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1 X Duofold Centennial Or 2 X Carène ?


DanceOfLight

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I have an oppurtunity to either go for a Duofold Centennial or for the same price, 2 waterman Carène s. Looks wise, both pens are pleasing to my eye (Carène IMV is stunning ). I have not handled the Centennial or seen one in person. I do have a waterman Carène and a Parker Premier(good styling, smooth nib, balance and weight) and both are out for a nib exchange (OB, B respectively).

 

History, tradition, lineage or vintage for that matter don't generally sway me, unless it was THE pen used by Einstein or Marie Curie. What puts a smile on my face is a well engineered, good looking elegant pen that'll last a couple of generations if USED and looked after. The geek in me prefers pistons, Vaccumatics, Bulk fillers but I don't mind a CC either. I have large hands and dont like to post my pens. .M215 is the smallest pen that I can handle without posting.

 

My little collection might give an insight.

 

  • Lamy 2K steel
  • Pelikan M200 D(unused - too light), M215 Lozenge, M800, M1000
  • Parker Sonnet Chinese laque (not often used, too light), Premier Deluxe Graduated Chiselling
  • Waterman Carène Black sea GT
  • Pilot Custom 74 with FA nib (love the nib, hate the feed)
  • Twsbi 540 and 7xx several with nib changed to custom ground Bocks (I grind my own nibs, if push comes to shove)
  • Several beautiful large Ebonites and cellulites from unkown brands for which I have tuned the nibs, as the default ones were C&^p

 

 

Cheers and would love to read your opinions on what would be a worthy addition (new and in-production pens)?

-DOL

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Wow ! those ARE some parkers... In your view are the new top end Parkers (Centennials and Premiers) as maintain-able as the old ones ? ie., do they disassemble easily à la Lamy-2K, Pelikan M800 ?

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Wow ! those ARE some parkers... In your view are the new top end Parkers (Centennials and Premiers) as maintain-able as the old ones ? ie., do they disassemble easily à la Lamy-2K, Pelikan M800 ?

 

Personally I prefer the 1:st gen Centennials, they are all well made, but I kind of like the square design.

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Knowing both pens, I would buy the Duofold. I think that they're better made, and are repairable. The nib on a Carene has a tendency to leak around the nib, and it's a pain to repair.

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Good point Ron, I like my pens to be tinker friendly and repairable. I do have a Carène which fortunately doesn't leak (filled'er up only once though, and now out for nib exchange), and I do know that it's a pain to repair the Carène because of the inlaid nib, but innit gorgeous :blush: :wub: ? Do you believe that Modern Duofold Centennials belong to that category of pens which are repair friendly and are made of long lasting and scratch resistant materials like the vintage ones.

 

I have little to no interest in hunting down a vintage duofold, so prefer the new ones that are still in production. The "big red" does pluck at the heart strings :wub: . By the looks and specs, it's ergonomics seems to be similar to the M800 which is a good thing for me (anyone owning both... care to comment ?) . I am more concered about the durability of the new plastic they are using on the latest centennials for daily (ab)use :unsure: . How about the Nib...does it feel more like the Pelican M800 (nail) or the Pelican M1000 (lot more give) ?

 

With all these observations from you experienced folk, Looks like I am Careening (Ha! look what I just did there) towards the Parker ;)

 

Thanks

-DOL

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I love the look of the Duofold - having a P&B Centennial & International. I think the International looks right, while the centennial feels right.

 

Mind you, you'd probably get the opposite answer if you asked a bunch of self confessed Waterman lovers.

 

It is an expensive decision & you need to get it right. Do you have unlimited time to make the decision? If so, I'd almost suggest going to a shop somewhere & trying out a Centennial first. Failing that - and still having unlimited time, try a cheap Kaigelu 316 ($20 delivered worldwide from YCPens on e-bay). It is the same size and has the same feel if you ignore the overweight brass barrel finial - which can be removed if you need to get the exact experience.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

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I too have large hands. Granted, I am biased towards Parker.

 

http://parkercollector.com/bilder/centennials.jpg

http://parkercollector.com/bilder/duofolds.jpghttp://parkercollector.com/bilder/biguns2.jpg

Hi,

 

What kind of color is the orange marbled duofold in the middle of the picture (modern duofolds)? Could you post some pucs of this pen?

 

I have never seen this color before

 

Thanks!

Nib (re)plating: please visit www.Dutchpen.com

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I missed that orange one. Straight under my nose, no wonder I missed it.

That is lovely & I have never seen another for sale anywhere. Didn't know the colour existed.

 

Richard.

 

It's actually a true prototype from the Newhaven factory. I was very lucky to be able to buy a triplet, including a piece of the rod. I can't imagine why it was never in production, it's incredibly beautiful. All pens are fully functional.

 

http://parkercollector.com/bilder/centennial_orangemarble.jpg

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It is indeed very beautiful, wonder why they did not bring this to the market ? Dare I say that this outshines the Big-red ? Thanks for sharing such a rare combination.

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It's actually a true prototype from the Newhaven factory. I was very lucky to be able to buy a triplet, including a piece of the rod. I can't imagine why it was never in production, it's incredibly beautiful. All pens are fully functional.

 

 

 

I was thinking the same thing, too. I really like orange fountain pens and I have the solid orange Duofold. I was wondering how I missed the marbled orange. Now I know. It's a beauty.

"One can not waste time worrying about small minds . . . If we were normal, we'd still be using free ball point pens." —Bo Bo Olson

 

"I already own more ink than a rational person can use in a lifetime." —Waski_the_Squirrel

 

I'm still trying to figure out how to list all my pens down here.

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I have done a bit of kit pen making and the orange crush pens (made with this blank http://www.theturnersworkshop.co.uk/shop/pen-blanks/acrylic-blanks/orange-crushed-velvet.html ) always sell very well.

 

It would make such a nice pen.

 

Regards,

 

Richard

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I have done a bit of kit pen making and the orange crush pens (made with this blank http://www.theturnersworkshop.co.uk/shop/pen-blanks/acrylic-blanks/orange-crushed-velvet.html ) always sell very well.

 

It would make such a nice pen.

 

Regards,

 

Richard

 

 

Thanks for listing a source for the acrylic. Now I have to dig out my pen kits and start turning!

"One can not waste time worrying about small minds . . . If we were normal, we'd still be using free ball point pens." —Bo Bo Olson

 

"I already own more ink than a rational person can use in a lifetime." —Waski_the_Squirrel

 

I'm still trying to figure out how to list all my pens down here.

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I like my Carene but I am a huge Duofold fan so If I was getting another of either it would be a Duofold. That orange crush looking Modern Duofold is awesome!

PAKMAN

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I have four Carenes, and they are nice writers. I take care of pens, and am not experiencing the leaking nibs. Having observed many contemporaries using pens, I am not surprised that some pens might leak. I think the average person is careless. Carene caps don't post securely on the barrel. Carenes also look much cloddier than a Duofold. So, go Duofold.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I always liked those Mandarin Yellow Duofolds. But my favorite is still the Orange Crush Acrylic. You have a very nice collection; thanks for showing us.

"One can not waste time worrying about small minds . . . If we were normal, we'd still be using free ball point pens." —Bo Bo Olson

 

"I already own more ink than a rational person can use in a lifetime." —Waski_the_Squirrel

 

I'm still trying to figure out how to list all my pens down here.

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