(Part 3) Best fountain pens according to redditors

Then you need a broad-edge nib (square at the end). There are three ways to go about it. Either you get yourself a calligraphy marker, a fountain pen with an italic nib, or an old-school pen holder, nib and ink.

• The calligraphy marker is my favourite solution. It's quick and easy, doesn't cost a lot and is great practice.
  
  The best of all is the Pilot Parallel pen. It uses ink cartridges but you can refill them with any ink you'd like, has great flow and is super high quality. There are different sizes - I've got the 3.8mm which is the most versatile. The 6.0mm is also great to start with. I would recommend buying all sizes in a pack, though, since they're just that awesome.
  
  I've also used the Pilot Lettering Pen, which is pretty cool and cheap. It's easier to drive than the parallel pen - because the felt tip 'slides' naturally on paper - but is less high quality (can't change ink, flakes after a while). The '10' (1mm) is useless, too thin, I would recommend getting the 30. The 20 is also useful when practising sentences.
  
  
• The fountain pen with an italic nib won't get you a lot of thickness, but they're relatively easy to find, care for, and can be high quality. I don't know a lot about them - I've heard loads of good from people on here that have tried Lamy pens.
  
  
• The pen holder & nib is what you do old-school calligraphy with. There are no real "brands" here - try and see what your nearby store has. You'll need a straight pen holder that can hold your nibs - some are dead cheap and they do the job perfectly. You'll need calligraphy ink, that you can purchase anywhere, really. McCaffery's is the go-to brand for black and white ink.
  
  When it comes to nibs, they'll come in different sizes and shapes. I would recommend getting a smallish one and look for a reservoir. A reservoir is something added on to the nib that will hold ink - usually a piece of bent metal. I use a Leonardt Tape nib that I enjoy. My problem with these is that they're incredibly hard to drive for no particular reason - why bother when the parallel pen totally does the trick ! Another nib that's totally super fun to use is a poster nib. They're massive, fun to use and you can fill them up with anything, including two different colours so that you get psychedelic results. I use a Leonardt nib again, and I love it. Nibs are super cheap so you can buy loads and try different things !
  
  TL;DR Pilot Parallel

If you want to go full on tacky and obnoxious, try the Jinhao Dragon Fountain Pen: https://smile.amazon.com/Advanced-Fountain-Jinhao-Chinese-Dragon/dp/B00CDJPQTQ/ref=sr_1_7?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1549047680&sr=1-7&keywords=jinhao+dragon. Well within budget, as tacky/obnoxious as it comes, shiny. I've had plenty of Jinhaos and I find them all to be perfectly acceptable writers. Their converters tend to be pretty weak and the ink dries out over a matter of a couple of weeks, even if the pen is capped, but they take standard international cartridges and converters, so it's not hard to get around that issue.

Or the Pilot Petit -- it's got the same super reliable wick-feed for around the same price, but comes in Fine & is refillable. Available in many colors, and available in some brick-and-mortar stationary stores.

OP: as a leftie, you may want a finer nib so there'll be less ink so it'll dry faster so you're less likely to smear it. Pilot's good about making fairly dry pens that're quite reliable. I've had no problems with my Pilot Petit in bag, pocket, luggage, wherever.

Pilot Custom Heritage 91.

Fits the CON-70 vacuum converter, 14k nib, available in a multitude of sizes (f, fm, m, b, and in the black model, an assortment of soft nibs), has a classic flat top design, simple clip, rhodium plated trim, and is lightweight without feeling insignificant, and available for less that $80.

To me, it is THE perfect pen.

The Retro Pop usually hovers between 9-11 while the Animal Collection goes into the 14-16 range. The color you select also affects the price.

Try using a decent pen. Having one with a slightly slower drying ink means that you have to make your letters slightly larger and loops bigger in order to stop it all smudging which will improve readability.

I'm currently using this and love it.

Hi, I had the same pen for 5 years and dropped it and cracked the plastic lining in the cap, and as a result the cap would not click anymore. I got in touch with Parker telling them that the plastic lining had cracked and I had the pen 5 years and if it were possible to buy a replacement cap. The said no but that the could send me a new IM free of charge instead. Worth a shot to get in touch with them.

