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Hello fellow FPNers, I am considering buying a pen which the seller has described as a "Waterman 52", but I noticed that the clip is attached near the top of the cap (please refer to the attached images). I know the Waterman 52v has a higher-mounted clip like the pen on sale, but all of the other Waterman 52's I have seen so far show the clip attached lower down on the cap. Could someone please tell me if the Waterman 52 ever came with a higher-mounted clip? Is the pen for sale actually a Waterman 52? Or is it some sort of Waterman frankenpen? Your advice would be much appreciated! Best, John

Hi, Just restored my father-in-laws vintage Parker Duofold button-filler. Any recommendations on safest ink to use? Herbin and J Herbin have been recommended. Will avoid any shimmer or sheen, but would like a nice shading ink to show off the nib's powers. Russ Gonnering Elm Grove, WI

Hello! I'm a Singaporean studying in the UK, and I've been using a Platinum Plasir as my trusty daily writing implement for quite some time. Recently got interested in exploring the wider world of pens, especially in terms of vintage pen collection and restoration. My current collection includes the aforementioned Platinum, a vintage Wyvern with an engraved flexi gold nib, a marbled extra-fine Osmiroid, and a few cheaper plastic pens I got when starting out. Looking forward to learning more and making new friends on this forum? :D

I am a long-time fountain pen user/collector. i am new to forums and chat though. I hope this is the proper way to announce this new pen show. I am excited and I don't even know where to start🙂. It will be held September 8 to 10 in Orlando Florida. I think the location is perfect. The Florida Hotel and Conference Center at the Florida Mall is located a short distance from the airport, Disney World and all the other theme parks and attractions. The room rate is $115+tax (resort fee has been waived for us) free parking. One side of the hotel lobby opens into a large vibrant shopping mall. The hotel has agreed to allow our special show rate up to 3 days before the show and 3 days after. This means you can bring the family and enjoy a pen-cation, enjoy the show and all the area has to offer. They also will extend your stay longer at the show rate if rooms are available. All Access Pass: This is the best deal for the serious pen enthusiast. It allows 2 people early entry to show days Fri and Sat and includes a meet, trade, sell pens and a pizza party Thurs night. Door prizes will be given out at the pizza party. It also includes a dessert party Sat night. This pass allows you meet and hang out with vendors and other serious pen people. Price is $50, if you book your 3-night hotel stay early it will be $45. Passes will go on sale in the near future. You must book hotel room first to get discount and be eligible for door prizes. Vendors who book hotel room early will be eligible for door prizes of their own. One lucky vendor will win their 3 -night hotel stay for free! AT THIS TIME ONLY HOTEL ROOMS CAN BE BOOKED TO GET THE EARLY BIRD DISCOUNTS AND PRIZES LATER. PASSES AND VENDOR TABLES WILL GO ON SALE SOON. Hotel rooms can be booked now by calling 1-800-588-4656 or clicking the link below. A website is being developed right now you can follow Orlando Pen Show on Facebook or Instagram. http://www.tinyurl.com/Orlando-Pen-Show-2022 Please share this show info with all your pen friends, thank you all so much for your support! Joe

