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Which Brand Do You Enjoy The Most And Trust Blindly?


The-Thinker

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I've never met a Waterman, vintage or modern, that I didn't like or that let me down. I did return a Perspective because it was too heavy, not for techincal reasons.

"I was cut off from the world. There was no one to confuse or torment me, and I was forced to become original." - Franz Joseph Haydn 1732 - 1809
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wow that is impressive ! by toledo you mean the pelikan ?

 

Conklin nibs were made in Toledo, Ohio until a group of investors bought the company in 1938 and moved production to Chicago. Quality plunged after the move. There are a fair number of Conklins out there with Chicago barrels/caps but nibs made in Toledo that are pretty good writers but Chicago nibs are, at best, second tier quality.

Dave Campbell
Retired Science Teacher and Active Pen Addict
Every day is a chance to reduce my level of ignorance.

fpn_1425200643__fpn_1425160066__super_pi

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Sailor, probably. I have three Pro Gear Slims (EF, F and M) and a Nagasawa branded Sailor Pro Gear Slim Mini (MF). They're all always inked, I reach for them often, and it's one of these (plus cartridges) that I would take on a short trip. I like them better than my Lamy 2000 and they get used more often than my Pelikan M400, although that's partly because I'm scared of losing the Pelikan.

 

EDIT: Oh, and I also have the Sailor multifunction pen.

Edited by Antenociticus

Lined paper makes a prison of the page.

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Platinum. I bought a 3776 about 6 months ago and promptly bought another. The best out of the box nibs I’ve ever used (if you like feedback nibs). Maybe a little boring in the design department, but if we’re talking about blind trust I suppose boring isn’t a bad thing.

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Platinum. I bought a 3776 about 6 months ago and promptly bought another. The best out of the box nibs Ive ever used (if you like feedback nibs). Maybe a little boring in the design department, but if were talking about blind trust I suppose boring isnt a bad thing.

Hi MusterMark,

 

The 3776 Century is a great pen. I always opt for the broad nib - those are just the opposite - silky smooth.

 

And you can't beat the slip & seal cap - it really does work. 👍

 

Sean :)

https://www.catholicscomehome.org/

 

"Every one therefore that shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father Who is in Heaven." - MT. 10:32

"Any society that will give up liberty to gain security deserves neither and will lose both." - Ben Franklin

Thank you Our Lady of Prompt Succor & St. Jude.

 

 

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Pelikan for me. Out of 25 or so M-series (and a bunch of Pelikanos), I've really only been burned once.

It's hard work to tell which is Old Harry when everybody's got boots on.

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Without a doubt: Pelikan. My 101N and 400N are my favourite pens.

Close second: Sailor. I really like my Pro Gear Slim.

 

For ink: can't go past Waterman. Always dependable.

Close second: MontBlanc. Rohrer & Klingner.

Other brands such as Diamine offer some great inks but in my experience aren't as forgiving or adaptable to all pens.

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Like many I choose Pelikan and Lamy as first choice to enjoy and trust. I recently discovered the Lamy Pur, and enjoy it quite a lot.

About trust I also choose some cartrige-pens by Aurora (Ipsilon, Marco Polo, and Ferrari - that one made by Aurora in the 80's) that are working flawlessly since decades. And Schneider, a german school pen manufacturer.

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Pelikan pens are my favorite. I have M205, M600/605/620, M805, M101n, and vintage 400 from 50s. I buy them from dealers who check the pen before shipping. I think that is why all my Pelikans work perfectly out of box.

 

M101n is my favorite, I have the red tortoise. It is also the only pen giving issues. It is on its journey back to factory for a repair of the piston filler. This is my second repair in one year of owning the pen. The first had been ink leaking from pen body. However, the repair experience has been really smooth and completely free. I am still looking forward to buy more of this line.

 

I do not like converters, and from what I read, Pelikan makes the best piston filler. So the choice is easy.

 

The only pen I am putting up with the ink converter hassle is a Lamy Safari with 14k black gold EF nib. I needed an easy pull-open pen to use at meetings. The lamy black gold nib is a beauty, the EF writes some tooth, fun to use. And I can change the pen body when new colors of Lamy gets released.

 

For inks, Iroshizuku and Montblanc. Iroshizuku inks are all consistently wet, they work well in most of my pens. A few birds that are too wet need Montblanc Toffee Brown to get to the wetness level I like. Montblanc has more interesting colors like Swan Illusion, which looks great in a few of my brownish pens.

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  • 2 years later...

Okay so what I have to say maybe wildly unpopular with some but, between us and just a few hundred thousand of our closest friends, I have had $3 Chinese pens write better than $1,000 Italian designer pens right out of the box. I trust no one brand or vendor implicitly. I have had good and bad results from across the spectrum. I don't know how many pens I have in my collection, my wife does down to the last one for sure! That said, there are very few pens I have purchased which have been perfect for me right out of the box. I have had to tinker with most a bit here or there.

