My Obsession With Pens: Exploring the World of Cheap and Expensive Pens

How should I put this? I have been very obsessed with books and pens since my childhood, and I used to collect pens. Whenever I visited a stationery shop, I would find good-looking pens and add them to my collection. I still have that obsession of mine.

I feel like I love the tech involved in pen creation, and a few people are working to create innovative pens and target students based on this.

The story of pen collection goes way back in time, to when I was in class 6, because the 6th class is the only time you get to use a pen while writing; before that, it was all pencils.

My memories still have the faded happiness glimpse of the class 6th new bag, new class, new stationery, and excitement to be in the new class. I used to visit the stationery shop along with my mom, and that’s when I used to get 5-rupee pens, Elkos, and all. From that low budget, I used to focus on pens that look good and write smoothly because, you know, good looks alone don’t count; how useful they are also matters a lot.

In the beginning, everything was natural. I used to have two pens and nothing more because more than two pens just meant a scolding from Mom and nothing else. But when you go to school, you have friends, and some of them belong to good families, so they show you the variety of pens and tell you about what else you are missing.

I met such friends in 8th and 9th class, and they showed me Parker pens and many other pens. Before that, I was introduced to Reynolds, Flair pens, Pilot pens, and other normal-range pens.

Most of the time, you’re not able to afford the pens that go beyond your budget, but time changes, and you can now afford things that you previously were not able to due to some limitations.

When did I start collecting pens?

I think I will say class 9th for sure because I used to have a friend who used to show me his pen collection. Being inspired by him, I decided to collect pens myself because I love pens and how they are designed, especially if they are well-designed and write smoothly as well.

I will say I don’t buy too many of them because the reason is simple: that way, it will be a waste of my money resources because I like to collect pens, meaning I use the pens and keep the empty pens.

You know, we have to be organic about it, not just have an obsession with something and we just keep it for years with zero use.

Also, I am not going too far with the collection because right now I have 100 INR to 1K pens only; I have never gone beyond that, maybe because I have those kinds of funds only.

If in the future I am able to explore, I would like to see the pens that cost around lakhs and more than that. I want to see what they are actually offering because without tasting the dish, you can’t tell how it really is.

Let’s talk about the types of pens.

Why are there so many types of pens?

Basically, pens go with the requirement. You don’t know which pen you’re going to use in an interview, lol. So that’s why there are so many types of pens.

The major types of pens

• Ballpoint pens
• Gel pens
• Rollerball pens
• Fountain pens
• Brush pens
• Fineliner pens
• Technical/drawing pens
• Marker pens

Gold-nib pens.

• Pilot Custom 823 — 14K gold nib
• Pilot Custom 743 — 14K gold nib
• Pilot Custom 845 — 18K gold nib
• Sailor Professional Gear (Pro Gear) — 21K gold nib
• Sailor 1911 Large — 21K gold nib
• Pelikan Souverän M800 — 18K gold nib
• Pelikan Souverän M1000 — 18K gold nib
• Lamy 2000 — 14K gold nib
• Waterman Carène — 18K gold nib
• Montblanc Meisterstück 149 — gold nib
• Parker Duofold — 18K gold nib

Platinum-brand / Platinum-nib pens

• Platinum 3776 Century — 14K gold nib
• Platinum President — 18K gold nib
• Platinum Izumo — 18K gold nib
• Platinum #3776 Century UEF — 14K gold nib

Really expensive/collectible category

• Montblanc Meisterstück Solitaire / limited editions
• Namiki Emperor — 18K gold nib
• Namiki Yukari Royale — 18K gold nib
• Sailor King of Pen — 21K gold nib
• Montegrappa Extra 1930
• Visconti Homo Sapiens

Cheap Pens vs. Expensive Pens

Basically, I have no idea how this comparison works, but the only thing I can say is that there is a very huge difference between cheap and expensive pens, mostly the pens that are considered to be expensive. Like, pens that are above the range of a hundred rupees, or if I say above ₹1K, are not affordable for normal people, mostly students, college students, and all.

But the story doesn’t end here. The reason is that there are people like me who just want to see what the difference is between cheap and affordable pens, as well as pens that are too expensive.

So, the curiosity of researching different pens begins. If I say pens from ₹ 5 to ₹ 5,000, there are so many things that come into consideration. And as the price goes up, so does the quality of the pens.

Some of the pens I use on a regular basis.

Pilot pens.

Uni-ball Pens.

Uni-ball Air.

Parker roller pens.

Some Expensive Pens I Want to Own

There are some pens that really excite me just because I have only heard their names. I have no idea how they look and all, and the reason for that is simple: I don’t go shopping without the money.

So right now, I don’t have that kind of money. That’s why I don’t go to the places where I can find those pens. But maybe in the future, I might be able to write with those pens.

Here are some Pens I will own in the future.

• Montblanc,
• Caran d’Ache,
• Pelikan, Visconti,
• Namiki,
• Montegrappa
• And Graf von Faber-Castell.

My Favorite Pens in My Collection

My collection mostly has Pilot pens of different ranges and different types, some Uni-ball pens, and other pens.

The low-priced pens are what I have added to my collection till now. The reason is simple because, you know, if I compare my earnings with the price of the pen, and if it is not around 0.1%, then I don’t try to buy that pen.

So in the future also, if my income increases, I will keep the same rule for myself. Let’s see when it happens.

Are Expensive Pens Actually Worth It?

This question is very important, but I still don’t have an answer for it.

There is one thing I can say for now: some of the expensive pens are really worth it. I don’t know about the too-expensive ones.

So yes, expensive pens are really worth it.

Why I Don’t Think I’ll Stop Collecting Pens

Maybe because, you know, life is all about keeping moving forward because there is no going back.

So I have started collecting pens, and maybe I will keep doing it till the end.

This one came to my mind out of the blue, and I am soon going to update this post.

You can also share your pen story in the comments, and let’s discuss it there. Make sure to subscribe to the blog to get the latest updates.