What Was Your Last Impulsive Pen Acquisition?

[essayfaire]

Just bought a TWSBI Go with a broad nib so I have a place for some shimmery inks as I was purchasing JinHao sharks to give away to swimmers as part of Goulet's Shark Week BOGO. The Go (which has this amazing plunger-fill mechanism) was more money than all the sharks...

[NumberSix]

Impulsive inks! What was I thinking???!!

 

I ordered the 16oz bottles of Noodler's Black and 54th Massachusetts.

 

Plus two empty Private Reserve bottles, on which I have asked for the names of each Noodler's ink to be engraved (no extra charge with Vanness).I will need something from which to fill pens, and those 16oz bottles won't be the answer!

 

The PR bottles are squat and round and wide, so they should be easy to pour into, compared to other ink bottles.

[A Smug Dill]

A Platinum #3776 Century Matsu-Tora kanazawa-haku pen, which I've been eyeing for a long time now, to complete my 'set' of every kanazawa-haku pen model that has been released in that series. I was almost tempted to get a Medium nib this time instead of my usual selection of a Fine nib (for Japanese pens, especially when EF is not an available nib option), but after pulling my two other kanazawa-haku pens — both fitted with F nibs — to double-check whether I really want to do this, and happily 'discovered' that they both still write immediately without hard-starts in spite of not having used for at least four or perhaps six months, I decided to go with an F nib again.

 

Also, a Pilot Capless 2020 Limited Edition 'Black Link' (Vanishing Point) pen on pre-order. I haven't bought any Pilot Capless pens for years now, especially limited editions, and the only one I regretted (not even knowing about, in my hiatus, and) not getting was the 2016LE guilloche model. This one seems to be even better suited to my personal preferences, and so a ~140mm piece of metal managed to "twist my arm" quite easily.

[brokenclay]

Thanks to A Smug Dill (https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/355314-cult-pens-round-the-world-sale-all-four-phases-now-concurrently-active/) and nemrehsnoom (https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/355377-pen-pit-stop-pelikan-m120-iconic-blue-se/), I have a Pelican M120 Iconic Blue coming from the UK.

 

(You are all such enablers!)

[A Smug Dill]

I have a Pelican M120 Iconic Blue coming from the UK.

 

(You are all such enablers!)

I ordered one of those from Cult Pens on the weekend myself.

[GOTO10]

FC 66 in Antique Glass.

 

If you had an instock email notification with the company, does it count as an impulse purchase?

[como]

No, yours doesn't count as impulse, but you almost caused me to impulse-buy this one!

FC 66 in Antique Glass.

 

If you had an instock email notification with the company, does it count as an impulse purchase?

[sansenri]

My impulse buy is a Delike brass pen. Not sure what model it is, it says nothing on the blue metal box except Delike.

I was curious about this pen as I own a Kaweco brass Liliput Wave which I do like, but sometimes find it too small.
I was concerned the nib might be bad, but given the small investment of approx $12 shipped, I decided to give it a go.

The pen arrived last week, I like the brass look, as I already do with the Kaweco, and the Delike does not disappoint, it seems to be well machined, threads are precise and not sharp, and as I expected (as read from other's comments here) it's nice that it can be used for quick notes without posting (which requires to screw the cap on the barrel end). The surface is very lightly textured by the machining, and feels rather nice.

The small converter is another plus vs the cartridge on the Kaweco.

The nib is surprisingly good. I was already prepared to tinker with it, but a quick run on micromesh to smooth it out just a little bit more, and a moderate flossing to increase flow very slightly was all it needed to write as I like.

It is somewhat heavier than the Kaweco, which in turn scores for incredible portability (disappears inside any even small bag/back pack)

I'm happy though, more than I was expecting, and feel no guilt for the impulse.

 

[A Smug Dill]

My impulse buy is a Delike brass pen. Not sure what model it is,

Delike Element.

[sansenri]

ah, thanks, ASD

[ParramattaPaul]

My impulse buy is a Delike brass pen. Not sure what model it is, it says nothing on the blue metal box except Delike.

I was curious about this pen as I own a Kaweco brass Liliput Wave which I do like, but sometimes find it too small.

I was concerned the nib might be bad, but given the small investment of approx $12 shipped, I decided to give it a go.

The pen arrived last week, I like the brass look, as I already do with the Kaweco, and the Delike does not disappoint, it seems to be well machined, threads are precise and not sharp, and as I expected (as read from other's comments here) it's nice that it can be used for quick notes without posting (which requires to screw the cap on the barrel end). The surface is very lightly textured by the machining, and feels rather nice.

The small converter is another plus vs the cartridge on the Kaweco.

The nib is surprisingly good. I was already prepared to tinker with it, but a quick run on micromesh to smooth it out just a little bit more, and a moderate flossing to increase flow very slightly was all it needed to write as I like.

It is somewhat heavier than the Kaweco, which in turn scores for incredible portability (disappears inside any even small bag/back pack)

I'm happy though, more than I was expecting, and feel no guilt for the impulse.

 

 

Very nice. I've contemplated purchasing a Lilliput in the past but haven't. Having purchase two vintage Conway Stewart pens last month, their allure has me contemplating two more at the moment.

[brokenclay]

My impulse buy is a Delike brass pen. Not sure what model it is, it says nothing on the blue metal box except Delike.

I was curious about this pen as I own a Kaweco brass Liliput Wave which I do like, but sometimes find it too small.

I was concerned the nib might be bad, but given the small investment of approx $12 shipped, I decided to give it a go.

 

Which nib did you get? Is it a #5 nib?

