On Devaluing Inexpensive Pens

[@teresaharris-travelbybooks5564]

When I've bought an expensive pen; it arrives and I'm pleased with my purchase if the pen lives up to my expectations, but I'm not overly thrilled BECAUSE I expected a certain level of quality from that pen. When I order Chinese pens I have a much lower expectation, so that when the pen arrives, and it feels good and writes well, my level of excitement is much higher, so in a manner of speaking, I experience greater joy from the cheaper pen. My non fountain pen using daughter( out of towner) recently spent a week with me. I had her write with every pen I owned, from a Jinhao Shark to a Pelikan M800. Her favorite writing experience came with the Jinhao 9019.

[@kan-zee]

I totally understood and agree with everything you write here.

[@claes-berend]

That's such a wonderful experiment and insight!

[@Tom_Samad]

It's wonderful to know when a parent has bonding time with a son or daughter through fountain pens.

[@Arcsecant]

Comparison is the thief of joy

[@EmperorLeyba]

I recently got my first 'expensive pen' and I adore the writing experience. But I will never stop reaching for my Jinhaos, and I am so grateful for this video that is here to remind me that my Jinhao isn't a 'cheap pen' but it's a good pen that costs less money.

[@juicylouisey]

I don’t think you can beat the “value” of giving or receiving a Preppy written note at the beginning of your handwriting journey. It may be a note of support to a friend in need or an affectionate thought to a family member. It is just more impactful than a text message or email.

[@allanwellings8422]

My most expensive pen is scheduled to arrive today - it’s a limited edition Leonardo by some chap called SBRE Brown. (#21 of 50 in case you’re keeping track). I’ll be giving it a stern talking to make sure it doesn’t turn me into a snob! (But I’m really excited!)

[@kan-zee]

LOL 😂

[@UKMike2009]

I have a few "expensive" pens - up to Pelikan M800 and Visconti Opera Master level. My favourite pen at the moment however is a Jinhao x350. It writes superbly for around $6 and has a Medium/Fine nib. It has to be acknowledged that, in general, the Chinese manufacturers have improved their quality immensely over the past 10 years.

[@ichirofakename]

I'm a big fan of the 82.

[@totallylegit2068]

if you want to look at high quality chinese pens, dont go towards jinhao. penbbs and asvine are where its at

[@peterpuleo2904]

I agree with everything you say, especially that pens are not a wise investment.

[@GodfreyMann]

Well done Stephen…glad you’ve joined the club. I stopped the quest for new fountain pens about 8 years ago because I realised that I had completed my journey. Understanding value is at the heart of my research in philosophy, and upon reflection, I discovered I’m really satisfied with my pens, inks and papers…from the cheapest Jinhaos to expensive limited editions. I’m so grateful for your channel and others for helping me understand the parameters of ‘good’ from ‘bad’ in fountain pen terms that allowed me to both start and complete my journey. Thank you. KZbin’s algorithm is remarkable as this is the first video of yours that I’ve watched many years. I’m thrilled to see you’re still going strong and growing in both depth of character as well as subscribers. I celebrate your journey of discovery and wish you well in what appears to be a new chapter for you.

[@davidnygard1817]

There is a point in the Netflix show Ripley where Jack sees what looks like a Montblanc 149 on a desk (in an Italian Villa on the coast) with an original Picasso painting in the background. It disappears only to later reappear after Jack Ripley signs for a hotel room. That kind of says it all about expensive fountain pens - it isn't all about writing - it is about the audience that sees you when you write (including yourself) and setting the stage for a larger performance.

[@mavleashutosh]

Most FP users I have come across do own expensive pens and yet they are open to try cheaper pens that offer good writing experience. In fact this happens only in this hobby. You won’t find Rolls Royce owner trying a Hyundai Santro. Pens like Wingsung 630 and Majohn C4 make you wonder why you spent a fortune on acquiring more expensive pens.

[@HADESPAYLOAD]

Yeah it’s hard to dismiss cheap pilots and platinums. I took a cooking class in Japan and they had knife that they sold in the shop below. One slice of that ruined my happiness with cheap knives, you still need them for some tough jobs. That has not happened with fountain pens thankfully. I really like two I but their nibs are not fine enough. I’ve found I love the ink to pen experience more than the pen specifically. Pen+ink+paper makes the experience.

[@denniskirschbaum9109]

I still have the Sheaffer No Nonsense pens I used in high school and college. They cost $1.79 I believe. Solid writers still. I have more expensive pens but those Sheaffers still work great 40 years on!

[@leelalee8807]

When I made an order from FPR I received one of their little Muft eyedropper pens for free as a gift. I was happy to get a free pen but I was skeptical because it was clearly cheaply made. However after I inked it up and took to paper my prejudice was blown away. It wrote incredibly smoothly and wet, I later found it that this little pen came with an ebonite feed. What I thought would be a pen that might just sit in a drawer is now one of my favourites. I reground a spare nib into a calligraphy nib to go with it and now it's a pen that honestly makes me happy to use. It just works so well and it's so pleasant and it never misbehaved. I don't care that it's cheap, it works and it's a little thing that brings me joy. I'd actually been pondering this very topic the day before this video because of that pen and I can only fully agree. I love my more costly pens, but they are at the end of the day; Tools. It's all about how well they perform to me and that is all that matters.

[@FriedPi-mc5yt]

LOL!! I get the same entertainment from Noodler’s free Charlie pens. I had a Muft as well but gave it to my granddaughter when she fell in love with it. I’ve got a few FPR pens. The 2 - Jaipur V2 pens in ebonite that I got during a BOGO sale are my daily writers. But I really enjoy writing with my little Charlie pens occasionally. Such an unpretentious pen.

[@georgeparapadakis]

100% agree. My daily writers are mostly under $50 pens, despite having bought much more expensive pens, vintage and new, as a collector. Without detracting anything from your point (sorry to be THAT guy…), the X159 was the first #8 sized nib coming from Jinhao, and it’s a MB 149 lookalike. The 9019 came later. It uses the same #8 nib, but its design is based on the Namiki Emperor, not MB.

