What Was Your Last Impulsive Pen Acquisition?

[inkstainedruth]

The barrel on the top one in your photo is indeed VERY pretty!

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

ETA: I guess I should actually say "binde" instead of barrel, since it's an older Pelikan with the covering over the barrel.

[Manalto]

Browsing eBay, I stumbled upon a cordovan Parker 51 with minimal description but appeared to be in good shape. I've always loved the color, and think it's particularly attractive against the gold of the cap. It had less than a minute left on the auction, so I jumped.

 

I got it for $62. Not sure if that's a good deal or not, but I'm thrilled to finally own a cordovan 51, so price is secondary. It's probably not restored. Is that something a patient but inexperienced amateur could do with some guidance?

[inkstainedruth]

I'd say you got it for a pretty fair price.  Now, I got *extremely* lucky on mine -- had gone to an estate sale in the next county to look at a Parker 45 a while back and wasn't until I got outside and back to my car that I realized that the other pen in the box WAS a 51 Vac.  Then was going, "OMG -- is this actually Cordovan Brown?" and it turned out it was.  Then a couple of weeks later went to an estate sale south of me, but most of the pens were on a table in the hallway of the apartment complex and the lighting was TERRIBLE. And I couldn't tell for sure whether the pen in one of the ziplock bags at the cashier's table was Cordovan or Burgundy -- and that pen was for more than you paid for yours (and the estate sale people thought that it was Burgundy at that).  

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[dogpoet]

I've impulse bought a fountain pen for the first time in over a couple of years: a Majohn B25 (which is a blatant Parker 25 copy there seems to have been a bit of talk about on here) but I didn't realise it was such a blatant copy that it uses Parker size cartridges rather than the traditional slightly narrrower Chinese international cartridges. That's even cooler, so I just hope it writes well.

[PennyTheDog]

I just picked up this nice Waterman pen at an antique store for $22. I don’t know what model it is… hemisphere? But picking it up it certainly feels nicer than the my Allure or Kultur. I can’t wait to try it out!

[Gloucesterman]

11 minutes ago, PennyTheDog said:

I just picked up this nice Waterman pen at an antique store for $22. I don’t know what model it is… hemisphere? But picking it up it certainly feels nicer than the my Allure or Kultur. I can’t wait to try it out!

Congratulations,

Yes, I do think that is a "Hemisphere" model. Looks like it's in nice condition too.

Did it come with a converter and/or a cartridge so that you can use it immediately?

Would love to hear how you like it when you have a chance to put it to work.

 

[PennyTheDog]

39 minutes ago, Gloucesterman said:

Congratulations,

Yes, I do think that is a "Hemisphere" model. Looks like it's in nice condition too.

Did it come with a converter and/or a cartridge so that you can use it immediately?

Would love to hear how you like it when you have a chance to put it to work.

 

It didn’t come with cartridges or a converter, but I had a Waterman converter. I never write with European medium nibs, so it feels like an ink faucet! But it’s very smooth and consistent. I’m kind of in love! This writing sample is with Diamine Majestic Blue. I’m going to call it a Hemisphere; I always wanted to get one because of the Stephen King connection, and I’d never gotten around to it.

[ParramattaPaul]

35 minutes ago, PennyTheDog said:

It didn’t come with cartridges or a converter, but I had a Waterman converter. I never write with European medium nibs, so it feels like an ink faucet! But it’s very smooth and consistent. I’m kind of in love! This writing sample is with Diamine Majestic Blue. I’m going to call it a Hemisphere; I always wanted to get one because of the Stephen King connection, and I’d never gotten around to it.

Obviously, a great purchase.

[PennyTheDog]

2 minutes ago, ParramattaPaul said:

Obviously, a great purchase.

Thanks, I’m pretty happy about it! I think maybe it’s an Expert model, rather than a Hemisphere by the way.

[Gloucesterman]

47 minutes ago, PennyTheDog said:

Thanks, I’m pretty happy about it! I think maybe it’s an Expert model, rather than a Hemisphere by the way.

Check out the model on the Bay, if not other sources.

