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I recently bought a Sonnet Cascade Gold, date code A.III, which would place it in the first quarter of 2002. But it's a fake. No harm done because the vendor has agreed to refund the price, but I thought it would be worth describing the diagnostic points and showing some photos. I have seen a couple of poor quality fakes but this one is much better quality. The first thing is that the cap does not fit very well. It feels as if it is rough and grating - I have a genuine Cascade Silver, and the cap on this slides smoothly on and closes with a satisfying click. Completely different. The photos show some points. Superficially they look pretty similar. But the lettering on the cap band is cruder, it is offset and not central on the band, the 'III' in the date code are smaller than the 'A', the symbol before PARKER is the curly P and not the oval with an arrow - and the serif on the S in Sonnet is horizontal not vertical. The feathers on the top of the clip are different. On the real pen they are incised, deeper and wider in the centre and tapering to nothing at each end. On the fake they are cruder, and the 'gold' has been applied after the feather were stamped, so they look more blobby and rounded. Finally, on the other side of the band the P and W stamps are larger and cruder in the fake. And the waves in the cascade pattern are subtly different. In the fake the tops are pointy, but in the real one they are more rounded and assymetrical. This varies a bit depending on angle of view but there are definite differences. I hope this helps others not to make the mistake I made. Good luck!

In keeping with my theme of doing things because I was told I can't... Parker Superchrome Jade Green! Yes, the slightly LESS deadly ink invented to replace Parker "51" ink! If you are not familiar with Parker "51" ink and the story behind it, please feel free to see my reviewsTunis Blue: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/354212-parker-51-tunis-blue/?hl=%2Btunis+%2BbluePan American Green: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/353661-parker-51-pan-american-green/?hl=%2Btunis+%2Bblue So, now that everyone knows why "51" ink had to go the way of the dinosaurs, let's take a look at its replacement!Launched around the same time as the new Aero-Metric (1948ish) version of the Parker "51" pen, the advertising for Superchrome was VERY bright and vibrantIt even went as far as to explain how this magical ink would soak into the paper and dry nearly instantly, instead of by evaporation!Here's the patent: https://patents.google.com/patent/US2528390NEAT! Ok, so what happened then? Why is this called the "slightly less deadly" ink? and why can't i find it in stores!? Because it was discontinued in 1956 ok, but WHY!? Well, Parker started getting warrantee claims on their new Aero-metric "51"s... a lot of them... seems the alkalinity of Superchrome was actually eating up breather tubes!And they were made of STERLING SILVER... eventually, replacing them starts to get expensive ya know! you can read more about "51" and Superchrome here:http://www.richardspens.com/ref/care/51_ink.htm My Bottle is a slightly later bottle, the first ones came in a cool metal tin! According to the Parker "51" book, my box was designed around 1949And was awarded an honourable mention by the Folding Box Association of America! Wow... really!? the FBAoA!? no way! Yes way! it says so on page 145 of the Parker "51" book! here is my box and bottle pictured with my green Parker "51" Special Demi There was some sedimentation in the bottle, much like the Tunis Blue bottle, but much less of it, and not stuck to the bottom of the bottle.As with the Pan American Green, don't worry, I shook the bottle excessively in order to try and get those precious dyes back into suspension (not solution)! ok, but what does it look like on paper you ask? well I'm glad you asked, cause that's the whole point of this shindig! (Typed Text follows for search-ability, and because my handwriting is atrocious!) Rhodia Webnotebook, paper is slightly off white in real life 15 Jul 20Parker Superchrome JadeGreen. Bought 3oz bottleon eBay Jun-ish 2020. Thisis the second deadliest inkin history. Only the inkit replaced (Parker "51") isworse! Meant to "dry" nearly instantly it was designedto soak into the paper. Toobad it also ate sterlingsilver breather tubes...More teal than Green, buthat may be due to the age of the bottle. Some dryout when left over night in a pen(Dry times in a Wing Sung 601 and a TWSBI Eco 1.1)Would buy Again?N/A Parker SuperchromeJade GreenEco 1.1mmWing Sung 601Shading: Good/Very GoodSaturation: GoodFeathering: NilSpread: NilBleed: NilCleaning: Easy/Medium (Water tests, dripped and dabbed vs rubbed with a wet Q-tip) Notes: Colour is very close to Diamine Marine. FlowsOK. Pan American Greenis much greener.*Leaves a white crust/residue! (On the feed and nib, Seen well after cleaning and drying the Eco. So that white residue on "51" Feeds? yeah... probably from this ink!) Clairefontaine Notebook paper, paper is VERY white Parker SuperchromeJade GreenTwsbi Eco 1.1 mm stubThe quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.1234567890Clairefontaine PaperDry Times 30 25 20 15 10 5 1Wing Sung 601Drytimes: 30 25 20 15 10 5 1 The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog1234567890 Parker SuperchromeJade GreenDiamine MarineJade Green Marine So that's it. That's Parker Superchrome Jade Green. It's a lot like Diamine Marine, except you know, super expensive, hard to find, and will kill your pen!While also leaving a weird white residue on your nib and feed... yay!

