Out of all the pens you have which one made you the happiest ?

It could be a pen that writes the best.
It could be a pen that was given to you by you dad.
Maybe it is the most expensive pen or maybe just a rare model that it took you a long time to get you hands on.

I had 2 pens I thought of:
MB 149 and Parker T-1

After a long thought I know its the Parker T-1 that truly made me the happiest.
I have been waiting and dreaming for Soooo many years for this pen and once I got it I felt as if I am walking on air.
Even today I still hold it in my hand and cant believe I have this beautiful and elegant pen.
Oh yeh it was also the most expensive pen I ever bougth but thats beside the point.

My Cordovan DJ "51"... bar none. When I found that at the flea market I almost started to tremble. I remember holding it in my hands and asking the gentleman how much. In my head I kept repeating 20 bucks. I swear I willed it on him. When he said $40, I almost jumped up and down (you'd have to see the size of me to get the real visual). Anyway, yeah. That would be the pen.

Good Topic!

My answer would be- The next pen.

What I mean is that I take more pleasure in the research, the hunt, the deal, the anticipation, the restoration then finally carying a newly purchased pen in my pocket and writing notes and doodling with it.

Every time I got that "Just have to have it Pen" that would make me happy and end my search for the perfect pen, the joy soon fades and the pen joins its brothers in the pen case. The Saphire Waterman Edson or Amber Shimmer Carene, or that perfect Black and Pearl Duofold Sr, or Waterman #5 Red nib or Pelikan 800 or Grand Place they were all the pen to end all pens but now they just work their way into the rotation every once in a while. The Grand Place is still making me pretty happy though and it is in my pocket a lot!

So today, what pen is making me the happiest? That Conklin Black and Bronze Sr Endura that is in the mail on its way to Arkansas as we speak!!!!

A tie between my Omas Milord(burgundy) with italic nib and the Stipula Etruria amber with fine point.











Great question!!

JD
Vancouver,Wa

Hey Handlebar, that second pen of yours looks beautiful!!

Which pen has made me the happiest? Definately my Montblanc Meisterstuck. I've wanted one for as long as I've known what fountain pens were.

Hmmm...

My Parker Sonnet
I can't wait to get an 18K Italic Sonnet in the future.

Great question and I'm not sure I know. I have been over the moon with three of them but I can't tell which orbit was the highest!

The Lamy 2000 amazed me because it was the smoothest pen I had written with, the Pelikan m215 surprised me because the way it writes just seemed perfect for me - I still get that buzz when I pick it up. The m805 had me slightly in awe because the complete package was so beautifully made and, well... luxurious. It always feels like a treat to use.

Hey, I narrowed it down to three! Is that close enough?

I recently picked up a very ugly duckling that's now my favorite pen. It's a 40's French #62 "LE SUPERSTL" "DE BAYARD". Black pearl on Jet Black celluloid with bright red veins.

It came to me with strange little bumps all over the cap and I didn't think I would be able to make it presentable. After some very fine abrasives and elbow grease it's the best looking pen I have, and it has all the qualities I like:
Very DECO, less than 5" tall, very thick and sturdy, smooth fine 14k nib with a nifty mountain goat logo, chrome military clip with a layered leaf motif that matches the lever, 3 deco bands on the cap and the NOW stunning celluloid.

Oo La La! I'm a happy camper (now where did I put that camera?).

My Krone Blue Gold. Easily the most beautiful pen in my collection and a strong non-seller.

My Dunhill AD2000 in Carbon Fibre. It is an excellent write.

Kurt

That's easy. It's always the last one I obtained. For now, that's a 452 1/2V Waterman silver filigree. I am the same way with airplanes. I always love the last one I flew (if I landed).

This one never fails to make me smile! And it's good a great stub nib !!

My Parker "51" that I inherited from an uncle. I have written with that pen for almost 25 years now, almost every day. An expensive Waterman that I also owned just sat in my desk drawer while I wrote with that Parker. Now, thanks to FPN and Ebay, I have a couple dozen "51"s that I write with.

My Pelikan M805. It was a gift from my father, and it's the pen that got me started on this addiction/obsession.

I'm with the 51 crowd on this one. The one that's made me the happiest so far is my 1945 Dove Grey 51 Vac. There's no great story behind it - never owned (to my knowledge) by anyone particularly impressive, I didn't inherit it from a close relative, etc. It's just that it was my first one. I found it at an antique store and paid $5 for it. Spent $40 restoring it (thanks Dennis Lively - you did a fantastic job!), got a nicer gold-filled parallel lines cap for it (the one it came with was a beat-up Lustraloy, which isn't quite factory original, given the two-tone clutch ring) later on down the line, and have enjoyed it ever since. It's a good-looking pen (the cap is the kicker on this one), and it just writes REALLY nicely. It'll be in my collection forever, because it was my first vintage pen.

