Masters Class: Buying Your First Fountain Pen Over $100

Crossing the $100 threshold is a big step.  Not only is it a lot of money, but many people question whether there's any real difference between a $20 pen and a $100 pen, or even a $500 pen.  Or even a pencil?  They all write, right? 

The Lamy 2000 tops my list for your first trip over the $100 price point.  

To me, there is a difference, and it lies in the writing experience.  While there are a few steel nibs out there that are excellent writers, I prefer the feel of gold nibs.  Gold fountain pen nibs are (mostly) "springier," meaning that they feel softer than a steel nib on paper; they typically write a wetter line and will show off the ink you are using to a greater degree.  I do agree, however, that beyond a certain price point (say, $250), with the limited exception of certain high-end pens such as Nakaya or custom pens purchased from a craftsman who tunes nibs, you are unlikely to see much more improvement in nib quality.  At the upper end of most manufacturers' product lines you are paying for design features (i.e., a limited edition design), branding (i.e., Montblanc), or a costly/rare material used to make the pen (i.e., celluloid).  So where to start?  Here are my top five fountain pens for someone looking to break into the "luxury" market: 

  1. Lamy 2000.  My default recommendation for a "first really nice pen" has always been the Lamy 2000.  I've already reviewed the pen, and I own two of them, so consider me a fan of its minimalistic, Bauhaus-inspired styling.  The Lamy 2000 has a very wet, 14k gold nib that most consider soft and springy.  Be aware that the 2000 nib sizes run much broader than a lot of other pens.  I have both a custom stub (formerly a medium), and an extra-fine.  In my opinion, both the medium and the EF run one size broader than normal (i.e., the medium writes more like a broad).  In recent years, many bloggers and commenters have noted a prevalence of nib issues with this pen, such as scratchiness, misaligned or uneven tines, and even bent nibs.  While I wouldn't rule out some deterioration in Lamy's quality control over the years, I've not personally experienced any issues, and I sometimes wonder whether this is just a function of how popular this pen is, with some problems being inevitable once so many of them hit the market.  The Makrolon Lamy 2000 is the least expensive pen on this list, (from Amazon), or you can opt for more deluxe the brushed stainless steel model.      
  2. Sailor Pro Gear.  At no. 2, you have the most expensive pen on this list, but it's possibly my favorite pen of all time.  Sailor's 1911 Professional Gear (dubbed the "Pro Gear") is a relatively compact fountain pen that sports excellent Sailor 21k nibs.  I promise that I won't go on about Sailor at length--you can read my reviews of my two Limited Editions here and here--but in short Sailor is a Japanese company known for its nibs.  To achieve maximum smoothness and perfection, I've had both my Sailor nibs tuned by Mike Masuyama (who worked for Sailor for 25 years or so), but all Sailor pens that I have purchased have written just fine out of the box.  Starting at $250 for the standard version at PenChalet, and if you have smaller hands the Pro Gear Slim might be a better option at $156.   
  3. Pilot Vanishing Point.  The go-to option for a retractable nib fountain pen.  Of all the modern pen companies, I've found that Pilot nibs write the best out of the box, and the Vanishing Point is another easy recommendation with one caveat:  many people have a hard time with the clip.  Due to the fact that a retractable fountain pen needs to be stored nib-up, the clip ends up on the writing end of the pen, attached to the "section."  (Take a look at some photos of the pen, and you'll see what I mean).  I personally am not sensitive about grip sections, and the matte-black VP model is one of my most used work pens.  The Vanishing Point is available in a wide array of colors, and start at $140 pretty much everywhere (pre-discount code).   
  4. Pilot Custom 74.  A pen that I don't personally own anymore, but that I enjoyed while I had it.  The Pilot Custom 74 is a full-size pen that features a nice rhodium-plated gold nib, and in the United States is available as a clear, blue, orange, smoke, or violet demonstrator.  The Custom 74 also comes with Pilot's high-capacity Con-70 pump converter, which is just flat-out cool.  Starting at $160 from most retailers.  NOTE:  I have not reviewed either the Vanishing Point or the Custom 74 for this site, but both pens have been reviewed to death, and you can easily locate reviews of both using the Pennaquod search engine.  
  5. Franklin-Christoph.  Your "gateway" into custom nibs.  Franklin-Christoph has taken the fountain pen industry by storm in recent years, offering an array of unique designs that use JoWo interchangeable nib units, some of which have been customized by Mike Masuyama. You can purchase a Masuyama Ground cursive italic or stub nib for your pen at a slight upcharge.  For example, the Model 20 "Marietta" starts at $165, and comes in at $180 for a Masuyama nib.  Most will want to stick with a steel nib for their first Franklin-Christoph, but gold nibs are available as well.  Note that Franklin-Christoph checks and tunes all nibs before they ship, and they have excellent customer service if you are not satisfied.  I really like their demonstrator models, which look absolutely awesome when converted to eyedroppers.      

