Great overview of nice pens Doodlebud! Platinum Preppy is the pen of 2024 for me. Several years ago I disassembled my then single favourite Platinum Preppy after having used a problematic ink in it. And lost the nib on the floor somewhere in my basement woodworking workshop! However, I miracuously managed to retrieve it, dirty, but unscathed a couple of years later, (with no vaccuuming of the floors in between)!Reassembled it, and it was as good as ever. This year I added to that 0,3 Preppy an 0,5 and an 0,2. Both of them unfortunately had flow issues after a short while of writing with their original cartridge. I fixed it after some extra cleaning and I’m happy to soon enter 2025 with the full range of Preppy sizes at my disposal😀
Had to think about it, but I think my top pens this year were (in no particular order): Sailor 1911L Cthulhu (Goldspot exclusive), Delta Duna Happiness (Atlas Stationers exclusive), Esterbrook Estie King of the Night, Pelikan M205 DUO Highlighter Shiny Green, Moonman V60 White/Gold, and Pen 18111 Funky Color Cut-Outs. Then the absolute top of the crop, favorite pen I got this year was my Pelikan M800. I am a big big fan of Murder, She Wrote - I own the entire series on DVD and it's my go to series to rewatch pretty frequently. And JB Fletcher, portrayed by the fabulous Angela Lansbury, uses a Pelikan M800. So I hunted down an old style one from the show's time period with a beautifully stubby medium nib and I couldn't be happier.
I never knew that about murder she wrote! I remember seeing that show on TV when I was a kid so never noticed she used an M800. That's cool you got one from the same era
I’ve not tried tons of pens but I very much enjoy my Parker 51. It’s a Lady Aerometric in Teal Blue, and I was lucky enough to pick it up NOS. Thanks for all your work Doodlebud!
Great video! Personally, I picked up relatively few pens this year, but the winners are the Lamy 2000 (EF), Kaweco Sport Piston Filler (M), Ensso Bolt (M), Diplomat Viper (E/F), and Ensso Italia in Japanese Ebonite (M). All are excellent pens. I hope you and your family have a happy new year!
I'm lucky and glad to watch this video, just because of the Platypus Model 20, an intriguing pen and it made it immediately to my 2025 purchase list. Prices are Aussie Dollars and Down under is quite close to Thailand where I live. And my top 2024 pens are the 3 models from the Nino Marino stable, the Maiora Ogiva, a Nettuno Superba and a Delta Dolce Vita 2023, all acquired this year. Happy new year to you and your family.
Not so much a pen this year for me...rather a nib. The Jinhao heartbeat nibs kinda' blew me away. Smooth writers as normal, but they reverse write like no other 'low-end' nib I've used. The 9013 with a heartbeat medium kinda' stole the show for awhile. The Jinhao 10. . I like it better than the majohn A1. I just have had bad luck with majohn nibs. (I've fixed them just fine, but a LOT of elbow grease was necessary.) Also the '10' fixed the spring issue that drove you a bit bonkers with the Majohn offerings. :-D HongDian N7 and the Jinhao 9019 are still my absolute favorite pens, with my old Jinhao 75 'Cesile' a close runnerup. That thing just looks sexy in the hand with a 'nail' of a nib that just 'works'.
Top 3 pens of the year: 3. Oblique double broad Lamy 2000 2. Jinhao 80 with a black Lamy cursive nib 1. Pilot Elabo with soft extra fine nib for sketching. Awesome writing experience Thanks for your channel and unique viewpoint. Very fun. Happy New Year!
Hi DB. Thanks for reviewing this year’s best. I’m looking forward to your 2025 reviews. Keep up the great work! My favorite this year is the Magna Carta 650. The best flex pen I own that I can use as a daily driver.
I'll have to be sure my wife doesn't see this vid lest she charge you with aiding and abetting! Owing at least in part to your nefarious influence, I added the ensso Bolt (titanium), the wonderful Asvine J16, Majohn V60, the spectacular Magna Carta 650 (as of Christmas Day!) and I'm awaiting my Platypus Model 20 (spring '25). At least I beat you to the punch on Pelikans -- vintage and modern. Can't wait to see what '25 brings in the pen world.
Thanks! My FP journey started Feb. of this year. My favorite pens are my flex pens; my four ebonite FPR Jaipur V2's with the 14K EF Ultra Flex nibs and ebonite feed (after I fixed the sight window leaks), and my great Magna Carta Mag600 (after I adjusted the nib tines and repaired the feed). I prefer the Mag600 because it is larger, can be eyedroppered, and has a softer nib. I also love the black Nikko ebonite.
That platapys pen looks really cool! If I could afford one I would really love to buy one, alas as a broke college student the only things I can justify are the most economical of pens. On the note of pens I managed to actually get ahold of this year, my ordered top 3 from lowest to highest would probably be the Lamy Safari with a 1.1 stub and the feed opened up so it flows better (it shows off inks so incredibly well and lays them down thick), the twsbi eco (works fantastic with pigmented inks, even with a fine nib) and finally the majohn A1 with the spring replaced because of how well it works for taking notes and its satisfying click.
My favorite pen this year was a pilot prera that I hadn’t expected to enjoy so much. Also love my indestructible Lamy safaris, and my pretty Hongdian feather themed pen whose letter & number name I forget. Pelikan pens look really nice, I would love to try one some day. I do need to find a few pens that are wetter writing, I keep falling in love with dry multichromal inks.
My favorite was the Sharpie. The ink smells amazing, I can't stop sniffing it. I've blown through a 12 pack already. This can't be good for me, but I feel great.
Nice wrap up! My 1950's Pelikan 400N with OM nib is a lot of fun but my piston has become very anemic so it only draws up a few drops. Don't know that I'd trust anyone to mess with it so I just live with it since its not EDC. I got the Enso Bolt but I find I have to rotate it a lot to find the sweet spot I guess because its so thin. My favorite from this year has to be the Asvine Titanium Vac Fill. So cool to have a demonstrator that huge with all that ink sloshing around. I get the most looks from people when I have it out. Cheers!
Thanks for all the content and hard work this year! I have learned so much about fountain pens from you in my short time in this hobby! Really appreciate you sir! Have a wonderful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year.
This year was when I discovered my love for fountain pens and I'm never looking back. As for my favorite pen that I got this year, I think it will have to be the Majohn A1. Super cheap, smoother than my other Extra Fines, and capless to boot! Oh and it was a graduation gift to myself so that's probably a pretty biased take. 😂 Honorable mention would probably be my limited edition Lamy Safari I got in Itoya during my trip in Japan.
