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votes
The one-and-done pen?
I am looking for a Buy-It-For-Life pen. I've had the Parker Jotters for years and love them, but I am in need of something with a little longer life expectancy on the barrel.
My first thought was James Brand The Burwell, however I am just now really diving into the BIFL Pen world and curious on what you guys suggestion / use.
Assume the money cap of $100 for now, unless you have some out of this world amazing option over that cap.
Are you looking for ballpoint pens specifically, or are fountain pens also an option? There are many fountain pens which can be refilled from a bottle of ink and don't need any proprietary cartriges. I personally love my TWSBI Eco creme rose gold, but I feel like anything over $20-30 would last a long time, so it mostly comes down to aesthetic preference.
I second fountain pens!
I have a Kaweco AL Sport and love it :) (and a couple of “Moonman” pens but I like the Kaweco more).
I did have a TWSBI Eco as well, but I think I managed to lose it when moving during college.
Fountain pens are the bomb. After I run through my stash of Signo gel Uni-Ball ballpoint pens (which have been my favorite for years), I'm going to go 100% fountain pens until I die. There's just something so fulfilling and enjoyable about writing with one.
My current favorite is the Pilot Metropolitan:
https://www.gouletpens.com/products/pilot-metropolitan-fountain-pen-black-plain
I'm sure some would call this a beginner's fountain pen, but it has a nice feel with a metal body with some weight to it. It's a joy to write with, and I can see the few of them I have lasting a lifetime.
Seconding the Metropolitan. I used one heavily for note-taking in college.
Usually they come with both a disposable cartridge and a converter for filling from an ink bottle. I ended up getting a bottle of Pilot's Namiki ink, though they also have a range of higher end inks in different colors.
That's another thing I love about fountain pens - with refillable converters you're not filling up a landfill with cartridges.
Rotring pens are worth considering. I have a rotring rapid pro that is quite decent. But my favorite is the scribedriver from lttstore.com. As a bonus, it is upcycled from failed screwdriver shafts. But even without that, I personally think it is the best pen I have used.
I am also very opinionated about pen refills as well. Gel pens are the best, and the Parker g2 0.7mm gel refill is the best of the best. Nothing else goes in my pens.
I have a few fountain pens that i've been happy with.
Personally I started going towards the kinds that take the standard cartridge so that I can quickly refill if needed, and if I want to be fancy then I can put in a converter. I have one of these which I just have hooked on my wallet with a small notebook in it and I love it.
There's a lot of options in that world.