I opted for the chrome finish just to be on the safe side!
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Good choice - I know John Twiss quite well. I've currently got three pens from Twiss - all very nicely finished they are too. John occasionally has extended delivery times, particuarly after pen shows or leading up to them.
If you are ever able to drop in to his workshop in Edwinstowe (not open every day) he sometimes has ready-made pens available and can supply a variety of nibs, ballpoints or rollerballs. He now also has an eBay store, Twico Pens.
If John is very busy you can also try Worcester Pen Company who also manufacture.
Once you really get the fountain pen bug you start looking for vintage nibs on shabby old pens in antique shops, so that they can be built into new pens. Nothing quite like a flexy vintage gold nib.
Hi Mike, thanks - yes I have two on order from him - one "special" one; the original one I specified the design for, and during that process somehow ended up ordering a seconds one also!
I plan to pop down to his workshop - I was going to go in a couple of weeks, but the day I was free coincided with the Robin Hood festival, and he said there's too many chavs so he closes that week! LOL - I like him already!
I may have accidentally ordered this as well!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
For those that backed the latest Namisu Kickstarter, we know need to complete the survey to select colors etc... What are people going for now it comes to the crunch?
I thought I we pretty set on blue with silver, but am swaying myself slightly towards black with the brass combo. Unfortunately I can't see any pictures of this combo, whereas there are lots of the standard blue / silver.
Full titanium, pen and nib. Hoping the nib is suitable as a fairly writer.
Originally backed with Blue/Brass but have opted for Red/Silver
Pic of options can be found on this page https://www.kickstarter.com/projects.../posts/1946261
Grey/stainless aluminium pen (broad)
Ti + Ti (fine)
I nearly went for the ti version from the outset, but figured you can always upgrade but you can't downgrade. Think I'll stick with the blue silver combo. As silly as it sins, if the brass was a bit darker I'd go for that
Argh, don't do that to me...
I usually avoid anything 'goldy' but this is for some reason, swaying me. I think it's because the pen i use most often is a dark blue and silver Cross, so i'm weary about having two very similar looking pens.
I could always buy two... but that would be frivolous...
Guess i'm frivolous then...
One I imagine will be coming to SC shortly after arrival.
*only* two similar looking pens?!
No such thing as a frivolous pen purchase. I also bought two - an aluminium one and a titanium one.
As for brass - it's a great pen material - weighty and the patina is lovely. I have a copper pen too - the patina with copper is more "dirty" than with brass, but still nice.
- - - Updated - - -
First refusal please :-p
I stumbled across this thread, having no previous interest in pens, and found myself reading it start to finish.
Like many, I used a fountain pen at school but as I left academia and entered the workplace, writing became less important to me as I become more reliant on technology. This I want to change!
Anyway, with a sudden urge to try a fountain pen again, I headed out and bought a very cheap fountain pen to see if I could 're-connect'. I quite enjoyed using it over the next few days to make notes at work. Before I dashed onto the net and started ordering everything I could find, with the Lamy Safari in mind as a half-decent starter pen, I decided to have a dig around at home to see what I could find. Aside from a Cross ballpoint pen that I received as a gift some years ago, I came across two fountain pens. I have given them a clean and am following a guide I found online to flushing them out. I have done some research on another forum to try and establish what I actually have, which has thrown up possible model names.
Parker Arrow from the 1980s
A matte black metal-bodied pen with some silver coloured metal trim. The pen came in a basic plastic case. The pen has a converter installed which I will try with some bottled ink when I have chance. Generally in good condition and the nib looks to be OK to the naked eye.
http://i.imgur.com/HAjHknU.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/dFUmuyd.jpg
Waterman; possibly a Master from the early-1980s
A matte black metal-bodied pen with some gold-coloured metal trim. The body is marked with 'Waterman - Made in France' on the gold-coloured trip around the body of the pen. The pen came in a rather nice dark blue case with orange lining. In the case were three blue ink cartridges. Again, generally in good condition and the nib looks to be OK to the naked eye.
http://i.imgur.com/aw4xJoW.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/6TcI6Xu.jpg
So my questions are:
1) What pens do I have!? Any ideas on models or dates?
2) I have thee blue cartridges for the Waterman but am interested in trying bottled ink in various colours. Any direction on what 'converters' I would need for the Waterman? And is it worth it or should I stick with cartridges on this one?
Welcome to the dark side, just in time for Fountain Pen Day which is tomorrow..
No idea on your pens but bottled ink is the way to go, so many shades and brands, something to suit everyone. Diamine 30ml bottles are fairly cheap at around £2.50 and Cultpens will become one of your go to sites :)
Lamy Safari/Al-star/Nexx are all great starter pens as the nibs can be easily swapped. Pilot MR sometimes refered to as the Metropolitan is another one as is TWSBI Eco.
