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I have a Parker Classic Flighter mechanical pencil that I've been using off and on for several years. For some reason, I cannot seem to reload the pencil right. On this site, there are several posts that are very helpful in reloading a twist-top Parker pencil through the tip: fully extend the mechanism to clear the pencil, insert lead, slowly retract, and apply pressure to seat the lead in the holder. However, when I try this, I cannot get the lead (0.9 mm) to stay in; it will retract, but as soon as I start writing again, the lead falls out. It's not breaking; there are no pieces left inside, and the ends of the lead are still smooth. Found some older 0.9 mm leads, and they seem to work better. Are all 0.9 mms not interchangeable? Am I doing something else wrong?

Hi, I have got two old Cross classic century gold fountain pens from my father. I'm not sure about the age. They are marked: 1/20 10KT GOLD FILLED with 14KT M nibs. They have problems with ink flow, dryness and scraping. The pens have now been cleaned in water for over 24 hours. No more ink is coming out. But, I have problems removing the nibs for further cleaning and adjustments. Is it possible to remove them at all or are they fixed? They are not moving at all when pulled. I'm trying with a rubber band between my fingers for better grip, but no :-( Hope you have som good solutions for me :-)

Hi, I have just bought 2 Parker Classic pens off Amazon due to how hard it is to find them sold in the U.K. high street shops. I’m a bit concerned that I’ve been sent fake ones, please can someone very knowledgeable verify the legitimacy? The engraving is really faint on one of pens, almost not visible to the naked eye. Also, I noticed that the last R is bigger than the rest off the text on both pens and doesn’t look straight. I have also read from other forums that Parker pens have a crown engraving on the top which mine doesn’t. Moreover, I heard some pens have a date code next to the ‘France’ engraving, I do not have this. I’m not sure whether to put this down to it being a fake or it being a very old pen as it’s not longer being sold. I will try to add as many pictures as possible. Please can someone inform me on this, it will be very much appreciated. Thank you

I recently acquired this Visconti pen but cannot identify the model name, if it does have a name... it is evidently an early model, it is made of wrapped celluloid, black-brown flake, and has a steel two tone nib with Visconti written vertically, top down, such as I have already seen on a Visconti Classic the nib is steel I assume as it has no gold markings the pen is approx 13.5 cm capped, short of 12 cm uncapped, and it is rather fat. It is a cartridge-converter pen. The material used is surely celluloid, you can smell the distictive odour of canfor as you open the barrel, and it is wrapped celloloid you can see the seam by looking closely, the dark colour however masks the seam almost completely, in normal lighting conditions. There is an earlier post by fabri00 in another thead about this pen https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/260584-can-you-identify-this-pen/ where this pen is mentioned but no model name mentioned since I do not know the model name googling to find info so far has proven useless the colour of the celluloid is really nice, the nib is rather stiff, and smallish, but the pen is not so big either, and writes, now, reasonably smooth with a fine to medium line (I had to slighly adjust the tines because under the loope they were evidently misaligned) any information is welcome (eric47??) thanks Enrico next to a sheaffer balance II for comparison the celluloid picks up the light in certain conditions

Hello, Could anyone tell me the difference between the Parker Duofold Prestige/Classic and International/Centennial lines. From what I can guess, The Prestige is made from brass whereas the classic is made of resin (plastic), and both come in international (short) and Centennial (long) versions. Can somebody help me clarify that?

Pelikan has just announced a new member to its Classic series, the Pelikan Special Edition Classic M200 Pastel-Green fountain pen and the Pelikan Special Edition Classic K200 Pastel-Green ballpoint pen. They will be available around February to March 2020. We are offereing these pens for pre-order and recommend choosing the payment option "Cash in advance", as we will charge only when the pens have arrived. Here is the link to our offer: https://www.fritz-schimpf.de/Neuheiten/Pelikan-Classic-M200-Special-Edition-Pastell-Gruen-Kolbenfuellhalter.html https://www.fritz-schimpf.de/Neuheiten/Pelikan-Classic-K200-Special-Edition-Pastell-Gruen-Druckkugelschreiber.html Should you wish any further information please contact us: service@fritz-schimpf.de

