What Was Your Last Impulsive Pen Acquisition?

[inkstainedruth]

Sorry, I got that wrong last night (in my defense I had been up since 5 AM and had also done several loads of post "vacation" laundry...).  The term I had been looking for was "blue mackerel" for the new-to-me Esterbrook.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Gloucesterman]

Impulsive pen related buy at today's flea market.

I have never seen a Platinum ink bottle that looked like this one, although I have seen similar squared-off looking ones from Pelikan. The ink is black, I think, and the bottle almost full.

 

Would really appreciate any information regarding rarity and value for this ink bottle. Thanks for any help.

 

 

Apologies for the fuzzy images. My hands ave a bit of a trmor to them some days (like today).

[Arthur Pewty]

On 8/9/2025 at 2:41 PM, Gloucesterman said:

Very nice looking pen, however the pictures look strange. Top one looks to have a gold barrel w/ a "silver" cap and a gold clip. In the bottom image, the pen looks to be "silver colored with a gold colored clip and section.

And the answer is???????

That's the intriguing part. The "silver" (I'm thinking chrome) cap ends on a bias instead of a perpendicular. The barrel is mostly gold-plated, but there is a chrome covering on part of one side whose ends are also on a bias. When capped or posted the end of the cap mates with this covering. When posted it ensures that the nib aligns with the clip. Quite an original design.

 

My phone doesn't take great closeups. The nib is pretty plain: just a cartouche with "585" and a sort of pennant shape enclosed in a circle with a corner if that makes any sense, like a stubby teardrop resting on one side, the same shape as the cross-section of a Lamy Ideos.

[boilermaker1975]

On 8/9/2025 at 10:46 PM, boilermaker1975 said:

 

This evening I went pack to Cult Pens and on the checkout page it now says, "The total amount you pay includes all applicable customs duties & taxes. We guarantee no additional charges on delivery." 

 

I was mistaken thinking this meant when I was looking at the price in US dollars that is what I would pay when I checked out.  I had two Onoto pens, a Lamy pen, and three inks in my cart for a total of $905. When I went to check out there was going to be an additional charge of $208 for taxes and duties. So far, that has stopped me from ordering.

[Gloucesterman]

52 minutes ago, boilermaker1975 said:

 

I was mistaken thinking this meant when I was looking at the price in US dollars that is what I would pay when I checked out.  I had two Onoto pens, a Lamy pen, and three inks in my cart for a total of $905. When I went to check out there was going to be an additional charge of $208 for taxes and duties. So far, that has stopped me from ordering.

There used to be an import tax (even before this tariff cr*p) on imports over $800.00. Supposedly this has now been eliminated (no exemptions), so that may be the issue. If you have a different experience with a lesser amount, please let us know.

[boilermaker1975]

1 hour ago, Gloucesterman said:

There used to be an import tax (even before this tariff cr*p) on imports over $800.00. Supposedly this has now been eliminated (no exemptions), so that may be the issue. If you have a different experience with a lesser amount, please let us know.

 

I took one of the Onoto pens out dropping my cart to $465.80. The duty did not appear, just the state sales tax of $32.59. So you are right there is a price point, probably $800, which kicks in the duties. I wonder if I could spit my order in two to avoid this?

[Gloucesterman]

Just now, boilermaker1975 said:

 

I took one of the Onoto pens out dropping my cart to $465.80. The duty did not appear, just the state sales tax of $32.59. So you are right there is a price point, probably $800, which kicks in the duties. I wonder if I could spit my order in two to avoid this?

Cult ships free (DHL) on order over $160.00 for orders over $160.00. My experiences with them have been excellent.

[boilermaker1975]

11 minutes ago, boilermaker1975 said:

 

I took one of the Onoto pens out dropping my cart to $465.80. The duty did not appear, just the state sales tax of $32.59. So you are right there is a price point, probably $800, which kicks in the duties. I wonder if I could spit my order in two to avoid this?

 

Currently purchases over $800 from the UK, as @Gloucesterman mentioned, are charged duty. Beginning Aug 29 all purchases from the UK will be charged duty.

[boilermaker1975]

10 minutes ago, Gloucesterman said:

Cult ships free (DHL) on order over $160.00 for orders over $160.00. My experiences with them have been excellent.

 

That will make up for some of  the state sales tax! Good to know you have had good experience with Cult.

[Gloucesterman]

2 minutes ago, boilermaker1975 said:

 

That will make up for some of  the state sales tax! Good to know you have had good experience with Cult.

Sounds like a "BIN situation/opportunity" LOL

[Penguincollector]

17 hours ago, Gloucesterman said:

Impulsive pen related buy at today's flea market.

I have never seen a Platinum ink bottle that looked like this one, although I have seen similar squared-off looking ones from Pelikan. The ink is black, I think, and the bottle almost full.

