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There is a fun thread on your last impulsive pen purchase. Sometimes, though, a pen purchase is a very deliberate process. You search and search, looking for the best price, or the nib you must have. A model is discontinued, but you have to have it. You search, maybe wait a year or more. I did that for a True Writer in Sea Glass, the version before they came out with it again. What prompts this thread is my search for a Monteverde Mountains of the World (MOTW) K2. It came out in 2015. I’ve looked for it before, unsuccessfully. Last week I found it on a website based in India. I sent an email to ask if K2 was in stock, and did they ship to the US. Later I saw on their website they did not ship outside of India. The reply indicated they did indeed have the pen, and more nibs than their website showed. The person also said that while they did not ship to the US, one of his trade partners did. So far I’ve been asked to indicate the pen with nib choice I want, plus address to determine shipping. I decided to ask if I could get two quotes, with one including the Fuji version as well. He even sent photos of the pen and it’s nib. And they have stub nibs! I’m waiting on the email reply with the price with shipping quotes. Another deliberate purchase I’ve made involved ordering a custom pen from Edison Pens through email. That was in 2021.

@pen2deepA cursory internet search yielded a photo of a notebook of The Origin Collection in one colour — from this website: https://www.mens-folio.com/lifestyle/montblanc-meisterstuck-the-origin-collection-celebrates-100-years-of-the-meisterstuck/ One hopes, like the bracelets, cufflinks, and inks, that the notebook is also available in coral and green.

Hi All, Ive been working on putting together a website on vintage Montblancs. Over the past few months Ive tried to steal a few minutes here and there every day or so, to write up one section at a time. Its the first time Ive made a website or written content that is non-academic, and so its nothing special really. Photos were just taken using an iPhone. So, its a super modest site, but I wanted to share some information with other enthusiasts out there. Its much better on the desktop than phone but check it out anywhere if you have a few minutes > https://www.vintagemontblancpens.com The website has two sections: 1. Pen reviews - where I explain the history and features of my vintage MBs 2. Pen talk - where I post interviews with pen experts and collectors (this is work in progress) Enjoy!

Actually, may I ask @clint1 what model of pen that is? If it’s a ‘LeGrand’ from the ‘Around the World in 80 days’ series, Montblanc’s website currently only lists nib options of ‘M’ or ‘F’ - there is no ‘EF’ option listed! In which case I would suggest that your nib may be an ‘F’ (nominal width 0.5mm), rather than a ‘M’ (nominal width 0.62mm). And, if I were you, if you think that your pen writes with too-broad a line, I would go back to the store where you bought it, and suggest to the Manager that his sales staff need to be trained on the details of the products that they are selling! To be fair, that model is listed as sold out online, and it is possible that some stores may still have older stock of the ‘Around the World’ LeGrand pen, which may in fact have come with ‘EF’ nibs. One way to check this would be to take your pen back to the store, and to dip-test it in comparison with some ‘LeGrand’ pens from the standard ranges with ‘EF’, ‘F’, and ‘M’ nibs. All of the LeGrand pens are meant to have nib grades of the same widths. I.e. a standard LeGrand’s ‘EF’ nib should be the same width as the nib on an ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ LeGrand that has an ‘EF’ nib on it. And the ‘F’ nibs should be the same, the ‘M’ nibs should match, etc. Edit to add: Any ‘EF’ nib on any LeGrand pen is supposed to have a nominal width of 0.43mm. Whilst manufacturing tolerances might result in a ‘wide’ ‘F’ nib being of a similar width to a ‘narrow’ ‘M’ nib, there should always be an obvious difference in width between any ‘EF’ nib and any ‘M’ nib from the same model line.

@TollWhat a wonderful holiday bonus! I doubt any specialty inks will be available by the time I am ready to purchase, to say nothing of a notebook (it does not even make an appearance on the US website), as per usual for my backwater location, so I am resigned to living vicariously through others. In furtherance of that, could I prevail upon you to furnish an ink sample of The Origin Collection Blue and Masters of Art Gustav Klimt Blue, when the opportunity arises? Enjoy your vacation and many thanks!

