What Pen Did You Get Today?

[Deca]

Sure. Just buy another pen to use until then.

 

I like the way you think!

[Sakura]

If ink cost as much as gas...oh let's not go there.

 

Wow, now there's a nice thought! at under three cents per ounce imagine how many different kinds of inks I could buy! ::swoon::

Still not an economical proposition for Ghost Plane, who likely used it by the gallon even before the new acquisition (said with as much affection as a jealous person can muster)

 

 

[Splicer]

This is getting out of control. I'm ordering new pens before the last ones I ordered arrive.

 

Today in the mailbox: Omas Emotica in red, F nib. Haven't inked it yet. Somehow I left the house without any ink today. That'll teach me!

 

I've got two more on their way, an Esterbrook and an Edson. I'm not even going to want to leave the house.

[OboeJuan]

After a phone call from my local pen store that my Caran d'Ache Ecridor arrived safely in Switzerland (gasp. We only thought it was going to Ontario, but hey, If I can't get there anytime soon, my pen may as well) I asked why their Viscontis were such a good price? Actually what I said was "you know the Vanilla Van Gogh that I keep drooling over?" She said, "you mean the one we have on for 20% off today". I said very little after that, as I was running around the house collecting empties for exchange into cash.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to announce that my hand has just married the Visconti Van Gough Midi Vanilla with a Medium nib.

 

I need to find that thread about pens behaving well right out of the box, as this does. Thank you to all who helped me make this decision with your glowing reviews on Viscontis. This is an exceptionally lovely pen.

 

Now I just need to break it to the husband.

 

Kath

Edited August 21, 2007 by OboeJuan

[Ghost Plane]

Congratulations! Besides collecting empties, I find digging under cushions and underneath car seats to be lucrative. Now use your new darling to write love notes to said husband and tuck them in his pocket, lunch, wallet, the back of the honey-do list and smuggled onto his car seat.

 

Sakura, I do NOT use gallons of ink! Quarts maybe, but no gallons. Yet. Maybe after the first draft...

[jespero]

When I got home late yesterday evening a package sat nicely at the kitchen table waiting for me... a new Waterman Carene had arrived. :clap1:

Still fairly new at this, I only just recently bought my first real FP (Pelikan 805), I have read through all the reviews I could find here and got some great help. Carene seems to be a favourite by many.

I flushed it out last night (again, one of those things I would have missed without this forum) and there were some blue ink in there (apparently Waterman tested the nib before final packaging).

 

So, after a bad sleep I eagerly stepped up early. I inked it with Havana Brown and started writing.

 

The medium nib is very pleasant, a bit wetter than the Pelikan (hey, after 5 minutes of testing that is). I really like the comfort of the pen, thought is was going to be too small, short, thin for my big hand, but the weight is great and if capped it is perfectly balanced for me.

 

Must do some more testing. I wish I had long boring meetings with lots of note taking but no, must work on computer.

 

The havana brown ink is really cool - I did not really get all the ink discussions from ink afficinados, but I am starting to get that too :ltcapd:

 

I guess I owe some of you for pushing me in the direction of a really nice pen.

[AndyHayes]

Lamy 2000 from The Pen Gallery

[Ghost Plane]

Welcome to the Carene lover's legion, jespero! Now you know why we rave about them.

[AndyHayes]

Lamy 2000 from The Pen Gallery

 

I must be the only one in the known universe to moan about one of these. Mine is not at all well. The nib doesn't want to write on the up stroke and the nib is broader than a broad has the right to be!!

 

Anyway I have got onto Lamy and will report back on the customer service, probably in a pen review.

 

[jespero]

I must be the only one in the known universe to moan about one of these. Mine is not at all well. The nib doesn't want to write on the up stroke and the nib is broader than a broad has the right to be!!

 

Sorry to hear this... I have bought two pens from pen gallery recently wihtout problems, but having read that some people have problems with newly arrived pens, I am really thinking about getting my next from a seller who tries the pen out before shipping them...

My carene had ink it is, so I guess it was tested by waterman before packed, and it felt kinda good to know that.

I though Lamy did the same?

[Kelly G]

A Bexley Simplicity from Dennis @ Parkville Pen. It's one of Parkville's custom Simplicity's in Black w/gold plated trim. This is a very classic styled pen and in black is reminiscent of early flat top's, especially the Wahl pens with the roller ball clip.

 

I flushed the nib/feed and converter with water and dish soap, rinsed, flossed the nib and it's performing flawlessly. I'm hoping that the yellowing problem isn't a problem with the black plastic. I think this will be a great daily user.

[Sakura]

When I got home late yesterday evening a package sat nicely at the kitchen table waiting for me... a new Waterman Carene had arrived. :clap1:

Still fairly new at this, I only just recently bought my first real FP (Pelikan 805), I have read through all the reviews I could find here and got some great help. Carene seems to be a favourite by many.

I flushed it out last night (again, one of those things I would have missed without this forum) and there were some blue ink in there (apparently Waterman tested the nib before final packaging).

 

So, after a bad sleep I eagerly stepped up early. I inked it with Havana Brown and started writing.

