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My wife is graduating and I would like to get her a nice pen/pen set. Budget around £150 and ideally something that looks posh but can use everyday if she wishes.
In an perfect world I would love to get her a rollerball and fountain pen, but if only 1 a rollerball. Any suggestions?
Does your wife use a pen regularly?
if so then this may be a reasonable present. ‘Looks posh’ is an interesting criterion.
my SO favoured fountain pens back in the days of work and bought several models on various trips. These included pens from Montegrappa, Mont Blanc, and others.
https://www.montegrappa.com
https://www.montblanc.com/en-gb
if rollerball then the real criterion is the refill and its availability. The pen part becomes a question of style and appearance. Both might be well-served by branding.
for my own writing needs I’ve found Fisher ball pens have done well. Mostly the Bullet Space Pens. Easy to carry, refills are readily available, not heartbreaking if left behind or lost, stylish, easy to explain to concerned airport security, convenient to carry for use, and they write OK.
'Looks posh' as in looks nice and not like a cheap pen from Amazon. She uses a pen everyday and writes a lot so looking for something that lasts
That Sheaffer set looks nice, thanks
Safe pair of hands. Anything from Lamy.
Excellent but less mainstream. Check out Tom's Studio. Studio Pen is an awesome fountain pen.
Best option. Head to Cult Pens and spend hours deciding what to get.
Caveat. I love pens but not a fan of rollerballs. I'd go for a fountain pen/pencil set TBH.
£150 for a Biro?
TBH, the fountain pen I use all the time is a Parker 99 I’ve had for probably fifty years, it’s incredibly reliable, it writes beautifully, which is more than can be said for a Lamy I bought a year or two ago that absolutely refuses to write, no matter what I do - the ink just doesn’t flow. In fact I bought another 99 which has a twist fill function, rather than cartridges, which I refill with a syringe fitted with a long blunt needle, as I use Waterman’s Intense Black ink.
I also love the clean simplicity of the Parker, it’s so understated it’s practically a Bauhaus design.
I bought my bro a nice pen for Christmas - Tactile Turn in titanium. Such a lovely pen to hold and write with.
Have a look at kaweco - the fireblue pens are amazing or a brass sport set
If you're thinking of getting it personalised, then don't use Inscribe!
I ordered a pen/pencil for my Nephew's December birthday: the order never arrived. Inscribe are not replying to my emails, answering the phone or responding to messages left. Time to pursue through my credit card. Avoid!
Would anyone really be chuffed at receiving a pen these days, I think your about 150 yrs late to the party on that one
£150 Amazon vouchers ?
Vouchers are just lazy! The wife bought me a really nice stainless, retractable pencil for my graduation (2014). I use it weekly and always enjoy having something a bit special that someone put some thought into!
£150 for a Biro?
Pocket change. How about a £650 pencil?
https://cultpens.com/products/graf-von-faber-castell-perfect-pencil-limited-edition-project-stellar
Most reliable refills for writing I’ve used are Parker rollerball. I’d get something that takes those refills are they are easy to find. As for the pen itself, just choose something she’ll like the look of. Ignore the usual suspects poo pooing the idea, they’re just here because they get ignored on the watch thread these days.
There are some very nice Cross sets out there.
Also, Cross do an excellent lifetime guarantee and repair service.
Vouchers are just lazy!
I would say buying a pen is lazy, dull and massively outdated
Just go out for a nice meal or something or go full on and buy a feather quill pen
Would anyone really be chuffed at receiving a pen these days, I think your about 150 yrs late to the party on that one
£150 Amazon vouchers ?
Yes. I bought my wife a nice one when she got a promotion 4 years ago and she uses it all day, everyday. She’s very fussy about pens though, so may not be a good present for everyone. For the limited writing I do, it’d be a waste.
Nothing says “I wanted to give you a gift, but couldn’t be arsed to think” like vouchers or bank transfer.
