Fountain pen questions from a less experienced user.

[LMcC]

Hi all. Throughout middle and high school, as well as college I always used a Parker Vector fountain pen. Likely just to be different, but I really enjoyed using it. I picked up another recently after about 20 years of not really caring what I was writing with, and it does indeed feel like an old friend.

That said, I know it is a very inexpensive pen, and it does not seem to be very well regarded. What am I missing? What does a nicer pen offer? What should I maybe try instead?

I’m going to assume much like razors that a lot of it is personal preference, so these are the things I like about it:

I like that it is relatively lightweight. It seems a lot of nice pens are kind of hefty.

I like that it is a consistent diameter with the cap on. Many pens seem to be fatter in the middle and thinner on the ends, as well as having a cap that is a larger diameter than the body of the pen.

I like that where I hold it is relatively thin.

This is not to say that I can’t be convinced to try something that doesn’t have these qualities.

 

[Slivovitz]

If you like it, and it's working for you, then you aren't necessarily missing anything. Some people, myself included, like to try all sorts of different pens, inks, and papers, which is fun if you enjoy the process of writing and like variety. Different nibs have a different feel when you are writing with them in ways that are evident when you try them. But if you take a strictly utilitarian approach, and are satisfied, then I'm not going to be the one to urge you to buy this or that.

I would suggest, if you don't already use your pen with a converter, to get one, as it will let you try different inks more easily, although you could refill Parker cartridges with a syringe.

And, like you, I prefer slim fountain pens, which may put us in a minority. My slimmest pen, which is no longer made, but which I have inked right now, is a Parker 180.

 

[LMcC]

If you like it, and it's working for you, then you aren't necessarily missing anything. Some people, myself included, like to try all sorts of different pens, inks, and papers, which is fun if you enjoy the process of writing and like variety. But if you take a strictly utilitarian approach, and are satisfied, then I'm not going to be the one to urge you to buy this or that.

I would suggest, if you don't already use your pen with a converter, to get one, as it will let you try different inks more easily, although you could refill Parker cartridges with a syringe.

And, like you, I prefer slim fountain pens, which may put us in a minority. My slimmest pen, which is no longer made, but which I have inked right now, is a Parker 180.

I am certainly open to trying new things, but I don’t know really know where to start. I used a converter way back when, so I got another when I got this pen. Makes a lot of sense to me. And man, I didn’t even consider that there might be a world of inks out there, but of course there are! I currently have the Parker ink (quink?) in black.

 

[Doc4]

I know it is a very inexpensive pen, and it does not seem to be very well regarded. What am I missing?

A higher pricepoint can get you ...

1. potentially a better nib. (Cheap pens have lower QC levels, so it's hit-and-miss if they get the nib just right or just okay or screwed up.) Not only quality control, but also material ... gold nibs are often seen as "better" (certainly different at least.)
2. better materials in the pen body
3. artistic aspects (can be actual artwork, or using fancy materials for accents, or having extra work done to make the pen "look nice".)
4. a better filling mechanism ... if you want an upgrade from "cartridge/converter" you pay for it

I like that it is relatively lightweight. It seems a lot of nice pens are kind of hefty.

There are plenty of cheap pens from China that have hefty metal bodies. There are some expensive pens from Japan and other places that are noticeably lightweight. "Heft" is a personal preference, and there are pens at every price level that give you either light or heavy.

 

[Marco63]

I bumped into two 'oriental' brands recently, TWSBI, Taiwan, and Moonman, China.
Both can be found for around 20-30 Euros and are made of good acrylic and have good nibs. They are both 'demonstrator' pens and this means that the body is clear and only the cap and the end bit are coloured. I have opted for the piston fillers but Moonman also makes eye dropper ones, if you like to play the 'mad' scientist when you fill them.

