What Was Your Last Impulsive Pen Acquisition?

[USG]

Impulse buying, gotta love it.

I bought another nib for my Pelikan M1000 last night...

[OldTravelingShoe]

On 8/19/2022 at 11:28 PM, carola said:

Shaffer Balance 1000 Oversize from the late 1930s or early 1940s. Gladly swapped it for my Sheaffer Balance 500.

 

 

It lays down a line I would characterize as extra fine, which I usually don´t like at all. But this little needle... I like it.

 

Went to Vienna to have some repairs/maintenance done on a few vintage pens and of course came home with a new one. What else could have happened.

Hi, @carola, if one would be in Vienna with time and desire for an impulse buy of fountain pens, where would one go? Are there particular shops or places you'd recommend? (A friend from the Netherlands Pen Club is going there in November, so I thought I'd ask this way.) 

 

I found a few pointers on FPN, starting with the following post, but was wondering where someone whose opinion I trust would go. 

 

Link:

 

[DvdRiet]

A Pelikan M800 because, well, um, no, it’s never been on my radar, and, uh, no, I don’t have a ‘flock’ for it to join, just a vintage 400 and an M400, and, um, well, no, it wasn’t even one of the pens on sale that I was actually agonizing over for my choice, and so, yeah…a Pelikan M800. Because it was on sale? 🤷‍♀️

[Driften]

7 minutes ago, DvdRiet said:

A Pelikan M800 because, well, um, no, it’s never been on my radar, and, uh, no, I don’t have a ‘flock’ for it to join, just a vintage 400 and an M400, and, um, well, no, it wasn’t even one of the pens on sale that I was actually agonizing over for my choice, and so, yeah…a Pelikan M800. Because it was on sale? 🤷‍♀️

 

The M800 is a great pen. I hope you enjoy it.

[DvdRiet]

7 hours ago, Driften said:

 

The M800 is a great pen. I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks, I hope so too! It was 10 minutes before the deadline of a group buy in our pen club and I still needed to make my final choice between three or four other (and cheaper!) pens. Showed the options to a friend and she said, ‘Oooh, did you see this one? That’s what I would buy!’ So I did.

 

I guess if I don’t like it, I can always sell it to her 😆 

[carola]

15 hours ago, OldTravelingShoe said:

Hi, @carola, if one would be in Vienna with time and desire for an impulse buy of fountain pens, where would one go? Are there particular shops or places you'd recommend? (A friend from the Netherlands Pen Club is going there in November, so I thought I'd ask this way.) 

 

I found a few pointers on FPN, starting with the following post, but was wondering where someone whose opinion I trust would go. 

 

Link:

 

 

You have got a PM.

[Arthur Pewty]

$19.00 on eBay bought this Ferme with a gleaming 18K nib. How could I go wrong? I haven't been able to find much information about Ferme, only that it's a defunct Japanese make. I don't know what model this pen might be. For whatever it's worth, the nib says "Classics".

[USG]

On 9/10/2022 at 6:25 PM, DvdRiet said:

A Pelikan M800 because, well, um, no, it’s never been on my radar, and, uh, no, I don’t have a ‘flock’ for it to join, just a vintage 400 and an M400, and, um, well, no, it wasn’t even one of the pens on sale that I was actually agonizing over for my choice, and so, yeah…a Pelikan M800. Because it was on sale? 🤷‍♀️

 

You can't go wrong with a M800. I'm sure you'll enjoy it   Which nib did you get?

[A Smug Dill]

On 9/6/2022 at 4:51 AM, essayfaire said:

@A Smug DillThat's a very interesting-looking finish.  Do update us on how it feels (in terms of texture), when it arrives!

 

The densely scattered pockmarks on the urushi finish are very shallow, so it does not feel rough in the least, but there's certainly texture akin to, um, igneous rock surface that has been worn smooth by nature over time. The darker lacquer on the pen barrel is glossy, which adds to the overall smoothness. (The gripping section has the same finish). The sand-coloured lacquer on the cap is matt, so the texture is different to the touch.

 

[chromantic]

Sailor Pro Gear Slim in Go America w/ 14K MF nib. Not counting a Candy, this will be my first "real" Sailor.

 

Goldspot's been featuring "last chance to get some of these Sailors" in their recent newsletters and this Go America caught my eye. I'd always found Sailor's designs rather bland but the color suckered me in.

