# Seiko 5 of pens?



## faiz31887

Hi all,

I need some suggestions from you guys. My wife just graduated Law School. She is going into Intellectual Property as well as some business consulting. She has always mentioned wanting a fountain pen. I'm still a student, so I'm on a very limited budget. I'm looking for the Seiko 5 equivalent of pens.

Something that is very affordable but is reliable and from a company with a good reputation. Something that pen connoisseurs won't look down on.

I did a little bit of research, but there are so many names, styles and versions to keep straight.

I'm sure she will be doing a lot of writing at work. She has a different writing style with fast and light strokes. She usually uses fine point Sharpie pens like these:
Amazon.com - Sanford Sharpie Fine Point Pen Stylo, Assorted Colors, 12-Pack - Permanent Markers

I'm leaning toward getting her this one:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002T401Y...UTF8&colid=2HK7DPREEEZW0&coliid=IA9TDGY3XQIJA

I've also heard good things about Pilot watches. Do you guys have any other suggestions around that price range?

Thanks for your help!


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## twblalock

For a new pen, the Lamy Safari or any inexpensive Pilot will do. For vintage pens, the equivalent of the Seiko 5 is definitely the Esterbrook J. It was very affordable, came in a bunch of colors, and has dozens of interchangeable nibs that you used to be able to buy in any stationary store.

I personally prefer vintage Sheaffers, and a Sheaffer Touchdown is a great pen.


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## Seele

To my mind, the fountain pen equivalence to the Seiko 5 could well be the Lamy Safari. Affordable but not dirt cheap, well-designed for production in vast quantities, valid back then and still now. And of course it can take a lot of use and even abuse, can be casual and yet can also be quite formal as well.

The ballpoint pen equivalence might be the Parker Jotter; not much needs to be said here.


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## faiz31887

I just showed her the Lamy. Turns out she hates it. She thinks it looks really cheap. 

She isn't the type of person to want used pens. Even if they are vintage.

Keep the suggestions coming though please!


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## jar

faiz31887 said:


> I just showed her the Lamy. Turns out she hates it. She thinks it looks really cheap.
> 
> She isn't the type of person to want used pens. Even if they are vintage.
> 
> Keep the suggestions coming though please!


It is really cheap but it is also a very good fountain pen.

What is your budget?


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## Nokie

Maybe a nice rollerball instead of a fountain to expand your options in your price range? Pelikan, Cross, or Parker are all good starters.


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## faiz31887

jar said:


> It is really cheap but it is also a very good fountain pen.
> 
> What is your budget?


My budget is right around the price of that Lamy. She said she wants one more of the style of Montblancs like these:
http://www.montblanc-pens.com/mbpen.jpg

http://allmontblancpens.com/wp-content/themes/shopperpress/thumbs/2013/12/pen-mont-blanc.jpg

http://fpgeeks.com/wp-content/uploa...-Swift-fountain-pen-capped-e1339094798515.jpg



Nokie said:


> Maybe a nice rollerball instead of a fountain to expand your options in your price range? Pelikan, Cross, or Parker are all good starters.


She really doesn't want a rollerball. Wants a fountain pen.

I think at this point I should just hold off until I have more to spend on something that she will like more.


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## jar

faiz31887 said:


> My budget is right around the price of that Lamy. She said she wants one more of the style of Montblancs like these:
> http://www.montblanc-pens.com/mbpen.jpg
> 
> http://allmontblancpens.com/wp-content/themes/shopperpress/thumbs/2013/12/pen-mont-blanc.jpg
> 
> http://fpgeeks.com/wp-content/uploa...-Swift-fountain-pen-capped-e1339094798515.jpg
> 
> She really doesn't want a rollerball. Wants a fountain pen.
> 
> I think at this point I should just hold off until I have more to spend on something that she will like more.


Good plan.


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## D N Ravenna

I would look at TWSBI. A little bit more, but quite a few options as well.

Dan


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## rodia77

faiz31887 said:


> I just showed her the Lamy. Turns out she hates it. She thinks it looks really cheap.


And she's right.
Have a closer look at these Pilots you mentioned -- Japanese is the way to go if you're after a "Seiko 5". ;-)


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## Snoweagle

Fountain pen? Why not a Lamy 2000? It really isn't very expensive for a fountain pen and Mont Blanc equivalents are very expensive on the other hand.


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## Nblades

TWSBI would be a great one. Classy, affordable. 
Maybe a Pelikan 140, M100 / M200 ? 
Affordable doesn't always mean "Cheap".
Maybe check out a couple of sites: Jetpens.com, cultpens.com for some more options?


