I love how all your favorite pens are really affordable pens. Most below the $20 mark! Your videos are what got me trying so many of the cheap pens and loving them.
Hi Tribalwish2020!! This is so great to hear! I had a pen pal (she passed away in 2018) who coached me early on in my return to fountain pens and helped me see that the writing experience depended so much on the nib and ink and that a lot of what we pay for in the higher cost pens is truly just special finishes and materials. I still think that MANY of the super affordable pens are beautiful too though. :)
Truly enjoyed this! I'm so thankful for you and others in the fountain pen community that take the time, effort and energy to put these very informative (and often entertaining) videos together. Kudos to you, Chris! 👍👍
Me too! I am not usually drawn to bright colors, but I bought one, like Chris in broad, right after it came out. It's inked with Diamine Pumpkin, and I use it when I need a little happy :)
I'm new to fountain pens, but I love the TWSBI Eco! LAMY may be my second favorite, but we'll see. I have some Jinhao's and Penbbs pens arriving at some point, but nothing has beat out the TWSBI. I don't have any really expensive pens, and I'm not sure I ever will. I'm content in the economical range.
Hi Lori - it's funny ... I remember when $3 seemed like a lot for the better Energel Pentel pens I used to like with the needle tip and then over time in the fountain pen hobby how $20 can seem inexpensive ... I too am content in the economical fountain pen range. :) I was glad to discover that more money spent didn't result in a better writing experience (early on).
TWSBI makes pens that perform far above their weight. Certainly better than anything out of China, and to my mind, far batter than anything Lamy makes.
Nicely done, Chris. I have all those pens and enjoy them too. I’m especially fond of Lamy’s, and have several. Lately, though, I’ve been writing letters with a Pilot Metropolitan with a medium nib. I surprised myself by how much I’m enjoying it. There are soooo many wonderful pens made today (not to mention ink. I’m with you about ink, I love ink!)-we’ll never be bored in this hobby.
Hi Frank - it's interesting you mentioned the Pilot Metropolitan because I have one inked (F) with TWSBI Blue Black just to test that ink some more! :)
Well, the Metropolitan is really a forty-five to fifty dollar pen. Pilot uses it as a loss leader here in the states, meaning they sell it at or below cost in order to draw people onto the Pilot ladder. They hope those who love the Metropolitan will eventually climb all the way to the Namiki- Maki-e and Chinkin rungs of the ladder where a cheap pen is four thousand dollars.
Since I wrote this I've stopped using the Metro M. I've really fallen in love with my TWSBI 1.1 stubs. I write letters nearly every day. Right now I'm rotating between 3 TWSBI Go’s--all 1.1 stubs, each with a different ink. A Lamy Alstar B, a Kaweco Sport B, and a Kaweco Sport 1.1 stub. I say again, I love the 1.1 stubs. 😊 I did just buy a Metropolitan CM, which is supposed to be a 1.0 stub. I was disappointed. To me it was more like a M.
I love TWSBI Eco pens too, at first I thought they were kind of ugly and I didn't understand why they were so popular, but I got one to try and I fell in love with it. I have the rose gold one and 2 Twsbi mini, those are my favorite pens to use.
My favorites right now, which are getting a lot of use, are: Lamy Safari , Pilot Explorer , TWSBI mini which always has Birmingham Pens Slag Gray, SchonDsgn Pocket 6, Diplomat Magnum , and the Narwhal is a runner up.
I really appreciate the great tips you have for fountain pen enthusiasts on a budget. I also have the Jinhao X750 in purple and I think it's so pretty. The Shimmering Sands ended up being too sparkly for me and I gave it to a little girl who was over the moon about it. I also agree that the TWSBI ECO is a great pen--I have more of them than I need because I also love the various colors, but I'm struck by how good they are every time I write with one.
Hi Chris, I really enjoyed your video, and all your other videos. I like your choices of favorite pens. My favorite modern fountain pens are the TWSBI eco, Lamy Al-star (cause I like aluminum pens), Jinhao X750, Platinum Preppy Crystal and Wing Sung 618. I call them my favorites because they are the ones I keep inked up and reach for first. I have around a hundred fountain pens that I bought on a whim but most of them are uninked. My real passion is restoring vintage pens from the 1930s through the 1950s. One of them is My father's Sheaffer Snorkel Admiral he used in the 1950's and 1960s. I love to look at them and touch them but don't write with them much. Unless I want to write with flex nibs. I love hearing your cheerful enthusiastic voice!
Hi Paul -- thank you for watching and commenting! I just love the look of vintage pens but I seem very timid of them and I'm afraid I'll cause harm somehow. I have 3 vintage pens in my collection and my favorite is the little Waterman's 52 pocket pen with a #2 soft/flex nib. It writes so nicely. I need to try a Wing Sung 618 - that is one I have yet to try.
@@ChrisSaenz13 I'm very partial to Watermans too. The first vintage pen I bought was a restored Waterman Stalwart from the forties, It has a gold very flexible nib that writes like a dream. It comfortably writes from a fine line to nearly 3mm wide during my rare calligraphy playtimes. I also have a couple more modern Watermans but they're no funner than Chinese pens so I almost never use them, Thanks for your active video channels, I enjoy them so much! Stay safe, healthy and happy!
Thank you, Chris. I think your list is very good, sensibly priced pens and all good writers. I love the X750's & the 159's and I have far too many of each but way back when I was buying them they were peanuts really like $4 USD delivered, less sometimes. Since you asked what our lists would be I would have to say mine is, 'off the top of my head' : *Lamy Safari, Jinhao x750, Winsung 3008, Paili 013 (AKA wingsung 3013) & Cross Aventura.* Honorable mentions Waterman Expert & Parker Reflex. My top 5 are relatively inexpensive and surprising for the cost. I've had all these pens, including the honorable mentions, inked up for long periods and they start the first time every time. Stay safe.
Thanks for a fun and interesting video. I recently bought a TWSBI Go because the spring piston filling mechanism fascinated me, and the fact that the spring is visible due to the Go being a demonstrator pen. After I bought the Go, I ended up getting two different TWSBI Ecos. There is just something fun about writing with them. Again, thanks for a great video.
Hi Barbara - I love both the Go and Eco pens! The Go pens are SUCH a good value for the great writing experience! The Ecos are so elegant looking and amazing too ... sometimes I think if I had to choose only one brand it probably would be TWSBI but I'm glad I don't have to because the #6 nibbed pens are also really great and the Lamy Safari/Vista are essential too lol. :)
I to love ECOs, ahnd some how wound up with eight! I have one Diamond 580 that I reserve for Shimmertastic ink, and two custom Edison pens, a Menlo and a Brockton. I have some other pens as well, and find my favorites change, but I keep coming back to the Brockton and my ECOs.
I had a Twisbi eco with a 1.1 stub on it. I gave it to a friend. I also gave a bottle of Diamine Florida blue ink to a lady friend who has a yellow Lamy Safari. She loves the ink colour. Beware of the Jinhao X750 fountain pens, they are addictive. I have two Shimmering Sands X750 pens, one with a 1.1 Bock and the other has a Jowo 1.1 stub nib. I have a Jinhao 159 with a 1.5 Bock stub on it. I haven't bought a fountain pen for over a year now, however your wonderful videos are encouraging me to buy some more.
