What Am I Missing About Expensive Pens?

[stephenfountain]

..... 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.

 

 

 

Oh come on, don't leave us hanging - what pen was it?

[OMASsimo]

 

Oh come on, don't leave us hanging - what pen was it?

 

Does it really matter? It was just meant as an example for what a precious (and very expensive) pen can do to someone who loves to write with fountain pens. It probably won't do the same magic to another person. Anyway, it was an OMAS Paragon Arco (see my avatar ).

[stephenfountain]

 

Does it really matter?

 

Of course it doesn't 'matter', but I'm nosy, and that is one lovely pen!

[OMASsimo]

 

Of course it doesn't 'matter', but I'm nosy, and that is one lovely pen!

 

No worries, I'm nosy too and that cost me a lot of money in this particular case. No regrets, though.

[Tseg]

When I bought my Pilot Metropolitan the TWSBI 580AL was to be my awesome expensive pen. After I bought my TWSBI the Pilot Custom 823 was to be my awesome expensive pen. After I bought my Pilot Custom 823 I was eying up the Pelikan 800 and 1000 series...but because I have such great discipline, I skipped those and went straight to the Sailor King of Pen. But clearly the Namiki Emperor is the answer. My only question is do I pick up the Royale on the way to extend my quest?

 

What you are missing about expensive fountain pens is the actual purchase. After that, you realize it all becomes relative.

[Bluey]

What you are missing about expensive fountain pens is the actual purchase. After that, you realize it all becomes relative.

 

There is one thing that stops me from going higher and higher - because for me the whole focus of fountain pens is the nib and how it writes.

I don't care about the history of filling systems(thus I prefer C/C for versatility and practicality), I don't care about frivolous adornments, I don't care about limited editions, I don't care about about pen companies that release the same old pen in a myriad of colours every week with the same old substandard issue-ridden nib. All that matters is the nib, how well it performs, how much character it gives, and how it makes me feel when writing with it.

 

Within each brand the nibs on the lower end pens are almost always the same as those on the upper echelons in 99% of cases, the only differences are things like maki-e and jewels and other (bleep). The trick is to select the best nibs by brand. Why would I want to spend £50000 on a pen when I can get the same nib for around £80.

[mauckcg]

When I bought my Pilot Metropolitan the TWSBI 580AL was to be my awesome expensive pen. After I bought my TWSBI the Pilot Custom 823 was to be my awesome expensive pen. After I bought my Pilot Custom 823 I was eying up the Pelikan 800 and 1000 series...but because I have such great discipline, I skipped those and went straight to the Sailor King of Pen. But clearly the Namiki Emperor is the answer. My only question is do I pick up the Royale on the way to extend my quest?

 

What you are missing about expensive fountain pens is the actual purchase. After that, you realize it all becomes relative.

Only you can answer that.

 

I've found the three or four brands i'll keep up with and that's about it. I need to pair down some of the chaff to open up a bit more space for the stuff i want to collect.

[TSherbs]

... All that matters is the nib, how well it performs, how much character it gives, and how it makes me feel when writing with it....

 

I don't disagree, but the "feel" of a pen during writing is for me a complicated nexus of several aspects, not just the nib. But yes, the writing performance and reliability of the nib are paramount. But I also care about weight, weight distribution, girth, and some degree of materials aesthetics. I won't buy just anything with a nice nib, and I won't pay an exorbitant amount to get a great nib. My money is dear to me, and as with people whom I love and who love me, we accept imperfections readily.

[Bluey]

but the "feel" of a pen during writing is for me a complicated nexus of several aspects, not just the nib.....But I also care about weight, weight distribution, girth, and some degree of materials aesthetics.

 

Weight distribution, girth etc for me are all combined in one mysterious entity known as balance. I should also clarify that I I live by the rule "any colour you like as long as it's not black". That's where the aesthetics come into it for me.

 

Sometime ago I made a formula for what makes up the perfect pen, and was something like: - 75% nib + 20% balance + 5% aesthetics

Edited March 11, 2018 by Bluey

[TSherbs]

What % for "amount of disposable cash available" or "likelihood of spousal consternation"?

[Tom_Moritz]

Is montblanc really that well known? Until coming to this forum my untutored eye could hardly have told the difference. Really quite a lot of pens look like those.

 

They are indeed,known about as well as Rolex to the average person in my experience. Mind you I base this off the near hundreds of people if talked to about the hobby and the first question I'm always asked is some variation of "Are you familiar with Mont Blanc," or "Do you you own a Mont Blanc." Like Rolex MB has a greater degree of brand presence in the public mind, though like Rolex I believe this is due more to marketing that anything else.

