Is a gold nib worth it?

[Bo Bo Olson]

""""""""""""I have the Pelikan M200 and M400, and while both are great fountain pens of high quality, they feel very light compared to the Cross and the plastic body (sorry resin) make it feel cheaper than the solid Century II or Townsend which feel substantial and solid like a fine precision instrument, without feeling heavy.""""""""""

 

As far as I know us Pelikan users say plastic, we's not MB folk.

The 200 is cheaper made than the 400...

I just ran my fingers over a whole slew (20 or so) of plastic pens, including two Precious Resin. Celluloid, and plastic feels lots a like.

 

What is missing in the above comparison is the M-415 or is it the 425, M-800 and the M-1000, which have brass in the barrel. They are heavier pens.

 

With out them in the comparisons, it is as slewed as if I only spoke of the P-75, Flighter, Waterman Graduate and a thin Diplomat...covered in the BS below.

 

Metal pens, well there ain't but one I have, that's real solid made....that's The HuaHong; the rest of them metal pens all got a weak crack in a hundred years or less plastic section holding the nib. Got that wonderful full metal feeling.

 

What you want to feel, you feel. Ie like watching a boxing match, if you are a fan of one, you down grade the other's efforts.

 

I started out a Metal guy....P-75.

 

That P-75 has a large plastic section. (IMO that makes it balance well posted) It is a thin pen, as thin as a Silver plated Diplomat I have. The P-75's lighter in the hand posted, in it's cap is half a thumbnail shorter. It is the more maneuverable pen.

The Parker Flighter...bought only because I had a BP Fligher, is much too light, and there for flimsy feeling.

The heavier Chrome Waterman Graduate feels too light in my hand. I prefer it over the Flighter.

 

I have a nice black and gold Diplomat, that is thicker than the other Diplomat. I prefer it to the other.

 

I have an absolute name Black and chrome, that is actually rather neat with a chrome end that when posted all you see is only a classy metal ring. (Bought by my wife for the great shinny solid black pen box...that about matches my Black Glass Art Deco Ink wells. It grew on me to my surprise. Yep, she got the BP....like she got the Townsend BP too.)

 

I am not going to try to measure pen weights with my party scale...too much work.

 

The HuaHong feels the same weight as the Townsend, and posts better to my hand. No I do not like the metal section, but if I write fore finger up, it's not bad.

 

The Townsend is to my hand a tad light un-posted, and a tad heavy posted, though I get use to it quick.

My true solid as hell metal pen is the Lamy Persona, it is the only metal pen I have that I prefer to write with it un-posted; that too I get use to writing posted easy enough.

 

Heavier pens I write automatically fore finger up.

 

 

I prefer the Parker 75, The Black and Gold Diplomat, the Townsend, No Name and HuaHong are tied, before the Persona.(I do not like it's 18 k OB nib...it's boring, with a more exciting nib cut )Ie '50's style). I would use it more. I'm working on that.

 

The Parker -75 is light for a solid silver pen. It really isn't a "solid" feeling pen at all; it is very well balanced. The only problem is, now, I find it a tad thin...if I think about it.

 

There are heavier plastic pens, as mentioned.

 

Well thanks for making me dig out all my metal pens, they are going to find a temporary now in my solid Walnut Cigar humidor I bought. Some day, I'll buy those pen holder gizmos and do it classy.

My rotation plastic pens are in a smaller ceder lined root wood veneered humidor.

 

My Townsend has it's special brown Bakelite jewelry armband case. Some where on Cross, I read, keep it away from other pens, in it scrapes them.

Edited May 26, 2010 by Bo Bo Olson

[dval]

Concerning metal vs. plastic, I have just one opinion: the joint between the barrel and the front section MUST be metal! Several of my Parker Jotters broke right in the joint, so I'm not taking any chances (and that's why I stopped liking M400 or M600)

[Bo Bo Olson]

Concerning metal vs. plastic, I have just one opinion: the joint between the barrel and the front section MUST be metal! Several of my Parker Jotters broke right in the joint, so I'm not taking any chances (and that's why I stopped liking M400 or M600)

 

 

Pelikan is not Parker. I have a 120, 140, 400 1950's. 400 Tortoise (84-96) and a 605, and never had a worry about them breaking at the "joint".

 

I also have a P-75 that it is my understanding later ones broke.

 

HauHong is the pen for you then....all metal but the feed.

[dval]

Concerning metal vs. plastic, I have just one opinion: the joint between the barrel and the front section MUST be metal! Several of my Parker Jotters broke right in the joint, so I'm not taking any chances (and that's why I stopped liking M400 or M600)

 

 

Pelikan is not Parker. I have a 120, 140, 400 1950's. 400 Tortoise (84-96) and a 605, and never had a worry about them breaking at the "joint".

 

I also have a P-75 that it is my understanding later ones broke.

 

HauHong is the pen for you then....all metal but the feed.

Then I might change my opinion (though I stand by it concerning Parker Jotter). I doubt I'll buy soon, but I'm still thinking between a Townsend and a Pelikan Mx00. Maybe should not buy any other until I can give them a try (also to find x in Mx00 ). I already know people prefer the 'solid' feel of the Townsend. Then comes to know how well those nibs behave, in particular vs. Souveran's.

[jszh]

There are NOS gold nibbed pens of respectable brands for about 40 $, without fancy look though...

[jsroe]

Concerning metal vs. plastic, I have just one opinion: the joint between the barrel and the front section MUST be metal! Several of my Parker Jotters broke right in the joint, so I'm not taking any chances (and that's why I stopped liking M400 or M600)

 

 

Pelikan is not Parker. I have a 120, 140, 400 1950's. 400 Tortoise (84-96) and a 605, and never had a worry about them breaking at the "joint".

 

I also have a P-75 that it is my understanding later ones broke.

 

HauHong is the pen for you then....all metal but the feed.

Then I might change my opinion (though I stand by it concerning Parker Jotter). I doubt I'll buy soon, but I'm still thinking between a Townsend and a Pelikan Mx00. Maybe should not buy any other until I can give them a try (also to find x in Mx00 ). I already know people prefer the 'solid' feel of the Townsend. Then comes to know how well those nibs behave, in particular vs. Souveran's.

 

 

The gold Townsend nib and Pelikan Souveran nib look and feel similar when I compare my Pelikan M400 two tone gold nib to the Townsend two tone gold nib. I heard from a source that Pelikan supplies the nib for the Cross Townsend line, or at least the design is borrowed from the Pelikan. I haven't tried the bigger Pelikan M800 or 1000, but would think the Townsend gold nib behaves quite similar to these larger Pelikan pens.