About a month ago, I friend of mine sent his Duofold ballpoint for service to Parker. The pen didn't work for some reason and was just a few months out of warranty, so he decided to sent it directly to Parker in France in order to have it serviced. The pen returned just this week and much to his surprise, it was returned stating that Parker NO LONGER repairs pens or pencils. If under warranty, they might replace the product with a similar one; out of warranty they are offering a 50% discount on any other Parker, Waterman or Rotring product of his choice! Can you believe this?

Hello all! I recently won a Parker Duofold Senior (the Big Red) online and I just received it in the mail. The pen is in wonderful condition, but the imprint is so strange. There is no Parker imprint, but rather just COMPLIMENTS OF FALLS GARAGE INC. and an offset D to the right of it. I have no idea what to make of it, and I can find nothing online. The rest of the pen looks great, so Im stumped. Is it a gift? Loaner pen? Maybe a bootleg Duofold? Ive attached pictures, so let me know if you know anything about this pen! Maybe we can figure something out.

Hi all! Im a vague fountain pen fan but I dont have a lot of technical knowledge. Weve found two old pens which have been passed down from my grandparents, one Swan and one Parker. Both are in working condition as far as I can see, although need a bit of TLC. Not sure of the age but probably mid-19th Century. The Swan is plain black with gold banding, Swan 2 14ct gold nib. Labelled Swan Self-Filler, Mabie Todd and Co Ltd, Made in England. The Parker is black with copper-y shell-looking inlay. Nib is gold in colour but not sure of the material. Any information on these pens and whether theyd be worth anything would be great! Thank you so much. Will try to attach some photos!

What makes this hobby interesting to me is variety. A pen for every mood. Rotation. Admiration of each pen’s qualities as a writer. Appreciation of design philosophies. Etc. There’s never been a clear favourite that stands out above all others. Until now. Possibly (the day is young). Two weeks ago, I received two vintage pens: an Esterbrook SJ with 9550 EF nib and this: a 1947 Parker Vacumatic Jr with flex nib. Both pens have been lovingly restored by RonZ. I fell for the Vacumatic Jr like a ton of bricks: -it improves my handwriting -it fits my hand like a glove, posted as well as unposted -it’s small enough to comfortably fit in a shirt pocket -the material feels lovely to the touch -it allows me to write in a variety of styles and makes me appear a better writer than I actually am in each of those styles -it holds plenty of ink (a necessity with a wet pen like this) -the feel of the nib on paper is heavenly: it’s not glassy smooth, it’s very tactile, think Sailor and you’ll get the idea. ^—Such a wonderful nib! At first glance the pen appears to be totally black, but it isn’t. In direct daylight or proper artificial light there is a pattern to be seen in the material. The lighter parts are translucent, so basically the barrel is translucent and I can see how much there is left inside the pen. Gotta love it. I’m not big on Parker. My only other Parker is a 51 from the fifties that I rarely use because the nib is a big, fat M-verging-on-B while I prefer EF (anybody have a nice EF lying around for a Parker 51?). But this little Vacumatic Jr... wow. Just wow.

