What pen should be next?

[Titivillus]

I've done this before with a lower price point but now I have thanks to 2 pen sales approximately $350 to spend on a pen. So what should I be looking at. I like large pens but already have/ had a few. So please give me some suggestions.

 

 

Thanks,

 

Kurt H

[woodwindmaster06]

Do you have the M1000 yet, I know it sounds kind of cliche' but if you don't have it it might be a good pen for you?

[Titivillus]

Do you have the M1000 yet, I know it sounds kind of cliche' but if you don't have it it might be a good pen for you?

I bought a solid black and pinstripe green and just never used them. So they went for sale.

 

 

Kurt H

[Bryan]

Kurt,

 

I believe you have a CS Churchill already, so how about an Etruria? I don't think I've heard you mention if you have one of these. I love this pen with its big piston filler, and if you ever have a need for cartridges, you can slip the piston out. A great pen.

 

Bryan

[Michael Wright]

Do you have an OMAS? Alas, the Arco is out of your price range this time, but it is a stunningly beautiful pen. There are other OMAS Paragons with the same elegant shape.

 

OMAS have had problems with quality control, so for this brand it might be worth while buying from John Mottishaw (www.nibs.com) who sets the pens up before delivery.

 

Another really nice Italian maker is Aurora -- the Optima is not super-large, but it's not small either, the nibs are quite distinctive, and Aurora is the Italian manufacturer who seem not to have hit and miss QC.

 

Anyway, enjoy the decision process.

 

Best

 

Michael

[wimg]

Hi Kurt,

 

Since you like big pens, I was thinking along the lines of Bryan, an Etruria (I wonder why ).

 

I think the 991 is still on sale at Giardino Italiano, just lemme check quickly... Yes it still is . Then there is the Nuda, on sale at Bertram's Inkwell, if you like demonstrators that is. I never really did, until I got this one .

 

Or, maybe even more exclusive and daring: the new Stipula Davinci. That pen is an absolute stunner, though c/c only. There are 4 of them now: the black, shorter LE, the black standard edition, the cracked ice standard edition and the Bertram's LE, in the well known Amber material, with rose gold trim .

 

The LEs may not be within budget, but the others are about there, I think. And these pens are positively huge (and comfortable to write with too). Quite heavy too. Very solid mechanism. Just check them out, I would say .

 

Here are some links :

Giardino Italiano - sales page

Bertram's Inkwell

 

HTH, warm regards, Wim

[Titivillus]

Kurt,

 

I believe you have a CS Churchill already, so how about an Etruria? I don't think I've heard you mention if you have one of these. I love this pen with its big piston filler, and if you ever have a need for cartridges, you can slip the piston out. A great pen.

 

Bryan

I had issues with several Churchills but finally got a decent one now. Don't have an Ertruia but remember holding one and noting that the cap edge was sort of thin and worried about that.

 

Kurt H.

[Titivillus]

Do you have an OMAS? Alas, the Arco is out of your price range this time, but it is a stunningly beautiful pen. There are other OMAS Paragons with the same elegant shape.

 

OMAS have had problems with quality control, so for this brand it might be worth while buying from John Mottishaw (www.nibs.com) who sets the pens up before delivery.

 

Another really nice Italian maker is Aurora -- the Optima is not super-large, but it's not small either, the nibs are quite distinctive, and Aurora is the Italian manufacturer who seem not to have hit and miss QC.

 

Anyway, enjoy the decision process.

 

Best

 

Michael

Just bought a Paragon in Venice blue and it seems to be a nice one with a medium nib.

 

The Optima from Aurora is too small a pen for me, had a Mare & Primavera but sold both. Settled for the Aurora that sort of looks like a Duofold.

 

Kurt H

[Titivillus]

Hi Kurt,

 

Since you like big pens, I was thinking along the lines of Bryan, an Etruria (I wonder why ).

 

I think the 991 is still on sale at Giardino Italiano, just lemme check quickly... Yes it still is . Then there is the Nuda, on sale at Bertram's Inkwell, if you like demonstrators that is. I never really did, until I got this one .

 

Or, maybe even more exclusive and daring: the new Stipula Davinci. That pen is an absolute stunner, though c/c only. There are 4 of them now: the black, shorter LE, the black standard edition, the cracked ice standard edition and the Bertram's LE, in the well known Amber material, with rose gold trim .

 

The LEs may not be within budget, but the others are about there, I think. And these pens are positively huge (and comfortable to write with too). Quite heavy too. Very solid mechanism. Just check them out, I would say .

 

Here are some links :

Giardino Italiano - sales page

Bertram's Inkwell

 

HTH, warm regards, Wim

The 991 Etruria is very interesting looking but what are the dimensions and weight, is it closer to a M800 or M1000?

 

It is tempting and within my price range, i think that I was looking at it when it first came out but the price was rather high.

 

Tia,

 

kurt H

[Centurion]

I think the 991 is closer to M800 size, but then again never saw a M1000 in person, only in pics side by side with a M800. For very large size pens I think of the M1000 versus the MB 149 Diplomat. You already had at one time the M1000 but didn't like it. Can I ask why? Never used one myself. The MB is out of your price range and I think in another post you expressed that you didn't like MB pens???

 

I just looked at my 991 regarding the thinness of the cap you were talking about. Yes, it does look then, never thought about it until now. I suppose if it was dropped and landed right on the edge of the cap, the thin part, it would break. Touching the area though feels as if it's quite sturdy though. I believe celluloid is suppose to be quite elastic, if so, then if does get dropped it that area perhaps it would just "bounce." It does look very nice and writes beautifully, I wonder why this LE has still not been sold out. It's been over 10 years since it was first issued.

