I don't think we could thank you enough for this service to the community, these are all pens with backgrounds distilled from hundreds of other video reviews which people might have missed, otherwise. On behalf of the fountain pen community, thanks!
I'm still very very new to fountain pens, and I got the Diamond 580 in Iris earlier this year and I love it so much! I have the Eco too, which I also love, but the 580 is just so wonderful to write with. Glad to see it on this list!
I have a number of pens in your selections but the one that has intrigued me for a while is the Loom. I have seen it over the years and forgotten about it. I will restart my search. Thanks David for this list.
That lovely Pilot was called the StarGAZER, not Starwalker. (I have two and love them both!) Thank you for including Gravitas - they're next on my list. And if you found a Pelikan M20x for less than $100 - where? Thank you for this list (and for including the Loom!) and for all you do, David! Happy Holidays!
I really enjoy these lists and hope you keep doing them annually. While I’ve crept into the higher end pen market, I love learning about great pens at different price points. Thank you!
The Faber-Castell Loom is an amazing pen for the price, it is my daily desk use pen for work, super smooth experience, I think it's the softest/smoothest steel nib out there!
I look forward to your reviews and top 10 lists. Always thoughtfully done, plenty of information, and quite enjoyable. Gravitas pens come with the most beautifully tuned nibs as well. Ben Walsh is a great designer. The pens are really priced well. Thank you!
I recently picked up the TWSBI VAC700R Iris and I'm really enjoying it. I love the rainbow accent of one like the Iris vs the full body rainbow of the Gravitas pen. I have a lot of FOMO for the similar Leonardo Prisma you have.
David: Thanks again for your wonderful videos. Lots of great recommendations here! Personally, I love that Lamy Studio fountain pen in the brushed stainless steel. It's a gorgeous pen. I have one with a gold nib.
Dear David, owning a metal section Lamy Studio myself, I can say that for me it isway too slippery. Somehow the Studio slips and the Aion hurts my middle finger after a while. But hey, love my other Lamys and we all have different hands. Thank you so much for the list. Inspiring and I got interested in the Prera model by it. Happy holidays!
My first fountain pen was the white plastic Waterman in 1986. I had two, black and blue clip. And then the dark red Lamy Safari with black clip and nib. Now I have a lot more pens.. Pen wishes from Liselotte in Sweden, another pen collector.
This is a great list. I have had a few of these and have been happy with every one. I recently got a TWISBI 580 ALR and it is fantastic. I bought a Stargazer on your recommendation a couple of years ago and it is great.
You sold me on the F-C Loom. I don't normally go for feedback in nibs, but there is nothing like the satisfaction I get from writing with the Loom. The only downside to me is the plasticky body, but you can't have it all at that price point.
Kinda surprised to see the Koloro here. I got one when it first came out, despite it not really fitting in with other pens I’m usually attracted to (and I haven’t had any sustained interest in other pens from the brand since). The main selling points for me were that the opaque parts are actually blue ebonite, and it was released in conjunction with a custom Colorverse ink (the blue model is paired with CV Depth). Over the years it’s been pretty consistently inked-up / in-rotation, and become one of my favorite ‘mid-range’ pens :)
I have a gift card and wanted a pen to move up to. You mentioned two of the ones I was considering. But you made up my mind since your top choice was one of the two I am considering. Thanks so much!
I always wanted a matte finish Loom, but strangely never got around to buying one when they were readily available. I’ll search anew and this time I’ll buy it if I can find the one I like best. I really wish I could get a Stargazer sometime. I always liked both the piston and Vac-filling TWSBI Diamond Mini pens. Alas, I don’t like TWSBI’s nibs. Overly stiff, and tend to start wet but gradually run unpleasantly dry after a little writing. I never saw or knew that a Pelikan M200 could be had new for under $100. Ditto the Sailor Pro Gear Slim. Big surprise there. The Prera is an obvious one on a list like this. I prefer, by far, the very similarly priced Lamy Aion over the Studio. My favorite pen in this price range is the pair of Aurora Style pens I own ($85). These videos are very fun and interesting to watch. I’m waiting for the price bracket which dominates my own collection.