A few points: 1. The Asvine J16 either uses cheap glue or has a design flaw. I work in North Dakota in below freezing temperatures. So in order to keep my ink from freezing I keep my pen on dash console where the heater is blowing. Because of that the section where the ink window has come unglued from the barrel on both the j16 I owned. If you keep this pen at home or at a office you shouldn’t have any issues. Just be mindful. 2. The seal on the ensso bolt doesn’t work for that long if you keep your pen clipped to your shirt. I own three bolts with all three nib sizes and all three have leaked inked into my work shirts. I’ve probably went through 10 seals since I purchased these back in August. If you keep your pen at a desk with the nib up or vertical you shouldn’t have this issue. But if you were to expecting to edc in your shirt you are better off with a vp. 3. There is a reason why you shouldn’t put that much weight on reviewers who receive products to reviews. The first simply being they don’t want to be too critical over the fear they might not get future products to reviews. But the other one(and the one I think happened here), company’s are going to put their best foot forward with the products they send to reviewers. But unfortunately a reviewer’s experience isn’t going to be the average customer’s experience. It’s why you should put more weight behind someone who purchase the product anonymously. I’ve talked to 9 other fellow titan owners on Reddit. And the biggest critique they had aside from the lack of a clip, is how the nib wrote out the box. I personally had to tune mine to get it to write smooth. And even when I did it was average for a steel nib. I ended up swapping in a KOP and m1000 nib so it isn’t that big of a deal. But if you do purchase this pen there is a good chance you won’t like how it writes out the box. But other than that, the pen is fantastic. Definitely an everyday carry because I can use Baystate Blue without having to worry about ink stains.
Hi DB! Very interesting choices! Can't really complain, as I have at least some of them myself, and totally agree! Thanks for sharing your choices for 2024! Have a Happy New Year!
My favourite pen I got this year is the Lamy 2000 in Stainless steel with the Piano black Lamy Studio in second place. I also backed The Bolt Kickstarter, it is a great note pen.
In no particular order: Cypress (these are some of the most beautiful - you should look at if you haven’t already), ST DuPont D Line (smooth as silk), Carbon fifty4T (the engineer and writing is precise; quality phenomenal), TWSBI Vac700R/Opus88 (such solid pen for EDC, air travel, value).
The favourite pen I got this year was a Waterman W2, followed closely by a Burnham B49, and the Kaweco Piston Sport. But 2024 was a fantastic year for new pens! I'm saving for the Asvine J16, but I've seen a lot of good design and production quality over the last 12 months.
Well romping through your best in show has been a boatload of fun for me. I love that you’re all over the place, from vintage to industrial and high-end to low. So am I, but I’m only 2 months old in pen-years so I enjoy you a little extra 😉. I cannot figure out why fp’s dry up and get persnickety if you take a 10 sec pause while writing - but somehow the clickers don’t dry up even w/out a cap. I am confuddled. That said, please do a video on your carry cases? I loved your little two-pen case especially!
Thanks for your reviews and wishing you Happy Holidays! Wish you can try out next year some Pens from India and the Philippines especially Kanwrite and Kasama. PS also, the Hongdian M2 which is getting popular😊
This was also my year of Pelikans. Got the M1000 Renaissance Brown, M800 Green Demo, M605 Black Tortoise, and I have a M400 from the early/mid 90's with an Oblique Medium on it's way (used your video of your M400 Brown as a guide post :-) ). Now hunting for an that OBB, gonna be patient
Don't pull the trigger unless its the pen you want. Something I've learned over time. It may take a while, but like you acknowledge.... be patient. You'll be happy you were. Happy Hunting :)
My top pen out of this collection is that blue Pelikan. I got turned on to them because of this channel and hope that I'm lucky enough to earn one. As for my own collection, it's still my Vanishing Point. It's just so easy to grab and take notes wherever I am. It's hard not to reach for it 🤷🏻♂️
I liked the ensso bolt, the seal ended up stiffening and breaking. Not a good experience. My best pens in my collection as follows - Click Aristocrat ( FPR Darjeeling for foreigners, and I suggest you to review it) Pilot VP, modern and Vintage Indigraph Fountain pen ( review this too pls ) Waiting for my Lamy 2000 to arrive
my most favorite pen? im a classic so of course its the montblanc meisterstruck x149 with the Fine tip ✨✨ anyways day 4 of saying As always a great review!
@DequiriusQuingle I had two blue caws. One is the Esterbrook Nook. I don't think the blue is available anymore. The other is this one s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mMNCGX1
Only pen I bought this year is the Kaweco Sport with a medium nib, which was severely draggy, I've smoothed it a bit and now it's quite nice. My most used pens this year 1) 1970s Pilot Elite with the script nib, pretty much used daily. 2) Sheaffer Imperial II Touchdown 3) Kaweco Sport in Mellow Blue 4) Hero 616
@@Doodlebud mine has an 18k script nib. From what I can find the script nib was designed for comfort during long writing sessions, made with stenographers in mind. Has a bit of flex and a little line variation, nice bounce for a small nib
My favorite pens that I acquired in 2024, include: Asvine J16, Admok M800, Asvine V200 Matte Black, HongDian M2, and a Lamy 2000. My biggest disappointment was the Nahvalur Schuylkill, because the trim ring under the piston know comes loose from the body of the pen every time the piston knob is operated. My second and last Nahvalur, since both pens were disappointments.
That was the largest number of 10 pens I've ever seen! 😅 I've gotten a bunch of Asvine V126 & fill them with shimmer ink. Diamine Glacier with a medium nib is dynamite. Hardly ever have a problem with them. Love the way the Admock m800 looks & writes so have about 5 of those. Funny that the schmidt nib on them is so dreamy but I've hated every single one on my Benu pens & changed them to TWSBI or Jinhao nibs. I've gotten a handful of Benu pens that are so gorgeous to look at. My favorite is the Euphoria Rose Tea exclusive from Goulet Pens paired with Noodler's Cactus Fruit. It gets me right in the heart.💜
Dood, I picked up a 1975 Pilot Elite, F, (OMG), a new Lamy 2k, yes the fan club is correct, and a Visconti HS from Goulet, (Bacus cursive italic nib). On the hunt for Pelikans now…😅
Funny that you mentioned your M805 being a bit off, fits my experience as well. I have the same blue-striped one with an EF nib, and while it was kind of OK out of the box, it was always a bit dry (especially on upstrokes), with feedback bordering on scratchiness in all directions. After watching some videos and practicing on a few cheap Chinese pens, I mustered the courage do do some work on it with 10000 grit sandpaper. After only a few minutes of polishing the tip and widening the tynes (testing after each step) I suddenly hit a "phase transition", and the nib started writing broader, wetter and MUCH smoother. Now it is perfect. It seems that not all M800/805 EF nibs are tuned properly - mine was obviously too tight, and I can only assume that the writing surface of the tip was too small for the size of the tipping material (which is pretty big for an EF, as modern Pelikans usually go).
