Best Pen Under $300 To Last A Lifetime?

[batman94]

Sorry if what I write looks stupid or if i am asking too many questions. I am an absolute noob.

[Bo Bo Olson]

I slipped into this madness. Some pens had sat in the back of the drawer in the desk of my wife's aunt for 15 years before we inherited them....they sat ours for 15 years too.

Then we went to our first flea market....wife asked how much for those pens......Fountain pens... worthless obsolete things.... 1 Euro for the regular ones....5 for the pretty one.

I was then tasked to look the prices up. I ended up here.....very, very, very ignorant.

This was before the last depression so prices were higher.

I recognized only the Esterbrook name...being American...and knew only of MB and Pelikan...and had not liked the looks of the 2000 from 1966 the first time I've seen one. I don't see them listed on Ebay as used ....when I do look for them now. I was 'noobie' dumb. Snorkel was the once King of Pens, the P-51 the Prince and my locked up in my wife's jewelry prison P-75 set, the new King.

I started looking at 20:00 by 02:00 I had a collection. Between Ebay and FPN....I found prices....and here, I found info.

 

Osmia-Faber-Castell (????? Who the hell ever heard of one of them...some German maybe, but not some dumb American) model 540 @ 1951....and I did not know then the Osmia diamond nib was semi-flex nor the Supra that this one is was maxi-semi-flex. In fact I didn't know a thing other that it had that 'wet line' that 'everyone' wanted (learned here). (It was the mdl 54 before Osmia got bought up by Faber Castell.)

Eventually I'd get a Pelikan 140....my first 'known' semi-flex....and there I'd had one from the get go. It needed to be re-corked so that was why I was slow off the start on semi-flex.

 

$250 and I'd sold it for E5.00. Then per-depression my P-75 = $225 & $150/170 for the BP. ($22 & $18 in silver dollars.) ...No that was never for sale. It was my first gown up fountain pen @ 1970....mugging me as I looked at the Snorkel I'd promised my self as a kid. Only took me 50 years to get a Snorkel.

So suddenly I had a collection. The gray Esterbrook was only worth $15........$30+ today....

 

In I hadn't expected Semi-flex...I'd not looked for it with the Osmia pen.... Sigh....I just found out a few weeks ago....I was born a 'noobie'.

 

We all start off 'noobie'.....and here we get a map, a flashlight and mumbled directions to find an A...& two Elbows. Or was that two A's & an elbow.

Ah, if you can find your elbow with two hands, you read the instructions wrong or had a serious industrial accident.

 

 

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/faber_osmia_62_f_marbled_15_zpscjaqbqgq.jpg

[Noihvo]

 

 

[Bo Bo Olson]

I did mention....every time I did want to look at the prices of a 2000...on German Ebay...there were never any!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Someone is keeping Gramp's pen....instead of selling it.

Bauhaus style is what it's called.....form follows function.

 

This inkwell set is Bauhaus....as simple as form can make it.

Pens a P-75 set.

 

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/IMAG0093_zpspn9xq4wn.jpg

Edited December 9, 2016 by Bo Bo Olson

[bashere]

I want to chime in and be one of the people who say you didn't over pay. Especially for your first pen, consider a big part of it the consultation. Until you've tried a few, you just don't know what works for you. It's a good place to get expert advice. Second, you paid a little for instant gratification . Third, look, the problem isn't the pen, it's the inks. There are so many choices. You want to start building that relationship now (and that expensive fountain pen becomes a lot cheaper when you find out how happy you are buying a new bottle of ink).

 

Welcome to the club. And great choice for a pen.

[inkandseeds]

I feel so sad because I got ripped off for such temptation ....

at the same time I'm also happy that I finally bought a pen that I can keep forever

 

You didn't get ripped off because you bought more than a pen. You bought a relationship with a store that can help you with any pen issues that should arise. When you buy online, you are normally just buying a product, no relationship.

[Sasha Royale]

Get a fully restored Aerometric Parker 51. When appropriate, replace the sac with a silicone sac. My Dad's pen has lasted 65 years, so far.

[Bo Bo Olson]

The original sac of a P-51 was some sort of fiberglass that is mostly still good after only 60-65 years. No other sac close.

 

If needed to change....dead simple...to use shellac ....1-10 mix. Buy the best and smallest amount of shellac...will last you a life time or two....could even take to doing furniture with the left overs.

Edited December 10, 2016 by Bo Bo Olson

[Freddy]

Sorry if what I write looks stupid or if i am asking too many questions. I am an absolute noob.

 

 

Firstly..congratulations on your new pen.

 

You have nothing to be sorry for and continue asking questions.

 

Fred

[Recoil Rob]

Get a Pelikan 400 for $200-250 then spend the extra money to have a nibmeister tune it to your liking.

 

Don't look back.

[pajaro]

Parker 51. It will last.

[Sergio 46]

A Diplomat Excellence should do the job without problem; a Lamy 2K metal also.