The Perfect Pen!

[River]

I'm wondering if any of you out there feel that you've found The Perfect Pen?

 

I mean this in a totally personal way. Did you find a pen that is exactly what you are looking for and you love everything about--the writing, the look, the feel, the nib, the weight, or whatever else you want from a pen?

 

If you found your perfect pen, what is it, and how did you find it?

 

I have a number of pens, and I like them all in different ways, but I'm not totally satisfied with any of them.

 

(This is totally separate from any general love for fountain pens and the addictive desire to collect them. I think that might continue even after finding a truly winning favorite pen.)

 

I feel like I need to spend a month in a pen store trying every pen / nib combination until I find exactly what I'm looking for.

 

Is there an easier way? Maybe I just need to have my nibs tweaked. Maybe it's something else. How can I find out without buying tens of pens and nibs for trial and error, or moving into Mr. Binder's shop?

 

[Bo Bo Olson]

It's only the perfect pen by a hair...it can be beaten if I ever get around to re-corking certain pens that just might have a better nib.

And good balance and thickness.

If it is not beaten, it will be a grand fight...as is with the pens that challenged it by me. Pelikan 400NN, Geha 790 and 725, A Kawaco-Mercedes.

As soon as I re-cork the Osmia and Osmia-Farber-Castell's will have a good 15 round championship fight with the 234 1/2 Deluxe. In that I have 4 Osmia Supra nibs, it will go to the cards.

 

In my 'perfect' pen has a brass piston, it is back weighted, and I like that, and I post it.

 

I was never so happy to be surprised with a pen I did not want.

 

MB 234 1/2 Deluxe (52-55 only, according to the feed mine is from '55.) 14 K, semi-flex KOB...(the MB's from '52-65 had 'flexi' nibs.)

A 1 1/2 tier pen made for those who did not like the MB New Balance Clones, the 146-149.

 

I did not want it. Some sort of ugly odd looking MB, that was part of a 4 pen live lot. That MB was going to drive the price up...rats. At least the nib was semi-flex.

 

Didn't want the Pelikan '56 ball point or mechanical pencil either. Those I was going to sell, to get some of my money back.(didn't)

 

I wanted just the 400NN with a nice 'semi-flex' OF...actually turned out to be a Slightly Flexible nib.

Currently my number 2-3 pen.

 

€170 for all four.

 

I liked the back weighting, loved the nib, and slowly grew to like the last and most sophisticated of the 139 style.

 

I'd not swap that MB 234 1/2 for a double pack of modern MB 146-149; my nib is better.

 

Many of the MB crowd are chasing the '52-65 nibs, not only on the 146-149, but on the 234 1/2 (Deluxe or regular) and even the third tier 334 1/2.

 

The 234 1/2 Deluxe has the Meisterstuck clip, and a different band than both the 146-9 and the regular 234 1/2.

Until MB came out with the modern writer's series, this was the last of the '30's style.

I like that style now a lot.

 

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm300/BoBoOlson/234-5.jpg

 

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm300/BoBoOlson/234-1.jpg

 

Regular 234 1/2....4 1/2 is nib size.

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm300/BoBoOlson/ByMf2hQmkKGrHqFhUEw5Drw8KBMQD5tSFg_12.jpg

Edited January 5, 2011 by Bo Bo Olson

[yachtsilverswan]

...Is there an easier way? Maybe I just need to have my nibs tweaked... How can I find out without buying tens of pens and nibs for trial and error, or moving into Mr. Binder's shop?

 

Get thee to a Pen Show.

 

Bring your pens that are "close" to perfect and sit with a Nibmeister. Try out the different sample custom nibs he has available. Explain what you like and what you do not like about the pens you have and about the sample nibs he has for testing.

 

Then sit back and watch the magic.

Edited January 5, 2011 by yachtsilverswan

[linearM]

I don't think I could find a single pen that would satisfy me. For sketching I love my Namiki Falcon. It glides across the paper and puts down a beautiful line and I enjoy the feel of the springiness of its nib. For correspondence I found a Moore non-leaking eyedropper filler at an antique shop. I love the shaded writing I get from it's XF-BB flex nib. It reminds me of the handwriting I used to see on turn of the last century postcards which I much admired.

