Are you interested in fountain pens, but you don't know where to start? Let me recommend 3 fountain pens for beginners which I still use myself.
1. Pilot Metropolitan (~$19)
This is the most commonly recommended fountain pen for beginners. It's a solid choice with a classic shape. It's suitable for small hands. The width of Pilot nibs run smaller, so if you want a thinner line, this is the pen for you. It uses ink cartridges, if you don't want to mess with bottled ink, but you must use Pilot cartridges. It can use bottled ink with a cartridge converter (~$6), but you must use a Pilot cartridge converter compatible with the Metropolitan. The body is made of lacquered metal and comes in a variety of colors. It has a little heft to it which feels good in the hand. The pen is susceptible to scratch marks but rather sturdy.
2. LAMY Safari (~$30)
This is the second most commonly recommended fountain pen for beginners. The body is made of a resin which is not as prone to scratch marks (especially if you pick one with a matte finish) and rugged enough to be carried in a backpack or purse without a pen sleeve or case. The nib might suffer if you drop this pen, but the body should hold up. The pen comes in a variety of colors, and there are special editions every year. It uses ink cartridges, if you don't want to mess with bottled ink, but you must use LAMY cartridges. It can use bottled ink with a cartridge converter (~$6), but you must use a LAMY cartridge converter compatible with the Safari. The pen has a triangular grip section which helps you hold it while writing but forces you to hold it a particular way. It doesn't bother me, but some people hate this.
3. TWSBI ECO (~$31)
This is another fountain pen commonly recommended for beginners, and it is the one I favor. The biggest difference between this pen and the other two is that you must use bottled ink with it. It has a different filling mechanism (a piston filler) and cannot use cartridges. On the plus side, you will not need a cartridge converter, and this pen holds considerably more ink. You will be able to write more between refills. The body is made of a clear acrylic barrel which allows you to see the ink inside of it, but there are a variety of colors for the cap and accents from which you may choose. The pen is rather sturdy and not as prone to scratches as the Metropolitan, but it is more brittle than the Safari. It is not as likely to survive a fall onto a hard surface.
1. Pilot Metropolitan (~$19)
This is the most commonly recommended fountain pen for beginners. It's a solid choice with a classic shape. It's suitable for small hands. The width of Pilot nibs run smaller, so if you want a thinner line, this is the pen for you. It uses ink cartridges, if you don't want to mess with bottled ink, but you must use Pilot cartridges. It can use bottled ink with a cartridge converter (~$6), but you must use a Pilot cartridge converter compatible with the Metropolitan. The body is made of lacquered metal and comes in a variety of colors. It has a little heft to it which feels good in the hand. The pen is susceptible to scratch marks but rather sturdy.
2. LAMY Safari (~$30)
This is the second most commonly recommended fountain pen for beginners. The body is made of a resin which is not as prone to scratch marks (especially if you pick one with a matte finish) and rugged enough to be carried in a backpack or purse without a pen sleeve or case. The nib might suffer if you drop this pen, but the body should hold up. The pen comes in a variety of colors, and there are special editions every year. It uses ink cartridges, if you don't want to mess with bottled ink, but you must use LAMY cartridges. It can use bottled ink with a cartridge converter (~$6), but you must use a LAMY cartridge converter compatible with the Safari. The pen has a triangular grip section which helps you hold it while writing but forces you to hold it a particular way. It doesn't bother me, but some people hate this.
3. TWSBI ECO (~$31)
This is another fountain pen commonly recommended for beginners, and it is the one I favor. The biggest difference between this pen and the other two is that you must use bottled ink with it. It has a different filling mechanism (a piston filler) and cannot use cartridges. On the plus side, you will not need a cartridge converter, and this pen holds considerably more ink. You will be able to write more between refills. The body is made of a clear acrylic barrel which allows you to see the ink inside of it, but there are a variety of colors for the cap and accents from which you may choose. The pen is rather sturdy and not as prone to scratches as the Metropolitan, but it is more brittle than the Safari. It is not as likely to survive a fall onto a hard surface.
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