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Hi all, I have had this blue lacquer S.T. Dupont fountain pen for many years - more than 30! - it has two Chinese characters that I understand are the phonetic equivalent of "Du Pont". I understand that there was only one Dupont artisan that inscribed these characters by hand on each and every product, lighters as well as pens. One day he died and the tradition ended. Has anyone ever heard of this story. Can details or parts thereof be verified? Would love to know that I'm not completely off my rocker... Thanks!

Hi everyone ! Have you ever held the perfect pen, I mean the pen that is perfect for you, that suits all your needs. The first time you wrote with it, had something different that you cannot really explain perfectly. Well that is the case of the Montblanc Classic. It is pretty similar to the 221 and the Genreration, fitted with a medium 14 k semi-flexible nib. Here is my review, the more objective way possible. The look : Very classic, vintage look to it. Does not look like the modern Montblanc's and it is a good thing ! very original for a montblanc but if you step away from theses brand standards you see a beautiful pen, very classy. The nib section of the pen is absolutely amazing. I often get great comments about it ! "What montblanc is this" "I've never seen this before ? what is the model name ?" The nib : It is a VERY smooth nib ! very enjoyable. It is a 14k semi-flexible nib... When I bought it, the selle told me that the nib was flexible... well I can't say that the nib is "flexible"... Is is way more " semi-flexible" than flexible. Thus, It has a great feeling to it, pretty sprigny, the perfect everyday writer. Weight and balance : It is a pretty lightweight pen (about 16g), made of a plastic like material. However, it is perfectly balanced and does not feel cheap. It is very pleasant to hold and you can write for a long long time without being uncomfortable. Personally, I like heavier pens... but the classic is so well balanced and comfortable that it is not an issue at all. Feed : You have to love wet pens because it is flowing generously. It is incredible..... I mean it never stops or dries out : you could write at max speed for 5 hours and if there is ink in the converter, it will never stop or skip, it will be as wet as in the first minute. Conclusion : It is my favorite pen, I use it everyday and I like absolutely everything about this pen. The only thing that could be better is the weight and construction, since the pen is very light. Grab one if you can ! And once again, I don't like giving notes to the pens I review : writing is personal, so I let you make an idea with the information I give ! *** English is not my first language so please understand if I made some mistakes in the reveiw, I hope it is helpful and interesting and if you have any comments, I will be more than happy to read them

I recently came across a box of this very interesting pen. Its vintage and were produced about a decade back, Though not much is known about this brand, any views or information, please feel free to add. I thought must share this with the forum and also record the existence... The pen is a full metal pen, with a shiny chrome finish. The finish has withstood the age and is in mint condition. The Clip designed after the Parker 75 Clip, with a scew type crown & bottom button. The pen is knock-off of Parker 75 from outside. Once you open the pen, it sports a nib section like the Parker 45. Probably the designer wanted best of 45 & 75!! The pen is a aerometric fill, was working perfectly even after decade + years. The pen had a Youth brand nib, which I changed to a gold plated wing-sung nib. Its writing excellent. So here are the pictures. The pen The Section the Pen opened The Nib (Parker 45!!) Please do share any other information of this brand or line up. Thanks for looking.

Hi everyone, I'm looking for a few suggestions of how to best have two of my vintage Parkers repaired. The first is a Parker Vacumatic with lockdown filler system. The pen was working fine until the diaphragm broke (my assumption, I have not opened the pen to look). http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd236/DocSmitty7/Pens/20130319_231029.jpg The second is a Parker Challenger button fill. The pen was bought knowing it needed repairs, but everything looks to be in working order except for the bladder being non-existent.. when I opened the pen (any shellac was long since gone), tons of tiny chunks came raining out. http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd236/DocSmitty7/Pens/IMG_4184.jpg I would love to find someone that does not have a months-long backlog, but I know the most popular names will be popular because of the quality of their work. Thanks! (edited to add pics, duh!)

