I have been considering a new Fountain pen. I am interested in a classic, black resin large pen. I am considering the following:

1. ST Dupont Orpheo Large Fountain Pen
2. Cartier Pasha FP..Black Resin/Platinum
3. Montegrappa Nero Uno FP
4. Omas New Arte Italiana Large FP
5. Pelikan 1000 series FP
6. Montblanc 149

My only FP is a MB Starwalker...which I prefer with the fine nib. Love the contemporary styling...but I am now looking for something a bit more traditional...

I know that this is a very personal decision..I live 150 miles from the nearest pen shop. I'd order all of them and keep the one I like best, but I just don't have that kind of money (yet!). I'd be interested in your thoughts on these models...I'm not asking you to rank them...I'm not trying to start a flaming post...I'd be most interested in comparisons/pros/cons of these models...and I'd be interested in other options, as well. I am a large man with a large hand..so I naturally prefer a larger pen. I prefer the fine nib on a MB..but I understand that their nibs can be a bit "large"..so I would not be averse to a medium nib from another company. I'd like this pen for everyday writing/signing...not so much a "special" pen...just a great workhorse of a pen. I'd keep the budget to under $1000 retail.

Perhaps if I can logically narrow down the choices to 2 or 3..I can order them all and keep the one I prefer...

Thanks very much for your assistance.

Warmest Regards,
Ron

I suggest adding Parker Duofold Centennial to your list.

Can't go wrong with the Pel M1000.

The Dupont is considerably smaller.

I would go with the 149 with a fine point.

this is an addicting habit that can be expensive. Abandon all hope, logic will not serve you once you past thru the gates.

Now that the obligatory warning is over here are some opinions.

1. You MUST decided if you like heavy or light weight pens. IMHO this is relatively constant thing. I always prefer heavier pens though I can use a lightweight one for brief periods of time.

2. You MUST decide if you prefer a smaller or a larger diameter pens. Also very important when you are writing that 1,000 page novel. Really does not matter as much for sigs.

IMHO these are the two most important decisions you will make because they will guide you down the dark path of pendom. There are many other issues that to me are secondary.

3. Does the filling system matter. Are you a snob and refuse to use a cartridge/converter pen. "Real pens suck ink from a bottle" is a comment sometimes heard. I am over this. I will match my three Orpheos up against anything else in my inventory.

4. Material. Resin, "precious resin", celluloid, metal, lacquer coated metal, ebonite, maki-e?

5. Modern or vintage.

6. Nibs. Big/little. Stiff/flexy/spring. Width EF to BBB with cursive/italic variants thrown in. Remember that a fine from Nakimi is different that a Visconti fine.

7. Do you like metal nib sections.


I typically recommend starting out with a mid-sized Pelikan, say a 600 series with a medium nib. These are light weight pens. They are not sexy but are as dependable as the day is long. IMHO, the noob does not need to start out with a tempermental modern Italian like an Omas. It is too easy to get discouraged when a $1,000 pen is not perfect out of the box, and believe me it does happen.

I have around 100 modern pens that are users. I love Italian pens, especially Viscontis. I also have Omas pens but sold most of those because they were too light weight for me to use for long periods of time. The new Omas pens, the large Paragons and Bolonga are more to my liking. Of the ones you have listed the large Dupont Orpheos are top shelve. I have three, black lacquer with gold trim, palladium and sterling silver in a barley corn design. They are big and heavy with wonderful nibs.

Shoot me an email and maybe I can give you some other ideas backchannel. These are just my thoughts, I am ready for them to be shot down.

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.

If you like big pens and have a big hand, I STRONGLY suggest you consider these two as well:

Delta Dolcevita Oversize
Conway Stewart Churchill

Both of these pens have superbly enginnered Bock nibs, which perform very well, and smooth, efficient feeds. You really should add these to your shortlist. They are as big as the MB 149 and much more beautiful to behold. The Conway Stewart offers a wide variety of colours to choose from, as well as the option to have other sets of colours for an extra cost.

The Parker Duofold Centennial is a very nice pen, with a very long heritage, but - to be frank - it's pretty much trumped by the Churchill, which is similar but much bigger and more impressive in every way.

I will definitely add them to my want list...

