# Fountain pen: What's the scam here?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fountain-pen-whats-the-scam-here/978979
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [January 29, 2023, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fountain-pen-whats-the-scam-here/978979 "2023-01-29T02:06:35Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)
#### Post date: [January 29, 2023, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fountain-pen-whats-the-scam-here/978979/21 "2023-01-29T16:49:43Z")
> [@Acsenray](#):
>
> I would stick with the tried-and-true classics: Parker, Cross, Sailor, Aurora, Waterman, Pilot.
I also have a Kaweco. It’s been pretty good so far.
Japanese pens are amazing: The Sailor and Pilot fountain pens I have are probably my favorite.
Chinese pens are garbage, at least the ones I have encountered.
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### Author:  [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)
#### Post date: [January 29, 2023, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fountain-pen-whats-the-scam-here/978979/22 "2023-01-29T17:32:17Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#):
>
> Well, you can’t _pack_ it without _handling_ it.
On the positive side, they are throwing in the taping and labeling for free.
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### Author:  [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)
#### Post date: [January 29, 2023, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fountain-pen-whats-the-scam-here/978979/23 "2023-01-29T19:00:03Z")
The mailing list of people who sign up for this must be worth a fortune.
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### Author:  [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2023, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fountain-pen-whats-the-scam-here/978979/24 "2023-01-30T16:21:59Z")
My EDC is a somewhat battered Lamy Studio, that retails for around $60 or so. Second one I’ve owned, in addition to a handful of Safaris. Lamy makes quality pens.
They sell converters online, but a friend who works in a doctor’s office got me a hypodermic syringe, which I use to reload the ink cartridges that came with it. Carry it around with bottles of ink in my little “works” bag.
> [@Acsenray](#):
>
> I would stick with the tried-and-true classics: Parker, Cross, Sailor, Aurora, Waterman, Pilot.
Maybe vintage Crosses. But they moved their production facilities to China, and have put out some cheap, low quality fountain pens under the Cross name. I tried one once, and the cap quickly deformed - wouldn’t post, or tightly close.
> [@Acsenray](#):
>
> Chinese pens are garbage, at least the ones I have encountered.
On the other hand, I’ve used some decent Jinhaos. Not expensive, and not high-quality, but decent pens, comparable to the Pilot Metropolitan.
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