 

Going to a pen show and trying all the available nibs sounds great. For me that would mean 16 hours driving time. I guess I'll have to enjoy the pens that happen to come my way.

[Ghost Plane]

Yacht has a point. Now that MikeItWork has managed to sort out the perfect nib from my garbled and hand-scrawled instructions and done it multiple times, I will slowly feed him my "almost" pens until he's worked his magic on them all.

 

Best of all, my Spirit of Life pen, perfect because I designed it for me, down to the nib, which Mike further magicked for me.

 

An Omas Ingegno M nib of all things, which magically came out of the box writing as if cast for my hand. Most incredible spring of a nib I've ever experienced. Awesome!

 

The Montegrappa Extra 1930 B nib. I'm up to 5 now and something about it just works for me.

 

My YoL Grands aka The Perfect Pen. How can I resist a pen that sings gently to me after I use it awhile. Again, made for my hand.

 

My Visconti Ripples - all 6 of them! From 18k B and stub to Pd BB and stub, they're heavenly. Ditto for my two Romanicas, one of which has an M nib so awesome I could never bear to swap it for a broader nib.

 

All these pens are perfect in very different ways. Much like a mother loves her children despite [or because of] their individual personalities, I've learned that heavier pens usually, but not always work for me. Thicker, but not always, are best for my hand. The Ingegno is quite slender, but it works. Broader nibs usually suit best, but there's that M nib on the Ingegno and my Romanicas.

 

In short, have a general idea of what suits you, but be prepared to toss the rules out the window on occasion and surprise yourself.

[Namo]

This is a copy from an old post. The pen did change for a more recent Danitrio, with a EF nib instead of the F.

 

***

 

I just want to share the story with you. Please be patient with my poor English.

 

***

 

 

I think I have found the pen that will be a favourite for a very long time… and maybe more.

 

I got myself a Danitrio Densho flexible F (in black urushi), with ED filling « system ».

 

How does a pen become a favourite, and nearly an exclusive, writer ?

 

As I write several hours a day (or try to), it is vital for me to be very comfortable with the writing instrument I use, and all the more since I had a elbow trouble when writing too much with my old and beloved Waterman Maestro – a really too thin pen for me. For the same reason (but too because of the pleasure involved in hand writing) I write my first drafts with a FP and not with a PC.

 

Since a few years, I have bought or was given about 50 or 60 FPs, sold some and kept most of them. And since a year and a half or so, I stated to ask what would be THE pen for me.

 

Quickly, it became obvious that I would need a rather big pen – the problem being that most of them are rather expensive, or at least far more expensive than their smaller counter parts in the same brand – just think about the Peli M400 and the M1000. I have long hands and I need a long pen as well as a rather large one. From the pen I have extensively used for writing (and not only for note taking), three were long time favourite : a vintage Peli 400nn, a Lamy 2000 and a Lamy Studio. More recently, I added the underrated Lamy Persona.

 

In the Peli, I love the nib, still today the better I own – a semi flex fine 14k. I love, too, the fact that there is no step where the barrel and the section meet, since I tend to hold my pen right there (and no matter the size of the pen). Only trouble, the 400nn is a small pen. I have to use it posted, which I don't really like, and if it is not a particularly thin pen, it is not a large one either. I love, too, the piston filler for the ink capacity, the downside of it being the (relative) difficulty of maintenance, especially when, as myself, you are totally unable to rebuilt what you've dismantled.

 

The Lamy 2K share the same qualities and lacks. The shape is very similar, only better designed IMO, but the nib, an excellent 14k fine, does not even come near the Peli's.

 

The Studio is a bigger pen, and I must say I find the pen very comfortable. It has indeed been my writer for many months, reducing the 2K to a back up. But the Studio is a bit heavy and the metal section is not what I find the most comfortable, even if I never found it slippery. I just think it is not very warm and rather hard to the fingers. The nib, a 14k fine is excellent, but then again, nowhere near the Peli, and not even near the 2K. Last downside : it is a c/c. Not that I despise this filling system, but the ink capacity is really too small ; plus, I must confess I have develop a kind of philosophical stand regarding filling systems : I like the barrel to be something else than just the barrel. I like when it has multiple functions.