Thank you for making such excellent content! Two of my favorite pen acquisitions this year were entirely due to reviews of yours. Neither were pens I’d have been aware of otherwise, and both are fantastic writers that fill specific roles for me. The first is the Eureka Dodecagon in ULTEM, not a daily carry due to the lack of a pocket clip, but a fantastic journaling pen for me (and one I can safely put that gorgeous Baystate Blue in without worrying about leaving permanent stains). The second is the Namisu Nova Pocket in Ti, the perfect size to keep in the center console of my car (though we’ll have to see how well those SI short cartridges hold up to the subzero temps this winter in Vermont). Keep up the great content-I look forward to seeing what the next year will bring! Sending best wishes for a joyous holiday season and a happy new year to you and your family.
Out of all the pens I have, my Pelikan 400nn is my absolute favourite Writes beautifully with it's semi flex nib and has loads of character, also have the original 400 and the 400n both in tortoise shell and green striped.
@Doodlebud - I've got the vintage pen (Doodle) bug lately, have a Waterman 92 and a Mabie Todd Swan coming soon, both are supposed to be very flexible writers. I also get what you mean about the Pelikan M800, beautiful smooth writer but it has no character.
Thank you for another year of content, I’m looking forward to what 2025 will bring! That being said, you really had to go an show the Bolt in brass, didn’t you? 🤣 I’ve had it opened in my browser for close to two weeks now, debating whether (the positives) looks and weight will outweigh the (for me) bad smell brass leaves on my fingers. Never liked that, neither from machining it or from working with copper wire all day. But now that I’ve seen it in your hand, it just looks amazing… Damn it, Doodlebuuuud! 😂 I’ll probably get it now for my work notebook…
@@Doodlebud yeah I bought it now. Your video seems to have had an impact on sales again, numbers went steadily down for the brass pen over the past week but after your video dropped stock went down immediately :)
That's a tough call for me. It was another year of splurge-not my biggest year, but north of 100 pens. Starting with the Chinese pens, I was impressed by the V200 (I purchased multiple to experiment with frankenpen/nib swaps). I also liked the Moonmann P139 with its #8 nib and the Admok M800 with its Schmidt nib (though I turned a broad into an oblique). Inda: I was also very impressed by the Mag650, which I like more than the Mag600. Europe: Germany I bought a bunch of Montblanc series 200 with various nibs, and I love them, They may amongst my preferred of the year and they'recheap (relatively speaking). Then Italy, I splurged in Visconti with 15 this year, my favorite is the Jacques de Molay which is quite unique, then there is the Medici, and the Divina Desert Spring; Also a shutout for the Visconti Voyager SE by figboot. Gorgeous and wonderful writers. Turkey: There was also a bunch of Kilks this year, maybe my favorite being The Celestial (but they are all great and beautiful writers). US: I'm the same as you about the Ensso bolt (I bought one for my daughter, who loves it, too), and I'm quite endeared by the new brass version. Back to Asia: Taiwan with Mr. Cypress; challenging to choose out of the 4, but the Eggshell-E09 is my fav. A shutout for another very nice Taiwanese brand I discovered this year with the Laban 325, an excellent pen. Finally, Japan with a Sailor King of Pen in ebonite, a Pilot Custom 845 Urushi complementing my Custom Urushi, and a Falcon metal with a Spencerian grind by nibs.com It's been a great year, and I think (I know) that I will calm down, stop accumulating, and enjoy more. I'd be curious to hear about your fav' inks.
Unfortunately I could never get it to seal for me and after I tried everything, I put it away. I'm glad it's working for you, it's a great pen when it works.
Hi DB - just wondering about your favorite pen case link. You linked a Contacts Family case but it doesn't seem to be their "Official Store" one. It might be a duplicate/scam account - unless of course you've ordered and received things from it which is great. It only has 110 followers compared to the Official Store's 75k followers. Just an FYI in case you need to update your link.
I can leave both of my Aurora's uncapped for 10 minutes and they write every time. Wonderfully tuned nibs, or at least mine are. I got a lot of great pens this year... M1000 Renaissance Brown, Aurora 88 Ebonite Cognac, Montblanc 146 Centennial, Aurora Internazionale, Magna Carta Mag 650, Visconti Homo Sapiens, Vintage Pelikans (140 and 400NN, 580 Celebry), Vintage Parker 51. I mean just some heavy hitters. I love them all to be honest. The softness out of the vintage Pelikan nibs are something I didn't expect, The Mag 650... that pen along with my Visconti Homo Sapiens blew me away. The Auroras are very good writers and look sharp. Montblanc is a solid pen as usual. The Parker 51 was probably my only kind of disappointment. Nib is super dry and I've tried flossing it. I still like the pen and use to for work here and there because it works very well there as dry as it is and snap cap. Just wish it was a bit more wet. Awesome recap Doodlebud!
The parker 51 hood threads are usually held on by shellac, so it'll come off with careful application of heat. That'll give you access to the feed and breather tube, which can get clogged up with dried ink over the years.
@@milchpuder Thanks a lot! I bought it from Brian at Anderson pen's and I think he went over it and put a new sac and checked and cleaned all of that, but I could be wrong. I might try taking it off eventually and seeing what the feed and breather tube look like. I know you can take some guitar string and put it through the breather tube to help clean it.
