I got this pen today

[Misfit]

@USG Thank you for asking. It’s coming along slowly. I’d love to know how long this pen has been in this condition. I’m still not clear about the ink being in between the cap and cap liner. It could be, or maybe not. Whatever the situation it is slow going. 

[USG]

1 hour ago, Misfit said:

@USG Thank you for asking. It’s coming along slowly. I’d love to know how long this pen has been in this condition. I’m still not clear about the ink being in between the cap and cap liner. It could be, or maybe not. Whatever the situation it is slow going. 

 

Is it just ink or is the acrylic stained? 

[Misfit]

@USG I don’t know yet. It’s a purple ink. Bit by bit some gets released. It looks like a O ring is keeping the cap liner in place.  I’ve tried to use a pencil eraser to get it out, as seen in videos.  
 

I checked my other True Writer transparent demonstrator, and there is an O ring. So maybe the ink is inside the cap liner not between. Hmm, I looked inside both caps. It definitely looks like ink is inside the cap liner. The other pen has a nice, light colored cap liner. If it’s just inside the cap, that would be the best, even though it’s taking so much time to get that ink out. 

[SLinkster]

My 14k Lucky nib Wing Sun (Wing sung?) 698 was in my mailbox when I got up for work. It's a gray demonstrator but so dark it's nearly opaque, I'm wishing I had ordered the clear demonstrator. Ah well.

 

I'm not sure what I expected for a $50 Chinese pen.  I'm not too smitten, especially with the finishing. There are molds marks on the section that were not polished out, machining residue in the cap threads, and scratches on the body and cap. 

 

The pen writes well enough when dipped but I think I'll send it back if "free returns" is in fact free. Maybe I just got one that came off the line on a bad day. 

[Bo Bo Olson]

36 minutes ago, SLinkster said:

I'm wishing I had ordered the clear demonstrator. Ah well.

My Pelikan 200 amethyst is transparent.  I like it so, in when I wish to stare at the guts i can, but I don't have to stare at the guts all the time as with a clear demonstrator, so I never chased any of them.

 

If I really want to hold it to the light my Pelikan 200 Ruby Star, shows me the guts, which are hidden in normal use. That is good enough in my books.

[SLinkster]

19 minutes ago, Bo Bo Olson said:

My Pelikan 200 amethyst is transparent.  I like it so, in when I wish to stare at the guts i can, but I don't have to stare at the guts all the time as with a clear demonstrator

I like seeing the guts for a lot of reasons. At least they aren't smelly like lab frogs, just messy sometimes 😁

[SLinkster]

FedEx just delivered this darling little Platinum (ladies' purse?) pen. She's seen some life and has a few scars, but the fine 18k nib is smoother than smooth. A cartridge swiped from a Preppy fits perfectly. 

 

 ETA  4.5" capped, 5.5" posted, and slim. I wanted that 18k fine nib and was happy when the eBay seller was willing to negotiate. The nib writes very smoothly but it's noisy, almost like writing with a pencil in terms of feedback, not like my Preppy 02 or 03 nibs at all. Those are steel, obviously, and don't have 50+ years of use on them. It also feels different than my other various brands and grades gold nibs. Yes, I realize I'm contradicting myself but... 

 

Today I'm going to pull the  cartridge I used for the writing test and give the old girl a through cleaning. 

 

eBay photo first followed by mine own. 

 

Edited November 16, 2023 by SLinkster
More infoze

[Misfit]

I got the three pens I won in auctions on eBay today. I’ll edit this post later to add photos. I need to get some things done first. Life interrupts… gather and take out trash and recyclables. Wrap birthday gifts, and maybe get them shipped today as well, as they need to be there before the 23rd. 
 

Here are the pens, including the photos from eBay. My photo will be first.

This one is named Oceanic Blue. It is the one I meant to bid on based on photos. My photo is first, then eBay’s.

 

This is the one I accidentally bid on, and is my favorite of the Oceanic pens. It’s Oceanic Gray. It has little bits of colors like blue, red, pink.  In the last photo a blue bit is on the barrel in the last third of the pen. 

You can see how neither eBay photo showed the pens in their true colors. Each listing had one photo, and did  not give the name of the pen’s color. 
 

And now a photo of all three, including French Impressionists. The Oceanic pens have M nibs, while French Impressionists has an F nib. French Impressionists is very autumnal. The eBay photo for it was much more accurate, so I didn’t include it. I knew what I was bidding on with that photo. 

 

 

[Bo Bo Olson]

I posted more over in waiting for a pen.

 

My wife found a W.Germany SS pen set. Cheap enough at a second hand shop.

 

The Reform' cartridge in the BP was made in Western Germany so on or before 1991.

Reform has belonged to Mutchler since perhaps the end of the '50's or start of the '60's.