Ah thank you for the response Duffy! Yes I would definitely agree with you that I need to work on my consistency, I think that is what I am attributing to that messy look, probably will look into some practice sheets with lines on them for angle. I completely agree with some words being a squiggle I dont see it when I first write them but looking over them later I can often read it but as you said they can just be squiggles at times, I'll try practice more deliberate letter forming hopefully will fix that. Thank you for the information on how to improve it! I will try that lined paper approach and make my own lines with a ruler, and I will check out that website that you sent too. Thanks, Max

Hello from Indy! I'm a 56 year old guy who started collecting fountain pens on a bit of a whim a couple of months ago. So far, I've got 4 Lamy Safaris and an Asvine/Hongdian, plus a similarly sized collection of inks. Back in the 80s I used to be into calligraphy, but always with dip pens and ink wells. Back then, I didn't have much luck with fountain pens and they always dried out from lack of use. The first Safari I bought opened my eyes to the quality of modern fountain pens and now I'm hooked. I'm also very interested in language learning, but very, very out of practice with French, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Finnish and Norwegian. I used to be an avid user of Duolingo but quit a few years ago. I'd be interested in finding some snail mail pen pals in other countries who want to practice English and are willing to put up with my poor penmanship and attempts at learning languages. I'm also TESOL certified, FWIW. Cheers, Mike

Here is a link to the official English website for this new line of pens: https://tuzu-en.sailor.co.jp/ This looks like a LAMY Safari/entry-level pen competitor, with some extra functionality to stand above its competition. What do you think about it? Would you get one to try it out? Apparently will appear on store shelves sometime in April this year.

Preamble: As a long time lurker (for over 15 years!), I have benefited from the deep well of knowledge here on all things fountain pens. So I want to say "Thank you, FPN!". I will also admit that my pen habit has been worsened by my visits here in the past 5 years. But as I tell my spouse, there are way worse "addictions" than collecting fountain pens and inks. About me: I grew up in India, towards the end of a cold war (and the decline and fall of an empire), and used fountain pens throughout my middle and high school days - mainly Heros and Camlins. During this time, I also got in serious trouble for "borrowing" my dad's more expensive US made Parker Classic GT fountain pen and losing the finial at the end of its barrel. Pen trauma is real! I had stopped using fountain pens for over two decades after high school, but have gotten back to collecting and using them, especially seriously, since we moved to the Bay Area in 2016, when my collection exploded from 20-ish pens to an out of control 100+ pens! Where is the fountain pen version of AAA group?! Pens and ink I am writing with this week: Wing Sung/ Junlai 630 14K fine nib inked with Montreverde Ocean Noir Platinum President 14K fine nib inked with Diamine Amaranth Hongdian N7 Grey Rabbit steel "long knife" nib with Diamine Earl Grey Other than pens and ink, I also enjoy: Reading across genres Writing (poetry mainly) Hiking Checking out live music and art How I hope I will be able to give back to the community here: Sharing experiences via pen reviews Enabling other pen aficionados by flagging deals in the market place watch (and not purchasing any more pens in the process!) Attending IRL meetings even - have been meaning to attend a SF Pen Posse meet for a while now Thank you for reading. 🙏

I’ve tried varying the location/currency on the Montblanc website I used an online currency converter to compare the listed price for each currency/territory that I checked against the price listed for GBP/UK. None of the currencies/locations that I have tried lists a price that is as-high as the one for the UK 🙄

Thank you. Have actually perused a portion of his marvelous website. It’s one of the ones that helped me narrow down production dates on this pen when I first saw it. After I retire I hope to have time to read his whole site!

