Best fountain pen on Reddit

516 reviews from r/fountainpens, r/hobonichi, r/BuyItForLife and 6 more subreddits

516 reviews from

and

By Brand

By Product

Pilot

4.5

(112)

"A Pilot Prera is a fantastic first pen, especially for a smaller hand."

"My favorite is Pilot Brand fountain pens. Cheap or expensive they just work very well for me."

"A pilot custom 823 is a very good pen with a signature nib."

"My favorite pen is Pilot 823."

"Pilot Custom 823 or maybe the 74 (can take cartridges)."

"It's difficult to see anyone who is not completely allergic to fountain pens would not appreciate a Pilot 74 with a medium nib."

"You can't go wrong with a Pilot Custom 823! It's a very reliable workhorse pen."

"Fave pens with comfy, wide grips, not too heavy."

"Look on Jetpens.com and search for Pilot Kakuno."

"Pilot Vanishing Points are great because of the clicker."

Lamy

4.4

(94)

"They're much more subtle-looking than a lot of fountain pens, but are durable, excellent writers."

"It’s nearly indestructible, has a fantastic gold nib, and a large capacity piston filler."

"Anything by lamy is good."

"I agree with the others suggesting a Lamy Safari over a Kaweco sport."

"I'd suggest Lamy Safari or Al-Star as a starter pen - tough, generally work perfectly out of the box."

"They have a neat system of attaching the nib to the feed such that it is quite easy to change"

"I would get a Lamy Safari/Vista/Studio and get the italic nibs 1.1, 1.3, 1.5 and maybe 1.9 exists?"

"Upgraded to the gold nibs and I love them even more."

"The best metal pen overall is the Lamy Studio."

"The only one I own personally is the studio and it’s a banger."

TWSBI

4.5

(46)

"A "Twsbi Eco" is a very good place to start for fountain pens."

"TWSBI ECO all the way. They are inexpensive, great quality, and so easy to use."

"Twsbi is also a good brand."

"There is a reason that TWSBI gets so many good reviews. The pens are durable with consistently reliable nibs."

"I definitely would prefer the TWSBI ECO in transparent/violet with a medium nib."

"TWSBI Precision."

"The advantage of a Lamy Safari over something like a TWSBI Eco is relatively inexpensive interchangeable nibs."

"The TWSBI Eco is a solid, affordable choice."

"I have found TWSBI Eco to work perfectly for my hands."

"I use Lamy and also TWSBI and they both work great with Hobonichi, <3"

Platinum

4.3

(47)

"I'd recommend going for either Platinum Preppy, Prefounte, or Plaisir."

"Platinum Preppy 02 (under €10) and Pilot Kaküno EF (under €15)."

"Lightweight. Comfortable plastic/resin grip section."

"Platinum Preppy and Pilot kakuno are both great options to consider."

"For kawaii, how about Platinum's Little Meteors, especially the Sanrio editions that are all sparkly in purple and pink?"

"I’m a diehard platinum preppy fan."

"Platinum preppy with medium nib."

"I prefer thin pens usually and I love my Platinum Little Meteors for everyday note taking at work."

Kaweco

4.4

(26)

"Personally, the Kaweco Student is my fave for beginners."

"I also love using my acrylic Kaweco Sports."

"Kaweco liliput it’s the little brother of the supra"

"Thinnest in my collection are the Kaweco Lilliput and a couple 45s."

"Kaweco Lilliput is the thinnest I know"

"Kaweco Liliput? Pilot e95s?"

"Forget the Chinese brands flooding the market, they are so hit and miss. Just get a Kaweko!"

"I just put a double broad nib in a Kaweco Lilliput."

"I'm a huge fan of both the Kaweco Student and the TWSBI Eco, both of which are under $100."

"I've had my Kaweco brass sport pen for a little over 10 years. Buttery smooth writing experience."

Pelikan

4.4

(25)

"I think the M200 is a lovely choice."

"The Pelikan M200 is a perfect choice, honestly."

"The M200 is a great choice. It's small, lightweight and reliable."

"I’d recommend a Pelikan M800 or M1000, which are perfect for pens that will be used mostly for signatures."

"I think Pelikan m800 or m1000 are wonderful pens and they have a bit more flair than montblanc."

"Pelikan Twist is a very comfortable and rugged pen."

"My vintage Pelikan M800."

"Pelikan M800 Green Demo 2023"

"Is the best in this price point, bar none."

"How about pelikan m200?"

Lamy Safari

4.9

(15)

"I suggest a lamy safari with either a medium or fine nib for general use."

"My 8-year-old loves her Lamy Safari."

"Lamy Safari is also very good, and you can change nibs easily."

"Just here to echo others’ suggest for a Lamy Safari."

"Lamy Safari, budget friendly and very good for start."

"Personally I started with a Lamy Safari."

"Cheap - Lamy Safari."

"* Lamy Safari."

"Have her try a Lamy Safari."

"My third grader loves her Lamy Safari."

Parker

4.7

(15)

"You could get a lovely Parker 51 in your budget."

"You could try getting a Parker sonnet or a waterman Carene, both come with beautiful 18k gold nibs."

"If you have £100 the Parker 51 is a Great fountain pen."

"I would say either a vintage Parker 51."

"Vintage Parker 51."

"It was literally designed for travel, and for travel in unpressurized airplanes, specifically."

"Parker 51 (vintage obv.) - it was literally designed for travel."

"Parker Sonnet."

"There are lots of thin vintage and classic pens. Parker 45s are a good place to start."

"Parker 45 if you can find it on eBay!"