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## Skippy4000

The Lamy is not a very feminine pen. Jinhao makes some ultra affordable pens that look nice enough. Cross makes a great looking fountain pen that can be had for about $30 on eBay.


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## v76

Pilot Prera or Sailor Le Coule ...


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## Seele

The forthcoming model in Kevin Thiemann's FPR collection will be based on a piston-filler by Oliver, but suitably upgraded. Worth keeping an eye out for, I suppose.


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## MEzz

I am intrigued. What is FPR? link?


Seele said:


> The forthcoming model in Kevin Thiemann's FPR collection will be based on a piston-filler by Oliver, but suitably upgraded. Worth keeping an eye out for, I suppose.


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## MEzz

TWSBI are very nice pens, you can get he classic for about 50$







or for a bit more, a classic, a pilot vanishing point.


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## tkdwarrior

Mont blanc


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## Seele

MEzz said:


> I am intrigued. What is FPR? link?


Fountain Pen Revolution; an online fountain pen dealer.


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## Therightadvisor

faiz31887 said:


> My budget is right around the price of that Lamy. She said she wants one more of the style of Montblancs like these:
> http://www.montblanc-pens.com/mbpen.jpg
> 
> http://allmontblancpens.com/wp-content/themes/shopperpress/thumbs/2013/12/pen-mont-blanc.jpg
> 
> http://fpgeeks.com/wp-content/uploa...-Swift-fountain-pen-capped-e1339094798515.jpg
> 
> She really doesn't want a rollerball. Wants a fountain pen.
> 
> I think at this point I should just hold off until I have more to spend on something that she will like more.


Well, we can pretty much close this thread down at this point. No matter what, anything but a Montblanc is going to be inferior to her.

You've made a fatal mistake that most men make at least once in their lives, you've given your wife a choice.

The good news is: it sounds like she will be the bread winner at least until you graduate college. If you both feel you can afford a $400+ pen, I'd get her one.


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## haziz

Consider the Pelikan M150, M200 or Lamy 2000.


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## Erolek

Waterman Hemisphere is seriously nice pen. I had mine for quire few years now, and it certainly doesn't feel cheap.

Greetings
Eryk


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## Chronopolis

.


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## DrewZ137

Pilot Metropolitan would easily be my pick for the "Seiko 5" of fountain pens. It can be found on Amazon right now for around $15. Ships with an ink cartridge + a free converter (bottled ink is cheaper and better quality, IMHO).

The pen feels absolutely amazing in hand (all-metal casing) and writes extraordinarily well for a $15 pen. Honestly, after buying one of them I've literally given up buying other fountain pens and have spent the rest of my hobby money on watches.


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## chromehead

Pilot is like the Seiko of the pen world. 
They have a comprehensive range of FP targeting all price segments unlike their main domestic FP competitors Sailor and Platinum. 
This is even before we throw in their ubiquitous Ballpoints, Gels, Rollerballs etc.


Anything below their 10,000JPY full-retail offerings like the Custom series may be taken as "Seiko 5". 
Their low cost pens like 78G, Tank, Kakuno, Metropolitan, Prera etc all write pretty nicely. (my F kakuno could give my EF C74 a run for its $$!!)

Even the entry level Custom series like Custom 74 (cigar) or Custom Heritage 91 (flat top) are gold nibbed and can be had for less than 90usd on Global Rakuten and maybe the Bay but you have to accept the risk of not buying the pen from a B&M shop where you could test them out.

These Custom series pens even if are available in your country from the local distributors, may have a mark-up of close to 2x the typical selling price from japanese vendors (below MSRP),
consistent prices with anywhere beyond Japan.

Good to note that gold nibs for western brands (M400, L2K?) tend to start at ~200+? 
Other prominent entry level gold nibbed Japanese pens like the Platinum 3776, Sailor 1911 Standard (torpedo) and Sailor Pro Gear Slim/Sapporo (flat top) are also around the price of the Pilot C74/CH91.

Japanese pens give western pens a good run for their $$.

Gold or Steel nibs do not make a difference in the sense that you are actually writing on that same welded hard-wearing tipping material which is ground to whatever size or shape you want.
Main difference may be the 'ride'. You can have Springy Steel, Springy Gold, Stiff Steel, Stiff Gold nibs depending on how they are designed.


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## Baric

I'll second the Platinum 3776 Centry, it's a great pen, has the same classic cigar shape like the Montblanc, and comes in a range of colors including black so that it LOOKS like the Montblanc Meisterstück and that is not a coincidence IMHO. Starting at $200, it's considerably cheaper than a Montblanc 146 to 149.

