Fountain Pens
30 July 2016Resources
Goulet Pens have a great range of resources including tools to compare inks, nibs or different sizes of pens, as well as a glossary and excellent video guides.
Pennaquod will let you search pen blogs for reviews of hundreds of pens.
For discussion, the two main fountain forums are great sources of information: FP Geeks and the Fountain Pen Network. Facebook, too, is a rich source of information on fountain pens and you could do worse that try the Fountain Pens UK group (wherever you are in the world).
The wonderful Pen Addict podcast covers pens of all kinds but particularly, these days, fountain pens.
For vintage pens I’ve found Richard Binder’s site to be incredibly useful. If you’re interested in old Parkers then ParkerPens.net is the place to go; for Esterbrook pens start at Esterbrook.net.
Budget Fountain Pens
If you’re looking to get started with fountain pens, the Lamy Safari (or its clear variant, the Vista) or the Kaweco Classic Sport are both excellent choices. The Platinum Carbon Pen is a great pen for sketching and, if you’d like to dip your toes into the world of calligraphy, the Sheaffer Viewpoint is a good place to start.
Recommended
- Faber-Castell Grip Fountain Pen Review and GiveawayFaber-Castell make excellent yet consistently underrated pens. The Grip range has been around for a while but until recently did not include a fountain pen. Thank you to Goldspot who very kindly sent me this pen to review. These are my own opinions. I’m giving this pen away, read on to find out more. Price: $20 Filling method: international ...
- Faber-Castell Loom Fountain Pen ReviewI’ve made no secret of my love for Faber-Castell fountain pens. The Loom is one of their cheapest and comes in a range of bright and cheery colours. What’s it like? I was able to get this pen at a discount thanks to Cult Pens’ support of the site. These are my own honest opinions. This ...
- Kaweco Classic Sport fountain pen reviewThe Kaweco Classic Sport is the pen I keep in my pocket. This in one pocket, a Pilot Colelo Lumio in the other. It is the perfect pocket fountain pen. The lid screws on so it doesn’t come off unless you want it to. with the lid on the pen is very small. Pocketable, even. Posted, ...
- Kaweco Perkeo Fountain Pen Review And GiveawayThe Perkeo is being pitched as Kaweco’s entry-level pen. It comes in some unusual colours. Is it any good, though? Price: £15 Filling method: standard international cartridge/converter Barrel options: oh my goodness: ‘cotton candy’ (pink and grey); ‘old chambray’ (blue and ivory); ‘bad taste’ (pink and black, with a black nib); ‘Indian summer’ (mustard and black, with a ...
- Lamy Safari Fountain Pen ReviewThis site is over three years old and I’ve not reviewed the Lamy Safari until now. How can that be? Perhaps because it’s never been new: the Safari was the first fountain pen I bought as a proper grown up. (Also the first, and so far only, fountain pen I lost.) If you live in ...
- Lamy Vista Fountain Pen ReviewThe Lamy Vista is plastic bodied fountain pen (also available as a rollerball, ballpoint and pencil). It’s available with extra-fine, fine, medium, broad and left-handed nibs at the point of sale but several italic nibs (such as this 1.5mm one) are available as extras. It costs around £14 in the UK and $30 in the ...
- Pilot Petit 1 Fountain Pen ReviewThe Pilot Petit 1 is a tiny little fountain pen that come in a variety of bright colours. There’s a Petit 2, which is a fibre-tipped pen, and a Petit 3, a brush pen. Price: $3.80 Nib options: fine Barrel options: plastic in black, green, blue-black, pink, orange, blue, light blue, red Filling system: proprietary cartridge Size: 10.8cm capped, 13.2cm ...
- Platinum Carbon Pen – Sketch and ReviewThe Platinum Carbon Pen is a bit of a legend amongst artists, being recommended by, for example, one of my personal artistic heroes Marc Taro Holmes. Therefore I’m doing something a little different with this review and looking at this pen is for sketching. If you’re wanting to know what it’s like to write with ...
- Sailor Hi-Ace Neo Fountain Pen ReviewSailor are best known for their rather wonderful gold-nibbed pens but an increasing number of their more affordable steel-nibbed pens are becoming available outside Japan. The Hi-Ace Neo is about affordable as a fountain pen can get, coming in at under a tenner. Is it any good? I was able to get this pen at a ...