[@amyfeigt6715]

I have a wide variety of pens ranging from $5 pens to $250+ I love them all! I started with inexpensive ones to dial in what size nib I preferred or to try all of the different filling systems so that I could make the best choice possible when I decided to get a more expensive pen. When I first started down the fountain pen rabbithole I "thought" that I wanted a Pelikan m800 or m1000 as my "grail pen" so first I got a much less expensive vintage 400nn & found that even the extra fine was much broader than I prefer, so that kept me from spending a large amount of money on something that while absolutely beautiful, would not be something that I would write with all of the time. The joy of this hobby is in trying different things & finding something that you love to write with.

[@jppenandink]

Hello, new subscriber here 😊 I have really enjoyed listening to this. Last year I was at the Pelikan HUB and I was sitting with someone who had severe anxiety and was fairly new to the fountain pen hobby. She was showing me her Jinhao 82 and I took it and wrote with it, showed interest and we talked about how they were such great writers for a good price point. Another guy came along and started throwing off and saying why on earth would you buy a cheap pen, and bragged that he only purchased gold nibbed pens. This poor girl looked like she wanted to hide and I could have kicked the guy under the table for his snobbery and the way he made this girl feel, like she didn’t have a place at the grown ups table so to speak! My collection of pens include both inexpensive and more expensive pens and you know what, I love them all. They all have different pros and cons, even the more expensive ones. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this.

[@asage3460]

I don't look at my pens when they're in my hand and I'm writing :) It's about how the pen feels in my hand, how the nib writes (with the 'best' paper for that pen). I mostly use Chinese pens - some of them are stellar, some are dreadful. I have a Moonman A2 that I removed the clip from, after much work, and then covered with a bit of tape. I recently bought a BENU Euphoria Bora Bora, with gift certificates. It ended up costing me $55CDN. I adore the pen, how it feels, how it looks, but ultimately, it's a pen. It's beautiful to look at, which I appreciate, but that's likely the last one I'll buy for the bling value. I swapped out the nib for a Wing Sung nib and gave it a Chinese EF grind. Now it's perfect.

[@McAmeron089III]

I have way more expensive pens,but currently a Diplomat Magnum,"Crow Black" is providing me with so much more fun than $26.40 can buy me anywhere else; and a much more satisfying writing experience than my most expensive pen. (Also I'm really into slip-cap pens now.) I think staying curious about various aspects of pens of all prices is a most valuable trait and one that many pen-lovers share.

[@barbarajloriordan2697]

I love those Diplomat Magnums. Have you noticed that the EF nib flexes a little?

[@McAmeron089III]

@@barbarajloriordan2697 I only have a broad nib on the Magnum;it has a fair amount of cushion that I have not witnessed in other steel nibs. I find it delightful. I want to try EF or Fine or maybe a Medium as well. I enjoyed the Diplomat Magnum nib so much that I ordered a Diplomat Esteem just to explore Diplomat nibs a bit more. I had to pre-order the Esteem;have been waiting on it since April12. Well,I did order another Magnum as a backup. I really like everything about this pen!

[@elainenabors9832]

Great topic!!! Thank you!! Totally agree! As a newbie, I love the accessibility of the beginner range FPs! My mother asked me why FP have a community again? I told her that I think it all comes down to accessibility thanks to internet and price! As a school teacher, I can enjoy these wonderful writing instruments now, but before the less expensive instruments were available, it would have been completely out of my budget.

[@jkatkat7950]

Happiness and enjoyment is a funny thing. I have more expensive pens but I also have my mothers and grandmothers Esterbrooks that I re-sacked (LJ, SJ and M2) and have obtained about 2 dozen nibs - and I love, love! using their pens - I would say even more than my 'expensive' pens- and the added benefit of trying a new nib for a new experience!

[@AlejandroPato-Fuego]

Thanks doctor. Great talk. I agree with you. That’s the beauty of fountain pen hobby. You can play it anyway you want. just live and let live with your hobby. I find that I appreciate that jinhao because it costs 1/20th but performs 3/4s as good as others. You can also go wild and use risky inks and ink mixes in the jinhao that you would not use in the mb. In that case the jinhao is better than the mb. It can give me a certain kind of joy that the mb cannot.

[@drd8251]

I probably own 40 fountain pens. They are of varying prices. The most expensive is a limited edition Visconti Opera Master. The least expensive is probably a TWSBI. I’ve experienced every emotion and situation you mentioned: underrating cheaper pens; being dissatisfied with expensive ones; being disappointed with cheap ones; hoping people will notice my unique writing instrument; being surprised with how well a cheaper pen wrote; feeling validated by how well an expensive one did; loving a good-feeling writing experience regardless of the pen; and, loving a good-feeling writing experience that’s amplified by holding a beautiful, favorite pen. I acquired these pens when I worked at a job where I had to take notes from different reports and merge them into one. I used a different pen with different ink everyday. My supervisor thought I was color-coding the information. I never disabused her of that impression. I was just enjoying all of my pens. And isn’t that the point? What you described was an immersive fountain pen experience. I’m thankful to have fallen down that rabbit hole and to have been exposed to all of these nuances of the hobby.

[@PencopiaPictorial]

Thank you for this video. I have several Hongdian, Jinhao, and Asvine, and Delike pens. All great writers. They are how I started collecting fountain pens. I have written with a Montblanc at a pen show and I was not impressed. The most expensive pens I own is a Grifos Fleur de Lis, sterling silver and mother of pearl blue Italian acrylic with 18k accents and a Lamy 2000.

[@Harkescreative]

I'm an unbelievably practical person. My first pen was the TWSBI diamond 580 which is not the most expensive pen, but certainly the most expensive I own. I use it at home for writing letters to my family. My next pens were two sets of the Lamy Al-stars in firey and oceanic. They are my work pens. I'm willing to bring those to work. I buy for a purpose more than to collect. I will collect, but I prefer to make sure everything has a use.