Ron

These are all good brands! When it comes to a high-end quality workhorse, I think it's pretty hard to beat the Montblanc 149. It has a large ink reservoir (mine holds around 40 drops of ink - about 1/3 more than a 146) and a large nib to go along with the large body. You mention big hands, so a big pen would probably be a good choice. The 149 is a workhorse. Mine has an extra-fine nib which is very similar to many fine-sized tips. The nib is a big one and is proportioned right for the rest of the pen. I like all of mine, but from your post, I think the 149 would make a really nice pen.

I really want to thank you all for your time and well-thought out responses. Now that I consider myself a bit more educated, I can make a better decision.

I first want to thank Mark for showing me 2 pens I never would have thought to consider..the Delta & the Conway..they are both spectacular looking pens.

I have also heard good things about the Stipula Etruria...what are your thoughts on this pen?

Well, I thought I was going to buy a plain, black resin pen..but after reading your comments and seeing some other options, I just might get myself my first celluloid pen..really like the Omas Arte Italiana ARCO and the Delta....they are gorgeous!

Thanks again...I will make my decision soon and let you know what I decide....My MB has sort of a stiff nib.. I am looking for something with a softer & springier nib...probably a model with an 18k medium nib...

Warmest Regards,
Ron

Ron,

You're very welcome - you're also welcome to the forum, where I hope you will be able to make more comments and contributions.
I am happy that my suggestions have been useful to you.

The Stipula Etruria is a nice pen. Personally (and this is only my opinion) I don't think it matches up to the Omas, Delta or Conway Stewart, but it's really a matter of taste. Stipula has had reliability issues in the past, and its piston filler pens have sometimes had mechanical problems, though I am sure this has been resolved now. I believe Stipula also make their own nibs - they are certainly very smooth.

Other pens you can look at are the Waterman Edson and the Waterman Exception. They are both large size pens and boast the excellent Waterman nibs. See here: http://www.waterman.com

they are nice pens but just a cut under some of the others that you mentioned. You might also wish to consider Montegrappas. They are available in a choice of materials, sizes, weithts and filling systems.

This is a quick and dirty of most of mine. A couple of c/c filler Symphonies, a couple of piston filled Cosmopolitans and a piston filled Extra.

I am only acquainted with three pens on your list--MB, Omas and Montegrappa. Of the three brands, Omas has the best nib experience. If you have large hands, you are likely also to find the Paragon (the new model) a good fit. I have the Arco Paragon in F nib and it is the best pen I ever own, though it can get a little heavy after a while. But the large ink capacity just begs for it to be used over and over again, which is the ultimate reason of existence of any fountain pen!

On Montegrappa, they can be fussy pens so if you don't want to be troubled by them, stay away. I have the new Extra1930; and while the craftsmanship of the pen's exterior is impeccable, the nib is too stiff (like a MB) and the feed is only partial to Waterman inks...

If you like flex, I think you will find the Paragon the Paragon of a pen.

....Waterman. Both the Edson and Exception are fully worthy of consideration. The sterling silver editions of these pens are truly stunning. BUT - and this could a problem for some buyers - the nibs are stiff as nails. Great smooth nibs, but VERY stiff. On the other hand, Conway Stewart offers a multitude of different pen models and delightful colour combinations. Their nibs are a little less stiff, but still very high quality.

If you can only afford one pen, go for the Omas Paragon - or the often overlooked 360. Otherwise, if you are greedy like me, get a Waterman and a Conway Stewart as well to match it and have different writing experiences.

Cartier and Dupont are nice but way overpriced.

Another potential issue with Omas nibs is the difficulty of nib exchange in the US. Recently, the US distributor has refused to do nib exchanges even on NEW UNIKED PENS. This is compounded by the fact that nib exchange on Omas pens is more than simply unscrewing a nib and swapping for another one as you can do with Visconti or Pelikan. I have a new style Arco that I would like to swap the medium nib for the fine but it is going to be difficult, I may end up having the med reground to a fine.

In the end, it doesn't matter which you choose as you will definitely be looking for an additional FP shortly thereafter. Enjoy the journey and the obsession. You are already assimilated, and resistance futile.

The Pelikan M800 or M1000 would be the safe and sure bets of all those mentioned IMHO. OMAS strikes a nice balance between look and feel, nib experience, nuance, exotica, etc, etc. The celluloids are cool, multi-faceted sides comfortable in the hand, the big black resins will scratch (lots of plain surface), the 360 is interesting, the Emotica is intriguing, etc. OMAS is Italian, so they can be finicky, but then what's a couple of stained fingers from time to time.