Graduation Gift - To Myself

[NobodysPerfect]

I'm not sure if they do engraving, but you could get a custom Edison pen for about that price (steel nib and CC). That way you'd be able to easily change nib sizes as needed.

 

And congratulations on the PhD!

[SirVival]

Go with a custom pen that incorporates something symbolic from your PhD like color / pattern / roll stopper ....

This is your "engraving" and using standard nibs, you can switch them around all life long as taste changes without hassle.

 

And trust me, after a couple years you will mostly remember the fun times of you PhD. That is the beauty of the human mind to keep mostly only positive memories.

[NinthSphere]

+ whatever to considering a custom pen. Scriptorium, Newton, Edison, whoever. There are a number of great makers about. You might look at some of the work being done down in the Pen Turning & Making forum also.

Edited September 16, 2016 by NinthSphere

[requiescat]

I don't know about now but Edison once did an engraving of a custom symbol (the Deuce of Gears symbol in my icon) on a pen for me. So it may be worth asking.

[sharonspens]

I have chosen pens to commemorate special occasions (and a Ph.D./30th birthday definitely counts). In three cases I chose custom Edisons. A custom pen, whether from Brian, Shawn, or Scriptorium (among others, of course), could be done in your school colors, and the color of your favorite chemical reaction, or something else that has meaning to YOU. the engraving you want could likely be done, too. Two of my Edisons are truly custom to ME< extended length Pearls to accommodate my preference for loner pens when I can't post them.

 

I do also have an engraved pen, a Waterford given as a thank you when my professional association presidential term ended. The engraving doesn't show up well on THAT pen, but I know it's there and it means a great deal to me when I put it in rotation.

 

BTW, you can also go with commemorative INK; the 2015 Edelstein Ink of the Year came out when my term ended, so i matched that ink with one of my pens.

 

 

Sharon in Indiana

[ac12]

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As to that, all the Souveran line are available in plain black, without the striped binde.

 

Aw but the colors red/black and blue/black are sooooo nice on those pens.

[BillPorter]

Its been a long journey but I will soon graduate with my PhD in biochemistry. It feels like my life will only begin after this pivotal moment in life! I promised myself in 2012 that if I graduated I would reward myself with a fountain pen. Its 4 years later and its finally time (Nicely it also co-insides with my 30th birthday).

 

My thoughts back in 2012 were of a Lamy Dialog 3. I liked the size, and the vanishing nib and its a luxurious pen without being a Graff von Faber Castell pen of the year or something like that. I have seen many good reviews, but also a few complaints about the Nib drying out. The budget here would be about ~ 300 dollars.

 

So 4 years has been a long time, and I have been making good use of my Lamy Safari, joy and Majestic that I turned myself trying to avoid the temptation of new and beautiful pens. I still like the Lamy Dialog 3 but am no longer sure if this is my best option. So i thought I would come and ask for your advice and recommendations.

 

Engraving - Thought I would engrave 'Dr. Surname DD/MM/2016' on the pen. I have received a few pens from people that were forgotten in some draw somewhere (sadly many were too long gone to be saved), I hate when they are engraved but this will be my pen! Not a hundred percent sure here, maybe the engraving will serve as a nice reminder or maybe I should leave the pen pristine.

 

Nib - With a pen in this price range I should have the option of any Nib I like. I think I enjoy Medium/broad and Italic nibs the most. I want this to be an everyday pen so maybe an italic nib is not suitable but maybe a 1.1 italic could work. Or an oblique? I have no experience with obliques however. I suppose I would describe myself as having a large hand.

 

Brand - If its a good pen I have no concerns here.

 

Thanks for your thoughts

First, let me congratulate you on your degree. I am aware of the struggles and difficulty you must have gone through as a graduate student. I still remember literally coming to tears as I looked at the blank page that would become the first page of my dissertation. I knew I faced a year or more of writing and re-writing and wasn't even sure that I would be successful and receive a degree.

