Hi DB. Great list. You had briefly mentioned the Lamy Studio. I have a stainless steel version with a nice medium nib, and I love the look. It has that handsome brushed stainless steel, "Porsche-Design" look, without the cost.
I would disagree. While I love the metal models, I am dissatisfied with my Frosted Sport, as I find the plastic thin and cheesy. Writes perfectly, though, so it is a decent value.
Kaweco Student is indeed underrated. I've got a piano-black version with a nice medium nib. To me, it's a great size. I don't really like the small Sport version. I know that the Sport is their bread and butter money maker. Thanks again DB!
mine is actually one of my least favourite pens. I used it a lot, but I came to really hate it. The gold plating on the grip is cheap and has a kind of foiling that just flaked off, the grip is weird and slippery and too thin, it posts weirdly... it's not a horrible pen, but it's not worth its price imho
A really good video. From my perspective the Lamy Studio is the real jewel in Lamy’s crown. Beautifully made, with serious heft, part hand finished and as reliable as sin. This pen also fills the brief of one pen many nibs. The nibs are easily interchangeable even for me and reasonably priced. This pen is surely a serious contender in this price band. Most of the pens mentioned are really good although Osprey not available in the UK and one I’d like to have tried. I think that the FPR Jaipur has given me the most pleasure in this price band. Great Ultra Flex nib. Gravitas and Ennso great choice but for a few more dollars more you can get a seriously good pen with either of these brands although I got my Ennso Italia for $79 USD. Finally one should be able to get a vintage Parker 51 with a 14k nib within the price range. Certainly possible in the UK. Fabulous video. Thank you.
I have three of them, two opaque models, and one clear one. Great pens, best snap cap action ever. I wish they would make this pen in "regular" size though.
@@levon9 check out the wing sung 3007. It's a prera version that's larger and has the same satisfying snap cap. Super cheap and can sometimes be eyedropped. cheers
I can recommend the customer service at Fountain Pen Revolution. Kevin makes every effort to sort out any problems, and the Himalaya is a good, sturdy pen. But I'd choose the Sheaffer first. The Balance nibs are extraordinary. Thanks for another excellent show.
Another great pen I think is underrated is the Platinum Procyon. I got mine (a Procyon Luster, Black Mist) for around $52 in Korea. It's hefty, but not heavy. Feels great.
We disagree a bit about what fountain pens are worth. My three daily carry pens cost $240, $699, and $799. My most expensive pen cost $12,000, and while there's a good deal more to the story, it's fair to say I had to get a sizable loan to buy it. Even my favorite journaling ink, Montblanc James Purdey & Sons Single Malt cost ninety dollars a bottle. And why not? I love them. And I have a cousin who married a man who snorted ten toimes this much coke up his nose and lost a very nice business before she divorced him. At least my wife can sell the pens, probably at a profit for the Namiki, if she outlives me. Which she will, if she catches me buying any more expensive fountain pens.
I've used many online retailers: Pen Chalet, Goulet, Jet Pens, Goldspot, Cultpens, etc and haven't had any issues. If a site doesn't have a review of a particular pen it could just be nobody as done one on their site yet.
If you can find a pen meet up or a show thats the best option. There are many good sites that sell restored pens such as www.peytonstreetpens.com/ or the vintage tab on www.fountainpenhospital.com. Can also find them on the subreddit Pen_Swap, lots of places on Instagram, and then can of course try ebay. Just have to look around and do some hunting to get a feel for it.
I like your videos. I'm new at using fountain pen and learning. I would like to know what you mean by flex nibs and what is the difference. If you can point me to an article, I would greatly appreciate. Thank you.
Narwhal/Nahvalur nibs are wonderful pens. The newer pens have nibs that are extremely smooth and you are right they do write broader than stated. However I have been able to do reverse writing quite well.
Well, there are no standards for what makes a nib fine/medium/broad, etc. If a nib is narrower than what a given company calls a medium, and wider than what it calls an extra fine, then the nib is a fine, regardless of how wide the line is. Japanese pens are a good example of this. Japanese nibs are usually a size narrower than western nibs, but I've found that Pilot/Namiki, Platinum, and Sailor don't have exactly the same width on nibs, either. TWSBI and Lamy both have wider fine and medium nibs than corresponding nibs on my Conway Stewart pens, and than what I have no my Visconti. A few companies try to follow mechanical pencil standards, but it's always hit and miss. And, of course, even the ink can change line width. Even when different brands of pens supposedly have the same nib width, the same ink in both can cause line width to vary. It really just comes down to research. Know how a given nib size behaves before you buy the pen.
Shoutout to sheaffer’s! You can even find restored touchdowns for UNDER $50. And beautiful restored balances from $50-100. And a nice thing with vintage pens is their value is always appreciating.
I'm not fond of the word "vintage". It can mean a pen of any age. But I do own some antique pens, which means at least seventy-five years old. I wish some of them came in at under a hundred dollars. The cheapest I have was four hundred.
I don't think I have any metal pens that make noise when capping or uncapping. It wouldn't bother me if they did, but all of mine are as quiet as death. Good threads should be perfectly quiet.
Great selection for real. I'd love to have your opinion on the Gravitas flex fine nib cause when it comes to the controversial subject of flex you're the only source that I trust.
D, I agree with you about the Narwhal nib sizing. My fine, which is about 2 months old, definitely writes more like a medium and also VERY wet. Thanks for an interesting recap.
A medium by whose judgement? There is no such things as a standard for when makes a nib a medium, or any other width. I have pens with fine nibs that are wider than the medium nibs on some other pens. A nib is what a given company calls it. This is why Japanese nibs, particularly Pilot nibs, are a full size narrrower than fine nibs from other brands. There is even variance within Japan brands. My borad TWSBI nib compares to a medium Lamy nib, and my Bronze Age fine is almost identical to my Conway Stewart medium. You really just have to do your research and see what a given company says is a particular size. And if they use mechanical pencil standards, don't believe them. Even how to measure an ink line is disputed. Some measure the line of ink itself, and others measure tipping, while still others measure the tine split. Not that any of it matters. Ink and paper choice can also make a difference, however you measure.
@@DoodlebudOh I'm sure it will be. I was actually looking for a reason to spend some money on a pen and you reminded of Ranga - wanted to get another pen from them :). Is all in good fun.
But they’re also becoming pretty boring in their designs, color palette and finishes. And I’ve long quit buying pens with Jowo or other generic steel nibs. This year, I bought an Ensso pen and a Gravitas with Boch nibs, though. Only two exceptions to my rule.
I also would recommend to hunt down Platinum 3776 Century, they are often can be found from Japan for around $100 and for that price it is a spectacular pen, with large gold nib.
I'm super new to pens and have had the Pilot Metro in black for a little while. Recently found your channel and am excited to expand my collection and skills. I use penmanship as a way to relax so nothing serious. Not looking to get too deep into the high cost equipment. I will be the budget warrior.
