Thank you! I've been passing out Jinhao 82s. These seem to be cleaned and dip tested at the source. Reliable. And, Jinhao nibs evolve nicely with frequent use. BENU gifts . . . well! For friends who already like fountain pens, on significant occasions! I did gift a Jinhao x159 to a friend with painful arthritis. He is a real veteran of fountain pen enthusiasm.
The Pilot Varsity can be refilled. Just gently pull out the nib with a pair of pliers, clean the nib/feed/barrel with water, dry it off, and fill with an eyedropper or ink syringe. Two other cheap but good Chinese pens: the Baoer 388 and the Jinhao x450. The 388 is thinner, and the x450 has 3 subtle indentations to help grip it on the section. I've always used converters on these, but I think they take international standard cartridges.
My daughter gave me a Pelikan Twist Shine Mystic. It writes as well as any expensive pen. I do have a number of more expensive pens, and I appreciate each one for their different writing and aesthetic qualities. Narwhal/Nahvalur also makes some excellent pens, in the $55 range. The Pilot Metropolitan is an outstanding pen, for the price. Nearly every pen aficionado has a Metro in their collection.
@@pensinfocus yes, with a cursive italic nib, which is often referred to as a calligraphy nib ( in conjunction with this pen, also can be listed as an MR nib.)
Honestly, the best gift for "penabling" someone is tuning whichever pen you are gonna gift someone yourself. The writing experience is what's gonna make it or break it. If it doesn't write well, they will immediately switch back to a ball point. For me the preppy is too dry (Mine even skips). I have hear similar problem with kaweco. Also a triangular grip is not for everyone. The safari, my first FP, almost made me quite fountain pen. I think it would have been nice if you mentioned that.
I've done that, too! I sometimes get inexpensive pens thrown in to an order, or maybe something from a blind box, something I'm never really going to use myself. I'll tune and polish them up and give them to people. I've not totally converted anyone yet, but I'm still trying! Sorry you didn't like the triangular grip on the Safari. I mentioned it obliquely when I talked about the feed, but I'd already talked about the Safari a bunch and so I left out mentioning the grip.
I'm an idiot mechanially. The vasity is,judt friction fit. Pull out rhe nib and feed and refill it with a syrynge or dropper. They go back together no problem, and they dont leak. It's basically an eye dropper pen.
My perspective on a fountain pen, is that of a mere applicator for the nib, the feed and the ink. Fortunately, I see no value in aesthetics and brand names, saving money on expensive pens.
Thank you! I've been passing out Jinhao 82s. These seem to be cleaned and dip tested at the source. Reliable. And, Jinhao nibs evolve nicely with frequent use. BENU gifts . . . well! For friends who already like fountain pens, on significant occasions! I did gift a Jinhao x159 to a friend with painful arthritis. He is a real veteran of fountain pen enthusiasm.
The Pilot Varsity can be refilled. Just gently pull out the nib with a pair of pliers, clean the nib/feed/barrel with water, dry it off, and fill with an eyedropper or ink syringe.
Two other cheap but good Chinese pens: the Baoer 388 and the Jinhao x450. The 388 is thinner, and the x450 has 3 subtle indentations to help grip it on the section. I've always used converters on these, but I think they take international standard cartridges.
My daughter gave me a Pelikan Twist Shine Mystic. It writes as well as any expensive pen. I do have a number of more expensive pens, and I appreciate each one for their different writing and aesthetic qualities. Narwhal/Nahvalur also makes some excellent pens, in the $55 range. The Pilot Metropolitan is an outstanding pen, for the price. Nearly every pen aficionado has a Metro in their collection.
I still don’t have a Metro. You think I should pick one up?
@@pensinfocus yes, with a cursive italic nib, which is often referred to as a calligraphy nib ( in conjunction with this pen, also can be listed as an MR nib.)
Honestly, the best gift for "penabling" someone is tuning whichever pen you are gonna gift someone yourself. The writing experience is what's gonna make it or break it. If it doesn't write well, they will immediately switch back to a ball point. For me the preppy is too dry (Mine even skips). I have hear similar problem with kaweco. Also a triangular grip is not for everyone. The safari, my first FP, almost made me quite fountain pen. I think it would have been nice if you mentioned that.
I've done that, too! I sometimes get inexpensive pens thrown in to an order, or maybe something from a blind box, something I'm never really going to use myself. I'll tune and polish them up and give them to people. I've not totally converted anyone yet, but I'm still trying!
Sorry you didn't like the triangular grip on the Safari. I mentioned it obliquely when I talked about the feed, but I'd already talked about the Safari a bunch and so I left out mentioning the grip.
Yopu missed the Diploma Magnum. Exquisite pen with a quite flexible nib for about $25.
I'm an idiot mechanially. The vasity is,judt friction fit. Pull out rhe nib and feed and refill it with a syrynge or dropper. They go back together no problem, and they dont leak. It's basically an eye dropper pen.
My perspective on a fountain pen, is that of a mere applicator for the nib, the feed and the ink. Fortunately, I see no value in aesthetics and brand names, saving money on expensive pens.