The Most Elegant You Ever Saw..

[shaylenwilliams]

My favorites are the Visconti Knight's Templar:

http://www.penboutique.com/images/product/large/7348_1_.jpg

Montblanc Queen Elizabeth:

http://www.joonpens.com/db_image/MB_4810_Elizabeth.jpg

and the Monteverde Disney Sleeping Beauty (which I have thanks to an amazing friend):

http://www.penboutique.com/images/Product/large/5654.jpg

[jBeckett]

To my mind, understatement is the essence of classiness and elegance, particularly in a functional object. That is why I would put forward the Nakaya Decapod, Aka-temenuri. It's functional art without gratuitous ornamentation. For this same reason, I think the MB 149 is elegant and the WEs and other SEs usually aren't. That's not to say they aren't attractive objects, just not truly elegant.

 

I agree with all of this, though my personal pick hasn't changed, the reason why I picked it is the same as yours. I make a clear distinction between "beautiful" and "elegant".

[Susanna]

The most elegant, in my opinion, is the Visconti Divina Black:

 

http://www.giardino.it/pens/visconti/IMMAGINI/divinaBgrandeST.jpg

 

These swirls of silver strings all around the pen are fascinating, clean and delicate.

[Bo Bo Olson]

This Esterbrook may not be the most elegant pen, but it is the most elegant Esterbrook I have seen. I did not have the @ $350 it went for.

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm300/BoBoOlson/325604028_tp-1.jpg

 

Thanks for the picture of the MB 139. I have the MB 234 1/2 Deluxe ('52-55 only) I now know what big brother looks like.It had to grow on me, but did. I like it's shape more than the 146-9.

 

 

Geha 725 rolled gold trim. If only I could get the picture to run as clear and big as when I put it on Aol, you could see the classic gold disk cap and barrel ends. You can expand the picture with Ctr +.

A Grail pen I never thought I'd have. Very elegant & sleek, great balanced, great writing pen; semi-flex M.

 

Picture with permission of Penboard.de.

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm300/BoBoOlson/2003g-1.jpg

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm300/BoBoOlson/Goldschwingnib-2.jpg

 

Lamy Persona black titanium oxide, 18 K cursive italic nib done by Pendleton Brown....now in rotation, before with the 18 K OB nail, not.

 

A nib can make or break a pen.

 

This pen I saw after I swore no more black pens.It pole axed me, and I didn't care a second about it being 'black'.

(I tend to swear no more black pens a lot.)

I was home looking it up, and showed it to my wife...behind my back, she went out and bought it for me, the very next day.

 

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm300/BoBoOlson/IMG_3981.jpg

 

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm300/BoBoOlson/IMG_3985.jpg

 

Osmia Supra Deluxe late '30's. I did not have the € 250 for it.

 

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm300/BoBoOlson/B01Jfw2kKGrHqRg4Ew5FYulSBMcCgocBw_12.jpg

 

A couple I got lucky on, a couple some one else did.

Edited February 7, 2011 by Bo Bo Olson

[yachtsilverswan]

To my mind, understatement is the essence of classiness and elegance, particularly in a functional object. That is why I would put forward the Nakaya Decapod, Aka-temenuri. It's functional art without gratuitous ornamentation. For this same reason, I think the MB 149 is elegant and the WEs and other SEs usually aren't. That's not to say they aren't attractive objects, just not truly elegant.

 

I agree with all of this, though my personal pick hasn't changed, the reason why I picked it is the same as yours. I make a clear distinction between "beautiful" and "elegant".

 

Elegance is often simple clean lines, understated adornment, and crafted of the highest quality materials with great precision.

 

But the OP's first adjective was "sophisticated," which suggests a greater complexity, a layering of meaning and metaphor.

 

The MB 149 is elegant with its clean simple pleasing design, its understated color pallet, and its high level of craftsmanship.

 

Visconti's Divina Proporzione is sophisticated with its design elements touching on high math, evolutionary biology, and the way humans define and appreciate beauty.

 

Much of what passes for sophistication in our culture is ugly, boring, unfathomable, or rude. Finding a blend of tasteful understated elegance and layered meaningful sophistication is a tall order.

 

My nomination was the Michel Perchin Blue Serpent and its Garden of Eden theme taken from the Czarist Imperial Easter Egg creation of Jeweler Karl Faberge.

Edited February 7, 2011 by yachtsilverswan

[jBeckett]

Elegance is often simple clean lines, understated adornment, and crafted of the highest quality materials with great precision.

 

But the OP's first adjective was "sophisticated," which suggests a greater complexity, a layering of meaning and metaphor.

 

The MB 149 is elegant with its clean simple pleasing design, its understated color pallet, and its high level of craftsmanship.

 

Visconti's Divina Proporzione is sophisticated with its design elements touching on high math, evolutionary biology, and the way humans define and appreciate beauty.

 

Much of what passes for sophistication in our culture is ugly, boring, unfathomable, or rude. Finding a blend of tasteful understated elegance and layered meaningful sophistication is a tall order.

 

My nomination was the Michel Perchin Blue Serpent and its Garden of Eden theme taken from the Czarist Imperial Easter Egg creation of Jeweler Karl Faberge.

 

First I'd like to state my mistake of answering the title question rather than the post's.