Hi Neil -- how did you go a whole year not buying a fountain pen - I need to take lessons!!!!! :) I know the X750s are very addictive. I just bought a red and gold one and I can't wait for Christmas season to come around again - I think it's going to be so awesome for a red shimmer ink!!!!! Oh I just realized this is my top 5 pen video which I need to revisit and revise now that something has bumped my opinion and changed this line up slightly!!!!! :)
Hi Casey - I think you'd love the Moonman Mini - I eyedropper mine and they are totally reliable for longer than I normally even want to leave a pen without cleaning it. Amazing! And cute! And they fit in the little sleeves I crochet. LOL
I'm only familiar with Go and Safari, but absolutely agree about them. For me it would be the Kaweco Sport at #1. I've bought five of them in total, with different nib sizes. One is fitted with a little piston converter and has permanent residency in my trouser pocket.
@@ChrisSaenz13 I've also tried eyedroppering it, and it works well. Only problem is that I never managed to finish the ink before I wanted to try a new colour! The converter is tiny, but when it's empty I'm always "ooh, I wonder what ink I'll try next". I did fill it with TWSBI Blue-black recently, and while I like the colour better than what I remember, it still feels a bit too watery for me.
Another great video, Chris. The first pen I bought was the Twsbi Diamond 580, and it was rather expensive. When I found the Twsbi Eco was practically the same pen, and cost so much less, I was excited. Every time I felt a little bit depressed, I would buy another Eco. I ended up with 15!!! Well, I can put different colors of inks in all of them, and they don't dry out!!
Well, the 580AL and the ECO just look like the same pen. They are NOT practically the same pen in any way, other than the fact that both are piston fill. There's a world of difference in both construction materials and aesthetics. If nothing else, just the fact that the nib unit in the 580 unscrews, while the ECO feed is very, very easy to damage makes the 580AL worth the additional price. The 580ALR takes these differences even further I know you can get two ECOs for the price of one 580ALR, but you'll be very glad you picked the 580 when an ECO has a feed problem, or the much weaker fill mechanism breaks, or it develops a leak. I do like the ECO, and have several, but I stopped buying them when I realized the are nowhere near as well made as the 580AL or ALR. There's just no comparison. "ECO" means "Economical", and this means "very cheap version of the 580".
@@jamesaritchie1 Yes, I agree, One of the nibs on my Eco, well, it just fell out like a loose tooth. And the 580 you can change the nibs which is really important to me. When I asked JetPens in the beginning of my hobby, what was the difference between the Eco and the 580, they said oh they are practically the same. So I believed that for awhile until the nib on the Eco fell out. Now, I only buy 580s'. But I have to stop buying pens.
Hi Carolee -- I personally find the TWSBI Ecos more comfortable to write with ... so it is great that they are 1/2 the price of the Diamond 580s! I think that the beautiful colors are just so nice to have! I've been tempted by many Ecos and right now I have 5 + one my husband has put away for me for Christmas. :)
The Wancai Mini also surprised me. Mine was inked for months; and writes every time I pick it up. The original nib was very dry; so I put a Bock nib in it, and it works very well. I recently found, for a very good price, in discontinued colors, some Sheaffer Intensity fountain pens. Not much is said about them in the foutain pen community, but I have really enjoyed the writing experience, and it seems to be a very durable pen. Thanks for the video.
Hi Nelson - I had not heard of Sheaffer Intensity - I'm glad you mentioned the pen! The Wancai Mini's are just awesome - I don't think I'll ever get bored of them they write so well and are 100% reliable!
Like you, the ink is the biggest attraction for me but I do have some favorite pens. TWSBI ECO is my top pen of all time, second is Kaweco Sport and third place goes to my Kakuno pens. Runner up is my Lamy Al-Stars. I recently got the cement grey ECO and I am obsessed with that beauty. I havent got the yellow yet but I am very tempted, lol. Thank you for the wonderful videos and ink reviews. It has sent me looking for a few inks already 😉
Hi Jenn - I'm excited because the TWSBI Eco Cement Grey is here locked up for my birthday! LOL I will use it all the time for my bullet journal with grey ink!!!! Nice to hear from another ink person! Just a few more days before #30inks30days starts!
I too love my Twsbi. I've got 5 eco and 2 go. I like their 1.1 stub. I also like my wing sung 3008. I can use Lamy nibs, but still have that piston capacity.
Hi cerealnana - that is such a bonus with the Wingsung 3008s (being able to put Lamy nibs on them!)-- and the fact that they have such generous flow too!
Hi Sharon - LOL - thank you! I really need to stay in better practice I guess ... I kept looking for the right words as if I was on stage or something! :)
I just ordered my first fountain pen and sample inks this morning thanks to your videos! Went with the TWSBI Go and glad to see it's still one of your favorites.
Hi Tiye - awesome - welcome to the best hobby ever!!!! I think you'll like the TWSBI Go pen very much - I hope as much as I like mine. What nib did you get?
I've had to add that beautiful purple Moonman to my wishlist! My wallet does NOT thank you 🤣 I only have another Moonman, the M2 with snowflakes all over. It's so beautiful! It also writes very smoothly.
Hi L V - Oh I've admired those snowflake M2s for awhile now. They look really pretty and I've almost purchased one twice now. :) The nibs on the Moonman pens seem pretty nice right out of the box!
I enjoyed this video. My top 5, in the same range, but not really in order are the Kaco Edge M, Eco in transparent blue w/ 1.1, black x750 w/ Goulet 1.1, creme x750 w/ Nemosine .8 stub, aaand I guess I'd say a Jinhao 601 with a Bobby .7 stub. The Edge is makrolon, with a Schmidt M nib which is just really pleasant. Would recommend, $14 shipped. Also comes in Brown & Navy with gold colored F nib, look niice. Thanks for the vid
With you on finding the inks the more fascinating aspect; I haven't bought many bottles, but I could probably write for years on just the samples I've gathered. Though I'm on a bit of a pen buying kick right now, I've been using fountain pens nearly exclusively for 12 years and have only bought six of them (not counting a couple non-functional antiques). I seem to be in the minority on that.
Great video! A pleasure listening to you go through your pen selections and favourites. I personally find many of my go-to's matching yours, such as the LAMY Al-Star (I have the Safari plastic version but otherwise the same pen) and TWSBI Eco. The latter is really a nice, smooth, and purely enjoyable writer. The Pilot Metropolitan is good too, but a different feel. I'm getting my Kaweco Sport soon so looking forward to that.
First time viewer. Really enjoyed your enthusiasm. Have you tried any PenBBS pens? I have found them to be the best of the Chinese pens. Also, I just received my Moorman S5 and it’s really nice. Came with 2 fine nibs and a 1mm oblique stub.
Hi Toby - yes I have a Pen BBS 308 in Purple Cloud and it has a fine nib which is really great - I love it and it is totally reliable. I will have to look up the S5 as I can't remember what that one is like.
My current top 5: Jinhao 450A (its a x450 with a different clip), Wing Sung 626, Faber-Castell Loom, Wing sung 699, Moonman M800. Moonman M800 is the only model i have more than one of.