I would say buying a pen is lazy, dull and massively outdated
Surely that depends on the person?
Some people like nice things, like pens. Keep a diary? Nice to have a pen that stays with it which writes nice.
Have to keep notes for work? Nice to have a pen thats nice.
I have a nice pen to doodle on bits of scrap when i am sitting infront of the computer.
Dinner is great but its a one time deal. Pulling out a pen* to sign stuff and remembering who and why you were given it. Is a thoughtful gift.
My current nice pen is a ohto ballpoint its nice. Its also very cheap but its still nice and therefore it tends to hang about rather than disappear in the ether.
What you want is a quill.
Just to pull this back on track, sorry, I got myself a stainless Parker Jotter set with a pen and mechanical pencil.
Looks good.
Doesn't cost a bomb so wouldn't be overly upset if I lost it.
Accepts Fisher refills.
And, most importantly, is comfortable for me to use.
TBH the reliability of the Fisher refills is the most important thing, Parkers are generally crap in that respect.
I also have one of those novelty hexagonal spirit level/ruler/screwdriver/stylus pens and aside from it being so chunky and the burring being a little too sharp it was actually pretty reliable until the ink ran out. Too uncomfortable to use for extended periods though. Not that I think that's what you would go for!
So yeah, I'd suggest something in the Fisher/Parker compatible range.
FunkyDunc
I would say buying a pen is lazy, dull and massively outdated
Just go out for a nice meal or something or go full on and buy a feather quill pen
Vouchers is incredibly lazy. My wife is really into her stationary and goes nuts over a nice notepad. She has mentioned a pen and this a traditional graduation present I think she will appreciate.
We are going out for a meal after the graduation, I think a quill might be pushing it a little though ?
If I got her vouchers she would, in her words, say it is unthoughtful, you don't know the person very well and it's lazy. If I ever have her vouchers I'd be looking for a divorce lawyer!
Thanks for all the suggestions, I spent all last night getting sucked into cult pens and seeing what is available and seen a few I want myself.
Has anyone used or have experience of Monteverde pens?
That Monteverde Ritma set on Cultpens looks nice for 150
That is the set I was looking at, seems to get good reviews as well
Kaweco sport writes nicely. The ink reservoir is small and it tends to leak ink into the lid, this then gets on my hands as you need to post the lid on to the barrel for writing.
I had a cross apogee. It was a scratchy thing.
Twisbi diamond 580 is a a favourite. The ink reservoir is huge, writes very well and nibs are cheap if you damage one.
Pilot capless is a wonderful pen, very nice to write with, practical as it is retractable. Quite pricey now.
How's her handwriting? You wouldn't buy an S-works for a novice
which is more than can be said for a Lamy I bought a year or two ago that absolutely refuses to write, no matter what I do
Something is clearly wrong there then.... love my Lamy.
(Esp with the refillable cartridge.... Bottles of ink are a wonderful hark back to my youth!)
I'm shocked that people still use pens that often to need a "posh" one.
Can you still get fountain pens?
Yes like you can still get 26" BSOs
That’s the same argument as £250 for Lego? You watch Dr Who?
Different people like different things. Let them get on with it
I don't disagree and I like nice things too. I have, for example, a nice glass, it brings me pleasure every time I pick it up. But £150 for a pen seems overkill. YMMV.
Nothing says “I wanted to give you a gift, but couldn’t be arsed to think” like vouchers or bank transfer.
Also, this. It's like money only less useful.
I found my grandfather’s Parker 51 about a year ago and have enjoyed using it so much that I’ve just bought one of the reissues. It’s incredibly nice to write with and Ive bought a refillable cartridge, so now I can fill endless note books with a slightly acid green spider crawl.
Have a look at Ajoto, small company based in Manchester. Really beautiful pens.
I got the cross Townshend in black with gold trim, just looked it up they ve gone up a lot but really are lovely. I had to return the fountain pen as the ink had dried in it, true to their word they repaired foc.
