Something In The Middle?

[JonSzanto]

Speaking of toasters, I just received a minty black Trans with a toaster top. Black might not seem as sexy, but it completes a black trio (SJ, J, Trans) to use with three sizes of italic style nibs (2314F, 2442, 2314M).

 

A very nice combo, a happy owner.

 

Those Sheaffer 100s look like a very nice pen, maybe a good pen to initiate someone into fps. I may have to pick one up!

[79spitfire]

I have a Sheaffer Three friends of winter, and it's a very nice pen, lacquered metal construction with a stiff but very reliable nib. Very durable and quick, uses a snap type cap that feels very secure. These can be had for around $40.

 

The Diplomat Magnum might fit the bill for you as well, and you would have money left over for a converter and ink! These are a bit small and plastic-y but mine does write well.

 

Where exactly do you work that you are hard on pens? I work in auto repair and education and seem to have a pen in my dirty hands most of the time. Esterbrook Js hold up fine for me. Is it the screw cap that's becoming a bother?

[JakobS]

I suppose this depends on your definition of classic, but if a P51 is attractive, and you want to try to stay within Esterbrooks, the SM deluxe line has a similar streamlined look that is also capped by clutch ring. They are a little more uncommon to find, but do show up on Ebay enough, and can be had around the $40 range. I find the burgundy, blue, and green versions to be exceptionally attractive.

[inkstainedruth]

This is a bit late, but I just remembered....

I had excellent luck with a vintage Parker Vector cartridge pen. Years ago, a co-worker gave me an old PV her husband had used, which was just "laying around".

I dipped it in water and that little gem wrote like a dream!

These days, I think they're one of the cheapest vintage pens you can buy (I've seen some at $10 - $20 NOS on feebay), they're small, durable, have a snap-on cap, and the one I had wrote every time, without any work, with eyedropper-filled cartridge. If memory serves, you can still get cartridges that fit....

 

Yup, Vectors take standard Parker (proprietary) cartridges. My first "real" FP was a Vector, and for a while it was the only pen I had. Got it a couple of years ago new, but I was looking at it last night and noticed some markings next to the "Made in UK" stamp on it, and looked the markings up on Parkerpen.net. There wasn't really any information about Vectors, but if I understand it the markings themselves indicate the pen was manufactured in 2003. So not vintage. But a great little pen nonetheless, and mine has been completely reliable. Only takes the slide converter though.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[ummbnb]

Thanks for the continued recommendations! I really love my Esterbrooks, don't get me wrong. Maybe its just in my head but I feel this needs to be gentle with them. Probably in my head. Still, I'm going to get the 100 because...well, why not?