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Vunter

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I'm a college student that got hooked or you could say got hit by the curiosity with fountain pens. The last several years I've been studying and since money was tight was satisfied with writing with the pens I already obtained. I already have a thread going on over in the nibs and tines section regarding my hunt for a flexy pen, but also am thinking about a different next pen as well. I should say I haven't decided which pen I will get first and there will be a significant amount of time in-between purchases. I will list the pens I already own as a jumping off point into a discussion of sorts I'm seeking surrounding my hunt for that "next" pen.

Pens I own:

Lamy 2000 - Fine

Lamy Safari - Medium and 1.1 Stub
Twsbi Eco - Broad and 1.1 Stub
Pilot Metro - Medium, Fine, and 1.0 Stub

Faber Castell Loom - Medium
Jinhao x450 - Medium Goulet

Churchmans Prescriptor - 1.1 Stub
Conklin Crescent Filler Demo - 1.1 Stub

 

My last pen purchase was the Lamy 2000 back in 2017. Actually the bulk of my pen purchases occurred at the start of my addiction to pens lol. Anyways the Lamy 2000 was my first big purchase and it really solidified how great it feels to write with a pen that truly speaks to you. I've learned as I grow in the hobby and learn more about pens that one pen isn't necessarily better than another pen; they just provide different experiences. I write with each one of my pens more so than others but nonetheless I reach for each one of my pens when I want to experience that unique experience that only that specific pen can offer. I'll admit my Lamy 2000 gets the most use, it's my favorite among all my pens.

Time has passed and I'm starting to get that affinity again and looking at what else I can expose myself too. Here are some possibilities that I'm looking towards for my next possible pen in no particular order.

 

Platinum 3776
Pelikan M200 / M400

Pilot Vanishing Point / Custom 823 / Custom 74 / Custom 912

Edison Collier
Franklin Christoph Model 19, 20, 02,
Parker 51

Waterman Caréne
Diplomat Aero
Sailor 1911 / Sailor Pro Gear

I'll also admit price is a factor in that the ones I'm leaning towards seem to be easier to find deals, the Platinum's, Pilots, and Sailors especially. I think you can tell I'm honing in on sub $300 in terms of price.
I'm leaning towards one of the pens listed with a gold nib, because I enjoyed the gold nib on my lamy 2000 and would like to experience other pens with gold nibs. At some point I probably will own all those pens listed, but for time being I'm leaning towards:

Sailor 1911 or Pro Gear
Platinum 3776

Pilot Vanishing Point / Custom 823 / Custom 74 / Custom 912

Pelkian m400

Waterman Caréne.

 

Feel free to suggest other pens that you think I should definitely consider. So the discussion I'm hoping to generate is whats that gold nib pen that you think someone who hasn't experienced should definitely take a look at?

Edited by Vunter
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Your list seems like a great starting point, and I would probably lean toward comfort and aesthetics. All of the above pens are great writers in their own way, so pick one that you know you will be happy to have around and use often. I think the Platinum B nib is one of the most unique I've ever used in terms of feeling. I enjoy it, but I know many don't enjoy that kind of feedback from a nib. My favorite pen in those listed is the Custom 823. I have one with a B nib that writes like a dream. In terms of price, the Custom 74 is a great deal for an excellent pen. Good luck with your decision. It's always exciting to be looking for a new pen.

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Pelikan is one of the best pens, and most likely to keep writing without drying up. M200 is excellent, with a variety of nibs.

 

Parker 51 is a pen that lasts and lasts. The PVC sac on the aerometric fillers is almost everlasting. I have several from 1948 with original sacs.

 

I have a few Waterman Carenes in EF, F and M. I wish I had bought a stub instead of one of these, but I'm not going to buy one now. Good pens, but heavier than the preceding and not quite as satisfying to write with.

 

I have used most of the rest of the pens on your list. They are good pens to use.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

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I think everyone should own a Parker 51 :)

 

Great pens, as long as you like the hooded nib thing, which the 2000 also has, albeit to a lesser degree

I also really like my 2000.

Just give me the Parker 51s and nobody needs to get hurt.

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I'm a cheapskate. So let me tell you what I'd suggest for someone on a budget.

 

Get a Pelikan M400 series pen from CultPens. The prices are very good, excellent compared to most US stores.

Unfortunately, the prices are in Euros and I found the actual cost to be a few dollars more than the online conversion calculator said it would be. I *think* this is because of the conversion fee charged by PayPal. Can't say exactly, but I think the cost will come out to about $225. But still, it's a good deal for a gold-nib pen, especially compared to most US stores.

 

Or get a Pelikan M200 (steel nib) from EndlessPens. They have a couple of models in stock for just under $100.

 

Then buy one, two or more nibs. The Pelikan M200 and M400 use the same size nibs. This means you can buy one pen and five more nibs for a complete Pelikan writing experience. (Steel F, M, B, Gold F, M, B.) And if you really want to have fun, pay another $50 to have a nib ground to something special.

