What Was Your Last Impulsive Pen Acquisition?

[OldTravelingShoe]

On 10/27/2022 at 11:18 PM, Karmachanic said:

 

Happily scribbling away with mine fitted with a 14K semi-flex, 0.5 CI from Pablo at FPNibs

@Karmachanic, very nice!

 

If I may ask, how did you order such a nib? I worked with Pablo before, for a steel fude nib, but I could specify what I need from the regular interface (EF nib, add Fude grind), plus maybe a short message to explain how I wanted to use it. It was very easy to order and arrived very fast, then also worked perfectly. But a 14k gold nib with all the traits you mention sounds much more complicated... still very interesting 😄

[OldTravelingShoe]

On 10/30/2022 at 12:33 PM, Chimera01 said:

Here you go. Pelikan Souveran M1000 broad nib reground to a stub by John Sorowka. Smooth easy writer with lots of character. Delighted.

Wonderful, @Chimera01, thanks for sharing! (Also thanks for the quality of the photos.)

 

I'm curious how one could reach John Sorowka for such a grind... 

[OldTravelingShoe]

On 10/31/2022 at 3:09 PM, A Smug Dill said:

 

 

Excellent photos, @A Smug Dill, thanks for sharing and analyzing (sleuthing?). Adding to my collection of notes on nibs. 

[OldTravelingShoe]

On 11/6/2022 at 2:07 AM, Rosendust said:

I am waffling on the Pilot Vanishing Point once again. It has been my grails for quite some time now, and I just did celebrate a sorta milestone birthday, on Fountain Pen Day no less, maybe I should treat myself? Though a problem I am running into is that none of my preferred retailers have Medium nibs in stock...

 

Thoughts?  

I really like this kind of pen. I have a Pilot Vanishing Point (or a couple), a Decimo (or two), and a Fermo. The Pilot VP has been constantly in my daily writing kit since I bought it; I now have two, one with an EF steel nib, the other with an M 18k-gold nib. 

 

If you are looking for replacement nibs, there are quite a few pen shops that carry them, even with Rhodium or gold trim; in the Netherlands where I shop, Akkerman Den Haag and PenPunt.nl have them. (You may need to also search for "Pilot Capless", depending where you live. I may have also seen a black coated titanium, but perhaps I'm wrong.) 

 

You may also try the Majohn A1s, which @A Smug Dill has reviewed extensively, and on which @A Smug Dill and others have commented extensively; see, for example, this thread:

 

[OldTravelingShoe]

(Ah, finally able to post about pens! After weeks of traveling, split by a Netherlands Pen Club meetup, good to be back home and think pens.) 

 

My travels were conductive to FPN activity... buying pens on a whim. Two I knew exactly zero before I purchased them are depicted here. They arrived a bit before and one day after I landed from my last trip. 

 

Figure 1. The Sailor Jubilee in blue, a pen issued for Sailor's 50th anniversary afaik. (top) Pen smiling. (bottom) Golden tooth, this nib. Will try to ink soon. 

 

Figure 2. An unknown Sailor model - I'm still to identify it. (top) An orca of a pen (also in comparison with my typical vintage-Sailor purchase, all pocket pens.) (middle and bottom) Did Sailor try to adapt Sheaffer's Triumph nibs to a mass-market, cheap pen? 

 

There are several more colors of the Jubilee pen depicted in Figure 1: next to this blue, a plum red, a jet black, and a shiny silvery model. For me, it's not necessary to have them all, but perhaps it's good to know. 

 

Any clues about the pen in Figure 2 would be much appreciated. 

 

Enjoy! 

[Runnin_Ute]

On 11/17/2022 at 5:40 PM, Runnin_Ute said:

A Newton Majestic in Dupras Brown Tortoise with 1.1 from Shawn just today. 

Just arrived. 

[PithyProlix]

8 hours ago, OldTravelingShoe said:

(Ah, finally able to post about pens! After weeks of traveling, split by a Netherlands Pen Club meetup, good to be back home and think pens.) 

 

My travels were conductive to FPN activity... buying pens on a whim. Two I knew exactly zero before I purchased them are depicted here. They arrived a bit before and one day after I landed from my last trip. 

 

Figure 1. The Sailor Jubilee in blue, a pen issued for Sailor's 50th anniversary afaik. (top) Pen smiling. (bottom) Golden tooth, this nib. Will try to ink soon. 

 

Figure 2. An unknown Sailor model - I'm still to identify it. (top) An orca of a pen (also in comparison with my typical vintage-Sailor purchase, all pocket pens.) (middle and bottom) Did Sailor try to adapt Sheaffer's Triumph nibs to a mass-market, cheap pen? 

 

There are several more colors of the Jubilee pen depicted in Figure 1: next to this blue, a plum red, a jet black, and a shiny silvery model. For me, it's not necessary to have them all, but perhaps it's good to know. 

 

Any clues about the pen in Figure 2 would be much appreciated. 

 

Enjoy! 

 

I barely missed out on buying a black Jubilee - someone beat me to it by a minute - and, if memory serves, it was around the equivalent of $7 USD. I have few specific pens on my want list but the Jubilee is one of them. 

 

I've seen a lot of Sailors from the 1950s-1970s but I've never seen that second Sailor. It's a really cool looking pen! Dang it - now I have got to add another pen to my want list. 

 

Please let us know if you can figure it out. 

