I only joined the fountain pen world in the latter half of 2023, but already I’ve amassed a collection of over 40 pens (yes, I know I have a problem!). So far I’ve mostly had positive experiences and haven’t bought too many duds. But as I’ve tried more and more pens and figured out my likes and dislikes, I’ve certainly found I have favourites. 

So I thought I’d do a post all about my best fountain pen purchases of 2023, some of which are just significant milestones in my fountain pen journey, and others that are now firm favourites. 

So here are my best fountain pen purchases of 2023:

Kaweco Sport Collection – Light Lavender (F)

Whilst I now have several more Kaweco Sports, some of which I prefer (ahem, the sparkly silver Cult Pens exclusive!), the Light Lavender is the pen that kicked off my fountain pen obsession, and so must be mentioned. 

I can’t even fully remember how I stumbled upon this pen (browsing on Amazon maybe?), but I loved the cute look of it and the pastel colour, and so snapped it up when I spotted it again on eBay. The minute I first put the nib to paper, I was in love, and subsequently fell down the fountain pen rabbit hole hard. 

Initially, it was just Kawecos I was excited about, but as I delved into the world of online fountain pen content, I became curious about other brands and pens, and branched out. And so it began!

Jinhao 82 – Winter Snow (M)

One of the most popular pens in the fountain pen community seems to be the Sailor Pro Gear Slim, and I can see why. They are beautiful, classic looking pens, and I’d love to own one. 

But as a relative newbie to the fountain pen world I still feel a little queasy about spend £150+ on a single pen, and it currently isn’t within my budget, anyway. 

So when I discovered that there was a Sailor Pro Gear Slim dupe for a much, much lower price, I had to try it and I bought my first Jinhao 82 in the sparkly, Deep Sea colour. Obviously I know that the experience of writing with a Sailor pen would be miles better than a Jinhao 82, but for such a nice looking and inexpensive pen, the Jinhao 82 writes beautifully!

I now have several of these pens, including my favourite, in Winter Snow. I usually tend towards the bright, more garish colours, so this pen taught me that occasionally I like a more classic colour scheme!

Lamy Safari – Strawberry (EF)

One of the most commonly suggested starter pens is the Lamy Safari, and so it seemed inevitable that at some point I would try it out. Whilst I now have two Safaris, an Al-Star and a Vista, it’s the Lamy Safari in Strawberry that brought me into the world of Lamy. 

The Safari might be popular, but it’s also quite a divisive pen, but personally I love the modern design and find the triangular grip comfortable, and this pen felt like an important step on my journey. 

Pilot Kakuno – Pokemon Gengar Edition (F)

Another highly recommended starter pen is the Pilot Kakuno, but I hit a stumbling block when I first decided to try out this pen: they don’t seem to sell it in the UK. For some reason the entry-level Pilot fountain pens just aren’t available from retailers in the UK, so I had to track one down on Etsy to get hold of one. I bought it in the transparent Mama Red, and I absolutely loved it when it arrived!

It was such a smooth, fine writer, and it quickly became one of my most used pens in my entire collection. I liked it so much that I bought a second one on eBay (the one with the triangular grip which I then knew I liked, thanks to the Lamys!), and then my amazing fiancé got me three Japan exclusive Pokemon editions for Christmas, my favourite being the purple and black Gengar one. I already adored Pilot Kakunos, so having ones that are Pokemon themed is even better!

Not to mention, these three pens marked the first pens in my collection that were gifted to me, although I suppose that means they aren’t technically ‘purchases’! But I’m going to include it on my list anyway, as it’s one of my favourite pens now! 

TWSBI Eco Creme and Rose Gold (EF)

Another model of pen I fell in love with this year was the TWSBI Eco. I first bought the Transparent Purple, and was not only blown away by the cool look of it and the piston filler mechanism, but also how much of a smooth, wet writer it was. 

I adored it so much I quickly bought a second one in Persian Green, and then had no choice but to jump on the latest special edition in Creme and Rose Gold. This pen is my favourite pen in my entire collection, and also my most expensive so far. But it’s so worth it!

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As you can see from my list, I’m very much in the beginning stages of my fountain pen journey, which isn’t surprising, since I’m only a few months into this. So I’m trying a lot of the cheaper, entry-level pens and recommended starter pens to get a sense of what I like and don’t like. 

Heading into my second year of fountain pens I’m really excited to see where I go next, and how different my collection might look by the end of the year. Although I really should slow down on the buying for the sake of my purse strings…

So what has been your best fountain pen purchases of 2023? What are some of your current favourites in your collection, and how has your collection changed over the past year?