Mercury Francois des Trixhes

[Idiopathos]

Please forgive the URL, but I'm camera illiterate. The Mercury Francois des Trixhes is halfway down the page and identified as the 'LE FDT'. It's a 'limited edition' of 80 fountain pens. Mine is number 12. (It could be number 1,200 for all I care. Such limited editions seem nothing more than a crude marketing ploy.)

 

http://www.e-monsite.com/beluxpenshow2007/...ue-1142966.html

 

http://www.e-monsite.com/beluxpenshow2007/fdt1-5qbc3.jpg

 

OK, here we go.

 

500 Euros, from Dov (with whom I have zero connection, other than being a satisfied customer), celluloid (of which more later), silver trim (so the advertisement said, but I think it's wrong), Tibaldi 18kt B nib, 5.5" capped, 6.25" posted, the cheapest converter you've ever seen, all in a Tibaldi 'travelling box'.

 

So, the box is alright and useful for storing and shipping. The converter works, but must have cost less than 50c. (Euro or US$) to make and is sucked dry fast by the wet nib. The pen is a quite large in length and girth, but not excessively so. It's slightly smaller than a Tibaldi Iride and fits my glove-size 10 hand.

 

The nib is ... well, a Tibaldi. 18kt, soft and flexible by modern standards. It reminds me of a Platinum Naginata Togi, because it writes as if it has a ball on the end. Big sweet spot, but smoother than the Japanese comparison. And the feed is ... er ... yep, you've guessed it ... Tibaldi. Anyway, a good combination.

 

The cap bands neither look like silver nor oxydise like it. I suspect they're irridium plated, but the very slightly yellow cast suggests the plating could be white gold. Whatever, they're OK, but not as good as the solid gold bands on 1990s' Tibaldis. The clip is a Tibaldi copy and not a bad one, but nothing special.

 

Finally, the celluloid.

 

Well, let me put it this way. I have celluloid pens from 1930s' De La Rue Onotos (and especially a rare 'Minor'), through 1940s' Swans, 1950s' Chinese pieces (not often seen in the West), 1990s' Tibaldis, to modern Viscontis and Japanese pieces, but only the 1930s' stuff comes close to this Mercury. Drilled from solid rod and not wrapped, it is jaw-droppingly good.

 

I am conservative by nature and not given to hyperbole, but this pen is worth every cent of its price just for the celluloid. Indeed, make that double every cent. Under a bright light and a 5x loupe, the celluloid is a foot deep. Under sunlight, make that two feet. The mixture of greys, charcoals, silvers, spiders' webs and irridescent blues is wonderful.

 

So, would I buy another? 100% yes.

Edited December 2, 2008 by MYU