What Was Your Last Impulsive Pen Acquisition?

[Ron Z]

Could you grace us with a picture of your Black OS Balance pen?

 

Nothing exceptional about the pen itself - basic black with gold trim. It is a very clean pen though. I like black pens with gold trim. Like a tux and black tie - classy. But the nib is exceptional.

 

http://www.mainstreetpens.com/pix/BlackOS.jpg

[P25B]

I have had a bit of an impulsive month...

 

It started with the impulse purchase of an OMAS 361/T - Ive always liked them, but been a bit too much for my wallet. These are a lovely looking Ogiva shape pens with a double sided nib, one side is rigid and the other is flexible, a great invention and not sure why other manufacturers dont/cant do the same now... anyway, I saw it at the right price for me, clicked the BIN button, waited patiently until I received it tried it, loved it and then had a little accident with it. I flushed it and tested the potential leakiness of it with water. Once I was happy with it, I chose to use it as my new EDC. It was with me for all of a day when it decided that it didnt like being kept nib up and spewed its contents of Sailor Fujisugata down the inside of my pad cover... I still love the pen and have put it in the repair pile.

 

I then went to see my brother who lives in Spain, while we were walking around, he took me to a local stationers, they were selling off some NOS OMAS pens, a 360 ballpoint, a black Milord and a black Paragon with a solid silver cap. I started looking at the Paragon and just at the point of paying for it, I noticed there was a dent in the lid - I then moved onto the Milord - Tried it, loved it, negotiated for it, bought it... loved it some more.

 

I thought that would be it for a while... until I got home.

 

While looking through the auction sites, I noticed an OMAS pen and pencil set that I rarely see, this sort of takes me back to the first impulse purchase this month, in that it was the evolution of the 361/T, the VS. I thought it was on for too much so just put a watch on it. Earlier this week I was notified the seller was offering a lower price for it. This piqued my interest, and I had bought from the seller previously, so naturally I looked to see what else they had to offer. Only a Parker 51 Flighter, in my view, one of the prettiest pens ever made! I have a few P51s and this would probably end my collection of them (possibly...).

 

I made a combined offer and after a little haggling, a price was accepted.

 

So this takes me to now - I am currently waiting for the delivery of the OMAS VS and the P51 Flighter while looking at the OMAS 361/T and using the Milord...

 

Oh happy impulsive days (until I look at my bank account... but I know Ill be looking at, and using the pens for longer than looking at my bank account!)

[Jerome Tarshis]

I fear that I've already posted this, but a search failed to turn it up: A Pelikan M120 Iconic Blue, with a broad nib. Very voluptuous.

 

The impulsive aspect is that although I was aware of the pen's appearing on the market, and the community's favorable opinion of it, I told myself it was absurd to buy a 120 re-release when in fact I own a Merz & Krell 120, not Pelikan's first version, from 1955, but something that belongs to a time when it was more normal to write with a fountain pen than it is today. Unlike many of us, I was extant in 1955 and writing with a Parker 51. I still look upon re-releases with some distaste.

 

Two things rather suddenly changed my mind. The clip screw on my 120 shattered, and I learned from a pre-eminent Pelikan collector that this is the pen's weak spot and he himself has a little queue of them for which he doesn't know where to find replacement clip screws. So although I still have a 120 I can write with, I don't have a full 120. Then the mother of a friend died, and he mentioned that she used to inquire after his fountain-pen friend out West. I felt that Somebody Up There was trying to tell me to buy a fountain pen, and one related to the Pelikan 120 would be the best idea. So I did. And have much enjoyed the pen.

[Honeybadgers]

I offered someone $50 for a NOS parker 45 with a 14k X nib and it got accepted.

 

Probably shouldn't have bought it, but I don't have a parker 45 and a NOS burgundy/silver with a 14k nib in the exact size I wanted for $50 was too good to pass on.

[thx1138]

There have been a few;

Parker 105 gold plated FP, medium gold nib

Parker 105 flighter, broad stainless nib

Sonnet red with 18k broad nib

Pilot VP broad

Parker 105 gold plated BP

Carene black and gold essentials with stub nib

Parker Duofold black BP with GT

Parker Duofold blue BP with CT

Star Ruby FP with medium nib

 

I probably should stop there.

[Doug C]

Visconti Garden of Eden from Pens. it

Platinum Maki-e

Clio Skribent Silversign pencil

[inkstainedruth]

I fear that I've already posted this, but a search failed to turn it up: A Pelikan M120 Iconic Blue, with a broad nib. Very voluptuous.

 

Very nice. I've got one with a medium nib, and was actually a bit surprised at how well I was going to like the pen (I held off until I got to see one in person, because Pelikan has a bad habit of having the promo photos not match the actual color of the pen sometimes).

Bummer about your older 120, though. Although, yeah, sometimes I feel as if the Universe is trying to nudge me along. OTOH, there are also times when I find a whole lot of nothing....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Ciaran1602]

Found myself ordering my first Pelikan, an M200 in the Gold Marble special edition colours with an EF nib. I have a few on my christmas list so who knows, might be lucky?