- Sheaffer VFM fountain pen reviewThe Sheaffer VFM is a low cost pen with a metal barrel and plastic section. VFM stands for ‘Vibrant, Fun and Modern’ but that applies more to the other colours this pen is available in than this rather stately and classic looking matt black version. The build quality is absolutely fantastic. It’s a very solidly put together ...
- Sheaffer Viewpoint Calligraphy Pen ReviewSheaffer’s Viewpoint Calligraphy pen has been around for quite a while but has recently been updated to the version I have here. Many British school children have used this pen to learn calligraphy particularly as it comes in a very good value kit. I was able to get this pen at a discount thanks to Cult ...
Others
- Dex Compact Clear Fountain Pen Review
- Dex Smooth Soft Fountain Pen Review
- Fountain Pen Revolution Jaipur Review
- Manuscript Master Italic Calligraphy Fountain Pen Review
- Muji Fountain Pen review
- OHTO Rook Fountain Pen Review
- OHTO Tasche Fountain Pen Review
- Pelikan Stola III Fountain Pen Review
- Pilot Plumix fountain pen review
- Platignum Studio fountain pen review
- Platinum Plaisir Fountain Pen Review
- Platinum Preppy (Old Version) Fountain Pen Review
- Reynolds Ink Pen fountain pen review
- Rotring Esprit fountain pen review
- Rotring Freeway fountain pen review
- Sailor Fude DE Mannen Fountain Pen Review
- Serwex 101 fountain pen review
- Waterman Translucent fountain pen review
Mid-Range Fountain Pens
Recommended
- Benu Chameleon Fountain Pen ReviewBenu is a Russian company that makes fountain pens with wonderful names, with interesting shapes, and with beautiful patterns and colours. I’ve been wanting to try one for a while so was very happy when Scribble lent me his to look at. This review will form part of a meta-review over at United Inkdom sometime soon. Price: ...
- Diplomat Aero Fountain Pen ReviewI don’t really have a grail pen as such, I think that building up anything to that extent can only lead to disappointment, but I do have a list of pens I really really want. The Diplomat Aero was on that list for a long time but I could never quite pull the trigger on ...
- Faber-Castell Ambition fountain pen reviewThe Faber-Castell Ambition Pearwood is a beautiful looking pen. I’m a sucker for wood and metal; organic and machined; old and new. Gets me every time. This is a stunning pen. In my big chunky hands this pen is a perfect length and weight but it is a little top heavy when posted and if you ...
- Faber-Castell Ondoro Fountain Pen ReviewI’ve been a fan of Faber-Castell since very early on in my fountain pen obsession interest. The Ambition was one of the first fountain pens I bought and it remains, many years later, one of my favourites. Since then I’ve acquired examples of all their modern range, finally completing the set with this bright ...
- Italix English Curate Fountain Pen ReviewItalix pens are made exclusively for Mr Pen, a family owned British online pen retailer. The names of the pens in the Italix range are wonderful: The Parson’s Essential, Churchman’s Prescriptor and Viper’s Strike, amongst others. This pen also has a rather splendid name: English Curate. Thank you to Mr Pen for sending this pen for ...
- Karas Kustoms Starliner XL and Starliner Fountain Pen ReviewI can’t deny that I like Karas Kustoms’ pens quite a lot, particularly the tumbled raw aluminium versions, of which I’m building up quite a collection. I was therefore quite excited to have the chance to try a new range of their pens. These pens were sent to be by Karas Kustoms for the purposes of ...
- Kaweco Brass Sport Fountain Pen ReviewThe Kaweco Classic Sport was my route into the world of fountain pens and I continue to consider the entire Sport fountain pen range to be outstanding. They are a perfect example of a design that is both beautiful and highly functional. Brass is heavy but this pen is quite small so. It feels just about ...
- Kaweco Liliput fountain pen reviewThe Kaweco Liliput is a very small metal-barrelled pen. It comes in a variety of finishes and with nibs from extra-fine to extra-broad. This version costs a little over £60 in the UK and a little over $80 in the USA. I doubt it’s possible to make a pen much smaller than this without making it ...
