5 Greatest Cheap Fountain Pens For Rookies

Whereas it’s not a standard on a regular basis writing instrument, a fountain pen needn’t be intimidating, costly, or maintenance-intensive. You will discover many fountain pens which can be cheap–however since value and worth don’t all the time line up, we’ve bought 5 nice picks from which you’ll select!

Within the US, except they deliberately search them out, most adults by no means get acquainted with fountain pens. In Germany, the place Raphael grew up, it’s a part of the varsity curriculum, so he first wrote with fountain pens when he was 5 years previous.

Over time, he’s used many alternative fountain pens–costly and cheap ones. In the present day, we’ll spotlight the 5 best-value pens that received’t break the financial institution. Should you’re uncertain whether or not a fountain pen is best for you, this information will concentrate on low value, straightforward upkeep, straightforward writing, and total, an excellent expertise at a minimal funding.

Historical past of Fountain Pens, in a Nutshell

The fountain pen appears like a extra trendy variation of the dip pen, however it truly dates again centuries to 973 A.D., when Ma’ād al-Mu’izz, the caliph of the Maghreb, needed a pen that wouldn’t stain his arms. He was given a pen with a built-in reservoir for the ink that may very well be held the other way up with out leaking.

The 1600s noticed the invention of

Pens with Ink Reservoir

Within the 1600s, pen makers in Germany have been producing pens with some form of ink reservoir. The event improved, and by the late 1600s, fountain pens, as they’re recognized at present, have been in vogue and getting used all through England.

What was as soon as reserved for the rich aristocrat resulting from value was now broadly obtainable for a minimal value that just about anybody may afford. For the women and men who beforehand couldn’t afford to jot down, the fountain pen proved to extend literacy as they started to amass their very own assortment of pens.

The information of the pen’s dynamics caught on within the mid-1850s, and from then on, there was a rising variety of producers submitting patents frequently. As soon as the free-flowing ink was invented, together with laborious rubber and the iridium-tipped gold nib, the trade caught hearth, and fountain pens turned the usual writing instrument used on an nearly international scale.

By the 1900s, self-filling pens have been developed by corporations like Waterman, Parker, and Shaeffer, which had twist, button, and lever fillers. Nonetheless, the pens continued to leak, so security pens have been produced, which both consisted of a retracting nib or a screw-on cap that sealed tightly across the nib, stopping it from leaking.

In Germany, concurrently, corporations like Pelikan, which had been round for the reason that early 1800s, have been starting to provide fantastic writing devices with the extra trendy piston filler, patented in 1925.

Within the Nineteen Sixties, ballpoint pens have been invented and rendered the fountain pen nearly ineffective in lots of elements of the world together with North America. Since then, ballpoints have been the usual writing instrument in America. Throughout the pond, although, in Europe, we have been nonetheless utilizing fountain pens at school.

Today, solely these with a selected curiosity in fantastic writing devices find out about, personal, and use fountain pens, however we expect they’re nice to have, and that they shouldn’t be too intimidating!

Fountain Pen Terminology

As with all curiosity or passion, there’s a lingo within the fountain pen world that we expect you must perceive so you possibly can distinguish between the completely different pens.

The Cap

Principally, the cap is the a part of a pen that covers the tip of the pen or the nib. It attaches to the pen’s physique. Hooked up to the cap is the clip, which is a metallic strip that enables the pen to carry onto a shirt pocket and maintain the pen from rolling off a desk. It can be part of one’s type, since some clips are ornamental, and there are these that may be purchased individually, permitting you to “match your metals.”

One other element on the cap that eager lovers discover is the finial, which might be discovered on high of the cap. It’s often designed with the pen maker’s emblem.

The Nib

The nib is arguably a very powerful half. It’s the pointed metallic piece on the tip of a fountain pen that you just write with on a bit of paper. Principally, a fountain pen makes use of capillary motion in addition to gravity to get the ink from the within of the pen by means of the nib onto the paper.