 

I think it's understandable that sophistication gets misinterpreted as haughty or supercilious. There's often a very fine line there and hoping the majority of people will pick up on subtleties usually leads to disappointment. I'm not sure what you would call the fountain pen equivalent of superciliousness or being haughty but those do seem to be the kind of connotations people would have for a pen that isn't very understated.

[Lorna Reed]

Metropolitan Museum of Art Tiffany Pine Bough pen - I think this is the most beautiful and elegant pen I have ever seen. Not everyones cup of tea I'm sure, but I am a huge fan of LC Tiffany.

 

 

[georges zaslavsky]

that has to be the stip eritruria, followed by the jade green and lapis duofold, followed by the extra lucens paragon and 360.

[Mickey]

To my mind, understatement is the essence of classiness and elegance, particularly in a functional object. That is why I would put forward the Nakaya Decapod, Aka-temenuri. It's functional art without gratuitous ornamentation. For this same reason, I think the MB 149 is elegant and the WEs and other SEs usually aren't. That's not to say they aren't attractive objects, just not truly elegant.

 

I agree with all of this, though my personal pick hasn't changed, the reason why I picked it is the same as yours. I make a clear distinction between "beautiful" and "elegant".

 

Elegance is often simple clean lines, understated adornment, and crafted of the highest quality materials with great precision.

 

But the OP's first adjective was "sophisticated," which suggests a greater complexity, a layering of meaning and metaphor.

 

 

Baloney (or Bologna, if you prefer)! There is a difference between sophisticated and baroque (or unnecessarily intricate). Once an object is more complex than required by its intended task, the added complexity causes it to fail the elegance test. Of course, I use the word elegant in the engineering sense, i.e., an elegant solution.

 

I would never purchase a motorcycle designed by someone named Teutel.

[Mickey]

 

First I'd like to state my mistake of answering the title question rather than the post's.

 

I think it's understandable that sophistication gets misinterpreted as haughty or supercilious. There's often a very fine line there and hoping the majority of people will pick up on subtleties usually leads to disappointment. I'm not sure what you would call the fountain pen equivalent of superciliousness or being haughty but those do seem to be the kind of connotations people would have for a pen that isn't very understated.

 

I don't think you made a mistake in your answer. The OP, by piling on the adjectives constrained the universe of reasonable (n.b., there is no correct) answers. Any pen which doesn't satisfy any of the adjectives, could not quality as a reasonable answer. BTW, I think your answer is quite reasonable, but my hands are probably larger than yours. So on a personal basis, it fails the aptness test which I consider a subset of the elegance test.

 

I may have put too great an emphasis on elegance, in the sense of an "elegant solution." Probably the result of admiring truly first-rate engineering.Doesn't mean I don't like purty thangs.

[rhosygell]

The Waterman 15 PSF in CBHR combines simplicity, elegance and sophistication in one package - it does what it's meant to do superbly, looks the part and is suitably refined not to draw attention to itself. Beat that with any of your modern wannabes?

Edited February 7, 2011 by rhosygell

[milkb0at]

Pilot's M90 and the original 701.

 

I had just been dabbling in fountain pens, buying very inexpensive ones and only using them sporadically when I stumbled across a photo of the M90. Took my breath away. I had to have one. When I finally got it, it pushed me over the line that separates "dabbler" and "obsessed." I have a larger assortment of nicer pens now, but my two M90s and my one original 701 still catch my breath when I look at them.

 

(I sound like a lovesick puppy.)

 

+1, except that I haven't bought one yet and I'm still in the relative "dabbling" stage. I've missed the boat somewhat but I'm on the look-out for a NOS or good 2nd hand M90. I hope I will be able to afford it if one does crop up. It is such a beautiful looking pen.

[significantpass]

The most elegant, in my opinion, is the Visconti Divina Black:

 

http://www.giardino.it/pens/visconti/IMMAGINI/divinaBgrandeST.jpg

 

These swirls of silver strings all around the pen are fascinating, clean and delicate.

 

+1

[lapis]

Blue Nile...

http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu264/peli46/BlueNile1.jpg

Solid 24 kt gold.

 

Wrack!

[FrankB]

yachtsilverswan wrote:

 

" ... Much of what passes for sophistication in our culture is ugly, boring, unfathomable, or rude. Finding a blend of tasteful understated elegance and layered meaningful sophistication is a tall order."

 

Well said. My nominations would include the MB 149, the Stipula O/S Etruria in amber, or a clipless Danitrio Mae West in plain red-black urushi.

[Bing Bing]

The Rotring 600.

[USMCMom]

In my opinion and as alone in that as I may be ... an elegant pen makes a statement of the holder's confidence and makes a subtle statement of unmistakable class. No need for flash and noise. For me, that pen is the Sheaffer Valor.

[Ghost Plane]

The Spirit of Life - Salman's calligraphy, Henry's overlay...

[wspohn]

Hadn't really thought about elegant.

 

Guess it would have to be a slender pen - no Churchillian stogie size things like a 149.

 

A pen I've been giving a lot of pocket time is a Parker Premier Athenes - I would think it would qualify as elegant, not too flashy....

 

http://www23.addr.com/~parker75/Reference/75_Branches/Premier,_athenes.jpg

[Silvermink]

The Aurora Hastil is a really elegant piece of work.