The Best Cheap Pen!

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Cheers for now!
Mike

[@juicylouisey]

You are the first person I have heard of to get a hard start from a Preppy. It caps so well.

[@writerlywitterings]

I think it just depends on the ink used. I've used several since, and never had any real problems. Thanks for giving me an idea for this week's video!

[@DrSweet1210]

To help encourage a younger generation to use fountain pens, I give disposable fountain pens to a few students each semester (I'm a college professor). In theory, they'll enjoy the experience and might purchase one on their own and perhaps in that search upgrade to a Platinum Preppy or another. I'm sure most of the students I teach have never heard of a fountain pen or, if they have, they probably think fountain pens are expensive. Overall, while not ideal, disposable fountain pens are useful for introducing people to fountain pens without having to commit (great for people with commitment issues).

[@writerlywitterings]

Absolutely, Kathryn. I don't disagree, and anything that tempts people away from biros is a good thing in my mind. But I would always go with a refillable version wherever possible, like the Schneider - I was really taken (as you can tell) with that one!

[@Rgc571]

I eyedropper my preppies and the never seem to run out of ink. They have never failed to write, but I have not left them unused for more than a few days. The fine nib is a little too fine for me so I mostly use my medium nibs.

[@writerlywitterings]

This is for sketching, which is why the fine nib. You eyedrop them? I have visions of ink all over my desk at that thought!

[@marka.200]

I've left my eyedroppered Preppy for over a year and it wrote right away. I'm sure some of that is due to the Diamine ink I filled it with though.

[@jamesaritchie1]

I think the Preppy has the Platinum Slip and Seal cap insert, and it's supposed to keep a pen wet for two years. It certainly kept my 3776 pens wet for several months of non-use.

[@francestan1550]

The v-pen is $2.70 in Singapore. My first fountain pen after progressing from the pilot hi-tecpoint. They helped me to increase my speed in writing and are still a favourite of mine.

[@writerlywitterings]

They do have a really good feel to them. Amazing for something so cheap!

[@johngrubb007]

I've gotten 2 different Schneiders from Cult Pens. They were a bit more than the one you have and they have also proven to be very good pens.

[@writerlywitterings]

That's odd - maybe their prices have come down since you bought yours? Very impressed, though. Good feel, and superb price!

[@johngrubb007]

@@writerlywitterings Sorry, I should have been bit more specific. The 2 pens I got were more expensive models but still quite affordable. I was quite impressed with them for the cost.

[@deusimperator]

That Schneider pen looks so much like the Shaffer calligraphy pens

[@writerlywitterings]

It is a superb pen - especially for the price. It's remarkable!

[@stevenschultz5952]

Thanks for the overview. Very valuable. I’ve only ever used the V-Pen. In fact, it was my first fountain pen and I used them for many years at university. What I love about them is that they can sit in a drawer for months and months, and will write immediately every time. My second fountain pen was a Waterman Exception (a gift) and it’s nib would dry out every day. That was a shock. Over the years, I’ve determined that I like a bit more heft to my pens, but I always have a V-Pen somewhere in the house. It is possible to refill them a few times if you are willing to do so.

[@writerlywitterings]

Yes, others have told me you can refill them - but I have to admit, I'd stick to easier to refill pens that take a cartridge! I know how badly I can make a mess with easy-fill pens!

[@markcohen5094]

The Fuji X100V is an awesome camera! I think you will enjoy it. If you do still photography or street photography it's top in its class. I have the Xpro2 and a Leica.. The Xpro2 gets used much more. The X100V is similar to the Xpro2

[@writerlywitterings]

Loving it already, Mark!

[@GrooDWanderer]

Funny, JetPens made a video where they tested out a Preppy after a year of not being used. (SPOILER: it still worked fine) I've had some for years; just change out the cartridge and wash out when I change colors. I like the fact that if it gets damaged or broken, it just costs me $5 to get a new one. IMO, best (non)disposable cheap fountain pen.