The Ink Feed

Proper beneath the nib, you will discover the ink feed which helps the capillary motion and to get the ink onto the paper. Not like ballpoint or rollerball pens, nibs come in numerous widths. The best ones are EF, which implies additional fantastic, after which there’s F for fantastic.

from the INK FEEd

To The Nib

The commonest nib is M for medium. If you would like a broader nib, you get a B, a fair wider one is a BB nib, and if you would like it actually broad, which is often solely used for signatures, you get an O3b nib. Generally, you may as well discover indirect nibs, which implies they’re angled on the tip, and that will, for instance, be an OB, which is an indirect broad nib.

Once you begin for the primary time, I recommend you possibly go together with a medium nib, a fantastic, or an additional fantastic nib, as a result of they’re best to study with, and in a while, you possibly can improve and spend money on extra pens with broader nibs.

The Converter

Not like a ballpoint pen, most fountain pens don’t come pre-loaded with ink. You’ll be able to both get cartridges, however they’re dearer per use. As an alternative, you should use a converter, so you possibly can select from any form of ink you need and simply fill the ink into it. Often, they value anyplace from one to 5 {dollars}, however you’ll lower your expenses over time in comparison with a cartridge, which is often one-time use.

The Piston-Filler

The piston filler doesn’t have a cartridge, and also you merely flip the knob on the finish of the fountain pen to principally suck ink in or push it again out. This type of mechanism is often present in costly fountain pens. I’m an enormous fan of the piston fillers or the converters as a result of, down the road, they’re inexpensive than cartridges, they usually’re additionally much less laborious on the atmosphere as a result of you will have much less waste.

5 Extremely-Advisable Newbie Fountain Pens

With the important information up your sleeve, you would possibly ask, what is an effective fountain pen to start out with? We’ve bought nice worth, cheap fountain pen suggestions at present.

1. Pilot Metropolitan – A High quality, Good-Worth Fountain Pen

First on our record is the Pilot Metropolitan fountain pen. It was launched in 2012, and it was universally praised as a extremely good fountain pen, particularly at its value level. It is available in a pleasant reward field, has a pleasant weight of about 91 grams, and has very clear traces. It appears sturdy as properly.

It has a fantastic, Japan-made metal nib, which appears to be high-quality and you may even select between completely different nib sizes, which isn’t one thing you typically discover on this value vary.

It makes use of proprietary cartridges and converters, however if you purchase a brand new one, it comes with a converter the place you simply need to squeeze and let go, which sucks up the ink into the fountain pen, permitting you to extend ink capability.

Worth Level: Retails round $19

2. Pilot Varsity – The Most Cheap Fountain Pen

The Pilot Varsity is an easy-to-use, disposable fountain pen. If you wish to, additionally it is refillable with an eyedropper. It’s a really good pen that is available in completely different finishes, colours, and ink colours, so you possibly can personalize it to your style. Its design lets you see the ink provide. The nib is made out of metal, made in Japan.

For what it’s, it’s actually good, not harsh, and undoubtedly, a pen that we suggest to anybody who simply needs to start out out and who’s unsure if he needs to take a position a whole lot of {dollars} right into a fountain pen.

Worth Level: Retails round $13 for a pack of 6 ($2.20 a bit)

3. Jinhao X450 – Big Bang For The Buck

Most individuals are stunned by how low the costs are and the way priceless Jinhao pens appear as compared. Not like the pilot Metropolitan, the Jinhao pens are bigger, and the X450 can be rather a lot heavier.

CHEaP BUT HAS

Some Weight

For lengthy writing periods, this may tire out your hand extra rapidly, however if you happen to simply use it for signatures, it’s very nice to have a sure weight. The nib of the X450 appears fairly just like a Montblanc nib. Nonetheless, it’s simply gold-plated and never made out of strong gold.

Once you purchase one, it already comes with an ink converter, which is fairly good and sudden in that value phase. It’s appropriate with worldwide, customary cartridges as properly. Total, it doesn’t appear like a high-end fountain pen. On the similar time, it doesn’t appear like an eight-dollar pen, both.

