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I'm rather fond of the old ringtops, but they have a bad habit of dropping off from their caps. Has anyone ever tried to create a more secure modern version of these little wonders?

I just received this tiny black-and-cream ringtop from a dealer in British Columbia. No marks, no branding; a Warranted nib (arguably a signature nib - it's pretty wide). It writes quite expressively and looks very cute on a lanyard.

Is Mercury retrograde or something? I took out my Waterman Commando this evening, only to find the barrel broken in two. It had seemed a pretty sturdy pen, and apart from writing with it, it was not being roughly handled. What gives? Do these old darlings just BREAK?

I bought a Carter's ringtop about a month ago and I've been wearing it to the office. This morning, as I was walking to my office, the pen literally fell apart: the barrel broke at the threads and a large chip fell out of the cap - all at once. I can only assume that the plastic came very suddenly to the end of its natural span, but I really like the nib. Has anyone had this happen? I imagine that people dealing with early polymers encounter this sort of thing fairly often. I don't really think it's repairable, so I may try to find a modern pen to fit the nib. Any suggestions?

Hello! What does everyone think about Montblanc introducing new products outside the category of writing instruments to the market? e.g. leather goods, watches, eye wear etc... Are you happy that an iconic brand you admire is offering a wider range of products for you to experience? Or do you feel the brand is becoming less exclusive, and that more products are diluting the brands powerful reputation as a well-established writing instrument manufacturer? Do you like the new products that are on offer?

Some months ago I bought a Model 52 with a Moore Maniflex nib. It's somewhat crumpled and a bit too wet, so I was thinking of replacing it with a proper Waterman nib. I wonder if the collective wisdom of the forum can advise me what I should look out for, and perhaps someone can explain why one nib is worth 30 bucks and another worth 900?

Im hoping to sell a smallish collection, and wondered if anyone could suggest a place/person in the UK who might be interested? It includes two red Whitefriars ashtrays, a number of combi pens, and a selection of unrestored pens, including Conway Stewart, Mont Blanc, and others, plus a few modern ones, and a large black leather pen case. Lots of photos - I need to do it as a 'one lot' and would send by courier. Would really appreciate any help.

I work at a job where I sometimes have to take physical notes or draw pictures away from my desk, so I've gotten into the habit of wearing a ringtop fp on a lanyard. It's distressing, therefore, to notice how easily my 52 1/2 v unscrews itself from its cap and drops off. I lost a very valuable pen of another make some months ago and it makes me wonder if this has happened to anyone else? Judging from the large number of caps on ebay, I suspect this happens a lot, but I also notice that pens from the 30s and 40s seem a bit less prone to the problem. Experiences, anyone? Please share your pain, or any methods you have for keeping cap and pen together.

I noticed a market watch thread for Amazon, but that's US based. Therefore, thought I'd start a UK one :-) Recently I purchased 5 x Oxford Campus A4 wire bound notepads for £10.50, plus a parker duo fold demi for £65. Currently they have the A5 version of the Campus notepads at a good price - I find the paper to be very fountain pen friendly - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Oxford-Campus-Wirebound-Notebook-Assorted/dp/B00AUV70SE/ref=lp_5348989031_1_15?s=officeproduct&ie=UTF8&qid=1417788852&sr=1-15

Everything in the store is on sale today. EVERYTHING. 15% off MontBlanc, 25% off all other items. 2515 Rice Blvd., Houston, Texas 77005 | 713.526.4651 | dromgooles.sbcglobal.net

My boss (producer/director of Sofia The First) has been a bit of a pen fancier but a little too much of a cheapskate to buy one, so when a Commando in good condition showed up on ebay, I bought it, had it reconditioned and gave it to him for Christmas. I knew he'd love something called a Commando, because he has a deep interest in The Good War, but I had no idea. He looks for opportunities to brandish it in public and he says it's changed his life. I feel like I've done something vaguely evil.

Which fountain pens write as well in the inverted position as they do normally?

Hello! Come join us for a Krone Pen Event at Dromgoole's on November 13th from 3pm -7pm. There will be pizza, wine, and cupcakes. If you can't make it, call Larry and we will be glad to send you photos of all the great pens that we normally don't have in the store. Hope to see you there! Dromgoole's 2515 Rice Boulevard Houston, Texas 77005 713.526.4651 dromgooles@sbcglobal.net

