welcome back the resentments because
that in today's video we discussed the
five best mid-range fountain pens in the
hundred dollar two three in a dollar
price range
[Music]
these fountain pens are for people who
want to graduate from a pilot
metropolitan or Lamy Safari level to
something a little more sophisticated
and elegant if you haven't already done
so we have our fountain pen videos such
as the budget fountain pen guide as well
as fountain pen mistakes and whether a
mobile oh my stroke is worth it or not
if you're new to 'the elements you'll
notice that there is its own terminology
and you can learn more about it in this
video here now without further ado let's
talk about the fountain pens the first
one is the pilot capless also known as
pilot vanishing point usually priced
around one hundred and twenty two
hundred fifty dollars it is an
affordable pen with a design that is
very unique and came out in 1964 so it
has some of the mid-century modern touch
to it it almost looks like a ballpoint
pen because it has a retractable nib and
so it's very handy for people who have
to take notes quickly and don't have the
time to remove or untwist cap however
all the mechanics of the pen feel like
quality the design is well thought
through and the camp prevents the nib
from trying out so you can just start
writing once you hit that tip for this
video we purchased a pilot décimo which
is a slightly narrower and lighter
weight model that comes in different
colors personally and what a huge
shredder the lightweight however for
people who have to write a lot and don't
want something having their pocket i
think it's an ideal companion dependent
can take cartridges or a converter it
comes with a converter that has three
little metal bolts inside and they're
supposed to help break the surface
tension of the ink so you actually can
write with a full tank of ink and you
don't waste anything it's stuck at a
point where it can't get through the nib
the rather small 18 karat gold nib comes
in fine board and medium widths you can
see there's some line vibration due to
the fact that it's a very slim nib but
overall it's okay and it does a job to
be honest when I look at this pilot pen
it feels a little cheap because it has
this lacquered finish it almost looks
like a bit of a metallic paint which is
typically something I expect from a
five-dollar pen not from $120 writing
piece I like with a ballpoint pen the
clip actually has to be on the side of
the nib because you want to store it
upwards
otherwise you may leak ink onto your
shirt or your jacket when you move
quickly because of that the clip is in
the way when you write and you can
always feel it and it's not something I
particularly enjoy
overall the pilot capless is a smooth
writer with a steady influx you probably
won't write a long letter with it it is
made in Japan and three years guaranteed
against mechanical failures so who is
this fountain pen for I think it's a
perfect thing for people who just want
to upgrade from a ballpoint pen we're
used to the convenience but want a
slightly more unique look to the way
they write but not sacrifice any of the
practical aspects of a ballpoint pen
it's also fantastic for people who are
non conformists and want a fountain pen
that doesn't look like anything else out
there I think it's perfect for doctors
or other people have to take lots of
notes quickly and have to move on and
they don't have a time to remove the cap
or keep it and so that would come in
very handy with a pilot catalyst next up
is the Waterman Calvin fountain pen
which retails anywhere from $120 to $300
for the more
all-metal versions Waterman as a brand
was very popular in the nineteen
hundreds and vintage pens a very
sought-after Luis Edson Waterman
invented the capillary feat fountain pen
which is what most pens use today
now generally on modern Waterman
fountain pens are not necessarily a
great collector's item this one is
usually quite popular first of all it
comes in a wide variety of designs in
different colors and options it features
a pop top cap and a hinged clip which
both work quite well I also really like
to post a cap on the back of the
fountain pen it creates a nice balance
and a solid weight compared to the pile
of catalyst it's noticeably heavier
takes standard cartridges or a converter
and has a
18 karat gold nib to Despard the
streamlined design it is very unique to
this fountain pen it has a good ink flow
though it runs a bit drier than other
pens and the lines are quite smooth and
simple sometimes it may take a few
strokes to warm up
I like the lacquered brass body which is
not as cheap looking as the pilot
capless and overall it's quite a bit
heavier to me it feels more like a
