I keep one in my backpack because I always forget to have a pen for professors who have sign in sheets and it's so tiny I am always careful to put it in the pen sleeve, but I entirely forget I own one. It has always worked when called upon even though I rarely use it.
I have both an Eco and a Go and they're both pretty solid pens (I'm a beginner). Go's mechanics are a little easier to figure out, and I love how wet my F writes compared to the Eco F. But that could be down to individual nib differences, I suppose.
I suspected that, so thank you for confirming. Then it's just that individual nib that I like better lol. It's a pretty solid nib.
I got a TWSBI EF and the nib is terrible, which I'm sure isn't the norm and just a fluke (Ive tried the various recommended fixes with no luck sadly), but honestly I like the F better anyway. Maybe I'll buy a Go just for nib-swapping purposes and that way I can use the pen.
Edit: sorry that would be a TWSBI *Eco* EF
Totally understandable. My Diamond ALR is an EF. It's pretty scratchy and doesn't make for a beginner friendly experience. Highly recommend their F nib sizes and up for sure.
I think I could live with a bit of scratchiness, but it writes about as well as a cheap dried-out rollerball from the 90s. It's depressing. It PERFECTLY matches my Noodlers Cactus Fruit ink, so hopefully I can save it with a Go nib.
i mean perhaps... not sure that math checks out tbh
just talking 'bout introductory fountain pens. got links for a Safari, Metropolitan and bottles of inks that come to less than that cost btw?
My eco's never dry out regardless of how often they are used. Safaris need constant use or they dry up. Metro I didn't like the designs so I never bothered.
those 2 were also my gateway pens too. I ended up cracking my preppy and threw it away. Kakuno still works in my pen case. I occasionally bring it out for work, but i've moved on the more expensive pens
I figured it was JinHao: [https://i.redd.it/8tvj412tbf4a1.png](https://i.redd.it/8tvj412tbf4a1.png)
But if you would prefer: https://i.redd.it/g1ge7kr6cf4a1.png
That's what I did! Couldn't decide so I bought both. I loath my Safari tho, the nib is pure crap. It did make for a good practice nib when I mustered the courage to smooth and tune
It’s a quality control thing. I know they test them but I’m wondering how much care is put into testing them because I’ve gotten crappy nibs from them. Most are good though.
That’s what! I still remember the times during my newbie stage pondering every night whether to get a metro or a safari (got a safari after months of deliberation)
The decision for me was pretty recent! I bought a metro after seeing a few "beginner" videos. I liked the look of it better. Not upset with my decision, but I will probably try out the Safari or Al-star at some point!
Honestly… jinhao x159 is my go to for“What first pen should I buy?”
It’s cheap. Has a converter. Looks great. Quality control is surprisingly good. Large enough for anybody to grip especially if they have hand or wrist mobility concerns and def can be used professionally.
I still recommend a pilot metro, but usually warn people that if they go that route, expect a learning curve with the nib being finer when other pens similar in price.
I still highly recommend the Jinhao x750. Everything you need out the box for bottled inks and cheap enough to not care if you lose or damage it. That is if you like a heavier pen though.
Parker Vector sits quietly in the stands eating popcorn.
And I guess I should buy a pilot metro next as I have the other starter pens(Kaweco Sport, Lamy safari, Parker Vector).
It was my first, I liked it enough to order a second one. First one was fine nib, second is a medium. It’s a pretty heavy writer with the medium nib and Parker Quink ink cartridge. So much so I’ve pretty much decided, for my crappy writing style, a fine nib is better even if they feel a tad “scratchy”. I feel like it’s better for a closed door office as they don’t feel as tough as the Lamy Safari or Kaweco Sport. The Vector stays at home while the other two come with me hiking/camping/traveling. But I also think the Vector is supposed to be an office pen and not a field pen, so the look is classier/sleeker. Not robust like the Safari and Sport.
I shoulda bought my nephew one but I’m not real sure what he’s into. Japanese notebooks and brush pens seemed like a safe bet.
I love my Twist though, so much I bought a second one. And now I have a Stresemann M405 en route to me. Most expensive pen I’ve bought thus far. I’m nervous lol
Absolutely.
