I got this pen today

[OldTravelingShoe]

20 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

This pen, or the Montblanc Meisterstück 149 Calligraphy pen?

 

Or do you mean the type of calligraphic writing demonstrated in the video below with a Pilot pen?

 

I was thinking this pen should be for calligraphic hands that are suitable for daily writing. Not that much character, but fast, legible, cursive letters. It's close to the "quick brown fox" I am using in all my quick tries. 

 

The MB149C is very special to me, and was intended when I got it to learn slow, convoluted calligraphic hands. I'd say Spencerian-like, but that's way beyond my abilities and may be best done with their original instruments - dip pens with calligraphy nibs. Because I'm still too new when it comes to pens, I'd like to use first other flexible nibs before I understand how to use it; I'm thinking about (vintage) pens with Waterman Ideal or Mabie Todd Swan to train first. 

 

... And I've long-term ideas also related to italic, roman script, fpr which I've started to understand how italic and stub nibs work. 

 

So much more to learn, explore, and do! But I'm in no rush... 

Edited July 9, 2022 by OldTravelingShoe
Corrected some typos. Likely added others.

[OldTravelingShoe]

21 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

the type of calligraphic writing demonstrated in the video below with a Pilot pen?

 

@A Smug Dill, this is an excellent demo of both calligraphy and inks. Thank you for sharing!

 

On the calligraphy side, I think this is exactly what I have in mind for the design of my book. Because the subject is highly technical and abstract in nature, I will make many diagrams, graphs, and other forms of technical drawings, and I like to do preliminary drafting and sketches of these in advance, on paper. I use various kinds of strokes, many of which I did before rediscovering fountain pens and thus are similar to what we'd call faux calligraphy, so just thin strokes put one next or on top of each other to create the strokes that flow naturally out of a good fountain pen with capabilities for varied lines. 

 

So making good sketches of technical drawings with the same pen I'm writing, and leveraging it's qualities for a more natural line, is what I hope Pilot Custom Urushi can help me achieve that is very closely related to the calligraphy in these videos. Same line art, albeit, focused to convey different meaning. 

 

(Very nice association, @A Smug Dill, I did not imagine it and now I'm studying more closely the  touches demonstrated in the videoclip you shared.) 

[A Smug Dill]

6 minutes ago, OldTravelingShoe said:

I use various kinds of strokes, many of which I did  …‹snip›… to create the strokes that flow naturally out of a good fountain pen with capabilities for varied lines. 

…‹snip›… 

… I hope Pilot Custom Urushi can help me achieve that is very closely related to the calligraphy in these videos. Same line art, albeit, focused to convey different meaning. 

 

(Very nice association, @A Smug Dill, I did not imagine it and now I'm studying more closely the  touches demonstrated in the videoclip you shared.)

 

The way I use nominally round-tipped Japanese fountain pen nibs to produce writing (based on a Latin alphabet, although it also applies to writing in Asian languages) that isn't strictly monoline, borrows from the techniques demonstrated in that video. Primarily, the focus is not on pressing down harder to get a contiguous segment of broader line width (or a swell), but on lifting the pen until the nib barely touches the page at the end of a stroke (or segment) to produce a narrowing shape and/or a pointy end. Pressing down makes a particular part of a line wetter, and makes the ink shade differently; a thicker line width is as much a side effect of the wetness as it is an increase in contact surface area by slightly deforming the paper surface, while elastically deforming the metal of the nib body is secondary.

[OldTravelingShoe]

2 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

The way I use nominally round-tipped Japanese fountain pen nibs to produce writing (based on a Latin alphabet, although it also applies to writing in Asian languages) that isn't strictly monoline, borrows from the techniques demonstrated in that video. Primarily, the focus is not on pressing down harder to get a contiguous segment of broader line width (or a swell), but on lifting the pen until the nib barely touches the page at the end of a stroke (or segment) to produce a narrowing shape and/or a pointy end. Pressing down makes a particular part of a line wetter, and makes the ink shade differently; a thicker line width is as much a side effect of the wetness as it is an increase in contact surface area by slightly deforming the paper surface, while elastically deforming the metal of the nib body is secondary.

Thanks for pointing the technique out, @A Smug Dill. The ends of each stroke that form sharp turns from where the stroke went up to that point, forming the final discontinuity in the curve that forms the tip of the arrow, are indeed very useful for my project. I am applying something like this instinctively for my sketches, but now I could try to learn more and get control over this technique. 

[DvdRiet]

4 hours ago, Paul-in-SF said:

Yesterday, but who's counting? A Parker Vacumatic Junior in Grey Pearl Shadow Wave pattern and a lockdown filler, and I have determined (using alleged 60x magnification on the very worn date imprint) that it is from 2nd quarter 1933. That is the earliest Vacumatic I own, and everything works. It does have a lot of surface scratches, and it has brassing, and one of the two cap rings is missing. At that, it's in better shape than I am. EF nib is very nice. 