I’ve been reading other posts for quite a while and got a lot of useful information. I am appreciated to all the shared knowledge from Youtube and forum FPN, fpgeeks, and Reddit. As that knowledge helped me to get started, I also want to do some contributions to this community. During the past year, I got really serious and had some nice pens for my personal collection. I would like to share my thoughts about those pens. As I come from Hong Kong, the suitability of the pens in writing Chinese words is reviewed as well. That’s why you will find Chinese writing in the writing sample. The first batches of pens I want to review are one of my favorite pens, Montblanc 146 in green and grey striated patterns. First Impressions: Vintage Montblanc 146 striated pens were produced around the 1950s and were all made of celluloid. Nibs are all bi-color 14C and the filling system is telescopic piston structure. Depending on the color and patterns, those striated pens were divided into three types: 1. striated grey 2. striated green 3. vertical green striped. Three pens I owned and shown here are those three types. Although the vertical green striped one does not come with a pen cap with a straight green pattern, the barrel is in a striped pattern. To my personal taste, they are equally beautiful and much more exciting compared to the regular mono-color version. They really show beautiful colors with different layers under the sunlight. Depending on the condition of reservation, the color of the green/grey pattern may change to brown. The majority of the reason for color degradation may due to the exposure of UV light. Therefore, a perfect green striated/striped 146 is barely found in the market. Also, the material may shrink due to the temperature, hence the size of each 146 striated varies. DSC_5106 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr Left to right: green striped, grey striated, green striated DSC_5133 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr Left to right: green striated, grey striated, green striped DSC_5184 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr Left to right: green striped, grey striated, green striated DSC_5188 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr Left to right: green striated, grey striated, green striped DSC_5137 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr Bi-color 14C nibs Appearance and Design (10): These pens look amazing and classic to me. The color has so many layers and the pattern on each pen is unique. Some details need to point out: 1. the band and the rings are all gold plated. 2. The engraving on the band is “Montblanc Masterpiece”. 3. Depending on the produced date, there are three types of feed, ski slope without a groove (~1949), ski slope with groove (~ the early 1950s), round ebonite (late 1950s). 4. On the piston nobs, there are different engravings, 146, 146 F, 146G and * and M (don’t know the meaning of “*”), which indicate the model number and nib size of the pen. Thanks to others’ work in FPN, the detailed analysis of for the produced date for 146 can be found in the post below: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/337490-dating-montblanc-146-legrand/ Overall, I think that those pens have a great looking and feeling so different from modern 146 models. DSC_5120 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr Piston nobs with 146G for green striped, 146 for grey striated, and 146 for green striated IMG_8997 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr IMG_8998 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr IMG_8999 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr 146G, *, and M write on green striped pen IMG_8976 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr IMG_8977 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr 146 and F write on grey striated pen IMG_8988 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr Only 146 on green striated pen Construction and Quality (9.5): For pens for almost 70 years, they still preserved very well. This can tell us that the pens are well-constructed and very solid. Although there are some concerns regarding the long-time wearing of celluloid material, there are only some color changes and the pens have no crack. However, they are still vintage pens, hence some scratches can be found on the clips and nibs. The Montblanc mark on the cap turned into yellow and ink windows are in a reddish color. You can also find oxidations on the metal part as well. So they still need to be well reserved and not for perfectionism. IMG_8995 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr IMG_8969 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr IMG_8984 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr Pens with writing samples, top to bottom: green striped, grey striated, green striated Weight and Dimensions (9): They are not big pens and smaller compared to model 146. The sizes of the three pens are slightly different. The length is ~13.3-13.5 cm (with cap) and the dimension of the barrel is ~1.2 cm. Weight is 26 g (with cap). The pen is back heavy, but you will not feel so awkward due to the lightweight. I definitely love the barrel to place my fingers, they have a smooth curve and I feel the finger position is just right during writing. Personally, I am a big pen lover and I would prefer to have a 149 green striated. Max Horst also makes some custom 149 pens from 1950 Montblanc green striated stock, but the price is not justifiable to me. For writers with an average size of male hands, I could still say the pen is definitely very comfortable to write and suitable for daily usage if someone is willing to. Nib Performance (10): The nibs on those pens can sing. With those 1950s fine and medium nibs, writing is very smooth with a touch of feedback. They are very wet pens and I love wet pens. The ink flow is always proficient and consistent with the ebonite feed. Of course, the most beautiful part is the flexibility of the nibs on these pens. With the variation of the applied pressure, the width of the line can change from an Asian fine (0.2 mm) to triple broad (1.6 mm). The flexible nib allows me to do some cool English writing and definitely very fun to use. And I never have had any railroad when writing with the pens. Compared to modern flex nibs, such as ASC magic flex nib and Omas nib (in my next review), I would definitely prefer these vintage Montblanc nibs. The bounciness and consistency of ink flow into the nib are definitely better. Regarding Chinese calligraphy, I still always prefer a rigid nib. For example, my daily user pilot 823 (review will come later) can give more control because the change of width in Chinese writing is based on the “travel route” of the pen nib. Overall, vintage Montblanc pens are really great for flex writing and daily writing. It’s very pleasant for me to use. Information for writing sample: 1. Ink: Sailor Jentle ink Rikyu-Cha/Waka-Ugnism. 2. Paper: Rhodia dot pad. 3. Nib size: Fine and medium. I found the medium size is actually finer than “fine” nib. IMG_8996 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr IMG_9044 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr 146 green striped with a medium nib and round ebonite feed IMG_8972 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr IMG_8973 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr 146 grey striated with a fine nib and ski slope feed IMG_8985 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr IMG_8986 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr 146 green striated with a fine nib and ski slope feed IMG_9014 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr IMG_9015 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr IMG_9045 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr Writing samples Filling system and Maintenance (9): These pens use piston filler and specifically telescopic piston system. Instead of screwing the piston to immediately push the piston, the piston has a two-stage release. Firstly, you have to unscrew the turning nob to engage the rod to the piston and then further screw to move the piston. The piston can still function very well and store a rather large amount of ink. The downside of 1950s Montblanc piston is that uses a cord instead of nylon piston cup. The cork will be worn out over time. Thus the regular maintenance of the piston is necessary. Cost and Value (10): Let’s be fair, they are very expansive pens. Depending on the preserved condition of the pen, the price ranges from around 1500 to over 2000 USD. But they are rather rare and gradually increase their value over the past few years. So I think it worth its money if you like it and can find one. To me, it really attracts me and I ended up own three of these with different colors and patterns. Regarding the market value for your reference, the perfect green stripe should be the rarest and the price is the highest. Conclusion and Final Score (57.5/60): There are so many things to like on these pens. The appearance, which mixed so many layers of colors together, is unique and gorgeous. The pen feels classic and comfortable. The piston filler contains a rather large amount of ink. The nib is fantastic to write and very flexible. I just love these pens. DSC_5141 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr Pen caps

