What Was Your Last Impulsive Pen Acquisition?

[A Smug Dill]

1 hour ago, OldTravelingShoe said:

Haha, which ones you got?

 

Exactly what you listed. Usually I avoid pens fitted with the RM or even RF nibs, and I haven't seen any fitted with REF nibs offered on eBay, back when I was still shopping for PenBBS pens. I don't like buying from Beini on Etsy, for a number of reasons, so I didn't usually bother looking at all. It was only because the calligraphy nibs appear to be available from nobody else; although I did see one seller on eBay offering a set of seven different styles yesterday.

 

I already have several PenBBS pens fitted with SF (as in Standard Fine or Sword Fine, not Soft Fine) nibs. 

[OldTravelingShoe]

35 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

I already have several PenBBS pens fitted with SF (as in Standard Fine or Sword Fine, not Soft Fine) nibs

Interesting. I assumed she only made round nibs, (R)EF, (R)F, and (R)M, or special nibs. I had no clue there were others closer to the regular lineup, e.g., the SF you mention.

 

Perhaps I should check again what I got. It will take some time for the 2021 nibs, but from the ones I just got Figure 1 depicts the regular nib (what I consider REF). 

 

Figure 1. A PenBBS 353 Charm Nib, which I believe is an REF. 

[OldTravelingShoe]

44 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

I don't like buying from Beini on Etsy, for a number of

This is also interesting. I wouldn't really know where else. Does she have an AliExpress shop? (That's where my appetite for adventure ends - I have never tried Taobao or other shops from that region.) 

[A Smug Dill]

31 minutes ago, OldTravelingShoe said:

Figure 1 depicts the regular nib (what I consider REF). 

 

R stands for Round (from the description in Chinese), per:

 

 

28 minutes ago, OldTravelingShoe said:

Does she have an AliExpress shop?

 

No, and PenBBS pens and nib charms are rarely offered on AliExpress by other sellers. Plenty of resellers on eBay, at least for pens, though.

 

Taobao is a no-go, anyway; the shipping aspect just doesn't work out economically for me.

 

Edited August 27, 2022 by A Smug Dill
Added screenshot

[OldTravelingShoe]

1 minute ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

R stands for Round (from the description in Chinese).

 

 

No, and PenBBS pens and nib charms are rarely offered on AliExpress by other sellers. Plenty of resellers on eBay, at least for pens, though.

 

Taobao is a no-go, anyway; the shipping aspect just doesn't work out economically for me. 

Thank you for translating. Language is one of the barriers I encounter even for pens from Chinese makers I like. 

 

PenBBS is a mystery to me. I tried to read all I could find on their history, but I remain puzzled by their relatively high quality (unusually good for that region, in my experience) and the mysterious shop owner, Beini. It couldn't be a one-person show, could it? 

[A Smug Dill]

1 hour ago, A Smug Dill said:

I already have several PenBBS pens fitted with SF (as in Standard Fine or Sword Fine, not Soft Fine) nibs. 

 

Maybe S stands for Smooth; see Beini's Etsy listing for the PenBBS 308-70SF. The Chinese description of the nib doesn't say anything about smooth, though; the adjective used says "blade" or "knife-edge", and is the original default grind. 

 

Look under item details in the listing for the 308-70RM for comparison. 

[inkstainedruth]

Yesterday I spotted an older Pelikan in an antiques store down in the next county, for what seemed to be a decent price, and the M nib looked to be in pretty good shape.  Told my husband about it and he said I should go ahead and get it (think he was feeling guilty about having just gotten a 43" computer display for his home office because he likes having multiple screens).  So went back down to the place and bought it.  Took a look at it when I got home and the cap has the imprint/engraving which says "Pelikan 120".  Did a quick Google search when I got home, and found a photo showing the variations between iterations of the model as far as stuff like the clip, and I THINK it's one from the 1950s-1960s.  Green barrel, black cap and piston knob.  Seems to have a clear plastic piston head (very similar to the piston on the Senator (I think it's a Windsor model from the research I've done so far) I picked up last weekend at an estate sale company's warehouse sale (admittedly for WAY less than I did for the 120 -- since the Senator cost me a buck... ).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[A Smug Dill]

17 hours ago, A Smug Dill said:

So, I ordered another HongDian 100 from that seller

 

Still wondering if I've done a clever thing or a foolish thing. According to AliExpress, the apportioned cost (inclusive of discounts, shipping and tax) for that order was the Australian dollar equivalent of US$22.77 (but I probably get slapped 3% in a hidden “fee” for currency conversion, which in this case I couldn't avoid); today the same item would cost me US$32.95 (all-inclusive). The Majohn S7 I ordered earlier in the week would cost me US$17.51 today, instead of US$13.68.

 

Penny-wise, pound-foolish; that's what I am.