I’ve started with twsbi ecos and a Lamy safari and have love them. My husband also surprised me with a BENU BRIOLETTE. I’ve enjoyed that, too. I bought a wancai mini but didn’t like the f nib. Didn’t think of trying a new nib! 🤣 And...I enjoyed your review. And I do like that solid yellow TWSBI. Mine are the clear ones right now but I may need to think about branching out into the solid color! 🤔 😁💛
Hi Gail!!!! Oh the Benu pens are gorgeous and I've not seen one in person yet but they are just so pretty on Instagram!!! I love my Wancai Mini even better with the Broad Goulet #5 nib on it!!! I think I may have slightly smoothed the fine nib on my other one with just micro mesh too if I'm remembering right ... there was a lot of feedback even though it wrote smooth. And I'm not a fan of feedback! :) I have the Eco in translucent blue and purple. The red and green call out to me as well but more as seasonal (Christmas) pens. :) I'm hopeless. They know how to get us to buy with all the wildly beautiful colors! :)
I stopped buying Chinese pens a good long while ago, and I absolutely detest every Lamy pen I've tried, so that narrows my list a bit. I usually wait until the end of the year to pick my favorite pens, but if I had to make the choice right now, the top five would be easy. I actually like them in order of expense, which hasn't happened before. 1. Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze Age. 2. Sailor 1911L 3. Platinum 3776. 4. TWSBI 580 ALR. 5. Pilot Petit1. There's a wide stretch of money from top to bottom. The Visconti cost about 976 times what the Pilot Petit1 cost. That's bad enough, but the Petit1 knocked the Pilot Custom 74 off the list, and that's even odder. This list may be very different by the end of the year, but so far these are the pens I've used the most, and that have filled the roles I need better than any other five pens.
James Ritchie , it would be nice if you would list the prices also. on your Chinese comment...I collect pocket knives and although US made knives are all in high demand, the Chinese have figured the whole thing out over the last few years. They now understand what the US market wants, high quality at a reasonable price, and they have succeeded. Some of the very best quality knives are coming from China and for slightly less money. So I was surprised to hear your comment. Apparently they haven’t figured out the knives yet...lol.
Hi James - the Platinum 3776 makes the list a lot of pens that people recommend I try. One of these days I will try one! :) I do love those Pilot Petit 1s they are amazing!
I've contemplated trying the TWSBI Eco as I do like TWSBI pens. I keep hoping that they'll bring out more colours in the Go and the Diamond AL Mini as I'd like to have more colours in those. Not sure how the brain works in why we have to buy multiples of the same pens albeit in different colours/nibs 😂😂. I've been eyeing up other colours of the Sailor Pro Gear Slim pens, but it's a good job I'm now on a buying ban of pens/inks or I'd be very tempted to buy another 🤣😂
Hi Annie -- I vote for a purple Go pen!!!!! :) Wouldn't that be awesome! If they do it I'd probably want one in all the nibs. Which is ... well normal for a purple pen person I guess! :) September is a (dare I say it) no buy pens/inks month for me - I will be busy with #30inks30days and before August is finished my channel allowance order for some samples and supplies will finish out things until October. I hope. I think that the reason I love the pens I do in many cases is the ease of switching nibs but at least the Go pens are affordable to start with. I'd be afraid of crushing a feed if I were to swap those nibs out. I wish I could get over that fear. :)
@@ChrisSaenz13 Yes a purple one would be great. A brightly coloured (such as bright orange, green and yellow) one would also be good. Looking forward to seeing your #30inks30days during September ☺️
Thank you Chris! As always, an informative and inspirational video!! Question : I 'm always hearing about “ wet flowing” inks . Can you share some of your favorite wet flowing inks? It would be much appreciated and very helpful!!
Hi Desiree - it's tricky and always dependent on the nib/feed and your paper ... so it's tough to generalize about this but I think that Brian Goulet did amazing in this video and I consider him an expert: th-cam.com/video/i2pn5uAH_jU/w-d-xo.html
I don’t have any favorites because it’s all new to me. Do you always change nibs from factory to .? Also since I am new to this if you have any “gettin started” vids I would ver much appreciate a link. And, I may be wrong, and this is your only video I’ve watched, I kinda get the impression that writing is not your only purpose here. Thanks
Hi Mick - welcome to the fountain hobby and to this channel!!! I recommend Brian Goulet's Fountain Pen 101 series for getting started!!! He is the owner of Goulet Pens and has done so many great videos to help newcomers to the hobby over the past 10+ years. I'll link to those at the end of this comment. I change nibs quite often but mainly so that I can enjoy specific pens with a variety of nib sizes -- that's one reason I love the Jinhao X750s and other #6 nib pens for that flexibility! Lamy Safari's are also great for being able to swap the nibs! Yes, I also love to do ink art although I'm not great at it by any means it's fun and therapeutic. I like the work of Nick Stewart! He has a You Tube channel and also offers online classes. Here is a link to Brian's Fountain Pen 101 series: th-cam.com/play/PL1AEFDC6AC935BAFC.html
I have a wancai mini and would love to swap the existing nib with a Goulet nib but I can’t get the nib out of the wancai. Can you do a demo on swapping nibs?
I had this problem with mine, and I just worked at it until it finally became free. I rocked the nib back and forth a lot rather than just trying to pull it straight out. Push the metal part of the nib side to side, not too roughly, and then start adding a gentle pull motion to that. Do this with a rubber grip if you can, but even a bare hand works. After you get it out the first time, it should be loosened up and easy to remove and put back on.
Hi Rebecca - the trick is to go for just the nib not the nib and feed - I use the green lobster band like the one I showed in the video and grasp carefully from the sides -- I think a regular rubber band (wide as you can find) would work too ... you're looking to slide the nib only off like with the Lamy pens. If I do a video it could become a comedy reel most likely. But I think you'll find if you get thumb and index finger one each SIDE of the nib it will slide right off if you have the rubber grip working with you. I didn't have any luck with the flat black Goulet grip in this case. Let me know how it goes.
i have become a fast friend of the twshi go although the feed that i got with this one did get smooshed the first time I tried to take the feed out but I wasnt using proper etiquette for pulling nibs and feeds out so my bad ... I am looking to get another twsbi only in a medium nib thinking thoughts about it ... sense the beginning of the year I have been a flex monster I love my flex pens they are 100% of the pens I use these days eccept when i am doing an ink review which i reach for the go or the lamy or the noodlers charlie pen but who knows maybe next year I will be into something else we will see :) looking forward to 30inks30days cant wait got my setup all figured out going to make a video about that on monday next week so that will be exciting look forward to that :o.)
Hi Marilyn - I'm glad to hear you'll be doing #30inks30days!!!!! I'm really looking forward to it. It is a lot of fun all of the branches of the hobby there are to explore!
The Lamy pens are actually used by almost every student I know from 3rd grade on in germany because they are very durable and not that expensive. One of my favourites as well.
My Moonman glass nib pen came with a convential nib and feed unit. Do you know if this is a swappable #5??? I don't wanna to cause you any stress if you don't know off-hand, I'll have to do research, but sometimes if I am not expecting new samples I enjoy inking up and writing with the Moonman pen and I would love to buy a broad nib for it
My Moonman glass nib extra nib unit is a #5 nib ... I have had problems getting the nib out and decided to just leave the glass nib in that one .... but yes it's a #5 nib and so you should be able to put in a standard #5. I swap out the ones in my Wancai Moonman Mini all the time too. :) The Goulet #5 nib has been fantastic!
Jinhao y6 F neb and ef nib, jinhao 992 with a F & EF Daco Stiloul meu (romanian brand) with a M nib (not the originel Iridium Point Germany), DACO SE274A with a christian lacroix M nib, Parker Jotter.
