The Collection Four Years From Start

[KBeezie]

The set as it currently stands, there was a pause of acquisition for a little over two years since 2016 with some sold until now.

The Montblanc Meisterstück °14 is a recent acquisition. Felt like getting a fresh photo at the whole thing after a few found new homes with other users.

In general started out very large and cheap, mostly chinese, then there was a good mix of vintage/modern with some that I would consider a bit more expensive for myself, then started scaling it down either by trading off or selling, and now it's at a count of 15 pens (my goal was to get it down to 16 or less, then eventually maybe top 12 if I want to shrink from there).

Most of it ended up being in the Extra-Fine to Fine range far as nib tips go (I only have one Medium, a Factory Stub [1.1] and a Broad Cursive Italic), and ended up being a lot blacker than I anticipated, so I'm actually considering getting one again in a nice color (currently debating a Sailor Pro Gear Slim in either Purple Cosmos, Earth or Ocean since I want to try the music nib, if I don't end up getting it ground to a 0.6~0.7 cursive italic since I lack that in my setup).

A good portion of them are the result of trades. The Aurora Afrika LE is even the result of a trade where I mailed off a 12x12x12 box of Better Made Chips to Japan (not for that pen directly, the pen I got [Pelikan M805] eventually got traded for the Afrika after I had the M805's nib ground).

This Imgur Link has both these images, but also individual pictures of each of the pens currently in the collection.
https://imgur.com/a/PxrmDCP

[usk15]

We are missing your good photography here.

 

That is a very nice collection, well done!

[Bo Bo Olson]

Very pretty pens.

 

Five years ago, maybe more, I sold my self no more black pens....2/3s always are. In Germany black pens are much cheaper than colored....out side Pelikan...........then those I want....well that's why my wallet has me in Court for Wallet Abuse.

 

Good you have a 400nn, so you have a semi-flex.

[TheRealMikeDr]

What happened to the MYU/Murex?

[Runnin_Ute]

Well done, Karl! You have put together a very nice collection.

[KBeezie]

What happened to the MYU/Murex?

It was sold in the middle of 2016 to someone who also had a Parker T1 and Parker 50 Falcon. Similarly the Visconti Homo Sapiens Maxi was sold as well, and the Wahl-Eversharp Doric in Kashmir was traded to get the Pilot Super 250 with the Falcon Nib.

 

Well done, Karl! You have put together a very nice collection.

Trying to scale it down even further if I can, ie: fewer pens of higher quality/specialty but lower quantities (especially as I have very few that have nibs larger than EF/Fine)

 

When someone asked me earlier about what was the top 5 or 6 I'd reach for over on FPGeek and then another person about what might I get rid of, I was like, hrm, lemme add colored labels to get a visual look at where I might cut from :

 

Reds mean that I wouldn't have a problem selling/trading them because either I don't get enough use out of them or they're much more easily to reacquire.

 

Yellows are if I had to use as a bartering piece or needed to sell I could

 

Oranges are, I could trade/sell but would prefer not to unless something very nice was being offered (like if I needed to trade off 3 for one pen I been seeking)

 

Whites are like, I'm feeling more firm about not getting rid of it.

 

 

Good you have a 400nn, so you have a semi-flex.

I have a few semi-flexes in there (the 140, the Wahl #2, the two Swans, and the 1968 Falcon nib on the Pilot Super), with the Wahl and the older swan being more closely to the ease/give of flex versus semi-flex (needing a more controlled light hand as not to cause a chicken scratch effect with it)

Edited October 22, 2018 by KBeezie

[oregano]

Thanks for sharing! I had wondered what happened to you since you used to post a lot. Glad to see that the Aurora Afrika is still in your collection.

[KBeezie]

Thanks for sharing! I had wondered what happened to you since you used to post a lot. Glad to see that the Aurora Afrika is still in your collection.

 

That one isn't likely to leave me, though I do wish I had a thicker nib on it. It's marked an "M" but writes like an extra-fine (I'm guessing professionally ground as it's a good EF and looks smooth and clean under a 60x loupe). I feel like I would use it a lot if I could get a good medium or broad cursive italic in it, especially since I have a lot of EF and Fine nibs in my collection.

 

The top/bottom and side of the nib compared to a Pelikan M640's 18K Medium (bottom being an Omas FAO LE 18K Fine)

 

 

Parker 75, 14K '63' Extra Fine, Lamy 2000 14k Extra Fine, Aurora 18K "M", Pelikan M640's 18K M, Montblanc 225's 14K XXF

 

 

Aurora Afrika's 18K "M" next to the Pelikan M640's 18K Medium

 

 

And you can see the difference between the write sample of the Aurora and Pelikan here, my only guess is, if it's factory medium, then it probably wants some pressure applied for it.

 

[senzen]

Very nice collection and great photos; the 75's design still stands out for me, the size comparison with the Pilot super 250 is particularly useful, I thought it would be even smaller.

[KBeezie]

Very nice collection and great photos; the 75's design still stands out for me, the size comparison with the Pilot super 250 is particularly useful, I thought it would be even smaller.

When I was doing some searching around for history, it seems like the super 200s were smaller, not sure if the 5 in the 250 makes a difference on length or not, but it doesn't seem to be the typical size of the 200s. Though it would been awesome to find a 500 with a falcon nib, but that probably be even harder to get in a trade.

 

Other than the previous sac chemically rupturing (probably from that bad batch several years back), everything seems rather nice with it, very practical too, with that little bit of flair.

 

From the history of what I've had in the past (such as a Montblanc 221, Parker 45s, some 51s, Pilot Elites from the 70s, Pilot Long Murex, etc etc) I seem to have a particular interest in in those 60-70s models, they almost feel like they were trying to revitalize the fountain pen design and interest at that time, sort of like a new golden age.

[Quiet]

Wow, stunning pictures. You definitely have a lot of beautiful pens in your stable.

[amberleadavis]

I like having the names/models added to the picture. Also great job showing the nibs. I've tried to take better photos and I must say that it is work to get good photos of pens and nibs. Thank you for sharing.