Ohto F-Lapa Fountain Pen - Fine Nib - Silver Body

The primary thing to remember about this pen is that it's pretty and it's cheap. So anything else (good writing quality, etc.) is sort of a bonus. To that end, I haven't really had problems with mine skipping a lot; good ink makes a difference, also the tines needed to be spread just a bit. What I do take issue with, however, is how after about three weeks of use, the gold band around the middle has been tarnished. You might think a pen manufacturer would expect that area to be frequently touched... It's an ugly gray now, and though I'm still attached to my pen, I only wish that it had been better made. Could that be a problem with my pen individually? Other reviewers should give feedback.

It writes lovely, but it is a pain to clean. This was my 4th fountian pen, so I'm not perfect. Still, I found that it was a royal pain to clean. Very hard to the ink regulator and nib off. But, it looks great! I would recommend it.

I own the silver version of this pen and it writes surprinsingly well although it is certainly a very basic fountain pen. For fifteen bucks, it does the job and the cap and barrel's fit and finish are good.
Please note that on many OHTO fountain pens, the steel "iridium point Germany" nib is actually made in China and quality control isn't the best. Just because it says "Germany" does not mean that it is "Made in Germany." This fact has been documented by the famous pen repair and nib expert Richard Binder in a recent issue of Stylus magazine. Also, no one uses pure iridium anymore. It is way too rare and expensive. It must come from outer space (meteors/asteroids) and, if you do have an iridium tip on a vintage fountain pen--even an iridium-alloy--you are writing with stardust. Cool!
I wish the Chinese would just put "made in China" and be done with it. For goodness sake, China was the birthplace of paper and numerous other great inventions and ideas. I have deep respect for the Chinese man-on-the-street (the government has point-of-departure issues), and they have every right to be proud of their heritage. Unfortunately, a few bad products have gotten scores of others to be branded as cheap and inferior. Granted, although the OHTO nibs are sometimes poorly adjusted because of quality control issues, many Chinese manufactured nibs and fountain pens work well (the famous Hero, for example).
remeber to journal. It's good for you. Thanks JetPens!

Writes beautifully without skipping. Even if I put it down for a few minutes it starts writing again immediately without having to force it to work, a problem I experienced with the Ohto fine. The quality and feel doesn't stand up to the ohto fine, but I'll take performance over looks any day.

If you want shiny, the F-Lapa has it in spades.

I was initially a bit skeptical about the quality of this pen after reading a few negative reviews on Ohto's Fine series, which seems to have much the same mechanism and construction. For the price, though, the F-Lapa left me pleasantly surprised.

It's not spectacular, but it's by no means bad - Just an average, performs-as-advertised elegant pen for a fantastic price. You could certainly do a lot worse for yourself with a 15 dollar spending budget. The nib may be cheap, and it may be "fake" gold (it's just plated) but at least it writes nicely and smoothly. It's actually about as fine as my Sheaffer fine nibs. There are no skipping or starting problems to speak of, and the pen taking standard International Short cartridges is a plus. There are no seam lines on the plasticwork, the shiny chrome finish is flawless, and all the parts fit together nicely. My only real complaint is the somewhat tacky black lettering around the base of the cap, which can't be removed without damaging the finish of the pen (apparently it's silkscreened on).

For a lousy fifteen dollars you should be buying a five-and-ten special plastic bodied knockoff brand pen, but instead you can get the thoroughly capable and undoubtedly stylish F-Lapa.