One Pen For Life

[thatotherguy1]

This post was inspired by the one pen inked thread, but is fairly different from it. If this is in the wrong forum, Moderators, please move it. Thanks!

 

With that disclaimer out of the way, here's a question for you all to mull over a bit. If you could only have one fountain pen to use for every situation (a true daily carry- suits, jeans, school if you're still in school, writing novels if that's your thing, everything) for the rest of your life what would it be and why? You do not have to currently own the pen for it to count.

If you'd prefer to or can't narrow it down to a production pen and/or only one pen, answer in three categories-

 

A) A modern, production pen

 

B ) A vintage pen

 

C) A hypothetical and/or custom pen that does not exist (at least yet)

 

If you want more of a challenge and/or are more into the inks than the pen, apply the same categories to a perfect, use for everything, buy a gallon and be done for life ink.

 

For me, I think that my perfect pens would be

A) a Lamy 2000 with a buttery smooth fine nib (I'm easy to please sometimes) for its durable material, design, ergonomics, nib, piston and large ink capacity

B ) a Parker Vacumatic or (vacumatic?) Duofold in a beautiful celluloid pattern with a springy 14K fine nib for its nib, design, ergonomics, weight, beauty and ease of filling

C) a modern ebonite eyedropper pen, about the same size as a Vacumatic, with polished ebonite in either black or green ripple, with a two turn multi start threaded cap, a shutoff valve, a 14K high quality glassy smooth fine nib that was ground and tuned to write an EF line on the reverse, with a ball clip, a good burp proof feed and an ink window (see above for reasons)

 

My ink would be Noodler's Liberty's Elysium (at the risk of sounding like a broken record) for its shading, water resistance, ease of cleaning, brightness, vibrancy, unique look, and fairly good behavior

 

So, what's your PERFECT pen and ink?

Edited February 22, 2015 by thatotherguy1

[BrandonA]

One that is inked.

 

I wonder if the thread that inspired you to start this one was itself inspired by one of the other threads on this very topic?

[prighello]

Parker 51 Aero inked with Diamine Ancient Copper.

[bhthib3381]

If I had to choose a single pen, depending on my budget, it would be one of these two:

1. Kaweco classic sport. Inexpensive, dependable and one of a very few true pocket pens. Can carry anywhere.

2. Pilot VP. I own two of these and for me they never fail to write. My workhorse pen.

I own both of these pens and find them to be excellent writers and durable pens.

[The Blue Knight]

The day I find my perfect will result in me getting rid of every other pen I own.

 

Perhaps I might come back to this thread in a few years and be able to tell you what my fountain pen is.

[PolarMoonman]

Waterman Hemisphere inked with Parker Quink Blue/Black.

[thatotherguy1]

One that is inked.

 

I wonder if the thread that inspired you to start this one was itself inspired by one of the other threads on this very topic?

I didn't notice any other threads on this topic and I failed to do a search. My mistake, sorry.

At any rate, it's somewhat nice to have a new thread with new exposure and new responses, perhaps with new categories for the pens chosen.

 

Edited for a missed punctuation mark.

Edited February 23, 2015 by thatotherguy1

[Parse Error]

Can we go Theseus pen here?

 

In which case I'll take any of the Pelikan Souverans, so long as I can use frankenpen my way up and down the size spectrum

[JonSzanto]

Ok, you've asked for opinions, and I can honestly say that this is one of the sillier questions I've seen asked. I don't mean that as a judgement upon the OP for asking it, but - in my case - the sheer impossibility of determining an appropriate answer. There IS no "one" pen I would choose, so it would be any pen available. If I actually HAD a choice, it would be for a number of pens.

[Frank C]

I don't want to have only one pen. I use pens for different purposes, so no one pen suits every purpose. Having said that, my 92-year-old mother has a Parker 51 her father gave her in the forties. She has been using it with Sheaffer Peacock Blue ink ever since. One pen, one ink, one mother!

[PS104]

Having said that, my 92-year-old mother has a Parker 51 her father gave her in the forties. She has been using it with Sheaffer Peacock Blue ink ever since. One pen, one ink, one mother!

God bless her. She has her priorities straight. And she still uses it, even with Sheaffer Peacock Blue

I think you both have your priorities straight

[sirgilbert357]

One that is inked.

 

I wonder if the thread that inspired you to start this one was itself inspired by one of the other threads on this very topic?

 

As the starter of said thread, I can answer in the negative on that one. I just decided I had too many inked and it was stressing me out. I whittled it down to one and it was glorious. I'm back to two simply because I wanted to use a different ink, but I plan to still only *carry* one with me.