Please help me expand this list! I'm one of those people who just can't quite let the Lamy 2000 out of my head. I love the size and shape of the pen, in addition to the materials, the brushed finish, all of it. However, I can sadly ill afford to simply replace all my pens with 2000s. To that end, I'm starting a list of pens with a similar shape (even if they have different configurations, i.e. an unhooded nib, a cartridge/converter, etc.) I'll update this list as answers come in to create a lookalike-hunter's dream! Note: "Still Made" and "Price" are my perception and very basic research as of 4/2024. Your market may vary. From Lamy ------ Lamy 2000 - surprisingly, the Lamy 2000 bears a striking resemblance to the Lamy 2000! 🤣 Cap: Snap Fills: Piston Size Relative to L2000: I-dentical Nib: 14k Gold / Hooded Material: Makrolon body / Makrolon section with stainless steel toward the nib / Makrolon cap Production: Still Made After All These Years ❤️ Price Range: 100s (180-250) Lamy 26P Cap: Snap Fills: C/C (not sure if standard international or Lamy proprietary) Size Relative to L2000: Slightly smaller diameter, almost identical length Nib: Stainless Steel / Hooded Materials: Metal Body / Plastic Section / Metal Cap (brushed stainless or chrome) Production: No Longer Made Price Range: N/A Lamy 80 / 81 / 86 - Cap: Snap Fills: Piston Size Relative to L2000: Almost identical Nib: Gold / Unhooded Material: Plastic Body / Plastic Section, 81 has a brushed steel cap Production: No Longer Made Price Range: N/A Lamy Studio - Cap: Snap Fills: C/C (Lamy proprietary) Size Relative to L2000: Very similar to Lamy 2000 Nib: Stainless Steel / Unhooded (gold available) Material: Metal Body / Metal Section on most models. Production: Still Made Note: A controversial clip that may cause your fountain pen to take to the sky! Also a controversially slippery grip section. Price Range: Dozens (70-150) Lamy Aion - Cap: Snap Fills: C/C (Lamy proprietary; NOT compatible with Safari converters) Size Relative to L2000: A bit wider, a bit longer Nib: Stainless Steel / Unhooded (can be replaced with gold) Material: Metal Body / Metal Section - Non-slippery Production: Still Made Note: Perhaps my favorite Lamy L2K alternative. Fits my (glove size L) hand a bit better and the stainless steel nib is somehow an absolute joy to write with. I fail to grasp why this pen isn't so popular. My biggest gripe is that Lamy made this non-compatible with Safari converters, because the little notches on the converter has no slot to slip into; the Z26 is the correct converter for this pen. Prince Range: Dozens (80-120) ------ Non-Lamy ------ Tactile Turns Gist Cap: Screw Fills: C/C Size Relative to L2000: Original run was dead-on to Lamy 2000, revised run / warranty replacement bodies and caps are both a bit longer. Nib: Unhooded #6 Bock units. Was offered in stainless, 14k gold, and titanium. Material: Was offered in Delrin (polycarbonate similar to Makrolon), brass, copper, and I believe titanium, and buyers could choose what material they wanted in body, section, cap, and even finial. My version had a Delrin body and cap with a copper section and finial, and I'm over the moon about it. All materials ribbed for your pleasure. Production: No Longer Made (warranty parts available as of 3/2024) Note: These are really neat pens, and probably my favorite non-Lamy Lamy 2000 lookalike. My introduction to titanium nibs, and I love it. You can pry this one from my cold dead fingers, still clutched around my cherished copper grip section. Price Range: N/A Jinhao 80 Cap: Snap Fills: C/C. I forget if this is standard international or "Chinese standard". Size Relative to L2000: Basically identical Nib: Stainless Steel / Unhooded. Compatible with Lamy Safari / Al-Star / Studio / Aion. Available in Fine and XF. A surprisingly good nib if you know how to tune them, but can be scratchy out of the box. Material: Plastic Body / Plastic Section. "Brushed" feel but injection-molded. Production: Still Made Note: Basically a direct all-plastic clone of the Lamy 80/81/86, but $5-10 and shockingly good for the price if you're comfortable tuning a nib. Price Range: 1s (5-15) Moonman Ti500 Cap: Snap Fills: Piston Size Relative to L2000: Almost identical. Note: I don't have a Lamy 2000 Stainless on hand, which is the closer comparator. Nib: Stainless Steel / Hooded. Inkquiring Minds proved that this is compatible with the Parker Jotter FP, but you have to violently un-glue the pen to get to it. Material: Metal Body / Metal Section. Came in a polished or a brushed titanium finish, which I believe was over a brass body. Production: No Longer Made Note: I'm so incredibly glad I got this when it was available. Titanium pen. Piston filler. Fine