Hello--I've admired HDoug's photos of his penmanship produced with a 0.5 mm cursive italic nib. So a cursive italic is on my wish list, but I'm wondering how to select which pen to have custom ground. I think I should go with a 0.7 mm, since it sounds like the finer it is, the trickier it is to write with (or is it the other way around?). I've also been dreaming of a Nakaya pen, and I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to save up and have this pen custom ground to cursive italic. It would be great to consolidate two of my wish list items. On the other hand, since the Nakaya is such a big investment (it would take several months or over a year to save enough to purchase), I'm wondering if it's too much of a risk to try out this nib for the first time on a grail pen. If it ends up being an uncomfortable writing experience, then I would hate to not use this pen on a regular basis. I've also been considering a Waterman Carène because of its super-smoothness, and wonder if that might be a better option. Or should I adjust my expectations--are cursive italic nibs more for brief, specialized writing purposes and not used as daily writers? Maybe I should just contact one of the nibmeisters who do the cursive italic grind and ask for their recommendation, but I wanted to ask here first.

hi fpgeeks! i just want to know who is in australia and love fountain pens and please share your views eg. where you get your pens (knowing australia doesnt have much pen shops) and which blogs do read and yea.. just anything

Before I got into fountain pens, I absolutely hated them. I had always like pens, pencils and stationery. My favourite was the Pilot G2 when I had first used a fountain pen. The first fountain pen I had ever used was a "cartridge pen" from Tesco: http://images3.mysupermarket.co.uk/ProductsDetailed/78/284178.jpg?v=4 It was terrible. Ink dropped out of the nib, the ink colour was washed out and it feathered and bled through and paper. (Recently I discovered that the pen and ink bleeds and feathers on Clairefontaine!) From this experience, I thought all fountain pens were like this. I had no idea there was such a vast range of fountain pens and how much they cost. A few years later, I was given some money as a gift, so I decided to get a Parker (my mother praised Parker a lot, and she wasn't even a pen enthusiast). I got a Parker Jotter ballpoint after doing much research. It was the most expensive pen I ever had, at £6. Some time later, I discovered Uni-Ball Jetstreams- the best ballpoint you will ever use. After that discovery, I got really into pens. I was into ballpoints, rollerballs, gel pens, felt-tip pens, but not fountain pens. I still thought they all behaved the way the Tesco pen did. When I saw prices of fountain pens, I couldn't believe it. They were enormously more expensive than regular pens. I also discovered bottled ink online, and my interest grew a bit. What made me want a fountain pen was a small stationery shop. I was in there when I saw a few fountain pens and bottles of ink. Suddenly, for some reason I really wanted a fountain pen! I did some web-surfing and discovered that fountain pens were awesome! After loads of research, I decided I wanted a Lamy Safari with a converter, and a bottle of Diamine Oxblood for Christmas. And that's how I got into fountain pens. Sorry for the long post. Here's a aesthetically pleasing pen: http://www.conwaystewart.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Churchill-Bracket-Green-FP.jpg

Okay, this might be a rather dumb question, but when one purchases a pen and it comes in a box, do you always keep the box? I have lots of pen boxes (some still storing the pens, others empty and some empty with booklets and paperwork) of those pens that I've purchased new in the past 25 years. Obviously, vintage pens or those "found", pen show purchased, swapped, etc. usually are boxless, but does the box on some pens make them anymore valuable? You realize that if this addiction hobby continues, I could easily acquire MORE boxes and that would require MORE storage space! Like I said, dumb question, but I'd be curious what others do. Tell me.....

As I read on the FPN, I found my niche. It's been covered here several times, but the website links don't often work. I think it'd be interesting to get a replica of pens (some are classics, still made. Some aren't fountain pens), the presidents used to sign bills. I want all politics put aside. It's not cheap, but it's interesting. I watched a video of Obama write, He seems to trace his letters with his fingers, then sign. I'm going to do a Google search tomorrow, no time today, I don't be near a computer. Any helpful links? -Rhonda

A friend asked me why I was into fountain pens when I informed him of my new hobby. I had no idea what to say! Why do we love these magnificent instruments? Their superiority over ballpoints shouldn't be considered a reason, because that may be the reason why we use them, but not the reason why we love them.

I love matte black. I think it makes everything look better. It's even more spectacular when the whole thing is matte black. Fountain pens look incredible in matte black, too. The Pilot Vanishing Point, Parker Urban, Faber-Castell E-Motion, Monteverde Invincia, Lamy Safari and Parker Premier all look stunning in this colour. Are there any pens that I missed? What's your opinion on flat/matte/muted/matt black?

For me lately it is Italix fine cursive italic nib with Tomoe river papers, when I use them together, I called it "Writing Orgasm". I hope this is not too inappropriate haha. Do any of you have similar feelings?