 

The medium nib is very pleasant, a bit wetter than the Pelikan (hey, after 5 minutes of testing that is). I really like the comfort of the pen, thought is was going to be too small, short, thin for my big hand, but the weight is great and if capped it is perfectly balanced for me.

 

Must do some more testing. I wish I had long boring meetings with lots of note taking but no, must work on computer.

 

The havana brown ink is really cool - I did not really get all the ink discussions from ink afficinados, but I am starting to get that too :ltcapd:

 

I guess I owe some of you for pushing me in the direction of a really nice pen.

 

You did good :clap1: Congratulations!

 

I have owned my Carene for barely a month, and I'm still in the " " stage with it.

 

I hear nice things about Havana Brown, but it's too bad I'm looking for water-resistance in an ink.

 

We can blame the people here for getting us addicted...but at least they have the decency to point us towards good taste and quality

 

 

[Splicer]

...breathless...

 

Arrived at my mailbox today, One Waterman Edson Diamond Black with an F nib. SN 001234, which I take to be a fortuitous number.

 

I'm trembling with excitement and anticipation. It took a while to save up, even at Pam Braun's prices. I wouldn't have bought it, no matter how beautiful it is, except that I got a chance to write with one a few months ago at Flax Art's pen fair. I haven't inked this one yet... I'm going to have to start bringing ink with me when I leave the house! I'm tempted to pop a cartridge in it though. Two boxes of cartridges, one box of black and one box of blue, came in the pen case. For the price of this pen, not skimping on the ink is a good thing. But I can't imagine that too many people who are so passionate about pens as to pay some portion of the $1000 list price would really be cartridge users. I don't even think there's anything wrong with cartridges, but I don't generally prefer them and most people I've spoken with who are this into pens don't use cartridges.

 

Nothing wrong with it, and I appreciate that they packaged the cartridges. I was just a little surprised.

 

This is my last major pen purchase for a while. I have a particular research project I'm working on, so I'll be buying some lower-end pens for that. I'll also continue trying to find flexier nibs. So it's not like I'm abandoning getting new pens, but my 'acquisition' phase is over for the time being.

 

Wheeee!

 

(I guess one cartridge can't hurt)

[jlepens]

Pilot steel stripe fine nib

Pilot Elabo (Falcon) medium nib

Platinum steel grid F-250 fine nib

Pilot 78g double broad stub

 

Stan and Speerbob have been very very good to me! :ltcapd:

 

Joi

[Margana]

I picked up two Pilot Elite pocket pens last weekend from Stan's sale and they arrived on Wednesday. Fast, huh! After a thorough cleaning in the ultrasound I put them to the test.

 

The black one has a soft fine nib and is one of the most delightful pens I've ever used thanks to its great flow. It's easily as good as my best Namiki Falcon or my Sailor Sapporo at less than half the cost.

 

The second Elite has a brushed metal cap with a fine script nib but is more stingy than the first pen at least with a cart of Pilot BBk. That one will probably need some trial and error testing with various inks and types of paper to find what will bring out its best qualities. With certainty it will work very well on Moleskine paper so there is that.

 

As a side note this is my first experience with Pilot/Namiki ink and to my surprise the blue is equal to Waterman Florida Blue in flow as well as lubrication but with a slightly brighter color. Honestly, you'd have to hold samples next to each other to see the difference. Namiki BBk is really pale compared to my other blue-black inks but I will need to try it in a more free flowing pen to see whether my first impression is accurate. Either way the blue will be a good addition to my collection when it's time for another medium toned good-for-any-use blue. Yep, that one's a keeper.

[Sakura]

That is one gorgeous pen. I think of it as the Carene's big brother...or perhaps her rich uncle?

 

The cartridges may not be the first choice to use with it, but I would expect that as a courtesy, considering what it cost. The Carene is not nearly as expensive, but when I got it, the shop assistant tossed a couple of cartridges in the box for me. (Ghost Plane is going to smack me upside the head for saying this...but after at least a month, I still haven't used the converter yet. )

 

We who have returned to hanging out in Low-End Pen Alley welcome you back...let's hope we're not here too very excruciatingly long

 

 

[Ghost Plane]

I started with cartridges. I still keep the purple Carene filled with a cartridge for quick swap in my purse, where it lives.

 

You just want to hold my Yard O Led. That took me forever to save up for and I still wouldn't have the Precious without Pam the Pen Goddess.

 

I used the purple Carene tonight at writer's group because I'm not letting the Precious leave the house. Bad enough taking a fountain pen to the public library. So many hands, all wanting to grab...

[rroossinck]

Good work, Steve. You'd better pony up with some pictures in short order, bud.

 

As for the two of you who picked up stuff from Stan...I'll join you someday. I don't know where he gets what he gets, but it sure is some pretty eye-candy.

[PAKMAN]

None , NONE, NNNOOOONNNNEEEE!!!!!!!!! I may just die before the Dallas Pen show and the end to my self imposed pen purchase fast.

[AndyHayes]

Sailor 1911 from Pam Braun. The usual high level of service and low level of prices. Just a Nakaya to get now!!