What Was Your Last Impulsive Pen Acquisition?

[Rebbe]

9 hours ago, amberleadavis said:

 

 

 

OOOOOO, I want to visit Dromgooles!  I will make it there someday! So, show us the triple tail!  How do you like it?

I'll post pictures and a pen review soon. In brief: I love the nib. The amount of flex and line variation it gives are fantastic. I hate the smell, and have only used it once in the office before my coworkers started complaining. Back to LAMY for me for a while. 

Fresh out of the box the scent is right on the edge of rotting meat or vomit (very unpleasant). And it is noticeable at a short distance. I've been leaving it out uncapped in the sunlight on my windowsill at home to try and help the curing process along, and will be giving it the soapy water treatment. As soon as the aroma backs the heck off I'll say I love the pen. Everything else about it is tippy top enjoyable so far. 

[OldTravelingShoe]

16 hours ago, amberleadavis said:

 

Very nice lineup! Can't wait to see 'em in action.

I second @amberleadavis: very nice set, @SpecTP, thanks for sharing. I'm particularly intrigued by the Justus 😄

 

Would you mind sharing a writing sample, to showcase the pen's variable nib setup? 

[OldTravelingShoe]

6 hours ago, Rebbe said:

. I've been leaving it out uncapped in the sunlight on my windowsill at home to try and help the curing process along, and will be giving it the soapy water treatment

@Rebbe, please let me know if it works for you. I'm almost resigned this pen needs a different kind of sun, soapy water, or coffee-bean bathing than I can provide. Otherwise, great nib for larger drawings and writing. 

[A Smug Dill]

5 hours ago, OldTravelingShoe said:

I'm particularly intrigued by the Justus 😄

 

Would you mind sharing a writing sample, to showcase the pen's variable nib setup? 

 

My Pilot Justus 95 does not have an FM nib like on @SpecTP's, but here is a test of it comparing different softness dial settings:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/347697-pilot-justus-95-m/?do=findComment&comment=4274077

 

[inkstainedruth]

15 hours ago, Rebbe said:

I'll post pictures and a pen review soon. In brief: I love the nib. The amount of flex and line variation it gives are fantastic. I hate the smell, and have only used it once in the office before my coworkers started complaining. Back to LAMY for me for a while. 

Fresh out of the box the scent is right on the edge of rotting meat or vomit (very unpleasant). And it is noticeable at a short distance. I've been leaving it out uncapped in the sunlight on my windowsill at home to try and help the curing process along, and will be giving it the soapy water treatment. As soon as the aroma backs the heck off I'll say I love the pen. Everything else about it is tippy top enjoyable so far. 

I got to try a Triple Tail a few years ago at the Commonwealth Pen Show (when the model first were released).  I keep hoping that Noodler's will come out with one that ISN'T effectively a demonstrator, though (the translucent white pen just didn't wow me aesthetically).  Because I totally agree with you about the nib -- it was quite lovely to write with, and a lot more flexy than on any of my Konrads or FPCs.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[OldTravelingShoe]

4 hours ago, A Smug Dill said:

My Pilot Justus 95 does not have an FM nib like on @SpecTP's, but here is a test of it comparing different softness dial settings

Excellent review, @A Smug Dill, thanks for sharing. Also, excellent discussion around it, from which I've read so far most of what @TheDutchGuy wrote. Justus seems to be a pen that can stir passionate reviews, and this I appreciate very much. I should at least try one 😄

 

I also found the reference to the (vintage) Wahl-Eversharp Doric's adjustable nib and, although I think the mechanism is different, I'd like to try it as well (maybe not buy, given the price-point). Richard Binder calls it Personal Point and "nine points in one", in his book on Wahl-Eversharp and on his website, and details its function as (p. 25):

Quote

With the slider moved toward the section, the nib is quite flexible. As the slider is moved notch by notch toward the tip of the nib, the nib becomes progressively firmer.

 

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

On 5/6/2022 at 10:06 PM, LoveBigPensAndCannotLie said:

I just ordered a Skyline in kind of questionable condition, I hope that I don't even up regretting it. From the pics the nib looks fine but the cap looks a bit off, I'm hoping the top of the cap was just not screwed in all the way (seller doesn't seem familiar with pens so they probably didn't tinker with it) and not shrunken. Fingers crossed!