 

[StuMcB]

I have a Lamy logo fountain pen with a stub nib in stainless steel. I bought it to replace an old Vector. Very similar in size IMHO and works just as effortlessly. Only a few quid more too. Also if you want another Vector how about the flighter version of the posher model, name escapes me on that one but they come in dark colours and look more up scale.

 

[Rhody]

As was said it’s definitely a ymmv thing. And a rabbit hole 🕳
You technically don’t need more than one pen I guess but variety is good too. Reading B&B I saw much love for TWSBI ECO fountain pen with piston filling system. It’s acrylic and around $30 but I’ve been enjoying it and like the piston. Less messy on the fingers.

 

[tankerjohn]

Congrats on rediscovering the magic of fountain pens. Nothing wrong with the Parker Vector! Last I checked, still made in France. A good, solid value. They are less common in the US, which might be one reason it seems less well regarded than other pens. Also, the pen "community", such as it is, that creates and sustains buzz for certain makes and models doesn't get terribly excited about black pens from heritage brands like Parker.

I agree with everything that's been written above, particularly @Doc4 's take on the issue. I'll endeavor to pitch in a few of my own thoughts. A fountain pen is a lot like a watch - not strictly necessary in this day and age, but brings joy nonetheless. How much joy and how much you're willing to pay for it are totally variable between different individuals. If the joy you derive from your Vector comes from nostalgia and "feeling like a kid again", then I doubt you'll get that from any other pen because you have a highly personal connection to the Vector. Add to that that the weight and size of the pen feels good in your hands, and you've got a real winner. Assuming that it has a well adjusted nib, its going to write as well, or better, than four or five figure pens from luxury brands. Kind of like a $10 Casio will tell better time than a gold Rolex. In that sense, I don't think you are "missing out" relative to higher end pens. You've got a pen that fits your hand, works well, and brings you joy.

Now, assuming that you are still interested in buying a higher end pen, you are moving into the world of esthetics and nuance. You want a pen that you love to hold and look at. You want a pen that speaks to you in terms of the company or artisan that made it, the design, "the colour and the shape" (for the Foo Fighter fans). You want a nib that feels good on the page, whether that means it is stiff or flexy, smooth or feedbacky. You want it to lay down ink and write letters exactly how you want to portray them - fine or broad, even lines or line variation. It should be enjoyable to fill according to your preferred level of finickiness. Do you want to get down and dirty with syringes and eye droppers, manually operate pistons and levers, or just pop in a mess-free cartridge and go?

Having said all that, here’s how it roughly translates into the cost that goes into a given pen, from my experience:

Company: Chinese/Indian<Japanese<American<European
Manufacture: mass produced<artisan made<custom<special edition
Size: small body<large body
Nib: generic steel<name brand steel (ie Jovo, Bock)<titanium<14k gold<18k/21k gold
Material: molded acrylic<metal<turned acrylic/resin<celluloid<urushi
Filling: cartridge<eye dropper<lever<piston<vac

The overall cost of the pen will reflect the combination of above factors. For instance, a mass produced Japanese acrylic pen with a 14K gold nib (Platinum 3776, Pilot Custom 74, etc) will cost roughly the same as an American artisan-made pen with turned acrylic and a Jovo steel nib (Franklin-Christoph, Edison, etc). Get which one has the features that you value most.

My personal sweet spot is the Pelikan M200. It’s more expensive than most steel nib pens, but not excessively so. The company progeny, design, easy-to-use piston filler, flawless look and feel, and fun, bouncy nib more than offset the cost. It’s a pen I'm proud to put in my pocket and makes me happy to write with every day.

 

[LMcC]

Congrats on rediscovering the magic of fountain pens. Nothing wrong with the Parker Vector! Last I checked, still made in France. A good, solid value. They are less common in the US, which might be one reason it seems less well regarded than other pens. Also, the pen "community", such as it is, that creates and sustains buzz for certain makes and models doesn't get terribly excited about black pens from heritage brands like Parker.