 

eta: Totally spaced on my two Hi Ace Neos! Guess I should say "first "high-end" Sailor".

[ruby.monkey]

Cheap'n'cheerful - a Parker 25 Flighter (Mk III, I think) with a broad stub/italic nib, for the princely sum of £15.

[NumberSix]

10 minutes ago, ruby.monkey said:

Cheap'n'cheerful - a Parker 25 Flighter (Mk III, I think) with a broad stub/italic nib, for the princely sum of £15.

Interesting nib for a P25! Never seen that one.

I love the design on the 25 - I have owned a few of them over the years. They also made ballpoints and mechanical pencils in that line.

[PatrickA]

A Swan Blackbird Derby. It has the original Dutch selling price on printed on the barrel and I wanted to see what you could get back in the late 50's (assumption ;-)) for 9,50 in good old Dutch Guilders (Guilders 9,50  =  4.3 Euro or 40 Euro in todays money).

 

It's a small Swan/Mabie Todd/Biro button filler with a small 14K nib with a little flex, made of cheapish plastic.

 

Unfortunately it doesn't post so not a great fit for my big mittens. 

 

 

 

 

[PatrickA]

On 9/11/2022 at 12:25 AM, DvdRiet said:

A Pelikan M800 because, well, um, no, it’s never been on my radar, and, uh, no, I don’t have a ‘flock’ for it to join, just a vintage 400 and an M400, and, um, well, no, it wasn’t even one of the pens on sale that I was actually agonizing over for my choice, and so, yeah…a Pelikan M800. Because it was on sale? 🤷‍♀️

 

Well, three Pelikans is a small flock and before you know it they will start breeding.... 

[DvdRiet]

51 minutes ago, PatrickA said:

 

Well, three Pelikans is a small flock and before you know it they will start breeding.... 

 

Yes, I've been warned about this!  But when I only had the very old 400 and the very young M400, I was a bit afraid one of them could get arrested for it (lol!). And I guess one could say that 400+400 is indeed 800, so maybe those two did breed after all!

 

On 9/12/2022 at 1:17 AM, USG said:

 

You can't go wrong with a M800. I'm sure you'll enjoy it   Which nib did you get?

 

One of life's great mysteries, I'm afraid! 

 

The pen was purchased in Mr. Mora's sale, but there was nowhere on the site to select a nib size and emails stating preferences have so far gone unanswered. When it comes, assuming it does indeed come, it will be a surprise to me as well. 🤷‍♀️ 

[essayfaire]

On 9/12/2022 at 9:54 AM, A Smug Dill said:

 

The densely scattered pockmarks on the urushi finish are very shallow, so it does not feel rough in the least, but there's certainly texture akin to, um, igneous rock surface that has been worn smooth by nature over time. The darker lacquer on the pen barrel is glossy, which adds to the overall smoothness. (The gripping section has the same finish). The sand-coloured lacquer on the cap is matt, so the texture is different to the touch.

 

Thank you.   I have rejected pens that felt "wrong" to me.

[Antenociticus]

A couple of TWSBI Swipes (EF and F) sometime in the spring.

[amberleadavis]

On 9/10/2022 at 3:25 PM, DvdRiet said:

 so, yeah…a Pelikan M800. Because it was on sale? 🤷‍♀️

 

 

 

That's too funny.  As an enabler and office supply junkie, I totally approve.  

 

 

On 9/11/2022 at 2:39 PM, Arthur Pewty said:

$19.00 on eBay bought this Ferme with a gleaming 18K nib. How could I go wrong? I haven't been able to find much information about Ferme, only that it's a defunct Japanese make. I don't know what model this pen might be. For whatever it's worth, the nib says "Classics".

 

Congrats! What a great purchase!

[ruby.monkey]

Just now, a boxed Mabie Todd Swan 3361 that looks complete but is in need of some TLC. £30 on eBay seemed reasonable for something I should be able to get up and running again without too much swearing.

[ruby.monkey]

17 hours ago, NumberSix said:

Interesting nib for a P25! Never seen that one.

I love the design on the 25 - I have owned a few of them over the years. They also made ballpoints and mechanical pencils in that line.

Here you go:

XTFA1286 by Jean-Yves, on Flickr

 

XTFA1291 by Jean-Yves, on Flickr

 

I have a 25 ballpoint, and I've owned the pencil in the past (the BPs and pencils always seem to get stolen). I've never felt the attraction of the rollerball or fibre tip, though.