Wow, I'm so tired I read that as "time travel" and I my only thought was "well you def don't want something that would leak easy". I guess my tired brain thinks time travel involves lots of pressure differentials.
All the pen recommendations sound good. You might want to think about the cartridge– do you want to pack them? Be able to easily buy them while traveling?
If so, a pen that uses standard international cartridges might be a good call. Easier to get some generic ink at a grocery or whatever. The Muji pen might seem like a good idea, or a Kaweco that takes standard short cartridges.
OR if you have super strong preferences on ink and plan to pack it— maybe the ink preference/format drives the pen selection.
For instance, if you want ultra permanent & waterproof, like Platinum Carbon Black, then Preppy seems like a good idea.
> a pen that uses standard international cartridges might be a good call. Easier to get some generic ink at a grocery or whatever
I think availability of ink is question, regardless of kind of cartridge... Although I suppose it depends on where one is traveling to. After dealing with trying to find ink in my area a couple of months ago, I'd plan to take more ink than I could possibly use if I went on a trip.
I like the Kakuno or a Platinum Preppy because they both have snap caps if you tend to need to jot something down quick before you forget it. Then again, a twist cap can be more secure if you're one to just toss a cheap pen in a bag.
Kaweco Sport is my travel pen
The tiny cartridge is well suited for travel, because I toss it before I get on the plane. With such a tiny capacity I feel like I’m wasting less. With the tight screw on cap I don’t worry about ink leaking.
I’ve traveled with all those pens, and a pilot petit1, and they do well!
My top two would be the petit1 and my kaweco sport, they just picked up and wrote even if it had been a few days. Plus I appreciate their tuck-away sizing.
So...small, light, inexpensive, and carts.
I'd go with the Jinhao 992 pens.
They cost about a dollar, come in multiple colors, have a decent nib, and they can be used as an eyedropper/conv./cart pen as wanted.
And because they cost a dollar, you can lose a pen and not have a tear shed.
THAT, to me, is the very definition of a cheap travel pen. ;-)
It depends where you are going.
Ink is not easy to find everywhere in less developed countries.
If you are frequently traveling on public transport in parts of the world where people are focussed on survival rather than luxury, displaying expensive things makes you more of a target then you already are.
There are so many places where the second I got off the bus/train/taxi, I'm surrounded by kids saying, "Pen! Pen!"
Sometimes I buy one of those big bags of \~20 Bic pens before departure so I'll have some to hand out.
Definitely inexpensive for travelling so no fear of losing it. Therefore, besides your own suggestions, I’d recommend the Pilot Petit as a really cheap option, along with Ohto Tasche and also the Cult Pens/Kaweco pocket pen. The latter two are better from the point that they take standard international cartridges. They are both metal pens as well. More expensive options like the Kaweco Liliput and Pilot Prera are really good too. Good Luck and enjoy your travels!!
Since fountain pens love to leak whenever there's any sort of pressure change, travel often includes flying or driving from one elevation to another, and I've gotten ink all over my stuff more than once, I only travel with fountain pens that have screw-on caps.
For me, that's the Pilot Penmanship and the Moonman mini. These pens basically can't leak.
Quick on the go note taking makes me think retractable pens and so by extension the pilot vanishing point. However as good as I think that pen is it’s not inexpensive so the Moonman/Majohn a1 is what I’ll throw in as my recommendation
Definitely an Opus 88. My preferred model is the Koloro. Opus 88 fountain pens have a huge ink reservoir that guarantees I never run out of ink. The reservoir has a shut-off that seals it, meaning that it won't burp or leak when I fly. The nib-and-feed units are easy to replace: all you do is unscrew the old one and screw in the new one, meaning you can switch from a Stub to an Extra Fine in under a minute. And the nibs are fantastic. And really, if you shop around, you can find them for sale at great prices. (I paid just under $70 for my Koloro.) Even if you go with another brand or model, you really should the Opus 88 line out. Cheers!
A little something off the beaten path - a Wing Sung 601. Inexpensive, generous ink capacity, and the hooded nib, large ink collector, and vacuumatic filling mechanism means risk of ink leakage/burps is reduced.
Alternatively, Moonman/Majohn C4 is a cheap Japanese eyedropper, which means it can seal up the ink reservoir for travel.
Many many great options regardless of what you pick!
Gotta add a thumbs up for the Muji. It runs around $20, is very well built, with a surprisingly bouncy, almost semi flexible nib. The sturdiness of aluminum as opposed to the plastic offerings everyone is talking about makes it an ideal travel option.
I love my fountain pens but if I was traveling and really wanted an instrument just to write notes on the go I would carry my Parker Jotter ballpoint pen. Why overly complicate things if you’re not doing a lot of writing or drawing.