But when a woman points at something and says " like that", it's been my experience that she wants THAT, not something like it. But then I'm not married any more so take that with a grain of salt, plus you know your wife better than we do.

Pelikan is also a great choice, but it's stepping away from the classic cigar shape and going to something straighter with flat ends. The finial and clip are quite distinctive. I would skip the lower end models and go right to the M600. If she likes color, you can find all kinds of gorgeous swirl patterns in red and green, semi opaque blue, the boring all black, or the iconic colored pinstripe on the barrel. 14k nib in a wide variety of sizes has nice engraving and writes well. Prices range from $400 to $475, but in my opinion is money well spent, and still almost 1/2 the price of a 149. 

Slightly up in size is the M800, but you start to get into the range of heavier, longer, and wider pens and someone new to fountain pens might find that uncomfortable. My very favorite pen is an M800, and I have some nice ones to choose from, it's a matter personal preference.

Edison Pen is a small boutique brand that makes some excellent pens, in some very colorful acrylics. The shimmering iridescence in some of these are gorgeous. They go for about $150 and have steel nibs. You can get gold but of course that adds about $100 to the price.

If it were me I'd save and get her something nice as opposed to fast and cheap.


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## Mike Rivera

Any Pilot is a good value. I love my Pilot Falcon and if you get her a "Soft Nib", she will get nice line variation.


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## GirchyGirchy

Pilot all the way. The Metropolitans, Preras, etc - any of their inexpensive pens - are very high quality, write great, and are the best deals going.


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## rdugar

I got my wife a Pilot Vanishing Point in Red. You can find one of the fancier (Raden, facet, etc.) versions. very elegant, different (no cap, retractable). Utterly reliable. $110+ Nice bottle of ink to go with it. The ($20-30) bottles of Pilot Iroshizuku inks. (Pilot® Iroshizuku Bottled Ink For Fountain Pens, Each, Deep Green | Make More Happen at StaplesÂ®).

Or a nice Pelikan M400 / 600 as one poster suggested, depending on the size of her hands. To me Pelikan's are the (vintage) Merecedes Benz of Pens (as opposed to the BMW - Mont Blanc), as opposed to the Lexus - Pilot.
Sorry, new to watches, so no watch analogies.

Everyone has a Mont Blanc. Not often that I see a nice Pelikan....


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## D N Ravenna

And fewer have a Vanishing Point!

;-)

Dan


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## RNHC

chromehead said:


> Pilot is like the Seiko of the pen world.
> They have a comprehensive range of FP targeting all price segments...


|> I agree 100%. Pilot would be pen company equivalent of Seiko.


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## Chronopolis

D N Ravenna said:


> And fewer have a *Vanishing Point*!
> 
> ;-)
> 
> Dan


Killa pen too. I love mine.


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## cambrid

I've got an Ohto Spirit, reviewed (not by me) here: Ink of Me Fondly : Ohto F-Spirit Fountain Pen with Fine Nib Gold Clip. It cost £10.99, looks much more expensive to the uninitiated, and writes well.


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## Timbre

China Hero. Cheap yet great to write.


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## zephyrnoid

LOL! My humble Safari for an IP lawyer! 
I love my Safari's. I have the fountain, roller and pencil. Super ergonomic and robust but they really belong more in a guy's SAFARI jacket than a lady's leather folio.
I do a fair of IP Searching and of course, no pen is required. But having owned a number of fountain pens I would ask WHY a fountain?
Those are now for long languishing love letters and signing certificates.
I did bump into a cool/weird pen that looked like a fountain pen but used a super smooth flowing roller refill. Pelican makes it perhaps?
99% of my inkpen writing is with a Caran D'Ache Roller or the ubiquitous Parker jotter.
Try to sway her to the 'Bright Side'.


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## vkalia

Safaris are great near-disposable pens if you can deal with their section. Which I, as a leftie, cannot. Plus it lacks the gravitas one would expect in the corporate world - and is about as far from a MB as it is possible, in terms of aesthetics. I am also not a fan of TWSBIs - have owned 6-7 of them, and all except 2 have had problems/issues. 

There are quite a few Japanese pens you can get in the <$200 range from places like engeika.com. Sailor and Pilots will fit your budget but are a bit boring, to be honest.

If you are willing to go used, MB's 146s can usually be had for $250-275, and 144s for $150 (I just sold a 146 on FPN for $260 and will be selling a 144 for $150). Plus vintage 144s, etc also clock in in this range. There is plenty of options in the classifieds at FPN or one of the other pen forums.