[@johnnymontalvo5620]

I think if anything, nice pens help me appreciate what is nice within inexpensive pens. Example: one of my first pens was a white Lamy Safari. Since then, I’ve lost that Safari, but have also acquired some very nice pens. Recently, I began missing that white Safari, and purchased a replacement. I totally love it, and appreciate how smooth it is. I use it a lot! My “nicer” pens don’t take away from my Safari experience; instead, they help me appreciate how excellent the Safari is, for only $20.

[@karinamcconell1828]

I also am a user of pens and not just a collector of them. I have some Platinum Preppys that i love as much as my Lamy 2000 och my Sailor Pro Geas Slim or my Jinhaos. Each pen brings me joy in its own way. As long as they write i am happy. Ech pen and each pen user deserves equal respect in my view. Thank you for a grate channel with lots of food for thought!😊

[@luisbalderrama8145]

You make some excellent points here. I also think its worth noting other factors like where its used and serviceability. I also have a 9019 and it stands as my daily beater. The price of it allows me to not worry about if the plastic gets scratched. I also love how easy it is to completely take appart. Cheaper pens, I find, are great for this. In comparison, I have some fancier gold tipped pens that I do not take with me to work everyday but are more of a letter writing / card writing pens. They're special and they stay home in a case for the most part. I think the biggest parts of the fountain pen experience when buying up is to manage expectations as well as understanding what key factors are important to you as a user( materials, art, design, cleanability, etc). Understanding this really made the hobby a lot more enjoyable for me. Best, Luis

[@dominiquenortheast4172]

I think there is a spectrum of fountain pen person, with collector at one end and user at the other. The pure collector collects objects, in this case fountain pens, whether for aesthetic pleasure or monetary investment, but doesn’t really use them to write with. The pure user writes with their pens, perhaps has only a few examples, each of which meet their criteria for providing a good writing experience. They are only interested in the functionality, ergonomics, reliability etc of the pen. In between the two extremes sit the rest of us. For decades I was a pure user, owning just one pen, a Waterman Hemisphere. Then I disappeared down the rabbit hole and became a collector (or accumulator) of both vintage pens and some relatively expensive modern pens, and now I’ve come full circle back to being primarily a user. Out of all the pens I’ve owned, I kept picking up and using just 2 or 3, so now I just own those. By far my most regularly used pen is a simple Noodler’s ebonite Konrad fitted with a Bock stub. For me, personally, it has the right size, weight, and ergonomics, it can be fully disassembled and has great ink capacity. I always kept returning to it as it was the only pen I couldn’t fault, the only one that didn’t have annoying minor niggle.

[@incognitoedc]

Great discussion! I wholeheartedly agree. Like you, I recently acquired the 9019 after vowing never to buy a Chinese pen. I love the pen! Great writing right out of the box. So comfortable in my small hand, I use it for all of my long research writing sessions. The huge ink capacity is such a luxury!

[@crouserm]

I am a collector of the experience of writing with pens, and concur with your reflections on the relative merit of pens expensive and inexpensive. I'd add that one way to give value to to a wide range of pens is to consider why we're using them. I use pigmented and shimmer inks in some Jinhaos, including one (95) which has better line variation than the superb steel Jowo I refuse to replace in my Hardy Penwrights because it writes so well -- envelopes! Greeting cards! Cheques! I love my Yard-O-Led Grand Victorian for correspondence; but use other superb writers as well, from Hongdian through interesting craft pens to Pelikan, Platinum, and Sailor. I love writing with the "best" pens more because I love writing with the others. If Michel lets himself love writing, he will not need to worry about despising inexpensive pens.

[@BooksForever]

I’m still of the mind to have a basic (cheap) yet well-functioning pen and use your budget to go wild with a cabinet of inks worthy of a mad scientist. And a supply of fine paper,

[@jimjohnson9093]

I was a pen collector (not a huge collection) and had new and vintage pens from 1930’s Parker and Schaefers as well as new collectors like reissues of Pelicans, etc. But decided to just pair them down to two: a Montblanc 149 and a Lamy 2000. The Montblanc has been inked since 1996. Just every day writers…

[@alwynwatkins1955]

Fully agree with what you are saying in this video. The wine comparison was spot on.

[@barbarajloriordan2697]

I am a writer. I have noticed that the more that I become preoccupied with the tools of writing (pens, paper, electronic device, and bag in which I transport writing materials) the less I am interested in writing, the less vivid my inspiration, and the lower the quality of my written work. I think that that’s because writing is a “dirty job” - you have to roll up your sleeves, dive into yourself, face your feelings, your memories, and your fears, and wait for the words to come that will accurately describe your experience. If I am too concerned with the preciousness of my equipment, it becomes harder for me to get into the nitty-gritty of writing. If I am luxuriating in the beauty of my gold nib, the thickness of my creamy paper, or the satin quality of my journal cover, that distracts me from my dirty work. If I’m too concerned about how pretty the line is, or about not getting blots on my beautiful paper, that occupies my brain to the detriment of my attention to the writing. The part of the brain that plumbs the heart and the part of the brain that loves beautiful materials cannot both be active at the same time. For myself as a writer, pens and paper don’t need to be luxurious, but I like them to be “good enough.” I don’t want pens that skip or spatter, I don’t want paper that blots or squeaks or ghosts, and I don’t want pens that are so heavy that my hands start to hurt if I write for a long time. I want a pen whose appearance I like, that distributes ink cleanly and evenly, that is comfortable in my hand, and that works reliably over the long run. I like pens that are so easy to use that I forget that I am using them. For me, two such pens are the TWSBI Diamond 580 and the Kaweco Sport (plastic models), both with fine point. I like using them on plain old A5 Rhodia paper, square grid, spiral bound at the top with perforations for removing the paper.

