Mrs midlife's birthday coming up. Need a good everyday use one not an ornament. Is there a good pen shop in Sheff? Thanks.

WHSmiths on Fargate…

or surrey st

http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/archive/index.php/t-168706.html

Try on line below, cross is a good brand and this is a ladies specific model for sensible money

cross pen linky thing

cole brothers I assume or sure Debenhams have some reasonable ones

Just discovered http://www.cultpens.com/. Looks promising …

I thought you all wrote with crayons in sheffield!

The Pen Shop, which I believe is located in Debenhams (Meadowhall). They will have a good range, and so you can have a good play and see which you think she might like.

Everyone's standards are different for what they consider to be a daily writer – my boss uses anything from a Lamy Safari (£15), through Parker Duofold (£250) to special edition Mont Blancs (£300+). that's nothing compared with some Conway Stewarts….

My "best" pen is a ltd edition Dunhill Sidecar with palladium cap, but that is definitely not a pen I would take out of the house. It writes beautifully.

My three daily writers are a Cross Century Classic (a graduation gift several years ago, and a fantastic writer), a Japanese-only Spalding Brothers wooden bodied pen (cheap, but a nice line for work), and a Lamy Vista (£15, gets knocked around bags and places).

Assuming you're not really planning on spending more that £100 (I may well be wrong), then brands to consider would include Parker (have a look at the Sonnet, a classic), Cross, Waterman, Sheaffer, Lamy, Pelikan (really nice writers, though I'm less keen on the looks).

If you're spending more, then continue with Parker, Lamy and Pelikan. Also consider Yard-o-Led (made in Nottingham), Caran d'Ache (some very "fine" looking pens, and all write well), Mont Blanc (I'm not a fan) and, well, the list goes on.

Can you tell I like writing with a fountain pen? 😀

Some in Staples too, FWIW. None more than 50 quid when I was looking for a Xmas present.

Cheers for all that. She prefers a light bodied pen, and currently has a £100ish Parker, but because she prefers it to be light, doesn't put the cap on the barrel as she writes, and the cap has recently been filed in one of the cases she was working on in December, and can't be found. I'll try The Pen Shop in Meadowhall and see if there's something light enough to write with the cap on this time.

I was given a £15 Lamy Safari 16 years ago, and I'm still using it almost every day. As it's plastic, it's also light

can't she just use 'Bradley Hand' font?

You certainly wouldn't get this sort of thread on bikemagic, would you? 😉

Seriously though, I'm thinking of getting one now, if you can get a nice pen for £15. Seems like I fit in round here!!!

Another name is Sailor – a high quality Japanese brand with some relation to Pilot. Very nice and light.

Day to day I use both rotring 600 and Tombow Zoom 101 Carbon (FP-CDZ14) fountain pens.
One is solid and engineered – the other is very light and precise.

Day to day I use both rotring 600

An original?

Not only do those solid brass bodies weigh a tonne, but have you seen the prices they go for s/h these days? A friend has one from many years ago. It's a shame about what's happened to the brand since it was bought.

Another name is Sailor – a high quality Japanese brand with some relation to Pilot. Very nice and light.

Very good pens, but unlikely to be available in the places mentioned in Sheffield. Another Japanese maker is Namiki (also related to Pilot). Beware that Japanese nibs are narrower, so if you write with a medium nib normally, go for a medium-broad or broad in a Japanese nib.

Seriously though, I'm thinking of getting one now, if you can get a nice pen for £15.

Lamy Safari every time at that price. Or the Vista if you like to see through your pen….

Cheers for all that. She prefers a light bodied pen, and currently has a £100ish Parker, but because she prefers it to be light, doesn't put the cap on the barrel as she writes

I never write with the cap "posted" (as real pen geeks call it). Don't like the way it upsets the balance of the pen.

Lamy make the best writing instruments. I've got ballpoints fountain & pencil. I love the triangular grip and the ballpoint refills last forever and don't blob.

They look great, so buy her a full set.

R600? Current prices? Yup, original double knurled fountain pen + roller ball + pencil.
I also use a Faber-Castell lead holder as well….

R600? Current prices? Yup, original double knurled fountain pen + roller ball + pencil.
I also use a Faber-Castell lead holder as well….

Clearly someone of great taste. 😀

Have you tried Pinders on Charter Row/Moore St? They used to do a good range of seriously over the top fountain pens

get her a pentel fine liner in sepia much nicer than these posh pens and she'll only lose it anyway 😉

There used to be a proper pen shop/jewellers just up from the Crucible. Walk up towards the town hall and turn right at the junction after the Halfax.

hl browns, just saw other thread.

I use a Pelikan for day to day stuff – great pen and well made

I use a Pilot V-pen as my 'daily writer', while I keep my Parker 51 and 25 at home for 'best'. I recommend the Pilot, writes better than many expensive pens Ive tried and you can buy them in packs of 20 for about 8.99 from Viking.

Perhaps doesn't set quite the desired tone, however?