Best fountain pens on Reddit
313 reviews from r/fountainpens, r/hobonichi, r/ilovestationery and 4 more subreddits
313 reviews from
and
By Brand
/By Product
#1
Pilot
4.5
(76)
"I suggest getting a pilot kakuno demonstrator model."
"The VPs are especially nice because Pilot cartridges are very easy to not only refill but also reseal."
"Depending on the person I've chosen Platinum Plaisirs or Pilot Metros."
"I'd say Pilot Metropolitan. They look nice, have a wide range of colours and nib sizes... reliable workhorse pens many people use as an everyday carry."
"Pilot metro in EF and Noodler's X-Feather. I can recommend Metro with full confidence it won't fail you."
"A pilot kakuno fine nib with pelikan 4001 is a combination that never let me down."
"Teacher here. I keep a Kakuno at the office."
"Kakuno is my absolute favorite due to its affordability."
"I love retractable FPs, and have been using a Pilot Vanishing Point in an extra fine nib lately."
"My all time favorite: pilot vanishing point extra fine."
#2
Lamy
4.6
(48)
"I agree with a Lamy 2000, but there are other options as you see."
"The pen I’m most likely to carry around is my Lamy 2000."
"I'd probably take my Lamy, or I have a Majohn A1 pen that's built like a tank."
"I'd say your Safari is perfect."
"You could definitely find a Lamy 2000 B or BB for less than $200, and they are fantastic wet wide nibs."
"I’ve all but replaced my usual pen usage for FP’s. Currently have 5-6 inked and in use."
"At that range you really can't go wrong with Lamy Safari (32$USD) or just an absolute gaggle of Platinum Preppy/Preppy Wa (9$USD)."
"Not too early! Lamy abc exists for a reason"
"I gave him my Lamy Al-Star and told him it was an 'artist pen'."
"Lamy 2000."
#3
Platinum
4.6
(35)
"Go for platinum preppy it’s extremely good and not expensive ₹425"
"I recommend Platinum Preppy or any fountain pen that comes with a cartridge included, with instructions on how to use it."
"Depending on the person I've chosen Platinum Plaisirs or Pilot Metros."
"Platinum Plaisir at ~$17USD"
"My cheapest pens ended up being my favourite - the Platinum Preppy F nib."
"Best advice I can give you - buy yourself a few Platinum Preppys."
"We got my kiddo a $3 Platinum Preppy when she was 5."
"This sounds exactly like what the Platinum Preppy or Pilot Kakuno are for!"
"Currently obsessed with my Platinum Preppys and how they just glide over shitty printer paper."
"My recommendation is Platinum Preppy F or EF."
#4
TWSBI
4.6
(21)
"I have TWSBI Ecos as dedicated shimmer pens, and I find that the M, B, and 1.1 stub nibs work wonderfully for shimmers."
"I just got the TWSBI Eco in 1.1 stub for shimmer inks and wow, I am blown away!"
"The only pen I currently use every day is my Twsbi Eco, as it is so damn nice!"
"TWSBI ECO F Nib. I measure all fountain pens against TWSBIs."
"My fav is the twsbi eco (I have white rose gold) in F."
"TWSBI: Diamond 580."
"I'd go with a twsbi diamond 580 with a broad nib."
"I would say : TWSBI are the best for the price."
"I find it hard to recommend anything other than a TWSBI eco to a beginner."
"Now I only use TWSBI ECOs for shimmers."
#5
Kaweco
4.4
(19)
"I use my shimmer inks in a couple shimmer-dedicated B nib Kaweco Sports."
"I highly recommend an ExtraFine nib. In my case a Kaweco Sport works really well."
"I highly recommend an ExtraFine nib. In my case a Kaweco Sport works really well in that kind of paper."
"I always suggest the Kaweco Sport. Small inexpensive pens that can fit in a pocket or small bag."
"As a fellow shimmer ink user, I can recommend a pen from personal experience: Kaweco Perkeo."
"Kaweco sport and twsbi."
"I'd go with a Kaweco Sport or Perkeo, both great pens, both under £25."
"I'd go with a Kaweco Sport or Perkeo, both great pens, both under £25."
"* Kaweco Perkeo
* Faber-Castell Grip
* TWSBI Eco(Go or swipe too?)"
"I have a kaweco student in M! Handles shimmer quite well, surprisingly!!"
#6
Jinhao
4.3
(14)
"They are as cheap as chips - currently, you can buy 5 Jinhao dupe Lamys for £10 on Amazon."
"I also have a class set of Jinhao Swans and Sharks."
"I also have a Jinhao 82 with a fude nib!"