[@jitkabretsrbova]

I really like how you've put it: a "dirty job"; I am a poet myself and I also do play around a lot with paper, pens, colors and shapes in my commonplace book. However, when the inspiration comes I need to get the line down on paper as soon as possible or I lose it for good. That's when I scribble awfully and the only request I have is that my pen won't skip or disturb my work in any way.

[@Michelt007]

Very good video! I truly enjoy those where you "only" talk, but that's the essential part! I hope I won't get too crazy with that grail pen I am looking for, which is anyway quite modest, actually, I want a pen that is comfortable to write with and that has the same semiflex "springy" nib of the Diplomat Magnum but with a decent section and a more solid feeling...

[@McAmeron089III]

The Diplomat Magnum is the biggest pleasant-surprise in my years of fountain-penning. It's not in my pen rotation,it's always inked and written with everyday. Always in my shirt pocket. I understand it is too small for many writers;I actully enjoy the section. That little nib is a ton of fun. I have a Diplomat Esteem ($86) on order. It's a step-up larger than the Magnum and the Traveler. Hoping the nib is as springy and wet as the Magnum.Someday I'll have to try the Excellence A2. All because of the little Magnum.

[@tayterlik]

I strongly recommend you to try Jinhao 9019 with a heartbeat nib. To me it is one of the absolutely top writing nibs - and I have bought it for 8 USD. There is a difference to standard 9019 nib which I am unable to explain, it is something about feeling it. And I do have pens 100x this price, Jinhao has nothing to be ashamed of when I write with it. Mind you, you can put MB 149 nib in this Jinhao. Works perfectly. I have never cared about pens which are expensive just because of limited editions of this or that. The limited editions I have are the "pen reviewers" models - we know what I am talking about, do we - and some Stilo & Stile models. And this is range of 150-200E.

[@ruthfeiertag]

Good talk. I think part of the problem stems from dubbing less expensive pens “beginner pens,” s if these are pens one should leave behind. I used to tell my kids that we never have to out-grow the books we love; we just keep growing into others. I think the same about pens. How often do we see reviews of reasonably priced pens? Perhaps we stiff be asking for those alongside the pricier ones. Pens, to me, are an investment in the writing experience.

[@mreed247]

Love your commentary on this topic! Thanks for saying it. It comes at a great time, on the heels of Drew at Goulet posting yesterday his "Hot Takes" on being that you don't need more than 10 pens. It all has me thinking and considering my collection. I am curious though, what are your favorite pens to use?

[@JonDiPietro]

I own several expensive Visconti pens that bring me great joy to use and are at the top of my list. But I still love my TWSBIs and my Esterbrook Funky Lake is one of my absolute favorites. It's in my top five.

[@Surtak]

I love my Pilot 823, but I still bought a Lamy Al-Star because the colour spoke to me and I didn't have a pen with a fine nib yet. So I made that my fine nib pen and I don't mind throwing it in a travel bag! When I sit down for a writing session, any of my pens can wind up in my hand. Even though I do have some favourites. Variety is important!

[@paulll47]

Fountain pens are a status symbol, if you are only interested in the writing experience, you can avoid dropping 500 bucks on a Montblanc and get yourself a Preppy or a Plaisir if you want durability, Lamy, Pelikan, Stabilo and Faber Castle also make inexpensive and durable pens that write like a charm and will outlast more expensive pens, all of this for less than 30 euros.

[@bethg7026]

It was this video that convinced me to buy a Jinhao 9019. While I do like the three expensive pens that I own ($100 - $200), I started using fountain pens a year ago to save my hands. I have virtually no grip strength and stamina, and it hurts to use ballpoints for more than a couple lines. I can get about a full page of writing with a fountain pen before it gets painful, so I thought I would try the 9019 with the larger grip. I used it today at work, and I think it definitely helped. And yes, my nib was slightly off - tines were not aligned, and I also will need to make it wetter. But I'm happy with it, and no way in heck am I paying for a Montblanc.

[@MrAtheta]

You are so right. I used to have half a dozen Danitrios and I still miss them - great writers and beautiful finish. But, today they are nice memories pnly. My everyday great pen is an indian made FPR ebonite pen for less than 50 USD. For special purposes I use the PO nib Pilot. I will probably one day try to get a Huge red Dani with its great-looking nib, but that is just for fun, not for writing.

[@jasonross4924]

How did you go about modifying that Jinhao to write a bit wetter? I've got the exact same model and would LOVE if I could get it writing wetter.

[@ambivalent100]

I would love to see that we start devaluing expensive pens that don’t write out of the box. All jokes aside, 99% out of those community that I met have been the nicest kind of people I could imagine. People Disliking the „missing“ prestige of an inexpensive pen had rarely a spot on the tables after pen shows or pen meetups.

[@tweedelidee]

Totally agree with You, Stephen. I'm much into vintage pens, especially 1920s and 1930s pens but I do use 2 Conid Pens or my TWSBI with the same joy. I use all of my pens, write every day, in a kind of rotation system. I don't think about their price, but judge them on the fun factor they do provide. Nor do I judge them as they are modern or vintage... but I do appreciate true flex nibs from back in the day as they do correspond to my nature. There is no absolute truth in owning a pen or another - as long as they do well what they are meant to do: writing. By the way, thank You for all Your posts, greetings from small Luxembourg.

[@MaiikaAMRS]

Having over 10 pens with gold nibs, one of favorite and best writers is a Noodler’s Ahab with a Jinhao medium nib that I polished and heat set to the ebonite feed. The Ahab is old and stained (Bay State Blue) and scratched but it is still loved and will not be replaced. The Pilot 742 with a course nib arrived with the tines misaligned. Easy enough for me to fix, but it still isn’t as smooth or wet as that Ahab.

[@oyo74]

So True. For sure some Pelikan and Montblanc are marvelous. But some of these "cheap" chineses pens are too. I love my 2 Jinhao 500 (a custom one and a standard), custom 159, X159, custom 992, 82, some of my Baoer and my ASVINE P20 too. They write well and some of them are terrific value for money. Just write and enjoy !

