If You Could Limit Yourself To 5 Pens, Which Ones?

[arran]

Difficult but let us try

 

1. Nakaya dorsal fin with flexible F nib

2. Onoto magna plunger filler with bespoke italic nib

3. Conway Stewart IM nib Winston

4.Nakaya long cigar elastic M nib

5.Platinum izumo F nib

[lisantica]

The 5 I own that would be my basic kit, if I HAD to pick would be:

 

1) Shawn Newton Townsend

2) Parker 51 with customized cap with my dogs engraved on it.

3) Danitrio Densho Tame-nuri Urushi

4) Pelikan M700 Toledo

5) Joe Cali custom pen

 

It wasn't a difficult decision, I love the pens listed above. Yet, I love so many others too that I own.

[j1020]

Parker 51 M

Lamy 2000 F

Montblanc 146 or 149 M

Conway Stewart Churchill Excalibre

Pilot Metropolitan F

[max dog]

1. Montblanc 146 bordeaux. It's so purty and comfy

2. Vintage Waterman 52V - lovely flex

3. Cross century gold bp - for when my FP dont work

4. Cross century gold mech pencil - to keep the bp company

5. The rest of my 30+ fountain pens

[bsenn]

I'll go vintage-ish:

 

Parker green pearl vac cause it looks great.

Grey 51 vac with worn gold cap because it writes nicely and looks classy.

A parker 25 for a carry pen, not sure what color.

Franklin Christoph don't remember the number but it has magnetic cap, just to have something modern.

Ohh, room for one more! A grey pearl vac with a fine squeaky nib.

 

Brian

[fpenluver]

1. Namiki Yukari Royale in Black, medium nib

2. Sailor KOP in Crimson, Crosspoint nib

3. CE Levi Solstice, Sheaffer Lifetime fine nib

4. Pelikan M800 Green/Black with Deb Kinney cursive italic nib

5. OMAS The Paragon Arco Italiana, Extra-fine nib

 

Runners-up:

1. Montblanc 149

2. Pelikan M1000

3. Delta Stantuffo Grande Circo

4. Waterman Exception

5. Parker 51

should there be 2nd runner up, 3rd runner up and so on?

[fpenluver]

Hard question for "fp hoarder" like me. But here is my list in no particular order:

Cross townsend

sheaffer fashion

cross century

sheaffer targa

parker 51

[VanRocket]

I can do this. I think I can do this...

 

1. Montblanc 146 - I bought it used and it was in poor shape. I took it apart and spent hours cleaning out old ink that had to be 30 years old. Adjusted the nib and it is now one of my favorite writers and has a new life.

2. Montblanc 145 - My first Montblanc and still one of my favorite pens.

3. Pelikan M101N Lizard - I love this little pen. Understated and solid.

4. Pelikan M405 - Good size. Always works.

5. Pilot Custom 823 - I would like to have a couple more pilots but I am already up to five pens.

[discopig]

1. Pilot Metal Falcon SEF - Good pen for sketching and everyday writing.

2. Waterman 32v - Great reliable pen with a nice flexible nib.

3. Esterbrook SJ fitted with an Osmiroid Sketch nib - Amazing semi-flex steel nib with a juicy flow, thanks to the overfeed.

4. Wahl "0" Gold-filled ringtop - I had to pick at least one wet noodle, and this one is just perfect.

5. Pilot VP - Versatile EDC pen, it would most likely be fitted with my ItaliFine 0.9mm CI nib unit.

[FlyFast]

1.Pilot Prera - Fine

2. Pilot Prera - CM (Italic)

3. Pilot Vanishing Point - Extra Fine

4. Lamy 2000 - Extra Fine

5. Stipula Vedo - Italic, piston filler

The list changes over time.

Edited August 2, 2014 by FlyFast

[Aurko]

Sailor 1911 Standard (My favourite nib overall)

Newark Pen Co. Secretary Combo Pen (I have a thing for combo pens)

Pick Pen Co. Combo Pen (Again here, but this is springier than the Newark Pen Co. though not as fine as I would like)

Superite Ringtop pen (fun full flex nib)

Muji Aluminum Round Pen (Aluminum pen, durable, can carry anywhere without worrying about it)

 

Runners up include

Pilot Pocket Elite (vintage)

Pilot 78G (as a cheap pen to toss into my pockets)

Eversharp Symphony

Sheaffer Tuckaway

Pelikan M200 cursive italic custom

[Moshe ben David]

Hmmm.

 

1. Parker Duofold Centennial marbled burgundy, M nib -- the pen that started this grand obsession hobby.
2. Pelikan m800, M nib: smooth as silk, ink supply like a Duracell rabbit. (just keeps going and going and going...) Always starts up no matter how long it has sat.
3. Lamy 2000 M nib: another smooth as silk writer; great feel in the hand; always starts up; ink supply almost as good as the Pelikan
4. Pilot VP M nib: one of my preferred edc. Just click and write. Never dries up.
5. Pilot M90, M nib: just to be different. but just as reliable and smooth as the VP.
6. Parker 51 aerometric, F nib. Just a masterpiece.

Yeah, I know I went over the limit. Life's tough that way sometimes!

[Mezzie]

1. Lamy Al-Star

2. Pilot VP

3-5. Different-sized nibs for the above for variety.

[Koji]

Out of the 12-13 ones I own, I would choose:

 

Sailor 1911 Standard 21K gold nib, extra fine

Platinum 3776, 14k gold nib, extra fine

Lamy Safari, extra fine (my work-horse pen)

Lamy Logo, extra fine

Waterman Hemisphere, extra fine (mostly because I like the look of it)

[tarheel1]

I only have 5 pens so its easy.

 

Montblanc Jules Verne in broad

Montblanc 146 platinum in medium

Pelikan m805 blue striped with italic broad nib

Pilot 912 with a fa nib

Platinum president blue rhodium with broad nib

[Fabienne]

1) MB 146 M nib

2) TWSBI 580 w/ Flex My Mod

3) TWSBI 540 w/ B nib

4) Noodler's Ahab with Flex My Mod

5) Pilot 823

[akafridi3]

I am glad to see all the responses to this question. It is really interesting how everyone really has their own flavors and preferences.

 

I guess the reason why I asked this question was because I had bought and sold a lot of pens. At one point, I thought to myself, that it is better for me to own limited number pens that I love than have many more which are just sitting around not being used. I thought I would limit myself to 5 pens.

 

It will save me much money in the long run doing this, so that is another factor :-)

 

I know it is easy to get carried away and spend a lot of money with all the cool fountain pens in the world!

 

But for the above reasons, that is why I choose to limit myself to only 5 pens. Not only that but its true that when we have fewer choices, we are happier (the paradox of choice). But ultimately, like anything in life, I guess its about self control.

[Polanova]

Of the X pens I own (if i had to make a decision right now*):

 

Stylomine 303 __F-BBB

Wahl-Eversharp Doric __F-M

Météore __Broad Stub (OR : Tank 400 __F-BB)

Franklin-Christoph P40 __Chinese Calligraphy Nib

Mabie, Todd & Bard __F-BB Cursive

 

*good thing I don`t

[bayport714]

If only five then...

 

Torelli 51

Torelli 51

Torelli 51

Torelli 51

Torelli 51

[montegrappaman1]

1. Sailor Pro Gear Realo, medium nib. smoothest nib I own!

2. Mont Blanc 146, fine nib

3. Twisbi Diamond 580 AL smooooth med. nib

4. Pilot Vanishing Point Decimo, medium nib

5. Lamy Safari in glossy black, fine nib. A surprisingly smooth writer.

Edited August 26, 2014 by montegrappaman1