Regular readers know that in addition to the more expensive stuff, I enjoy dabbling in the midrange and lower end of the pricing spectrum, especially when I discover or am asked to review pens that offer good value at a more accessible price point. After all, it’s these types of pens that got me started on my own fountain pen explorations back when I was in school, and I love having less “precious” writing instruments to carry around with me for work travel, etc. Here are four pens, all currently available for less than $40 (in some cases MUCH less) that I’ve enjoyed getting to use recently.
If you want an inexpensive way to showcase your shimmer inks in an inexpensive pen, you could do a lot worse than the Majohn C4.
Majohn (f/k/a Moonman) C4 Japanese-Style Eyedropper
Inspired by larger vintage Japanese-style eyedropper pens, all the way down to the smaller clip, the Majohn (rebranded Moonman) C4 fountain pen features a high-capacity eyedropper filling system with a shutoff valve similar to that used in Opus 88 fountain pens. Available from multiple eBay, Amazon, and Etsy sellers and generally priced anywhere from $20-30, the C4 features a decent stainless steel nib (which I’ve not tried to swap out), clear acrylic, and gold trim. The one design critique I have is the mismatch between the “Moonman” branding on the nib and “Majohn” on the pen, as well as the decision to pair an unplated stainless nib with gold-plated trim. That said, this pen is gorgeous to use with shimmer inks, and is an excellent option if you’re considering a more expensive oversized fountain pen such as the Montblanc 149 and want to see how the general size/shape might fit your hand before taking the plunge.
I love PenBBS transparent green acrylics.
PenBBS 489 “Touchdown” Filler
I love PenBBS pens, and how this company always manage to combine attractive design, unique materials, good nibs, and interesting filling systems into a fountain pen that punches far above its weight class, price-wise. The Model 489 incorporates a vintage-style “Touchdown” filler - you extend a metal sleeve from inside the barrel, dip the nib and section into the ink bottle, and “touch down” to fill the pen. The one drawback is that touchdown fillers don’t necessarily hold a lot of ink, since it’s a sac-based filling system, but at $34 it was an insta-buy for me.
Ellington Pens “The Stealth” Fountain Pen
Ellington Pens “The Stealth” Pen
If you’ve spent any amount of time on pen Instagram lately, you’ve likely come across ads or influencer posts for Ellington Pens, a new UK-based brand that uses contract manufacturers in China to produce their pens in order to keep the price point accessible. While there has been a lot of noise (including some valid criticism) surrounding the launch and marketing of these pens - which Figboot addresses at length in his video and I won’t rehash here - I was pleasantly surprised with the pen itself. I’ve had the all-black “Stealth” model inked for three weeks or so, and it’s written consistently without hard starts, even after I’ve let the pen sit for several days. (This is a standard test I run with less expensive fountain pens, as the bad ones have a tendency to hard-start and skip if left idle for as little as a day.) If you enjoy the standard “professional pen” look of the Ellington, you likely won’t be disappointed with the writing experience. UPDATE: I previously had expressed some concern about consistency of the pricing on this pen. Ellington now has the pens priced at $39.95 across all retail platforms, including Amazon.
TWSBI Swipe in Salmon and Ice Blue
I finally got around to opening up a couple of the recent TWSBI Swipe releases, including the “Salmon” and new “Ice Blue” variations. At only $26, I consider the Swipe one of the better “all-in” value propositions out there, since it’s a cartridge-converter pen that ships with two different converters in the box, in addition to a TWSBI cartridge. The Swipe’s main drawback is the clip, which looks sleek but isn’t very substantial, so if you’re looking to carry this pen clipped to a bag or a thicker pen case you may want to consider spending a few more dollars to upgrade to the TWSBI ECO. I’m glad to see TWSBI release this pen in different colors, especially unique shades like the coral-pink “Salmon” that don’t get as much attention in the fountain pen world. Now if we could only get a mustard-color Swipe like that Japan-exclusive ECO they released? I’m pretty sure that would be my “forever” knockaround pen.
TWSBI Swipes in Ice Blue (left) and Salmon (right)
Takeaways
All of the four pens here basically have nothing in common other than the price point. So why review them together? Because I love how doing so showcases the variety that’s available right now for not a lot of money. The pen world - yes, even the fountain pen world - isn’t just a hobby for those with a lot of disposable income. You can find many working fountain pens that write well and still looks interesting at the sub-$40 price point. Sure, you have to control expectations, and depending on how adventurous you are, you’ll probably get some duds, but I’ve always found it fun to discover hidden value.
Disclaimer: I purchased the Majohn and PenBBS pens featured in this review with my own funds for review purposes. The Ellington Pen pictured here was provided to me by Ellington Pens, free of charge. We are authorized retailers of TWSBI pens, including the Swipe.