What Was Your Last Impulsive Pen Acquisition?

[Gloucesterman]

Waterman Phileas w/ a fine was part of a grab bag of vintage pens for $30.00

[awa54]

On 6/4/2024 at 5:56 PM, JonSzanto said:

While it seems like I've been going nuts, my activity just reflects what comes up in auctions and sales, and certain items you just can't hem-and-haw about. Impulse, you might say. So when a 1st generation Sheaffer Crest came up, and at a super reasonable price, I didn't hesitate. Excellent in condition, this pen was only made for two years (1941-42) and was the first metal cap pen that Sheaffer produced. I've wanted one of these for quite a while, an important little slot in my Sheaffer collection, and now it is here! (2 of the auction photos shown)

 

...

 

 

I've also wanted one of these for literally decades, but haven't found the one yet

 

Congrats!

[JonSzanto]

42 minutes ago, awa54 said:

I've also wanted one of these for literally decades, but haven't found the one yet  Congrats!

 

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, and thanks!

[Merrick]

I bought two Platinum Presidents, one in M and one in B, after watching a glowing review of the model on Inkquiring Minds and realizing that they were discontinued and discounted at many outlets. And while both write nicely, with attractive 18k nibs, I didn’t find they gave me any unique experience I couldn’t already get with other pens in my collection, so I will be returning at least the B, but likely both. 

[Karmachanic]

15 hours ago, Penguincollector said:

what color did you choose?

 

Blue. 😀

[Merrick]

On a Japanese soft nib kick I was searching eBay and found an open box but seemingly unused Pilot Custom 742 with soft fine nib for $88 so that’s on its way to me now. 

[Lithium466]

4 hours ago, Merrick said:

I bought two Platinum Presidents, one in M and one in B, after watching a glowing review of the model on Inkquiring Minds and realizing that they were discontinued and discounted at many outlets. And while both write nicely, with attractive 18k nibs, I didn’t find they gave me any unique experience I couldn’t already get with other pens in my collection, so I will be returning at least the B, but likely both. 

Yes, they can be...uninspiring. Maybe like relics of another time.

[Penguincollector]

7 hours ago, Karmachanic said:

 

Blue. 😀

  
  That’s the best one! I hope you enjoy it! I would love a smaller version of that pen, the material is so nice.

[Merrick]

4 hours ago, Lithium466 said:

Yes, they can be...uninspiring. Maybe like relics of another time.

I cannot knock the writing experience on either of them, the nibs are well made. Smooth with slight feedback. The pen size is right for my hand and comfortable to write with unposted for long periods (in contrast, the 3776 body is too small for my hand and feels off balance). 
 

However, for the price ($125 currently, more when it was in production), I find it disappointing. I would hope a pen that costs the prices Platinum were listing it for would write exceptionally well and offer a writing experience I couldn’t get with a similarly sized $50 pen with a well tuned nib. Additionally, while the quality of the plastic is an upgrade from the 3776, I can find seams and other obvious signs of the injection molding that I don’t see in comparable Pilots and Sailors. The nib is also smaller than the cheaper 3776, albeit with a higher gold content, but it’s a nail so the softer gold isn’t adding anything to the experience. I would not recommend it unless you’re getting a great deal (less than $100).  

[Karmachanic]

4 hours ago, Penguincollector said:

I hope you enjoy it!

 

I've had an extended scribble.  Lovely bouncy and soft, and puts down a wet line.  I'll be sending it off for a CI grind.

[carola]

I was offered a vintage and flexible Pelikan BBB nib unit for the 400 model from the 1950s today. While trying to determine whether I wanted it and where to put it into if I did, I mentioned that I was still looking for a rare green/green-striped 400.

 

And guess what has been put in the mail for me today...

[inkstainedruth]

Well, the Al-Star Aquatic SE arrived today in the mail (along with three bottles of ink).  But it was kind of a near thing -- after getting the notification that my order was out for delivery this morning, I *later* got a notification that the package had been delivered to a "parcel locker" in a zip code I didn't recognize offhand!  Got put on hold trying to get an actual person on the phone at USPS Customer Service for nearly an hour (!) -- during which time, while I was pacing up and down my driveway listening to an endless loop tape of annoying muzak, I spotted the mail carrier leaving the apartments across the street and heading for our driveway.  And sure enough, he had the package.  But had NO idea why I'd gotten that notification about the parcel locker (although he did tell me where inside the city that zip code was for).  And given that he scanned the barcode info before he gave me the package, I don't think it was him who accidentally scanned the package for the wrong destination....   So of course a half hour after he left I FINALLY got an actual person at the USPS and she got an EARFUL....  Because she didn't know why I'd gotten that notification about the "parcel locker -- any more than the carrier did.

