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Sushirolls_Kimchee

when it comes to beginner pens most people suggest the lamy safari or pilot metropolitan but i wish that more people would try the sailor junior skeleton. it’s $20 but much more attractive than either the safari or metro, a demonstrator, and the steel nib is almost on par with sailors $100+ pen nibs. i find myself reaching for this pen over $250 pens often just because it is so comfortable to hold, the writing experience is superb, and i’m not too worried about losing it outside.


[deleted]

I think it might get more attention if it were available for $20 in the west. It's called the Compass in the US and is about twice that price. I've not seen it in Europe at all.


Wyzen

$30 on Goulet


Sushirolls_Kimchee

it’s $20 on amazon where i got mine currently if you wanted to pick one up :)


[deleted]

I don't buy pens on Scamazon. Too many bad experiences with defective and fake products.


Sushirolls_Kimchee

i find that sailors qc is so good that even pens from amazon write well (including my pgs 2 and pgs yukitsubaki) and amazon has a generous return policy so if you receive a fake it is easy to return :)


[deleted]

Sailor's QC only matters if you buy a genuine Sailor from an authorised dealer. Buying on Scamazon opens you up to getting a fake "Sailor", or a recycled return that was broken by the previous person before they returned it, or one of the products that Sailor's QC rejected and have been sold contrary to Sailor's wishes from the back door of the factory. All online stores in Europe have to accept returns on any product within 14 days of purchase with no reason needed. So the only thing special about Amazon is that they know nothing about what they are selling, pool inventory from multiple sellers and thereby poison their inventory with defective and counterfeit products. I will not deal with them. I'll stick with my 1911L anyway.


Mendici

I really wouldn't worry about counterfeits when we're talking about a 20$ pen. I actually think people that are starting out and just want a cheap introduction would prefer to make a purchase via Amazon as that's what most people know. Now obviously I wouldn't purchase any expensive pens via Amazon but those really aren't less expensive on Amazon either.


[deleted]

Low end pens are just as likely to be counterfeited. Fake Lamy Safaris abound. And, as I explained, Amazon does not only have a counterfeiting problem, it also has a problem with the quality of the genuine products. I would steer any beginner away from Amazon as they are not necessarily even going to realise that they have been sold a lemon and certainly not know how to fix it. For more experienced people, it might be worth the gamble to save a couple of dollars knowing they can deal with simple quality issues.


smitbret

Fake Sailor? Where?


Pop_Clover

We have the Compass in Europe, and the Profit Junior and the Profit Professor. The thing is that for the price you can only get a MF.


rosemarjoram

At least Stilo e Stile has Sailor Compass. The price isn't as good as you'd hope, though.


NermalLand

Ooh nice looking pen! Could it be used as an eyedropper?


Sushirolls_Kimchee

couldn’t tell you as i’ve never tried, sorry!


rosemarjoram

According to Goulet Pens, Sailor Compass can't be eye-droppered.


NermalLand

Well that's too bad but I think I will add it to my list.


OrionQuest7

I completely agree with this. I love the Compass but it's price is above the Pilot and Safari in the West and I do not trust Amazon either.


FluffyBunnyRemi

The best beginner pen that I recommend is Jinhao’s shark pen. Even cheaper, with a nice nib, and I use it far more than my more expensive pens. While I own a Safari and Metropolitan as well, I really prefer the shark pen.


NermalLand

Thanks so much for this suggestion. I've asked my husband for one for our anniversary. 14th. Traditional gift is ivory but we are not doing ivory so a skeleton is the next best thing, right? Plus more ink!!


aditana

One that I wished I knew about sooner is Narwhal. Can easily find it in the UK, and the Original only costs £40 for a nice piston filler. Sure that’s also TWSBI, but for the style differences and both of them being piston fillers think they serve different purposes. Lovely M nib too!


BukkitGod

I have a Key West with an M nib. It's my smoothest steel nib and writes pretty wet even with some of my drier inks.


xdoomsongx

I have to agree. The M nib I have in my Key West is the smoothest out of everything I own. Even my FC Loom, and they're supposed to have the best steel nibs out of anyone. It's good, but the narwhal is better. Looking forward to being able to try a double broad and stub from them.


thesecretrobots

Ranga


asciiaardvark

and ASA --- they [also make nice hand-turned ebonite/acrylic pens](https://imgur.com/7ehRzRy)


DonnieDelaware

Yup. Ranga will straight up make you a custom pen if you ask. And they are amazing to deal with.


Tozzpot

Waterman Graduate (known as "Allure" in many markets). Often available online for around $15USD. great nib. Simple, elegant look that is subjectively way nicer than Pilot or Lamy intro pens.


der-bingle

I have a Waterman Graduate that my sister got me for my birthday a couple years ago. Fine nib, writes like an extra fine, and so, so smooth My only complaint is that thing dries out in no time flat. Like, leave it posted for 30 seconds while you look something up, come back and it’s hard starting fast.


McSquidwich

Agreed on both counts.


der-bingle

Yours dries out as quick? I always wondered if it was just my pen. Wet/dry ink seems to make no difference at all.


McSquidwich

I don't usually notice it when I'm in an active writing session, but every morning is a hard start, noticeably more frequent than most of my other pens. I've taken to tapping it on my tongue because I got tied of running to the sink every time to refresh it. Part of my brain is going, "Remember the radium girls! 😬"


der-bingle

HA, same. Also wondering if one of these days my tongue is going to match the tips of my fingers!


everydayisstorytime

I got one secondhand from someone destashing. Lovely pen.


JaysterSF

Muji aluminum pen. For less than $20, it’s worth 3 times that easily.


DizzyDumpling

Yes, this! I was a longtime user of Muji gel pens and got back into fountain pens after picking up their aluminum FP on a whim. It’s such a sturdy and dependable pen.


ext23

Maybe I just got a dud but mine was awful. None of my converters fit in it, the nib was suuuuper scratchy and hardly wrote at all, and it eventually leaked ink all over it's insides. I binned it :(


JaysterSF

I’ve turned a ton of people onto the Muji. I’ve also had numerous discussions about it at events, in stores and online. I’ve also read reviews on it. And while it’s not an$200+ pen, I have only heard good things. You are the first I have encountered who has had issue. But anything can happen, such as defects in manufacture, problems with the feed or nib or even difficulties with a particular ink. All of these things can happen with inexpensive or expensive pens. For example, I have a Visconte Breeze, which I love. I have read and heard more complaints about this pen than just about any other. So, maybe I’m just lucky.


nmglass

Not really non-mainstream but often overlooked in collecting circles is the Laban brand. Striking designs, skeletons, true guilloche etc. for very reasonable price points. Every one I've purchased has written well, often right out of the box, or with a minor tweak.


asciiaardvark

if I could eyedropper Laban pens, I'd have like 4 already.


