# Recommendations, please...titanium pen...



## ronsabbagh (Mar 8, 2006)

I am fond of my pens, but there are times when I need a lightweight alternative....I prefer ballpoint for this particular pen....let's use a budget of $150 (give or take a little). I prefer the look of titanium, but I'd consider any lightweight material (other than plastic).

Thanks in advance,
Ron


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## WX1 (Dec 20, 2006)

ronsabbagh said:


> I am fond of my pens, but there are times when I need a lightweight alternative....I prefer ballpoint for this particular pen....let's use a budget of $150 (give or take a little). I prefer the look of titanium, but I'd consider any lightweight material (other than plastic).
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> Ron


Not to rain on your parade, Ron, but . . . if there's one material I don't necessarily prefer as a pen casing, it's titanium. Just something about it, having to handle it with my fingers, subjected to sweaty palms (mine at least, yuk :roll: yuks :-x ).

You DID say "other light material," too, I realize. Heh, tha's too much suggestion the WX1 can give (my immediate suggestion is Bexley. They use a really nice acrylic material for their pens. Quite lightweight. I have one myself. Fountain pen, but, they do -- least last I checked at their website -- provide ballpoint . . . or was it rollerball? Both? Yeah, check out their website. Bexley's pens are made in America [hope they didn't change that; hope they don't change that. I have a feeling they never will change that.].).

If I WERE to pick one up a titanium, well, there's a nice price range at least for the brands I'd favor for titanium pen:

-- Cross's Townsend line has a REALLY nice titanium model, barrel and cap. Has a really great guilloche design on it too. Check out their website; you'll be similarly impressed if you like that classic Townsend look.
Townsends are still in the, what, $70-hundreds range? Affordable.

-- OMAS . . . oooooh, actually, there's not a lot a WOULDN'T pick up from OMAS. Italian design is great design all the time (hey, that rhymes), methinks. I've handled a titanium T2 OMAS just once . . . and I gotta tell you, if there's a company that has titanium design down better than OMAS, I may not need to know. THAT's how titanium should look. The grey of the barrel and cap of the T2 models are not too light, not too dark.
Kinda' on the higher end, though. If you find one a little under a grand, buy it (or I would, at least).

Good luck.


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## T Bone (Feb 18, 2006)

Might be a little lower end than you were thinking, but if ultra reliability interests you, I bought a Titanium Space Pen (twist to extend or retract) on eBay a couple years ago. I think they were under $30. When I go flying, I try to always have either this or my AG7 Space Pen with me..... they always work!


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## FLUGZEUG (Jun 26, 2007)

*Hi Ron,*

*Here's the deal with light weight, most of the titanium pens you will find out there, are merely a coating over a heavier metal. They are not solid. Don't immediately sell off the idea of what you call plastic. Better so called plastic pens call their material resin, a fancy name for plastic. But the important part of this is that they use glass in the manufactering of it. It keeps the weight down, but keeps the strength up. Two examples with Mont Blanc, and I'm not recommending them. Their opening price point ball point is made out of plastic that will stratch up in a day. Their more expensive "classic" line is the one with the glass.*

*For your needs, stay away from metal pens that simply put a paint job over them. If you have a bigger hand, you might want to seek out a Pelikan 180 line with a celluloid cap. Light weight, good resin material, decent balance, and it will take the standard "Parker Jotter" type refill which you can find anywhere.*


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## WX1 (Dec 20, 2006)

Bunch of pen manufacturers do plating, I understand, when it comes to metals indicated for their respective pens ("platinum" is a good contemporary example; most platinum pens I've come across are nice and heavy. Most "platinum" pens are platinum-*plated*. Gold pens, too. Chrome, hmmm . . . I'm not sure. Cheaper material, but, chrome pens just might very well be plated, too).

I would imagine the Omas would have a good content on the cap and barrel; I understand the actual nib for the fountain pen version of the aforementioned T2 line is ACTUAL titanium [!} (I've seen and if that's actual titanium, oooh, VERY dark gray; probably really great as a fountain pen nib in the long run; I've also seen that the nib is all titanium mentioned on a few 'sites; you can check for yourself as well. Might very well be, MOSTLY titanium [I dunno how soft or hard titanium's actually supposed to be], but, if THAT's actual titanium, then THAT's a tough, distinctive metal. Ooh.]).