I am not sure it is worth getting it repaired, unless it has sentimental value, as the are going for around 20 euro on Amazon.co.uk.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Parker-S0856280-Fountain-Pen-Medium/dp/B002IREFS6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468090031&sr=8-1&keywords=parker+im+fountain+pen

I'd love to hear what other folks are using. Ideally, I'd like a case that can fit a total of 16-20 fountain pens, but hopefully with a smaller footprint. The 96-slot Global Art Leather Pencil Case is almost perfect... but they changed their design since I bought mine and they now have only one loop per slot instead of two. (I utilize both loops for smaller things, like pencil leads, wax stamps, etc.)

My current case contains the following items, but as you can see I'm just about out of room!

---

Side A: Pencils

---

1. rOtring 800 in .05
   
2. Uni Kuru Toga Pipe Slide in .05 with red nano dia lead
   
3. Uni Kuru Toga Pipe Slide in .05 with blue nano dia lead
   
4. Uni Kuru Toga Pipe Slide in .05 with green nano dia lead
   
5. Erasers: refills for the General Pencil Co. Factis BM-2 mechanical erasers, plus some for the Kuru Toga
   
6. A pair of General Pencil Co. Factis BM-2 mechanical erasers (a nice, thin eraser capable of area or detail erasing)
   
7. Extra red, green, and blue Uni nano dia lead
   
8. Extra black Uni nano dia lead (in a spare Pentel container)
   
9. Alumicolor 6" engineer pocket scale, standard (used as a straight edge)
   
10. Heavy-duty X-Acto Gripster knife
    
    ---
    
    Side B: Fountain Pens
    
    ---
    
    
11. Noodler's Neponset Ebonite Flex in black, filled with Noodler's Apache Sunset
    
12. TWSBI Eco in black, filled with Jacques Herbin 1670 Emerald of Chivor
    
13. Jinhao X750 in Black Night Sky, filled with Jacques Herbin 1670 Stormy Grey
    
14. Jinhao X750 in Lava Red, filled with Diamine Sherwood Green
    
15. Jinhao X750 in Black Frost Black, filled with Rohrer & Klingner Alt-Goldgrun
    
16. Jinhao X750 in Black Night Sky, filled with Noodler's Blue Ghost
    
17. An inexpensive atomizer (used for fine control when creating ink splatters)
    
18. Pilot Plumix, filled with Noodler's Firefly
    
19. Noodler's Charlie (not sold; comes free with 4.5 oz Noodler's inks), filled with Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-Budo

The $25-30 Preras are usually the full color japanese that don't come with the converter. The ~$56 ones are the american demonstrators with converters. Although, it looks like you can pick them up for around $30 now.
Personally I think they're a lot better than the metro, the solid brass body is just too heavy and the center of mass is low enough on the Prera that it can be posted comfortably.

You can get them from Amazon.com.mx
https://www.amazon.com.mx/dp/B015EXS130

Good question. Pilot Custom 74 is a style of pen by Pilot, as is the Pilot Custom Heritage 92. Generally if you see it capitalized, it's a Pilot pen (mass produced) and it typically has a number after it like 74, 91, 92, 823 (there are a few others, but those are the common ones.) Generally when it's lowercase people will tell you the manufacturer like Edison Pens or Newton Pens or Scriptorium Pens.

I would recommend picking up a Pilot MR with a fine nib. It's offered in 3 styles, each with several colors, the Metropolitan, the Retro Pop, and the Animal Collection.

Pilot Plumix is a very cheap option that writes really well. I like it better than my Lamy Joy.
Here's a link to it's Amazon page : Pilot Plumix Refillable Fountain Pen, Black Barrel, Black Ink, Medium Point, Single Pen and Cartridge (90055) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0058NN4M0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_u29YAbYDTZ8FF

It costs under $10 in the US.

Three pens I'd suggest:

TWSBI Eco ($29) - The subreddit loves this pen for a reason. Incredibly good value with a demonstrator piston filler (which you may not like if you want to stick with cartridges) as well as multiple, swappable nib options.

Faber-Castell Loom ($40) - Incredibly smooth nib, can't really say much more than that.