 

Both Endless and Cult have cheaper prices on nibs than most US sellers. Watch for specials. I got mine on sale.

 

During the last black friday sale, I went with the M400 series mostly because I have long been drooling over the Souveran stripes, but also because I wanted to try a gold nib. The pen I purchased was in stock with only a medium nib, which turns out to be my least favorite of the gold Pelikan nibs. I've since purchased an M400 EF nib (my favorite) and M400 B nib (second favorite).

One pretty M405 Stresemann pen plus three gold nibs makes a cheapskate like me very happy. :)

 

In 2020 I plan to have the B ground to a cursive italic (something I've not yet tried). Not sure what I'll do with the medium nib. Maybe sell it. Maybe have it ground to a crisp italic or an oblique, just for the sake of trying a different kind of nib.

Edited by melissa59

"You have to be willing to be very, very bad in this business if you're ever to be good. Only if you stand ready to make mistakes today can you hope to move ahead tomorrow."

Dwight V. Swain, author of Techniques of the Selling Writer.

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I don't think you'll surpass a L2K.

 

Having said that, I would get a Parker 51. In addition to being a stellar workhorse, they are a bona fide piece of fountain pen history, responsible for a host of innovations. And they come in so many different configurations that, like M&Ms, you won't be able to stop at one... :)

Vintage. Cursive italic. Iron gall.

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Of the pens you've listed, I think the Sailor will give you the most different writing experience to the L2k.

 

Certainly the one 14K medium sailor nib I have is springy and a nice writer. Not a great ink capacity.

 

Diplomat & Platinum's nibs are nice too. The Diplomat makes a reliable writer - no line variation, but a dependable nib. The broad platinum nibs will give you a very smooth writing experience.

 

However, I'd also throw in the Platinum Modern Make-I pens into the mix - they come with a more delightful 18K nib with has a nice spring to it. You don't get the slip & seal, but you do get a nicer nib, and a prettier pen.

 

I have a Carene, but the Lamy 2K gets more use. In my experience Waterman pens tend to give a broader line than other brands. Their medium is on the broad side - and the fine is more on the medium side. The Carene is a beautiful looking pen, but you need a higher grip to take into account the inlaid nib, or you get ink on your hands.

 

I've handled an 823 - and it is a gorgeous pen, with a lovely nib.

 

A nice P51 is good to find, but not all are equal. I've had one with a scratchy fine/medium nib - and it wasn't pleasant at all. I've now got one with a lovely smooth medium nib, that cost me extra as reconditioned medium that is in my rotation.

 

Maybe I'm not helping much - if you have the budget, my 1st choice would be the 823, 2nd - the Platinum Make-e or Sailor, and 3rd the Diplomat.

 

I don't have any Pelikan Souverans so I can't offer a comparison on those.

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I would suggest a Pelikan 200....or a semi-vintage '82-97 no gold ring 400, in both have real nice springy regular flex nibs, with the classic tear drop tipping, which ='s a nice clean line. A nice comfortable ride.

 

A modern post '97 400 has a fat and blobby butter smooth semi-nail nib....not as clean a line as the 200/400semi-vintage or vintage nibs.

If you use cheap paper....butter smooth has it's advantages there..........on slick good paper like Clairefontaine Triomphe or Rhoda 80-90g, skates, harder to control.

Cheap paper doesn't allow shading, one needs 90g or better for two toned shading.

Regular flex is better for shading than the wetter semi-flex....and the fatter blobby modern nib is wetter in it is 1/2 a width wider than vintage or semi-vintage.

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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I personally love my M400, and I think that would be a great choice. All of those pens are great though, can't really go wrong there. 3776 can be found for $50 or so on Amazon with a bit of looking, so if you aren't looking to spend a ton that is a great pen for a lower price.

 

Good luck finding the right pen!

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So the discussion I'm hoping to generate is whats that gold nib pen that you think someone who hasn't experienced should definitely take a look at?

 

 

Any Sailor fountain pen with some flavour of a Naginata specialty nib, but that's putting the cart before the horse. Unless you're going for something extremely unusual (and expensive!) body such as a Sailor susutake (smoked bamboo) pen, the bulk of the value is in the nib there and not the pen body. I don't know how easy it is these days to get a Naginata togi nib in, say, a Sailor Professional Gear Classic with rhodium trim, if you happen to prefer flat ends on a pen as opposed to the more traditional cigar shape. I don't have a pen with a Naginata togi nib, because I don't think it writes fine enough at its narrowest point for my purposes, but I have one with a Naginata Concord nib (and a brand new one with a Naginata Concord Emperor nib, which is no longer produced), and that I think is something quite special and different. Definitely worth taking a look at, even if you don't end up buying one, or perhaps you decide that those nibs just don't work for you and will never make your wish list irrespective of price and availability.