But at least it's arrived, and is now in the process of being flushed out of any residual manufacturing gunk or test ink....  Whew....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Wil D]

I could get another Merlin. Do not know what number, nor if it will write. But it was 15 euros, so I took it. Now I'll have to wait and see.

[ruby.monkey]

Endless Captiva - the Infinite Space model. I was mildly interested in this pen, but noticed it advertised with a needlepoint nib and decided to try it out.

[jchch1950]

Opus 88 Omar with 1.5 nib that I changed for a Stipula 1.1. 

[Gloucesterman]

13 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

she got an EARFUL....  Because she didn't know why I'd gotten that notification about the "parcel locker

WOW, you "yelled" at someone who did nothing wrong, and had NO CONTROL over your negative experience because someone else (or "the system" messed up.

 

With all due respect Ruth, it doesn't sound like a good way to encourage good service from anonymous people (on the phone). If I were thinking I might get an "earful" for something I had no control over I might put off answering the phone for as long as I could (intentionally or not) as well. In fact, I might even disconnect the call (by accident) and hope someone else got the earful!!

 

Finally, you may or may not be aware that the person now running the postal system was put into place by the previous administration with the ultimate objective of eliminating the Service as there are now many alternatives to USPS - although none of them have the rules and regulations which legally protect our privacy and the security of our mail/communication.

 

Yes, I have had similar situations and share some of the frustration. One thing I did, and it was  very challenging to do, was to get the phone number of the main branch of the local post office and speak directly to someone who has control and influence the actual delivery person.

 

Of course, as always YMMV!

 

[inkstainedruth]

4 minutes ago, Gloucesterman said:

WOW, you "yelled" at someone who did nothing wrong, and had NO CONTROL over your negative experience because someone else (or "the system" messed up.

 

With all due respect Ruth, it doesn't sound like a good way to encourage good service from anonymous people (on the phone). If I were thinking I might get an "earful" for something I had no control over I might put off answering the phone for as long as I could (intentionally or not) as well. In fact, I might even disconnect the call (by accident) and hope someone else got the earful!!

 

Finally, you may or may not be aware that the person now running the postal system was put into place by the previous administration with the ultimate objective of eliminating the Service as there are now many alternatives to USPS - although none of them have the rules and regulations which legally protect our privacy and the security of our mail/communication.

 

Yes, I have had similar situations and share some of the frustration. One thing I did, and it was  very challenging to do, was to get the phone number of the main branch of the local post office and speak directly to someone who has control and influence the actual delivery person.

 

Of course, as always YMMV!

 

Let me point out that I was on the phone on HOLD for the better part of an HOUR (it was supposed to be 38-51 minutes according to the recording, but took more like about 56 minutes (glad it wasn't on MY dime!).  And the reason I HAD to call the 800 # was because the USPS customer support website is so poorly designed that I couldn't figure out what options to check off -- NONE of them applied.  So THAT got discussed when I finally got someone on the phone.... 

As for speaking to someone in the local post office directly?  Been there, done that, and the guy, quite frankly, is an entitled condescending (bleep) (and not even the postmaster -- I can't tell if he's the postmaster's boss or what). Last time I had to deal with THAT GUY?  He told me that the mail trucks can park wherever they want (including blocking peoples' driveways or in "No Parking" zones, the carriers can cut through peoples' back yards (because they're too lazy to stay on the sidewalk to walk around the corner -- and yes, I've seen that), and that mail trucks do NOT have to have license plates on them(!) -- ALL while telling me that the USPS is NOT a government agency!  .(See what I mean about the guy being "an entitled condescending (bleep)"?)

And pretty sure that in yesterday's case, it was NOT the carrier's fault, because the package was out for delivery early in the morning (according to the tracking notification, at 6:10 AM), and I got that email about an hour and a quarter later -- which was fine because we usually don't get our mail delivered until the late afternoon unless it's a utility route person on the regular guy's day off.  But then to get some notification in the mid to late afternoon (something like 4 hours AFTER the first notification) that it was taken to some place I never HEARD of in a zip code I didn't recognize -- AFTER it was "out for delivery" hours earlier?  And then HAD to call the 800 # because the USPS website is so badly designed and coded?  Sorry, but in this instance?  It was a case of "the customer is always right...."  

