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@marlinspikeThank you for your explanation. Off-centre finials are usually seen on older Montblanc Solitaires with solid material caps (e.g., granite — Soulmakers 100 Yrs Slv Gran LE1906, ident 36688; lapis lazuli — UCF Yellow Gold LE100 and White Gold LE100, idents 105628 and 105682; porcelain — Black SE and White SE, idents 106069 and 106071), so it is surprising to learn they have been spotted on some of the models released thus far from The Origin Collection as well as on Year 2 AtW80 Solitaires. Not as surprising, however, as finding hairline scratches (not shallow micro-swirls but fine and deep linear marks) on polished surfaces as well as indelible discolouration to the red coral derby upon opening the factory seal of one example of the R L Stevenson LE1883, ident 129521.

Do you suppose a Bock #8 could be swapped in? Having an ebonite feed opens a lot of possibilities for this, and it's exciting to see Moonman adopt one in

Thanks, @lapis! @Skydiver, there's a link in every review to a spreadsheet of my inks. This lets you filter on the shading column to get those rated as "High". Please keep in mind that shading will also depend on the nib's wetness (which needs to be right for the ink, IMO, not necessarily wet or dry), the paper, and the writing style (e.g. print shows shading more readily than cursive, and even the length of the stroke will help determine whether and how an ink shades).

Inked a Swan with Sand Martin Brown and a Jackdaw with Mallard Green. Poor artificial lighting I'm afraid, I'll revisit in daylight. Paper is Tomoe River. First impressions, I'm not sure, slightly muted colours. I was expecting some sheen but there's no sheen and only a little shading.

I'm not convinced that there currently is a great US letter-size copy paper for fountain pens. There are some acceptable options, but I've not seen anything outstanding in years. I've tried both the Xerox 24-pound Bold Professional paper and the HP Premium options, and both were deeply disappointing. Please convince me if you know of a great letter-sized copy paper! There have formerly been truly great US letter-sized copy papers, and both were sold by Staples. One was Sustainable Earth, and the other was Step Forward. Both papers were outstanding for fountain pens, with Step Forward being especially excellent. In fact, Step Forward is my favorite fountain pen paper, period. I like it better overall than the original Tomoe River papers. I contacted the founder of Step Forward last year to see if there was any interest in bringing back his paper, possibly in a crowdsourced, fountain-pen-user-focused way, and he indicated that he'd definitely be interested in a crowd-backed return. I've posted about the possibility of a Step Forward reboot on FPN before. Have you tried Step Forward? Are you interested in seeing it come back?

What you have is one of the Elysee Vernissage "Impression" Limited Edition pens. It is a lacquer laid down on sectioned metal. Depending on the condition and/or packaging you can see them on eBay for around $400 - $800. Here's mine.

I really enjoy my 912 WA, and don't mind the con-40, so I might end up using that; my main worry is it's hard to find ink in my location so wasting Bleu de Minuit is definitely a problem.

Have you tried using the large muscles of the arm more and the small muscles of the hand and fingers less? Iow, the hand does nothing but hold the pen loosely, while the arm shapes the letters. This is particularly well-suited for the Palmer script you already know (and so perhaps you do this already, and it's a useless suggestion), but can be used for other scripts as well.

I've been experiencing the same thing on the second Con-70 I purchased for my Custom 74, because the first one started spitting little drops of ink out the back whenever I filled or cleaned the pen. One dud converter could be just bad luck, but at this point between the converter issues and how hard it is to clean the section, I've decided I'm done with this pen and will run away in future from any other pens that use the Con-70.

Try this on for size: https://www.montblanc.com/en-us/ink-bottles_cod1647597341708847.html INK BOTTLE, MEISTERSTÜCK THE ORIGIN COLLECTION, CORAL - 50ML Ident No. MB132941 $40.00 https://www.montblanc.com/en-us/ink-bottles_cod1647597341708847.html INK BOTTLE, MEISTERSTÜCK THE ORIGIN COLLECTION, BLUE - 50ML Ident No. MB132940 $40.00 Apparently, there is also a corresponding "Green".

Impressive and insightful into the "Tao". Thank you for your wonderful work and insights, and translations. k

What a very attractive pen - I like the twist on the guilloche very much. I'm guessing it's sterling silver?

ballpoint Caran d'Ache 888 Infinite with Goliath refill. refill worth more than the pen "but this pen isn't made for a Goliath" "that's okay I'll find a way...."

No #8 versions available at aliexpress at this time.

Out of 282 ink reviews using EF nibs, there should be something that'd fill your bill. Here's the latest one.

Our next pen club meet is this THURSDAY, April 25 6:30 - 8:00 P.M., 134 West 29th Street, 2nd floor Studio 1-1. For April's meet, bring your pen(s)/pen-adjacent items with cherry blossoms/other flowers/rain/sparkles to show and share. If you have shimmer ink (like raindrops?) or flower-themed ink samples or bottles to re-home, please bring them along with a swatch if you are able. As usual, we'll have a suggested contribution ($10 cash) for those who attend to offset the cost of the rental and snacks. The monetary contribution is by no means required in order to attend the meeting - just join us with your ink-stained hands. As a gentle reminder, if you feel sick the day of the meeting, please stay home and we'll see you at the next one.

I would second asking CS for advice but would also ask why you want to remove the nib.

Monarca Nopal shaded in the TWSBI Eco EF I had. Pelikan 4001 Turquoise, which ironically is a wet ink on more absorbent paper Diamine Polar Glow (would probably be my favorite ink if it didn't sheen like crazy)

thank you for the informative review.

For future reference, and to help anyone who has found this thread in the hope of finding out which types of Parker converters will be compatible with their pen, I am adding the following link: The whole of that thread is informative, not just my own post to which I have linked, and the two immediately after it. Reading that thread - and looking at the photos in it - should enable you to work out whether a Parker converter that you have is, or is not, safe to use in a Parker pen that you have. Slàinte, M.

Thank you. Have actually perused a portion of his marvelous website. It’s one of the ones that helped me narrow down production dates on this pen when I first saw it. After I retire I hope to have time to read his whole site!

Not a bad idea. It's a C/C filled pen, so should unscrew without difficulty. If it doesn't, there's a defect and you would do best to let them handle it instead of voiding the warranty by breaking it. If you must, use a little heat on the barrel above the joint maybe, but don't overheat or try to force the section loose.

Hi Marlinspike, I feel the same and agree with your comments. Despite the inflated cost, which isn't unique to this collection, the six offerings in my opinion stand out as unique additions for those who can afford one. And for collectors, it presents an excellent opportunity to commemorate the brand. On the other hand for those who love the 149, it's easy to foresee that in the absence of other offerings, this 149 with its added aesthetic details will become highly sought after. With regards to the pieces I own, those of my friends and those I've observed at retailers, as well as the six or eight reviews I've followed, I haven't noticed any mention of flaws. However, given the intricacies of this industry and its heavy reliance on skilled craftsmen, it's not uncommon for the occasional defect to slip past the numerous inspection stations. I understand how disappointing this fact may seem but we seem to think that the regular increases (inflated prices) will result in better quality control and from my experience that is usually not the case.

Purples are sort of growing on me, but I don't seem to have strong feelings about them like I do about some other colors. You're very welcome!

Not pen but ink. New inks to me, hadn't even heard of them until a couple of days ago. Seems appropriate to wash out some Mabie Todd pens to give them a go.