I bought quite a lot of really nice pens in '24 - Aurora Sole Mio, Pilot Myu in Medium, I finally received my Russ pen in Ebonite, and another hand turned from Giants in Emerald Koi. The Hongdian C1 is a fun cheap pen .. But honestly, my favourite of the bunch right now is my Hongdian A7 in green stabilized wood; it's just So pretty and nice in the hand. I'm sorry to see it discontinued, but maybe they'll bring it back in some form (o:
And hey Doodlebud? Thanks for making these; your soothing voice and detail oriented reviews have carried me over many a crisis, large or small, over the last couple years. Long may you keep creating them
Top pens? Pelikan 400, brown stripe, gold nib, matching pencil in the leather-covered case GRAIL; Esterbrook with all the trimmings (thank you, Doodlebud); Narwhal Matira Quartz (thank you Joe Crace aka The Gentleman Stationer); glow-in-the-dark pen from Mr. Samad,; slender white metal MontBlanc (thank you, Alexander Peter Hoffmann); several Levenger True Writers in the "elements" series; Ohto Dude (thank you, Jim); terrifically cute Jinhao shark (thank you Lisa from Olive Octopus); Magna Carta "Denim"....that's more than ten.
Hey DB. I thought James Bond might have made it (was that this year? -not my tsste though). My favourite pen purchase this year was a Shibui North Dragonfly. It's a soectacularly well machined and wonderfully comfortable pen from Ruth Bolton. I'm not sure she is still making them as she only seems to be offering the Pocket Fox that you reviewed. Looking forward to seeing some more great pens in 2025!
Looking forward to that! I wonder how Ruth gets the engraving to meet up perfectly around a barrel/ section that has a variable diameter. I suppose you just plan it per degree of rotation and the design scales with diameter? Maybe you can explain it all!
1. Aurora 88 Gold for the win.Oh, oh, oh, Au! 2. Only pen of note I got this year is my King of Pen. Now I want to sell all my others and buy more Kings of Pen.
after watching this video, I ordered a brass ensso bolt in EF, if I didn't like the nib, do you know where to get a replacement F or M? ensso doesn't sell them :') I wonder if the gold nibs from Sailor from the vanishing point would fit
I got the hammered P136 which I've added a hammered nib to, and I love it. If there is indeed a hammered version of the J16 I'll need to track one down. I'm a big sucker for hammered pens 😍 I think my favourite from this year was the stupidly large Kanwrite Mammoth with its #9 nib. It's incredibly comfortable to hold & writes so smoothly. They came out with a clipless flat-end version called the Mammoth X a couple months ago which I plan on grabbing soon. Close runner-up is last years Nahvalur 365 Obsidian Pumpkin which I was able to pick up in March, with its hammered sterling silver body & orange/grey/white resin felt like it was made specifically for me 😆
I bought the Hongdian C1 as my first fountain pen from your recommendation. I grew out of it due to the weight and the EF nib didn't give enough feedback. Still a great pen though, love the channel!
For me it was: MaJohn P139 Conklin All American Demonstrator OPUS 88 Harmony I just received for Christmas a Kanwrite Monmouth X. Fingers are crossed thatit will perform excellently and that #9 nib is visually intriguing for its size.
Asvine V200 piston rubber is super low quality. I had Pelikan 4001 blue black iron gall ink in my V200 only for six days and the rubber got corroded by the ink. I didn't even know that this could happen. Very dissapointed.
Knowing that there is a Pen company called Platypus, Am I the only one that is hoping that they have and if not hoping that they make a Perry the Platypus Edition fountain pen? LOL
You've got the Aurora 88, now get the lighter and cigarette case and you'll finally be able to kill James Bond! I love the look and style of fountain pens, but I could never use one myself (my draftsman's hands want to hold the pen at too high an angle). Great video. :)
Please, stop saying about companies “copying”….there are a number of companies with triangular pens, for example Lalex, Visconti….they are very similar models (my favourite is Lalex). And when Lamy created the 2000 model, a number of companies like Aurora or Pelikan produced very similar models. The Pilot elite pocket pen is very similar to others by platinum or sailor. Thinking that it’s just the chinese companies that do the “copying” is sort of snob.
The other pens you mentioned are similar. This pen is almost a 1:1 copy of the Omas 360. Some pens on the market like the Majohn A1 can swap parts with the Pilot Vanishing Point. This isn't exclusive to just Chinese companies, but they do seem to produce the most pens which are almost indiscernible from other very popular models on the market.
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
Great overview of nice pens Doodlebud! Platinum Preppy is the pen of 2024 for me. Several years ago I disassembled my then single favourite Platinum Preppy after having used a problematic ink in it. And lost the nib on the floor somewhere in my basement woodworking workshop! However, I miracuously managed to retrieve it, dirty, but unscathed a couple of years later, (with no vaccuuming of the floors in between)!Reassembled it, and it was as good as ever. This year I added to that 0,3 Preppy an 0,5 and an 0,2. Both of them unfortunately had flow issues after a short while of writing with their original cartridge. I fixed it after some extra cleaning and I’m happy to soon enter 2025 with the full range of Preppy sizes at my disposal😀
Had to think about it, but I think my top pens this year were (in no particular order): Sailor 1911L Cthulhu (Goldspot exclusive), Delta Duna Happiness (Atlas Stationers exclusive), Esterbrook Estie King of the Night, Pelikan M205 DUO Highlighter Shiny Green, Moonman V60 White/Gold, and Pen 18111 Funky Color Cut-Outs.
Then the absolute top of the crop, favorite pen I got this year was my Pelikan M800. I am a big big fan of Murder, She Wrote - I own the entire series on DVD and it's my go to series to rewatch pretty frequently. And JB Fletcher, portrayed by the fabulous Angela Lansbury, uses a Pelikan M800. So I hunted down an old style one from the show's time period with a beautifully stubby medium nib and I couldn't be happier.
I never knew that about murder she wrote! I remember seeing that show on TV when I was a kid so never noticed she used an M800. That's cool you got one from the same era
I’ve not tried tons of pens but I very much enjoy my Parker 51. It’s a Lady Aerometric in Teal Blue, and I was lucky enough to pick it up NOS. Thanks for all your work Doodlebud!
Great video! Personally, I picked up relatively few pens this year, but the winners are the Lamy 2000 (EF), Kaweco Sport Piston Filler (M), Ensso Bolt (M), Diplomat Viper (E/F), and Ensso Italia in Japanese Ebonite (M). All are excellent pens. I hope you and your family have a happy new year!
I'm lucky and glad to watch this video, just because of the Platypus Model 20, an intriguing pen and it made it immediately to my 2025 purchase list. Prices are Aussie Dollars and Down under is quite close to Thailand where I live. And my top 2024 pens are the 3 models from the Nino Marino stable, the Maiora Ogiva, a Nettuno Superba and a Delta Dolce Vita 2023, all acquired this year. Happy new year to you and your family.