Another option is a Parker P51. You can get one restored and in-near mint condition for $100, plus/minus a bit. A very smart and sober pen - one of the few vintages i like.

New - Diplomant, Faber Castell, Pelikan 200 series


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## faiz31887

I should really have updated this post sooner. Thanks to this thread, I got my wife the Pilot Metropolitan and got myself a Lamy Safari.
















Thanks to everyone for their help!


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## MrCCartel

Something seems off using a lamy Safari and pilot metropolitan. While wearing an Omega Seamaster. 

Maybe it's just me. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## RNHC

MrCCartel said:


> Something seems off using a lamy Safari and pilot metropolitan. While wearing an Omega Seamaster.
> 
> Maybe it's just me.


I am with you. There was another guy who posted his Grand Seiko with Lamy Safari in Watch and Pen Combo thread. I don't understand why people with very nice watches would buy the cheapest of pens.


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## iam7head

RNHC said:


> I am with you. There was another guy who posted his Grand Seiko with Lamy Safari in Watch and Pen Combo thread. I don't understand why people with very nice watches would buy the cheapest of pens.


maybe its because the metro writes super well? 
Which makes it a great EDC pen.

Sent from my fax machine using Tapatalk


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## mvon21234

You should check out Fountain Pen Hospital's clearance section. The show a steel nibbed Aurora for under $100, and Auroras are very nice. If she is new to a fountain pen, the a steel nib for her first will be a blessing. My wife ruined more than one of my finer pens.

Another thought is a high quality vintage pen. A true classic, something like this: English Parker Senior Duofold Fountain Pen Black 1950s | eBay . I have no connection to this, but English Parker Senior Doufolds are wonderful. the have a reasonable amount of nib flex Manly, but no more so than the MB146 or 149. (Incidentally, the 146 was available in maroon 15 years ago or so, if you want to start saving and looking.)

Almost any vintage Parker would be a good choice, which the exception of a 61 (NOT for beginners). Absolute best choice could be a 51, such as this one: Parker 51 Aeromatic Fountain Pen with Original Box Writes Great Buckskin Beige | eBay . Buckskin is considered a desirable color in collecting, and isn't as drab as black. Note the type of filler on this pen in the photos. Wondrously reliable, and getting parts (and service) for any of these vintage Parkers is easy.

But then, these vintage Parkers aren't really Seikos - They're more like the Rolexes.

Martin (collected pens for more than 15 years, and still owns a hundred or so)


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## RNHC

iam7head said:


> maybe its because the metro writes super well?
> Which makes it a great EDC pen.


So why don't you match it with a cheap watch that keeps time "super well" like a quartz watch? Writing well is only a part of what makes a great pen. A great pen is more than that. Just like a great watch means more than keeping an accurate time.


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## MrCCartel

RNHC said:


> So why don't you match it with a cheap watch that keeps time "super well" like a quartz watch? Writing well is only a part of what makes a great pen. A great pen is more than that. Just like a great watch means more than keeping an accurate time.


Couldn't have said it better myself.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## vkalia

MrCCartel said:


> Something seems off using a lamy Safari and pilot metropolitan. While wearing an Omega Seamaster.


I agree. This is a lot better, IMO! 










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## imaCoolRobot

Noodlers


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## MrCCartel

vkalia said:


> I agree. This is a lot better, IMO!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


SIR!!!!!!! Dont be too alarmed, but you seem to be missing 1 pen from the photo.


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## keybers

OK, as a female pen freak, I'll throw in my 20-ish dollars (because this is the price range that the OP has given):

I also consider Lamy Safari's to look cheap. *Lamy Vista,* however, looks way better (that's why I own one, but I generally like demonstrators and plain-silver pens and don't care for classic looks or gaudy acrylic swirls, so that might be just me). Need to get a separate converter (Z26 converter is better for a demonstrator, although the cheaper Z24 is usually recommended for Safari/Vista).

I also own a Pilot Metropolitan, and I've come to the conclusion that I don't care for it, it's so boring. In a pen, some beauty is in order. Besides, maybe it's just the particular pen that I've got, but it starts to skip sometime when the ink level halves (dunno, maybe the feed can't keep up), and requires unscrewing the barrel and squeezing the (sac-type) converter to push some more ink into the feed (carefully, because the converter is actually still half-full).

