Two new (to me) pens today

September 27, 2007

Today's mail brought a lovely Pilot pen from Taki. You can read her review. This is a beautiful pen, the resin reminds me of the sapphire auroloid of the Aurora Optima.

I picked up a sapphire Namiki Impressions in October 2000, so I am familiar with the fit in the hand of this size pen and the feel on the page of the #5 Pilot/Namiki 14k nib. The Impressions is one of my favorite pens because it is the perfect size for me, and the nib writes wonderfully. This Pilot is no disappointment.

Interestingly, all the parts are interchangable. For example, I can screw the nib section of the Legance into the barrel of the Impressions. The dimensions of the two pens are almost identical. The difference is the Legance has flat ends, while the Impressions has rounded ends. Also, as lovely as it is, the resin of the Legance is not as deep and lustrous as the celluloid of the Impressions.

The Legance medium nib writes a slightly finer line than the Impressions medium, but it lays down an equally wet line. I can tell this pen is going to be a favorite for many years.

Thank you Taki, for passing along such a lovely pen to me!

Just after lunch I met a friend outside his Duke University Medical Center office to swap pens. I came home with a tortoise Pelikan 400NN. I had one of these pens five years ago, and loved it. Unfortunately I had to sell it after less than a week to pay some unexpected medical expenses.

I love the feel of these 1950s Pelikan nibs. My green stripe 400 has a fine with nice line variation due to its flex properties. This 400NN has a medium, that is cut almost stub-like and can produce line variation with no pressure due to the cut of the nib, and with slight pressure due to the flex of the nib. It is a nice wet writer, and has laid down some lovely lines this afternoon in my journal with my homebrew blue black ink.

If you look at Ross's Pelikan page, the pen I picked up today is the first one shown.

I am quite pleased with these acquisitions, and look forward to using them in the days to come.

September 27, 2007

Doug, I've written with that particular Custom Legance and I was just as impressed with it as you are. Take good care of it, b/c I might want it next!