Three Modern 139s

[Multiechelon]

Hi all,

 

It is on my to-do list to write up more carefully how I write with my pens. Partly because I think it might be interesting to others and partly because I would like to document it since I would like to see how others write with their pens (and it could then serves as a type of template). But this is not that post. That is a post for another day. For today, I will post some pictures of my favorite writing pen shape: the modern 139.

 

There are three pens based on the 139 design: Hemingway, Dumas, and Year of the Golden Dragon. The dragon clip of the Year of the Golden Dragon makes it so unbalanced that it can only stay upright if it is supported on its side:

 

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu82/multiechelon/Modern139s/Modern139s_01.jpg

 

I didn't pull out a ruler, but the Year of the Golden Dragon is slightly smaller than the Hemingway which is slightly smaller than the Dumas:

 

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu82/multiechelon/Modern139s/Modern139s_02.jpg

 

I didn't pull out a micrometer, but the nibs all appear to be roughly the same size:

 

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu82/multiechelon/Modern139s/Modern139s_03.jpg

 

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu82/multiechelon/Modern139s/Modern139s_04.jpg

 

I bought a Dumas first. I actually bought it based on one of Amir's reviews. I think the review comparing the Hemingway to the Dumas. The Dumas is a stunning pen.

 

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu82/multiechelon/Modern139s/Modern139s_05.jpg

 

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu82/multiechelon/Modern139s/Modern139s_06.jpg

 

I have to admit that over time I have used the Dumas less and the Hemingway more. Two Hemingways (one a stock B nib and the other a Binderized XF nib) never leave my side. I write with them at least an hour a day. The ridges of the Dumas prevent it from being a long-use pen. I use it most every day as a change of pace pen, but not a pen I write with for hours on end. (I also likely grip pens more tightly than one should grip a fountain pen)

 

I also really like the ink window of the Hemingway. It is a small thing but it adds to the experience of using it. The Year of the Golden Dragon also has an ink window but the Dumas does not:

 

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu82/multiechelon/Modern139s/Modern139s_07.jpg

 

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu82/multiechelon/Modern139s/Modern139s_08.jpg

 

I bought the Year of the Golden Dragon thinking I would love it. I just figured I would ink it right up and it would become a key member of my writing stable. However, that has not happened and I think it might not happen. The cap is just insanely heavy. In all situations, it makes the pen so unbalanced that it is distracting. It just messes up the pen's center of gravity. I write with my pens unposted so this is not an issue during writing, it is before writing. It bugs me that the pen flips over and that the cap is so heavy that it is actually a little hard to handle. (these things are surely minor, but they do disrupt my writing process which is of course the reason I use these pens in the first place). Finally, the clip is so large that it does not fit in any of my travel cases. So if I do ink the Year of the Golden Dragon it can only stay in my home tray.

 

That said, the Year of the Golden Dragon is visually stunning:

 

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu82/multiechelon/Modern139s/Modern139s_09.jpg

 

Sean

Edited September 8, 2009 by Multiechelon

[Ghost Plane]

I guess I hold the Dumas differently from you as there's nothing about it to distract me from the hypnotic flow of nib over paper. I prefer it posted, but note the cap has a tendency to pull the piston cap loose just a hair. I think it might be the weight of the clip as it pulls around to the side.

 

It's the same width and almost the same length as many of my Visconti LEs, so this size really works for me.

 

This is a seriously comfortable size and weight to hold for hours at a time.

[Blade Runner]

Of the 3, I only own the Dumas, and love it.

I really enjoy comparative reviews and photos. Thank you!

[horolographer]

Wonderful comparative review Sean. Enjoyed reading it very much.

I just got the Dumas recently and its an awesome instrument. Its visually handsome and some would say a little too embelished but I think its not when compared with many other models. Its useable and pocketable. A true writing instrument unlike some very over designed pens.

 

BTW I note that your Dumas images shows the deep dark brown as black. Is the Dragon and Hemingway also brown or black?

 

 

[Multiechelon]

Wonderful comparative review Sean. Enjoyed reading it very much.

I just got the Dumas recently and its an awesome instrument. Its visually handsome and some would say a little too embelished but I think its not when compared with many other models. Its useable and pocketable. A true writing instrument unlike some very over designed pens.

 

BTW I note that your Dumas images shows the deep dark brown as black. Is the Dragon and Hemingway also brown or black?

 

Hi Harry,

 

I like your insight into the Dumas. I agree with your characterization. Its design is near the border of "too showy" but I do not think it crosses over. I have taken it with me a lot of places because I do love writing with that style pen. I bought the Dumas first and then the Hemingway (and then a couple more Hemingways, but that is another story...) Over time, the Hemingway has taken over as a pen I take with me everywhere but I still like the Dumas a lot.

 

Your comment about the picture showing the Dumas as black brings back memories. When I first bought the Dumas, I nearly panicked when it first arrived because as you know the color is a dark brown but all the pictures I had seen showed it as black. I wondered if I had a fake which of course seemed impossible to imagine but the color was not what I expected. I then read through a bunch of FPN posts and I found out that it was in fact a brown that can photograph as black.

 

To my untrained eye, the Hemingway is the same brown as the Dumas. So the Hemingway is not at all black, even though my pictures show it as black. The Year of the Golden Dragon is indeed jet black throughout.

 

Sean

[georges zaslavsky]

It is the first time I see a Dragon, very unusual and nice pen.

[horolographer]

Wonderful comparative review Sean. Enjoyed reading it very much.

I just got the Dumas recently and its an awesome instrument. Its visually handsome and some would say a little too embelished but I think its not when compared with many other models. Its useable and pocketable. A true writing instrument unlike some very over designed pens.

 

BTW I note that your Dumas images shows the deep dark brown as black. Is the Dragon and Hemingway also brown or black?

 

Hi Harry,

 

I like your insight into the Dumas. I agree with your characterization. Its design is near the border of "too showy" but I do not think it crosses over. I have taken it with me a lot of places because I do love writing with that style pen. I bought the Dumas first and then the Hemingway (and then a couple more Hemingways, but that is another story...) Over time, the Hemingway has taken over as a pen I take with me everywhere but I still like the Dumas a lot.

 

Your comment about the picture showing the Dumas as black brings back memories. When I first bought the Dumas, I nearly panicked when it first arrived because as you know the color is a dark brown but all the pictures I had seen showed it as black. I wondered if I had a fake which of course seemed impossible to imagine but the color was not what I expected. I then read through a bunch of FPN posts and I found out that it was in fact a brown that can photograph as black.

 

To my untrained eye, the Hemingway is the same brown as the Dumas. So the Hemingway is not at all black, even though my pictures show it as black. The Year of the Golden Dragon is indeed jet black throughout.

 

Sean

 

Hi Sean,

I am impressed that you have more than one Hemingway. Its my grail FP and had a yearning for it even before my first LE MB (Proust). I am hoping one day to acquire one for my collection, so if you ever plan to part with one, do drop me a line! PRETTY PLEASE! :-)

 

The dark brown of the Dumas only shows as brown in daylight or pure white light. In yellow light or warm white light, it comes out as near black. I have never seen this brown on any other pens. It reminds me of the bakerlite plastics that was used in radios and telephones of the 50s. I suspect its the one and the same. I love it because it really gives it a nice vintage feel and look.

[PigRatAndGoat]

Beautiful pictures! I never realized that the Golden Dragon was based on the 139. I always thought of the 146 or similar sized pens.

[Multiechelon]

Hi Harry,

 

Thanks for the lighting explanation. That helps me understand much better. I did take my pictures at night with my flash enabled, so that definitely explains the color.

 

The Proust was my first MB and it is still a favorite. I can't picture selling one of my Hemingways but the good news is that you can buy one on ebay and then immediately send it in for service to MB. I have done this with a few MB LEs to buy them cheap and then for $45 MB makes them work as good as new. So I don't shy away from slightly less desirable ebay listings (so long as I know the pen is legit and there are no serious problems with it)

 

Thanks for the compliment PRAG. The Golden Dragon is an interesting pen. It is like an all-black Hemingway with a huge clip. I ended up listing it in the marketplace because I decided I would rather spend my money on another pen, but it is a pen that is beautiful and can be a great writer.

 

Sean

[emes441]

Sean,

 

What did you mean about the "ridges" on the Dumas?

 

Srul

[Multiechelon]

Hi Srul,

 

I believe my comment is accurate given the way I write, but it does make me a little self-conscious because it surely reveals something about my writing quirks.

 

By ridges, I mean the three gold "ribbons" that run the length of the barrel. Here are some close-ups of the ribbons. Two are shown on each of these pictures:

 

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu82/multiechelon/Modern139s/Dumas_01.jpg

 

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu82/multiechelon/Modern139s/Dumas_02.jpg

 

And one is shown in each of these pictures:

 

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu82/multiechelon/Modern139s/Dumas_03.jpg

 

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu82/multiechelon/Modern139s/Dumas_04.jpg

 

The ribbon is just a hair above the rest of the barrel. I wrote with the Dumas for about two hours on Thursday and I did not notice it that much, but I have to admit that I prefer the smoothness of the Hemingway (or Year of the Golden Dragon) over the Dumas' barrel.

 

Sean

[Wael El-Dasher]

Thanks Sean for a great review. It's especially helpful to see all three pens together. Your review convinced me that I shouldn't buy the Golden Dragon. It seems the law of diminishing returns applies here. With the Hemingway, one reaches that point. Beyond the Hemingway, the return is not as satisfying. You got me convinced to also work on purchasing another Hemingway and sourcing a vintage 149/139 flex nib, or perhaps have the nib modified to add flex. It would make a wonderful writer.

