Penfount • Pen Community
#FPQuestion of the day:
Cheapest stunner? Expensivest dud? (#FountainPen or #FountainPenInk)
Jul 20, 2023 at 12:00amWeb
Show threadparadoxmoJul 20, 2023

@penfount Cheapest stunner recently is probably the Jinhao 80, came out of the box writing really well and feels quite solid. A solid choice for an EF, I would say more so than a Lamy EF.

I wouldn’t say I have any truly expensive duds, but I was a bit disappointed in Platinum 3776 Century Soft Fine. Never got it to put out very consistent ink flow.

Show threadUrban HafnerJul 20, 2023
@paradoxmo @penfount I put a Lamy B in my Jinhao 80. Works great!
Show threadTallastro 🇺🇦Jul 20, 2023

Cheapest stunner is probably the Pilot Cavalier

Expensive dud was the Vanishing Point.
@penfount

Show threadparadoxmoJul 20, 2023
@tallastro why was the Vanishing Point a dud for you? I’m quite satisfied with mine.
Show threadTallastro 🇺🇦Jul 20, 2023
Never felt good in my hand or writing. Feedback from the nib was off somehow. Clip felt in the way and the nib doesn't stick out very far. Fun to click though. Sold it.
@paradoxmo
Show threadAbhishek SharmaJul 20, 2023
@penfount oh my cheapest stunner is the Kanwrite Desire. No doubts. Punches waaaay above its weight in writing experience.
Expensive dud- Nahvalur Original Plus. The stiff and downright weird Bock nib induces sorrow.
Show threadCheryl Lindo JonesJul 20, 2023

@penfount For a while I felt like my Laban Skeleton was a dud because I had 3 different Laban nibs for it, and none worked well. I need to go back and try to tune them, but it’s sort of moot because I put in a Kaigelu long blade nib that I really like.

Cheapest stunner… Maybe not a huge stunner in terms of performance or looks, but it surprised me how I came around to like the Jinhao X159, since I don’t like big pens or rounded tops for the pen body (prefer flat tops).

Show threadTogaJul 20, 2023
@penfount Cheapest stunner would be my Jinhao 82 Baikal Blue. It's such a pretty colour and writes beautifully. It's not super-pricey, but my most expensive dud would be my wooden Conklin All American with the Omniflex nib. I adore how my handwriting looks with the nib, I've never found a flex nib that compares. But it's such a pain to use. It always hard starts, I constantly have to prime the nib, and it starts skipping after half a sentence.
Show threadJakeSparkleChickenJul 20, 2023

@penfount I just picked up a Jinhao 993 Shark pen that completely blew me away. I could not believe that a $4 USD pen would be that good.

The only dud that I've picked up is a TWSBI ECO EF. I've fiddled with it enough that it is usable, but the flow is still inconsistent and the nib feels pretty scratchy. I'm looking at it as my 'project' pen to experiment with tweaks.

Show threadMaxJul 20, 2023
@penfount My first fountain pen was a Pilot Metropolitan and it's not the cheapest or most expensive pen in my collection, but it's really decent. I'm still new to this but I haven't seen a lot of metal body pens at that price point, and I like that it feels heavier and more durable than similarly-priced plastic pens.
Show threadCurtis FreeJul 20, 2023

@penfount

"Cheapest stunner" would be the Pilot Varsity!

I was given a multi-pack several years ago; and I've even refilled one of them.

Show threadjiggitJul 22, 2023

@penfount
Cheapest stunner: PenBBS 323! Did not expect to love it as much as I do.

Expensive dud: Sailor Yama dori -- mismatch in expectation and reality for me.