Pilot Capless ($75-80) - The cheaper, stainless steel/"special alloy" nibbed version of the Pilot Vanishing Point with a gold nib, but still a great retractable pen. The nib units are also swappable, including with the VP's gold nibs if you wanted to upgrade but not buy a separate pen.

Save up a little while longer for a pen with a gold nib. I (along with many others) enjoy Pilot's gold nibs, as they are smooth and springy. Pilot's quality control is also very good. For $81, you can get a Pilot Custom 74 on Amazon, which is a great deal for such a wonderful nib.

Feel free to get the Eco is that's what you really want, but don't expect the writing experience to be any different than what you already get from your Safari. I bought a lot of cheaper pens when I was starting out, and they never really satisfied me. In my opinion, you're better off saving up for a better pen that you'll really love using for a long time.

Lamy CP1.

I EDC the TWSBI Diamond 580 "MURIKA" (aka, the 580 Diamond USA). I also have a couple of other 580s. I have had no issues with them <knocks on wood>.

The Nemosine Singularity is a great demonstrator for the money. I used to carry one with me, daily, for some time.

The Monteverde Artista Crystal is also a great demonstrator for the money, although it only comes in a medium for some reason. Although you can swap the nib out with the Nemosine nibs, Anderson nibs, Goulet nibs, FC or Edison Nibs, et al. The resin they use in this one is very rugged and hefty feeling compared to some of the others.

Then there are pens like the Lamy Vista, and Kaweco Sports, et cetera.

You can guy way up in price and get Pelikan, Pilot, Platinum Demos too. The pilot Custom 823 is my favorite there.

Then Edison Pens makes some really super nice demo and translucent pens in the $150 to $350 range that are just great pens to own and use.

Link. Link. Just the nib.

As well as the Chinese pens, you can get a Pilot Metropolitan in F for $9.39, but it depends whether you consider red to be professional! https://www.amazon.com/Pilot-Collection-Fountain-Turquoise-91436/dp/B015EXS130/. That's if you wanted a non-hooded Japanese fine nib.

(Or black for $11.79 from a different seller).

I really like my Jinhao x450, but yes, it is a wet writer. I like the shape of the x450 better than the x750, and the x450's little section grips, but that's personal preference.

I have a Jinhao Y6 with a notionally fine nib - it is a much slimmer pen and probably a #5 nib. It does write finer than the M in my x450. You could always get two (or three!) Chinese pens, I guess.

Pilot Petits might work. They are sturdy, cheap, and adorable.

https://www.amazon.com/Petit-1-Fountain-Komainu-Dou-Original-Package/dp/B00N3ITMF0/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=pilot+petit1&qid=1567224659&s=gateway&sr=8-1

Charcoal

Blue

Yellow

White

Red

Black

Vista (not technically a safari)

> I'd have to import, and then with the added Taxes and Shipping costs the 823 would be more expensive than the M1000

Challenge accepted.

https://www.amazon.de/Plunger-character-fountain-transparent-FKK3MRPTBM/dp/B001AX7T9Q

was delivered with all duties paid in advance.

Check out the Lamy CP1 pen and the Lamy Logo, and the older version Lamy ST.

the CP1 is available in Black, White, Silver, and GunMetal. The ST was available in Silver, Red, Green, Blue and I am not sure about other colours. All three take Lamy's standard Z50 nibs EF, F, M, B, (silver or black) 1.1, 1.5 & 1.9mm nibs (silver only). They can also be found (more$$) with Lamy's Z55 two-tone nibs. Cartridge or Converter (Z26 or Z27).

addendum, if you can find one, Pilot Birdie looks to be a sweet pen, about the same size as the CP1 series.

Addendum 2, check ebay for Pilot Dipper fountain pen - look to be really nice.

You should add this one to your wishlist! hint hint

This is what I ordered

EDIT: I just checked the pen over and it looks legit but unfortunately I think I ordered an illegitimate converter

There's a Pilot 74 clear F on Amazon Warehouse Deals for $62, and also a CH91 F in yamabudo colour for $58

There are many Preppy colors, but Pilot recently released the Petit series. similar plastic construction but stubby sized! Some Amazon folks have 'em

Timex Watch

Extra-Fine Lamy Safari Fountain Pen

Victorinox Fieldmaster

4 GB free flash drive+keys

Joseph Abboud Wallet

Diztronic Case for Samsung Galaxy Note

Yeah I thought it was strange too. But looking back, on Amazon, most of the Safari's said which color ink they came with and this particular one did not.