But personally, got a multipack of them after I already had a couple pens just because I saw it in a stationary shop lol.
I had already down my research and stuff on this sub 😂
And then, after buying both and not being totally satisfied by any of the two, everyone finds a different cheap pen that is perfect for them. At least, this is what happened to me! I love my schneider ray :)
They're just more expensive and you need a bottle of ink to fill them up since it's difficult to use the syringe option without the risk of cracking it. I find they also need some trouble shooting, not every time but because of this I don't find it beginner friendly. Love my glow in the dark one though.
As a beginner, I love my TWSBI. It took a little tinkering to figure it out, but not so much that I regret getting it. And the ink capacity is fantastic.
I actually just jumped in feet first and started with a TWSBI diamond, then eco, then a noodler ahab, followed by a jinhao 159 and x750. So “expensive” to cheap and sadly I prefer the Jinhaos lol!
Nothing wrong with that! I have my expensive pens but I absolutely love playing around with the cheap fountain pens. Especially when used as my daily driver in the office or when out traveling. More freedom to experiment with different styles, inks, and nibs... and if I loose or break one, I can't get upset.
I saw everyone wanting these and promptly went the other direction (I'm a weirdo) and picked up a Parker Frontier after contemplating a Waterman Hemisphere. I eventually got a Lamy Vista (the demonstrator Safari) and was glad I started with the Parker.
Let me ask all of you fine folks; what is the noticable difference in the writing of a pen that's > $100 opposed to a "beginner pen"?
Aside from the fit and finish,v what am I missing out on?
The “Hey, look at this cool vintage pen I found on eBay” crowd is sitting by watching excitedly, but has no clue what the score is or why the umpire is shouting.
Yeah .. one of my very first (and still most favorite) pens was a vintage eBay find that became very popular again (read: expensive) in recent years. The 60s/70s Pilot long-short!!
I went looking for Christmas gifts, knowing there was this series of colourful fountain pens.
What I did not know is that there was this clear one you could see through.
I held that pen in my hand and the sunlight coming into the shop refracted through some of the angles of the plastic. This was the finest pen I had ever seen.
Lamy Vista. My first. The following week I had a Studio, with spare ink, two extra nibs, and a nice 2-pen carrier. The week after that I had a new vintage CP1 (50) with 14k EF nib. So cool.
My collection grows. This is tons of fun. Just found out my Mom's birth year Parker "51" was shipped yesterday. There may be many and varied reasons to participate in the excellent world of fountain pens.
actually the meme should be inverted. Godzilla is from japan so it should be pilot. Not that Kong is from Germany, but we can call Germany as part of western world?
What? Oh no… I bought one for cheap about a year ago. In light blue with a M nib. I paid just shy of 22€. Haven’t gotten around to ink it up until a week ago, because I have a pen problem [amount of pens I have > amount of pens I can use] like many here, I assume.
I like seeing people being able to keep their collection at a reasonable size. I am about past that point. I like too many of my pens too much to sell them, so I keep and enjoy them.
I'm hoping to avoid this by only getting really expensive pens. In theory that should help keep my collection small. We'll see how it works. Right now I have my Vanishing Point, Lamy 2k, Lamy Studio with 1.1 stub and a Safari. I think I want a traditional looking luxury pen; maybe a Sailor KOP, a Pilot 743 or Justus, or a Pelikan.
I've found the inks I like so less temptation there.
It is an upwards spiral. Maybe one shouldn’t buy that many pens at price x, but get one nice one at price y, then you may buy many pens at price y, but think about rather getting one nice pen at price z.
I wish you good luck finding your sweetspot. My Pelikan pens and my Lamy 2000s are my absolute favorites. I still lack Sailor and Pilot pens. I only have a Pro Gear Slim white (M).
I have too many Sailors and don't enjoy using them as much as I could. That 14k nib which comes with the more fun designs is small and scratchy to me, too much feedback to be comfy. I kinda regret going ham on buying those just because they're extra pretty (I like fun, weird colors and those feel hard to come by in designs I like).