 

If anyone's interested on an update, I got the pen and I think I was kind of right? The inner cap seems to be stuck too far up in the cap and as a result the section doesn't want to screw in all that well. I'm thinking maybe at some point someone tried to pull the derby/finial off instead of unscrewing it? I took the cap apart and tried to push it in a bit and it is a little better but I'm not able to push it very much. I think I can try pushing in a little further if I have the proper tools but I can cap it now and I don't want to push my luck.

 

Now for the good part, the rest of the pen seems pretty decent. Minor bulge around the lever but the nib looks like it's going to be kind of nice (fingers crossed! last time I said this about a nib it actually ended up being a disaster). It's a little misaligned but I will try to fix it. The tipping looks to be in good shape and to my surprise, it's got a good bit of springiness and flex to it. I'd solidly consider this a semi-flex nib and I'm very conservative with what I consider "flex." My other Skyline's nib is firm as a rock, which I understand to be the norm for Skyline nibs, so this was a really nice surprise.

 

I'm going to clean up and try to post some pics once I have it working and nice and shiny.

[Manalto]

That's pretty good news, taking into account what you were expecting. The Skyline is a handsome pen, congratulations.

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

2 minutes ago, Manalto said:

That's pretty good news, taking into account what you were expecting. The Skyline is a handsome pen, congratulations.

Well, it's not perfect, I can't get the inner cap to fit properly but it does cap securely enough and I think it'll be functional. Might have drying out issues but I will see about that.  I think if worse comes to worst I can always find a replacement cap on a junk pen.

 

I actually just saw a junk pen on auction a few days ago, nib and cap and everything looked great but the pen body was broken completely off above the threads. I was really tempted to pick it up (might have even salvageable to glue back together since the break was above the threads) but ultimately I didn't. It sold for under $20! That might have been worth it for the nib alone.

 

I'm really amazed at how cheap these pens go. In my personal experience and from everything I've read about them, they have terrific nibs, they're stylish, they come in a ton of different colors and styles (I hope to pick up a modern stripe one eventually but they do go for a pretty penny compared to the other varieties) and you can find them in great condition for under $35 if you're patient (well, pending restoration).

[carola]

12 minutes ago, LoveBigPensAndCannotLie said:

Well, it's not perfect, I can't get the inner cap to fit properly but it does cap securely enough and I think it'll be functional. Might have drying out issues but I will see about that.  I think if worse comes to worst I can always find a replacement cap on a junk pen.

 

I actually just saw a junk pen on auction a few days ago, nib and cap and everything looked great but the pen body was broken completely off above the threads. I was really tempted to pick it up (might have even salvageable to glue back together since the break was above the threads) but ultimately I didn't. It sold for under $20! That might have been worth it for the nib alone.

 

I'm really amazed at how cheap these pens go. In my personal experience and from everything I've read about them, they have terrific nibs, they're stylish, they come in a ton of different colors and styles (I hope to pick up a modern stripe one eventually but they do go for a pretty penny compared to the other varieties) and you can find them in great condition for under $35 if you're patient (well, pending restoration).

 

As an owner of 11 Skylines (plus 2 matching pencils) in various colours and all three available sizes let me tell you: They are worth the effort. Stylish pens, beautiful colours, gorgeous nibs. Apart from Pelikans they are my favourite writers.

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

Welp, I guess you can't win all of them. I am super sad now. The other pen I was waiting on was a Weaver Pacemaker that looked absolutely pristine. Only visible downside was a very worn imprint which I don't care too much about. I was even super surprised when I got it to see that the sac was functional! 

 

 

Everything was great until I started writing, I started getting a (bleep) ton of ink on my index finger and I couldn't figure out why. Took out a loupe and there's a huge crack running from the end of the section up maybe 2-3mm and it's leaking profusely...

 

 

Anyone know if there are any pens with interchangeable sections for these? I have a couple of junk Wearever pens lying around but they're from an era earlier - the late 1930's or so - so I am not sure if the sections would fit... super bummed.