Left hand paper: 90gsm Oxford Optik Right hand paper: 80gsm Pukka Dry time before water test: 12h Test Pen: Jinhao x250 - 1.1mm Jinhao stub nib Opinions: I remember always hating this ink before I "got in" to fountain pens, and simply used a fountain pen to write with, but I couldn't remember why, so comes on to cracking into my bottle for the first time in probably 15-20 years (I left school in 1999 and promptly stopped "having" to write). Ahh, yes, I remember now, the greyest excuse for black there is, that's why I hated it. But, perhaps with the extra knowledge and appreciation I have gained over the past two or so years of the fountain pen hobby offers some redeeming features for Quink "Wishy-Washy" black? Well, firstly, it is very well behaved, as in it doesn't spread or feather even on the Pukka paper, which is fairly absorbent. Bleed is minimal even using the stub, 'tis a dry, dry ink! This may be to your like or dislike depending on how you like your pens to write and in what circumstance you find most of your scribbling taking place. Personally? The majority of my scribbles happen on extremely cheap & nasty copier paper, so I'm all about those dry inks at work. Dry time is also excellent even on the Optik paper (which, IMHO, is way better than Rhodia...don't throw things at me!) which usually lets ink pool for some time (doing the water test on the Optik paper? The water droplet will just sit there for anywhere up to 30-40 minutes before drying/absorbing). Now, this one surprised me. Which it shouldn't. But, there is some permanence to it. Yes I know it is called "PERMANENT Black", but somehow that slipped my mind. The black dye washes away almost instantly but the remaining, largely blue, ink is still very legible. Looking at pricing you can be paying anywhere from £5 to £7 per 57ml bottle which is, pretty reasonable. Summary Being a bit of a sucker for dry inks, I am starting to re-appreciate Quink Black, I also have a penchant for permanence in my inks, because accidents can and do happen (often!). I would say that Quink Black is actually a pretty decent, reliable "everyday" ink if you are having to suffer "less-than-optimal" papers or have a gusher of a pen. Just wish there was more black in this black!

With the current COVID-19 crisis, I have been spending a lot of time at home. I have rediscovered all my old calligraphy pens and have been relearning the art of fine writing. I was still missing a few items, and I came across an old box in my basement. I found several old items of ink, nibs, etc. In one of the boxes I found my old Parker 75 14k fine italic fountain pen. I remember purchasing it about 1985. So it is 35 years old. It was hardly used as it had the original cartridge still in the barrel. I hoped that the pen was not ruined because it had been left with the ink inside. I spent about an hour cleaning it up. Removed the nib and feeder, then pit it back together. I re-inked the pen and it works like a charm. I dont know how much these things are worth today, but I did a quick check on my particular nib, and a new old nib would cost $125. I remember spending $50 for the pen in 1985, a lot of money for me back then. Anyway I was just excited to find this old treasure in my basement. I am including a few images of the pen. The pen itself is extremely slim and quite small. It has to be posted in order to use it. Any interesting comments about the Parker 75 would be appreciated.

What is the most fluid-writing, smoothest capless rollerball that fits standard Parker-size pens? Thanks! Gary

Two years ago I have bought a Karas Kustoms Bolt pen in black form Cult Pens. I do have some other pens form Karas, but this pen is using a bolt action to forward and retract the refill. I like the pen very much because all parts are made in house and made from metal, hard to fail in my opinion. The pen is using ONLY Parker style refills, including Fisher-Space with their spacer. One characteristic of the pen is their own clip design, attached with two little hex screws, a very sturdy heavy-duty clip! Recently Karas Pens release a new version called V2 with some improvements. I have bought a green Karas Pen the Bolt V2 with Parker set-up. The initial Bolt and Bolt V2 looks the same, but there are some changes. First the guys form Karas pen redesigned the internal body to accommodate more refills, from Parker to Pilot G2. Also they have moved the bolt action mechanism on the far back of the pen to allow different style refills to fit into their pen; for that job now the pen is using a screwed spacer (to avoid any moving parts). Another major improvement is the O-ring between the upper and lower body parts to stay together when are screwed. At the last is the J-slot redesigned for easier movement. When I purchase the pen I should opt for the conversion kit for a fiver, but I didn't. Anyway because of the distance between Karas pens and me, it didn't worth to reorder just the conversion kit, so I have emailed the company and they replied that a mini hex/Allen key of 3/46" or 1.3mm will work. So far I have tried Schimdt EF9000, Pentel Energel, Uniball Jetstream and Fisher Space refills, all working fine. The Bolt V2 become my favorite pens form all Karas pens I have now.