Hello everyone! First post here I've been collecting newer pens and have recently become interested in vintage pens for my collection. I found this Sheaffer at a thrift store for a dollar, but it needs a new sac and I can't ID it to get the proper size. Any ideas? http://i.imgur.com/x2DHdN7.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/4HT0KkD.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/neUJwE5.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/1vpgcDV.jpg

I've been lucky enough to own a lovely old ivory set with both a nib holder and lead holder. I'm interested in selling it, but I have no idea where to start pricing it... there's no signature or identifying marks (other than the lovely engravings!). I would guess early 20th century, but I don't have much expertise to know more than that. Does anyone have an idea of who could help me identify and price this set? Thanks much in advance!

I've managed to stay away from this website for a long time as I was spending way too much money on pens and paraphenalia, but it's a new year and time for a new pen so I'm back! I've been wanting to buy a flex pen to write letters with for a while. I've been writing with fountain pens for most of my life and have always preferred the springier nibs. I've got a couple of vintage semi-flex pens and have used flex dip pens before, but I'd like a flex fountain pen because it would be more convenient than a dip pen. And it's a long overdue addition to the colection of course. I don't really have vast amounts of money to spend though, my maximum budget is around the £50 mark - is it at all realistic to find something decent for that price? I've been looking around on ebay and the likes, but as I'm not particularly knowledgeable about flex pens I thought I'd ask for advice here. A lot of sellers claim nibs are flexible when I know for a fact they are just a bit springy because I own them too. Which brands should I look out for and which should I avoid? What kind of price should I expect to pay? etc.

I have admired Stan and Ricky's pics of their Pilot Custom series pens for a long time now, and a while ago I was lucky enough to get the sterling ciselle (?) Custom at a good price. Recently I saw a Custom sterling Heart Sutra and immediately put in a bid for it, and was lucky enough to grab it! I'll be traveling starting tomorrow, so I won't be able to put up more pics until the new year, but rest assured that I will for now:

Tachlis is a Hebrew word meaning practical, as in getting down to brass tacks. 1. I want a true flex pen that will give me that bouncy feel as I write. 2. I believe the above means I must go vintage. Is that correct? If not, please list my options before going to #3. 3. For the rest of the thread, we are going to say used, not vintage. Why? 4. With two in college and a third almost there, and a clergyman's salary, I might be able to buy a used pen, but I doubt I can afford a vintage pen. With the above in mind, what makes and models should I look for that will give me that bouncy feel and be of good enough quality for daily use, but be at the very low end of used—ok, vintage—market? If you have suggestions on where to look for these makes and models, that would be very helpful as well. Jeez Louise, this time last month a fountain pen was just that silver thing on my desk that I wrote with.

Hi there, The other day, I dropped in at my favorite fountain pen shop called Papylos 21 ( located in Matsue city, Shimane prefecture, Japan ) to take videos for the members of the FPN. Especially, I would like the members on "Pens from the Land of the Rising Sun" to watch this new video, because I believe some persons here will visit Japan in the future. There are many kinds of vintage or rare fountain pens at the shop! I've already introduced Nakaya Fountain Pens in Matsue city where I actually live, however, I'll try to show you the quite rare fountain pen shop Papylos 21 in Japan this time. I hope you'll enjoy watching the video that I made. Fountain pen shop in Japan　- Papylos 21 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqF23K-pEoE Best wishes from Japan, Kota Adachi

