Writing instruments

For the holidays, a friend gave me a $25.00 gift certificate to Jet Pens and I used it to put towards a TWSBI Vac Mini with a 1.1 stub nib.

That should be a great writer. I have a few 1.1 stubs and they are my favorite to write with. Very expressive.

I'm a fan of stubs, too. As you say, very expressive.

I no longer have any fountain pens, because an increasing tremor in my dominant left arm and hand caused too much ink smearing (and I'm too old to learn to use my other hand), but I found this article to be interesting.
https://themillions.com/2022/11/on-the-g...ghand.html

I no longer have any fountain pens, because an increasing tremor in my dominant left arm and hand caused too much ink smearing (and I'm too old to learn to use my other hand), but I found this article to be interesting.
https://themillions.com/2022/11/on-the-g...ghand.html

John, I very much appreciate the sentiments in that article. Thank you for sharing it.

I agree: stubs are really nice. I recently bought a TWSBI ECO with a 1.1 stub that I really enjoy. Actually, I like most of the TWSBI nibs, and the Vacs are really nice pens (though I like the balance of the ECO more).

A TWSBI Eco has been and still is my only "expensive" pen. And it quickly became a favorite for use at home. At work, I need a snap cap as I found myself fumbling to uncap a screw cap and then have to as the prescriber if they could repeat the prescription order! This was never really a problem, but I do better at work with a snap cap. The Metropolitans are nice, stylish pens that that do the job very well for me. I had the TWSBI at a meeting and a coworker who didn't bring a pen asked if she could use mine for a moment to jot a note down. Her comment was, Wow, a Grown Up pen! Made my day!

Yeah, the Pilot Metropolitan is another favourite of mine. It is a really excellent writer - and is comfortable for long periods of use. The <F> nib on my metro is really excellent too.

Yeah, the Pilot Metropolitan is another favourite of mine. It is a really excellent writer - and is comfortable for long periods of use. The <F> nib on my metro is really excellent too.

Agreed! The F nib my sweet spot, on the Metro. funny how they differ from brand to brand, not that I have that much experience, but my F nib on the TWSBI is a tad bigger, but still perfect for what I want.

I am a huge fan of TWSBI pens.  The Eco is a great choice and I always keep it inked up.  I don't think I have ever been disappointed with a TWSBI nib and the 1.1 stub is what I use to write out and address my Christmas cards to friends.  It adds that little something extra.

As for the Metropolitan,  my first one came with a medium nib and I was disappointed with it.  However, when a fine nib was offered, I took a chance and was much happier with it.

Here's one for people who are unable (or don't want) to spend a lot of money on fountain pens.

Yes, it's made in China, but some Chinese companies make really very nice pens that are fun to write with.

This is a JinHao X159 pen.

 

It's a fairly simple cartridge converter pen, with a nice-feeling body. Apparently, it is a successor to the JinHao 159 - which was a metal body pen. That pen was reported to be too heavy and unwieldy. So they made this one out of acrylic. This makes it a really nice pen to hold and write with, given that it has a very large body. The weight and balance is really nice. 

I have the pen in an EF and F nib. The EF is my favourite as it has a little feedback and the line width is nice. There is no line variation and little (if any) bounce. The F is a very smooth writer, but has no feedback so I prefer the EF. Both have had no issues with skipping or hesitation. I use it unposted, but the cap is pretty secure posted.

Basically, this pen writes and feels great. It also looks nice, though it is on the plain side. You will never mistake this pen for a high-end pen, but while some of those can be tiring for long sessions of writing, this one is not. Since I received it, it has supplanted a couple of my more expensive daily writers. 

I have not had it long enough to test its longevity. 

You can find this on Amazon for a little over $10, but if you look around you can find it for less. From my experience with it, I'd say it is a pretty nice pen......especially for the price.

I have two, and like them both. An X450 M nib Green Ice Flowers and a 601a Retro Style matte black F nib. 

I find the nibs nice. Both have a built-in piston mechanism, which allows a larger amount of ink. And as yohannrjm stated, it has tight construction and nice flowing nib with no skips.