Choosing a Graduation Pen - Three Years Early

[Frodo]

Hello!

 

I'm new to the message board, and so I hope this is the right spot for a question like this. If not, someone will tell me.

 

In my professional life, I'm a clergy person. In January, I'll be starting a three-year Doctor of Ministry program, and I'd like to choose a pen that I'll purchase for myself when I finish defending my dissertation. I'm relatively new to fountain pens, and so I'm hoping to hear the names of some pens that you've truly come to value and feel might be worthy of celebrating a moment like this. In my mind, I think Montblanc Meisterstück, but that's only because I hear so many people have it as their 'grail pen.' But what else, what am I missing?

 

Thanks for helping me think this through. And, in three years, I'll update this thread with a photo of my new pen!

[Penguincollector]

    A Meisterstück is a great place to start for a pen to celebrate your hard work. It’s more than likely to be available, there’s a variety of pen sizes and nibs to suit just about every hand, and they’re honestly so nice to write with. When I graduated high school, my dad took me to the jewelers and they sat me down to try all of the different sizes and see what felt good in my hand. If you can go in person, I highly recommend it. 
 

   Also check your local stores closer to your graduation just to give yourself options. You may end up liking something else just as much or more. I understand that there’s a nice pen store in KC.

[SpencerianDream]

You should buy a great pen now so you can enjoy using it for 3 years. 
 

You’ll probably do more writing in this time than after so may as well have the best writing implement. 
 

I would recommend for this purpose a Montblanc 146, a Sailor 1911/Pro Gear, a Pelikan M600, or a Pilot 742/743/823. Or a Lamy 2000. All fantastic pens. 

[OCArt]

@FrodoWhat pens do you have now which ojne is your favorite and why?  What nib size do you prefer? This will give us a little guidance.

[Penguincollector]

1 hour ago, SpencerianDream said:

You should buy a great pen now so you can enjoy using it for 3 years. 
 

You’ll probably do more writing in this time than after so may as well have the best writing implement. 
 

I would recommend for this purpose a Montblanc 146, a Sailor 1911/Pro Gear, a Pelikan M600, or a Pilot 742/743/823. Or a Lamy 2000. All fantastic pens. 

  This is a great point; but if you don’t want to by your achievement pen yet, do yourself a favor and find something comfortable for long writing sessions and note taking. I recommend something with a snap cap or retrtractable with a large ink capacity. @OCArt also had a point- tell us more about the pens you use currently, what you like and what you don’t like about them.  Do you want something big, or a pocket pen? What color pen would you prefer? Do you prefer a stiff nib or something with some bounce or flex to it? 

[Frodo]

Thanks for the replies and for the suggestion to get a good pen now. I do plan to take my notes with pen and paper, as opposed to digitally, which is sort of new to me. I mostly use a Monteverde Ritma or Lamy Safari, both when note taking, and I generally prefer a fine nib that gives me a lot of control. My handwriting isn't the best yet. I think my idea to wait to buy a great pen later is sort of a willingness to put up with some delayed gratification. To put in all the work after 3 years and to reward myself with a really phenomenal pen... there's just something about that I like.

 

 

[OCArt]

In the meantime you might want to get a Wing Sung 629 or a Majohn P136 as both are the same size and shape as a MB146 and you can see how they fit you.  Both are very good Chinese piston filler pens that should have a long trouble free life.  If you are thinking about the MB149 the Wing Sung 630 would serve as a trial pen for that.  Of course all of these do not have a gold nib like the MB's nor the cachet.

[Frodo]

9 hours ago, OCArt said:

Wing Sung 630

 

Thanks for your suggestions! The 630 is on my "to be tried" list already, so that seems like a good place to start. I'll give it a try!

[welch]

Choose the "most wanted" pen of the golden age of fountain pens: the Parker 51 aerometric. It was designed to be used all day: ink at the ready as soon as the nib touches paper, an ink reservoir that fills the "at hand" ink buffer under the pen's hood, a slip-off cap so the writer cn get right to work without unscrewing the cap, tough barrel-grip-hood that remains as solid today as it was in 1950, an ink sac specially designed by DuPont that never wears out. 

 

A P-51 in ordinary colors, meaning dark blue, black, teal, or burgundy, will sell for $100 - $150 from a pen craftsman who had tuned the nib and done a check of the internals. 

 

As someone suggested above, buy the pen now and use it in your class work for the next few years.