- Kaweco Steel Sport Fountain Pen ReviewAh, metal pens, they get me every time. And the Kaweco Sport, that does too. A classic design: distinctive, timeless, and useful. There’s no point me trying to build up any kind of suspense. I love this pen. Price: £89 (with a stainless steel nib) Filling method: short international cartridge Barrel options: there are lots of other Sports with ...
- Kaweco Student Demonstrator Quick LookKaweco are best known for their smaller pens: the Sport and Liliput in particular. I reviewed the Student a while ago and although I liked it, it was eclipsed by the more expensive metal Allrounder. I’ve heard the Allrounder is now discontinued, which is a terrible shame. (It’s still available, at the time of writing, ...
- Metaxas Stylos Color Fountain Pen ReviewThe Stylos Color is a pen I backed on Kickstarter, designed by a gentleman called Kostas Metaxas. Although, as far as I can tell, it isn’t available to buy anywhere, Kostas has just finished his fourth Kickstarter campaign on a variation of this pen (all but the first one being successful) so there’s a fair ...
- Namisu Nova Fountain Pen ReviewThe Namisu Nova was born of a successful Kickstarter and is now available to buy. Namisu are a British company and that, sadly, is rare when it comes to fountain pens, so I’ve been particularly interested in seeing what they’re doing. The Nova is Namisu’s second pen. It’s available with several barrel and nib options. I ...
- Pelikan M215 fountain pen reviewThe Pelikan M215 is an amazing pen. It is virtually faultless. It is a piston-filling pen that holds a good amount of ink. The piston mechanism is smooth and has the feel of precision engineering. There is not wiggle or wobble and it glides in the most luxurious way. There is a window just above the ...
- Tombow Zoom 101 Fountain Pen ReviewI was very pleased to have a chance to try the Tombow Zoom 101 fountain pen from The Pen Company. Tombow make some of my favourite art supplies and are famous, in particular, for their pencils, but they are not the first company you tend to think of when considering fountain pens. Having spent some ...
- TWSBI Eco Fountain Pen ReviewTWSBI spent a long time developing the Eco, apparently to ensure if didn’t suffer from the fragility that has plagued earlier models. Time will tell if they’ve been successful but in the meantime, what is this pen like? Was it worth the wait? Thank you to Pure Pens for sending me this pen to review. Price: $29 ...
Others
- A. G. Spalding Maple Wood Orange Fountain pen review
- Allegory The Bard Fountain Pen Review
- Diplomat Traveller Fountain Pen review
- Divine Design Eyedropper Fountain Pen Review
- Ensso Piuma Fountain Pen Review
- Faber-Castell e-motion fountain pen review
- Fosfor Bangalore Fountain Pen Review
- Franklin-Christoph Pocket 40 Fountain Pen Review
- Karas Kustoms Ink Fountain Pen Review
- Kaweco AC-Sport fountain pen review
- Kaweco AL Special Fountain Pen Review
- Kaweco AL Sport Fountain Pen Review
- Kaweco Allrounder fountain pen review
- Kaweco Calligraphy Set Review and Giveaway
- Kaweco Dia 2 fountain pen review
- Kaweco Elegance Fountain Pen Review
- Kaweco Purple Liliput Quick Look
- Kaweco Student fountain pen review
- Kaweco Supra Fountain Pen Review
- Lamy Accent Fountain Pen Review
- Lamy Linea Fountain Pen Review
- Lamy Logo Fountain Pen Review
- Lamy pur 47 fountain pen review
- Lamy Studio fountain pen
- Levenger L-Tech Stealth fountain pen review
- Noodler Ahab fountain pen review
- Noodler Nib Creaper fountain pen review
- Noodler’s Konrad fountain pen review
- Pilot Elite fountain pen review
- Pilot Prera fountain pen review
- Platinum PTL-5000 Fountain Pen Review
- Sailor Reglus fountain pen review
- Sheaffer Intensity Fountain Pen Review
- Stipula Passaporto Fountain Pen Review
- Taccia Covenant Fountain Pen Review
- Trilogy Zero Fountain Pen Quick Look
- TWSBI Diamond 580 fountain pen review
- TWSBI Diamond Mini Fountain Pen Review
- TWSBI Vac 700 Fountain Pen Review
- TWSBI Vac Mini Fountain Pen Review
- Venvstas Carbon V Fountain Pen Review
Luxury Fountain Pens
When it comes to luxury pens, personal preferences begin to become the most important factor. Nibs should always be good quality but everyone looks for something a little different. Some people like soft flexible nibs, others love the very finest lines, some like nibs that are quite dry, others like nibs that put ink down onto the paper like a hose. My personal preference is for a smooth but fairly firm broad nib with a good flow. I like a pen that puts a lot of ink down.