 

Then there is of course the subject of ink and paper. There is no perfect pen without the marriage of ink and paper. The pen is only perfect if the three complement each other. There is only one pen that I have that can write almost perfectly on every stationary with almost any ink. That is a 1925 Parker Duofold I restored myself and which happens to be in spectacular condition.  Although it is one of my favorite pens and probably the most versatile with respect to the ability to digest ink and paper, it is not my favorite with respect to how it writes.  It is effectively a non-flexible nail but every time it's called upon to write it does flawlessly and consistently. It is smooth and has a very metered wet flow, can write on carbonless or carbon duplicate paper, but is not very exciting.

 

That's it, I trust no one brand. I have had scratchy Sailors, perfect Pilots, nasty Namikis, abominable Auroras, painful Pelikans, pleasant Parkers, woeful Watermans, shameful Sheaffers, the whole gamut.  And again, what you're writing on is just as important as what you're writing with. The three, pen, ink and paper can't be separated.

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Pilot 

 

Pilot 

 

Pilot

The prizes of life are never to be had without trouble - Horace
Kind words do not cost much, yet they accomplish much - Pascal

You are never too old to set a new goal or dream a new dream - C.S. Lewis

 Favorite shop:https://www.fountainpenhospital.com

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Well, I own more Parkers than any other brand of fountain pen.  I have 1 51 that’s a bit of problem child, but I bet it just needs some professional TLC to work well. The more modern ones are not my particular niche,  but I feel like I can go to Staples or something and buy whichever one they have and be ok with it. Sailor I have less experience with, I just have a few steel nibs and a 14k Chalana, but the QC is very good.

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Based on my experience it would have to be Pelikan and Pilot. 

Current lineup:

Pilot Custom 743

Montblanc 146 LeGrande

Lamy 2000

Platinum 3776 Jade

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17 hours ago, DiveDr said:

Okay so what I have to say maybe wildly unpopular with some but, between us and just a few hundred thousand of our closest friends, I have had $3 Chinese pens write better than $1,000 Italian designer pens right out of the box. I trust no one brand or vendor implicitly. I have had good and bad results from across the spectrum. I don't know how many pens I have in my collection, my wife does down to the last one for sure! That said, there are very few pens I have purchased which have been perfect for me right out of the box. I have had to tinker with most a bit here or there.

 

Then there is of course the subject of ink and paper. There is no perfect pen without the marriage of ink and paper. The pen is only perfect if the three complement each other. There is only one pen that I have that can write almost perfectly on every stationary with almost any ink. That is a 1925 Parker Duofold I restored myself and which happens to be in spectacular condition.  Although it is one of my favorite pens and probably the most versatile with respect to the ability to digest ink and paper, it is not my favorite with respect to how it writes.  It is effectively a non-flexible nail but every time it's called upon to write it does flawlessly and consistently. It is smooth and has a very metered wet flow, can write on carbonless or carbon duplicate paper, but is not very exciting.

 

That's it, I trust no one brand. I have had scratchy Sailors, perfect Pilots, nasty Namikis, abominable Auroras, painful Pelikans, pleasant Parkers, woeful Watermans, shameful Sheaffers, the whole gamut.  And again, what you're writing on is just as important as what you're writing with. The three, pen, ink and paper can't be separated.


I'm with you a bit.  I don't blindly trust anything.  

That said, I'm fond of Cheap Chinese Pens that write well.  And most of them do.

My latest ebook.   And not just for Halloween!
 

My other pen is a Montblanc.

 

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19 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:


I'm with you a bit.  I don't blindly trust anything.  

That said, I'm fond of Cheap Chinese Pens that write well.  And most of them do.

LOL, yes they do!  Just picked up a few Jinhao Centennial pens, various nib sizes.  All of them perfect writers out of the gate.  The fit, finish and materials rival pens more than 10x the price from other brands.  Done some custom nib work on two of them and for $118.00 USD each I have 2 pens with 14kt. gold flex nibs that write close to vintage flex experience and rival a Duofold in appearance and quality.

 

Seriously, if one is willing to tinker a bit (yes it does take some skill) you get the exact pen you want, performs the way you want it to, looks great, is durable and high quality all at a fraction of the price of the high dollar options.😁

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In addition, now, to Pelikan, I've been generally pleased with my Optimas and, more recently, my Sailor Pro Gear Slims and feel I can buy either with confidence, with a slight edge, perhaps, to Sailor.

It's hard work to tell which is Old Harry when everybody's got boots on.

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19 hours ago, Maurizio said:

Pilot 

 

Pilot 

 

Pilot

 

Almost!  :D

 

Sailor

 

Sailor

 

Sailor

 

Add lightness and simplicate.

 

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I don't trust anything blindly, but I have never had an old Esterbrook that was not redeemable. 

 

I've never had a Wing Sung 601 that didn't perform well, same with the two inexpensive Lamy models. 

 

The Parker 51's, once restored have proven reliable.

 

 

"Respect science, respect nature, respect all people (s),"

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