Going to be autumn soon, and being in New England it is something I eagerly look forward to. I am putting aside my brave adventuring into the world of murky grayish greens for the time being and going against my inner nature by exploring ORANGE. The story so far: received two samples from Goulet, Diamine Autumn Oak and Diamine Pumpkin. I like both of them, in fact cannot choose between them, so I mixed them together to fill my eyedropper, since it takes such a huge amount of ink to fill it. Both samples ended up going into it in one fill. Autumn Oak is good for me because most of my pens are wet writers and dry inks do very nicely in them. But I would like to experience others as well. All my pens are vintage (my modern eyedropper is the exception but it has a vintage nib in it). So, no saturated inks, sheening inks. I avoid Noodlers. I love shading. I don't want anything violently bright, but more autumnal, without being brown. Ancient Copper for example, which is one of my standards, is too brown for this exploration. And not washy, such as some J.Herbin inks tend to be. Suggestions?

Hi, I'll be going on my monthly pen hunt in a few days and I wanted to try out the world of vintage pens. Which vintage pen would you recommend to a first time vintage user?

Hi everyone, As a fountain pen collection and restoration enthusiast it has been very hard in my city to come across more affordable pens, after exhausting the selection of easily available ones (I have a tight budget as I am a student) However, a few days back I went to a stationary shop for some work and say that they had some old chelpark inks on display (ofcourse I bought all of them), curiously I asked the man if he had fountain pens, he told me that he had many old unsold ones and didn't know where they were, after a lot of persuation he agreed to look for them and have them ready in a few days. So the next day I went and he said he didn't find them and to come back a few days later. So I did, again and again. (was pretty desperate to get a hold of some childhood oens) Fortunately, after a week or so, he finally had them ready. They were not exactly vintage, but old pens indeed, some quite damaged. I got a few Camlin No. 6 pens, some Flora Pens (the model number is not known) and a couple Hero 323. All of them were more or less usable atleast after some repairs. This brings me to my question, if this man had old stocks, probably other shops do too, and it would be great to have a few tips on how I can get these shops to sell me their old stocks, even if they're broken or damaged, how do I persuade them to dig them out for me, because every other shops I've asked, have said 'no we don't have fountain pens" to my face. Btw I'm new to FPN (this is my first thread) Regards, Anurag.

