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

[jmccarty3]

Two of my most comfortable pens are my old Parker 75 that I received as a high school graduation present in 1967 and my Montblanc 344. No one pays them any mind, but they are an unalloyed pleasure to use.

[TSherbs]

 

This is perfectly good question. If we buy luxury goods to show off to others, .....

Who claims that "we" (or "I" or "you") do this? Is this your premise?

 

For example, I rarely take my fountain pens to work (teaching) and I keep my pens put away in a drawer at home, entirely out of view. My children are moved out, and my friends are not interested. My wife is not interested, either, and I mostly write when she is not yet awake or out of the house (very small house). I keep three Petit1's ($3.99 ea.) in my desk at school for grading. I have 30 pens, most exp is $115 (which I consider very expensive for a writing utensil). But I love my pens and write with two/three of them every day, including the ones over $50.

 

Is this a case of "vanity" over "luxury goods"? Or are perhaps the details of your own case a better example of "vanity"?

[Fabienne]

It's your money, spend it as you wish. If you want to spend a wad on a pen, go for it. We all love an extravagance from time to time whether it's chocolate, a car, a foo-foo cup of coffee, an overpriced "designer" purse, or a fancy schmancy pen.

[4lex]

Who claims that "we" (or "I" or "you") do this? Is this your premise?

 

For example, I rarely take my fountain pens to work (teaching) and I keep my pens put away in a drawer at home, entirely out of view. My children are moved out, and my friends are not interested. My wife is not interested, either, and I mostly write when she is not yet awake or out of the house (very small house). I keep three Petit1's ($3.99 ea.) in my desk at school for grading. I have 30 pens, most exp is $115 (which I consider very expensive for a writing utensil). But I love my pens and write with two/three of them every day, including the ones over $50.

 

Is this a case of "vanity" over "luxury goods"? Or are perhaps the details of your own case a better example of "vanity"?

 

If you read my post carefully you will see that the premise of my post is exactly the opposite what you try to assert with taking my quote out of the context. Let me try again.. If we would buy Rolex for instance to impress others we could just as well buy a copy. But we don't. Copy would not evoke the same emotions in us because WE would know it is just a copy. Ergo, we don't buy Rolex to impress others. It is because we buy for other, diverse and individual reasons. I hope this helps.

My assertion is that I recognise vanity as one of the motivating factors. And you have every right to disagree with that.

[TSherbs]

 

If you read my post carefully you will see that the premise of my post is exactly the opposite what you try to assert with taking my quote out of the context. Let me try again.. If we would buy Rolex for instance to impress others we could just as well buy a copy. But we don't. Copy would not evoke the same emotions in us because WE would know it is just a copy. Ergo, we don't buy Rolex to impress others. It is because we buy for other, diverse and individual reasons. I hope this helps.

My assertion is that I recognise vanity as one of the motivating factors. And you have every right to disagree with that.

Thanks, I understand your point in this post. But why did you assert that this thread would be a good study for vanity but then go on to suggest that vanity is not the primary motivator? Do you mean that the thread would be a good study in how vanity is not a primary motivator? Or that the purchasing motivations and the posting motivations are contrary?

[4lex]

Thanks, I understand your point in this post. But why did you assert that this thread would be a good study for vanity but then go on to suggest that vanity is not the primary motivator? Do you mean that the thread would be a good study in how vanity is not a primary motivator? Or that the purchasing motivations and the posting motivations are contrary?

 

Maybe its me, but some posts sounded a bit vain to me. On the positive side, most did not. Maybe this is just my inverted snobbism. Like my lifelong insistence on driving cheap-ish cars that drives my friends crazy.

[inkyelbows]

The Bic I used to sign the Marriage License application.

 

I just came across jar's response and laughed out loud.

 

Debbie

[Runnin_Ute]

Most I have ever spent on a pen is about $100.(+/-)

 

My Pelikans (I have four) range from under $20 to $100 or so. Nothing wrong with buying previously owned.

[Pichak]

I can not remember exactly how much but should be around $120 t0 150 for Delta Dolcevita Standtuffo (fusion nib) plus shipping and tax.

