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A few weeks ago, my beloved Pilot Kakuno—my favorite pink-capped fountain pen—finally ran out of ink. And I’ll be honest: I was weirdly proud. There’s something satisfying about fully using up a pen, even a fountain pen that you can refill.
I headed over to the trusty JetPens site to restock my cartridges. While I was there, I noticed that their Beginner Fountain Pen Sampler was finally back in stock. For the price of a single Lamy Safari, you get five different beginner pens to try out. Naturally, I added it to my cart. I wanted to see how these beginner models would stack up—not just against my Kakuno, but against my more “professional” Lamy pens too (that's right, I bought the Lamy Safari from my wishlist not long ago, either!).
And I was surprised by what I found.
The Advantages of Beginner Fountain Pens
Beginner fountain pens often get overlooked, especially by people deep into the pen world. But they serve a real purpose, and I’d argue they’re essential for anyone curious about making the jump from your run-of-the-mill ballpoint pen.
Fountain pens are finicky. Not only can the ink bleed, but the nibs can be sharp and hard to put on. Plus, I would never call a fountain pen versatile at all. Sometimes they require thick paper, some practice, and a lot of patience to deal with inky mess. My hands have been covered in black ink too many times to count — and that’s from my Kakuno.
But they can also be fun, expressive, and deeply satisfying once you find your rhythm. That’s where a good beginner pen comes in—it’s a low-pressure, low-cost way to learn the quirks without committing to a $50+ tool.
The Pens in the JetPens Beginner Sampler Pack
This isn't a review per se, just a brief summary of my observations of each pen in the pack. There are five pens total - two medium tips, three fine, all black ink.
Pilot Precise Varsity FP
A smooth, inky writer with a solid medium nib. It glides nicely across the page, though I think calling it “precise” might be a stretch with a nib that wide. The plastic body feels small and a little cheap, but it gets the job done and would be an okay introduction to fountain pens—just don’t expect it to wow you.
Pilot Varsity Disposable FP
Let’s start with the good: the nib and ink are lovely. It writes beautifully—graceful and fluid, with just the right amount of resistance. But the body design is frustrating. It has a screw-on cap, but I kept confusing the cap with the barrel, which led to multiple moments of me accidentally unscrewing the wrong end. The grip section has indentations but no real texture. I wouldn’t recommend this pen to a beginner, which is a shame considering how well it writes.
Platinum Preppy FP
A surprisingly great little pen. I like the satisfying snap the pull-cap makes when it clicks into place. The body feels well-balanced, and the nib strikes a perfectly smooth line. Strangely enough, the ink isn’t jet black (more of a dark gray, I guess), but it’s clean and readable. A solid choice for someone starting out.
Zebra V-301 FP
My favorite from the sampler. This pen has a metal body, a rubber grip, and an actual metal clip—it feels far more expensive than it is. The extra fine nib writes like a dream, and it even comes with an extra cartridge. It really impressed me, especially as a “starter” pen.
Zebra Zensations FP
The body is sturdy, if a little bulky. The medium nib lays down bold ink, but it’s a bit too much for my handwriting style. The clip is on the delicate side—wouldn’t recommend clipping this to anything thicker than a planner page.
How They Stack Up Against My Lamy Pens
Ok, I know it’s a bit unfair to compare beginner pens to my Lamy Safari and Lamy Joy, but it’s worth pointing out how much the experience can change when you go pro.
Final Thoughts
Not every pen in the sampler was a winner. I wouldn’t recommend either of the medium nib pens to a beginner (especially the screw-cap Pilot Varsity). But the Zebra V-301 and Platinum Preppy stood out as genuinely great fountain pens—ones I’d happily recommend to someone starting out.
And when you’re ready to graduate, Lamy has plenty of options that are well-built, well-loved, and supported by a huge fountain pen community.
This was a fun experiment—and now I’ve got a mini pen army and a pink Kakuno that’s ready for more ink.
I've included some pictures of my whole collection and my writing tests, including some Hebrew. That's the sh'ma if you're curious.