Reform was once a very good pen. In the '50's the owner closed down his factory instead of making cheap fountain pens to survive.

Mutschler did that part for him.

 

Of course the BP Cartridge is dry....Sigh.....

And it took forever to clean out the 30 or more years old blue ink out of the pen.

[SLinkster]

Little - 3.5" capped - BCHR vest-pocket eyedropper. My photog skills are less than, but in the second pic you can see the  lovely black ebonite that was covered for years by the cap, and the oxidized greenish-brown of the barrel. It's a nice writer and holds about 1.9ml of ink. I'm hoping to use it as an EDC, maybe at work because the nib is a nail and might work on the triplicate carbonless forms that plague my existence.

 

[Bo Bo Olson]

I've a couple safety pens, none BCHR**. The pre'24 MB is smooth, (Weak Kneeded Wet Noodle (term invented by the British nib grinder John Sorowka)...much more flexible than a Wet Noodle...)  the '30's Fendomatic is 18k rolled gold fancy. (semi-flex)

 

** I have  BCHR pens mostly Osmia. I remember the first time I got one, never thinking I was ever going to afford one....back when I bottom fed like a catfish. They turned out to be more affordable than I thought...and or my price borders got stomped on.

 

[SLinkster]

13 minutes ago, Bo Bo Olson said:

I've a couple safety pens, none BCHR**. The pre'24 MB is smooth, (Weak Kneeded Wet Noodle (term invented by the British nib grinder John Sorowka)...much more flexible than a Wet Noodle...)  the '30's Fendomatic is 18k rolled gold fancy. (semi-flex)

 

** I have  BCHR pens mostly Osmia. I remember the first time I got one, never thinking I was ever going to afford one....back when I bottom fed like a catfish. They turned out to be more affordable than I thought...and or my price borders got stomped on.

 

 

I feel like I got a decent deal, the eBay vendor was willing to negotiate. I could have probably kept biding my time and gotten a better deal on some BCHR some time, but this one is so adorable and dinky, and seems to be behaving as regards not drooling into the cap when upside down, that I'm happy. Full disclosure: It's obviously not in excellent cosmetic condition.** The chasing is pretty worn, there are some scratches on the barrel, and of course the ebonite has oxidized over the years. 

 

The Osmia BCHRs I've seen are quite handsome. I wouldn't kick one out of my pen roll if it turned up one morning

 

** "not in excellent cosmetic condition" seems to be a theme for me when it comes to vintage and older used pens. I'd rather invest a little on a pen that's ugly but representative - of a nib writing width or material, for example - to see if I like it, then go upmarket if I really feel the need for the pretty. 

[Penguincollector]

On 11/15/2023 at 4:49 PM, Misfit said:

I got the three pens I won in auctions on eBay today. I’ll edit this post later to add photos. I need to get some things done first. Life interrupts… gather and take out trash and recyclables. Wrap birthday gifts, and maybe get them shipped today as well, as they need to be there before the 23rd. 
 

Here are the pens, including the photos from eBay. My photo will be first.

This one is named Oceanic Blue. It is the one I meant to bid on based on photos. My photo is first, then eBay’s.

 

This is the one I accidentally bid on, and is my favorite of the Oceanic pens. It’s Oceanic Gray. It has little bits of colors like blue, red, pink.  In the last photo a blue bit is on the barrel in the last third of the pen. 

You can see how neither eBay photo showed the pens in their true colors. Each listing had one photo, and did  not give the name of the pen’s color. 
 

And now a photo of all three, including French Impressionists. The Oceanic pens have M nibs, while French Impressionists has an F nib. French Impressionists is very autumnal. The eBay photo for it was much more accurate, so I didn’t include it. I knew what I was bidding on with that photo. 

 

 

  These are really much nicer in your photos than the seller ones. Sometimes I think eBay has a special filter just to keep items looking as unflattering as possible. I love the colors and patterns.

 

1 hour ago, SLinkster said:

Little - 3.5" capped - BCHR vest-pocket eyedropper. My photog skills are less than, but in the second pic you can see the  lovely black ebonite that was covered for years by the cap, and the oxidized greenish-brown of the barrel. It's a nice writer and holds about 1.9ml of ink. I'm hoping to use it as an EDC, maybe at work because the nib is a nail and might work on the triplicate carbonless forms that plague my existence.

 

 

    Nice! I have a little Todco BCHR eye dropper that’s  similar in style, super cute and fun to use. It’s a super noodle, so not similar in terms of writing, but the material feels really good in hand. 

[Bo Bo Olson]

16 minutes ago, SLinkster said:

The chasing is pretty worn

I've two Waterman 52's that I cared more that they had Wet Noodles than much better than beater chasing.

One of my Osmia's is rather third class...and one of the pretty ones.....the larger one a medium large 76.....just fell apart....after only 80 years.