steel nib (confirmed to be the Parker Jotter nib). Dead ringer for the L2K steel, but $75 instead of $300. NOT user disassembleable, which is a crying shame, because I'd love to find a compatible gold nib for this thing, or to be able to clean it directly. If you have one you'd like to get rid of, I'd like to buy it from you, but I digress. Pleasantly heavy to use. This is a daily driver for me. Prince Range: Dozens (75-150) Kaco Edge Cap: Snap Fills: C/C Size Relative to L2000: Seems to be slightly larger but I don't have one available. Nib: Stainless Steel / Unhooded #5 Schmidt nib. Material: Makrolon body / aluminum section / Makrolon cap, all brushed. Came in very familiar black, blue, and brown. Production: Still Made Note: Aesthetically the clip is quite controversial, and I'm curious about the decision to use an aluminum grip. The shape of this pen is familiar, and so is the material! This is the first one on the list I don't own, so I can't tell you how it is to use. You Said: @Sailor Kenshin said, "I had a Kaco Edge in brown, with gold trim, and a Lamy-looking nib. Could not get it to write, no way, nohow. More recently, I got two black ones. The nib has been upgraded to, I suspect, Bock or Jowo. They are now beautiful writers." Price Range: 1s (5-15) Hongdian A3 Cap: Snap Fills: C/C, unsure if this is Size Relative to L2000: Significantly smaller, which is a crying shame, because in the same size as the L2K this would be a mega winner. Nib: Stainless Steel / Unhooded, I believe #5 or smaller Material: Metal Body / Metal Section / Metal Cap, section is a deeply pleasing ribbed aluminum Production: Still Made Prince Range: 1s (5-15) Hongdian 525 Cap: Snap Screw Fills: C/C Size Relative to L2000: MUCH thinner, which makes it unusable for my (glove size L) hands. Very light. Nib: Stainless Steel / Unhooded Material: Metal Body / Metal Section, nicely matte finish Production: Still Made Note: Much too small for my hand. Available Fude nib is fun to play around with, though. Almost identical in size to the P51 in my collection. Prince Range: 1s (5-15) Hongdian 6013 Cap: Snap Fills: C/C, apparently Chinese standard / Lamy compatible Size Relative to L2000: Seems to be a bit longer and a bit fatter, a touch bigger than the Lamy Studio from reviews. Nib: Stainless Steel / Unhooded Material: Metal Body / Metal Section (body seems to be rubberized?) Production: Still Made Note: Clip very reminiscent of the Faber-Castell e-Motion fountain pen. Heavy at 50g. I don't own this pen so I can't be more specific. Price Range: 1s (5-15) Parker Sonnet Cap: Snap Fills: C/C Size Relative to L2000: Seems to be a bit thinner Nib: Stainless Steel OR 18k / Unhooded Material: Metal Body / Metal Section / Metal Cap Production: Still Made Note: I don't have one to hand so I can't compare. Price Range: Hundreds (100-350) Hongdian 920 Cap: Snap Fills: C/C, I believe Chinese standard / Lamy compatible Size Relative to L2000: Uncertain, seems like it may be slimmer but I don't have one to compare Nib: Stainless Steel / Unhooded Material: Metal Body / Metal Section / Metal Cap, seems to be enamel coated Production: Still Made Note: This seems to be a derivative of the Parker Sonnet. Price Range: 1s ($5-15) Pilot Metropolitan Cap: Snap Fills: Squeeze or C/C, Pilot style Size Relative to L2000: Heavier, I don't have one to hand and can't find a direct size comparison Nib: Stainless Steel / Unhooded Material: Metal Body / Metal Section / Metal Cap, gloss coated Production: Still Made Note: I don't have one to hand so I can't compare. I got one as my first FP and couldn't stand it, but that may have been me as a new user and not the pen; it's been on my "to give another try" list for quite some time. You Said: @inkstainedruth said: "I have a couple of Metropolitans and like them very much. They're not horribly expensive (even though the price has gone up since I got mine), and both of mine are good writers (I have one with an F nib and one with a stub nib)." Price Range: Dozens ($25-50) Jinhao 82 Cap: Screw Fills: C/C, Chinese standard Size Relative to L2000: Unknown; similar to Sailor Pro Gear Nib: Stainless Steel / Unhooded Material: Plastic resin body/cap/section Production: Still Made Note: I don't have one to hand so I can't compare. Price Range: 1s (5-15) Diplomat Aero Cap: Snap (extraordinarily satisfying) Fills: C/C, Standard International Size Relative to L2000: Wider Nib: Stainless Steel OR 14k / Unhooded, #6, bouncy and juicy and probably the best nib I own. Material: Metal Body / Metal Section / Metal Cap, coated (powdered on the section, anodized on the body) Production: Still Made Note: This is one of my favorite pens. Price Range: 100s (100-200) Faber-Castell E-Motion Cap: Snap Fills: C/C, Standard International Size Relative to L2K: Seems longer and fatter but I can't be sure Nib: Stainless Steel, Unhooded Material: Metal body / coated metal section / metal cap Production: Still Made Note: Don't have to hand, can't give you details Price Range: 100s (100-200) Sheaffer Taranis Cap: Snap Fills: C/C, Proprietary Size Relative to L2K: Seems roughly similar? Maybe a bit slimmer? Nib: Stainless Steel, Hooded Material: Lacquered metal Production: Unsure Note: BIG branded name down the middle of the section; you will love this or hate it, but you'll certainly notice it Price Range: 100s (100-200) Hongdian N7 Cap: Screw Fills: Piston Size Relative to L2K: Identical length (capped, uncapped, and posted), but slightly girthier (which I prefer) Nib: Stainless steel, exposed, #6 nib Material: Chatoyant resin body, coated metal section, coated metal cap Production: Still Made Note: One of my favorite budget pens, and I just realized that it's because it's actually fairly close to a 2K in dimensions and filling system (though different enough with a screw cap and materials to be a very different pen) Price Range: 10s (25-50) Your Suggestions ------ Parker 51 (Suggested by @arcfide ) Cap: Snap Fills: Various Size Relative to L2000: Thinner and shorter Nib: Stainless Steel OR 14k / Hooded Material: Plastic Body / Plastic Section / Metal Cap (brushed stainless?) Production: Still Made* (reissued), but a long lineage of used models are available Note: I don't have one to hand so I can't really compare. I thought my Parker Jotter, which I can't stand, was a P51, but it isn't, and I'll have to see if I can find an affordable P51 or a good clone for size testing. Price Range: Dozens (80-150) Aurora Duo Cart (suggested by @arcfide) Cap: Snap Fills: C/C (Standard International) Size Relative to L2000: Seems to be very similar Nib: Stainless Steel (reissue) / Hooded Material: Plastic body / Plastic Feed Production: There was a reissue a few years ago but I don't know if it was still made. Note: I don't have one so I can't really compare. Looks very similar to a P51. Price Range: 100s (100-200) Waterman Carene (suggested by @arcfide) Cap: Snap Fills: C/C, Standard International Size Relative to L2K: Seems much thinner Nib: Integrated 14k Material: Seems to be plastic but I could be very wrong Production: Still made Note: Don't have one to to hand but they seem lovely. Price Range: 100s (100-200) Waterman Expert (suggested by @Carrau) Cap: Snap Fills: C/C, Standard International Size Relative to L2K: Not sure Nib: Stainless Steel / Unhooded Production: Still made Price Range: 100s (100-200) You Said: @Carrau : "Only recently have I had a Waterman Expert (MK I), and it is an incredible writer, lightweight, balanced, unusual looking nib. I bought it used, and it is as perfect a pen as I’ve ever used. There are different generations of this pen, and I’ve linked a thread that discusses them, I believe." Sailer Pro Gear (+ Realo) (suggested by @Carrau) Cap: Screw Fills: Piston (Realo) / C/C Sailor (SPG) Size Relative to L2K; Seem to be a bit fatter, but I'm not sure. Realo has a slimmer tail end and a piston filler. Nib: 21k Gold (Realo and PG) Production: Still Made Price Range: 100s (300-500) You said: @Carrau: "My Sailor Realo feels like a real workhorse pen, like the Lamy." Diplomat Excellence A2 (suggested by @Carrau) Cap: Snap (seems extraordinarily satisfying) Fills: C/C (Standard International) Size Relative to L2K: Seems to be fatter and perhaps longer, can't find a direct comparison Nib: Stainless Steel / Unhooded Material: Metal Body / Metal Section (enamel coated) / Metal Cap Production: Still Made Price Range: 200s (200-300) You Said: @Carrau: " My Diplomat is a bit slimmer and more elegant appearing, sort of like the Waterman Carene. I like it very much, however, I don’t use it as much as I should, because I inadvertently bought it new with an Extra Fine nib. It is my only EF, and it writes very well also, but the line width is a bit narrow for my taste." Montblanc 224 (suggested by @Penguincollector) Cap: Snap Fills: Piston Size Relative to L2K: Seems thinner but may be very similar Nib: 14k gold, hooded Material: Makrolon Body / Makrolon Section / Metal Cap (gold-colored brushed metal) Production: Out of production? Price Range: 100s (100-300 on eBay) Help Expand This List! What else can you think of that has the L2K shape to it? A Litany of Lamy Lookalikes The photos below, left to right: Hongdian A3 Parker 51 Jotter Hongdian 525 Lamy 81 Lamy 26P Tactile Turn Gist (original run) Tactile Turn Gist (warranty replacement body/cap) Jinhao 80 Lamy Studio Lamy 2000 FP Moonman Ti500 Lamy Aion Diplomat Aero Tombow 505 Rollerball (filled with Noodler's Navajo Turquoise)

