Holy Grail Search: Interchangeable Nibs

[Ashland]

*Durable enough for everyday use, but with at least some style to impress

*Ink level indicator window

*Converter & cartridge

Edit: Any filling system other than just cartridges (short, international preferred) although I know there are ways to refill cartridges. I want the flexibility to use cartridges as well as bottled ink.

*Easy to fill & clean

*Smooth nib

*Interchangeable nibs such as stub, italic, EF, flex, left-hand oblique

*Writes first time, every time even after pauses for thinking

*Wet enough to watch the glisten of drying ink (what bliss), but not so wet that a blotter must be used

*Light to medium weight

*Comfortable to hold

*Under U.S. $185 (preferrably much, much less)

 

My pen collection contains pens from free (new Sheaffer Triumph Imperial Gold on its way to the trash dump) to Vpen/Varsity disposable fountain pens to a vintage Conklin Endura with a stub nib. I really don't want another vintage or special edition pen to be precious about (purchased because they were stub nibs & I fell prey to my first pen show). I sometimes enjoy using my cheaper pens more than the expensive ones because of my frugality and the pens' reliability.

 

Summary:

I want a practical, durable, comfortable, affordable, easy-to-maintain pen that improves my handwriting, is wonderful to write with, & makes me smile when I look at it. There's no kicking myself for having paid too much; worrying about the inscription wearing off or somehow scratching the barrel; getting indents in the side of my middle finger from the ribs near the nib (Pelikano Junior); getting ink all over my fingers from mere writing (one cheapie I bought at an airport & recently the Conklin); or angst because my normal, quick, cursive writing with lots of loops and flourishes didn't lay down any or enough ink.

 

The closest pen I have at the moment to my holy grail pen is a Sheaffer calligraphy pen with a fine nib. It was part of one of the newer Sheaffer calligraphy kits that sells for around U.S. $14. If it had a little more wow factor & allowed me to have an even smaller stub-type nib....

 

I have two Lamy Safaris, and I'm awaiting an italic 1.1m nib for one of them. They're nice pens, and the interchangeable nibs allow me to experiment with different nib types with little expense. However, they're a little on the large side & don't have enough style. They literally fade into the background in my pen box; Lamy hadn't introduced the orange one when I bought mine.

 

I'm considering a Pilot/Namaki Vanishing Point because Richard Binder sells all sorts of specialty nibs for them and because I wonder if clicking the pen during a pause will prevent some of the ink problems I experience after pausing (missing or half-formed strokes). However, I haven't held one yet and have concerns about the position of the clip. Also, after buying a specialty nib, the price is heading toward the top end of what I'd prefer to pay. I've seen some quite good prices on eBay, so I may keep this pen on my wish list after holding it & weighing it in my hand.

 

Don't you wish you could have a Susan Wirth-type on demand to prescribe the perfect pen? A man at her booth showed me his personal pen with a flex nib, but it wasn't for sale *sigh*. It was a vintage pen anyway.

 

I'd appreciate your feedback and suggestions.

Edited June 25, 2006 by Ashland

[JimStrutton]

Wow,

 

That is ONE wish list

 

My only thought is to get a pen where you have a body and cap, but exchange nib sections? You can then add further nibs as required bit like some caligraphy sets.

 

This is a true Grail search in the vein of the knightly quest, you may have to slay dragons along the way

 

A parker 45 could be a candidate, cheap enough to get more nib sections, might not fit all the criteria, but it would not dry out too quickly.

 

I wish you well,

 

Jim

[PaulK]

Wouldn't a Pelikan meet your needs? I see that the desire for converter/cartridge but for gen. maintenance, I find that removing the nib and flushing the barrel is very simple. IMHO, everything else on your "want list" is met.....

 

*Durable enough for everyday use, but with at least some style to impress

*Ink level indicator window

*Converter & cartridge

*Easy to fill & clean

*Smooth nib

*Interchangeable nibs such as stub, italic, EF, flex, left-hand oblique

*Writes first time, every time even after pauses for thinking

*Wet enough to watch the glisten of drying ink (what bliss), but not so wet that a blotter must be used

*Light to medium weight

*Comfortable to hold

*Under U.S. $185 (preferrably much, much less)

[DWL]

The one pen that came to mind was a Pelikan. For $185 or less you can get just about anything from an M800 on down.

 

Lets see how much of your criteria it fits & folks please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

*Durable enough for everyday use, but with at least some style to impress....Check

 

*Ink level indicator window.......Check.