It's time for me to make good on what I've been talking about for a while, now that my order of plastic blunt tip needle attachments of syringes have finally arrived, and all the bits are in place. I'm giving away a set of (~0.75ml) samples of seven iron-gall inks: Platinum Classic Ink Cassis BlackPlatinum Classic Ink Forest BlackPlatinum Classic Ink Khaki BlackPlatinum Classic Ink Lavender BlackKWZ Ink Aztec Gold IGLKWZ Ink IG Green #3KWZ Ink IG TurquoiseThe volume is chosen to match what one would get from an international short ink cartridge, without being strictly being limited by the diameter of the 'nipple' on the feed or post inside the grip section, in case someone has a pen that uses a proprietary format (such as Sailor, Platinum, Pilot and Parker) converter. I will include a 1ml syringe with a 14-gauge blunt tip needle attachment, so the ink can be transferred into the cavity of any converter, empty ink cartridge, the barrels of 'eyedropper' pens, and even some piston-fillers from which the nib and feed can be easily removed by the user to access the pen's ink reservoir. I intend to send the ink sample set as a large letter (in a corrugated cardboard mailer 'envelope') and not a parcel. Australia Post is perfectly happy to accept the article as just that, when I showed the staff at my local post office. That makes international postage charges for the article not that much (at about 60%) more than domestic postage charges. The only question is whether the recipient's country postal regulations will deem the contents acceptable; I have to fill out a CN22 customs declaration if I send it outside of Australia. In view of this, the way I'm conducting this giveaway is: Please express your interest in being the recipient by making a post in this thread before 11 November 2019.There is no restriction based on country or geography on expressions of interest. Anyone from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand and the UK (for example, but not exhaustively) who puts his/her hand up for it will be treated equally.The letter mail postage charges will be paid for on my end, thanks to @mariom.If you're outside of Australia and you're interested, then you have to include in your expression-of-interest post a link to the part/section of your country's postal regulations regarding dangerous, prohibited and 'non-mailable' items so that I can verify it's OK, since I'm the responsible party for filling out a CN22 customs declaration form for the article. I will use a random number generator to select the recipient from all eligible entries on 12 November 2019.This is the general format of how I intend to do future ink sample giveaways, after a lot of thought and non-trivial investment of effort and funds in getting suitable mailer envelopes, ink containers, syringe needle attachments, etc. together. Right now I've got other ink sample sets in plan for pigment inks, inks of a particular colour family, etc. and I would be open to feedback on what to include in future sets. What will not change is the approximate volume of each ink in a sample set, and the type of ink container to use. However, if anyone has better ideas of how to more time- and cost-efficiently offer others just enough of 'a taste' to decide whether they want to spend money on buying retail bottles of particular inks for themselves, I'm all ears.

Hi, I'm a bit puzzled by the use of the word "Classic" in relation to Montblanc pens. It is often used for all sorts of pens, and many of them are, in a sense. But there apparently also has been a model called "Classic", However, I'm uncertain of which one it is. Some pens that appear on ebay look very much like a 221, or rather 221P. But the 221 seems to have a gold nib, and I wonder if the "Classic" one does. My favorite pen, which has been with me since at least the early 80's also looks like the 221P, but does not have a gold nib. Could it be a "Classic" of some description, or some other kind of animal, or a fake? Max