I agree with everything that's been written above, particularly @Doc4 's take on the issue. I'll endeavor to pitch in a few of my own thoughts. A fountain pen is a lot like a watch - not strictly necessary in this day and age, but brings joy nonetheless. How much joy and how much you're willing to pay for it are totally variable between different individuals. If the joy you derive from your Vector comes from nostalgia and "feeling like a kid again", then I doubt you'll get that from any other pen because you have a highly personal connection to the Vector. Add to that that the weight and size of the pen feels good in your hands, and you've got a real winner. Assuming that it has a well adjusted nib, its going to write as well, or better, than four or five figure pens from luxury brands. Kind of like a $10 Casio will tell better time than a gold Rolex. In that sense, I don't think you are "missing out" relative to higher end pens. You've got a pen that fits your hand, works well, and brings you joy.

Now, assuming that you are still interested in buying a higher end pen, you are moving into the world of esthetics and nuance. You want a pen that you love to hold and look at. You want a pen that speaks to you in terms of the company or artisan that made it, the design, "the colour and the shape" (for the Foo Fighter fans). You want a nib that feels good on the page, whether that means it is stiff or flexy, smooth or feedbacky. You want it to lay down ink and write letters exactly how you want to portray them - fine or broad, even lines or line variation. It should be enjoyable to fill according to your preferred level of finickiness. Do you want to get down and dirty with syringes and eye droppers, manually operate pistons and levers, or just pop in a mess-free cartridge and go?

Having said all that, here’s how it roughly translates into the cost that goes into a given pen, from my experience:

Company: Chinese/Indian<Japanese<American<European
Manufacture: mass produced<artisan made<custom<special edition
Size: small body<large body
Nib: generic steel<name brand steel (ie Jovo, Bock)<titanium<14k gold<18k/21k gold
Material: molded acrylic<metal<turned acrylic/resin<celluloid<urushi
Filling: cartridge<eye dropper<lever<piston<vac

The overall cost of the pen will reflect the combination of above factors. For instance, a mass produced Japanese acrylic pen with a 14K gold nib (Platinum 3776, Pilot Custom 74, etc) will cost roughly the same as an American artisan-made pen with turned acrylic and a Jovo steel nib (Franklin-Christoph, Edison, etc). Get which one has the features that you value most.

My personal sweet spot is the Pelikan M200. It’s more expensive than most steel nib pens, but not excessively so. The company progeny, design, easy-to-use piston filler, flawless look and feel, and fun, bouncy nib more than offset the cost. It’s a pen I'm proud to put in my pocket and makes me happy to write with every day.

Thank you. That was super helpful!

 

[Rhody]

Congrats on rediscovering the magic of fountain pens. Nothing wrong with the Parker Vector! Last I checked, still made in France. A good, solid value. They are less common in the US, which might be one reason it seems less well regarded than other pens. Also, the pen "community", such as it is, that creates and sustains buzz for certain makes and models doesn't get terribly excited about black pens from heritage brands like Parker.

I agree with everything that's been written above, particularly @Doc4 's take on the issue. I'll endeavor to pitch in a few of my own thoughts. A fountain pen is a lot like a watch - not strictly necessary in this day and age, but brings joy nonetheless. How much joy and how much you're willing to pay for it are totally variable between different individuals. If the joy you derive from your Vector comes from nostalgia and "feeling like a kid again", then I doubt you'll get that from any other pen because you have a highly personal connection to the Vector. Add to that that the weight and size of the pen feels good in your hands, and you've got a real winner. Assuming that it has a well adjusted nib, its going to write as well, or better, than four or five figure pens from luxury brands. Kind of like a $10 Casio will tell better time than a gold Rolex. In that sense, I don't think you are "missing out" relative to higher end pens. You've got a pen that fits your hand, works well, and brings you joy.

