The Impossible Pen - Modern/snap-Cap/piston/demo

[Comapedrosa]

Hi, I'm hoping that you can help me find my grail pen! I'm on the quest for what seems to be the "impossible pen" - a resolutely high-end modern fountain pen with a snap-cap that i can use every day in the office, tucked in my shirt (typically between the buttons). There's no doubt about it: it is an "understated statement" that i'm looking for. I come from 40 years of uninterrupted fountain penning, so i (unfortunately) have a pretty clear idea of what i'm looking for. That said, i don't know if it exists/can be manufactured...

 

Here's what I'm looking:

- High-end/substantial: I am looking for a size anywhere between a Pelikan M800 and a Lamy 2000 (i have and love both), with an impeccable finish

- Shirt-light: it can't be too heavy, so that i can wear it between the buttons of my shirt (the Pelikan M800 works well, but I wouldn't want to go heavier). This is where the Caran D'Ache Escridor and Graf von Faber Castell fail. I have a Faber Castell Ondoro but even that's heavy and weirdly bulky. No need to mention the Rotring 600 :-)

- Resolutely modern/ideally a demo: modern does not need to imply contemporary (cf. Lamy 2000 with its 1966 design), but i am indeed thinking along those lines (Bauhaus, minimalistic...). The Lamy CP1 in black (which i also have) or a Muji (haven't tried) would come close to perfect if they weren't so slim and short. The CP1 is a bit heavy too. No cigars, no Visconti fioritures, no colors etc...

- Delightful snap-cap: ​I find the Lamy 2000 cap mechanism absolutely delightful. But even the Lamy Vista/Safari mechanism works for me... But the thoughtless slip-caps don't work (including for such high-end pens as the Franklin Christoph Marietta 20 or the Conid Minimalistica I own and mention below)

- Piston filler: I could do cartridges, but I think I've finally grown out of them...

 

Here's some of what I already have (not my photos):

Lamy 2000: for now, what seems to come closest is my Lamy 2000. My issue with it is that i prefer exposed nibs, and would really like a demo. The Makrolon material is amazing!

 

Conid Minimalistica: I even recently ordered and received a Conid Minimalistica, but the cap mechanism is not there - still a bit wobbly, and too tight/not at all reassuring. There is no real cap mechanism, just a fiction o-ring. But the rest of this pen, with it's blukfiller mechanism, great materials, and the surprisingly flexible Titanium nib, are amazing!! The Minimalistica strikes me more as a desk pen...

 

Pelikan M800: I have a Binderized silver/black M805 that is what angels must write with. This pen is perfection itself. I know that i will never own a better writer, or a finer instrument. BUT... it's of course a screw-cap

 

 

Lamy CP1: awesome, great closing mechanism, but slim, short and heavy... (used it for years too - mine has a black nib which looks much cooler :-)

 

Lamy Vista: Frankly, the Lamy Vista fits my bill pretty well too - if it wasn't for the lack of a piston, and it's undeniable student/entry-level allure (I know, i was there through college...). I actually do like the nibs quite a bit...

 

Pilot Vanishing Point/Capless: my black/stealth version almost fits the bill. No matter how hard i try (and i have for years!) i can't get to like writing with the tiny flexible nib (though it's super highly reputed), the clip is a bit bothersome, and it's on the heavy side.

 

Faber Castell Ondoro: lovely, but whimsy nib, heavy, bulky, cartridge, girlish...

 

I have about 20 more pens, but i think this helps illustrate my tormented state of mind...

Omas 360 demonstrator: this one is next on my list to try (I do have a penchant for triangular sections...), but it doesn't look very minimalistic :-(

 

Thank you for helping me!

CP

Edited May 2, 2016 by Comapedrosa

[OCArt]

OK, I know it's not a high end pen but when I read this part of your statement "...a snap-cap that i can use every day in the office, tucked in my shirt (typically between the buttons..." I immediately thought of the Parker 45. I am using one with a wonderful gold stub at the moment and really enjoy it. I do favor the modern cartridge-converter filler to the original squeeze filler as it's nicer to know how much ink is left.