@@ChrisSaenz13 i like to modify Chinese fountain pens, had some, cheaper ones hero, no name cheap fountain pens, if they have a good nib, feed, ink converter i will save them în a bag and modify the good ones. Love my Dikawen 889, one of some pens i like how they came, it costed almost 4 dollars from a bookshop în my home town în romania. Writes smooth like butter, no feedback, love it
I have more expensive fountain pens, but I still use my less expensive ones all the time. If a pen is a good writer and feels good in my hand, it has fulfilled the most important my qualifications for a fountain pen.
True. Very true. But no steel nib writes as well as a soft gold nib that you know how to use. I write a minimum of five hours per day, and my hand would have given out a decade or two ago if I had to use steel nibs. I really don't see the point of a gold nib that's as hard as a steel nib, other than pure beauty, but a soft gold nib acts like a shock absorber. It absorbs all the twitches and tremors and little jerks we all have during long writing sessions, and helps avoid cramping and hand fatigue. I have a lot of cheap pens, by which I mean anything from two dollars up to a hundred dollars, and they all have very smooth nibs, but if that's all it took to be a great writer, the cheapest Jinhao on the market would all any of us needed. Just put a smooth nib on it, and never buy another pen. But smooth is only the start of being a great writer But pens keep getting better and better and better as they get more expensive. They simply do. And they seem to run in price groups. There's a big jump in quality in the $175-3$00 range. Then another in the $600-$900 range, and yet another on the $1,100-$1,800 range. Somewhere around $2,000 you stop buying pens for how well they write and how great they feel, and start buying them because of what they're made from, or the talent and skill that goes into making them. A $3,120 Faber Castell Mammoth Ivory Fountain probably won't write any better that a $1,500 Visconti, but if you own it, you'll think it does, and just believing it helps make it true. The problem with Grail pens, though, is that you may have to own and use one steady for several months before you know how good, or how bad, it actually is for you. That can get expensive. Especially for someone my age on a fixed income. Now I get very, very nervous when a pen reaches the thousand dollar mark. People see the pens I own and think I have a lot of money. I don't. There's no way I could work a two hundred dollar pen into my budget if i had to buy it all at once. But I can save ten dollars per week, and not even really miss it much. That's $520 per year, $1,040 in two years, and $1,560 in three years. A Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze Age, a Pilot Custom 823, a Sailor 1911L, A Platinum 3776 Century, and a Pilot Custom 74, plus a bit left over for ink and paper, all for ten bucks per week and a little patience. When I was a lot younger and had more years ahead of me, I bought some very nice, very expensive things, including fountain pens, just by saving a few bucks per week. I still buy cheap pens because I like them. I enjoy using them, and they're fun. But not out of my ten bucks per week fund. I'd far, far, far rather have one Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze Age than sixty ten dollar pens. Or twenty thirty dollar pans. Or one Pilot Custom 823 with a soft gold nib that twenty-eight ten dollar pens. Or nine thirty dollar pens. Just about anyone can buy really high quality gold nib pens, if they have self-discipline and patience. Whatever your weekly or monthly pen allowance is, try saving it for a year. I'll bet it adds up to more than one pen of the kind that will last a lifetime.
Hi Sharon! I think the most important qualifying factor for my pens these days is that they be very reliable and not finicky! LOL I used to not mind tinkering with pens but now I have so much writing to do!!!! :)
I just started collecting fountain pens. My first pens are the Jinhao 100 Centennial pens. I have 4 with an orange that had a fude nib which I tried to straighten hoping it would at least turn into a Fine nib and I ruined it. I cannot use a Fude nib. A stub nib 1.5 I love to use and have no problem, but a fude nib confusese. Please help me with a feed and nib for my Jinhao 100 Centennial?? Would you happen to have a feed and stub or M nib you can kindly gift me? I am on a limited budget but love to buy a pen every now and then, from the affordable pens. I have a vintage Shaeffer Targa since I was 16 but its nib bent badly during a fall. It does not write properly. I just want to save my orange pen so I have a few different ones to use. It is just sitting there.
Hi Maria -- I understand being on a budget!!! It took me a long time to purchase a few $14 or $15 nibs for my Jinhaos which I swap off and on the pens .... in my current collection I have one 1.5 and 2 - 1.1 stub nibs that get a lot of use moving around pen to pen. I didn't buy them with a feed just by themselves and the pens that do take a nib unit are screw in units which then extend the pens life to be able to write with M, B, and stub. Basically, I have more pens (nib holders) than nibs that I prefer to write with. Are you in the US?
My favorites: Lamy 2000, twsby eco, twsby classic. I really like piston filler. This has been a very bad year so fountain pen helps me to pass the time, it is a very nice hobby. In order to improve the next year it's easy vote democrat and get rid off the orange little baby in the white house.
Well, a fairly expensive pen will always be at the top of my list, but I use a fountain considerably more than the average person. Five hours per day is my slow day, and when you write this much there simply is no substitute for a soft gold nib that you know how to use.
I love how all your favorite pens are really affordable pens. Most below the $20 mark! Your videos are what got me trying so many of the cheap pens and loving them.
Hi Tribalwish2020!! This is so great to hear! I had a pen pal (she passed away in 2018) who coached me early on in my return to fountain pens and helped me see that the writing experience depended so much on the nib and ink and that a lot of what we pay for in the higher cost pens is truly just special finishes and materials. I still think that MANY of the super affordable pens are beautiful too though. :)
Your videos are a true joy!
Thank you Susan - I really enjoy doing them!!!!
I am also a lover of Moonman pens. They are fantastic 🖊 pens and they fit my tiny budget. Can’t beat that with a stick. I enjoy your videos. ☺️
Thank you Ginger Ninja! I really like your screen name! The Moonman pens are so much fun especially the Minis!
Your videos are perfect for someone into buying fountain pens for the first time!
Truly enjoyed this! I'm so thankful for you and others in the fountain pen community that take the time, effort and energy to put these very informative (and often entertaining) videos together. Kudos to you, Chris! 👍👍
Hi Dave - thank you!!!!
Hi Chris! That dark lilac Lamy is a pretty pen!
Hi Yvonne -- thank you -- I was happy to be able to get one a bit late after they released it but purple is my favorite color! :)
That yellow ECO! I love that color on that pen--it looks so happy!
Hi Alesa - it sure is happy looking!!!! And I love it for black ink or a colorful bright ink like the orange I have in it!!!!
Me too! I am not usually drawn to bright colors, but I bought one, like Chris in broad, right after it came out. It's inked with Diamine Pumpkin, and I use it when I need a little happy :)
Very enjoyable, Chris, and thank you for sharing.
Hi Jeff - thank you!
I'm new to fountain pens, but I love the TWSBI Eco! LAMY may be my second favorite, but we'll see. I have some Jinhao's and Penbbs pens arriving at some point, but nothing has beat out the TWSBI. I don't have any really expensive pens, and I'm not sure I ever will. I'm content in the economical range.
Hi Lori - it's funny ... I remember when $3 seemed like a lot for the better Energel Pentel pens I used to like with the needle tip and then over time in the fountain pen hobby how $20 can seem inexpensive ... I too am content in the economical fountain pen range. :) I was glad to discover that more money spent didn't result in a better writing experience (early on).
TWSBI makes pens that perform far above their weight. Certainly better than anything out of China, and to my mind, far batter than anything Lamy makes.