[sansenri]

 

My impulse buy is a Delike brass pen. Not sure what model it is, it says nothing on the blue metal box except Delike.

I was curious about this pen as I own a Kaweco brass Liliput Wave which I do like, but sometimes find it too small.

I was concerned the nib might be bad, but given the small investment of approx $12 shipped, I decided to give it a go.

The pen arrived last week, I like the brass look, as I already do with the Kaweco, and the Delike does not disappoint, it seems to be well machined, threads are precise and not sharp, and as I expected (as read from other's comments here) it's nice that it can be used for quick notes without posting (which requires to screw the cap on the barrel end). The surface is very lightly textured by the machining, and feels rather nice.

The small converter is another plus vs the cartridge on the Kaweco.

The nib is surprisingly good. I was already prepared to tinker with it, but a quick run on micromesh to smooth it out just a little bit more, and a moderate flossing to increase flow very slightly was all it needed to write as I like.

It is somewhat heavier than the Kaweco, which in turn scores for incredible portability (disappears inside any even small bag/back pack)

I'm happy though, more than I was expecting, and feel no guilt for the impulse.

 

 

Very nice. I've contemplated purchasing a Lilliput in the past but haven't. Having purchase two vintage Conway Stewart pens last month, their allure has me contemplating two more at the moment.

 

not a bad alternative, some vintage CS can be almost as small as the Liliput!

[sansenri]

Which nib did you get? Is it a #5 nib?

It's an EF, which however is surprisingly wide for an EF. That is ok with me as in general I don't look for very fine nibs, and only really like EF nibs if they have some flex. I think it is a #5 diameter, but of smallish nib body size, rather similar to the Kaweco, just slightly bigger, but not much, you can see that in the photo.

[brokenclay]

It's an EF, which however is surprisingly wide for an EF. That is ok with me as in general I don't look for very fine nibs, and only really like EF nibs if they have some flex. I think it is a #5 diameter, but of smallish nib body size, rather similar to the Kaweco, just slightly bigger, but not much, you can see that in the photo.

 

I like the form factor, but I'm not an EF/F nib person. I have no clue what a fude nib is like, which is the other option.

[sansenri]

Fude are made to write Asian characters. They can be fun to try but in the end they are not really the best choice for western writing (except for a trained hand, which takes time) as they write wider on the horizontal plane rather than the vertical plane, which is sort of unnatural for western calligraphy, and they are very sensitive to the inclination with which you hold the pen. I'm no expert on fude nibs though, better advise if you search the forum.

 

Chinese pens usually come with fine or very fine nibs because, as our Asian members have explained, Asian characters would be unreadable if written with a wide nib...

Possibly the Delike nib can be swapped out, but I have no info on that, yet...

[Bookman]

Jinhao 100. $19.50 from Amazon. Saw it, bought it.

 

[A Smug Dill]

Is it a #5 nib?

 

I wouldn't have a clue, when the manufacturer doesn't use that terminology at all. Delike/Moonman has used Schmidt nibs on some of its range, e.g. Moonman M100 and M200, but even then it doesn't and didn't say it's a #5 (or #6, or any other #) nib; and such designation is not a standard (for physical dimensions and curvature) in the industry agreed to and adopted by Aurora, PenBBS, Wing Sung, Hero, Pilot, Platinum, Sailor, Pelikan, JoWo and Bock, etc. anyway.

 

So, if the information cannot be read off a data-sheet or markings on the nib or feed, but the only way to know is to pull out the nib and measure it against some other no-such-standard #5 nib as reference, then I don't see the point for me to do so, because that tidbit of information would be meaningless in my view.

 

It's an EF, which however is surprisingly wide for an EF.

 

Interesting. I have more than a few of those EF nibs here, and that is not in line with my experience and observation.

 

Fude are made to write Asian characters.

 

Not per se. More generally speaking, the design of the Fude nib is such that the shape of brush strokes can be emulated.

 

They can be fun to try but in the end they are not really the best choice for western writing (except for a trained hand, which takes time) as they write wider on the horizontal plane rather than the vertical plane, which is sort of unnatural for western calligraphy,

 

There are plenty of English calligraphy/lettering books that have a significant amount of material on hands (or fontfaces) written with a brush.

 

In any case, the bent EF nib on the Delike is tiny — compared to even, say, the one on the Hong Dian 1850 (aka Forest) and 6350 models — and can hardly be called a Fude nib.

 

 

and they are very sensitive to the inclination with which you hold the pen. I'm no expert on fude nibs though, better advise if you search the forum.

 

I'm sure I've seen @MuddyWaters, @AmandaW, @Honeybadgers and others comment on the use of the nibs for applications other than writing Asian characters. Personally, I find very fine nibs with the character of a Stub the most suitable for writing (traditional/complex) Chinese characters.

 

Chinese pens usually come with fine or very fine nibs because, as our Asian members have explained, Asian characters would be unreadable if written with a wide nib...

Possibly the Delike nib can be swapped out, but I have no info on that, yet...

 

It uses the same Delike nib units as the New Moon 2, New Moon 3, Submarine and Shepherd Boy models.

 

 

I like the form factor, but I'm not an EF/F nib person. I have no clue what a fude nib is like, which is the other option.

 

Yes, small nibs rule!

 

But I thought the three nib options are regular EF, bent EF, and Medium.

 

[maclink]

Gee....

 

Is there an on-going competition among the Chinese pen makers to see who can make the best copy?

Edited September 11, 2020 by maclink

[carola]

This: Caran d´Ache RNX 316 black.