Osprey Pens - Milano Ojemoka Japanese Ebonite (F) fountain pen, a long term BIFL investment for generations to come Take home: Hidden gem of extreme value in a classically designed Japanese ebonite pen with a mission toward the future: Appearance & Design (10) - This is a classic flat top subtly tapering cylindrical design much like a vintage Parker Duofold. It sports a rolling ball clip, secured threaded post, small grip section with unobtrusive threads after a small step down from the barrel. … Construction & Quality (9.5) - Construction is excellent with an extreme polish of the rippled coffee moka brown/black Japanese (Nikko) ebonite hallmarking the centerpiece of tactile appeal. Color is almost like a darker Eboya Tanshin (red). Tolerances are high without wiggle when cap or post threaded. There is a minuscule < 0.25 mm step between the finial and main body cap at their join. If I tap hard on the bottom barrel I can hear the converter tick, tick against the inner barrel. … Weight & Dimensions (10) - 24 g with < 1/3 partially filled converter. It really sized like a Duofold lookalike or like a modern version of my Waterman 55. It takes a lot to rank in this crowd: (top) Parker Duofold Centennial, Aurora 88, Sailor KOP, Osprey Pens Milano, Sailor 1911L, Waterman's 55 from Dr. Robert Tefft estate, Pelikan M605, Pilot 743 (bottom) … Nib & Performance (9) - Plain steel appearance hides great smooth performance with a hint of feedback with a well controlled flow using Waterman's Mysterious Blue. Nibs are interchangeable, #6! If Osprey Pens has a nibmeister, they are doing a terrific job! I did get to try the notched semi-flex on another of their pens and it had no line variation whatsoever but was a softer than nail writer. My pen stands on its own with the default nib as a daily writer. Absolutely no complaints. I have a Waterman's 52 wet noodle so maybe I am biased, but pen companies have no business even marketing flex but I understand they have to pray to the flex religion. Minus 1 point for dry out of the feed but resolved when I fed the feed by turning the converter … Filling System & Maintenance (9) - Dead on standard cartridge/converter and easy to flush. The original pen came with a medium nib and the CEO swapped it to a fine on the spot without adjustment. The Milano can be converted to an eyedropper fill with silicone grease as there is no metal threads, just ebonite to ebonite. … Cost & Value (10) - MSRP $70 USD?! Paid $61 from 20% pen faire discount!!! I had my eye on an Eboya and now see more Osprey Pens in my future. … Conclusion (Final score: 9.58) - This average score should be multiplied by 100s for the sheer mission of Osprey Pens: to give back and empower the next generation of fountain pen lovers with affordable tools. Everyone should support this mission. Here's the little background story: The local art store had its long running "Pen Faire" and we made our 2nd pilgrimage to see what they had in store. There were crowded gatherings around Lamy, Sailor, Visconti and Yafa's stable of brands which left a gap in the circle of tables for a new brand I did not know. We squirrelled over to the new unknown brand. On the table were a nice conservative set of flat top Duofold lookalikes in nostaglic tortoise shell, green and black acrylics. A black chase faux rubber one caught my eye (turns out it was real). They also had the faux flex nibs with the cut outs de rigeur in fashion. What also caught my attention were the well-dressed reps who looked out of place from the more casual pen folk. "What have you got here? I never heard of Osprey?", I asked the young gentleman dressed in a suit. Next to him was a somewhat older rep whose was silence I mistook as the junior rep boss. Why am I telling you all this and not about the pen? Because for the next 5 minutes, the young rep proceeded to introduce his brand, Osprey Pens in an unlikely fashion. He talked about how they were contributing to schools to promote pen use in kids lives. He explained they had to get around core curricula entrenchment by offering an elective program based on their pens and nib holders with zebra-G nibs (comic steel nibs) to make it fun (comic drawing) for the kids and not something they are compelled to do. He kept on it and in between I'd look at the "boss" to see if he would intervene or note praise in the younger's presentation. Nope, the fella went on about the mission to empower a new generation to see our love of fountain pens amidst the digital competition of tablet and iPads and other attention suckers. Osprey pens is on a mission to give back and inspire kinda like Tom's shoes or Patagonia, businesses that care enough beyond profit to value corporate responsibility. The value proposition was customer driven purchases help their community program of fountain pen promotion through Osprey Pen donations. I still didn't get to learn more about the pens and he didn't "sell" me on them but rather the big idea was this giving back to the next generation. We could really feel the passion of his conviction and to my mind he passed the brand's spiel "demo" though I did not get a word edgewise about any sales appeal about the pens. What duh?! Tell me more about the faux BCHR, damnit! The pens were gorgeous, classic and conservative much like my top best pens I narrowed down: current I finally did get to confirm the #6 nibs, cartridge/converter basics from the older rep and another helper who I thought was from the art store. Turns out she was their inhouse calligrapher! In the end, all the details finally got fleshed out: They are a local company They give back to the community and promote fountain pen love Their product is solid, classic and incredibly affordable. Osprey Pens is a big win. After my wife and I stood there receiving the speech, I'd had hoped we start a small gathering and eventually folks paid attention. But I was a little exhausted so before I committed I wanted to make the rounds especially to check out the new Sailor lighthouse. Nothing was compelling to buy except that feel-good-rationalize-helping-pen purchase with Osprey. They didn't need it as the pen sells itself, but the young man really made an impression on us. When I came back to purchase the black chased hard rubber much like a modern version of my Waterman's 12 POC then they pulled the rug over my eyes and showed off their other Japanese ebonites, which the other rep said were the best sellers. It was between a black top, ripple body or all ripple. Ultimately I got the all ripple Eboya replacement. Most surprising of all was when I asked for a card. Turns out the young junior rep was the CEO/Founder, Abhi Rao! Both embarrassed and impressed, I asked for his autograph on the pen box to mark the memory, but instead he offered to write me a letter if I gave out my address. My Milano is a special pen, but more so, Osprey pens giving back is what will ultimately serve the hobby in the long run. Think about it. For the hobby to grow, it needs to spark new joy in others. Osprey Pens is on a mission and I'm grateful to support them. The gorgeous pen is just the icing on the cake. P.S. Turns out they've been doing this for a while and there's a bunch of solid review videos on their pens. I have no affiliation with Osprey Pens just a satisfied customer; I think they need more exposure/marketing, though.

