Favorite High End Pen?

[Morphling27]

Namiki Emperor sized pens. You can get the classic black or red urushi finish.

 

Or, get one of the beautifully decorated ones. I personally like water or aquatic animal themed ones a lot. But, so many choices who knows!

[roaringrabbit]

 

 

 

Love your writing style.

Thank you kindly!

[two2tone]

Sailor 1911 series -- either the large or mid-size.

[Lloyd]

Danitrio is my (current) favorite higher-priced large (but lightweight) FP.

[coleb87]

From your list I have a Delta Dolce Vita, Oversized, which was my first "nice" (for me, High End) pen; It has a wonderful stub nib & is as large a pen as interests me.

 

The modern Eversharp Decoband is almost more of a "club," yet it's beautiful finish, soft nib with that RED feed, makes it's added size forgivable.

 

I also consider my last "nice" pen, the ONOTO, Magna (with additional brass weight) to have been a pleasure since the day it arrived. The standard Broad 18kt nib, has not required customisation, despite my preference for italic or stub nibs.

 

I would grab my Omas Ogiva, FIRST, if the house was on fire, but they are becoming harder to find for consideration. It has probably the nicest nib I have & was my favorite celluloid finish they made.

How's the Delta for Smoothness? is it just butter, or does it have some positive feedback? Same for the Eversharp, I wonder how smooth it is, seeing as it's a "superflex".

 

I prefer the '50's MB pens to modern.They have better nibs, all are stubs & semi-flex....so being semi-flex will be wetter nibs.

The 146 is a much more nimble pen than the 149, which I've tried in my B&M. I prefer my '50's medium-large 146 over my Large '70-80 146. The '50's one has a maxi-semi-flex nib, which is luck of the draw....but all '50's MB's will have at least a semi-flex. My '70-80's has a regular flex, my 2006 Virginia Woolf has a modern MB nib you want, slightly stubbish, "Springy" = good tine bend but only 2X tine spread. Butter smooth.

Butter smooth nails are easy to find, if that's all you want. And steel is as good as gold....no BS.

 

What Pelikan do you have?

I find a modern 146 to be better balanced, more nimble than an 800.

I've got an M1000 currently. I'm seeing a lot of love for the 146 here, particularly the vintage ones. So I'll check them out!

 

Did you look at S T Dupont, or Graf von Faber Castell? The former in particular may be interesting.

I've taken a gander at S.T. DuPont, but haven't really looked into them. They really interest me being as I see great things about them all the time! I'd like to stay under $1k, too. As for GvFC, I haven't really looked into them much. How do they compare to their counterparts?

 

My favourite high-end pen is the Visconti Homo Sapiens. One with a medium, the other with a broad stub. Both tuned by Mike Masuyama. It's about the perfect pen for me. I have some issues with the filling system where it barely fills a third of the barrel in a fill. I can still get a full fill but it's not the 60%+ fill on something like the Pilot Custom 823.

 

Yard-O-Led Viceroy Grand Victorian is worth looking into, and so is the ASC Bologna Extra, but I don't have either of those pens.

I *really* love the way Viscontis look. Did yours come stock with a wonderful nib or did you want to send it to Masuyama once you got it?

 

I was going to recommend Pelikan, but I see you already have one...just one? 😜 Aurora might be an option for you. It has numerous models in dazzling colors and materials, but with generally few quality control issues compared to other Italian pens. They also make their own nibs and ebonite feeds.

Hahaha, I just have one M1000 for right now. I'm seeing quite a bit of recommendations for Aurora here, so I'll definitely look at them. The 88 and its many editions look nice. How's the nib?

 

Given you have a Pelikan and like it, you should also cast your eye over a Toledo.

They're so darn pretty! I'd love to have one! But if I can, I want to try and stay under $1k (I didn't mention that earlier, sorry!)

 

Sailor 1911 series -- either the large or mid-size.

To be honest, I would not mind having another- I have a 1911 Large M-F, it's one of my favorite pens as far as workhorses go.

 

Danitrio is my (current) favorite higher-priced large (but lightweight) FP.

They must be awesome! They're a bit higher than I'd like to spend, though. trying to keep it sub-1000 dollars, hahaha

[coleb87]

I might also add that Conid pens seem very nice to me!

[PAKMAN]

Pelikan M800 Brown Tortoise!

[Kodiac136]

I enjoy both my YoL Viceroy Grand Victorian and my Conid Kingsize. It is impossible to choose between them for me.

[Mulrich]

 

I agree. Duponts don't get the recognition they deserve, IMHO

 

Another Dupont recommendation here. I've used a lot of pens from most of the major brands but once I got my first Dupont I basically stopped looking at other companies. The one downside, now that I'm not actively looking for the next pen I spend a lot less time on fountain pen sites and videos (although that might be a positive).

[Donald2]

The gold pen that Scaramanger used to kill Mr. Fat.

[Jezza]

Aurora nibs are firm and run true to size. That is, a fine is really a fine. Reports of problems with Aurora a fairly far and few. Some members have reported hairline cracks just below the piston nob. Overall, however, they seem to be very reliable pens. I havent had any issues with mine, but it is brand new. There are some great deals out there on Auroraloid Optimas.

 

You could also snag a Pelikan M800/805. The Ocean Swirl or Renaissance brown models are gorgeous.

Edited April 5, 2018 by Jezza

[rudyhou]

from the list you have, i'd go for Omas. i find Omas made the smoothest nibs out of the box, and very wet too. i got Omas Arte Italiana Cruise with F nib. i tend to favor the japanese brands, though, as i prefer finer nibs for my small handwritings. so far, i enjoy my Namiki Nippon Art with M nib, Platinum Nice Pur with M nib, and Sailor Professional Gear Matte Black with M nib.