Hi Folks I bought a pen on Ebay. It didn't cost much, £4.99 plus shipping, but I am intrigued as to what exactly it is. It was sold as a Themis Vintage Fountain pen, but google doesn't bring anything up for that brand, so hoping you guys may be able to shed some light on it. Here is a pic of the pen. This is what I know (which isn't much) Materials - Seems to be green plastic. Not sure about the feed, I am guessing plastic. It did smell a bit when I got it, almost like rubber bands, but I washed it and the smell went away, so I don't imagine anything other than plastic. Filling Mechanism - Piston filler. Small blind cap comes off to reveal a piston turning knob. With the blind cap on the pen it is barely noticeable that there is a break in the barrel. Seems to hold around 1.5ml of ink which is good on a relatively thin pen. also has a clear ink window. Pic of ink window Nib - 14k Gold, Semi Flex, would go from European Extra Fine to double broad maybe? It has a picture of a lion on the nib. Not something I recognize Here is a pic of the nib Cap - Green Plastic with gold(plated?) accents. The word THEMIS is written between the end of the clip and the centre band. I tried to capture it in these pics So Can anyone tll me anythign about it? It only cost a few pounds, so I don't mind if it is a cheap brand. It writes well, and seems a nice pen to have, so I am happy either way, just curious Thanks in advance Ren

Hi everyone, I bought a new pen recently but I can't say what model it is. I was thinking about the cc 221 but the number is not engraved on the cap, maybe the classic but i have no information about it. Or the generation. Please help me Thanks a lot

I recently directed my attention towards Pelikan, and intended to purchase an M200 (just for starters, to see how Pelikans are) but eventually decided not to, mainly because I love vintage pens. I find them a lot more reliable and beautiful (so far I have a few Parker "51"s and a few Esterbrooks). So, my question is, are there people here on the forum restoring vintage Pelikan pens? Or, are there any reputable sellers on the eBay or other online stores, preferably from Europe? The series has no importance to be (100, 120, 140, 400 etc), I just want a vintage Pelikan fountain pen. Thank you.

I am very new to this, I have a smallish budget, I like to tinker. I have seen numerous vintage pens on ebay that were missing nibs or had nibs that pretty clearly looked like goners. For something like a Mid-century Parker I am sure there is some set way or ways to get these nibs/send them off to be replaced. However, if I wanted to replace a missing nib in a vintage pen, where would I start? This does not strike me as easy, and I am pretty sure it is even less easy than it strikes me, but I figure if I never ask I will never know more than I do now... T

Hi. This is my first post here on FPN, but I think I'll be posting more and more as time goes on. However, my first issue is the following. My mother-in-law brought a pen to me to identify. After looking at it, I obviously noticed it was a Waterman. However, the next question I had was, "how does it fill?!" I don't see anywhere where it will twist opened, or any kind of lever/buttons/etc on the body of the pen that indicates its filling mechanism. The feed is completely smooth. Flexible nib. Here's a link to some pictures I took of the pen: Gallery. I can take more or provide more details if necessary. I really just want to know how old the pen is, how it fills, and how to clean it. Thanks!