If nothing else, simply search using the words Waterman hemisphere or Expert fountain pen.

You will get pictures for accurate identification.

[Doug C]

19 minutes ago, Gloucesterman said:

Check out the model on the Bay, if not other sources.

If nothing else, simply search using the words Waterman hemisphere or Expert fountain pen.

You will get pictures for accurate identification.

It is an Expert.

[Gloucesterman]

22 minutes ago, Doug C said:

It is an Expert.

Thank You Doug!

[Misfit]

On 4/7/2025 at 10:28 PM, Misfit said:

First I saw it on Reddit, then in a blogpost from Pen Boutique, that caused the impulsivity. It is a Pelikan Twist in Cold Alaska. It is on sale, so…. And there are two of the Field Notes Birds and Trees of North America in the order. 
 

I didn’t start the day or any day thinking I needed another Pelikan Twist. But it looks like a metallic green, and it will be cool with my current Twist in Candy apple red with lime grip. I looked at order history, and the red Twist is named Apple Candy red. 

Well the Cold Alaska Twist arrived today. It was only when I decided to put the converter I got for the red Twist in the pen that I saw a crack on the barrel. 
 

I’ve emailed Pen Boutique to see if they are going to make me pay to send back a defective pen. I still want that color of Twist, but I don’t want one with a crack.

[MegChris]

Just curious. I keep getting ads for Woodsworth and Black pens on my FB feed. Super cheap. Pretty pictures. I am trying to hold back, as soon I will be combining my work and home collections. But what’s up with these pens? are they legit?

[Mercian]

9 hours ago, MegChris said:

Just curious. I keep getting ads for Woodsworth and Black pens on my FB feed. Super cheap. Pretty pictures. I am trying to hold back, as soon I will be combining my work and home collections. But what’s up with these pens? are they legit?

 

I have never used one, but I recognise the name because they are cheaply-produced pens that are promoted heavily on Amazon. They are shown every time that I search for any fountain pen. Which, considering that I always specify the brand and model of pen that I'm looking for, annoys me enormously

I presume that they are made in China.

There are many inexpensive pens that are made in China. Some brands are now building decent reputations, others are not. And there are people out there who are selling fake versions of the decent ones!

 

If I were you I would post a question to ask about these brands of pens on this ↓ board on FPN.

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/forum/132-china-korea-and-others-far-east-asia/

 

The members on that board will be able to recommend decent pens to you that are inexpensive, and also be able to warn you off sources/stores/markets that are known to be selling fake pens.

 

I also urge you to find out what type of cartridges the pens take before you buy them. There are several different proprietary types, and cartridges of type 'x' won't fit into a pen that is built to take cartridges of type 'y'.
You could buy the best pen in the world, but if you cannot buy cartridges that fit it where you live then it's not worth buying!

 

I wish you good luck in your quest

 

Slàinte,
M.

[MegChris]

Thank you. I’m not very familiar with this site yet.

[Gloucesterman]

2 hours ago, MegChris said:

Thank you. I’m not very familiar with this site yet.

Welcome to FPN and please DO EXPLORE the site. Ever growing, ever changing...

and the people are superb too!

Just my (experienced) opinion, of course.

[Penguincollector]

  Yesterday my husband asked if I wanted to go to one of the local stationery stores, of course I said yes. I came home with a pen from Peter Pauper Press called Fallen Blossoms. It’s a beautiful little inexpensive fine nibbed blue lacquer pen with white flowers on the cap. 

[inkstainedruth]

I have one of those.  Picked it up on a whim a little over a year ago at an area stationery store/novelty shop that also sells pens and inks.  It was pretty, and not expensive, and turns out to be not a bad writer either.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Misfit]

5 hours ago, Penguincollector said:

  Yesterday my husband asked if I wanted to go to one of the local stationery stores, of course I said yes. I came home with a pen from Peter Pauper Press called Fallen Blossoms. It’s a beautiful little inexpensive fine nibbed blue lacquer pen with white flowers on the cap. 

What is the name of the stationery store? Same question for @inkstainedruth