Here is the direct link to the one I bought:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002XT27W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Here are some photos:

http://imgur.com/NZ5tG5A

http://imgur.com/5RNyvW0

http://imgur.com/f2C32q4

http://imgur.com/o87sOMG


One odd thing I did notice is that the sticker that came on the pen said the pen was an Orange one. Obviously, this one is white (which is what I ordered)


EDIT:

Yup, it's a fake according to this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EE3DtrJlEA

The little cardboard rink did not have printing on the inside.

Fuck. Gonna go report it to Amazon I guess.

amazon has a good selection of starter fountain pens. and are almost always a bit cheaper than what you would find in store or other websites.

some of the ones I have gotten in the past are:
Sheaffer Calligraphy Mini Kit,
X450 Kurve Vanilla Fountain Pen,
Lamy Safari Fountain Pen,
The lamy comes with a cartridge but you can purchase a converter for only 4 dollars (us price)


Also first post here!

https://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Fountain-Jinhao-Chinese-Dragon/dp/B00CDJPQTQ

Heads will be guaranteed to turn.

If colors are youre game...then the Platinum or Pilot sets are a good choice:

https://www.amazon.com/Platinum-Preppy-Rainbow-Fountain-Point/dp/B00IU3US7O/ref=pd_sim_229_11?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=701CKH2FQ99KM1PDT5JD

or

https://www.amazon.com/Pilot-Petit-1-Fountain-Komainu-Dou-Original/dp/B00N3ITMF0/ref=pd_sim_229_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=Z76N8ZSAQ88CTPYC6PDS

I'm about to screw you over even further. Pilot Plumix and Penmanship have nibs that are compatible with Metros. Just pull the feed unit, change the nib (the metal part) and you're good to go. My Metro is now a calligraphy pen with line variations and shit.

Yea.. $233 on Amazon right now.

​

Or $220 for unknown nib size, mine came out to be H-F

Hey there I'm seeing these online for 45$-50$ new, Here's one of the Amazon links. That 50 is definitely too high, shipping included.

Oh here's an idea for mixed media. Tomoe River makes fountain pen friendly paper that is super thin, and a lot of artsy type people I know of in the community have recommended it.

Incidentally, you don't necessarily need card stock for paper to be good enough for fountain pens. You can use this HP 32 lb Premium Choice Laser paper for fountain pen friendly stuff.

I think the cheaper budget option pen is the Platinum Preppy. If you want to use it on almost any paper, you'll want it in extra fine or fine.

Lamy Safari - EF Nib

Parker Urban - M Nib

Pilot G2 - 0.38mm

I have tiny handwriting, so I tend to go with finer points on pens.

Seems a pretty typical price. They range from around $9 and up. https://www.amazon.com/Pilot-Collection-Fountain-Turquoise-91436/dp/B015XIKA44/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499800126&sr=8-1&keywords=pilot%2Bretro%2Bpop&th=1

There are some made in Japan with steel nibs:

https://www.amazon.com/PILOT-Capless-special-alloy-Black/dp/B001AX7SWY

I assumed it was real-- it was purchased from this Amazon listing that was well reviewed. I'll have to look up how to actually verify if it's real or not.

No fountain pen stores near me unfortunately, but in a few weeks I'll be making a trip to a city that has one. I'll try and visit it while I'm there.

Thanks for the tip about pen_swap! I'll take a peek there if I do decide to sell the lamy-- assuming it's real, of course.

I would get a couple of pilot metropolitans. Put the ink in them that matches. You can get them for around $10 in the US from Amazon.

Hi everybody, would never have expected fountain pens to have such a big and supporting community! Thank you all for that. I just have a few questions as I'm looking to replace my bic ballpoint pens as they've been causing pain and discomfort.

Firstly, would a fine nib or extra fine nib better suit somebody who does lots of math and calculations? I dislike any smearing or smudging, and my research has suggested that I may be better off with extra fine nibs if that's the case. I've looked up demonstrations of fine vs. extra fine, but many videos do not demonstrate any smearing or smudging.