DB, I agree with your Lamy appraisal. I find the Safari mundane, the Al-Star kinda nice, and the LX pretty attractive. I am very fond of my Studio, for which I bought a black section/feed and got lucky with a very nice 1.1 mm stub nib. The stub seems a little narrower than other 1.1 mm stubs I’ve had, and I love it.
Just a quick thing. As someone who watches a lot of pen reviews, what I love about writing samples is actually seeing the pen doing the writing (it's satisfying to see the nib run across the page and watch the ink flow out). So, personally, saving time by doing the writing sample beforehand is a shame.
My two cents: I don't know who told you such good things about the Lamy Studio, but I find it to be a an utterly terrible pen. The clip scratches the finish off in a clear arc, it's got very sharp edges on the metal body, the cap feels kind of loose, and it just generally feels cheap for an $80 pen. i can't recommend it-I loved the way the styling looked online, but to actually use one is fairly dissatisfying.
I've never seen a Lamy pen I thought was any good, including the 2000. That aside, even if I loved Lamy pens, I would still hate the Studio. I agree. It's a terrible pen.
@@jamesaritchie1I love love love my 2000. I once asked Neil Gaiman for pen recommendations and he told me he prefers the Lamy 2000 for his first drafts, and Pilot Custom 823 for book signings (comfort + ink capacity). I purchased both on his recommendation and I love them both. The caveat with the Pilot 823 is I’ve had problems with cracked caps. The Lamy 2000 has been flawless, reliable as a hammer, comfortable as a glove… and I’ve been feeding it iron gall inks for 10 years without issue.
Yeah..this is my price range..I like the metal kaweco sports(have a brass and stonewashed black al sport), have a signature edition peter pen, a tiny micro sized vintage pen, all in the 50-100$ range.....then have one that was many times more and out of my range..but worth it.
I really liked my Brass Sport with a steel nib, but it was much, much better after I added the gold nib. Now it's one of my favorite pens, even though the other all cost a heck of a lot more.
Nicely done, Doodlebud. A lot of reviewers forget to include Ranga, Nahvalur, and Gravitas in this price range. However, you did leave out Opus 88. I have several models, and they are all excellent.
I have many pens but the two inked up on my desk right now are a Lamy Safari (EF) with Noodler's Manjiro Nakahama Whaleman's Sepia ink. The other is a Lamy 2000 (M) that I bought new maybe 10 years ago for $90-something. They are sadly over $200 now but for those who can stretch it’s an absolutely brilliant pen to write with. I’m really enjoying KWZ Iron Gall Mandarin in that pen.
I haven’t tried the gold nib Pilot Capless, but I own the Capless Special Alloy. Mine is the Medium size nib; the fine nib was too scratchy for me. I highly recommend folks try out the Special Alloy version.
I've always been intrigued by Gravitas pens but the lack of a clip is a dealbreaker for me, I just love to carry my pens clipped to my pockets, just for peace of mind.
I have a Platinum 3776 that has a leak at the base of the feed, which seems to be the same as the leak you describe for the Namisu. Do you know if it is possible to get a new nib housing for the 3776?
Unfortunately I don't own a 3776 so not sure. I would recommend posting that question to a Facebook or reddit fountain pen group. Lots of folks on those platforms thst can help out. Perhaps the 3776 uses the same housing from another model?
I bought a gravitas pen, and unfortunately, it never came. It’s been two months and unfortunately I just don’t have the money to spend on something that just won’t show up. The pens seem like they’re amazing, but I guess I’ll never know. :(
Man... The most I have spent on a pen so far was the BENU Minima City Lights... I love it so much, the color is perfect, and the WEIRD shape is surprisingly no problem for my small hands to hold- it is not postable though so large hands would probably hate it tbh I think it was 86 USD when I bought it, and uhhhh thank goodness I did, cuz some months later, a lot of stuff went down, and the pen now MSRPs for 106 USD... I do think it's funny how my pen went from double digits to triple overnight smcnsnxnns
My recommendations.. wing sung 601 stainless, baoer 388, jinhao x450/x159/x750.. there's more but I'm at a loss right now. I've broken more acrylic and plastic pens from dropping than I care to mention so metal barrels and caps are my suggestion..
Lx and Al Stars scratch more visibly though. Al star finishes are also more liable to flake off. I personally find no reason to buy a different Lamy until you reach the CP1.
This is a VERY interesting and helpful video, thank you! Could you please direct me to a list of online contacts for repairing vintage fountain pens? For the most part, mine need just new ink sacs (I hope). I need someone who will do a meticulous, skilled job and charge a fair price. I don’t know where to start!
Tha Gravitas entry is so tempting, but sadly it would be about 170 euro after importing it to Norway. Ended up getting a Lamy Ideos, as it looks very nice in my opinion, and it was a bit below 100
I only have a few pens in this price bracket. And they are the only pens at this price range that I cared for enough to buy and keep. So, it’s the Lamy Aion, Kaweco Steel Sport, an Ensso, a Gravitas, a Passaporto, and several fully restored vintage Esterbrook pens. That is really all. Everything else I currently own is overwhelmingly in the $200+ zone. Edit: I have four Ranga pens. But they all cost me $100+, owing to my ordering custom nibs for them. One of them cost me $299 for an 18k broad Boch nib.
TWSBI are my main pens in this range. Best steel nibs I've found. I now have three cheap gold nibs, two 3776 and an Elite 95s. I also have a Benu Talisman that I bought to praise Benu for getting out of Russia. Everything else I own is five hundred and up. Other than the Pilot Metropolitan, which I use as art pens, I'm not at all sure I'd own any pens without gold nibs, had it not been for the Covid lockdown. That said, I do intent to keep buying new models of TWSBI, and I've found that some fairly low-cost pens are more than worth putting gold nibs on. For me, the Kaweco Brass Sport is one of these. The Brass Sport cost eighty dollars. A gold nib for it cost twice that much, but was definitely worth it to me. I'm pretty sure I'm going to put gold nibs on my two Conklin Duragraph, as well. I know several people who have put gold nibs on Jinhao x750 pens. I put a spare gold nib on one about three years ago, but it went on a much more expensive pen when the chance came. I guess anything goes, all according to taste.
Awesome! You covered some nice pens that I wasn’t aware of, especially some of those beautiful ebonite examples. I really enjoyed this video. Thanks. 👍👍👍
As a newby to the world of fountain pens, I'd like to thank you for your assessments of these pens. Clearly, not all of them trip my trigger, but you have highlighted the differences and what I think I should be looking for. Thanks also for listing the pens you reviewed in the notes section. That will allow for some additional research.
I have the Nahvalur Schuylkill Dragonet Sapphire in Medium and it feels like a medium to me, so I think they have fixed the issues. They're a great pen for the price.