I have been collecting fountain pens for 4 or 5 years. In that time I have had well over 250 fountain pens pass through my hands. I first started with fountain pens when I was a boy. My father always used a fountain pen, a MB 149, this was his only pen and he carried it everywhere, still does. He has sent it in for service over the years but he always tells everyone who asks about his lifetime warranty and he has made use of it many times. When I was 18 or so my father bought me a MB 146. I used it sparingly but at the time I was not mature enough to appreciate it and didn't care for the mess that I invariably made. 20 years down the road my daughter went off to summer camp. We sent her to an old fashioned camp on an island in the Pacific NW and the only way to communicate with her was via snail mail letters. The camp does not allow, email, text, telephone, etc. No electronic communication whatsoever. I started writing my daughter letters almost every day and I was appalled by my handwriting. Not good. I have had a computer since I was six years old and gave up on handwritten schoolwork as soon as I was allowed. The prospect of writing letters was a little daunting to me and I was definitely embarrassed by my awful script and print. I started looking for a better pen that allowed me to write more legibly and quickly settled upon a fountain pen. I found one made for practicing handwriting with a little feedback so that the pen held the paper nicely and did not shake with my unsteady hand. This event though started an odyssey for the perfect fountain pen. I started going to shows and events, reading blogs, scanning through eBay, sending pens to nibmeisters, I found this forum, and have bought and sold quite a number of pens over the past 4 to 5 years all in search of the perfect pen. I got into repairing and restoring old pens. I would buy old pens in as found condition and work to get them functioning again sometimes with limited success. As a result I have a box of 50 or more pens that I was not able to get working. I like flexible italic nibs. I love a little line variation. I have pretty much given up on modern pens in favor of vintage. I thought I would share my current favorite pens. While I have considerably more than this these are the pens that I find myself reaching for. My other pens just sit in a box until I finally bring myself to the point where I am willing to part with them. These pens are in no particular order of preference. 1. Montblanc 214. This is a button fill flexible italic nib that has been customized by Pendleton Brown. I bought this pen about 3 years ago and somehow it manages to stay in my top rotation. I had it for sale at one point but no-one bought it for the price I was asking and I am glad that it didn't sell. Now it has sentimental value as my first vintage MB and I don't think I will sell it. It is both very crisp yet somehow glides over the page. I prefer finer, more substantial pens but the nib on this one is just too spectacular to worry about the pen that is holding it too much. 2. Montblanc 146 F Semi-Flex with flat feed and telescoping fill. This is a celluloid pen from 1950-51 I believe. Pendleton Brown customized the nib to an italic and made it a little finer but the way it writes was vastly improved. I cant decide between this 146 and the next. I will probably end up selling on one of them as it doesn't make sense to have two identical pens but currently I cannot decide which of them I prefer more. 3. Montblanc 146 EF Semi-Flex with two groove round feed and telescoping fill. This is a celluloid pen from 1951-53 I believe. I did not customize the nib on this one. It is nice and crisp. I am not sure if a former owner customized it or if it came this way from MB but it is wonderful. It has an Italic edge but flexes for great line variation. As I mentioned I cannot decide which pen I prefer this one or the just slightly earlier one. 4. Montblanc 642 F full flex with flat feed and telescoping fill. This pen is celluloid and gold plate overlay. I believe it is from 1950-51. I did not customize the nib on this pen is is really fantastic. I think that this pen is one of those that I reach for most often. I really like the look of it and the way that it feels. It is a little smaller than I would prefer and I am looking for a 644 currently with a similar nib. I have another pen just like this one currently out for repairs getting its cork replaced and I will probably end up selling one of them. They are pretty much identical. The flex nib is wonderful on both of these pens. Probably the best stock nib I have ever used for my preference. 