Odd. The link in the article takes me to a yellow version of the same pen for $12.40 apiece, with other colors coming in around $10 -$11. Refills (which are just as important when choosing a pen that’s meant to last) come in at five for $7.50.
I’ve never used the Squire pen, but my wife and I have been using the Confidant notebook from Baron Fig for several years now. Really well made and very good at being a useful notebook.
Make mine a Uniball Signo 207. It suits me, though I recognize some others my flow more consistently. A few of my fav pens are in the 25 to 50th place in that list. I guess I need to try some of the top 20.
I use the V7 at work, I think it’s functionally the same as the V5 I think? I’ve only used the V7 but it’s such a damn comfortable pen to use. I just put in an order for a box of 12, I wouldn’t buy it myself as it’s pricey but since it’s for work I can put it on the company card lol
I think the V5 and V7 are the same - just a different width line. I think they were trying to follow the model of lead pencils with .5 and .7 lead.
The Safari’s are basically the plastic/resin version that they modeled the AL-Star after eh?
I’m guessing that they’re quite good if you get one yearly, but I too use an EF nib, and am wary of flow issues. The safari’s do well for you?
Had an old Rotring that I loved, then have now adopted a Lamy, briefly dallied with a Parker that I’m not fond of.
If the Safari’s are nice, then an Al-Star is probably in my future.
(sorry, just being weird)
Yay me too! Before using a Signo 207 I didn’t even know having a nice pen was a thing. Now I buy them by the box from Amazon (not something we tend to do in New Zealand, where they’re shipping from the US) because they’re about $8/pen here. Anyone I lend one to to use always comments about how they’re really nice to write with. I also love that they don’t fade at all - I sign a lot of stuff every week, some of which has to stick around for 7 years. The stuff I signed years ago looks as fresh as the stuff from this week.
Also, lots of colours, which is nice when you want to write in angry red, or encouraging green)
What’s the deal here? Did you custom make a Bic 4 color? That’s neat, either way. (I mean, you didn’t just shove different ink thingies in there, you’ve got the matching tips too…)
Pen Porn.
Not that I’d complain, mind you.
While I really like the Rapidograph technical pen which figures highly on their list (I never realized that they were considered fountain pens) they don’t include my preferred ballpoint. Indeed they don’t seem to have any Skilcraft pens on their list.
This is a stupid list. Like the one commenter at the link says, it’s like rating beverages. Not breakfast drinks or evening drinks, alcoholic, or soft. ALL drinks. Do specific drinks make sense to have at one time vs. the other? Sure, but let’s rank them all together anyway. It’s meaningful to know that eggnog is ranked much lower than Topo Chico but only a little higher than Jaegermeister. I don’t know that I’ve ever said this, but all the comments at that article are spot on.
You can tell it’s junk when they have the same pen twice under the two different names it’s sold under 50 places apart in their rankings. Or when they have anything to gripe about line width with a fountain pen - they’re available in different sizes! Why even have a kickstarter something like the Ti Arto in there when its entire advertised selling point is that it accepts virtually any refill?
Writing implements are a, perhaps the only, consistent interest I’ve had (yes, I am that cool) and this list rankles me big time. It’s just nonsensical as a ranking style listing. When you see The Strategist is all about what to buy online, I guess it makes more sense. It seems like Google selected these pens based on SEO/blog buzz and just cut it off at 100.
You know when you’re really into one thing and something is published about it and now you’re certain everyone will have the wrong idea about it/get wrong info? It’s that. Is it gatekeeping? I hope not, but I kind of think it might be a little. I do feel a little like I’m telling them they’re doing it wrong, and that “a real pen enthusiast…”. I encourage people to be interested in and to enjoy their implements. It certainly is subjective. But, FFS, if the interest is truly in ranking or creating something called “100 best pens” come up with some real categorization and selection criteria. If the interest is purely page views, then carry on.
The only thing positive about this list is that you can scroll through the entire list without having to click through a ton of pages, which TBF, is pretty nice and dampens the torch I lit specifically to march on clickbait/content-as-a-category.
I know I’m too serious on this.
The wife uses the Safari as a daily writer and likes it a lot.
I tend to do most of my note taking with a keyboard but I do have a Pilot Metropolitan that I use semi regularly and like it a lot. I have also put a fine point Platinum Preppy to good use and quite like it too and it an be had for under $5.
Seconded on the Zebra F-301 (0.7 fine line).
It costs just enough to make you keep track of them but not too costly it hurts to lose them.
I custom made it using Special Bits™. You and others interested can DM me…
Yes, the Al-Star and Safari are the same pen. I don’t see any skipping at all with the EF nib used on Clairefontaine or Rhodia paper. My writing tends to be pretty quick with fast horizontal strokes, so I get skipping with a Japanese pen like the Metropolitan.
The annual purchase is for the special color release 
I realize that having 20+ of the same pen is ludicrous.
If it is a different color it is a different pen. Not ludicrous at all.
Man, you guys are “weird”…
(he says reviewing “cyber week” sales on fountain pens…)
Right? But then, so quality everyone wants to “borrow” it and you have to steal it back. Nice try, Mom. How’s about I get you a pack for Xmakah.
What the hell am I on about?! It’s the F-402 I’ve really clicked with. Bulkier and flashier is the consensus.
