelling out a lot of money for a higher-end pen.

Nib Choice

Is the nib the most important part of the fountain pen? Yes and no. If you have a pen that feels great in your hand, but has a crummy nib, the pen isn’t usable, so the nib IS important. However, a bad nib can usually be improved through tuning and/or smoothing. On certain models of pens (TWSBI, Pelikan, Kaweco, among others) you can even switch out the nib and substitute one that’s a different size or even a specialty grind. For that reason, I tend to prioritize the weight, balance, and overall “feel” of a pen over the nib. Unless the nib is absolutely god-awful, it can be adjusted. The size and heft of the pen can’t.

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I’ve had great experiences with the nibs on the Leonardo Momento Zero. They’re nothing fancy, but all of mine have arrived well-tuned and they certainly get the job done.

With respect to nibs, what’s most important is choosing the right type of nib for the work you want to do. If you write very small, and your day job (like mine) involves annotating or marking up documents that are often printed on the cheapest recycled paper available, you will likely want to choose something in the extra-fine to medium range and be particular about which inks you use. Those with larger handwriting, and who don’t need to write on cheap paper, have more flexibility to go with a broader nib or even a stub as their daily driver. Unless your day job involves calligraphy, however, I generally advise people to avoid super “soft” or “flex” nibs for everyday writing, as they tend to write far too wet.

Recommendations

Hopefully this short guide is helpful. Readers of this blog won’t be surprised to know that after considering all of the factors above, my own preferred “workhorse” pen is the Lamy 2000. I have several of them, and in addition to the fountain pen regularly carry the rollerball, ballpoint, and 4 Color Ballpoint (multi pen). From a fountain pen perspective, I love the Lamy 2000 because (1) it’s perfectly balanced for my hand; (2) it holds a lot of ink; and (3) I love both the way the hooded nib writes AND how it “disappears” in a crowded meeting room, where you don’t want to be that guy writing with a distracting fountain pen.

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When I find a pen model I like, I go all out. Hence my collections of Lamy 2000s and Leonardo Momento Zeroes (pictured here)!

But what works for me may not - and in fact, probably won’t - work for you! While I maintain an annually updated list of pen recommendations, I’ve never published a “ranked” list of “Workhorse” fountain pens because the criteria are so subjective. I won’t rank pens here either, but I will provide several suggestions within particular price brackets. Everything listed here is a pen that I enjoy using and either regularly carry or would have no issues doing so. Where possible, I’ve linked to my own reviews, and otherwise to a retailer I trust.

• $20-$50:

  • Platinum Plaisir. I’ve come to believe that the Plaisir might be the best “cheap” pen on the market, especially for one that you plan to use regularly.

  • PenBBS 308 or PenBBS 309. The 308 is a cartridge-converter pen; the 309 is a piston filler. The time has come for PenBBS pens to start appearing on recommendation lists alongside TWSBIs. They’re that good.

  • PenBBS 456. PenBBS’s vaccum-filling model, for around the price of a TWSBI Eco.

  • Faber-Castell Essentio. Faber-Castell makes the best bargain-priced steel nibs on the market.

  • TWSBI Eco. If people ask me for a TWSBI recommendation, I often recommend the Eco over the 580 because (1) it posts; and (2) it’s hard to beat the combination of price, availability, and reliability.

  • Kaweco Sport (Standard). If you don’t mind a shorter “pocket pen,” Kaweco Sports are inexpensive, reliable, and come in a wide array of colors. If you prefer chrome trim, check out the “Skyline” model. You can also swap nibs.

• $50-$100:

  • Faber-Castell Loom. I prefer the Loom to the Essentio because it posts better. It’s only slightly more expensive and uses the same excellent nib.

  • TWSBI 580. If you want a TWSBI that uses interchangeable nibs, opt for the 580 series. If you want a TWSBI with interchangeable nibs that posts, opt for the TWSBI Diamond Mini.

  • Opus 88 Koloro or Opus 88 Picnic. The only eyedroppers I recommend, because they have the Japanese-style valve system that helps prevent “inkcidents.” Be aware that the Omar and “Demo” pens are very large.

• $100-$200:

  • Lamy 2000. See above. My personal workhorse.

  • Pelikan M200/M205. Another relatively inexpensive piston filler, which comes in a wide array of different colors and patterns, including special and limited editions. Pelikan pens are reliable and will stand up to years of use.

  • Leonardo Momento Zero. A recently released pen out of Italy, available in some exceptionally pretty materials. Lightweight and reliable writers.

  • Pilot Custom 74. An underrated cartridge-converter pen with an exceptional nib. These pens don’t get nearly as much attention as they should. If you absolutely want a piston filler the Custom Heritage 92 is an option for more money.

  • Platinum 3776 Century. A pen that attracts a lot of attention for the collectibility of the limited editions, but also excels as a daily writer. Platinum offers a wide range of nib options for this pen.

• OK, I want to blow it out ($200+)

  • Sailor Professional Gear (“Pro Gear”). My pick for a high-end cartridge converter pen. Sailor nibs are exceptional, and the Pro Gear is a well-balanced writing instrument, especially posted.

