The 8 Best Fountain Pen Brands for 2024 Selected by Stationery Workers (UPDATED)
The Best Fountain Pen Brands
Selecting the best fountain pen for you can be difficult; however, we at Buchan's have you covered! This guide on the Top 8 Fountain Pen Brands will give you insight into some of the brands making a splash in the fountain pen community, and some of our favorite pens from these brands.Pilot
If you ask most fountain pen enthusiasts in the community, which brand has the best quality control. Most votes will go to the Japanese brand, Pilot. With more than 100 years of history in pen making, Pilot company has shown its spirit of pursuing excellence in producing fountain pens. Whether you are looking at their entry-level fountain pens, such as Kakuno and Metropolitan Series, or their gold nibbed Custom Series, all Pilot fountain pens maintain a high level of consistency in their quality.
Other than their quality control, Pilot is also famous for its buttery smooth writing experience and the wide range of nib selections. There are up to 16 different nib types in their CUSTOM Series. From fine sketching to bold signatures, from daily writing to calligraphy practicing, you can always find something from Pilot’s offering. Pilot truly caters to every user’s personality. For any fountain pen beginner, Pilot’s fountain pens are the perfect place to start your writing journey.
LAMY
Founded in 1930, Lamy is a writing instrument brand based in Heidelberg, Germany. They focus on producing pens and notebooks to provide customers with the best writing experience possible. Lamy brings together many different designers from different fields to produce a modern pen. Lamy pens are famous for their quality and design.
If you're looking for a beginner pen, look no further than the Lamy Safari, a fantastic pen for a lower price. The Lamy Studio is a personal favourite of mine. The metallic body is quite sleek. The writing is smooth and enjoyable. The slim design, with the modern look, works together to provide a beautiful fountain pen. While being a more expensive option than the Safari, this is a perfect fountain pen for any pen lover whether you are into the fountain pen hobby.
However, if you're looking for the best fountain pen on the market, the Lamy 2000 will definitely be on the list. It holds a built-in piston and a 14k-carat gold nib which is platinum-coated and hand-polished. The softer gold nib allows a much smoother writing experience, which is quite noticeable to any fountain pen user. The barrel and cap are made from lightweight, durable fibreglass-reinforced polycarbonate resin with a brushed finish. The timeless Bauhaus design has never ceased its popularity in the pen community. The durable materials also allow you to bring it anywhere without worrying about any breaking issues. While a more expensive option, this is a must-have for any fountain pen enthusiasts.
SAILOR
Established in 1911 by Kyugoro Sagata, Sailor Pen Co. was the first company to produce fountain pens in Japan. If you prefer pencil-like feedback from writing on paper rather than the buttery smooth feeling, Sailor has something to offer. Both Sailor’s 14k and 21k gold nibs have a special grind on the iridium tip for you to feel the paper surface during writing. The subtle feedback from the paper gives you better control of every stroke you lay down. Sailor’s fountain pens are ideal for those who aim at improving their handwriting.
Other than the feedbacky writing experience, Sailor is also passionate about bringing colourful designs in their 1911 Series and Profession Gear Series. In contrast to the classy looks in lots of fountain pens, Sailor continues to produce limited-edition fountain pens every year to spark the fun side of writing instruments. These special edition fountain pens have added great aesthetic value to the pen community. If you are interested in fun and beautiful fountain pens, don’t miss out on Sailor!
TWSBI
TWSBI is a Taiwanese fountain pen brand known for its ability to create piston-filling fountain pens at affordable prices. Instead of filling ink using a small converter/ink sac, TWSBI piston-filling fountain pens hold ink using the pen barrel itself, which ensures a large ink capacity and saves the hassles of frequent refills. If you are planning to go on a short trip and don’t want to bring any bottled inks with you, TWSBI is the way to go!
Among different collections TWSBI offers, the TWSBI ECO fountain pen is a must-have for any pen-lover who wishes for a piston-filling fountain pen without breaking the bank. For a mid 40 CAD pen, it comes with a quality steel nib made by Jowo Company, high ink capacity, and an easy-to-use piston-filling system. Additionally, each TWSBI product comes with a wrench and a bottle of silicon grease to help with the piston maintenance.
Other than the ECO series, TWSBI is also proud to produce modern-looking fountain pens by using vibrant colors along with clear resin bodies. Their 580 Diamond series is one of their higher end offerings. It features a diamond cut resin barrel to showcase the colorful ink, which is highly appreciated by a lot of transparent fountain pen lovers.
Overall, the TWSBI is great for people looking to enter the fountain pen realm. Their wide variety of colors and the ability to use any ink is a huge selling point. I'd highly recommend this pen to anyone.