Recommended
- Additive Pens Double Helix Fountain Pen ReviewAdditive Pens use 3D printing to produce unique looking pens. I’ve had this pen a couple of years now and so this is a long term review. The pens come with stainless steel Jowo nibs but I’ve been using mine with a 14k gold broad nib ground to a stub by FP Nibs. Price: $180Filling method: ...
- Cleo Skribent ‘Skribent’ Fountain Pen ReviewThe Skribent is Cleo Skribent’s premium pen. It comes with an 18k gold nib and a premium price tag. This pen has been lent to the United Inkdom team by Write Here. Thank you to Write Here for their generosity. These are my honest opinions. Price: £299 Filling method: cartridge/converter Barrel options: black with gold trim (this one), black ...
- Edison Collier Fountain Pen ReviewThe Edison Pen Company’s main business is in custom-made pens, their Signature Line, but they also have this Production Line range, made in the same way but in larger quantities and without the customisation possibilities. The benefit is that they’re cheaper and more readily available. I was lent this pen by The Writing Desk so I ...
- Edison Pen Co. Pearlette Fountain Pen ReviewI reviewed the Edison Pen Co Collier a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. It felt like a pen that was designed by someone who really enjoyed using pens and it had a great old-school charm combined with modern nibs and materials. When Goldspot pens offered to send me a Pearlette to review I ...
- Franklin-Christoph Model 02 Intrinsic fountain pen reviewThe Franklin-Christoph Model 02 ‘Intrinsic’ is an acrylic fountain pen that can be used as a standard international cartridge/converter or as an eye-dropper. It comes in three and a half different colours (black/maroon, black/cherry, smoke and ice, and emerald). This is the smoke and ice version. The barrel is the ice and the section is the ...
- Franklin-Christoph Model 03 Iterum Fountain Pen ReviewFranklin-Christoph’s Model 03 Iterum is a classically shaped fountain pen that’s available in a couple of different acrylics and with a staggering 22 different nib options. It usually has a clip but my version is a rare clipless version that I bought used. Price: $165 Nib options: there are lots – see here. Masuyama ground nibs cost ...
- Goathard Sunburnt Orange Fountain Pen ReviewBrad Goathard is a UK-based pen maker who specialises in individually turned metal pens. Price: £269 Filling method: standard international cartridge/converter Barrel options: this pen is named after its barrel finish but Goathard makes many other machined metal pens in different finishes Nib options: stainless steel medium or fine The actual name of this pen is ‘Gently Ribbed & Sunburnt ...
- Inventery Pocket Fountain Pen and Rollerball with Extender Review and GiveawayA fountain pen, a rollerball, a pocket pen. The Inventery Pocket Pen is all of these, all in a concise brass package. These pens were sent to me by Inventery for the purposes of this review. These are my own opinions. Read on to see how you can win the black version. The chrome version is ...
- Karas Kustoms Decograph Fountain Pen ReviewKaras Kustoms are best known for their machined metal pens, several of which I’ve reviewed. These pens are consistently excellent. The Decograph is different in that it’s made from thermoplastic rather than metal. It’s part of Karas Kustom’s signature pen line of limited edition pens. Price: $165 Filling method: standard international cartridge/converter Nib options: stainless steel #6 in ...
- Pelikan M205 Aquamarine Fountain Pen ReviewDid I need a another Pelikan M200? Apparently I did, because as soon as I saw this special edition aquamarine version I bought it. I also stumped up the extra for a gold nib because Pure Pens were doing the upgrade for a fantastic price. (The total price of the pen was not much more ...
- Platinum #3776 Chartres Blue Fountain Pen ReviewIt’s no secret that my favourite off-the-shelf pens are Platinum’s #3776 series. Although they are all quite similar to each other, I’m not going to let that stop me reviewing another one when I love them so much. I was able to get this pen at a discount thanks to Cult Pens’ support of the site. ...