[@writerlywitterings]

I don't disagree - they are great pens. But I have to say, if I was buying a pen for writing, it would definitely be the Schneider now. It feels much nicer in the hand.

[@marka.200]

Don't forget you can easily make a Preppy into an eyedropper pen, holding a gallon or so of ink! Haha. I've had very good luck with this.

[@jamesaritchie1]

@@marka.200 I never have understood why so many people like to eyedropper a pen. A shout of pure joy travelled around the world when the first workable non-eyedrop[per pen hit the market. I agree with the joyous. In fairness, I now have three pens that are eyedropper only. I love the pens, but I get irritated each time I have to fill one.

[@drrev40]

I’d go with a Jinhao X450/X750 or one of their hooded nib bargains all for under £10 with converter included. After that there is Parker Jotter or Vector. All much better looking and feeling in the hand.

[@writerlywitterings]

I am sure you're right - but with the Chinese treatment of Uyghurs, Tibetans and Hong Kong, I am personally trying to avoid all Chinese products, so haven't tried the Jinhao pens.

[@drrev40]

@@writerlywitterings A very valid point. Though avoiding anything ‘made in China ‘ is a tough challenge but perhaps with more reviews highlighting where the product is made things can change.

[@jamesaritchie1]

I'm a non-Chinese person, as well. There is way a penny of my money is going to support one of the most evil, and certainly the most dangerous, country on the planet. I could easily list a dozen serious and brutal human rights violations there, but genocide alone should have China cut off and isolated. It would, if China didn't essentially own most of the first world countries out there, including the U.S. All Chine has to do is call in the loans they've handed to us, and our entire economy would collapse overnight. I'm just one old, poor country boy, so I can't do much, but I can certainly refuse to hand them money to murder more people. I don't need cheap fountain pens that much, and if I do, I'll get them from Japan, Germany, or India.

[@kh23797]

Thanks for the review, Michael. I just got my 4th Baoer 388, a _real_ fountain pen, £3.95, p&p free, and lovely to write with. The plastic offerings are doubtless excellent writing tools, but metal-barrelled Chinese pens are much higher quality than once they were, and amazing VFM.

[@writerlywitterings]

Enjoy it -the main thing is, enjoying your writing!

[@paulmchugh1430]

Thank you for the comparison. The Schneider pen is definitely of interest. While I use a finer nib, I am willing to try the Schneider, especially at the price point.

[@writerlywitterings]

Glad it was helpful!

[@paulmchugh1430]

@@writerlywitterings unfortunately in the USA, the price is approximately USD 17. But it is still worth the investment.

[@johnnyragadoo2414]

Good info. The only fountain pen I've seen on retail shelves was at Office Depot, a Waterman Allure that was my first pen in modern times. It's definitely nicer to write when downward force isn't a hardware requirement of the pen. It would be nice to see those low cost options start appearing alongside the usual offerings.

[@writerlywitterings]

I agree - you don't need the most expensive pens to enjoy writing with a fountain pen! That Schneider was really nice, with a lovely feel to it.

[@LANCSKID]

Schneider is by far the best of the four. Currently £3.50 from CP (+£3.00 p&p!). German engineering, even at this level of pen manufacturing is superb. Definitely a no-no to disposables.

[@writerlywitterings]

I quite agree. I hate the throw away attitude! Keep it and use it!

[@JBFire97]

Great conclusion. Not a pen I have ever come across. Thanks as always!

[@writerlywitterings]

My pleasure!

[@jessjessup2361]

Thanks for the review. That Schneider appears to be $17-25 here on the US. Puts it in another level of competition.

[@writerlywitterings]

Ouch! That's a real surprise. It'd be cheaper to buy from Cult and swallow the postage!

[@marka.200]

@@writerlywitterings Especially if one wanted to buy in bulk and resell some of them to the US market on eBay or someplace. Might recoup the postage and price of the pens you keep! Though I am not sure how large the market is in the US for cheap fountain pens - they aren't part of the public education system here.