[Comapedrosa]

Hi, thanks for the suggestion. I've seen the Parker 45 being recommended very often, including for its nice snap-cap. I've never tried it, but judging by its following, it must be a great pen. Hooded nib, truncated cigar... in a way it's pretty similar to the Lamy 2000...

[sciumbasci]

How about the W-E Decoband demonstrator? Or the Piston filler is mandatory?

[corgicoupe]

Sheaffer Connaisseur. Oops, not a snap cap. The Aurora Ipsilon, or Tu, perhaps.

Edited May 2, 2016 by corgicoupe

[catbert]

A few more for your consideration.

1. Pilot Capless - the faceted model from the 80s with the more integrated clip. Cleaner lines than the current model, and considerably lighter.

2. Aurora 88 or 98 vintage. Some later models (88P onwards?) have a matte brushed finish resembling the 2000’s makrolon. See the pinned thread in the Italian forum for more knowledge of 88s than I could ever bring to bear.

3. Not high-end, and perhaps on the small side for you - the Sheaffer Imperial II Deluxe. Short triumph nib. Caps in a similar way to the 2000, ‘ears’ and all, though not as clicky.

4. No experience of this one - the Tactile Turn Gist. Vaguely resembles a Lamy 2000 with an open nib. Not a piston-filler.

[casualmerlinconstant]

Visconti Opera Crystal?

Not exactly a snap cap - it's that spring loaded 1/4 turn mechanism.

 

- demonstrator

 

-highish end

 

-snorkel vacuum filler - not piston but better and more interesting than converter

 

 

Edit:...and apparently sold out.. So you may have to dig a bit if you do decide to go for one

Edited May 2, 2016 by superglueshoe

[jar]

Sheaffer PFM or Legacy Family.

 

Parker "51", "61", 75, 45.

 

Waterman Man 100, Man 200, Gentleman, Preface.

 

Aurora (vintage) 88, 98, Archivi Storici, Hastill, many modern models.

 

Ferrari da Varese Yesterday.

 

Yard-o-Led Corinthian.

 

Platinum #3776 (not Century but earlier snap cap).

[amk]

You might want to look into the Parker 51 fantasy pens from Ariel Kullock. That fits your snap cap and demonstrator requirements, though alas the nib is covered and its a vac or aero filler, not a piston filler. And although the 'fantasy' machining isn't always quite up to Parker's original standards, it's a classic.

[Flounder]

Quite a lot of pens mentioned (Parker 45, 51, Aurora 88) are slip, not snap caps! The closest I can think of to your requirements is a (cartridge filling) Sheaffer Targa. It's tricky to think of a high end snap cap pen, most snap caps use a plastic liner to provide the tension. Not very high end and longevity of the mechanism is compromised.

[deepak23]

Pilot 823 (fits the bill except the snap cap)

[fphilipp]

no piston filler, nor a demonstrator, but fits the bill otherwise (I think): Franklin-Christophe Model 20 (Marietta). Don't have one because the dollar is a bit expensive right now (compared to the Euro)

[Tasmith]

Hi, I'm hoping that you can help me find my grail pen! I'm on the quest for what seems to be the "impossible pen" - a resolutely high-end modern fountain pen with a snap-cap that i can use every day in the office, tucked in my shirt (typically between the buttons). There's no doubt about it: it is an "understated statement" that i'm looking for. I come from 40 years of uninterrupted fountain penning, so i (unfortunately) have a pretty clear idea of what i'm looking for. That said, i don't know if it exists/can be manufactured...

 

Pilot Vanishing Point/Capless: my black/stealth version almost fits the bill. No matter how hard i try (and i have for years!) i can't get to like writing with the tiny flexible nib (though it's super highly reputed), the clip is a bit bothersome, and it's on the heavy side.

71067.jpg

 

 

Thank you for helping me!