 

A Pilot Justus 95. I just tested the one I received last week, four months after I place my order for it. Astoundingly good! But it's not for "flex" calligraphy, just writing "flair".

 

A Pilot Capless (Vanishing Point, Décimo, Fermo or L.S. — take your pick), Lamy Dialog 3, or some other fountain pen with a retractable nib mechanism. It's not just about the writing experience there, but the whole deployment use case and usage experience. I prefer Capless VP pens for both the single-handed operation (whereas the Lamy Dialog 3 would require two free hands to deploy the nib) and the girth, not to mention also the wide variety of bodies available compared to say the Décimo or the Fermo), and there are twelve of them in my household.

 

 

I'll also admit price is a factor in that the ones I'm leaning towards seem to be easier to find deals, the Platinum's, Pilots, and Sailors especially. I think you can tell I'm honing in on sub $300 in terms of price.

 

Your ability to score a good deal is not something I'm going to factor into account; as in, whether you're able to get a Sailor Profit21 with a Naginata togi nib or a Pilot Justus 95 for under US$300 is about your skill and luck as a buyer. (I'd say, however, that I paid less than that for my new Justus.) How and where to get a good pen cheaply is not what I'm interested in at all when it comes to discussing the merits of and recommendations for particular pens, sorry.

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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(whereas the Lamy Dialog 3 would require two free hands to deploy the nib)

 

I can deploy the nib on my Dialog 3 with just one hand. The back of the barrel rests in the crook of the palm, I twist the nib end with my fingers.

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Great pens in your list. For me the Pelikan M400 would be the next pen!

PAKMAN

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I'd say the Vanishing Point is the most unique fountain pen on your list. You'll almost certainly want one eventually. Of course it might not fit your grip, so see if you can try one before you buy.

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I just got a Carene and holy (bleep) is it impressive. The M in particular is a glassy stub.

 

But it's not that different in feel from a 2000.

 

pilot 823 is by far the most "premium" pen in your list. You can get it with an F, M, B, or from tokyo pen quill shop in Japan (price, shipped should still be under MSRP. I think mine was 280 after tax and shipping) with an FA or Waverly nib.

 

I'd say the 823 is the only pen you listed that's a step "up" from the lamy. The Lamy 2000 is a hard pen to beat, honestly. It's got a fit and finish that shames some thousand dollar pens.

 

I personally kind of hate the vanishing point. I would suggest you try one, and even then, if you like it, get the steel nib "special alloy" version first, try it for a while (it's half the price) and if you like it, upgrade the nib for about $75. Total price is about the same as a gold nib VP and you actually wind up with two nibs in the end.

 

If I needed a retractable nib pen, lamy dialog 3 every day. It's unbelievable.

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

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I think everyone should own a Parker 51 :)

Funny, that's how I feel about the Sheaffer Imperial. Well, I guess that's a rivalry that runs deep!

 

Anyhow, I would most definitely nudge Vunter towards looking at some vintage pens. There is more bang-for-buck, there is more history, and very often there are better nibs. And collecting them can be more interesting, because you have to explore and hunt around rather than just ordering exactly what you want from a catalog.

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Funny, that's how I feel about the Sheaffer Imperial. Well, I guess that's a rivalry that runs deep!

 

Anyhow, I would most definitely nudge Vunter towards looking at some vintage pens. There is more bang-for-buck, there is more history, and very often there are better nibs. And collecting them can be more interesting, because you have to explore and hunt around rather than just ordering exactly what you want from a catalog.

I mean the only store I've found in my area in twin cities mn is fountain pen recycler and he lists all the vintage pens that's avail so that's just like ordering a new pen online. Not to mention all the online sites that Cary vintage pens. Unless someone in my area can school me on where to find vintage to me it seems like a pretty equal experience in that most vintage pens thus far I've seen I'd be buying from an online site anyways fountain pen recycler,Peyton street,parker51.com, etc...

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you have listed some very nice pens, you seem to have a very carefully studied plan, and it is likely you will gradually own several of those pens, in fact you cannot go far wrong following your plan.

So your question is also correctly posed, which will be next after the Lamy 2000. It's clear you're not worried even by the reply saying "there's nothing after the Lamy 2000", obviously there is and you have correctly captured the fact that it will be something "different".

I'm with the bunch suggesting a Pelikan.

Which Pelikan may be the other question.

The M200 and M400 are very nice pens, with very different nibs (I like both very much). I would try them for size, as they tend to be smallish for some, to the extent that your next pen might even be an M600 (some nice offers are keeping price below $300).

Viceversa if the smaller size suits you I believe the Pelikan piston and nib system really makes this pen different.

The M200 steel nibs are surprisingly springy, no other steel nib around compares IMO, giving the M200 a very peculiar character.

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