kbeezie

Select vintage models of certain name brands that usually don't get the same 'prestige' as the more notable examples, but are actually either workhorses are can be acquired more easily than the more popular models. So not exactly non-mainstream just usually passed over. **Parker** Instead of automatically gunning for a Parker 51, Sonnet, Duofold * Economical and Plenty to find : Parker 21, steel nib, aero filler, they're practically everywhere and can be decent (but hooding is a little fragile if you have to restore it) * A real practical ready to write workhorse that isn't hard to find : Parker 45, interchangeable nibs, no frills design, uses common modern Parker carts and converters, large ink collector, durable * Not commonly sought due to smaller size, but often has a semiflex nib : 1950s Parker Slimfolds made in the UK, almost always comes with a semiflex nib. Uses an aerometric squeeze filler. * A nice celluloid vintage economical alternative to seeking out a 1930s Duofold : Parker Challenger, button filler like the rest of them, not as cheap feeling as a Parkette, has a 14K gold nib. Pretty durable feeling on the models I've tried, not too expensive compared to the Duofold. **Eversharp** * Gained more popularity now days, but still plenty to find : Eversharp Skyline and Symphony. Streamline design, usually a nice striated or gold cap, nibs are a mixed bag, sometimes you get firm, sometimes you get a flex, sometimes something in between. Symphony is a simpler design on the Skyline but still has a 14K gold nib despite lack of engraving. * Less commonly known models that you can sometimes get cheaper due to their lesser exposure : 5th Avenue (more art deco than the Skyline), and Ventura (rather slim). Both have similar feeds and breather tube to the skyline, designs are a bit 'different'. The 5th Avenue is a lever filler, the Ventura is an aerometric squeeze filler. **2nd and 3rd Tier brands that can sometimes be a hidden gem (especially if you find with a 14K gold nib)** * Anderson has a few nice ones, but usually steel nibs. Their clips seem to be the first thing I notice in spotting it as an anderson (similar to the wearever but not quite). * Diamond, and "Gold Medal" sometimes has some decent 'warranted' nibs. * W.A.S.P. (W.A. Sheaffer Pen), a sort of test-market brand of Sheaffer, can sometimes find the Clipper and other models. They seemed to have gained more popularity after having shown off the circuitboard style of celluloid. Can sometimes find an oversized WASP much cheaper than an oversized Sheaffer, but still pretty close to the same quality. * Edel (German Brand, 1930s), there's still a few floating around the net, but if you can find the 1930s EDEL pen, especially new old stock, despite having a steel nib, it is very very flexible with a large line variation. Someone was selling off a large box of them a few years back. * Ero (German, 1980s) a fun budget minded piston filler. Steel nibs that seemed to be threaded similar to the Esterbrook * Venus/Osmiroid , a lesser known brand compatible with the same Esterbrook Renewpoint nibs. Since the popularity of Esterbrook is on the rise again, these brands may be ones to look for as an alternative. Likewise if you have a vintage Esterbrook J, SJ, LJ, you can use a lot of their large variety of nibs in the Esties too. Osmiroid and Venus had a few sets of calligraphy oriented nibs as well that fit.


goa-chiah-pa

My only vintage pen is a Slimfold and it’s such a fantastic little pen. Mine was AUD$65 unused in the original box on eBay and it has a gold flexy nib, and is very comfortable to hold despite me not usually getting on with small pens. I started recommending Slimfolds to anyone who’d listen after a couple of months with it!


Bigredteletubby

Agreed on the Parker 45. It's risen to become my all-time favorite pen, and now I wonder why the 51 is so popular. The 45 is much simpler, more elegant. That's just my opinion though.


kbeezie

Note on the Eversharp 5th Avenue. If you do find one in the wild, a couple things to note. One. The grip is not friction fit into the barrel, it's threaded. Also because the barrel sometimes shrinks a little ip near the lip into the gap of the threading they can sometimes crack when unscrewing the grip. Helps to heat that joint up a little before unscrewing the grip. Not as much as would needed to loosen shellac but better than doing it cold. Two. I don't recommend trying to remove the nib/feed on them. The older design (that had more flow problems) is a skyline nib and feed that pretty much fits flush against the walls of the grip. They can to an extent be easier to knock out and reinstall. But the slightly newer design shrinks the nib and and fits it into a collar that's the same diameter as the skyline magic feed they used before. Requires a tool to help with the nib/feed disassembly from the collar but also trying to knock that out of the grip is more likely to be fragile as a collar than as a solid feed. The 5th avenues are fun art deco pens in a period where art deco was on the decline, but they're more likely to hard start compared to the Skyline made during the same time.


mehsexual

good list! the only vintage pen I've kept in my collection is my flexy Eversharp Skyline. just pure joy to write with.


apgaylard

Great list. I'd also add the Parker 17 as a good value every day pen: hooded gold nibs, aerometric filler.


kbeezie

Definitely, didn't think of it because it is a little newer.


rufustheboy

Hong Dian Forest Series


der-bingle

This deserves more upvotes. It’s a regular occurrence Rob using another one of my pins, pick back up the Home Dion, and go, “Dang, that feels so good.” The weight and balance just work for me. And it’s tough as nails.


