What's Your "next 50 Years Pen"?

[krishna]

 

Hi,

 

You're welcome!

 

Pity you didn't care for the Sheaffer 330. It's actually one of my favourite casual carry pens.

 

Ah, if you want to go for an eyedropper, I'm aware of only one stateside Vendor who pairs [vintage] gold nibs with new production ebonite pens - FPN Member Teri at Peyton Street Pens. Here's a quick google of their eyedroppers: http://www.peytonstreetpens.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=eyedropper

 

I would not be surprised if Teri could be inveigled to conjure a bespoke ebonite eyedropper - but then you'll only have two wishes left.

 

Bye,

S1

 

P.S. The Sheaffer Admiral has an open nib, but as both the Touchdown and Snorkel versions are sac-based fillers, eventually the sac would need replacing - taking the pen from your warm grasp for a while - so I'd not suggest a sac filler as a '50 years' pen. ... S1

 

Thanks for the link S1. The ranga ebonite eyedroppers are gorgeous actually. I'll do some research into what fancy nib I can fit into that

[krishna]

How about the Parker 45. You could buy 3 or 4 in different colours and materials (plastic, steel, etc) for the price and swap parts around as they wear, if at all they wear.

 

Good point again -- isn't it amazing how many Parkers make it to this list?

[Mangrove Jack]

Good point again -- isn't it amazing how many Parkers make it to this list?

I have a Parker 45 from the early 1970's going strong. But, I cannot say I have used it very regularly.

[Sandy1]

I would buy 60 Platinum Preppies.

 

Hi,

 

Crikey!

 

Fifty years of Preppie use seems more like a sentence for doing something profoundly naughty...

 

Bye,

S1

[Bo Bo Olson]

I got them already....but really need those super pills in I'll be down to one in 50 years....a Geha 780, that I still have to buy...or the black and gray 790 semi-flex OB I already have.

Yep, got to get rid of them old MB&Pelikans&Osmias& Parkers, much less the rest.

[krishna]

Hi Bo Bo -- so how old is your Geha 780? Do you have a picture of it? There are so few on the market, that I'd love to see one Thank you!

[canibanoglu]

Pelikan M800 or M1000, but that is over what you have specified. In that case I'd go with a beautiful white tortoise M400. If not Pelikan then it would definitely be a Lamy 2000. My first choice would be Pelikan by a long shot though.

[UDog]

 

That's what you call out of the box thinking ... and not a bad company!

 

Thanks, krish.

[inotrym]

Faber Castell e- motion. It is a cartridge/ converter so no worries on internal moving parts. Smooth steel nib and great looking pen.

 

I would have chosen the exact same pen.

 

fairly similar in style alternatives that I would consider : Cross Apogee and Waterman Expert

[Tresconik]

I already have mine, and for much less than 200 USD.
2 parker 45's, one is a flighter with a gold nib.

And an Ebonite eyedropper with a screwed in JoWo nib unit so it can take cartridges and does not burp.

[KBeezie]

I figured if many of the restored vintage pens have already lasted 50 to 80 years, then they should last just as long under regular and proper usage. Lever fillers or sac pens might not be too big a deal, since they can for the most part be self-serviced pretty easily and some just use a straight size sac you just have to trim it for the proper length.

 

Though I do agree that some brands and models may have a higher chance of being serviced by others easier such as the Pelikan 2xx/4xx/6xx/8xx/etc, or certain Montblanc models. But who can say where exactly those companies will be in 50 years, or specific parts? (a latex sac doesn't have to be specific to a model, you can sort of 'wing' it easier than trying to get a new piston rod or nib collar).

 

I honestly don't know what is going to be my 50 year pen, I haven't planned that far ahead. Probably whichever one I keep on using on a regular basis.

 

PS: I do have a Lamy 2000, they're pretty easy to disassemble yourself, and if Lamy is still around in 50 years they will no doubt have the ability to service the pen. But if I just wanted a workhorse that seems like it's going to last me a while baring of course accidental damage, the Parker 45 would probably be a good bet, easily disassembled, can be cleaned by ultrasonic if needed, cartridge/converters easy to replace, and if you get one with a gold nib, you don't have to worry about corrosion setting in (there's no other metal parts in between the ink and nib). It's a little easier to get an empty parker cartridge than figure out the proper sized latex sac, though I would prefer my Eversharp Skyline over a Parker 45.

Edited March 25, 2015 by KBeezie

[krishna]

I figured if many of the restored vintage pens have already lasted 50 to 80 years, then they should last just as long under regular and proper usage. Lever fillers or sac pens might not be too big a deal, since they can for the most part be self-serviced pretty easily and some just use a straight size sac you just have to trim it for the proper length.

 

Though I do agree that some brands and models may have a higher chance of being serviced by others easier such as the Pelikan 2xx/4xx/6xx/8xx/etc, or certain Montblanc models. But who can say where exactly those companies will be in 50 years, or specific parts? (a latex sac doesn't have to be specific to a model, you can sort of 'wing' it easier than trying to get a new piston rod or nib collar).

 

I honestly don't know what is going to be my 50 year pen, I haven't planned that far ahead. Probably whichever one I keep on using on a regular basis.

 

PS: I do have a Lamy 2000, they're pretty easy to disassemble yourself, and if Lamy is still around in 50 years they will no doubt have the ability to service the pen. But if I just wanted a workhorse that seems like it's going to last me a while baring of course accidental damage, the Parker 45 would probably be a good bet, easily disassembled, can be cleaned by ultrasonic if needed, cartridge/converters easy to replace, and if you get one with a gold nib, you don't have to worry about corrosion setting in (there's no other metal parts in between the ink and nib). It's a little easier to get an empty parker cartridge than figure out the proper sized latex sac, though I would prefer my Eversharp Skyline over a Parker 45.

