Pelikan 605 or Parker Sonnet or Something Cheaper ?

I'm buying my first fountain soon and I'd like to hear your opinion of
the relative merits of the Pelikan 605 and Parker Sonnet, and of cheaper
varieties as well. I borrowed my friend's Mont Blanc 146 (yeah, precious
resin, as subsequent research has shown) and was really impressed by the
feel of its weight and balance and the smoothness of the writing
compared to the disposable pens I use.

Should I go for a Pelikan 605 or Parker Sonnet as a daily writer that
will get heavy use? Or, do you believe that in terms of writing quality,
a mass-produced pen such as a Pelikan 150, Waterman Phileas, Parker
Frontier or Rotring Core/Freeway is the smart choice? Aesthetics don't
really matter very much to me - what I'm really interested in is a fine
tool that won't made my hand feel like it's going to fall off after
several hours of writing. Unfortunately I have no way of testing these
pens personally but I hope the fact that I enjoyed the Mont Blanc 146
will calibrate your opinions.

cheers,

e.m.

e.m. redding wrote:
I'm buying my first fountain soon and I'd like to hear your opinion of
the relative merits of the Pelikan 605 and Parker Sonnet, and of cheaper
varieties as well. I borrowed my friend's Mont Blanc 146 (yeah, precious
resin, as subsequent research has shown) and was really impressed by the
feel of its weight and balance and the smoothness of the writing
compared to the disposable pens I use.

Should I go for a Pelikan 605 or Parker Sonnet as a daily writer that
will get heavy use? Or, do you believe that in terms of writing quality,
a mass-produced pen such as a Pelikan 150, Waterman Phileas, Parker
Frontier or Rotring Core/Freeway is the smart choice? Aesthetics don't
really matter very much to me - what I'm really interested in is a fine
tool that won't made my hand feel like it's going to fall off after
several hours of writing. Unfortunately I have no way of testing these
pens personally but I hope the fact that I enjoyed the Mont Blanc 146
will calibrate your opinions.

cheers,

e.m.
A Pelikan 150 will be too small. I don't much care personally for
the Rotring Core but tastes vary, and I don't know the
Frontier, but the Phileas is an excellent pen. Undoubtedly
low-cost, reputable pens are unbeatable in value for money if
you're thinking only of writing performance, but that's not all
there is to it.

Between a Pelikan 600 and a Sonnet, I'd go for the Pelikan, but
the Sonnet takes cartridges, which may be an advantage, depending.

But don't ignore the MB 146. The MB 144 and the basic ballpoints
have a bad reputation for breaking, but the 146 is solid enough,
and that funny plastic, which can be brittle, also gives the pens
their distinctive feel and gloss. Doubtless MB extract a premium
for the brand's recognition and alleged status-conferring power,
but if that gets up your nose, you could buy a used one, and
anyway an expensive pen is a bit of a luxury, however you look at
it. If that's what you like, go for it -- but it would be worth
trying a Pelikan in the 600 series.

Enjoy

Michael

On Sun, 19 Sep 2004 20:26:55 GMT, "e.m. redding"
wrote:

I'm buying my first fountain soon and I'd like to hear your opinion of
the relative merits of the Pelikan 605 and Parker Sonnet, and of cheaper
varieties as well. I borrowed my friend's Mont Blanc 146 (yeah, precious
resin, as subsequent research has shown) and was really impressed by the
feel of its weight and balance and the smoothness of the writing
compared to the disposable pens I use.

Should I go for a Pelikan 605 or Parker Sonnet as a daily writer that
will get heavy use? Or, do you believe that in terms of writing quality,
a mass-produced pen such as a Pelikan 150, Waterman Phileas, Parker
Frontier or Rotring Core/Freeway is the smart choice? Aesthetics don't
really matter very much to me - what I'm really interested in is a fine
tool that won't made my hand feel like it's going to fall off after
several hours of writing. Unfortunately I have no way of testing these
pens personally but I hope the fact that I enjoyed the Mont Blanc 146
will calibrate your opinions.

cheers,

e.m.

Ahhhh, I would go with the 146. The others pens you are considering
are smaller. I have two Sonnets and they are very nice. They have flex
for today's pen.

On Sun, 19 Sep 2004 20:26:55 GMT, "e.m. redding" said:

e I'm buying my first fountain soon and I'd like to hear your
e opinion of the relative merits of the Pelikan 605 and Parker
e Sonnet, and of cheaper varieties as well. I borrowed my
e friend's Mont Blanc 146 (yeah, precious resin, as subsequent
e research has shown) and was really impressed by the feel of its
e weight and balance and the smoothness of the writing compared
e to the disposable pens I use.

hmm... your criteria seem to be ergonomics + nib smoothness.

e Should I go for a Pelikan 605 or Parker Sonnet as a daily
e writer that will get heavy use? Or, do you believe that in
e terms of writing quality, a mass-produced pen such as a Pelikan
e 150, Waterman Phileas, Parker Frontier or Rotring Core/Freeway
e is the smart choice?

i've had both, and i'd choose the pelikan 200 over a pelikan 150. the
150 is a bit small. there was a thread about the core here a short
while ago. i think the title was "love it or hate it". it's hard to
tell which side of the fence you'll fall on without trying it first.
i'd say the phileas or the pelikan m200 is a safer bet. of course,
there's nothing wrong with the frontier, either. my advice would be
to go for one of the cheaper ones first, see how it goes (are you
prone to dropping the pen? forgetting it?), and if that goes well, and
if you feel the urge, to get the more expensive pelikan.

