Fountain pens are typically quite well refined, beautiful, and precious. Aesthetic refinement is at the core of their style, while technique powers the mechanism that draws the ink to the nib and produces a light, impeccable stroke on paper.
Realistically, many know fountain pens only in their poorest versions – the ones that are sold in the school isle at the supermarket. They are not beautiful, but they’re cheap, and often you regret their purchase soon after the first use.
In between, there is an entire world of underdog pens that, in our eyes, are the super-heroes of fountain pens. They are different in colour, shape, material. They reflect a variety of personalities and tastes, they are resilient, durable, have character, and affordable prices.
An example is Metropolis, the latest model from Pineider. Made of an unbreakable ultra-resin, Metropolis has bright and captivating colours and you can customize it with your initials or a drawing. In the blink of an eye, Metropolis has gone viral on social media and in reseller newsletters. We have posted about it in our April newsletter too, with a special discounted offer to our subscribers. (If you haven’t subscribed yet, do it now not to miss our exclusive offers). Metropolis is a quality pen, made by one of the most appreciated Italian pen manufacturers.
In our catalog there are many other pens like Metropolis: they do an excellent job, but they often go unnoticed. Today, we want to showcase these underdog pens, and we want to do that presenting them in superhero-like cards, divided into price tiers.
Less than 30 $
Let’s start with pens in the smaller budgets.
- Name: Kaweco Sport
- Alter ego: Sport Classic, Sport Frosted, Sport Skyline
- Superpowers: Removable clip; small when closed, standard size when open.
- Characteristics: Comfortable to handle, versatile, vintage (it was born one hundred years ago)
- Name: Cross Bailey Light
- Alter ego: —
- Superpowers: It looks like a metal pen, but it’s made of light resin instead.
- Characteristics: Classic and sleek, it’s perfect for daily use.
From 30 to 60 $
At a slightly higher price, we find some surprising pens whose characteristics and background stories are unique.
- Name: Kaweco Student
- Alter ego: —
- Superpowers: Steel nib, durability.
- Characteristics: Very popular among students in the Sixties; classic vintage line that made history.
- Name: Cross Bailey
- Alter Ego: —
- Superpowers: Made of metal, large size, balance.
- Characteristics: Lacquered in various bright colours or metal brushed.
- Name: Sheaffer 100 Series
- Alter Ego: —
- Superpowers: Ultra-durable clip, high durability.
- Characteristics: Ideal for daily writing, bright colors. Lacquered blue and chrome versions are now on special offer.
- Name: Prima Pininfarina Segno
- Alter Ego: —
- Superpowers: “Ethergraph” point, paper oxidation.
- Characteristics: It’s not a fountain pen, nor a ball-point pen, nor a pencil. It needs no ink, refill or lead. It oxidizes paper by leaving a neat and indelible mark. It leverages a technique developed by Leonardo da Vinci in the 1500’s.
Other pens with the Ethergraph point are Cuban, with the rounded shape of a Cuban cigar, and Cambiano Leonardo, inspired by Italian genius Leonardo Da Vinci and his drawings. Same superpower, different styles and personalities.
From 60 to 100 $
This is the tier with the most pen models, some of which are truly special.
- Name: Aurora Ipsilon
- Alter Ego: —
- Superpowers: Variety, adaptability
- Characteristics: An Aurora’s best-seller, available in several colours and styles (from classic to modern).
Another pen from Aurora with a youthful and playful design is Tu. With its pop colours and modern lines, Aurora Tu falls in the same price tier as Ipsilon.
- Name: Pineider Avatar UR
- Alter Ego: Pineider Avatar UR Demo
- Superpowers: Made of ultra resin; unbreakable, oil, electricity, weather, and high/low temperature resistant.
- Characteristics: Pineider’s ultra-resin is considered a superior material, even stronger than celluloid. It’s ideal for those working outdoors or on production sites. The Demo version is completely transparent or in transparent colors (amber, red, blue).
- Name: Conklin Duraflex Elements
- Alter Ego: —
- Superpowers: Omniflex nib, light weight, comfortable to handle.
- Characteristics: Marbled color, slightly translucent limited edition. Light weight and easy to handle in spite of its size.
- Name: Conklin All American
- Alter Ego: —
- Superpowers: Oversized.
- Characteristics: Larger diameter, flashy colours.
- Name: Kaweco Sport AL
- Alter Ego: —
- Superpowers: Made of anodized aluminum in different colours.
- Characteristics: Same design as Kaweco Sport, made of metal, futuristic-looking colours.
- Name: Cross Century Classic
- Alter Ego: —
- Superpowers: Chrome finishings, tapered shape, easy to handle.
- Characteristics: A Cross classic, regular size, very practical.
- Name: Cross Wanderlust
- Alter Ego: —
- Superpowers: Multi-layered lacquered metal with golden incisions.
- Characteristics: Inspired by the colours of the Earth (the blue version below portrays the colours of the Mediterranean Sea and the island of Malta).
- Name: Sheaffer Taranis
- Alter Ego: —
- Superpowers: Rounded shape designed by architect Charles Debbas.
- Characteristics: End of series on special offer, available in different colours or finishings. Lacquered metal, chrome-plated metal, satin or brushed gun-metal, with golden chrome finishings.
- Name: Sheaffer Sagaris
- Alter ego: —
- Superpowers: Made of metal, vintage style and tapered shape, sober, evergreen.
- Characteristics: End of series on special offer, available in different colours or finishings. Lacquered metal, chrome-plated metal, satin or brushed gun-metal, with golden chrome finishings.
We are sure that among our super-hero pens there are some that caught your attention. With their captivating shapes and colours, they have character, they’re durable, and they will not disappoint you!
Take advantage now: some of them just made it in the list because they’re on special offer. You will find them all in our catalog!