Pens in the pocket today

[Keith with a capital K]

I always like to hear what pens make the cut when people are choosing which pens they are going to use for the day... the subsequent posts give people an idea of what other pens are out there and the reasons why a particular pen flips someone's switch.

 

I am in a unique position because I usually road test newly repaired pens and have a "little" collection of my own to choose from when I am making the day's selection.

 

Today I have my Presentation Brown Eversharp Skyline with a flexible fine nib that has been filled with Waterman Havana brown ink and a teal blue Parker 51 aero that was just visiting to have some minor flow problems rectified...it is filled with Quink washable blue and is writing like a champ.

 

I love the Eversharp because I am an unapologetic flex fiend and the Parker 51 (aside from needing testing) is simply a fabulous pen.

 

So... what are your pens in the pocket today and why are they there?

 

 

I'll add some pics later methinks...

[Karin]

Hi everyone,

My pens for today are my Graf Von Faber Castell Grenadilla loaded with Noodlers Ottoman Rose, a teal Parker 51 Special with Old Skrip Blue, a green VP with a combo of Rotring and Waterman green and my wonderful Omas Brian with Shaeffer old Burgundy.

[Keith with a capital K]

Good morning Karin...

 

I love your choices in pens and especially those ink choices... I use vintage Sheaffer blue and burgundy a good deal and Waterman green is my favourite green ink.

 

What happens when you mix Rotring green and Waterman green anyways?

 

I picked my pens last evening while I was working in the shop and settled on taking out my MT&C Blackbird (filled with Waterman BB) and the Eversharp Skyline (still filled with Havana brown) is going to keep it company.

 

The Skyline is really flexible but the Blackbird has flex that should be illegal... I actually reduced the nib width a little from a med to a fine to get more expression out of it's uber flexible wet noodle #2 nib.

 

http://members.shaw.ca/feynn/stuff/blackbird5245.jpg

 

Have an incredible day!

[Karin]

Good morning to you too,

Actually Rotring green is a little lighter than Waterman. I actually added a few drops of Parker Black to the mix.

My favourite green ink is Penman Emerald. I have an abundance of cartridges and a couple of bottles put away.

I sure missed you at the Toronto Pen Show. I hope you`re feeling much, much better.

I stood in line for a long time waiting for Richard and then I thought. "Wait a minute, this is silly, I`m just going to send my Balance nib to Keith. I`ll e-mail you at a later date to confirm.

 

 

Bye,

Karin

[Keith with a capital K]

We need a blushing smiley... I don't know if I have had a better compliment.

 

(and now we have a blushing smiley... thanks Denis)

 

I hope the girls are doing okay... I sure do get a lot of mail about that picture on my home page.

 

 

[Guest Denis Richard]

Guess what's in my pocket ? hint : I have an avatar...

 

Denis.

[Guest Denis Richard]

We need a blushing smiley...

[AndrewC]

Good Evening All,

My pen for the day was my Vac Standard in silver pearl. The nib is fine with a bit of flex. It is my first vac, but will not be my last. I love this pen. Color, write, size, it all goes together so well for me. I want to find a "major" I guess, those are the next size up? My hands are a bit stiff these days and I like bigger pens. I know there are tons of things to know about the pens, but I'm just learning. The ink is nothing fancy, just some PR American Blue. Goodnight. AC

[Keith with a capital K]

Andrew,

 

In my oh so humble opinion the Parker Vacumatic may be one of the best, if not the best pen ever made and the standard Vac is a pen that should fit most people's hands very nicely.

 

The Pr American Blue seems like a good colour to use and I would always be cautious about using any inks that have a tendency to stain pens as the clarity in a Vac is both an aesthetic feature and a factor in determining the value of Vacumatics.

 

Their truest value is in how well balanced they are and how well they write, especially if you are fortunate enough to find a pen with a flexy nib.

 

Cheers!

 

[AndrewC]

Hi Keith,

As I said, I love the pen. I'm now actively hunting for another. Now about those staining inks... Any caveats r.e. specific inks, colors, brands, ummm? Any info appreciated. I am not sure which are stainers, but if I let my mind go I'll soon be terrified to put any of my favorite (read saturated)inks in the pen . TIA.

Todays pens; Vacumatic w/ American Blue and Sheaffer Balance II, Cobalt Glow M with Noodlers Squeateague(thanks Dorothy). TTFN,Andrew

[Maja]

Ok, today I have:

--a vintage Redipoint gold-plated FP in a "fleur de lys" (Denis will like that ) design, loaded up with PR Tanzanite. This one has a nice flexy wet Redipoint nib on it.

-- a maroon Namiki Vanishing Point FP (cursive italic nib) with some Parker Quink Blue-Black ink in it

--a cheapo Sailor school FP (no model name...it just says "Ink Pen" on the plastic barrel) with some nice dark black ink in it (not sure of the ink brand as it's in the original cartridge that came with the pen). This one has a nice fine Sailor nib on it.