 

Replacement parts and easy serviceability is what I was thinking about too. A P51 can be serviced easily if you stock up on a couple of important parts. I am a bit clueless about pistons, but I believe they could be serviced easily couple of decades from now. Which is why I am curious about the Lamy 2000 -- looks and feels like a tank

[krishna]

I already have mine, and for much less than 200 USD.

2 parker 45's, one is a flighter with a gold nib.

 

And an Ebonite eyedropper with a screwed in JoWo nib unit so it can take cartridges and does not burp.

 

 

Hi Tresconik -- which eyedropper is that? Do you have a picture you can share with us? Thanks!

[krishna]

Pelikan M800 or M1000, but that is over what you have specified. In that case I'd go with a beautiful white tortoise M400. If not Pelikan then it would definitely be a Lamy 2000. My first choice would be Pelikan by a long shot though.

 

I see that you like piston fillers! M400 and Lamy2000 do fall within budget and are strong contenders -- I agree!

[inkstainedruth]

 

Good point again -- isn't it amazing how many Parkers make it to this list?

As a vintage Parker aficionado, I don't find this amazing at all. So I would say +1 on Parker 51s (especially the Aerometrics). Although I also like Vacumatics, and at the moment have the Silver Pearl Major is in rotation.

I also am really fond of my Pelikan 400 and M400 (I really like piston fillers) -- but those aren't in the OP's price point.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[ailevin]

 

Hi,

 

Crikey!

 

Fifty years of Preppie use seems more like a sentence for doing something profoundly naughty...

 

Bye,

S1

 

I would have to choose a pen that I love--that way my commitment to the pen would last as long as the pen. Although along a similar line, I would consider a hand full of Noodler's Konrads with a few after market nibs. (See below about longevity based on maintaining/repairing your own pens.)

 

I have some direct experience with how modern pens fare against vintage pens under heavy use. For almost 15 years, I used one of two pens on a daily basis: a Pelikan 600 and a Sheaffer Snorkel with a Triumph nib. While I really enjoyed using the Pelikan, and it was beautiful, it did not hold up as well as the Snorkel. I did have to replace the sack in the Snorkel twice over that period, but the 600 developed a cracked barrel, and also the gold trim around the edge of the section seemed to take a beating from Waterman's Florida blue, which I think of as a gentle ink. Not sure if it is still true, but Pelikan had a lifetime guarantee on this pen, and they did replace the entire piston and barrel mechanism. My Sheaffer was a Lifetime pen, which I believe was some sort of guarantee once upon a time, but as a company Sheaffer's lifetime is over.

 

In a modern pen I would go with a Pilot 74. As others have said, cartridge/converter pens, while not my preference are probably a safer bet than piston fillers. In vintage I would pick a Sheaffer touchdown with triumph nib. I like the way that Sheaffer pens write, and touchdowns are easier to work on; they also require fewer parts and less fiddling than the Snorkel. I think the best insurance for longevity is repairing the pen yourself.

 

Alan

[ISW_Kaputnik]

I'm not young enough to worry about a pen lasting fifty years, even twenty-five would be a tossup. However, if I can pass my pens on to someone who will take care of them, I'd expect a number of my modern Pilots to have that degree of longevity, Custom Heritage 91 and 92, although the piston on the 92 would need some sort of maintenance eventually and who knows about the continued availability of compatible cartridges or converters for the 91. Maybe even my Vanishing Points would last that long. I don't know about the click mechanism, but then, I have a couple of old Parker Jotter ballpoints, close to fifty years old, where the mechanism still works just fine. Apart from that, the VPs are very solidly built.

[Moshe ben David]

 

 

I can see the Pelikan 200 fitting in the budget I mentioned, but not the 400/600/etc. I do agree that they are good pens, but the reliability and self-serviceability of a piston filler has me a little worried. It might just be me though.

 

OTOH, I like your analysis of the lifespan. 50 years is just a number, but I like the way you took the number of times the threads get turned and brought it down 25 years .. I might just look at getting a very good desk pen a couple of decades from now

 

Keep in mind that Pelikans are very easy for a user to service. Nib section comes off the barrel without any tools, which makes the piston reservoir as easy to clean and/or add a wee bit of silicon as easily as an eye dropper. For that matter, you could simply refill as you would an eye dropper thus forestalling wear on the piston if you're really concerned.

 

I have a couple of the M200 as well as an M800. They all write great. The earlier comment on the brass components of the M800 might tilt the balance in favor of that model if you are willing to pay the price. Also keep in mind it is such a large pen compared to the M200 you would not need to refill as often.

 

Sure hope you let us know what you decide to go with. Definitely an interesting approach to the process of selecting a pen!

[Namo]

I have a 2K from the 1st/2nd year of production, so 1966-7. All I had to do is change the piston threads, so it's probably good for another 50 years!

I would choose a Danitrio Densho, though. ED filler means less pieces. The nib is a Bock unit, there a shut off valve. Mine is a raw ebonite, and the price was good...

 

The problem with such a (fun) question is that you probably can answer it only when you've tried many pens... This is how I got to the Densho, since I wouldn't have paid 200$ or more for a pen 10 years ago. Today, I would go and try some pens, and know exactly what I need and what I want, so if the pen was right, I would gladly pay well over the 200$ limit. Over 50 years, that would be worth it...

[sandy101]

 

Fifty years of Preppie use seems more like a sentence for doing something profoundly naughty...

 

 

Naughty, yes - but very enjoyable...

 

I've got P45s that have lasted 50 years, I have some Parker Slimfolds that just function.

 

Out of today's crop the Diplomat Excellence A's all metal construction offers a lifetime of service. Cross also give a lifetime guarantee on their pens - which I used twelve years after buying the pen for the cost of postage.