*Converter & cartridge......nope piston filler

 

*Easy to fill & clean.....reasonably easy to clean if you pull the nib unit & flush with a syringe rather that working the piston a half dozen times.

 

*Smooth nib........oh yeah!

 

*Interchangeable nibs such as stub, italic, EF, flex, left-hand oblique......yup. plenty of nibs to choose from.

 

*Writes first time, every time even after pauses for thinking......mkine always have.

 

*Wet enough to watch the glisten of drying ink (what bliss), but not so wet that a blotter must be used.....Check....Pelikan nibs tend to run on the juicy side of things but aren't the proverbial firehose for the most part.

 

*Light to medium weight.....even the larger M800 isn't too heavy.

 

*Comfortable to hold.......This is a pretty subjective one but I liked them. I could use my M800 & M600 all day w/ no hand cramps.

 

So yeah other than the cart. converter requirement pelikan pretty much covers everything your looking for. I would start off with the m600 model & go from there. An added "bonus" if you like is the fact that Pelikan has superb customer service!

 

Just my 2 bits.

 

Dennis

[DrPJM1]

LOL! Dare I repeat again about Lamy's.

[Ashland]

DrPJM1,

 

Yes, please feel free to discuss Lamys.

 

If you can also tell me of one with a bit of sparkle & multiple nib options, I'm willing to learn.

 

Thanks to those who have already posted. I'm glad that my dream pen may not be as out of reach as I feared. I'm picky & have expensive tastes (champagne taste with a beer budget). When I was after the grail watch, a $10,000+ watch salesman in Melbourne told me that what I was in search of didn't exist. When I got back to the States, I found what I wanted for $99 on Overstock.com!

 

With appreciation,

Ashland

[DrPJM1]

Lamy pens: http://www.lamy.de/ click on My Lamy, then on Fountain pens.

 

Lamy Studio, Al-Star, Vista, Safari, etc come in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium and Broad nibs. But those nibs are also user-interchangeable with the Lamy Joy stainless steel nibs with 1.1, 1.5 or 1.9 mm chisel point italics. And don't forget the Oblique Medium, Oblique Broad, Rounded (ballpoint tip), and the medium rounded nib.

 

Many pen users start with a fine or medium point, then maybe a broad if their handwriting is large. Some find the line variation of italics very pleasant as it adds a different dimension to their writing.

 

The Lamy nibs are smooth, tru to size, non-problematic, and start writing every time. The pen bodies are strong and take cartridge or converters. The pens themselves are inexpensive, but not cheap. It won;t make you cry if you drop it or if you lose it. You can buy one at e-bay and change the nibs yourself.

 

It is an ideal starter pen for novices to discover fountain pens and grow into different nibs. Even after purchasing many pens, I have kept a pair of Lamy Safari for my son's use. I even "borrow" them from time to time, as I am always amazed on how well they write and feel.

Edited June 25, 2006 by DrPJM1

[*david*]

Buy ten more Lamys with different nibs, and hire somebody to paint them pretty colours. Still within your budget.

[Stephen-I-am]

Can one buy a stainless steel medium nib for an Al-Star or safari anywhere?

 

I wish some nibmeister would prefab these...

 

Stephen

[Sparky]

There are only two pens that could meet your needs:

 

They are .... (drum-roll)...

 

Are parker 45 (new version) $31.00 base, then $20 extra for a gold nib (ef,f,m, from parker. Sleek, dependable, not weird looking (unobtrusive), wet writer, cartidge/converter. You will smile because it looks, feels, and most importantly writes great. You'll stand out enough in meetings without looking too out-there. And you will smile again, because you know you got a great pen for very little money.

 

The other version is the Parker 45 Flighter (also new). If you like a metalic look. I have four other th Parker 45's.... plus an MB, and a Parker 51SE....

 

In any event, now that the big secret is out you better go get some before the prices skyrocket.

[DrPJM1]

1 Lamy Safari $20 + 10 other nibs at $12 ea = $140 at full price

You can't beat that anywhere

 

Stephen: I know Pendemonium sells them.