I've not been posting to this, but wanted to alert you Kaweco Sport fans to a non-Sport alternative. For years I carried a Sport Black Stone in the pocket of my jeans, along with my keys, and a traveller's notebook in my back pocket. But too often the Sport wouldn't start, and I would need to sqeeze the small cartridge to get it going. I finally gave up and started using a Fisher ballpoint. A month ago I received a Hongdian M2. Also aluminum, thought much lighter in weight, it is the same length capped, and longer posted. During that month, it has never failed to start. Other advantages? Unlike the Sport it comes with a clip and a converter, and I paid $11.99, including shipping. I then purchased another color with an EF nib, $13.99. Both nibs are wet, smooth & with a tiny amount of feedback, just the way I like it.

For more details/information about your lovely 400, I recommend that you open the following link to the superb website about vintage Pelikan pens that has been created by FPN’s own @tacitus: https://tacitus124.wixsite.com/vintagepelikanpens/400-ca-1952 Slàinte, M.

Okay. I ordered "Write Now" from the Getty Dubai site. I think that might be helpful and certainly is worth $20 to try. Getty Dubai Website Thanks for the tip. k

The Paper Plane – Peter Pauper Jounal I’ve been enjoying this little corner of the web for some time now, mainly focusing on inks and pens. But these are more or less useless without the humble paper or notebook that will let you capture your thoughts. So here comes the “Paper Plane”, where I review some of the paper and notebooks that I’ve enjoyed using over the years. Today’s guest is the Peter Pauper notebook, and more specifically the bookbound version of this nice piece of stationary. A bit of history (from the peterpauper.com website): “in 1928, at the age of twenty-two, Peter Beilenson began printing books on a small press in the basement of his parent’s home in Larchmont, New York. Peter – and later his wife, Edna – sought to create fine books that sold at prices even a pauper could afford. Today, still family owned and operated, Peter Pauper Press continues to honour its founders’ legacy – and its customers’ expectations – of beauty, quality and value.” Peter Pauper journals look great, with truly beautiful cover designs. The question remains: are they also suited for writing with a fountain pen? With this review, I’ll try to answer that question. For the purposes of this review, I got me a copy of the Haiku Journal – with a stunningly beautiful cover design. A piece of art that encourages you to set aside some time in the evening for quality journaling with just yourself, your pen and the paper. The size of the journal, 159x216mm or 6¼ by 8½ inch, is about standard A5 size (148x210mm). Peter Pauper journals come in different sizes, and with a huge selection of beautiful cover designs, so you’re sure to find some that are to your liking. The Haiku journal looks and feels high quality, and contains 160 pages of light ivory-coloured 120 gsm paper. A single ribbon is the only extra feature, and can be used as a bookmark. As far as I know, their journal series notebooks only come with 8mm lined paper. Which is a pitty, since I prefer blank pages for my journals. I like the open nature of that blank page, which gives you more creative freedom: you can draw, write large or small, horizontally or vertically … with a blank page, possibilities are endless. For me, the lined format is a negative. Another thing to be aware of: the margins in Peter Pauper notebooks are large … really huge... enormous... gigantic. Linespacing of 8mm is ridiculously wide, so in my notebook there’s only room for 22 lines of text per page – that’s not a lot! Even worse, margins are unnecessarily wide: 10mm left and right, 14mm at the bottom of the page and a whopping 24mm at the top. That’s a lot of wasted real estate (about 28% lost space per page). And yes, I know you can write on these parts, but writing outside the lines just doesn’t feel right to me… Another reason why I prefer blank pages. For a fountain pen user, the most important part of a journal is its paper. Let’s have a closer look to see if it’s fountain pen friendly. Peter Pauper paper has a nice off-white ivory colour, that is gentle on the eyes in any lighting conditions. It’s also acid-free paper, making it very durable – your notebooks will easily survive for centuries when proper care is taken. The 120 gsm paper is very smooth but still shows a bit of friction, resulting in a nice feel when writing on its surface. But there is something to be aware of: I noticed that your nibs write about a size wider when using this paper, i.e. an F nib shows like an M, and a medium nib writes like a broad. Strange but true. And I’m not the only one who noticed this – look around a bit on the internet, and you’ll find that this is an experience shared by many users. Not a huge deal, but certainly something to be aware of. The paper itself is excellent, although colours look a bit muted (which I happen to like). Technically there are no complaints: no feathering, no see-through or bleed-through with normal use. On my test page, I tried some heavy saturation in some spots (writing multiple times over the same spot on the page) and it’s only in these circumstances that I succeeded in bleeding through the paper. This is certainly a notebook where fountain pens are at home. Conclusion Peter Pauper journals look fantastic and are certainly fountain-pen friendly. For me personally though, there’s a couple of things that bother me. First and most important: please provide us with a blank page option! For me, the lined version just doesn't cut it – so much wasted space! A version with blank pages would elevate these notebooks to new heights! Second – you need to be aware that nibs write a size larger than usual. Not a huge deal, but also not what you would expect. For now, these Peter Pauper notebooks are absolutely no competition for my Paperblanks journals. But give them blank pages, and I would certainly be tempted! As far as I’m concerned, leaving out the lines would be a true game-changer… Peter Pauper Press… are you hearing me?

