Every day I look at ten to twenty fountain pens either for repair, customization, or just for set up and testing for a specific customer.  

I find that there are some that stand out for me.  My preferences are toward simpler designs, but that is not to say dumb or cheap designs.  Fountain pen design has been seriously considered for at least a century and a quarter.  And there are standout pens being made today.  Each one fits into an area of performance, size, materials, and price that all come together to make a great choice.  

At the top of my list right now, with a few exceptions, are the Japanese made pens.  The companies Sailor, Pilot/Namiki, and Nakaya/Platinum are producing excellent and flawless fountain pens.  

The Sailor Realo, a recently introduced piston filled pen, is remarkable in many ways.  The nibs are consistent with Sailor's excellent quality control, although why they need to make 21K nibs when 14K does just fine is only a matter of "carat envy," as far as I can see. The piston filling system is excellent and holds considerable ink (1.5ml).  The fit and finish is as good as on a major German brand whose pens sell for twice the price. Sailor cartridge/converter models, such as the Sapporo and regular Pro Gear are an even better bargain.

The Pilot Custom 823 also ranks at the top.  Using a plunger-vacuum filling 2.2 ml system, you will have writer’s cramp before the pen is empty.  The balance is terrific, and the semi-transparent models show just how much ink is left in the barrel.  It is available only in fine, medium, and broad tip sizes.  

Speaking of transparent pens, the Platinum Motosu shows the color and remaining supply of ink through a clear barrel.  It has a patented inner cap sealing system that does not let the nib dry out for a very long time.  The limitation is the nib tip sizes, fine, medium and broad.  So if you want a specialty nib, you will have to go to a Sailor or if you are looking for standard nibs out side of the FMB range, look at Nakaya.

A special favorite of mine is the Nakaya fountain pen.  I especially like the Decapod, Neo Standard, and Deskpen models.  All of them share amazing Urushi lacquer over hard rubber caps and barrels. These are finishes that have been improved upon for the past 400 years, and it shows. The colors seem to come from within, and the surfaces are hard and durable beyond lacquer pens produced in Europe, which are usually lacquer over brass and prone to chipping.  

Nakaya pens take a standard Platinum converter or the range of Platinum cartridges.  The converter/filler holds the usual amount of ink that most converters hold. The cartridges are the best out there with a stainless steel ball which gets pushed out of the way when the cartridge is fitted into the back of the gripping section. The ball seems to assure a consistent flow of ink.  All Nakaya pens are available in a wide range of nib tip sizes, including a needlepoint that is capable of drawing blood and a true double-slit music nib, great as a juicy 1.2mm stub.  

They produce a smooth consistent line and are great for flexible customization as well as re-cutting to various italic and oblique shapes.  I am carrying a Decapod now and have flown with it on a half-dozen occasions without a problem  (I always carry it in my shirt pocket and with the nib up).  These pens were love at first sight for me.  The weight, balance and tactile properties justify the extra cost of a hand-made, hand-finished pen. 

A surprising trend has become noticeable lately in the pricing of vintage fountain pens.  Parker Vacumatic pens, made in the 1930’s and 40’s, have been sliding in value on Ebay and other pen trading sites.  I can only think this is because so many of them were made, and that because they were so well made, they are not scarce today.

These pens are almost indestructible.  With proper care, the only internal problem that may develop after decades of use is the need for a new diaphragm.  Sporting a fully exposed nib, a very stable celluloid barrel and cap, and a now-classic “Modern” design, these are truly great pens.

The clip and cap bands have a gold-filled surface, easily four times the thickness of the gold found in most gold-plated pen clips and bands made now. The Vac, as it is known today, was made available in four sizes and a number of pearlescent colors. Many feature a semi-transparent ink window that lets you know when to refill.   And those refills are not needed very often—these pens hold more ink than most pens of that time, and much more than those made today.

The solid gold nibs were superbly crafted, though it can be difficult to find any now that are not either Fine or Extra Fine. But for someone who writes a lot, a fine nib will serve very well, laying down ink in legible marks, not filling in the center of e’s or a’s. All in all, and regardless of market fluctuations, there remain many reasons why the Parker Vac is one of the most admired pens ever made.

Boarding the Whaletown Ferry to make my way to the Campbell River Airport on my way back to Los Angeles recently, I discovered that good fortune was with me.  Two friends, one an environmental sculptor and inventor, and the other a writer and soon-to-be Buddhist priest, were also waiting on the ferry.  Not only did they make room in their already full four-door for me, they also added to my understanding of what I love about Nakaya pens.  

Wabi-Sabi is a Japanese phrase that can be translated in many ways.  The word Sabiru can mean rust or patina, as in surface decay.  And while the word “decay” in our language has a negative connotation, in the case of Wabi-Sabi it is neutral or even positive.  It also has the sense of "sober refinement.” The adjective wabi shii can mean lonely and proud.  All of this was conveyed to me during a conversation about the pen that I was carrying - a Nakaya Decapod Aka-Tamenuri which I have been using for more than two years.