I went to a vintage shop a few days ago, and I picked up this pen. Does anyone know what pen this is and when it was made? The only markings on the pen are the words "white feather", so I'm assuming it's a Chinese pen. But I'd like to get more info on the pen. It writes beautifully.

Hi, I am Drewart and I love writing with fountain pens; I use a Pelican 600 mainly because of the flexible nib. I must confess I have an immediate question. There is a wonderful looking Eversharp Coronet gold filled pen and pencil set on ebay and I have always admired the art deco style of the model...what can I expect to pay for these beauties?

Hello! I am pretty new to the world of fountain pens but especially so when it comes to inks. I have been using Noodler's and Quink and have had decent experiences with both. However, since joining this site, I've realized that there is a whole world of ink out there. I'd been mostly sticking to Noodler's since it was recommended to me by my uncle. But now I'd like to branch out and be more adventurous. So I'd like to hear your recommendations. A few criterias for what I'm looking for: 1. gentle on vintage pens 2. bright, vibrant, and/or unusual colors (particularly pinks, oranges, greens, and purples) 3. Not Noodler's Thanks! P.S. I also adore inks with shading.

Last week the Boston Globe published an interview with Crane & Co. creative director John Segal, who mentions a 30 year old Montblanc pen his father gave him. http://postscript.crane.com/paper-habits-boston-globe/ Happy reading, and may this inspire ...

Hello, F.P.N. people from away down south in Dixie. I go by "The Leverist," I tinker with antique anything until it works, and I'm a random person on the internet. That's all you really need to know about that, so let's get down to the important business and talk pens. Okay, so I did the Sumgai thing and ended up with a pile of wrecked pens. One Parker 21 was the only one still workable, and it was cracked. Model cement to the rescue! It's fine now. Others were a mostly third-tier accumulation of pens that survived the Great Depression, and look like they rode in the glovebox of a Model T out to the land of opportunity. Here's the body count: 1. Fifth Avenue, built by Safford Pen Co. Red celluloid marbled. Condition: Poor--mangled brass nib, broken J-bar, obligatory ossified sac, and no cap. Has a red Waltham's cap with bent clip. 1. Wearever, Model "Deluxe 100," double jewel, brown striped celluloid. Condition: Very Shiny, but the nib tipping crumbled away when I touched it. "Special Alloy," indeed. Clip not quite right, lever very corroded, J-bar ok. 1. Champion. Model unknown. A very YELLOW pen colored like a Duofold, but shaped like a blend of old Sheaffer Balance and new Nemosine Singularity. Condition: Really good! Well, except for the sac. Everything else is just the way I never find them! 1. Sheaffer Balance Jr. Vac fill, flat ball clip, black with pearlescent flecks. Original Junior nib. Condition: I would tell you, if I could get the vacuum rod to move more than half an inch. Other than that, it's scuffed up but will polish nicely. Section is stuck on pretty good (regular non-triumph nib.) 4: Epenco's . Eagle Iridium Tipped nibs, GP steel. One burgundy, one navy, two really cool striped blue ones with a thunder-and-lightning pattern, like Noodler's acrylics but old-school. Condition: Every single one had a good sac (considering) but the J bars were neatly broken. 3. "Penman" pens. Look almost exactly like Nemosine Singularity pens. One black, missing cap band. Two grey flake celluloid, one in much nicer shape than the other, but I can't bring myself to part out the really grungy one. Curvex nibs, 14k Gold Plate. And--broken J-bar on one gray one. The other hasn't deigned to come apart yet. So There You Have It! I don't know what to do with the nib on the Wearever--not fond of Fleabay, but if I have to then I will. It doesn't have to be original Wearever, it just has to write. Fifth Avenue is cool but really battered. The Epencos are neat, the Penman pens are nice shapes, the Champion is really well preserved, and the Sheaffer is a seized-up but beautiful pen. The Parker? It's cool--testament to the most practical designs in history, if not the prettiest. I have already resacced another lever pen of mine (Gold Flex!) but these are pretty messy. Mostly I need nib ideas for that poor old Deluxe 100. Then, on to discussion of caps and clips, and freeing up the Sheaffer--which I think might be a 1935 model. I will trade a 1950ish Sheaffer Tuckaway Vac parts pen, with a beautiful pencil matching it, if someone can come up with either some parts or another project lever pen. The Tucky just needs the barrel bored and tapped and a new nib unit. A recognized pen mechanic quoted me $85 but I didn't have the money then. Anyhow, thanks for watching, and stay dipped. The Leverist (Who should have probably posted pictures.)

