Are there pens for advanced hardcore users ?

[goodguy]

I see few threads posted by self proclaimed newbies asking for help with pens for them.

And that made me think,its obvious what most newbies would want in a pen-the highest quality for the least money and that will be user friendly and reliable.

But are there pens that you would concider for the hardcore experienced/advanced user ?

 

If there is such a pen to such a weird deffinition I think it probably would be a more expensive pen.

I think a pen that will match such a description would be some rare vintage pen that somebody new to the hobby will not know about and will not spend so much money when he/she can get a perfectly good new pen for 50$.

A pen like that might be maybe Parker Duofold Mandarin Yellow or even Parker Vacumatic Oversize/Maxima.

[daveg]

So those are pens with lowest quality for the most money and the least user friendly and least reliable???

Seriously I think the newbie just wants the benefit of our experience and basically wants the same things most of us do.

 

[simonrob]

I see few threads posted by self proclaimed newbies asking for help with pens for them.

And that made me think,its obvious what most newbies would want in a pen-the highest quality for the least money and that will be user friendly and reliable.

But are there pens that you would concider for the hardcore experienced/advanced user ?

 

If there is such a pen to such a weird deffinition I think it probably would be a more expensive pen.

I think a pen that will match such a description would be some rare vintage pen that somebody new to the hobby will not know about and will not spend so much money when he/she can get a perfectly good new pen for 50$.

A pen like that might be maybe Parker Duofold Mandarin Yellow or even Parker Vacumatic Oversize/Maxima.

 

Fairly rare expensive pens seem to me more appropriate for serious (and well-heeled) collectors of vintage pens rather than experienced/advanced *users*. After all, most examples you'll find of the pens you cite have firm fine nibs and even the most inexperienced fountain pen user should be able to write easily with one. I suspect, however, that someone who bought a Mandarin Duofold (or equivalent) in mint condition wouldn't use it at all.

 

The only pens I think would benefit from being handled by an experienced *user* are those with unconventional nibs - full flex, wet noodles, italics (especially crisp italics), obliques, music nibs, etc., which require a bit more skill to use than regular firm nibs with round tips. But there's no need to spend much on these (though of course you can).

 

(It's probably more accurate to say that hardcore collectors aren't so much a subset of users as an overlapping category of pen buyers....)

 

Simon

Edited May 12, 2008 by simonrob

[Robert Hughes]

I would consider the professional calligraphers to be the "advanced hardcore" users; as such they may not even use fountain pens, but rather dip pens with a variety of nibs designed to work different scripts.

 

But if the definition merely means, "rich dilettante with pen cases to fill", then any old piece of celluloid or gold will do.

[goodguy]

So those are pens with lowest quality for the most money and the least user friendly and least reliable???

Seriously I think the newbie just wants the benefit of our experience and basically wants the same things most of us do.

So what you are trying to say is that I over complecate what basicly is a very simple matter and turn it into a long thread.

Hmmm I think you got a point here :hmm1:

[dcwaites]

I would think it's like sports cars. A good Alpha shouldn't start in the morning until you've had a good standup, knockdown screaming argument with it. These new models that start as soon as you think the thought 'Start', and drive like a warm knife through butter, where you can't hear the engine or gearbox are no fun at all.

 

It should be the same with fountain pens. A pen that was butter-smooth from the beginning, that writes perfectly with any ink from Diamine Aqua to stale coffee is no fun.

An advanced hardcore user's pen will only write with a custom mix of Parker Blue-Black with Solv-X, Noodler's Eel Blue and a touch of PR Ultra Black, onto hand-made cotton rag paper. It will have an esoteric filling mechanism that will require a week's worth of evening classes by the vendor to fully grasp. The nib will have at least two sweet spots, one for normal writing and one for italic. The normal sweet spot will be achieve by posting the cap with the clip aligned with the middle of the nib, and the italic by aligning the clip to the left of the nib.

 

 

[dumdummuoi]

An advanced hardcore user's pen will only write with a custom mix of Parker Blue-Black with Solv-X, Noodler's Eel Blue and a touch of PR Ultra Black, onto hand-made cotton rag paper. It will have an esoteric filling mechanism that will require a week's worth of evening classes by the vendor to fully grasp. The nib will have at least two sweet spots, one for normal writing and one for italic. The normal sweet spot will be achieve by posting the cap with the clip aligned with the middle of the nib, and the italic by aligning the clip to the left of the nib.

 

:roflmho: that sounds awesome! I want one--where do I sign up?!

Edited May 12, 2008 by dumdummuoi

[zencorinne]

[

So what you are trying to say is that I over complecate what basicly is a very simple matter and turn it into a long thread.

Hmmm I think you got a point here :hmm1:

 

Au contraire. I always like the questions you pose, goodguy. They are often the things I wonder about.

[Shangas]

Alright dcwwaites, you're overstimulated. Let's get some beer into you, and then it's off to bed...

[dcwaites]

Alright dcwwaites, you're overstimulated. Let's get some beer into you, and then it's off to bed...

I try to keep my blood caffeine level at least to 20% by volume...

 

Also, I'm not to sure what time zone Melbourne is running on, but it's midday here in Sydney...

 

 

[Shangas]

Melbourne = GMT +10.

[Martius]

I would think it's like sports cars. A good Alpha shouldn't start in the morning until you've had a good standup, knockdown screaming argument with it. These new models that start as soon as you think the thought 'Start', and drive like a warm knife through butter, where you can't hear the engine or gearbox are no fun at all.

 

It should be the same with fountain pens. A pen that was butter-smooth from the beginning, that writes perfectly with any ink from Diamine Aqua to stale coffee is no fun.