5. Krone Fiction Picante EF to M semi flex italic stub. Pendleton brown customized this nib for me. This is the only modern pen that I have in my top box. I really love the way that this nib turned out from Pendleton. It is very crisp and the nib is more soft than a real semi-flex but the line variation is really fun. I also love the way it looks clipped into my jacket or shirt pocket. The fittings are solid silver and it is a dream to write with. 6. Omas 556 Brevetto full flex M to BB italic stub. The pen is a piston filler from about 1960 I think. Pendleton Brown customized this nib for me and I really love it. With light pressure I can write nice spidery print and with a little more pressure it is very expressive. Even though this is kind of a plain pen I don't think I will part with it. It is very unique and I don't have another pen that writes anything like it. I use this pen for custom thank you and birthday cards. I can get nice thick shaded lines. 7. Diamond Point Black and Pearl Flat Top Lever Fill. I think that this thick celluloid pen is from 1924-25. The quality of the material is quite remarkable. No-one believes that the pen is really that old. It is in fabulous condition. It has a Warranted EF to B flexible italic nib customized by Pendleton Brown. I reach for this pen quite often. The lines are very crisp and the flexibility of the nib is very smooth and even. I really like my handwriting with this pen. It is very large and makes a great statement in my pocket as well. 8. Morrison's "The Tourist" Ef to B italic flex nib. Pendleton Brown customized the nib of this oversized black and pearl pen for me as well. This pen is a lever filler. I am not sure what year this pen was made. I would guess the 40s but I don't really know. I like the way that this pen looks and now that Pendleton has done his magic I really like the way that it writes as well. 9. Waterman's Silver Ray. This pen is from the 30s and has the vacuum pump fill that Waterman's used during this time on some of its pens. The lever compresses a bulb and when it inflates it sucks ink into the body of the pen. The ink capacity is quite large. I really like these pens. I bought three of them when I was trying to acquire one of them and they were all in disrepair. Out of the three that I bought I ended up with two functioning pens. The nib on this pen was customized by Pendleton Brown. The #4 Key Hole nib is really nice to write with and has a good flex. I cannot decide which I prefer this Silver Ray or the Emerald Ray. I think I like the looks of the Emerald Ray a little better but I prefer the way that this Silver Ray writes. 10 Waterman's Emerald Ray. This is the brother to the Silver Ray. Pendleton Brown also customized the nib on this pen and It is also spectacular This pen has a little less flex and a little less of an edge to the italic but they are both very similar. I like the gold hardware on this pen a little better than the silver on the other. This pen also has the gold emblem on both the top and bottom of the pen whereas the Silver Ray only has the silver emblem on the bottom. 11. Waterman's 7 Emerald Ray. This lever fill pen has the famous Red nib. I left it stock and it performs very well. I have so far resisted the urge to collect more of these #7 Waterman's. They came in Jet Black, Emerald Ray, and Red and Olive RIpple. The color coded nibs come in different widths and flexibility as well. Richard Binder has a good description of these on his website. I am looking for a Pink or Black nib in a #7 or #5. This pen is in fantastic condition. I bought it from the collection of the late Earl Shigemoto the former owner of the Honolulu Pen Shop. This pen is really fabulous and I highly recommend these #7 Waterman's pens with a Red nib. 12. Waterman's 94 with #4 Italic flex key hole nib. This lever fill pen has this beautiful celluloid I call Autumn Night. I am not sure what Waterman's called it. Pendleton Brown customized the nib for me and it is smooth and wonderful to write with. This is a light comfortable pen that I use when I am going to be writing for long periods. I get no fatigue whatsoever with this pen. 13 - 15. Eversharp Skylines with "flextastic" nibs customized by Pendleton Brown. I have collected these Skylines extensively. I still have more than 20 of them and these are my favorite 3. The Skyline came in three different sizes, Demi, Standard and Executive. It also came in a ton of different materials, colors and nib variety. I prefer two certain types of flexible nib. I can spot them now on sight and still will occasionally buy them. I have sold off a number of Skyline pens in my collection but these three are special to me.