Edited June 25, 2006 by DrPJM1

[RyanL27]

I think the VP is a pretty good choice. It goes converter and cartridge, nibs don't get any easier to change than the VP, and Richard sells all kinds of customized variations. They are incredibly durable, and if you ever want to customize the entire pen, Chris Burton could make a binde for it, which would make it incredibly stylish. You do lose out on the inkview window, but really it's just a matter of filling it every (other) day (which is part of the fun). Plus, the click mechanism is very handy for day-to-day note taking, especially if you ever have to write while on the phone or with a book in hand - perfect for my schoolwork.

 

From Pam Braun, VPs are about $75.00 and extra nibs are only $20, which is a great deal since they are 14K. I've had nothing but great luck with VP nibs, and my VP broad is way smoother than any Pelikan nib I've had. Richard's nibs are about $50.00 for a basic cursive italic or stub. So, for $185, you could get the VP from Pam, two extra nibs (F,M and B total) and a custom from Richard. Not a bad way to spend $185 if you ask me.

 

However, if the VP seems a little too heavy for you, there is always the VP decimo available on Ebay for about $130 - still within your price range and still compatible with Richard's custom nibs.

 

The clip placement is of course an issue. It doesn't bother me a bit, but I can see how it would turn some away. It's just a matter of trying it out.

[*david*]

Can one buy a stainless steel medium nib for an Al-Star or safari anywhere?

Stephen - do you mean some special nib, or just a medium Safari nib? The pen shop I have been in has them stocked in a drawer ready to sell - though they do say that getting the nib on and off of the feed is not foolproof for all customers and they suggested I let them do it.

[Stephen-I-am]

The clip placement is of course an issue.  It doesn't bother me a bit, but I can see how it would turn some away.  It's just a matter of trying it out.

One solution for the clip placement issue is to get a 15 degree oblique nib and put your finger alongside instead of on top of the clip.

 

Stephen

[sonia_simone]

Other than the ink window, an Esterbrook might suit. I got some variant on the J on the 'bay for maybe $30, and it writes like a dream. I'm assuming that you don't another vintage because you don't want to fret over it--a common Estie is cheap enough that I don't get too nervous about it.

 

The VP idea sounds great as well.

[Ashland]

I do so love this forum! Thanks to everyone for the information.

 

I'm drooling over the work of Chris Burton, http://custombindes.com/index.html.

 

Sparky, please tell me where I can source a new version of the Parker 45 and/or Parker 45 Fligher. I've checked my usual pen sources and can't find them via a Google search, either. I found a review on Stylophile (http://www.stylophilesonline.com/archive/jan03/0645.htm), but not on any dealer sites.

 

Regards,

Ashland

[Escribiente]

Ashland, a belated, but I hope still useful reply. It seems that you are looking for a pen to use on a day to day basis, and carry around without any worries about running out of ink. I like the VP, and it is impressive, but I find it's ink capacity dismal. In addition, exchanging the cartridge, or replenishing the converter takes longer--you have to take the pen apart, which forces you to deal with too many loose parts. Pelikans, on the other hand, have good capacity, and are a breeze to refill. If you are worried about the trim in the 800 series, but you like the heft, I suggest you get one of the 215 series.

[Bill D]

I do so love this forum!  Thanks to everyone for the information.

 

I'm drooling over the work of Chris Burton, http://custombindes.com/index.html.

 

Sparky, please tell me where I can source a new version of the Parker 45 and/or Parker 45 Fligher.  I've checked my usual pen sources and can't find them via a Google search, either.  I found a review on Stylophile (http://www.stylophilesonline.com/archive/jan03/0645.htm), but not on any dealer sites. 

 

Regards,

Ashland

If I may suggest, on e-bay there is Pen Seller from France. His prices on Parker 45s are very good, as is his selection. I have bought from him and had the pen in my hands in a week, even though he's in Europe.

 

No affiliation, just a satisfied customer.

 

Bill

[Stephen-I-am]

If I may suggest, on e-bay there is Pen Seller from France.  His prices on Parker 45s are very good, as is his selection.  I have bought from him and had the pen in my hands in a week, even though he's in Europe.

 

No affiliation, just a satisfied customer.

 

Bill

I have a Rotring initial (electric blue) on the way from him. I haven't received it yet, but he has been very responsive.

[Dawn]

I would say that a Pelikan would check all of your boxes, and are really well priced too.

 

Also the VP is a good choice, I have one which is beautiful to write with and I love using it at work but somehow because of their style they dont feel "fountain penish", rather more like using a very very upmarket biro. Saying that my VP is awesome and I love it, it just shys away from the traditional fountain pen with regards to its looks.

 

Dawn