What Am I Missing About Expensive Pens?

[praxim]

Half a thing doesn't go, so the point of the discussion vanished again. Maybe one Corolla is better than two Mercedes? But then you can sell one Merc to buy a Corolla and have both plus lunch; or both for four Corollas and then think how happy you would be. Nope, still no point related to the subject.

[TSherbs]

Half a thing doesn't go, so the point of the discussion vanished again. Maybe one Corolla is better than two Mercedes? But then you can sell one Merc to buy a Corolla and have both plus lunch; or both for four Corollas and then think how happy you would be. Nope, still no point related to the subject.

 

ha!

 

It's page four, where points get lost in the ether

 

someone with a hat and cane can dance out now....

[praxim]

.....

Edited March 8, 2018 by praxim

[praxim]

no worries and I hope no offence taken for none intended. I did get your point as well.

[ParkerDuofold]

Hi all,

 

I'll step up to beat the dead horse some more.

 

My interpretation of what Davey Wonder said is this:

 

My brother Carmine; while financially comfortable, is frugal, like my father was. He has a 2012 Toyota Corolla that he bought new; I have a 1998 Lexus LS400 that I bought used.

 

I hate going anywhere in Carmine's car... the ride is terrible; the interior is cramped and the engine has no juice. I can never wait to get back in my own car... with its plush ride; roomy cabin and polished V-8 performance.

 

Some people see driving as merely getting from A-B; others prefer to enjoy the journey between A&B... I'm one of the latter types.

 

Life is a trip... enjoy the ride.

 

 

- Anthony

[Runnin_Ute]

Well, back to pens.......

 

My least expensive pen I got for FREE and I have two or three of those. A Jinhao 599 who's M nib was stubbed before I received it. A Kaweco Ice Sport, and a Parker IM. Of the three the 599 is the best writer, the Kaweco next. But I also have about four pens that I paid $99 or more for (up to about $150). A True Writer Silver Anniversary, a Pelikan M200 brown marbled, a Pelikan 140 (my most expensive), and a Pelikan M200 Congac. The Pelikans get used most. I have a number of other pens that write very nicely, even look good. From a $10 Esterbrook J, a Pelikan 120 Merz & Krell I got for $17.50 (really), or the M200 blue marbled old style I got for under $50. ($46). A few between $50-$99 too.

 

Figure out what you like. Some will be great values (my 120 M&K), others maybe not so much. I recently bought a Parker 51 Demi Vacumatic for $75 restored. Shipping included. It's a 70 year old pen (1st qtr 1948) and I feel like I got it for a good price. I saw others go at a higher price unrestored before I bought it.

 

The Pelikan 140 I paid more than if I had bought on ebay. But at the time it was the most I paid by 40% ($40). It was a stretch for me and was hard. But it has been worth every penny. And I bought it just last August. I use it daily. Perhaps my very favorite pen.

 

What does it all mean? If you love subn $50 pens, or vintage pens regardless of press, what you like is what you like. Are more expensive pens "better" than less expensive? Not necessarily. Sometimes yes and sometimes no. Why? Because "better" is subjective.

[Bluey]

Half a thing doesn't go, so the point of the discussion vanished again. Maybe one Corolla is better than two Mercedes? But then you can sell one Merc to buy a Corolla and have both plus lunch; or both for four Corollas and then think how happy you would be. Nope, still no point related to the subject.

Whenever I may have problems with understanding legal stuff I hope you don't mind me asking if you'll explain them to clarify them for me in your usual lucid manner. Cheers.

 

 

Well, anyway.

I'm sticking to Sailors for the time being of prices below £150 except 1 KoP for sometime in the future, plus my Pilot Falcons, FA and Platinum 3776 maki-e SF because those soft nibs are so wonderful. I love Jinhaos, Heros and other Chinese pens but I hate those damn cartridges with the tiny nozzle that makes it such as pita to clean the things out.

It's all about perfection and simplicity for me.

Edited March 8, 2018 by Bluey

[Driften]

 

What does it all mean? If you love subn $50 pens, or vintage pens regardless of press, what you like is what you like. Are more expensive pens "better" than less expensive? Not necessarily. Sometimes yes and sometimes no. Why? Because "better" is subjective.

