Post And Postability

[spuriousgeorge]

I'm looking for a pen that feels balanced when posted. My current pen, the Pilot Metropolitan, like my previous pen, the TWSBI ECO, is top heavy and discourages long writing sessions.

 

Any recommendations?

Edited December 4, 2019 by spuriousgeorge

[DCirjan]

It might be my intrinsic bias, but some of the most "postable" pens are Pelikans: the cap is very light and it offers great balance (as long as you have a normal resin cap, not a gold-plated one which anyways looks odd and it's too expensive). Also, Pilot Preras.

[A Smug Dill]

Pilot Elite 95S. One of very few pens on which I will always post the cap when I write, and find it comfortable and properly balanced. The pen is obviously designed to be used exclusively in that manner, and the cap and barrel are shaped and weighted accordingly.

If you want a pen that isn't designed to be used with cap posted exclusively, try the Sailor Profit Black Luster, which has a metal gripping section instead of a normal resin one. This shifts the centre of gravity closer to the front, compared to most other Sailor Profit (aka 1911) models which are already quite usable with cap posted (but I just don't like doing so personally).

[sombrueil]

The two pens I own which are write better posted than unposted are my Eversharp Skyline and my Pelikan 400NN, both vintage.

[WLSpec]

It might be my intrinsic bias, but some of the most "postable" pens are Pelikans: the cap is very light and it offers great balance (as long as you have a normal resin cap, not a gold-plated one which anyways looks odd and it's too expensive).

I would have to agree with this opinion. My m400 is probably the most postable pen I own, I barely notice the cap when I write. My personal preference is to have a weight balanced pen as well, and some of my Stipulas and Diplomat Aero have a very heavy cap, which makes writing less comfortable. (Especially that Stipula). You could also go for a pen without a cap, maybe a Pilot VP or Decimo, or the less common Lamy Dialog. Good luck finding the right pen.

[sandy101]

Parker Sonnet remains balanced when posted.

 

Visconti Rembrandt does so, as the metal section is heavier than the resin body.

 

Platinum #3776

 

Cross Century 2 and Cross Townsend.

[spuriousgeorge]

What kind and clearsighted advice. Thanks, everyone!

Edited December 5, 2019 by spuriousgeorge

[Arkanabar]

I'll +1 on the Pelikan M20x and M40x, as they post very well. So too do my FPR Himalayas, both acrylic and ebonite.

 

As for the Pilot Prera, well, I have a demo with a CM nib, and it's showing stress lines in the cap. I can see the soft inner cap flex around the section when I cap it, but the end of the barrel is a bit bulkier, and I am unsure that it really posts as well as it caps without stressing the cap.

[Addertooth]

I will toss in a vote for both the Skyline and the Pilot mentioned before. The other factor to be considered is how well the finish of a pen "tolerates" being posted. Many pens "can" be posted, but end up with unattractive wear/scuff rings on the tail of the pen from being repeatedly posted. Include this issue in your decision.

[corgicoupe]

With Skylines, the gold filled cap fits lower on the body than does the celluloid [plastic] cap, so the balance is good with both models when posted.

[countrydirt]

The only pen I've been posting lately and I'm starting to like it is the Lamy Studio.

[AAAndrew]

TWSBI Mini is made to be posted. It's too short otherwise. Some don't like that you screw the cap onto the tail of the pen, but I actually find that a bonus. My TWSBI Vac Mini is one of my favorite pens.

[A Smug Dill]

Many pens "can" be posted, but end up with unattractive wear/scuff rings on the tail of the pen from being repeatedly posted. Include this issue in your decision.

It is one of the main reasons why I don't like to post the cap on the end of the barrel when writing, but just because I personally care about how my pens look, it doesn't mean others who see pens principally as writing instruments to be used should treat cosmetic protection of their pens as worthy of consideration. I certainly wouldn't have a problem, or want to convince the O.P. otherwise, if he happens to think balance and feel are king, with no concern about whether the finish of a pen gets scuffed.

[Bo Bo Olson]

If you wax your pen you do not get mars.......'skuff's'.

Warning do not use the palm slap to mount your cap on the pen body for posting.

 

Medium-small pens were very IN in the '50-60's....the Pelikan 140 has a long cap so when posted is as long as a standard sized 400.

A medium short Geha 760 once the Geha flagship has a 'normal' cap so is not quite so long as a 140. Still a very well balanced pen but always runs @ 20% more than a 790.

The Geha 790 is a standard pen like the 400 and are well balanced posted.Geha competed against Pelikan and both were in Hanover.