Hello y'all! So I've seen mention of the famous Parker 51 EVERYWHERE. Whenever anyone is asked their favourite Parker Pen, it's more often than not their beloved Parker 51. What's so great about the Parker 51? What makes it different? Are there many makes/models of the Parker 51? Where does one go to acquire one, as I'm pretty sure they are vintage? Any information would be very much appreciated. -Charles

Hi, I'm still on the fence about whether or not i've done the right thing by keeping the original sterling silver breather tube in my 51 aero, previously on my other 51 aero i replaced this as it was snapped off. but i decided to keep the original in this pen because i had no breather tubes on hand and shipping them to my country takes over 2 weeks, and with the whole Covid-19 thing i fear it would have taken longer. about 3mm snapped off the end where it goes into the feed (i did get the broken part out, using Ron Z's method) but now the little breather hole is a little closer to the feed than before, is this ok and is the pen going to fill and empty fine? the breather tube is clear and has no signs of further deterioration. Thanks all. (this is the same pen I made a post about not being able to get the hood off lol, as you can see im still learning )

Hello. this is probably a dumb question but... i've purchased yet another parker 51 (i've owned 3 so far) and i've always found removing the hoods to be an easy job, and the problem with this one is not that the hood is any more stuck on than my other 3, but that when i try to grip the sac cover and the hood, the only thing that unscrews is the sac cover. I hope this makes sense, i can't get a good grip to remove the hood because whenever I try, the sac cover comes off, meaning i have no way of getting a secure grip to remove the hood. any advice would be great.