Not so much a pen this year for me...rather a nib. The Jinhao heartbeat nibs kinda' blew me away. Smooth writers as normal, but they reverse write like no other 'low-end' nib I've used. The 9013 with a heartbeat medium kinda' stole the show for awhile.
The Jinhao 10. . I like it better than the majohn A1. I just have had bad luck with majohn nibs. (I've fixed them just fine, but a LOT of elbow grease was necessary.)
Also the '10' fixed the spring issue that drove you a bit bonkers with the Majohn offerings. :-D
HongDian N7 and the Jinhao 9019 are still my absolute favorite pens, with my old Jinhao 75 'Cesile' a close runnerup. That thing just looks sexy in the hand with a 'nail' of a nib that just 'works'.
What a lovely array of pens in 2024! Love the colour on that Estie, and the material and nib on MAG650! But the Pelikans are awesome!
Top 3 pens of the year:
3. Oblique double broad Lamy 2000
2. Jinhao 80 with a black Lamy cursive nib
1. Pilot Elabo with soft extra fine nib for sketching. Awesome writing experience
Thanks for your channel and unique viewpoint. Very fun.
Happy New Year!
Hi DB. Thanks for reviewing this year’s best. I’m looking forward to your 2025 reviews. Keep up the great work! My favorite this year is the Magna Carta 650. The best flex pen I own that I can use as a daily driver.
Love the 650. It's even really good with printing!
That Aurora 88 is just beautiful. If it came with a broad nib I'd start saving right now.
Start saving. They are tough to find and when you do be ready to jump on one
I'll have to be sure my wife doesn't see this vid lest she charge you with aiding and abetting! Owing at least in part to your nefarious influence, I added the ensso Bolt (titanium), the wonderful Asvine J16, Majohn V60, the spectacular Magna Carta 650 (as of Christmas Day!) and I'm awaiting my Platypus Model 20 (spring '25). At least I beat you to the punch on Pelikans -- vintage and modern. Can't wait to see what '25 brings in the pen world.
@@13noman1 We had very similar picks for 2024 😉
Thanks! My FP journey started Feb. of this year. My favorite pens are my flex pens; my four ebonite FPR Jaipur V2's with the 14K EF Ultra Flex nibs and ebonite feed (after I fixed the sight window leaks), and my great Magna Carta Mag600 (after I adjusted the nib tines and repaired the feed).
I prefer the Mag600 because it is larger, can be eyedroppered, and has a softer nib. I also love the black Nikko ebonite.
my favorite pen for the year? Jinhao 82. cheap, compact, tons of color options, great for gifting
Incredible value for money, and a great writer.
fabulous value, a million colors and it works.
That platapys pen looks really cool! If I could afford one I would really love to buy one, alas as a broke college student the only things I can justify are the most economical of pens.
On the note of pens I managed to actually get ahold of this year, my ordered top 3 from lowest to highest would probably be the Lamy Safari with a 1.1 stub and the feed opened up so it flows better (it shows off inks so incredibly well and lays them down thick), the twsbi eco (works fantastic with pigmented inks, even with a fine nib) and finally the majohn A1 with the spring replaced because of how well it works for taking notes and its satisfying click.
My favorite pen this year was a pilot prera that I hadn’t expected to enjoy so much. Also love my indestructible Lamy safaris, and my pretty Hongdian feather themed pen whose letter & number name I forget. Pelikan pens look really nice, I would love to try one some day. I do need to find a few pens that are wetter writing, I keep falling in love with dry multichromal inks.
Prera is a great pen & sometimes underrated
@@InksplatOops I loved mine that I got this year, first Prera I own. The ergonomics are better than the Metropolitan for me,
So much great info in every post and all the comment sections for this newbie !
Great community !
Great to hear my videos help you out
My pen of the year is the Sailor 21K Pocket pen - it's just such a joy to write with and the nib has great feedback!
My favorite was the Sharpie. The ink smells amazing, I can't stop sniffing it. I've blown through a 12 pack already. This can't be good for me, but I feel great.
😂
Vintage MB 146 OBB purchased midway through your video on the Rose gold where you suggested the used market. Thank you!
@@mumalogue It's an awesome pen & nib combo!
Nice wrap up! My 1950's Pelikan 400N with OM nib is a lot of fun but my piston has become very anemic so it only draws up a few drops. Don't know that I'd trust anyone to mess with it so I just live with it since its not EDC. I got the Enso Bolt but I find I have to rotate it a lot to find the sweet spot I guess because its so thin. My favorite from this year has to be the Asvine Titanium Vac Fill. So cool to have a demonstrator that huge with all that ink sloshing around. I get the most looks from people when I have it out. Cheers!
Thanks for all the content and hard work this year! I have learned so much about fountain pens from you in my short time in this hobby! Really appreciate you sir! Have a wonderful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year.
I got the bolt on your recommendation, and I do really love it. It’s my new work pen. Thanks, dude!
Happy to hear you're enjoying it!
This year was when I discovered my love for fountain pens and I'm never looking back.
As for my favorite pen that I got this year, I think it will have to be the Majohn A1. Super cheap, smoother than my other Extra Fines, and capless to boot! Oh and it was a graduation gift to myself so that's probably a pretty biased take. 😂
Honorable mention would probably be my limited edition Lamy Safari I got in Itoya during my trip in Japan.
A few points:
1. The Asvine J16 either uses cheap glue or has a design flaw. I work in North Dakota in below freezing temperatures. So in order to keep my ink from freezing I keep my pen on dash console where the heater is blowing. Because of that the section where the ink window has come unglued from the barrel on both the j16 I owned. If you keep this pen at home or at a office you shouldn’t have any issues. Just be mindful.
2. The seal on the ensso bolt doesn’t work for that long if you keep your pen clipped to your shirt. I own three bolts with all three nib sizes and all three have leaked inked into my work shirts. I’ve probably went through 10 seals since I purchased these back in August. If you keep your pen at a desk with the nib up or vertical you shouldn’t have this issue. But if you were to expecting to edc in your shirt you are better off with a vp.
3. There is a reason why you shouldn’t put that much weight on reviewers who receive products to reviews. The first simply being they don’t want to be too critical over the fear they might not get future products to reviews. But the other one(and the one I think happened here), company’s are going to put their best foot forward with the products they send to reviewers. But unfortunately a reviewer’s experience isn’t going to be the average customer’s experience. It’s why you should put more weight behind someone who purchase the product anonymously. I’ve talked to 9 other fellow titan owners on Reddit. And the biggest critique they had aside from the lack of a clip, is how the nib wrote out the box. I personally had to tune mine to get it to write smooth. And even when I did it was average for a steel nib. I ended up swapping in a KOP and m1000 nib so it isn’t that big of a deal. But if you do purchase this pen there is a good chance you won’t like how it writes out the box. But other than that, the pen is fantastic. Definitely an everyday carry because I can use Baystate Blue without having to worry about ink stains.
