What's The Most Expensive Fountain Pen You Ever Bought?

[Tancred]

Back in the '80s, when I had money, I was foolish enough to pay $12,000 for a FP and BP Waterman LeMan 100 set in 18k solid gold. I later bought a similar Parker Premier set. I really should get them out of the safe and use them once in awhile.

 

$12K was a LOT of dough in the 1980s! About a year's salary for many people. I had the chance to go into investment banking when I was a young graduate in 1988 but didn't want to because of the pressure and long hours - I always regretted it. Oh well.......

[FeuBleu]

"The Visconti Skeleton series began with a titanium frame and was followed by this model with a sterling silver "cage" finished with a titanium coating. Underneath is a black resin body and cap."

 

http://cdn6.bigcommerce.com/s-hjw9zlpy/products/3537/images/3677/Visconti%252520Skeleton%252520Sterling%252520Ti%252520Fountain%252520Pen__66225.1433203814.1280.1280.jpg?c=2

 

Ahhhh, I'd assumed it was the silver demonstrator version (like the one cropped up in Classifieds today), those are shiny. I had no idea that this version was Ti coated Ag! Perhaps it's something like the silver is cheaper/stronger than the Ti to make the cage for this model, since it's over a resin base and needn't be as thick? Like Ti was the desired finish all along, but manufacturing was best achieved via this route. Great looking pen anyway, and I guess if you scuff it it'll shine through.. shiny?!

[4lex]

This thread is a great study of human vanity.

[inkstainedruth]

This thread is a great study of human vanity.

 

True. But "most expensive" is going to vary from person to person. And what I thought was an obscenely high price four years ago is, depending on the pen, an absolute steal now.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[j1020]

One of my Nakayas. A Decapod twist in Heki Tamenuri, I think. Around $800.

 

[dogpoet]

This thread is a great study of human vanity.

 

So's most of the rest of the internet, to be fair.

[jmccarty3]

This thread is a great study of human vanity.

 

Not to mention envy and self-righteousness.

 

(I was wondering how long it would take for someone to make a snarky comment.)

[wspohn]

 

Not to mention envy and self-righteousness.

 

(I was wondering how long it would take for someone to make a snarky comment.)

 

Yeah, maybe we need to start threads on other hobbies, or cars, or.....

 

Everyone has their own means and is entitled to their own preferences as to how they spend whatever they view as their disposable income. I'll bet the poster that raised the human vanity angle doesn't wear black sackcloth every day and rides a bicycle every day to save the planet, and I'm sure they would never use things like a cartridge filler, leaving endless little empty plastic ink reservoirs as evidence of their disregard for the environment. In fact they probably make their own ink, wouldn't you think?

[4lex]

 

Not to mention envy and self-righteousness.

 

(I was wondering how long it would take for someone to make a snarky comment.)

 

Is this your attempt to make a snarky comment in a very self-righteous way? Congratulations, you succeeded!

[4lex]

 

Yeah, maybe we need to start threads on other hobbies, or cars, or.....

 

Everyone has their own means and is entitled to their own preferences as to how they spend whatever they view as their disposable income. I'll bet the poster that raised the human vanity angle doesn't wear black sackcloth every day and rides a bicycle every day to save the planet, and I'm sure they would never use things like a cartridge filler, leaving endless little empty plastic ink reservoirs as evidence of their disregard for the environment. In fact they probably make their own ink, wouldn't you think?

 

I wonder why you don't dispute factuality of my statement and you prefer to make a lame attempt of discrediting the person making a statement.

It may be that you realise there is some truth in my statement, and that bothers you.

What you say does not bother me. You are just holding the mirror.

[oregano]

1) Aurora Optima 365 followed by 2) Conway Stewart Marlborough and 3) Aurora Optima America LE , all of which are currently up for sale in the classifieds (any takers? )--mostly because I don't derive that much enjoyment from them, knowing how much I paid for them. I think they were about $150-200 above what I'm comfortable paying for a pen. Ironically no one is buying them at >less< than what I paid, which was already below MSRP, which leads me to think they are overpriced (well, maybe not the Marlborough, it is worth every penny!).