As a follow up to my previous post. While rushing around I put my PF Two into my pocket without first putting it into its case (a Lamy case which fits the pen very well) and forgot about the small hole in that pocket (the one on the side of the cargo trousers). The pen went straight through and landed on the granite ground. This resulted in a slight bend at the end of the nib, even though the pen cap did not come off. It still wrote and had a couple of obvious if you know they’re there marks. I contacted the seller (Cult Pens UK) asking about replacement nibs. They didn’t have any but said that they would replace the pen. That was very nice off them as it was my own stupid fault. The next day they also had a sale with 60% off selected pens. So I now have a blue PF Two with a Bold nib. Great for addressing envelopes. Out of curiosity I have the nib on that pen 180 deg from how the nib is in the other pen. I find both work out well. I found that the Pininfarina website sold the nib and feed as a single unit. The cost of the shipping was as much as the nib, so I got two EF nibs as the shipping did not increase and in case I wanted two pens with EF (or buy a black one and then it doesn’t matter what nib it comes with). As I’d made the pen mine I decided to keep it and just replace the nib. The nibs have arrived and the bent one has been replaced. Once you take the main body of the pen and unscrew the converter, you then grip the nib and feed and unscrew it from the silver metal piece that the converter goes into. This metal piece even has two notches in it to allow you to hold it still. If you just pull the nib and feed then they come out of the housing, but you need them in the housing to enable you to unscrew it. Once the nib and feed in their housing comes out the section then the silver metal piece that the housing screwed into comes out of the other side of the section. You then put the silver metal piece back into the back of the section and put the nib/feed/housing into the front of the section and screw them together, but not tightly. You then screw the body back onto the section and rotate the nib so that it is the way you want it. Then, holding the nib in the correct position you take the body back off and tighten the silver metal piece at the back of the section all the way which will hold the nib in the right place. Screw the converter back into the silver piece, fill the pen and you’re done. I’ve attached some pictures showing: 1) The nib/feed/housing and silver metal piece and the blue section. You can see the threads at the back of the housing and inside the front of the silver piece. 2) A picture of the silver metal piece showing the notches in the end. 3) The silver metal piece inserted into the back of the section ready for the nib/feed/housing to then be screwed into. 4) Finally a copy of the label on the bag that the replacement nib / feed / housing came in. One further point is that it works very well with the Pineider Pen Filler. I just push it in and don’t need to tighten the top of the pen filler. The only problem now is that my wife asked for a loan of a pen yesterday so I passed it over and she rather likes it.

To assist, Link attached, Huge resource that was nearly lost forever. This is not quite every model, the emphasis is on the older models http://conwaystewart.wesonline.org.uk/csbook/page1.htm The style is a little old fashioned in terms of website design but the models are listed by number and an image is available for the highlighted items.