Why not get some smythson paper to go with it.
Graf von Faber-Castell Perfect Pencil Limited Edition Project Stellar
I'm struggling with the concept of that one. Is it an ordinary pencil with a fancy bit tagged on?
I’m shocked that people still use pens that often to need a “posh” one.
Some of us still use nice pens - I've got x2 fountain pens on the go at work.
if rollerball then the real criterion is the refill and its availability.
Really important! Mont Blanc rollerballs are rubbish in this regard - the official refills are available, but will dry out within a month regardless of use. They do accept Cross refills, but those are getting harder to find too. A bit of a hassle all round
Another vote for the Pilot Capless, although it's a little over your target price range. Consider the Decimo version if your wife does not have large hands or prefers a less thick pen. I've been using one daily since about 2006, they are lovely pens. My only advice would be to NOT get the matte black "tactical" one - the paint wears off after a couple of years' use. The lacquered ones are great though.
What I really love about the capless is that it's as easy to use as a clickable ballpoint, and also very sustainable and cheap to run. No cartridge refills necessary (assuming you get a piston converter or similar), and a single bottle of ink lasts me for several years.
At that sort of price the most ‘iconic’ pen in Rollerball guise is a Lamy 2000 which would 100% be my choice. It’s a bit Teutonic compared to other options so perhaps not for everyone but definitely more special than a Sheffer/Parker set IMHO.
My wife really likes the Edison pen in a pink and blue swirly colour I bought her, which is far more extravagant.
Yes like you can still get 26” BSOs.
More like you can still buy handmade steel frames which are lovely items even though a carbon frame is objectively higher performance. A nice pen is a nice thing (if you’re into it).
Really important! Mont Blanc rollerballs are rubbish in this regard – the official refills are available, but will dry out within a month regardless of use.
Hmmm I beg to differ. My Mont Blanc roller ball hardly gets used but I just picked it up to check and it's writing flawlessley despite the refill being at least 2 years old. And what I really came to say was that the matching fountain pen also writes perfectly, no blots or scratches, despite infrequent use. Unlike various Lamy fountain pens I've had over the years, which seduced me with their cool design but let me down when it came to performance.
Another question.
Whats the degree in. Any specific requirements?
You need distinctive of she will be surpunded by robbing scum bags. You know the type, doctors, engineers, etc.
You need distinctive of she will be surpunded by robbing scum bags.
Rash generalisations aside it's a valid point. Get it engraved with her name?
A good fountain pen is a lovely gift, and the Ritma set looks really nice. A TWSBI is also a good pen nerd present, but is a bit more modern looking, if that's possible.
If you're using something every day then it might as well be well made. Same reason I (or my company, anyway) just bought a nice mechanical keyboard, as I'm bashing out a lot of words at work.
I used to use fountain pens all the time as a journalist who used Teeline several times a day and got up to a pretty high WPM. It wasn't as critical for Teeline as it was to Pittman. Always had a couple of Bics as a backup, but nothing writes quite as nice as a well broken in fountain pen. As a journo a Mont Blanc was well out of my budget, so it was all about functional tools - mostly Parkers and a slightly weird Rotring Core.
Last few regulars have been a TWSBI Eco (massive ink reservoir FTW), Kwaeco Sport (Not a big en ough cartridge or reservoir) and a Jinhao X750 which is possibly the smoothest, most reliable fountain pen I've ever owned. The paint is flaking off and it looks hammered, but it's the one I keep using. They also happen to be cheap as chips at less than a tenner, and if the nib's a dud you can swap it out for any other #6 nib quite easily, although it's likely to cost more than the pen.
I’m shocked that people still use pens that often to need a “posh” one.
Can you still get fountain pens?
Why, yes, yes we do and yes you can. The same reason that people buy steel mountain bike frames from grumpy people in sheds or workshop tools from Abbey. They're incredibly satisfying to use, and (unless you go mad) quite affordable. Not the steel frames or Abbey tools, although both are on my want list.