Parker Duofold Prestige Centennial - Ruthenium plated Medium nib, C/C Recently, I hope to get a decent flagship pen and I keep choosing from a few big-name models. Definitely a hard fight, and tie-break all the time. M1000/5, 149, big red, Urushi, GvFB, Aurora, Homo S, sterling stuff, etc. Few months passed and I can’t make up my mind. I treat heavy pens to be more serious, so I decided to give the resin stuff on the next try, and I finally choose the Prestige Duofold. Well, the last battle falls on the black chevron and the ruthenium... Until I read from the web that ruthenium is a very hard and rare metal from the platinum group and it does not tarnish over time, (it will only be oxidized in the air at the temperature of 800c…) even does not attack by many acids, OMG wowwowow… a pen won't tarnish..., obviously it knocks out the chevron then. Packaging: I'm not a fancy packaging guy, so I won't be moved by luxury packaging. Anyway, the fabric wrapped cardboard box is good looking, rigid, protective, and the pen comes with 2 cartridges, a converter, and a handbook. Weight: I assume the pen is real heavy that could not be an EDC. "Nope, I’m wrong." The first second on hand is not heavy but really comfortable. I can't tell exactly by words, maybe it's just personal, I love the weight and feels that writing with. Compare to the Lamy 2000 stainless steel, it won by a landslide (although both uncapped weights are 35g). I don’t have many heavy pens, here are some figures: (surely this pen cannot be capped on writing, it would be too long and the center of weight goes up significantly...) Capless Kasuri (carbonesque): 33g Kaweco Brass Sports: 44g Lamy 2000 Stainless Steel: 55g (uncapped 35g) Ruthenium Duofold: 51g (uncapped 35g) Finishing: Breathtakingly well made, sturdy, reliable feeling, low profile. For the name “Duofold Prestige”, I treat it as "just normal", so not a surprise. Barrel: ruthenium plated; trim: palladium (not chrome). Nib design: I love it. I searched for some previous duofold nibs, and I like the latest one, you know, something made with a heart can't go wrong! (I like 3776 also, same reason) Dual tone - 18k - Ruthenium finish. Overall size: I thought the Prestige Centennial would be huge (imagining the size of M1000 or 149), I’m wrong again. Check the comparison below. with Lamy 2K ss / Lamy AL / Capless / Duofold Centennial Nib feeling: I’m glad that Parker tested the pen before putting it into the sales counter. When I washed the pen before inking, there is some blue ink residue being flushed in the water jar. I appreciate it, truly. A decent nib may not come from a decent pen, so I am very very worried. Firstly I put too hard for the nib, and it writes with too much feedback. And I start to write with no pressure, oh then it writes with pleasure. The more I write, the more I like. Comfortable, effortless, no hard start, and no skipping. This medium nib is not a hard nib, quite smooth when not pushing hard, but a bit on the fine side I may say, (glad I didn't take the fine nib) and you could get some line variation when pushing a little. The ink is my favorite blue-black, Pilot iroshizuku's Shin-Kai. ( Ummm, the best nib I owned before this duofold is the Sailor's 21k M from a Pro Gear. And still, it is. This duofold nib is good, effortless, but I still love the Sailor's. ) Something I'm expecting, but nope: [1] The nib size, as the flagship model, I thought the nib should be very big, I imagine the 149, M1000…etc. But nope, the nib is NOT that huge. with 3776 & ECO [2] The barrel and cap surface I search from the web I quite sure the pen is in matt or brush surface. Yet turn up it is shiny, I accept that the shiny surface is also cool, but if it is in matt, I surely like it more. I go check the Parker shop nearby, and it’s the same. Only the section is brushed. But it is strange that the shiny surface doesn’t magnet fingerprints, another characteristic of ruthenium maybe? [3] Nib option If I could choose an Italic or a stub nib, that’d be a perfect score. I love this pen, like a paladin's sword. I can’t find a review on this ruthenium duofold, that’s really strange, or, is it a model that no one wants to own? LOL. No matter what, France made, running duofold’s blood, top of the line, ruthenium plated, 18k duo-toned nib… to me, all these are exciting and appealing. Thanks for watching... (sorry for the big photos...)

Hello, Could anyone tell me the difference between the Parker Duofold Prestige/Classic and International/Centennial lines. From what I can guess, The Prestige is made from brass whereas the classic is made of resin (plastic), and both come in international (short) and Centennial (long) versions. Can somebody help me clarify that?

I haven't ventured much into the world of vintage Parker pens, but after hearing endless good things about the 51, I am thinking of getting one. I am curious to know where you would recommend looking for one (best online stores) and what prices to look for. So far it looks like I could potentially get one for around $80 or so (looking for a regular sized vacumatic P51) but I want to make sure it is restored and in decent condition (I am looking on Ebay, but I have had some bad pen experiences on Ebay and I would want to make sure it is a good seller). So, what price should I look for with a P51 Vacumatic, and where should I look? (I have also been scanning classifieds but I don't see many there). Thank you for any info Edit: Likely doesn't matter, but I am okay if it doesn't have a nib in it - just might give a few more options

I just bought my first vintage fountain pen, a Parker Duofold. Until now, I've only written with new pens. But after picking up this Duofold, I couldn't resist. I have a question I'd like to ask your help with: What is its approximate year of manufacture?