Yeah, when it comes to the material on barrel and cap, with pens (like watches, too, yes?), you get what you pay for. Yeah, there must be pens made entirely of gold, some made of diamond. I dunno how people write with those -- I'd just keep 'em in the box, or on display or something. Too precious, from my P.O.V. (good thing I can't afford 'em I suppose, yuk yuks). There are some, like movements for our watches here (and material, let's not forget), that are HELLA expensive because of the metal, material . . . yep, there should be some brands out there that use some mean actual precious metals. 

Going back to topic . . . doesn't one Grayson Tighe make some neat titanium pens (I know he made . . . one, two? A series? Off-topic, I think he made a pen . . . from meteorite specimen, reportedly. THAT'S darn cool)? Good craftsmanship, too. Downside of Grayson Tighe's stuff is, lot of very limited editions. Nice, really nice pens, nice shapes. One of those quite "pricey but worth it if you're REALLY into pens" kinda' things. Has won a bunch of awards for his works.

Also, if "true" material's what one's looking for, better to go resin (most pens all resin) or sterling silver, which is usually all sterling silver for pens (then again, you got that tarnishing situation with sterling; then again, some folks might like tarnishing on their pens, a "dulling" so to speak; then *again*, thing about sterling silver is, if you use a good polish for the pen -- if you're prone to polishing your pens, sterling silver or otherwise -- and also use the pen on a regular basis [is what I understand at least, that sterling silver won't tarnish too much if you use the thing on a regular basis as well], you can keep the shine if that's your thing). Bvlgari makes a nice sterling silver pen I've been meaning to get. Signum makes a nice all-sterling silver pen in their Orione line - nice, rounded edges, classic-looking pen design.

OK, last suggestion (promise; well, at least right now) - if a retractable fountain pen with a nib that is very competent sounds good to you, another lightweight model - no titanium, but, they just came out with a nice slate gray to complement their light-colored chrome model, and also blue, red, other colors; a "mandarin yellow" seems to be quite rare, however - Pilot pen has a neat-o line called the "Vanishing Point" line. Quite lightweight, even with ink filled in them (yeah, this is one pen that's only fountain pen nib if I'm not mistaken). Nice, rhodium (plated) and gold (plated) furniture. Really popular in fountain pen circles.


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## Michael D (Nov 1, 2006)

Tom Anderson, he is custom knife maker, but he also produces jewelry and pens( from Titanium)


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## tlprice (Feb 23, 2006)

Lots of good comments from folks here already...but let me add a couple of cents.

If you are looking for a titanium BALLPOINT, your options are limited. I think the OMAS T2 is the only current production model out there available in a ballpoint, although the field expands if you are thinking about a rollerball (Grayson Tighe and Visconti immediately come to mind, though there are others).

But at around $150, I think you are going to have issues getting an all titanium pen.

NOW, while there are a number of great suggestions out there for pens made of acrylic or resin, in my ballpoints (have a DuPont Orpheo and a Caran D'Ache Ecridor I use on a fairly regular basis) I prefer something that I can drop/beat up/or otherwise abuse without worrying about something happening. If this pen is going to be an everyday pen but one that it not used for long stretches, I cannot stress how great a Caran D'Ache ballpoint is. Writes great, no skipping, cartridge will write for well over a year before needing a refill. Only drawback is that it is metal, so if you plan to do a bunch of journaling or novel writing, it will not be a good way to go.

In the latter case, for your pricepoint, my vote is for a Waterman Expert. Several of my family members use Experts, and they hold up to a wide range of abuse while still being of a weight that you can write with all day. If you happen to need something on the really light side (guessing not because of the titanium request) then I would spend the money for a Montblanc 146. Resin holds up well in this side, but the 145's (classique) are prone to cracking when subjected to the 1 meter drop test.

