$5 vs $500 fountain pen: What's the difference? 

What has my life turned into? I'm watching a guy review pens at 3am.

I love that you reviewed two pens that you have used for a long time so that your comparison is genuine.

Sounds like an advert to buy $500 worth of Duke pens. Love your channel Teoh.

I think I might start a fountain pen collection

I like your honesty, Teoh. "...were you expecting some unexpected revelation?" :-) I can't imagine spending so much on a pen... maybe $150 at most. I suppose it's like any premium product, though... it feels nice to hold and use, but there's a big psychological element in that. I agree with you... I'd be afraid to take the expensive pen anywhere.

I bought a Parker Jotter Fountain pen 1983, it was expensive (not $500 but as a student in the 1980ies it was very expensive!). Having an expensive pen makes you think about it as a tool to take care of, you write with care, it is a statement that you actually care about writing, even a simple note. 35 years later, it lies on my desk now. I have written countless pages with it. I wasn't rich then, and I bought a very expensive "luxury" pen that has been a workhorse tool for 35 years. I have never bought anything more worth it. You can buy a very decent fountain pen for a few pizzas/hamburgers, under $100 you will certainly find a pen that fits your style and hand and lasts you a lifetime, but don't hesitate to spend way more if that is what gives you your feeling of luxury and gets you writing.

Thanks for this video. I have three moderately priced ($180 to $280) fountain pens (Sailor, Pilot and Edison) and three inexpensive ones and I use one or two of them every day. Regarding the feel of writing, the expensive ones are only slightly better than the cheap ones. I suspect that the expensive ones will last longer than the cheap ones. In general the cheap ones skip sometimes whereas the expensive ones almost never do. The area in which I notice a real difference is when I put the pen down for a few minutes with the cap off; for the cheap ones I have to press hard and or shake them to get them started but the better ones almost never require this. I'm happy with all of the pens--even the cheap ones are worth having.

For me, even the 5$ is expensive

Great info on the Duke pen. I’m glad to know that the Duke works so well for drawing and for writing. I will have to get one now after watching this review. Thank you for the comparison.

I bought a Duke 209 on your recommendation a year or two ago and that was my first fountain pen. I love it and have since bought about 6 more different pens but none more expensive than my $29 Lamy Safari. They all work really well for me and I use them for writing at work and for sketching. I definitely look at function more than beauty or investment.

I would not entirely agree entirely with just the feel good factor about expensive pens, there's Alot more to it, but that also depends on useage. I'm an artist as well as a fountain pen collector, Though I don't use fountain pens for drawing for me pigma microns is like endgame 😂 I've tried Alot of stuff and nothing has been worth it as much as my pigma micron is so... But thing is, with expensive fountain pens you get different filling mechanisms, you get better nibs and even gold nibs, you get different materials and overall better build and longevity but honestly it ends at around $300 or VVVVEEERRRYYYY rarely $500 you get something new, After that you are basically paying for the feel good factor and probably the brand or the luxury of it. If you are drawing it always makes sense to get a cheaper pen because fibers get stuck in the nib, we can be harsh and it's not easy to always maintain the perfect writing angle and it can Damage the pen which is why I don't use my fountain pens for drawing. I only buy fountain pens or drawing pens. If you are writing then having s gold nib is different because it feels softer to write with and also smoother

I had a feeling they would perform the same.Thank you!

Really interesting video! It’s because of your videos that I ordered a Duke 209 Fude. It will be my first fountain pen and I’m really looking forward to drawing with it.

I was looking for a fude fountain pen. I guess I just found one. Thank you!

I was drifting to much into Yu-Gi-Oh and neglecting art when I saw this. Thank you for getting me to at least sketch. I was really doing awefully before this due to the lack of motivation. Keep it up

