What’s your grail pen?

[maclink]

@Bo Bo Olson I’ll see if I can find one.  Thanks for the tip. 

[lionelc]

a grail pen?  after months of research, happened across mine by chance and a tip from @The Mustard, the only mb writers edition i was searching for - an agatha christie.  serendipitously also reached my pen purchase limit for the year - it's time to spend some time putting my pens to use.

[Bo Bo Olson]

5 hours ago, maclink said:

I’ll see if I can find one.  Thanks for the tip. 

 

Good! Sometimes a grail pen should be balance and a great nib, more than anything else. Or should that be the main points with pretty coming in third? Rare 4th.

[collectorofmanythings]

On 5/4/2021 at 8:22 PM, collectorofmanythings said:

Hello!

 

Just very interested in what your grail pens are.. no matter if it’s $50 or $10,000, I would be very interested to hear your responses.

 

W. H. Major

 

(My grail pen(s) [can’t choose one!] are the Waldmann Tuscany (18k Gold nib), Pineider Avatar UR Deluxe, Conway Stewart Duro (modern), and the Pilot Custom 823)

Oops! My definition of “grail” may be different from others, I just want to clarify that “grail” can also mean out of your price range, but still readily available in my terms.

[A Smug Dill]

1 hour ago, collectorofmanythings said:

My definition of “grail” may be different from others,

 

So what is your definition? And do you want fellow forum members to answer based on your definition, or their own?

[kazoolaw]

I'm guessing we're not including the self-description of the legendary Grail seeker:  "My strength is as the strength of ten, / Because my heart is pure"?

[carola]

My grail pen has been the same for years: Pelikan 400 light-tortoise.

After some years of lusting after it, I finally found one and it is now sitting beside me on my desk.

 

I still think of it as my grail pen, but it isn´t the pen that ends all other pens. It is part of my little collection I am very proud of and quite a few pens have joined this collection afterwards.

 

Right now, I might have a new grail pen of a different sort: a custom made pen meeting all my personal specifications. The work has started and I am very curious as to what the result will be. I really hope I will love this pen when I hold it in my hand and write the first words. But there is one thing I know for sure: It won´t replace my other pens. It will be part of my collection and enhance it like most of my other pens, too.

[Bo Bo Olson]

39 minutes ago, carola said:

400 light-tortoise.

When my grail pen money burnt a hole in my pocket, I went looking on the German Bay, and I ran into both a 500 and 400, lighter tortoise than later models. The 500 is the 400 lighter tortoise with a rolled gold cap and piston knob cap. The 500n&nn don't have the gold piston knob cap.

 

That 400 (a '54 transitional in it was nib marked and not body marked) had a very nice semi-flex B. I used that on my 605 until I had the BB stubbed to B.

 

The fancy 500 was a designated signature pen.

In the piston cap is covered there is no nib size marking. I eyeball it to OBBB, and a 30 degree grind, with a maxi-semi-flex nib.

If I was to sign my legal signature of 13 letters, it takes up 2/3rds to 3/4ths a page. I can swap out the nib of course having a hand full of Pelikan semi-flex and a OF maxi.

 

When I ran into that 500 on the Bay, a 500 had never entered my mind, in that was too expensive to even think about, (less than I feared, but still what would have been top of my range.)

 

While I was scratching my golden shovel tossing money over my shoulder, the 400 was normal price............a Pelikan two pen stand, a green marbled lacquer 381, and a similar colored gold nib Celebry...so a whole flock of Pelikans followed me home.

 

Wheee....another grail pen. Just ran into a 500 seagreen. Saw a normal seagreen $$$, hadn't know it was also done in 500.

Obviously I have to darn that sock where I kept my money. Either that or money has a low evaporation point.

Pentest shows me one I didn't know existed and another I'd known existed in regular.

That basic body with cap was on my wish list.

Then one shouldn't look too hard...or something like this will show up.

I am so, lost!!!

 

[carola]

2 hours ago, Bo Bo Olson said:

When my grail pen money burnt a hole in my pocket, I went looking on the German Bay, and I ran into both a 500 and 400, lighter tortoise than later models. The 500 is the 400 lighter tortoise with a rolled gold cap and piston knob cap. The 500n&nn don't have the gold piston knob cap.