How long would a typical ink cartridge last? Furthermore, for most pens do you need to replace ink cartridges or can you simply purchase ink alone and refill the cartridges yourself?

I've looked on amazon and came across this pen, and am curious of whether or not it would be good for a beginner: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0002T4032/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_gDN8ybBGZ7QMJ

Thanks!

91 -Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/PILOT-CUSTOM-HERITAGE-Black-nib/dp/B002ZFQ71Y

I PM'ed you my answers. :P

It is one of the new IM styles, if it is authentic I don't know, as I couldn't find them on Parker's website but the images on amazon show a much crisper clip.

edit: this was the old style

Or a silver one.

The Eco is the cheapest piston filler but there's other demos that are in the same ballpark in looks. IMO the Nemosine is the nearest.

Nemosine demo $15

Noodlers Demos $23

Pilot Pera $30

To all users, please delete all strings that come after the "dp" and the Amazon product code immediately following it. For example, this link should be as follows below, and never needs to be any longer:

http://www.amazon.com/Pilot-Collection-Fountain-Turquoise-91446/dp/B015XIKA44/

You can also further shorten the link by deleting the text description and leaving only the "dp" and Amazon product code, resulting in:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B015XIKA44/

No Amazon link ever needs to be any longer than that.

Looks like a Nemosine Singularity demonstrator. I've had one for a few months and I love it!

The Lamy Logo and Lamy CP1 seem to fit your requirements. Simple, understated (no shiny bits on the CP1), cheap (relatively), nib (you can purchase additional, swappable Lamy nibs for ~$10 so if you have a defective nib it's not the end of the world).

my suggestion

Thanks a lot buddy! I love the bourgogne. At this point I've narrowed my options down to your suggestion, and another suggestion I got a while back. Wondering what you thought of this Pilot Custom 74? https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0018HHWFK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?smid=A2J4NEUQ74FYV6&psc=1

Folks, there doesn't seem to be anything nefarious in this link. Here's a clean link anyway, but don't go calling for someone's head.

Does she like to draw? Would she like to learn to draw? Get her some architect-y drawing supplies!

For example:

• Freehand Sketching by Paul Laseau
  
• Lamy Safari Fountain Pen - Extra Fine
  
• Moleskin Watercolor Notebook
  
  If she enjoys that, next up is maybe a set of watercolors or copic markers. Also, JetPens has all sorts of good stuff. Check out things like 2mm lead holders, Pentel Sign Pen (and similar), any of the fine roller ball type pens, etc.

That is the lowest it has been since camelcamelcamel has tracked it (18 months or so)

https://camelcamelcamel.com/Pilot-Collection-Fountain-Barrel-91432/product/B015EXS130 scroll down to the graph.

If you are not familiar, camelcamelcamel tracks amazon prices and you can set up alerts to be notified when a price for an item drops below your set point.

Sure!

Step one is to buy a fountain pen. You can write like this with any pen, of course, but a fountain pen with an "italic" nib is going to give you the nice thick/thin lines. It'll be more gratifying immediately which means you'll be more likely to stick with it past the initial "oh god what is arms how do I pen" stage.

Fountain pens are a topic almost as deep as male fashion. Visit /r/fountainpens if you want to really dive down the rabbit hole. But if you want a basic recommendation, I'd go with the Lamy Safari 1.5mm, which is what I wrote that above text with.

You might also want to get a "converter" and some bottled ink if you don't want to use cartridges -- I'll let you google around on that if you're interested. The "Ink Noveau" channel on Youtube has a great Fountain Pens 101 playlist that will get you up to speed if you decide you want to get serious.

Once you have a pen that's going to be fun to write with, you need to learn to, well, write. There's obviously tons of ways to do this. I'd recommend the "handwriting repair" guide on this site. It's based on the handwriting that's taught to students in Iceland, usually called "italic" (as opposed to "cursive", or "print"). It's a great combination of speed and practicality. Plus once you start to pick it up you'll feel like you're writing Viking runes and it's awesome!

