I got this pen today

[Misfit]

On 6/28/2022 at 6:07 AM, Number99 said:

 What is your impression of the brass pen?

 It seems that you can enjoy the change over time.

 

 I found a homepage written in both Japanese and English.

 There is also a link to the inquiry page at the bottom. I don't know if it will answer, but why not ask the converter question?

 There is also an online shop page, but please note that it does not seem to sell or deliver outside Japan.

https://www.travelers-company.com/

 

 

 

 

 

So far, I like it. It’s very different how it “caps”.  It weighs 28g, for comparison the Pilot Metropolitan weighs 26g, and a Lamy Al-Star weighs 22g.  I looked inside the green body of the pen. It’s lined, but in the area where it caps, there are open rectangles maybe a 1/4 inch tall, or a bit less. The way it is designed, you have to post it. 
 

It has an F nib, and I’m a fan of stub and italic nibs. I bought it knowing someone has successfully swapped the nib with a Kaweco italic nib. I have Kaweco pens with 1.1mm nibs. 
 

I did read you can polish the brass if you don’t like the natural change. 

[steerpike]

Royal Mail just delivered the Esterbrook Estie and the Pilot Custom 74. Now to decide which ink for each. One is getting Pilot Iroshizuku Yu-Yake and the other Writer's Blood. The Lamy, which I purchased a few days ago at the Istanbul airport, is running Diamine Eau De Nil. I have a commission for a "Noon" from Kilk Pens due to arrive in September. Exciting times!

 

[Misfit]

@steerpike it’s great to read a post full of excitement for new pens. Great photograph too. Congratulations on such lovely choices. 

[OldTravelingShoe]

On 6/28/2022 at 1:07 PM, Number99 said:

wondered if pocket pens were produced in countries other than Japan

Interesting question, @Number99. Historically, pocket pens started a long while before the Japanese manufacturers even set shops, and carry-on Watermans and Parkers with ringtops seem to me the earliest examples.

 

Between the great wars and through the 1950s, many manufacturers in Europe and the US made such pens, of which many with ornate overlays still survive, for example, from Unic (France), Conway Stewart (e.g., the Dinkie line), and Moore (US). Not sure if they intended to make those as pocket pens or the market demand and lack of materials made these 9-10 cm pens appear. 

 

The Japanese pocket pens refined greatly the designs in the 1960s and 1970s, getting the pocket pen again into the limelight. (These are the pens I loosely collect.) 

 

I see many other manufacturers of pocket (mini) fountain pens these days:

- In Italy, Aurora has a wonderful line of small pens that pack quite a punch, especially with their flex nibs and the piston fillers. 

- In Germany, the Schon Design manufacturer makes some fantastic pocket pens with minimalist design. Kaweco of course continues its Classic Sport line and makes many other attractive pocket pens. 

- In the US, ensso makes the Piuma pen that I find outstanding when equipped with a titaniun Bock #6 nib.

- In China, many companies make pocket pens, some more innovative than the others [1].

- I believe there exist many more specialist pen turners and small makers around the world. 

 

[1] Some of these innovations led to the famous Kaweco vs. Moonman trademark war, which led to Moonman changing the name for Western markets to Majohn and then paying a close hommage to Kaweco's flagship Liliput Fireblue. 

[OldTravelingShoe]

On 6/28/2022 at 3:48 AM, Misfit said:

This pen arrived today. It’s a Traveler’s Company brass pen in the limited edition Factory Green finish. It’s a pocket pen.

Didn't know Traveler's Company makes pens. Thanks for sharing and I hope it will be a lovely writer for many years for you, @Misfit! 

[Misfit]

Thank you @OldTravelingShoe  Travelers Company has sold the all brass version for awhile. It comes in several version including fountain, ballpoint and I think pencil. They have brass clips, and other accouterments. 

[OldTravelingShoe]

On 6/29/2022 at 2:13 AM, Chi said:

The beauty is here : ))))))))

 

Base pen: Pilot Custom Urushi Fountain Pen - Vermillion, 18K M

Art work by Wancher Inc.

 

Wonderful peb (and pics), @Chi. Joining the chorus:

Oooh, 🎵

Aaah, 🎵

Belezza! 🎶

 

Large operatic choruses must use Italian words, right? 🎶

 

I'm wondering if there is a catalog of such pens - I didn't even know they exist but, now that I do, I am curious how one could learn more about them. 

[OldTravelingShoe]

27 minutes ago, Misfit said:

Thank you @OldTravelingShoe  Travelers Company has sold the all brass version for awhile. It comes in several version including fountain, ballpoint and I think pencil. They have brass clips, and other accouterments. 

Didn't know that either 😃 They all look very nice, impulse-buy nice. Hmmm... 

[Number99]

1 hour ago, OldTravelingShoe said:

Interesting question, @Number99. Historically, pocket pens started a long while before the Japanese manufacturers even set shops, and carry-on Watermans and Parkers with ringtops seem to me the earliest examples.

 

Between the great wars and through the 1950s, many manufacturers in Europe and the US made such pens, of which many with ornate overlays still survive, for example, from Unic (France), Conway Stewart (e.g., the Dinkie line), and Moore (US). Not sure if they intended to make those as pocket pens or the market demand and lack of materials made these 9-10 cm pens appear. 

 

The Japanese pocket pens refined greatly the designs in the 1960s and 1970s, getting the pocket pen again into the limelight. (These are the pens I loosely collect.) 

 

I see many other manufacturers of pocket (mini) fountain pens these days:

- In Italy, Aurora has a wonderful line of small pens that pack quite a punch, especially with their flex nibs and the piston fillers. 

