How Expensive Are Your Everyday Pens?

[inkstainedruth]

 

Did the psychologist show up at the meeting?

 

No sadly. But then, a lot of the regulars didn't show, either -- probably due to the weather. There were flash flood warnings all evening. I had an, um, interesting drive home -- and I don't even live where the worst of it was: I just a story on the news about a place south of the city where a car (looked like a VW) was FLOATING through the parking lot of a restaurant....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Arkanabar]

Every so often ask others if they have issues with writer's cramp, and I then recommend a fountain pen and arm writing. I brag a bit about how my pens require no pressure, and I demonstrate how little pressure is needed by writing on a piece of paper held free in the left hand, and say "use as little pressure as possible." I explain that it's the most modern technology in quill pens, and has to be held upright.

The pens I carry to work are really cheap (Hero 616 and previously, a Jinhao 992 that I PIFfed to a speech-language therapist, my Jinhao Bulow X750 before it broke), so no worries. I have a copper Estie SJ with a 9460 nib (medium Manifold) and I reckon a pen made to fill out triplicate forms is something I don't have to worry somebody would spring.

[rogerico]

This week: a Platinum 3776 and a Sailor KOP. I use them everywhere, at home, at work...

[Honeybadgers]

My pouch usually has 6 pens worth about $400-600. The two in my uniform are worth about $25 total.

[JakobS]

Currently, I have two Sheaffer Imperial II Deluxes and a Twsbi Eco, ~$120 in my pocket, and a Esterbrook J in my pen holder on my desk, so $145 total.

 

I would carry any one of my pens with me to work, or casual trips, though many are amazing pens, all are meant to be used, and I attempt to carry them in a way where lose is as avoidable as possible.

[gistar]

Mostly carry Chinese pens when moving around the office. I have worked on all that I use and even have changed nibs on some of them to suit my tastes so no worries there. Sometimes I take something a bit more expensive say up to 100-150 Euros but usually keep them in my office. More expensive pens stay at home where I worry less about losing or dropping them.

[Zookie]

99 cent Fellowship Black Bird ED.

[Noihvo]

 

 

[stephanos]

I rotate almost all of my pens. At present, I have a Pilot 823 (F) and a (modern) Conway Stewart 100 (IB) as well as an old Omas Extra (Ogiva format, F nib) and a TWSBI Precision (M).

 

Incidentally, the Precision is a replacement: I somehow managed to misplace the first one I bought (the first and only time this has ever happened to me) and I liked the pen enough that I bought another one.

[wags]

Depends on the shirt of the day. Wearing a shirt with pocket almost anyone that can fit, with polo shirts something that can be carried in the pants like a Kaweco.

My sentiments exactly... I'll carry any of my pens as long as I have a shirt pocket to put it in. But, on pocketless shirt days, it's going to be a beater pen.

[CraigR]

The pen I am using right now is a Sheaffer's cartridge school pen from the late 1950s or early 1960s. At the time, it probably was available for around a dollar. I picked it up, along with a cigar box of misc pens and parts for three dollars. It is a very frequent user for me.

[wspohn]

I would think twice about carrying a pen under $50 or over $1,000.

[bongo47]

I think I consider the durability part of your question as my main determinant. This means considering where I’m carrying it (shirt vs jeans pocket vs in my case). I worry about the finish getting scratched up in some pockets or situations. I don’t have any pen over about $120, so expensiveness is relative. I have a wing sung, FPR, twsbi, or prera that I’ll take anywhere, in any pocket (even the beach) but I wouldn’t do that with my Deltas, Marlen... fortunately, haven’t experienced a lost pen. So that’s less of a concern.

[goodpens]

I carry whatever I am in the mood for and whatever will not leak due to the altitude changes of my daily drive. Because of this, not price or value, my fanciest vintage pens stay home.

Edited July 7, 2018 by goodpens

[1nkulus]

If I own it, I use it. EDC is day and mood dependent.

$150+ and always in a pen case. The really expensive ones would depend upon where I am heading.

 

Haven't lost any yet...

Edited July 8, 2018 by 1nkulus

[jar]

Likely less than the car I drive but more than the shoes I would be wearing.

 

I have to admit that the original or replacement cost of an item has never really arisen as a reason not to use what I enjoy.

[1nkulus]

I have to admit that the original or replacement cost of an item has never really arisen as a reason not to use what I enjoy.

+1

 

You are either thinking of cost or enjoying your purchase, never both.

[Honeybadgers]

The only thing preventing me from EDCing my most expensive pens is their size, the homo sapiens maxi and my mont blanc 149 are not pocket-friendly sized, nor is my favorite pen, the TWSBI vac700R with a $250 custom flex nib. For me, writing on bad receipts and such kind of knocks all my flex pens out of the running and leaves me with the firmer stuff like a lamy 2000 or, as of the past six months, the wing sung 601 vacumatic, which is turning out to be one of the best pens I've ever used.

[IndigoBOB]

The only thing preventing me from EDCing my most expensive pens is their size, the homo sapiens maxi and my mont blanc 149 are not pocket-friendly sized, nor is my favorite pen, the TWSBI vac700R with a $250 custom flex nib. For me, writing on bad receipts and such kind of knocks all my flex pens out of the running and leaves me with the firmer stuff like a lamy 2000 or, as of the past six months, the wing sung 601 vacumatic, which is turning out to be one of the best pens I've ever used.

 

 

The Wing Sung 601 has been your go to for the past 6 months?

 

I might have to try that one. Sounds like a descent p51 alternative.

[inkstainedruth]

I would think twice about carrying a pen under $50 or over $1,000.

 

Well, I don't have any pens which cost anywhere near a grand (let alone over that amount). And don't expect that to change anytime soon....

As for *under* $50? Well, today it was the ebonite Noodler's Konrad at $40 US and a NOS Sheaffer Snorkel Admiral -- which, before repairs, I paid a whole whopping $14 for.... (the rehab pushes the price to be a bit under $60). The pen I used before leaving the house was a Lamy LX, which normally retails for $56, but I paid less than half that (due to the closeout at Lamy's old US distributor), and even factoring the cost of a converter I paid roughly half the retail price.

And a lot of my pens cost way under $50 even at regular "retail" prices. Even some of the vintage and semi-vintage ones: one of the Parker 51s ended up being under $40, even with buying a replacement cap in order to replace the Frontier cap the pen came with (and cost more than the pen initially did, since the pen was marked as being a Frontier...).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth