Entry level fountain pen?

[otisc]

Really interested in owning a fountain pen, but not sure I want to plunk down a few bills to see if it's really for me.

Is there an "entry level" or "starter" fountain pen that is on the cheap side but retains enough quality to give me a taste of the fountain pen experience?

[Rusty888]

Lamy safari. Case closed


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Vron]

I would very much encourage you to give a try to Platinums entry level ones too, i especially love my 3776.
Not really entry level, coz it will cost you ~150 USD brand new.
But it is a fine pen, I like it more than my MB's and Nakayas. Reason being that its sturdy and can keep with a rough use.
It will allow you to try a fine hand made gold nib too. just MO.

[dojpros]

Pilot Metropolitan. Medium Point. Under 20.00 USD Shipped with a converter so you can used bottled ink as well.

[2brothers]

Originally Posted by Rusty888

Lamy safari. Case closed

+1


It was my first Fp and I still use it regularly for greeting cards because the stub/italic nibs writes so wonderfully!

Definitely a very great, affordable pen! Can't say enough good things about my safari!

[2brothers]

Pen chalet has the yellow safari Fp on special for $22! Can't beat that price. Normally $37

Massdrop.com has a safari Fp & mechanical pencil set for $33. Also good value. Lots of colourful options too.


One thing to be mindful of, I think the lamy safari may come with one ink cartridge, but if you intend to buy bottle ink like most Fp users, you need the lamy lz24 cartridge convertor. Which is a few extra bucks.

[SUBversive]

Originally Posted by Rusty888

Lamy safari. Case closed


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I'll second that

[mrchan]

The truth of the matter is that, once the Pilot metropolitan was released, it has become the benchmark for starter fountain pens since it only costs 15$. Solid construction for a magnificent price. Look no further. Lamy used to be THE starter fountain pen but due to its grip and price, the Pilot Metropolitan is far superior as a first ever beginner wanting-to-dip-feet-into-the-pool pen.

[Rusty888]

Originally Posted by mrchan

The truth of the matter is that, once the Pilot metropolitan was released, it has become the benchmark for starter fountain pens since it only costs 15$. Solid construction for a magnificent price. Look no further. Lamy used to be THE starter fountain pen but due to its grip and price, the Pilot Metropolitan is far superior as a first ever beginner wanting-to-dip-feet-into-the-pool pen.

Fair point. Use either this or the safari.

As the 3776 was mentioned I would say these are quite a few levels up.

You want something cheap, good and one you can play around with and not care if you don't enjoy it.

Safari pros
Cheapish
Exchangeable nibs
Cartridge or converter. My tip is start with cartridges and only if you want venture to converters at the start.
Snap cap
Durable
Colour options

Cons
Some could say the grip section

[Barryboy]

A year or so ago I bought myself a TWSBI Diamond Mini Fountian pen and I find it superb.
Not certain if they're available in the US (although I'll be surprised if they're not, being Taiwan made) but it's not really a starter pen at about $60 or so. However it's a lovely 'second level' pen and IMHO better than anything by Parker or Shaeffer at that price point.

One thing you will have to decide is if you prefer to write with the cap 'posted' onto the barrel or not. It alters the balance of the pen quite considerably. I prefer to write with the cap posted simply because I don't lose the cap amongst all the rubbish on my desk, and I chose the TWSBI because the cap is a screw fit onto the barrel base and is not too long or heavy.

Good luck - I'm sure you will enjoy using the pen. Changing from a ballpoint to fountain pen to me is like taking off a Seiko and putting on a Rolex - just seems a bit special, somehow.

Rob

[rustyduck]

I have many pens in the under 100 dollars range and several in the over 400 dollar range. for entry level I still like the Safari. the Metropolitan is good, cheap and you won't be sorry but if you want a pen that you can modify the nib, bang around and that has some color to it (you pick) the Safari is still the one. it is twice the price of the metro but if you buy a bottle of ink, the converter and an extra nib just to experiment with what you might like, you will save money in the short run. using bottled ink is alot cheaper than the cartridges and you can try many different colors and brands. check out Goulet Pens online. they will tell you that they love both the Safari and the metro for starter but If i was looking for one starter, it would be the safari with an extra nib and a converter plus color of ink. goulet pens had a discount on a safari set with all three except the extra nib earlier.