Edited May 14, 2022 by LoveBigPensAndCannotLie

[JonSzanto]

Assuming the pen that you just posted, with the crack, is a Wearever Pacemaker (I think you just had a typo), there are lots of those for sale for not a lot of money. Start searching eBay just on the brand name, or look for "pen lot" or "lot of old pens", etc. Frequently you can find just the barrel for a few bucks and will *likely* have an ok fit. The only other easy way is to go to a pen show and see if there are any dealers of parts. Richard Lott goes to quite a few pen shows and he has big plastic bins of parts, barrels, caps, etc. You just sit there and sort. If the section is a bit too tight, you can lightly sand down, if it is a bit loose you can apply thin layers of shellac to build it up.

The one thing no one can give you, that you must supply yourself, is patience.

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

32 minutes ago, JonSzanto said:

Assuming the pen that you just posted, with the crack, is a Wearever Pacemaker (I think you just had a typo), there are lots of those for sale for not a lot of money. Start searching eBay just on the brand name, or look for "pen lot" or "lot of old pens", etc. Frequently you can find just the barrel for a few bucks and will *likely* have an ok fit. The only other easy way is to go to a pen show and see if there are any dealers of parts. Richard Lott goes to quite a few pen shows and he has big plastic bins of parts, barrels, caps, etc. You just sit there and sort. If the section is a bit too tight, you can lightly sand down, if it is a bit loose you can apply thin layers of shellac to build it up.

The one thing no one can give you, that you must supply yourself, is patience.

 

Ah yeah, sorry, I meant Wearever, missed a key. I do have a ton of Wearever extras lying around, mostly combos that I don't really like I got in lots, and another couple of pens I cannibalized for parts for other cheapo Wearevers and similar 3rd tier pens. I will check if any of those fit, the sections seem about the same size from first glance but I'd really need to try it to see if it  actually fits. 

 

What do you mean by the patience part by the way? The pen came like this (frustratingly there were no pictures of the pen from this angle on the listing, but I think it was an oversight rather than anything intentional) so I'm not sure what I could have done differently.

 

Edit: I looked through my pens and I actually have a Congress (?) company pen that has the same exact nib on it, I'm thinking that section might fit. Unfortunately it has some pretty gnarly tooth marks from the previous owner trying to use pliers on the section. But tooth marks are better than a leaking crack that will probably get worse!

Edited May 14, 2022 by LoveBigPensAndCannotLie

[JonSzanto]

1 hour ago, LoveBigPensAndCannotLie said:

What do you mean by the patience part by the way?

 

Sorry, my fault - can't you hear the voices in my head like I can? 😀 All I meant was if you needed to search for a replacement part, that is the time that patience would help. There are a number of items I have in the back of my head that I keep a lookout for, especially on eBay, and I know they don't turn up often. I just bide my time and patiently wait. It usually pays off eventually. Good luck!

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

4 minutes ago, JonSzanto said:

 

Sorry, my fault - can't you hear the voices in my head like I can? 😀 All I meant was if you needed to search for a replacement part, that is the time that patience would help. There are a number of items I have in the back of my head that I keep a lookout for, especially on eBay, and I know they don't turn up often. I just bide my time and patiently wait. It usually pays off eventually. Good luck!

 

Ahhh gotcha! I understand now. I bought a BCHR Sheaffer 34 missing a cap a little while ago and I've been on the lookout for a replacement cap for ages. Sadly no luck so far, but I think Wearevers are way more common. My patience will pay out eventually!

Edited May 14, 2022 by LoveBigPensAndCannotLie

[multigeek627]

A Pelikan M800 in red/black with an EF nib (my first EF), due to be delivered Tuesday next.

 

Truth be told, most of my pen acquisitions have been the result of impulse. Not that I regret any of them. Well, maybe just a couple,

[Gloucesterman]

Two Pelikan M200 (brown) (F) pens, and three purple Parker Vector (?) medium.

[Misfit]

I’m trying hard not to impulsively purchase the Europe only Kaweco milk chocolate pen, and the TWSBI Diamond 580 RBT. 

[AmandaW]

17 minutes ago, Misfit said:

Kaweco milk chocolate pen

 

Is this real chocolate that one would eat or a pen of that colour? Either way, I don't know how you are resisting.

[Misfit]

I looked back at the blog I saw it on. It’s actually called chocolate. The blogger added milk to it. It’s a nice brown pen.