Another great list -- thank you! I'm in the midst of penabling a friend and you remind me that I should get him a Pilot Prera. I am fortunate to have two of the Pilot Stargazers / Stellas and will never sell them -- they are marvelous. On the other hand, I missed the days when the Faber Castell Loom was easier to find in a matte finish with a colorful cap, and I don't like the shiny "piano" finish that is more commonly seen today. I wish Faber Castell would introduce new options in the Loom. As for Lamy Studio, I am equally fussy there and would only buy one with a resin section. Loved the story of how the TWSBI 580 launched your love of fountain pens.
David - keep up the god work! I look forward to your videos - always a nice relaxing time listening to your take on pens, paper, ink or other accessories! Enjoy the holidays!
Oh, no, David -- I must've been watching your channel for too long (kidding -- my fav!). I'm proud to say I've got each of your #s1-4, and a close relative of 5-8 (Opus 88 Fantasia vs Koloro, the Stilo +Stile; Gravitas "Big Dropper", the Pilot Stella S) and one of your honorable mentions (Pelikan 205). Just a note about Gravitas: I picked up my first Gravitas on FP Day this year and paid under $100 USD for the "Big Dropper" in Ultem no less!
I’m excited for the next two installments of the series. I have a purchase coming up after Christmas and am keen to enter that transaction with your insight. Thanks for the great content!
I’m newbie to fountain pens. My first 3 pens are Monteverdi Impressa a cross Bailey and my newest aquisition is a Conklin duograph. Any opinions on these pens would be welcomed.
Delightful! I'm not certain what complete list I'd put into this category, as I have some Chinese gold nib pens; however, for Germany, I'd nominate the Diplomat Esteem. Every time I re-ink it, I wonder what took me so long.
Chinese gold nib pens? I don't buy anything from China, but I have friends there who are in fountain pen manufacturing. I'll have to ask them about the pens. I really hate China getting more money, considering what they do with it, but I can't argue that they don't make some decent pens, even if they seldom use high quality materials. Maybe this changed with the gold nib pens?
@@jamesaritchie1 I've had good writing experiences with Hong Dian & Jinhao 14k nibs. I enjoy their "bounce" (they aren't purpose-made flex nibs) and subtle feedback on nice paper.
Thank you for another great video. I have none in your top 10. But would definitely promote the Conklin All American. The $50-$300 is actually a dead zone for me. PenBBS and Jinhao get it done under $50… and as far as grail I rather save to spend the big $ rather than ending up with 4-5 “inexpensive” pens that don’t really cut it for me…. Still looking forward for the next price ranges videos 🙂
looking on grey market you can sometimes find custom 74’s under $100 and if we’re not including vintage pens, that definitely takes the top spot for me.
Amazon has sellers who offer the Pilot e95s for as little as eighty-two dollars and change. That's fifty-four dollars cheaper than the pen companies ask. I prefer buying from pen companies, even if it costs more, but many of my friends buy from Amazon.
Hope this late entry may still do some good for a few folks. Being retired and on a fixed income, this range is sort of my wheelhouse now. I could save and purchase more expensive pens, of course, but I own a Pilot Custom Heritage 823 and figure I'm not going to find anything better than that for me at any price. So I prefer the excitement of having a pen in this price range or a bit more arrive every month or so. Here are some other pens I own in this price range that I believe merit consideration: Platinum Procyon; Lamy Accent; Ranga Abhimanyu; Gravitas Entry; Lamy LX; Taccia Spotlight (with a steel Music nib by Sailor!); Narwhal Schuylkill; Faber Castell Essentio; Kaweco Student; Retro Tornado; Cross Century II in Pearlescent White; Sheaffer Prelude.
Since you are so fond of the nib on the Loom I have to ask: Have you ever tried the e-motion. It has the same nib and is such a distinct feeling pen in my opinion.
There have been some under 100 ones on ebay. The Grateful Crane was my grail pen, would have been forever out of reach if not for an ebay listing. Free shipping, it was about 87 i think? Was brand new. I love it so so much. This and the jinhao x159 have made my pen life complete
@@quailypoes that was my first sailor! My mom found it and got it for me for Christmas and said "this is the only pen I'm going to buy you!" 😆 I love it!
The TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR is my favorite TWSBI, but I really like every pen TWSBI makes. I got carried away during the Covid lockdown and bought twenty-eight of them, I could easily put five TWSBI pens on my list of favorite pens between fifty and a hundred dollars. I like all the TWSBI pens. If TWSBI ever puts a gold nib on one, I'll buy at least three of them without hesitation. But I can't argue with any of your pens. I'd put the Conklin Duragraph ahead of the others, but that's just personal taste. I have the Amber and the Purple, and both are beautiful. I wish Benu pens weren't so expensive, I have only one, the Talisman Dragon's Blood, and you know what it cost. It isn't that I don't really like the pen, I like it a lot, People really need to see Benu pens in person. To me, they look far better than any video I've seen about them Anyway, when a pen with a steel nib goes up into gold nib territory, I usually choose the gold nib. Is it unfair to count the Pilot e95s on your list? Or are the Amazon sellers not legitimate. Some of them sell the pen for as little as eighty-two dollars and change. Others for ninety-five dollars, and still others for a hundred and thirty-six dollars. The price difference is so large that most of the people I know who bought the e95s did so on Amazon at the eighty-two dollars range. That's roughly a fifty-four dollar savings, which is big for the average person. I prefer buying from pen companies, even if it costs more, but I can't say a savings like that wasn't tempting.
I have reviewed several FPR offerings. While none quite made this list, I have always felt they offer a good value...and the flex nibs are nice as well.
Great video as always! But, about sad that pelikan M200 only managed rise under honourable mention? Because it's my favourite pen, haha. But can you get M200 under USD100? (At US)
Interesting presentation. I would appreciate a written list of the pens you recommend and I would like to see sample of how each of the pens write. I have a large collection of fountain pens, Lamys in 10 different colours because they are inexpensive and also a few of the brands you mentioned. I found how TWSBI is spelled on another site. Would appreciate actually seeing the names of these pens. Can anyone suggest an online source of very good quality writing paper?
The names of each of the pens can be found in the notes below the video. There are full reviews of most virtually all of these pens on my channel. There, you can see the writing performance of each.
Im still in this $50-100 price range phase. I agree with the Pilot Prera satisfying capping and about the FC Loom I too like its smoothness although still getting used to the section, its a bit uncomfortable for long writings I found. From this list I have my eye on the Opus 88 but more the Demonstrator than the Koloro
I just sold the three Opus 88 pens I owned. One was the demonstrator. They're good pens. I sold mine only because I went crazy during the Covid lockdown and bought far too many steel nib pens, and went even more berserk with buying ink. I sold almost everything except fifteen TWSBI pens. Or fourteen? I'm going to have to count them.
Hello David, I had a question regarding fountain pen nibs. I have a few fountain pens that I adore using, and they use a Schmidt size 5 nib. I have been trying to find an Italic nib that is compatible with them but I am unsure about which nibs would be compatible. Do you have any advice or recommendations?
Schmidt nibs are interesting. Depending on the line of pens, the nibs are made either by JoWo or Bock. I go along with having a nib meister grind one. If you really like the pen, it will be worth it, and you're guaranteed a nib that fits and works.
Gravitas: "... you see their performance and you kind of think to yourself: they should be charging more for these pens.'" Hey! Don't give them that idea! 😉
Great video. I'm probably on the short list but I feel Benu pens look like a cheap pen from a Vegas souvenir shop. Maybe I just need to get one in my hands.
Benu pens mostly look a lot better in person. But I own only one, the same Talisman Dragon's Blood that's in this video. It's pretty wild, but much tamer, I think, than mmany Benu pens. It's a very good pen and I love writing with it. Honestly, though, at the price point it is, I probably wouldn't have bought it if I didn't think Benu should be rewarded for the courage they showed in leaving Russia after the invasion of Ukraine. But it is a very good pen. Just too expensive. There are too many gold nib pens that are cheaper, or right above what I paid for the Benu.
1. Thanks for this fun and informative list. 2. For anybody out there who shares my predilection for slim pens, 2 good choices in this price range are the Faber-Castell Neo Slim and the Lamy CP1.