It isn't, or wasn't, an issue. There are no standards anywhere for what makes a nib fine/medium/broad, etc. A nib is whatever a given company says it is. Many companies out there started with one pen and one nib width, and they called it whatever. Say a medium. If the next nib was wider, they called it a broad. If narrower, it was a fine. Japanese nibs are a good example of this. Japanese nibs are usually a full size narrower than the western counterpart, but they don't change what they call a nib because of this. Even nibs inside of Japan can vary with brand. Likewise, my TWSBI and Lamy pens have wider medium nibs that my Italian pens. Nib width even varies widely according to an individual's experience. If someone has only own a few pens from one or two countries, he will likely have a very different idea of nib width from a person who hs owned dozens, or hundreds, of pens from many brands and many countries.
Don’t know if still a sale but FPR has a few pens BOGO. Himalaya v1 and ambassador. However, I own the ambassador and if you get the ultra flex, the feed doesn’t keep up. So it’s up to you if you want to spend the extra $10 on the feed.
Wow, are all those pens inked up? How many pens do you usually have inked at a time? Do you have a rotation or is it you just prefer to be able to grab a pen and have it inked and ready to go?
Wow! GREAT list! In regards to Ranga and FPR, I'd add their recent addition of the FPR Ranga Madras (with an architect nib!) under $100 with premium ebonite! I'll have to look into the Kaweco student a bit more but most of my Kaweco nibs have needed some tweaking out of the box so maybe not.
You mean the nib housing swap? Its pretty easy to do. It just unscrews from the section. Then you pull out the nib & feed and put it in the new housing and screw back into the pen.
I think if I were recommending a pen in this price range today, I’d ask if it would ever go on a plane or not. If air travel is a consideration I’d go for a TWSBI vacuum pen. If air travel is not a consideration I’d look at one of the Lamy or Pilot pens you mentioned, or another of my favorites in this range that is in heavy rotation for me is the TWSBI 580AL (M) that I usually pair with J Herbin Emerald of Chivor ink (which is a very decadent ink to be sure). Caveat on the TWSBI vacuum pen vs more $$$ vacuum pens (like Pilot 823)… the TWSBI vacuum back cap can be a bit fiddly. But once you’ve found the sweet spot it’s nice. Absolutely cavernous ink capacity (true of most TWSBI pens).
@@Doodlebud It’s the same as your blue one, except Dark Olive Gray color. I’m really looking forward to getting it. I’ve been interested since Brad Dowdy interviewed Ben on his podcast, but seeing it “in action” so to speak made a huge difference. Also, I really respect your opinion about things, so that. PS, with shipping it was roughly $96US.
Because of my first pen (in the early 1980s) was an Esterbrook J, when i got back into fountain pens, my first was an old NOS Arnold. Then another cheapie, a "Bell System Property" Esterbrook LJ. Both around $10 USD and lever fillers. First cartridge converter one was a Jinhao X750 from Amazon. All worked well. Never had an interest in the "usual suspects" in budget pens. The Metropolitan and Safari don't do anything for me... Best $50+ I have? Depends. What I paid, or what they were worth, on average, when I got them? 😁 A 1912 Mabie Todd Swan C2 I paid $60 for? (Worth about $200.) My 1940s Conway Stewart? Under $50, worth around $100. Heck, every one of my 20+ vintage Esterbrook pens have been $50+, restored, and I've stayed under $25 for them. 1937 Parker Challenger goes for around $80. I paid $35. Just needed a polish, and the sac sealed (new sac, just not finished when I got it.) Sheaffer' Balance Junior from the 30s? Sells for more than double, minimum, the $25 I paid. I can go on... 😁 Gotta admit. I have plenty of free time to find bargains. And the prices in general have jumped, recently. I have a Parker 51. Restored, they aren't in the $50-100 range. $150. But get an "unrestored" aerometric. They just need cleaning to work well. That PVC sac should last several lifetimes. 😉 Vintage is easily the best "bang for your buck."
Vintage can also be very expensive, though. So, it’s a mixed scene. Depends a lot on exactly what you’re getting, from where, general availability, overall condition, restored/ as is etc…
@@sajjadhusain4146 Patience and doing most of my own work helps. 😁 Parts for most are fairly inexpensive, so you generally save about $40 USD on average. Patience in restoration is key, but also crucial to get a bargain. Some can take years.
@@paulherman5822 ..Oh yea, no doubting or denying that. We have often traded thoughts on this topic. And it comes down to my timidity, laziness (and maybe lack of the necessary enthusiasm and resolve) in attempting DIY repairs on my vintage pens. So, I’ve almost always gone for near-mint, or good condition fully restored pens from reputed retailers for invariably premium prices. Right now, one of my beloved PFMs needs restoring. Thank god, I have four other working PFMs. And of course an original Aurora 88 that I never got to use because it arrived with a broken piston. Saddens me no end. When I buy my first Wahl-Eversharp, I’ll comment so you’ll know. And post about any new Estie you buy next. I just want a few more choice Dollar pens. I realise they are usually my favorite old Esties.
@@sajjadhusain4146 Try a sac replacement on an Esterbrook. Very durable. Takes about 5 minutes outside of letting the shellac dry. Maybe one of the seemingly endless number of "Bell System Property" ones. They tend to be cheap enough that you won't be devastated if you accidentally break it. (There's a little rubber bit between the pressure bar and end of the barrel on the LJ & SJ, so try not to lose it.) About $8 for a single sac (cheaper per piece in bigger amounts😁) small bottle of shellac that should do hundreds of pens, some pure talc (French chalk powder). Sac for all Esterbrook pens is a number 16. Try it! 👍 Pressure bar usually is still good.
1. What a great list, thanks. 2. When I was passing (upwards) through this price point, the perfect pen for me was thin, metal, flush, and cylindrical. Consequently my favorites were the Faber-Castell Neo Slim, the Lamy CP1, and the TiLiner (the titanium version, to push the price up to >$50). Now I've ended up strictly in Franklin-Christoph ($100-$200) and Sailor (>$200) territory.
@@Doodlebud Now that I have established my preferences, I'm not buying them anymore. Except there are some vintage sterlings on eBay that are VERY beautiful...
I'm more of an upper end Pilot and Namiki fan than a Sailo0r fan, but Sailor certainly makes some beautiful pens. I just don't like the Sailor nibs I've owned. I never have like thin pens, or silver pens. Just personal taste with the silver, but I simply can't write at all well with a thin pen.
@@anguswhite8233 I have a couple of 3776 pens, any they write well, but I do think they're way overpriced. For not much more you can get numerous pens made for much, much better material, with a wider range of nibs, and with better nibs, for that matter.
I have the exact same experience with TWISBY, it's a great pen, I love the filling mechanism, but I think it gets the least amount of use out of all of my pens. I can't pinpoint what it is, but I think it might be, for me, the grip.
Same. I just gifted a TWSBI Eco to a friend. I wasn’t reaching for it as often as I should. Can’t quite put my finger on it beyond the EF nib being too fine.
@@Topscura I couldn't even put into words how much I hate that nib sizes aren't standardized. I can understand differences once you get into broad sizes, but EF, F and M, should be the same across the board.
Diplomat makes great pens and their nibs are excellent! There are two models in the range: the traveler for a slim pen or the Esteem. Great list tho. I do agree with Gravitas pens taking top marks. Tho the Pilot e95s is another contender as it’s often under $100.
