Ugly Little Pen, But I Love To Write With It

[Paul-in-SF]

Do you have a pen that meets this description (maybe not little, but definitely nothing to look at)?

 

This pen came in a lot of several pens that I bought for parts and to have cheap items to experiment on. This is a Carter's ring top. The color of most of the pen, if it doesn't come across in the photo, is a sort of smoky dark blue with subtle marbling -- I have a feeling it might have been quite attractive when new. But now -- now the cap has the most serious flaws, and when capped that is more than half of what shows.

 

But the writing is very nice. The nib is a Warranted 14K #2, so possibly not original, but it has just the amount of flex that I like to make writing fun, very smooth, only a touch of feedback (which I like, as it helps me feel grounded when I'm writing). It's plenty wet, I suspect the feed would support more flexing than I'm interested in trying. This pen will probably end up in my regular rotation, but unlike some other pens it gives me no pleasure whatever to look at.

 

I suppose I could transfer the nib and feed to another pen that I really like. I'll have to think about that. Anyway, I'm interested in your experiences and what you've done in similar situations.

 

[Zookie]

Give it a good polish with some plastic polish. It might look better!

[Noihvo]

[Freddy]

Speaking personally.....I have no pens that are repulsive in appearance....However...

if said pen is so disagreeable to you.....give it to someone who will enjoy usin' it...

Nothin' in this post constitutes legal advice..this is free..advise you haveta pay...{freakin'smileyfacetimethingie}

Fred..

food is food in the wild....take it when you can get it..........

[kingcobradude]

Unless the cap is cracked or pieces broken off, I am betting a good polish is all it needs to be some eye candy

[ISW_Kaputnik]

I think the word "ugly" gets overused, and I wouldn't apply it to any of the pens that I own. I do have a copper Jinhao, with a dragon pattern in relief, and two little plastic gems for the eyes. I think it's hilariously overdecorated, so perhaps that's the closest to ugly I'd acknowledge. And it does write surprisingly well, as Jinhaos sometimes do. But the relief work makes it uncomfortable to hold, so it could never become a favorite writer.

 

I have some very plain pens among my favorite writers, though. One, a Mabie Todd Swan 3150, is currently inked. And there's a very plain little Sheaffer Flat Top with a 325 nib (Sheaffer experts can tell me if that's the correct terminology to use). Not inked right now, but it's got its place in the rotation; reliable and easy to write with.

 

Simplicity of design appeals to me in any case. I've seen some luxury pens advertised which seem to me as ridiculously overdecorated as my Jinhao. As for damage, a few scratches and other flaws don't bother me if they aren't causing functional issues. And they are probably less jarring on a pen which was relatively plain before it was damaged.

[Honeybadgers]

my mom's old waterman phileas is not pretty anymore. it's starting to brass and the resin is heavily scratched from being just tossed around in her purse for 25 years.

 

The steel nib it had was okay, but I decided to spend about three times what a new phileas was worth on an 18k nib for it, and I love it. It's my "lucky" pen that I use for final exams.

[sidthecat]

The only inherently ugly pen I have is a Noodlers Ahab, which in a strong light is the color of fresh horse manure. I have a few that are dirty or tarnished, but nothing I would otherwise call ‘ugly’.

[Paul-in-SF]

Unless the cap is cracked or pieces broken off, I am betting a good polish is all it needs to be some eye candy

Well, yes, both of those in fact. There is a crack all the way around near the top, so my guess is the inner cap is holding the thing together, and there is a noticeable chip off the lip of the cap (sorry I didn't get that into the photo). But the main thing that bothers me is the cap discoloration which exactly corresponds to the location of the inner cap. Does this mean that the glue used to hold the inner cap in there reacted with the pen's material (whatever that is, I really couldn't tell) and changed the color? I doubt whether that can be remedied with polish. Also the cap doesn't fit snugly on the pen, but that's a minor point.

 

For me appreciating a pen has two parts, both important, although not equally. I don't see the sense in having a pen around that doesn't write well, so the writing quality is the most important to me, and this one scores full marks there. But it should also be a pleasure to pick up and look at and hold, and this one is, well, deficient in that area.

 

I think this would probably only happen to someone who buys vintage pen lots, I would never have bid on this pen by itself, which is likely why it was included in a lot. So in a way it's a pleasant but slightly frustrating surprise.

[Freddy]

Combination of ebonite friction fit inner cap and ink....causing discoloration......

Fred

no glue................................. .............................................

[sidthecat]

Carters are really nice pens with which I’ve had terrible luck. I lost a ringtop with a nice flexy nib when it unscrewed itself and disappeared in a huge nursery. Then a beautiful little green ringtop literally fell apart in my hands as I was writing with it - the celluloid catastrophically failed.

This shouldn’t dissuade you, necessarily.

[MissCellany]

I wouldn't call any of my pens ugly. It'd be a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

[Beechwood]

Do you have a pen that meets this description (maybe not little, but definitely nothing to look at)?

 

This pen came in a lot of several pens that I bought for parts and to have cheap items to experiment on. This is a Carter's ring top. The color of most of the pen, if it doesn't come across in the photo, is a sort of smoky dark blue with subtle marbling -- I have a feeling it might have been quite attractive when new. But now -- now the cap has the most serious flaws, and when capped that is more than half of what shows.

 

But the writing is very nice. The nib is a Warranted 14K #2, so possibly not original, but it has just the amount of flex that I like to make writing fun, very smooth, only a touch of feedback (which I like, as it helps me feel grounded when I'm writing). It's plenty wet, I suspect the feed would support more flexing than I'm interested in trying. This pen will probably end up in my regular rotation, but unlike some other pens it gives me no pleasure whatever to look at.

 

I suppose I could transfer the nib and feed to another pen that I really like. I'll have to think about that. Anyway, I'm interested in your experiences and what you've done in similar situations.

 

 

 

This is going to be an unpopular opinion. I think your pen is gorgeous, and I wouldn't change a thing. I love a pen that shows its age, around 80 years looking wonderful, we can all go and buy a new or restored pen but something that looks so good after so long is a rare sight.

Edited August 19, 2019 by Beechwood

[Paul-in-SF]

 

 

This is going to be an unpopular opinion. I think your pen is gorgeous, and I wouldn't change a thing. I love a pen that shows its age, around 80 years looking wonderful, we can all go and buy a new or restored pen but something that looks so good after so long is a rare sight.

Interesting perspective, and I can respect it. Thanks.

[Zookie]

I have a small Kaweco Perkeo in black and coral that everyone considers ugly. It writes very nice however, and I love using it!

[Noihvo]

 

 

 

[Waltz For Zizi]

Lamy Scala, in my opinion is not so pleasing to the eyes, or at least the cap of the pen, uncapped a actually like the look of it, but damn, is it a good writer, it's in my top 3, and I have over 50 pens. Those gold Lamy nibs are magnific. My number one pen is also a Lamy, but it's a Dialog 3. Number 2, is a Caran d'ache leman. All are juicy smooth writers, just how I like my pens. Not even Visconti's or Montblanc's top these pens.

[Dmact]

My dads old koh-i-nor rapidograph... Its a piston filler and it can take virtually any screw in nib unit i throw at it, osmiroid nibs and estie nibs are both confermed and i'm given to understand conklin nibs will fit as well; koh-i-nor also made their own fp nib units for these pens but i haven't been lucky enough to find one.

 

The barrel is faded and almost gray compaired to the cap. The caps um jewel(?) is painted with what appears to be high gloss enamel, and the clip broke so i replaced it with 4 strands of gold wire twisted together. A true frankenpen for sure but it is a BLAST to write with and can hold about 5 gallons of ink