I bought a Graf von Faber Castell Classic (Pernambuco Wood) fountain pen earlier this year new. I wanted a pen for air travel that had cartridge filling but also had a piston or similar filler system for more economical use when not travelling. It had to have a broad oblique nib. The only other cartridge filling pen I have is a Mont Blanc Bohème where the cartridges seem to quickly self-empty into the cap, on an airplane or not. Pity because it has a nice OB nib, which is more than I can say for its big "Le Grand Meisterstück" sister's OB nib. I was pleased when I got the G v F-C Classic pen. It looks to be very well made and writes beautifully, with nicely controlled ink flow, using Pelikan ink. Disappointingly however, it has proved to be rather leaky. Now I know that we have had very hot weather in the south of France and even at 800m/2500 feet altitude, we have seen 38ºC. It seems to be leaking from both the nib into the cap and around the filler unit, into the back cover. I am reluctant to return it, as I suspect it will come back exactly the same and this is a characteristic of its design rather than any fault. I will buy some G v F-C ink, to make sure it is not the fault of the Pelikan ink being too low viscosity but I very much doubt if it will make any difference. it shows that I suspect it will be essential to wash out the pen before air travel and take cartridges with me. From some other comments, I had hoped otherwise. I looked at some other pens with ink shut off but was not enamoured of the nibs. Wilson

We photographed some of our Montblancs recently. Since their pen design is usually a bit more simple, the photographs work well on both plain and textured/detailed backgrounds. What do you think?

Hello Everyone I was browsing through Goulet Pens Website and was interested by Conklin Classic which is sort of a limited release by Goulet Pens... The pen seems to be on the lighter side of weight -- 13 grams (body only) while having 13mm diameter (body only) and a length (body only) of 127.22 mm (5 inch)... since i usually use the pen without posting the cap, the measurements are for the body only.... What attracts me is the Ebonite body and the colors though the Goulet #6 Steel Nib is nothing extraordinary.. filling mechanism is eyedropper, C/C... Question is, at a price point of USD 139, is it a worthwhile pen considering that the website mentions it as a "special edition, produced in single batch that will only be available for a period of time? Ref: https://www.gouletpens.com/conklin-classic-fountain-pen-firelines-fine/p/CK81114-F I am planning to have a contemporary Conklin and need to decide between Classic, Duragraph and All American... Thank You Some pictures (from Goulet website) Ref: https://www.gouletpens.com/conklin-classic-fountain-pen-firelines-fine/p/CK81114-F....

We just got the confirmation that Pelikan will launch another fountain pen this year. By late November 2017 the new Pelikan M200 Brown-Marble fountain and ballpoint pens should be available. It seems, that Pelikan is having a brown year... Here are some pictures: Best regards Fritz Schimpf

Hi! I have recently gotten back to using fountain pens after having used them in middle school, where it was mandatory. I find some old lens lying around the house and though i could identify most of them, I have no clue about this one. Please help! Im new to FPN and this is my first post, so if there is some other thread where I should be posting this, please direct me to that. Thanks in advance.

