Any Thoughts Or Opinions On The Jfk Fountain Pen?

[george c]

Hi folks,

 

It looks similar, if not almost identical, to the Antoine De Saint-Exupery pen.

Any comments or user reviews greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

George

Edited September 10, 2017 by george c

[Tom Kellie]

It looks similar, if not almost identical, to the Antoine De Saint-Exupery pen.

 

~ george c

 

Until you mentioned it above, I'd never thought of comparing the two pens.

The JFK pen had given me the impression of a rich dark blue, without much ornamentation or detailing.

The Antoine de Saint-Exupéry pen seemed reminiscent of the fuselage of an aircraft.

After reading your post I went back to examine photos of both.

Ah ha! I see what you mean. The rivet-like pattern is on both. Thank you for pointing that out.

Tom K.

[Cyrille81]

These are some photo of the JFK ball point. So of course you don't have the nib on them to compare but for me they are completely two different pens. The Antoine de Saint-Exupéry pen is more sophisticated than the JFK with more details and work on it than the JFK. If I had to choose between the 2 special editions I would choose the Saint-Ex but it is a matter of taste. After that I love the JFK limited edition but they are completely different than the special and it is not the same budget.

 

[Joe in Seattle]

FWIW I think the JFK an ugly design with no connection at all to the late president. He and his wife were instrumental in updating many designs during their tenure - including the white ships with red racing stripes for the US Coast Guard.

 

I'm rather intrigued not the ASE.

[Cordovian]

I own a JFK Special Edition fountain pen and I disagree with Joe. In person, the pen is very striking and generates a lot of compliments when I'm using it. The pen also has several subtle references to JFK; the most obvious being a lunar lander engraved on the nib to signify his support of the Apollo space program. Personally, I find it to be a great looking pen and a fine tribute to JFK.

 

If you're wanting to know what it's like to live with one...the pen, as impressive as it is, has a couple of annoying characteristics. It does not post and and body, to me, is a little on the short side to not be postable. So if you find an unposted 146 to be a tad awkward then you'll feel the same about the JFK. There is also no ink window so, unless I just refilled it, I have no idea if there is enough ink left to make it through a work day. Not sure why MB chose to exclude it since, to me, this pen is not priced to be a display only pen.

 

Overall, I like the pen and have no regrets about buying it. And yes, the some of the basic design elements do appear to have carried over to the Antoine De Saint-Exupery pen.

 

Cell pic I took a while back:

 

Edited September 11, 2017 by Cordovian

[TheRealMikeDr]

I own a JFK Special Edition fountain pen and I disagree with Joe. In person, the pen is very striking and generates a lot of compliments when I'm using it. The pen also has several subtle references to JFK; the most obvious being a lunar lander engraved on the nib to signify his support of the Apollo space program. Personally, I find it to be a great looking pen and a fine tribute to JFK.

 

If you're wanting to know what it's like to live with one...the pen, as impressive as it is, has a couple of annoying characteristics. It does not post and and body, to me, is a little on the short side to not be postable. So if you find an unposted 146 to be a tad awkward then you'll feel the same about the JFK. There is also no ink window so, unless I just refilled it, I have no idea if there is enough ink left to make it through a work day. Not sure why MB chose to exclude it since, to me, this pen is not priced to be a display only pen.

 

Overall, I like the pen and have no regrets about buying it. And yes, the some of the basic design elements do appear to have carried over to the Antoine De Saint-Exupery pen.

 

Cell pic I took a while back:

 

 

Personally I really like the rather understated look of the JFK and it's on my hit-list for if/when a lightly used one goes up for sale with a fine nib!

 

That said - I find the Antoine Saint-Exupéry intriguing as well.

[zaddick]

Hi George. There are several, older threads here on the JFK. Use the search tool or Google to find them for more detailed opinions. People often discuss the heck out of new pens but then it tapers off as new shiny toys are released.

 

I personally did not find the JFK a good fit for my hand and strongly disliked the engraved initials.

[george c]

Hi Folks,

 

Thanks for the comments, great photos, and appreciate Cordovian's owner's review.

I spoke with a delightful young lady today at an MB dealer. She said the pens seem identical.

Soooooooooooooo, a fine nib version is on the way to join my Antoine De Saint-Exupery. These pens seem really scarce...almost none available.

Again, thanks all.

 

Best regards,

 

George

[Tom Kellie]

Hi Folks,

 

Thanks for the comments, great photos, and appreciate Cordovian's owner's review.

 

I spoke with a delightful young lady today at an MB dealer. She said the pens seem identical.

 

Soooooooooooooo, a fine nib version is on the way to join my Antoine De Saint-Exupery. These pens seem really scarce...almost none available.

 

Again, thanks all.

 

Best regards,

 

George

 

 

~ george c:

 

That's a lovely conclusion.

When your F nib JFK arrives, please let us know how it writes for you.

Thank you for telling your decision.

Tom K.

[Warhammer57]

I like the cap of the JFK Special Edition but the Antoine De Saint-Exupery is my grail pen so it's not a fair comparison for me. It just seems like they put more detail into the Antoine De Saint-Exupery.

[PandP]

Hi George. There are several, older threads here on the JFK. Use the search tool or Google to find them for more detailed opinions. People often discuss the heck out of new pens but then it tapers off as new shiny toys are released.

 

I personally did not find the JFK a good fit for my hand and strongly disliked the engraved initials.

 

I had the chance to try it the other day in Selfridges and have to say that I agree with zaddick on this one. The shape has a few sharp edges and it didnt feel as rounded or smooth as the 149 or 146. The engraved initials put me oof too. However I have to say that I loved the design on that nib.

[TheRealMikeDr]

I had my heart set on the JFK but instead went with the Antoine Saint-Exupery which shares many design features and I'm quite happy with it! Now I only need to find a F Scott Fitzgerald with a fine nib and my life will be complete

 

 

[Warhammer57]

Congratulations! What a gorgeous pen. I was reading about Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's life the other night. He jammed quite a bit of life into 44 years.