What Was Your Last Impulsive Pen Acquisition?

[A Smug Dill]

4 minutes ago, AmandaW said:

Are we talking about the same pen?

 

Yes. I have two blue ones filled with Hero 234 and Noodler's KTC respectively, and a grey one filled with Colorverse Vortex Motion. Notwithstanding the construction of the gripping section with the many-finned collector, hard starts are rare within a single continuous writing session, so it isn't that larger-than-average pigment particles are getting stuck in the feed as the ink flows through it. Not using the (blue) pens for a few days will produce hard starts, though, which pushing the ink from the converter into the collector manually will resolve; that says ink evaporation from inside the gripping section through the nib and feed. Furthermore, since I mainly use those two pens for labelling envelopes, writing shopping lists, etc. there is no way the ink in the converters would be consumed as quickly as the visibly diminishing ink levels indicate.

[AmandaW]

7 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

which pushing the ink from the converter into the collector manually will resolve

 

Maybe that's the difference. I've been using one of the cartridges that came with each pen and refilling with a syringe.

[BinaEliora]

6 hours ago, N1003U said:

How does the 1911S, actually in the hand, compare, size- and weight-wise to your M20x/40x Pelikans? I have had my eye on a new Sailor for a while, and I am wondering if a 1911S would work for me.

I own a Pelikan M200 (1987 I believe), a M400 (1996), and a Sailor 1911S Lush Green (2020) . The 2nPelikans feel the same to me, different nibs of course. The Sailor is quite similar in size and how ist feels in my hand when I write. The Sailor might just a bit slimmer.
 

If you like the M200/400 size, you might like the 1911S as well. The difference between the pens described here is the nib. My Sailor nib (MF) has more feedback than my Pelikan nibs. The 200 has a modern steel F nib, and the 400 has a 14K CI nib (customized B nib). All three nibs write very well.

[N1003U]

1 minute ago, BinaEliora said:

I own a Pelikan M200 (1987 I believe), a M400 (1996), and a Sailor 1911S Lush Green (2020) . The 2nPelikans feel the same to me, different nibs of course. The Sailor is quite similar in size and how ist feels in my hand when I write. The Sailor might just a bit slimmer.
 

If you like the M200/400 size, you might like the 1911S as well. The difference between the pens described here is the nib. My Sailor nib (MF) has more feedback than my Pelikan nibs. The 200 has a modern steel F nib, and the 400 has a 14K CI nib (customized B nib). All three nibs write very well.

Thanks! I know Sailor nibs reasonably well. I have just never used a 1911S, and I was curious about the size/weight/balance of the body (NB: published dimensions can sometimes be misleading).

 

Pelikan M2xx/4xx is a great EDC size for me. If the 1911S is similar, I will at least try one.

[Ink Stained Wretch]

On 1/8/2021 at 9:33 PM, inkstainedruth said:

Last weekend I went to an antiques store that was "new" (but had previously been in a different location, and it turned out I had been in their old location once or twice).  Picked up a Sheaffer school pen (translucent red barrel, two-toned nib marked "304" (which I believe means it's an F nib from the little I've been able to find out so far) and sporting a mostly dead Skrip Red cartridge.  Also picked up a previously unknown brand/model marked as Penatia, also a c/c pen.  The woman in the store said that her "pen person" knew more about it, and out from the back room comes a guy from my local pen club!  Dale said it was a sub-brand of Cross and takes International Standard (so I'll see if the cartridges of Edelstein Amethyst from the first Pelikan Hub I attended will fit).

 

Penatia is indeed a Cross product that takes the short international cartridge. I have a couple. They come in all steel and in black and steel, which is just some black plastic over the steel. The one I tested wrote quite nicely. I was sent them by someone in California who said that they were on sale in some place for $1.99 each. The one I tested wrote better than some fountain pens I own that cost a lot more. If they didn't have a steel section I'd like them a lot more.

 

Given their steel construction I think that these things could be used as self defense devices .

 

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No pix yet, because, well, it's been it's been a completely insane week (I'll say no more about that in order to not violate the rule about politics...).

 

Yeah, me too. I'd say it's been an insane week+ for most of the people in the world.

 

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 I  tried to reconstitute the ink in the Skrip cartridge, but the syringe I had been using doesn't seem to working right, so I'll have to toss it and pull out a new one; I used the syringe without the needle and got a little distilled water in, just enough to test the pen and do a bit of writing.  I'll definitely prefer getting a converter at some point, though -- if for no other reason than I'm not a big fan of Skrip Red....