  • Pilot Custom 823. A vacuum-filler that posts well and makes for an comfortable writer despite the larger size.

  • Montblanc 146. Many people won’t carry a Montblanc because they find the branding pretentious. While I agree these pens have become a bit of a status symbol, they’re still great pens, hold a good amount of ink, and despite what people say, the standard Meisterstuck pens aren’t ostentatious.

  • Pelikan M400, M600, or M800. Personally, I think the Pelikan M400 and M600 make better everyday writers because they are much lighter than the M800.

  • Conid Bulkfiller. If you want the ultimate “ink tank” and cost is no object, get a Conid. Bulkfillers come in a wide array of shapes and sizes to suit any preference.

Again, I hope this is helpful! Please reach out through the comments or “Contact Me” link if you have any additional questions, or would like to share any additional information you take into account when choosing your daily writers.

Flooding the Market? A Recap of Lamy's 2019 Special and Limited Releases

I don’t think I realized until this week just how many special and limited edition pens Lamy released in 2019 (and the year is not even over yet). While the annual release of the special edition Safaris and AL-Star pens is a much-anticipated tradition for many, this year saw Lamy issue two more Studios, a special edition “LX”, a Scala, and the heavily hyped blue Lamy 2000 limited edition celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Bauhaus. While some portions of today’s post will strike readers as a bit of a rant, please know that I love Lamy. It’s one of my favorite brands, and makes one of my favorite pens of all time, the Lamy 2000. Also, it’s not that I don’t love the fact that Lamy is taking the time to develop all of these different pens and bring them to market, I just don’t understand the strategy behind doing it all at once, in what seems like a sudden flood of releases, with some of them receiving next to no promotion or build-up. With that said, let’s take a look at this year’s pens in more detail.

Lamy Studio Aquamarine and LX All Black Special Editions

I’d call the Lamy Studio one of the “unsung heroes” of the fountain pen world. It’s a well-made, reasonably priced mid-range fountain pen (or rollerball) that not only costs well under $100, but you can easily switch the nib (or even upgrade the nib from steel to gold) because it uses the same interchangeable nib format as the Safari and the AL-Star. Lamy has previously released special edition Studios - I’ve reviewed the Ruby Red and the Racing Green - but the emergig trend has been to release not one but two special editions. The 2018 pens included Terra Cotta and Olive, while this year’s releases are Aquamarine and the “LX All Black.” While I’m certainly glad to see Lamy pay more attention to the Studio, I’m not sure that I understand the strategy behind making two special editions in colors that don’t seem to relate to one another. And what about Lamy’s decision to port the “LX” moniker to the Studio? What does “LX” even mean now?

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If you like dark green pens, the Lamy Studio has you covered. Shown here are the Olive Green (left) and Racing Green (right). Not pictured is my LX All Black, which is en route from the Netherlands as we speak.

Both of the current special edition Studios are still available at retail. Our U.S.-based sponsor Pen Chalet has all of the 2018 AND 2019 Studios in stock, and if you are based outside of the U.S., shipping may be more economical to purchase from our Netherlands-based sponsor Appelboom. (Where possible, throughout this post, I will highlight more than one purchasing option, since many of these pens are not expensive enough to trigger free international shipping.)

Lamy LX “Marron” Special Edition

Lamy created some confusion a couple of years ago when they released the “LX,” which was essentially an AL-Star in “iPhone colors” with a nicer looking nib. (Read my review here.) The LX received a bit of attention, then quickly fell off the radar because not much was done to distinguish the pen in any way from the less expensive AL-Star. You can say I was surprised to see the LX “Marron” Special Edition appear at retailers over the past month. The pen is a nice chestnut-brown, with a bronze-colored clip to match, and it’s a gorgeous pen. (Confession: I bought one immediately.) What confused me was the decision to release a special edition LX, especially since I like this pen much more than this year’s “Bronze” AL-Star. Given the “bronze” clip on this pen, they should’ve passed on the LX special edition and just gone with the Marron.

You can purchase the Lamy LX Marron special edition from both Pen Chalet and Appelboom.

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That clip kills me. More of this, Lamy!

Lamy Safari “Independence Day” U.S. Edition

I waited for a bit, but finally caved and ordered the “Independence Day” Safari for the white cap + red clip combination alone. A U.S. exclusive, Lamy released this pen just before the 4th of July, and despite being a bit puzzled by Lamy’s overall decision to release so many special editions this year, I can get behind the occasional regional special edition. Even the packaging has been upgraded for this pen, signaling that Lamy put a lot of thought into this one. You can purchase this pen from any U.S. Lamy retailer, including Pen Chalet (where the pen is currently on sale).

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The clip game is strong for these two releases.

Lamy Pastel Safaris and Bronze AL-Star

Much has been written about Lamy’s decision to release three special edition Safaris, but viewed in the overall context of just how many special editions Lamy released in 2019, the decision seems even more puzzling to me. Look, the Pastel Safaris (offered in Light Blue, Mint, and Rose) are quite attractive, present a welcome departure from what was seeming like an endless flood of neon and “dark” themed pens, and they have sold well, but the decision to offer three of them has me thinking that someone over at Lamy can’t make hard decisions. The Bronze AL-Star looks fine but is just boring, and let’s be honest - the “matching” ink is orange, not “bronze.” As I noted above, I would have rather seen them release the excellent LX Marron as this year’s AL-Star release.