 

cheers

 

Wael

[sumgaikid]

Nice review,Sean! You touched upon something that I'm going to bring out in my review

of the 146 Solitaire in Gold & Black--the heaviness of the cap. It might make for a solid

pen,but I think that for most of us(myself included)it becomes more of a distraction. I

think if it had half the weight that it does,it wouldn't be so bad.

 

 

John

[Ghost Plane]

Argh! That weight is what works for me!

[ArchiMark]

Great overview of these 3 great pens, Sean.

 

Got my Dumas recently and really like it a lot...

 

Overall, think Dumas has a quiet elegance to the design, had been a bit afraid that I'd think it was too blingy when I saw it in person, but it's not.

[karmakoda]

My compliments and congratulations on your tastefull collection and excellent review. Good food for thought. I will make it my goal to have the Hemmingway.

Thanks

Greg

[sumgaikid]

Argh! That weight is what works for me!

 

 

 

GP,I've written with mine and to me,I've gotten used to it. My statement is for those who think(read: assume)

that the Gold & Black in the 146 size will be as light as a regular 146. Other folks may not be as forgiving of the

"heft" as you and I are.

 

 

 

John

[Multiechelon]

Thanks Sean for a great review. It's especially helpful to see all three pens together. Your review convinced me that I shouldn't buy the Golden Dragon. It seems the law of diminishing returns applies here. With the Hemingway, one reaches that point. Beyond the Hemingway, the return is not as satisfying. You got me convinced to also work on purchasing another Hemingway and sourcing a vintage 149/139 flex nib, or perhaps have the nib modified to add flex. It would make a wonderful writer.

 

cheers

 

Wael

 

Hi Wael. We definitely seem to have a similar view of these pens. Since I am a user of my pens, I have no problem modifying them or doing something that makes them more usable. However, it is hard to see the benefit of doing this with a Year of the Golden Dragon because before modification it is already more expensive than a Hemingway.

 

...However, I will add that yesterday I orchestrated a trade of pens to get my Year of the Golden Dragon back. (if there is a hierarchy for fountain pen sickness, getting back a pen you sold clearly is another step in that process.) So I will take another hard look at the Year of the Golden Dragon, but I do not think my conclusion will change.

 

 

Nice review,Sean! You touched upon something that I'm going to bring out in my review

of the 146 Solitaire in Gold & Black--the heaviness of the cap. It might make for a solid

pen,but I think that for most of us(myself included)it becomes more of a distraction. I

think if it had half the weight that it does,it wouldn't be so bad.

 

 

John

 

I definitely agree. For the Year of the Golden Dragon, the issue with the cap is not so much that it is heavy, it is that it is so unbalanced because all the weight is in the clip. It is this clip weight plus the fact that the clip is so large that it can't easily fit in cases that annoys me about it. If it wasn't for the clip, the pen would be in my daily rotation because I love the color and I think the shape is perfect.

 

 

Argh! That weight is what works for me!

 

I have this vision of a bunch of FPN members getting together at a pen show and showing others how they write. While I don't post my pens, it is possible that the cap might be okay posted but its lack of balance is annoying when doing the normal things like moving the pen around.

 

 

Great overview of these 3 great pens, Sean.

 

Got my Dumas recently and really like it a lot...

 

Overall, think Dumas has a quiet elegance to the design, had been a bit afraid that I'd think it was too blingy when I saw it in person, but it's not.

 

I agree. The Dumas is beautiful and I had no problem carrying mine around.

 

My compliments and congratulations on your tastefull collection and excellent review. Good food for thought. I will make it my goal to have the Hemmingway.

Thanks

Greg

 

Thanks Greg. If you enjoy the hunting process of finding your pen, you can definitely get a Hemingway on ebay that is less than the more outrageous buy it now prices. However, since it only takes one buyer to lose their mind and drive the price beyond reasonable levels, it takes some patience to get one. If one does not like the hunt, I would just let the people on FPN (like Bryant) that know how to source pens know you are interested and they can get you one in time.

 

Sean

[berkeleyshanghai]

Hi Sean,

 

I would say a sign of fountain pen sickness is trying to offer a seller buy it now on a pen that you already have 5 examples of ;-) If you are trying to corner the market, count me in. As the guy who traded your YotGD back, I want to say the pen is impossible as a user and for that reason price has not gone up. If you notice the pens that have gone up in price substantially happen to be the better writing pens. (Hemingway, Medici, Proust, Imperial Dragon). Maybe there is hope after all for MB fans. We do have people like you who actually write with the pen.

 

Jim

[meiers]

The Hemingway is the sweetest of the bunch: an example of understated elegance!

 

Matt