Return to Index  

Choosing a pen......

April 22 2008 at 6:59 AM
Mark LV  (no login)


Response to Help a NOOB...Cartier Pasha - Dupont Orpheo- Montegrappa - Omas--which one?

I like your shortlist! I don't think there is a bad pen among these.

I think that going for a fine nib is risky - fine nibs are much more inconsistent between pen brands than medium nibs. What I mean by this is that some fine nibs are prone to being scratchy; you need to watch out for these. Medium nib pens are a safer bet. Let's examine each pen in turn.

ST Dupont Orpheo Large Size - Dupont pens are renowned for their smooth nibs, so you can be sure that even the fine nib would be smooth. It's a cartridge/converter filler, which gives you flexibility, but not the classic feel or ink capacity of a piston filler. Personally, Dupont pens do little for me in terms of styling, which I find rather dull and uninspiring, but the performance of these pens in certianly good. The only other criticism is that the pens lack a certain 'something' that would mark them out as classics.

Cartier Pasha - Cartier has been in the pen business for many years and the pens they produce are very high quality as well as being very stylish. The nibs, made by Montblanc, perform very well and you can be sure that the Cartier brand would get you noticed. If you like Montblanc, you'll love Cartier. Only possible drawback is that it's a CC filler. Other than that, highly recommended.

Montegrappa Nero - This is the brand I am least acquainted with. The Monetgrappa pens I've seen have been too short for my hand, and if you are a big handed man you may find Montegrappa pens uncomfortable. In terms of quality, Montegrapa have an excellent reputation.

Omas New Arte Italiana Large FP - My top choice. I have the Arco version in celluloid and I simply love it - a wonderful pen with a delightful, smooth nib. The pen is a piston filler and it holds a decent ink capacity. Omas have been making stunningly beautiful pens for decades, and the latest Arte Italiana, though definitely more modern in styling, still lives up to the company's proud heritage. If you get this pen, go for the Arco Celluloid - it's more expensive but you won't regret it.

Pelikan M1000 - This is a pen you'll either love or hate. I have to confess I don't like it an awful lot. I am much more a fan of the smaller M800 version. The M1000 has a really huge nib, which may impress you, but I find it performs less consistently well than the M800's smaller type. It also only comes in two colours: plain black and black with green stripes. The styling is simply too conservative for my liking; it's like something out of a bank manager's desk.

Montblanc 149 - The ultimate classic fountain pen. No other fountain pen is as well known. Some people will only ever consider this one, at the expense of all the others, but at the end of the day it's just a big black plastic pen with a big gold nib on the end. If image is important to you, then this is the pen to go for. It's certainly a good performer and smooth writer, and the overall quality is undoubtedly high, though some have criticised the durability of the plastic. My advice: think carefully before automatically going for this one.


My shortlist: Cartier Pasha, Omas Arte Italiana, Montblanc 149.

I strongly suggest trying the pens out in a shop before deciding. Best of luck.



 
 Respond to this message   
ThePuristS.com Home Page