We're all different. I've had numerous Lamy pens, including the 2000, and I hated them all. I'm not a fan of the plastic Kaweco Sport, but I like the metal Sports, especially the Brass Sport. I have a gold nib on mine, which added close to a hundred and sixty dollars to the price, but I really enjoyed the steel nib, as well. It's one of my three daily carry pens. I find Conklin pens are hit and miss, but I have two Duragraph, the Amber and the Purple, that I think are beautiful, and both have very smooth nibs and good flow. I like them enough that I think I'm going to add gold nibs to them, as well. I love ebonite, but I'm very cautious about ebonite made in China, and most pens made in India use Chinese made ebonite. Chinese made ebonite can be very beautiful, but the sulfur content is often ridiculous, sometimes twice as high as in western made ebonite. I've heard of sulfur content of up to seventy percent. Not at all good for longevity. I love the FPR Ultra Flex nib, but I do recommend making sure you get the matching feed to go with it if you buy it separately. Not only does this add versatility when switching nib and feed to other pens, it also seems to have higher ink flow, which is a big plus for a flex nib. With a rare exception here and there, I've never been a fan of steel nibs, but I needed something to do during the Covid lockdown, so I bought a TWSBI. Then another and another and another until I had every model in production, and several of most models. I love all of them, including the Swipe. The Diamond 580 ALR and the Precision are fantastic writers. But they all are, down to the GO, but the ALR and the Precision just feel better in my hand, though I don't really know why. Other than my TWSBI pens, my two Conklin Duragraph, a Pilot Lucina, and a Pilot Elite 95s, I don't think I own any pens in the fifty to one hundred price range. I probably wouldn't own these had it not been for Covid. It seems hard to believe, but the Pilot Elite 95s has a fourteen K gold nib, and only cost about ninety dollars.
I agree with you on the metal Sports. I wouldn’t pick up any of the plastic models but understand why they exist. Thanks for sharing that insight into the steel and gold Kaweco nibs.
Great video! Well done! Just a note on the Majohn A1; you can get them off of Ali Express for a little under $30US and Pen Chalet has the Pilot VP 18k gold nibs for $70US so at around $100US you can put together a very nice pen for not a lot of money. Just a thought! Again, thanks for the excellent video!
@@Doodlebud I know because I had ordered E95S for $84 and a Fermo for $115 which were to be carried to India by my friend who was traveling to India, but there was a delivery issue and I couldn’t get the pens..
Yep, came here to add this, I picked up a Deep red Elite / E95s for $85 on Amazon last month, inked with matching Diamine Oxblood has become one of my new faves.
Good video. For your prices, are you giving them in USD, even though you are in Canada? Because your prices are low for Canadian prices. As for the Narwhal, I agree, their nib size is a bit off. That's the reason why I don't like them to much. I put a goulet pen in mine.
Well, nib sizes are never off because there are no standards. It's simply about personal preference, and the easier solution is to order a size up or down, depending on the company. I'm not a Narwhal fan. Never have been. I've used a couple and, for me, they just didn't measure up to the price. But with rare exceptions, primarily TWSBI, I'm not a steel nib person.
It is still pronounced narwal.
Ohhhh good to know!
I would defiantly call it Narwal even if there’s been a forced change of name and consequently its pronunciation.
Was going to say the same thing! It’s just the Icelandic spelling, but still pronounced exactly the same.
Hi DB. Great list. You had briefly mentioned the Lamy Studio. I have a stainless steel version with a nice medium nib, and I love the look. It has that handsome brushed stainless steel, "Porsche-Design" look, without the cost.
I got new favourites! 😁. 😍😍😍 Gravitas and Ensso 😍😍😍
They both make fantastic pens at very reasonable prices
I've always thought the Kaweco student was highly underrated. It looks great and the fit and finish is excellent.
I would disagree. While I love the metal models, I am dissatisfied with my Frosted Sport, as I find the plastic thin and cheesy. Writes perfectly, though, so it is a decent value.
@@ichirofakename I edited it to fix my mistake. I meant the student not the sport.
Glad to hear the Student is a winner.
Kaweco Student is indeed underrated. I've got a piano-black version with a nice medium nib. To me, it's a great size. I don't really like the small Sport version. I know that the Sport is their bread and butter money maker. Thanks again DB!
mine is actually one of my least favourite pens. I used it a lot, but I came to really hate it. The gold plating on the grip is cheap and has a kind of foiling that just flaked off, the grip is weird and slippery and too thin, it posts weirdly... it's not a horrible pen, but it's not worth its price imho
A really good video. From my perspective the Lamy Studio is the real jewel in Lamy’s crown. Beautifully made, with serious heft, part hand finished and as reliable as sin. This pen also fills the brief of one pen many nibs. The nibs are easily interchangeable even for me and reasonably priced. This pen is surely a serious contender in this price band. Most of the pens mentioned are really good although Osprey not available in the UK and one I’d like to have tried. I think that the FPR Jaipur has given me the most pleasure in this price band. Great Ultra Flex nib. Gravitas and Ennso great choice but for a few more dollars more you can get a seriously good pen with either of these brands although I got my Ennso Italia for $79 USD. Finally one should be able to get a vintage Parker 51 with a 14k nib within the price range. Certainly possible in the UK. Fabulous video. Thank you.
I brought a Pilot Prera last month and haven’t stopped using it. Love it.
I have three of them, two opaque models, and one clear one. Great pens, best snap cap action ever. I wish they would make this pen in "regular" size though.
@@levon9 check out the wing sung 3007. It's a prera version that's larger and has the same satisfying snap cap. Super cheap and can sometimes be eyedropped. cheers
I can recommend the customer service at Fountain Pen Revolution. Kevin makes every effort to sort out any problems, and the Himalaya is a good, sturdy pen. But I'd choose the Sheaffer first. The Balance nibs are extraordinary.
Thanks for another excellent show.
I’ll readily agree about Sheaffer. Superb nibs. But all of my vintage Sheaffers cost me >$100.
Found a brand new Lamy Studio LX near me, last one in the country and it's discounted to $35!! Not that it's on topic just wanted to share somewhere!
Good find 👍
What a find! Happy writing PATRK
Another great pen I think is underrated is the Platinum Procyon. I got mine (a Procyon Luster, Black Mist) for around $52 in Korea. It's hefty, but not heavy. Feels great.
A WEBSITE ABOUT FOUNTAIN PENS.
MY LUCKY DAY.
I LOVE EM.
MIGHT EVEN SPEND $15 FOR ONE.
TKS.
We disagree a bit about what fountain pens are worth. My three daily carry pens cost $240, $699, and $799. My most expensive pen cost $12,000, and while there's a good deal more to the story, it's fair to say I had to get a sizable loan to buy it. Even my favorite journaling ink, Montblanc James Purdey & Sons Single Malt cost ninety dollars a bottle.
