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So I finally made it to a nice art store that carries fountain pens in the city (that's SF for us central/northern Californianers) and was delighted to finally get to look at, touch, and test out several of my wish list pens before committing to purchase. I tested out a Lamy 2000, which was very nice, though a bit light for my liking, as well as some others the clerk recommended that were on the "heftier" side. While I was there I wanted to check out the Pelikans, specifically the m200's and the lower price tier models (sub $200). And I gotta say - wow was I not impressed. I had suspected they may be overpriced from my research online, but after handling them - cheap feeling plastic, stainless steel nib, and close to $200? When I remarked on this the clerk told me I was "paying for the name". Now, I can't comment on vintage Pelikans or the higher tier ones, but honestly, my Pilot Metro feels higher quality than those I sampled today. Not to mention you can get a Vanishing Point or Lamy 2000 for around the same price or less. What am I missing? I did pick up a 1.1 stub for my Safari and I am loving it!

Okay, the above title is misleading. I have no horror stories to tell. If someone says, "Does anyone have a pen I can use for a second?" I willingly hand them my Waterman Phileas fountain pen. That act has drawn gasps from friends who were taught to never NEVER lend anyone a fountain pen, not even for a moment. One knowledgeable friend said the pen would never write the same way again. (I wondered if the pen could sense betrayal—the way a horse can "smell" fear.) I admit, I am not as careful with my fountain pen as most people are. I use my Waterman Phileas the way a teengager uses their skateboard. No big deal. It gets me from here to there. If I bang up the black enamel, so what. It stopped qualifying as "new" as soon as it got even a slight scratch. No more babying after that. I'm not here to argue; I know no one is going to advocate pen promiscuity. But I am inviting you to share your experience regarding pen lending. • Have you lent your fountain pen, only to have it handed back as bent as a pickle fork? • Have you noticed a distinct shift in the "personality" or feel of your pen after someone else uses it? • Is your pen totally chaste...never ever having been used by any hand except yours? As I said above, I do not yet have any horror stories to share here. I have handed my Phileas to store clerks, people in line at the grocery store, even to a grade-school kid. I have noticed a very similar reaction each time. They stop, examine the nib as if they have never seen such a thing, then carefully (and I underscore "carefully") set the pen to paper. The only strange moment was a humorous one, when a friend carefully turned the nib upside down (fude-style) and signed their name perfectly. No harm, no foul. [DISCLAIMER: Do not try this simply because a complete stranger (me) claims to have done it safely. For all you know, I am a bad guy trying to trick you.] So please lend me your experience on the subject. I know you have heard horror stories, but I am particularly interested in first-hand accounts. Who knows, you may help others avoid an awful experience. www.TwelveDrawings.com