I have met a couple 'pen snobs' but I'm not sure the Hi-Tec-C falls into their category.
I write very small and the Hi-Tec-C's three or four tip sizes made it a good choice. The 0.25mm tip is insanely tiny and I actually had to kick-up one size to the 0.3mm.
They're relatively easy to find if you know where to look. I think the last time I purchased any, I found them online at JetPens.
I don't know why you need a $99 pen body. Pentel sells a slim, metal pen body that cures everything these guys are going after. Their only complaint may be that it's not 'substantial enough' in the writer's hand.
I'm always skeptical of the kind of snob who claims that the best X in the world just happens to be the X which is only available in some country on the other side of the world.
That's a convenient coincidence, isn't it, Mr Snob? Because y'see, if you tell me that the best pen in the world was (say) a Parker that you can buy down at Staples for sixteen dollars, then I might have tried it and be forced to disagree with you. But if you tell me that it's some random Japanese pen then I'll have to smile and nod and bow to your superior knowledge of pens.
Somewhere out there is the town that brews the best beer in the world. This must be frustrating for the beer snobs who live there.
edit: Oh, incidentally I am a big fan of Parkers, and you can indeed get one down at your local Staples for sixteen dollars. I don't like the "gel" type pens, which always seem to come out blobby, I like ordinary ballpoints. I think investing tens of dollars in a decent pen that always writes without the need for drawing half a page of ovals is a worthwhile investment. But that's as far as my pen snobbery goes.
> if you tell me that the best pen in the world was (say) a Parker that you can buy down at Staples for sixteen dollars, then I might have tried it and be forced to disagree with you. But if you tell me that it's some random Japanese pen then I'll have to smile and nod and bow to your superior knowledge of pens.
Meh, that's not really true anymore. With JetPens stocking all the popular Japanese pens, you can experience their superiority first-hand.
In fact, I'd say it's more of a pain for me to go to Staples and get a Parker pen than it is for me to use JetPens (though no doubt I could buy that Parker on Amazon with a similar level of facility).
I wouldn't say it's the best in the world. But if you're into very fine line pens, the Pilot Hi-Tech C, Uniball Signo DX, and Pentel Slicci (I much prefer the Slicci to the Hi-Tech C and Signo DX) are a lot better than the usual ballpoint and gel pens you'll find on the shelf at Staples and Office Depot. (The Slicci is supposed to be distributed in the US now, but I've never seen one on the shelf.)
Due to the fine line and precise tip, they're more like technical drafting pens (think Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph) than ordinary ballpoints.
Meh, if Parker pens work for you, then great. I tried a lot of pens before finding the Hi-Tec-C. Surprisingly, I purchased it somewhere local but, when I went back to buy more, they said it was a one-time order kind of deal. I didn't really seek them out -- I saw it laying there and gave it a rip and bought a few of the plastic ones.
I know what you mean about gel pens though. Takes a couple circles to get em going. I'm more of a pencil kind of guy anyways.
The best pen in the world is not at all obscure. It's the "aerometric"-fill Parker 51 made from the late 1940s to the early 1970s. Costs between $100 and $200 today on the vintage market, depending on condition, color scarcity, and the seller.
A 51 has been my daily writer for about ten years now. I lost my first one, probably on the subway, and was heart-broken. Luckily, Parker made millions of 51s, so it was easy to find a replacement.
I write very small and the Hi-Tec-C's three or four tip sizes made it a good choice. The 0.25mm tip is insanely tiny and I actually had to kick-up one size to the 0.3mm.
They're relatively easy to find if you know where to look. I think the last time I purchased any, I found them online at JetPens.
I don't know why you need a $99 pen body. Pentel sells a slim, metal pen body that cures everything these guys are going after. Their only complaint may be that it's not 'substantial enough' in the writer's hand.