It's pretty easy to pick up if you're willing to spend 30 minutes a day practicing at first. You'll get tired of making zigzags, but it's totally worth it. I've only been doing it for a couple of weeks and I'm happy with the progress I'm making. I've still got plenty more to learn though, which is why I'm picking some random reddit comments to write. It forces me to practice writing things I wouldn't have otherwise thought to try.

Good luck!

I have numerous empty vials :P. I fell in love with it from the Goluet Best Selling Blues sampler pack

Edit: This seems unnecessary.

I used to have one of these and it was great!

This might break the rules because it's amazon.co.uk but I'm in Ireland so I figure shipping is cheaper for you.

Write on!!

P.S. I think it'd be cool to have a penpal, I've never tried it before!

$15-18? This one costs $23

http://www.amazon.com/Lamy-Safari-Fountain-Blue-L14F/dp/B001ANLW26/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1394580429&sr=8-3&keywords=lamy+safari

You don't even need to get an old one. There are calligraphy sets in most art stores (you'll usually find new Shaeffer sets, which I've heard mixed things about), and Pilot makes a cheap (for a fountain pen) italic pen which can be had for around $10. Most of the people who have come to me asking for a starter pen, after seeing my writing, were happy with a Pilot Plumix

From here.

/u/purekhaos answered most of your question.

The first one's a TWSBI Diamond 580: http://www.amazon.com/TWSBI-Diamond-580-Fountain-Pen/dp/B00BT1BLRU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1405742663&sr=8-2&keywords=twsbi+580

Second one's a vintage fountain pen from the 1950s that I got from eBay, the Esterbrook LJ.

Last one's a Lamy Safari EF (my first fountain pen!): http://www.amazon.com/Lamy-Fountain-Charcoal-Ex-Fine-L17EF/dp/B0002T4032/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405742646&sr=8-1&keywords=ef+lamy+safari&dpPl=1

you can search up pilot vanishing point on amazon or ebay, the one without prime is the imported one.
here is a vanishing point from japan on amazon if your interested:
https://www.amazon.com/PILOT-Capless-special-alloy-Dark/dp/B001AX3SR8/ref=sr_1_26?ie=UTF8&qid=1523061692&sr=8-26&keywords=vanishing+point
that is a fine nib^
here is a medium nib:
https://www.amazon.com/PILOT-Capless-special-alloy-Black/dp/B001AX7SWY/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1523061798&sr=8-4&keywords=pilot+vanishing+point

Didn't know that you were in the US.
You can try the gray market for Japan pens such as:
https://www.amazon.com/Sailor-Pen-fountain-professional-11-1222-220/dp/B001TI9LMU/

https://www.amazon.com/SAILOR-Professional-Shiki-Oriori-Season-Yukitsubaki/

https://www.amazon.com/Platinum-3776-CENTURY-Bourgogne-nib/dp/B007RA4U6Q/

https://www.amazon.com/Pilot-Fountain-Custom-Heritage-FKVH-15SRS-NC-F/dp/B0046L6L4S/

https://www.amazon.com/Pilot-Fontain-Custom-M-Nib-FKK-1000R-DL-M/dp/B001AX3T4A/


You can go for Pilot Custom 823: https://www.amazon.com/PILOT-CUSTOM-823-Plunger-TransparentBlack/dp/B001AX7T9Q which is more expensive but so much better according to every owner.


Or buy this Lamy 2000 which is superior to the Visconti if you want a European fountain pen:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001D3PYT0/

I'm thinking about getting my first pen. How's this deal?

Lamy Al-Star

https://www.amazon.com/Lamy-Al-Star-Fountain-Pen/dp/B00C6OY5XQ/ref=sr_1_6?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1484539366&sr=1-6&keywords=lamy+al-star


Would a Lamy Safari be better?

https://www.amazon.com/Lamy-Safari-Fountain-Pen-Charcoal/dp/B0002T401Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1484541983&sr=1-1&keywords=lamy+safari

https://www.amazon.com/Lamy-Safari-White-Fountain-Pen/dp/B0002XT27W/ref=sr_1_4?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1484541983&sr=1-4&keywords=lamy+safari

What would you get in my case?