These are '38 Boehlers///The Boehler brothers split the company Osmia in 1938. I count them as Osmia's, in they were the same model number  as Osmia.

 

With permission of Penboard.de...my chasing is a bit different. The Fendomatic, made in Milan. Fend was a German company. 18k Rolled Gold....and they make beautiful pictures...I'm still in the Brownie stage.

 

The MB safety pen, the 950 Parisian silver with emerald eyes was made for me by a local jeweler.

The number 6 Simplo nib, and the broken part was what Francis made and he said polishing it took longest....

I have beater pictures of that pen.

If clicked enough one can see the Simplo nib.

[Penguincollector]

12 minutes ago, SLinkster said:

 

** "not in excellent cosmetic condition" seems to be a theme for me when it comes to vintage and older used pens. I'd rather invest a little on a pen that's ugly but representative - of a nib writing width or material, for example - to see if I like it, then go upmarket if I really feel the need for the pretty. 

  I do this; many of my recent purchases have become favorites, warts and all. As long as they’re in good working condition and aren’t super distressed I would rather pay $25 for an engraved or scruffy gold nibbed pen than a new so so pen. 

[Penguincollector]

11 minutes ago, Bo Bo Olson said:

I've two Waterman 52's that I cared more that they had Wet Noodles than much better than beater chasing.

One of my Osmia's is rather third class...and one of the pretty ones.....the larger one a medium large 76.....just fell apart....after only 80 years.

These are '38 Boehlers///The Boehler brothers split the company Osmia in 1938. I count them as Osmia's, in they were the same model number  as Osmia.

 

With permission of Penboard.de...my chasing is a bit different. The Fendomatic, made in Milan. Fend was a German company. 18k Rolled Gold....and they make beautiful pictures...I'm still in the Brownie stage.

 

The MB safety pen, the 950 Parisian silver with emerald eyes was made for me by a local jeweler.

The number 6 Simplo nib, and the broken part was what Francis made and he said polishing it took longest....

I have beater pictures of that pen.

  I never tire of looking at your treasure pens, Bo Bo.  I would have the jeweler make a matching parure for the MB, or maybe a set of cuff links. Or a bolo tie piece, to go with your novels.

  

[Bo Bo Olson]

On the whole if the nib survived...and they were once before WW2, lumpy and bumpy with lumps falling off.

The nibs are better than modern. I'm very fond of the semi-flex and maxi-semi-flex '48-70 German era.

 

I like the clean line, regular flex/Japanese soft tear drop tipped  '82-97 Pelikan.. '98 is when Pelikan became fat and stiffer....outside the 200 which they ruined five years ago.

 

I don't know when MB went form  normally narrow enough to fat and blobby...but suspect the late 90's.

I do only have one (modern)  2006 MB, and it's B = BB.  the rest are vintage (48-60 ( one 52-54 only.) or semi-vintage (late 80's -early 90's).

Along with that MB safety pen, of my MB's I am most enthused by a medium large '48-60 146 that has a maxi-semi-flex nib and great balance.

That MB was such a beater, and Francis made me new  cap rings and polished it..new cork gasket on it's telescopic piston. I've three with that.

Unfortunately I didn't take a before picture.

The green one is a 1948 Italian Columbus  piston pen, one of my top five for pretty.

The gold one must be gold plated in it's never needed polish or a brass or bronze pen.

It is a no name, and the nib is maxi-semi-flex an I was ever so surprised in it was in a lot at a  live auction. I call that kind of clip a Pfortzheim clip, in that is the jewelry center of Germany...Any jeweler could have made that.

I'm b8ching about MB Orange here.

 

Those 146's made 1970 and later are large pens. More nimble than a Pelikan 800 but for me somewhat stately.

[Penguincollector]

4 minutes ago, Bo Bo Olson said:

The green one is a 1948 Italian Columbus  piston pen, one of my top five for pretty.

 

Those 146's made 1970 and later are large pens. More nimble than a Pelikan 800 but for me somewhat stately.

 The Columbus is a beautiful pen, the celluloid pattern is lovely.

[Bo Bo Olson]

2 hours ago, Penguincollector said:

jeweler make a matching parure for the MB,

I paid a fortune for that hand made snake...It would cost me many pens and inks and papers to make cuff links and matching tie tack.

Of which I have a lot I never use...may have three shirts that take cuff links.

A couple cuff links. Must have 12 sets.

Click to see.

@ 1850 French.

1930s same cuff links

[Penguincollector]

12 minutes ago, Bo Bo Olson said:

I paid a fortune for that hand made snake...It would cost me many pens and inks and papers to make cuff links and matching tie tack.

Of which I have a lot I never use...may have three shirts that take cuff links.

    I get that, I barely wear any jewelry besides marriage related ones these days. Maybe to a holiday party. But it would make for a great author photo!