Wow!! Everything about this description is just BEGGING for a photo, please!!

[PithyProlix]

@Number99 is absolutely on point - it actually is a "parent and child" fountain pen. Silly, ignorant me thought the fins towards the end of the barrel were merely decoration but they are actually threads to screw the child pen into the open end of the barrel. (Thanks, @Number99!) The child pen screws in firmly and the former end of the barrel turns into a grip which actually has decent ergonomics. I don't normally post the caps on my pens but, in this outlier case, I leave it on so the parent nib does not dry out. Not a balance I like so much but, even though it is a fairly large pen, it is light weight so it's not too bad.

 

The nib tips seem to be the same width but the child nib is much smaller than the parent nib in overall size. Despite the difference in size, the writing experience seems to be near identical.

 

It's impossible to eyedropper the parent part since unscrewing the child leaves a completely open barrel (plus the feed has a long breather tube, which I don't think I've seen on a eyedropper pen previously). There was residue on the child feed's peg indicating it had a sac at one time. For the child, the part of the peg that the sac mounts on is quite short and the new sac I put on it didn't stay on. The child feed's peg does extend pretty far into the 'barrel' so it would require filling with a good bit of ink to ensure that ink gets into the feed. I will try to mount the sac again and, if that fails, will eyedropper it.

 

While I can see the utility of a pen like this - it would be great if you were limited to one pen but you needed two different inks - it's not a use case that I expect to encounter. I think pens like the PenBBS 469 - essentially two pens conjoined at where their barrel ends would normally be - is a better design, all in all. This was probably one of the most impulsive purchases I've made - the novelty of it was what attracted me - but I didn't pay much. 

 

 

[PithyProlix]

On 7/8/2022 at 4:54 AM, Penguincollector said:

Slim pen summer continues: my new Sheaffer Fashion. This one is NOS with a working slim converter. 

 

19 hours ago, chromantic said:

OMG, I had one delivered yesterday, too, though mine was advertised as a slim Targa. I've been having a slim summer, as well. Small world.

 

I came very, very close to purchasing a blue Sheaffer Fashion two days ago ...

[PithyProlix]

10 hours ago, Number99 said:

Known as Myu-25 Black.

 

 However, the Pilot's commentary is as follows.

 "Myu Black M-250BS-B-F

  Sale time: 1975-1981

 The barrel of this product is made of resin with a black satin finish. The cap is made of aluminum with a black satin finish."

 

 Why did it get the name Myu-25?

 

 The details of the logo are unknown.

 

 

Lovely pen and in great condition. I would love to have one of these myself.

 

EDIT:

• The last two digits on the nib code, which I can't quite make out, represent the Common Era year. 
• Also, isn't this model also known as the Volex? I'm a bit confused about what distinguishes the Volex from the Myu on models that don't have an integrated nib. Perhaps it is the cap, which has the same design as the integrated nib version of the Myu, except for the finish?

[OldTravelingShoe]

25 minutes ago, DvdRiet said:

Wow!! Everything about this description is just BEGGING for a photo, please!!

I second @DvdRiet, both in congratulations and about the photo 😄

[PithyProlix]

2 hours ago, OldTravelingShoe said:

TL;DR: This Pilot Custom Urushi in vermillion red just arrived, sporting an 18k two-tone, gold, Pilot size 30 nib, with M tip. I inked it with Noodler's X-Feather black ink and prepared to get surprised. I was, very positively indeed. (Thanks also to pisuke2005, who shipped it very fast and reliably.)

 

Figures 1-4 try to give visual praise to this pen. 

 

Figure 1. This pen. 

 

Figure 2. The nib leaves the sea. Towels, please. 

 

Figure 3. Nib and stroke. 

 

Figure 4. The nib can write, sketch, and cross-hatch. Wielder beware! 

 

Comments are welcome. 

 

Enjoy the weekend! 

 

 

Wooo hooo! Great choice!

I received a Pilot with #30 M nib a few days ago. Super, super nice, though I'm not an 'M' man, myself.

[PithyProlix]

2 hours ago, OldTravelingShoe said:

I bought this pen to celebrate my first professional book deal.

 

Congrats on the book deal!

[OldTravelingShoe]

2 hours ago, PithyProlix said:

a Pilot with #30 M nib a few days ago. Super, super nice, though I'm not an 'M' man, myself

Hehe, I understand this also for myself. I used many very fine and very large nibs for drawing - they help me with precise and expressive lines, respectively. But this project seems to need good control and accuracy, and the ability to write and sketch quite a bit, so I thought I'd use the middle ground 😄

 

Congratulations on your own pen! Care to share more about it? 