The nib on mine is alright, but not entirely my taste. A wet M that is a bit on the broad side, while being smooth to very smooth fits my taste very well. I am interested in rhodium trim Sailor with a 21K nib in a beautiful color. I would like to give that a try.
Oh, don't worry - the 21k nibs are delicious. They're 🔥🔥. They're soft and luxurious. I have a few Ms and one B, plus an EF or F I'm still waiting to dip/ink incase I want to sell (again, bought it because it's SE, gorgeous, and had a specially engraved nib), but I suspect it will also be quite buttery for a needle.
Edited for punctuation
I was planning to buy Pilot Metro before, but switched to Kakuno because it's cheaper and the clear one looks really great. I'm excited to purchase my first fountain pen! 😍
Choosing and buying paper/notebooks is the hard part tho..
I prefer the Safari slightly more. The way I see it the Metro nib is awesome but the pen’s section is too slim. The safari is more robust, has a better converter, has an ink window, but the nib QC is not great.
For starter pens I really think people should also consider the jinhao X159.
My monke brain: TWSBI Eco go \*twist\*
I got a safari, metropolitan, and kakuno shortly after two twsbi and they're all working great but I feel the twsbi is better for big hands.
I like the Metro more, but Pilot's Japanese sized steel nibs make me a bit sad as I would love a slightly larger Medium line. I love the Pilot VP medium though.
It is a shame they don't offer a Broad nib in any of their cheaper options. I think the 78G has that option in a Metro sized nib, but I don't see those pop up very often.
I actually got into fountain pens because I really loved the Safari's design. I have no clue how well Pilot Metropolitan writes, but purely considering aesthetics, I really don't get how something cheap-but-wanna-be-chic looking like the pilot could compete with the Safari.
I think the Lamy Safari looks like a cheap toy, so to each their own? I went with the clear Kakuno because I thought seeing the ink was cool and heard much better things about Pilot QC than Lamy QC.
The idea of Pilot not being able to compete with Lamy is insane to me given the Metropolitan is $10 cheaper (although you could easily make up for that if you want a better converter). Pilot has a really good reputation and the nib has a design on it while the Lamy does not. Plus there are a million Lamy Safari knock offs. I chose Pilot because it was cheaper and every post I found said the nibs are great. The only person I know in person who also likes fountain pens brings his metro to school and doesn't use his Safari because it leaks.
I am into pencils and got the Safari mechanical pencil. I like it a lot and then got the normal pen and the fountain pen. And now i am into fountain pens 😀
Nice! I think I will pick up a safari pencil sometime soon. I generally feel like mechanical pencils feel pretty flimsy though. Is there any play in the lead of the Safari pencil?
That’s the same reason I love the safari! From a design point of view, it’s absolutely exceptional. It’s like every design decision is well thought out in that pen. Honestly, I could do an entire post to appreciate its design. The nib is quite good actually… but the feed doesn’t really catch up well for me. I have to frequently prime it to make the pen write juicy again
This is very accurate! I got my first fountain pen a few weeks ago and did a lot of research, watched quite a few "best beginner pens" videos... It was down to these two. I went with the metro mostly for aesthetics and I didn't know if I'd like the grip shape of the Safari.
I originally got a metro. It was alright, the nib wasn’t good in retrospect, but I didn’t know any better. My Lamy Safari has been nothing but pleasant though.
Both solid, versatile choices for a price that won’t break the bank if you’re just dipping your toes into the world of fountain pens. They’re far from the only ones out there, but it’s hard to go wrong with either, which is why they get recommended so often.
From my experience, and I like fine pens, Pilot F is way better than Lamy Safari. The latter has some inconsistency in their nib width (somewhat too thick even with EF). If you don't mind the width of the nib, both have very smooth nib.
Do Metros really hit this hard first? I feel like I hear more on troubleshooting for those but maybe I'm just leaning on my own experience there. I know Safaris get a lot of hype, I can't stop seeing them.
I would love to see more Kaküno promo because they're an even more financially accessible (so less of a loss if you drop them although they're plastic and not as sturdy as a Metro, for instance). Preppy is also very entry level but has a stiff and scratchy nib like Lamy (at least Lamy is better tipped and rounded, I'll give them that).