I'll go with two:

1. The first is the pen I've had the longest - A black Sheaffer Touchdown with a Triumph nib that I got from KendallJ last year. It showed me how good fountain pens could be and really sparked my serious interest in the hobby. What do they call that? A Gateway drug? Anyway, it's still here, today inked with Parker Penman, and getting more through yet another finals week.

2. The other is my Pilot Custom 823. It's everything I want in a pen: perfect size, shape, huge ink capacity and an amazingly smooth Medium nib. This is the pen that has somewhat slowed my pen accumulation because I know it'll be nearly impossible to beat.

Hmmm - I'd have to say it is my "51" flighter - not because it is a mint, stickered, flawless pen (because it is not), but because I somehow stumbled on one that had a few dings in it so it was originally fairly priced, and I offered what I had in my Paypal account to the seller, and they accepted it (perhaps out of pity, who knows). I've yet to see a user grade flighter for the same price, and while it is not perfect, it is still the best writing pen I have in my small collection. Not to mention due to the couple dings I've never hesitated to ink it up and take it out into the field, so to speak, consequently I actually get to enjoy it as often as I care to without concern over adding more "character" to the pen.

Well, let's see:

- My Grandfathers Parker 51 pen and pencil set..never inked circa 1955
- My first Esterbrook which was a red LJ
- This Dip Pen because I still have no history or info on it but the info search is still on.

Omas Emotica.

Of course, it is the only FP I have so it has to make me the happiest. Honestly, since I got it, I can't go back to a ball point.

And what is the pen you are going to buy next ?

For sentimental reasons - the Golden Pearl Vac I inherited from my Dad. And for all around writing, my Aurora 88. I always find myself coming back to that pen even when it's not its time in the rotation.

Daily writters
- Sheaffer Snorkel restored by Fountainbel with a really nice nib work
- Sheaffer Crest (modern) with a 2nd hand triumph nib block that Sheaffer's customer dept found in their drawers. Best writter with its buttersmooth nib

Just for looking
A mint Sheaffer Crest (black laquer) bought to Sarj
and ... this one
and ... the other one
and ... the next one
and ... the latest pen I've just bought

Danitrio Cum Laude, large size, with a gold nib. So far, the most complete pen I have tried.

It will be a tie between my "new" vintage Parker Slimfold and my first Sheaffer no nonsense with an italic nib. Both are good looking and has a history.
Henrik

Waterman Charleston EF nib, the black CT version. Excellent.
Writes like no other, and is also a gift from my wife

My Pelikano,my Pelikano Junior,my Herlitz Tornado,my Herlitz Tornado Classic and my Lamy Safari! I love them!

No doubt. My visconti van gogh maxi' vanilla trim

I am getting a Danitrio Densho for father's day (it is already in the house, but I haven't seen it ), so that will be pen two. I also have my eye on a Bamboo. Hanging with the folks on this board is bad for my bank account.

I love my Pilot Vanishing Point so much that I ordered another. That way I can keep one in my purse and one at my desk. Of course, I've only been using fountain pens for about a month...

My Pelikan 214. It was my first Father's Day gift and it was my first good modern pen. It also made me the unhappiest when it fell out of my bag and got lost a few years later.
Ben

I've been thinking about this thread a lot (too much, probably), but I'd have to say my Sheaffer Pen for Men III. It's a sweet writer, very easy on the eyes, and the entire purchasing experience was great. (See my review for more details.) There are other pens that I love (e.g., my aerometric Parker "51"s and my Pelikan M200s), but the PFM III consistently brings a smile to my face.

Don

I'd have to say that, in the end, it is my Sheaffer Heritage Legacy that has made me most consistently happy. I love its girth and looks, based on the legendary PFM line. It is has been a reliable writer on most surfaces (a little dry on heavy correspondence paper, but that's been my experience with most pens). I also love the special Sheaffer-type nib, so aerodynamic. The Lamy 2000 is a close contender but I have never been able to get excited about its looks, though I am normally attracted to the Bauhaus aesthetic. The plain body recalls to me those Flair or Bic pens of the 1970's. It has also given me some small leak troubles. I prefer the weight of the Sheaffer. My Pelikans (M100 and M800) are very reliable, too, and smooth writers. I love them also.

This one, my first fountain pen. It was given to me as a gift, and started my love of fountain pens.


Ralph

Mine would be the Parker "51" that I received from my brother as a college graduation gift. A great writing pen that has seen more use then any other I have.

Currently, Taccia - Swisher L.E. with a fine nib. It is just so reliable and comfortable (in my hand) to use.

