Tuesday Toolset, Top 5 Fountain Pens Under $50

The Lamy Safari is back on top.

I love the TWSBI ECO, and it is number one on my personal list for this range, but the Safari is a better recommendation if you think of this as the beginner fountain pen section. And, according to my inbox, that is how readers take it.

Cartridges make all of the difference for first time pen buyers. Piston-fillers, and the required ink bottle, are intimidating. I’ve listened to the feedback on this and feel that it is the right change to make. I love the Safari, so it’s not a tough call to put it back up top, where it has been before.

The ECO and Safari swap spots on the list, with the Pilot Metropolitan separating the two. Again, it’s the cartridge. But I will say it is a clear top three, then everything else.

Top 5 Fountain Pens Under $50

1. Lamy Safari - It’s universally great. Yes, the molded grip section could be an issue for some, but I don’t believe it is enough to move it out of the top spot. (Buy)
2. Pilot Metropolitan - A 30% price increase last year slowed down the hype train, but it is the most traditional fountain pen on this list. (Buy)
3. TWSBI ECO - My personal favorite in this range, but the piston filling mechanism is a turn off for new users. If you are fine with it, then this is number one. (Buy)
4. Kaweco Sport - It isn't just a great portable, pocketable fountain pen. It's a great fountain pen period. (Buy)
5. Platinum Preppy - Is there such a thing as a quality fountain pen under $5? Yes. Yes there is. (Buy)

(Notes: The Kaweco Sport is a personal favorite, but an odd pen for a beginner. The Platinum Preppy almost has to make the list strictly from a value perspective. The Pilot Kakuno is always in consideration, along with the Pilot Prera. I need to spend more time with the Platinum Prefounte to see if should be ahead of the Preppy.)

My personal use ranking:

1. TWSBI ECO
2. Kaweco Sport
3. Lamy Safari
4. Pilot Prera
5. Pilot Kakuno

Tuesday Toolset, Top 5 Blue Black Fountain Pen Inks Edition

I finally figured out the best way for me to fully update the Top 5 Pens page. Doing it in one sweeping update is intimidating, so how about breaking it down into individual list updates? And, how about using the Tuesday Toolset post as the platform to share my thoughts on each update? Monday’s review of the TWSBI Blue Black ink dislodged this idea that had been stuck in my brain, because I was immediately asked “What are your favorite Blue Black inks?

This list helps answer that, but remember, the Top 5 Pens list is full of my recommendations for you. That may differ from my personal favorites, which I’ll discuss each week as well.

For reference purposes, I’ll take a snapshot of the previous list so you can see what changed, if anything. Not a lot of it will honestly, which is why it has taken so long since the last page update. That changes now, beginning with the Top 5 Blue Black Fountain Pen Inks.

Top 5 Blue Black Fountain Pen Inks (Previous list)

1. Pilot Iroshizuku Shin-Kai - It’s rare when the premium ink is also my top recommendation, but with the Iroshizuku price drop, Shin-kai is hard to beat. One of the best color ranges in a blue black ink while remaining traditional. (Buy)
2. Pilot Blue Black - A smart man once told me that this is the only ink he trusts explicitly in all of his pens. And, with Sailor doing who knows what with it’s stock blue black, this is the easy stock ink choice. (Buy)
3. Rohrer & Klinger Salix - Maybe the best iron gall ink I have ever used. The words iron gall turn off some people, but if you make this your first, you will be happy. (Buy)
4. Akkerman #8 Diep-Duinwaterblauw - There is a brightness that peeks out from under the covers that many other blue blacks don’t possess. The bottle alone is worth the price of admission. (Buy)
5. Lamy Blue Black - I think this ink has been on and off the list more than any other over the years. It’s a bit drier and lighter than some of the inks up top, but is such a classic color it sneaks into the back of the list when there is a shake up. (Buy)

(Notes: What happened to Sailor Blue Black, the former number one on this list? That’s a great question! Sailor has been reshuffling its ink lineup over the past couple of years, and their stock ink colors appear and disappear at random intervals, and at different prices and sizes. If they made it easier to sort out, they would still be near the top of the list.)

My personal use ranking:

1. Pilot Iroshizuku Shin-kai
2. Sailor Bungubox Blue Black
3. Montblanc JFK
4. Pelikan Edelstein Tanzanite
5. Akkerman #8 Diep-Duinwaterblauw

Tuesday Toolset, Retro Remembrance Edition

With all of the reminiscing about the Retro 51 news last week, I began to think about all the Retro’s I own, and maybe more importantly, the ones I missed out on. Even the standard releases - the ones directly from Retro 51 - passed me by over the past few years as I was making and using my own pens. Here are some of the ones I missed, that I wish I didn’t:

— Bouquet (2016): Talk about a pen that jumped off the screen the moment I saw it. How I didn’t pull the trigger on this one I’ll never know, but Bouquet continues to be one of the more sought after Tornado's with its stunning floral pattern and colors.

— Dinosauria (2016): I’ve tended to shy away from from the metal barrel Retro’s in the past, and that cost me the opportunity to pick up this archeological dig awesomeness. It’s a great design, capped off by a mosquito in amber finial.

— Tiki Kona (2017): I’m pretty sure I had this in my hand at a pen show and placed it back down for some unknown reason. Or maybe I bought it and gave it away. Who knows! I do know Tiki Kona would be the perfect match to Vintage Surf, which I do own, and is an all-time favorite of mine.

— Creepy Scrawlers (2019): I love fun patterns and unique designs, and Creepy Scrawlers certainly fits that bill. And it glows in the dark! This is the type of pen I’m going to miss the most when Retro 51 (R.I.P.) are no longer around. I’m not crying, you’re crying.

I use Retro 51 pens all the time, but this past week they have been in heavier rotation than usual. I think that is going to be the case around here for quite some time.