 

 

+1. It's like the idea of what is the "best" pen. There is no best. There is only what you like and what works best for you. For me my best pens are all over $200, but I also like pens at other lower price points as well.

[Zaphodbebullbrox]

If you have to ask then you will probably never understand.

 

Remember, there is no price only, oh who am i kidding.

 

If you like a pen then buy it, 'nuff said.

[Mech-for-i]

Well in the end . yes , expensive pen, when their price get through a certain threshold is like more be buying on brand and namesake than for substance, and tis fact also hold true even among same brand but different models. I have had experience wit big names like MontBlanc , Pelikan, Sailor and then some that I had great pens from a lesser range and model than from a more up market or even top end model.

 

In older days the price reflect the deference in material, workmanship, crafting , and the general effort required to put together such a tool. Today, this still hold true but only to a certain price point .. once after that, its about luxury and excess. Do we really need 925 sterling silver for a metal barrel or will a properly enameled / lacquered brass be less prone to tarnishing , and yet be more durable, not to mention something like a good brushed stainless steel, and you can guess which would be the cheapest.

 

My take on the mater is there were, and there are generally good , even great pens in al price range, and yes expensive pens usually come with better quality / quality control, material, etc etc etc .. but again only up to a threshold, after that its into the realm of fashion accessories / luxury goods instead of pen / tool. Tha in itself is not either good or bad, just how you are seeing the need and want from your purchase.

[Arkanabar]

Well, my favorite pen is my aqua Pelikan M205. I love my old M200 (had it for over 20 years), and this feels exactly like it. Additionally, it has rhodium trim, and I have always disliked the look of gold, compared to chrome, silver, or any other white metal. And I love the color, and the translucency of the barrel. I find the size nearly ideal; it's short enough to fit in a breast pocket, and long enough to fill my hand. Neither of these can go to work, though; if they go anywhere, it's likely to be in a two-pen pouch.

My second favorite is going to be either my ebonite Himalaya (not too far off from the Pelikan in form factor) or the significantly smaller Pilot Prera Iro-Ai with the CM nib. I love the Pilot's stub nib, and it's a fantastically reliable pen. And I really like the feel of traction that ebonite gives me; I'd love to have more ebonite pens -- if I could, I'd have a "51" with ebonite barrel and hood.

Anyway, you've gotten plenty of sound advice. I'll say +1 on getting what you like, trying before buying when you can, and buying for your own enjoyment, and no one else's. If you don't think you're missing anything, I'd have to say you most likely aren't.

 

 

LOL, OK, as a newbie, is that a FP technical term, the baby's bottom thing?

 

Baby bottom refers to a nib flaw. Richard Binder explains. A little bit prevents the inside edges of the slit from scraping the paper as you make side strokes, but too much prevents ink flow.

Compare handwriting and driving. Both are necessities in life and we all do both of them.

Sure, a Toyota Corolla will get you down the road and on your way, but who wouldn’t rather be in a Mercedes Benz? If no one saw you get out of your car, would they know you arrived in style or not? All anyone other than you would care about is that you arrived.

The same comparison be said about writing a letter or filling out a form at the DMV... A BIC ballpoint, a Lamy Safari or a MontBlanc 149 will all get your (written) point across, but wouldn’t you be rather using the MontBlanc?

Does anyone other than you care?

 

Hah! I think I'd rather have a normally-aspirated Subaru Impreza than any luxury car (save perhaps an Audi Quattro), and a bike with Shimano 105 parts rather than Dura-Ace, and certainly more so than Campagnolo Super Record. Not only do I hate the feeling of having an air mattress between me and the road when I drive, but sometimes, stuff is just too expensive to enjoy, and right now, I have to put my Pelikans in that category.

 

But to go back to the driving thing ... for me, performance means I have no trouble climbing my muddy, steep, driveway, or snowy mountainous roads. I can readily put up with a rough ride in exchange for excellent traction and the feeling of connection with the road. But my preference for that came from many years of cycling instead of driving, and so I still find myself relying on feedback through my hands and feet.

