Hi Guys

I have just ordered the pen of my dreams the Delta Israel 60 LE (I still didnt get it).

I am already thinking what will be my next oversize pen.I have this list and I would like you to tell me which one I you think I should go for next.
You can also add 1 more pen as an idea for me BUT please tell me from the list which one you would like and why.

Maximum price for a pen I will spend it 500$.

1.Delta Alfa Romeo 1750 LE
2.Visconti Wall Street Piston fill LE
3.Conway stewart Churchill
4.Montagrappa Extra
5.Parker Duofold Centenial True Blue LE
6.Waterman Serenite
7.Aurora Giuseppe Verdi "Opera" in Vermeil

As I said you can also add one more pen for me to consider

I'll only comment on the ones I know....

Visconti Wall Street Piston fill LE
great pen without the ugly metal section that the non-LE pens bear. Would be one I'd like to own if it didn't have the cumbersome filling mechanism. Hard to clean out the double chamber mechanism. Not very practicable. A shame as the design is great.

Conway stewart Churchill
I have a Duro and have held and tried the Churchill. While the Churchill is too unwieldy for me, I love that it combines size with featherweight. Very comfy especially for longer stretches of writing. Also, holds a lot of ink if filled properly (most Churchills have the sac-filler, some special editions do fill with c/c). I love the CS nibs. My Duro sports a finish medium nib with great ink flow and a feather touch.
CS pens come in great resin colors and patterns (from conservative-subdued to flamboyant-exciting)

Montegrappa Extra
I have the 1930 extra, and it is a lovely pen. Holds not as much ink as true piston fillers but is manageable especially if you like fine nibs which save on gas or ink respectively. Great workmanship and a lot of heft which remains manageable due to its distribution low on the pen body. Posts great and has a flashy big nib (the most beautiful of these three pens discussed here). Also, has the classic ebonite feed which provides OMAS-like ink flow. Takes 5 turns to open (not good for quick note-taking). Lovely true celluloid (cellulose nitrate) and not poseur celluloid like so many others (celllulose acetate). Whatever color you chose, it'll be deep and rich. Can't go wrong with any color. I find the 1930 extra colors especially attractive. They are more expensive, though, than the normal Extras.


QUOTE goodguy: "Maximum price for a pen I will spend it 500$."
You should be able to find all three pens for this amount, especially if they are (lightly) used. The Montegrappa 1930 Extra will be hard to find for that amount, but the regular Extra shouldn't be a problem.


I'd go for either the Conway or the Montegrappa. The Conway is a bit stronger in terms of usability coupled with conservative yet very good design and the Montegrappa is a bit more of a flamboyant (fat) diva. So don't pass up the fat lady as long as she's singing.... eh.. writing...

Also, when and where did you order your Delta Israel? And, if I may ask you, how much did you pay? What version did you get (I remember there's a special edition and a limited edition which are slightly different...)
And by the by, don't tell us that the Delta Israel is your absolute dream pen. It's only the absolute dream pen until you've had it for a while and you'll discover one that you'll just covet a tad more. That's how it goes with me usually...
My dream pen is always the next one....

I'll say it before Ghost Plane says it for me.... Yard O Led Grand Victorian. This is a wonderful pen... very large.... and you can find one for well under your $500 budget.

I ordered the pen from Pam Brown.I got it as expected for a very good price,much cheaper then anywhere else on the net.
I ordered the Vermail model.Thats the one with the lever filler and is the limited edition (more expensive and less pens made).
Yes this is the current dream pen but once it will still resting in the pen cabinet my dream pen will be the next pen I choose to buy.

I'm fond of these pens on your list.

2.Visconti Wall Street Piston fill LE
3.Conway stewart Churchill
4.Montagrappa Extra

I saw...and got to play and write with the Wall Street LE at this past years NE Pen Show and I'm kicking myself for not getting it. One super pen in hand and the few minutes I wrote with it, 5-10, was enough to sell me. I picked up an Opera Club instead from the same vendor. This rascal holds a ton of ink too.