Hi DB! Very interesting choices! Can't really complain, as I have at least some of them myself, and totally agree! Thanks for sharing your choices for 2024! Have a Happy New Year!
Very nice video. You are fortunate to be able to repair your own fountain pens. Thank you again.
RS. Canada
My favourite pen I got this year is the Lamy 2000 in Stainless steel with the Piano black Lamy Studio in second place. I also backed The Bolt Kickstarter, it is a great note pen.
In no particular order: Cypress (these are some of the most beautiful - you should look at if you haven’t already), ST DuPont D Line (smooth as silk), Carbon fifty4T (the engineer and writing is precise; quality phenomenal), TWSBI Vac700R/Opus88 (such solid pen for EDC, air travel, value).
The favourite pen I got this year was a Waterman W2, followed closely by a Burnham B49, and the Kaweco Piston Sport.
But 2024 was a fantastic year for new pens! I'm saving for the Asvine J16, but I've seen a lot of good design and production quality over the last 12 months.
Well romping through your best in show has been a boatload of fun for me. I love that you’re all over the place, from vintage to industrial and high-end to low. So am I, but I’m only 2 months old in pen-years so I enjoy you a little extra 😉. I cannot figure out why fp’s dry up and get persnickety if you take a 10 sec pause while writing - but somehow the clickers don’t dry up even w/out a cap. I am confuddled. That said, please do a video on your carry cases? I loved your little two-pen case especially!
I knew I should’ve searched for pen cases before making requests the second I hit post. Off to shop.
Interesting pick.. I acquired a few gold nib pens this year. Fav is Aurora Optima, special edition.. 14 k nib, I think it is an Extra Fine..
Thanks for your reviews and wishing you Happy Holidays! Wish you can try out next year some Pens from India and the Philippines especially Kanwrite and Kasama. PS also, the Hongdian M2 which is getting popular😊
What's the top black pen at 15:23?
Heres the review
ruclips.net/video/1N96lJyg-ys/видео.html
Ensso bolt, Lamy2k, and v200 are my clear winners for the year. The 2k was new to me. Honorable mention to the p126.
This was also my year of Pelikans. Got the M1000 Renaissance Brown, M800 Green Demo, M605 Black Tortoise, and I have a M400 from the early/mid 90's with an Oblique Medium on it's way (used your video of your M400 Brown as a guide post :-) ). Now hunting for an that OBB, gonna be patient
Don't pull the trigger unless its the pen you want. Something I've learned over time. It may take a while, but like you acknowledge.... be patient. You'll be happy you were. Happy Hunting :)
My top pen out of this collection is that blue Pelikan. I got turned on to them because of this channel and hope that I'm lucky enough to earn one. As for my own collection, it's still my Vanishing Point. It's just so easy to grab and take notes wherever I am. It's hard not to reach for it 🤷🏻♂️
I have my vintage capless with me today! Its a great pen
My first Esterbrook is coming today. It is the jurassic piston button one.
I liked the ensso bolt, the seal ended up stiffening and breaking. Not a good experience.
My best pens in my collection as follows -
Click Aristocrat ( FPR Darjeeling for foreigners, and I suggest you to review it)
Pilot VP, modern and Vintage
Indigraph Fountain pen ( review this too pls )
Waiting for my Lamy 2000 to arrive
my most favorite pen? im a classic so of course its the montblanc meisterstruck x149 with the Fine tip ✨✨
anyways day 4 of saying
As always a great review!
Classic pen
What was the blue case in the beginning? I’m curious to know because I have some expensive pens but I don’t know where to put them 😅
@DequiriusQuingle I had two blue caws. One is the Esterbrook Nook. I don't think the blue is available anymore. The other is this one
s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mMNCGX1
Ok thank you 🙂
Back to the land estie is my absolute fave, it writes so nicely!
Only pen I bought this year is the Kaweco Sport with a medium nib, which was severely draggy, I've smoothed it a bit and now it's quite nice.
My most used pens this year
1) 1970s Pilot Elite with the script nib, pretty much used daily.
2) Sheaffer Imperial II Touchdown
3) Kaweco Sport in Mellow Blue
4) Hero 616
Vintage elite is one of my favorites,
@@Doodlebud mine has an 18k script nib. From what I can find the script nib was designed for comfort during long writing sessions, made with stenographers in mind. Has a bit of flex and a little line variation, nice bounce for a small nib
My favorite pens that I acquired in 2024, include: Asvine J16, Admok M800, Asvine V200 Matte Black, HongDian M2, and a Lamy 2000. My biggest disappointment was the Nahvalur Schuylkill, because the trim ring under the piston know comes loose from the body of the pen every time the piston knob is operated. My second and last Nahvalur, since both pens were disappointments.
That was the largest number of 10 pens I've ever seen! 😅
I've gotten a bunch of Asvine V126 & fill them with shimmer ink. Diamine Glacier with a medium nib is dynamite. Hardly ever have a problem with them. Love the way the Admock m800 looks & writes so have about 5 of those. Funny that the schmidt nib on them is so dreamy but I've hated every single one on my Benu pens & changed them to TWSBI or Jinhao nibs. I've gotten a handful of Benu pens that are so gorgeous to look at. My favorite is the Euphoria Rose Tea exclusive from Goulet Pens paired with Noodler's Cactus Fruit. It gets me right in the heart.💜
I had it on track for 10 Pens, then I pulled out my PELIKANS!
Mine was asvine v126
Dood, I picked up a 1975 Pilot Elite, F, (OMG), a new Lamy 2k, yes the fan club is correct, and a Visconti HS from Goulet, (Bacus cursive italic nib). On the hunt for Pelikans now…😅
Nice selection!
i loooove your Pelikan collection i own a M400 and hopefully some day i can get a M800 or M1000, beautiful
Funny that you mentioned your M805 being a bit off, fits my experience as well. I have the same blue-striped one with an EF nib, and while it was kind of OK out of the box, it was always a bit dry (especially on upstrokes), with feedback bordering on scratchiness in all directions. After watching some videos and practicing on a few cheap Chinese pens, I mustered the courage do do some work on it with 10000 grit sandpaper. After only a few minutes of polishing the tip and widening the tynes (testing after each step) I suddenly hit a "phase transition", and the nib started writing broader, wetter and MUCH smoother. Now it is perfect. It seems that not all M800/805 EF nibs are tuned properly - mine was obviously too tight, and I can only assume that the writing surface of the tip was too small for the size of the tipping material (which is pretty big for an EF, as modern Pelikans usually go).