You can still purchase the Pastel Safaris, and likely will be able to do so for some time. Pen Chalet and Appelboom both have them in stock. Likewise, both Pen Chalet and Appelboom still carry the Bronze AL-Star.

Lamy Scala

Most of you will probably join me in asking: “What the heck is the Lamy Scala?” I saw this pen offered for sale a few years ago through EU-based retailers, but assumed it had been discontinued. It’s a metal pen that sort of looks like a chunkier, non-streamlined Studio. Apparently it comes in range of finishes, ranging from matte black to brushed steel to “piano black” to “titanium,” but the Scala is not widely sold in the U.S., with most retailers carrying only the “Dark Violet” and “Rose” special editions. These aren’t necessarily unattractive pens, but like most mid to high-end Lamy pens, the Scala is priced nearly twice as high in the U.S. as overseas. I’m not at all sure I see any value here, especially compared to the Studio. You can purchase a Studio with a gold nib for just slightly more than a steel nib Scala. This makes no sense, and Lamy either needs to fix the pricing discrepancy or discontinue this line.

Pen Chalet carries the Lamy Scala special editions, and Appelboom carries the entire line.

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I will say that Lamy absolutely killed it on the presentation. The packaging, in addition to looking classy, also appears to be recyclable like their other boxes.

Lamy 2000 Bauhaus 100th Anniversary

And, finally, the commentary most people are probably waiting for: my thoughts on the Bauhaus 100th Anniversary edition Lamy 2000. I did get one of the pens, and I love it. I was, however, extremely frustrated and even a bit angry at how hard it was to track one down. While I probably could have “pulled some strings” and asked a sponsor to set one aside for me, I didn’t do that, mainly because I wanted to write this article from the perspective of someone who loves the Lamy 2000, wanted to participate in this particular anniversary release, and was attempting to find one of the pens at retail without having to pay what I expect will be extortionate prices on the secondary market. It was a difficult, frustrating experience that was completely unnecessary.

The Lamy 2000 is Lamy’s flagship pen. It’s marketed as an example of simple, form-follows-function Bauhaus-inspired design. The Lamy 2000 is also reasonably priced - a piston-filling pen with a gold nib that you can often find for well under $200. The pen is widely loved, and I’m not the only one who has a soft spot for the 2000 because it was the first “nice” pen they ever purchased. So I will say this: It makes absolutely zero sense for Lamy (or their distributor) to price this pen at $500 in the U.S. market, with a release so limited that I’ve heard only 80 - yes, less than 100 - pens made it to the United States. Retailers are holding raffles for the “opportunity” to purchase this pen. In light of Lamy’s decision to flood the market with special editions in the Studio, LX, and Scala lines, it’s absurd that the Lamy 2000 received such a limited release. Sure, I understand the business strategy of selling a smaller number of higher-priced luxury items, but I’d venture that Lamy could have sold thousands of these pens at $300, or even $350. Hype and artificial scarcity during an initial release can drive demand, but with Lamy, if there are not going to be any more of these pens made, what are customers going to come back to buy? Another standard black Lamy 2000? I’m no design historian, but to me, their strategy also seems inconsistent with Bauhaus principles - make well-designed, functional objects made to be used, not sit on a shelf as overpriced collectors’ items.

At the end of the day, I still bought a blue Lamy 2000 at the more reasonable European pricing, and fully intend to ink this pen up and use it just like the old standby that I used to draft this post. I will write in the notebook and throw the box away. The Lamy 2000 remains my favorite pen ever, and I couldn’t bring myself to pass up the opportunity to get the blue one if I found a pen available. Fortunately, Sakura Fountain Pen Gallery in Belgium came through, but I don’t know whether anyone else still has the pens in stock. You’ll have to look hard.

Takeaways and Final Thoughts

Taken individually, I can say that I like most of the pens Lamy has released in 2019. Taken collectively, they don’t offer much insight into where Lamy is going as a brand or the company’s overall strategy due to the marked lack of consistency or any common theme. The decision to flood the market with inexpensive special editions in the Safari, AL-Star, and Studio models, and to release special edition Scalas while severely restricting their Bauhaus 100th Anniversary Lamy 2000, is incomprehensible to me and already has alienated Lamy’s customer base.

As I alluded to above, it’s great to see bursts of creativity from what, traditionally, has been a somewhat staid German company, but someone needs to start making difficult decisions on their lower-end and mid-range releases, while at the same time catering to and engaging more with the enthusiasts who are basically lining up to give Lamy money for higher-end goods. If customers can’t actually get these pens, they will spend that money elsewhere, and eventually give up and stop coming back.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I purchased the Lamy 2000 “blue Bauhaus” with my own funds, for my own collection, but acquired the other pens pictured here from Pen Chalet and Appelboom using store credit generated through their affiliate programs.