Greetings, I am a antique and vintage clothing dealer, and I have recently found an interesting mechanical pencil that I would like to learn more about. I have attached a few pictures of the pencil. I have already learned about the business that is stenciled on the side, and am more interested in the pen itself. Particularly in the small glass tube that I found inside.

Hi All, I'm looking for information on vintage Pelikan pen boxes, specifically which box(es) is correct/original for which model from the 1930s to the 1960s. Photos would be much appreciated! Thanks in advance, Rob

Hi all, I always though the Reforms are a bit elastic as per se. This is just a sample of what can be achieved with a bit of patience. The pen is very wet and the nib has been re-grinded to add flexibility. There is some rail-roading but considering the size of the letters, I think is acceptable. Thanks for wathcing!

Here are my thoughts on the Vintage Pelikan 400 EF Tortoise I recently received. For comparison, I'll rely heavily on my experience with a modern Pelikan M600 Souveran and a Lamy 2000. First Impressions (10) The Pelikan 400 is absolutely gorgeous with the tortoise finish! I love the color variations. http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3818/9689506858_0e1703f821_b.jpg Vintage Pelikan 400 & Modern Pelikan M600 Souveran by astrophoenix, on Flickr Appearance and Design (10) On first glance, the 400 looks just like a modern Pelikan Souveran, only missing some gold bands (which I personally think are a bit over the top anyway). The piston-turning knob, the barrel, the cap, and the section are pretty much exactly the same shape as the modern pens. http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7313/9686271465_00018c3127_b.jpgVintage Pelikan 400 & Modern Pelikan M600 Souveran by astrophoenix, on Flickr as you look a bit closer, you can start to pick out some differences: the piston-turning knob on a modern Souveran has much "sharper" edges than on the vintage 400, and lacks the marking of the nib line width. The nibs look quite a bit different, even though both are 14K gold nibs. The emblem on the top of the cap is probably the most pronounced difference to the casual observer, with the modern gold emblem which relies on texture for contrast, versus the simpler etched design of the vintage 400: http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3767/9688991580_0d232c738c_b.jpgPelikan 400 Tortoise by astrophoenix, on Flickr In general, I would never think to myself, "I want to add a pen in the color brown to my collection". but there is brown, and then there is this: http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2871/9685752267_29efd694db_b.jpgPelikan 400 Tortoise by astrophoenix, on Flickr http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3680/9685751943_3659824876_b.jpgPelikan 400 Tortoise by astrophoenix, on Flickr This type of brown made me lose my mind with desire. I'm only exaggerating a little bit, here. I love the way different lighting brings out different elements of the stripes. There are some red patches in there. there are a few stripes which look like marble. and of course there are darker smoky-looking patches, as well as honey and yellow. The non-tortoise parts of the pen actually are a dark brown, so dark they almost look black (difficult to pick out in most of the photos). so ok, yes, I did add a brown pen to my collection! Another big difference between the vintage 400 and a modern Pelikan M600 is the material the pens are made from. The modern pen feels like sturdy and smooth plastic in the hand. the 400 feels much more textured. the smoothness of the M600's material makes the stripes on the barrel seem flatter; my mind says "a material that smooth can't have stripes, they must be under the surface somehow". The subtle texture of the 400, on the other hand, makes the tortoise stripes come alive, as if they are part of the "skin" of the pen. I think it could be best summed up as, the M600 feels modern, static, cold; the 400 feels dynamic, organic, and living, almost like it should be breathing. Construction and Quality (9) This Pelikan 400 is somewhere between 59 and 64 years old at the time of this writing (2013-09-06), so I think its construction and quality are very high. The Piston turns easily and smoothly. I was a little shocked at how smoothly it turned. I'd give it a 10, but the piston seal did leak a little bit when I was flushing all the old ink out of it. (inky water came out at the top, near the piston-filling knob) I need to pull the piston out and probably lubricate the seals or possibly re-cork it. This requires a special tool though, which I don't have yet. The modern pelikans' piston can be removed with the wrench TWSBI ships with their pens, which is a really nice bonus. http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2812/9685753045_f3e5a19417_b.jpgPelikan 400 Tortoise by astrophoenix, on Flickr Weight and Dimensions (8) The Pelikan 400 is a somewhat light pen, but heavier than I remember the Pelikan M200 Souveran being, which is good, since the M200 was too light for me. when I hold the 400 in one hand and the modern Pelikan M600 Souveran in the other, I think the