What Was Your Last Impulsive Pen Acquisition?

[Junebe]

@Gloucesterman The pen it's a 78g+ , but the black section is from a Pilot MR. Over here the Pilot MR comes with a standard international cartridge. Link to Amazon Spain with an example

 

 

@AndyYNWA Try a Jinhao converter if you can, it is a perfect fit in mine. 

 

 

Sorry for the confusion.

 

 

[AndyYNWA]

3 hours ago, Junebe said:

@Gloucesterman The pen it's a 78g+ , but the black section is from a Pilot MR. Over here the Pilot MR comes with a standard international cartridge. Link to Amazon Spain with an example

 

 

@AndyYNWA Try a Jinhao converter if you can, it is a perfect fit in mine. 

 

 

Sorry for the confusion.

 

 

 

I tried one of my Jinhao converters. It fit perfectly. Now I just have to find someone who sells them in Sweden or who can ship to Sweden without it costing more than Rolls Royce.

[DilettanteG]

8 hours ago, carola said:

 

I have seen that one in person at my favourite pen and paper store. I liked it, but as my focus is more on the 400s/800s and when it comes to the 100Ns rather on the vintage ones, I didn't buy it.

I wasn't too sure about the colour in the beginning, but I saw it several times and it somehow started to grow on me.

I envy you having an actual brick and mortar pen store, much less a favorite one. I buy everything sight unseen. Such is the downside of living in the country.

 

I'm not that impressed with the pictures the  Bright Red M101N. I'm hoping I'll either be pleasantly surprised, or fall in love with its performance. Pelikan does seem to make some odd design choices. The M101N series seems to be getting less attractive as time goes on. Though the Blue-Gray looks inoffensive enough. The latest batch of special editions aren't doing it for me either. I do not need another orange or red pen, Candy Caned theme though it is. That new M600 GC looks pretty cool, but metal body pens are a little too heavy for me to rush out and buy it. Would it kill them to release a something in purple? 

 

On the other hand, Pelikans always seem to perform beautifully and look like they're actually made to write with. The Montblanc special editions sometimes look like writing with them would be a punishment. Though, they're super popular, despite  the eye watering prices, so I'm in the minority there.

[inkstainedruth]

You're not the only one in that minority.  I look at a lot of the MB Special Editions and just go "WHY?"  And that's even BEFORE I see the price tags....  

Honestly, if I'm going to be paying that much money for a pen?  It had better be a superb writer.  Not some gargoyle that sits in a display case (and even REAL gargoyles, like the ones on tops of medieval cathedrals had a use -- they're glorified drain spouts but ARE at least FUNCTIONAL drain spouts).  Some of the pens MB puts out?  Their only function appears to be for people who go, "Look how much money I can afford to waste on something that goes in a display case!"  

At least a painting hangs on the wall and is decorative....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

[carola]

16 hours ago, DilettanteG said:

I envy you having an actual brick and mortar pen store, much less a favorite one. I buy everything sight unseen. Such is the downside of living in the country.

 

On the other hand, Pelikans always seem to perform beautifully and look like they're actually made to write with. The Montblanc special editions sometimes look like writing with them would be a punishment. Though, they're super popular, despite  the eye watering prices, so I'm in the minority there.

 

I am living very much in the countryside. The difference probably is that in Austria, you can go pretty much everywhere in comparatively little time. Around here, people complain when they have somewhere to drive and it takes an hour to get there.

 

Montblancs: I seem to be another one of that minority  🤷‍♀️

[Number99]

23 hours ago, Junebe said:

@Gloucesterman The pen it's a 78g+ , but the black section is from a Pilot MR. Over here the Pilot MR comes with a standard international cartridge. Link to Amazon Spain with an example

 

 

@AndyYNWA Try a Jinhao converter if you can, it is a perfect fit in mine. 

 

20 hours ago, AndyYNWA said:

I tried one of my Jinhao converters. It fit perfectly. Now I just have to find someone who sells them in Sweden or who can ship to Sweden without it costing more than Rolls Royce.

It is very strange.

Maybe the previous owner transplanted the 78G nib/feed into the Metropolitan section and attached it to the pen in order to use European standard converters and cartridges in the 78G.

As @Gloucesterman said, the Pilot 78G (or 78G+) comes with Pilot converters. (CON-40 now, used to be CON B.)

Here is an article explaining it. (The article is in Chinese, please add Chinese to your browser's translate language)

https://yuanchaaiwenju.lofter.com/post/1efe29ad_111e0401

*From the information I have obtained, the Pilot 78G was already available in Japan in the 1970s. (Not OEM in the 1990s.) I add this information here as different from this article.

The Pilot 78G+ is currently an export model for China, but it is also used in Japan as a teaching material for the "Fountain Pen Assembly Instruction Class" sponsored by Pilot. (Not for sale).

 

All the current product pages on the Chinese website also explain that the 78G+ comes with CON-40. (We have checked Chinese forums and found no reports of fakes.)

 

Other reference links.