Now, assuming that you are still interested in buying a higher end pen, you are moving into the world of esthetics and nuance. You want a pen that you love to hold and look at. You want a pen that speaks to you in terms of the company or artisan that made it, the design, "the colour and the shape" (for the Foo Fighter fans). You want a nib that feels good on the page, whether that means it is stiff or flexy, smooth or feedbacky. You want it to lay down ink and write letters exactly how you want to portray them - fine or broad, even lines or line variation. It should be enjoyable to fill according to your preferred level of finickiness. Do you want to get down and dirty with syringes and eye droppers, manually operate pistons and levers, or just pop in a mess-free cartridge and go?

Having said all that, here’s how it roughly translates into the cost that goes into a given pen, from my experience:

Company: Chinese/Indian<Japanese<American<European
Manufacture: mass produced<artisan made<custom<special edition
Size: small body<large body
Nib: generic steel<name brand steel (ie Jovo, Bock)<titanium<14k gold<18k/21k gold
Material: molded acrylic<metal<turned acrylic/resin<celluloid<urushi
Filling: cartridge<eye dropper<lever<piston<vac

The overall cost of the pen will reflect the combination of above factors. For instance, a mass produced Japanese acrylic pen with a 14K gold nib (Platinum 3776, Pilot Custom 74, etc) will cost roughly the same as an American artisan-made pen with turned acrylic and a Jovo steel nib (Franklin-Christoph, Edison, etc). Get which one has the features that you value most.

My personal sweet spot is the Pelikan M200. It’s more expensive than most steel nib pens, but not excessively so. The company progeny, design, easy-to-use piston filler, flawless look and feel, and fun, bouncy nib more than offset the cost. It’s a pen I'm proud to put in my pocket and makes me happy to write with every day.

What nib do you have with the m200? I was looking at the m205 which seems mostly identical to the 200.

 

[tankerjohn]

What nib do you have with the m200? I was looking at the m205 which seems mostly identical to the 200.

I actually have two and they are both have "fine" nibs. Its a true European fine, equivalent to Japanese medium. A nice, meaty line, but not too wide, for everyday writing. Yes, you are correct. The M205 is exactly the same as the M200, except the stainless steal nib and trim are not gold-plated. I like the gold trim myself, but it seems to me that silver is more popular these days.

 

[Rhody]

I actually have two and they are both have "fine" nibs. Its a true European fine, equivalent to Japanese medium. A nice, meaty line, but not too wide, for everyday writing. Yes, you are correct. The M205 is exactly the same as the M200, except the stainless steal nib and trim are not gold-plated. I like the gold trim myself, but it seems to me that silver is more popular these days.

Thanks. It looks like a fine pen. I have one in my cart

 

[Kent Kimmons]

My advice: Lamy Safari pen and Noodler's black or Quink (available at Staples)

 

[LMcC]

So I got a couple different pens, not expensive, to try some variation. One was the Lamy Al Star, which I believe to be the metal version of the Safari, as well as a Parker Jotter.
There are things I like about the Al Star - It feels like a quality product, I really like the look of the black steel nib, and I like how the design of the clip on the cap makes it impossible to roll away if I’m writing with the cap off. There are also things I don’t like - first and foremost, it’s huge (for me) and too heavy with the cap posted. It also doesn’t seem to work well for the way I typically write which is fast and kind of erratic, but it just doesn’t seem to put enough ink down, and seems sorta scratchy. This is a fine nib, and the vector is a medium, so that may be a factor. Also the end of the nib seems quite far from the finger position which is neither good or bad, just feels strange to me. I will find a use for this pen, I’m just not sure what it is yet.

The Jotter, however, I can’t seem to find anything I dislike about it. The weight and balance feel “right” to me, as well as the diameter of the pen. The nib flows freely, allowing my chicken scratches to be bold enough for me to read, and the finger position to the end of the nib is somewhere in between the Vector and the Al Star and works very well for me. Incredibly pleased with this inexpensive decades old design. I have ordered another so I can keep one at home and one in my pocket.