[A Smug Dill]

Aurora Tu Cento Italia with 14K gold EF nib. The Aurora Tu is not normally available with a gold nib, and the effective price for this 100th Anniversary commemorative limited edition isn't bad after discounts, so I thought what the hell, let's give it a go.

 

I guess I still haven't learnt my lesson after my disappointments with the other Cento Italia editions of Aurora fountain pen models.

[countrydirt]

Lamy Studio LX All Black.

[seattlefrenchman]

Two days ago at the Ginza Itoya store...

 

 

I have liked this pen for a while and figured I would be sad if they stopped making it and I didn't have one. It's inked with yama-budo which goes well with some of the light reflections from the abalone shells... and my fingers (the Con-40 dumped a bunch of ink on me at insertion time)...

Edited November 27, 2019 by seattlefrenchman

[sansenri]

I fear that I've already posted this, but a search failed to turn it up: A Pelikan M120 Iconic Blue, with a broad nib. Very voluptuous.

 

The impulsive aspect is that although I was aware of the pen's appearing on the market, and the community's favorable opinion of it, I told myself it was absurd to buy a 120 re-release when in fact I own a Merz & Krell 120, not Pelikan's first version, from 1955, but something that belongs to a time when it was more normal to write with a fountain pen than it is today. Unlike many of us, I was extant in 1955 and writing with a Parker 51. I still look upon re-releases with some distaste.

 

Two things rather suddenly changed my mind. The clip screw on my 120 shattered, and I learned from a pre-eminent Pelikan collector that this is the pen's weak spot and he himself has a little queue of them for which he doesn't know where to find replacement clip screws. So although I still have a 120 I can write with, I don't have a full 120. Then the mother of a friend died, and he mentioned that she used to inquire after his fountain-pen friend out West. I felt that Somebody Up There was trying to tell me to buy a fountain pen, and one related to the Pelikan 120 would be the best idea. So I did. And have much enjoyed the pen.

 

You will not regret it. The 120 Iconic blue is a really nice pen, a true 120, with the same piston system, the same nib system, a wonderful colour, and that bit of extra length to the body that you will not be unhappy about. I love mine (and I have 3 vintage 120s...)

[sansenri]

I don't usually go by impulse on this type of pens, but this just had to be mine (I almost closed my eyes not to look at the price...)

[Tom Kellie]

I fear that I've already posted this, but a search failed to turn it up: A Pelikan M120 Iconic Blue, with a broad nib. Very voluptuous.

 

 

~ Jerome Tarshis:

 

As it happens, there's also a Pelikan M120 Iconic Blue B on my writing desk.

While it wasn't an impulsive acquisition, it's indeed voluptuous.

I'm glad to know that you're likewise enjoying such a pleasing model.

Thank you for your interesting post.

Tom K.

[Bookman]

This—a Moonman M2—was an inexpensive impulse buy, but impulsive it was. About three minutes from first sight to purchase.

[Honeybadgers]

I saw endlesspens had a $99 black friday deal going on for the lamy 2000, idly clicked, and saw they had every single nib option for that price.

 

I love my EF, but I've been eyeing a BB for a long time since it's quite stubbish. Pulled the trigger and threw in a couple $3 bottles of quink, a $15 bottle of stone grey GVFC ink (I've wanted that color for a while but not at $30, despite the 75mL bottle) and an EF nib for my opus 88 since I've just been using a TWSBI nib in it.

 

I had to really restrain myself from adding a caran d'ache 849 to the order.

Edited November 30, 2019 by Honeybadgers

[Intensity]

That Lamy 2000 was indeed hard to resist. I'm giving the EF another try. My previous one was a bit of a disappointment--wrote very dry and was super rigid with no line variation to speak of (I keep seeing reports of some line variation even for EF nibs). I'll probably keep this one and perhaps add a nib grind service to it. I almost got OM and backed out at the last minute. For this kind of pen a fine nib will be more practical. I have lots of fantastic broad and medium cursive italics at this point--most custom-ground.

[pajaro]

You could always buy a stub or an italic for those times when you want to use one.

[Honeybadgers]

That Lamy 2000 was indeed hard to resist. I'm giving the EF another try. My previous one was a bit of a disappointment--wrote very dry and was super rigid with no line variation to speak of (I keep seeing reports of some line variation even for EF nibs). I'll probably keep this one and perhaps add a nib grind service to it. I almost got OM and backed out at the last minute. For this kind of pen a fine nib will be more practical. I have lots of fantastic broad and medium cursive italics at this point--most custom-ground.

 

The nib is quite firm, but not completely rigid. It's more "responsive" than a nail, but it's quite firm.

 

The lamy 14k EF that you find on things like the platinum CP-1 and imporium and dialog 3 has a slight architect grind to it. this is not how the 2000's nib is ground, which is more squareish.

[Intensity]

Yeah it was specifically the Lamy 2000 EF nib for which I've seen mentions of some line variation. One example here:

https://www.handoverthatpen.com/2016/07/12/review-lamy-2000-makrolon/

(see "Pam's writing sample" photograph)

 

I've had a 14K Z55 Fine nib, and it was quite round. A really nice nib with crisp lines and pencil-like feedback, I liked it a lot. Felt much softer (does not mean more flexible, just somehow more cushioned) than Lamy 2000's nib.