Townsend Love.

[max dog]

My Townsend Medalist. You can put them up against the best of them and not be found lacking.

[MrThoth]

 

 

but Lapis Lazuli has to be the most beautiful fountain pen I own out of a 100 odd fountains

 

I own about 700 pens, and the Lapis Lazuli is definitely one of the most beautiful.

but Lapis Lazuli has to be the most beautiful fountain pen I own out of a 100 odd fountains

[MrsHobie]

I bought a Townsend with a gold nib in 2009, to help me going back to work after my maternity leave ... the price was reduced by half, it was a real bargain.

 

I have small hands, but it's a pleasure to use, good balance. But I can't use the cap posted, it's too heavy.

I don't know which finish it is ... it's like the quartz blue lacquer but it's brown ... So quartz brown lacquer ?

[MrThoth]

 

 

I don't know which finish it is ... it's like the quartz blue lacquer but it's brown ... So quartz brown lacquer ?

 

Probably the Anthracite Lacquer (SKU 696-2) or Ochre Lacquer (SKU 696-8), but there are a couple other possibilities.

[MrsHobie]

it's more like Anthracite Lacquer than the other one. I'll take a picture

[Tom_Moritz]

I own a Townsend Medalist. While it could be confused as some kind of large medical instrument, it's a fabulous writer and as others have mentioned, very well balanced. The thing is absolutely massive and as a result it sits a half inch over the top of the pockets in my pen pouch. I would suggest to anyone who can't stand seeing scratches should choose a non-chrome finish. pretty as it is, larger scratches are highlighted.

[jslallar]

"Townsendophiles" is the name that has been given to people like me who love Townsends.

[TheDutchGuy]

My Townsend is exactly the same as max dog's. Somehow it never really worked for me. First, as mentioned by ClockworkCollector, it's very big and doesn't sit comfortably in a shirtpocket. Second, the cap is not a screw-on but a click-on and in the case of my Townsend this always translates into ink on my fingers: the protruding gold-coloured ring at the base of the tip seems to touch the inside of the cap and comes out blue. Third, it drew lots ink (despite having a M tip) and with almost every kind of paper the ink was drawn out into the paper and leading to unreadable text. I specifically say "drew", because a fellow FPN member was kind enough to work on the nib for me :-). Now, it writes wonderfully on all paper and I use it whenever I have to write a lot of text. It's still not an every-day go-to pen for me due to size and the blue fingers issue.

[paule23]

I'm a convert to the Townsend after my father bought me a black lacquer version a year or so back. I was struck by how immediately smooth the pen was, with great flow, something I don't always achieve right away as a left handed fountain pen user.

 

Love it so much I've followed up with a ballpoint (also in Black Laquer) and a special birthday treat arrived today, the Stormtrooper version!

 

Actually first impressions of this Stormtrooper one aren't great, it just doesn't look like a £250 pen. But it's a Townsend and Star Wars is I couldn't resist (got the R2D2 pad combo at the same time, a very exciting delivery).

[langere]

Great to have this thread back! Yes, Townsends are great writers. I have an orange one, a real beauty that I just put through my rotation.

 

For a while, I was thinking about the Townsend and thought that I needed to use it again. When I did, I realized why it hadn't been in circulation for a while. First, the fingers-on-the-ink problem. However, that has improved as the suction from the pull-off cap has diminished somewhat. I guess I just need to use it more often...

 

The one thing that I have noticed is that, unlike the Platinum 3776 Century slip cap, when I pull of my Townsend's cap it is a little bit rough. Don't know what to do about that since I am sure it comes from the plastic sleeve inside that is perhaps not machined well enough - it just takes a major effort to slip the cap on or off.

 

But it is a stunning pen, with that caveat.