Hi folks, I am thinking of buying myself a present (ok, I'll be honest - I mean that I wants a new Shiny Thing I does, oh yes!), and I would like some advice from you before I Succumb to the Temptation to blow what is actually rather lot of money for me. I am trying to choose between a current production (2019-2020) Parker Sonnet, and a Waterman Carène. I am (as long as the Mods are happy to let me) putting this thread in to both the Parker forum and the Waterman forum, so that I can get as many well-informed replies as possible. The Carène that I fancy the look of is (happily for me) the cheapest one available, and so it is ‘only’ the same price as a Sonnet with a gold nib. The retailer from whom I am thinking of buying my new toy sells both pens, and in every nib width too They also stock spare nibs, so I could buy any colour of Sonnet and also buy a gold nib to put in to it. Background I already own some Parker Frontiers, so I know that the size and shape of the Sonnet suits my hand (although I don't yet know about the weight). I also like that their nib units can be unscrewed if necessary, because I like to use Rohrer & Klingner's iron-gall inks „Salix” and „Scabiosa”. The ease of removing the Sonnet's nib & feed for cleaning reassures me that I would have less to fear in terms of the consequences of letting any ink dry out in a Sonnet. [i did once let some „Salix” dry-out in a Parker "51", and that was a massive PITA to put right. It took about six weeks! OK, so it has so far only happened on the one occasion, when my mother had to be rushed in to hopsital with acute neurological side-effects from a new heart medication, and was in there for a month. Happily, it hasn't happened since, but since then ease of cleaning is something that I do consider whenever I contemplate a new pen purchase.] Regardless of my penchant for ‘planning for failure’, I am concerned that I have seen many complaints about Sonnets drying-out whilst capped, and complaints of them ‘writing dry’. Neither of those things sounds like anything I want - especially as I like pens that ‘write wet’. So, have you found modern Sonnets to have a drying-out problem? Do you think that there is any point in my buying a Sonnet with a gold nib, or are the steel nibs just as good? Is the gold nib more ‘springy’ than the steel? Are both nibs ‘nails’? With respect to the Carène, I like the look of the beast, and have read many complimetary things about it on here. I have read the advice on how to avoid the problems that can occur when filling it, and how to adjust the rotation angle of the barrel so that the ‘stern’ end of the pen is oriented correctly when the barrel is screwed back on. I have not yet held an example of the pen, so intend to try one out so that I can check its girth, heft, and balance before I buy it. My potential worry with it would be its large and inaccessible feed - if I were to let an ink (but especially an iron-gall ink) dry out in that I expect that it would be a nightmare to clean out. Possibly even worse than the "51"! What are your thoughts, oh Fount of All Wisdom that is FPN? Which of these two pens would you advise me to buy? Do you think that the Carène is the better pen, and that I should buy the Carène and just leave the iron-gall inks for my Frontiers? Or that each pen is as good as the other? Or that the Sonnet is better, and that I should buy one with a gold-nib? Or that I ought to buy a steel-nibbed Sonnet & also some nice inks with the rest of the money? Are there any other ‘problems’ with either pen? Have you found either to have any ‘idiosyncrasies’ that have irked you? My thanks to you all in advance for your answers. Cheers, M.

Hi all, I've bought this pen on a flea market and been cleaning it for two days already, but still some dried ink flakes are shooting out of it when flushed with a converter, and still stains the tissue that I wanna dry it with, any idea how to clean it thouroughly? Thanks in advance 😋

Just thought id share some of the parker victory MKI examples. (Marble, Pearl, Hatch [candystripe], Transparent, Block, Hex, lizard, herringbone).

Hey! I was tinkering today with a couple of 15's to figure out what the issue is with the loose cap they seem to be known for. As I was screwing the thing, I noticed that if I didn't screw the section all the way into the barrel the cap would snap nicely. This is a pen for which I tried the hot water trick (filling the cap 2 or 3 times with boiling water and leaving for 30 seconds to nudge the inner cap's plastic back into shape). While that helped quite a bit, it was still too loose to trust that if I clip the pen it won't fall off. So I took a piece of 22 ga silver wire (22 Gauge, 1/10 sterling silver filled wire purchased from Amazon, to be exact) and made me a spacer ring. The cap snaps nicely in place and it looks well enough not to be a noticeable hack. Have fun... alex