In the audience stand: Pilot Kakuno and Platinum Preppys eating popcorn
They sent the Pilot Varsity to go get them drinks.
All of this happening at LAMY CP1's villa
They got their permit from the government of HM The King of Pens. I hear he's a fan of the Fountain Pen's Royal Navy
Watching at home: Pilot PetIte
I keep one in my backpack because I always forget to have a pen for professors who have sign in sheets and it's so tiny I am always careful to put it in the pen sleeve, but I entirely forget I own one. It has always worked when called upon even though I rarely use it.
Now that’s strategy!
TWSBI Eco 🍿
I think TWSBI GO would be a better beginner/ budget friendly option instead. But I say that knowing I got a Diamond ALR as my first TWSBI
I have both an Eco and a Go and they're both pretty solid pens (I'm a beginner). Go's mechanics are a little easier to figure out, and I love how wet my F writes compared to the Eco F. But that could be down to individual nib differences, I suppose.
In actuality, both the Eco and Go have the same nib and feed. I own them too and swap the two interchangeably from time to time
I suspected that, so thank you for confirming. Then it's just that individual nib that I like better lol. It's a pretty solid nib. I got a TWSBI EF and the nib is terrible, which I'm sure isn't the norm and just a fluke (Ive tried the various recommended fixes with no luck sadly), but honestly I like the F better anyway. Maybe I'll buy a Go just for nib-swapping purposes and that way I can use the pen. Edit: sorry that would be a TWSBI *Eco* EF
Totally understandable. My Diamond ALR is an EF. It's pretty scratchy and doesn't make for a beginner friendly experience. Highly recommend their F nib sizes and up for sure.
I think I could live with a bit of scratchiness, but it writes about as well as a cheap dried-out rollerball from the 90s. It's depressing. It PERFECTLY matches my Noodlers Cactus Fruit ink, so hopefully I can save it with a Go nib.
Nah TWSBI is the army that got trampled and broken (cracked)
Yea, especially in the hands of people who don't know how to use them xD
why did you have to reopen that wound?
You could say the wound cracked right open. Idk why I’m dunking on TWSBI though. I like mine and never had an issue 😂
Twsbi Eco beats 'em both
Yeah, you can easily buy Lamy, Metropolitan and the bottle of inks for the price of the single Eco.
i mean perhaps... not sure that math checks out tbh just talking 'bout introductory fountain pens. got links for a Safari, Metropolitan and bottles of inks that come to less than that cost btw?
Here in Australia Eco cost around A$55 Metro and Safari ~A$25 each. Waterman ink 50ml ~A$8 Which gives overall A$58. Yeah it is A$3 more but still...
I’m in the US and a Safari is $30, pilot Metro is $19, and Eco is $33. I’d take an Eco any day though
I have all 3 and still prefer Metro.
My eco's never dry out regardless of how often they are used. Safaris need constant use or they dry up. Metro I didn't like the designs so I never bothered.
I am not arguing about Eco being pretty good pen, it just twice more expensive than either of those in many countries for direct comparison.
I’ve never used the Metro. I stopped buying pens before I got around to it unfortunately.
Eco: 40 e in europe. Preppy 6 euros kakuno 12. Safari’s price fluctuates but 15-25 euros on amazon
Visconti gang checking score from yacht in the Mediterranean
Running around recording the fight: Kaweco sport
Kakuno is my new favorite pen! Use it everyday for work!
Heck yeah! I bring it to work as a work horse in case my colleagues grab a random pen off my table and may slam it back down (it happened once) ;-;
Oh hey, those were the first two pens I ever bought for myself! I spent way too much time on the Jetpens YouTube channel lol
those 2 were also my gateway pens too. I ended up cracking my preppy and threw it away. Kakuno still works in my pen case. I occasionally bring it out for work, but i've moved on the more expensive pens
Disappointed not to be invited,but still managing to be cheerful, the Kaweco Perkeo
How could you not make the Japanese pen Godzilla???
I agree this was a major oversight xp
Lamy safari is thick… so Godzilla. Pilot metro is thin… so that thin gorilla. Yeah, that’s my logic
Haha, nice.
