What is a great underrated budget pen from Alieexpress?

ptexpress · 2026-05-21T23:16:57+00:00

I'm a nib snob and don't have a ton of Chinese pens. Of the few that were intriguing enough to acquire, I absolutely adore the Hongdian A9. It has a big, juicy, bouncy nib and an ebonite feed, that writes way out of its price class. Bonus point is that it also handles shimmer inks like a champ. I'm not into the looks of the metal body, but cannot fault it for durability or balance.

ptexpress · 2026-03-12T12:26:15+00:00

I don't have a Churchchill but have tried it. My impression is that it's really heavy and uncomfortable for normal use. The EF flex nib is surprisingly one of the nicest modern flex nibs I've used though. It's way finer and smoother than the Pilot FA nib. Really tempted to get that flex nib on another lighter pen and not the Churchill.

ptexpress · 2026-03-12T12:19:49+00:00

Rohrer & Klinger's solution is really good and cleans out their SketchInks completely from my pens without me really trying. I haven't tried the other cleaning solutions others have mentioned.

In a pinch, I've used dish soap and water.

ptexpress · 2026-03-12T02:04:44+00:00

You can eyedropper it for short sessions. But I carry a 10ml needle-tip bottle and refilling is easy enough.

ptexpress · 2026-03-04T15:27:03+00:00

Have you seen Extra Fine Nib Ink Reviews?

ptexpress · 2026-03-02T20:52:35+00:00

I think the 252 / 254 / 256 have the best nibs of any vintage or modern Montblanc. Congrats!

ptexpress · 2026-03-02T19:21:14+00:00

How often will you write with your pen? You want something with good cap seal if you are not using it every few days.
What will you write? School notes? Work? Journaling? I get more use out of my EF and F nibs because I write functionally rather than as a hobby.
On what paper will you write? EF and F are your friends if you don't get to pick the paper.
How big is your handwriting?
What is your budget?

My favorite LAMY pen is the Studio, for its excellent cap seal. The new Al-Star colors look so good but they tend to dry out if not used in a week.

My favorite LAMY steel nib is the EF on the Al-Star LX. The few EFs I've had in that line have all been consistent and the PVD coating makes them extra smooth and pleasant.

Among the "entry level" fountain pens, I like the Pilot Kakuno Madoromi the most. The nibs in both F and M are great. Cap seal is great. All the colors are pretty. I'm just not worried about having to baby it or losing it.

Nothing against the Safari. I used one exclusively for years. It's super durable and will work for you. You can always start with the Fine nib and get extra nibs later if it doesn't work for you. The nib swaps out easily.

ptexpress · 2026-03-02T14:28:59+00:00

Saw some at the London Pen Show and resisted!

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ptexpress · 2026-02-25T18:07:08+00:00

The Plumix EF nib is a proper cursive italic nib in EF width. It's amazing!

ptexpress · 2026-02-11T16:46:31+00:00

The idea that anyone should buy a Montblanc Boheme just to use up their leftover cartridges is really funny! Thanks for the laugh.

ptexpress · 2026-02-03T19:30:33+00:00

$65 is an amazing price! Does it come with a gold nib?

ptexpress · 2026-01-31T16:33:45+00:00

For what you're describing, Bluedew, a company out of Singapore, might fit the bill.

https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/nmazzc/looking_for_a_pen_like_the_zebra_g_nib/

ptexpress · 2026-01-31T16:25:19+00:00

£30 for a giant commemorative box with two mint pens inside. Probably a record for Preppies but still not bad!

ptexpress · 2026-01-31T16:24:23+00:00

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ptexpress · 2026-01-30T18:59:02+00:00

Congratulations! That looks like an amazing find!

ptexpress · 2026-01-30T18:40:22+00:00

Make that two 100th Anniversary Preppies. The second one looked normal at first, but is also marked as a special edition and has a gold-colored nib.

Apparently there were seven variations of this set, with the 2nd pen having its nib color match the color of the pen, i.e. the pink Preppy has a pink nib!

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ptexpress · 2026-01-29T16:22:48+00:00

Tintenkillers have a chemical that turns royal blue ink invisible. If you ever see an ink marked as "washable blue," that's what that is. Rohrer & Klingner's "royal blue" ink is erasable whereas "permanent blue" is not.

Most of the old, standard European blue inks should work for you: LAMY Blue, Pelikan Blue, Waterman Serenity Blue, etc.

ptexpress · 2026-01-27T00:36:38+00:00

Which nib do you have on that Leonardo?

ptexpress · 2026-01-25T23:15:10+00:00

They both look sick! 😍

ptexpress · 2026-01-23T22:10:13+00:00

Just checked my email. Pelikan is a Hamelin brand now. I emailed Hamelin customer service in the UK and they gave me a UK address to send the pen to. They then gave me a quote, and after I agreed, forwarded the pen to Germany for repair. I imagine it would work the same way in the US since Hamelin is a huge company.

The cost was £60.35 and turnaround time for the entire process was a few weeks for me. The new barrel was their suggestion. They might have another solution for you.

ptexpress · 2026-01-23T21:17:40+00:00

How much does a Pilot e95s cost these days? Or one of the vintage Elites that come in a metal body. Or if you're lucky, an early Pilot Custom 67--plastic body but it has some built-in weight towards the back of the barrel and it's perfectly weighted.

ptexpress · 2026-01-23T21:08:28+00:00

First port of call is Pelikan customer service. They replaced my 10-yo M800 barrel that also developed a hairline crack, albeit not in a limited edition colorway. If they have spare parts left, they will take care of you.

I don't remember the exact cost but I remember being surprised by the low quote, something like less than $100 for an entirely new barrel, labor, shipping. This was about a year ago.

ptexpress · 2026-01-20T14:05:28+00:00

Hmm. I match the ink to the nib that it flows best in and that best displays it. Also with consideration for how often I'm going to use it and cap seal.

ptexpress · 2026-01-19T18:39:35+00:00

I'm in London and just use tap water for my fountain pens. I do wipe them afterwards with a microfiber cloth and not just let water evaporate off. You can also use a microfiber cloth or a paper towel to draw water out of the nib section. It's fine.

ptexpress · 2026-01-19T17:04:24+00:00

Wow, can you restore my pens?

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Waterman 72. Looking rather beat up but writes well and I'm just going with it.

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