Try JinHao pens as well! Most cost effective pens -on eBay! What I've learnt over the last few months is there are people on eBay who'll sell you 5 ml samples of ink which you can use and then decide if you need to buy bigger bottles! Diamine is a good choice!.
Have a great FP Day!
It's strange how things change. I had quite a large fountain pen collection when this thread started, but I'm now down to two or three and I haven't used them for four or five months. The last thing I bought from Cult was a rollerball refill!
To add that Pen & Paper are giving away free Diamine ink today on orders over £20.
Use BLACK17 for 10% off until midnight on Sunday
For the pen lovers: The Yorkshire Pen Show is this Sunday at the Copthorne in Sheffield
http://www.ukpenshows.co.uk/yorkshire-pen-show/
For anyone who has backed the Namisu Ixion and doesn't want to wait until January 18 (or later) to get it or is generally annoyed with their crappy communications, I got a refund on mine!
Lost my favourite pen this week, a Cross Solo with extra fine nib. Gutted
Thread revival...
So since entering the world of fountain pens back in November I have learned the following:
- The standard medium nib on the Lamy Safari is too wide for my liking.
- The Waterman Master I acquired writes wonderfully.
- Paper makes a big difference. Clairefontaine seems to work nicely.
- My ink preference is very dark blue or proper black. The 'grey blacks' sometimes look a bit faded to my eye.
Happy writing all.
Interesting. I too find medium way too wide. I like pilot (so Japanese) fine. Try a Pilot fine and see if you like it.
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I like a medium nib that writes wet, the medium Mont Blanc is lovley.
Holy thread resurrection... I've been using my Namisu Ixion pen for a while now and thought i'd write a brief review.
I bought both the black and blue pens, with an additional Titanium nib (F).
First off, the standard nibs seemed fine out of the box. I used one for a little while, as it's been a long time since I last used a fountain pen. There seems to have been a lot of problems with the nibs and this is certainly what I experienced with the titanium when I swapped over. It skipped, would miss the first part of a letter and generally frustrated me. Due to a large dose of laziness, I did precisely nothing about this and fortunately, several months in, it's working significantly better. There's no skipping or any notable problems and i'm finally enjoying it!
The problems don't stop there though... the anodising on the screw thread is coming off and I (carelessly) chucked it in my bag the other day and it's now got a couple of small marks on it, which are disappointing. It was only in there briefly too.
Overall, I really like it, but it has been tainted with a number of negative points.
I've still got the blue with brass bits if anyone is interested - i'll realistically never use it.
I'll be first to admit I have not read the whole thread. What's the 'go to' fountain pen these days? I've been using a waterman for a while and think its time to upgrade. Initially I'm drawn to a mont blanc but I think that's more do with their name and effective marketing campaign!
Opinions welcome
Cult Pens are currently offering an extra 10% discount on what already appears to be a good price.
If you fancy a Mont Blanc then Roy @ Izods Pens http://izods.ink is the goto MB guy in the pen community. I've had 5 off him so far 149, 146 Bordeaux, 145 (NOS), Kafka Writers Edition and a Marlene Dietrich Special Edition (NOS). I don't mind "pre loved" with no box and pay generally 1/3 of the price of a new one, NOS with a box is about 50-75% of the cost of a new one. If he hasn't got what you fancy on his website he will have one somewhere, just email him what you are after and the budget :)
There are lots of go to pens depending on your budget. As someone has mentioned Lamy 2000 good solid workhorse with very classic styling and beautifully built. Japanese pens always work flawlessly for me (just remember the nibs are skinnier than western nibs) Sailor 1911 (full size) is very similar in looks to a MB 146, love the Pilot Vanishing Point but thats not everyones cuppa because of the clip location. Diplomat Aero is a recent edition to my collection which is a nice robust well manufactured pen.
Italian pens can have a hit and miss reputation but I have had my Montegrappa, Visconti, Nettuno all from reputable sources and haven't had any problems. Leonardo are a new old brand coming onto the UK market and do some nice colourful resin with german Jowo nibs and not expensive at £135 http://izods.ink/leonardo/
Forgot to mention Pelikan...great pens, waiting to buy a M800 at the right price!
I have had the same issues with the anodising on the screw threads coming off, hardly used mine! I was lucky with the Bock broad nib it has always worked flawlessly, I know others haven't been so lucky. But can't complain as the pen was free, to cut a long story short got fed up on their delays, cancelled my order, they sent me the pen anyway....
I have a couple of Lamy 2000s and they are a lovely pen, very robust being made from makrolon, but Lamy won't sell you a nib. I want to swap out a fine for an oblique medium.
I wanted a Nakaya Long Writer, but couldn't bear the cost and the import duties so had John Twiss make me something similar. I provided him with a nib from an 800 series Pelikan. He did a brilliant job.
