Finding a good fountain pen isn’t an easy task. Yes, you can go to a supermarket or office supply store and get one – but unfortunately, that doesn’t cut it for everyone. If you’re a teacher, writer, or your profession or hobby involves a lot of handwriting, then you certainly want the very best fountain pen there is. In this article, we will present you with some of the best fountain pens for under 50 dollars.

The Best Fountain Pen Under 50 on the Market

Whether you’re on a budget, tend to misplace your pens, or you’re just starting out and want to buy your first fountain pen, there are plenty of less expensive options on the market that still offer high quality. So we’ve put together this guide to go over your best options for fountain pens under 50 dollars.

1. Scriveiner Luxury Fountain Pen

The perfect combination of luxury design, color, nib, and finish make this pen more popular than any other pen at this price range. The pen is made out of brass with black lacquer and it’s finished in 24K gold. The medium nib it comes with is also gilded in 18K gold. The overall design of this pen is stunning.

The Scriveiner Luxury Fountain Pen is a great pick for those who like to write every day because it has a perfect weight. You can write effortlessly on any type of paper with this pen, and it is also fit for beautiful calligraphy.

With this pen, not only will you get a Schmidt converter but you will also get two spare cartridges (one blue and one black). They will be packed up alongside the pen in a beautiful box, which makes it a great gift.

You can purchase this fountain pen with complete confidence since it comes with a 100% money-back guarantee. The customer support is amazing and they will refund you or give you a replacement without any hassle.

Pros:

• Perfect heaviness and thickness of the body
• Available with converter and cartridge
• 100% money-back guarantee
• Excellent customer service
• Smooth writing
• Stunning design
• Immediate ink flow

Cons:

• Only available in a medium nib

2. Dryden Designs Fountain Pen

Our next pick is the Dryden Designs Fountain Pen, which offers class and sophistication to anyone that writes with it. The strikingly bold colors catch your attention right away and add a touch of elegance and freshness. The pen is sturdy as a result of the stainless steel it’s made out of, and it is great for both left and right-handed people.

You can easily maneuver this pen thanks to its weight and size. What really impressed us with this pen is its durability and effectiveness in cursive writing. The medium-sized nib writes effortlessly on almost all types of paper without drying out or bleeding. While most fountain pens can have inconsistent ink flow and smudge, this brand is truly superior.

The quality of this pen at such a low price is a rare find. You will get an elegant and high-performing fountain pen at a very affordable price. The pen also comes with 24 extra cartridges to make things that much easier. It also comes with a lifetime money-back guarantee, so it’s kind of a package deal we wouldn’t recommend you miss out on.

The product comes in a beautiful package, making it the perfect gift. The Dryden Designs Fountain Pen would be great surprise to any writers, graduates, or lawyers.

Pros:

• Extremely comfortable weight and grip
• Provides smooth cursive high-quality calligraphy
• Hand-assembled
• Extra 24 cartridges come with the pen ensuring you won’t run out of ink
• Beautiful aesthetic design
• Handcrafted nibs
• Lifetime and money-back warranty

Cons:

• The surface is a bit slippery

3. LAMY AL-Star Fountain Pen

The LAMY AL-Star fountain pen provides excellent ink quality that dries out quickly and leaves nothing but precise and clear writing. It has a great balance between length and weight which gives it amazing maneuverability. The body of the pen is made out of aluminum, while the nib is made out of polished stainless steel.

If you’ve already had a LAMY Safari fountain pen, you’re not going to be surprised by the AL-Star model since they look almost the same. The AL-Star is just a bit wider in diameter. The pen has interchangeable steel nibs, which allow you to try out new nib widths without committing to a whole new pen – adding versatility to the list of qualities the AL-Star has.

The clean aesthetics and minimalistic design of this pen are something that we really liked. One downside is that the Al-Star comes in a simple cardboard box, which means if you intend to give it away as a gift, you will need to take care of wrapping it properly.

Pro:

• Super reliable and durable
• Non-smudging ink
• Swappable nibs
• Minimalistic design

Cons:

• The aluminum is prone to dents and scratches

4. Boxiti Set – Lamy Safari Fountain Pen

Next up is one of the most popular options when it comes to affordable fountain pens. As far as elegance, smoothness, and durability go, we have to include the LAMY Safari fountain pen. The Lamy Safari Fountain pen is made out of ABS charcoal plastic body, which makes it the perfect choice for anyone who’s into lighter pens.

One of the great qualities of this pen is its durability, and both the inside structure and the barrel of the pen are tough enough to last longer than other brands. This fountain pen is incredibly smooth to write with, and the tip and the ink just glide on the paper. The transparent ink window lets you easily see how much ink you have remaining. Unlike other fountain pens, this one offers you quick visual access to the inside of the pen.