PLATINUM
Established in 1919, Platinum is a Japanese pen company with all products made in Japan. If you are unsure of what makes Japanese stationery so appealing, check out this blog post detailing what sets them apart from other stationery categories. Their Platinum Preppy pens are the perfect pens for any beginner. They're inexpensive, high-quality, and come in a vibrant variety of colours. For less than 10 CAD, you can enjoy the smooth and juicy writing experience produced by Platinum Japan. If you want to go one step further, Platinum PLAISIR would be the next pen you want to look at. At about 25 CAD price points, this lightweight aluminum fountain pen features an innovative cap that prevents the nib from drying out for one year. The PLAISIR may not make a splash in your fountain pen collection. It is perfect for people who want to experience fountain pens without breaking the bank.
However, if you want to try what Platinum can offer for their experienced writers, the Platinum Century is one of Platinum's premier models. It comes with a 14k carat nib and a more advanced slip & seal cap that can keep the ink from drying for 2 years. And the Soft Fine nib provides a great opportunity for you to increase line variation in your writing style. Overall, the Century is a fantastic pen, and you will not be disappointed by Platinum’s quality.
DIPLOMAT
As one of the finest offerings from Germany, Diplomat offers high-quality pens of different styles. While they have a more classic take on fountain pens, the writing quality of their pens is one of the best on the market. All their pens are manufactured and manually tested to ensure that the products reaching customers are that of the highest standard. Using metal as their manufacturing material, you'll rest easy knowing these fountain pens are made to last. The Diplomat Aero series offers smooth lines on a sleek, streamlined, metal body. Pens in the Diplomat Aero series are heavier than others. As a result, this may deter some enthusiasts; however, the balance throughout the body makes up for the added weight, still leaving an overall nice feeling.
If you more a fan of sleek and business style fountain pen, Diplomat has also got you covered. Diplomat Excellence A2 fountain pen features a glossy lacquering on the brass body, which offers you timeless elegance in your writing experience. Designed to ensure a perfect balance and the best comfort in the hands. The Excellence A2 has made an ideal fountain pen for any professionals.
KAWECO
Kaweco is another German brand that originated in 1883. Modern Kaweco has picked up the legacy of vintage Kaweco back in 1935 and made the new Sport Series we see nowadays.
The Sport Series is offered at all price points. Their Kaweco Classic Sport Series provides lots of colourful and affordable options for fountain pen users. The pocket size highly increases their portability. They are perfect to carry around with you as you go on with your daily business and are suitable for people with small hands. The wide variety of colours and materials only adds appeal to the pen.
If you are a fan of metal fountain pens, Kaweco also offers a brass version for the Sport Series and Liliput Series. The metal version has a long-lasting material that will develop a lovely patina in the long run and give you a vintage look. They will also pair so well with any leather stationery products.
Overall, Kaweco is doing a fantastic job in the fountain pen market with its ability to create quality pocket pens for all enthusiasts no matter the skill.
FABER CASTELL
Founded in 1761 in Germany, Faber-Castell is one of the oldest manufacturers of drawing materials. Although it’s more famous for producing pencils and art supplies, Faber-Castell also makes high-quality fountain pens at different price points.
One of their beginner-friendly fountain pens is their Grip Series. This full-size fountain pen comes in various colours and the pen barrel is shaped like a triangular column. The special triangular shape guides new users on how to hold the pen. It is one of a few fountain pens on the market that are truly designed for new fountain pen users.
Other than their entry-level fountain pens, Faber-Castell has a signature style in producing sophisticated fountain pens with sleek metal elements, such as their Ambition Series (or Emotion Series if you prefer bigger pens). All metal elements are machined with attention to detail to give the stylish look. What is better than its look is how it writes. These proprietary steel nibs have a unique appearance. There is no single breather hole on them. Instead, the steel nibs are perforated with multiple small holes on the surface. The unique design gives the steel nibs a bouncy feeling. With the smooth iridium tip, Faber-Castell steel nibs write as well as lots of gold nibs.
If you want to expand your writing journey from the most popular fountain pens brands, Faber-Castell is a hidden gem waiting for you to discover its charm.
Conclusion
These 8 brands are one of the best fountain pen brands out on the market.
Their wide variety of product lines appeal to any budget, without fear of sacrificing quality. Whether you're looking for a premier fountain pen to add to your collection, or just beginning to discover the beautiful world of fountain pens, this post offers a comprehensive guide on understanding what brand is for you. For the best variety of different fountain pens, shop online or in-store at Buchan's Kerrisdale Stationery in Vancouver, Canada.
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