[@gabyigl]

Nice video! Hope You recover soon!

[@writerlywitterings]

Thanks! I'm fine now!

[@BooksForever]

Hi Michael. Thanks for introducing me to that German pen. While I don't expect to need any additional pens for myself in a lifetime (barring calamity), it may be handy as a gift. If you don't mind... the unsung hero of your various pen and ink videos is the paper -- equally important to your profession, too, I suppose. So on that vital subject, have you noticed notebooks and loose leaf paper becoming alarmingly scarce and perhaps accordingly pricey in your part of the world? I was fortunate enough to build a comfortable inventory prior to my social hibernation and self-imposed austerity, but nonetheless I do see that my favorite vendors are now out of stock on a broad spectrum of paper here in the States. I'm wondering how things stand on your side of the pond.

[@writerlywitterings]

Over here there are a surprisingly good number of notebook suppliers. One that has been a real surprise is a budget notebook from our main UK stationers, WH Smith's. They have a notebook that uses brilliant paper. And then I still use Leuchtturm very regularly ...

[@jamesaritchie1]

The Preppy is a good pen in the sense that it writes well, and stays wet forever, but I've had three of them, and all three cracked. The crack made them pretty much worthless. Someone, it may have been Drew, told me they discontinued the platinum converter. I hope I misunderstood him, though I haven't needed one. In fact, I bought one at least two or three years ago, and I've never opened it. I'm not at all a fan of the V -Pen. I don't like the way they look, I don't like the nib, and they're disposable. I haven't bought one because they're disposable, but I had a number given to me, so I tried them out. Just no. There are too many cheap pens I think are much better, and that aren't disposable. I just don't buy disposable pens. I will say V-Pens are two dollars or less here. I suspect this is why so many buy them. The cheap pen I own twelve of is the Pilot Petit1. It isn't a great pen, but it writes pretty well. It's a true pocket pen, and I haave two stuck in every pack, go bag, and jacket I own, along with a shirt pocket size notebook. It's an emergency use pen. I hate that it needs special cartridges, but it doesn't matter much because I very seldom need to use it. I'm not sure where cheap ends and not cheap begins. I have eight Metropolitans that I use strictly for pen and ink sketching/drawing. These cost roughly eighteen dollars each. I have all the TWSBI pens. I have a Kaweco Sport and a Kaweco Bress Sport. I have four Conklin pens, and now two Opus 88 pens. I think of all of these as cheap pens, but I know many do not. I have a friend who thinks of seven hundred to a thousand dollar pens the same way most think of twenty dollar pens. He buys them by the double handful, and has so many that very few ever get used. It's an individual thing, based on want, and the size of your bank account. I have some pretty expensive pens, but I sure don't think of them as cheap, and buying one is not a small matter. Anyway, good review of these pens. I really enjoyed it. Gotta run to the doctor. I just spent a week in the hospital, and now I have half a dozen follow up appointments. Bleeding ulcers, a stint in my heart, and very nasty side effects. Nice vacation, but I would have preferred a week in Hawaii.

[@writerlywitterings]

Thanks for that, James - and most of all, I hope you soon get your health cleared up. I'm just getting used to being diabetic - which came as a total surprise - but sounds like your issues are much more painful. Hope you're better soon.