[@BlueMel_MH]

I agree with your points. I have spent more on pens for the opportunity to have a specific finish, features, etc. and I've found that I can still appreciate my introductory pens (Lamy, TWSBI, Kaweco, etc.) for the delightful writing experience or practicality when traveling. If anything, I overbought in the less expensive pens treating them as much as a fashion accessory as a writing utensil. I've given some duplicate model color ways to newer hobbyists, and reduced any new purchases to one or two a year max if something is really compelling. Being intentional to rotate through my collection and ink up grail/LE pens as well as my commonplace workhorses helped me stay connected to what brings me joy any particular day.

[@randy-9842]

100% agree. I have spent far more (for individual pens and in aggregate) than I ever should have (both for individual pens and in aggregate) but I do not regret it. From the beginning, I knew that I did not know what I would like or dislike, so my "journey" has, in large part, been an attempt to experience variety and hone my preferences. Like you, I have pens of various prices (ranging from one to mid-three digit prices - NO four digit prices!). I've tried various brands, filling mechanisms, sizes, nib materials, nib "point" sizes, flexible and rigid "nail" nibs, glass nibs, dip nibs and so on. Each experience is different. I've found good pens and horrible pens and I have favorites at both ends of the spectrum ... but I'm also far more willing to try tuning a less expensive pen ... so even cheap/horrible writers have added value to my journey. At no point have I become a price snob, but I do understand the potential for that. One lesson I think I've learned is "try before you buy." Unfortunately, for me (where I live), that's not a viable option so, my expense has been, somewhat, justified. One conclusion from this final paragraph is that I very much enjoy and appreciate honest reviews such as yours ... and those from many other fine folks! So, thank you!

[@alanpareis734]

Right on again Doc. I couldn’t agree more. Thanks for yet another thought provoking “pen” vid. BTW congrats on the 3-D printed wonder you show cased recently. The Nib-Tailed trademark on the ends was -Heh, Heh- the crowning touch, I loved it and noticed it before you pointed it out.

[@Rgmekanic]

I'm only a month or so into my FP journey. Started with a Preppy, then got a great deal on an AL-Star. I have a couple Noodler's Charlies, and recently bought a pack of used Chinese pens for cheap, and a 1.1 stub for $5 from a local craft store. Just trying to find _what_ it is that I like. I can appreciate the beauty and craftsmanship in so called "grail" pens. But I want to know how it writes. I wish there was a stationary store here where I could try some higher end pens. I cannot currently afford anything with a gold nib, but would love to know what one feels like.

[@jls3220]

Thank you for your excellent introspection. Like you I enjoy the pens for how they write. With money I would buy some very expensive pens, (Krone), but it is simply for their beauty. Great dissertation. ❤

[@pierrebourgeois7738]

You’re a very wise man Dr Brown. Thank you for this and everything you do. I owe you a great deal. Take care and all the best to you 🙏🏼

[@garywestby6577]

Thank you for the great video. I have been working in the wine business for 30 years, and look at this issue for wine and pens the same way. I think that a well selected $20 pen will almost always be better than a poor selection at any price. Price should mean access to better material, more thoughtful work and more time to bring the best out of both, but it doesn't always. That is why a jump from $20 to $40 in wine or in pens is immense when the selection is good. From $40 to $80 it is almost as big. But, as you say, there is a point of diminishing returns, when the pen maker, or the wine maker, has access to everything he needs in material and time. It is the "well selected" part that we listen to you for!

[@neemancallender9092]

My current favorite is Pilot 78G 0.28 $17 It is the smoothest needle nose nib I have ever owned Beats my Sailors gold xxf

[@dm319-j5y]

I guess the question is whether a pen brings you joy and delight? Something about my Asvine P20 does that, whereas a pen I bought for 3x is a bit scratchy and will need more work on the nib. Being a snob only takes away from yourself. The is a cheaper food chain near me that has objectively better products than our regular stores but some people won't shop their because it's cheap. Whereas I get to enjoy higher quality products more often and that makes me happier!

[@KenoticMuse]

I think what makes fountain pen different from other hobbies like mechanical keyboards, is that the enjoyment is NOT about trying to get rid of something unpleasant such as scratchiness or poor inkflow, but mainly about experiencing something new and different. It used to be the case that "cheap" fountain pens were scratchy and had poor inkflow. But nowadays, most fountain pens are free of mechanical defects even at a $10 or $20 price point. You can look at how many fountain pen enthusiasts still gush about the Preppy and Metropolitan even though they might own pens that are worth 100x as much. From my vantage point, inexpensive pens are not "worse pens", but they provide you a writing experience that's more common place and easily achievable with our current technologies. In short, inexpensive pens are simply less exclusive and rarified, and so they are less sought after and less valuable, but it doesn't make them worse. As a similar analogy, just because you've tasted the best steak in your life, it doesn't mean you'll never want to eat cereal or sausage and ham again. Foods give you different experiences, and some of them are more difficult to obtain than others, which is why some is more expensive than others ... but all foods are enjoyable in their own different way. I personally own a lot of cheap $20 pens, even though a third of my collection is pens over $100, and that's because I use them to test out different inks, and some pens are just enjoyable because of their "proletariat" heritage. I form memories with different pens, and using them evoke different experiences. In this way, my enjoyment of fountain pen is beyond just the mechanical efficiency and effectiveness of putting ink on paper (similar to how my enjoyment of food is beyond just their mechanical efficiency in delivering daily calories).