A cheap-ish (but quality) pen that I like both for its looks and writing quality is *Platinum Cool*. I paid for it around 40 dollars (on Goulet Pens, I think), however, you can go with Japanese websites, where it, under the name of *Platinum Nian*, costs $21. Something to keep in mind is that Platinum converters are yellowmetal-plated, so I had to sand off the "gold"-looking section of the converter to make it all silver like the rest of chromed pen parts. Goulet Pens have a video on how to do that. Here is a blue version.

In general, what I think you and your wife should do is have a look at this j-subculture website. Their search function is basically non-existent, so what you do is, under Departments, go to Computers --> Stationery and Office Supplies (I know, totally logical), click on Fountain Pens in the left-pane menu, sort it by price from low to high, and have a look at multiple options; here's the link - J-Subculture Shopping! Category List

Pens I'd like to point out:

*Pilot Cavalier* - not my cup of tea, but classic, exquisite-looking (though, again, not in my book); a pink version is here - if your wife is into pink.

Pilot Metropolitan goes under the name of *Pilot Cocoon*, but again, I can't begin to tell you how pedestrian it looks.

*OHTO Tasche*: black, blue, pink

I own an OHTO Tasche ballpoint (bought at Cult Pens), and I like this pen very much for its, though machined, but somehow at the same time elegant looks (I have the silver version); the techno-feeling of uncapping the pen (the cap is long) and posting the cap. At this point I'd like to suggest that your wife doesn't get fixed on just the idea of a fountain pen. OHTO needlepoint ballpoint refills (standard Parker-size) write very smoothly, though there is a little blobbing; a colleague of mine who likes rollerballs/gel-pens thought this was a gel pen at first, when I gave it to her to try out. I'll be getting more of these refills. Another refill that writes super-smoothly and lays a very steady and dark line (and has no blobbing) is a Schmidt 9000M EasyFlow which was included in a £100-ish Diplomat Excellence that I've got. I'm only on my first such refill, so I don't know how long these would last, but the OHTO refills, by virtue of being needlepoints, last very long and are transparent, so that you can see the ink level. Their fountain pens, as far as I understand, only use short standard cartridges-there is no converter that would fit; although I seem to remember there was a teeny-weeny converter recommended for some miniature Kawecos, so one would need to hunt that down).

I have yet to buy something from this j-subculture website-I usually quench my pen thirst on Cult Pens or Goulet Pens-I learned about this website only recently in a thread on FountainPenNetwork, and people have had no problems ordering from there, though sometimes there may be a delay in shipping. Also, what I've gathered from that thread (and that is something to keep in mind) is that Japanese websites don't always include a converter with a fountain pen (that is also the case with Japanese pens on US or UK-based web retailers, e.g. I had to buy a converter for my Platinum Cool ("Nian" on j-subculture) separately). Lamy Safari or Vista don't have an included converter either (and their cartridges are proprietary). So keep in mind the need to find a converter if you want to use bottled ink, and the fact that _all_ mentioned pens except for OHTO use proprietary cartridges/converters, so no joy with international standard cartridges available everywhere.


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## keybers

[upd] just noticed that the thread is, like, 7 months old. Well, whatever, maybe someone else will find this useful


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## RNHC

vkalia said:


> I agree. This is a lot better, IMO!


All those beautiful pens and then a Swatch? Come on, man. Why are teasing us with an inverse example?


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## MEzz

Awhile ago, I started a thread inspired by this one, to show watch/pens combos, hopefully "matched" 
https://www.watchuseek.com/f71/show-your-watch-pen-combos-f71-style-1570362.html


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## vkalia

RNHC said:


> All those beautiful pens and then a Swatch? Come on, man. Why are teasing us with an inverse example?


Good news! I found my missing pen.


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## MEzz

Every time I see a Primero, I can't think of a better suiting name to such a beauty


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## tleek

I am super excited to see a pen forum here! I am new to the site and am really into fountain pens. 
While I don't have a Seiko 5, I think I have a couple Seiko 5's of the pen world.
I don't have any vintage pens, but of the new ones, I think these, especially the Pilots and the Lamy, live up to the same sort of reputation the Seiko 5 does.


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## Miqote

Asking people for pen recommendations is a pretty slippery slope since a large determinant of how someone likes a specific pen is the hand size and writing style. I personally dislike pilot pens, but I know they're one of the most popular brands out there.


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## horolicious

I think sailor 1911 clear is a good introduction to quality - value proposition.

send from AZ


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## heraclitus682

I think Sailor is a bad pen for beginners. The footed nibs are a bit less user friendly that the more rounded offerings from Platinum.


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