 

Would really appreciate any information regarding rarity and value for this ink bottle. Thanks for any help.

 

 

Apologies for the fuzzy images. My hands ave a bit of a trmor to them some days (like today).

 

  What a lovely, unusual find! 

[ParramattaPaul]

6 hours ago, boilermaker1975 said:

 

I was mistaken thinking this meant when I was looking at the price in US dollars that is what I would pay when I checked out.  I had two Onoto pens, a Lamy pen, and three inks in my cart for a total of $905. When I went to check out there was going to be an additional charge of $208 for taxes and duties. So far, that has stopped me from ordering.

OUCH!!!!

[ParramattaPaul]

4 hours ago, boilermaker1975 said:

 

I took one of the Onoto pens out dropping my cart to $465.80. The duty did not appear, just the state sales tax of $32.59. So you are right there is a price point, probably $800, which kicks in the duties. I wonder if I could spit my order in two to avoid this?

That makes sense.

 

About 15 years ago I bought my late wife a piece of jewelry from a shop in Ireland for her Christmas present and had them ship to my son's place inn California since we were spending the holidays there. I remember it costing USD 500 and getting an Import Duties Bill from Fed-Ex for USD 250 in the mail.

 

That said, the 'trigger point' might be USD 500.

 

[boilermaker1975]

6 minutes ago, ParramattaPaul said:

That makes sense.

 

About 15 years ago I bought my late wife a piece of jewelry from a shop in Ireland for her Christmas present and had them ship to my son's place inn California since we were spending the holidays there. I remember it costing USD 500 and getting an Import Duties Bill from Fed-Ex for USD 250 in the mail.

 

That said, the 'trigger point' might be USD 500.

 

 

It has been raised to $800. But on Aug 29 duty will be imposed on all purchases from the UK no matter the amount.

 

I took the Onoto British museum pen out of my cart and submitted my purchase. I am getting the Onoto "The Pi Pen," three 50 ml bottles of Diamine ink--which were only $8.06 a piece--and the mint special edition of the Lamy Al-Star.

[RonLyke]

Visconti Bronze Age 

 

I've always been attracted to this pen, but was reluctant to pull the trigger due to many stories about nib quality control. I took a chance and bought one with a Fine nib, and I love everything about it. Maybe I got lucky, or maybe they tightened up their QC.

Serenity Blue.

[ParramattaPaul]

1 hour ago, boilermaker1975 said:

 

It has been raised to $800. But on Aug 29 duty will be imposed on all purchases from the UK no matter the amount.

 

I took the Onoto British museum pen out of my cart and submitted my purchase. I am getting the Onoto "The Pi Pen," three 50 ml bottles of Diamine ink--which were only $8.06 a piece--and the mint special edition of the Lamy Al-Star.

👍🙂👍

[PBWilson1970]

Endless Pens had a pretty generous sale recently and I got a couple Lamy Safari fountain pens for my son at just over $10 each! Not bad at all!

I also got three Pelikan P10 fountain pens from the 1980s to try out. Each was about $3 and worth a shot. The nib looks like a Fine from the size of the tipping and the cartridges are good sized. The plastic is almost comically lightweight and I'm hoping that they'll last. 

Anyone else have any of these blasts from the past?

[Misfit]

I had thought about this pen before. But, since I got an email with a coupon code, I ordered the Lamy AL-Star in Mint because I’m a sucker for Mint green. I also put a Lamy 1.1mm italic nib in the cart, and De Atramentis Coffee Brown scented ink. I was a bit done with Lamy, finally over special edition FOMO. Still, as I wrote, I really like Mint Green. So one more Lamy will join the pens at my house. I got these at Atlas Stationers Sidewalk Sale, the online version. 

[Penguincollector]

3 hours ago, PBWilson1970 said:

Endless Pens had a pretty generous sale recently and I got a couple Lamy Safari fountain pens for my son at just over $10 each! Not bad at all!

I also got three Pelikan P10 fountain pens from the 1980s to try out. Each was about $3 and worth a shot. The nib looks like a Fine from the size of the tipping and the cartridges are good sized. The plastic is almost comically lightweight and I'm hoping that they'll last. 

Anyone else have any of these blasts from the past?

 

  Endless sent some out for a recent Pelikan Hub. The plastic caps are somewhat brittle. Mine cracked when I first uncapped the pen. I’m not a strong penguin. I used Gorilla Glue brand waterproof tape and it works fine. It’s a EF, I like it. 

[PBWilson1970]

12 hours ago, Penguincollector said:

 

  Endless sent some out for a recent Pelikan Hub. The plastic caps are somewhat brittle. Mine cracked when I first uncapped the pen. I’m not a strong penguin. I used Gorilla Glue brand waterproof tape and it works fine. It’s a EF, I like it. 

I'll be sure to be gentle with them. Thanks.