[otisc]

Thanks, all, so many great replies. I will pick up one or more of these cheap entry levels and report back. I've really enjoyed reading this sub-forum the last few days and have learned a lot.

[dchang81]

Had a safari a long time ago that I lost, finally replaced it today. lamy has been reliable for me, better than the much more expensive pens i have that have required tweaking.

[2brothers]

Originally Posted by dchang81

Had a safari a long time ago that I lost, finally replaced it today. lamy has been reliable for me, better than the much more expensive pens i have that have required tweaking.

Tell me about it. Spent $400 on a brand new Pelikan M800 and it skipped like crazy and was super scratchy right out of the box. Several high end pen trades later and the only one Fp I have left that I use is the Safari.

[2brothers]

Originally Posted by otisc

Thanks, all, so many great replies. I will pick up one or more of these cheap entry levels and report back. I've really enjoyed reading this sub-forum the last few days and have learned a lot.

otisc, I would highly recommend checking out http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/

Huge forum and a great community.

[otisc]

Originally Posted by 2brothers

otisc, I would highly recommend checking out http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/

Huge forum and a great community.

Ha! Been reading it for the last two hours. Fascinating stuff. Really interested in improving my handwriting, too. I have about four styles I use and have never really given it much thought until reading the penmanship section of the above forums. Amazing stuff.

[andromeda160]

Originally Posted by otisc

Ha! Been reading it for the last two hours. Fascinating stuff. Really interested in improving my handwriting, too. I have about four styles I use and have never really given it much thought until reading the penmanship section of the above forums. Amazing stuff.

My penmanship is awful, I can't write with a ball point to save my life, it just looks all scratchy, when I used my fountain oen my writing greatly improved . I can't remember what brand pen I had but I regrettably sold it, it was silver and wood, I got it for $1 at a garage sale in the box with the COA when I was 16, and used it until I ran out of the ink cartridges. It was a blast to write with though, I used it for all my writing in school for a while and sold it on ebay for $60. Have been looking into getting another For a while.

[2brothers]

Originally Posted by andromeda160

My penmanship is awful, I can't write with a ball point to save my life, it just looks all scratchy, when I used my fountain oen my writing greatly improved.

Yeah, I realized the same thing! My chicken scratch writing is awful until I pick up a fountain pen. One thing I discovered is that stub or italic nibs can make anyone's writing look awesome. That's what I use for all my greeting cards.

[andpassport]

Pilot over Lamy for superior reliability and quality. Case closed.

[Frosty]

I would look for a nice used Parker 51 or Schaefer. I got a Parker 51 Pen and Pencil set for about $40 (admittedly a good deal) at an Estate Sale Warehouse. I really like the way the 51 writes. If your not sure if you are going to like the fountain pen, that would be a way to go. If you do like it, you will want to keep it. If you do not, you will be able to sell it.

Then you can decide whether you want to go upscale.

[otisc]

Picked up a Pilot Varsity ($3!) at Target today. It was buried in an entire row of ballpoints and rollerballs.

While this surely is not fully representative of the fountain pen experience, it was interesting to write with it and apply no pressure. And arm-writing vs finger writing was lost on me in my initial attempts.

Will report back when I get some more low end FPs.

[Lion]

There are many excellent Fountain Pen Brands out there and everyone will have a different favorite. Just like Nib Sizes…from Needle Nib to Italic Nib to Oblique Sizes there are many 'Starter Pens' to get yourself started on the "Road Of No Return"(meaning that once you get hooked on how easy a nib glides across paper/stationary you will never go back to Ballpoint Pens…..as a General Rule). there is no set standard to begin with as you have Nibs made from Stainless Steel up to 18K. Each type(s) of metals brings different characteristics to your writing style and writing pleasure/experience!!!

As for which to get started with…your best bet is to find a Pen Store or a Department within a larger store and check them out. Lamy's Safari, which can comes with a 14k Nib(more expensive) or their other options are a Steel Nib(less expensive) in my opinion is an excellent pen. As for Nibs they can be sent to specialists who can tweak the Nib to your style of writing. And remember with a Nib you do not apply pressure to get the ink flowing…..just set the Nib to paper and let gravity do its 'Thing.' The Nib is where you need to focus your attention to as with the many different sizes they all will give you a different feel when writing…..Also for Fountain Pens besides Nib Sizes you have methods for filling, from Piston Filled to Cartridges to Converters. Converters will give you the best adaptability in the beginning as they allow you to buy and use bottled inks of all "Makes and Colors." They are easy to clean and fill over cartridges as well as holding more ink then cartridges…

Now this is just my opinion and there will be other to chime in with their thoughts about their likes and dislikes. Again though it's my understanding of what you asked…good luck and 'Happy Writing'…..who knows we may actually get people to go back to a Cursive Writing Style over Printing. But then I do hear that in Elementary Schools they no longer teach Cursive Writing…what a shame!!!