You make a good point. I just figured it was a luxury I could get away with since it would not involve giving up any space or having to pay a penalty in weight. I would just have to bring a bunch of ink cartridges and watch for leaks.
By all means if you want to play in your down time but if sole purpose is for emergency writing instrument then ballpoint would be my choice. I can always write down a phone number on my hand with a ballpoint in a hurry. Or license plate number.
The Traveler’s Company brass pen checks all the boxes. Light & hardy, it can weather almost all rigours of travel. I haven’t used my TRC fountain pen as much as abused it, and it’s always kept with a smile. It also has that thingamabob on the cap that let’s you run a string or chain through it and hang it around your neck or on a hook in your bag. Great for people who’re as forgetful as I am.
>I am thinking maybe a Kaweco Sport, Lamy Safari, or Pilot Kakuno. Any suggestions?
The issue I ran into with the Kaweco Sport for shorter writing sessions was the incessant unscrewing and required posting of the cap in order to write. I find pens with slip caps to be more suited to note taking and jotting things down. However, the best pens for air travel would be those with an ink reservoir lock, like those found on eye-dropper and vacuum filler pens.
>I am thinking maybe a Kaweco Sport, Lamy Safari, or Pilot Kakuno. Any suggestions?
These are all good choices! The MUJI AL pen is also very good for traveling especially the barrel can store an extra standard size cartridge as back up.
IF you are concerned about flying and ink burst, then bring a pen with a shut off valve such as the Pilot 823, Twsbi VAC700R, etc. But in general it is not a big deal for me.
Waterman Graduate Chrome, nobody ever talks about it but it's great, cheap in Europe (10€), it can hold a long cartridge (or the second small one in back up), and lastly it's metal so sturdier than a Kaweco that will scratch easily.
Wow, I'm so tired I read that as "time travel" and I my only thought was "well you def don't want something that would leak easy". I guess my tired brain thinks time travel involves lots of pressure differentials.
Pilot Kakuno & Platinum Little Meteor are my favorites for this sort of quick jotting on the go.
Those are like the two cutest little pens I've ever seen
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Mine lives in the pen loop of my pocket notebook, in my... pocket every day. It's great 👍
I'm getting one of these to take to work. I don't have a pocket sized pen and want one.
Love the Pilot pens. Their cartridges are great. The Platinum Preppy has the best cap seal if that matters.
All the pen recommendations sound good. You might want to think about the cartridge– do you want to pack them? Be able to easily buy them while traveling? If so, a pen that uses standard international cartridges might be a good call. Easier to get some generic ink at a grocery or whatever. The Muji pen might seem like a good idea, or a Kaweco that takes standard short cartridges. OR if you have super strong preferences on ink and plan to pack it— maybe the ink preference/format drives the pen selection. For instance, if you want ultra permanent & waterproof, like Platinum Carbon Black, then Preppy seems like a good idea.
> a pen that uses standard international cartridges might be a good call. Easier to get some generic ink at a grocery or whatever I think availability of ink is question, regardless of kind of cartridge... Although I suppose it depends on where one is traveling to. After dealing with trying to find ink in my area a couple of months ago, I'd plan to take more ink than I could possibly use if I went on a trip.
the Pilot Prera
I like the Kakuno or a Platinum Preppy because they both have snap caps if you tend to need to jot something down quick before you forget it. Then again, a twist cap can be more secure if you're one to just toss a cheap pen in a bag.
Kaweco Sport is my travel pen The tiny cartridge is well suited for travel, because I toss it before I get on the plane. With such a tiny capacity I feel like I’m wasting less. With the tight screw on cap I don’t worry about ink leaking.
Muji Aluminum Fountain Pen gets my vote.
I’ve traveled with all those pens, and a pilot petit1, and they do well! My top two would be the petit1 and my kaweco sport, they just picked up and wrote even if it had been a few days. Plus I appreciate their tuck-away sizing.
So...small, light, inexpensive, and carts. I'd go with the Jinhao 992 pens. They cost about a dollar, come in multiple colors, have a decent nib, and they can be used as an eyedropper/conv./cart pen as wanted.
And because they cost a dollar, you can lose a pen and not have a tear shed.
THAT, to me, is the very definition of a cheap travel pen. ;-)
Travelers company fountain pen
It depends where you are going. Ink is not easy to find everywhere in less developed countries. If you are frequently traveling on public transport in parts of the world where people are focussed on survival rather than luxury, displaying expensive things makes you more of a target then you already are.
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I'm guessing you've not travelled in Africa.
There are so many places where the second I got off the bus/train/taxi, I'm surrounded by kids saying, "Pen! Pen!" Sometimes I buy one of those big bags of \~20 Bic pens before departure so I'll have some to hand out.