I bought Faber Castell Ambition. The pen is absolutely the sharpest Faber Castell in my collection however you need the latest long converter, or the short one doesn't fit. Still, it defies limits on how pretty a pen can get.
Knowing your predilection for accuracy in all things, I hope you don't mind my pointing up where you misspoke at about 10:00, when you talked of the Pilot Starwalker. I'm absolutely certain you know it was the Stargazer, as this fellow can testify. th-cam.com/video/Uya7jubbPgE/w-d-xo.html
Full-length reviews of each of these pens, including writing samples, can be found on my channel. Performing writing samples with fifteen different pens in this video would have made it inordinately long.
Disagree. Besides, he does pen reviews with extensive writing samples, and this is a top ten compilation. I agree that nothing can redeem a pen that writes poorly, but since most manage that these days unless it’s a factory defect I’d say everything else matters too. It’s like saying the only thing that matters about a cell phone is how well it makes calls.
I don't think we could thank you enough for this service to the community, these are all pens with backgrounds distilled from hundreds of other video reviews which people might have missed, otherwise. On behalf of the fountain pen community, thanks!
Thanks for watching!
I'm still very very new to fountain pens, and I got the Diamond 580 in Iris earlier this year and I love it so much! I have the Eco too, which I also love, but the 580 is just so wonderful to write with. Glad to see it on this list!
The 580 is one of my favorites as well.
I have a number of pens in your selections but the one that has intrigued me for a while is the Loom. I have seen it over the years and forgotten about it. I will restart my search. Thanks David for this list.
Loom is the one pen that doesn't slow my writing hand, it is amazing.
That lovely Pilot was called the StarGAZER, not Starwalker. (I have two and love them both!) Thank you for including Gravitas - they're next on my list. And if you found a Pelikan M20x for less than $100 - where? Thank you for this list (and for including the Loom!) and for all you do, David! Happy Holidays!
Yes...I had the Montblanc Starwalker on my mind. 🤷♂
I really enjoy these lists and hope you keep doing them annually. While I’ve crept into the higher end pen market, I love learning about great pens at different price points. Thank you!
The Faber-Castell Loom is an amazing pen for the price, it is my daily desk use pen for work, super smooth experience, I think it's the softest/smoothest steel nib out there!
Wonderful video, most definitely agree with your sentiment about the TWSBI Diamond 580.
I look forward to your reviews and top 10 lists. Always thoughtfully done, plenty of information, and quite enjoyable.
Gravitas pens come with the most beautifully tuned nibs as well. Ben Walsh is a great designer. The pens are really priced well.
Thank you!
I recently picked up the TWSBI VAC700R Iris and I'm really enjoying it. I love the rainbow accent of one like the Iris vs the full body rainbow of the Gravitas pen. I have a lot of FOMO for the similar Leonardo Prisma you have.
David:
Thanks again for your wonderful videos. Lots of great recommendations here!
Personally, I love that Lamy Studio fountain pen in the brushed stainless steel. It's a gorgeous pen. I have one with a gold nib.
Dear David, owning a metal section Lamy Studio myself, I can say that for me it isway too slippery. Somehow the Studio slips and the Aion hurts my middle finger after a while. But hey, love my other Lamys and we all have different hands.
Thank you so much for the list. Inspiring and I got interested in the Prera model by it. Happy holidays!
My first fountain pen was the white plastic Waterman in 1986. I had two, black and blue clip. And then the dark red Lamy Safari with black clip and nib. Now I have a lot more pens.. Pen wishes from Liselotte in Sweden, another pen collector.
Great list! Must get the Faber Loom. TWSBIs are so much fun. I wonder where the hobby would be without them!
Faber castell pens are fantastic in any price
Specially fc wood pens line fc ondoro oakwood and ambition coconut
Thank you very much 🌹❤️
This is a great list. I have had a few of these and have been happy with every one. I recently got a TWISBI 580 ALR and it is fantastic. I bought a Stargazer on your recommendation a couple of years ago and it is great.
You sold me on the F-C Loom. I don't normally go for feedback in nibs, but there is nothing like the satisfaction I get from writing with the Loom. The only downside to me is the plasticky body, but you can't have it all at that price point.
