My personal review of beginner and budget-friendly fountain pens

It’s been a month since a new-found friend introduced me to fountain pens during her visit to our geology museum in UP. I wrote about how I started collecting them just last month. Here’s a snippet of the blog below:

My current addiction: collecting, sketching, and writing with fountain pens

I hardly reach for my regular gel and ballpoint pens now, except when I have to sign a few documents. I’ve been using my fountain pens for jotting down notes, sketching, and creating ink and wash watercolor art. I enjoy writing with them now because I find that using FPs makes me remember tasks and ideas better. I also like refilling them with different kinds of inks. I find that with FPs, writing in different colors can be fun and therapeutic.

Let’s now review the pens I have collected so far.

I have created a list of budget-friendly fountain pens below from cheapest to more expensive branded ones (albeit still easy on the pockets). Hope the list below and my review of each pen will help you decide which ones to get should you like to try writing with fountain pens.

Take note: the following reviews are based on my personal experience as a beginner, please do not expect technical reviews and specifications about the pens mentioned below. I don’t have the expertise. I have also posted links to the Lazada stores where you can get them. Some of the pens are also available at National Book Store.

Jinhao 82

Jinhao 82 tops my list when it comes to inexpensive, beginner-friendly options. Jinhao 82 fountain pen comes in different colors, has three nib options (extra fine, fine, and medium), and feels premium when held. To be honest, it’s the color options plus the price tag for each that got me ordering a few of these pens. When I first got into fountain pens my plan was to use them primarily for sketching and ink-and-wash artworks. With that objective in mind, I started collecting them in many colors and have each inked in the matching ink color as much as possible. However, if you want to be minimalistic and want to just use it for writing, Jinhao 82 pen is also a good option since it’s not that heavy for prolonged writing sessions.

In terms of durability, I have dropped a few of them accidentally more than once but they’re still okay although I wouldn’t do so deliberately. Fountain pen nibs are most susceptible to bending and misalignment when dropped, nib-first. While they are not expensive, I don’t like throwing pens into bins because they are still after all made of acrylic plastic – not biodegradable! Most importantly, this model is readily available in the country. Here’s a shop link where you can get this fountain pen from:

https://www.lazada.com.ph/products/jinhao-82-translucent-colors-with-gold-trim-fountain-pens-i3912263288-s20968314393.html?trafficFrom=17449020_308357&laz_trackid=2:mm_256100694_124401558_2083501660:clkgg2ckk1h5efe2638u1q&mkttid=clkgg2ckk1h5efe2638u1q

In terms of quality, they have been consistently good so far although I did have to condition two nibs because they wrote dry at first. Otherwise, these pens write well out of the box, with nibs gliding smoothly on paper with just a little feedback (which I am starting to like). So far the flow of ink was consistently wet but this also depends on the type of ink and paper used. My current favorite brand of ink is our local brand, Vinta, but more on this later. Here are my most recent sketches using Jinhao 82 pens.

Platinum Preppy

If there is one utility pen that is student-friendly in terms of budget, Platinum Preppy would just be it! This fountain pen brand takes pride in its Slip-and-Seal mechanism which helps retain moisture when capped. Unlike most fountain pens, testers said that this one would not dry out when not in use for months. Now I haven’t tried doing that as I am quite new to this hobby but so many people have claimed it to be true already so I guess it’s the best feature of this pen.

Personally, I like that this pen is affordable and although not a smooth writer, the feedback does not bother me at all. I consider this pen as student-grade, one that I would want my kids to use for their note-taking (I’m working penabling them). I have recently refilled them with shimmer calligraphy inks by Tokyo Find and my pens still worked. Take note, calligraphy inks are viscous so inking my Preppies with one was already pushing its boundaries. The fact that it was still able to write smoothly, with shimmer showing on the paper, was a huge plus for this pen. This pen is proprietary though as it would only take Platinum cartridge and converters. However, I’ve seen hacks on YouTube on how to convert Preppies into eye dropper pens so that’s one thing to consider when buying this pen.

https://www.lazada.com.ph/products/platinum-preppy-fountain-pen-black-i843180646-s4369620738.html?trafficFrom=17449020_308357&laz_trackid=2:mm_256100694_124401558_2083501660:clkgjniht1h5ehmkvdbi5s&mkttid=clkgjniht1h5ehmkvdbi5s

Lamy Safari

Fountain pen newbies, eyes here. Lamy Safari is the brand’s beginner pen, possibly their cheapest also. it is more expensive than Jinhao 82 but one that I recommend you get if you can afford it. The best feature of Lamy Safari is the chiseled grip which helps you hold the pen the proper way – one lesson we all need as beginners. Lamy Safari and Lamy Vista (photo below) pens are made of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (or ABS, and yes I had to look that up!) plastic which is known for being impact-resistant. The Safari Vista is all I have at the moment because compared to the first two pens, a Lamy Safari is Php 1499 (about 30 USD) in National Book Store and online. Heads up, there are so many fakes and dupes of Lamy Safari in Lazada and Shopee so do be careful when buying them online.