Hmmm. Which one made me the happiest at the time, or which one makes me happiest now? I have three answers:

In college and for several years afterward, my Parker Vector Flighter gave me tremendous joy. It was (still is, but I prefer something heavier nowadays) a great sketcher. Never had any trouble with it until one day it mysteriously disappeared.

Over time the longest-running bringer of joy has got to be my Rotring 700. It's been dinged up and mistreated, but I've never come across a steel nib as nice. Well, maybe not "never" but very rarely.

Of late, I'm on the '51' bandwagon. I feel fortunate to have gotten my black 1945, and it's treating me very well. Tho my Pilot Knight is surprising me every day, the '51' edges the Knight out.

My father loves his Pilot Varsities. I think he's getting a Knight for Father's Day.

BTW, great topic. Reminds me that "favorite" and "highest quality" are not the same thing.

No such thing for me Different pens do different things for me at different times

An easy choice for me -- my Parker Pearl & Black Duofold.

My apologies to those who have read my previous posts recounting this story. In about 1991, just after I had gotten out of college, I had promised myself I was going to get a Parker Pearl & Black Duofold. I kept putting it off because I could not justify the expense. Finally, in 1999, I was just about to do it. I had graduated law school, started a great job that I had been working at for about a year, paid off all of my credit card debt, and was finally in a position to justify making the purchase. But that year, the woman that I had been dating gave the pen to me as a present for my 31st birthday. Since then, I have bought her, among other things, an engagement ring, a wedding ring, a honeymoon in Europe, a house, and a couple of cars. I got the better deal.

Ah, but is it a Centennial or an International?

my dunhill ad2000 silver pen - with M 18K nib - writes like cutting a butter.

If you ask the best balanced pen ever - sensa cloud 9 - without a doubt...

A stainless steel Waterman, I'm not even sure which model.

My editor handed it to me after lunch on the publication day of my novel last summer - the pen is engraved with the name of the book. I don't use it much (the nibs a little wide for my everyday writing), but it means a lot to me...

One...? Can't do it.

Jules by Dragon
M800 w/custom nib from Mr.Binder
Sailor 1911
Platinum #3776 w/music nib
OldGriz Dragon
VP w/custom nib by Mr. Mottishaw

Difficult decision, but a short list:-

Pelikan M800- Black - writes brilliantly, well balanced.

Parker Duofold - Blue Marble - writes well and look really nice (but then so do my other Duofolds)

CS 100 - Peppered White - a present looks lovely and writes pretty well.

Parker 51 - Black - my first 51 good reliable writer.

But to be honest usually the pen I am using at the time makes me happy and if you asked me again tomorrow some of the list will have changed.

My first black NoNonsense (or rather 'Vintage' as I know now) bought in a department store when Sheaffers were still sold in Germany. It was my first Sheaffer and after endless Lamys and Pelikans the first pen that wrote decently in every situation and on every sort of paper I put under it. I could not believe that a pen could be so perfect for me - and one that had been cheaper than my Lamys and Pelikans at that. Unfortunately it's not one of the pens I still have as I lost it some years later - I was absolutely heartbroken, as I didn't know of eBay or FPN at the time (I'm not sure they existed, actually) and thought I would never be able to get another one of those brilliant pens (I've replaced it by a similar one now, but it's not the same).

Yes, a great question!

I have to say an MB Meisterstück 149 that was spontaneously gifted to me after I had given the person a cheap plastic marketing ballpoint pen (with the title of my then-current book). I was so stunned, I kept the MB on display (in its box) on my desk for weeks, just admiring it. That was 5 years ago, and now I use that MB almost every day.

A gift from my father: MB sterling barleycorn
I bought myself: Sheaffer's Balance LE -went to Fort Madison for a stub nib exchange, oh what a nib!
Saw it myself: Nakaya cigar-size blackish-red tamenuri with elastic music nib -writes like on a cloud!

Great topic, GoodGuy--you always seem to have a knack with getting people to talk.

Hard to pick just one. I've had several that just about knocked me over (like the MYU 500BS or black stripe Capless). But I have to say that my Parker 51 midnight blue with converging lines cap was my first true pen love. It was my first Parker 51 and in excellent lightly used condition. I used it at first, then mothballed it when I got another Parker 51 in more used condition. Then later on, I took the midnight blue out and put it back into circulation. It's probably the most reliable pen I own, in terms of being able to go the longest without drying out or needing a flushing. And its glossy deep blue barrel looks fantastic, contrasted by the gold cap.

However, my new fully rolled gold Lamy 27 is a phenomenal beauty. This pen has it all. Review to come very soon.

My two 149 and my french vac.

I am so fickle, it turns out. In turn, and for varying lengths of time, my Pelikan M400 tortoise shell with dark brown cap, my VP black carbonesque, and then three Pelikan M425's! I crossed the International Dateline a couple of years ago, and somehow ended up with three M425's (gotta blame it on something).