"Jinhao are smooth and reliable"
"It's cheap and formal looking without being fancy."
"Black Jinhao 9019 (girthy) or Jinhao 82 (sleeker) depending on your handsize."
"Jinhao 9019 or 9016 they have some broadish nibs and have a little bit of flex for about $10+"
"Get a cheap Chinese knockoff that takes #5 nibs. I like jinhaos, but it doesn’t matter."
"Jinhao dragon as it may look appealing to kids."
"You can get introductory fountain pens on Amazon for under $10. jinhao has lots of verity."
#7
Opus 88
4.6
(8)
"Opus 88 for a eyedropper with shut off valve."
"The Opus 88 pens are great for traveling."
"Opus 88 Demo"
"Opus 88, every time."
"Have you looked at the Opus 88 line? My personal favorite is the Koloro."
"Opus 88 <M> Demo was not really cheap (100 EUR)..."
"Opus 88 Pens"
"The Opus 88 pens are around $120."
#8
Fountain Pen
4.9
(7)
"I'm using a fountain pen."
"If it takes ink, it's fp."
"Journaling, random notes and collecting them along with inks!"
"They are an important part of our daily life."
"I'll always use a fountain pen."
"So much better than ballpoint pens as I learned quickly."
"Want to buy a fountain pen with a flexible nib to practice writing/calligraphy."
#9
Hongdian
4.7
(7)
"The Hongdian Black Forest is really great. Nice weight, all metal, writes like a dream."
"Hongdian black forest for metal body."
"Hongdian, they have so many great pens."
"My go to for everyone is the Hong Dian Black Forest series."
"Hongdian pens are available on Amazon.co.uk with free shipping and are within your price range."
"Hongdian might be up your alley."
"I've got this Hongdian pen in my Amazon cart."
#10
Sailor
4.1
(7)
"I'm partial to the Sailor Pro Gear Slim/Pro Gear Slim mini w/MF nib."
"My go to is sailor seiboku, but i do recommend bringing a trusty permanent felt tip or gel pen as well."
"I really enjoy using the Sailor Pro Gear Slim in an <MF> nib."
"Expensive af, but a Sailor Realo is nice! Lightweight, good grip."
"There are a lot of nice Sailor exclusives in Japan."
"Some cool Sailors are under $100 in Amazon."
"Suffering with dryness and flow of Sailor Pro Gear slim on dense 90g Rhodia papers."
#11
Majohn
4.8
(5)
"Some suggestions at the $25 point, Majohn P136, Yongsheng 629 or 630, Asvine V126."
"Majohn p136 is the best value pen I’ve ever bought."
"Majohn A1, Twsbi Eco, Muji aluminium pen, Hongdian black forest, Jinhao X750"
"Look at the Majohn P136, such an excellent pen at a really low price."
"Majohn A1."
#12
Parker
4.0
(5)
"Can probably find a parker 45 flighter for under 40."
"The all-metal version of the Parker Jotter gives you the classic Parker Flighter for a pretty good price."
"If you're lucky you may find Parker 45 Flighter for this amount of money"
"Probably a Parker Urban or Waterman something for that price"
"I very much like my Parker Jotter stainless steel body."
#13
Noodler's
4.5
(4)
"I've had great luck with Noodler's X-Feather which comes in black and blue."
"The most feather-resistant ink I know if is Noodler's X-feather."
"Noodlers charlie"
"For me, I would say a fine to extra fine nib with something like Noodlers X feather blue or De Atramentis Document Ink."
#14
Faber-Castell
4.3
(4)
"Faber-Castell Loom is great for how cheap it is."
"Faber castell loom or TWSBI eco."
"Faber Castell Loom or Grip. Hongdian N7. TWSBI eco."
"Faber Castell Loom."
#15
Asvine
5.0
(3)
"The Asvine P-20 is a great piston filler in that price range."
"The Asvine P-20 is a great piston filler in that price range."
"I got an Asvine off Amazon for about that and it’s shockingly good"
#16
FPR
4.3
(3)
"Get an FPR with an ultraflex nib and an ebonite feed"
"So it's c/c pens for me - in particular a couple of FPR pens with flex nibs."
"FPR has several pens under $40 that are wonderful."
#17
Wing Sung
4.3
(3)
"Wing Sung 601 is a vac filler, huge ink capacity, and built like a tank."
"Wing Sung 601 Flighters are a ~$15 new option worth considering."
"I really like the Wing Sung 601. It's available in a stainless steel version for ~$20."
#18
Waterman
4.3
(3)
"We write postcards... using our fountain pens and Waterman serenity blue ink."
"Waterman fountain pens are good for this. As are Lamy."