--


Why is a vegetable something to hide?

"e.m. redding" wrote in message
ink.net...
I'm buying my first fountain soon and I'd like to hear your opinion of
the relative merits of the Pelikan 605 and Parker Sonnet, and of cheaper
varieties as well. I borrowed my friend's Mont Blanc 146 (yeah, precious
resin, as subsequent research has shown) and was really impressed by the
feel of its weight and balance and the smoothness of the writing
compared to the disposable pens I use.

Should I go for a Pelikan 605 or Parker Sonnet as a daily writer that
will get heavy use? Or, do you believe that in terms of writing quality,
a mass-produced pen such as a Pelikan 150, Waterman Phileas, Parker
Frontier or Rotring Core/Freeway is the smart choice? Aesthetics don't
really matter very much to me - what I'm really interested in is a fine
tool that won't made my hand feel like it's going to fall off after
several hours of writing. Unfortunately I have no way of testing these
pens personally but I hope the fact that I enjoyed the Mont Blanc 146
will calibrate your opinions.


Do not lose sight of the fact that this newsgroup is called
"collecting," which implies more that one pen may be the
right one for you. From what you wrote by all means get the
MB 146 (a pretty large pen, larger than the P 605, perhaps
the size of a P 1000 series or the Sheaffer Balance Millennium)
but the whole idea is to try different things. Find a pen store,
buy what seem to be neat things on eBay, investigate the
many on-line stores, read some stuff and then you simply have
to try things: the MB nib is broader than the Sheaffer or Parker
nibs, as is the Pelikan nib; you can get not-so-good or excellent
nibs on any pen (as I just did with Pelikan 400- and 600-series
pens) and it is a lot of fun. Just don't look for an immediate
best pen. There ain't any. And keep asking questions.

pavane

"e.m. redding" wrote in message
ink.net...
I'm buying my first fountain soon and I'd like to hear your opinion of
the relative merits of the Pelikan 605 and Parker Sonnet, and of cheaper
varieties as well. I borrowed my friend's Mont Blanc 146 (yeah, precious
resin, as subsequent research has shown) and was really impressed by the
feel of its weight and balance and the smoothness of the writing
compared to the disposable pens I use.

The Sonnet has an 18K which is a bit softer than 14K. Some consider that to
be sort of like "flex" but to me it can feel "mushy" - to each his/her own.
The pens are nice, very solid. I have two, one with stock nib, the other
reground to a sharp stub. They are quite narrow at the section though and
not comparable in that regard to the 146. The 146 is a nice pen - you might
want to look for one second-hand from the pen boards.

The Phileas is an excellent pen - just had one of mine out today as a matter
of fact. I like the fine nib which is a very smooth and fairly wet fine.

I'm a pelikan addict so I would always recommend pels *except* that the 600
will probably feel quite light compared to the 146. That means nothing in
terms of quality but some prefer a heftier pen.

Haven't heard the best about the Frontier. Don't personally have any
experience with it. I like Laban Resin pens - very nice nibs and the
Celebration is a similar size to the 146 but lighter weight sans cap. Much
less expensive but of course, a cartridge filler. Filcao makes some nice
pens for decent prices, too. Most are brass I believe with Laquer finish
but they have some celluloid and some resin models as well.

does filler type matter?

The Core has a unique grip that for most people isn't really conducive to
long periods of writing. A very solid pen though. Nib like a nail.

too many choices eh? And there's still more out there.

k

Michael Wright wrote:
A Pelikan 150 will be too small. I don't much care personally for the
Rotring Core but tastes vary, and I don't know the Frontier, but the
Phileas is an excellent pen. Undoubtedly low-cost, reputable pens are
unbeatable in value for money if you're thinking only of writing
performance, but that's not all there is to it.

Between a Pelikan 600 and a Sonnet, I'd go for the Pelikan, but the
Sonnet takes cartridges, which may be an advantage, depending.


It occured to me that chosing a fountain pen is becoming an emotional
decision. The mind counsels me to start with an entry-level Rotring,
Waterman or Parker but the eye is drawn to the 605 (doesn't hurt that
it's on sale for 100 bucks, either). Also despite the fact that I'm not
considering the Mont Blanc 146, when I reread my post, the enthusiasm is
obviously there. The 146 definitely opened my eyes to fountain pens. In
general a fountain pen is really just a very nice object and a joy to
use. It's an almost perfectly refined technology like books, watches,
bicycles or purified water. It just feels right.