Sensible review. I am using fountain pens since 1956. I have used Swan, Black Bird, Doric, Waterman, Parker, Sheaffer and other- English and American pens available in the 50s when they were not unconscionably pricey. In the late 50s-early 60s , I used Japanese Pilot pens, which were then very affordable. In the 80s I got Cross, Mont Blanc. In the 50s and 60s, the pens were actually used ( and lost!) Pens like Cross and MB with their gold nibs are just for show. I have bought any number of local Indian pens and they have all been good writers. I have fitted some of them with 14/18 ct nibs and they are fine. To talk in $ terms is senseless for us, with the given currency conversion rates: a US $ is about 75 Rupees. So even $5 pen is not a really 'cheap' pen for most middle class people in India., especially for students. That is why Chinese pens like Jinhao, Baoer, Hero priced around $5 have become very popular in India. Now, local pen companies are coming out with good pens at comparable prices! We have very good plastic student pens with cartridge/converter for less than a $, which write very well- as well as Platinum Preppy- I have both and I know. India has been famous for hand made ebonite pens, with many local makers in many areas. These pens are very good and the basic ED model is still very affordable. These are actually premium pens, though not glamorous. Fit a Jowo , Schmidt or Bock nib- they write as well as any $500 pen. The oldest ebonite pen with me is 30 years old. I still use it. Of course there is quality , workmanship, material in costlier pens. But beyond a point, it is all show business- mere brand name and image..[ Higher price is also a reflection of the higher cost of living in the countries where they are made, and is not necessarily indicative of much superior quality.] The higher the price, the more exclusive and limited the club of owners. This may give a psychological fillip to some people, but that is all about such pens. Some Japanese pens are of exceptional beauty and workmanship and they are really collectors' items. It is good that the really rich ( or the nouveau rich) spend such vast sums on such works of art, so that the arts and artists won't suffer! For most of us what really matters is a pen that writes well, which we can carry around without fear of loss. The $5 pen meets the test. So your review is good.

Interesting video, as always Teoh. Pens are my passion, but the price always keeps me a little when I want a "high-end"one. On the other hand, I often get pleasure with a very cheap pen whose quality is also good. But the look, the opportunity, and the use guide me sometimes. Thank you !

Thanks for your review. I appreciate your honesty. I will never spend so much money for a pen in my life. I have an old Lamy Safari and asked a Sailor de Mannen Fude nib fountainpen (the cheap green one) for Xmas. That's all I need for a while ;-)

After having discovered in a storage box of mine a Sheaffer 800 "Dolphin Imperial" 1962-1964 pen of mine that I either bought or was given way back then but lost track of, I became interested again in fountain pens. About pens holding their value, I see that on eBay my pen which then cost about $8 now goes for about $60-80. I was so charmed with how well that pen writes that naturally I began cruising eBay to investigate old, fine pens. Consequently I impulse bought a Monteblanc Noblesse, which has a chip missing from the enamel, for $57. It was just a matter of the very elegant style. It does write like a charm. I have no regrets, even though I knew that inexpensive pens can work as well, but I have to now ban myself from eBay. About the nibs, gold vs. stainless steel, I have read that all of these pens have a bead of hard metal welded on the end, to make the point. Sometimes it's platinum-iridium. That would mean that the gold is irrelevant, just decorative.

I agree completely. In reviews it seems there is more trouble found with expensive pens, and the materials are often the same. I recently bought a Delike Alpha Traveller (brass) for $15 with a smooth Schmidt nib and glass converter. There are many more pleasant surprises than disappointments. I'll be giving the Duke 209 a look as well.

Great and useful commentary! Thank you!

Proud to see a fellow singaporean being good at youtube hats off for your effort man.👍👍

I'm glad you said there're nearly no differences practically for the 2 pens because i always prefer to buy something cheap which produce a good result I think. As you spoke, there's no definite answer for the choice. aside from the similar line they can produce, the craftsmanship and the appearance of a thing you appreciate worth the money also, although it's hard to define how much it should be.

Thanks so much for this video. I am switching from ballpoint to fountain pen and have been very confused about what to buy. THANKS!!!

Great video! I have the cheap Sailor green one. Very pleased with it!

I bought a fountain pen once. I lent it to my friend from another class who had forgotten to bring his pen and when I went to collect it from him during break I found him playing pen fight with it. Said it's weight really gave him an advantage. He still thinks he broke it that day (it works fine :P) and he bought me expensive pencils all week. Wth I wanted to say was Nice video! Don't lend that pen out to your friends XD

Wow awesome review !

It was really nice to see this. I thought my less expensive pens wrote very well, that maybe I just wasn't experienced or skilled enough to be able to tell the difference... It's nice to know I don't need to invest a ton of money to get a pen that writes really nicely.

I told my mum i like drawing so she bought me isograph set with inks and a 14 ct gold fountain tip set, your videos are helping alot thanks

I'm still in love with my MoonMan pen. Aaah sweet.

Such a good video. It’s totally ok to buy both, just get what you can and start.

