Beginner fountain pens (top 7)
Our most popular beginner fountain pens:
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TWSBI Eco: This #1 seller features a piston-filling mechanism, transparent barrel, and smooth-writing nib, offering value for money. Cartridge-free. Fill directly with any brand of bottled fountain pen ink.
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Pilot Kakuno: Features a smiley-face nib that indicates the correct writing orientation. It's lightweight, comfortable to hold, and offers a reliable writing experience. Compatible with Pilot cartridges or converter 70 to draw up bottled ink.
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TWSBI 580: Larger than the Eco, the 580 offers greater ink capacity, interchangeable nib units and a more comfortable grip. The 580 ALR, with aluminium details and ribbed grip, is the newest.
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SAILOR Fude 40 Degree: A low cost pen, with a bent nib for line variation, is popular for sketching with waterproof ink. Use with SAILOR Converter and DA Document ink.
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LAMY Safari: With it's sturdy build, and the wide range of available nib sizes, this is another popular choice for beginners. Compatible with Lamy cartridges or use with Z28 ink converter and bottled fountain pen ink.
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Pilot Metropolitan (or Cocoon): A metal body pen, known for its durable construction and smooth writing experience. Compatible with Pilot cartridges or use with squeeze converter included to draw up bottled ink.
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LAMY AL-Star: Similar to the Lamy Safari, but with an aluminum body. Compatible with Lamy cartridges or use with Z28 ink converter and bottled fountain pen ink.
As with any pen, your choice will depend on writing style, preference for nib size and material, budget and intended use.
For all models listed above we recommend starting with a Fine nib, except for Pilot, we recommend Medium.
We have tester pens at our Brookvale store and offer loaner fountain pens for home testing.