Like most of us here, I do an awful lot of my purchasing on-line. Now that I think of it, few of my actual pen purchases have been made in person. Despite my being as big an advocate as anyone about the merits of trying out a pen in person! I've used quite a number of merchants, but a few really stand out in terms of their outstanding service and quality. I'm long overdue in giving them the recognition they deserve -- at least in my sometimes not so humble opinion! My top 5, listed alphabetically (I'd hate to admit relatively dollar volumes. I don't even want to think about that!): Richard Binder {www.richardspens.com}: I've not actually had any serious nib tuning done by Richard. I've bought a few pens as well as some nib units. I think Richard's prices on the pens/nib units are totally competitive, perhaps more so given that he actually confirms the nibs are in great shape before shipping. I've also been totally unhesitant to ask him questions and his opinion. Service has been quick, shipping fool-proof, and quality superb. Even when I email in questions I usually get a response the next day. Sometimes the same night if he's having a bout of insomnia similar to mine! Fahrney's {www.fahrneyspens.com}: Well, I live in Northern Virginia. So Fahrney's in DC is sort of the hometown B&M store. I have occasionally gone there in person -- especially when I really wanted to try a pen in person. This is particularly nice also because there is usually a technician on duty there who can add another dimension or viewpoint to the expected performance of a pen from a manufacturer. On line purchases are a breeze, and the phone based customer service folks have always been very accommodating. Deliveries are always fast -- hardly a surprise given my location, and everything is well packed. Fountain Pen Hospital {www.fountainpenhospital.com}: I've been a long-time lurker on their website, particularly the 'Back Room' page for previously owned non-vintage pens and the 'Vintage' pen page for -- well, you can guess. I can truthfully say I've never received a pen that failed to write out of the box. I have decided a couple of times that I didn't like what I received, and returns were no problem. Shipments from New York are fast, and packaging is great. I did have a chance this past summer to visit in person when I was in NY and met pretty much all of the people with whom I've spoken which was great. I won't suggest that you can't get many of these pens cheaper say on eBay. BUT every pen I get is in full working order, which I find valuable in itself. Goulet Pens {www.gouletpens.com}: Without question, the website is a fantastic resource in itself, with the steady release of videos by Brian discussing various pens. I've bought primarily inks, cases, and some nibs. Even during this past winter, with the horrid low temperatures, everything arrives safe and sound and prompt. But then anyone who browses FPN is well aware of the Goulet reputation for really sound packaging practice -- they must get a huge bulkrate on packaging materials. Special kudos for customer service: on a couple of occasions, I've either changed my order or ended up placing two orders right after each other; Goulet Customer Service have been outstanding at dealing with these changes and combining orders. I get everything from them within just a few days -- hardly a surprise, given they are also Virginia based! And the fact that Brian is a Hokie (Virginia Tech y'all) as is my son is I have to admit a bonus point... Peyton Street Pens {www.peytonstreetpens.com}: Teri Morris is well known here at FPN. I recently placed my first order with her when she sent out a post about NOS of Parker Falcolns. Wonderful service -- even when at the last minute I asked her if possible to change from a brown pen to a black one. Not only was she able to, but I received everything within just a few days. Huge surprise when I opened the box: she'd included a bonus of an Indian pen as a Thank You for the order. Both pens write beautifully straight out of the box. She and I were in close communication by email throughout. Here's an even bigger surprise: Peyton Street Pens have their own gift boxes for the pens which are in my opinion magnificent: company name in a beautiful silver font, box is finished in a sort of linen finish; instead of opening as your usual box does, it pulls open from the side like a drawer. I've only seen this before on expensive LE pens. Which highlights that pens purchased for gifts will come well packaged! Thanks Teri!There are of course some other merchants I've used and I really have no complaints against any of them. I've been fortunate that way. But these 5 are my tops and I wanted to share with all y'all!

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=19830621&id=2OYxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FOQFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4345,157474 The Lamy 2000 costed $65 USD, the MB 149 a mere $250, etc. Even with inflation calculated, it does not seem as though the price of Montblanc pens has stayed the same... It provides some interesting reading nonetheless.

I'm just starting to dip into collecting more vintage and retro pens, and I've settled on focusing on cartridge/converter pens (with a slight emphasis on Sheaffers...) Anyways, I absolutely love the look of the old striated pens, especially the greens and the reds, but all the ones I've seen so far have been lever fill. Does anyone know of a c/c model that comes in striated coloration, or is this a lost cause?

Hi, I am new to the "official" world of pen collecting, but have had a fascination with the fountain pen, stationery, and ink since I was about 13. I was living in Japan at the time, and became enamored of the variety of writing paper and pens (particularly fountain pens) available. My best writing pen remains to this day, 30 years later, a pen that probably cost $.50 usd, and is cheap looking and feeling. However, put a cartridge in it, and it will flow every time. I have since been acquiring inexpensive ($15.00 and less) pens that come from China. I have a Dark Green Bulow x450, an Ivory Jinhao x750, and the current prize of the collection, a TWSBI Vac 700 received as a gift from another collector who just didn't like it. I am currently waiting on two Baoer 388 pens, and one Jinhao 250 and x450. I cannot yet afford the more expensive Parkers, Montblancs, and Cross's. But, someday..... Anyway, just dropping in to say Hi, and a little about my collecting.