Nicely done, Chris. I have all those pens and enjoy them too. I’m especially fond of Lamy’s, and have several. Lately, though, I’ve been writing letters with a Pilot Metropolitan with a medium nib. I surprised myself by how much I’m enjoying it. There are soooo many wonderful pens made today (not to mention ink. I’m with you about ink, I love ink!)-we’ll never be bored in this hobby.
Hi Frank - it's interesting you mentioned the Pilot Metropolitan because I have one inked (F) with TWSBI Blue Black just to test that ink some more! :)
Well, the Metropolitan is really a forty-five to fifty dollar pen. Pilot uses it as a loss leader here in the states, meaning they sell it at or below cost in order to draw people onto the Pilot ladder. They hope those who love the Metropolitan will eventually climb all the way to the Namiki- Maki-e and Chinkin rungs of the ladder where a cheap pen is four thousand dollars.
Since I wrote this I've stopped using the Metro M. I've really fallen in love with my TWSBI 1.1 stubs. I write letters nearly every day. Right now I'm rotating between 3 TWSBI Go’s--all 1.1 stubs, each with a different ink. A Lamy Alstar B, a Kaweco Sport B, and a Kaweco Sport 1.1 stub. I say again, I love the 1.1 stubs. 😊 I did just buy a Metropolitan CM, which is supposed to be a 1.0 stub. I was disappointed. To me it was more like a M.
What a great video. Thank you for leading us through your experiences.
Thank you Mayur Patel!!!!
I love TWSBI Eco pens too, at first I thought they were kind of ugly and I didn't understand why they were so popular, but I got one to try and I fell in love with it. I have the rose gold one and 2 Twsbi mini, those are my favorite pens to use.
thank you for sharing! Nice Videos.
My favorites right now, which are getting a lot of use, are: Lamy Safari , Pilot Explorer , TWSBI mini which always has Birmingham Pens Slag Gray, SchonDsgn Pocket 6, Diplomat Magnum , and the Narwhal is a runner up.
I really appreciate the great tips you have for fountain pen enthusiasts on a budget. I also have the Jinhao X750 in purple and I think it's so pretty. The Shimmering Sands ended up being too sparkly for me and I gave it to a little girl who was over the moon about it. I also agree that the TWSBI ECO is a great pen--I have more of them than I need because I also love the various colors, but I'm struck by how good they are every time I write with one.
Hi Marilyn! Recently I even found myself wanting one of the new Ecos in 2 nib sizes - I haven't done that but I've thought about it. :)
Hi Chris, I really enjoyed your video, and all your other videos. I like your choices of favorite pens. My favorite modern fountain pens are the TWSBI eco, Lamy Al-star (cause I like aluminum pens), Jinhao X750, Platinum Preppy Crystal and Wing Sung 618. I call them my favorites because they are the ones I keep inked up and reach for first. I have around a hundred fountain pens that I bought on a whim but most of them are uninked. My real passion is restoring vintage pens from the 1930s through the 1950s. One of them is My father's Sheaffer Snorkel Admiral he used in the 1950's and 1960s. I love to look at them and touch them but don't write with them much. Unless I want to write with flex nibs. I love hearing your cheerful enthusiastic voice!
Hi Paul -- thank you for watching and commenting! I just love the look of vintage pens but I seem very timid of them and I'm afraid I'll cause harm somehow. I have 3 vintage pens in my collection and my favorite is the little Waterman's 52 pocket pen with a #2 soft/flex nib. It writes so nicely.
I need to try a Wing Sung 618 - that is one I have yet to try.
@@ChrisSaenz13 I'm very partial to Watermans too. The first vintage pen I bought was a restored Waterman Stalwart from the forties, It has a gold very flexible nib that writes like a dream. It comfortably writes from a fine line to nearly 3mm wide during my rare calligraphy playtimes. I also have a couple more modern Watermans but they're no funner than Chinese pens so I almost never use them, Thanks for your active video channels, I enjoy them so much! Stay safe, healthy and happy!
Thank you, Chris. I think your list is very good, sensibly priced pens and all good writers. I love the X750's & the 159's and I have far too many of each but way back when I was buying them they were peanuts really like $4 USD delivered, less sometimes.
Since you asked what our lists would be I would have to say mine is, 'off the top of my head' : *Lamy Safari, Jinhao x750, Winsung 3008, Paili 013 (AKA wingsung 3013) & Cross Aventura.* Honorable mentions Waterman Expert & Parker Reflex. My top 5 are relatively inexpensive and surprising for the cost. I've had all these pens, including the honorable mentions, inked up for long periods and they start the first time every time.
Stay safe.
Thanks for a fun and interesting video. I recently bought a TWSBI Go because the spring piston filling mechanism fascinated me, and the fact that the spring is visible due to the Go being a demonstrator pen. After I bought the Go, I ended up getting two different TWSBI Ecos. There is just something fun about writing with them. Again, thanks for a great video.
Hi Barbara - I love both the Go and Eco pens! The Go pens are SUCH a good value for the great writing experience! The Ecos are so elegant looking and amazing too ... sometimes I think if I had to choose only one brand it probably would be TWSBI but I'm glad I don't have to because the #6 nibbed pens are also really great and the Lamy Safari/Vista are essential too lol. :)
I to love ECOs, ahnd some how wound up with eight! I have one Diamond 580 that I reserve for Shimmertastic ink, and two custom Edison pens, a Menlo and a Brockton. I have some other pens as well, and find my favorites change, but I keep coming back to the Brockton and my ECOs.
Hi Jacquelyn! I have admired the beauty of the Edison pens - they really look stunning and with the #6 nibs ... very tempting! :)
Fun video! The TWSBI Eco is my absolute favorite too. I have the purple one and love it in combination with De Atramentis Plum ink.
Hi Kim - oh another ink to try!!! :)
I had a Twisbi eco with a 1.1 stub on it. I gave it to a friend.
I also gave a bottle of Diamine Florida blue ink to a lady friend who has a yellow Lamy Safari. She loves the ink colour.
Beware of the Jinhao X750 fountain pens, they are addictive.
I have two Shimmering Sands X750 pens, one with a 1.1 Bock and the other has a Jowo 1.1 stub nib.
I have a Jinhao 159 with a 1.5 Bock stub on it.
I haven't bought a fountain pen for over a year now, however your wonderful videos are encouraging me to buy some more.
Hi Neil -- how did you go a whole year not buying a fountain pen - I need to take lessons!!!!! :)
I know the X750s are very addictive. I just bought a red and gold one and I can't wait for Christmas season to come around again - I think it's going to be so awesome for a red shimmer ink!!!!!
Oh I just realized this is my top 5 pen video which I need to revisit and revise now that something has bumped my opinion and changed this line up slightly!!!!! :)
I love your pen choices, and they are all excellent writers. I haven’t tried a Moonman Mini, but I believe that needs to go on my wishlist. 🧡🖋
Hi Casey - I think you'd love the Moonman Mini - I eyedropper mine and they are totally reliable for longer than I normally even want to leave a pen without cleaning it. Amazing! And cute! And they fit in the little sleeves I crochet. LOL
My favorite is the eco too. I have the lamy Al-star, pilot metropolitan and platinum prefounte. But I always reach for the Twsbi.
Hi Catherine - once I got a TWSBI Eco it changed things for me a lot - it really raised my standard of what a good pen is. :)
I'm only familiar with Go and Safari, but absolutely agree about them. For me it would be the Kaweco Sport at #1. I've bought five of them in total, with different nib sizes. One is fitted with a little piston converter and has permanent residency in my trouser pocket.