 

I still love the Persona, and it is a pen I will always keep and use [recent add: sold it...]. The material (titanium oxide) is wonderful, the design very comfortable and attractive. The nib, here a 14k EF, is exceptional, not so far from the Peli's. Only thing : it has almost no flex, and I must confess, although it is not of any matter for my horrible handwriting, that I love flexible nibs. The size of the pen is a bit short for me, even if it is almost large enough. One downside : it is a c/c.

 

So, one day, I started to play with the idea (much debated here) of finding a « grail » pen : meaning the pen that would stop me from buying any other pen (not that I will, of course). My criteria were then : a long pen, rather large, especially where the section and barrel meet ; if possible, a piston filler or a ED filler ; a light material ; a semi-flexible nib, western fine. And finally, something that would look « special » to me (tell me about a criterion : « special ») And I gave myself a budget : nothing over 500$. Knowing that only once I spent over 100$ for a pen (and not much more), that is major money for me. Actually, I still think it is a bit stupid (but who said stupidity was not allowed and satisfying ?)

 

Of course, there are a lot a pens that could be THE pen. I started to surf the net. Of course, the Peli m1000 was on my list, as well as other Peli, especially the « Phenomenon of nature » series. A pen I could find at the price I wanted. Large, light… I am still somewhat sceptical regarding the enormous nib and having tried modern nibs of Peli, I was not sure this was what I wanted… I dreamed about some LE, always totally out of my league.

 

I tried a MB 149. And even if I don't like MB, in some kind of reverse snobbery reaction, I must admit that the pen is all there, that the grip is impressive. But the nib was not what I wanted and, well, a MB… maybe I was not ready to put my prejudice aside.

 

On the net, I started to be interested by some smaller brands, or less known brands. I discovered Nakaya pens. Beautiful design, and something I love : a rather unflashy look, but with a lot of real qualities in the conception. I even contacted Mr Mottishaw, hoping I could order a custom portable or long cigar. I must here apologize to Mr Mottishaw team : they have been very, very kind with me, they gave me a VIP treatment, with a lot of passion… and I finally didn't show up… It is when thinking about getting a Nakaya that I started to think about what were my requirements : the fact that Nakayas are c/c was not so much a problem. The design is, in my eyes, so perfect that I probably would have get past that. But the perfection of the external look had one big downside : there is a step right at the place where I am likely to hold the pen. I know that Nakayas are very well done regarding the section : it is very long, acknowledging the fingers to find a comfortable place ; but this implies too that the section is thinner than the rest of the body, something I wanted to avoid – what I still like about Pelis. I still find Nakayas to be beautiful, but I guess they are not for me.

 

I discovered Edison's pens. Something special ? There I was ! And I was tempted. Unique and attractive designs, beautiful and various materials and filling systems… and the passion of a man for his work. I don't doubt that I would have found happiness at Edison's (and then again, someday…) But, well, the Japanese virus was in me, I guess.

 

Looking for Nakayas, I met with Danitrios. And if I find their design less attractive than Nakaya's, I love it, and I can see it was carefully thought after (and that impression was confirmed once I tried the pen). The Densho size looked perfect for me. The pen can be bought an ED with a controlling valve, their nibs have great reputation. The grip section does not get thinner. Perfect. But… the prices were awful ! 1'200$ for a pen, well, it is totally out of my reach… and my budget. But I knew it was possible to get one in these prices through FPN and Kevin. So I started looking. And I missed one or two, three opportunities until I finally get one.

 

And there it is. A very unremarkable black pen… a design near perfect as far as I am concerned. When you look closer, you notice that the simplicity of the pen is not so simple, and holding the pen just put that in full light. I almost don't feel it. Not cramps after hours of writing, not even any strain. The nib, a flexible fine, is incredible and indeed very, very near my beloved Peli. I certainly was lucky : I bought the pen totally blind, not knowing in advance what it would be like in the hand. But the long process to select criterions seems to have worked for me there.

 

Will that be THE LAST PEN ? I don't know – I don't think so. But I will certainly ask myself : well, I use my Densho everyday for writing, and almost nothing else – so, why do I need another one for ? And of course, all doesn't come down to utility and writing or drawing : these objects are beautiful and clever. But then again, they are design to be used.