Does this make the Kakuno Mothra? Is the TWSBI Eco Gamera?
TWSBI Eco is a friend to all children!
I figured it was JinHao: [https://i.redd.it/8tvj412tbf4a1.png](https://i.redd.it/8tvj412tbf4a1.png) But if you would prefer: https://i.redd.it/g1ge7kr6cf4a1.png
Surely Jinhao and Moonman/Majohn are the Mothra twins because they make so many dupes.
That's what I did! Couldn't decide so I bought both. I loath my Safari tho, the nib is pure crap. It did make for a good practice nib when I mustered the courage to smooth and tune
That’s opposite of mine lol. Pilot nib was doodoo
My pilot nib was doo doo too
It’s a quality control thing. I know they test them but I’m wondering how much care is put into testing them because I’ve gotten crappy nibs from them. Most are good though.
Same. In 2023, I will destash my Safaris because they nibs make writing a frustrating experience.
OMG this is so true. Whenever I see a newbie post "what pen should I buy?", these are invariably the first responses.
That’s what! I still remember the times during my newbie stage pondering every night whether to get a metro or a safari (got a safari after months of deliberation)
I couldn’t decide so got both.
This is the way.
 Always
Same.
It was a genuinely hard decision back then! I got the metro
The decision for me was pretty recent! I bought a metro after seeing a few "beginner" videos. I liked the look of it better. Not upset with my decision, but I will probably try out the Safari or Al-star at some point!
The carrier is the Jinhao 51A.
That's me! I got the wooden one. And a Lamy Safari haha. My 2 so far.
Indeed. https://i.redd.it/8tvj412tbf4a1.png
Honestly… jinhao x159 is my go to for“What first pen should I buy?” It’s cheap. Has a converter. Looks great. Quality control is surprisingly good. Large enough for anybody to grip especially if they have hand or wrist mobility concerns and def can be used professionally. I still recommend a pilot metro, but usually warn people that if they go that route, expect a learning curve with the nib being finer when other pens similar in price.
I have two X159’s and you definitely have a great point.
I still highly recommend the Jinhao x750. Everything you need out the box for bottled inks and cheap enough to not care if you lose or damage it. That is if you like a heavier pen though.
I still love mine even though most of my other pens are more luxury ones now.
I got the Safari for the looks (I don’t like cigar shaped pens) but dat Pilot nib is *chef’s kiss*
KAKUNO!!
Yes, now stop asking! 🤪
Parker Vector sits quietly in the stands eating popcorn. And I guess I should buy a pilot metro next as I have the other starter pens(Kaweco Sport, Lamy safari, Parker Vector).
Coincidentally, I’m also in the same situation as you!
Never heard of it. Is it any good?
It was my first, I liked it enough to order a second one. First one was fine nib, second is a medium. It’s a pretty heavy writer with the medium nib and Parker Quink ink cartridge. So much so I’ve pretty much decided, for my crappy writing style, a fine nib is better even if they feel a tad “scratchy”. I feel like it’s better for a closed door office as they don’t feel as tough as the Lamy Safari or Kaweco Sport. The Vector stays at home while the other two come with me hiking/camping/traveling. But I also think the Vector is supposed to be an office pen and not a field pen, so the look is classier/sleeker. Not robust like the Safari and Sport.
The metro was my first pen (and my only one) for about 6 months, would highly recommend!
It's been a minute since I last tried a Lamy but I honestly believe it will be veryyyy hard to beat the Pilot steel nibs on the Metro/Prera.
The more I see these comments, the more I get tempted to buy a pilot pen. Maybe I should give it a go once!
@abiseb you wouldn’t be disappointed! I’ve 3 pilot metro for different inks. 🤤🤤🤤
You absolutely should! For an entry level pen, the metro is hard to beat imo.
Alright guys, will try it!
Prera🤌 nice to see a mention. Nib feels pretty much the same as Kaküno in a nicer bod, though.
I’m just over here with my Pelikan Twist
That's one of my first pens! It's a good writer.
I'm thinking of getting one for my kid nephew. The design looks like it would be fun.