Nice to see that many of my favourites made it to this list 😊 Going to check out the Pilot and the Gravitas.
Excited for the next list! 🙌
Thank you for your wonderful videos. I am learning so much and learning to explore.
I just noticed it: very neat logo, where the F and B are superimposed in two different colours! Beautifully done!👍👏❤
This was great. Some of my favorites, and some I haven't heard of. Thanks!
Kinda surprised to see the Koloro here. I got one when it first came out, despite it not really fitting in with other pens I’m usually attracted to (and I haven’t had any sustained interest in other pens from the brand since).
The main selling points for me were that the opaque parts are actually blue ebonite, and it was released in conjunction with a custom Colorverse ink (the blue model is paired with CV Depth). Over the years it’s been pretty consistently inked-up / in-rotation, and become one of my favorite ‘mid-range’ pens :)
I have a gift card and wanted a pen to move up to. You mentioned two of the ones I was considering. But you made up my mind since your top choice was one of the two I am considering. Thanks so much!
I always wanted a matte finish Loom, but strangely never got around to buying one when they were readily available. I’ll search anew and this time I’ll buy it if I can find the one I like best.
I really wish I could get a Stargazer sometime. I always liked both the piston and Vac-filling TWSBI Diamond Mini pens. Alas, I don’t like TWSBI’s nibs. Overly stiff, and tend to start wet but gradually run unpleasantly dry after a little writing.
I never saw or knew that a Pelikan M200 could be had new for under $100. Ditto the Sailor Pro Gear Slim. Big surprise there. The Prera is an obvious one on a list like this.
I prefer, by far, the very similarly priced Lamy Aion over the Studio.
My favorite pen in this price range is the pair of Aurora Style pens I own ($85).
These videos are very fun and interesting to watch. I’m waiting for the price bracket which dominates my own collection.
The Diamond 580 feels so good in my hand! It's my favorite pen.
Thanks, That Sailor pro gear is Amazing 😍
Another great list -- thank you! I'm in the midst of penabling a friend and you remind me that I should get him a Pilot Prera. I am fortunate to have two of the Pilot Stargazers / Stellas and will never sell them -- they are marvelous. On the other hand, I missed the days when the Faber Castell Loom was easier to find in a matte finish with a colorful cap, and I don't like the shiny "piano" finish that is more commonly seen today. I wish Faber Castell would introduce new options in the Loom. As for Lamy Studio, I am equally fussy there and would only buy one with a resin section. Loved the story of how the TWSBI 580 launched your love of fountain pens.
David - keep up the god work! I look forward to your videos - always a nice relaxing time listening to your take on pens, paper, ink or other accessories! Enjoy the holidays!
WHAT ABOUT THE JAIPUR V2 ??
Oh, no, David -- I must've been watching your channel for too long (kidding -- my fav!). I'm proud to say I've got each of your #s1-4, and a close relative of 5-8 (Opus 88 Fantasia vs Koloro, the Stilo +Stile; Gravitas "Big Dropper", the Pilot Stella S) and one of your honorable mentions (Pelikan 205). Just a note about Gravitas: I picked up my first Gravitas on FP Day this year and paid under $100 USD for the "Big Dropper" in Ultem no less!
I’m excited for the next two installments of the series. I have a purchase coming up after Christmas and am keen to enter that transaction with your insight. Thanks for the great content!
Faber-Castell makes the best steel nibs. Period.
I’m newbie to fountain pens. My first 3 pens are Monteverdi Impressa a cross Bailey and my newest aquisition is a Conklin duograph. Any opinions on these pens would be welcomed.
Delightful! I'm not certain what complete list I'd put into this category, as I have some Chinese gold nib pens; however, for Germany, I'd nominate the Diplomat Esteem. Every time I re-ink it, I wonder what took me so long.
Chinese gold nib pens? I don't buy anything from China, but I have friends there who are in fountain pen manufacturing. I'll have to ask them about the pens. I really hate China getting more money, considering what they do with it, but I can't argue that they don't make some decent pens, even if they seldom use high quality materials. Maybe this changed with the gold nib pens?
@@jamesaritchie1 I've had good writing experiences with Hong Dian & Jinhao 14k nibs. I enjoy their "bounce" (they aren't purpose-made flex nibs) and subtle feedback on nice paper.
