My favourite pens

I’ve been collecting fountain pens for a while and when people ask which pen I’d recommend the same names keep coming up again and again so I thought I’d start this article and see where it went – maybe try to keep it updated as I find other really good pens. 

This isn’t an exhaustive list of all the pens I think are good, nor is it a list of the all brands and their best pens. These are just the pens I’d recommend to anyone and which stand out from the rest but you have to also bear in mind that it’s a very personal choice which is influenced by my likes & dislikes and my physical build – for instance, having large hands means that I don’t really like small pens for everyday use. I also hate pens that dry-start so I’ll only recommend pens that can be left inked and will write first time when you go back to them – a pen might look lovely but if it doesn’t function well as a pen then it won’t make my list.

Chinese pens

Chinese pens get a lot of love and hate and the disgruntled noises usually come from old-school pen enthusiasts who bemoan the fact that a lot of Chinese designs are very similar (clones) of famous designs by Western companies. I take the view that the pens are not fakes because they are not made to deceive and the clones are usually made with steel nibs and often have different colours and even style changes from the originals. I applaud the fact that they have brought good pens down in price and made them more accessible to all of us, which has undoubtedly brought more people into the hobby. 

Also you’ll notice that some big brands don’t make my list – namely Jinhao & Hongdian. This doesn’t mean they are awful, far from it, but Jinhao is the cheapest of the mainstream brands and, frankly, it shows in their lack of quality control and I find they very often dry up between uses, which is a no-no for me. Hongdian make some lovely pens and I really like the N12 but it isn’t very different from many of the other Italian pen clones out there and the rest of their products tend to have heavier metal bodies, which is another thing that turns me off the brand.

Anyway, on to the good stuff …

• Wingsung/Yongsheng/Junlai: This is one of my favourite brands because I’ve found their pens utterly reliable, comfortable to write with and they have very smooth nibs. 
  • 629 & 630: piston filler clones of the Montblanc 146 & 149 but produced in a wider range of colours and styles than the Montblanc. They also produce 14k nibs but I’ve not been as impressed with the one I bought – I found it a bit scratchy and I’ve seen other reviewers say the same, which is disappointing. 
  • 699: a very nice clone of the Pilot Custom 823 vac-filler – a classic pen design that gets amazing reviews so if you want to try out a steel-nibbed version of that then get one of these.
  • 930: a larger version of the 630 with a huge #9 size nib. These pens are about as large as you can get on today’s market but are actually very similar in size to the Namiki Emperor. I’ve seen plenty of reviews being critical of the size and saying it’s a problem for long use, but I love mine and I find it very comfortable to write with. The ink capacity is also huge but beware – the nib is very long and ink is drawn in at the base of the nib, which means that you need to submerge the whole nib to fill the pen, and if your bottle of ink is a bit low you might have problems! Also, pen cases are made for standard sized pens so it might not fit your favourite case. 

• Asvine: this is quickly becoming one of my favourite brands because they are all such lovely writers. I usually choose <F> in Chinese pens but with this brand I tend to find that their <F> nibs are too fine for my liking so I go for an <M>. 
  • P20: a very pretty, reliable and pleasurable piston-filler
  • V126 & V200: two very well respected vac-fillers – they write beautifully so just choose whichever you like the look of. The V200 is a bit heavier than the V126 because it has titanium trim but it’s still nicely balanced in the hand. 

• Admok: I hadn’t tried an Admok until I read somewhere that they use Schmidt nibs and, as I loved Schmidt from the Benu pens, I felt I had to try one.
  • M800: this is clearly a clone of the Pelikan M800 but it has been done beautifully with an excellent piston-filler system and a lovely nib. They also come in a wide variety of colours but none are an exact copy of the Pelikan.

• Majohn/Moonman: 
  • P136: this is the Montblanc 146 clone and they have really made a very good job of it because it’s a lovely, well balanced pen that’s a pleasure to write with. They also (unusually) provide a stub 1.1 nib option. 
  • P139 (#8 nib): this pen is a real joy to use with an unusually springy nib for a Chinese pen. The large #8 nib also gives you a really comfortable writing position.

• PenBBS: probably the highest quality and most reliable Chinese brand. The company was started by fountain pen enthusiasts to serve the community in China. They sell a wide range of pens through online stores like Amazon & AliExpress but they also sell exclusives through their Etsy store, along with speciality nibs that you can swap into their pens if you want to explore other nib grinds. 
  • 355: if you haven’t tried a syringe/bulk-filler (and let’s face it, they are usually extremely expensive pens!) then this is a cheap way to see what the pros & cons are. In summary, the pros are a huge ink capacity and the cons are a slightly fiddly filling system. I just love the smooth nibs and the big ink capacity so I bought 2. 
  • 456: currently my favourite vac-filler of all, which has even toppled the Asvines from my most favoured pens. I now have 2 and I might even get a third, I like them that much! 