An idea of budget would be useful. My last 2 pen purchases were Yard-o-Leds, a Viceroy Grand and the smallest Viceroy, the name of which escapes me. The Grand lists at about £800, for the cheaper of the two styles, but I think I paid just over half that. At least you are buying silver, not Mont Blanc's precious resin i.e plastic.
The Pilot Vanishing Point (or Capless, depending on which market it is bought in) is a nice pen, I have a few of those. Retractable nib, which is rare on a fountain pen.
A brand worth looking at are Pelikan. Superb pens in a range of sizes and prices. I have a black and silver 805, which is in the top 3 of my favourite pens. Or what about something with the style of an Italian general, Delta.
Sailor are another good brand. The 1911 is the archetypal cigar shaped fountain pen.
Then of course there are vinatge pens. The Parker 51 is the star of the show here. There is the aerometric, but the star of the show is the vacumatic. Shaefer have the snorkel if a unique(?) filling system floats your boat.
Thanks! My budget is around £500, could go a little higher if I found something I really liked. Honestly know next to nothing about pens so so far I'm basing my decisions on looks alone. So far the brands I seem drawn to are montblanc, faber-castell and ST DuPont. No idea on their functionality though. I'll have a google of some of the brands you've mentioned.
£500 is a decent budget for a pen. There are a few things you should consider: -
Would you buy a Rolex because everyone recognises them, or would you buy a Blancpain, because few do? If the former then I would recommend Montblanc, if the latter, could I recommend Graf von Faber Castell?
Next you need to think about body material. Precious metal, metal, plastic, wood, something else, a combination of two or more. Yard-o-Led make some lovely pens, and shopping around should get you a good discount.
Small pen, medium pen or large pen? Light, medium or heavy. I prefer a good sized pen with a bit of heft to it. Vintage pens tend to be much smaller and slimmer than modern day pens. You need to have one in your hand to know. What will you use the pen for? Just signatures or writing multi-page epics?
At this price, you should be getting a gold nib. Many will tell you how excellent steel nibs are these days, but won't swap your steel nibbed pen for their gold nibbed one.
Filler system. Piston filler, catridges or bottled ink. Do you plan to wite in one or two colours, or would you like to explore a wider range? A filling system rather than cartridges will give you a much wider choice.
A nib is what makes the pen. It's the heart of the "instrument". A superb looking pen like the Waterman Edson is ruined by the nail-like nib. It is really important that you try out some pens to see if you are happy with the size or weight, then write with them to see if you are happy with the nib, the feel of it and the width. From extra extra fines to triple broads, stubs and obliques, there are much to choose from. If you make the wrong choice, most pen vendors will swap out the nib within an initial short period. There are those that work on nibs, that will tune it to your needs.
How about a Visconti Divina Desert Springs?
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...45a04e2b99.png
It is a fantastic pen & here’s a little vid about it. Mine is a medium and it writes beautifully [emoji1303]
https://youtu.be/6QMfYBGskbk
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To use Templogin’s analolgy, if you like a Rolex buy one and if you like Blancpain buy one. Its about what you like not what other people recognise
Are Montblanc overpriced new, for what they are most definately, are they great writers in my opinion yes. I wouldnt entertain paying £720 for a 149 from MB or an authorised dealer. But for £300-400 you could gets one from a specialist dealer such as Izods or Dylan Stephen on ebay. alot of people get MB as gifts and sell them on becuase they sit ina draw unused! A 146 will run around the £250-275 mark.
ST Dupont, I dont own one but have tried a couple robust, understated beautifully build and have a very distinctive cap click.
With a £500 there is so much choice available....what do you think you like in a pen styling wise, size wise weight wise? Which Waterman do you have? I have just picked up an Exception Night and Day and its lovely, also have a couple of Carene which I think are underrated.
There are some great pens in the £200 -300 range.
Pop into Selfridges, I think they have one in Southampton and have a try of as many pens as possible.
Do you ever get into London? Visit Harrods Writing Great Writing room to try out all sorts including ST Dupont and Faber Graf Von Castell.
Have you considered a Namiki? It is Pilot's high end brand. :angel:
I have a few, all are exceptional writers in my opinion. As LuBee has mentioned your budget is better than adequate for more than one very good pen.
Conflict of Interest: I am an unashamed Namiki fanboy!
No disrespect to anyone but if you have a c£500 budget and don't buy a Nakaya you are wasting your time. These are the best pens at that price point, period.
Beware of plain ebonite. I have 3 Danitrio pens in this material, and despite being in a pen cover in a drawer, a couple of them have started to brown.
I have just bought a Lamy 2000 with an OM nib from Cult Pens. Very good price at £125 inc RMSD.
A family pic :) Well part of them, there are as many again in the draw!
https://www.dropbox.com/s/f4oyvl2agv...4549.jpg?raw=1