I saw the loom on an earlier list and bought one. I think I own 4 now, which is saying a lot because this is the upper end of my price range.
Thank you for another great video. I have none in your top 10. But would definitely promote the Conklin All American. The $50-$300 is actually a dead zone for me. PenBBS and Jinhao get it done under $50… and as far as grail I rather save to spend the big $ rather than ending up with 4-5 “inexpensive” pens that don’t really cut it for me…. Still looking forward for the next price ranges videos 🙂
looking on grey market you can sometimes find custom 74’s under $100 and if we’re not including vintage pens, that definitely takes the top spot for me.
Amazon has sellers who offer the Pilot e95s for as little as eighty-two dollars and change. That's fifty-four dollars cheaper than the pen companies ask. I prefer buying from pen companies, even if it costs more, but many of my friends buy from Amazon.
Hope this late entry may still do some good for a few folks. Being retired and on a fixed income, this range is sort of my wheelhouse now. I could save and purchase more expensive pens, of course, but I own a Pilot Custom Heritage 823 and figure I'm not going to find anything better than that for me at any price. So I prefer the excitement of having a pen in this price range or a bit more arrive every month or so. Here are some other pens I own in this price range that I believe merit consideration: Platinum Procyon; Lamy Accent; Ranga Abhimanyu; Gravitas Entry; Lamy LX; Taccia Spotlight (with a steel Music nib by Sailor!); Narwhal Schuylkill; Faber Castell Essentio; Kaweco Student; Retro Tornado; Cross Century II in Pearlescent White; Sheaffer Prelude.
Great picks, thank you David!
Since you are so fond of the nib on the Loom I have to ask: Have you ever tried the e-motion. It has the same nib and is such a distinct feeling pen in my opinion.
I have owned an e-motion for years, but I never really got into that model. Maybe one day I'll get around to reviewing it.
Pro gear slim under $100! Wild! All of the ones I've been recently are starting to push 200-300. I'm surprised at their price jump as of late.
There have been some under 100 ones on ebay. The Grateful Crane was my grail pen, would have been forever out of reach if not for an ebay listing. Free shipping, it was about 87 i think? Was brand new. I love it so so much. This and the jinhao x159 have made my pen life complete
@@quailypoes that was my first sailor! My mom found it and got it for me for Christmas and said "this is the only pen I'm going to buy you!" 😆 I love it!
Very informative review. Thank you.
*quickly adding pens to Christmas list*
Please do a video on satisfying caps!
The TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR is my favorite TWSBI, but I really like every pen TWSBI makes. I got carried away during the Covid lockdown and bought twenty-eight of them, I could easily put five TWSBI pens on my list of favorite pens between fifty and a hundred dollars. I like all the TWSBI pens. If TWSBI ever puts a gold nib on one, I'll buy at least three of them without hesitation.
But I can't argue with any of your pens. I'd put the Conklin Duragraph ahead of the others, but that's just personal taste. I have the Amber and the Purple, and both are beautiful.
I wish Benu pens weren't so expensive, I have only one, the Talisman Dragon's Blood, and you know what it cost. It isn't that I don't really like the pen, I like it a lot, People really need to see Benu pens in person. To me, they look far better than any video I've seen about them Anyway, when a pen with a steel nib goes up into gold nib territory, I usually choose the gold nib.
Is it unfair to count the Pilot e95s on your list? Or are the Amazon sellers not legitimate. Some of them sell the pen for as little as eighty-two dollars and change. Others for ninety-five dollars, and still others for a hundred and thirty-six dollars. The price difference is so large that most of the people I know who bought the e95s did so on Amazon at the eighty-two dollars range. That's roughly a fifty-four dollar savings, which is big for the average person. I prefer buying from pen companies, even if it costs more, but I can't say a savings like that wasn't tempting.
David, what do you think of FPR?
Fountain Pen Revolution
I have reviewed several FPR offerings. While none quite made this list, I have always felt they offer a good value...and the flex nibs are nice as well.