[@jamesaritchie1]

​@@writerlywitterings Thanks for the good thoughts. I found out I was a type 1 diabetic at the age of forty-two, if I recall correctly. One day I was find, then I got sick. OI thought I had the flu. About five days later, I was in a coma, and don't remember much for a few days after that. My blood sugar was fifteen hundred when I arrived at the ER, and apparently had been for some time. They told my wife to call a pastor, if she had one. They also said if I did live, I would almost certainly have severe brain damage. My wife said that was the only thing she didn't worry about because you can't damage what you don't have. I still owe her for that one. I lost fifty-four pounds in four days, way too much of it muscle, before thay got everything under control. I had a few things already in the publishing pipeline, but that's when I "retired" The real problem that worries me now isn't my heart, it's my legs. I have perripheral arterial disease, and venus insufficiency. Walking is getting pretty tough. But I'll deal with it. The worst thing about all these health problems is lying in a hospital bed twenty-four hours a day. I finally got smart and made them take the clock down. It actually helped. But it's tough all over, and a lot of people have it much worse than I do. Be very diligent about your diabetes. I have a brother-in-law who is a type two, and he may be ion worse shape than I am because he simply will not obey his doctor. It's all within his control, and there's no reason for him to be falling apart. But I caught him eating an entire pie outside a local Village Pantry. He just won't listen.

[@writerlywitterings]

@@jamesaritchie1 Thanks for your supportive comments, James. And that must have been a nightmare for you (and your wife, although she clearly knows you well!). My own version of diabetes is much less obvious, which is the irritating aspect. I was completely unaware, but a blood test for something else brought me to the doctors' attention. I should be below 40 units, but I am on 114 - which is clearly far too high. It means I'm definitely type 2, and can't control it with weight loss and diet alone, but need to have have medication. Which is fine, and I'll cope, but it is a hell of a shock when I was unaware there was anything wrong! Take care, my friend.

[@lindahawke7953]

Oh! I hope you didn't hurt your little Preppy's feelings!

[@writerlywitterings]

I think it knows it's up in pole position for sketching!

[@osirisgolad]

I'd buy a Preppy, a syringe and a bottle of Waterman Blue to clean and refill the virtually indestructible Platinum cartridge that comes with the Preppy instead of buying cartridges if I really were on that tight of a budget. I don't think cartridges make sense once you're penny pinching that hard.

[@writerlywitterings]

I'm just always nervous about refilling cartridges. I had a bad one once that leaked everywhere!

[@osirisgolad]

@@writerlywitterings Have a look at the Platinum cartridges; they can probably take more stress than the body of the Preppy!

[@jamesaritchie1]

Won't the regular Platinum converter fit the Preppy? That little converter he has in the pen is supposed to accept an international converter, as well as standard cartridges, though I have even opened the package mine came in, but I was told that it would. I can't try it because I got rid of all my Platinum pens, including my 3776 pens.

[@osirisgolad]

@@jamesaritchie1 Yes, the Preppy uses the same converter as any other Platinum pen. Of course, if you had to buy one, it's more expensive than the pen itself so it might not make much sense in the economic sense.

[@greyareaRK1]

That was excellent. Thank you. I didn't see that exact model, but there are many like it, including some with italic nibs. They also have acrylic (paint) pens, which is a new one on me. My youngest son caught COVID, but the symptoms, as you say, are a bad cold if you've been fully-vaccinated. If Omicron becomes the dominant variant, COVID may move from a pandemic to endemic status, like the flu. We just have to blow dart the unvaccinated. ;-)

[@writerlywitterings]

THanks, John - I would just say that over here, in the UK, Omicron is definitely the dominant variant now, and has been since before Christmas. Hopefully we're near the end of this horrible two year pandemic! Keep safe!

[@jamesaritchie1]

Yeah, just try blowdarting the unvaccinated. I'm vaccinated now, but only because I'm old, and no one tried to force me. If they had, I'd still be unvaccinated. I value freedom far more than I value my life. Too many people surrender freedom just because it's easier.

[@melclarke64]

The zebra is a really good pen to write with..thats my vote

[@writerlywitterings]

Fair comment

[@Addwrite]

After watching one of your earlier videos on the Freewriter portable word processor, I thought you only wrote your drafts on a keyboard - you seemed to suggest that you couldn't produce one longhand.

[@writerlywitterings]

That's quite right. I cannot write novels longhand. However, I write all my research, plotting, characterisation, general notes etc using fountain pens or pencils. And all my letters, of course!