And why not? I love them. And I have a cousin who married a man who snorted ten toimes this much coke up his nose and lost a very nice business before she divorced him. At least my wife can sell the pens, probably at a profit for the Namiki, if she outlives me. Which she will, if she catches me buying any more expensive fountain pens.
So do you guys recommend buying from goulet pens? Its weird on Pen Chalet has no reviews.
I've used many online retailers: Pen Chalet, Goulet, Jet Pens, Goldspot, Cultpens, etc and haven't had any issues. If a site doesn't have a review of a particular pen it could just be nobody as done one on their site yet.
Another great video. Thank you. I like the idea of getting a vintage pen, but don't know a reputable place to get one. Any recommendations?
If you can find a pen meet up or a show thats the best option. There are many good sites that sell restored pens such as www.peytonstreetpens.com/ or the vintage tab on www.fountainpenhospital.com. Can also find them on the subreddit Pen_Swap, lots of places on Instagram, and then can of course try ebay. Just have to look around and do some hunting to get a feel for it.
I like your videos. I'm new at using fountain pen and learning. I would like to know what you mean by flex nibs and what is the difference. If you can point me to an article, I would greatly appreciate. Thank you.
I did a video of different flex nibs if you want to check that out:
ua-cam.com/video/reQj-Nmva40/v-deo.html
Narwhal/Nahvalur nibs are wonderful pens. The newer pens have nibs that are extremely smooth and you are right they do write broader than stated. However I have been able to do reverse writing quite well.
Well, there are no standards for what makes a nib fine/medium/broad, etc. If a nib is narrower than what a given company calls a medium, and wider than what it calls an extra fine, then the nib is a fine, regardless of how wide the line is. Japanese pens are a good example of this. Japanese nibs are usually a size narrower than western nibs, but I've found that Pilot/Namiki, Platinum, and Sailor don't have exactly the same width on nibs, either. TWSBI and Lamy both have wider fine and medium nibs than corresponding nibs on my Conway Stewart pens, and than what I have no my Visconti.
A few companies try to follow mechanical pencil standards, but it's always hit and miss. And, of course, even the ink can change line width. Even when different brands of pens supposedly have the same nib width, the same ink in both can cause line width to vary.
It really just comes down to research. Know how a given nib size behaves before you buy the pen.
Shoutout to sheaffer’s! You can even find restored touchdowns for UNDER $50. And beautiful restored balances from $50-100. And a nice thing with vintage pens is their value is always appreciating.
I'm not fond of the word "vintage". It can mean a pen of any age. But I do own some antique pens, which means at least seventy-five years old. I wish some of them came in at under a hundred dollars. The cheapest I have was four hundred.
Thanks for this, very helpful. The metal pens look wonderful but i hate that noise they make when capping/uncapping, it sets my teeth on edge 😬
Ditto!
You should hear how I uncap the brass pen! SSSWWWWWWIIIIIIIINNNNNGGGGG!!! I love it LOL
I don't think I have any metal pens that make noise when capping or uncapping. It wouldn't bother me if they did, but all of mine are as quiet as death. Good threads should be perfectly quiet.
Nahvalur is pronounced "Narwhal."
No PenBBS 😩😢
Aren’t most penbbs under $50?
@@EnCwoisant Generally between $30-50 USD.
Great selection for real. I'd love to have your opinion on the Gravitas flex fine nib cause when it comes to the controversial subject of flex you're the only source that I trust.
Same here, wonder what they are like
D, I agree with you about the Narwhal nib sizing. My fine, which is about 2 months old, definitely writes more like a medium and also VERY wet. Thanks for an interesting recap.
A medium by whose judgement? There is no such things as a standard for when makes a nib a medium, or any other width. I have pens with fine nibs that are wider than the medium nibs on some other pens. A nib is what a given company calls it. This is why Japanese nibs, particularly Pilot nibs, are a full size narrrower than fine nibs from other brands. There is even variance within Japan brands. My borad TWSBI nib compares to a medium Lamy nib, and my Bronze Age fine is almost identical to my Conway Stewart medium.
You really just have to do your research and see what a given company says is a particular size. And if they use mechanical pencil standards, don't believe them.
Even how to measure an ink line is disputed. Some measure the line of ink itself, and others measure tipping, while still others measure the tine split.
Not that any of it matters. Ink and paper choice can also make a difference, however you measure.
Should have not watched your video... I ended buying another Ranga pen because of you... FML.
😅🤣😂
LOL, well I hope you get a great pen!
@@DoodlebudOh I'm sure it will be. I was actually looking for a reason to spend some money on a pen and you reminded of Ranga - wanted to get another pen from them :).
Is all in good fun.
Ranga Pens are amazing, love the feel of ebonite and they are so well balanced
But they’re also becoming pretty boring in their designs, color palette and finishes. And I’ve long quit buying pens with Jowo or other generic steel nibs. This year, I bought an Ensso pen and a Gravitas with Boch nibs, though. Only two exceptions to my rule.
The price seems ridiculous to most people, but these last a lifetime. Anyway great video
Lovely breakdown Doodlebud!!
Thanks for introducing brands like FPR and Osprey that aren’t that commonly known!😊
I'm waiting for my Ensso pocket pen from kickstarter. Your anodization effect is stellar!
Its fun to play with Titanium
Requesting a review of the phosbronze nib from Osprey pens.
If I get one I'll be sure to review it
I also would recommend to hunt down Platinum 3776 Century, they are often can be found from Japan for around $100 and for that price it is a spectacular pen, with large gold nib.
I’m looking for one myself! Thanks for the suggestion Pavel.
I'm super new to pens and have had the Pilot Metro in black for a little while. Recently found your channel and am excited to expand my collection and skills. I use penmanship as a way to relax so nothing serious. Not looking to get too deep into the high cost equipment. I will be the budget warrior.
Lots of great affordable options!
@@Doodlebud off the top of your head, what do you think would be a good 2nd pen option for me to look into in the under $50 category?
DB, I agree with your Lamy appraisal. I find the Safari mundane, the Al-Star kinda nice, and the LX pretty attractive. I am very fond of my Studio, for which I bought a black section/feed and got lucky with a very nice 1.1 mm stub nib. The stub seems a little narrower than other 1.1 mm stubs I’ve had, and I love it.
Is the Ranga green/yellow pen in your video a matte Finnish or a polished Finnish?
I belive it's the polished finish. Here's the review
ua-cam.com/video/Cf158ni_YDI/v-deo.html
Just a quick thing. As someone who watches a lot of pen reviews, what I love about writing samples is actually seeing the pen doing the writing (it's satisfying to see the nib run across the page and watch the ink flow out). So, personally, saving time by doing the writing sample beforehand is a shame.
He has separate reviews where you can watch that.
My two cents: I don't know who told you such good things about the Lamy Studio, but I find it to be a an utterly terrible pen. The clip scratches the finish off in a clear arc, it's got very sharp edges on the metal body, the cap feels kind of loose, and it just generally feels cheap for an $80 pen. i can't recommend it-I loved the way the styling looked online, but to actually use one is fairly dissatisfying.