 

As for the pen, my first thought is that you seem uncertain about the nib. You have and use a Lamy Joy, so you are well aware that a 1.1 mm stub can be used as a daily writer. I use everything from a soft-fine in a Platinum 3776 to a 1.5 mm stub, depending upon my mood at the moment, so maybe you should opt for a pen with easily swapped out nibs? After all, you will probably think of the BODY of the pen as the real symbol of your accomplishment, not the nib. My next thought is that you may want to have a "one of a kind" pen that no one else has. This leads me to suggest a custom pen or maybe something like an Edison that you can probably have custom made for you. I don't have an Edison, but I have read good things about how they have worked with customers to create a special pen for them. Whatever you decide, I know that the pen you end up with will always have a special place in your heart.

[katanankes]

Congratulation for the completion of your studies and the upcoming pen.

 

Just a thought: think twice about engraving the Dr title on the pen... many PhDs after a few years down the road look back and find themselves a bit silly when they were adding the Dr prefix everywhere. Just my experience. I personally never use it unless it is required. Or the postfix may be a bit more elegant. Just my two cents, this is a matter that is entirely subjective and you might want to think it through just to be sure that you do not come to the point of disliking your commemorative pen.

Edited September 18, 2016 by katanankes

[BayesianPrior]

Congratulation for the completion of your studies and the upcoming pen.

 

Just a thought: think twice about engraving the Dr title on the pen... many PhDs after a few years down the road look back and find themselves a bit silly when they were adding the Dr prefix everywhere. Just my experience. I personally never use it unless it is required. Or the postfix may be a bit more elegant. Just my two cents, this is a matter that is entirely subjective and you might want to think it through just to be sure that you do not come to the point of disliking your commemorative pen.

 

Very well said.

[BillPorter]

Congratulation for the completion of your studies and the upcoming pen.

 

Just a thought: think twice about engraving the Dr title on the pen... many PhDs after a few years down the road look back and find themselves a bit silly when they were adding the Dr prefix everywhere. Just my experience. I personally never use it unless it is required. Or the postfix may be a bit more elegant. Just my two cents, this is a matter that is entirely subjective and you might want to think it through just to be sure that you do not come to the point of disliking your commemorative pen.

Excellent comment about the use of "Dr." on the pen! I didn't think about that point and I'm glad someone else did. I'm guessing that the great majority of those with academic doctorate would agree.

[Laura N]

Congratulations.

 

I think you should just get the Lamy Dialog 3 you originally wanted. I think it probably represents your taste better than anything anyone else could suggest. But I personally wouldn't have it engraved. You'll know what the pen symbolizes even without engraving. I think there's a large likelihood that in a decade or two you'll have different thoughts about any engraving than you do now.

 

If you do switch off the Lamy, in that price range I'd vote for a Pelikan M600. It's a sturdy pen, with a gold nib, not horribly expensive and it allows for nib swapping which gives flexibility. Also it's a classic design that won't later seem dated.

 

There's nothing wrong with a Montblanc 146/LeGrand, but if it were me I'd rather buy a new Lamy or a new Pelikan than a used Montblanc (or any other used pen), to celebrate such a significant accomplishment.

[Mastiff]

What about something more sturdy? If you're a biochem and just finished your PhD, you will probably spend a few more years doing a postdoc of some sort before going for a faculty position (a desk job). My experience is that most fountain pens are not really lab-friendly.. I was just thinking whether a visconti homo sapiens might withstand the sort of PC2+ abuse...

 

Of course if it is purely and absolutely commemorative, go for MB146 or 149.

Edited September 19, 2016 by Mastiff

[windibd]

If you still want the Dialog 3, Lamy has fixed the drying problem. And if by chance you happen to get the old version, you can just send it in to them and they'll fix it for you. I own the piano black one and I do not regret spending that much money, as it is a GORGEOUS pen.

[BayesianPrior]

Another thought for a Pelikan... usually you would have the cap engraved. If, down the line, you change your mind, you can always buy a second cap (use or new) an swap it for th engraved cap. An engraved body isn't so easy...

[Cause]

Thanks you for all your comments, I will be considering them all. I really appreciate the feedback

MB 149: Its not beyond my ability to purchase but it will be among the most valuable things I own. I like the idea that It should last my lifetime and those of my children as well perhaps but I wonder how comfortable I would be to ever take such a pen from my home.

Pelikan: This was a very common recomendation. I will see if I can look at any in person at the local dealers

Edison: I have no familiarty with the company or its custom pens, I will look on the web

I will try get that writing sample soon

 

Congratulation for the completion of your studies and the upcoming pen.