This weekend, June 18, 2017 Dromgoole's is hosting a pen event with David Oscarson! He will be showcasing his newest pen the Koi. We expect him to have a few colors and this is a beautiful pen! On top of this, we are also having a vintage pen event with Dr. Bob Nisbet. He has a large collection of vintage pens, and we also got in a large allotment of others in recently! Please come on buy to see these beautiful pieces and enjoy food and drinks. The event will run from 10 A.M. and will end at 4 P.M.

This is 30 minutes on a variety of subjects with Susan Wirth, mostly about the value of italic handwriting and pens that create it. But touching on many other fascinating subjects. Produced by Lisa Vanness (vannesspen) with Brad Dowdy at the Chicago 2016 pen show.

Hi! I hope I am asking this question in the right place. I have come across a nice, used Parker 51 online and am about to meet the seller in order to inspect the pen before purchase. Since I haven't bought used pens before, I was wondering what I should look for and what I should check in order to make sure that the pen is ok. Thank you in advance!

Hi I have 3 old English fountain pens that were given to me a while back. They've sat in my desk drawer for a few years. I've attached a photo with some call-outs and close ups. As you will see, there are 2 "Wyvern Princess" fountain pens and 1 "Onoto The Pen" I have done a few searches here and I've learned a bit about these brands, but I'm wondering if anyone has any comment on these specific models. I'm most intrigued by the Onoto, as it has a good feel and weight to it. I'd like to clean it out and see how it performs, but I'm out of my depth with an old pen like these. Any suggestions on how to clean? I don't know how the ink system works or if there is any special way to clean the pen. Is there anything I should do given the pens' age? Again, the Onoto is the main interest. What about values? Is there a way to determine what these pens are worth? Thank very much in advance.

Inks appear to be a volatile topic amongst FPN'ers. I have a Parker 51. What do you think of http://www.jetpens.com/Sailor-STORiA-Pigment-Ink-30-ml-Bottle-Magic-Purple/pd/14150 and dye inks heuristically; do they have a reputation for harming fp's? I have been advised to stay with Diamine because of safety concerns; nevertheless, Diamine appears to be too unsaturated and watery.

I'm just wondering how other people got into vintage fountain pens. Do you primarily collect, or use them? What attracted you to your first vintage beauty? I just recently bought a vintage pen via Richard Binder's Pen Show Tray and I'm eagerly awaiting its arrival (and Da Book)! In the mean time, I've already been scouring Ebay and the likes for other models...The funny thing is I never thought that I'd even be interested in older pens, and it wasn't until I happened upon the Pen Show Tray that I pulled the trigger. So what's your story?