[Martius]

A squat Montblanc 242 that John Mottishaw's wife showed me at the DC show a couple years ago. She told me the nib was factory standard and not adjusted - a semiflex OB. I don't usually use obliques, but this was hands down the best nib I've ever used. I am now on the lookout for the perfect 50's MB.

 

Of course, when I have the nib of my dreams, I will go back to my less perfect pens and enjoy them just as much.

 

S

[jniforat]

i have ones that i like, but haven't found 'er yet. one is coming in from italy at the momeny, vintage, semi-flex...i'm hoping it's the one. my goal is to save up and go to a pen show this year....alas

[Dark Side]

I think I've found the perfect pen. My Lamy 2000 is everything I want in a pen with its smooth nib and large capacity and sleek matte black body and perfect shape and size for my hand. That's not to say I won't buy more pens but I no longer look at new pens with the intent of finding "the one", instead I look for neat pens that I would want to try and use as a secondary pen. Right now I'm waiting for the aluminum version of the TWSBI to be released, I think it'll be great for using bright mark up inks and what not.

[River]

Thank you all for your replies.

 

Anyone know about Chicago area pen shows?

[Bo Bo Olson]

A squat Montblanc 242 that John Mottishaw's wife showed me at the DC show a couple years ago. She told me the nib was factory standard and not adjusted - a semiflex OB. I don't usually use obliques, but this was hands down the best nib I've ever used. I am now on the lookout for the perfect 50's MB.

 

Of course, when I have the nib of my dreams, I will go back to my less perfect pens and enjoy them just as much.

 

S

 

I have the 234 1/2..Those '52-65 MB nibs are great.

Mine a semi-flex KOB, has a wide sweet spot so one can write regular or oblique with no problems. The pattern is a hair different if one holds the nib straight or oblique.

[yachtsilverswan]

Thank you all for your replies.

 

Anyone know about Chicago area pen shows?

 

http://www.chicagopenshow.com/

[tonybelding]

I'm not sure if I'd use the word "perfect" exactly. . . But I have found a very small number of pens that I adore.

 

One of them is my Reform Czar, which was only the second FP that I got. It has one of the most attractive 14K open nibs I've ever seen. The body is hefty brass covered with marbled copper-flake lacquer. The look-and-feel is that of a much more expensive pen. These Czars are very uncommon for some reason, I don't know why. At first the fine nib seemed a bit dry and not as smooth as I'd like, but over time the nib was "broken in" and became quite smooth and somewhat flexible. Getting this pen was just pure random chance, as I had absolutely no idea what I was doing when I ordered it from the Art Brown catalog!

 

Some others I've found that I *lurv*. . . .

 

• Sheaffer Triumph, brown-striped vac-fil desk pens (F & M)
  
• Sheaffer Snorkel Sentinel, blue, medium nib
  
• Pilot Vanishing Point, mustard yellow, medium nib
  
• New Postal Jr, ruby, medium nib
  

 

As for advice on finding your perfect pen. . .

 

Don't depend on "love at first sight". It took me time to get to know and fully appreciate some of these pens, including the Reform Czar. Human beings are highly adaptable, and a big part of the quest will be about familiarization and adapting to the pens you've got -- not just finding a pen that's already perfectly adapted to you. Meet them halfway.

 

Be skeptical of pen catalogs and the current fashions. This is not the golden age of fountain pens. There are some fantastic vintage and quasi-vintage pens (such as Imperials for example) out there, and affordable too. Price does not equal goodness.

 

You can learn a lot from the web and FPN in particular -- but expect to develop your own opinions in time, not just blindly follow the buzz.

[Joshua Perz]

Now owning about sixty pens, I have three that I use on a daily basis: a vintage BCHR Waterman, a Pelikan M200, and a Parker 51 aero. The 51 is the pen I take to work, the other two are for personal writing. It took a lot of time and effort not only to get these pens, but also to get them working correctly. The 51 didn't write very well at first. I kept giving up on it and even bought a Hero 100 to replace it. As a last try to get it working, I did a final adjustment to the nib with a razor blade which finally worked (the first try didn't). The Pelikan I've had for a number of years but didn't use. It had a factory italic nib which didn't prove suitable for everyday writing. I just recently bought a cursive italic nib for it from Richard Binder, and it is sweet. The Waterman is a 52 1/2 with a flex nib which I also just got. I had to replace the sack and find the right ink for it (J. Herbin Perle Noire).