[oregano]

Umm … that first one? That lead to the rest?

 

Okay, a Visconti Rembrant.

Also, this And it was appropriately, Delta Dolce Vita

[jmccarty3]

 

Is this your attempt to make a snarky comment in a very self-righteous way? Congratulations, you succeeded!

 

 

Thank you! I'm so glad you liked it!

[4lex]

 

 

Thank you! I'm so glad you liked it!

 

No worries. Thank you.

[Freddy]

Very interestin'....

 

Thanks.

 

Fred

 

"That dog's like taxes.

He just don't know when to stop."

~ Foghorn Leghorn

[TSherbs]

This thread is a great study of human vanity.

Would you care to elaborate? I am not sure whose vanity and which form of vanity you are referring to. I am curious, though.

Edited January 13, 2016 by TSherbs

[wspohn]

Would you care to elaborate? I am not sure whose vanity and which form of vanity you are referring to. I am curious, though.

 

Particularly as vanity usually requires/seeks positive external reinforcement, yet in the case of pens (and watches) no one but other aficionados are ever likely to notice, much less comment on or admire them.

[4lex]

 

Particularly as vanity usually requires/seeks positive external reinforcement, yet in the case of pens (and watches) no one but other aficionados are ever likely to notice, much less comment on or admire them.

 

This is perfectly good question. If we buy luxury goods to show off to others, why wouldn’t a cheap copy do the same?

Same reason why people will pass a Rolex copy and pay for the real thing.

Researchers at Yale have determined that a quest for authenticity starts in childhood. A study that tried to convince children that a cloning machine had produced their favourite item found that most children refused to accept the copy as identical.

Of course vanity is just one of the reasons, there are many other emotions involved, from seeking acceptance to rewarding ourself.

[inkstainedruth]

 

Particularly as vanity usually requires/seeks positive external reinforcement, yet in the case of pens (and watches) no one but other aficionados are ever likely to notice, much less comment on or admire them.

 

True. Most of the comments I've gotten from non-pen users are about my Noodler's Konrads. And I like those pens a lot. But I also like my higher end vintage pens. And my (mostly older model but not vintage) Pelikans -- most of which cost a whole lot more than the Konrads did. Are they worth the money? To me, yes. There's something about writing with a excellent nib, and/or a beautiful vintage celluloid pen, that most modern acrylic-bodied pens with Jowo or Bock nibs can't really match. Plus, they're more distinctive than most modern pens (until you get into the really high-end luxury pens which are for me ugly or unaffordable or both). But it really is a case of YMMV.

I started out with inexpensive pens. And for what I use them for, they're good. But the (for me) $50-200 US range of pens tend to be better. Go much beyond that price point, though, and I think you're mostly paying more for the materials and the cachet of having a pricy pen, except for Pelikans and maybe some of the Japanese pens. I've tried Montblancs and was fairly underwhelmed. I've tried the larger size PeliKans (M600 and M800), and they weren't comfortable to hold. But my M400 and vintage 400? They're just awesome writing implements. OTOH, so is my user grade Parker 51, and the first 45 I got (although I have discovered that 45s are just slim enough to not be as comfortable for long writing sessions -- i.e., for more than a couple of pages).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[wspohn]

 

They're just awesome writing implements. OTOH, so is my user grade Parker 51, and the first 45 I got (although I have discovered that 45s are just slim enough to not be as comfortable for long writing sessions -- i.e., for more than a couple of pages).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

I happen to be using a Parker 51 Flighter today - one of my more often carried pens. Absolutely no bling about it - made of stainless steel and a nib you can't even see. But with an accountant's nib (took me a long time to find one) . One of my favourite pens for writing and rugged as all get out - very hard to seriously damage by dropping it.