[senzen]

Most beautiful: new to me m205 in clear blue.

 

 

Brings out the best in my favorite ink: Sailor Professional Gear, m nib with Tsuyu Kusa.

 

Runner ups, a pleasure to write with and make their inks look nice: Le Man 100 and Vert Empire, m600 and Asa Gao.

 

But my cheapest Metropolitan is also a pleasure to write with Fuyu Gaki.

[Runnin_Ute]

My favorite "high end" pens (such as they are) are my Pelikan's. Whether it be a vintage 120 Merz & Krell I paid less than $20 for or the 140 I paid $140 or so for. Or even a modern M200.

[Buzz_130]

Nakaya. Beautiful, functional, and the pen I use/fill than the other top 5 of my pens.

 

Buzz

[Bo Bo Olson]

Bought new, the P-75 and my MB Virginia Woolf are my 'only' top end pens. My rolled gold capped and piston capped Pelikan 500 is perhaps my most top end of the used pens.

I have common other top end pens, Vac, P-51, Snorkel, 146.

18 K Lamy Persona which was in 1990 top of the Lamy line; I have in Black Titanium Oxide. It has a real neat spring hidden clip. The nib was a boring nail OB, that I sent to PB to make it Cursive Italic. The design is a cross of Art Deco and Bauhaus.

The new Lamy Imporium, is the second design of the Persona by the same designer.....but it has the very best 'Springy' nib, It's been my pleasure to try. 'Springy' nib, good tine bend but only 2 X tines spread.....instead of 3 X of a semi-flex.Got to call up Lamy and find out if the new section fits the old Persona. And the new nibs come in different colors of black and gold, or gold. Spiffy. Had it been semi-flex.....I'd have a milk bottle full of coin, and be buying one.

PB's handwriting, not mine.

 

 

MY B&M was having a sale, so I got the Woolf for only E450 (the same as the Ebay NOS price), instead of 750.....had I kept it NOS some 4-5 years later the Ebay price NOS is back to new E-750.

 

I spotted that Woolf a good ten meters away in the MB section....drew my eye.

The more expensive Pelikan Pen of their Time, had a boring modern nib.

The Aurora Verdi, that was on sale for 'only' E-750......was the prettiest of the bunch, but the nib was thin and more toothy than I wanted.

 

I had taken my semi-flex, rolled gold trimmed inlaid nib Geha 725 (Mid '60s-72 when Geha stopped making pens; was DM 360 or the same price as the better MB's.....$90-100, (My '70 P-75 only cost 22 silver dollars ((we had silver money then with a little blue seal on the dollar bill that said, I could go into any bank and get a silver dollar for it)) so cost 4 X as much then) to cross check nibs, one of the classiest, sleekest black and gold pens made....and can be had cheap if one looks.......only problem is the cap will/might develop a micro crack. Mine came in with out it and a week later had it.

 

It was designed to stomp MB into the mud puddle and IMO did, so it too is and was a high end pen. Still a 'must' have pen. (Can be had for E25-50 if you Hunt on German Ebay.) Don't have the picture I keep promising to make of the clip, where two slightly curved lines make the clip so classy. One picture is with permission of Penboard.de. Is a thin, medium long pen, that finished second in a best balance, back when I only had 20 pens.....now must have 10 best balanced in my top ten. The other two were a '52-54 only thicker girthed Standard sized MB 234 1/2 Deluxe #1 and # 3 was a standard and light for silver P-75. The 400nn was 4th. All four pens were somewhat different, but have great balance.

There were enough MB people that didn't like the torpedo 146/9, wishing more the pre-war 139, so the Deluxe was made to make them happy. Has a Meisterstook clop and a different cap ring than the regular 234 1/2....they had been making since I think before the war.

The used MB 234 1/2 Deluxe is the most expensive pen I own should I sell it. The price jumped from an original worth of $200**, to a now $500, and if you wish someone is selling one for only, $900 if you push his "Buy Now Idiot" button.

** In a live auction, back when I was much more ignorant, it was one of a four pen lot. I wanted the 400nn, was going to sell that 'ugly' MB and the Pelikan 350&355 BP&MP. Never did. I paid way over my then limit...E-170 for all four.

A Great Balance, great semi-flex KOB nib started changing my mind. Lambrou's book, showed me the World of MB.....then as 'noobie' only knowing the 149/6/4.

 

The Geha 725

 

 

 

Pictures with permission of Pentimes......he takes a much better picture than me.

I like the fine my eyes only bling 'engraving' on the nib. Is a ruby, on the clip....picture don't quite show the portion of the clip that is between lips is matted gold. The Virginia Woolf is a LE......only 16,000 made.

Edited April 13, 2018 by Bo Bo Olson

[Precise]

It's impossible for me to suggest a pen or brand without knowing more. Do you like:

 

Big pens

 

Decorative, fancy pens

 

Favorite colors (my favorites are red and amber-marble)

 

Tell us more.

[voltron]

Has to be my Pelikans be it M4xx or M2xx

[biancitwo]

Pelikan: my vintage Pelikans made during the 30s, 40, and 50s, and their original wonderful nibs, and my modern M600s. I also love my modern M400s and M800s. Most of my modern Pelikans have been modified to an italic nib by Pendleton Brown. They are nothing like the original nibs, most of which are flexible, but they are smooth, with plenty of line variation. The vintage nibs are marvels that aren't reproduced today.

[flipper_gv]

My two favourites high end pens are the classic green Pelikan m1000 and the Bamboo black Montegrappa Extra 1930.