[@anguswhite8233]

I quite quickly honed in on the Pilot78g+ w EF nib, which is priced at entry level as far as Pilot/Namiki is concerned: I have small handwriting and quickly realised that Japanese EF’s are what works for me; I do have a few gold nibs: Sailor Pro Gears, Platinum 3776’s and Pilot ch912 etc, but if you blindfolded me I seriously doubt I could tell the difference; someone mentioned that one of the fp’s they’d enjoyed the most was a vintage Esterbrook: I second that - I’ve got a lovely model SJ with a new/old stock 9128 EF flexible nib which I’ve inked with Waterman serenity blue and it is just writing perfection imho!:)

[@johnstjohn4705]

I agree. I have a Jinhao 9019. It's one of my favorite pens. I buy pens based on their design. I particularly like demonstrators and eye droppers. I've only gone over $100 a couple of times, only to ask myself why. Montblanc may be the best, but I think another German company showed that a pen can be well designed, write well, be comfortable to use, and be affordable. The Lamy Safari may not be a grail pen, but it has stood the test of time as well as Montblanc.

[@SirWhiteRabbit-gr5so]

I used a Parker 45 through college and years later. My favorite work pen was the Pilot Varsity, I'd just pull out the tip and refill with black Quink. I preferred the older folded nib to the more recent round medium nib used today. I don't like expensive pens since I carry them in my pants pocket with other pens and EDC. They get sratched-up and I occasionally lose one or drop it.

[@osirisgolad]

In the past I have also wondered if I would be able to tell the difference between nib materials, but recently I ended up exclusively using the same Pilot 14k #15 nib for three months, which is not something I would normally choose to do. I then unsuspectingly went to write with a Parker 18k Centennial nib and it immediately felt like a bicycle with wooden wheels. So it may not be one of those things you notice in a direct comparison, but there is definitely a clear distinction that some part of your brain and/or muscles pick up on.

[@CozyEccentric]

What I really want is a nib that is a reliable writer out of the box. For me, the Faber Castell , the better quality of the two nib versions they do - has never let me down. They write out of the box, and have the smoothness and wetness I want. And, finally the Hexo is a girth and length that is ok for me. They do tend to have pens that are too short/ not girthy enough. I have got other pens, not super expensive ones. Checking out different filling systems, nibs, pen body formats. Some are ok. And still my most enjoyable nib is a FC. Will I try costly pens at a pen show some time if I get the chance? Sure. Am I likely to ever buy one? No. I like the pens, I like the way they feel when I write. I also don't want to have to be too precious with them.

[@rsns311257]

I have a lot of pens, some inherited, some bought. They range from about €8 to more than €1000. Many of the €1000-plus pens I own had to be tuned quite a lot (and it is a perilous thing to do, all the more so because of their price). The very best writing pen I own is the Waterman model that was used in schools in France. It is no longer made but it should cost about €7-10. I recently bough an €8 Faber-Castell that writes beautifully and, out of the box, clearly outperforms the Auroras, Montblancs, and so on. On top of it, when I see someone getting out their 149's I always find it is for show and that it reveals a lack of originality. While it is true that some expensive pens write well and are indeed very beautiful (the Italian brands, mainly and, of course, the Japanese makie lacquer pens) as a user I am only interested in their writing performance. Hence I keep using my very old Waterman at home (I don't use it outside because I fear loosing it).

[@tomaszwisniewski5583]

Faber Castell nibs are incredibly good and repeatable in quality. At the same time, bouncy. They outstand any gold more expensive nib if the latter do not write well.

[@oldladywithacamera]

Thanks, Dr. Brown. I still like my Kakunos, Plaisir and Preppy, as well as the Jinhaos, Wingsung and Luoshi. I'm on a no-buy (pens and ink) right now and am enjoying what I have (though I admit to looking). Anyway, I appreciate that you opined on this subject. You have access to a lot of high-end product, so I like that you are still able to enjoy the inexpensive ones. Thanks, again.

[@thepenman357]

Good points throughout; thanks for the video. I also dealt with this theme in a video a while back, and I believe we should all be encouraged with the fact that as long as a particular pen is a pleasure to me, that's all that matters. And, it really isn't about the pen, but the blessings that are written with it. Thanks again.

[@mellow-jello]

The worth of a wine connoisseur is not to identify the pairing of expensive wines, but the plethora of affordable wines to exquisite food offerings, aka higher margins for the restaurant.

[@mendyhand3895]

That goes for some inks as well! I just ordered the 9019, and a few Jinhao X450’s, to put “waterproof” inks into. I also got a really cool $3 wooden pen. Thanks for this video. Let’s get these young children using some of these gorgeous inexpensive pens! Love this! 🖋🙏🏻👍😎 oh yeah…. That clear 9019 that you showed… Great Mother’s Day gift and comes in pretty colors. Hint hint! 😉

[@robbiemer8178]

Great talk, thank you! This reminds me of when I was cooking at a Steak-N-Shake early in my career. (For those unfamiliar, it was fast food but served on actual plates and with table service.) Mother's Day was always one of our busiest days of the year. A co-worker once opined that he thought it was "stupid" for so many people to bring their moms for lunch because "why would anyone think this is special enough? We're just fast food." He didn't understand that for several reasons even our cheap (but tasty and good IMHO) meals were absolutely a special treat for quite a lot of people. For me, my pens are an answer to a series of questions. Some are pass/fail and some are more of an essay type answer. But those are all specific to me. And no one else need to ask those same questions. Nor do I worry about what anyone elses' questions are. Finally, I will say that I have also seen the snobbery go in both directions. And I find it equally silly when someone decides that they have the only "true" way to enjoy this shared hobby.

[@mikoajpytlak1799]

I remember that when I bought my first ,, expensive" pen I was so disappointed by it's writing experience that after a month or two I throw it into my drawer for 7 years and only took it out a year ago. It was a Pelikan m200 with EF nib. Previously I used Pilot MR which wrote the same or even better than this Pelikan. Of course Pelikan's quality was much higher but I couldn't appreciate it then. Only a year ago I took it out and just started to like how it looks. I bought new broader nib and use it till today. Still it's not the best writer I have but I like it's green marble. This situation taught me that the satisfaction from the purchase isn't proportional to it's value. To be honest till this day I bought 30 pens but only 2 of them were as expensive or more than this Pelikan.

