[oneeyedhobbit]

As the title says, I'm looking for a source for a Waterman Phileas. Preferably in the gift box with several cartridges, the blotter papers, bottle of ink, and converter. My only caveat is that I'd love to get a fine nib, while the "package" set I describe comes with medium. I found an e-tailer some time ago willing to toss in a fine nib for me, but I've since lost the address. Anyone point me to a place that sells this kit/might toss in a fine nib?

Edit: I've been doing more research, and it sounds as though the Lamy Safari/All-Star might well be a better "writing" pen. Does anyone care to comment or otherwise enlighten me on fountain pens (yes, I've searched and read the other threads)?

 

[Bob_McBob]

IMO the Pelikan M200 is a much better pen than either of those choices, but it is somewhat more expensive at around $60.

 

[oneeyedhobbit]

While I appreciate the advice, I'd like to keep the pen cost below $30. In that range, most of my research has indicated the Phileas or the Safari are the pens to get. So far, I'm leaning toward the Safari with a fine point, simply because I'm told it writes a bit better than the Phileas. I'd also need to pick up a converter, ink, and a few cartridges. This is going to be an everyday use pen, and I think it would be handy to have cartridges around in case I run the converter dry in class--I can toss the converter in my backpack and throw on a cartridge.

 

[ls20]

ive owned 6 or 7 phileas... gave away one and someone lost all of the rest. shame. its a great pen and far far superior to the safari i have now. the smoothness, heft, feel, etc. get the fine because the medium writes like a broad. lamy is junk

 

[imported_mark_r]

Have you checked levenger.com? I know they used to carry them, but don't recall what the price was. Levenger is also a good source for ink.

 

[mrarroyo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark_r Have you checked levenger.com? I know they used to carry them, but don't recall what the price was. Levenger is also a good source for ink.

You beat me to it!

Levenger is a great place to do business with.

 

[Vertigo-1]

Also look into Parkers, in particular, the Parker Frontier Flighter. Really nice pen for the price and is one of my favorite grab-and-go beaters by far.

 

[bLue_oNioN]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ls20 lamy is junk

Seriously?! I just ordered a Lamy 2000 mechanical pencil. Should I cancel my order?

 

[Bob_McBob]

There's also www.swisherpens.com and www.pengallery.com I still stand by my Pelikan recommendation ($60 is pocket change compared to what we spend on audio gear), but I would go with the Waterman if you want the cheaper pen.

 

[fjf]

I second the pelikan m200 recommendation. That is a great little pen, and can be found for less than $50 (heck, I got one for $35) in ebay:

 

[jbloudg20]

My everyday use is a Rotring Core...

 

[Scotty757]

Pilot G2 gel all the way!

 

[ls20]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bLue_oNioN Seriously?! I just ordered a Lamy 2000 mechanical pencil. Should I cancel my order?

i dont know about their pencil, but on the safari fountain, the nib always retain ink on its face, it feels scratchy even after break-in, and is just not as pleasing to write with as the waterman

 

[Vertigo-1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bLue_oNioN Seriously?! I just ordered a Lamy 2000 mechanical pencil. Should I cancel my order?

There's nothing wrong with Lamys in general...their pens are very high quality and built very well, and their pen cartridges all provide a smooth write with no blotching or blooping. The 2000 series in particular is nearly indestructible, you'd probably need a tremendous amount of force to crush the barrel, which is made out of Makrolon. If you hold the barrel between your fingers and give it a squeeze, you'll get a sense of how tough that material is. It's Lamy's most famous series by far, being...20? 30? years old now. I had the pencil myself for a time, very well built with a smooth and quiet clicker mechanism, it was a little hard to grip though since the Makrolon is a little slippery.

Lamy's nibs though do seem to be a hit or miss affair. I've had good luck with Safaris as long as I stayed with a fine (which is a European fine...writes more like a fine-medium) or greater. Extra fines were always quite scratchy and had flow problems. I've had terrible luck with 2000 nibs, and don't really understand why it's such a highly praised FP. I had a 2000 LE FP once, and 3 nib exchanges later, it still wasn't writing well, and I finally gave up on it.

 

[jjhatfield]

My two hobbies collide!

If I could suggest you head on over to the Fountain Pen Network, it is one of the friendliest, most helpful communties I've discovered on the internet. In fact, from the Marketplace forum over there, I just bought a Parker Frontier, Waterman Phileas, and Parker 45 for 55USD shipped. People there would be happy to point you to a good online retailer of Watermans; my experience in online pen purchasing is limited.

As far as I know, the Waterman Phileas starter set only comes in an M nib, but all the starter set is really is a converter, a pen, and a bunch of ink. You could just buy a Phileas F nib, a converter, and some Noodler's Ink (its the best, IMO).

I have a Phileas M Nib, and it is a beautiful writer. I also have a Lamy Safari F nib, and it is a fantastic pen, a real workhorse, but much scratchier then any of my other budget pens, which include the Waterman Phileas, Hero 100, and Parker 45. But the Safari is like a plastic tank, I think it would survive the apocalypse. If you like that bauhaus (function precedes form) look, you will love it. I liked mine so much I just recently ordered a Lamy Studio Palladium!You can also pay a little extra if you want aluminum, in the Al-Star. I have heard they are otherwise identical, I have no personal experience with Al-Stars however.

My advice to you is, again, head over to FPN and either ask for help, or just take advantage of the search engine. The two online retailers I've had experience with are Todd at isellpens.com and Richard Binder. Both of them are great sellers and all-around nice people, its at least worth it to browse around both sites and read about different pens.

Best of luck in your search!

EDIT: by the by, if you decide to order a Pelikan 2xx, order it from Richard Binder, as he personally dip tests every pen to make sure the nib is working properly before he ships them. Talk about customer service, wow. A 2xx may be a bit too small for you if you are looking for a Phileas type size, however.