Starting in August 2017 Pelikan will ship the upcoming Classic 200 Special Edition Smoky Quartz pens. The Classic 200 Smoky Quartz will consist of a fountain pen, a ballpoint pen and a fountain pen set with a special ink bottle of Edelstein Smoky Quartz. The set will feature a Edelstein Smoky Quartz ink bottle with golden lettering and this will only be available in the set. We offer all pens for pre-order. Should you have any questions or wish further information you can check the pens here: https://www.fritz-schimpf.de/Neuheiten/Pelikan-Special-Edition-Classic-M200-Smoky-Quartz-Kolbenfuellhalter.html https://www.fritz-schimpf.de/Neuheiten/Pelikan-Special-Edition-Classic-M200-Set-Smoky-Quartz-Kolbenfuellhalter.html https://www.fritz-schimpf.de/Neuheiten/Pelikan-Special-Edition-Classic-K200-Smoky-Quartz-Druckkugelschreiber.html or send us an email to service@fritz-schimpf.de Regards Fritz Schimpf

It works! and works well! I'm not very good with Flex nibs yet, but my son has been using dip pens and flex nibs for a while. I will have to get him to provide some better writing samples. He's only almost 14 and has been writing with fountain pens since he was 8 and he's a lefty. So there's hope for us all! Enjoy

Ok, so I'm not going to the effort of typing this whole thing twice (my page closed on me), so I'll be brief. I've been using this Senator pen for a while now and I've come to really appreciate it, however, no matter how extensive my searching, I cannot find information on the pen. I've found pens similar to my one, from Senator, however there are still distinctive differences so I've ruled them out. The pen is good for a lefty (I am one of those) as the nib is fine, or even extra-fine (brass?), meaning it's very conservative and I don't get any smudging, however it can be kind of scratchy at times. There is no other name or marking on the pen apart from 'senator', on both the nib and the lid. It must be mentioned that even though I'd love to hear that this pen is actually a rarity or good quality pen, I wouldn't be surprised if it was a cheap import knock-off. Any information on this pen would be interesting and welcomed.. Thanks!

I visited a flea market a few days ago and bought a Cross Century set for $43. The price in my opinion was really good and the case and mechanical pencil was a bonus. After a little inspection I found some interesting markings on both of them. Both the fountain pen and the pencil were made in Ireland. I found on the net that if the fountain pen was made in Ireland it is from around 1982. Obviously they are the gold filled versions but there is not inscription like on my USA made ballpoint "-1/20 12kt gold filled". I checked the hallmarks used in Ireland but found nothing similar to these. On the pencil is written "CROSS , Made in Ireland , Plaque ORL" and a little hallmark with a T inside (see photo). The fountain pen has "CROSS , Made in Ireland" and a hallmark on the cap with a shield divided by an "X" with "A C T" (photo) also a similar hallmark is found on the nib "A C T Sté". Even if they seem like a set (in the inside of the box there is an inscription 14kt gold filled) they are diffirent: -Difference #1: the CROSS inscription on the fountain pen is in cursive and on the pencil is printer font -Difference #2: they have different colour pen is more pink and pencil more yellow My questions are: -What is the meaning of those hallmarks on the caps? -Were they from different sets? -Why is there no "gold filled" text on them? -The box is quite large, what was inside the box beside the pen and pencil? Any information, idea is greatly appreciated! Have a nice day!

http://parkerpens.net/classic.html This site says "in 1975 the Parker Lady was launched. Ladies pens were usually smaller but the Parker Lady was of the same size and design as the International Classic, save the finish.........By 1981 the model name Parker Lady was dropped." On eBay almost every classic (or 75 classic or international classic - take your pick) is listed as Lady. Does anyone know which finishes were the real Lady finishes between 1975 and 1981? Picutres?