Oh wow, haven't heard someone have that bad of an experience with theirs yet
I've never seen a Lamy pen I thought was any good, including the 2000. That aside, even if I loved Lamy pens, I would still hate the Studio. I agree. It's a terrible pen.
@@jamesaritchie1I love love love my 2000. I once asked Neil Gaiman for pen recommendations and he told me he prefers the Lamy 2000 for his first drafts, and Pilot Custom 823 for book signings (comfort + ink capacity).
I purchased both on his recommendation and I love them both. The caveat with the Pilot 823 is I’ve had problems with cracked caps.
The Lamy 2000 has been flawless, reliable as a hammer, comfortable as a glove… and I’ve been feeding it iron gall inks for 10 years without issue.
Agreed. I bought a studio and everything you said has been my experience exactly. Terrible.
Yeah..this is my price range..I like the metal kaweco sports(have a brass and stonewashed black al sport), have a signature edition peter pen, a tiny micro sized vintage pen, all in the 50-100$ range.....then have one that was many times more and out of my range..but worth it.
I really liked my Brass Sport with a steel nib, but it was much, much better after I added the gold nib. Now it's one of my favorite pens, even though the other all cost a heck of a lot more.
Nicely done, Doodlebud. A lot of reviewers forget to include Ranga, Nahvalur, and Gravitas in this price range. However, you did leave out Opus 88. I have several models, and they are all excellent.
I only have the one Opus and it's over the $100 mark so didn't include it
I have three Opus 88, but all three were over the hundred dollar mark.
I have many pens but the two inked up on my desk right now are a Lamy Safari (EF) with Noodler's Manjiro Nakahama Whaleman's Sepia ink. The other is a Lamy 2000 (M) that I bought new maybe 10 years ago for $90-something. They are sadly over $200 now but for those who can stretch it’s an absolutely brilliant pen to write with. I’m really enjoying KWZ Iron Gall Mandarin in that pen.
TWSBI Vac 700 is so cool... but I think I like writing with my 580 a bit more.
I haven’t tried the gold nib Pilot Capless, but I own the Capless Special Alloy. Mine is the Medium size nib; the fine nib was too scratchy for me. I highly recommend folks try out the Special Alloy version.
I've always been intrigued by Gravitas pens but the lack of a clip is a dealbreaker for me, I just love to carry my pens clipped to my pockets, just for peace of mind.
I have a Platinum 3776 that has a leak at the base of the feed, which seems to be the same as the leak you describe for the Namisu. Do you know if it is possible to get a new nib housing for the 3776?
Unfortunately I don't own a 3776 so not sure. I would recommend posting that question to a Facebook or reddit fountain pen group. Lots of folks on those platforms thst can help out. Perhaps the 3776 uses the same housing from another model?
Thanks., I'll do that.
@@Doodlebud
I bought a gravitas pen, and unfortunately, it never came. It’s been two months and unfortunately I just don’t have the money to spend on something that just won’t show up. The pens seem like they’re amazing, but I guess I’ll never know. :(
Man... The most I have spent on a pen so far was the BENU Minima City Lights... I love it so much, the color is perfect, and the WEIRD shape is surprisingly no problem for my small hands to hold- it is not postable though so large hands would probably hate it tbh
I think it was 86 USD when I bought it, and uhhhh thank goodness I did, cuz some months later, a lot of stuff went down, and the pen now MSRPs for 106 USD...
I do think it's funny how my pen went from double digits to triple overnight smcnsnxnns
Great vid! You should do an under $50 version of this. I'm curious if there are any really well engineered pens in that bracket!
I'm planning on it 👍
My recommendations.. wing sung 601 stainless, baoer 388, jinhao x450/x159/x750.. there's more but I'm at a loss right now.
I've broken more acrylic and plastic pens from dropping than I care to mention so metal barrels and caps are my suggestion..
Lx and Al Stars scratch more visibly though. Al star finishes are also more liable to flake off. I personally find no reason to buy a different Lamy until you reach the CP1.
This is a VERY interesting and helpful video, thank you!
Could you please direct me to a list of online contacts for repairing vintage fountain pens? For the most part, mine need just new ink sacs (I hope). I need someone who will do a meticulous, skilled job and charge a fair price. I don’t know where to start!
Tha Gravitas entry is so tempting, but sadly it would be about 170 euro after importing it to Norway.
Ended up getting a Lamy Ideos, as it looks very nice in my opinion, and it was a bit below 100
I prefer plastic Lamy. And glossy. The plastic is very high grade. Warm in the hand.
Great list! Loved it! I would also mention the Platinum Curidas highly underrated but the nibs are so reliable.
I only have a few pens in this price bracket. And they are the only pens at this price range that I cared for enough to buy and keep.
So, it’s the Lamy Aion, Kaweco Steel Sport, an Ensso, a Gravitas, a Passaporto, and several fully restored vintage Esterbrook pens. That is really all. Everything else I currently own is overwhelmingly in the $200+ zone.
Edit: I have four Ranga pens. But they all cost me $100+, owing to my ordering custom nibs for them. One of them cost me $299 for an 18k broad Boch nib.
TWSBI are my main pens in this range. Best steel nibs I've found. I now have three cheap gold nibs, two 3776 and an Elite 95s. I also have a Benu Talisman that I bought to praise Benu for getting out of Russia. Everything else I own is five hundred and up. Other than the Pilot Metropolitan, which I use as art pens, I'm not at all sure I'd own any pens without gold nibs, had it not been for the Covid lockdown.
That said, I do intent to keep buying new models of TWSBI, and I've found that some fairly low-cost pens are more than worth putting gold nibs on. For me, the Kaweco Brass Sport is one of these. The Brass Sport cost eighty dollars. A gold nib for it cost twice that much, but was definitely worth it to me.
I'm pretty sure I'm going to put gold nibs on my two Conklin Duragraph, as well.
I know several people who have put gold nibs on Jinhao x750 pens. I put a spare gold nib on one about three years ago, but it went on a much more expensive pen when the chance came. I guess anything goes, all according to taste.
Awesome! You covered some nice pens that I wasn’t aware of, especially some of those beautiful ebonite examples. I really enjoyed this video. Thanks. 👍👍👍
I think Ranga gets overlook too often, especially for this price range. Great pens!
I appreciate the tip on the special alloy Capless/VP.
Getting towards the end of the video, I was thinking 'Where's Gravitas?' 🤔
I needn't have worried 😆
Such a good pen for that price!
As a newby to the world of fountain pens, I'd like to thank you for your assessments of these pens. Clearly, not all of them trip my trigger, but you have highlighted the differences and what I think I should be looking for. Thanks also for listing the pens you reviewed in the notes section. That will allow for some additional research.
Pensachi has a sale right now on the VP Alloy for $100, and $93 for the Silver with a discount code.
My Ranga experience has been poor. Ink leaking and seeping from the feed and it’s been unfixable.
Nice collection you have there DB. My wife got me the exact same pen as you, Lamy AL Brown, I love it, writes every time.