Hi folks, I am thinking of buying myself a present (ok, I'll be honest - I mean that I wants a new Shiny Thing I does, oh yes!), and I would like some advice from you before I Succumb to the Temptation to blow what is actually rather lot of money for me. I am trying to choose between a current production (2019-2020) Parker Sonnet, and a Waterman Carène. I am (as long as the Mods are happy to let me) putting this thread in to both the Parker forum and the Waterman forum, so that I can get as many well-informed replies as possible. The Carène that I fancy the look of is (happily for me) the cheapest one available, and so it is ‘only’ the same price as a Sonnet with a gold nib. The retailer from whom I am thinking of buying my new toy sells both pens, and in every nib width too They also stock spare nibs, so I could buy any colour of Sonnet and also buy a gold nib to put in to it. Background I already own some Parker Frontiers, so I know that the size and shape of the Sonnet suits my hand (although I don't yet know about the weight). I also like that their nib units can be unscrewed if necessary, because I like to use Rohrer & Klingner's iron-gall inks „Salix” and „Scabiosa”. The ease of removing the Sonnet's nib & feed for cleaning reassures me that I would have less to fear in terms of the consequences of letting any ink dry out in a Sonnet. [i did once let some „Salix” dry-out in a Parker "51", and that was a massive PITA to put right. It took about six weeks! OK, so it has so far only happened on the one occasion, when my mother had to be rushed in to hopsital with acute neurological side-effects from a new heart medication, and was in there for a month. Happily, it hasn't happened since, but since then ease of cleaning is something that I do consider whenever I contemplate a new pen purchase.] Regardless of my penchant for ‘planning for failure’, I am concerned that I have seen many complaints about Sonnets drying-out whilst capped, and complaints of them ‘writing dry’. Neither of those things sounds like anything I want - especially as I like pens that ‘write wet’. So, have you found modern Sonnets to have a drying-out problem? Do you think that there is any point in my buying a Sonnet with a gold nib, or are the steel nibs just as good? Is the gold nib more ‘springy’ than the steel? Are both nibs ‘nails’? With respect to the Carène, I like the look of the beast, and have read many complimetary things about it on here. I have read the advice on how to avoid the problems that can occur when filling it, and how to adjust the rotation angle of the barrel so that the ‘stern’ end of the pen is oriented correctly when the barrel is screwed back on. I have not yet held an example of the pen, so intend to try one out so that I can check its girth, heft, and balance before I buy it. My potential worry with it would be its large and inaccessible feed - if I were to let an ink (but especially an iron-gall ink) dry out in that I expect that it would be a nightmare to clean out. Possibly even worse than the "51"! What are your thoughts, oh Fount of All Wisdom that is FPN? Which of these two pens would you advise me to buy? Do you think that the Carène is the better pen, and that I should buy the Carène and just leave the iron-gall inks for my Frontiers? Or that each pen is as good as the other? Or that the Sonnet is better, and that I should buy one with a gold-nib? Or that I ought to buy a steel-nibbed Sonnet & also some nice inks with the rest of the money? Are there any other ‘problems’ with either pen? Have you found either to have any ‘idiosyncrasies’ that have irked you? My thanks to you all in advance for your answers. Cheers, M.