I love pens. But I’ve always balked at anything over about £60-£80. Cross pens fitted into my “more exclusive than Parker or Schaeffer (don’t you know!) but more reasonably priced than the Mont Blanc” which is the one I desired.
I love pens with removable tops - but I dislike the faff with fountain pens.
One reason not to blow mega bucks is that people’s taste changes at times. I used to like a big, fat pen. Then I liked really slim ones. But now I’ve settled somewhere in the middle. I’d hate to have spent £300 on a Mont Blanc only to have fallen out of love with it.
That Pilot Capless is wrong, it's like the Porsche Boxster of pens.
Rash generalisations
He's not wrong, engineers would steal the paint if it wasn't stuck on.
Decent grown up pen is an awesome gift.
If she doesn’t already use a fountain pen and has shown no interest in the past maybe just buy the most expensive ballpoint you can. It’s a lot more likely to actually get used and enjoyed rather than left in a drawer.
If you want something flashy some of the Visconti’s are really nice in this price range and on sale in quite a few places. What out for size as they vary greatly. Understated maybe a Faber Castell Ondoro or Kaweco aluminium ballpoint. Throw in Sailor or ST DuPont that just about hit this price point as wild card entries.
If fountain pens the order of the day then the TWSBI is hard to beat without spending silly money.
My brother bought me a Faber-Castell similar to this one when I started a new job (getting on for 20 years ago)
rollerball and no lid so it actually gets carried and used where a fountain pen (for me) simply wouldn’t. I also like that compared to a gold montblanc it’s really discrete but every single time it’s been passed to someone in a meeting it gets a nod of “ooh that’s a nice pen”
Nice to hold and use. Not to showey
https://www.faber-castell.co.uk/products/Ambitionpearwoodrollerballreddishbrown/148111
When I graduated Uni in 2004 my dad got me a Montblanc Meisterstuck Ballpoint and matching Mechanical Pencil which are still in use to this day and actually in front of me as I type this, they are used every day and now my son also uses them for his school work - also to add my Ballpoint works perfectly and it’s quite a while since I bought a refill
"If fountain pens the order of the day then the TWSBI is hard to beat without spending silly money."
I'd have agreed every time (I've got 3 or 4 TWSBIs)... until I got one of these with the 'Architect' nib. Very much the best fountain pen I've ever used (and I'm a bit of a geek on this and probably own around 40 of the things!). They do a full-length version too.
Pocket Fountain Pen – Compact, Balanced, and Versatile – Tom's Studio
Haha, same here, gone through all the usual suspects as part of the journey but haven’t added anything to the collection or kept up to date with news for the last few years. They look awesome. Studio Pocket with pro flex when they come back looks a nice way to get back into things for me…
Reading this thread has cost me £100 on a vintage fountain pen I didn't know I needed or wanted, got to love STW
Pen always sounds like a nice idea. Until you misplace it or can’t get refills. I had a nice Mont Blanc set, which I lost, and seldom used. Instead and for left-field, if you want something practical and will always be used, I presume she will work at a desk? How about a nice classic desk lamp like an Anglepoise? I bought one for a significant work milestone anniversary. Practical, used every day, not going to lose it (it’s sits on the desk), stylish and classic. I love it.
Work practices may change, but there will always be a need for light.
Instead and for left-field
Speaking of left-field,
IME, pens with a nib - fountain pens, cartridge pens - are awful to use left-handed. Right-handed you pull the pen across the page, left-handed you push it driving a sharp nib into the paper. Also depending on your writing style you might wind up dragging the heel of your hand through the still-wet ink.
Got a Mont Blanc Meisterstück from my wife for the graduation, that‘s now almost 25 years ago. It‘s great, feels perfect in my hand and I love to use it even though it‘s not very often. If she loves to write, a luxury pen is a gift she‘ll never forget.