[@Izanuela22]

After two years of chasing a high quality fountain pen I somehow ended up with loving one cheap vintage and one cheap Kaweco the most… yes.. others look nice but when it comes to actually writing with them I enjoy my two cheap favorites way more because with the more expensive ones I am overly careful. Also I always made the experience that when you are finally getting something that you have wanted for a very long time it somehow only brings you happiness for a very short time. The „wanting“ bit is way more exciting than the „having“ bit. I do have a very long list of pens that one day I would love to own but that list changes over time. So I do have a lot of fun and enjoyment with researching new fountain pens I want without ever really purchasing them… 😅 (Additionally when my little daughter wants to copy me and „write“ with a pen I never hesitate to give her one of my cheap ones and we both enjoy that very much. Obviously I would never hand her a more expensive pen because she would break it)

[@islaymmm]

I went from fountain pens to dip pens to quills and brushes lol I guess my fascination with writing instruments has always been the writing bits and the lines they draw

[@TheMagicalSock]

This reminds me of a philosophical thought experiment my evolution profesor would posit: biologically speaking, are we as humans any better at living (or being alive) than a bacterium? My Pelikan M1005 Stresemann writes really well, and so does my Jinhao Shark. For me, the more expensive ones don’t spoil the more inexpensive ones.

[@oswjim]

excellent video ...

[@bootsmama1027]

I have a few gold nib fountain pens, yet I still find myself going back to steel nibs all the time. I like both. I love the Pilot Kakuno, TWSBI ECO and Diamond 580, And the Asvine piston and vacuum pens. The Jinhao 82 are great pocket pens. I am more concerned with the ink than the type of pen. I just want to try all the pens and inks, that is the ones in my price range.

[@mat8650]

My thoughts : when it purely comes to writing, many of my very cheap pens are still writing more pleasant than my expensive ones. On the other side , the used materials and quality in the more higher end pens, are way better than the cheap ones. In the end, it is a lot about the personal feeling a pen gives to you. In this feeling, money, materials , quality is not an parameter. I love the feeling/personal value of some of my expensive pens, but I also love the feeling/personal value of some of my cheapest pens.

[@wolf_ceit_witch]

I have a Jinhao Shark on my Desk because I like it - it brings a smile on my face - it can create conversation and I can readily give it away if I am at the office. I love my Jinhao 9019 it writes lovely. I also have expensive pens that write so so ...

[@Addwrite]

I agree with you - such a refreshing attitude.

[@escargotomy]

There is a time and place for both I think. One does not feel any hesitation in taking cheap pens wherever you go (EDC) such as work or school. I have a 2 or 3 Jinhao, an Asvine, and 2 older Pilots (Ecrino & Lucina) for these types of application. I also have a Sailor 1911L, a Platinum 3776, and a Pilot 823 that almost never leave my house because I am not ever prepared to risk losing a pen that cost between 100-200 dollars.

[@vintageswiss9096]

I don't mind paying for craftsmanship. Hand-turned acrylic or vintage celluloid gets me more excited than any injection-molded resin (looking at you, 149). I know what i earn per hour, and it's easy for me to "justify" a $1000 pen purchase when i know how many hours of work went into making it. To be fair tho, you aren't going to justify (to me) anything over $200 without a gold nib. And anything over $500 needs to have an in-house nib. I don't see that as snobbish; it's just what I, personally, expect for the price. Others might be happy with different materials.

[@JoePesos]

I have both expensive pens (Visconti's crystal dream, pilot custom Urushi etc...) and relatively inexpensive steel nib pens. I rotate through expensive in order to use them all each year. I have 4 cheap pens (2 Faber Castell, Lamy Safari, kaweco sport) that i include in the rotation simply because the writing experience is too good for me not to.

[@IvanRomero-ho8wv]

I have several "expensive" to me pens (

[@freuday]

"It is a good man who has silverware at home but uses it as though it was earthenware. It is an equally good man who has earthenware at home but uses it as though it was silverware".

[@kh23797]

I have pens from a wide range of prices, but am always interested in budget pens that write beautifully. I also notice that young folk (I'm ancient!) have pretty dreadful handwriting nowadays--of course, as they rarely put pen to paper. A pricey pen cannot make a scrawl look good. I worked hard to improve my handwriting many years ago, and it makes using a fountain pen so much more fun. Just got the Jinhao 9019 for £5.86 here in the UK... yes, it's a keeper.

[@barbarawhipple2016]

I have a Montblanc and a Pelikan M800-love ‘em but I also love all my Jinhao 9019s and my Hongdians, oh and my Benus and my Narwhals-yep-they all write and I’m a happy camper 😁

[@gihanzohdy3284]

Having used inexpensive fountain pens in school I feel I've had my fill, so I now occasionally get myself a high end pen. I fully enjoy my collection and feel joy when others join the club, as you say whether it is a $5 or one of several thousands.

[@angelopaola9985]

Agree with all you said After all is said and done, it comes down to the writing experience. Some less expensive pens have great SS nibs and can give great pleasure. To each his own It comes down to the Price:write ratio on an individual basis

[@thomasmorrison675]

Stephen, can you do a review on the Montblanc line of "PIX" pens and what exactly "PIX" means? I have a Classique rollerball that says PIX on the cap band and also Meisterstuck.

[@michaelswisher9696]

My own buying habit leans heavily on my attitude toward design rather than appearance. Being a visual artist, I’m just as likely to draw with my pens as write with them. I also lend many pens to friends and students that often become gifts. It is a relatively simple way to spread joy. So, long story short, I’ve had a fair number of pens pass through my hands, always a pleasant experience. However , after I purchased a Leonardo Momento Magico, my hand finally found a perfect fit after 40 years of happy experiments. I immediately bought a second with a gold nib just to see. The fit was the final piece that was indescribable and completely brought me to a stop. I still draw daily with my Benu with its amazing workhorse F nib and sign my sketches with my Diplomat affordable EF and I practice my hand with a rotating set of pens, nibs, ink and paper for the joy of different responses. As I make my living offering art for sale, I’m glad that collectors exist. For myself, however, the soulful practice of making marks is the final importance.

