Maybe this is just my own neuroses at play but I go through periods of using a pen (or group of pens) and using only that pen(s) for days, weeks, or even months at a time. For instance, I am all about my inexpensive pens right this second. Tomorrow or next week? It could very well be my Edison Pearl again. Or a Pelikan. Or my "new" Waterman No. 12 PSF (a pen so old that it was likely around when Edward Cullen was a human teenager dying of the Spanish Flu). Or an ancient Parker Vector that I'll rescue from under the bed. It's always a toss-up around here. So being as how I am all about my Lamy pens right now, it got me thinking: what are some inexpensive pens that people might be interested in and that I like (because at the end of the day, it really is all about me). So without further delay, here be my line-up of inexpensive, sturdy, "starter"-but-not-really fountain pens:
1. Lamy Safari/Al-Star/Vista
Okay, these are basically the same pen, differing only in materials (the plastic Safari; the aluminum Al-Star; and the transparent plastic Vista), special editions, and pricing (more on that later). Depending on the source, you can find Safaris and Vistas for anywhere from $25 to $35, while the Al-Stars are usually in the $30-$40 range. Except for the clear plastic Vista, the Safaris and Al-Stars are available in a wide variety of colors, in both the stock and special edition lines.
Hmm. I just realized that all of my "cheap" Lamys are, or have been, special edition models: pink Safari (2009 or 2010), turquoise Safari (2011), blue/red Safari (2006ish), dark purple Al-Star (2010), and raspberry Al-Star (2009; later sold). Interesting.
...I wonder if the red Lamy Al-Star is still available.
2. Pilot Prera
I have somewhat of a love-hate-love-resignation-codependent relationship with the Pilot Preras-- much like most of my personal relationships (rimshot). I've purchased, sold, and purchased (different) ones so many times that one of my friends routinely emails me every third Thursday to say, "Leave the Preras alone! Go drink some Scotch like the good Lord intended. Talk to you next month." (A true friend, indeed).
On the one hand, the Prera is a cute, light, comfortable, compact, "purse pen," yet I've also used it for longer writing sessions (like the rough draft of this post). It comes in a crack-ton of colors and finishes, two nib sizes, and can use Pilot cartridges, or two different Pilot converters (the CON-20 or the CON-50). They're more readily available outside of Japan than they used to be. And they come in pink!
(I'm beginning to think that I may have been a magpie in a previous life. Or that magical creature in Harry Potter that could sniff out valuables. Or just color-blind. How else can I explain my compulsive attraction to bright colors and sparkly, shiny things?)
Time for pictures!
On the one hand, the Prera is a cute, light, comfortable, compact, "purse pen," yet I've also used it for longer writing sessions (like the rough draft of this post). It comes in a crack-ton of colors and finishes, two nib sizes, and can use Pilot cartridges, or two different Pilot converters (the CON-20 or the CON-50). They're more readily available outside of Japan than they used to be. And they come in pink!
(I'm beginning to think that I may have been a magpie in a previous life. Or that magical creature in Harry Potter that could sniff out valuables. Or just color-blind. How else can I explain my compulsive attraction to bright colors and sparkly, shiny things?)
Time for pictures!
 | |
| Writing samples |
 |
| L-R: 3 Lamy Safaris and an Al-Star |
 | ||||
| Pilot Preras. Top-to-bottom: Light blue, ivory |
0 comments:
Post a Comment