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This is the on that started it all for me. From my father, maybe from his father. 1960 Canadian Compact with pencil. I dont see too many shots of these sets so I thought Id share. I still use it occasionally. This started the addiction!

I picked up this lovely gem from The Bay. I finally got around to cleaning it up which consisted of a simple flush and a quick buff. Sadly I believe that my Compact is missing a part. As compared to my Sheaffer Holly Pen it would appear that the Compact is missing the "collar" which would hold the cartridge in place. I tried it with a cartridge and it was hard to judge if the cartridge was dead on or not. The pen was writing very well and then the ink flowed stopped. I twisted open the barrel and sure enough the cartridge had dislodged from the nipple and was stuck up inside of the barrel. So that said. Where would I find such a part and what would it be called if it exists so that I may look for it?

IntroI have lately been looking to add a few low cost everyday pens to my collection so when I saw the UK high street and online retailer "The Pen Shop" had launched a new range of low cost fountain pens I jumped at the opportunity to add something new to my collection. The new youth orientated pens are under the Brand Dex as a division of their existing Kingsley own brand pens. I’m not really sure what to think of the name Dex as a pen brand, but hey, I may be too old to appreciate it’s name appeal, perhaps they were trying to associate the name with the once popular 90's Dexter’s Laboratory cartoon. The range consist of two different pen styles, both in ink roller and fountain pen variants in various finishes (see here) they do appear to have done a good job with a number eye catching designs.I ended up going for the Compact pen in blue as it caught my eye in the store. Here are my thoughts after two weeks of use. Design Materials and aesthetics 7/10The pen has a modern, distinctive design with chrome accent opaque body and an ink window with a contoured rubber grip section. The pen is a little on the light side as all the components bar the clip and nib are made of plastic. Overall an interesting, unique design. Construction Quality 6/10 The quality of the materials used in the pen are reasonable at the price point, however the plastics do feel low cost and the pen overall feels relatively cheap. Ergonomics 6/10 For a compact fountain pen the ergonomics are quite good and the pen fits fine into smaller hands unposted however, it probably will be too short for larger hands unposted. However, if the pen is posted it becomes a similar size to a posted Safari. The grip section of the pen is fairly comfortable, however, I do think the positioning of the finger placements recesses are a little strange as they seem to be placed too widely apart for a comfortable grip. Nib performance 8/10 I was pleasantly surprised with the nib having only paid about £13 for the pen I wasn't expecting much from its “iridium point” nib. However, I found the nib to be one of the highlights of the pen as it delivers a firm, smooth, Medium line with a little bit of reassuring feedback. The nib isn't quite as smooth as my Parker Frontier nib however the nib is excellent for a sub £15 pen. Filling Mechanism, 6/10 The pen is a compact pen so is relegated to using only small international cartridges out of the box. However, I have successfully managed to convert mine into an eye-dropper pen with a touch of petroleum Jelly which has meant the ink capacity has been effectively tripled to approximately 3ml. The ink window is especially useful when the pen has been converted as it allows for a clear indication of the remaining ink. Cost and Value 7/10 Bought for £13 The pen isn't bad value, however it does feel a little on the cheap side and perhaps a price of just under the £10 may have been a bit more reasonable price. Final Thoughts Overall score 40/60 The Good Smooth nib.Compact Design.Can be converted to an eye dropper. The Bad Feels a little on the cheap side.Cartridge only out of the box.

Howdy, I've just stumbled on this pen: http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/Mjc0WDUwMA==/z/nD4AAOxyVLNSvjPV/$_12.JPG So I have a few quick questions about it: 1) Would it be worth the $54 aud I can grab it for? (I'm going to guess yes, but figured it's a safe question to ask) 2) Do these generally come with a built in converter? 3) If not, is there a converter that will fit and not cost an arm and a leg? (It's a compact pen, so that's why I'm asking in particular) 4) Why isn't the moon actually made up of cheese? That'd be so much better... Anyway, thanks in advance, guys. Trying my darnedest to add an imperial-esque pen to my starting collection (That damn sexy inlaid nib, man...)