quality pen and here we got a two-tone
version with black silver and gold the
cap is silver plated brass and has a
line gear which is quite elegant and
something you may be familiar with from
let's say a masterstroke one for he says
despite those minor similarities the
watermen is distinctly different because
the back piece at the fountain pen as
well as the front nib look very unique
men in France the Waterman Canon comes
with a three year warranty that can be
extended to five years if you register
the fountain pen so who is the water man
Kevin for I think it's a good choice for
people who want a unique streamlined
design and appreciate a slightly heavier
pen I think it's great for modern-day
businessmen who prefer slim fit suits
and want something that is not as old
and classic as the multiple Meister
check for example but something that's a
little more unique that also doesn't
break the bank next up is alarming mm
fountain pen which usually retails
anywhere between hundred forty and one
hundred and seventy dollars to me it
looks like a durable understated mix
between a Bauhaus mid-century modern
design it doesn't come out as a surprise
it originally came out in 1966 and back
then was celebrated as a simplistic
piece of art the construction is made
out of stainless steel and polycarbonate
which is a scimitar hero you probably
know from your lightweight suitcases
however unlike this suitcases our
fountain pens this one has a matte
texture which gives you a better grip
and it also makes it less shiny and
because it's not metal or lacquer it
feels warmer when you write with it that
being said the tip is stainless steel
and it's noticeably cooler it has a nice
pop top cap that posts well on the back
of the pen and stays on while you write
the fountain pen is comfortable to hold
it has a moderate weight and is rather
well balanced the semi hooded were
hidden nib is made of 14-karat gold to
get the silver look it's platinum plated
personally another big fan of this kind
of nip design but it was very popular in
the 60s while there are several nib
widths and styles available the look of
it is rather limited you can get it in a
darker version in a lighter version and
sometimes they have limited editions
like champagne colored ones
salami 2000 writes smoothly maybe it's a
bit on the wet side it can take a little
while to find a sweet spot because if
the nib is rotated slightly it doesn't
write unlike the arrow to pens that
limey 2000 comes with a large piston
filling mechanism which I prefer to the
other mechanisms because I don't have to
untwist anything it's all contained
within the pen it also is a nice ink
window so you can always see if you're
running out shortly it also comes with a
nice spring-loaded pivoting clip which
makes is very easy to clip into your
pocket or anything else for that matter
the tapered front section of the pen
makes it come from right no matter if
you have smaller medium or larger hands
overall the llama mm provides a very
comfortable running experience paired
with an iconic design it's made in
Germany by Lambie and comes with a 2
year warranty so who's allow me 2004 I
think it works well for people who like
simplistic things such as an almost
tangential for example it's also great
if you prefer medium to lightweight
pants and not something that's super
heavy paired with a slightly grip here
shaft personally I don't like the look
in the design of the Lambie mm but I'm
not a big fan of the catalyst or the
water mint event that being said all
those three pens are great writing
instruments if you just look at the
writing aspect the next pen is a Sailor
1911 which looks very classic compared
to the previous three it comes in two
different sizes and a large one which we
have here it's usually anywhere from 200
to 280 dollars first glance it might
look very timeless classic and
understudies for you however in the
fountain pen world it looks really like
a knockoff Momoi meister stick
the screw on cap is tight and it posts
well on the back of the pen the
engraving in a pen cap it says Sailor
Japan finally 1911 which is the reason
the pen got its name even though we got
the large version it's considerably
smaller than a Mon blow message took 149
and about the size of a marble on 146
you can get it in various resin colors
and gold as well as the rhodium plated
metal parts it also comes in many nib
sizes including the rather unusual zoom
nib and you can learn more about it in
this video here while the standard size
just has a 14-karat nib the large one
has 821 katnip which is rather unusual
but the higher the gold content usually
the softer and smoother than it the
writing experience is very comfortable
smooth and the nipper adds a little bit
