Underrated Fountain Pens That Are As Good As the Cult Favorites

There are a lot of fountain pens that are household names for fountain pen people. These pens have earned that and most of the time aren’t all just “hype”. However, there are also other fountain pens that are just as good as these cult favorites but are not as well known for some reason.

Here are a few good underrated fountain pens based on personal experience and research.

Disclosure: I am not a fountain pen expert. I do not have an extensive collection of pens. The information shared here are all based on experience and research.

Pilot Kakuno

The popular choice: Pilot Metropolitan

I feel that this pen is overlooked because of its design. The Pilot Kakuno’s body is not made out of metal like the Pilot Metropolitan and also lacks a pen clip. This pen is also marketed for kids given the design of the nib (which has a smiley face engraved on it).

The Pilot Kakuno is a great writer. It has the same steel nib as the other Pilot fountain pens and has the same writing experience as the Pilot Metropolitan.

Buy this pen if: You like fun colors

Platinum Plaisir

The more popular choice: Platinum Preppy

The Platinum Preppy is the fountain pen that surprised me the most. It is surprisingly reliable writer for under $5 and is a popular recommendation for a beginner fountain pen. Because of the Preppy’s price and reliability, it has easily overshadowed another pen by Platinum, the Plaisir. It uses the same nib and grip section as the Preppy. The only difference is the aluminum body.

The Plaisir’s price ranges from $10 to $20, which is more than twice the price of the Platinum Preppy. Because they have a similar writing experience, most fountain pen users don’t gravitate towards this pen. One thing that people love about the Preppy is that they can convert it to an eyedropper pen. Because the Platinum Plaisir has an aluminum body, you cannot do the same with it – yet another reason for fountain pen enthusiasts to choose the Preppy over the Plaisir.

Read: Worth the Upgrade? Platinum Preppy vs. Platinum Plaisir

Buy this pen if: You love the Platinum Preppy but want something more durable

Kaweco Perkeo

The more popular choice: Kaweco Sport

The Kaweco Perkeo shares the same design as the more popular Kaweco Sport. Both are not equipped with a pen clip and their caps are similar in design. One of the main differences here is that the Kaweco Sport is a pocket fountain pen – and it is typically half the size of an average fountain pen (when capped).

The Perkeo is somehow a standard sized Kaweco Sport. This pen is also a great writer and has grown to become one of my favorite budget fountain pens.

Buy this pen if:

• You like fun colors
• You don’t like the Kaweco Sport’s size

TWSBI Classic

The more popular choice: TWSBI 580AL

TWSBI is known for its demonstrator fountain pens but did you know that they have a line of fountain pens with an opaque body? The TWSBI Classic is TWSBI’s way of catering to the fountain pen lovers who are not fans of the demonstrator units that it is known for. Most don’t find the Classic aesthetically pleasing because it does just look like a regular pen. This is why the Classic is overshadowed by its sister pen, the TWSBI 580 although they have the same type of nib and essentially the same writing experience.

I haven’t had the chance to try the TWSBI Classic but I have a friend who preferred this pen’s design over the demonstrator because of the “classic” and traditional look.

Buy this pen if: You like TWSBI but don’t like demonstrator pens

Lamy Vista

The more popular choice: Lamy Safari

With the Lamy brand, we have the opposite. The Lamy Safari, which is one of the most recommended fountain pens for beginners, is known for its vibrant colors and limited edition colors. A demonstrator Lamy Safari does exist but is branded under a different model – the Lamy Vista (previously called Lamy Safari Vista). It is exactly the same pen except this one is transparent. Writing experience is also the same and you can swap nibs between other Lamy fountain pens as well.

It’s not as popular as the Lamy Safari probably because it isn’t called a demonstrator Lamy Safari. As I’ve mentioned earlier, the Lamy Safari is pretty popular so whenever someone would ask for a recommendation, the Vista, albeit similar, is rarely mentioned over the Safari.

Buy this pen if: You want a demonstrator version of the Lamy Safari

Noodler’s Konrad

The more popular choice: Noodler’s Ahab

When I was picking out my first flex fountain pen, I was choosing between the Konrad and the Ahab (they are the cheapest). It was a difficult choice because the price difference was not too huge. They both share the same flex nib and share the same writing experience (I assume). The only difference is the body and filling mechanism.

The Noodler’s Konrad uses a piston filling mechanism. It won’t require you to remove the body of the pen, just as you would with fountain pens that use converters.

One thing to note, the Konrad used to have a lot of issues in the past but I heard that the design has been improved for a hassle-free experience. This could have also been the reason why the Ahab is preferred over the Konrad.

Buy this pen if: You don’t like disassembling pens to refill

Any pens that you think should make this list? Then share it in the comments below.