Western brands

• Benu: I was initially turned off Benu because their pens are just so bright and sparkly – and pens with so much “bling” just aren’t going to write well, are they? Well, I was so wrong because the Schmidt nibs are beautiful to write with. 
  • Hexagon, Talisman & Euphoria: I’d say all of these models are well worth trying – they all give the same sort of writing experience and are very reliable with any ink that I’ve thrown at them. 

• Lamy: known for making the “Safari”, a cheap, reliable, mass-produced pen which can be bought all over the world, but they also produce some real gems at the higher end of the product range.  
  • 2000: this pen was produced in 1966 to a Bauhaus inspired design emphasising sleek lines and simplicity of form. The fact that the pen is still produced today and is virtually identical to the original speaks volumes for why this is considered a classic. 

• Montblanc: 
  • 146: if you want to try a modern Montblanc then this or the 149 are classics and, although I am grudging in my praise for such an expensive and, let’s face it, dull-looking pen, when you pick one up and write with it for the first time you are struck by what a classic design it is and how everything just works – the nibs are flawless and very reliable. The only downside (and it’s a big downside!) is the cost, which is ridiculous, but try to get one of the second hand market. 
• Pelikan:
  • M600: this would be my recommendation for an entry-level Pelikan M-series because I just can’t get on with the small size of the M200/M400 series pens. I love the smooth wet nib on this pen and I’ve found them incredibly reliable – they never dry up. 
  • M800: a heavier and slightly larger version of the M600 but it is a lovely writer. 
• Sailor: 
  • 1911 Large 21k & Pro Gear 21k: these pens are lovely – very comfortable and slightly smaller than the Pilot equivalents. The nibs are springy and give a little pencil-like feedback, which many devotees say makes it easier to control the pen and improves handwriting. The only disadvantage to these pens is that the converters have quite a low capacity meaning you need to refill them more often. 

• Pilot:
  • Custom 823: an absolute classic of a vac-filler fountain pen – just get one – you’ll never regret it: the nibs are so smooth; the filling system is reliable and fun to use; and the pen feels great in the hand. If the vac-filler system doesn’t appeal then look at the Pilot Custom 743, which is a near identical design in solid colours and with a cartridge/converter-filling system. 
  • Custom Heritage 92: a piston-filler with a lovely smooth nib – yes you can get a TWSBI that will look similar and do the same thing for a fraction of the price but a 92 with its 14k gold nib really is better. 
  • Custom Heritage 912 FA: this is a bit of an outsider in my list but the 912 feels great in the hand (similar to the Sailor Pro Gear, and when fitted with the FA nib becomes a very nice beginner’s flex pen. It’s not as flexible as some of the top ones but it is very easy to use and feels lovely. 

• Radius1934: Interestingly, this old Italian brand has been revived by the same family that make the Leonardo brand but I have found them much more reliable than my Leonardos. In fact I haven’t included Leonardo here specifically because mine dry up between use and they need dipping to restart them, which is my biggest bug-bear. 
  • Settimo: just a really well made and beautiful cartridge/converter filler pen.

• TWSBI: This Taiwanese company have built a great reputation for affordably and very competent fountain pens with modern designs, smooth steel nibs, and ultra-reliable “write first time, any time” quality. Their only weakness has been a slight problem with the plastic cracking on some models but you only have to email the company and for the price of shipping they will send you any replacement parts. That said, I have 8 TWSBI pens and they have all been fine, no problems at all. 
  • Eco or 580: both are great entry-level pens for the beginner and I’ve found them incredibly reliable – they never dry up and they just work. 

Vintage pens

Any list of favourite pens wouldn’t be complete without at least a few vintage ones. Here are just a few of my favourite vintage pens, allowing for the fact that generally speaking the older pens do tend to dry up a bit more readily than modern ones! 

• Montblanc: as I’ve said above, as much as they are excellent pens, I really don’t see the reason to pay huge money for them. Luckily the vintage market is full of lovely Montblancs at much more reasonable prices – you just need to know which to get so these are my recommendations:
  • 24: these are lovely piston-fillers from the 1960s “Classic” line but you do have to be careful to make sure that you find one with a working piston. The piston worm screws are quite fragile and easily snapped. But the nibs on these are so sublime that it’s worth getting to feel how good a nib can be! The other pens in this series (12, 14, 22, 32 & 34) are also very good but the 24 is my favourite. 

• • Generation: These are the more modern incarnation of the “Classic” line, made in the 2000s, and come as cartridge/converter fillers. They have firmer nibs but again they are lovely to use. For a cheaper version you can substitute a 1970s 320P or 221P as they are equally as good. 

• Onoto:
  • K-series: These 1950s pens are lovely to write with and have exceptionally smooth, buttery nibs. They also stay wet for quite a while if left. 

• Parker:
  • 51: Now a list of vintage pens wouldn’t be complete without a Parker 51 but I have to admit to adding it here rather reluctantly. The 51 is a very worthy classic of fountain pen design and they are beautiful to write with. But they are not the easiest pens to strip down and clean, due to a fragile and complex section, feed & breather system; and I have found that all of mine will dry up if not used for a few days. Do try one but make sure it is restored/serviced by a competent restorer and use it regularly with a wet, normal ink to keep a wet flow.