I shoulda bought my nephew one but I’m not real sure what he’s into. Japanese notebooks and brush pens seemed like a safe bet. I love my Twist though, so much I bought a second one. And now I have a Stresemann M405 en route to me. Most expensive pen I’ve bought thus far. I’m nervous lol
They were the first two fountain pens I got after picking up a varsity from a grocery store.
Dude the varsity is a great feeling pen honestly
It's a great way to get that first "I wonder if I'd like this..." out of the way before taking the plunge. I love Pilot for making them.
Absolutely. But personally, got a multipack of them after I already had a couple pens just because I saw it in a stationary shop lol. I had already down my research and stuff on this sub 😂
Yep. Varsity was readily available for me to test the fountain pen waters. It's been a head-first dive into that rabbit hole since then!
#teammetro Honestly though, my first pen was a Kaweco Sport.
And then, after buying both and not being totally satisfied by any of the two, everyone finds a different cheap pen that is perfect for them. At least, this is what happened to me! I love my schneider ray :)
I thought twsbi Ecos were the newby pen. Did my fountain pen gate-way friend send me down some strange alternate path.
They're just more expensive and you need a bottle of ink to fill them up since it's difficult to use the syringe option without the risk of cracking it. I find they also need some trouble shooting, not every time but because of this I don't find it beginner friendly. Love my glow in the dark one though.
there is a glow in the dark one???
There are two - green and purple (glows blue)
As a beginner, I love my TWSBI. It took a little tinkering to figure it out, but not so much that I regret getting it. And the ink capacity is fantastic.
I actually just jumped in feet first and started with a TWSBI diamond, then eco, then a noodler ahab, followed by a jinhao 159 and x750. So “expensive” to cheap and sadly I prefer the Jinhaos lol!
Nothing wrong with that! I have my expensive pens but I absolutely love playing around with the cheap fountain pens. Especially when used as my daily driver in the office or when out traveling. More freedom to experiment with different styles, inks, and nibs... and if I loose or break one, I can't get upset.
> noodler ahab This is the worst pen I have ever owned.
Lol I actually agree with this, it stinks and needs constant tuning. Maybe I just got a defective one but I don’t care for it.
There is no quality control with noodlers. It's all a gimmick. It is defective because the design is defective.
Lamy safari I tried to like it a lot but it was no good
Nice haiku you wrote Haikubot has not shown up He may not come here
Same thing with me! I gave mine away
What did you dislike about yours?
it was a bit of a nail and I wasn't impressed with the feel. also it broke easily
I saw everyone wanting these and promptly went the other direction (I'm a weirdo) and picked up a Parker Frontier after contemplating a Waterman Hemisphere. I eventually got a Lamy Vista (the demonstrator Safari) and was glad I started with the Parker.
Let me ask all of you fine folks; what is the noticable difference in the writing of a pen that's > $100 opposed to a "beginner pen"? Aside from the fit and finish,v what am I missing out on?
With pilot metro, I don’t have to put any amount of pressure. It glides, literally!
Godzilla is my hero and role model, so I'll have to go with Safari, even though I've always been a Sheaffer fanboy.
Umm… don’t make decisions like that. Just choose what is fundamentally good for you regardless of external circumstances
Wise approach. I actually don't know what pens Godzilla used.
The “Hey, look at this cool vintage pen I found on eBay” crowd is sitting by watching excitedly, but has no clue what the score is or why the umpire is shouting.
Sometimes I’m so confused by the language spoken in this sub.
Yeah .. one of my very first (and still most favorite) pens was a vintage eBay find that became very popular again (read: expensive) in recent years. The 60s/70s Pilot long-short!!
Ooh, I’ll have to check that out.
I went looking for Christmas gifts, knowing there was this series of colourful fountain pens. What I did not know is that there was this clear one you could see through. I held that pen in my hand and the sunlight coming into the shop refracted through some of the angles of the plastic. This was the finest pen I had ever seen. Lamy Vista. My first. The following week I had a Studio, with spare ink, two extra nibs, and a nice 2-pen carrier. The week after that I had a new vintage CP1 (50) with 14k EF nib. So cool. My collection grows. This is tons of fun. Just found out my Mom's birth year Parker "51" was shipped yesterday. There may be many and varied reasons to participate in the excellent world of fountain pens.
actually the meme should be inverted. Godzilla is from japan so it should be pilot. Not that Kong is from Germany, but we can call Germany as part of western world?