"Probably a Parker Urban or Waterman something for that price"
#19
Sheaffer
4.0
(3)
"You might try a Sheaffer calligraphy pen set. You can get three interchangeable italic nibs."
"You might try a Sheaffer calligraphy pen set. You can get three interchangeable italic nibs (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 mm as I remember) for under $20."
"[Sheaffer® VFM Matte Black with Chrome trims Fountain Pen - Medium - $32]"
#20
Kaweco Sport
5.0
(2)
"I’m a big fan of Kaweco Sports."
"Plus a kaweco sports broad and double broad."
#21
TWSBI Eco
5.0
(2)
"I use primarily twsbi eco on medium and broad nibs."
"I've got a TWSBI Eco and a Benu in medium that have both worked great for shimmer inks!"
#22
Benu
5.0
(2)
"Benu"
"I've got a TWSBI Eco and a Benu in medium that have both worked great for shimmer inks!"
#23
Ranga
4.5
(2)
"Ranga pens are made in India, and I've found great joy in them."
"Ranga's group buy pens or Kanwrite Legacy."
#24
Moonman
4.5
(2)
"I much prefer mine to my Lamy AL-Star."
"Could try a Moonman C1 in medium. Big clear demonstrator body that you can see the shimmer roll around in."
#25
de Atramentis
4.5
(2)
"But using something like the de Atramentis Document line or Rohrer and Klingner Sketch inks would be great!"
"Dry permanent ink and fine nib would be my recommendation since standard book paper is among the worst for pens."
#26
Airmail
4.5
(2)
"Airmail, kanwrite, ratnam and ratnamsons are all great options."
"Airmail 71 JT Kanwrite No.35 nib."
#27
Fountain Pen Revolution
5.0
(1)
"If you’re in/near the US, the Fountain Pen Revolution ultraflex nibs are bonkers for shimmer!"
#28
Liliput
5.0
(1)
"I started using pocket fountain pens (Liliputs and a Pocket Six) for 'work'."
#29
Lamy Cursive Nib
5.0
(1)
"I have been loving the Lamy cursive nib (I have 3 now)."
#30
Pilot Pluminix
5.0
(1)
"I recently got a Pilot Pluminix from Aliexpress with an italic nib and I LOVE it."
#31
Platinum Preppy
5.0
(1)
"For a cheap option I really like my platinum preppy with a medium nib with my ferris wheel shimmer ink."
#32
TWSBI Eco-T
5.0
(1)
"The only pen I’ve had that worked well with shimmer was a TWSBI ECO-T with a medium nib."
#33
Faber Castell Grip
5.0
(1)
"I have a couple of Faber Castell Grip pens in M and B as my designated shimmer ink pens."
#34
Pelikan Piston Filler
5.0
(1)
"Any Pelikan piston filler, Wing Sung 698, Scrikss 419"
#35
Pelikan
5.0
(1)
"Pelikan M200 or 400 BB"
#36
TWSBI Diamond 580
5.0
(1)
"My favorite is the TWSBI Diamond 580 in broad."
#37
Magna Carta
5.0
(1)
"Also Magna Carta pens, even bigger, but lighter."
#38
Pelikan M200
5.0
(1)
"My Pelikan M200 is GREAT with shimmer inks."
#39
Schon DSGN
4.0
(1)
"Maybe something from schon dsgn. they’re very durable."
#40
Pilot Decimo
4.0
(1)
"A Pilot Decimo with a fine nib will also be a reliable pen for drawing."
#41
Jinhao 159
4.0
(1)
"I've had most success with Jinhao 159's into which I've put JoWo broad nibs."
#42
Diplomat Magnum
4.0
(1)
"Diplomat magnum"
#43
Hong Dian Black Forest
4.0
(1)
"Solid aluminum body, steel nib, converter with a good capacity."
#44
Pilot Prera
4.0
(1)
"Prera is awesome, it got a good weight but does not hurt your hand when taking notes."
#45
Lamy Safari
4.0
(1)
"Cheap Lamy Safari clone from Aliexpress with extrafine nibs."
#46
Preppy
4.0
(1)
"I would probably stick with cheap pens like a Preppy or Kakuno so you don’t have to worry about it."
#47
Beihauer
4.0
(1)
"Beihauer makes a decent all-metal body pen."
#48
Opus
4.0
(1)
"Take a look at eyedropper pens like the Opus 88's - you can see the ink level and they hold a LOT of ink for very long writing sessions."
#49
Muji
4.0
(1)
"Muji aluminium is about $15 and very nice; Lamy Safaris have some very nice colours."
#50
rOtring
3.0
(1)
"A rOtring Core has to be labelled "pretty interesting design"..."
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