It’s been a while since the last time I put up a pen review, but I’m hoping to publish a couple tonight – another two Chinese pens that fit into the ‘classic’ black-and-gold slot that seems to be so common. Both pens were provided to me free, in return for an impartial review, by Kevin at JustWrite Pens (www.JustWrite.com.au). According to the JustWrite website, the Classic 717 is manufactured by Shanghai BAOER Stationery – which is a little odd, given the striking resemblance of this pen to two of the better-known offerings by rival company, Jinhao. It’s an attractive pen in its own right, though. ______________________________________________________________________ Appearance & Design –Jinhao x750 styling, with x450 trim The first thing you’ll notice, if you place the Classic 717 side-by-side with its ‘cousins’, is how closely it resembles the x750, at least in terms of its overall shape. A sleek, cigar-shaped pen, with a large branded band at the junction between cap and barrel. http://i.imgur.com/m1CAX3r.jpg From top to bottom: Jinhao x750, Classic 717, Jinhao x450 The main difference, until you uncap the pen (more on this later!) is the colour of the trim. Here the Classic 717 more closely resembles the x450 – mostly gold-coloured, although in a nice touch the clip is a gold-chrome duotone. http://i.imgur.com/ffBVoUw.jpg Construction & Quality – A well-made pen As with the Jinhao pens, it’s hard to fault the construction of the pen. I know Jinhao has some quality control issues, but the basic design of the pens are pretty good, and they feel substantial in the hand. The same is true for the Classic 717 – the body and cap are made of metal (brass?), and covered in a black lacquer that seems fairly scratch resistant; while the grip section and feed and cartridge converter are reasonably sturdy plastic. http://i.imgur.com/CGJRWYJ.jpg Weight & Dimensions – Weighty – but a good size The Classic 717 weighs about 40g with inked-up cartridge converter – or 25g uncapped. So it’s not a lightweight pen, but I didn’t find it too heavy to write with. Capped, the pen is about 141mm long, or 124 uncapped. It’s not really designed to post, and would be over 160mm if you tried to do so. The diameter of the pen barrel along most of its length is around 13.5mm, while the grip section tapers from 11mm at its widest to around 10mm near the nib. For me, anything under 10mm is getting a little slender , so this pen was a good ‘fit’ for me. The grip section is a little more tapered than for the Jinhao x750, and the plastic has a shinier finish. Nib & Performance – A fairly wet, broad pen When you uncap the pen, you find the most obvious difference between this pen and the Jinhaos: the nib is somewhat smaller, maybe a #5 (?) compared to the Jinhao #6’s. It’s also gold-plated around the edges, but chrome-plated in the centre, with fairly simple scrolling, a single Chinese character and the word ‘Classic’ inscribed towards the centre. I like the #6 nibs in the Jinhao pens (and the fact that you can easily buy replacements!), but I didn’t feel that the smaller nib was out of proportion for the pen. Perhaps it helps that the grip section is that little bit more tapered than on the x750. http://i.imgur.com/gRxWJjl.jpg Comparison: Jinhao x450 (top) vs Classic 717 nib (bottom) The performance of the nib was not exactly stellar straight out of the box (well, plastic sleeve) – I had some hard starts, and the flow was a little inconsistent. This was easily fixed, though, by giving the nib a good rinse, and flossing the tines with brass sheets for good measure. The nib lays a fairly broad line – broader than the Jinhao pens I’ve been constantly referencing – though I’d probably still call it a ‘broad medium’ rather than a ‘broad’. My handwriting is fairly small, so I tend to prefer finer nibs – but if you find the Jinhao nibs a little too narrow for your taste, this might be a good alternative to try out. http://i.imgur.com/gYmd4rg.jpg http://i.imgur.com/VHi9SCb.jpg http://i.imgur.com/mqQ6vdY.jpg Filling System & Maintenance– Non-Standard Cartridges Converter The pen comes supplied with a cartridge converter, and I confess I didn’t notice this at first that its aperture is non-standard – but when I tried to swap in a standard international converter, I discovered it wouldn’t fit! I don’t know why Baoer would do this, but it appears that this pen is designed to take Parker-style cartridges. No big deal, I guess, especially if you only intend to use the supplied converter – but for me it’s always a bit of a disadvantage when a Chinese pen requires the use of proprietary cartridges. Cost & Value/Conclusion – A pretty good pen, for a reasonable price The Classic 717 is a solid pen, that writes well and lays down a nice broad line of ink. It’ll suit those who like a more substantial pen, and like to lay lots of ink on the page. You’ll pay a little more for it, though – at least on the JustWrite website – it’s AU$22.95 compared with AU$11.90 or AU$13.90 for the comparable Jinhao pens.