Platinum Fountain Pen, Preppy, Extra Fine Nib, Blue Black (PPQ-300-#3) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Q7DRQ88/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_0xIMybR7DSDKX

I just checked, and honestly the only concern I have about J-Subculture is that they don't have HTTPS on their website, so I wouldn't give them my credit card info (not because of them, but because of people who might intercept it). Other sites that people are recommending here like Engeika and Rakuten aren't any better in that regard actually, but if you use Paypal, the risk should be mitigated.

To explain J-Subculture, it's a Japanese import service. Their basic shtick is that you give them a link to a page where something is being sold or auctioned, you pay them, and then they buy it and ship it to you, although they do have their own shop as well.

If you don't feel comfortable with the lack of HTTPS, definitely try Amazon. For about $220, you can get a C823 from Amazon pretty easily (though I would recommend buying from a seller with high ratings).

Alternatively, if you don't mind the flat top design or the piston filling mechanism, you could try a Pilot Custom Heritage 92. It recently dropped to $133 on Jetpens and on top of that, it comes in Black and Blue now too (for a long time, only clear CH92s were available outside Japanese sellers). It's the same nib as the Custom 74, though, so if that's a turnoff, sorry.

Is that better than these?

https://www.amazon.com/Pilot-Collection-Fountain-Barrel-91432/dp/B015XIKA44/ref=pd_sbs_229_4?_encoding=UTF8&refRID=0JXVFCXR21E71A265GSY&th=1

or $42 on amazon

Holy cow is this guy legit? A PG Imperial Black for $205 shipped??

I'd say that the TWSBI eco transparent is a pretty far cry from "classic" (although I've heard it's great).

The pilot metropolitan is the closest to "classic" you'll get from the pens listed.

If you're studying architecture you could look at the Lamy CP1(very thin pen, with a matching mechanical pencil) that's pretty close to the price of the TWSBI eco ($40 vs $30).

Edit: given the Lamy Safari and the Caran d'ache 849, you might also take a look at the Retro 51 lineup, the Rotring 600 fountain pen (although it's not a starter pen by a longshot), Levenger L-Tech, other Lamy pens, some of the stuff by Karas Kustoms, and possibly the entry-level Faber-Castell pens)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CDJPQTQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_P2iXDb0RMP43Q

I need some help finding my first fountain pen. I have only two requirements: it must be cheap (<$20), and it must be as fine as possible (I'm used to a .38 mm Pilot gel pen).

I've been considering the Plainum Preppy 02 and I just saw that Pilot also has an extra fine-tipped one, but I'm wondering if there's a better option.

I was looking for a Pilot Vanishing Point (you might have seen my "where is it" post). I don't have a local pen store that stocks them. If I want one it's gotta be an online order. If I buy from the UK retailer it's £170, if I buy from Japan it's [£70](Pilot Fountain Pen Capless Black Medium Nib https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001AX7SWY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_nJkqybAB2B0YK) including all relevant taxes. With both I have to have it shipped to me where it could be damaged.

The reasoning Pilot give for the huge price discrepancy in Europe is that they have to maintain their website and marketing in various languages.

Ah, fair. Though I found a link on amazon that sells it for just [$210](PILOT "CUSTOM 823 - Plunger Type /TransparentBlack" (nib : Medium) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001AX7T9Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_j41yybYYZBQ12)... (fyi)

http://www.amazon.com/Pilot-Fountain-Custom-Transparent-FKK-1MR-NC-F/dp/B0018HHWFK/ref=sr_1_1?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1452813995&sr=1-1&keywords=pilot+custom+74

http://www.amazon.ca/custom-fountain-character-FKK1000RDLM-japan/dp/B001AX3T4A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1452814021&sr=8-2&keywords=pilot+custom+74

http://global.rakuten.com/en/store/menet/item/fkk-1mr-nc/

http://global.rakuten.com/en/store/bunkidou-shop/item/fkk-1mr-nc/

http://global.rakuten.com/en/store/bunkidou-shop/item/fkk-1000r-b/

http://global.rakuten.com/en/store/bunkidou-shop/item/fkk-1mr-nc/

So what's the difference between yours and this one which is $72 without a converter?

Ninja Edit: Not trying to be a dick, just confused

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sailor-Fountain-Professional-Imperial-113028420/dp/B008KG3AC6/ref=sr_1_sc_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1452444902&sr=8-2-spell&keywords=proffesional+gear+imperial+black

I think you're thinking of the CH 92. The 91 is beautifully opaque.