Take care…..Leo

[Frosty]

Originally Posted by Lion

There are many excellent Fountain Pen Brands out there and everyone will have a different favorite. Just like Nib Sizes…from Needle Nib to Italic Nib to Oblique Sizes there are many 'Starter Pens' to get yourself started on the "Road Of No Return"(meaning that once you get hooked on how easy a nib glides across paper/stationary you will never go back to Ballpoint Pens…..as a General Rule). there is no set standard to begin with as you have Nibs made from Stainless Steel up to 18K. Each type(s) of metals brings different characteristics to your writing style and writing pleasure/experience!!!

As for which to get started with…your best bet is to find a Pen Store or a Department within a larger store and check them out. Lamy's Safari, which can comes with a 14k Nib(more expensive) or their other options are a Steel Nib(less expensive) in my opinion is an excellent pen. As for Nibs they can be sent to specialists who can tweak the Nib to your style of writing. And remember with a Nib you do not apply pressure to get the ink flowing…..just set the Nib to paper and let gravity do its 'Thing.' The Nib is where you need to focus your attention to as with the many different sizes they all will give you a different feel when writing…..Also for Fountain Pens besides Nib Sizes you have methods for filling, from Piston Filled to Cartridges to Converters. Converters will give you the best adaptability in the beginning as they allow you to buy and use bottled inks of all "Makes and Colors." They are easy to clean and fill over cartridges as well as holding more ink then cartridges…

Now this is just my opinion and there will be other to chime in with their thoughts about their likes and dislikes. Again though it's my understanding of what you asked…good luck and 'Happy Writing'…..who knows we may actually get people to go back to a Cursive Writing Style over Printing. But then I do hear that in Elementary Schools they no longer teach Cursive Writing…what a shame!!!

Take care…..Leo

Well said, Leo! I had lost the art of cursive writing and did not care, until I got my first fountain pen. Then I got online and started downloading the work pages to practice. I am not as good as I want to be. I am improving.

As for nibs, I prefer a medium nib on smaller diameter pens like the MB 144. On a larger pen, like an MB 146 or 149, I prefer a fine point. jmho

[LandLawMan]

Originally Posted by otisc

Really interested in owning a fountain pen, but not sure I want to plunk down a few bills to see if it's really for me.

Is there an "entry level" or "starter" fountain pen that is on the cheap side but retains enough quality to give me a taste of the fountain pen experience?

Brand isn't important (for your first fine pen). It's all about the nib. Just make certain that the nib is soft and flexible -- "expressive", we call it. Purists are bottle-fill only, but cartridge might be the best way to get into using FP's "cleanly."

FP's demand consciousness; they leak during flights, and they spill their ink into the cap if you drop them or even just move them too quickly. And invariably, you'll try to shake excess ink off the nib, only to CRUSH the nib against the sink. You'll be frustrated that it doesn't work when you really wanted to use it (usually because you forgot to add ink). And you can't use them to sign most credit card receipts. All-in-all, they're brilliant occasionally, and infuriating generally.

I love every single one of my 30+ fine FP's. Most of the time. Welcome!

[MoreCowdog]

I just recently got into the fountain pen hobby myself, and thus far have focused on getting a few budget-oriented pens. Here are a few choices that can all be had for $35 or less:

-Lamy Safari Al-Star
-Noodler's Ahab
-Rotring Core
-Rotring Freeway

The Safari Al-Star is my everyday pen, purchased on Amazon. The others came from Ebay. Rotring quit making fountain pens a few years back but there are still a good number of new pens available at good prices. I have really enjoyed the experience of improving my penmanship and learning to appreciate these beautiful writing instruments, even if they are on the lower end of the price spectrum.

[Bisquitlips]

I would suggest a Lamy Safari with a 1.1 italic nib.

You will love that pen! I have two of them and for $30.00 there is none that compare.

Good luck!