Presentation : Hello everyone, i'm here since 1 month and i'm just starting my journey into the pen habit It's like i'm more and more loving pens, inks etc searching the forums ,watching videos, it's very nice ! To begin with i purchased a dollar i717 unexpensive demonstrator pen, with a medium nib and i didn't like it, to be honest i used it one week because to my taste M-nibs are simply too big, i didn't know and now i have : A Charcoal Lamy Safari F-nib filled with Noodler's Qe3 + Montblanc Meisterstruck Classic (family pen) with blue-black i guess, it's a 18k nib. Here are pictures : http://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2014/46/1415810414-img-20141019-170055.jpg http://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2014/46/1415810419-img-20141112-171841.jpg I want also to ask for choice advices : For Christmas, I plan on getting a new pen, and also probably a new ink (maybe before). About Pens : I looked for a good but not too expensive vintage pen (40-60s), and i really like the "softness" of the montblanc nib, it is because of the gold ? If yes, it would be better if i could find one with a similar feeling approach, on ebay because US sites are not possible because of shipping. I saw this thread : https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/165644-recommendation-vintage-pen-for-beginner/ So maybe the Shaeffer Snorkel is good choice, because of the nib ? My second favorite (of this thread) choice would be the Parker 21 as it's very unexpensive with a good avaibility (but don't know the filling systems of both). If you have classifieds, future offers or advices i'm in About inks : It would be more like in a few weeks (sooner!) I'm currently with Noodler's Qe3 as i'm a leftie, it dries fast but my problem is feathering.. With a fine nib i don't like it a lot when just filled, there is a wonderful flow but it's like the nib become Medium-Fine (too wet at first, mid-used is perfect). First were Diamines Majestic + Midnight, too wet = bad DT and feathering. I tried R&K Salix, feathering & dry-time were excellent, with the fine nib no problems but i didn't like the color, and i want to stay away from iron-gall inks as about cleaning it's probably not a good choice even if it's cheap. I'm writing a lot as a student (highschool). An ink : Available on UK sites/Ebay or wathever except US sitesFast Drying ( Salix)With minimal featheringCommon blue/black, or black if onlyNot too hard to clean Let's see what you have to say/propose/advice to me !

Hello everybody! today, I've got my first Pelikan 400. It's a model from the 1950s with an OB nib. In principle I'm not to favourable to O nibs, but this pen was too beautiful. I'm now wondering what I should do first, because I almost don't there to touch it. Should I fill the reservoir with lukewarm water before using it? Thanks for your experienced suggestions!

I believe I have a Sheaffer Fashion Fountain Pen made in the 1990's. Can anyone tell me what kind of ink refills will fit this pen? Or, what kind of converter will work with this pen? As you can see from the picture, the pen is showing wear marks exposing some brass. Thanks for your help!

When I was in college in Massachusetts in the mid-late 1980s, a gentleman would occasionally come to campus from the Boston/Cambridge area to sell restored vintage fountain pens. As he was selling to a collegiate market, the pens were relatively cheap - at least for "back in the day." He would primarily sell old Waterman Ideals and Eversharp Skylines. None were beauts by a long shot - they were lever fillers that he had more or less repaired - I recall owning a great old Ideal with a big gold nib that flexed like nobody's business. I literally have notebooks full of borderline Spencerian text thanks to that pen (which I filled, unwisely, with India ink as it was the only thing available in the small town where I went to college). Unfortunately, these pens are long gone - having walked off in the course of many moves or the victims of grabby hands in the 30 years or so since I bought them. I believe the guy called his business The Fountain Pen Doctor or the like. As I said, I seem to recall he was based in Cambridge or Boston and did a lot of his business on the road. I've tried to find him on the internet and usually have my searches come back with the ubiquitous Fountain Pen Hospital. My long winded questions: Has anyone else bought from this fellow back in the 80s or more recently? Is the fellow still doing business? And who has my old Waterman Ideal???

Hi FPNers, I'm a longtime lurker on the site and have thoroughly enjoyed soaking up all the great pen knowledge on the site, so I thought I'd put out a call for some suggestions. One of my "grail" pens for the year is a modern celluloid pen (I own a few Parker Vacs already). I had my eye on the Platinum 3776 tortoise celluloid pen. But I thought I'd ask more experienced owners out there for suggestions for a modern celluloid pen, in a similar price range as the Platinum ( approx. $350 or so). Quality nib is a must of course, but I'm open to any size, shape or color. Thanks for the help! (P.S. My other "grail" pen goals for the year are Nakaya Neo-Standard and a Pelikan 605).