Again, this list contains just like, my opinion, man, so if you think I've left anything off, reach out through the "Contact Me" link or via twitter.  I've received some great suggestions following the prior posts, and haven't had a chance to get back to everyone yet.  I will try!  

DISCLAIMER:  This post contains affiliate links, through which I may be compensated a small amount if you purchase a pen from any of the sites linked to in this article.  While I'd greatly appreciate it if you use these links to purchase a pen you are interested in, you are, of course, under no obligation to do so.  Many thanks! 

Q&A: Top 5 Fountain Pens for Beginners

From time to time I'll receive an e-mail from someone looking to break into this hobby asking what pen they should purchase as their "first fountain pen."  It's a difficult question to answer, because there are so many different variables and potential starting points.  For example, some people have a lot of disposable income and want to start right away at the $100-plus price point, with a gold-nibbed pen.  Personally, I didn't start there, and I don't think it's the best way to decide whether this method of writing is "for you."  I started down this path with a cheapo plastic school pen and a gallon plastic bag of generic school cartridges (back when you could buy such things easily), and I still got hooked!  Here are my top 5 "First Pen" recommendations.   

The classic, streamlined design of the silver Pilot Metropolitan.  

  1. The Pilot Metropolitan.  For $15 (or less at PenChalet with a coupon code), you can get a cartridge filling pen with a great nib that also comes with a converter.  I personally was "cartridge-only" for years before I started using bottled ink, but frankly there weren't nearly as many bottled ink options then as there are now.  The Metro is now (or soon will be) available in an array of colorful options, and you have the choice between a medium and a fine nib.  For first-timers, I'd go with the medium, as the fine is very fine, and could be considered scratchy.
  2. The Pilot Kakuno.  Another pen that I hear raves about is the Pilot Kakuno.  While I personally do not have one (yet), even experienced fountain pen users have multiples of this pen, and those Kakunos that I have written with have been excellent writers.  The pen is a cartridge pen that also accepts converters, so if you "convert" to using bottled ink down the line, you can still use this pen.  Best known for it's "smiley face" engraved on the nib, the Kakuno is also available with Pilot's excellent medium and fine steel nibs, like the Metropolitan.  It's a bargain (via Amazon).  
  3. The Lamy Safari.  While I started out with Waterman Kultur and Phileas fountain pens that I purchased in France (and sadly, that are no longer available in the U.S., at least at retail), the Safari was the first pen I purchased when I took a deeper dive into this hobby five years ago.  With it's now-iconic design, the Safari can almost be considered a piece of modern art, but I would recommend that anyone thinking about this pen take note of two things before purchasing:  (1) if triangular grip sections on pens and pencils don't work for you, the Safari probably won't either; and (2) Lamy cartridges are proprietary, and somewhat hard to find at retail in the States.  That said, at under $30, you're not out a ton of money if the purchase doesn't work out, and PenChalet has the Neon Yellow limited edition priced as low as $22.  
  4. The Kaweco Sport.  A new take on an old classic.  Kaweco resurrected a line of pocket pens from earlier in the century, and if these had been available to me when I was a student I probably would have had five or six of them, in the entire range of colors.  The Kaweco Sport clocks in at a whopping $25, and the entire range of nibs is available, from fine all the way to broad.  The Kaweco Sport also takes the (fairly) universal short international cartridges, which are fairly easy to find, though you don't have a good converter option if you want to switch to bottled ink.  For future reference, its also available in the more expensive aluminum and brass models.  
  5. The Pelikan Twist.  The Pelikan Twist came onto my radar at the Atlanta Pen Show.  While clearly intended for the "student" market, a lot of serious pen collectors enjoy these pens as well.  Pelikan makes nice nibs,  and this one went into my cart this morning.  A converter is available, and the pen comes in a range of colors. 

Of these five recommendations, my unequivocal "top two" would be the Pilots, simply because I think Pilot makes great pens, the barrier to entry is low, and I don't know many people who have had a bad experience with either pen.  I will go ahead and preemptively address the inevitable "Why didn't you include . . . " questions here with respect to two brands:  TWSBI and Noodler's.  As to TWSBI, I love their pens, but I don't recommend that beginners start out with a piston filler and a bottle of ink.  While you can buy the new "Eco" at less than $30, you can get a nice cartridge/converter pen for even less money.  Once you know this is the hobby for you, then buy as many bottles of ink as you want :)  Noodler's pens, quite simply, are not for beginners.  While they are inexpensive, they can require extensive tinkering to write properly.  Their pens that fall in the $40-75 range, such as the Konrad, warrant mention to more experienced fountain pen users, but I wouldn't wish the Ahab on my worst enemy.  

DISCLAIMER:  This post contains affiliate links.