Adding To The Flock

[Lam1]

 

...

 

Part of what keeps good marriages good is the unspoken agreement to smile and look the other way when our spouse says silly things like this... and Thelma and Cathy are most excellent and beloved partners

 

 

Writers Editions, eh? Would you be up for another, similar photo, of MB WE's? I'll see if I can arrange that.

...

 

Yeah, we're pretty lucky guys!

 

Thelma is actually an enabler : every time I say "I not sure if I should get this or that SE M80x" she replies "get it. Otherwise you will regret it". So, I oblige!

 

A WEs pic? Please, please fo it!

[DilettanteG]

 

.That one does that a lot. I bought one off the 'bay a couple years back and it took awhile to get it cleaned up... at which time I put it away and haven't pulled it out since

 

The Swirl, on the other hand, is one of my favorites too, and with the Aquamarine ink it is nearly perfect. Good choice!

 

Well, I had the ink, so obviously I had to buy the pen.

 

The M205 is supposed to be waiting in my mailbox even as we speak. I may need some advice on cleaning it up. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

[BillH]

WE's posted in the Enjoying MB's thread.

 

And "enabling" is what I do for Cathy and her quilting.

 

"I don't know if I need any more fabric."

"Oh go for it, it's gorgeous!"

"Do you think I should have this one machine quilted? It's kinda expensive."

"That is a GORGEOUS and SPECIAL one, it NEEEEDS to be fancy quilted!"

 

Two can play this game.

[BillH]

"Well, I had the ink, so obviously I had to buy the pen. "

 

Ha! That sounds like my friend in Mosquitoville!

[Lam1]

My favorite new pen just arrived: the M805 Ocean Swirl with an EF Nib. I quite like the light and dark bands, though it does make me miss living next to the ocean:

 

 

 

I think Lam1 was right after all, I may have finally bought all the pens I want. Thanks to Vicary, I think the metal pens are going to be too heavy for me. That just saved me a ton of money.

 

The matching ballpoint is still en route with the Pelikan Black Calf Double Pen zipper case. It feels a bit like Christmas.

 

Updated: I forgot I also have a Pelikan M205 Special Edition Fountain Pen BB Duo Highlighter Fluorescent Yellow in the mail as well. I bought on eBay, not examining the pictures closely enough. It looks like it has some staining beneath the inner plastic cap, which seems to be the bane of demonstrator pens. We'll see what my "bargain" pen actually looks like when it arrives.

 

Congrats on a gorgeous pen!

 

But... that feeling that "I don't need another pen" only lasts until the next release!

[A Smug Dill]

Plus, pens are small and easy to store.

 

 

Not so the retail/"gift" boxes in which they came, if you're going to keep them just in case you may sell the pens later. I now have six large shipping cartons filled with nothing but boxes (and pamphlets, tags and small included bottles of ink that were shrink-wrapped in the factory) sitting in the "spare" bedroom.

[DilettanteG]

 

 

Not so the retail/"gift" boxes in which they came, if you're going to keep them just in case you may sell the pens later. I now have six large shipping cartons filled with nothing but boxes (and pamphlets, tags and small included bottles of ink that were shrink-wrapped in the factory) sitting in the "spare" bedroom.

 

I read this as "shipping containers,." and thought, wow, that guy's house must be HUGE!

 

In a decluttering spree last year, I tossed all of my ink boxes. (About 1/2 of which were generic Noodler's standard ink boxes.) I still have a couple plastic totes filled with pen boxes, but they live in their own little chests or carry cases/pouches these extravagant days.

[DilettanteG]

My M205 duo highlighter has arrived from the eBay seller. The seller who, coincidently, has wonderful feedback and who also advertises himself (herself, maybe itself) as a Montblanc pen repair professional. And, I don't want to blow this out of proportion, I know we live in difficult times, and that this is but a minor thing in a world gone mad, but they shipped it FULL OF INK!

 

 

And also, looks like I will need some advice on cleaning out that cap after all. Exhibit B:

 

[A Smug Dill]

... wow, that guy's house must be HUGE!

 

My wife and I live in a "concrete shoebox" of a high-rise apartment in the CBD, ha! She's always complaining that my pens, inks and stuff are taking up more space than her and her clothes books in our home, which just, you know, doesn't make her feel "at home" after all these years (and even after getting married).

[DilettanteG]

​Books rather than wardrobe? I like your wife already. And I say that as a woman myself, with a frighteningly over stuffed closet. Well, closets.

 

What, pray tell, is the "CBD?" Hopefully not the Australian version of our CDC? (Sorry, I've been bombarded by Coronavirus news all day.)