 

[Rhody]

Sounds great.
I really dislike a scratchy nib too
Glad the jotter works!

 

[Frozenshades]

A lot of good thoughts in this thread. I think it's like many other things, a certain price point will get you quality but beyond that you may just be paying for luxury or in some cases simply a name. From a practical standpoint, I think it's a hard sell to convince me that any $200 pen is going to perform 10x better than a $20 pilot metropolitan, which if you ask me writes pretty darn well. But that $200 pen might have a fancy gold nip and whatever fancy materials float your boat in the body. I'm no connoisseur, but I have a number of pens and have used ones I found to be both good and bad.

YMMV but you're not the first I've seen that felt that the lamy F or EF nibs were too scratchy. I definitely agree that I don't like writing with my Al-Star posted though; too heavy. I like my Lamy Studio a lot as well, which I believe I got with a fine nib, but currently has a bold nib on it. They're easy to swap.

 

[razorboi]

So I got a couple different pens, not expensive, to try some variation. One was the Lamy Al Star, which I believe to be the metal version of the Safari, as well as a Parker Jotter.
There are things I like about the Al Star - It feels like a quality product, I really like the look of the black steel nib, and I like how the design of the clip on the cap makes it impossible to roll away if I’m writing with the cap off. There are also things I don’t like - first and foremost, it’s huge (for me) and too heavy with the cap posted. It also doesn’t seem to work well for the way I typically write which is fast and kind of erratic, but it just doesn’t seem to put enough ink down, and seems sorta scratchy. This is a fine nib, and the vector is a medium, so that may be a factor. Also the end of the nib seems quite far from the finger position which is neither good or bad, just feels strange to me. I will find a use for this pen, I’m just not sure what it is yet.

The Jotter, however, I can’t seem to find anything I dislike about it. The weight and balance feel “right” to me, as well as the diameter of the pen. The nib flows freely, allowing my chicken scratches to be bold enough for me to read, and the finger position to the end of the nib is somewhere in between the Vector and the Al Star and works very well for me. Incredibly pleased with this inexpensive decades old design. I have ordered another so I can keep one at home and one in my pocket.

Lucky for you the Jotter worked out so well.
Fountain pens are entirely tactile and so one must simply try many to find what works.
My advice would be to visit a major pen shop or, better yet, a pen show.
There you will have access to virtually all current models from most manufacturers to try out, as well as a huge array of vintage pens, many with nib configurations difficult to find in new pens.
You'll soon zero in on heft, barrel diameter, length, nib characteristics and filling systems, as well as countless ink offerings.
Most consider the nib to be the most critical part of the pen. It's length, broadness, flexibility and tip are all variable and each writer develops his own preferences.
You'll otherwise spend a lot of wasted time, energy and money buying pens "blind" and trying to learn what you like best.
Fountain pens, even more so than razors, are very difficult to recommend to someone over the internet.
But a pen dealer/specialist can really help you in person at a shop or pen show.
Then...there's always that "rabbit-hole" danger to be wary of!

 

[tankerjohn]

They're easy to swap.

This! Life’s too short for scratchy nibs, especially when replacement Lamy nibs are plentiful and just a few quid. Cult Pens has a nice selection of sizes.

 

[Keith_Weir]

I bumped into two 'oriental' brands recently, TWSBI, Taiwan, and Moonman, China.
Both can be found for around 20-30 Euros and are made of good acrylic and have good nibs. They are both 'demonstrator' pens and this means that the body is clear and only the cap and the end bit are coloured. I have opted for the piston fillers but Moonman also makes eye dropper ones, if you like to play the 'mad' scientist when you fill them.

TWSBI is fantastic !!! I own several and have no complaints !!!!

 

[LMcC]

TWSBI is fantastic !!! I own several and have no complaints !!!!

I got a TWSBI eco, and really like it!