 

9 hours ago, OldTravelingShoe said:

I won't spoil the fun; let me know or just share with all when you're done with your tests 😄

 

It certainly isn't something I think I'll be showcasing on FPN with a view to letting prospective buyers — especially those in ”the West”, or who choose only to look for information on English/European language websites — get a clearer comparative understanding of which number means what among the PenBBS calligraphy nibs, if the company itself has not deem it useful (for marketing) or worth the effort. I'm sure I'll end up posting incidental writing samples with this calligraphy nib or that one, in isolation, from time to time.

 

In case it isn't already clear, I'm not particularly keen on helping promote PenBBS products to a “Western” audience, and I don't feel any goodwill (or, on the flip side, any ill-will) towards Beini personally. Nevertheless, I regard the brand and the company more favourably than I do Leonardo Officina Italiana; I have several PenBBS nibs, and every single one of them is better out-of-the-box than the nibs on the Leonardo pens that arrived here.

 

[OldTravelingShoe]

7 hours ago, A Smug Dill said:

Penny-wise, pound-foolish; that's what I am

Hehe, my better half and I always use this saying, "Honey, I just saved €5,000". Comes from an old Mercedes commercial, back in the days we still watched TV commercials, where the excited buyer comes home announcing this. The car was like €90,000 🤣 But, through you, I've learned the proper English (British) expression. 

 

About being wise, I stopped trying to justify these purchases in terms of it. It's so clear to me it's a form of irrational exhuberance, that I will not treat it otherwise. The only surprising thing is that I (we) endulge in it, but I gave myself permission and don't regret it for a bit until now. 😄

 

P.S.: But the discounts you keep getting are impressive to me. They are a rational optimization and the results are difficult to match, especially in this low cost bracket. If these were numbers reported by a business, I'd be happy to invest in it. 💲💵

 

 

[essayfaire]

On 8/27/2022 at 5:04 PM, A Smug Dill said:

 

Maybe S stands for Smooth; see Beini's Etsy listing for the PenBBS 308-70SF. The Chinese description of the nib doesn't say anything about smooth, though; the adjective used says "blade" or "knife-edge", and is the original default grind. 

 

Look under item details in the listing for the 308-70RM for comparison. 

As far as I can tell, none of their pens post, no matter the nib. Is that your experience?

[JohnRobison]

My last impulsive purchase was a Montblanc Brothers Grimm fountain pen.  I was drawn to the rough look, and the heavy feel.  It’s a cool pen to hold.

[MHBru]

i picked up a Franklin Christoph #19 at the San Francisco pen show after foolishly thinking I was only going to buy paper and letter writing ephemera.  It's a beauty tho.

[OldTravelingShoe]

13 hours ago, essayfaire said:

As far as I can tell, none of their pens post, no matter the nib. Is that your experience?

I think they responded to (Western-)public demand, so the newer PenBBS models post. For example, Figure 1 depicts a posted Model 491.

 

Figure 1. A PenBBS Model 491 stretching out. Hat on. Inked with Noodler's Cayenne. 

[ruby.monkey]

I don't know if it counts as impulsive if I have to wait a month for its arrival, but I just popped for a Wing Sung 699 in translucent brown with a medium nib. I like vacuum fillers and I'm curious to see if it'll take an FPR ultra-flex nib and feed.

[essayfaire]

@OldTravelingShoeThank you; at one point I had actually asked them about some of their models and at that point the ones I was interested in did not.  I will look at the 491.

[essayfaire]

20 hours ago, JohnRobison said:

My last impulsive purchase was a Montblanc Brothers Grimm fountain pen.  I was drawn to the rough look, and the heavy feel.  It’s a cool pen to hold.

ooh!  I hadn't seen this pen.  It's perfect.  Enjoy!

[OldTravelingShoe]

I told myself I will take it easy for a couple of month. So why am I finding myself trying to acquire a Conway Stewart 286?! Hmmm 😼

 

Update: so I can consider it acquired: a Conway Stewart 286, black, GT, peaked top, diamond clip with CS logo, lever with diamond and CS logo, etc. Nib looks large, well preserved, possibly M-tipped. Many things can still happen, for example, the post office can lose it. Also, I may need to learn how to service ink sacs. I'm excited about all this. Thanks, @mallymal1! 

Edited August 30, 2022 by OldTravelingShoe
Update on the actual buy part of "impulse buy".

[wtlh]

Namiki Chinkin Pine tree was an impulse buy.  I did it twice in fact.  First time, I regretted and cancelled the order before it was shipped.  But the urge returned a few weeks later...

[DvdRiet]

8 minutes ago, wtlh said:

Namiki Chinkin Pine tree was an impulse buy.  I did it twice in fact.  First time, I regretted and cancelled the order before it was shipped.  But the urge returned a few weeks later...

 

Wow! I can see why!! It's an absolute beauty. 

[OldTravelingShoe]

2 minutes ago, DvdRiet said:

 

Wow! I can see why!! It's an absolute beauty. 

I second @DvdRiet. Inspiring pen.