Perfect Pen

[Fountainer]

That's what we all are looking for, right?

I have listed features that a perfect fountain pen would have, and of course tried to search a matching pen. But i didn't find absolutely perfect one! Why is so? One reason is that some features are patented and no manufacturer has got those all patents to make anything they want. How sad. And maybe my taste differs greatly from everybody else but i don't believe it.

If i had tools and skills, i'd like to make my own pen. Sometimes i think about that quite seriously so i spend time collecting this list of desired features:

 

Nib

-Slippery

-Two toned? Yes please, if it goes well with everything else

-Breather hole (i just like it for a tradition) Maybe heart-shaped? I don't know.

-Gives a reliable look being somewhat thick at the base.

 

Cap

-Threaded.

-Strong well shaped clip.

-A good post capping option. That means the cap stays well on place, doesn't make the back end too heavy and the shape of the pen is appealing post capped as well.

 

Body

-A jewel-like shiny, sparkling, colourful showy outlook (i know some of you disagree here) i like marble, gold, silver, chrome, twist, lines, engraving, maki-e, oh i like them all! Just not a dull one color grey plastic thing, nor something that wears off.

-A proper size and weight of course.

-Some way to check the amount of ink remaining.

-Rather short gripping section, leaving room for the well decorated body. Or then the gripping part could be decorated too.

 

Function

-I kind of like piston fillers and maybe dislike rubber sacs but not really strong opinion here. There are benefits in converters because you can always carry extra cartridges with you. I think it could be possible to make a piston filler that can also be opened and use those small international cartridges inside? On the other hand it could be a cartridge/eyedropper-combination, that already exists.

-Disassembly and adjusting. It's nice to know that you can do that when needed.

 

Other

-Guaranteed for 1000001 years.

-A pen holder on desk could be made that has a really accurate scale that tells by the weight of the pen is there ink or not, in case there are no option in the pen to check the ink level. (Just a wild idea)

 

 

To me, Montblanc Catherine the great 888 could be near perfect, but it's not well suitable for post capping so i wouldn't buy it. There are some smaller errors too and it's so expensive anyway that i probably never get that.

Today am using Parker Sonnet Silver Fougére. That is nice, but maybe just a bit too thin, especially it's clip is too thin. And the cap is a clip on-cap though i would like threaded more.

Tell me what do you think and complete my list, thank you.

[brandon8602]

I think, for me, it's tough finding the "perfect" pen. You'll probably hear this a lot around here.

 

Part of what I love about fountain pens is that each pen gives a different experience. Some days, I feel like filling up my lever filling Esterbrook, other days I like the smooth feel of my Parker "51" vac filler. When I want to see what's going on, I'll fill a Twsbi or Noodler's clear piston filler.

 

The same goes for nibs. Sometimes I prefer to fly a little under the radar with the "51" and other days I like to show off my Sonnet.

 

The versatility and different build of fountain pens keep me using them. If I wanted a perfect pen, I'd use a V5 rollerball.

[CoolFool]

What about the nib type and size? Flexible? Italic, etc? For me, the nib should have a huge line variation from hair thin to really wide, but capable of writing with only thin lines unless I put just a little pressure on it. I have a nib that is as close to perfect as I can imagine. It's on a very old Conklin crescent-filler.

Edited December 13, 2012 by CoolFool

[Mickey]

I will use Pelikan as a basis of this discussion, but the points I wish to make apply to almost all manufacturers. Here's my criteria for a line of pens, almost a pen system:

 

1. The ability to choose length and diameter (and, to a lesser degree, weight) without undue financial penalty for people who like (or need) larger (or heavier) pens. There is no rational excuse for an M800 to cost half again as much as an much as an M600. The resin they're using isn't that expensive nor is the additional machining time for the larger body that significant. A Nakaya Piccolo in a standard finish costs the same as a Long Cigar in the same clothes. (The sort of near customization I suggest could almost be done with swappable sections and blind caps.)

 

2. A wider variety of truly interchangeable nibs. The user should have a wide choice of size, style, and flex, with little or no price penalty for exotic choices. The easiest way to accomplish this without prohibitive cost is to standardize on a single nib size for the entire line. The most compelling argument for buying an M1000 rather than an M800 is the feel of the nib. Why not a slightly soft M800 nib as one choice? It's doable, and, if properly executed, there's no reason why the nib for a medium sized pen should look out of place on a larger or smaller body. Scale the section to compensate both physically and aesthetically.

 

3. A large volume convertor (e.g., the CON70) to make ink changes easy while still providing plenty of fuel for those who love sloppy BBBs. If necessary, scale down the convertor to fit the shorter body options.

 

4. A balance tweaking option (like Nakaya's) might be nice, but far from necessary.

 

That's pretty much it. Everything after that, I believe, is cosmetic or in the province of nibmeisters.

[mirosc]

In the past I have discovered several perfect pens. But none was perfect forever.

I figured that the best option is to have different pens, variety is the spice. As I have changed in time so have my preferences and wishes. And I am glad that I could and can adapt to different pens and that different pens have found me.

 

I'm not looking anymore for one perfect pen, because I think that this is boring. I'm rather looking for different pens that can grant me different experiences and different ways of enjoying this hobby.

[torstar]

With dozens to choose from, I keep a rotation of 4-6, and when bored with one replace it with a "perfect pen" from the others.

 

There's always another to fill in for a pen drained of enjoyment, and it happens to them all at some point.

[Anitropius]

My perfect pen would be a more flexible and fine-pointed Lamy 2000. I just love it that much but it lacks those two things from being "11/10"-perfect for me.

[BrandonA]

I'd add price, brand and availability to your list of criteria. By availability I mean regular vs limited vs special editions.

 

I don't think there is any such thing as a perfect anything. Tastes change over time, new developments in design/build/materials are always being created meaning things you never thought possible become possible.

[inkstainedruth]

Count me in the "variety is the spice of life camp" as well. I have different colors, fill systems and sizes of pens; not quite as big a range of nib types (yet), but eventually I'll get there.

I love my Noodler's Konrad. *And* my Parker 45. And if and when I win the lottery I can start thinking about my grail pens (Parker 51 and Yard-o-Led Viceroy Victorian). And all of them different. Oh, and I just snagged some variety of Schaeffer Snorkel in the wild today. Not sure of the condition yet (the nib might need some looking after, since it might be a tad bent), but the fill mechanism seemed to be working, and the price was good. And that's another type of filler, and a different color from anything I had before.

I don't think there's such a thing as a perfect pen. If I only had one pen ("perfect" or not) I'd probably be bored silly....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[RMN]

Give Fountaibel a nice shiny rod of resin to work with and he'll make your perfect pen. If you would not mind to drop the color requiremnets, then these pens can be ordered right now.

 

I am eagerly waiting a black bulkfiller...

 

D.ick