Amazing video, that really makes me want to go on amazon and get a pen with a nib like that! I have the problem that I am scared to take my expensive pens out to Uni in case I forget my pen case, my bag gets stolen while I am at the main train station etc. even tho my most expensive one is in comparison “only” 150€. I take my 40-50€ pens as well as my 5€ pens with me, my pen of choice is either the Lamy studio or a good working kaweco,and I found myself enjoying the middle-price category the most!

Hi Teoh! Only for sketching purposes, what fountain pen would you recommend for a lefty? Thanks, keep the videos coming :D

I actually just ordered a fude nib fountain pen on Amazon. But the Duke 209 is 18€ here, which is 20 US dollars. Nevertheless, I am very much looking forward to it! I watched your other video of the fude nib pens for a reference. And I as well ordered the sailor (the green one with the 55degree angle of the nib, although you didn’t like it too much, but Anne-Laure does. And that, in fact, was 7€ (8dollars) on german Amazon. A 500$ pen is definitely far off my possibilities. I also love Lamy. Great video!!! Thank you!!!

Absolutely great video. Thank you.

Good review for just writing a line. But, when you write the Chinese/Japanese characters, it makes a significant different. Because of different length of bent, also a different angle. Overall, for writing either Chinese/Japanese, I still prefer to use Sailor (good stainless pen is around US$10- from them) with very good ink flow. I bought the Baoer 388, it's cost $1.95- (now gets cheaper). It depends on a budget. Unless you are looking for gold Nib, these doesn't make much different these days.

Very fair and honest account of two pens that differ in price, not function and performance.

Really interesting video.. I’ve fallen in love with fountain pens and is just so amazing what is out there, to buy, and experience.. I am enjoying a LAMY Safari and pilot metro .. but when I look at these exquisite pens ( Visconti, etc) it is so tempting .. but you’re exactly right about the “ feel good” value . People ( including myself) are very seduced by that “luxurious “ feel of owning and using a more expensive fountain pen.. I’m fighting the temptation, as I just cannot justify buying such a high priced pen with my budget ... I also think that when we buy something so expensive, it sort of defeats the purpose( my purpose and personal goal) of getting out there and sketching !! I’d never use it outdoors and would think it too precious to really use it all the time .. thanks so much for all your informative and direct and honest videos.. I’ve learned so much from you , and have used your videos as guidance , when I’m deciding on a purchase ..

I have the Duke 209 and I can confirm that it is quite slippery. I think I'll sand mine too. As a note for future buyers, check the description because mine did not came with a converter. There's something strange with the fude nib: the flow is very wet, yet because of the paper texture, the lines are not perfectly straight (as we can see in the video for both pens). But I like it, it gives a lot of strength to the drawing I think

It's hard to describe the love of pens to someone who doesn't share the same feelings. Though I have some expensive fountain pens, I do agree that there are some needlessly expensive ones out there which I wouldn't buy. I have a $5 Scrikss fountain pen which I frequently use and it performs flawlessly. Actually even better than some expensive ones. As for very expensive ones, I am very tempted to get a S.T. Dupont Murder On The Orient Express and Orient Express Prestige Fountain Pen. I'll probably never get them, but would love to have them.

Idk why I searched "why fountain pens are expensive" ...

Great video! I guess fountain pens are like cameras. The best one is the one you use!

What a telling and useful comparison. The only expensive fountain pen that appeals to me is one with a cross music nib, because it looks like it does stuff that others don't. However the price is over 20 times my personal limit ($US 30).

Your hand was stressful when using the $ 500 pen :))) I stressed too when I touch expensive things. thanks for video

Well, i think like in Watches, you have to appreciate the craftsmanship behind a patented 21k Gold Nib vs. a "basic" steel nib. Sailor has been producing some of the most astonishing nibs in the last decades. Also, while Steel will always remain in his shape and give you the same Writing Feeling, a Naginata-Togi Nib in Gold will adapt to your writing style with the time because of the peculiarities of the nib. The Sailor Nib will feel like something that is totally yours and that has lived througout the years with you. So there is lot of things to analyze when comparing the two pens. It's like in Watches... why do some Watches cost 5'000$ and some 50$? Because the whole process behind the making of a Manufacture Movement, the Materials that are used, how careful the Details are finished, make one watch way more valuable and complicated to create than the other. Even if at the end of the day... both are going to show the time. Thanks for this review anyhow and keep up the good work.

What is your favorite fountain pen? I have a few that dry up quickly if I don't use them constantly. I like the Duke very much. thanks.