[Bill]

 

They are indeed,known about as well as Rolex to the average person in my experience. ...Like Rolex MB has a greater degree of brand presence in the public mind...

 

That is my experience also.

 

And they may know the name but cannot pick out a Montblanc from Pelikan or even spot a Rolex versus Omega from across the room.

[DasKaltblut]

I should also clarify that I I live by the rule "any colour you like as long as it's not black". That's where the aesthetics come into it for me.

 

Wonderful to hear this, I heartily agree

 

I try not to judge other's preferences, but I came across a fellow who only bought Black pens with Gold nibs under the mistaken impression that that is what successful business men do and there should be no deviation. Maybe it worked for him but he was one of the most boring people I've ever met in all the aspects of his life. I couldn't help thinking that some color, even if just on a pen, could really improve things.

[pajaro]

Weight distribution, girth etc for me are all combined in one mysterious entity known as balance. I should also clarify that I I live by the rule "any colour you like as long as it's not black". That's where the aesthetics come into it for me.

 

Sometime ago I made a formula for what makes up the perfect pen, and was something like: - 75% nib + 20% balance + 5% aesthetics

 

Generally I agree with your idea about black pens. I generally don't pick them, but I sometimes end up with them in trades or in a lot. A few really nice writing black pens induced me to soften my stance on them, and I kept them around. I use them less than pens in other colors. For some reason I don't like black Parker 51s at all, and I have used them with Ariel Kullock barrels and hoods in bright colors. The black shell and barrel was sometimes given away to someone in need. I also dumped navy gray in the same way.

[Bluey]

Wonderful to hear this, I heartily agree

 

I try not to judge other's preferences, but I came across a fellow who only bought Black pens with Gold nibs under the mistaken impression that that is what successful business men do and there should be no deviation. Maybe it worked for him but he was one of the most boring people I've ever met in all the aspects of his life. I couldn't help thinking that some color, even if just on a pen, could really improve things.

You should have bought him one of the delightful Montblanc Beatles fountain pens which have all the charm and style of having one's head down the toilet after a Saturday night pernod, cider, and curry binge.

 

 

 

 

What % for "amount of disposable cash available" or "likelihood of spousal consternation"?

Perhaps something along the lines of 0% and 100%, unfortunately in that order.

.

 

 

Generally I agree with your idea about black pens. I generally don't pick them, but I sometimes end up with them in trades or in a lot. A few really nice writing black pens induced me to soften my stance on them, and I kept them around. I use them less than pens in other colors. For some reason I don't like black Parker 51s at all, and I have used them with Ariel Kullock barrels and hoods in bright colors. The black shell and barrel was sometimes given away to someone in need. I also dumped navy gray in the same way.

I have one black one left, but that's only because the Japanese have a tendency to offer fantastic nibs with boring black bodies.

Yet I have a cunning plan, and will later buy a more interesting(ie not black) looking Pilot pen with a size #10 pen, swap the nibs, and sell the boring black one.

Edited March 12, 2018 by Bluey

[Tseg]

I should also clarify that I live by the rule "any colour you like as long as it's not black".

 

Hmm. I like black and gold (Steelers fan) and when really crazy go for black and Rhodium. I have black ink in my TWSBI demonstrator. My rule "any color other than black is a toy."

Edited March 12, 2018 by Tseg

[Larry Barrieau]

"Montblanc Beatles Fountain Pen". I don't get the marketing trick of slapping a name on a pen with no observable connection between the two. If I were to see this particular pen and didn't know it's name, a Beatle connection would never occur to me. But I guess it works for some people. Inks are the same. And don't get me going on the ridiculous names for the colors of paint chips.

[TSherbs]

"Perhaps something along the lines of 0% and 100%, unfortunately in that order."

 

Ha!

[Tweel]

...the first question I'm always asked is some variation of "Are you familiar with Mont Blanc," or "Do you you own a Mont Blanc."

 

...they may know the name but cannot pick out a Montblanc from Pelikan...

 

Right. When I signed the cash register receipt at a pizza place recently with a Pelikan M101N, the lady stared at it and asked, "Is that a Montblanc?"

[oregano]

 

 

Right. When I signed the cash register receipt at a pizza place recently with a Pelikan M101N, the lady stared at it and asked, "Is that a Montblanc?"

 

As a Pelikan fan who loves MB nibs but hates black pens like those above, I don't know why but I find this enormously pleasing. I hope you said, "It's a Pelikan!!" like she should know the brand