I headed over to the trusty JetPens site to restock my cartridges. While I was there, I noticed that their Beginner Fountain Pen Sampler was finally back in stock. For the price of a single Lamy Safari, you get five different beginner pens to try out. Naturally, I added it to my cart. I wanted to see how these beginner models would stack up—not just against my Kakuno, but against my more “professional” Lamy pens too (that's right, I bought the Lamy Safari from my wishlist not long ago, either!).
And I was surprised by what I found.
The Advantages of Beginner Fountain Pens
Beginner fountain pens often get overlooked, especially by people deep into the pen world. But they serve a real purpose, and I’d argue they’re essential for anyone curious about making the jump from your run-of-the-mill ballpoint pen.
Fountain pens are finicky. Not only can the ink bleed, but the nibs can be sharp and hard to put on. Plus, I would never call a fountain pen versatile at all. Sometimes they require thick paper, some practice, and a lot of patience to deal with inky mess. My hands have been covered in black ink too many times to count — and that’s from my Kakuno.
But they can also be fun, expressive, and deeply satisfying once you find your rhythm. That’s where a good beginner pen comes in—it’s a low-pressure, low-cost way to learn the quirks without committing to a $50+ tool.
The Pens in the JetPens Beginner Sampler Pack
This isn't a review per se, just a brief summary of my observations of each pen in the pack. There are five pens total - two medium tips, three fine, all black ink.
Pilot Precise Varsity FP
A smooth, inky writer with a solid medium nib. It glides nicely across the page, though I think calling it “precise” might be a stretch with a nib that wide. The plastic body feels small and a little cheap, but it gets the job done and would be an okay introduction to fountain pens—just don’t expect it to wow you.
Pilot Varsity Disposable FP
Let’s start with the good: the nib and ink are lovely. It writes beautifully—graceful and fluid, with just the right amount of resistance. But the body design is frustrating. It has a screw-on cap, but I kept confusing the cap with the barrel, which led to multiple moments of me accidentally unscrewing the wrong end. The grip section has indentations but no real texture. I wouldn’t recommend this pen to a beginner, which is a shame considering how well it writes.
Platinum Preppy FP
A surprisingly great little pen. I like the satisfying snap the pull-cap makes when it clicks into place. The body feels well-balanced, and the nib strikes a perfectly smooth line. Strangely enough, the ink isn’t jet black (more of a dark gray, I guess), but it’s clean and readable. A solid choice for someone starting out.
Zebra V-301 FP
My favorite from the sampler. This pen has a metal body, a rubber grip, and an actual metal clip—it feels far more expensive than it is. The extra fine nib writes like a dream, and it even comes with an extra cartridge. It really impressed me, especially as a “starter” pen.
Zebra Zensations FP
The body is sturdy, if a little bulky. The medium nib lays down bold ink, but it’s a bit too much for my handwriting style. The clip is on the delicate side—wouldn’t recommend clipping this to anything thicker than a planner page.
How They Stack Up Against My Lamy Pens
Ok, I know it’s a bit unfair to compare beginner pens to my Lamy Safari and Lamy Joy, but it’s worth pointing out how much the experience can change when you go pro.
- The Lamy Safari with an extra fine nib is heaven. It’s sturdy, smooth, and the nib itself feels like it was forged by writing angels. I wouldn’t want to drop it—mostly because I’m afraid it could double as a weapon.
- The Lamy Joy is a calligraphy pen, and the broad, flat nib somehow makes my Hebrew notes more legible. Both pens are robust, well-balanced, and come with strong clips that actually work with my Hobonichi covers.
Final Thoughts
Not every pen in the sampler was a winner. I wouldn’t recommend either of the medium nib pens to a beginner (especially the screw-cap Pilot Varsity). But the Zebra V-301 and Platinum Preppy stood out as genuinely great fountain pens—ones I’d happily recommend to someone starting out.
And when you’re ready to graduate, Lamy has plenty of options that are well-built, well-loved, and supported by a huge fountain pen community.
This was a fun experiment—and now I’ve got a mini pen army and a pink Kakuno that’s ready for more ink.
I've included some pictures of my whole collection and my writing tests, including some Hebrew. That's the sh'ma if you're curious.