Jinhao

4.2

(14)

"Fave pens with comfy, wide grips, not too heavy."

"Jinhao 82 are fun because you can buy a few and mix and match to make your own colors."

"I love the Jinhao 80, 82, and 100."

"Any fountain pen helps tbh, but bigger grip diameter leads to writing longer with less discomfort."

"Cheaper alternatives include the Majohn A1 and Jinhao 10."

"Jinhao X450."

"I put an FPR flex nib in a Jinhao x450."

"Jinhao works."

"<$5 jinhao 82, 9016, 51a, 86, etc."

"I would say a Jinhao, almost any model will do just fine."

#10

Pilot Kakuno

5.0

(11)

"I would go for kakunos - one for each color."

"If I were allocating $50, I’d get the pilot kakuno with a converter."

"Pilot Kakuno and Platinum Preppy are cooperative, lightweight, affordable pens."

"The Pilot Kakuno has consistent build quality and is an excellent value."

"Pilot Kakuno is a great pen."

"I’d say start with a Pilot Kakuno or Lamy Safari."

"For entry level, you can't really go wrong with pilot kakuno."

"The Pilot Kakuno EF nib in my Pilot MR3 fountain pen."

"I really like my Kaküno."

"Good affordable pens"

#11

Sailor

4.6

(11)

"For 120-130 Canadian dollars you can buy a Sailor Pro Gear Slim."

"Sailor is a good brand. They make excellent writing pens."

"I have the same Pro Gear Slim and it's fantastic."

"Other than these notes, that's a brilliant choice of pen."

"Sailor Profit Casual, Profit Light, Profit Standard, and Professional Gear Slim models at Japanese domestic market prices."

"I personally would chose one with a very fine nib (Sailor Pro Gear Slim MF or finer would be my favorite)."

"Sailor > Pelikan > Mont Blanc."

"Used Lamy 2000, Sailor and Platinum Pens;"

"Sailor is a good brand. They make excellent writing pens."

"I find that some Japanese pens (Pilot, Sailor) with gold nibs can be found 'reasonably' priced and new on eBay."

#12

TWSBI Eco

5.0

(8)

"If it's your first pen, I'd recommend the Eco! It's not terribly expensive and I think they're great!"

"Or TWSBI Eco - they’re both solid pens."

"The TWSBI Eco."

"The TWSBI Eco of Vac700R would be my choice."

"I have used my TWSBI-eco every day for the past two years and she is still going strong."

"The Twsbi Eco might be in your price range."

"For pen I would suggest a twsbi eco."

"TWSBI Eco and an Iroful notebook."

#13

Asvine

4.3

(9)

"Go with Asvine. I have a V200, V126, and a P39. Absolutely no complaints."

"Another vote here for Asvine if it’s your first one and you do not to spend a significant sum."

"Switching from a converter pen (pilot metropolitan animal edition) to a piston filler (asvine v126)"

"In your price range, Asvine has some great options."

"Asvine V126."

"Asvine v126. easily."

"Perhaps a HongDian N1-S, Asvine P20, or Admok M800."

"Asvine P20"

"Asvine P20 and have a better pen"

#14

Platinum Preppy

5.0

(7)

"A range of nibs on Platinum Preppies or Pilot Kakunos is a great place to start."

"I’d recommend a Platinum Preppy."

"Three separate pens in nib sizes EF, F, M along with ink cartridges would be a great starting set."

"The Platinum Preppy is an excellent pen."

"Platinum preppy if you think she will lose it."

"* Platinum Preppy."

"Platinum Preppy or Pilot Varsity."

#15

Kaweco Sport

4.8

(6)

"You could get her a kaweco sport for a first pen."

"I'm a big fan of the Kaweco Sport."

"* Kaweco Sport - A big YES on that one."

"It is a tough little trooper of a pen that works well for kids."

"Kaweco Sport."

"Does he have a kaweco sport maybe? a metal version, maybe the aluminum one."

#16

Diplomat

4.3

(6)

"Diplomat Magnum is thin and light."

"Diplomat Magnum is thin and light"

"Diplomat Traveller"

"My opinion would be platinum preppy or diplomat magnum. Or just both."

"Diplomat Traveller, Diplomat Excellence A2 (steel nib version), Taccia Spotlight."

#17

Waterman

4.2

(6)

"I personally have owned a carene for the last 7 yrs and it still looks brand new."

"I particularly like to recommend a Waterman Carene (very popular professional option)."

"It’s beautiful, writes well and is office appropriate (not too flashy)."

"Nice pen with a gold nib in the $250-ish range."

"Would be my pick for a $300-ish pen with a metal body."

"Waterman Carene. almost not using cap at all."

#18

Opus 88

4.6

(5)

"Japanese eyedroppers like Opus 88s, Majohn C4, or the Pilot custom models that have shutoff valves."

"Opus 88 with a <B> nib with a cursive italic grind."

"If you are in Europe, check out the Opus 88 line of eyedropper pens."

"The opus 88 pens. Hold enough ink for the trip."

"Take a look at opus 88, they make pens that you can fill through an eyedropper."

#19

Kanwrite

4.5

5.0

(1)

"My aunt is a nurse who loves her Lamy Al Star."

#41

FPR FPR pen

5.0

(1)

"Just get the FPR pen. I have both the Himalaya v1 and v2. The v2 has a sturdier build although I like the petite feel of the v1 they both are great sketching pens."

#42

Leuchtturm1917

5.0

(1)

"If you like the hardcover that they have I would recommend using Leuchtturm1917 notebooks."

#43

Faber-Castell School +

5.0

(1)

"Faber-Castell School +. Ideal for the task."

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