The triangular-shaped grip offers excellent maneuverability and comfort when writing. The Safari fountain pen comes with a blue ink cartridge, five ink cartridges in black, and a converter that can be used to refill it with a bottle of ink. This pen is the statement of practicality, elegance, and simplicity – and all of this comes at a very affordable price.

Pros:

• Compatible with converters
• Flexible pen clip
• Ink level indicator
• Firm nib for high-quality and smooth writing
• Lightweight and compact
• The ink flow is just right

Cons:

• An instructions manual is not included

5. Kaweco Classic Sport Fountain Pen

The Kaweco Classic Sport is a small plastic pen that doesn’t leak and writes well. The design is fun to use and it works very well. It is manufactured by a company that was founded in 1883 and has plenty of experience when it comes to producing pens.

The fountain pen is made out of plastic resin, making it very lightweight as a result. It is compact, small, and ideal for carrying with you on the go. When the cap is on, the pen is short. But when you post the cap on the back of the pen, it extends the pen’s length for over an inch. Of course, you can use this small pen without the cap on the back, but the cap adds balance,  making the pen more comfortable to use.

Another great feature of this pen is its shape. Instead of being round, the sides of the cap are octagonal, which keeps the pen from rolling (since there isn’t a clip that would normally keep the pen from rolling off the desk). The pen is customizable with the ability to change nibs or add a converter.

This pen also comes in a small cardboard box. So if you’re purchasing it as a gift and you’re looking for a nice presentation, this isn’t the pen for you.

Pros:

• Easy to disassemble for cleaning
• Small compact design
• Smooth nib out of the box

Cons: 

• Doesn’t have a clip
• Might be too small if you have large hands

Things to Consider When Buying a Fountain Pen

In this section, we will cover all the major things you need to consider when buying a fountain pen.

Material

One of the factors that have the biggest influence on what type of fountain pen you buy is the material it’s made out of. Fountain pens are made out of many different parts, such as the nib, the cap, and the barrel. Each of these materials can be made using a different type of material.

The material affects the appearance of the pen, which is usually the first thing that buyers notice in a pen. Besides the appearance, the material will also have an effect on the feel of a pen while you’re holding it. It will give a warm, rustic, cool, or smooth feel to your hands when you grip it.

More importantly, the material affects the weight of a pen, which impacts penmanship and writing style. The feel and weight of a pen, combined with its appearance, are some of the most important factors when it comes to buying pens for most people. For this reason, the material can be the most critical feature when you’re deciding on a fountain pen.

Size

Fountain pens come in many sizes. You can find fountain pens that are slimmer, and fountain pens that are relatively bulky. Keep in mind that a big pen doesn’t need to be heavy since it can be made out of plastic.

Purpose

Your purchasing decision will also be affected by how you intend to use the pen. For example, you will need a pen that will last if you plan to use the pen on a regular basis. The pen needs to be tough to withstand regular use, and it needs to be durable.

This factor should also be used when deciding the cartridge size for your pen. You will need a larger cartridge unit if you write regularly throughout the day. You can miss important notes in meetings or class if you have to stop and swap cartridges every now and then.

In addition, this also determines whether you will need a dry or wet nib. If you’re writing constantly throughout the day, you will need to find a dry nib pen so the ink won’t smear when you’re flipping pages. Even though wet nibs provide very smooth writing, they also take longer to dry. You should only opt for wet nibs if you just intend to use the fountain pen on special occasions, such as for adding your signature on certain documents.

Nibs

The nib is what spreads your ink, this is something you should keep in mind when buying your fountain pen. Nibs come in three different sizes – broad, medium, and fine. The size of the nibs will influence your writing. The size determines whether you can write in bolds or italics, and what calligraphic styles you can attempt.

The flexibility of the nib will determine how much control you have over your writing. If your nib is more rigid, your writing will be more elegant and firmer. On the other hand, when the nib is softer, you will need more skill when it comes to style and penmanship in order to make your writing look amazing.

Accessories

When you’re paying for your pen, you need to make sure that you get the most value for your money. Not only should the pen have good quality, but it would also be ideal if comes in a nice box if you plan on gifting it. If you don’t want to buy cartridges separately, then the pen should come with replacement ink cartridges as well.

Final Thoughts

These are some of the best fountain pens under 50 dollars you can find on the market. We are sure that you would love writing with these pens thanks to their high-quality feel and performance. We hope that our guide has helped you narrow down the perfect fountain pen for you.