Best and Worst Fountain Pens of 2023 

Hi Rob, great video. I am glad that I'm not the only one who likes the Lamy Studio and the Parker 45. Those are two of my EDC. I also have a Lamy Aion, which I also like. I like your choice of pens this year. :) Thanks for sharing.

Hi Rob. Great video! I managed to get a Lamy 2000 before the price hike. I have to agree, it's a superb pen and one I have used all year. I have the medium nib and it's excellent. Also, I have really enjoyed using my TWSBI Eco (glow green version) with the EF nib. Unlike many Chinese EF nibs the TWSBI EF is smooth and has great ink flow. When the Jinhao 82 mania started I decided to get the dark blue one with sparkles and gold clip/cap band. I have to confess I've never even inked it up yet! It looks nice but a bit on the small side for me. You seem to have a lot of Lamy pens in your 'Best of 2023' and, although I have two Safari's and a Studio, it's always the 2000 that I turn to.

Great vid, Rob. I love the Parker 45. My favourite pen by a mile. All the best and a Happy New Year. 🎉

Agree 100% on the Lamy 2000 ! One of my favorites with the Pilot Custom 823 in my #1 position. Happy New Year from across the pond !!!

Thanks for sharing your favourite pen collection from 2023. I also bought a Lamy 200 this year (after seeing your YT recommendation). It’s my EDC along with my Twisbi Eco in Cerulean- which oddly burps out ink occasionally!

how fun, I've been waiting for this one !!

I recently got a Lamy Studio and at first glance I am a little disappointed, but I will give it a while.

I have the 82. I agree with you. It is not the pen that I expect from Jinhao who has made some great pens recently. I would recommend the 9019. It's a great pen, holds a lot of ink and the #8 nib is smooth. The M200 is a great pen. I do wish they offered steel nibs for other Souveran models but was told by Pelikan it will never happen. I want to get the Parker 45. To me it is as good of a pen as the 51. I have the Conklin Duragraph in Titanium which I love. I would suggest the Conklin 1898 Misto for your collection. What a stunning pen! The Benu Talisman Dragon's Blood is my model. Gorgeous pen and I use it as an eyedropper. I would also recommend the Hong Dian D1. Nice weight and has a soft nib. Happy New Year Rob

This year, I've only bought a few pens, with 3 standing out, for me. And all are vintage. Ish. 😁 First is a first two years production Wahl-Eversharp Skyline. Basic black, not the most expensive, new. How do I know it's the first two years? They're the ones that have an ink window. Means this is more delicate, as the plastic was brittle. And this was solid enough to get restored and writing again, easily 🎉 Second was another Wahl-Eversharp Skyline, but the second generation, so less fragile. Looked awful in the eBay pictures. Gold filled trim looked shot (it was all dark brown.) Plastic (these were the first pens, far as I know, to use PVC) and the celluloid cap looked pitted and chewed up. But, I have several, so I got it originally for parts. Wahl-Eversharp made the nicest gold nibs I've used, and certain bits of the lever/pressure bar assembly are just not available in replacement parts, so you have to harvest from the worn out ones. I was in for a surprise. Got it in the mail, and decided to try a foam jewelry polishing pad I've used for a while for polishing metal and celluloid bits. Gold bits cleaned up like new. Second pad, for the cap and barrel, and the scratches and chewed bits turned out to be just built up hand grime and dust buildup from rattling around in a drawer. All cleaned up, with a new ink sac, I basically have a new one. My third was my first dip into Japan. I got a black Platinum pocket pen (Platinum and Sailor made them before the Pilot Elite/E95s) from the early 1970s. Lovely little fine, perfect for dropping in my pocket. And it's my first cartridge only one.

It's nice to hear/see different opinions about fountain pens than out own. Having initiated my fountain pen trip with a Waterman Phileas Kultur almost 3 decades ago I usually don't go with the flow. The Lamy 2k was not even on my wish list but I was able to buy one a few months ago at almost half the price due to a sprung out M nib which I fixed in no time, after that I don't find the infamous sweet spot anywhere, it writes with no issue at any angle but it has two major issues for me: it's too wet and too broad, for me EF and F nibs are the way to go, so until it can go to the nibmeister to unleash its true potential it's just another pen for me. As for the Jinhao 92 and 80 I think the opposite, the 80 is a really bad copy of the 2k but the 92 is a tremendous copy of the Pro Gear Slim (I have both), unfortunately it's too tiny for me, I truly hope they release a normal Pro Gear size in the near future. About the Aion, aren't you annoyed of the rattling cap issue? Mine drives me nuts, it's an inexcusable design flaw for such a nice pen.

Jinhao 82 nibs have been mostly dreadful. But I've swapped in Nemosine #5 nibs, and they write beautifully.

Sad to hear that you experience hard starts with your GvFC Magnum … I also own one with a M nib and I‘ve never had a hard start with it, even after not using it for weeks.

Happy New Year

I really love the TWSBI stub nib, and love love Benu pens

I love my two 82's with fude nibs. Work great, cheap.

Thank you! Interesting evaluations. As for Benu. Really over-decorated. Not my taste at all.