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Pride of pen: your personal pen style


peroride

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For me the prime parameter remains ink colours, if anyone saw my collection without taking it into account they would think: signs of schizophrenia!

 

The "aha!" moment was with a medium nib, large Professional Gear which I took a risk on by making it wetter, makes Tsuyu Kusa look spectacular when it looked drab with every other pen I tried. From then on it has been a search for the right pen for each ink; even inks I initially thought I would always dislike found a home: Bleu Austral in an EF Ambition for instance, Verdigris in an M600 F I idiotically turned into a BB by trying to improve it. Some combinations which felt right just didn't work out, an F M605 turns Verdigirs way too dark.

 

Other combinations that would be very much "me":

 

Black and rhodium F Carène with Asa Gao.

F Man 100, Vert Empire.

F M205 and Hisoku.

M W5 and Fuyu Gaki.

 

"The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt."

 

B. Russell

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My fountain pen style:

  • Flat-top
  • Japanese Eyedropper (shutoff valve) or Piston-filler
  • XXXF Flex-nib & Ebonite feed

Whether that be the Genesis-Sleipnir, Visconti-Corsani, Penbbs-355, or my beloved EDC Opus-88 SODF-Demo...they all are built the same.

Eat The Rich_SIG.jpg

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For me, it is good, understated, classical pens. Like MBs and the Kaweco Sport, or modern, minimalistic designs like the MB Slimline/Noblesse or the Kaweco Liliput.

 

Out of nostalgia I also like ancient hard-rubber, small to tiny sized eyedropper pens. They remind me of the pens at my grandad house when I was a kid.

 

My history is different. I started when I was a kid, and was sold to them instantly, they'd write with no effort or pressure, I could reload them and switch colours. Their only problem was that they tended to break at the plastic parts, usually the section, but also cap or barrel.

 

Until after I graduated I was looking for a full metal pen. Metal barrel and cap, yes, there were, but the section was usually  plastic and would break sooner or later. At some point I started to find pens with a metal ring at the tip of the section, but being too absent minded I would wear them in a pocket and they would fall (from shirt pockets) or I'd sit on them (when in jeans' pockets) and break again.

 

In 1990, I think, I finally found a full-metal pen. I was looking for a new pen and asking in all the B&M stores if they'd have one. Found this tiny store where they had an MB Slimline which they assured me was all metal (section included) and decided to give it a try.

 

25 years later it was still my pen (together with a 146). Then, in a course in -I think- Casablanca, it fell nib down. The tines were slightly misaligned, and I could easily fix it but it got me thinking it would be time to look for a second one. I discovered they were discontinued, hunted for some in eBay, and this got me thinking it might also be good to have a second MB Meisterstück, just in case as well.

 

However, I was somewhat disappointed: modern pens didn't write like the ones of old (no  line variation). Started looking around and posts on FPN induced me to expand my search, initially Jinhao frankenpens and Noodler's or FPR, then old tiny HR eyedroppers, then 40's-50's German black-cigar shaped pens with "flexy" nibs.

 

The Casablanca episode and continuing traveling to "risky" locations (not the geography, but the premises --usually NBRC toxic waste dumps--) together with new searches for full metal pens led me to the Kaweco metal Sports and Liliputs and clones.

 

So that leaves me with: by design, cigar-shaped German pens (MB, Reform, Garant...), for practicality, Minimalist metal pens like the MB Slimline/Noblesse (my preferred workhorse) and the Kaweco Liliput, and for joy of writing, early 20th Century flex, tiny eyedroppers (like the Peter Pan and Peggy Pen).

 

All in all, simple designs, conspicuous, understated and, if possible, sturdy and flexible.

 

And all these last years, pens to give away as presents to relatives, friends, students...

 

Added: I have recently discovered Kuretake brush fountain pens, which are great for sketching on the field, and got an "urushi" and two "maki-e" metal Kuretakes. Also cigar shaped, minimal, metal and understated yet obviously distinctive. May I be opening a new can of worms?

If you are to be ephemeral, leave a good scent.

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School pens were first, starting with a brown flat top Stypen fountain pen with a very generous and smooth medium nib, in 4th grade. 

 

The next year, I needed a second fountain pen, because we were writing a lot more, and I wanted to ditch the ballpoints for good.