Worth Level: Retails round $8

4. Jinhao X750 – Cheap Fountain Pen Made in China

Our fourth decide remains to be from Jinhao, which is the X750. We have now a mannequin with a barrel that form of brushed chrome steel look in platinum. It is available in different black with different finishes, too. The nib that is available in inventory is made from metal, non-plated, and medium in dimension #6. It has a pleasant lid that clicks on and appears fairly tight despite the fact that, over time, I don’t fairly suppose it would stand the take a look at of time.

The model identify engraving on it appears fairly low cost, however on the finish of the day, it’s a low cost fountain pen. It’s similar to the X450, however it’s extra light-weight. If you wish to attempt them out, you will get each with out having to spend a lot and have an additional in your arsenal.

Worth Level: Retails round $8

5. Lamy Safari – Cheap Fountain Pen Made in Germany

Lamy pens are made in Heidelberg, Germany, which may be very near my residence state. After I was in third grade, this was the fountain pen I used. Due to its smooth design and look, you possibly can even see typically folks at present carrying it with their bespoke fits. That is ironic as a result of it was a faculty pen that I used. For a similar purpose, I simply can’t get myself to make use of that pen at present as a result of it all the time makes me really feel like a little bit faculty pupil.

the funds version

Made from Plastic

The usual model of the Lamy Safari fountain pen is made out of plastic. You may also discover completely different variations of metals, comparable to aluminum, however in Raphael’s expertise, they dent very simply and scratch, so that they don’t look very properly. Going with the unique plastic model is simply fantastic. 

The styling is unquestionably probably the most industrial one in our record at present, however it’s very snug in your hand and it’s very straightforward to grip for small and medium arms. In case you have actually massive arms, I discover the Lamy Safari will not be fairly the best pen for you.

Lamy was fairly good, they usually launched the proprietary ink cartridges, that are a lot bigger than common ones but additionally dearer. In addition they have ink converters however it’s important to purchase them individually, and they aren’t a part of the package deal as for the Jinhao. Not like the opposite pens in our lineup, the Lamy Safari has a handy ink window so you possibly can see if the pen is dried in or if you happen to merely ran out of ink.

The Lamy Safari nib is easy proper out of the field and it is available in completely different nib widths as properly. It’s additionally straightforward to change the nibs in numerous widths and since it’s such a preferred pen, it is available in many alternative colours and patterns and varieties. The Lamy Safari is the most costly of the bunch at present and prices a little bit over $20, relying on the place you purchase it.

Worth Level: Retails between $20-$25

Conclusion

Fountain pens aren’t the most common writing instrument of at present, and there aren’t too many who know and respect them, it shouldn’t cease anybody from attempting it out. Furthermore, there are reasonably priced choices if you simply wish to pique your curiosity in what’s believed to be the head of writing devices. It may enhance your handwriting and make it distinctive as properly.

If I had to decide on only one fountain pen out of the 5, it could in all probability be the Pilot Metropolitan in an F or fantastic nib as a result of the medium is one thing you discover in lots of nibs, so fantastic is a little bit completely different. It additionally has an ink stream that it’s not as robust, so you possibly can principally write on it with any paper with out risking it bleeding. It additionally has a heavier weight than the Lamy Safari and to me, it’s a extra professional-looking pen, and it doesn’t have that schoolboy picture.

All of the pens talked about right here can be utilized by right-handed and left-handed folks. We advise you exit and take a look at them out. You’ll be able to even purchase two or three completely different ones to see which of them you want extra after which write it up for a little bit bit.

Should you actually fall in love with them, you’ll in all probability wish to spend money on a dearer piece that has nicer supplies and a nicer nib as a result of, that means, it stays a good funding and will final a lifetime.

Finances Fountain Pen Suggestions

Outfit Rundown

Raphael is carrying a summery outfit which consists of a royal blue polo shirt paired with bleeding madras cotton shorts. The sneakers are vintage-inspired canvas sneakers from PF Flyer, which he finds snug and breathable, particularly in the summertime months.