But as with any pen selection, your best bet is to visit a pen store if you have one near you and try out several models. You may find something you like that you weren't previously considering.

Best Wishes and Happy Hunting!

P.S. Just saw a previous post and looked up the Cross Titanium Herringbone. Not sure if it is a titanium body or coating, but it is available for under $200...perhaps something else to consider.


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## Peter Atwood (Feb 16, 2006)

The Cross pen mentioned in the post above appears to using the word titanium to describe the color of the rhodium plating and appears not to have any actual titanium in it.

I know of two real titanium pens. 

Knifemaker Greg Lightfoot made a small run of them a couple of years ago and I bought one and later sold it. It weighed a ton and the thing was huge. The main point of this kind of pen is because of it's weight and design, it makes for an improvisational weapon that you can bring with you anywhere. Anyway, he had just one design and they were CNC turned. Retail on them was around $200 or so if I remember correctly.

Like Greg, Tom Anderson is a fabulous knifemaker. He makes a line of pens that are simply amazing. They are hand turned by him in his shop of solid titanium. Once again, these are fat barrel pens that weigh quite a lot but I think some of Tom's pens are not too bad. His designs are fantastic though and far exceed the ones that Lightfoot produced. Anderson has all sorts of turned and milled details, grooves, etc. His clips are all hand milled and attached with screws. Some of the pens have salvaged tritium tubes embedded in them so they glow at night. In addition, most of his pens are twisties and he uses rollerball refills of some sort. Solid and amazing pens that need to be held to be appreciated. I think Tom gets $400-700 for these.


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## Rapt (Nov 21, 2007)

Consider a Timberland LCP, its Aluminum not Ti but it'll actually be lighter for its size (about half the weight for the same amount of material.) And the 7075 alloy is as strong as mild steel. The anodizing is hard and scratch resistant, much harder and thicker than commercial grade coloured anodizing. And it'll look dark grey much like the anodized Ti finish you're used to on Ti items.


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## mitchb (Nov 3, 2006)

I like my Lamy Personna Titanium ballpoints androllerballs. They're not actually pure Titasnium but heavily coated Titanium making have that titanium feel to it. My prised possession in terms of pens is m y Lamy Platinum coated pen which is a sweet pen but I don't often use it. It is the type of pen you use once i n a blue moon. The Titanium Personna Ballpoints get the most use. I havr one I use all thedctime and I have a set of a Titanium ballpoint and rollerball which one day I will sell asa set. I don't believe I'll put them o Ebay but must rather find the appropriate pen forum. I knew of one once but I forgot the nqmeof the forum. It willcome to mewhen I'm seriousd about letting this set go.I will probably ask $475. The Lamy Personna make for a nice Titanium pen.
Alasso a few rungs down the platinum Pico has a nice feel to it. it is only available as a ballpoint being the micro style pen that it is.


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## Kafka-Cloud (Aug 27, 2008)

For a serious titanium fountain pen, I like Grayson Tighe.... but this is way above your budget.

For lightweight pen, omas cotton resin in Ogiva's is pretty light. I bought mine used for 130$. Everyday writer since. Nib is super smooth, good ink capacity.


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## mitchb (Nov 3, 2006)

Lamy Persona Titanium pen sets in both black titanium and regular titanium titanium. I have a set of ballpoint and rollerball in both black titanium and solid titanium $525 for the titanium titanuium set and $475for the Blacjk titanium set rollerball and ballpoint. Brand new in box.
If you twist my arm hard enough and pay me $700 I have a Platinum ballpoint Persona pen. It should be mentuiioned thr Lamy Personas were the top of the line Persona pens which were Lamy's top of their line pen but it was discontinued for reasons I don't know. I love them. I collect them . I have a few for sale. If I am, not aloud to post like this please let me know and iot won't happen twice.
Mitch


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## Jurphaas (Apr 12, 2006)

Your budget choice micht very well be the new Tornado titanium Pen from Retro 51. :-!

http://www.pencity.com/cgi-bin/Soft...tTitaniumRB.htm?L+scstore+odqb5890+1233872829

Follow this link.
Cheers,
Jurphaas :-d


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