What Pen Are You Waiting For 2019

[A Smug Dill]

Sometimes there is just no rhyme or reason in the 'customer protection' and/or 'fraud prevention' measures applied by credit card issuers. I placed two separate orders, less than an hour apart, with the same Japanese seller with slightly different transaction amounts (by about 6%), and charges for the second order were repeatedly declined by the system, even though I had more than sufficient credit to pay for it. All in all, it took me a total of maybe an hour to sort out, lest my order got cancelled. Now that it's resolved, I'm waiting for:

• three Platinum Plaisir pens with F nibs (to match the colours of ajisai, kosumosu and momoji in the Pilot Iroshizuku line of inks), so that we'll have eleven out of the twelve colours, and only missing the black one on which I'm not keen and deliberately passed up
• four Platinum Preppy pens to use as (EF or M) nib and/or particularly coloured section donors for the Plaisir pens
• two Delta Seawood pens in natural iroko, fitted with Fusion nibs of different widths

The Nemosine Singularity in walnut brown with EF nib I ordered won't be coming. A package arrived with that tracking number, but contained a Jinhao 601 in chrome finish with F nib instead. WTH? I complained, and was sent a 'full' refund (but not really, possibly due to a screw-up on the part of Amazon Marketplace's platform and not the seller deliberately shortchanging me, though) and told to keep the other pen. Hey, I just want the Nemosine, and don't want to have to buy from a US retailer (or Nemosine directly) and pay separately for shipping. There is one other 'offer' for the walnut brown Singularity at exactly the same price, purported from a differently-named third-party seller on Amazon Marketplace, but I have every feeling that it's the same scam (to what purpose I don't know).

 

Edit:

Just placed an order for an Aurora 888 Saturno, a few minutes ago.

Edited January 25, 2019 by A Smug Dill

[twin63]

I'm waiting for the classic black Franklin Christoph Pocket 20 to come back in stock.

[Driften]

I just ordered a Faber Castell Ambition in Black Sands with B nib and a TWSBI Go with B. I have a Go with the 1.1 but am somewhat off stubs these days...

 

With the F-C I love the Ondoro and it's nib and the Ambition does use the same nib, so thought I would give it a try at $53 usd it seemed like a safe bet.

[jmccarty3]

Smug has called attention to LCdC's predilection to taking orders for items not in stock during their year-end sale. I learned that lesson last year, when i waited some six months for a Montblanc Blue Hour LeGrand with an OM nib, but it did finally arrive, and a wonderful pen it is. This year, I ordered a properly professional plain black Pelikan M600 with a fine nib and a bottle of Edelstein Tanzanite, which I intend to give to a young friend when he is accepted to law school--sort of a good news/bad news sort of occasion. Having not gotten any notice of shipment, I was nervous enough yesterday to inquire about when he expected to hear from the forkèd tongue factory, but all is well, since I heard today that the pen has shipped. The recipient is an enthusiastic fountain pen beginner--this will be his first gold nib, and I expect he will be quite surprised.

 

For myself, I am expecting delivery Monday of a Leonardo gray Momento Zero with a fine nib. It will be interesting to see how its steel F nib compares to my celluloid MZ's 14k F nib. All bets are off. The seller also was offering Leonardo's blue ink, which I hadn't seen before, so I added a bottle. Anyone know who makes this ink?

[A Smug Dill]

Smug has called attention to LCdC's predilection to taking orders for items not in stock during their year-end sale. I learned that lesson last year,

Recently I've been in (almost) daily interaction with Dennis, and while I cannot vouch for whether the delivery performance (after accounting for all the supply chain issues) will improve, I have to say it's been a pleasure, he's been the perfect gentleman to deal with in a business relationship, and I'll gladly buy more from LCdC. Actually, I just did, less than twelve hours ago: an Aurora 888 Saturno with EF nib, which Dennis advised me he can obtain for me immediately.

