What Pen are You Using Today?
- Thread starter RobNYC
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Today I have used a Twsbi Vac Mini.
Excellent pen.
Excellent pen.
Sharpie fine point pen. Simple, cheap, and they work very well. I've been using them daily for years.
I have a slew of good fountain and rollerball and ball point pens, but my mainstay is my Giffons sterling silver rollerball Parker Dufold homage pen and my Pelikan Celebry rollerball. Backing those up always are several blue Pilot G-2 pens in my briefcase.
I don’t carry any fountain pens to court because of refill issues and I charge more an hour than a bulldozer and my pens had better be as reliable as a bulldozer.
I don’t carry any fountain pens to court because of refill issues and I charge more an hour than a bulldozer and my pens had better be as reliable as a bulldozer.
In that range some safe bets are the Kaweco Sport, Twisbi Mini, Twisbi Eco, Lamy Safari/AL Star/Vista, Diplomat Magnum, Pilot Kaküno, Pilot MR (Metropolitan), Parker IM, several pens from Narwhal (Nahvalur)...I'm sure I'm forgetting a few. Vintage pens could be another way to go, you can get a lot of pen for a fairly reasonable price...sometimes.
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I know most in this thread are enthusiasts of fountain pens, and that's cool, but I only try and offer another perspective. A man doesn't have to have a fountain pen to get good lines. These cheap and ubiquitous Sharpie pens (not markers) can get you a long way down the road to good lines if used properly. I find that by tilting the pen a bit with some pressure, I can create a sort of chisel in the tip that almost passes for a fountain pen line. YMMV. 
Today I'm using a TWSBI Vac 700. One of my favorite fountain pens, but then almost all of my fountain pens are favorites.
My mother wrote woth a perfect hand according to who taught her letters about 1932.
Her mother had even better handwriting, she was taught about 1903.
But my grandfather who attended school with a teacher who graduated at the Weaubleau Christian Institute about 1886 wrote in absolute calligraphy. He learned with a dip pen.
If you’d like a fountain pen that over a billion Chinese schoolchildren have learned calligraphy, this Hero 616 can’t be topped as a pure writing tool.
I'm a calligraphy nerd but have never seemed to make the leap to fountain pens. I have had some but I found them high-maintenance and more trouble than they were worth. I think if I had a desk in an office where I kept all my stuff it would be one thing, but we live in a little house and my "stuff" fits in a drawer in the kitchen. I looked up these pens and they get mixed reviews on Amazon. I like the concept and am curious about them, but in the end I always go back to my Sharpies. One of my mottos in life: Find what works and stick with it.
You have to use the tools that work for you. I wouldn't put too much into Amazon reviews for most items. A lot of people seem to have unrealistic expectations. If you're curious you should try one, if only to satisfy the curiosity. Nothing too crazy, maybe something like a Lamy Safari. Some people start with those and end up staying with them, even after buying more expensive pens. Fountain pens can be a bit fussy, but nothing extraordinarily so. The majority of my pens I just fill up and don't have to think about anything until it's time to refill or clean it. However, paper does matter, especially with a broader nib or wetter ink. Noodler's makes an ink called X-Feather which works well on most cheaper paper. Whatever you decide, from the photos you provided, what you're using now is definitely working for you!
The daily driver on my desk is a Sailor Compass. It's not my favorite pen aesthetically (transparent resin is so modern looking, and I'm a sucker for tradition), but it's far and away the most reliable fountain pen I've ever used.
The most remarkable thing, to me, is this: No matter what position I store it in, no matter how long it sits there, it's always ready to lay ink the moment I put nib to paper.
The lines are never anything but perfectly consistent. It never skips.
Of my pens, it's the clear winner for daily office use.
None of my pens are expensive (although all cost more than you need to spend just to write!).
For a budget pen for which you can easily trade out different nibs, I'm a fan of the Jinhao X750. I have a few in all nib widths. To my nostalgic taste, these cheapies are actually my best lookers!
I have a couple of FPRs too, and despite some people's complaints, I've loved mine. Their Himalaya V2 with their flex nib is especially great (if a bit too wet until you get used to it).
My biggest disappointment has been my Kaweco Sport. From the moment I got it, I could never get it to write worth crap. I've given up on it. I'm aware that there are nib guys out there who could probably get it writing nicely (seems that a brand new pen should never need this though?), but I'd spend more to have that done than the pen's worth.
The most remarkable thing, to me, is this: No matter what position I store it in, no matter how long it sits there, it's always ready to lay ink the moment I put nib to paper.
The lines are never anything but perfectly consistent. It never skips.
Of my pens, it's the clear winner for daily office use.
None of my pens are expensive (although all cost more than you need to spend just to write!).
For a budget pen for which you can easily trade out different nibs, I'm a fan of the Jinhao X750. I have a few in all nib widths. To my nostalgic taste, these cheapies are actually my best lookers!
I have a couple of FPRs too, and despite some people's complaints, I've loved mine. Their Himalaya V2 with their flex nib is especially great (if a bit too wet until you get used to it).
My biggest disappointment has been my Kaweco Sport. From the moment I got it, I could never get it to write worth crap. I've given up on it. I'm aware that there are nib guys out there who could probably get it writing nicely (seems that a brand new pen should never need this though?), but I'd spend more to have that done than the pen's worth.
Not using it today, but every day of the work week I use a Lamy 2000. Simply the best pen I've ever used. No fuss, just a great pen.
I find that Sailor pens seem to be great writers and very resistant to drying out across the brand, from their entry level pens to their King of Pen line. I'm also a sucker for tradition, but a great writer is a great writer. I'm sorry to hear about the Kaweco. I believe they use Bock nibs, probably a number 5, so if you come across one of those you could just swap it in. I have a couple Kawecos laying around somewhere but I really don't use them. They are a bit too small for my hand. I agree, it wouldn't be worth sending to a nibsmith. At that point you could just get another pen.
One of the best value for dollar pens out there. My 2000 is ALWAYS inked up.