Thank you for making such excellent content! Two of my favorite pen acquisitions this year were entirely due to reviews of yours. Neither were pens I’d have been aware of otherwise, and both are fantastic writers that fill specific roles for me.
The first is the Eureka Dodecagon in ULTEM, not a daily carry due to the lack of a pocket clip, but a fantastic journaling pen for me (and one I can safely put that gorgeous Baystate Blue in without worrying about leaving permanent stains). The second is the Namisu Nova Pocket in Ti, the perfect size to keep in the center console of my car (though we’ll have to see how well those SI short cartridges hold up to the subzero temps this winter in Vermont).
Keep up the great content-I look forward to seeing what the next year will bring! Sending best wishes for a joyous holiday season and a happy new year to you and your family.
Happily I got another bottle of Baystate Blue for Xmas. I felt incomplete without it.
Glad you enjoyed the reviews and that I could help with your pen acquisitions
Out of all the pens I have, my Pelikan 400nn is my absolute favourite
Writes beautifully with it's semi flex nib and has loads of character, also have the original 400 and the 400n both in tortoise shell and green striped.
@@darkoz1692 They are fantastic pens. Vintage Pelikan is peak Pelikan!
@Doodlebud - I've got the vintage pen (Doodle) bug lately, have a Waterman 92 and a Mabie Todd Swan coming soon, both are supposed to be very flexible writers.
I also get what you mean about the Pelikan M800, beautiful smooth writer but it has no character.
Year of the Stripes. I generally don't care for gold but that second pen! Oh, my.
Yeah it's a serious looker
Thank you for another year of content, I’m looking forward to what 2025 will bring!
That being said, you really had to go an show the Bolt in brass, didn’t you? 🤣
I’ve had it opened in my browser for close to two weeks now, debating whether (the positives) looks and weight will outweigh the (for me) bad smell brass leaves on my fingers. Never liked that, neither from machining it or from working with copper wire all day. But now that I’ve seen it in your hand, it just looks amazing…
Damn it, Doodlebuuuud! 😂 I’ll probably get it now for my work notebook…
Yes, I've resisted the Bolt so far, but it looks great in brass!
Lol its really nice. The bolt has a smoother action because of the brass as well.
@@Doodlebud yeah I bought it now. Your video seems to have had an impact on sales again, numbers went steadily down for the brass pen over the past week but after your video dropped stock went down immediately :)
@@BossPenguin oh damn!
That's a tough call for me. It was another year of splurge-not my biggest year, but north of 100 pens. Starting with the Chinese pens, I was impressed by the V200 (I purchased multiple to experiment with frankenpen/nib swaps). I also liked the Moonmann P139 with its #8 nib and the Admok M800 with its Schmidt nib (though I turned a broad into an oblique).
Inda: I was also very impressed by the Mag650, which I like more than the Mag600.
Europe: Germany I bought a bunch of Montblanc series 200 with various nibs, and I love them, They may amongst my preferred of the year and they'recheap (relatively speaking). Then Italy, I splurged in Visconti with 15 this year, my favorite is the Jacques de Molay which is quite unique, then there is the Medici, and the Divina Desert Spring; Also a shutout for the Visconti Voyager SE by figboot. Gorgeous and wonderful writers. Turkey: There was also a bunch of Kilks this year, maybe my favorite being The Celestial (but they are all great and beautiful writers).
US: I'm the same as you about the Ensso bolt (I bought one for my daughter, who loves it, too), and I'm quite endeared by the new brass version.
Back to Asia: Taiwan with Mr. Cypress; challenging to choose out of the 4, but the Eggshell-E09 is my fav. A shutout for another very nice Taiwanese brand I discovered this year with the Laban 325, an excellent pen. Finally, Japan with a Sailor King of Pen in ebonite, a Pilot Custom 845 Urushi complementing my Custom Urushi, and a Falcon metal with a Spencerian grind by nibs.com
It's been a great year, and I think (I know) that I will calm down, stop accumulating, and enjoy more.
I'd be curious to hear about your fav' inks.
Quite a year indeed! You picked up something from just about everywhere!
@@Doodlebud Given that most of my Visconti came from Australia, this is indeed true 😄
Doodle you have the best videos love seeing them
@@zachspencer9230 thanks 👍
Nice video! Was that a red Duofold that popped up in your pen case? Looking forward to the review of that one. Enjoy the holidays!
Yup review will be coming
Bought the Ensso bolt in titanium (22 g) and loved it so much I bought it in brass (33g).
Unfortunately I could never get it to seal for me and after I tried everything, I put it away. I'm glad it's working for you, it's a great pen when it works.
@samfedorka5629 yours should have arrived with spare seals, the cone is two pieces that hold the seal, try that
Hi DB - just wondering about your favorite pen case link. You linked a Contacts Family case but it doesn't seem to be their "Official Store" one. It might be a duplicate/scam account - unless of course you've ordered and received things from it which is great. It only has 110 followers compared to the Official Store's 75k followers. Just an FYI in case you need to update your link.
Very nice, Mr. Doodlebud
I can leave both of my Aurora's uncapped for 10 minutes and they write every time. Wonderfully tuned nibs, or at least mine are. I got a lot of great pens this year... M1000 Renaissance Brown, Aurora 88 Ebonite Cognac, Montblanc 146 Centennial, Aurora Internazionale, Magna Carta Mag 650, Visconti Homo Sapiens, Vintage Pelikans (140 and 400NN, 580 Celebry), Vintage Parker 51. I mean just some heavy hitters. I love them all to be honest. The softness out of the vintage Pelikan nibs are something I didn't expect, The Mag 650... that pen along with my Visconti Homo Sapiens blew me away. The Auroras are very good writers and look sharp. Montblanc is a solid pen as usual. The Parker 51 was probably my only kind of disappointment. Nib is super dry and I've tried flossing it. I still like the pen and use to for work here and there because it works very well there as dry as it is and snap cap. Just wish it was a bit more wet. Awesome recap Doodlebud!