The Churchill, what can you say, the flagship of the CS line. This pen is classy,and big, and in the brown color (I have a Duro in brown), wow. Most of my modern CS's needed help from professionals to write the way I want, but it doesn't stop me from buying them. Love the look, feel, and performance once they're tweaked on. Ahh, I don't have one of these either but intend to soon. It might be my pen after my pen to end all pens gets here. Just a big goobie, (not a word, I just made it up) pen that screams "write something with me". A very light pen I think for it's size.

And if you remember some posts I've made recently, you know I love this pen. Yes, I own one too. The Montegrappa Extra. Mine is the Red Celluloid version and as luck would have it, the prior owner had the nib Binderized. The thing is awesome. OK, the cap screws on with 50 turns. I'm living with that. This is a big, fat, heavy pen, just the way I want it. Weighs more than the other two pens I mentioned. And oh, that big nib is wonderful and even though, like I said, a heavy pen, you should have no problems with control when putting pen to paper.

Maybe you should read this blog, because its author is a big fan of HUGE oversized fountain pens:

The Noble Savage- My Fountain Pen Reviews

I have the Wall Street non LE and love it but the filling mechanism on the LE makes me shy away.

If I had $500 to spend it would be on one of these:

Parker Duofold Centenial True Blue LE
Waterman Serenite

The True blue awsome and if I had any way to pull it off, I would have already ordered one of these puppies!

The Serenite is a wonderful combination of design and form that I would love to own. I especially love the new Blue version. Don't know if one could be had for $500 though.

Another pen to consider is a Parker Duofold Norman Rockwell. I found one for $600 at the Dallas pen show but had already spent all I could afford.

From the pens on your list, I would go with the Duofold Centennial. I like the classic 1920's-like shape of the Duofolds, and the Centennial size fits very well in my hand. The nib is proportionate to the size of the pen, and is delightful to write with, though stiff. I prefer Duofold factory italic nibs, though the M writes well for me.

I would add to your list:

- the Delta O/S Dolce Vita. The color might not be for everyone, but I love it. The pen is big, bold and yet comfortable. The nib is a great huge thing that I feel I am painting letters with.

- the Pelikan M-1000. I can much the same thing about the Pel M-1000. I love their large nibs and the feeling that I am painting with them. Pel M-1000's are dead on reliable.

- MontyB 149. Here is a classic 1930's style that is timeless. The pen is comfortable to hold. I prefer the older versions with brass filling systems that have a little more weight than the newer versions. The nibs are very large, yet not as big as the M-1000 or Dolce Vita O/S. 149's are as reliable as M-1000's.

- and don't forget the Danitrio raw ebonite pens like the Densho. The pens are large and have great writing nibs. The pens have comfortable sections to hold, and they are light and easy to use.

The nice thing about any of the pens I have mentioned here is that they are all good pens technically . The fit and finish is excellent, they write well and their filling systems work. You are at liberty to choose the aesthetics that appeal to you most with the assurance that you are getting a good pen.

Thanks for your input.

I already have the Delta Dolce Vita and the MB 149 (its my favorite pen).The Pel M1000 is on my want list but not at this time.As for the Danitrio I dont know I never seriously consider these pens,maybe in the future but not now.

Charlie said it for me, but it bears repeating - a Yard O Led Grand! I'm partial to the Victorian, but any would be a nice addition. Pam can get you one for under your limit. It's rare I choose a pen over a Visconti, but having used my Grand daily since receipt, I have to say it's perfect for length, weight and that glorious nib. C/C fill, which apparently puts some people off, but I simply refill and go on. A little heavy for some folks, but works for me as it simply lays across my hand and churns out pages.

If I had to choose from your list, I haven't experienced many of the brands, so I lean toward the Visconti, Delta and Waterman simply for luscious reliability in my collection. I'd love to try a Montegrappa simply because they have so many lovely silver pens, but they remain beyond my budget. I recently acquired a Delta Profili from Pen_Lover on eBay and it's sitting next to "the Precious" as my 2nd best writer for all day marathons.

Totally agree on both pens. Have one of each. I call the Danitrio "The Cucumber" it is so big but light and writes great.

Delta Dolce Vita Oversized.

Read my reply I already have it and its an amazin pen.