What pen(s) are you using today?

[OldTravelingShoe]

1 hour ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

DGK Color Tools ‘Chrome SD’

Thank you, @A Smug Dill! After searching ways to buy this, I had to settle for Amazon US. The prices in Europe are exceedingly high, bringing this to near-pro levels when including shipping. For example, the same product from Germany reached €110.76 (€95.86 the sheets + €14.90 shipping)?! In other words, I would have not found this without your help. 

[OldTravelingShoe]

45 minutes ago, Tashi_Tsering said:

Visconti Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee 

Interesting Visconti and Montblanc both played on the theme of royals and crowns. Figures 1-3 depict the Montblanc Patron of Art Hommage to Victoria 4810 fountain pen. 

 

Figure 1. Much more is more. The Montblanc Patron of Art Hommage to Victoria 4810 fountain pen in a museum. 

 

Figure 2. The nib, waiting to be inked. 

 

Figure 3. La couronne de la reine. 

 

Disclaimer: I do not own this pen. I can admire the art and craft that went into it. I can only hope the engineering was a match. 

 

 

[A Smug Dill]

7 minutes ago, OldTravelingShoe said:

After searching ways to buy this, I had to settle for Amazon US. The prices in Europe are exceedingly high, bringing this to near-pro levels when including shipping.

 

The first of these I bought, as a single unit, off eBay, and it cost me A$21.60 delivered.

 

The next time I ordered these, it was as a pack of three, from Amazon AU, and it cost me A$23.17 (all up) delivered. Then, because they arrived with the corner of the cards slightly bent in transit and I complained, Amazon just refunded me for the whole lot.

[OldTravelingShoe]

2 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

The first of these I bought, as a single unit, off eBay, and it cost me A$21.60 delivered.

 

The next time I ordered these, it was as a pack of three, from Amazon AU, and it cost me A$23.17 (all up) delivered. Then, because they arrived with the corner of the cards slightly bent in transit and I complained, Amazon just refunded me for the whole lot.

You've got an excellent deal, @A Smug Dill. I just paid €27.96 for this 😄 Amazing how much prices differ, though, it's like the early days of global trading, say, 17th century... 

[chromantic]

The black and gold-striped slim Targa that came this week. I really wasn't prepared for how absolutely spectacular it is, the pictures did not do it justice.

[essayfaire]

@Tashi_TseringHow à propos!

[ParramattaPaul]

I used a Kaweco Special to write a grocery shopping list, and I'm now using a CS Churchill.

[inkstainedruth]

On 6/4/2022 at 7:19 PM, Carguy said:

I had this pen about 10 years ago and regret having traded it away. I loved that color scheme and wish I could buy it again.

I keep lusting after a Piccadilly Circus -- and then I see the price they go for these days and sort of turn pasty grey....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[inkstainedruth]

16 hours ago, OldTravelingShoe said:

Figure 2. The nib, waiting to be inked. 

While I'm not *remotely* interested in this pen, I do have to admire the heraldic "double rose" design on the nib.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Carguy]

16 minutes ago, inkstainedruth said:

I keep lusting after a Piccadilly Circus -- and then I see the price they go for these days and sort of turn pasty grey....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

Believe me I understand completely. A job loss and other life challenges several years ago forced me to part with some pens out of necessity and I regret many of them as they are irreplaceable now. Such is life though when you have a family to support….many pens cause me to go pasty gray these days!

[mallymal1]

5 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

I keep lusting after a Piccadilly Circus -- and then I see the price they go for these days and sort of turn pasty grey....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

[OldTravelingShoe]

TL;DR: Today, we are meeting for the first time as the Netherlands Pen Club. We started a couple of months back, and on May 16 we announced it on FPN.

 

Many thanks to everyone who contributed, starting with @DvdRiet. The theme of the meeting: "'t pen arrangement" ("The pen tasting").

 

Figures 1 and 2 depict the 10 pens I am adding to the tasting tray, and hopefully everyone will get to try them out and form their own opinion:

1. Platinum pocket pen, 1970s.
2. Sailor pocket pen, 1970s.
3. Pilot pocket pen, 1970s.
4. Ranga Splendour in premium ebonite, two-tone steel BB nib, Bock #8. 
5. Ranga Splendour in premium acrylic, titanium BB nib, Bock #8. 
6. Montblanc 220 matt black, 1970s, 14k OBB nib. 
7. Pelikan M250 old style black, 1980s-1990s, replaced nib in 18C OB. 
8. Parker "51" Mark I, likely 1950s, Greg Minuskin extra-large nib. 
9. Sailor 1911L, Naginata Fude nib. 
10. Noodler's Triple Tail, steel music nib (three-tine, B-BBB). 

 

Figure 1. The first nine. 

 

Figure 2. And then there was only one: Noodler's Triple Tail. Great flow and nib, separate location, also a bag. People who like the smell of roses know why all too well. 

 

Figure 3. All pens are ready to dance. Here, a Bock steel nib, two-tone, placed in pen #4 and fed with Diamine Scarlet ink. There's a titanium cousin of this nib, in pen #5. 

 

Comments are most welcome. 

[dms525]

14 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

I keep lusting after a Piccadilly Circus -- and then I see the price they go for these days and sort of turn pasty grey....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

The M6xx pens are my favorite size for everyday carries, and I have several of the Cities and Famous Places pens. At one time, I bought the Athens for my Greek dil. She treasures it.  At the current prices, I don't think I will ever replace it in my collection. The last M62X I bought was in March, 2015. The current asking prices for these pens are 4-8 times what they were 10 years ago.

 

David

[flodoc]

Pelikan M730 w/18K fine nib and Montblanc black ink.

[A Smug Dill]

[essayfaire]

45 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

Thanks!  It never ceases to amaze me how the same ink can vary in shade from light to dark, even with the same nib.  I love these very thorough samples you provide.  

[Carguy]

6 hours ago, essayfaire said:

Thanks!  It never ceases to amaze me how the same ink can vary in shade from light to dark, even with the same nib.  I love these very thorough samples you provide.  

While I consider myself to have decent handwriting, I am nowhere near as pretty as that!

[AmandaW]

I'm embarrassed to put forward my journal efforts this morning after seeing Smug's page, but the writing scribble sample from a vintage Platinum pocket pen with a Manifold nib and Platinum Blue Black cartridge might still be useful to someone. The pen is nice to use - a sturdy nail as expected - I really like it even if it didn't improve my writing. The trouble is I have to write fast to get my thoughts down before I forget them. It's an age thing.

 

[ParramattaPaul]

it was a re-inking day today.  The five pens re-inked have all been used: Onoto Magna and Scholar, CS Churchill, Duro, and Series 58.

[A Smug Dill]

Y'all are too kind! A flexible nib is pretty much wasted in my hand. I don't think I actually write any better with a ‘calligraphy’ fountain pen then I would any number of entry-level gold-nibbed Japanese pens with nibs that many self-styled ‘flex chasers’ think of as stiff or ‘nails’, or even get all that much more line variation with it.