What Was Your Last Impulsive Pen Acquisition?

[jchch1950]

18 hours ago, Gloucesterman said:

Let me see.

I went to a flea market on Sunday and came home with the following new (for me) pens:

2 Waterman Phileas

- one blue (no gold band on the barrel

- one green in good condition w/ original box and converter

- one Sheaffer vest pocket pen - needs restoration

- one Parker "51" vacuumatic - needs restoration

- one Sheaffer model unknown w/ gold colored steel nib

- one Sheaffer black Targa slimline pen w/ 14k nib

- one Esterbrook bright yellow purse pen with very good sac (1550 nib)

- one Esterbrook grey "J" pen with very good sac (1550 nib)

A bottle of Waterman's blue ink and two packages of cartridges

Oh yes, and one Waterman mechanical pencil which, although nothing special, I kind of liked.

 

With the exception of the Sheaffer vest pocket pen and the gray Parker "51", all have cleaned up nicely. I have about 7 packages of old/vintage slimline cartridges for the Sheaffer slimline so I feel very comfortable selling that one even with no converter.

 

Although this group of pens came from several dealers, one of whom specifically brought some pens for me, it's far from a typical haul.

I really wish we still had the classifieds here. I would like to be able to pass on, at least, the one's for repair for what I paid for them (plus postage of course. Oh well, "C'est la gruyere!"

I wish to be able to find such a big number of pens .

[awa54]

re: Atelier Lesoon

 

I contacted Thierry about the running state of my watch purchase and he was immediately apologetic, offering solutions without hesitation.

obviously, these have not come to pass yet, but I'm heartened by his response!

everyone, no matter how good or conscientious slips up from time to time, but it's on how they handle those mishaps that they should be judged.

 

I hope to have a revised (and glowingly positive) review of this transaction soon 🙂

[inkstainedruth]

On 7/26/2022 at 4:18 AM, Misfit said:

Oh to have places like this and @inkstainedruth’s estate sales where I live. 

Well, recently, the pickings have been pretty slim.  I went to a couple of estate sales on Saturday.  The one that had "collectible pens" I took a gamble on because some of the pens were just piled up in a box in one of the listing photos -- and they turned out to be BP desk pens.  Did a little better at the second one (I was in and out of the first one in 10 minutes).  No pens (although the listing included "art supplies) but I did pick up a bottle of Skrip Blue (later label -- it says "Sheaffer Eaton") but still the inkwell style jar for two bucks.  I mostly went with low expectations for pen-related stuff; there were a couple of mahjongg sets I wanted to look at, and one of them was in pretty decent shape and only $20 US.  Also found some needlework books ($1-$3 apiece) and a "3-in-1" Color tool" (I think it's mostly designed for quilters trying to see what fabrics would look good together).  Each color card (there are 24) has a range of tints and shades (16 of each, with the base color at the end) on the front; and pie charts showing monochromatic, complementary, analogous, "split complementary" and triadic color combinations on the back; there's also a 7" ruler and a card with different shaped holes adjacent to a transparent red panel so you can preview how the fabric pattern will look AND see how it looks compared to other fabrics.   I think I paid a buck or two for that as well.  

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Paul-in-SF]

1 hour ago, awa54 said:

re: Atelier Lesoon

 

I contacted Thierry about the running state of my watch purchase and he was immediately apologetic, offering solutions without hesitation.

obviously, these have not come to pass yet, but I'm heartened by his response!

everyone, no matter how good or conscientious slips up from time to time, but it's on how they handle those mishaps that they should be judged.

 

I hope to have a revised (and glowingly positive) review of this transaction soon 🙂

 

In my case too he immediately agreed on a return and full refund for the pen I bought, saying the color misidentification was his fault. If that had been the only issue, I wouldn't have even mentioned it here.

 

There were also serious condition issues: both pens came to me full of old ink, one of them was dirty on the outside as well, and the other did not draw water (turned out to both have a hole in the diaphragm and a missing breathing tube). That both pens in one shipment had these kinds of issues speaks more to a pattern than an occasional slip-up. I'm sorry to say so, he seems like a nice person (as much as one can tell through email), but at the prices he charges I expected better. I will keep my eyes open and hope for improving reports. 

[Doug C]

A beautiful Conway Stewart Churchill in flecked amethyst. Lever fill.

[awa54]

1 hour ago, Paul-in-SF said:

 

In my case too he immediately agreed on a return and full refund for the pen I bought, saying the color misidentification was his fault. If that had been the only issue, I wouldn't have even mentioned it here.

