Help for picking fountain pens

John in Covina said:

*****
Precisely!
Note that there are no standards as to the line width for nib size so one brands fine maybe more like another brands medium. Since the 20's and 30's the current measure of a fine nib has moved closer to what was a medium back then. Now the Asian brands that make their own nibs tend to be finer by a half step than either the US or Euro makers for the same size / width nib. A Japanese fine is more likely to be closer to the Euro extra fine nib.

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A fine mess it is! I agree....
I have found that Pelikan's fine nibs write finer than other brands fine nibs. Mont Blanc and Cartier fine write more like medium. Aurora is thicker than Pelikan, but not as thick as Mont Blanc and Cartier.....oy vey! what a mess!

Oh my! my head is spinning, so many subtle differences!

CanadaDoll said:

Oh my! my head is spinning, so many subtle differences!

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Yes, but the variety is what makes collecting so much fun. There really aren't any two pens that are alike. So, you have an excuse to buy new ones all the time, for to be a collector, you must have many different kinds

Look out wallet!lol lol

Got a Mont Blanc "Meister" when I turned 40. Has been with me ever since.
Love it!

Spitfire said:

Got a Mont Blanc "Meister" when I turned 40. Has been with me ever since.
Love it!

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I've found a couple that I'm keeping an eye on with great interest, and also a Monte Rosa, both are really nice lookin' pens.
(you all have created a monster in me!lol )

Spitfire said:

Got a Mont Blanc "Meister" when I turned 40. Has been with me ever since.
Love it!

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I have the Meister too. The Chopin in platinum. I must say it wasn't my favorite pen when I first got it, but it has since really grown on me. It's a bit temperamental and I wish that they had a better nib replacement programme. For such an expensive pen you'd think it would have a better warranty. I also think it's funny that the US warranty is different and much more limited than the warranty's for other countries. Mine is medium and is a bit too bold for my liking. Wish I had gotten the fine. But, it's nice to have a wide variety of nib widths.

I just love my Esterbrook SJ (c.1950):





At the moment I am using a 9550 nib but I am considering changing it to something slighter broader. I have the most wonderful ink too:

http://www.thewritingdesk.co.uk/diamine/diamine_ink.php

I'm using Umber, which is a fabulous dark green. I adore the bottle it comes in.

I just purchased a new Stipula Etruria for a song!!! A stunning pen.I will post a pic later on.

JD

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I asked Daisy B. to write something down for me while I speaking on the cell phone with her on the way back from a meeting. She went through her pen collection looking for one that would write and said,

"Pens, pens everywhere, but not a drop of ink!"

The Ancient Mariner would be proud and I thought I would share it with you.

GOK said:

I just love my Esterbrook SJ (c.1950):

At the moment I am using a 9550 nib but I am considering changing it to something slighter broader. I have the most wonderful ink too:

http://www.thewritingdesk.co.uk/diamine/diamine_ink.php

I'm using Umber, which is a fabulous dark green. I adore the bottle it comes in.

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I now have 5 different Esterbrooks...4 of them various J series Pens.....some are the slender like yours and two of them are the standard which is a bit more hefty feeling but not heavy at all.

I really think that they eclipse any other pen I have written with for both sheer quality and character.

Hemingway Jones said:

I asked Daisy B. to write something down for me while I speaking on the cell phone with her on the way back from a meeting. She went through her pen collection looking for one that would write and said,

"Pens, pens everywhere, but not a drop of ink!"

The Ancient Mariner would be proud and I thought I would share it with you.

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Yes, I'm known to make one witty comment a year. Well it's only February, so at least I have a full 11 months to think of my next one.

It is funny, I have a pile of fountain pens, around 12 of them within reach, and not one of them had any ink. So strange, I'm pretty neurotic about keeping my pens filled. But, lately I've loved my pink Aurora so much that it's been the only pen I've been using on a regular basis.

I've got the bug today. I haven't bought a new pen in about a month. Think I'm gonna have to purchase one today. Libelle Spansish Eyes collection looks pretty nice, and they are pretty inexpensive.

I'm waiting patiently for the arrival of my Laban Pinto in pink. Thanks to the efforts of JohninCovina, I will have another pretty pink fountain pen Thanks John!!

Stylus Annual 2007

For those in the know, here in the US the 2 main pen magazines are Pen World (International) and Stylus. Both are fine magazines and are a staple for any trip's reading material for me, along with Classic Style, that is.

Any way, Stylus started last year 2006 publishing an Annual, which is like a giant catalog with pen company histories and contact info. The 2007 has just come out about a month ago and has improved upon a superb product. If you are interested in pens this may be worth a good look. It's $25 so it ain't cheap but I think it deserves a place in the pen aficionado's library. I think it will be good in the future to spot when a pen was introduced so more fodder for the collector... (Also I got to write the Laban history and have a quote too. Note so far I only found one boo-boo: "gel in" should be gel INK!)

Happy collecting!