CP

Try the Pilot Decimo. It's 10 grams lighter than the Vanishing Point. The clip is a different design that for me works much better than the VP too.

Edited May 2, 2016 by Tasmith

[flipper_gv]

Visconti Opera Crystal?

Not exactly a snap cap - it's that spring loaded 1/4 turn mechanism.

 

- demonstrator

 

-highish end

 

-snorkel vacuum filler - not piston but better and more interesting than converter

 

 

Edit:...and apparently sold out.. So you may have to dig a bit if you do decide to go for one

 

This is the only option I had in mind that would fit everything he asked.

 

Otherwise there is always the F-C model 20, but that's an eye dropper.

[ScienceChick]

Try the Pilot Decimo. It's 10 grams lighter than the Vanishing Point. The clip is a different design that for me works much better than the VP too.

This is my suggestion, too. The VP was too heavy for my comfort but the Decimo is dandy.

[mike.jane]

I have only looked into this for a few minutes, but it appears that there are discontinued Lamys that were piston-filled demos. (No, 2000 demos, that's apparently a ghost pen of myths) Look into the Model 68 though.

Here's a site on fpgeeks that might give you some pointers: http://fpgeeks.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-146.html Sadly, only the pictures linked at the bottom are still available.

Now, of course you'd have to pay a premium price for an uninked NOS one, yet, it was only a low-mid-range pen when it came out.

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

Edit: This FPN thread also mentions other Lamy Demos that may or may not exist https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/76675-does-a-lamy-2000-demonstrator-exist/page-1

Edited May 3, 2016 by mike.jane

[Comapedrosa]

Thank you all, these are some great suggestions! I find the Aurora Tu, the Visconti Opera Orystal, the Hastill (already on my radar as a wider and much more expensive/venerable cp1), and the Sheaffer Targa Classic particularly intriguing.

 

Mike.jane, the Lamy 68 looks like a must-have!!! even though the nib is encased in that ugly thick vintage plastic… I didn't know about this pen!

 

Catbert, I do still have the black faceted capless - got it in 1992 and always preferred it over any of its successors... The barrel ended up cracking though...

Tasmith and ScienceChick, great pen lovers think alike - o do have the decimo already...

[Arkanabar]

Quite a lot of pens mentioned (Parker 45, 51, Aurora 88) are slip, not snap caps! The closest I can think of to your requirements is a (cartridge filling) Sheaffer Targa. It's tricky to think of a high end snap cap pen, most snap caps use a plastic liner to provide the tension. Not very high end and longevity of the mechanism is compromised.

I'm going to guess that what Companderosa is looking for is the convenience of a cap he doesn't have to twist off, and that the actual mechanics by which it works are unimportant to him.

 

The Sheaffer PFM, Imperial (slimmed-down non-snorkel PFM), and Parker "51" are all clutch caps, not slip caps. The PFM and Imperial, like the Lamy 2000, have a spring in the section with small points that stick out and clutch the cap. Unlike the 2000, these are blunt and a bit bigger (1.5mm or so at a guess). As for the "51", its cap has six internal leaf springs that clutch the clutch ring at the base of the hood/collector. These are very durable mechanisms.

[Flounder]

I'm going to guess that what Companderosa is looking for is the convenience of a cap he doesn't have to twist off, and that the actual mechanics by which it works are unimportant to him.

 

 

Nope, remember he's written "the thoughtless slip-caps don't work (including for such high-end pens as the Franklin Christoph Marietta 20 or the Conid Minimalistica I own and mention below)".

 

 

Parker "51" are all clutch caps, not slip caps... As for the "51", its cap has six internal leaf springs that clutch the clutch ring at the base of the hood/collector. These are very durable mechanisms.

 

Not mutually exclusive! Depending on the age, the 51 cap clutch has 4 or 5 fingers, but not 6.

[ac12]

One problem with slip caps, is the OPs method of carry, clipped to the shirt between the buttons. That puts a heavy premium on the caps ability to hold on to the pen body during normal activity (whatever activity it might be)...or the pen will slip out of the cap.