[OmegaMountain]

Conid Minimalistica

[abstract49]

First version of Visconti's "Divine" series, the "Divine Proportion," or "Divina Proporziona." At the time, shortly after its introduction, I think the MSRP was $1,700US, more or less. I could have got it for $1k at the Dallas Pen Show, but I hesitated and paid $1,050 a few days later (from same seller).

 

I think the folks who pay upwards of five figures for the big time "collector" pens are not likely reading or posting here.

[wspohn]

I think you are correct.

 

If you are patient (and a good guesser as to which pens will get cheaper with time) you can find deals. I checked what I paid for my Visconti DP and it was $720 NIB on ebay in 2007. That was probably as low as I have seen them. It takes considerable effort to shop until you find what you want at a price you are willing to pay. There are a couple on ebay today at $2900 and $7200 (gold) ! My calipers that came with th pen have of course been sitting in the box untouched for the last decade - kind of annoyed at having to pay a premium for glitz and fancy packaging!

 

I fell into some pens I wouldn't have normally bought - made a low offer on an Edson Boucheron that was accepted, and paid a fair bit on my collection of Classic Pens sterling CP series just because they are, for me, the epitome of design in a material that I value..

[RocketRyan]

A mont blanc 146 pre owned a little over £200. It would take something serious for me to top that...

[Beauport]

A modern Wahl-Eversharp Decoband Demonstrator. The nib especially, but also the look, feel, weight all spoke to me.

[crescent2]

The most expensive pen I've ever bought is the recently purchased Visconti rose Venus for which I paid ~$149, well below list. I've had to send it back to the retailer for work, though, because of nib issues. I'm looking forward to getting the pen back. I bought this pen because I think it's a very beautiful and feminine pen, and because I was so pleased with the Visconti I received as a Christmas gift. That gift pen is actually my most expensive pen, a 125th Anniversary edition of a Van Gogh, and it performs very well. My daughter bought it for me while she was in Florence. None of my other pens cost even close to $100, although a few have list prices well above that. Most of my pens are very inexpensive ones.

 

Although inexpensive as compared with pens that many on this forum own, a year ago I couldn't have imagined ever paying even close to $149 for a writing instrument, but I suppose it's an example of "slippery slope." I'm not usually an extravagant person. I do have several premium-bound Bibles in different translations, however, which I rotate reading. But what on earth is more deserving of the best materials than God's word? Those, along with a few of my pens, are my extravagances, if any Bible could even be called that. As isn't unusual for a woman, I do also have a few relatively nice pieces of jewelry, which I suppose also qualify. (OTOH, I drive a 2005 Camry with no plans to trade it any time soon.)

 

I do have three adult children and their spouses along with nine grandchildren who will presumably inherit these items someday, so that's a part of my rationalization. I don't show these off; almost no one is even aware of their worth. I just enjoy using them all.

 

Where does appreciation end and vanity begin? I don't claim to know!

Edited January 8, 2017 by crescent2

[Yaakova]

I believe I spent $200+ on a Pilot Custom 912 with an FA nib.

Edited January 9, 2017 by Yaakova

[flipper_gv]

This thread is a great study of human vanity.

 

Meh, my father was paying a golf subscription every year that cost a 2-3 thousands. That's not counting clubs and balls of course. Most hobbies are much more expensive than the upper limit of fountain pens. Different strokes.

[Mew]

Uhm, Hakase Tortoiseshell with Buffalo horn. $3000+

[praxim]

I have now spent about as much on pens as I did on scale racing cars and their supporting paraphernalia nearly two decades ago. The pens are for me. The car stuff was about sharing some very fun and engaging years with my son. No price on that.

[Mister5]

About $200 for a Montblanc 12.

 

But really the most amount of money I spent on a pen was about $60+$140 worth of repairs on a vacumatic. They are beautiful but they never give me anything but trouble.

 

I'll probably end up spending more on a repair to an Aurora 88k where the seller claimed it was flex (it's not) and now the piston head failed.