 

Anyway. Anything that others can see that you have, and might judge you by, can be a status symbol. Just because we're a bunch of eccentrics doesn't mean you have to accept our judgement of what connotes status. After all, one of the things by which people most often judge others is their clothing, and the desire for status and approval obtained by wearing the right clothes (not to mention cosmetics etc.) keeps the fashion industry going, at over $300,000,000,000 annually, in the US alone!

 

I suppose my point is that status-seeking is normal human behavior, and I'm not going to knock it. But I rather doubt that when you seek status through ownership of superficial things (including fountain pens), it's not likely to contribute greatly to happiness and/or emotional well-being.

[Amory]

Half a thing doesn't go, so the point of the discussion vanished again. Maybe one Corolla is better than two Mercedes? But then you can sell one Merc to buy a Corolla and have both plus lunch; or both for four Corollas and then think how happy you would be. Nope, still no point related to the subject.

Sir

You fail to mention neither the ink nor fountain pen(s) contained or not within either vehicle.

And

The ‘mb’ references on this forum relate not to the excellent Mercedes Benz motor vehicles but to a brand of pen, this an easy trap in which to fall as I have discovered previously.

Amory

[larsenproject]

I swear by my cheap-o preppy pens for daily writing. Plus they are super easy to convert to eyedropper. And they doodle and hatch very nicely.

 

People choose their pens like they choose their vehicles like they choose anything: It's all really personal, and I think whatever works for you is fine. And hey! If you have the money and want to spend it, I don't think that's a huge deal either.

[JakobS]

I think if you start with the realization that all fountain pens are "expensive" compared to the bare minimum of what is needed to write words on paper, you can then free yourself to appreciate a fountain pen for what it offers you as a writer, than what it costs you as a consumer. If it allows you to write, the way you need or want to write, a pen is worth far greater than its cost.

Edited March 8, 2018 by JakobS

[praxim]

@amory

:chastened:

P

[RocketRyan]

Buyers guilt.

[MHBru]

At the end of the day, it's all relative... my most expensive pen was about 600. stupidly expensive to some but still plenty of pens for far higher. I am very happy with my pens tho and that should be the rule. If you are happy, then spending more won't necessarily make you happier. Enjoy writing with your pens.and remember that you can get the absolute best ink and absolute best paper for less than another pen. I find that I am most pleased when all three things... pen, ink and paper.... all work to my satisfaction. Enjoy writing.

[tadas]

 

LOL, OK, as a newbie, is that a FP technical term, the baby's bottom thing?

I think Richard Binder came up with the term, and popularized it via his nib smoothing seminars at pen shows. It refers to one of the many things that can go wrong with a fountain pen nib. The fountain pen glossopedia at Richard's site has a better definition than I can come up with, including a diagram:

 

http://www.richardspens.com/?gloss=B

[Karmachanic]

I gave the Montblanc 149 gold trim away. Right now I'm rockin' a Jinhao 750 with a Nemosine 0.6 nib and `I'm very happy with it. The "expensive" pen is on the way - Opus 88 Blue. Eyedropper with regulator. As MHBru says: "it's all relative".

 

 

Edited March 10, 2018 by kd3

[OMASsimo]

I grew up with fountain pens starting in elementary school. I used to buy affordable but high quality pens way before cheap Chinese pens were available in Europe. Those days, $100 was not considered to be extravagant for a quality pen as it seems to be now. One day I came across a stunningly beautiful pen just by chance. I found it in a small shop specialized in luxury goods in the town I just moved to. It wasn't the kind of shop I'd usually be interested in but since I was exploring the new town I just went in anyway. When I saw this pen I was thunderstruck! It was the most beautiful pen I'd ever seen and it was about $600 - at a steep discount! I was allowed to fill the pen and write with it several pages. The performance was as fantastic as the beauty and I ended up buying the pen. And it is still my most treasured pen out of a fairly large collection.

 

Long story short, it doesn't matter what a pen costs if it's the right pen for you. Most people are happy with a pen that writes well. Some people get pleasure from writing with a piece of art that writes well.