Perfect. I agree 100%. If you want a pen to write with, $5 will get you some great pens. The fude nib may mask some of the Sailor's value. If you compared Ef or F the writing may be different. But certainly not 100x better. If you need cash, you could sell the Sailor for a few hundred. The Duke not so.

Do you use waterproof ink ? If yes, do you have any issues with dried ink and flow behaviour after using the fountain pens a while ?

I just ordered a Duke fountain pen with 2 nibs - excited to try the fude nib with my landscape sketches, thanks - $37 from Amazon including some black Noodler ink

I like your drawing style. :D

I know this was made some time ago, so not expecting an answer, but I was wondering how not just the line quality but the overall feel differs between the visibly much wider and “chunkier” pen (is it actually heavier?) vs the $5 ?

I'd definetely buy a PS4 rather than a 500$ fountain pen XD Though the Duke looks interesting, might add that to my wish list. Sometimes more expensive fountain pens have more flexible nibs, but I wouldn't even try to flex a 500$ one. I don't think it matters much for a fude nib anyway since you get the line variation from the angle of the nib.

Hi Teo! What ink do you use in the Fude 209? Platinum Carbon or a soluble ink? Thanks,Nora

I would have liked if you flipped the pen over to demonstrate how thin the lines can write also

I have a 1.1 mm Lamy Joy calligraphy pen from Jetpens for $30, and love it. Edit: Why do people buy expensive things? They've either been brainwashed into accepting the "you get what you pay for" fallacy or they have enough money to not care how much it costs.

Does gold nib make difference than the stainless steel ?

I would buy the cheap one. They have about the same line quality and like you said, I would not have to worry about losing, or dropping it.

I bought a Platinum 3776 with a Soft nib so I can do some simple calligraphy and it is incredibly different from the cheap flex nibs for noodlers and such. More expensive pens do improve the writing experience but it depends on what nib you pick.

can u do a review of the mungyo watercolors? they seem to be quite popular

Bent nib isn't a problem it's a feature ~me

I got the same Duke pen as you!

I don't know about this kind of nibs. But for regular writing nibs the writing experience may definitely make a difference. The thing with the gold nibs is that they are more flexible even if its not a flex nib it can react differrently to your pressure. These are not to say that expensive pens are worth the money for everybody. Functionally you can write same text at the end of the day. They are more like luxury items like jewelry. But the build quality, material, quality assurance procedures definitely differ. Those effects the writing experience. But price mostly comes from the artistic value for most poeople. And sometimes interesting engineering gimmics like vacuum fillers. Nice review btw :)

Personally I wouldn’t pay more than 25€ for a pen especially if there is a cheap alternative like that Duke pen. I often say “Buying cheap is buying twice”, but for fountain pens I’ve found that even the cheap ones last a long time and have nice ink flow. With cameras I’ve gone the pricey route though, because in that case I will only have to replace it in about 30 years, if at all!

I'd say that sometimes the difference is in the filling system, the quality control and the durability as well as (depending on which pens you are comparing) the nib feel. I've heard horror stories of some TWISBIs breaking by being dropped on even just carpet (though that's probably more the exception than the rule) while some slightly more expensive piston fillers (the Pelikan M200 specifically) have been taken to hell and back on occasion without breaking (actually found a very interesting review about that, if you're interested). With metal bodies this isn't as big of a problem, but I still wouldn't be quite sure about the snap-caps lasting to close-to-forever period some vintage pens have, some of mine have begun getting a bit wobbly after a few years. Filling systems, well, there aren't really any cheap ones (that aren't vintage and in need or restoration) with build in filling systems and the lower end pens may be, well, pretty bad in other aspects. Nib feel won't be an issue if you get it ground by a Nibmeister, unless we're talking about flex, but flex is mainly a thing in vintage pens anyways, though some modern ones do have a bit of it, but if you don't it can be a big difference (depending on your preferences of course).

Can lefty's write with these types of pens? Asking cause the design seems to favor a right hand that drags right, not a left hand dragging right. Does that still work or no??

There are some pens that are duplicates of the really expensive "designer" type pens that I buy off ebay that I put inks that I would not ever put in an expensive one because I love the way ink flows through it.

I guess for performance you might as well get the cheap one. I got a $50 Parker many years ago, as a bday present, but it is not used for drawing, only for writing.

Nice review, as usual. I prefer inexpensive pens, almost exclusively.

Try Parker pens. I’ve got some and they’re well nice 👍

Hey Teoh! Can you please review the infinix Note 5 pro Stylus? It's a 200$ device with 4096 levels of pressure and a small 6" screen. It's marketing itself as a lite Galaxy Note 9, would love to hear your thoughts.

hi Teoh nice videos as usual ! was going to ask if you still have the sailor cross music nib ! or the cross .