Hi Aksel - the Kaweco's are great! I have one of them & I always eyedropper it!
@@ChrisSaenz13 I've also tried eyedroppering it, and it works well. Only problem is that I never managed to finish the ink before I wanted to try a new colour! The converter is tiny, but when it's empty I'm always "ooh, I wonder what ink I'll try next".
I did fill it with TWSBI Blue-black recently, and while I like the colour better than what I remember, it still feels a bit too watery for me.
I love my Safari and Eco. Nice video.
Hi Martin - thank you!
Very nice choices!
Thank You!
Another great video, Chris. The first pen I bought was the Twsbi Diamond 580, and it was rather expensive. When I found the Twsbi Eco was practically the same pen, and cost so much less, I was excited. Every time I felt a little bit depressed, I would buy another Eco. I ended up with 15!!! Well, I can put different colors of inks in all of them, and they don't dry out!!
Well, the 580AL and the ECO just look like the same pen. They are NOT practically the same pen in any way, other than the fact that both are piston fill. There's a world of difference in both construction materials and aesthetics. If nothing else, just the fact that the nib unit in the 580 unscrews, while the ECO feed is very, very easy to damage makes the 580AL worth the additional price.
The 580ALR takes these differences even further I know you can get two ECOs for the price of one 580ALR, but you'll be very glad you picked the 580 when an ECO has a feed problem, or the much weaker fill mechanism breaks, or it develops a leak.
I do like the ECO, and have several, but I stopped buying them when I realized the are nowhere near as well made as the 580AL or ALR. There's just no comparison. "ECO" means "Economical", and this means "very cheap version of the 580".
@@jamesaritchie1 Yes, I agree, One of the nibs on my Eco, well, it just fell out like a loose tooth. And the 580 you can change the nibs which is really important to me. When I asked JetPens in the beginning of my hobby, what was the difference between the Eco and the 580, they said oh they are practically the same. So I believed that for awhile until the nib on the Eco fell out. Now, I only buy 580s'. But I have to stop buying pens.
Hi Carolee -- I personally find the TWSBI Ecos more comfortable to write with ... so it is great that they are 1/2 the price of the Diamond 580s! I think that the beautiful colors are just so nice to have! I've been tempted by many Ecos and right now I have 5 + one my husband has put away for me for Christmas. :)
The Wancai Mini also surprised me. Mine was inked for months; and writes every time I pick it up. The original nib was very dry; so I put a Bock nib in it, and it works very well. I recently found, for a very good price, in discontinued colors, some Sheaffer Intensity fountain pens. Not much is said about them in the foutain pen community, but I have really enjoyed the writing experience, and it seems to be a very durable pen. Thanks for the video.
Hi Nelson - I had not heard of Sheaffer Intensity - I'm glad you mentioned the pen! The Wancai Mini's are just awesome - I don't think I'll ever get bored of them they write so well and are 100% reliable!
Like you, the ink is the biggest attraction for me but I do have some favorite pens. TWSBI ECO is my top pen of all time, second is Kaweco Sport and third place goes to my Kakuno pens. Runner up is my Lamy Al-Stars. I recently got the cement grey ECO and I am obsessed with that beauty. I havent got the yellow yet but I am very tempted, lol. Thank you for the wonderful videos and ink reviews. It has sent me looking for a few inks already 😉
Hi Jenn - I'm excited because the TWSBI Eco Cement Grey is here locked up for my birthday! LOL I will use it all the time for my bullet journal with grey ink!!!! Nice to hear from another ink person! Just a few more days before #30inks30days starts!
Chris Saenz Im looking forward to seeing what grey you choose. I went with Diamine Earl Grey. Its a perfect ink in my opinion. 😊
I too love my Twsbi. I've got 5 eco and 2 go. I like their 1.1 stub. I also like my wing sung 3008. I can use Lamy nibs, but still have that piston capacity.
Hi cerealnana - that is such a bonus with the Wingsung 3008s (being able to put Lamy nibs on them!)-- and the fact that they have such generous flow too!
Very nice!
Hi Jan!!!! :)
This is such a great video!! No Brain slippage here, my friend!!
Hi Sharon - LOL - thank you! I really need to stay in better practice I guess ... I kept looking for the right words as if I was on stage or something! :)
I just ordered my first fountain pen and sample inks this morning thanks to your videos! Went with the TWSBI Go and glad to see it's still one of your favorites.
Hi Tiye - awesome - welcome to the best hobby ever!!!! I think you'll like the TWSBI Go pen very much - I hope as much as I like mine. What nib did you get?
@@ChrisSaenz13 I went with a broad nib because from what I’ve seen, colors show better with broader nibs but I hope it’s not too intimidating.
I've had to add that beautiful purple Moonman to my wishlist! My wallet does NOT thank you 🤣 I only have another Moonman, the M2 with snowflakes all over. It's so beautiful! It also writes very smoothly.
Hi L V - Oh I've admired those snowflake M2s for awhile now. They look really pretty and I've almost purchased one twice now. :) The nibs on the Moonman pens seem pretty nice right out of the box!
Hi Chris! I know I'm about 2 years late for this video but I'm jealous of that yellow TWSBI Eco! I'm going to have to get one of those. 🙂
Hi John -- I love the yellow Eco --- it was so hard to decide on the nib because I really wanted medium and broad but I did settle on broad. :)
Digging the cat pics
I enjoyed this video. My top 5, in the same range, but not really in order are the Kaco Edge M, Eco in transparent blue w/ 1.1, black x750 w/ Goulet 1.1, creme x750 w/ Nemosine .8 stub, aaand I guess I'd say a Jinhao 601 with a Bobby .7 stub. The Edge is makrolon, with a Schmidt M nib which is just really pleasant. Would recommend, $14 shipped. Also comes in Brown & Navy with gold colored F nib, look niice. Thanks for the vid
Hi nmfixed - thanks! I have been meaning to try a Nemosine stub nib!
With you on finding the inks the more fascinating aspect; I haven't bought many bottles, but I could probably write for years on just the samples I've gathered. Though I'm on a bit of a pen buying kick right now, I've been using fountain pens nearly exclusively for 12 years and have only bought six of them (not counting a couple non-functional antiques). I seem to be in the minority on that.
Hi SaturnNyne - oh yes much as I love inks more I went thru a real streak of buying pens. You've done great to keep it so reasonable!!!!!
Great video! A pleasure listening to you go through your pen selections and favourites. I personally find many of my go-to's matching yours, such as the LAMY Al-Star (I have the Safari plastic version but otherwise the same pen) and TWSBI Eco. The latter is really a nice, smooth, and purely enjoyable writer. The Pilot Metropolitan is good too, but a different feel. I'm getting my Kaweco Sport soon so looking forward to that.
Hi READComment1 - oh that's great - I hope you enjoy your Kaweco Sport I have a Blue Ice Sport and I really love that pen!
First time viewer. Really enjoyed your enthusiasm. Have you tried any PenBBS pens? I have found them to be the best of the Chinese pens. Also, I just received my Moorman S5 and it’s really nice. Came with 2 fine nibs and a 1mm oblique stub.
Hi Toby - yes I have a Pen BBS 308 in Purple Cloud and it has a fine nib which is really great - I love it and it is totally reliable. I will have to look up the S5 as I can't remember what that one is like.
I forgot to say - welcome!!! Glad you found us!!!!!!