[A Smug Dill]

CBD = Central Business District, i.e. heart of the city

[DilettanteG]

CBD = Central Business District, i.e. heart of the city

Sounds less ominous. Plus, when you wrote "concrete shoebox" it reminded me of every dorm of I ever lived in. Even the Grad School housing, though admittedly they had million dollar ocean front views which is a pretty big deal in southern California.

[Lam1]

My M205 duo highlighter has arrived from the eBay seller. The seller who, coincidently, has wonderful feedback and who also advertises himself (herself, maybe itself) as a Montblanc pen repair professional. And, I don't want to blow this out of proportion, I know we live in difficult times, and that this is but a minor thing in a world gone mad, but shipped it FULL OF INK!

 

 

 

And also, looks like I will need some advice on cleaning out that cap after all. Exhibit B:

 

 

 

Concerning the cap disassembly, Sargetalon has a nice article here

 

https://thepelikansperch.com/2015/02/01/pelikan-cap-disassembly/

[DilettanteG]

 

Concerning the cap disassembly, Sargetalon has a nice article here

 

https://thepelikansperch.com/2015/02/01/pelikan-cap-disassembly/

 

Thanks! That's exactly what I needed. Fingers crossed a dawn dish soap and very weak ammonia solution soak resolves it before I need to disembowel the thing.

[N1003U]

 

Concerning the cap disassembly, Sargetalon has a nice article here

 

https://thepelikansperch.com/2015/02/01/pelikan-cap-disassembly/

Yes, that is a good reference. In my experience it is sometimes a bit tricky to get to clip aligned in its proper slot--the indents are quite small--but with a bit of care, the caps are straightforward to disassemble and clean.

 

This nearby tip, if not already familiar with it, is also handy:

 

https://thepelikansperch.com/2018/04/29/pelikan-how-to-clean-demonstrator-section/

 

This section cleaning tip is also applicable to the M400 and M600 as well. I put some rather stubborn red ink into M600 Transparent-White, and it was a challenge to get it clean again. But with patience and a small device (like a hypodermic needle) to get some flow in the gap between the body and the section, even that area will come clean.

Edited February 27, 2020 by N1003U

[DilettanteG]

Yes, that is a good reference. In my experience it is sometimes a bit tricky to get to clip aligned in its proper slot--the indents are quite small--but with a bit of care, the caps are straightforward to disassemble and clean.

 

This nearby tip, if not already familiar with it, is also handy:

 

https://thepelikansperch.com/2018/04/29/pelikan-how-to-clean-demonstrator-section/

 

This section cleaning tip is also applicable to the M400 and M600 as well. I put some rather stubborn red ink into M600 Transparent-White, and it was a challenge to get it clean again. But with patience and a small device (like a hypodermic needle) to get some flow in the gap between the body and the section, even that area will come clean.

 

Thanks! That's really helpful. Early on in my fountain pen collecting, I trashed a M250 transparent trying to clean it. I wish I had read this first!

[hawpunch]

Just got my new Pelikan: Pelikan Maki-e Dragonfly. Its my second Pelikan and satisfies my desire for a Pelikan M1000 and a nice maki-e fountain pen. I know some people prefer Namiki’s maki-e. I can’t detect any difference between the maki-e between the two pen manufacturers. Also ordered an EF M1000 nib; the medium is a little too broad for my taste.

[gmathio]

Wow, just amazing ! These Maki-e pens are a dream !

[inkstainedruth]

Maki-e pens are absolutely gorgeous. And I look at them and sigh, and with I wasn't so allergic to urushiol oil (it's the same stuff as poison ivy sap).

And then look at the price tags and shudder.... This is not to say you're not getting what you're paying for because the craftsmanship is exquisite. Just that a pen that I couldn't use being that expensive is just a no-no for me.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[hawpunch]

Maki-e pens are absolutely gorgeous. And I look at them and sigh, and with I wasn't so allergic to urushiol oil (it's the same stuff as poison ivy sap).

And then look at the price tags and shudder.... This is not to say you're not getting what you're paying for because the craftsmanship is exquisite. Just that a pen that I couldn't use being that expensive is just a no-no for me.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

Maki-e pens really are exquisite examples of Japanese craftsmanship and attention to detail. I am lucky enough that I have no allergic reaction to urushiol oil. I’m sorry to hear that you are allergic, but your wallet is probably very happy that’s the case . The prices are kind of crazy for maki-e pens, but I consider it an investment in art and culture that has a practical side.