I hear you on the zoom thing. I'm pretty picky about my writing angle, but not everybody is. If you're pretty flexible with yours it'll be a whole different thing.

Here is a link from Google it has none of the ref=oh in it. Even if it's not OPs referral link, someone other then Amazon is getting paid if you buy one from that link.

$80 on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/PILOT-CUSTOM-HERITAGE-Black-nib/dp/B002ZFQ71Y

My 18th birthday was... not the best. Definitely not the worst, but far from the best. There was no school that day because the roads were really bad, but a lot went wrong. Because of the bad roads, my fiance and I couldn't go to the restaurant I wanted to go to. Then we had to finish eating and go home in a hurry because he had to take his sister to this class because she got caught drinking at a party. Then I got home to find out that my cake was 3/4 gone, whe it had only been 1/4 gone when I left that morning. My sister actually ate half of my tiny birthday cake. And I've been craving large amounts of cake since then. Over 7 months ago.

speaker of da hauz

If I win, I'd really like this pen. And happy birthday!

I would second looking into the Pilot Prera. On amazon they are about $30 bucks and they look pretty to me! I have a metro that I love, and a Pilot Prera will be my 5th pen :)

You can also interchange nibs between the Prera and Metro. The Prera's Con-50 converter will fit your metro as well! I see it as the metro's demonstrator cousin.

Amazon Link

Im interested in getting a pilot 92 from amazon here in japan for a great price of ~$95. however, there seems to be another one for over $100 more, and i can't tell the difference.
since i can't read japanese, i looked on amazom.com, but similarly there are two listings ~$100 apart.

would i be missing some vital component if i get #1 below?

four fine nib clear body pilot 92's, but in two price classes. Are there two types of this pen? I don't want to order the wrong one.

1. amazon.co.jp ￥11340 ($95)
   
   
   
2. amazon.co.jp ￥27100 ($225)
   
   
3. amazon.com $124
   
   
4. amazon.com $220
   
   (actually i want the smoke color, and I'm not sure how to decide on the nib size, but there will still be 4 corresponding links so i end up with the same question, "are there two types?")

Maybe I have it wrong but its this one right?

ETA ah I see the glitch-it's not prime shipping, so it would come from Japan.
(not affiliated with amazon)

http://www.amazon.com/PILOT-CUSTOM-HERITAGE-color-Skeleton/dp/B0046L6L4S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426274380&sr=8-1&keywords=pilot+92+fountain

Hmm, so they are. Perhaps they're getting discontinued, or platinum is changing the look again. But its still probably going to cost more to ship than the pen is worth. If you reeeeeally want one they've got them on amazon for $15 still, but I wouldn't pay that much for a preppy even if it was discontinued.

As many have mentioned you can do a Pilot Metro. Also if you look on Amazon, you can get a Lamy Safari for around $20. A converter is about $5. Ink is about $10, I know that's a bit more than 10-20 but it's a good starter kit.

http://amzn.to/2l9Tadm

This is it: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002XT27W/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1492530293&sr=8-6&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=lamy&dpPl=1&dpID=319exZ46M8L&ref=plSrch

The Lamy Safari, with its various width in nibs.

Less than $30, even, on Amazon. The pen with a 1.5mm italic nib .... . A 1.8mm nib isn't much more separately.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002IREFS6

THis is the fountain pen I own, it's terrible, I acn't write a single word without half a letter going missing :(

Now that I looked at imperial black, I want it so badly. Where did you get yours? Is this a good deal? (I don't even know which nib size this is)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008KG3AC6?ie=UTF8&at=&force-full-site=1&ref_=aw_bottom_links

If you are looking for the smoke color, the the easiest place to get it would be from amazon. To the depth that I understand UK import fees, it's a complete toss up as to if you will have to pay duties. You can find the Amber color on eBay as well, but once again, you won't really know about duties till after it arrives.


The clear color way is pretty really hard to get in the UK.

You have to get into the cartridge converters at least, once you start collecting inks you’ll end up with more pens. This is my favourite black pen.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N3ITMF0/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=AA8IJRKAZQU56&psc=1

I got that.