[OldTravelingShoe]

2 hours ago, PithyProlix said:

Congrats on the book deal

Many thanks for your kind words. I'm a starter in this direction as well, so let's see how it goes. 😄

[PithyProlix]

51 minutes ago, OldTravelingShoe said:

Congratulations on your own pen! Care to share more about it? 

 

It's an 80th Anniversary Limited Edition Shijin. Shijin are four mythological creatures that guard the cardinal directions and they decorate the cap band. It's truly a fantastic pen.

 

Honestly, I bought it to sell - as I wrote previously, I don't use M nibs and it would be inappropriate, I think, to alter this nib. Regardless, I'd like to try to get my pen purchasing/selling balance sheet out of the red and this should go a long way towards doing that.

 

These photos are from the seller. One thing these photos don't show clearly is the clip, which is also covered in black urushi. When I have a chance to photograph it myself I will add the photos to this post. 

 

 

 

 

[DvdRiet]

2 minutes ago, PithyProlix said:

 

It's an 80th Anniversary Limited Edition Shijin. Shijin are four mythological creatures that guard the cardinal directions and they decorate the cap band. It's truly a fantastic pen.

 

Honestly, I bought it to sell - as I wrote previously, I don't use M nibs and it would be inappropriate, I think, to alter this nib. Regardless, I'd like to try to get my pen purchasing/selling balance sheet out of the red and this should go a long way towards doing that.

 

These photos are from the seller. One thing these photos don't show clearly is the clip, which is also covered in black urushi. When I have a chance to photograph it myself I will add the photos to this post. 

 

 

 

 

 

Wow!! That is absolutely beautiful!!

[PithyProlix]

6 minutes ago, DvdRiet said:

 

Wow!! That is absolutely beautiful!!

 

Here is an image of the same model on Pilot's website that you can rotate. My pen differs with a incredibly done personalization on the back of the cap - a four character Japanese name.

[OldTravelingShoe]

3 hours ago, PithyProlix said:

isn't this model also known as the Volex? I'm a bit confused about what distinguishes the Volex from the Myu on models that don't have an integrated nib

TL;DR: Figures 1-3 depict a Volex. Nib is still but not integrated like for the Myu. Nib seems to be the same as for "Myu 25", but I cannot tell. Body is mike the "Myu 25" but made out of steel not of plastic. 

 

Figure 1. The pen. 

 

Figure 2. The nib. 

 

Figure 3. Dramatic exit. 

 

The Volex is imo a lovely pen, good touch and excellent nib qualities. 

 

Hope this helps. 

[OldTravelingShoe]

3 minutes ago, PithyProlix said:

 

Here is an image of the same model on Pilot's website that you can rotate. My pen differs with a incredibly done personalization on the back of the cap - a four character Japanese name.

Many thanks, @PithyProlix, excellent pen, excellent information. 

[Penguincollector]

5 hours ago, PithyProlix said:

 

 

I came very, very close to purchasing a blue Sheaffer Fashion two days ago ...

Dooo eeet

1 hour ago, PithyProlix said:

 

It's an 80th Anniversary Limited Edition Shijin. Shijin are four mythological creatures that guard the cardinal directions and they decorate the cap band. It's truly a fantastic pen.

 

Honestly, I bought it to sell - as I wrote previously, I don't use M nibs and it would be inappropriate, I think, to alter this nib. Regardless, I'd like to try to get my pen purchasing/selling balance sheet out of the red and this should go a long way towards doing that.

 

These photos are from the seller. One thing these photos don't show clearly is the clip, which is also covered in black urushi. When I have a chance to photograph it myself I will add the photos to this post. 

 

 

 

 

This is seriously one of the most beautiful pens I’ve ever seen. 

On 7/8/2022 at 6:19 AM, chromantic said:

 

OMG, I had one delivered yesterday, too, though mine was advertised as a slim Targa. I've been having a slim summer, as well. Small world.

I would love to see a picture of your Targa .

[Paul-in-SF]

7 hours ago, DvdRiet said:

Wow!! Everything about this description is just BEGGING for a photo, please!!

 

Really, with all the brassing, missing cap ring and surface scratches? Here's a link to a photo of how I wished it looked; scroll down to the first set of photos. The top photo is the material, the 3rd photo is the size. http://parkercollector.com/vacumatic.html

 

Anyway, here are two photos. First, the full pen in all its glory:

 

 

Then, a fairly extreme closeup of the part of the imprint that shows the date code. Unfortunately for good contrast, part of the imprint appears over one of the light-colored stripes, but if you squint at about 3/4 of the way towards the right side of the picture, you can see .23. very blurry. (You'll have to take my word that the 2nd digit is a 3,this photo is not as clear as it might have been). I don't know why it has dots, meaningful dots in the date codes didn't show up until around 1938, as far as I can find out.To the left of that is where it says Made in U.S.A.