 

Sadly, I can't honestly answer the query for this thread. I feel I am far too ignorant of the available pens out there to say I could do just fine with a specific one. I have this revolving door of preferences...at times, it is for all things gorgeous to the eye; at others, it is for utility, at still others, I just want something cheap that writes. So I can't pick a single pen that does all of that for me. Maybe over time my preferences will settle or I'll find a pen that I feel nails every category. For now, though, I think I have to opt out of submitting a pen...

[PolarMoonman]

I don't get why people are making a big deal of this topic. I think its a good question because it makes you really think about which pen you own that makes you love fountain pens. I think its a valid question....

[JonSzanto]

I don't get why people are making a big deal of this topic. I think its a good question because it makes you really think about which pen you own that makes you love fountain pens. I think its a valid question....

 

It's a valid question only if you think a fountain pen can do just one thing. I could never drop to one, because no one pen can both write like a nail, and then write like a wet noodle. No one pen can write an XF-size line, and an Asian XF at that, and in the next instant write like a German BB nib. No one ink color can express my moods. No one size / weight pen will feel good in my hands at all times. No one pen is worthy of sitting in my room at home, carefully cared for, and the next morning thrown in the bottom of my bag to bounce around and take notes (much less accompany me on a long hike).

 

Completely invalid for the way I live my life, with a lot of expression and a lot of circumstances. No. One. Pen. can keep up with that.

[penviper]

one life is about many pens!

 

not one pen for a life.... too dull and bore.

[Frank C]

I don't want to have only one pen. I use pens for different purposes, so no one pen suits every purpose. Having said that, my 92-year-old mother has a Parker 51 her father gave her in the forties. She has been using it with Sheaffer Peacock Blue ink ever since. One pen, one ink, one mother!

 

 

God bless her. She has her priorities straight. And she still uses it, even with Sheaffer Peacock Blue

I think you both have your priorities straight

 

Thank you for your kind words. I'll relay them to my mother--she doesn't believe in using computers. Peacock Blue was becoming scarce when I was at university; I had the bookstore order a case of 12 for me--I thought it to be a lifetime supply. Her stock is getting low now. She tends to give away bottles to people who say, "Peacock Blue, I love that color, but haven't seen any for sale in years". At the LA Pen Show, a vendor had a shrink-wrapped box of six. Needless to say, I bought them. One pen, one ink, and only one mother!

[Blue_Moon]

I don't get why people are making a big deal of this topic. I think its a good question because it makes you really think about which pen you own that makes you love fountain pens. I think its a valid question....

 

I agree - It's a great question. Some just won't answer because they apparently don't have enough imagination.

 

I, too, would certainly want more than one, but if I was limited to one, I think it would be my Franklin-Christoph 19 with Iroshizuku Yama-Budo ink. At least, that's my choice for now.

[JonSzanto]

 

I agree - It's a great question. Some just won't answer because they apparently don't have enough imagination.

 

That's more than a bit insulting: I answered, and expounded at length, and used my imagination, and I still think it is a pretty vapid question, for the very reasons stated in my answer. YOU may think that it makes sense to ponder which one pen could be your end-all, be-all pen, but there could very well be other, remarkably imaginative people who sit back and say "you've got to be f***ing kidding me!".

 

People post questions to get information and opinions. I give information when needed, and opinions when asked for. I expect any information I give to be subject to scrutiny and am happy to redact or change if errors are present; my opinions are just that - they stand, and I don't water them down, and will alter them as life changes me.

[Wahl]

Life is too short to have only one pen

 

However, if by some reason I could only have one, it would be one of my P51 Aerometrics with B nib !

[johnboz]

 

That's more than a bit insulting: I answered, and expounded at length, and used my imagination, and I still think it is a pretty vapid question, for the very reasons stated in my answer. YOU may think that it makes sense to ponder which one pen could be your end-all, be-all pen, but there could very well be other, remarkably imaginative people who sit back and say "you've got to be f***ing kidding me!".

 

People post questions to get information and opinions. I give information when needed, and opinions when asked for. I expect any information I give to be subject to scrutiny and am happy to redact or change if errors are present; my opinions are just that - they stand, and I don't water them down, and will alter them as life changes me.

 

It's a game. It's supposed to be fun and stretch your brain a bit.

 

How about thinking about it a little differently...

 

If an asteroid was hurtling towards Earth and you had time to write one last letter before all life on Earth ceased to exist (literally which pen would you use "for the rest of your life"), which pen would you reach for?