Great video as always! But, about sad that pelikan M200 only managed rise under honourable mention? Because it's my favourite pen, haha. But can you get M200 under USD100? (At US)
Interesting presentation. I would appreciate a written list of the pens you recommend and I would like to see sample of how each of the pens write. I have a large collection of fountain pens, Lamys in 10 different colours because they are inexpensive and also a few of the brands you mentioned. I found how TWSBI is spelled on another site. Would appreciate actually seeing the names of these pens.
Can anyone suggest an online source of very good quality writing paper?
The names of each of the pens can be found in the notes below the video. There are full reviews of most virtually all of these pens on my channel. There, you can see the writing performance of each.
@@FigbootonPens Thanks for your reply. I can't find the notes below the video. Where do they appear?
@@maureenmalcolm7174 In the gray bar directly beneath the video, click "Show More"
Im still in this $50-100 price range phase. I agree with the Pilot Prera satisfying capping and about the FC Loom I too like its smoothness although still getting used to the section, its a bit uncomfortable for long writings I found. From this list I have my eye on the Opus 88 but more the Demonstrator than the Koloro
I just sold the three Opus 88 pens I owned. One was the demonstrator. They're good pens. I sold mine only because I went crazy during the Covid lockdown and bought far too many steel nib pens, and went even more berserk with buying ink. I sold almost everything except fifteen TWSBI pens. Or fourteen? I'm going to have to count them.
Hello David, I had a question regarding fountain pen nibs.
I have a few fountain pens that I adore using, and they use a Schmidt size 5 nib. I have been trying to find an Italic nib that is compatible with them but I am unsure about which nibs would be compatible. Do you have any advice or recommendations?
It might be best to have a nibmeister grind one for you to your personal specifications.
Schmidt nibs are interesting. Depending on the line of pens, the nibs are made either by JoWo or Bock. I go along with having a nib meister grind one. If you really like the pen, it will be worth it, and you're guaranteed a nib that fits and works.
Gravitas: "... you see their performance and you kind of think to yourself: they should be charging more for these pens.'" Hey! Don't give them that idea! 😉
With inflation, we should all just know that’s coming anyway 😢
Great video. I'm probably on the short list but I feel Benu pens look like a cheap pen from a Vegas souvenir shop. Maybe I just need to get one in my hands.
Benu pens mostly look a lot better in person. But I own only one, the same Talisman Dragon's Blood that's in this video. It's pretty wild, but much tamer, I think, than mmany Benu pens. It's a very good pen and I love writing with it. Honestly, though, at the price point it is, I probably wouldn't have bought it if I didn't think Benu should be rewarded for the courage they showed in leaving Russia after the invasion of Ukraine. But it is a very good pen. Just too expensive. There are too many gold nib pens that are cheaper, or right above what I paid for the Benu.
Benu pens are such smooth writers and are a joy to look at. I have five of them now.
The stowa from pelikan is also a nice pen!
1. Thanks for this fun and informative list.
2. For anybody out there who shares my predilection for slim pens, 2 good choices in this price range are the Faber-Castell Neo Slim and the Lamy CP1.
I bought Faber Castell Ambition. The pen is absolutely the sharpest Faber Castell in my collection however you need the latest long converter, or the short one doesn't fit. Still, it defies limits on how pretty a pen can get.
Nice selection
Finally a resonable price
Nice
Good morning
Knowing your predilection for accuracy in all things, I hope you don't mind my pointing up where you misspoke at about 10:00, when you talked of the Pilot Starwalker. I'm absolutely certain you know it was the Stargazer, as this fellow can testify. th-cam.com/video/Uya7jubbPgE/w-d-xo.html
You are correct. I recently picked up a Montblanc Starwalker. Must have had that on my mind. Dooh! 🤣
pen review without any writing isn’t good. nothing else about the pen matters, just how it writes.
Full-length reviews of each of these pens, including writing samples, can be found on my channel. Performing writing samples with fifteen different pens in this video would have made it inordinately long.
Disagree. Besides, he does pen reviews with extensive writing samples, and this is a top ten compilation. I agree that nothing can redeem a pen that writes poorly, but since most manage that these days unless it’s a factory defect I’d say everything else matters too. It’s like saying the only thing that matters about a cell phone is how well it makes calls.