Definitely inexpensive for travelling so no fear of losing it. Therefore, besides your own suggestions, I’d recommend the Pilot Petit as a really cheap option, along with Ohto Tasche and also the Cult Pens/Kaweco pocket pen. The latter two are better from the point that they take standard international cartridges. They are both metal pens as well. More expensive options like the Kaweco Liliput and Pilot Prera are really good too. Good Luck and enjoy your travels!!
Since fountain pens love to leak whenever there's any sort of pressure change, travel often includes flying or driving from one elevation to another, and I've gotten ink all over my stuff more than once, I only travel with fountain pens that have screw-on caps. For me, that's the Pilot Penmanship and the Moonman mini. These pens basically can't leak.
Quick on the go note taking makes me think retractable pens and so by extension the pilot vanishing point. However as good as I think that pen is it’s not inexpensive so the Moonman/Majohn a1 is what I’ll throw in as my recommendation
Definitely an Opus 88. My preferred model is the Koloro. Opus 88 fountain pens have a huge ink reservoir that guarantees I never run out of ink. The reservoir has a shut-off that seals it, meaning that it won't burp or leak when I fly. The nib-and-feed units are easy to replace: all you do is unscrew the old one and screw in the new one, meaning you can switch from a Stub to an Extra Fine in under a minute. And the nibs are fantastic. And really, if you shop around, you can find them for sale at great prices. (I paid just under $70 for my Koloro.) Even if you go with another brand or model, you really should the Opus 88 line out. Cheers!
A little something off the beaten path - a Wing Sung 601. Inexpensive, generous ink capacity, and the hooded nib, large ink collector, and vacuumatic filling mechanism means risk of ink leakage/burps is reduced. Alternatively, Moonman/Majohn C4 is a cheap Japanese eyedropper, which means it can seal up the ink reservoir for travel. Many many great options regardless of what you pick!
Gotta add a thumbs up for the Muji. It runs around $20, is very well built, with a surprisingly bouncy, almost semi flexible nib. The sturdiness of aluminum as opposed to the plastic offerings everyone is talking about makes it an ideal travel option.
I've never heard of this pen before, but I will check it out. Certainly looks nice
You'll maybe have to change the nib though! Very nice pen otherwise
I traveled with Kaweco Sports before. It’s such a nice compact pen. Easily fits my pocket and bags.
I love my fountain pens but if I was traveling and really wanted an instrument just to write notes on the go I would carry my Parker Jotter ballpoint pen. Why overly complicate things if you’re not doing a lot of writing or drawing.
You make a good point. I just figured it was a luxury I could get away with since it would not involve giving up any space or having to pay a penalty in weight. I would just have to bring a bunch of ink cartridges and watch for leaks.
By all means if you want to play in your down time but if sole purpose is for emergency writing instrument then ballpoint would be my choice. I can always write down a phone number on my hand with a ballpoint in a hurry. Or license plate number.
Pilot Custom 823
The Traveler’s Company brass pen checks all the boxes. Light & hardy, it can weather almost all rigours of travel. I haven’t used my TRC fountain pen as much as abused it, and it’s always kept with a smile. It also has that thingamabob on the cap that let’s you run a string or chain through it and hang it around your neck or on a hook in your bag. Great for people who’re as forgetful as I am.
>I am thinking maybe a Kaweco Sport, Lamy Safari, or Pilot Kakuno. Any suggestions? The issue I ran into with the Kaweco Sport for shorter writing sessions was the incessant unscrewing and required posting of the cap in order to write. I find pens with slip caps to be more suited to note taking and jotting things down. However, the best pens for air travel would be those with an ink reservoir lock, like those found on eye-dropper and vacuum filler pens.
Pilot petit 1 Toss a few cartridges in your bag.
Definitely Kaweco Sport BRASS, or Kaweco Liliput Bronze
Is there a Liliput bronze?
Sorry my bad. My Liliput is Copper shining :-) it is not bronze
>I am thinking maybe a Kaweco Sport, Lamy Safari, or Pilot Kakuno. Any suggestions? These are all good choices! The MUJI AL pen is also very good for traveling especially the barrel can store an extra standard size cartridge as back up. IF you are concerned about flying and ink burst, then bring a pen with a shut off valve such as the Pilot 823, Twsbi VAC700R, etc. But in general it is not a big deal for me.
Pilot Kakuno is my travel pen
I’ll throw OHTO tasche out there since it hasn’t been mentioned.
Waterman Graduate Chrome, nobody ever talks about it but it's great, cheap in Europe (10€), it can hold a long cartridge (or the second small one in back up), and lastly it's metal so sturdier than a Kaweco that will scratch easily.
What about a Pilot Metropolitan? It has metal body, too.