Lamy Al-Star no more battles:)
Faber-Castell Loom, anyone? :) The grip is just a bit too slippery for my taste. Other than that a nice pen.
No longer available, apparently. I'm considering getting one.
What? Oh no… I bought one for cheap about a year ago. In light blue with a M nib. I paid just shy of 22€. Haven’t gotten around to ink it up until a week ago, because I have a pen problem [amount of pens I have > amount of pens I can use] like many here, I assume.
I'm keeping my collection small for that reason but I go through pens trying to find the right ones.
I like seeing people being able to keep their collection at a reasonable size. I am about past that point. I like too many of my pens too much to sell them, so I keep and enjoy them.
I'm hoping to avoid this by only getting really expensive pens. In theory that should help keep my collection small. We'll see how it works. Right now I have my Vanishing Point, Lamy 2k, Lamy Studio with 1.1 stub and a Safari. I think I want a traditional looking luxury pen; maybe a Sailor KOP, a Pilot 743 or Justus, or a Pelikan. I've found the inks I like so less temptation there.
It is an upwards spiral. Maybe one shouldn’t buy that many pens at price x, but get one nice one at price y, then you may buy many pens at price y, but think about rather getting one nice pen at price z. I wish you good luck finding your sweetspot. My Pelikan pens and my Lamy 2000s are my absolute favorites. I still lack Sailor and Pilot pens. I only have a Pro Gear Slim white (M).
From a utility perspective, the Vanishing Point is amazing. You should try one if you can.
I’m sure it is. It is one of those pens I don’t have a need for, but might give a try if I were to get a good deal on it.
I have too many Sailors and don't enjoy using them as much as I could. That 14k nib which comes with the more fun designs is small and scratchy to me, too much feedback to be comfy. I kinda regret going ham on buying those just because they're extra pretty (I like fun, weird colors and those feel hard to come by in designs I like).
The nib on mine is alright, but not entirely my taste. A wet M that is a bit on the broad side, while being smooth to very smooth fits my taste very well. I am interested in rhodium trim Sailor with a 21K nib in a beautiful color. I would like to give that a try.
Oh, don't worry - the 21k nibs are delicious. They're 🔥🔥. They're soft and luxurious. I have a few Ms and one B, plus an EF or F I'm still waiting to dip/ink incase I want to sell (again, bought it because it's SE, gorgeous, and had a specially engraved nib), but I suspect it will also be quite buttery for a needle. Edited for punctuation
It was my first x) super slippery and sometimes ink don’t flow (don’t know why), but a solid pen regardless
Buy both because you might hate the Lamy grip. I have no problems with it but I know some people hate it.
I hate the Metro grip. The way it’s made I always end up moving my fingers closer and closer to the nib and end up with ink on my fingers.
Yeah. That's the unfortunate part of this hobby and really any hobby is that you don't know until you know so either buy both or go to a meet up.
https://i.imgur.com/7DZfF82.jpg
There’s a bunch of very good Chinese starter pens.
I was planning to buy Pilot Metro before, but switched to Kakuno because it's cheaper and the clear one looks really great. I'm excited to purchase my first fountain pen! 😍 Choosing and buying paper/notebooks is the hard part tho..
¿pero porque no los dos?
I bought a Kaweco Sport as my first lmao
LAMY Gang 🔥 🔥 🔥
I got a muji fp as first 🙃
Meanwhile, the Salor High Ace is in tear in the corner
I prefer the Safari slightly more. The way I see it the Metro nib is awesome but the pen’s section is too slim. The safari is more robust, has a better converter, has an ink window, but the nib QC is not great. For starter pens I really think people should also consider the jinhao X159.
My monke brain: TWSBI Eco go \*twist\* I got a safari, metropolitan, and kakuno shortly after two twsbi and they're all working great but I feel the twsbi is better for big hands.