 

 

[PithyProlix]

9 hours ago, OldTravelingShoe said:

(Ah, finally able to post about pens! After weeks of traveling, split by a Netherlands Pen Club meetup, good to be back home and think pens.) 

 

My travels were conductive to FPN activity... buying pens on a whim. Two I knew exactly zero before I purchased them are depicted here. They arrived a bit before and one day after I landed from my last trip. 

 

Figure 1. The Sailor Jubilee in blue, a pen issued for Sailor's 50th anniversary afaik. (top) Pen smiling. (bottom) Golden tooth, this nib. Will try to ink soon. 

 

Figure 2. An unknown Sailor model - I'm still to identify it. (top) An orca of a pen (also in comparison with my typical vintage-Sailor purchase, all pocket pens.) (middle and bottom) Did Sailor try to adapt Sheaffer's Triumph nibs to a mass-market, cheap pen? 

 

There are several more colors of the Jubilee pen depicted in Figure 1: next to this blue, a plum red, a jet black, and a shiny silvery model. For me, it's not necessary to have them all, but perhaps it's good to know. 

 

Any clues about the pen in Figure 2 would be much appreciated. 

 

Enjoy! 

 

I barely missed out on buying a black Jubilee - someone beat me to it by a minute - and, if memory serves, it was around the equivalent of $7 USD. I have few specific pens on my want list but the Jubilee is one of them. 

 

I've seen a lot of Sailors from the 1950s-1970s but I've never seen that second Sailor. It's a really cool looking pen! Dang it - now I have got to add another pen to my want list. 

 

Please let us know if you can figure it out. 

 

EDIT: You are much more likely to get an identification in the Japan forum. https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/forum/91-japan-asia/

 

 

[Karmachanic]

15 hours ago, OldTravelingShoe said:

how did you order such a nib?

 

The semi-flex option used to be on the same page as the 14k nibs.  It's now to be found here.  I made a note about a CI grind with the order.

[ruby.monkey]

A Caran d'Ache 849 in fluorescent orange. I was suggesting an 849 on another forum as a possible birthday present recommendation, and noticed that WHSmiths are selling them for £37 at the moment; so I nabbed one.

[TrueBlue719]

My last impulsive purchase was definitely at the New York Metropolitan Pen Show. I went in planning on spending half (if not less) than what I did. I bought a vintage MB 144 within 10 minutes of walking in, and I also picked up a Sheaffer Snorkel, a bottle of Robert Oster, and a couple of cases and sleeves. Do I regret it? Not for a minute. Did it hurt my wallet? It’s still recovering. 

[Tashi_Tsering]

Teeny-tiny vintage Luxor pen. 10 centimeters length, button-filler, celluloid body. I think late 1930th — early 1940th. 

[inkstainedruth]

Last night hit the "buy" button on a NOS Sheaffer Star Wars Pop "BB-8" pen on eBay; then had to order a converter for it.  

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[mizgeorge]

Couldn't help myself. This is a handmade bit of loveliness from Scribe Pens (whose pictures I have borrowed as there hasn't been enough light here today to take any) made from some old Omas material - I saw the stripes and had to have it. It's just the shape that appeals to me at the moment as well, and is lovely to use, so I'm delighted.

 

First fill was with Diamine Ash (from last year's inkvent), but it's a bit too blue, I think. Next attempt at a match will probably be Kiri-Same, or perhaps a brown-grey (or grey-brown). 

 

[Chimera01]

On 11/21/2022 at 8:18 PM, OldTravelingShoe said:

I'm curious how one could reach John Sorowka for such a grind... 

I think John is @Oxonianon FPN. I know he doesn't like to have his email posted openly. If you have no luck messaging him through FPN, send me a private message and I'll see what I can do. He semi-retired a while back and 'closed his company'... but apparently has never been busier!

[Ceilidh]

<Teeny-tiny vintage Luxor pen. 10 centimeters length, button-filler, celluloid body. I think late 1930th — early 1940th. >

 

What a pretty, interesting little pen!

[OldTravelingShoe]

2 hours ago, Chimera01 said:

I think John is @Oxonianon FPN. I know he doesn't like to have his email posted openly. If you have no luck messaging him through FPN, send me a private message and I'll see what I can do. He semi-retired a while back and 'closed his company'... but apparently has never been busier!

Many thanks, @Chimera01, I'll try to contact him, slowly and gently, then use your kind offer if still needed.

 

The last part you mentioned happens often: People who retire but still have the passion often end up working even more. But at least they can pick their projects and say 'no' with an excellent excuse. 

[OldTravelingShoe]

On 11/22/2022 at 10:55 AM, Karmachanic said:

 

The semi-flex option used to be on the same page as the 14k nibs.  It's now to be found here.  I made a note about a CI grind with the order.

Sounds of 'oooh!', 'aaah!', and finally 'thank you!' 😃

[OldTravelingShoe]

On 11/23/2022 at 5:32 PM, Tashi_Tsering said:

Teeny-tiny vintage Luxor pen. 10 centimeters length, button-filler, celluloid body. I think late 1930th — early 1940th. 

Beautiful! Congratulations, @Tashi_Tsering, I am happy for you! ✒️

[Tashi_Tsering]

1 minute ago, OldTravelingShoe said:

Beautiful! Congratulations, @Tashi_Tsering, I am happy for you! ✒️

 

1 hour ago, Ceilidh said:

What a pretty, interesting little pen!

Thank you