 

I'm not sure that there's a converter for the Sheaffer cartridge pens. They are great fountain pens though. May we know what you paid for that one? Some folks here on FPN used to just throw them in with other pens to fill out a grab bag for sale. I am lately seeing some on-line vendors asking ridiculous prices for them.

 

[christam]

Yesterday, Amazon UK had the Pilot Capless Carbonesque White with a medium nib at a fairly unmissable price.  The pen arrived today and TBH I'm astonished at how good the nib is - I thought it might be a touch fine for me to write with comfortably but it's not, it's as perfect as most of the reviews say.  I'll be keeping it.

 

I think I'm nearly done now .............

[mizgeorge]

1 hour ago, christam said:

Yesterday, Amazon UK had the Pilot Capless Carbonesque White with a medium nib at a fairly unmissable price.  The pen arrived today and TBH I'm astonished at how good the nib is - I thought it might be a touch fine for me to write with comfortably but it's not, it's as perfect as most of the reviews say.  I'll be keeping it.

 

I think I'm nearly done now .............

I never seem to spot deals on Amazon - kudos to anyone who does!!

 

I bought a nib creaper yesterday - I've got a couple of vintage nibs that I don't think will fit into anything else, and they're so cheap I don't mind having a couple. Then I had an email this morning to say the triple tails were back in stock, so I couldn't help myself, I added one of those to the order before it was shipped. 

 

All of which was very naughty, because I'm supposed to be rationing myself at the moment. Which is probably why I just bought a couple of cheap piston fillers to put some of my plumix/pluminix nibs into (because I can't bear the horrible con-40 converters any longer). The diet isn't going well, especially after last week's ink slippage.

 

On the other hand, they do make me happy, and that's got to be a good thing at the moment, when joy is generally in rather short supply.

[inkstainedruth]

15 hours ago, N1003U said:

How does the 1911S, actually in the hand, compare, size- and weight-wise to your M20x/40x Pelikans? I have had my eye on a new Sailor for a while, and I am wondering if a 1911S would work for me.

Don't know.  But from what I was reading, as far as specs, the 1911S pens sound comparable in size and weight to a Pro-Gear Slim, and I have one of those.  It's it's a little shorter than my M200 and M400 size pens, and a similar girth.  

Did a quick double check of the technical specs for the different models on Goulet Pens' website.  The Pro-Gear Slim and 1911S pens are the same weight, capped -- 17 grams; the gold marbled M200 is a little lighter weight, at 14 grams capped.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[inkstainedruth]

9 hours ago, Ink Stained Wretch said:

I'm not sure that there's a converter for the Sheaffer cartridge pens. They are great fountain pens though. May we know what you paid for that one? Some folks here on FPN used to just throw them in with other pens to fill out a grab bag for sale. I am lately seeing some on-line vendors asking ridiculous prices for them.

I paid $3 US each for the Sheaffer and the Penatia.  

I was able to find converters to fit the two Skripserts I have, so, I'm hopeful....  

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

[essayfaire]

16 hours ago, N1003U said:

How does the 1911S, actually in the hand, compare, size- and weight-wise to your M20x/40x Pelikans? I have had my eye on a new Sailor for a while, and I am wondering if a 1911S would work for me.

My M20x Pelikans are slighter than the 1911S, both in diameter and weight.  I actually find the Sailor more ergonomic - the grip is just larger enough that my hand is more relaxed. I adore my 1911S; it's a daily use pen.

[inkstainedruth]

2 minutes ago, essayfaire said:

My M20x Pelikans are slighter than the 1911S, both in diameter and weight.  I actually find the Sailor more ergonomic - the grip is just larger enough that my hand is more relaxed. I adore my 1911S; it's a daily use pen.

Good to know.  

I'm waffling over nibs, and which to get for which pen.  Looked at online writing tool examples at both Anderson Pens and Goulet Pens, and am leaning towards a MF (it appeared to have some line variation) and a music nib (okay, it's not a true 3-tined music nib, but still...).  Just trying to decide which nib in which pen....  I figure if I do end up springing for a Pro-Gear Slim Blue Dwarf at some point, I can go to my old standby F nib. 

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[ENewton]

The Sailor 1911S is a longer than the Pro Gear Slim.

[N1003U]

5 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

Don't know.  But from what I was reading, as far as specs, the 1911S pens sound comparable in size and weight to a Pro-Gear Slim, and I have one of those.  It's it's a little shorter than my M200 and M400 size pens, and a similar girth.  