Best fp are for 1€, exactly 1.29€.
When I was ready to upgrade from the TWSBI Eco, I went with the Precision. I love the metal body.
I am considering the Precision upgrade from my other TWSBI pens. How have you liked the Precision?
@@georgerichards2713 I like it. My only complaint is that the cap comes off too easily when transporting.
what is your discount code? not working at osprey pen
Lovely list and i also think if someone doesn't want to spend more than $100 you can get great performing fountain pens for sure.
I have the Nahvalur Schuylkill Dragonet Sapphire in Medium and it feels like a medium to me, so I think they have fixed the issues. They're a great pen for the price.
That's a nice pen you got
It isn't, or wasn't, an issue. There are no standards anywhere for what makes a nib fine/medium/broad, etc. A nib is whatever a given company says it is. Many companies out there started with one pen and one nib width, and they called it whatever. Say a medium. If the next nib was wider, they called it a broad. If narrower, it was a fine.
Japanese nibs are a good example of this. Japanese nibs are usually a full size narrower than the western counterpart, but they don't change what they call a nib because of this. Even nibs inside of Japan can vary with brand. Likewise, my TWSBI and Lamy pens have wider medium nibs that my Italian pens.
Nib width even varies widely according to an individual's experience. If someone has only own a few pens from one or two countries, he will likely have a very different idea of nib width from a person who hs owned dozens, or hundreds, of pens from many brands and many countries.
Don’t know if still a sale but FPR has a few pens BOGO. Himalaya v1 and ambassador. However, I own the ambassador and if you get the ultra flex, the feed doesn’t keep up. So it’s up to you if you want to spend the extra $10 on the feed.
Just a follow up. They are still on sale. As well as 30% off everything else. Except TWSBI and pilot higher end models.
Wait for black Friday sales to buy pens
Nice selection, thanks!
I would love to see more of these. Great vid as usual Doodlebud.
Thx buddy
You’re the real deal DB! Congrats on 9000 subs coming soon! If it wasn’t for you, I would have never learned to help Jack off a horse! 😂
If you keep practicing daily, you'll get Jack off that horse like a champ!🐎✊
why u never talk about parker ? is it a bad brand?
Thanks for mentioning Ranga pens!
Wow, are all those pens inked up? How many pens do you usually have inked at a time? Do you have a rotation or is it you just prefer to be able to grab a pen and have it inked and ready to go?
It's always a hot mess!
Wow! GREAT list! In regards to Ranga and FPR, I'd add their recent addition of the FPR Ranga Madras (with an architect nib!) under $100 with premium ebonite! I'll have to look into the Kaweco student a bit more but most of my Kaweco nibs have needed some tweaking out of the box so maybe not.
Yeah the kaweco nibs do need a tweaking sometimes
How did you do the wash on the Namisu pens? Is it something you can easily ish at home?
You mean the nib housing swap? Its pretty easy to do. It just unscrews from the section. Then you pull out the nib & feed and put it in the new housing and screw back into the pen.
I would love to see the Gravitas fine flex nib in action. I’ve been saving up for a pen to get in the upcoming holidays so this list was great see
Yeah I wonder what it's like too
I think if I were recommending a pen in this price range today, I’d ask if it would ever go on a plane or not.
If air travel is a consideration I’d go for a TWSBI vacuum pen.
If air travel is not a consideration I’d look at one of the Lamy or Pilot pens you mentioned, or another of my favorites in this range that is in heavy rotation for me is the TWSBI 580AL (M) that I usually pair with J Herbin Emerald of Chivor ink (which is a very decadent ink to be sure).
Caveat on the TWSBI vacuum pen vs more $$$ vacuum pens (like Pilot 823)… the TWSBI vacuum back cap can be a bit fiddly. But once you’ve found the sweet spot it’s nice. Absolutely cavernous ink capacity (true of most TWSBI pens).
WTF doodlebud, you made me buy a Gravitas. Wanted one for a while and you got me to pull the trigger. LOL BTW, I bought the flex nib option.
LOL sorry! Hope you enjoy it :) What did you go for... Stainless, skittles, laser etched?
@@Doodlebud It’s the same as your blue one, except Dark Olive Gray color. I’m really looking forward to getting it. I’ve been interested since Brad Dowdy interviewed Ben on his podcast, but seeing it “in action” so to speak made a huge difference. Also, I really respect your opinion about things, so that.
PS, with shipping it was roughly $96US.
Because of my first pen (in the early 1980s) was an Esterbrook J, when i got back into fountain pens, my first was an old NOS Arnold. Then another cheapie, a "Bell System Property" Esterbrook LJ. Both around $10 USD and lever fillers. First cartridge converter one was a Jinhao X750 from Amazon. All worked well.
Never had an interest in the "usual suspects" in budget pens. The Metropolitan and Safari don't do anything for me...
Best $50+ I have? Depends. What I paid, or what they were worth, on average, when I got them? 😁
A 1912 Mabie Todd Swan C2 I paid $60 for? (Worth about $200.) My 1940s Conway Stewart? Under $50, worth around $100. Heck, every one of my 20+ vintage Esterbrook pens have been $50+, restored, and I've stayed under $25 for them. 1937 Parker Challenger goes for around $80. I paid $35. Just needed a polish, and the sac sealed (new sac, just not finished when I got it.)
Sheaffer' Balance Junior from the 30s? Sells for more than double, minimum, the $25 I paid.
I can go on... 😁
Gotta admit. I have plenty of free time to find bargains. And the prices in general have jumped, recently.
I have a Parker 51. Restored, they aren't in the $50-100 range. $150. But get an "unrestored" aerometric. They just need cleaning to work well. That PVC sac should last several lifetimes. 😉
Vintage is easily the best "bang for your buck."
So many amazing deals to be had with vintage!
Vintage can also be very expensive, though. So, it’s a mixed scene. Depends a lot on exactly what you’re getting, from where, general availability, overall condition, restored/ as is etc…
@@sajjadhusain4146 Patience and doing most of my own work helps. 😁
Parts for most are fairly inexpensive, so you generally save about $40 USD on average. Patience in restoration is key, but also crucial to get a bargain. Some can take years.
@@paulherman5822 ..Oh yea, no doubting or denying that. We have often traded thoughts on this topic. And it comes down to my timidity, laziness (and maybe lack of the necessary enthusiasm and resolve) in attempting DIY repairs on my vintage pens. So, I’ve almost always gone for near-mint, or good condition fully restored pens from reputed retailers for invariably premium prices. Right now, one of my beloved PFMs needs restoring. Thank god, I have four other working PFMs. And of course an original Aurora 88 that I never got to use because it arrived with a broken piston. Saddens me no end.
When I buy my first Wahl-Eversharp, I’ll comment so you’ll know. And post about any new Estie you buy next. I just want a few more choice Dollar pens. I realise they are usually my favorite old Esties.