[@rbmarcus]

I really like the "just talking" videos, Mr. Brown. Very rational, very educative (it is not at all a surprise you are a teacher). Always good to know your opinions. Master Kenobi! You're a bold one!

[@malarvannan3400]

Very true, even I have gone through this phase. Some inexpensive pens are really good and reliable products. But have serious reservations over Chinese brands, which have disappointed me time and again, being replica products with quality control issues.

[@peterhofmann8292]

In the end it comes down to how the pen "feels in the hand", which one can only tell after using it for a while. Cheap pens are not necessarily better or worse than more expensive ones, and both in my opinion can be fun. Like you I am a user, I do not want to have a pen sitting around just to be admired. A great and valid discussion.

[@pnmoura]

The most expensive fountain pen I have is a Pelikan 600. However I have, the majority of my collection, a bunch of Chinese pens, that in comparison, cost a fraction of the price of that Pelikan. So the question is: is the Pelikan 100 times better, does it write 100x better. The answer is: NO. I love all my pens, and I do not feel ashamed to go to work (I am a teacher) with a Chinese pen that costed me 3 euros, or I will take the Pelikan....for me is the same. What is important is the writing experience....not the price of the pen! As always....great video.

[@ichirofakename]

1. For me there is an element of amortisation: I want to get more use out of what cost more, so I favor the latter. 2. I have spent too much seeking the best possible (that I can afford) nibs with a wide range of features, when it turns out that any pen that reliably makes a consistent line suits my needs. 3. As always thanks for the thoughtful post.

[@kattz753]

My most expensive pen is the Hongdian D5 Qin Dynasty. I have a couple other Hongdians and a lot of pens like the Jinhao 9019. I collect the obnoxious Jinhao Dragon pens. I'm happy. I would be upset with myself if I spent hundreds on a pen. I need my money for other things. I want a Pilot E95s just because I love the inlaid nib. I'm having a hard time pulling the trigger. I'm just as happy going to Bobby Pens and buying a bunch of interesting nibs and improving what I have. Some of my "cheap" pens probably write better than an expensive one because I put the work into it.

[@ceyaDIN]

I have a 149 and still enjoy a lot my magnum, both have the same size nib. Btw I cannot feel the better difference between gold and steel nib.... I have 5 MB (gold), 3 FC, 1 diplomat and a 1 parker and my best nib so far is my Vector that cost me 5eur.

[@rebeccaneef6070]

I love my Jinhao 9019's, too (enough that I bought a couple more). And you don't need to justify enjoying a cheap Chinese pen any more than you have to defend your enjoyment of your expensive pens! When we find one that "just fits," the price (if it doesn't unduly stress our budget) is more or less irrelevant.

[@raventhelight9357]

I have a Visconti Homo Sapiens and a Montblanc 149. I also have cheap pens like a jinhow 159 and a pilot mr. All of them a beautiful writers and I use them all. I would say as long as it is what you want go for it they all have there place.

[@ChaplainEstrella]

I totally agree. My most expensive pen is a $125US Pilot Custom 742 sm nib and my cheapest one is a $10US Jinhao 100 Centennial with a 18KGP f nib. Honestly, both are great writers and fun to write with. Interestingly, the Jinhao nib is as wet as the Pilot’s and has almost no feedback. I guess I got a really good nib.

[@jacobus57]

Huzzah! I have a few moderately expensive pens, and like you I see them as tools. My VP SE--the priciest of the lot--is with my small Hobo. I also enjoy my two Sailors, but I keep going back to these four: 2 TWSBI Ecos with B nibs, my Kaweco Sport iridescent, and an Opus 88 with a custom engraved nib from Hooligan Pens. My grail pen is a Yard-o-Led because I so deeply appreciate the company's heritage of incredible craft, but I want my pens to write, WRITE, without any fuss and the above four never disappoint. Indeed, the more experience I accrue, the more I appreciate the less expensive work horses. I wonder if people like us who used fountain pens --cheap ones--in our youth tend to have a more balanced perspective than people who discovered them later in life?

[@halfsourlizard9319]

Curious how my thoughts change after watching this ... but initial thoughts: I own pens where my most-expensive pen is ~1000x more expensive than my least-expensive. To disclaim my biases, I find the Souverän series to be the best of all pens everywhere for all time. Anything beyond that is fun, but not a better writer (to be fair, from the m200 to the gold-nibbed Pelikans is already diminishing returns). The majority of the pens I see inked up on my desk are gold-nibbed -- just because I own quite a few ... but it's just heaps of fun to ink up a Jinhao x750 or a Twsbi Eco or Kaweco Sport from time to time -- just for the novelty, for the variation, for the experience. I love food, as well, and I've had the privilege to eat at quite a few Michelin-3-starred restaurants ... but I still want to enjoy some street tacos or In-n-Out or a trashy diner.

[@halfsourlizard9319]

And, after watching this: 100% agree about the pens designed to be looked at -- at the expense of any ability to actually write. It's a bit like mechanical watches: The most-complicated, most-mechanically-impressive are giant and (literally) impossible to wear; at some point, it's an exercise in building a halo product for a collector to keep in a case. I'm glad that those things exist, just like I'm glad that Montblanc make pens that, essentially, are objects d'art rather than actual pens. I just don't want to own them.

[@FriedPi-mc5yt]

I collect Noodler’s pens. I like ebonite feeds and I like modifying my pens for my needs as an artist. I can tune them to put down ink however I need them to. I invested in quite a few Noodler’s nibs and feeds to butcher and experiment with. Would I like an expensive gold nib pen? Yeah…. I sure would. But the Noodler’s pens are my workhorse art pens. My Fountain Pen Revolution pens are my daily writers or my ridiculously expensive Kaweco brass sport that I carry in my pocket daily for note taking. I love my Noodler’s, FPR and Kaweco pens.

[@JG3Reviews]

Well said, and I agree. 👍