- Platinum #3776 Sai fountain pen reviewThe Platinum #3776 Sai is by far the most expensive pen I own (even though I got it on special offer from Cult Pens). It is also, without doubt, the most beautiful. I have other demonstrators and some look lovely but they don’t sparkle like the Platinum #3776 Sai sparkles. This series is named after Mount ...
- Platinum President Fountain Pen ReviewThe Platinum President is a cartridge/converter fountain pen available with nibs from extra fine to broad. The one I’m reviewing has a medium nib. It costs about $220 in the USA or £140 in the UK. It’s available with different barrel colour and trim options for more of your money. The President is quite a large ...
- Twiss Custom Fountain Pen in Patriotic Acrylic – review and giveawayJohn Twiss makes custom pens to order. This is one such pen and as such it is unique. It is also very lovely – and it could be yours! Read on to find out how. The pen is made from what John calls ‘Patriotic Acrylic’. It’s a beautiful combination of shimmery red, blue and silvery white. ...
- Twiss Marmalade fountain pen reviewThis is a custom made pen from Twiss Pens. It’s the only pen like this and I made up the name myself. Back in April I interviewed John Twiss and reviewed one of his pens. I knew I would need my own Twiss pen and so I asked John to make me a pen to the ...
- Visconti Homo Sapiens Dark Age Fountain Pen ReviewI change my mind too often to have a true grail pen but a posh Visconti of some kind has been consistently on my wish list. None of them are cheap and I had to sell quite a few pens to be able to afford this one. Despite having gathered the funds by selling other ...
- Yard-O-Led Grand Viceroy Victorian Fountain Pen ReviewI try to keep things at the more affordable end of the price spectrum here on Pens! Paper! Pencils! Although I know that what’s affordable varies dramatically from person to person, I think I’m on pretty safe ground when I say that the Yard-O-Led Grand Viceroy Victorian does not fall in that category. It’s from ...
Others
- Applied Pens Streamline Fountain Pen Review
- Cleo Skribent Classic Fountain Pen Review
- Kaweco Elite fountain pen review
- Kaweco Supra Stainless Steel fountain pen review
- Marlen Aleph Fountain Pen Review
- Namisu Nova Studio Matte Ebonite Fountain Pen Review
- Pelikan M120 Fountain Pen Review
- Pelikan M805 Fountain Pen Review
- Pilot Custom 74 Fountain Pen Review
- Pilot Vanishing Point (Capless) Fountain Pen Review
- Platinum #3776 Music Nib Fountain Pen Review
- Platinum #3776 Yamanaka Fountain Pen Review
- Twiss Green Lizard Fountain Pen Review
- Visconti Rembrandt Fountain Pen Review
- Visconti Van Gogh Fountain Pen Review
Vintage Fountain Pens
Many people are a little scared by vintage pens but they can be excellent value. The Parker 45 is particularly good as they’re pretty common and of quite simple construction, meaning they have few problems. However, it’s easy to pick up something broken from (for example) eBay, so a better place to begin your search might be at one of the online forums: FP Geeks or the FP Network.
Recommended
- Parker 45 fountain pen reviewI’ve avoided reviewing vintage fountain pens up to now because it’s hard to guarantee consistency. Even new pens can vary a little, depending on the effectiveness of a company’s quality control. So many variables can affect the quality of an old pen that it’s impossible to say if a particular model is going to be ...
Others
Pocket Pens
A good pocket pen needs to be small enough to fit comfortably in a pocket, preferably with a screw-on cap so it won’t come undone, but able to lengthen when posted so that it’s comfortable to write with. For me, Kaweco do this better than anyone else. The Classic is a good budget option, the Brass Sport is a robust and better quality alternative, and the Liliput is excellent if you want something really tiny.
Recommended
- Kaweco Classic Sport fountain pen reviewThe Kaweco Classic Sport is the pen I keep in my pocket. This in one pocket, a Pilot Colelo Lumio in the other. It is the perfect pocket fountain pen. The lid screws on so it doesn’t come off unless you want it to. with the lid on the pen is very small. Pocketable, even. Posted, ...
- Kaweco Liliput fountain pen reviewThe Kaweco Liliput is a very small metal-barrelled pen. It comes in a variety of finishes and with nibs from extra-fine to extra-broad. This version costs a little over £60 in the UK and a little over $80 in the USA. I doubt it’s possible to make a pen much smaller than this without making it ...