My current top 5: Jinhao 450A (its a x450 with a different clip), Wing Sung 626, Faber-Castell Loom, Wing sung 699, Moonman M800. Moonman M800 is the only model i have more than one of.
Hi MrBestBeatlesFan1 -- oh I need to try a Moonman M800 - I was just seeing a review on one and it looks very pretty and nice. :)
@@ChrisSaenz13 well, if our philly pen club is able to meet in person, you can try mine. :)
@@MrBestBeatlesFan1 Haha!
Love my lamy dark lilac w dark lilac ink
Hi Carlos -- that's an excellent combo to be sure!!!!
I’ve started with twsbi ecos and a Lamy safari and have love them. My husband also surprised me with a BENU BRIOLETTE. I’ve enjoyed that, too. I bought a wancai mini but didn’t like the f nib. Didn’t think of trying a new nib! 🤣 And...I enjoyed your review. And I do like that solid yellow TWSBI. Mine are the clear ones right now but I may need to think about branching out into the solid color! 🤔 😁💛
Hi Gail!!!! Oh the Benu pens are gorgeous and I've not seen one in person yet but they are just so pretty on Instagram!!! I love my Wancai Mini even better with the Broad Goulet #5 nib on it!!! I think I may have slightly smoothed the fine nib on my other one with just micro mesh too if I'm remembering right ... there was a lot of feedback even though it wrote smooth. And I'm not a fan of feedback! :) I have the Eco in translucent blue and purple. The red and green call out to me as well but more as seasonal (Christmas) pens. :) I'm hopeless. They know how to get us to buy with all the wildly beautiful colors! :)
@@ChrisSaenz13 haha they sure do! I keep thinking about that yellow you showed....😁
I stopped buying Chinese pens a good long while ago, and I absolutely detest every Lamy pen I've tried, so that narrows my list a bit. I usually wait until the end of the year to pick my favorite pens, but if I had to make the choice right now, the top five would be easy. I actually like them in order of expense, which hasn't happened before.
1. Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze Age.
2. Sailor 1911L
3. Platinum 3776.
4. TWSBI 580 ALR.
5. Pilot Petit1.
There's a wide stretch of money from top to bottom. The Visconti cost about 976 times what the Pilot Petit1 cost. That's bad enough, but the Petit1 knocked the Pilot Custom 74 off the list, and that's even odder.
This list may be very different by the end of the year, but so far these are the pens I've used the most, and that have filled the roles I need better than any other five pens.
James Ritchie , it would be nice if you would list the prices also. on your Chinese comment...I collect pocket knives and although US made knives are all in high demand, the Chinese have figured the whole thing out over the last few years. They now understand what the US market wants, high quality at a reasonable price, and they have succeeded. Some of the very best quality knives are coming from China and for slightly less money. So I was surprised to hear your comment. Apparently they haven’t figured out the knives yet...lol.
Hi James - the Platinum 3776 makes the list a lot of pens that people recommend I try. One of these days I will try one! :) I do love those Pilot Petit 1s they are amazing!
I've contemplated trying the TWSBI Eco as I do like TWSBI pens. I keep hoping that they'll bring out more colours in the Go and the Diamond AL Mini as I'd like to have more colours in those. Not sure how the brain works in why we have to buy multiples of the same pens albeit in different colours/nibs 😂😂. I've been eyeing up other colours of the Sailor Pro Gear Slim pens, but it's a good job I'm now on a buying ban of pens/inks or I'd be very tempted to buy another 🤣😂
Hi Annie -- I vote for a purple Go pen!!!!! :) Wouldn't that be awesome! If they do it I'd probably want one in all the nibs. Which is ... well normal for a purple pen person I guess! :) September is a (dare I say it) no buy pens/inks month for me - I will be busy with #30inks30days and before August is finished my channel allowance order for some samples and supplies will finish out things until October. I hope. I think that the reason I love the pens I do in many cases is the ease of switching nibs but at least the Go pens are affordable to start with. I'd be afraid of crushing a feed if I were to swap those nibs out. I wish I could get over that fear. :)
@@ChrisSaenz13 Yes a purple one would be great. A brightly coloured (such as bright orange, green and yellow) one would also be good. Looking forward to seeing your #30inks30days during September ☺️
Thank you Chris! As always, an informative and inspirational video!!
Question : I 'm always hearing about “ wet flowing” inks . Can you share some of your favorite wet flowing
inks? It would be much appreciated and very helpful!!
Hi Desiree - it's tricky and always dependent on the nib/feed and your paper ... so it's tough to generalize about this but I think that Brian Goulet did amazing in this video and I consider him an expert: th-cam.com/video/i2pn5uAH_jU/w-d-xo.html
This is kinda encouraging me to get an TWISBI GO !
Hi - oh I just love my TWSBI Gos I wish they'd come out with some more colors! LOL
@@ChrisSaenz13 I’d just be happy with the basic :)
Could you please show more of the pen you're talking about? I hardly saw any
When I redo my 5 favorite pens video this year I will try to show them longer - thanks!
I had really bad impression on jinhao pens. I think I should reconsider. Maybe I will buy one more Chinese pen and see my luck.
My best results have been with Jinhao X750s - I admittedly swap the nibs for Goulet or other branded JoWo nibs. :)
I don’t have any favorites because it’s all new to me. Do you always change nibs from factory to .? Also since I am new to this if you have any “gettin started” vids I would ver much appreciate a link. And, I may be wrong, and this is your only video I’ve watched, I kinda get the impression that writing is not your only purpose here. Thanks
Hi Mick - welcome to the fountain hobby and to this channel!!! I recommend Brian Goulet's Fountain Pen 101 series for getting started!!! He is the owner of Goulet Pens and has done so many great videos to help newcomers to the hobby over the past 10+ years. I'll link to those at the end of this comment. I change nibs quite often but mainly so that I can enjoy specific pens with a variety of nib sizes -- that's one reason I love the Jinhao X750s and other #6 nib pens for that flexibility! Lamy Safari's are also great for being able to swap the nibs! Yes, I also love to do ink art although I'm not great at it by any means it's fun and therapeutic. I like the work of Nick Stewart! He has a You Tube channel and also offers online classes.
Here is a link to Brian's Fountain Pen 101 series:
th-cam.com/play/PL1AEFDC6AC935BAFC.html
I have a wancai mini and would love to swap the existing nib with a Goulet nib but I can’t get the nib out of the wancai. Can you do a demo on swapping nibs?
I had this problem with mine, and I just worked at it until it finally became free. I rocked the nib back and forth a lot rather than just trying to pull it straight out. Push the metal part of the nib side to side, not too roughly, and then start adding a gentle pull motion to that. Do this with a rubber grip if you can, but even a bare hand works. After you get it out the first time, it should be loosened up and easy to remove and put back on.
Hi Rebecca - the trick is to go for just the nib not the nib and feed - I use the green lobster band like the one I showed in the video and grasp carefully from the sides -- I think a regular rubber band (wide as you can find) would work too ... you're looking to slide the nib only off like with the Lamy pens. If I do a video it could become a comedy reel most likely. But I think you'll find if you get thumb and index finger one each SIDE of the nib it will slide right off if you have the rubber grip working with you. I didn't have any luck with the flat black Goulet grip in this case. Let me know how it goes.