- In Germany, the Schon Design manufacturer makes some fantastic pocket pens with minimalist design. Kaweco of course continues its Classic Sport line and makes many other attractive pocket pens. 

- In the US, ensso makes the Piuma pen that I find outstanding when equipped with a titaniun Bock #6 nib.

- In China, many companies make pocket pens, some more innovative than the others [1].

- I believe there exist many more specialist pen turners and small makers around the world. 

 

[1] Some of these innovations led to the famous Kaweco vs. Moonman trademark war, which led to Moonman changing the name for Western markets to Majohn and then paying a close hommage to Kaweco's flagship Liliput Fireblue. 

Thank you very much.

 That's what I wanted to know.

 

 I also use several Japanese pocket pens as practical products.

 Sometimes it's mixed in the auction lot of pens I'm looking for, it's junk so I'm going to throw it away, but on the contrary, those pens work well even if the exterior is shredded.

 

 

 

[Number99]

On 6/30/2022 at 12:21 PM, Misfit said:

So far, I like it. It’s very different how it “caps”.  It weighs 28g, for comparison the Pilot Metropolitan weighs 26g, and a Lamy Al-Star weighs 22g.  I looked inside the green body of the pen. It’s lined, but in the area where it caps, there are open rectangles maybe a 1/4 inch tall, or a bit less. The way it is designed, you have to post it. 
 

It has an F nib, and I’m a fan of stub and italic nibs. I bought it knowing someone has successfully swapped the nib with a Kaweco italic nib. I have Kaweco pens with 1.1mm nibs. 
 

I did read you can polish the brass if you don’t like the natural change. 

It seems to be very sturdy, and it is attractive that it can be estimated that it will not be a concern even if it slips into the bottom of the bag and that the clip can be attached and detached.

 I use ballpoint pens outside, so I'm starting to think about ballpoint pens.

 

[OldTravelingShoe]

(Technically, it's three pens, over the past two days.) 

 

I wanted to compare Parker 180-style nibs, and chose for this a Parker Classic and two Chinese pens. In short, I liked the Parker and not the Chinese nibs, and I'm not buying the Parker 180 immediately. 

 

A brief visual guide appears here:

 

[Penguincollector]

So this was unexpected, but kind of cool. I ordered this Parker Aster via the bay of evil in May, from India. About a week later, the seller canceled my order and refunded me claiming the post lost the pen and to keep it if it showed up. My husband ended up getting me the chrome trimmed version and that arrived in June. Today the lost now free pen actually did make it’s way around the world to me. I’m actually glad it was refunded, as there’s some pitting on the band at the end of the barrel. The other one is a good writer, very smooth, but is very picky about paper. 

[amberleadavis]

On 6/24/2022 at 4:16 AM, OldTravelingShoe said:

TL;DR: A vintage Waterman 513 with blue-swirled body, with 14K 2A nib, broad but with good line variation and a bit stubby, inked with Noodler's Ink Ottoman Azure.

 

I quite like it, and you can check in the figures if you like it yourself. 

 

Figure 1. Azure pen, azure ink. Or is it stormy weather swirls, stormy weather ink? 

 

Figure 2. All the good parts are due to the pen. All the junior stuff is me.

 

Figure 3. The nib, the ship. 

 

For more pics see OldTravelingShoe's Random Pics of European Fountain Pens. 

 

Enjoy the weekend! 

 

 

 

 

I am in love!

[DvdRiet]

I finally got a regular Aero (pictured left), in the Stripes version, to go with its limited edition Volute cousin (pictured right). 

 

[DvdRiet]

It was a banner day here today, at Huize VdRiet! Because in addition to the handsome Aero Stripes I posted above, I also received this lovely navy blue Leonardo Momento Zero Blue Positano. The M nib is about as juicy and as buttery smooth as they come! 😍

 

[OldTravelingShoe]

On 7/5/2022 at 5:25 PM, DvdRiet said:

I finally got a regular Aero (pictured left), in the Stripes version, to go with its limited edition Volute cousin (pictured right). 

 

Congratulations, the striped Aero looks great as well... As if someone took the Volute and straightened it's swirls 😄

[OldTravelingShoe]

On 7/5/2022 at 6:04 PM, DvdRiet said:

It was a banner day here today, at Huize VdRiet! Because in addition to the handsome Aero Stripes I posted above, I also received this lovely navy blue Leonardo Momento Zero Blue Positano. The M nib is about as juicy and as buttery smooth as they come! 😍

 

Good looking pen, congratulations and thanks for sharing! 

[DvdRiet]

Another Diplomat arrived today so I thought I would share with you my haul for this week... 😉 

What a difference a few decades make! 😂

 

Left: modern Aero Stripes, Right: 70s? Bijou

[PithyProlix]

4 minutes ago, DvdRiet said:

Another Diplomat arrived today so I thought I would share with you my haul for this week... 😉 

What a difference a few decades make! 😂

 

Left: modern Aero Stripes, Right: 70s? Bijou

 

It's Laurel & Hardy (or Hardy & Laurel, per the order)!

 

Gotta show us the nibs on your new pens!   (I'm especially intrigued about what's on the little Bijou ...)

[DvdRiet]

8 minutes ago, PithyProlix said:

Gotta show us the nibs on your new pens!   (I'm especially intrigued about what's on the little Bijou ...)

 

It's pretty hilarious! (Excuse the ink residue on the Bijou nib. I haven't finished flushing it yet, but it was surprisingly clean for such an old pen!) (And excuse the ink residue on the Aero also, as I see now in the enlarged photo. It was yesterday's rotation pen.)