YouTube program on gadgetstop321 comparing 78G and 78G+.

https://youtu.be/G95XTCUcmgw?feature=shared

 

Article from zhihu.com, a Chinese question site.

https://www.zhihu.com/tardis/zm/ans/1655671110?source

 

The TAOBAO Pilot Official Store web page. 

https://m.intl.taobao.com/detail/detail.html?id=593432204523&spm=a2141.7631571.tbshopmod-photo_retouch.0#

*Note. You may need to log in to TAOBAO to go to the product detail page.

 

P.S.

I have looked into the perspective that an international standard pilot 78G may have been manufactured at some point, but so far I have not come across any information on that.

Edited January 25, 2024 by Number99

[A Smug Dill]

Another Jinhao HongDian 6016 with gold-coloured cap, this one fitted with a bent nib. Couldn't pass up the price on limited offer yesterday on AliExpress.

 

Edited: Thank you @AmandaW for spotting my error

Edited January 25, 2024 by A Smug Dill

[Penguincollector]

  It’s a partial grief buy, the “when” is completely impulsive, but it’s another grail pen- many thanks to @Number99 for helping me find it for considerably less than the ‘Bay buy it now price. Hopefully, the Buyee proxy shopping experience goes smoothly. Picture isn’t mine, it’s off the original store that sold the pen some time ago. I found a Sailor X Chiharu Sazasaki(sp?) Suica Penguin Professional Gear Mini at Kingdom Note. 

[AmandaW]

33 minutes ago, Penguincollector said:

  It’s a partial grief buy, the “when” is completely impulsive, but it’s another grail pen- many thanks to @Number99 for helping me find it for considerably less than the ‘Bay buy it now price. Hopefully, the Buyee proxy shopping experience goes smoothly. Picture isn’t mine, it’s off the original store that sold the pen some time ago. I found a Sailor X Chiharu Sazasaki(sp?) Suica Penguin Professional Gear Mini at Kingdom Note. 

It does have your name on it! (Well done Number99.)

[AmandaW]

1 hour ago, A Smug Dill said:

Another Jinhao 6016 with gold-coloured cap, this one fitted with a bent nib. Couldn't pass up the price on limited offer yesterday on AliExpress.

Hongdian?

[A Smug Dill]

7 minutes ago, AmandaW said:

Hongdian?

 

My mistake. You're correct, thank you.

 

How do you like your HongDian 6016?

[Doug C]

2 Cypress on order.  My last pens...I mean it.😗

[AmandaW]

16 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

My mistake. You're correct, thank you.

 

How do you like your HongDian 6016?

Sadly it's a winter pen here. Other than that, I like it very much. That and your post prompted me to look again at the Hongdian C1 which lurks on my wish list and I see comments on it sealing well. Tempted. Yellow or blue, I am asking myself. They're not expensive. Is there a catch? LOL. The usual discussion in my head. Thankyou.

 

[Misfit]

1 hour ago, Penguincollector said:

  It’s a partial grief buy, the “when” is completely impulsive, but it’s another grail pen- many thanks to @Number99 for helping me find it for considerably less than the ‘Bay buy it now price. Hopefully, the Buyee proxy shopping experience goes smoothly. Picture isn’t mine, it’s off the original store that sold the pen some time ago. I found a Sailor X Chiharu Sazasaki(sp?) Suica Penguin Professional Gear Mini at Kingdom Note. 

So perfect for you. Congratulations!

[Zookie]

I purchased a Rite-Rite fountain pen (never heard of them) that was broken for 5 bucks. I got it today and it turns out the broken part was a crispy sac that was an easy fix.

A quick soak and new sac later and I've got a lovely little writer!

photos tomorrow.

[Penguincollector]

Thanks, @AmandaW and @Misfit. It’s been a terribly emotional and exhausting day and I’m flying out to my hometown at an ungodly hour in the morning.  Retail therapy is real.

[AmandaW]

32 minutes ago, Penguincollector said:

Thanks, @AmandaW and @Misfit. It’s been a terribly emotional and exhausting day and I’m flying out to my hometown at an ungodly hour in the morning.  Retail therapy is real.

Yes. Very real. Good on you for doing so. I have been allowing some for myself too, reminding myself that my grandmother often said 'it doesn't cost much to stay sane'. (She was a child of the war years and the grim conditions that followed.) Hang in there... for the coming days!

 

Edit to add: I did order a sunny yellow Hongdian C1 with an EF nib. If it likes it here I may go back the blue with a fine nib.

[jmccarty3]

On 1/24/2024 at 4:01 PM, inkstainedruth said:

Honestly, if I'm going to be paying that much money for a pen?  It had better be a superb writer.

 

The MB Writer's series pens I've tried have all been superb writers, the Agatha Christie being the best. It was like that pen had been custom made for me. I'm not as crazy about the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The nib is fine, but the pen doesn't post and it's a bit short for my big hand.

[jmccarty3]

Got an email from a trusted Japanese dealer offering a good price on a Pilot Custom 743 with an EF nib. I really like Pilot #15 nibs and I've lost my fear of Japanese EFs, so I went for it. It will be an office pen.

[Misfit]

3 hours ago, Penguincollector said:

Thanks, @AmandaW and @Misfit. It’s been a terribly emotional and exhausting day and I’m flying out to my hometown at an ungodly hour in the morning.  Retail therapy is real.

I think I know why. I’m glad you can be there, hard as it is on many levels.  Thinking of you, my friend.