M600 is just perceptibly heavier. which makes sense: the M600 has a larger nib, a larger section, a larger cap, a larger piston-turning knob, and the barrel of the pen has a slightly higher diameter than that of the 400. The barrels (at least the colored parts) of the 400 and the M600 seem to be the same length. The Pelikan 400 is noticeably lighter than my Lamy 2000 (again holding each in opposite hands). I can write comfortably with my M600 unposted, but I prefer it posted. the 400, on the other hand, was just slightly shorter enough to keep me from writing unposted. I'd probably be happier if the 400 were the size of the M600, but I don't mind its very slightly smaller size too much. Nib & Performance (8) This 400 has an EF nib. One of the reasons I wanted a vintage pelikan was to try out a flexible nib. Wow, does this nib deliver! I'm a total n00b at varying pressure to vary line size, but here is a shot of one of my first attempts, applying pressure on the downstroke, and no pressure on upstrokes: The ink is Noodler's Luxury Blue. the paper is a Clairefontaine spiral notebook. One of the loops in that picture looks like a skip; the pen didn't skip, I was trying to vary pressure and went so light that I wasn't touching the paper anymore. Here's a writing sample, trying to apply the same effect, with my M600 (F) ... I mainly tried it on the swooshy loops, not on the words themselves: The 400 nib has a readily-noticable springiness to it. apply some pressure, the tines spring apart. with no pressure, I get a very precise, thin line, certainly worthy of the EF marking on the piston-turning knob. the Modern M600 is much wetter but has no spring whatsoever to it. in the loops above, I can see some line width variation but it doesn't feel like the nib is flexing to me, certainly not the same way as the spring of the 400. I can't really explain the line variation I see with the M600. comparing to the flexiness of my Lamy 2000: when I apply pressure to the 2000, I can feel the nib changing shape a bit, but not with a spring like the 400. it feels like the 2000's nib is a bit softer, so it has some give to it. (The Lamy 2000 also has a 14K gold nib) The 400 nib doesn't feel soft, it's almost like it has two settings: tines together, or tines apart, with a spring to go from one to the other. http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7371/9685751525_4db30550b5_b.jpgPelikan 400 Tortoise by astrophoenix, on Flickr the feed is ebonite, not plastic, and is impeccable. I've never had it skip or railroad on me, even though at least half the writing I've done so far is while applying pressure to play with the flex. http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3724/9685751059_8787631957_b.jpgPelikan 400 Tortoise by astrophoenix, on Flickr When it comes to smoothness, the 400 is fairly smooth. as it goes across the paper, it sings the whole time. at first I thought it was a scratchy noise, but it's not. the only time it gets scratchy is when I apply pressure, then try to switch from downstroke to upstroke; at that point, it feels like the nib is trying to dig into the paper. in reality, I shouldn't apply pressure on the upstroke at all, so the "digging in" might just be my lack of experience. The M600, on the other hand, is super smooth and wet. the 400 is not a dry writer, but the M600 is much wetter. I think the 400 nib has a decently-size sweet spot for such a fine line, but once a word or so I can "snag" it on the paper. also, I have a pocket notebook made by dodo case: http://www.dodocase.com/products/dodocase-notes-for-iphone-5 I think the paper is comparable to moleskine paper. even though the M600 is much wetter, it doesn't feather on the dodocase notebook, whereas the 400 feathers like crazy. (Note, a TWSBI 580 M also feathers on this paper, but not as much as the 400 does) One thing I did notice is that after I wrote a bit with the 400, then switched to the M600, was that anytime I wrote the letter e, the loop to make the e was filled in. My handwriting is naturally small, and getting used to the M600's wetness meant I was forcing myself to write larger. once I started writing with the extra-fine line of the 400, my handwriting snapped back to small, and if I didn't adjust back when writing with the M600, all my letters and loops were getting run together by the bigger line. The nib on the 400 is a lot of fun, when you try to vary the line width by applying pressure, but it's also hard work to use the line variation properly. and when applying low pressure, it's not as smooth as a modern nib. it probably needs a bit of tuning or alignment; I might send it off someday. Conclusion (9/10) I'm really thrilled with this 400 Tortoise. It's going to be the pen I use the most for quite some time. I'm a little concerned about the occasional snags I get with the nib, and I'm definitely going to investigate the piston leak, but since it's over half a century old, and not restored, I'd say this is to be expected. The 400 looks good, feels good in the hand, and is exciting to write with. for everyday writing, I can write softly and the pen lays down a nice thin wet line. and when I want to play with line variation, the 400 instantly responds.