The Geha 790 is still E60-80 on German Ebay.

 

With luck you can still find the 400 or the 140 for E100.........but the professional sellers of the 'Buy Now Idiot' section have set up a cartel, offering their auction pens with a start price of @ E10 less their get in line Idiot prices.....They want the over priced stateside prices....in that is what they can get in the States. So their German prices are aimed at the idiots in the States. (being an American I can say that!)

The 400nn is a standard width medium-long pen, with a slight bit better balance than the 400. I spent some two years dithering between which had the better balance the 400 or the 400nn. The 400nn finally won.

 

A 200 is a standard pen....a slight bit less classy in material, but with many a pretty pen. I rave about those springy regular flex nibs a lot. They with their great steel nibs, like the semi-vintage regular flex 14 K or vintage '50-65 gold semi-flex nibs are clean writing nibs.

Regular flex is reputed....in I have no Japanese pens, to be like the Japanese 'soft' nibs, but not as mushy.

Out side the 200, I have nothing good to say about the double kugal/ball fat and blobby 400/600/800 nibs.

 

The 200 has great balance...........a comfortable springy ride, and a clean line....lots of colors.

You can put a gold vintage semi-flex nib on it later...........having enough semi-vintage Pelikans including a W. Germany 200 .....see no reason to buy the semi-vintage regular flex gold nib in they are totally equal.

............out side you want the bling.....and why not buy an older (no piston ring) 400......tortoise goes for the same price as green stripped on German Ebay....(400nn is a touch more expensive E120 but I have seen them go for E90).

...but you have to hunt much harder because of the CARTEL.

Hunting Is Half the Fun, and the very next week a similar pen will be there.........do remember, you need ink and good paper..................going the impatient idiot route means you will ..... only be able to afford PP paper.............80g copy paper, which does nothing for a clean line, nor shading.

 

Pelikan and Geha are great used pens.....I've some that are pushing 70 years....work just fine.

 

New a Pelikan 200 was $80+ but with the fall of the dollar $90+ is a fair price for new. Used on German Ebay is more affordable.....half price or so.

And used Pelikan is a very good buy....

Remember used flagship pens can be well afforded, no matter what brand you want.

 

A used 600 has a thicker girth than the 200/400, is a medium long pen, with great balance posted, and the fat and blobby nib can be made into a CI or Stub.....and a nice springy regular flex with a clean line @ $27-30 200's nib fits it just fine.

So do semi-flex nibs......for a for while until I had my 605 stubbed to 0.8 or B, I had a vintage B nib on it.

 

The medium-long P-51 posted has a great balance.......and the silver P75 has great grand balance posted.........was one of my top three for balance, back when I was a 20 pen 'noobie' and nothing has changed but I now have 15 top 5 pens....... ...20?

 

Wax your pen, and fear no mar.

 

Forgot to mention, the seller has to take Paypal if you are outside the EU and mail out of Germany, there are those too cheap to pay for Paypal, and some trust only the German postal system....and none others.

Edited December 5, 2019 by Bo Bo Olson

[Addertooth]

A Smug Dill,

I agree, but it was not put forward as an edict or indictment, but rather a serving suggestion or a consideration. I restore old pens, as such, I have seen the results of long-term posting first hand. I am unsure if wax would be sufficient to protect the body from a metal cap.

Edited December 5, 2019 by Addertooth

[Freddy]

I'm looking for a pen that feels balanced when posted. My current pen, the Pilot Metropolitan, like my previous pen, the TWSBI ECO, is top heavy and discourages long writing sessions.

 

Any recommendations?

Well, howdy spuriousgeorge..............For your consideration Parker "51".....howsabout Pelikan 100N.....

Usin' a 51 since early '50's without any marks on the barrel........100N great writers with interestin' nibs......

Postin' 'em makes 'em full size and they fit inside your jacket pocket real nice......Sweet pens.....

 

Fred

Asset ownership structure is Key...................................

[Karmachanic]

Pilot 912

[Honeybadgers]

pelikan 200/400 are the kings of posting.

 

The lamy 2000/parker51 are solid. The conklin nozac posts brilliantly, as do most pilot and sailor plastic pens.

[spuriousgeorge]

TWSBI Mini is made to be posted. It's too short otherwise. Some don't like that you screw the cap onto the tail of the pen, but I actually find that a bonus. My TWSBI Vac Mini is one of my favorite pens.

 

The Mini is 5.5 inches posted, the ECO 6.3 inches; yet the two pens have almost identical weights. Anyone know why?

[spuriousgeorge]

Thanks again, all you lovely people!