 

Actually, there is a fourth pen, an Esterbrook desk pen. The j-bar broke on me the first time I lifted the lever, so I had to buy a new j-bar and trim it down. I had to try a few different kinds of ink in it before I found one it would start up with immediately (also J. Herbin Perle Noire--I becoming a fan). I keep it by my bedside since I do a lot of writing in bed at night.

Edited January 11, 2011 by Joshua Perz

[dcpritch]

Joshua Perz, tell me about the J. Herbin Perle Noire ink you referred to in your post.

[Joshua Perz]

Joshua Perz, tell me about the J. Herbin Perle Noire ink you referred to in your post.

 

J. Herbin is a French inkmaker that's been in business for 300 years. Their ink's quite common and can be found on any number of sites: jetpens.com, gouletpens.com, etc. The Perle Noire is their basic black, but they make a full range of colored inks. I'm becoming more of fan of their inks the more I use them.

Edited January 11, 2011 by Joshua Perz

[Ispriluc]

I consider the Parker 51 to be the perfect pen in terms of design and i also think that text with line variation is much more beautiful than simple text. Therefore, I sent my 51 vac to mr. Masuyama to turn it into a stub and I`m also going to buy a stub for my other 51, a Special.

So it`s actually "two pens to rule them all".

[tonybelding]

I think I may have actually found it. I mean, not just another pen that I really, really like. . . I've already had a handful of those. This is something different.

 

Perfect? What is perfection?

 

I've been interested in Sheaffer Imperials for a while and tried several, but there was always some niggling little thing or another that wasn't exactly right. I didn't like the short clips, or short nibs, or short bodies on the later cartridge pens. I didn't like the tapered cap band on the plastic-capped models (like my 550 or Imperial IV), they always seemed a bit awkward to me. I didn't like the EF nib on my Imperial VIII, which was an excellent writer but just too fine for my taste. The 550 was semi-flex and just a bit dry, needed just a bit too much pressure to write well. The 440 skipped just a little once in a while, just enough to nag at me. I knew I was on the right track, but the stars just weren't quite in alignment I guess.

 

And then it happened. I won an auction on eBay for a black Imperial VI with matching pencil, both near-mint with chalk marks, for the whopping sum of $16.77 plus shipping. (The mark on the pen shows it originally retailed for $17.50, and another $7.50 for the pencil!) The black body and the polished steel cap with gold-filled clip and band are, to me, the iconic image of an Imperial. But wait, it gets better!

 

The touchdown filler is fully working. I was hesitant to ink it even, but tonight I gave it a fill of Borealis Black. The nib is a true F, and it's smooth and firm (which I like), and the ink flow is. . . perfect. (There's that word again!) It's wet but not gushing. This is exactly the way I like for a FP to write for my typical everyday use.

 

The size and weight. . . the look. . . the way it writes. . . the design features. . . I can't think of how any of them could be improved upon. And getting it in NOS condition for a song, with the pencil too, is just icing on the cake.

 

I dunno what to do now. I don't think I can top this. Do I retire from buying pens now? :roflmho:

[Robert Hughes]

My perfect pen is one that works when I first try to write with it, and doesn't require fiddling or a drop of water to get it started. Today my perfect pen is a standard domestic Parker 51 Aerometric. And I love it!

[opitzs]

I have found it, well the nib only... It is a Sailor cross music nib, It writes like a miracle. It was a chance buy om the internet, if only Sailor produced nice looking pens in a reasonable price range... In my opinion the 911 looks too much like an imitation Montblanc. I like flashier pens, Omas 360 in Royal Blue is a beauty.

 

On the other hand I have a 50s Pelikan 100 and a perhaps 30s pen of (to me) unknown manufacturer, with a bit of flex in the nibs, that give a wonderful line variation and a very smooth writing experience...

 

It is so hard to find the perfect pen, you have to find the perfect nib for the occasion.

 

Ciao

Sven