Did a quick double check of the technical specs for the different models on Goulet Pens' website.  The Pro-Gear Slim and 1911S pens are the same weight, capped -- 17 grams; the gold marbled M200 is a little lighter weight, at 14 grams capped.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

Thanks. Unless the difference is significant, I rarely notice length differences. Weight, balance, and diameter, however are important to me, I recently bought a 1911 Realo (I couldn’t find an old red MB146 at a reasonable price), but it feels a _little_ bit heavier than a normal 1911, due to the piston mechanism, I suppose.

 

The 1911S and M20x seem close enough that I want to try a 1911S. I am generally more of am M60x fanboi, but the M20x is slowly growing on me (I like Pelikan’s steel nibs). I also like Sailor nibs, so a similar pen with a Sailor nib is quite interesting to me.
 

 

5 hours ago, essayfaire said:

My M20x Pelikans are slighter than the 1911S, both in diameter and weight.  I actually find the Sailor more ergonomic - the grip is just larger enough that my hand is more relaxed. I adore my 1911S; it's a daily use pen.

Thanks for the feedback. That is exactly what I’d like to know: how the pen feels in the hand (in this case compared to one I am  already familiar with). I am currently looking for a couple of daily workhorses, and I think the 1911S might be one for me.

[Carrau]

I just ordered a Narwhal Schuylkill ebonite pen to try out, after they were restocked at Dromgoole’s.  
https://www.dromgooles.com/narwhal-limited-edition-365-schuylkill-ebonite-fou.html

[ENewton]

7 hours ago, N1003U said:

I am currently looking for a couple of daily workhorses, and I think the 1911S might be one for me.

 

My 1911S is the one pen I always have inked.

[mizgeorge]

1 hour ago, Carrau said:

I just ordered a Narwhal Schuylkill ebonite pen to try out, after they were restocked at Dromgoole’s.  
https://www.dromgooles.com/narwhal-limited-edition-365-schuylkill-ebonite-fou.html

I picked up my first Narwhal a few weeks ago and I'm surprisingly impressed. I got it mainly to use with other nibs (because I'll always opt for a piston filler if I can find one), but even the stock nibs were excellent out of the box. 

 

That ebonite version looks very pleasing.

[Carrau]

I’ve been interested in them for awhile, although precious little has been mentioned about them on FPN.  Here’s hoping my experience is like yours. They advertise that the pen is made entirely in house, and I’m looking forward to trying their nib.  Options were limited for the nib, so I opted for the medium, so there may a little room for modification if needed.  What other nibs were you thinking of using, if I may ask?

[mizgeorge]

25 minutes ago, Carrau said:

I’ve been interested in them for awhile, although precious little has been mentioned about them on FPN.  Here’s hoping my experience is like yours. They advertise that the pen is made entirely in house, and I’m looking forward to trying their nib.  Options were limited for the nib, so I opted for the medium, so there may a little room for modification if needed.  What other nibs were you thinking of using, if I may ask?

They take pretty much any #6 nib - I actually bought an extra nib unit to tinker with (they were pretty inexpensive) so I had both medium and fine, but I've used several other nibs - including a zebra g dip pen and a couple of favourite JoWo stubs with pretty faultless results - I did modify a spare feed a bit for the zebra so that it would keep up. The stock nibs are actually really nice though - I only switched them out when I wanted a wider tip for a rather light green ink and to play with the flex nib - which was fun. 

[WLSpec]

This wasn't an entirely impulsive purchase, as I have been looking at this specific model for a while, but yesterday I decided to pick up a vintage Pelikan 400 Tortoise with an OB nib. I'm really excited for this one - It'll be my first vintage Pelikan, and based on pictures I've seen online, this pen is a beauty. 

[Ink Stained Wretch]

On 1/15/2021 at 8:21 AM, A Smug Dill said:

 .... Getting fifteen Platinum Preppy pens would not be so cheap, especially if I wanted to have them in hand and ready within the week. Then it crossed my mind last night that I had a ‘Preppy-wannabe’ from Daiso that has its version of the Slip and Seal inner cap I bought months ago but haven't yet taken out from its blister pack, so I dug it out, tried it, and it wrote quite well — at least as well as the Daiso-Hauser pen, actually — so it would be a cheaper and more immediately available solution, assuming they are actually in stock at my local Daiso. ....

 

Um, what do those fountain pens cost? Are there photographs of them? Are they available on-line?

 

Oh, am I weakening again? Am I going to fall off the wagon again?