 

There were also serious condition issues: both pens came to me full of old ink, one of them was dirty on the outside as well, and the other did not draw water (turned out to both have a hole in the diaphragm and a missing breathing tube). That both pens in one shipment had these kinds of issues speaks more to a pattern than an occasional slip-up. I'm sorry to say so, he seems like a nice person (as much as one can tell through email), but at the prices he charges I expected better. I will keep my eyes open and hope for improving reports. 

 

 

yeah, after sale service, no matter how good, shouldn't be required on a regular basis...

[Penguincollector]

Added my 3rd Sheaffer Fashion, a clipless powder blue with a tapestry sleeve, and a blue Parker Super 21. 

[effrafax]

Asvine V169 in gold finish with amber resin, looks gorgeous, arrived today.  Ordered immediately after I saw a YT review.

Jinhao X159 arrived yesterday, also bought after seeing a review.  Very impressive pen for the price, and far superior to the 159.

 

[Lomi]

Majohn A1 clipless matte black version, wasn't expecting it. I stopped buying pens and being around for about 2 years, aiming to get only pens that are meaningful to me, or grail ones, something that can provide me with new experience basically or have the right looks. But the recent price drops compared to around january/february while price was at it's peak settled it for me and i pulled the trigger, so probably i could "blame" sale for my impulse buy 😄 happy user of this pen now though.

[ruby.monkey]

Waterman's Carene in amber, with a broad oblique nib. I'd been interested in trying a modern oblique nib for a little while, and this was too pretty to pass up.

[miwishi63]

Majohn A1 in orange. 

[awa54]

7 hours ago, ruby.monkey said:

Waterman's Carene in amber, with a broad oblique nib. I'd been interested in trying a modern oblique nib for a little while, and this was too pretty to pass up.

 

I've wanted a Carene since they were a new model, but never seem to get around to buying one 😒 

I hope you enjoy yours!

[A Smug Dill]

A Jinhao X159, after seeing so many of you talk about it recently. The old 159 never appealed to me, certainly not over the X750 — if I were to get another Jinhao with an open, ≥32mm nib in that price range. I'm not expecting to like the (no other choice but) F nib on it, but now that I have Dremel, maybe I'll just put that to use on the X159's nib.

 

A couple of Jinhao 1001 with ‘03’ nibs to go with it (just enough to trigger some minimal amount of discount on that AliExpress order). Seems to be the cheap(er) way to try out a Jinhao ‘aeroplane’ nib in that width grade, after another AliExpress seller let me down and incorrectly sent me a Jinhao 80 that was fitted with an EF nib instead of the ‘03’ nib I ordered.

 

[awa54]

55 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

... but now that I have Dremel, maybe I'll just put that to use on the X159's nib.

 

....

 

 

 

not sure how many regrinds you've done, but I find delicate work (like taking a Chinese fine down to a needlepoint would be) is usually much more controllable if done by hand.

[A Smug Dill]

38 minutes ago, awa54 said:

not sure how many regrinds you've done,

 

More than I have actual patience for.

[essayfaire]

I thought Dremels were for dog's nails and horse's hooves.

[inkstainedruth]

I used my husband's Dremel a few years ago for putting a channel into a piece of wood that was being used as a basic for a wire understructure for a fancy (mostly edible) display/presentation piece.  

The frame and base ended up being used three different times for different events; the first time (when I was constructing it with the help of a friend who is a sculptor) it was a black swan on a nest, looking at an egg that a black signet was hatching from (it was for an SCA Crown Tourney, to name the Heirs to the throne, and the Queen at the time was called Maurya Sableswan); the second time, it was for someone's Laurel vigil and was a peacock (I used real peacock feathers for the tail); and the third time, it was for a competition, and was a knight on horseback (the neck and beak section of the wire frame became the horse's head and neck; I used a wood skewer to support the body of the rider).  Sadly, I don't seem to be able to find photos of any of them (at least not on this computer...).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[chromantic]

Impulsive in the sense that I was curious about what might be new (and/or affordable) in Optimas and, well, an orange Aureloide is waiting for me at work tonight.

 

eta - Wow, the orange is spectacular, much flashier than the red even; people will see this from across the room. The red stills wins out though because, well, red.

[ParramattaPaul]

4 hours ago, essayfaire said:

I thought Dremels were for dog's nails and horse's hooves.

'A Dremel is the hobbyist's dream tool and the curse of the craftsmen who have to fix the abuses caused by a Dremel in the hands of the inexperienced.'  I have that on the authority of a gunsmith whose income is increased by fixing what 'Bubba' and his Dremel have done.

[FlexRequired]

Funny enough my latest impluse arrived in the mail today - Waterman Carene in Marine Amber. The second I seen it, it was a no brainer, I love that timeless classic look of the embedded nib. Just not sure what to ink it with now, thats a whole other question lol!