I'm a college student that got hooked or you could say got hit by the curiosity with fountain pens. The last several years I've been studying and since money was tight was satisfied with writing with the pens I already obtained. I already have a thread going on over in the nibs and tines section regarding my hunt for a flexy pen, but also am thinking about a different next pen as well. I should say I haven't decided which pen I will get first and there will be a significant amount of time in-between purchases. I will list the pens I already own as a jumping off point into a discussion of sorts I'm seeking surrounding my hunt for that "next" pen. Pens I own: Lamy 2000 - Fine Lamy Safari - Medium and 1.1 Stub Twsbi Eco - Broad and 1.1 Stub Pilot Metro - Medium, Fine, and 1.0 Stub Faber Castell Loom - Medium Jinhao x450 - Medium Goulet Churchmans Prescriptor - 1.1 Stub Conklin Crescent Filler Demo - 1.1 Stub My last pen purchase was the Lamy 2000 back in 2017. Actually the bulk of my pen purchases occurred at the start of my addiction to pens lol. Anyways the Lamy 2000 was my first big purchase and it really solidified how great it feels to write with a pen that truly speaks to you. I've learned as I grow in the hobby and learn more about pens that one pen isn't necessarily better than another pen; they just provide different experiences. I write with each one of my pens more so than others but nonetheless I reach for each one of my pens when I want to experience that unique experience that only that specific pen can offer. I'll admit my Lamy 2000 gets the most use, it's my favorite among all my pens. Time has passed and I'm starting to get that affinity again and looking at what else I can expose myself too. Here are some possibilities that I'm looking towards for my next possible pen in no particular order. Platinum 3776 Pelikan M200 / M400 Pilot Vanishing Point / Custom 823 / Custom 74 / Custom 912 Edison Collier Franklin Christoph Model 19, 20, 02, Parker 51 Waterman Caréne Diplomat Aero Sailor 1911 / Sailor Pro Gear I'll also admit price is a factor in that the ones I'm leaning towards seem to be easier to find deals, the Platinum's, Pilots, and Sailors especially. I think you can tell I'm honing in on sub $300 in terms of price. I'm leaning towards one of the pens listed with a gold nib, because I enjoyed the gold nib on my lamy 2000 and would like to experience other pens with gold nibs. At some point I probably will own all those pens listed, but for time being I'm leaning towards: Sailor 1911 or Pro Gear Platinum 3776 Pilot Vanishing Point / Custom 823 / Custom 74 / Custom 912 Pelkian m400 Waterman Caréne. Feel free to suggest other pens that you think I should definitely consider. So the discussion I'm hoping to generate is whats that gold nib pen that you think someone who hasn't experienced should definitely take a look at?

So I'm pretty happy with my (mostly cheap) pens but from time to time I come across a few pens that I find really beautiful, like Parker Vacumatics. I have never seen one in person and it's highly unlikely I ever will, but have seen some restored ones on ebay. After almost pulling the trigger I realized these seem like smaller pens, particularly the section might be too small. I searched online but didn't find anything conclusive. So for those who have them: would a Vacumatic (say a Major) be too small for bigger hands? To give you and idea Parker Sonnets aren't very big but I find them comfortable, anything smaller like a Vector is painfully uncomfortable.

http://inks.pencyklopedia.pl/wp-content/uploads/Parker-Quink-Permanent-Blue-Black-old-nazwa.png Producent: Parker Series, colour: Quink Permanent Blue Black (old) Pen: Waterman Hemisphere "F" Paper: Image Volume 80 g / cm2 http://inks.pencyklopedia.pl/wp-content/uploads/buteleczki_atrament_parker_duza_old.jpg Specifications: Flow rate: very good Lubrication: good Bleed through: unnoticeable Shading: noticeable Feathering: unnoticeable Saturation: very good Ink drying time: ~ 5-10 sec. A drop of ink smeared with a nib http://inks.pencyklopedia.pl/wp-content/uploads/Parker-Quink-Permanent-Blue-Black-old-kleks.jpg The ink smudged with a cotton pad http://inks.pencyklopedia.pl/wp-content/uploads/Parker-Quink-Permanent-Blue-Black-old-wacik.jpg Lines http://inks.pencyklopedia.pl/wp-content/uploads/Parker-Quink-Permanent-Blue-Black-old-kreski.jpg Water Resistance http://inks.pencyklopedia.pl/wp-content/uploads/Parker-Quink-Permanent-Blue-Black-old-woda.jpg Sample text http://inks.pencyklopedia.pl/wp-content/uploads/Parker-Quink-Permanent-Blue-Black-old-txt.jpg Other tests carried out: Sample text in an Oxford notebook http://inks.pencyklopedia.pl/wp-content/uploads/Parker-Quink-Permanent-Blue-Black-old-Oxford.jpg Sample letters in a Rhodia notebook http://inks.pencyklopedia.pl/wp-content/uploads/Parker-Quink-Permanent-Blue-Black-old-Rhodia.jpg Ink drops on a handkerchief http://inks.pencyklopedia.pl/wp-content/uploads/Parker-Quink-Permanent-Blue-Black-old-chromatografia1.jpg Chromatography http://inks.pencyklopedia.pl/wp-content/uploads/Parker-Quink-Permanent-Blue-Black-old-chromatografia2.jpg