Top 10 Fountain Pens Under $50 

I ended up on this channel just because I felt a sudden urge to look up "figboot".

I have a Safari in my pocket almost always. Perfect place to start on a fountain pen for how easy nibs are to get and change.

@@jeremyschuh If I wasn't paranoid I'd lose one, I'd happily keep one with me! My handbag is a black hole though, so I'm kind of scared where a travelling Safari would end up!

@@QueenB-ee I was carrying a Safari yesterday with a Pilot Custom 823. I guess I think it is a good starting place because it is a pen that you aren't going to out grow. I've found that the 1.5mm stub is fun to have on my Safari and that I get just as much enjoyment from that pen as more expensive pens. I didn't feel that way with the TWSBI Eco.

@@jeremyschuh nice! I've never tried a stub nib, I guess because I tend to write fast and I'm not sure the stub would accommodate

That's such a sweet story! Thank you for sharing!

That one always makes me think of Peter draws

I checked the $50-$100 video, the Pilot Prera is there!

I was going to say Faber-Castell Loom... one of the smoothest steel nibs out there.

@@adamsteineke4661 That's in David's new video on $50 - $100 pens!

The Metro was often sold converterless back when you could get one for under $13 - back in 2017 or so.

They are lovely writers, but the plastic body is way too fragile. Most of my Sharks have broken at the threads, where the body and grip meet, because the grip is just stronger than the body, and the threads are just meh. If Jinhao upgrade the body material, charging a little more in price if need be, so they were more durable, I be happy to recommend them as an entry level pen for anyone. Both the Sharks and Swans come in a wide range of colours, and are collectable, and are comfortable to use, and have decent nibs. If you're reading this Jinhao, just do it.

I recently brought one from them just for fun, it is good, I'm not an expert but I enjoy writing we with it

Indeed. I've tried most of the pens on this list, and the P20 is better than all of them.

Are you? The Jinhao 80 and X159 aren't entry level pens. The Jinhao 80 is very new, and with a matte body that doesn't stay matte for long, and the X159 is so huge in size, it would be problematic for a beginner, but even though it's lighter than the original 159. Moonman/Majohn pens are mostly overpriced for what they are, even on Aliexpress, and Hongdian are far better than Majohn, with okay looks, reasonable quality and price, but no wow factor. And I'm surprised you didn't mention Wing Sung, Yong Sheng, or Hero. Wing Sung, for example makes some good looking vacuum filler pens, and are offering gold nibs now, with gold nib prices. However, they do a range of interesting, reasonably priced entry level pens, and some quirky collectables from their back catalogue with wraparound nibs. I'm also surprised you didn't mention that India makes some great pens, especially Ranga. And even the Dollar brand provides cheap entry-level fountain pens that are serviceable, cheap, and won't hurt your wallet for an EDC beater pen. In Chinese pen makers, Pen BBS is the most loved brand because they are well made, have a variety of finishes, materials, and designs that appeal to collectors, and have scarcity value. You can't get them on Ali Express, and they produce only short runs. Jinhao and Wing Sung after Pen BBS. Jinhao usually makes reliable pens, and they have a few designs that are popular. The Jinhao 80's plastic means it will not become a collectors pen. The finish isn't durable. Fix that, and they can call that a winner, because the finish is the only thing holding back the pen. Reviewers consider it a good writer and comfortable to use, except the plastic body loses its matte finish quite quickly if used daily. The X159 is a niche pen because of its size. So, not for beginners. We often see life as we are, not how it really is. Just a thought.

While you can find it on sale for under $50, it's typical price is slightly higher. You just might find it on the next list. 😉

@@FigbootonPens I assume the price depends on the country where you are buying. The Faber Castell Loom cost me 35 Euros about one year ago. I saw your previous list, bought it and I have to say that it has an amazing nib. Much better than the ones in more expensive pens.

@@sebastiapla The price can vary...and in the grand scheme of things, I wouldn't consider a Loom to be a "starter pen". Like I said, chances are good you will be seeing it on the next list.

Make great quality pens, with interesting designs, at affordable prices and people will buy them. Do anything but that and they won't. Ask Lanbitou, and Majohn about that.

It looks like the nib itself is blue.

I also don't share David's affection for more modern styled pens, but in his individual video reviews he does go into writing performance in quite some detail.

I frequent a number of retailers...but the Nahvalur is available at a wide number of online retailers. Fairly easy to find.

I also had a bad experience with a Safari. Actually two, both of which I tossed.

@@ichirofakename should have given it to someone for free

I second your opinion. My first fountain pen was a Lamy Safari and it wrote very dry and scratchy. It put me off fountain pens and I didn't buy another until more than a year later.

That's when you fill up the barrel of a pen with ink rather than using a converter or cartridge. It can significantly increase the ink capacity of a pen, but it's something you need to be cautious when doing. Not all pens accommodate being used as eyedroppers.

@@FigbootonPens Note also that it's often a good practice when doing an eyedropper conversion to add a ring or gasket where the barrel meets the section or grip, so ink doesn't leak all over the place. A minute amount of good-quality silicone grease on the threads helps, too. Thanks for your good discussion of several low-price pens for beginners, Dave. I'm always interested in your opinions.

Yes. The AL models are more expensive. I was just showing them as an example of some similar Kawaco.

If you wish to learn more about a certain pen, David has reviews on many of them also available on his channel that go into far more detail than this video could reasonably withstand. Should you be curious about one that he has not reviewed, I'm sure you could find information about it from alternative sources. This video is to showcase a selection of pens within a certain price range, to reassure and inform newbie pen collectors that what they're looking into is worth the price. This is not a thorough and exhaustive review, nor does it claim to be. Being needlessly catty will not change that.

@@ellaisplotting I was in no way catty. Being catty is ,like the act of being passive aggressive, feigning politeness while slitting someone's throat. I was neither vague or illusive about the shortcomings of this video. I was not expecting an exhaustive review. Honest reviews of that type takes a great deal of time, effort, and expense to prepare by someone with experience and expertise. That includes trying each pen with more than one brand of ink on more than one type of paper, cleaning each pen between the different inks and again afterward. Dismantling each pen to asses the different parts would also be a part of it. I was neither looking for nor expecting anything of that sort. I did expect a sample writing from each pen with whatever ink the manufacturer provided and a synopsis of his first impression. Short and to the point. I am in no way questioning Figboot's knowledge or experience. I have no doubt he is light years ahead of anything I ever hope to be. That is why I turn to videos such as his for advice. Now the video did showcase a selection of pens within the stated price range but there was no data or information indicating that the pens were or were not worth the advertised price. Though I do agree that most of them were pretty.