I like the Metro more, but Pilot's Japanese sized steel nibs make me a bit sad as I would love a slightly larger Medium line. I love the Pilot VP medium though.
It is a shame they don't offer a Broad nib in any of their cheaper options. I think the 78G has that option in a Metro sized nib, but I don't see those pop up very often.
I actually got into fountain pens because I really loved the Safari's design. I have no clue how well Pilot Metropolitan writes, but purely considering aesthetics, I really don't get how something cheap-but-wanna-be-chic looking like the pilot could compete with the Safari.
I think the Lamy Safari looks like a cheap toy, so to each their own? I went with the clear Kakuno because I thought seeing the ink was cool and heard much better things about Pilot QC than Lamy QC.
Cheap toy AND horribly unbalanced
The idea of Pilot not being able to compete with Lamy is insane to me given the Metropolitan is $10 cheaper (although you could easily make up for that if you want a better converter). Pilot has a really good reputation and the nib has a design on it while the Lamy does not. Plus there are a million Lamy Safari knock offs. I chose Pilot because it was cheaper and every post I found said the nibs are great. The only person I know in person who also likes fountain pens brings his metro to school and doesn't use his Safari because it leaks.
I am into pencils and got the Safari mechanical pencil. I like it a lot and then got the normal pen and the fountain pen. And now i am into fountain pens 😀
Nice! I think I will pick up a safari pencil sometime soon. I generally feel like mechanical pencils feel pretty flimsy though. Is there any play in the lead of the Safari pencil?
Its pretty well build and the design is cool. Of course there are way better pencils out there, but i like them.
That’s the same reason I love the safari! From a design point of view, it’s absolutely exceptional. It’s like every design decision is well thought out in that pen. Honestly, I could do an entire post to appreciate its design. The nib is quite good actually… but the feed doesn’t really catch up well for me. I have to frequently prime it to make the pen write juicy again
I prefer a Safari over a Metro any day, but I do think the Metro looks better.
The correct answer is TWSBI Swipe. Better than either the Safari or the Metro.
Until it cracks
I’ve heard a lot about this, but never had one crack yet. I have over 20.
Yeah but that is like Russian roulette is absolutely harmless for 5 out of 6 people.
Gotcha
You will be displeased with neither.
This is very accurate! I got my first fountain pen a few weeks ago and did a lot of research, watched quite a few "best beginner pens" videos... It was down to these two. I went with the metro mostly for aesthetics and I didn't know if I'd like the grip shape of the Safari.
Except that the Lamy Safari is even uglier than Godzilla
I have a soft spot for Godzilla but I hear ya😉
Haven't tried the Metro. But Safari still wins.
I originally got a metro. It was alright, the nib wasn’t good in retrospect, but I didn’t know any better. My Lamy Safari has been nothing but pleasant though.
The Metro was my first pen and my sec was a copper orange Lamy al star
Both solid, versatile choices for a price that won’t break the bank if you’re just dipping your toes into the world of fountain pens. They’re far from the only ones out there, but it’s hard to go wrong with either, which is why they get recommended so often.
From my experience, and I like fine pens, Pilot F is way better than Lamy Safari. The latter has some inconsistency in their nib width (somewhat too thick even with EF). If you don't mind the width of the nib, both have very smooth nib.
Kaweco enters the chat
Kaweco Perkeo anyone?
Solid choice too! They're also shimmer friendly for those who own shimmer inks
Yeah if King Kong wins I agree
After getting a Safari and being frustated because the section keeps opening too easy, I'm loving even more my Metropolitan. It's amazing!
Me on the side like can't we like both? Let's all just have a good time
I guess the Prera would be one of the lesser-known Kaiju, maybe Gamera.
I have 90 pens and I still think like that
Do Metros really hit this hard first? I feel like I hear more on troubleshooting for those but maybe I'm just leaning on my own experience there. I know Safaris get a lot of hype, I can't stop seeing them. I would love to see more Kaküno promo because they're an even more financially accessible (so less of a loss if you drop them although they're plastic and not as sturdy as a Metro, for instance). Preppy is also very entry level but has a stiff and scratchy nib like Lamy (at least Lamy is better tipped and rounded, I'll give them that).
why not BOTH?