What Is Your Possibly Attainable, Unattainable Pen?

[isaacrn]

So we all have holy grails pens. Some of us have unattainable pens on our wish list, mine would be the Charlie Chaplin. There are pens on the list that may be attainable if i sold off four or five of my current pens. This type of statement would be true for a 139. I don't think I would be able to swing a purchase of a 139 on its own currently.

 

What is your attainable, unattainable pen, and is it worth it to you to sell off a bulk of your collection to obtain it?

[Oldtimer]

Anything beyond $150 is out of my constrained budget by decision.

[Cryptos]

A single ripe Plum 51. Unobtainable.

 

Attainable would be a Pilot 912 with an SF or SFM nib (I have modest dreams really).

 

Would I give up other pens for either of these? No, because my attainable/unattainable dream pens are not associated with price per se. And either are relatively affordable. Opportunity is my problem.

 

Sadly I have too many pens as it is - for a man in my position. So both of the above remain unobtainable for now.

 

It's strange really. My current fave writer is a Parker Vacumatic golden pearl. It's little more than a beater pen but it just feels right in my hand.

[MBFan]

A MB Hemingway is my grail pen, and unattainable for the foreseeable future.

 

Otherwise, there's nothing on the horizon for me after buying an M800

[JLS1]

Hmm...interesting question. For me, an unobtainable pen (i.e., I'd need a supply of Unobtainium to buy it) would probably be a custom-made pen from one of the smaller high-end Japanese pen makers (e.g., Hakase). In terms of MB pens, I'd say the 129, 139 or silver rings 149 would probably fall into that category.

 

In terms of unobtainable pens that might be attainable (someday...if I sold some pens + body parts ), I'd probably aim for a striated 144 or 146 from the 50's to compliment my black 144/146 from this period.

[isaacrn]

It is funny how things start running through your head when your actually holding a pen you have only seen online. At the DC penshow I actually held a L139, and started to think about different pens that i could possibly trade out etc. I had to take a moment and breathe, and realized that i was just acting crazy.

[blINK]

I want the Mozart 114 in Bordeaux

 

I have, in Bordeaux, the 144, 146, classique ballpoint, classique rollerball and Mozart pencil. The fountain pen is the one MB that I'm feeling will satisfy what I want to own. For some reason, I just love that burgundy color.

[A1979]

MB Hitchcock. I could theoretically afford one, but I cannot justify to myself spending that much for a pen.

[da vinci]

I think a Hitchcock and a Classique sized Ramses II. The former because of price alone, the latter due to rarity (when in good condition at anything approaching a sensible price).

 

Finally, a Classique sized 90th anniversary solitaire special edition. I think this may be the one I make some sacrifices for in the near future!!

[penmanila]

possibly attainable (with a lot of scrimping and saving): a used hemingway.

 

very likely unattainable (except through larceny or grand theft): a lorenzo de medici or a mint 139.

[erpe]

My grailpen is the Onoto Chuzzlewit, it's not even that far beyond grasp, just need to find a way to justify spending the amount on one pen instead of 4 or 5.
In time....

[WaskiSquirrel]

I recently decided to start saving for an obscenely expensive Platinum mostly for fun. The pen is gorgeous, but I didn't see myself buying it. This weekend, I revised that to a Nakaya Neo Standard Aka-tamenuri because it's gorgeous in the way the Platinum I wanted is, only more of the gorgeous parts and fewer of the "meh" parts.

 

But the thing is, I can save the money. With some sacrificing I can even save it by Christmas. I'm not sure that I will then buy the pen. Once the money is saved, I just can't imagine spending that much on a pen. If I do: fine. I will have saved the money, especially since my pen buying this summer has been nil. But, to spend that? On a pen?

 

Mathematically, the pen is obtainable. Emotionally and practically, no. But it will be fun seeing how quickly I can save up for it anyway!

[Montecristo]

Been there, done that....

 

I had three pens that at the time seemed unobtainable (Hemingway, 1950' s celluloid 149 with flexible EF nib and Dumas). Over the course of many years I obtained them by selling some other pens and now recently decided to sell all three of them (and another 12 pens from my collection). Reason: I use my pens as daily writers and although all three were 'grails', they hardly saw any 'writing action'. So I am cutting down my collection to 24 pens and have made a deal with myself that if I want to have a new pen, I need to sell one of the 'older' ones. This forces me to concentrate on what I really want in my collection, keeps the wife happy and free's funds for other hobby's (watches, wine, cigars and a boat....).

 

If there would be one 'grail pen' that is 'unattainable' (in this case because I would have to sell off various of the '24-rotation' to fund it), that would be the 149 Skeleton (333 edition). But would you really want to clip that to your shirt pocket while walking on construction sites & beach projects??????

Edited August 18, 2014 by Montecristo

[Opooh]

Unattainable: Max red mottled MB 12 safety filler.

[Chrissy]

Possibly attainable but unattainable for me is either the Lorenzo de Medici or the Proust

[Sasha Royale]

Yes. A Parker Trench pen. I suspect nobody has seen one in decades. Is there even a picture ?

[_Stormin_]

A Montblanc J Pierpont Morgan POA 888... I've made so many attempts to acquire one that will mesh with my current discretionary budget, but I haven't been able to get any bites on offers mirroring the most recent established auction prices I've seen (Bonhams, etc...) People seem to feel that it's holding more value than prior hammer prices have shown. Perhaps when this Decembers Fine Writing Instruments auction rolls around, I'll have better luck. At some point I'll probably just cave and buy a 4180 version which is beautiful in it's own right but just not quite the 888. I may never find an 888 that fits the bill, but I will never stop trying.

Edited August 20, 2014 by _Stormin_

[isaacrn]

That's a key thing. People are holding on to pens and imagining what they are worth, rather than what they can actually bring in.

Edited August 20, 2014 by isaacrn

[TLMG]

I've always liked the MB Skeletons... they are gorgeous. Even the "non-limited" 90 Year Skeleton is beautiful! I just hate the fact that Mike can't work on the nib because it is flaky gold plating ... so alas. Never.

[bmwboris]

I have never seen or touched any of these pens, but if money was no option- a Montblanc 128G, Montblanc 149 Skeleton 333, or Montblanc 4th of July Skeleton.

 

I know the reaction to the 4th of July will be ugh- but apart from some of the diamond work which I don't like, the mother of pearl inserts and red highlights for me look amazing