Hello! I discovered fountain pens about 18 months ago. My first pen I purchased on Ebay was a 1959? Lady Sheaffer Skripsert Paisley (periwinkle/gold design). I had Pendemonium grind the nib to a cursive italic. I LOVE it! However, I would really like to get a pen with a very flexible nib (even wet noodle). I am frustrated that it seems like pen companies no longer market to women. I don't mean to sound sexist, but I really hate the big bulky plastic polymer? tortoise shell design style pens....and any big bulky pen, actually. I would like to find a delicate, slender, lightweight pen with a vintage flex nib....although I am willing to purchase a new pen if it meets my criteria. Style characteristics I'm looking for include: metal, art deco, solid color or regular geometric pattern (not random design), classy - not cheap looking. My wardrobe includes a lot of black/white with red or rose/purple highlights. I love hounds tooth patterns (not expecting this in a pen - just giving a description of my personal style.) Am I crazy to think I might find a pen that fits even some of this criteria? HELP!!! Any advice appreciated!

the last thing you expect to do on your way to a meeting of your pen club is to find and buy pens, but that's exactly what happened to me yesterday here in manila.... my wife had an early meeting with a client, so we stopped by a nearby mall after her meeting for a snack, and lo and behold, there was an antiques show in the concourse, the second day of an annual event. i cruised the stalls while sipping hot chocolate and munching a doughnut, and didn't find anything too interesting, until i reached the last stall on our way out (of course, it always happens this dramatically).... there was a bunch of pens in their boxes under the glass, and i asked to see them more closely.... http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7344/9753345261_3ed74ff63e_z.jpg these were the ones that interested me most, especially since it looked like they were in mint condition (and indeed they were--the two parkers had personalizations, but otherwise had apparently never been used; the sheaffer still had chalk marks on it, and the pens were absolutely scratch- and ding-free). a sheaffer imperial, a parker 75, and a parker 61, all from the 1960s: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7430/9753544126_936a9e6dee_z.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7295/9753348371_f1a9e0a4f4_z.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7313/9753622153_da528c8223_z.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7329/9753549166_d5dc0b13b3_z.jpg total price for the lot: $125--not really a sumgai, but a pleasant start to any penman's day

Hi dear FPNers, I'd like to consult ye guys regarding the VINTAGE version of the Montblanc Et Noir made from ?1910 - ?1920s as I have recently come across them and would like very much to obtain one. I'd like to ask: 1. What do those numbers mean? I think there are numbered between 1 to 8. Perhaps the size/length of the pens/nibs? 2. Which models have the red star and which have the white? 3. Any idea roughly how much each of them costs? In Excellent to Near mint/mint condition that is, not some crummy one. 4. What are the filling systems like? I haven't come across much info on it at all. 5. Do the numbers on the nibs correspond to which version it is? Thanks guys Here are two pics I found on some random google search

i generally don't go for small pens, but this one came up on ebay early this morning with a very reasonable BIN price, and it was too cute and too clean to pass up: http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll296/penmanila/zx26_zps386c0d50.jpg http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll296/penmanila/zx26b_zps9e20844e.jpg http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll296/penmanila/zx26a_zps5f432154.jpg it's no longer that small when the cap screws on to the barrel! http://www.ebay.com/itm/Diamond-Point-long-short-fountain-pen-1930-/111150111602?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT&nma=true&si=nV%252FqIavfCRix2xdGUSbyHa61NYM%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

Hello All, I have been consumed by the fountain pen world for about a year now after a lifelong obsession with pens, paper, notebooks, stationery and anything related. Why it took me so long to discover fountain pens is beyond me, but I'm very glad that I did. I've so far not invested more than $110.00 on a pen, but I know it's just a matter of time. My query is about Waterman Pens which I've heard mentioned over and over as beautiful writers with a rich history. I am particularly interested in a vintage flex pen although it may be more practical to stick with a conventional nib, which I am partial to italics, stubs and bold writers. Is there any advice that might be helpful and what kind of $$$ should I expect to spend. I hope this is the appropriate place to post this topic. I am still trying to find my way around. Thank you, David