Top 10 Fountain Pens for Beginners

Figboot on Pens
P.O. Box 12430
Durham, NC 27709

Instagram - @figboot11

Reviews of pens on this list:

[skylerjames]

“Gateway pens.” So true. You say wow this 12 $ pen is so great! I can’t imagine ever spending into those upper price ranges. And then 1 month later you find yourself with a platinum 3776, a sailor pro gear, and a few pilot CHs. I never realized it would go this far when I started, but I love it hahaha

[PuzzledPenguin]

The TWSBI diamond 580 was also my gateway pen and really drove me to explore other piston fillers and gold nibs

[vincidelaunc]

Entry-level pens that I really enjoy are:
- Moonman M2
- Moonman Wancai
- Moonman M100
- Moonman N2
- Delike Alpha Resin
- Wing Sung 601 Transparent
- Oxford Helix (the pen doesn't come with converter, but it does use international converter so you can grab one anywhere)

[peterhofmann]

David, thanks for putting this list together. Like you I was only into medium nibs (being a lefty best no "smudge" ratio), but have recently been expanding into broads and stubs, so understand the do not stay with "safe".
Love the TWSBI's as they are also a worthwhile look for the person that is into the hobby with the "next" level pens.
Looking forward to the other two videos.👍👍👍

[AnzanHoshinRoshi]

Thank you, David. I crtainly agree about the TWSBI Go. It's advent this year makes it a new standard. It's hilarious and lovely.

[jurgenriegel]

A pen that hasn't been mentioned so far and that definitely would be on my list is the Waterman Kultur. The glittery exterior might be a little gimmicky, but it is really a great writer! Thanks for your contribution - and I'm really looking forward to see the next video!

[houghwhite]

Kaweco sport is very good. I got a used maroon one, it's still in very good condition lightly used. It fits my bag and will be my travel pen

[callelindstrom]

Great list. I think Kaweco Perkeo and Diplomat Magnum would also be good pens to start out with.

[retardno]

I started with fountain pens very early in life, they were mandatory in primary school due to the bad handwriting habits ballpoint pens can lead to. Was lucky enough to try out some nice pens back then from Parker, Waterman, Shaefer, Faber Castell but didn't appreciate them as a small child. I kept losing my pen case so the pen quality slowly dropped to accommodate that habit. About a year ago at age 30 I got into fountain pens again mainly for drawing purposes. That got out of hand very quickly, now I own a bunch of vintage and new Pelikans, a couple of Pilots (92 and Falcon), a Pro Gear, some Kawecos, a Pineider, a Visconti, couple of Lamys, a Muji, a Noodler's Ahab, an Opus 88 demo, a Caran D'Ache 849, and I don't see myself stopping any time soon. Slippery slope to say the least. Now looking for a vintage Mont Blanc because it's something everyone has to do at some point in life, right? Right?

[carminuccio]

Hey love the content! Can you do a top “edc” fountain pen list? Or simply suggest a few models to check into. I have a travelers notebook that I would love to accompany a smaller hardy fountain pen with on a daily basis. Thanks so much.

[caonabocruzG]

Been using FPs for a little over a year and the most comfortable pen I have (nib included) is a TWSBI Eco T clear, with an EF nib... three weeks using it and I'm still amazed by how it writes.

[wendamacdonald]

Have a few lamys, and a few metros. Metro has better, smoother nib out of the box, hands down, every time. Both use proprietary cartridges. TWSBI has never disappointed! Ready for next level, thanks for your lists..

[neverstoplearning]

Great list! TWSBI Eco is the pen I typically choose for gifts to newbies! But I do love many of these pens as well.!

[rakeshvarma]

I endorse this list. Twisbi Eco has another model Eco T that I found superior to plain Eco and that a vendor in New Delhi gave me at the same price as the Eco. My understanding is that Twisbi put in some changes into the Eco T based on feedback on the Eco.

[vwood]

Excellent selection - thank you! It’s great to see the Penbbs 308 on your list. A very reliable, low cost Chinese pen I’d recommend for beginners is the Jinhao 51A - it’s very impressive.

[TartaricKnight]

I would also add the Moonman M2. Granted, it's an eyedropper pen, but very few parts and super simplistic in its use. Clear and cigar-shaped with a super smooth nib. By far my smoothest extra fine in the collection.

[dacksonflux]

The 3 pens I would add are:
Pilot Explorer- feels like a Safari but has a completely round section to provide more comfort.
Sailor Fude De Mannen- at a staggering $12, this pen has no business being as smooth and reliable as it is. It is a fude nib, though, which is something to get used it.
Picasso 916- an all around friendly, neighborhood pen. I have the "Sunset Gray" variation which, don't be fooled, is a gorgeous black pen.
These are all 3 affordable pens that don't need super specific types of ink. They aren't prone to drying up if you stop writing for 10 seconds and are sturdy with postable caps.

[Yanardi]

What's crazy is not the kaweco clip, but the way you place it in the middle of the pen. LOL. Great vids btw..

[pmccord]

Almost all these nibs are somewhat stiff or real nails, so they are not great for a beginner who might like something that is more expressive than a ball point. As a beginner, I really liked bounce in my Pilot 78g (still available from Chinese sellers; nib size is interchangeable with Metro, Kakuno, et al, but it's not the same nib, gold plated and I believe made on different machines for the Chinese market. I got one last year with lots of bounce, unlike the disappointing Metro which also failed to post reliably). All the TWSBIs are identical Jowo nibs tuned by TWSBI; the Lamis are also identical nibs and they're real nails, and the Pilots are also identical. So only three pens you mention have very interesting nib action at all. The nib on the Loom is terrific with it's pencil-like feedback which is very pleasurable. Yes, you mention, the PenBBS and the Kaweco are smooth and expressive. But why mention two Lamys and three TWSBIs, and the Pilots when there are many other pens you might've mentioned? The Platinum Cool is affordable and has interesting nib response. Fountain Pen Revolution offers a range of inexpensive pens that have a range of nib responses including a decent steel flex. And Noodler's Ahab is an oversized pen, big reservoir, a number six interchangeable nib, but it comes with a cheap, "line variation" nib. Finally, as another commenter mentioned, the Nemosine Singularity is a great pen for beginners: superior nib tuning on the nibs so they have a little feedback, easy to swap out #6 Jowo nibs including a fine italic, they're well made and can be eyedroppered.

[bikkies]

The Kakuno is a great introductory pen but it gained a new lease of life for me when I found the CON-70 works with it. The CON-40 is too fussy for it to make an EDC list for me (though I've found out how to get a full fill of ink recently). The extra capacity of the CON-70 solves that problem and turns the Kakuno into a whole new creature, with the added benefit of increasing the weight of the pen slightly. I prefer a heavier pen so that works for me.