Thanks, I’ll give it a try.
i have become a fast friend of the twshi go although the feed that i got with this one did get smooshed the first time I tried to take the feed out but I wasnt using proper etiquette for pulling nibs and feeds out so my bad ... I am looking to get another twsbi only in a medium nib thinking thoughts about it ... sense the beginning of the year I have been a flex monster I love my flex pens they are 100% of the pens I use these days eccept when i am doing an ink review which i reach for the go or the lamy or the noodlers charlie pen but who knows maybe next year I will be into something else we will see :) looking forward to 30inks30days cant wait got my setup all figured out going to make a video about that on monday next week so that will be exciting look forward to that :o.)
Hi Marilyn - I'm glad to hear you'll be doing #30inks30days!!!!! I'm really looking forward to it. It is a lot of fun all of the branches of the hobby there are to explore!
@@ChrisSaenz13 I can't wait
The Lamy pens are actually used by almost every student I know from 3rd grade on in germany because they are very durable and not that expensive.
One of my favourites as well.
Hi Zoe - I can see why -- they are such great pens! I especially love the fine and broad nibs!
I suggest you try a Platinum Cool.
Thank you Darryl. I wasn't familiar but I just looked up the pen.
I suggest opting for the medium nib, should you decide to order one. Great video: it is a relief to see more modest pens getting some attention.
My Moonman glass nib pen came with a convential nib and feed unit. Do you know if this is a swappable #5??? I don't wanna to cause you any stress if you don't know off-hand, I'll have to do research, but sometimes if I am not expecting new samples I enjoy inking up and writing with the Moonman pen and I would love to buy a broad nib for it
My Moonman glass nib extra nib unit is a #5 nib ... I have had problems getting the nib out and decided to just leave the glass nib in that one .... but yes it's a #5 nib and so you should be able to put in a standard #5. I swap out the ones in my Wancai Moonman Mini all the time too. :) The Goulet #5 nib has been fantastic!
Jinhao y6 F neb and ef nib, jinhao 992 with a F & EF Daco Stiloul meu (romanian brand) with a M nib (not the originel Iridium Point Germany), DACO SE274A with a christian lacroix M nib, Parker Jotter.
Hi Bogdan - interesting pens!!!! :)
@@ChrisSaenz13 i like to modify Chinese fountain pens, had some, cheaper ones hero, no name cheap fountain pens, if they have a good nib, feed, ink converter i will save them în a bag and modify the good ones. Love my Dikawen 889, one of some pens i like how they came, it costed almost 4 dollars from a bookshop în my home town în romania. Writes smooth like butter, no feedback, love it
I have more expensive fountain pens, but I still use my less expensive ones all the time. If a pen is a good writer and feels good in my hand, it has fulfilled the most important my qualifications for a fountain pen.
True. Very true. But no steel nib writes as well as a soft gold nib that you know how to use. I write a minimum of five hours per day, and my hand would have given out a decade or two ago if I had to use steel nibs.
I really don't see the point of a gold nib that's as hard as a steel nib, other than pure beauty, but a soft gold nib acts like a shock absorber. It absorbs all the twitches and tremors and little jerks we all have during long writing sessions, and helps avoid cramping and hand fatigue.
I have a lot of cheap pens, by which I mean anything from two dollars up to a hundred dollars, and they all have very smooth nibs, but if that's all it took to be a great writer, the cheapest Jinhao on the market would all any of us needed. Just put a smooth nib on it, and never buy another pen. But smooth is only the start of being a great writer
But pens keep getting better and better and better as they get more expensive. They simply do. And they seem to run in price groups. There's a big jump in quality in the $175-3$00 range. Then another in the $600-$900 range, and yet another on the $1,100-$1,800 range.
Somewhere around $2,000 you stop buying pens for how well they write and how great they feel, and start buying them because of what they're made from, or the talent and skill that goes into making them. A $3,120 Faber Castell Mammoth Ivory Fountain probably won't write any better that a $1,500 Visconti, but if you own it, you'll think it does, and just believing it helps make it true.
The problem with Grail pens, though, is that you may have to own and use one steady for several months before you know how good, or how bad, it actually is for you. That can get expensive. Especially for someone my age on a fixed income.
Now I get very, very nervous when a pen reaches the thousand dollar mark.
People see the pens I own and think I have a lot of money. I don't. There's no way I could work a two hundred dollar pen into my budget if i had to buy it all at once.
But I can save ten dollars per week, and not even really miss it much. That's $520 per year, $1,040 in two years, and $1,560 in three years. A Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze Age, a Pilot Custom 823, a Sailor 1911L, A Platinum 3776 Century, and a Pilot Custom 74, plus a bit left over for ink and paper, all for ten bucks per week and a little patience.
When I was a lot younger and had more years ahead of me, I bought some very nice, very expensive things, including fountain pens, just by saving a few bucks per week.
I still buy cheap pens because I like them. I enjoy using them, and they're fun. But not out of my ten bucks per week fund. I'd far, far, far rather have one Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze Age than sixty ten dollar pens. Or twenty thirty dollar pans. Or one Pilot Custom 823 with a soft gold nib that twenty-eight ten dollar pens. Or nine thirty dollar pens.
Just about anyone can buy really high quality gold nib pens, if they have self-discipline and patience. Whatever your weekly or monthly pen allowance is, try saving it for a year. I'll bet it adds up to more than one pen of the kind that will last a lifetime.
Hi Sharon! I think the most important qualifying factor for my pens these days is that they be very reliable and not finicky! LOL I used to not mind tinkering with pens but now I have so much writing to do!!!! :)
I just started collecting fountain pens. My first pens are the Jinhao 100 Centennial pens. I have 4 with an orange that had a fude nib which I tried to straighten hoping it would at least turn into a Fine nib and I ruined it. I cannot use a Fude nib. A stub nib 1.5 I love to use and have no problem, but a fude nib confusese. Please help me with a feed and nib for my Jinhao 100 Centennial??
Would you happen to have a feed and stub or M nib you can kindly gift me? I am on a limited budget but love to buy a pen every now and then, from the affordable pens. I have a vintage Shaeffer Targa since I was 16 but its nib bent badly during a fall. It does not write properly. I just want to save my orange pen so I have a few different ones to use. It is just sitting there.
Hi Maria -- I understand being on a budget!!! It took me a long time to purchase a few $14 or $15 nibs for my Jinhaos which I swap off and on the pens .... in my current collection I have one 1.5 and 2 - 1.1 stub nibs that get a lot of use moving around pen to pen. I didn't buy them with a feed just by themselves and the pens that do take a nib unit are screw in units which then extend the pens life to be able to write with M, B, and stub. Basically, I have more pens (nib holders) than nibs that I prefer to write with. Are you in the US?
@@ChrisSaenz13 I am in Canada. I know you are too far away to boot! I just gave up on the pen for now.
My favorites: Lamy 2000, twsby eco, twsby classic. I really like piston filler.
This has been a very bad year so fountain pen helps me to pass the time, it is a very nice hobby.
In order to improve the next year it's easy vote democrat and get rid off the orange little baby in the white house.
Hi Sharon - TWSBI is also one of my favorite pen brands!!!!! I have yet to try a "Classic" but there are some pretty ones I've seen! :)
It's funny how the most expensive ones aren't the true favourites. I have it the same way.
It's good to hear someone else say this!!!
Well, a fairly expensive pen will always be at the top of my list, but I use a fountain considerably more than the average person. Five hours per day is my slow day, and when you write this much there simply is no substitute for a soft gold nib that you know how to use.