[@Addwrite]

@@writerlywitterings I can see the benefits of that.

[@jennieashmore]

Liked your review! Did you get your pup a companion yet?

[@writerlywitterings]

Not yet, sadly. We're hoping sometime this year our favourite breeder will be able to supply is with a girl, but it depends on the mother, obviously!

[@archivist17]

Have to agree with your evaluation. The Pilot V Pens I used at University in the 90s were part of my reintroduction to the world of fountain pens, but they seemed so wasteful! I do quite like cheap fountain pens, and enjoy Bogdan, The Pen Collector's videos about the pens he finds in his local supermarkets in Romania. Recently, I've bought a Parker Vector, a Sainsbury's Home pen, and a Stabilo Flow, which is excellent. I've also bought Chinese pens for ridiculously small amounts of money, with perhaps the Jinhao X750 being the best bargain at £3.50

[@writerlywitterings]

Hmm. I will have to check out Bogdan - haven't seen his videos yet. Thanks for the comment!

[@archivist17]

@@writerlywitterings I'm pretty sure you would enjoy his content. His usual fare is interesting vintage pens, but there are plenty of others, too. kzbin.info

[@stevehuffman7453]

No Jinhao X450, X750, 159, 59A hooded nib or unhooded regular nib?

[@writerlywitterings]

I didn't choose the pens - they were chosen by a friend in the US!

[@marka.200]

@@writerlywitterings Oh, I thought you were going for the disposable types (or almost disposable). I know Jinhao pens are just as cheap in some cases but for some reason I think of them as "more valuable", i.e. I wouldn't put one in a place it might get lost, whereas these pens you reviewed I wouldn't cry about it if I lost one.

[@davemcclure9685]

What’s the make of your pen that you use to demonstrate your inks ?

[@writerlywitterings]

A TWSBI Go with the 1.1mm stub nib!

[@marka.200]

I know it doesn't make up for the price difference, but don't the disposables come packed with a lot more ink? Just a thought. It looks like your V-Pen is called the Varsity in the US market, and Jetpens sells them for $3 each or less if you get a pack of 7@$18.50 as of this writing. I typically love Pilot products but oh my this is one ugly pen, particularly that "clip" (sounds like it is more of a roll stop than anything else).

[@writerlywitterings]

Certainly these pens will hold more ink than a standard ink cartridge. They are effectively eyedropper-style pens, with the whole barrel full of ink. But the limitations ... when you can get a Schneider (over here) or just a Preppy, disposables make no sense to me. But I hate the idea of disposable anything, which is why I bought a cut-throat razor ...

[@marka.200]

@@writerlywitterings I'm with you on that, disposable anything that can't readily be recycled is bad. It's a big reason I got into fountain pens in the first place. On the other hand, if we are going to talk purely about landfill fodder, I'm not sure if the waste from disposable pens would be that much worse than the waste I generate in other ways with refillable pens. Empty packaging and bottles from ink, the paraphernalia that goes along with it like eyedroppers and syringes, etc. Yet somehow the idea of using disposable cheapo pens still seems wrong, so I am thinking for me it must be more than simply the landfill. It's the principle of it all.

[@jamesaritchie1]

Well, a cheap bottle of ink will last the average user at least two years. That's far, far cheaper than using disposable pens, and you don't add more plastic to the immense amount that's burying the whole world.

[@jamesaritchie1]

@@marka.200 Amazon and others are going to do away with plastic packaging at some point. But I don't generate any waste from packaging. That's outside my responsibility, other than harassing politicians to make changes, which I do constantly. But even if waste is generated outside of Disposable pens, I don't think that's an excuse to use the disposable ones. Whether to use such pens is one hundred percent my choice and my responsibility. No excuses matter. So I don't use them. I also recycle as much plastic as possible. This is a problem we need to face and take care of NOW, or it's going to create unrepairable ecological damage.