John in Covina said:

For those in the know, here in the US the 2 main pen magazines are Pen World (International) and Stylus. Both are fine magazines and are a staple for any trip's reading material for me, along with Classic Style, that is.

Any way, Stylus started last year 2006 publishing an Annual, which is like a giant catalog with pen company histories and contact info. The 2007 has just come out about a month ago and has improved upon a superb product. If you are interested in pens this may be worth a good look. It's $25 so it ain't cheap but I think it deserves a place in the pen aficionado's library. I think it will be good in the future to spot when a pen was introduced so more fodder for the collector... (Also I got to write the Laban history and have a quote too. Note so far I only found one boo-boo: "gel in" should be gel INK!)

Happy collecting!

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John is straight on here regarding the annual issue.I have last years but am deciding whether to buy the new one.Just a bit overpriced i think.I can pick up free brochures for my favourite pens for free.And there is a lot of recycled material from last years issue.Mainly ads and write ups.
But still,for those newer to pens,it is a fine publication.
I also admire both pen journals.I do wish there were less ads and more articles though.For what one pays,it seems a bit on the thin side.

JD

My New Mont Blanc "Pope Julius II" 888 edition

Fellow Pen Nuts -

I'm pleased to announce the newest addition to my Fountain Pen wardrobe - Mont Blanc's "Pope Julius II" in the 888 edition.

I had wanted a new dress pen for special occasions, and went shopping in Atlanta both at ArtLite (the best pen store in the Southeast) and at the Mont Blanc Boutique in Lenox Square Mall. Initially I had wanted to look at the Mont Blanc Pope Julius II in the 4810 edition because the ivory base color of the pen barrel was a good match for my summer Dinner Jacket. But true to form, Sara, the affable and knowledgeable manager of the Atlanta Mont Blanc Boutique traded up my interest to the red 888 edition (888 copies worldwide).

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The 888 Edition Pope Julius II is solid 18 kt yellow gold, fenestrated to reveal deep claret engraved wavy guilloche enamel work. The shape and size of the pen are almost identical to the hefty 149 Meisterstuck that has made Mont Blanc famous. The cap is modeled on the tiara of the Pontifex Maximus (not worn since the Coronation of Pope John XXIII) and is set with deep red marquis cut Rubies. The top of the cap is set with the white star of the Mont Blanc logo, crafted in shimmering Mother of Pearl. The white star logo represents the snowy peak of Mont Blanc, the highest point in Europe at 4,810 meters.

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The gold clip is set with small fully faceted diamonds mined from the same South African mine that gave up the Cullinan I Diamond on HM Queen Elizabeth's State Scepter and the Cullinan II diamond in her crown. The iridium tipped 18 kt gold nib (in medium for me) is engraved with the Pontiff’s seal - the Tree of Life.

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Pope Julius commissioned Michelangelo to paint the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. He commissioned works by Raphael and other Renaissance artists. He ordered the construction of St Peter's Basilica. Mont Blanc chose to honor Pope Julius II in their Patron of the Arts Series of Limited Edition Fountain Pens.

The pen comes in a large rosewood casket with a cast bronze medallion of Pope Julius II in profile. The case itself is a piece of art.

The pen is substantial in the hand. It is designed to be used unposted (with the cap off and set aside - not posted to the top of the barrel). But even unposted, the weight of the pen reminds me that words themselves can and often should be substantial. Words should carry weight.

The pen writes smoothly, and with the medium Mont Blanc nib it leaves the bold calligraphic strokes I like in penmanship.

Now I just have to find some occasions (and some words) worthy of this fine instrument.

Congrats! That is a gorgeous pen!:eusa_clap :eusa_clap It looks like it would be very comfortable to write with.
I absolutely love their F. Scott Fitzgerald fountain pen

Crowning acheivement of a Pen

This is a beautifully worked pen. I especially like the cap from the top of the clip to the Montblanc Star is a wonderful piece of workmanship. I have actually pointed this pen out to friends as a really neat spape and design late last year.

Pelikan Epoch

I visited the Hallmark Crown Center in KC, MO and found a close out on the Pelikan, Epoch. This appears to be a good everyday pen that wouldn't break me if it were lost in my travels. This blue medium uses only cartridges, which is just okay with me since I don't like carrying bottled ink in my checked luggage.

Stopped into the Pen Place there too and found another Waterman I couldn't resist. Pen Place has a huge inventory.

zibosco said:

I visited the Hallmark Crown Center in KC, MO and found a close out on the Pelikan, Epoch. This appears to be a good everyday pen that wouldn't break me if it were lost in my travels. This blue medium uses only cartridges, which is just okay with me since I don't like carrying bottled ink in my checked luggage.

Stopped into the Pen Place there too and found another Waterman I couldn't resist. Pen Place has a huge inventory.

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Sounds like two good choices!!!

Cool Pictures of the LA PEN Show

I just posted some pictures of the LA Pen Show under the EVENTS SECTION in the thread titled "SO-CAL LA PEN SHOW 2/25/07" so you can get an idea of what it is like. Again about 110 tables worth of pen stuff!