[Titivillus]

I think the 991 is closer to M800 size, but then again never saw a M1000 in person, only in pics side by side with a M800. For very large size pens I think of the M1000 versus the MB 149 Diplomat. You already had at one time the M1000 but didn't like it. Can I ask why? Never used one myself. The MB is out of your price range and I think in another post you expressed that you didn't like MB pens???

 

I just looked at my 991 regarding the thinness of the cap you were talking about. Yes, it does look then, never thought about it until now. I suppose if it was dropped and landed right on the edge of the cap, the thin part, it would break. Touching the area though feels as if it's quite sturdy though. I believe celluloid is suppose to be quite elastic, if so, then if does get dropped it that area perhaps it would just "bounce." It does look very nice and writes beautifully, I wonder why this LE has still not been sold out. It's been over 10 years since it was first issued.

The M1000 just fell out of favor with me, I think it might have been the rather vanilla nib. I have a 149 bought for $250 awhile ago ( I don't mind MB pens it's just their adverts & arrogance that annoy me!), it is in my letter writing rotation ( medium nib not really good for taking notes)

 

 

The Etruria is piquing [sic] my interest but I'd like to know more about it before purchasing.

 

 

Kurt H

[woodwindmaster06]

What do you mean by "vanilla nib"?

[Blade Runner]

Hi Kurt,

 

If you've tried most everything, how about a nontraditional pen, for example, the Omas 360 and Waterman Serenite?

 

Jeen

[Titivillus]

What do you mean by "vanilla nib"?

A bland non-descript or exciting nib. It was a nib that put ink on the paper nothing more. I've had steel nibs that were more exciting than it was.

 

Kurt H

[Titivillus]

Hi Kurt,

 

If you've tried most everything, how about a nontraditional pen, for example, the Omas 360 and Waterman Serenite?

 

Jeen

I'm not a fan of click caps so the 360 is out and I haven't seen the serenite in my range ( and it's got a click cap as well!)

 

Kurt H

[wimg]

The 991 Etruria is very interesting looking but what are the dimensions and weight, is it closer to a M800 or M1000?

 

It is tempting and within my price range, i think that I was looking at it when it first came out but the price was rather high.

 

Tia,

 

kurt H

Hi Kurt,

 

The 991 is closed about 1 mm longer than the M800, and 1 mm shorter with cap posted. The barrel is a little fatter, probably about M1000 girth, the section is about the same length as the "section" (the black piece on a striped model), but the threads only start on the barrel, and extend for about 3 mm. The section tapers more strongly than the M800's, and the nibs are about equal size (and in both cases, are screw-in nibs).

 

The Etruria's nibs are absolutely magnificent, with lots of character, due to their springiness. The italics are absolutely marvelous, IMO. Their EF is the only factory EF I have come across so far that writes smoothly out of the box (although it is only just a little finer than a Namiki VP F). And the range is large; you have a choice of 10 nibs: EF, F, M, B, 52 degree (BB or 3B), OB, OBB, 0.9 italic, 1.1 italic, 1.3 italic. The italics produce a horizontal line of approximately 0.35 mm on average, and a vertical of about the indicated width (depending on the ink you use, of course). Obviously, the wider the italic, the more difficult it is to use. The obliques are LFOs, at an angle of about 8 degrees, and I find it very hard to write with them, much harder than with, e.g., an M800 OM or M200 OB or OBB. 8 degrees seems to be a little too extreme for me. Oh, the nibs I prefer personally are the M, the 0.9 and the 1.1, of which the last one is my favourite.

 

Regarding your concern for the cap lip: the material is quite thick, but is rounded off towards the lip, to give it better looks, in my opinion, then, eg. an M800 or Filcao in a similar size. The cap gradually gives way to the barrel, rather than abruptly.

 

The material is very tough and flexible (celluloid in the case of the 991), so not likely to tear or break, unless you step on it. It is light, too, so when dropped shouldn't be harmed either. I dropped one of my 991s (my user 991) a few times already, on a tiled floor, from about 1.20 m high. Nothing but a little ink on the nib. The M800 needed a 3 months visit to the factory, even though it landed flat on the same tile floor.

 

Overall, because of the partly bronze/copper big piston converter, it is a tad heavier than the M800. Would you use a normal converter, it would weigh considerably less, but than hold less than half the amount of ink.

 

If you want to know more, just ask, and I'll try to answer. At the current price, it is extremely cheap.

 

HTH, warm regards, Wim

[wimg]

Hi Centurion,

I just looked at my 991 regarding the thinness of the cap you were talking about.  Yes, it does look then, never thought about it until now.  I suppose if it was dropped and landed right on the edge of the cap, the thin part, it would break.

I wouldn't think so, just check my reply to Kurt.

Touching the area though feels as if it's quite sturdy though.  I believe celluloid is suppose to be quite elastic, if so, then if does get dropped it that area perhaps it would just "bounce."

Yes, that's right.

It does look very nice and writes beautifully, I wonder why this LE has still not been sold out.  It's been over 10 years since it was first issued.

No, it is in production now for 4 years, since 2001. It was to celebrate 10 years production of the Etruria model, which started in 1991 (hence the 991). And yes, it is beautiful, but that is all in the eye of the beholder. Over here, in the NL, people tend to buy more conservative looking pens. Add to that the fact that Stipula is a relatively unknown and quite small manufacturer, and not represented by/in many pen shops, and you realize why 991 is maybe a little much for an LE. All of their other LEs tend to run in much smaller numbers, some 399, 199, 193, but a lot only 50 and 25 even.

They are running out of numbers, which is why they are selling at a discount now (normal good busines practice). How much there still ar available, and how quickly they will sell, is anybody's guess. I would guess less than 100 when the sale started. How much there are left now, I wouldn't know... However, for most people it isn't an item for daily use, or an item of which they need many.

 

HTH, warm regards, Wim