I'll add these to the list above, but in the light of morning a handful of budget Asian pens come to mind as well... Hongdian A3 - the A3 is a metal bodied pen which is a bit smaller than the 2000 but keeps the shape very well. Steel nib,c/c, a unique ribbed section and fluted body. Surprisingly nice writer. Snap cap. Still in production. Hongdian 525 - if you want a VERY slim take on this pen body shape, the 525 may be for you. Metal body and section, steel nib, c/c. Far too slim for my (admittedly large) hands, but may be the perfect fit for someone with smaller hands. Still in production. Jinhao 82: if the Sailor Pro Gear goes on this list, then surely this pro-gear-esque pen does too. Steel nib, c/c, resin body. Still in production. On my list of "to try" pens. Hongdian 6013: Just learned about this pen this morning. Seems to be an elongated take on the body design, paired with a clip that resembles that of the Faber Castell e-Motion. Metal body, exposed steel nib, c/c. Still in production. Snap cap. Hongdian 920 - This is closer to the Parker Sonnet but does fit the profile. I believe it's lacquer on metal in the body, with an exposed steel nib and a c/c filling system. I believe it's a snap cap. Still in production. Parker Sonnet - this also seems to fit the profile, even if it's a bit smaller than the 2000, from what I can tell. Snap cap, exposed metal nib, c/c, still in production. Pilot Metropolitan - How did I miss this on the original post? This is a metal bodied c/c with an exposed steel nib and comes in lots of fun designs. Still in production, likely until the heat death of the universe given its popularity. I'll update the body of this post in a bit.

Google Conway Sterart history. There is a website that lists details of every model. I would provide a link, but I'm away at the moment and do not have my laptop.

The May meeting for the MPC is scheduled for May 18th. The location will be The Social - Versatile Meeting Space, 32729 Grand River Ave, Farmington, MI, 48336. We will start at noon as usual. We will discuss the results of the 2024 Chicago pen show and the upcoming St. Louis Pen Show. The June meeting will be a road trip to Canada for a breakfast meeting with the London Pen Club. The July and August meeting dates should be posted to the Michigan Pen Club website soon at michpens.com Eric

Pen: N7 Make: Hongdian Cost: $30 Nib: F Packaging & Accessories: 9/10 The pen came in a oval metal box, but did not include a tool to take out the piston mechanism in the pen. The metal box is nice and I've used it to carry around or travel with this pen or other pens. Aesthetics & Quality: 10/10 The acrylic on the the pen is a dark gray irridescent swirly color. The metal on the pen is a dark gray gunmetal color and the nib is black. There is also an ink window above the grip section. The cap is metal and very heavy. It does throw the pen off balance when posted. It is covered with different suns and moons and rabbits. The top has a small dome with a rabbit in it as well. The piston mechanism works well and seems to get a good amount of ink in it it. Weight and Dimensions: 5/10 The pen is about 5.3" when closed. And weighs an impressive 38g and you feel it. As I stated before the cap is very heavy and this does throw off the balance of the pen. Because of the 38g weight and the off balance feel when writing, it isn't one I wrote long periods of time with. Nib & Performance: 8/10 The pen came with a black F "long knife nib". It is very pleasant to write with and glides smoothly over even cheap paper. However, it is a nail and has no flex at all. The piston mechanism seems solid and has never stuck or given me any problems. No issues with with the nib or piston mechanism. Cost & Value: 5/10 It's not a bad pen. But the really heavy cap really does throw things off and I feel this should have been taken into account when the pen was made. Again, it's not a bad pen but for $30 there are better pens that can be bought. The aesthetic is what drew me to this pen and I'm very pleased with that. But I still feel for $30 there are better options. Conclusion: (37/50 –74%) Cool aesthetic, good nib, but the pen being not balanced and quite heavy makes me think twice before buying it again.

Hello, I own a lot of Hongdians and Asvine pens. I have noticed that most of them (especially Hongdian 620 and 920) and Asvine P20 and P30 do have slightly misaligned clips (the clip is always off to the right by some minor degrees). Am I the only one I noticed or there is a more general QC issue with these pens?

Bought it as soon as I saw it on Cult Pens website. I already have a vintage piston Sport and was kind of hoping for a new version. I love it. It writes very well and soft too. I also bought another vintage piston 😊👍🏻 Thank you for the wonderful review and photos. Money well spent😊

I’ve had no ink flow problems with my P36 and I’ve not heard anyone else mentioning such problems. Makes me think yours has a hidden defect, as you’ve done everything right. Does the nib unit screw out? Mine arrived with an F nib too wide for my taste. I’ve got a spare Asvine EF nib, but the current F nib doesn’t want to screw out and it’s frustrating because I’m afraid to force it. Same question for the Hongdian 100, if I may: also impossible to move, as if it’s glued in. I’d like to switch out the nib before I sell it. Thanks in advance.