Hello. Someone gave me a Parker Classic with a medium nib sometime ago. I had some difficulties getting it to work right with an international cartridge with Monteverde ink in several colors, always leaking, didn't write quite right. Switched to Parker Quink ink black, same issues, plus it didn't look black but gray. Then I got a Parker converter, and was amazed to find that the gray looking Parker Quink ink transformed into a beautiful black ink, almost as dark as Noodler's black, just from adding the Parker converter alone. The leaks greatly diminished also, but did not quite go away. I wondered whether silicone grease applied somewhere on the nib would help, but hesitated to experiment. Then I read about someone having leak issues with a Parker 180 and the Quink ink, which he claimed they went away when he switched to a drier ink, Sheafer I think (the 180 and the Classic use the same nib, I am told). So I switched to Noodler's blue, the driest ink I currently one, per experience with other pens. All leak issues went away, and it writes a rather wet line at that! So the question is, do I have a problem or not? While I am glad to have a combination that works, I am not happy that a Parker pen doesn't work with a Parker ink supposedly designed for it. Any thoughts on this issue appreciated. P.S. On the leak issue, it made some difference whether I inked the converter from the nib, or with a syringe, and whether the pen was completely dry of all water after a rinse. In the current non leaking situation, I filled the converter directly, avoiding the nib, and started with a completely dry pen, so I am not entirely sure the leak is fixed since I took steps to avoid it.

Hi guys, I just got my first TWSBI yesterday, a classic mini with a 1.5 mm stub nib. Inked it up with Shaeffer Skrip blue black. After writing a few pages with it with no issues, I notice the ink color lightening in saturation. This goes on until I force a bit of ink to the feed. The pen lays down a dark line again, but after a few pages, lays down a diluted looking ink color line! Frustrating, indeed. Add to that the occasional skipping I get, but as of now, I'm even willing to attribute that to the fact that I'm still getting used to the stub nib (my first). I've read many good reviews about this pen, so I'm still hopeful. I would appreciate to hear your input on what I can do to improve its performance. Can it still be improved? Has anyone ever experienced getting a brand new, but defective TWSBI pen? Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone ! I just bought this Montblanc fountain pen. It was described as a silver plated classic... But I can't find any information about it on the internet. Can someone help me ? Is it a 221, a classic ? Is it a rare pen ? In that condition with the box and the papers what was the good price to pay ? I really need your help because I've never seen a pen like this before.

Hi everybody ! I recently bought a montblanc 144 on ebay and I wanted to be sure It is a real one. The seller have a few positive reviews but not for selling pens. I paid 120 $ for it. I think it is genuine but I would like the confirmstion of you community experts ! -The nib passes the magnet test ( so it is likely solid gold but not 100% sure ) - THERE IS NO PIX ENGRAVEMENTS. -There is a serial number - it writes OK. - Came with a threaded converter - BROAD nib ( supposed to be ) - Two tone nib Here are the pictures :

Hi everyone ! Have you ever held the perfect pen, I mean the pen that is perfect for you, that suits all your needs. The first time you wrote with it, had something different that you cannot really explain perfectly. Well that is the case of the Montblanc Classic. It is pretty similar to the 221 and the Genreration, fitted with a medium 14 k semi-flexible nib. Here is my review, the more objective way possible. The look : Very classic, vintage look to it. Does not look like the modern Montblanc's and it is a good thing ! very original for a montblanc but if you step away from theses brand standards you see a beautiful pen, very classy. The nib section of the pen is absolutely amazing. I often get great comments about it ! "What montblanc is this" "I've never seen this before ? what is the model name ?" The nib : It is a VERY smooth nib ! very enjoyable. It is a 14k semi-flexible nib... When I bought it, the selle told me that the nib was flexible... well I can't say that the nib is "flexible"... Is is way more " semi-flexible" than flexible. Thus, It has a great feeling to it, pretty sprigny, the perfect everyday writer. Weight and balance : It is a pretty lightweight pen (about 16g), made of a plastic like material. However, it is perfectly balanced and does not feel cheap. It is very pleasant to hold and you can write for a long long time without being uncomfortable. Personally, I like heavier pens... but the classic is so well balanced and comfortable that it is not an issue at all. Feed : You have to love wet pens because it is flowing generously. It is incredible..... I mean it never stops or dries out : you could write at max speed for 5 hours and if there is ink in the converter, it will never stop or skip, it will be as wet as in the first minute. Conclusion : It is my favorite pen, I use it everyday and I like absolutely everything about this pen. The only thing that could be better is the weight and construction, since the pen is very light. Grab one if you can ! And once again, I don't like giving notes to the pens I review : writing is personal, so I let you make an idea with the information I give ! *** English is not my first language so please understand if I made some mistakes in the reveiw, I hope it is helpful and interesting and if you have any comments, I will be more than happy to read them