 

That 400 (a '54 transitional in it was nib marked and not body marked) had a very nice semi-flex B. I used that on my 605 until I had the BB stubbed to B.

 

The fancy 500 was a designated signature pen.

 

 

 

Nope, this is not the kind of tortoise I am talking about. I am talking about the non-striped light tortoise, pen and cap made from solid tortoise resin.

[Bo Bo Olson]

8 hours ago, carola said:

light tortoise, pen and cap made from solid tortoise resin

That too is on my after the lottery hit list.

[BeachBum]

For me, it is the Montblac Starwalker Blue.  I love the look of that pen!

[ext23]

Would have to be one of the Namikis for me.

[inkstainedruth]

On 5/17/2021 at 9:37 AM, kazoolaw said:

I'm guessing we're not including the self-description of the legendary Grail seeker:  "My strength is as the strength of ten, / Because my heart is pure"?

Which Grail seeker are we talking about here?  Perceval or Lancelot? 

Sorry, but the only A I got my last semester in college was for an English lit class called "King Arthur", where we went from Geoffrey of Monmouth (and the "historical" Arthur) to Mary Stewart and her "Merlin" series in the 1970s; but sadly didn't go as far as the Richard Monaco "Parsival Saga" books).

Yeah, we did Malory and Chrétien de Troyes and some of the "French Vulgate" and (God help me, Book I of The Fairie Queen) but I also got introduced to Wulfram von Eschenbach, and he's fun (if a little whiny at times when he breaks the fourth wall).  And to (in the class on the "Guenevere tradition" to William Morris' poem "The Defense of Guenevere" -- as an antidote to Tennyson...).  Best part of that class was when the guy substituting for the regular professor (who was out in Hollywood the first two weeks being dialogue coach for a script he'd sold to the old CBS Cable in the early 80s -- and no, I don't know if the thing ever aired, or was even finished) was going "Does anyone know who William Morris was?"

Me: "Wasn't he one of the Pre-Raphaelites?"

Substitute Professor: "How did you KNOW that?"

Me: "Uh, because I'm an art major...."

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[MoriartyR]

1 hour ago, inkstainedruth said:

Which Grail seeker are we talking about here?  Perceval or Lancelot? 

Sorry, but the only A I got my last semester in college was for an English lit class called "King Arthur", where we went from Geoffrey of Monmouth (and the "historical" Arthur) to Mary Stewart and her "Merlin" series in the 1970s; but sadly didn't go as far as the Richard Monaco "Parsival Saga" books).

Yeah, we did Malory and Chrétien de Troyes and some of the "French Vulgate" and (God help me, Book I of The Fairie Queen) but I also got introduced to Wulfram von Eschenbach, and he's fun (if a little whiny at times when he breaks the fourth wall).  And to (in the class on the "Guenevere tradition" to William Morris' poem "The Defense of Guenevere" -- as an antidote to Tennyson...).  Best part of that class was when the guy substituting for the regular professor (who was out in Hollywood the first two weeks being dialogue coach for a script he'd sold to the old CBS Cable in the early 80s -- and no, I don't know if the thing ever aired, or was even finished) was going "Does anyone know who William Morris was?"

Me: "Wasn't he one of the Pre-Raphaelites?"

Substitute Professor: "How did you KNOW that?"

Me: "Uh, because I'm an art major...."

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

Kazoolaw’s quote was from Tennyson’s Sir Galahad.

 

My good blade carves the casques of men

My tough lance thrusteth sure

My strength is as the strength of ten

Because my heart is pure

 

If I remember the verse correctly. It’s quite a memorable one.

 

[inkstainedruth]

Yeah, I had been guessing Tennyson.  The quote had that sort of vibe to it.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Andrew24]

I have a full set including the fountain pen, ballpoint and pencil, completely unused. DM if you are still interested

On 5/15/2021 at 2:45 PM, lionelc said:

a grail pen?  after months of research, happened across mine by chance and a tip from @The Mustard, the only mb writers edition i was searching for - an agatha christie.  serendipitously also reached my pen purchase limit for the year - it's time to spend some time putting my pens to use.