 

P.S. I almost forgot; Keith was asking why we chose the pens we did today.....

--I like to have a variety of nibs available for use (in this case-- a fine, a medium cursive italic and a flexy.

-- I like the VP because it is capless and I don't have to keep capping and uncapping it when I want to use it (and I don't have to worry about losing the cap!)

--I like to have a mix of vintage and modern pens with me...I don't know why....

--Last but not least, since red is my favourite colour, I like to have at least one red pen with me

[AndrewC]

Today's carry is the SiverPearl Vac w/F mild flex filled w/American Blue and a Sheaffer Balance II Amber Glow M w/Herbin Lie de The. Both reflect the Autumn as it is happening here, I feel. TTFN, AndrewC

[Keith with a capital K]

Man but I am boring...

 

I think that Eversharp is interfering with my ability to use other pens... it didn't have the same appeal when the rather stiff and smooth manifold nib was in the place of the flexier one.

 

Whatever shall I do?

 

Perhaps the 52 ripple I found yesterday needs to be restored and put in my pocket just to put that Skyline in it's place.

 

Cheers!

[Keith with a capital K]

I took a sick day today and spent a very quiet day at home doing very little at all... it felt pretty good just to rest some very weary bones.

 

I did go out for a little while and could not leave the house without a pen so I took an old friend... an early 50's Sheaffer Admiral LF in dark chocolate brown that has always been filled with Havana brown.

 

http://members.shaw.ca/feynn/stuff/Sheaffer.jpg

 

I regard these as some of the most under-rated pens of them all as besides being solidly made, heavily plated, and well balanced, their nibs can be amazing.

 

This pen has a semi flexible #5 Feathertouch.

[Keith with a capital K]

Well... the pens in the pocket today will be a little different than usual due to kindness and generosity of one "dr ichard"...

 

He had mentioned someting about sending me the pen from hell to see if I could do anything with it and I fully expected a warped and beaten up Stratford.

 

Well...

 

The Stratford looks remarkably like a first generation Parker Sonnet and came with a little note with something about this being a birthday gift and a matching roller-ball.

 

Those Frenchmen are devious aren't they?

 

So, the pen has been filled with Sheaffer burgundy ink (ya gotta match the ink to the pen) and the 18k semi flexible fine nib is a dream to write with. It's smooth, responsive, and even after the initial fill the pen is putting down a perfectly moist line.

 

This is a modern pen I have been seeking for some time and thanks to Denis, I can strike another pen off my list.

[Skyp]

Okydoky, let me see. I'm up to three pens in my pocket these days, one short of nerd-dom. First off is a blue and purple Namiki Impressions filled with my favorite ink, PR Blue Suede (which seems to be exactly the same as Sherwood Green? But I digress).

Second is a Pelikan Tortoiseshell, hmmm 400 maybe? With Green Lamy ink. This ink was shown to me by a fellow snailer and I like it because even with a fine point like I have on my Pelikan, it shows very well.

Third up is a black Parker vac that was given to me by a dear friend who was cleaning out is father's desk and gave it to me. I had it restored and it's a wonderful writer. It has... uhmmmm a dark red ink in it, but I forget what kind...

 

BUT THAT'S NOT ALL! We also have for your consideration a three pen carrier in my back pack that contains another parker vac, a beautiful burgundy one with a wide gold band... filled with another of my favorite inks, AM Bordeaux. AM stands for Authentic Models by the way. THEN there's a black sheaffer balance circa 1940's that belonged to my mother. Filled with Aurora Black. And finally (applause) a Sheaffer New Balance (Balance II?) Cobalt Glow filled with Mont Blanc turquoise.

 

That's who rides with me this morning...

cheers

skyp

[Keith with a capital K]

One short of "nerd-dom" ?

 

I counted the pens in my case yesterday and there were 9 plus an Imperial pencil that I use in my day-planner.

 

And then there were two more in my jacket pocket as I was wearing a sweater and had no pockets.

 

>>> UBER-NERD<<<

[Karin]

Nothing nerdy about packin lots o pens. I`ve been on a binge again. Tsk, tsk. Ever since I bought the Omas Briar at the penshow, I can`t stop. And of course my tastes have gotten much more expensive.

Today, I`m still carrying the Omas but it`s filled with Noodler`s Kiowa Pecan. I also added a Sheaffer Intrigue and it`s filled with Shaeffer NOS blue Skrip. And then there`s my amazing Conway Stewart 388 Blue and something, words fail me, but it`s loaded up with Penman Sapphire. ooooooh is it ever a nice writer.

[Keith with a capital K]

Penman Sapphire and a CS 388... mmmmmmmmmm !

[Guest Denis Richard]

After few weeks of having my pocket exclusively occupied by my Wahl, and few days of coming back to my Sheaffer Triumph, it is the turn of the new baby : the cedar blue/sterling '51'.

 

Denis.