29 Friday Jul 2022
Posted in Pens
Tags
Let’s be blunt. China has a bad reputation in the pen world for supplying little but cheap blatant clones. It is not the only country to do this, but it is the main offender. This is what spurred me to write my articles on UK sold fountain pens for under a fiver and the follow up post. Recently Ania over at Penchantink has reviewed three Chinese originals, each costing under a fiver. She has now leant me these pens, so here are my views.
Continue reading08 Friday Jul 2022
Posted in Pens
The era of the high end Sheaffer fountain pen being supported by the white dot mark of excellence are long gone. These days, having been sold then sold again, the brand now produces a range of solid low and mid level priced writing implements with even the most expensive barely exceeding $100. At the entry point you have two models. The cheap plastic Pop and for the same price the metal VFM. Thing is for just £18/$18 is this a bargain pen or something for the waste basket. Note this model was launched under BIC ownership, before the brand was sold (in 2014) to Cross.
Continue reading01 Friday Oct 2021
Posted in Pens
Back in April I did a piece on fountain pens for a fiver. The idea being to look at what you could find on the British high street at that time with a price point so low that for many people the fountain pen could be bought on a whim. Once that article went live I came up with a new plan for the collection.
Continue reading15 Sunday Sep 2019
Posted in Pens
Tags
I must admit I’ve tended to overlook Kaweco pens in the past and while I saw that the Sport and it’s derivatives were really just pocket pens, being (in my mind) too small for practical use even as a pocket/handbag pen. Who would have thought my near addiction to a French fizzy drink would result in my purchasing and using a limited edition version of one. Continue reading
07 Sunday Apr 2019
Tags
cheap, English, fountain pen, Italix, MrPen, Parsons's Essential
Continuing with my cover of English pens, it’s time to look at a modern ‘oldie’ and stalwart of the industry. The Italix Parson’s Essential from Mr. Pen. Back when I first started going to the London, UK Fountain Pen Club about three years ago this was still a ‘must have’ pen within the community, and for good reasons as it was cheap, good value for money, and with the availability of a very large number of hand ground and tested nibs (Peter Ford from Mr. Pen being the nibmeister). I tried one at the time, actually I tried this specific one at the time, and decided that maybe I would get one further down the line.
22 Thursday Nov 2018
Posted in Pens
Tags
To most in the UK, Faber Castell produce art supplies, the fact they also produce pens (and are possibly the oldest surviving pen manufacturer) passes the average person by as few high street stores stock their fountain pens. Even then they are often over looked as the Ambitions and eMotions tend to be the only options and price wise start in the mid £60s, where as those few shops selling them will also have Parkers, Cross and Lamy pens starting around the £15-20 mark and many of their models for less than the cheapest Ambition.
Continue reading
dapprman 