A very wise signature sir

Os for The looks man! Why people buy expensive watches

Why is this 1911 so expensive, because of the fude nib? I got my 1911 Large for 1/4

I think its personal preferance but maybe a price in between, although the more expensive is going to last longer and perform better , I think quailty is probably best. unless an artist is a begenner there are budget Pens that are good too

I really like the fine smaller one, because you can probably fit it in when your out :D What do you guys prefer?

I like nice pens. But I'm like you: my nice pens rarely get out of the house. Even at home, I'm fearful of dropping some of them on my hard laminate floor. A decent, but lower cost pen is great because you don't have that fear of risk.

Some pens are works of art and I could pay for the workmanship and dedication and the enjoyment of the beauty of the pen - like Namiki Maki-e pens - if I won the lottery!!

I've bought my fountain pen for about 2$ and it works fine for me

How does the cheaper version of the sailor fude compare to the duke pen?

saludos majo , totalmente de acuerdo la comparacion de las dos plumas ,, yo tengo de los dos tipos las economicas y las costosas , y funcionan iguales

I but in Japan a cheap one from Sailor, less than 2000 Yen and I am very satisfied.

Until know, I never understood what fountain pens are, and why they have that tip design.

I used to love fountain pens! Got tired of buying ink cartridges, but I remember I would do all my math homework in ink. Maybe I'll start using them again

Many times, it just makes people feel more important to use expensive stuff, especially if they have the money to ‘blow’ on stuff like that. It’s mostly an ego thing. I honestly don’t see the big deal over the whole gold appeal. I honestly like the look of the silver one better.

The sketch is great i like it somuch

I was sad when I lost my Lamy Safari so I can't imagine losing a 500$ pen

Challenge for Teoh...compare a $5 Duke vs. a $500 fountain pen in the areas they are most used for. Writing. Just plain writing. Let's face it...most people don't use their valuable fountain pens for any kind of sketching, especially not street sketching. I do see your point, but I think it's a little self-defeating to compare the pens in an area that a $500 Sailor would almost never be used for.

Heh heh, people don’t want to know the truth. I’ve always wondered and I’m very happy to know that the drawing is equal. I couldn’t afford the expensive pen and don’t like the worry of loosing it. I have a nice Louis Vuitton purse and wallet for sale for the same reason. I like my tools to work well. I don’t care for status symbols.

im in uk rn and i went to sainsbury and i bought one that is 2 pounds and it came with 5 ink thing and its a good deal i also bought more of those ink thing for 1 pound it have 10 ink bottle thing

Do you have a "go to" pen like you do with your #6 Da vinci traveler brush? Time to do yard work.... 👍😊❤

Dang $500 for a pen I could buy a lot of Palomino pencils with that

I have 840 pens in my collection! The cheapest are Jinhoes on the bay, I have about 15 of them! The most expensive is a Visconti @ $2,300.00 that I have yet to use in the 7 years I have owned it.......I have about 20 of the Visconti’swith prices ranging from $95.00 up to that one I listed here........the nib is the 1st thing I qualify when selecting a new pen purchase. Then I look at the overall design, & finally the material the body of the pen is made with! I like my pens, thick or thin, short or tall, heavy or lite weight. I write and adapt to them all, Basically!

forget the 500$ even the 5$ is very expensive for me ...

Thnx 4 review. also thout u looked quite comfortable using $5 pen mayb' cause u know if it drops on ground itll b ok, lol. all good with the $500 pen- hav never known gold to depreciate! would only buy $5 pen. esp that theres no real difference. will fork out dollars for say, decent footwear or bakpaks, ones that dont start to fall apart after having only owned them for about a month..

All of my fountain pens are in the $15-$25 dollar range. A little bit nicer and longer lasting than cheap ones from the dollar store, but still cheap enough to justify spending that kind of money

Depending on the region different pens are cheaper than others. I would look around on ebay for second hand ones if people are looking for a first pen.

What's the ink you used here? Noodlers?

en verda he notado en las economicas hay unas que no son del todas buenas pero en su mayoria no , sobre todo para las personas que no tengan el dinero suficiente uno pude comprar varias de precios economicos y ver cuales salen buenas .

I like fountain pen they look good write good and sometimes it just feel good to be writing with one But I don't think I would ever buy such expensive pens not for myself atleast.