What I like about my Lamy Vista (it’s like Safari but transparent) is how smoothly its nib glides on paper with very little to no feedback (or scratchiness). It is also a wet writer and because of the lightweight and ergonomic design, I can write with this pen for hours without feeling the strain on my wrist. I also find that my cursive writing is better with this pen – thanks to its great build and design – well-balanced when the cap is posted. The ink cartridge that came with it was blue and it’s currently my favorite blue among my inks. A box of cartridge of four is less than 200 pesos in National Book Store, a cartridge would last for months! In addition, if you want to fill the pen with other inks, you can get a converter at the same store for less than Php 300 pesos. The clip is also built well. I have walked around at work with this pen clipped around my ID lanyard and it never fell on me, not even once. Overall, a Lamy pen is bang for your buck!

Here’s an ink-and-wash sketch I made just a few days ago using my Lamy Vista and Twsbi Swipe (coming up next!):

Twsbi Swipe

I currently have two Twsbi pens but since they are built differently from each other, I decided to separate them on this list. Twsbi Swipe is the other pen beside my Lamy Vista (photo above). This pen is the smoothest writer in my collection. It’s also the lightest pen I have, even lighter than my Lamy although they are about the same length and girth. My Swipe pen came with a spring-type converter, a spring, and a cartridge. If you would like to know more, here’s a funny unboxing video of Drew of Goulet Pens that I have watched several times coz it’s hilarious:

Because Swipe is lightweight, I like sketching with it a lot. I even inked it with On Ice in Frosted Glass for a light graphite-like line drawing (photo below). Twsbi Swipe, just like Lamy Safari, is Php 1499 in stores here in the Philippines. I like that Swipe comes in a durable plastic box (see slideshow below) so I can use it as housing for my pens and inks for when I travel.

Here’s a link to the Lazada shop where you can get it from:

https://s.lazada.com.ph/s.SvG6c?cc&fbclid=IwAR1NuVKUvdAfI1u6AloViRvxPTkOhG_HM_dP0mCMn0KjkA8iAG-JyzeZmAc

Twsbi Eco

Twsbi Eco is the latest addition to my growing collection of fountain pens. I got it during the 7.7 Lazada sale and paid about 15% less than its SRP. Purple has been one of my favorite colors so I got the one in transparent purple so it matches my Harry Potter Moleskine notebook.

Twsbi Eco can contain a lot of ink (around 2 ml) and can be refilled through its built-in piston filler. The design of the pen is more for experienced FP users who aren’t afraid to use the wrench that came with it for dismantling. I haven’t dismantled my Eco pen yet nor have used the silicon paste because it is brand new. I will try to do so when it’s time to clean it.

Just like the Swipe, Eco is a smooth writer with nill feedback. I had difficulty posting it at first because I got worried that twisting the cap might move the piston up and down but I found that was not the case. Posted, the pen is a bit longer than Swipe but it is still well-balanced on my hand. It is well-built, made of high-quality, light plastic but still gives a premium feel. In my opinion, the pen feels premium, possibly the best in this price range.

If you want to get your hands on aTwsbi Eco, here’s the link to an authorized seller in Lazada:

https://www.lazada.com.ph/products/twsbi-eco-transparent-purple-fountain-pen-i1743868659-s7481706915.html?trafficFrom=17449020_308357&laz_trackid=2:mm_256100694_124401558_2083501660:clkgg23ij1h5f3thp7dehj&mkttid=clkgg23ij1h5f3thp7dehj

Majohn Wancai

Okay this one, I admit, I bought on a whim. I was curious on how a pocket fountain pen feels like and based on good reviews, Wancai by Majohn sounded like a good investment. As you can see from the photo, Majohn Wancai is almost the same size as a MAC lipstick. Not posted, the pen is too small for my small hand but once posted, this pen feels like regular-sized FP. I also like that it comes in cute designs, made of resin plastic, and a smooth and wet writer. I like how the pen can easily fit my pocket so I kind of bring it with me often. The most satisfying part of owning this pen is that it can be refilled using an eyedropper that came with the box (reel below) which is a whole different kind of experience for FP pen enthusiasts. Since the pen is a demonstrator type (transparent), I tend to move this pen occasionally between my fingers just to watch the ink slosh around inside. It is therapeutic to watch!

Watch how I refilled my Wancai for the first time through my IG Reel:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Art and Earth Science (@scientistgrass)

Here’s the link to Majohn Wancai in Lazada:

https://www.lazada.com.ph/products/moonmanmajohn-wancai-mini-fountain-pen-with-ink-cartridge-i1829611692-s7783135214.html?trafficFrom=17449020_308357&laz_trackid=2:mm_256100694_124401558_2083501660:clkgk23mo1h5f6a0qls3ha&mkttid=clkgk23mo1h5f6a0qls3ha

Size Comparison and More Photos

Here are some of the photos of my pens for size comparison and some of the sketches I did using watercolors and fountain pen inks. If you notice I don’t have writing samples here yet because I have bad handwriting (except with Lamy), I’m a little embarrassed to share (sheesh). Maybe next time after I’ve had some practice.

xoxo