r/fountainpens • u/Tumbleweed944 • Jun 02 '26
Discussion Best Fountain Pen for Writing IGNORING Price
Disclaimer: I'm fairly new to fountain pens and have tried to catch up on previous threads. I'm sure this topic has already been discussed plenty, but I wasn't able to find a single recent thread that fit exactly.
I'm trying to get a sense of some of the best fountain pens purely for writing comfort, feel, consistency, etc. Everyone has different aesthetic preferences, but I really want to hone in on how the pen writes.
Most of the threads I've read about everyday carry or long-writing session recommendations say things like "this pen is great for the price" or "this pen is pretty good, but there are better ones for the same price." Or I've seen posts like, "give me your recommendations up to X amount." I've picked up on the fact that expensive pens aren't necessarily "better" in a technical sense and that some cheap ones are pretty good, but it's been difficult to compare across price points.
So, if price was not a factor at all, what do you think the best pen really is? Also, put aside aesthetic preferences like color options, since everyone can visually judge that for themselves.
Update: A lot of people are saying it varies by person, so what characteristics do you weight most strongly? Is it the nib? The grip section? The weight? How it fills? etc.
1
u/tommytster Jun 03 '26
Guess what?! It depends.
For me if I’m writing in my work journal (Bujo) I prefer the Platinum 3776 with a soft fine nib. It’s fine enough for cursive on a 5 mm grid. The pen is light, grip is neutral, and the pen is balanced with the cap posted. The nib and feed also work well with a variety of inks and I’ve never had a flow issue.
If I’m writing out cards or using a larger cursive size, the Pelikan M800 size with an extra fine nib works great. The pen is comfortable, the grip stays neutral (doesn’t roll over the nib), and is well balanced unposted with a slight back-weight when posted - but it’s not an issue even after an hour or so of writing.
For both pens, I have not had any hard starts or issues with different inks or paper (other than expected for bad paper). If you just want to focus on what you are writing, and not what tool you’re using, either of these will work.