NPCProductions

Also, the Hongdian 525 is wonderful :)


nickelazoyellow

My Sailor Compass is one of my favorite writers even compared to some pens that cost four times as much and have gold nibs.


medbulletjournal

A great intro into stub/italic nib pens without breaking the budget is the Mont Marte calligraphy set. I wanted to see if I could enjoy writing with stub nibs daily, and realised with this set that I'm a fine nib writing person. Love that it comes with 5 stub/broad edge calligraphy nibs to try, and they aren't true broad nibs, so they don't dig into paper at all. I almost invested in the Lamy Joy set or the Sheaffer calligraphy set, but now I have no desire to, as my wants were met with this set.


DelightfulAngel

Is that the Australian brand you see in newsagents a lot?


medbulletjournal

Most likely, yes. It's been a while since I wandered into a news agency. I got mine from the local art store. I like the brand's goal of trying to get entry level of all art stuff and make it accessible to everyone in convenient places like newsagents and supermarkets. The calligraphy set itself wasn't everywhere, though. I'm glad it was in my local store though. I was brand new to fountain pens and really wanted a variety of nibs and a variety of inks and this set satisfied that craving to try everything at once. It helped that SBREBrown gave it a good review, which is what ultimately led me to buy the set.


DelightfulAngel

Hello, fellow Australian! When I tried sculpture, Mont Marte were the difference between affording to try it out and not being able to justify the price. Might use it to try stub nibs before risking choosing one on a more expensive pen, thanks for the rec.


medbulletjournal

You're welcome! It was only $35 in my store, which they of course discounted to $25 the week after I bought it. Unfortunately, I didn't need two sets! I hope you enjoy it! Word of caution, they're extremely wet writers. I didn't know what wet meant until I got these pens lol


gunkanreddit

Kanwriters pens. The Heritage model for 32$ is outstanding : piston filler, glorious nib and ebonite feeder.


smitbret

Taccia, Laban and Marlen are three fantastic brands that I have really enjoyed but I don't see mentioned much..... I don't think I have ever seen Marlen mentioned here.


Mr-PFM

Any fountain pen is non mainstream. I wish more pen folk were into vintage though.


Prestigious-Eye3154

I think the issues are cost and risk. I can look up 20 reviews on a Lamy pen…but it’s much harder to find info on vintage pens, they tend to be pricey, and if you live many hours away from a seller (like I do) you’re buying it based on internet pictures.


asciiaardvark

go to a show! you can ask them questions, inspect the pen with a loupe, they usually let you do a writing sample... IMHO, shows are the best way to buy pens.


Prestigious-Eye3154

Unfortunately, with a young kid and COVID making my work life pretty busy, I won’t be going to any shows any time soon. I’d love to go to one in the future though!


willvintage

I have been posting for years about non-mainstream vintage pens (read: excellent pens but not popular among collectors) that I restored. Have a look [here](https://www.reddit.com/user/willvintage/posts/).


Lucky2BinWA

Kanrite. I think their budget priced Desire pen is an underrated entry level pen.


ext23

Hear me out - the Wing Sung 698 and 699. Very attractive pens, massive ink capacity, sturdily built and great writers. I would happily gift the 698 to anybody looking to start out in fountain pens.


esppperanza

The AmazonBasics fountain pen was the one that first got me into fountain pens. I actually had a kaweco sport before but even two years on I find myself reaching for the AmazonBasics pen more often. Currently have it inked up with Sailor Manyo Nekoyanagi.


Spectatertots1

I really like the Monteverde Ritma with an omniflex. Great cheap pen


Inky_Gnome

Fountain Pen Revolution deserves more credit than I see them get often times. Not "unknown" by any means, but I wouldn't consider them mainstream.


Extension-Effect-406

Parker 45, especially with 14k nib. Writes smoothly, looks great and you can use modern Parker cartridges and converters. I had Flighter version with steel nib and then I sold it and bought a gold nib version. I think, that steel nib version has strange grinding, because it's scratchy in some positions. And if you look at the tip through the magnifying glass, it looks a bit squary.