I had to take a screen shot of the second notification, then convert it into a .pdf, to drop into a FB Messenger post on the USPS FB page (and in the process, noticed that I got NO response from the PREVIOUS time I'd had to PM them over their lousy service...  so not expecting anything much THIS time either...).  At least this time, the person I talked to on the phone yesterday sent me email with the ticket #, so I can do follow through if needed.  But I didn't give ANY ratings in the "survey" afterwards higher than a 3 out of 5 or a 4 out of 10 (depending on the question).  

Sorry, Gloucesterman, but I was taught better than to just lie down and take the sh*t businesses try to pull sometimes.  And have, on more than one occasion, explained to people about how my mother was once sent flowers by the people in charge of a publishing house (okay, they were friends of hers from SFWA) for being "The Lady Who Screamed" after she didn't get the set of ballots for the Hugo Awards at a Worldcon in the 1970s... and let EVERY editor & every publisher who had something on the Hugo ballot that year KNOW that we hadn't gotten them....  (My mother could have given Betty Furness -- ever heard of her?  Or was she just in the greater NYC area?consumer tips!)  Now as long as my dad, my brother, and I, voted for the one story she wanted to support (and I have no idea now what it was or who wrote it or whether or not it even won its category), she didn't care what ELSE we voted for (I think for Best Fantasy Novel that year, I voted for Little, Big because I REALLY liked it).  And she had NO intention of dragging everyone to Tuscon, AZ for Worldcon on a holiday weekend.  But she got made when the ballots didn't come and she got even BIG TIME.  And back then?  People didn't have cellphones, and because of the time zone difference between AZ and NYS, it wasn't holiday rates at their end, and that phone call we got around dinnertime EDT and took probably over an hour -- on the Con Committee's dime....  All so we could get on the phone in turn and listen to every entry in every category and go "that one, that one, that one...."

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Cjtamu]

While I share your frustration with USPS, the people you can get on the phone or speak to in person have no control over anything. USPS is answerable to no one and the people in charge don’t care. Look up “USPS distribution center Missouri City, Texas” for a real eye opener. I had a package stuck there for 3+ weeks. I was lucky, at least mine wasn’t medicine, or money, or something terribly important. And they simply declined to speak to anyone or provide answers, including to several members of Congress. No way to run a RR. I avoid them like the plague and have declined purchases if they’re the only shipping option. Considering an impulsive pen acquisition at the moment, have already verified seller has other shipping options LOL.

 

Their alleged tracking is a huge part of the problem. Had similar to your story with a custom knife. Received notice it was delivered. Delivered to a PO Box in a town 70 miles away from where it should have been! Two days later it showed up here. Assume it was some type of storage locker but tracking didn’t say.

[inkstainedruth]

Well, maybe I should have asked to speak to someone that DOES have some "control" -- a postal INSPECTOR.  That's a tip I got years ago from my brother-in-law (who worked his way up from being a "utility route" carrier (everyone else's route on their day off) to being Postmaster (in a small town in MA) -- he just took early retirement recently, because he got tired of the BS such as his office being continually shorthanded because he wasn't allowed to hire anyone.  And that certainly worked a number of years ago, when I got a notice saying I wasn't a "warranted" paid member of the organization I belong to (you have to prove that you're a member if you're in a position where you might have to handle money).  This involved several long distance calls to California to the organization's office (it's an educational non profit) to talk to someone getting my membership validated -- and my husband's as well because he's a "family member" under my membership.   And after this happened several times in a row, I took my brother-in-law's advice and asked to speak to a postal inspector and showed the woman what I was SUPPOSED to be getting (newsletters and the quarterly magazine) -- and was SUPER HAPPY that I had opted early on for 1st Class postage for the newsletters (the first few I got came so late because they were sent 3rd Class mail and I'd find out about events AFTER they happened...).

@Gloucesterman -- I wasn't shouting, yesterday.  I was, however, QUITE firm and was trying to get a straight answer about the FUBAR and discussed it in great length with the woman in Customer Service -- and ALSO discussed the repeated issues I'd had with "Steve the Supervisor" (who clearly is someone who wants to have his cake and eat it too...).  Because if the USPS wants to claim they're a "private entity" and NOT a government agency?  They can follow the same traffic laws and trespassing regulations and licensing of vehicles as everyone else....  And I'm betting that the PA AG's Consumer Division MIGHT just take notice if THEY get enough complaints.... 

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[ParramattaPaul]

I have a T-shirt that says "QUIT COMPLAINING" on the front. On the back it says "NOBODY CARES".