I realize now that I have to take a trip out to a pen store and try each
of these pens out. A lot of questions will be answered instantly just by
seeing how they feel. And hopefully I will find that the appeal of that
initial MB fountain pen had primarily to do with qualities that are
common to fountain pens in general. This is probably the case as I have
been using Bics for the past couple years. Any fountain pen would have
blown my mind. And since I am an economics of scale kind of consumer I
think I would be satisfied with a low-cost, dependable pen, knowing that
it is supported by a significant R and D investment.

Thanks for the info,

e.m.

pavane wrote:
Do not lose sight of the fact that this newsgroup is called
"collecting," which implies more that one pen may be the
right one for you. From what you wrote by all means get the
MB 146 (a pretty large pen, larger than the P 605, perhaps
the size of a P 1000 series or the Sheaffer Balance Millennium)
but the whole idea is to try different things. Find a pen store,
buy what seem to be neat things on eBay, investigate the
many on-line stores, read some stuff and then you simply have
to try things: the MB nib is broader than the Sheaffer or Parker
nibs, as is the Pelikan nib; you can get not-so-good or excellent
nibs on any pen (as I just did with Pelikan 400- and 600-series
pens) and it is a lot of fun. Just don't look for an immediate
best pen. There ain't any. And keep asking questions.


I have definitely availed myself of all the penographic websites out
there in my search for the perfect fountain pen. I can see why pen
collecting is such an engrossing hobby. There are a lot of pens out
there that are very nearly iconic in their form, function and history.
(I already have some fantasy pens that I would like to have one day... a
Parker 51 Aeromatic and a Nakaya Equilibrium or Urushi.) This newsgroup
is a terrific resource, by the way. For now I will start out slow and
try a few things out, as you suggest, to get a handle on the basic
traits of fountain pens and contrast the different brands.

cheers,

e.m.

KCat wrote:

The Phileas is an excellent pen - just had one of mine out today as a matter
of fact. I like the fine nib which is a very smooth and fairly wet fine.

I'll definitely give this one a thorough look. Makes sense to begin at
the beginning, eh? As a plus, a Staples that isn't too far out of the
way should stock it.

I'm a pelikan addict so I would always recommend pels *except* that the 600
will probably feel quite light compared to the 146. That means nothing in
terms of quality but some prefer a heftier pen.

The 605 is available at Levengers for a hundred dollars. Does this sound
like a good deal? In your experience do Pelikans increase in usability
and performance as the price goes up or do they eventually fall prey to
the performance-price inverse relationship?

I just got off the phone with the person I borrowed the 146 from and she
said that it was originally purchased by a bank manager for a signing
ceremony and was intended for all of five seconds of use! Knowing the
kind of market they have, it would be surprising if MB didn't account
for typical usage patterns in their manufacturing techniques. I get the
impression that Pelikan is reputable, though.

Haven't heard the best about the Frontier. Don't personally have any
experience with it. I like Laban Resin pens - very nice nibs and the
Celebration is a similar size to the 146 but lighter weight sans cap. Much
less expensive but of course, a cartridge filler. Filcao makes some nice
pens for decent prices, too. Most are brass I believe with Laquer finish
but they have some celluloid and some resin models as well.

These are some names I haven't seen before. I'll definitely google them
after this.

does filler type matter?

I don't know but something tells me that it does. (...more googling...)

cheers,

e.m.

"e.m. redding" wrote in message
nk.net...
KCat wrote:

The 605 is available at Levengers for a hundred dollars. Does this sound
like a good deal?

it's an excellent deal if you can get it. I think people are uh... flocking
to this one. :P

In your experience do Pelikans increase in usability
and performance as the price goes up or do they eventually fall prey to
the performance-price inverse relationship?

hmm... IMO I wouldn't spend the money on an 800 unless it was a matter of
needing/prefering a large pen. I would say that the performance/quality
remains the same across all the lines (yes, including the lowly 200 with
it's wonderful steel nib.) Just that when you get up to the 800 and 1000
these are much larger pens with much larger nibs and some parts that are
plastic in the lower lines are brass in the 800 and 1000, making them
heavier also.


These are some names I haven't seen before. I'll definitely google them
after this.

does filler type matter?

I don't know but something tells me that it does. (...more googling...)

everyone has an opinion. I like piston-fillers like the Pelikans. But I'll
tolerate a c/c filler if I really love the pen. And I have some of those:
The Columbus Academia (a small, light pen), the Laban, the Phileas. Many
people prefer the convenience of cartridges - i like the piston filled pens
or using converters because I like being able to use whatever FP ink I want.
:-) There are some great inks in cartridges - there just aren't enough for
my liking. But if you're traveling or in classes all day and want an
endless, easy supply, then a cartridge pen can be a better choice.