 

Erick

[max dog]

My Townsend is exactly the same as max dog's. Somehow it never really worked for me. First, as mentioned by ClockworkCollector, it's very big and doesn't sit comfortably in a shirtpocket. Second, the cap is not a screw-on but a click-on and in the case of my Townsend this always translates into ink on my fingers: the protruding gold-coloured ring at the base of the tip seems to touch the inside of the cap and comes out blue. Third, it drew lots ink (despite having a M tip) and with almost every kind of paper the ink was drawn out into the paper and leading to unreadable text. I specifically say "drew", because a fellow FPN member was kind enough to work on the nib for me :-). Now, it writes wonderfully on all paper and I use it whenever I have to write a lot of text. It's still not an every-day go-to pen for me due to size and the blue fingers issue.

 

 

Great to have this thread back! Yes, Townsends are great writers. I have an orange one, a real beauty that I just put through my rotation.

 

For a while, I was thinking about the Townsend and thought that I needed to use it again. When I did, I realized why it hadn't been in circulation for a while. First, the fingers-on-the-ink problem. However, that has improved as the suction from the pull-off cap has diminished somewhat. I guess I just need to use it more often...

 

The one thing that I have noticed is that, unlike the Platinum 3776 Century slip cap, when I pull of my Townsend's cap it is a little bit rough. Don't know what to do about that since I am sure it comes from the plastic sleeve inside that is perhaps not machined well enough - it just takes a major effort to slip the cap on or off.

 

But it is a stunning pen, with that caveat.

 

Erick

I wonder if the ink on the fingers issue isn't because of the clutch type cap mechanism causing suction to develop in the cap that sucks ink out of the nib every time you uncap it leaving ink in the cap, so when you go to cap it again, ink gets on the section rim resulting in your ink fingers. The Townsend cap forms a very good seal (just like the 3776 slip and seal) to prevent ink dry out, but down side is, if you pull the cap off too fast, it can suck the ink out of the nib into the cap.

 

I usually uncap the Townsend cap using one hand. With the barrel in you palm wrap your 3 bottom fingers around the barrel to grip the pen, then use your index finger and thumb to push the cap off at the dual cap ring. That should dislodge the cap without causing it to suck ink into the cap when uncapping.

Edited February 6, 2018 by max dog

[paule23]

I've always suffered from inky fingers using a fountain pen (well, not so much with Pilot disposables). The Townsend is no better/worse than other pens I use( Waterman Carene, Cross Bailey)

[max dog]

I go weeks without inky fingers and I fill my FPs from a bottle.

Edited February 6, 2018 by max dog

[omarcenaro]

My Townsend is on the far left of the display.

It is a fantastic writer. Like someone else wrote, just take the cap off and it starts writing with out an issue. Nib is nice and smooth and pretty as well.

 

 

[TheDutchGuy]

The Townsend cap forms a very good seal (just like the 3776 slip and seal) to prevent ink dry out, but down side is, if you pull the cap off too fast, it can suck the ink out of the nib into the cap.

That's exactly the issue. The thightness of the cap is such that you have to take it off gingerly and patiently to prevent this. No problem at home when one is writing letters or journaling, but at the office... no.

[GaryUK]

I have the Tennis Hall of Fame version. I bought it because I like sterling silver and limited edition pens. Nice Townsend but I think the tennis racket clip is a bit contrived.

 

Gary

[The Blue Knight]

I've been meaning to try a townsend for a long time. It's been mentioned a few times in this post it beeing a large pen. If memory serves me right I can remember seeing one in person and it being quite diminutive in statuer similar in size to Sonnets or Waterman Experts. Does anyone have one e.g. a Parker Sonnet or an M200 for instance and would be willing show them together?

[MrThoth]

OK, here's a Lapis Townsend lined up against a Pilot VP, a Parker Sonnet, and a Visconti Homo Sapiens.

 

[The Blue Knight]

OK, here's a Lapis Townsend lined up against a Pilot VP, a Parker Sonnet, and a Visconti Homo Sapiens.

 

Townsend Size Comparison Optimized.jpg

Thank you.

[Dr. Saleem Ali]

Pl see how ditinct and elegant Townsend looks ! Thanks Mr Toth.Enjoy ur pens in good health and lifetime .