So I got a Waterman steel school pen.

 

In 6th or 7th grade, I saw, then bought or was gifted, a Waterman Torsade, which was stolen from me by a classmate, who went to the same school, even the same class, for many years. 

 

At University, I used a Waterman steel pen, i think the Torsade plainer replacement, then 3 plastic pen backups, because even more writing was produced. 

 

Later on, I was gifted a Waterman Phileas.

 

Then, in a pen store, where I went to buy a bottle of blue ink, I discovered  that Lamy Safari had a set (fountain pen, ballpoint, rollerball and pencil) in primary colors. I bought one set.

 

I also bought inks in nice colors and beautiful dip pens.

 

I became a member of the Fountain Pen Network and discovered all kind of fountain pen brands, their history, and everything else FPN has to offer, including nice people to talk to and lovely mods.

 

This lead me to go to pen shows where I bought more fountain pens, with bright colors that matched my inks, I also bought more inks to match the new fountain pens.

Sheaffer No-Nonsenses, as well as Bexleys, Taccias, Watermans, the last 3 are smaller width and length fountain pens. 

 

I also discovered pen wraps and inkwells, the firsts to house my fountain pens and the second to play with my dip pens. 

 

Before they were discontinued, more Phileases came my way.

 

I also bought Danitrio Torpedoes in colors I liked.

 

Later, Safaris and Al-Stars with cute, limited edition colors that match inks I own, were bought to replace the smaller fountain pens, described above.

 

I also have a Studio and an Aion. 

 

They are the lovely replacement to the Torsade, I miss to this day, the only consolation is that I would not be able to use it now, because it is a small width and length fountain pen. 

 

All of my fountain pens are modern and flat tops, except the Phileases and the Torpedoes.

 

I never bought any fine nib, I used medium nib until I bought, my second Safari and first Vista with broad Lamy nibs.

 

 

 

Is it fair for an intelligent and family oriented mammal to be separated from his/her family and spend his/her life starved in a concrete jail?

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For me there are a fair number of pens in my collection that just call to me when I open the drawer.  There's not really any rhyme or reason that ties them together, it's just ones that really grab me and I love writing with.  So here's my list:

 

  • Pilot Custom 823 (Amber)
  • Pilot Elite 95S (Champagne, Burgundy)
  • Lamy 2000
  • Lamy Dialog 3
  • Montegrappa Ducale Murano (Blue and Gold)
  • Pineider Avatar (Riace Bronze)
  • Parker 50 (Falcon)
  • Wahl-Eversharp Symphony 707
  • Waterman Carene (Marine Amber)
  • Laban Antique (Gold)
  • Diplomat Aero (Orange)
  • Opus 88 Bela (Red)
  • Nettuno 1911 (Black Sands with Ruthenium finish)
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On 7/21/2021 at 10:08 PM, TSherbs said:

me: cheap, utilitarian

 

my pens: same same

 

except I bought a Pilot 74, from Japan (<$100)

 

In order to be more specific:

 

favorite pen overall: Nemosine Singularity: cheap, utilitarian, from Pennsylvania, occasional cracks and blemishes, screw is misplaced

 

me: same same same same same

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I didn't have a choice, the Germans exported all the pretty pens, leaving just black and gold...........well I didn't have the extra 20-30% to chase the pretty ones, that were left.

 

And I chase the nib....so I don't look like your dog.

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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  • 3 weeks later...

All my working hours are spent on the computer, but I'm working on four or five projects for different customers, so lots of notes are taken. The Caran d'Ache Ecridor "retro" is probably the pen I reach for most, it's such a smooth writer. There are also a few Moonman M2 transparent eyedroppers that have different coloured inks (mostly Diamine) and are only ever half filled because I like the way the colours show. There is a colourful Schon DSGN Pocket 6 which doesn't get used much because it dries out very quickly if left uncapped.

A Parker 25, which I used for school and  university in the '70s, and is another very smooth writer, lives in the camera bag.

 

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Vintage Sheaffer Vac Fill Oversize Balance for me and Modern Conklin Nozac Wordgauge because vac filled pens and great nibs. Also Conway Stewart Model 100s and MB149 because piston fillers and I do like their egronomics

Pens are like watches , once you start a collection, you can hardly go back. And pens like all fine luxury items do improve with time

 

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