 

In comparison – and I truly don't know what to say, for a number of reasons – Pen Chalet has done OK by me overall, but isn't actually any better with promptly fulfilling my orders (even though I pay separately for shipping with Pen Chalet, while LCdC sends me orders with 'free shipping') or advising me when issues occur in the process. Do keep in mind that I'm an Aussie of Chinese origin, so absolutely nothing predisposes me to think of buying from American retailers as 'better' by default, and so I only judge dealing with American, British, Dutch, German, Japanese and Malaysian retailers by their own merit from my first-hand experience.

 

For where it matters: I did see the availability of the Aurora Optima 365 in brown nacre tortoiseshell come up with a red alert, in the order process with LCdC during its last sale, after I completed my purchase of the first one and was testing their system (for my idle curiosity) by adding another to my cart. Whereas Pen Chalet's system seems to be more in-real-time aware of what is available in stock for ordering when you hit the individual product pages, except that the purported availability doesn't seem to always match stock levels in the warehouse. As 'smug' as I am, I really don't like having to confront a retailer to get an order moving and/or obtain some sort of compromise or remedy.

 

You may not all agree with my views (and that's OK), but I put my (ill-begotten?) money where my mouth is – and, as I convey to Dennis, LCdC is where I'll look first and foremost for Italian and German pens. I told Dennis I had to go to Fontoplumo (and, by the way, Frank there is perfectly fine to deal with, thanks) to buy my Leonardo Momemnt Zero, and he said LCdC is working through stocking and selling Leonardo pens. I keenly look forward to it.

 

when i waited some six months for a Montblanc Blue Hour LeGrand with an OM nib, but it did finally arrive, and a wonderful pen it is.

That's very good to hear! I'm glad. Truly.

 

For myself, I am expecting delivery Monday of a Leonardo gray Momento Zero with a fine nib. It will be interesting to see how its steel F nib compares to my celluloid MZ's 14k F nib. All bets are off.

I'd love to know the results of that comparison! Right now, my conclusion is that the Leonardo EF nibs are not 'fit' for the nib grade by leaving too broad a line when writing in normal nib orientation (with apologies to TheDutchGuy), and thus I've been buying more Aurora pens with EF nibs and put future Leonardo pen purchases 'in the parking lot'.

[WLSpec]

Found a wonderful deal on a Bourgogne 3776 with a fine nib, so it is coming in the mail.

[sansenri]

I'm waiting for a Bexley cable twist with a 14 k nib

[OmegaMountain]

Pineider Arco should be arriving Friday. Fending off temptation to buy something else as well...

[Aysedasi]

I have a Pilot Volex on the way, but I'm mostly waiting for my new pen from Renee Meeks of Scriptorium - long wait, but hopefully not that much longer......

Edited January 29, 2019 by Aysedasi

[Eveach]

I have a Visconti Rembrandt - Azure on its way and I just placed an order for my Ryan Krusac Studios United by a Common Wind pen that he partnered up with Jake Weidmann to create. I'm excited about both! Time to slow down on the purchases, though.

Edited January 30, 2019 by Eveach

[truthpil]

After a lot of research, I finally bought a Waldmann Tango in barley pattern from FPNibs.com as an heirloom pen to engrave and pass on to my descendants. Pablo's working on the engraving right now and should arrive in the States next week.

[Driften]

Parker 61 and a Parker Victory on order. Thought I would try a couple of vintage pens. Not that I used the few vintage ones I have much...

[KaB]

A nineties MB 149 EF on order.

[Pens Woods]

Just ordered my first Italix Parson's Essential in Burgundy fitted with a medium cursive steel nib from Mr. Pen.

[sansenri]

Renee is making me a pen too!

it went in an age long queue, I have no idea when that will come...but she did ask me to pay about 2 months ago...

hope that means something...

[Misfit]

A Luxury 510 and a Jinhao 993

 

I’d like to get a gold Platinum Plaisir.

[putteringpenman]

I just made my first order from Fountain Pen Revolution: a Camlin 47. It's my first Indian fountain pen and I'm excited to try it out!

[FOUR X FOUR]

I just bought the sailor KoP ST in gold trim. With a broad nib. This pen is so smooth and it looks very nice. I’m still having difficulty uploading pics

Allan

[ygv]

I am anticipating the new Montblanc releases.

[MightyEighth]

Pilot Custom 823 <M> Amber