It is perfectly reasonable to buy a pen simply because the swirled acrylic or other captivating material just speaks to you! One of the key components to deciding if fountain pens are worth it for you is to educate yourself.
Read up or watch videos about the care and maintenance of the pens, check out quick looks to see what makes the pen special, learn what inks you can use with the pen. The more you dive into the hobby, the more you can decide if it interests you and if you want to partake. The simple truth is that when you see for yourself that the pen is worth it, then you will be ready to buy it without hesitation.
Previous Next. Related Posts. How to Start a Gratitude Journal. Go to Top. I tried both pens with a fine tip nib, but they are available in other sizes too. The nibs are proprietary to the manufacturer, but there is an active market in third party nibs and parts. Both pens had a similar nib size, but the Delta produced a somewhat heavier stroke with more ink, which does mean that I tended to write faster. The Lamy produced a thinner, lighter line with the same speed and pressure. These two pens show different approaches to designing a fountain pen.
The Lamy Vista is about simplicity, about making a pen that is as cheap, robust and simple as possible. The Delta Serena is a pen for the more classic fountain pen user, the one who cares more about the refined touches that make a fountain pen unique. Why Bother With a Fountain Pen? Cynics will dismiss using a fountain pen these days as a needless hipsterism, a tacky bit of retro nostalgia that serves no real purpose.
I disagree. A good fountain pen is a piece of precision engineering and design, and will serve you well for many years. Using a fountain pen is about making a deliberate choice to buy something that you can use repeatedly, rather than something you use once and loose. But if you want to have something that looks cool and is a pleasure to use, get a fountain pen. However, there are limits. This is the price range where all bets are off. The main difference between pens in this price range and other, less-expensive pens are either the materials or that the pens are limited editions.
Most are premium or exotic materials such as urushi, maki-e, Arco, or precious metals. The vague, but accurate answer is: it depends. It depends on what you prefer in a fountain pen or writing experience. It depends on your aesthetic and image. From a writing perspective, the nib and pen size will have the biggest impact. If you want an italic nib or a double-broad, the only option is to pay more. As for pen size, some people want a larger and heavier pen while others want a smaller and lighter pen.
From a durability perspective, metal pens are probably worth the extra cost. As for other pen materials, the added cost of a urushi or maki-e pen will likely be a big turnoff to many people, regardless of how beautiful the pens are. Still, many will see them as individual works of art and buy them to have something unique and beautiful.
Many people will pay a premium for a pen from a known manufacturer. On the other hand, small, independent pen makers are thriving and many people love the pens that they make because they are not mass-produced by a large commercial manufacturer. I like black pens that write well.
Sure, they each have their own writing experience, but both write well. I realize that not everyone can do that and spending more on a pen with a better nib is important to some people.
Prices and values for individual pens vary based on condition, rarity, nib and who is selling them. Again, not everyone can say that and modern flex is both safe and comfortable.
People are usually more than happy to share their experiences and opinions. I have very much the same thinking as you: I rather buy one thing in good quality and have it for years than cheap things which break and you end up buying more and in the end pay more for it over time. I just once spent more money on a pen, it is a custom made Nakaya Urushi pen.
TWSBIs really do seem to be a great value. I only own one and enjoy it, but am always thinking I should try another one out. I really like the idea of having one really special pen that gives you a wonderful feeling every time you use it!
Way to treat yourself! Thank you John for an interesting read. I own at least fountain pens. I have no intention of exceeding that price because of the law of diminishing returns. I used to retail guitars. Same with pens. The Plaisir uses aluminium and costs 3 times the plastic Preppy. The question is: Do you want a tool or a status symbol? With guitars I noticed that the most expensive ones were usually bought by non musicians.
My cheapest pens are 52 pence Korean ones. The problem, as with many cheap pens, is that they dry out if not used every day. Wow Noel, that is a lot of pens! Great article John. And one intangible: More expensive pens may but certainly not always be produced in more expensive markets like Japan, Germany, Italy where labour is more expensive and yes I understand that Lamy makes Safaris in Germany… but I think the trend holds that the cheapest pens will be manufactured in China.
Thanks for the great comment, Anthony. I agree those two additional things may be important to some people. Some enjoy an expensive item due to its cost. This is part of the pen world. The guitar analogy is spot on. There is a set of people who only buy what they know, which unfortunately may not include many of the great value pens. Very few places to actually use a pen before buying. That will limit new users options in deciding what pen they like. I agree that new users can be quite limited in being able to try out pens before they buy them.
Nice article thank you. There are so many criteria for choosing a pen. I learnt something new about a feeds here. Once I forgot about it for years with the cartridge on, and without cleaning and when I found it, it wrote at the first try without any clogging. There are many extremely inexpensive fountain pens that just work without any fuss.
I love fountain pens. Mostly cheaper ones and I have quite a few in different colours which match the ink in them…. But I always gravitate to my second hand Parker It writes beautifully, sliding across the paper without a burp! And it cost very little; less than my Twsbi Eco.
Richard, it sounds like you got a good deal on your Parker 51!
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