 

Just a thought: think twice about engraving the Dr title on the pen... many PhDs after a few years down the road look back and find themselves a bit silly when they were adding the Dr prefix everywhere. Just my experience. I personally never use it unless it is required. Or the postfix may be a bit more elegant. Just my two cents, this is a matter that is entirely subjective and you might want to think it through just to be sure that you do not come to the point of disliking your commemorative pen.

I like it because its meant to serve as a memento of the day I earn the title, still I like the idea of perhaps using the postscrip instead. After all the postscript is what seperates one type of Dr from another.

Otherwise I plan to make everyone call me Dr for a month and than get over it.

 

Congratulations.

 

I think you should just get the Lamy Dialog 3 you originally wanted. I think it probably represents your taste better than anything anyone else could suggest. But I personally wouldn't have it engraved. You'll know what the pen symbolizes even without engraving. I think there's a large likelihood that in a decade or two you'll have different thoughts about any engraving than you do now.

 

If you do switch off the Lamy, in that price range I'd vote for a Pelikan M600. It's a sturdy pen, with a gold nib, not horribly expensive and it allows for nib swapping which gives flexibility. Also it's a classic design that won't later seem dated.

 

There's nothing wrong with a Montblanc 146/LeGrand, but if it were me I'd rather buy a new Lamy or a new Pelikan than a used Montblanc (or any other used pen), to celebrate such a significant accomplishment.

No one mentioned the Lamy Dialog 3 which made me a bit worried but since Windidb says they fixed the drying issue I will loot at more reviews. Try and see if I can go test one at the shops and see what Nibs they have.

 

What about something more sturdy? If you're a biochem and just finished your PhD, you will probably spend a few more years doing a postdoc of some sort before going for a faculty position (a desk job). My experience is that most fountain pens are not really lab-friendly.. I was just thinking whether a visconti homo sapiens might withstand the sort of PC2+ abuse...

 

Of course if it is purely and absolutely commemorative, go for MB146 or 149.

I have a very simple rule, nothing worth a $50 or more ever enters the lab. I lost my favorite shirt (I just needed to get something I forgot so thought nothing of it and got splashed and it bleached the color right out) and ruined a pair of shoes and pants on a separate occasion. A pen would be stronger than clothes but I would never forgive myself if I ruined an expensive pen when I could have avoided it. I have seen people do worse to watches and the like.

Also the problem of FP ink used for record keeping. They make many that are suitable these days but not sure if its worth fighting the bureaucracy to convince them. Still a nice pen can still be used at home or at my desk at work. Even a postdoc will split their time 50:50 between the two.

Edited September 19, 2016 by Cause

[Cause]

Writing Samples: Please excuse any errors or bad penmanship. I only recently decided to write in cursive again. I believe the parker 51 is a fine nib but am not certain, does not seem to say anywhere. As you can see my hand writing is fairly large which is why I thought a Medium or larger nib would be most appropriate?

 

 

http://i68.tinypic.com/5ujuap.jpg

http://i66.tinypic.com/2n7pmd4.jpghttp://i67.tinypic.com/s31uah.jpghttp://i63.tinypic.com/2u6jvw4.jpg

Edited September 19, 2016 by Cause

[Cause]

Hey Guys.

So with Brexit looming and my own countries currency for reasons unknown having a bit of a resurgence the time to buy is now.

I found two websites
http://www.cultpens.com/
https://www.thepencompany.com/basket/

Who are offering very competitive pricing and very cheap delivery. They seem legit, anyone have any experience?

I can get a Lamy Dailog 3 for R2600 which is about 260$
I can get a new MB mesiterstruck 149 for R9999 or 736$

[Noihvo]

Hey Guys.

 

So with Brexit looming and my own countries currency for reasons unknown having a bit of a resurgence the time to buy is now.

 

I found two websites

http://www.cultpens.com/

https://www.thepencompany.com/basket/

 

Who are offering very competitive pricing and very cheap delivery. They seem legit, anyone have any experience?

 

I can get a Lamy Dailog 3 for R2600 which is about 260$

I can get a new MB mesiterstruck 149 for R9999 or 736$