An advanced hardcore user's pen will only write with a custom mix of Parker Blue-Black with Solv-X, Noodler's Eel Blue and a touch of PR Ultra Black, onto hand-made cotton rag paper. It will have an esoteric filling mechanism that will require a week's worth of evening classes by the vendor to fully grasp. The nib will have at least two sweet spots, one for normal writing and one for italic. The normal sweet spot will be achieve by posting the cap with the clip aligned with the middle of the nib, and the italic by aligning the clip to the left of the nib.

 

You forgot to mention silicone grease. Every pen that is fit for the hand of a hardcore user must be sealed or otherwise lubricated with silicone grease. The conversion of a Snorkel into a pen that you can also use as a pipe might be a good project to demonstrate the pinnacle of silicone grease application.

 

What's more, the pen cannot be perfectly smooth-writing; that makes it boring for lack of a soul. It cannot catch on the paper; that indicates the cosmic decline of manufacture in today's computer-plagued world and the rise of general intolerance of decent craftsmanship. It must have a perfectly crafted toothy spot that allows you to communicate with the pen better (you nod while writing, since the pen is clearly nodding at you human-like).

 

If the pen hasn't accompanied you on a climb to the top of some airless mountain in winter to have its nib reground by the solitary, hallucinating, and ingenious nib guru who lives there (he can make a regular nib into a flex-italic-needlepoint-broad), it doesn't really write properly and doesn't deserve a place in your holster. See Richard Binder's website for directions. Take two compasses.

 

Your best writer also happens to have killed a man. In fact, you have put a notch on it - but in chalk as to avoid damaging the celluloid.

 

You've found that your best writer works well as a weapon, but only when the cap is posted with the clip turned a certain way. Just like one of the sweet spots on the nib.

 

Best,

Summer Greer

 

 

 

[Paddler]

The pens for advanced hardcore users cost somewhere in the 3 to 5 figure range and must be wrapped in more money and sent to a nibmeister who can make them write properly.

 

Paddler

 

[Renzhe]

Hardcore?

 

Probably some quill.

[jdf]

I see few threads posted by self proclaimed newbies asking for help with pens for them.

And that made me think,its obvious what most newbies would want in a pen-the highest quality for the least money and that will be user friendly and reliable.

But are there pens that you would concider for the hardcore experienced/advanced user ?

 

If there is such a pen to such a weird deffinition I think it probably would be a more expensive pen.

I think a pen that will match such a description would be some rare vintage pen that somebody new to the hobby will not know about and will not spend so much money when he/she can get a perfectly good new pen for 50$.

A pen like that might be maybe Parker Duofold Mandarin Yellow or even Parker Vacumatic Oversize/Maxima.

 

The answers so far seem to be either sardonic or ironic as opposed to serious...

 

I think the advanced hard-cord user, by the time s/he got to that level, would have defined his/her specifications pretty tightly with regards to nib confirmation and performance, pen weight and width, make/model, flow characteristics, nibmeister (for mods, as needed). Thus the purchase could be either vintage or new and still meet the criteria.

 

I don't know I am really hard core or not. I use an FP for just about all my writing. Thinking of all my pens, I would choose a Pel, a Vac, a P51, a Carene, an Imperial or a Snork (or some variation on the last two, such as a Intrigue, PFM or Legacy) as my pen of choice. My Pels are 150s and 2xx series, by the way.

 

In a pinch, an Estie might sneak in as well. Thus, I would think a hard core user might opt for the experience rather than the pen, as such.

 

Just an opinion...

[Songwind]

So what you are trying to say is that I over complecate what basicly is a very simple matter and turn it into a long thread.

Hmmm I think you got a point here :hmm1:

 

No way! :roflmho:

 

I think that an "advanced" pen would just be one that is too much of an expense for someone who is not certain that their interest in fountain pens is serious. One might consider a difficult to care for pen one for a more advanced user as well.

[dcwaites]

You forgot to mention silicone grease. Every pen that is fit for the hand of a hardcore user must be sealed or otherwise lubricated with silicone grease. The conversion of a Snorkel into a pen that you can also use as a pipe might be a good project to demonstrate the pinnacle of silicone grease application.

 

...

 

Best,

Summer Greer

Except for Rotring Skynn ballpoints.

I had a Skynn that was a beautiful sick puppy poo yellow/brown colour.

(Anybody who has had to clean up a runny poo disaster from a sick puppy knows that colour, and the smell... )

I put diver's silicone grease on the barrel threads because they were a bit rough.

The silicone attacked the soft bulgy bit, rendering it into sticky jelly, and making the pen unusable.

 

 

[goodguy]

I would think it's like sports cars. A good Alpha shouldn't start in the morning until you've had a good standup, knockdown screaming argument with it. These new models that start as soon as you think the thought 'Start', and drive like a warm knife through butter, where you can't hear the engine or gearbox are no fun at all.

Ahh you touched a warm spot in my heart.

At the good old days I used to wake up go to my lovely Alfa start her up and here those wonderful 4 WEBER carbutarors sing to me "Good Morning".

When I needed to get those cleaned (and it happened to often) my mechanic took them apart and he had a BIG bucket full of carburetors port in it.

I like pen that have character just like my Alfa's.Maybe thats why I like using Italian pens :hmm1:

[goodguy]

Au contraire. I always like the questions you pose, goodguy. They are often the things I wonder about.

Thank you.

This is the nicest compliment I got here

[Lefthander]

My answer to the original question would have to be no. There are just fountain pens, most with their own personality. Everyone must find the one that is right for them.