The parker 51 hood threads are usually held on by shellac, so it'll come off with careful application of heat. That'll give you access to the feed and breather tube, which can get clogged up with dried ink over the years.
@@milchpuder Thanks a lot! I bought it from Brian at Anderson pen's and I think he went over it and put a new sac and checked and cleaned all of that, but I could be wrong. I might try taking it off eventually and seeing what the feed and breather tube look like. I know you can take some guitar string and put it through the breather tube to help clean it.
I bought quite a lot of really nice pens in '24 - Aurora Sole Mio, Pilot Myu in Medium, I finally received my Russ pen in Ebonite, and another hand turned from Giants in Emerald Koi. The Hongdian C1 is a fun cheap pen ..
But honestly, my favourite of the bunch right now is my Hongdian A7 in green stabilized wood; it's just So pretty and nice in the hand. I'm sorry to see it discontinued, but maybe they'll bring it back in some form (o:
And hey Doodlebud?
Thanks for making these; your soothing voice and detail oriented reviews have carried me over many a crisis, large or small, over the last couple years. Long may you keep creating them
Never knew my videos would be more than just some guy talking about a pen but happy to hear they helped you out 👍
Lovely lineup of pens
I think I'm officially a Pelikan fanboy now!
@Doodlebud it happens. I haven't had mine inked up in over a year now. I should probably get one out soon.
Mine would have to be in no order:
Asvine V126
Wing Sung 630
Pilot Prera
great collection
Top pens? Pelikan 400, brown stripe, gold nib, matching pencil in the leather-covered case GRAIL; Esterbrook with all the trimmings (thank you, Doodlebud); Narwhal Matira Quartz (thank you Joe Crace aka The Gentleman Stationer); glow-in-the-dark pen from Mr. Samad,; slender white metal MontBlanc (thank you, Alexander Peter Hoffmann); several Levenger True Writers in the "elements" series; Ohto Dude (thank you, Jim); terrifically cute Jinhao shark (thank you Lisa from Olive Octopus); Magna Carta "Denim"....that's more than ten.
Great line up!
Hey DB. I thought James Bond might have made it (was that this year? -not my tsste though).
My favourite pen purchase this year was a Shibui North Dragonfly. It's a soectacularly well machined and wonderfully comfortable pen from Ruth Bolton. I'm not sure she is still making them as she only seems to be offering the Pocket Fox that you reviewed.
Looking forward to seeing some more great pens in 2025!
The James Bond Pen was from last year. I have a blank pocket fox that I'm planning an engraving for 😉
Looking forward to that! I wonder how Ruth gets the engraving to meet up perfectly around a barrel/ section that has a variable diameter. I suppose you just plan it per degree of rotation and the design scales with diameter? Maybe you can explain it all!
1. Aurora 88 Gold for the win.Oh, oh, oh, Au!
2. Only pen of note I got this year is my King of Pen. Now I want to sell all my others and buy more Kings of Pen.
You're officially a Sailor fanboy just as I'm now a Pelikan fanboy
@@Doodlebud Will you get any more? I might.
@@ichirofakename Oh I already have the next one on my list LOL. Need to get a Sailor at some pint though
after watching this video, I ordered a brass ensso bolt in EF, if I didn't like the nib, do you know where to get a replacement F or M?
ensso doesn't sell them :')
I wonder if the gold nibs from Sailor from the vanishing point would fit
Fantastic!
I got the hammered P136 which I've added a hammered nib to, and I love it. If there is indeed a hammered version of the J16 I'll need to track one down. I'm a big sucker for hammered pens 😍
I think my favourite from this year was the stupidly large Kanwrite Mammoth with its #9 nib. It's incredibly comfortable to hold & writes so smoothly. They came out with a clipless flat-end version called the Mammoth X a couple months ago which I plan on grabbing soon. Close runner-up is last years Nahvalur 365 Obsidian Pumpkin which I was able to pick up in March, with its hammered sterling silver body & orange/grey/white resin felt like it was made specifically for me 😆
A bunch of people mentioned that kanwrite pen. I might have to check it out
What case is that blue magnetic one? :) Great list as always, DB! :)
@@bellasaward8330 heres the store
s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_m0yv73H
Well, Now I'm gonna have to add an Estie to my Three Kings Letter!!!
I was hoping to see a diplomat viper on the list.
Don't have one so it couldn't be on the list
I bought the Hongdian C1 as my first fountain pen from your recommendation. I grew out of it due to the weight and the EF nib didn't give enough feedback. Still a great pen though, love the channel!
Wish you would’ve done writing samples w each. 😣
I have full reviews of each pen so you can learn about them and see writing samples for each
Can anyone identify what pen cases he is using? Particularly the one he used for holding his Pelikans?
@@bakubaymon here it is
s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_msGNWhZ
@Doodlebud Thank you for replying!
For me it was:
MaJohn P139
Conklin All American Demonstrator
OPUS 88 Harmony
I just received for Christmas a Kanwrite Monmouth X. Fingers are crossed thatit will perform excellently and that #9 nib is visually intriguing for its size.
Asvine V200 piston rubber is super low quality. I had Pelikan 4001 blue black iron gall ink in my V200 only for six days and the rubber got corroded by the ink. I didn't even know that this could happen. Very dissapointed.
Knowing that there is a Pen company called Platypus, Am I the only one that is hoping that they have and if not hoping that they make a Perry the Platypus Edition fountain pen? LOL
You've got the Aurora 88, now get the lighter and cigarette case and you'll finally be able to kill James Bond!
I love the look and style of fountain pens, but I could never use one myself (my draftsman's hands want to hold the pen at too high an angle). Great video. :)
I only own 1 pen, but I love looking at pens that cost hundreds of dollars, knowing that I can't afford it
Please, stop saying about companies “copying”….there are a number of companies with triangular pens, for example Lalex, Visconti….they are very similar models (my favourite is Lalex). And when Lamy created the 2000 model, a number of companies like Aurora or Pelikan produced very similar models. The Pilot elite pocket pen is very similar to others by platinum or sailor. Thinking that it’s just the chinese companies that do the “copying” is sort of snob.
The other pens you mentioned are similar. This pen is almost a 1:1 copy of the Omas 360. Some pens on the market like the Majohn A1 can swap parts with the Pilot Vanishing Point. This isn't exclusive to just Chinese companies, but they do seem to produce the most pens which are almost indiscernible from other very popular models on the market.
Fun reading the comments - Chinese makers have become seious competitors.
Yup, they have upped their game big time
Love it @Doodlebud!