of bounce even though the back tip
indicates this is a piston filler it
only works with cartridges or cartridge
converters
it's comfortably use I are posted or
unposted and overall it's a very
pleasant writing experience I think the
sailors have relatively behind nibs
across all the sizes so if you want
something finer that's great if you like
something brother maybe you want to size
up its man Japan comes with a one-year
warranty so who's it for
it's ideal for people who want a classic
understated cigar design in a nice size
with high quality in a matter of 21
karat gold last but not least there's
the pilot custom heritage 823 which is
unusual in a few ways first it retails
at about around 7 th to run at $90 comes
in a big box often with an inkwell it
also has a classic cigar inspired style
but it's in general a little slimmer
also the body is made out of a semi
transparent resin which means you can
actually see the mechanics on the inside
this one comes in a smoky acrylic tone
in Japan or especially retailers you can
also find different colors unlike all
the other four contenders
this one has a vacuum filling mechanism
which personally I'm not a big fan of
but if you want to see how to fill it I
suggest to watch this video here but
wait you can find all the videos I'm
mentioning here
linked below the video the 14 karat gold
nib is large smooth and juicy possibly
it's not gonna smooth those writers out
there and personally I think the number
one reason why you should buy this pen
is the smooth nib and running experience
while many pens on its price range offer
more of an oversized grip
this one is more standard sized and
better suited to small to medium hands
of course it's also made in Japan by
pilot and I think it's perfect for
people who want a different design and a
smooth running experience you really
don't have to mind the kind of
demonstrator designed that is
semi-transparent and you also have to be
ok with a vacuum filling mechanism which
personally I'm not a big fan of so in
conclusion if you're ready to take the
plunge
and take your fountain pen game to the
next level all these five contenders
will be a noticeable step up from a Lamy
Safari or a pilot metropolitan so which
of these five pans should you choose
frankly if you like the more mid-century
modern design I think that allow me mm
is nice if you were a doctor and you
take quick notes the campus is best
you want something business appropriate
but unique the watermen Cayenne is hard
to beat for the best experience in terms
of writing I think the pile of custom
a23 is great and if you want something
that looks more like a mobile oh my
starstruck you can go with a sailor 1911
personally which fountain pen would I
choose honestly I wouldn't choose any of
them because I already have others in my
collection I probably like the Sailor
1911 designed and most however it almost
looks like a copycat after my stir stick
and I'm not a big fan of copycats so
what would I do I would probably save up
a little more money to get a pen from
the next 300 to 600 dollar price range
or I would buy something vintage in 200
to 300 ollar price range because you get
an even better value for your money that
being said it was about the running
experience alone I'd probably pick the
Sailor 1911 or the pilot custom 823 I
simply I'm not in love with any of the
designs and that's why
mainly save up in today's video wearing
a houndstooth flannel suit paired with a
red striped shirt with French cuffs for
cufflinks I'm wearing the silver
platinum pledget Monkey Fist cufflinks
from Fort Belvedere my tie is a buff
color tie with a large paisley pattern
in red white and black is also from Fort
Belvedere and you can find it in our
shop here instead of a matching vest
with this suit or stronger contrasting
one I went for a fine knit vest and a
mid round tone which softens stained her
outfit and tones down the striped
houndstooth and paisley patterns I'm
wearing otherwise my wingtip monster
shoes in a reddish brown that comes with
silver buckles so they match my
cufflinks as well as my pink hearing
which is white gold with a star sapphire
the pocket square event of linen with
red and white threats of handcrafted
linen it is hand roll in Italy with
unusual accessories which require a
particular attention to detail at skill
it picks up the red and white tones of
the shirt as well as a tie and you can
find it in our shop here for my socks I
chose a pair of solid gray socks with
clocks in red and white because that
picks up the color of the suit as well
as the shirt and the tie thus tying it
all together without being overly loud
because with a hansu suit a Paisley
taina striped shirt there are already
enough accents in this outfit
[Music]