@@sajjadhusain4146 Try a sac replacement on an Esterbrook. Very durable. Takes about 5 minutes outside of letting the shellac dry. Maybe one of the seemingly endless number of "Bell System Property" ones. They tend to be cheap enough that you won't be devastated if you accidentally break it. (There's a little rubber bit between the pressure bar and end of the barrel on the LJ & SJ, so try not to lose it.) About $8 for a single sac (cheaper per piece in bigger amounts😁) small bottle of shellac that should do hundreds of pens, some pure talc (French chalk powder). Sac for all Esterbrook pens is a number 16. Try it! 👍
Pressure bar usually is still good.
1. What a great list, thanks.
2. When I was passing (upwards) through this price point, the perfect pen for me was thin, metal, flush, and cylindrical. Consequently my favorites were the Faber-Castell Neo Slim, the Lamy CP1, and the TiLiner (the titanium version, to push the price up to >$50). Now I've ended up strictly in Franklin-Christoph ($100-$200) and Sailor (>$200) territory.
You really seem to enjoy thin pens. I guess for doing artwork though it makes a lot of sense 👍
@@Doodlebud Now that I have established my preferences, I'm not buying them anymore. Except there are some vintage sterlings on eBay that are VERY beautiful...
@@Doodlebud hmmm!: $100-$200: would definitely go for Platinum 3776 EF with rhodium trim in Chartreuse bleu:)
I'm more of an upper end Pilot and Namiki fan than a Sailo0r fan, but Sailor certainly makes some beautiful pens. I just don't like the Sailor nibs I've owned. I never have like thin pens, or silver pens. Just personal taste with the silver, but I simply can't write at all well with a thin pen.
@@anguswhite8233 I have a couple of 3776 pens, any they write well, but I do think they're way overpriced. For not much more you can get numerous pens made for much, much better material, with a wider range of nibs, and with better nibs, for that matter.
I have the exact same experience with TWISBY, it's a great pen, I love the filling mechanism, but I think it gets the least amount of use out of all of my pens. I can't pinpoint what it is, but I think it might be, for me, the grip.
Yeah I thinks its just the step down into the section for me too
Same. I just gifted a TWSBI Eco to a friend. I wasn’t reaching for it as often as I should. Can’t quite put my finger on it beyond the EF nib being too fine.
@@Topscura I couldn't even put into words how much I hate that nib sizes aren't standardized. I can understand differences once you get into broad sizes, but EF, F and M, should be the same across the board.
What a great list!
Still trying to find a easy fill like a vac or something but that works well with waterproof ink for artwork that watercolor can go over
Diplomat makes great pens and their nibs are excellent! There are two models in the range: the traveler for a slim pen or the Esteem.
Great list tho. I do agree with Gravitas pens taking top marks. Tho the Pilot e95s is another contender as it’s often under $100.
Where are you getting the e95s for under $100? I looked around and it was always over $100
Only in Japan could they be had for
@@Doodlebud I saw them on Amazon in the low $80 range and they have F and EF I believe. It’s for both the burgundy and the black one.
At these prices, a gold nib pilot 95s aka elite is a steal. The design of the cap is incredible.
Nice picks
Thanks!
Wow Thank you! 😁
You are welcome. I find your reviews to be extremely thorough and very helpful. Thank you. @@Doodlebud
Love my kaweco student.
It's a great little pen
Direct and to the point. Well done.
Good to know, I actually thought I was a bit rambly
We're all different. I've had numerous Lamy pens, including the 2000, and I hated them all. I'm not a fan of the plastic Kaweco Sport, but I like the metal Sports, especially the Brass Sport. I have a gold nib on mine, which added close to a hundred and sixty dollars to the price, but I really enjoyed the steel nib, as well. It's one of my three daily carry pens.
I find Conklin pens are hit and miss, but I have two Duragraph, the Amber and the Purple, that I think are beautiful, and both have very smooth nibs and good flow. I like them enough that I think I'm going to add gold nibs to them, as well.
I love ebonite, but I'm very cautious about ebonite made in China, and most pens made in India use Chinese made ebonite. Chinese made ebonite can be very beautiful, but the sulfur content is often ridiculous, sometimes twice as high as in western made ebonite. I've heard of sulfur content of up to seventy percent. Not at all good for longevity.
I love the FPR Ultra Flex nib, but I do recommend making sure you get the matching feed to go with it if you buy it separately. Not only does this add versatility when switching nib and feed to other pens, it also seems to have higher ink flow, which is a big plus for a flex nib.
With a rare exception here and there, I've never been a fan of steel nibs, but I needed something to do during the Covid lockdown, so I bought a TWSBI. Then another and another and another until I had every model in production, and several of most models. I love all of them, including the Swipe. The Diamond 580 ALR and the Precision are fantastic writers. But they all are, down to the GO, but the ALR and the Precision just feel better in my hand, though I don't really know why.
Other than my TWSBI pens, my two Conklin Duragraph, a Pilot Lucina, and a Pilot Elite 95s, I don't think I own any pens in the fifty to one hundred price range. I probably wouldn't own these had it not been for Covid. It seems hard to believe, but the Pilot Elite 95s has a fourteen K gold nib, and only cost about ninety dollars.
I agree with you on the metal Sports. I wouldn’t pick up any of the plastic models but understand why they exist. Thanks for sharing that insight into the steel and gold Kaweco nibs.
Great video! Well done! Just a note on the Majohn A1; you can get them off of Ali Express for a little under $30US and Pen Chalet has the Pilot VP 18k gold nibs for $70US so at around $100US you can put together a very nice pen for not a lot of money. Just a thought! Again, thanks for the excellent video!
Screaming from India…..
Pilot E95S in Black or Deep red ? Under $100, 14K Nib…
Oh DAMN! Under $100 for an e95s in India!?!?! Sweet deal
@@Doodlebud No.. Not in India (where I live and where the prices for these imported pens are insane)..
This under $100 price is On Amazon US..
Oh wow, I never looked on amazon for the e95s!
@@Doodlebud I know because I had ordered E95S for $84 and a Fermo for $115 which were to be carried to India by my friend who was traveling to India, but there was a delivery issue and I couldn’t get the pens..
Yep, came here to add this, I picked up a Deep red Elite / E95s for $85 on Amazon last month, inked with matching Diamine Oxblood has become one of my new faves.
Good video. For your prices, are you giving them in USD, even though you are in Canada? Because your prices are low for Canadian prices. As for the Narwhal, I agree, their nib size is a bit off. That's the reason why I don't like them to much. I put a goulet pen in mine.
These are USD, mentioned it near the start of the video
Well, nib sizes are never off because there are no standards. It's simply about personal preference, and the easier solution is to order a size up or down, depending on the company. I'm not a Narwhal fan. Never have been. I've used a couple and, for me, they just didn't measure up to the price. But with rare exceptions, primarily TWSBI, I'm not a steel nib person.
Fan of Ranga fountain pens. They delivery great value for the price.
TSSH TAA
TSSH TAA
TONG
DEAD MAN WALKING
The entry now goes for 90🥲
Euros…