What was your last very deliberate pen purchase?

[dms525]

I have wanted an Aurora Optima Caleidoscopio Luce Verde since I first saw photos of it, but I was deterred by the cost, even with the usual discount. Then it seemed to disappear from most vendors' offerings, so I assumed it was sold out, and the matter was settled. A few weeks ago, Corsani ran a fabulous sale on a number of limited edition Aurora pens, and there was a Luce Verde, available with a Stub nib at a price I couldn't refuse. So, I didn't (refuse). 

 

Then pen is beautiful and the nib is smooth and juicy - just barely crisp enough for my italic handwriting. Anyway, I am really, really happy with it.

 

 

David

[Misfit]

That pen is beautiful. Congratulations @dms525 on that serendipity of events that got you that beautiful green/blue pen. 

[Jayebird]

1 hour ago, dms525 said:

I have wanted an Aurora Optima Caleidoscopio Luce Verde since I first saw photos of it

Gorgeous pen! I have also been admiring the Caleidoscopio series but the right color + price hasn't shown itself yet.

[Jayebird]

Do purchases for others count? I ordered a pen turned by PensByPasquale in Jonathan Brooks warm tones and then also ordered a Kirk Speer Needlepoint on a Bock nib to put together a custom pen for my siblings birthday. Having done all that... now I need to go to the postoffice to mail it

[Misfit]

I’d say yes @Jayebird  very kind of you.  

[Stompie]

Been toying with getting a Brass Kaweco for some time now and this morning I pulled the trigger - should be here next week.

[sebastel23]

10 hours ago, Misfit said:

..., and I purchased a Kaweco Sport AL in black with M nib for $49 before tax. Happy May Day. 

 

cool! good price, too. hope you'll enjoy it (at least) as much as I enjoy mine.

[Misfit]

Thank you @sebastel23 it will join lots of other Kaweco pens in my collection. 
 

@Stompie I have a Brass Sport.  I hope you really enjoy yours.  

[RedPie]

14 hours ago, dms525 said:

Aurora Optima Caleidoscopio Luce Verde

What a nice looking one! Congratulations! Waiting sometimes is a good thing.

[kealani]

Pelikan M405 Fountain Pen - Stresemann, custom nib tune and polish. From "Nibsmith".

Been looking at this pen over the years and finally ordered one.

 

Every Pelikan that I've bought from "Nibsmith" with the custom tune and polish nib option has been a great pen, also durable, reliable, and trouble free.

 

TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR - 1.1 mm stub nib.

 

k

[inkstainedruth]

The M405 Stresemann is my most expensive pen; and I saved money by getting one on Rolf Thiel's eBay store.  Then went (since it was the one time in my life that I had a discretionary budget for whatever I wanted): "Hmmm.  Wonder what else he's got in stock...."  And ended up buying my 2nd most expensive pen at the same time -- an M405 Blue Black (the regular M400 was a little less expensive, but there was just something about how that rhodium plated trim set off the blue black pen... ).

Of course then, an hour later, i got this call from PayPal.... "Did you know that a charge of X dollars was just sent to a vendor in Europe?"  And I was going, "Why yes -- but thank you for calling...."  Got off the phone, looked at my husband, and said "OMG -- I really DID just spend that much money -- on only TWO pens.... "

Ruth Morrison aka inkstainedruth

[kealani]

1 hour ago, inkstainedruth said:

The M405 Stresemann is my most expensive pen; and I saved money by getting one on Rolf Thiel's eBay store.  Then went (since it was the one time in my life that I had a discretionary budget for whatever I wanted): "Hmmm.  Wonder what else he's got in stock...."  And ended up buying my 2nd most expensive pen at the same time -- an M405 Blue Black (the regular M400 was a little less expensive, but there was just something about how that rhodium plated trim set off the blue black pen... ).

Of course then, an hour later, i got this call from PayPal.... "Did you know that a charge of X dollars was just sent to a vendor in Europe?"  And I was going, "Why yes -- but thank you for calling...."  Got off the phone, looked at my husband, and said "OMG -- I really DID just spend that much money -- on only TWO pens.... "

Ruth Morrison aka inkstainedruth

Great story.

Also my most expensive pen.

Of 9 pens, I keep inked and use, 5 are Pelikans, one of them a 1941 like new 400NN. They are reliable and great writers year after year as others have fallen away.

The "Nibsmith" does an outstanding nib tune and polish at no extra charge.

 

thanks again.

k

[HauntedMyst]

On 4/18/2024 at 5:20 PM, Surlyprof said:

I’ve never seen these very cool pens by Nahvalur.  I particularly like that Classic Spring model with matching nib and hardware.  Such a great color.  It looks like Nahvalur’s answer to the TWSBI ALs.  Please report back on how it writes, especially if you have a TWSBI to compare it to. 

 

 

I don't have any TWSBI's but it writes very nicely.   It doesn't have the Nahvalur Classic flaw, which is that it gets ink into where the section was permanantly joined with the body.   I'll try to get a pic tomorrow in the light.  Still, for $45 on sales, it's a very nice pen once you spend a few months with micro pads on the nib, something I find I have to do with all my Jowo nibs.   

[TSherbs]

On 5/1/2024 at 5:13 PM, dms525 said:

I have wanted an Aurora Optima Caleidoscopio Luce Verde since I first saw photos of it, but I was deterred by the cost, even with the usual discount. Then it seemed to disappear from most vendors' offerings, so I assumed it was sold out, and the matter was settled. A few weeks ago, Corsani ran a fabulous sale on a number of limited edition Aurora pens, and there was a Luce Verde, available with a Stub nib at a price I couldn't refuse. So, I didn't (refuse). 

 

Then pen is beautiful and the nib is smooth and juicy - just barely crisp enough for my italic handwriting. Anyway, I am really, really happy with it.

 

 

David

Lovely

[Doc Dan]

My last deliberate pen purchase was a Delta (they're back!) Spaccanapoli in Doria D'Angri (orange). It looks a bit like crushed oranges, or something. It has little flecks and particles all through it and some catch the light like the lining of the shell of an oyster. It is milled from a solid rod of resin instead of cast or poured. 

 

 

 

I like that there is no step down or ledge from the barrel to the grip section. The threads are smooth and the section is a bit wider than average, making this a very comfortable pen in hand. 

[Geslina]

On 5/1/2024 at 5:13 PM, dms525 said:

I have wanted an Aurora Optima Caleidoscopio Luce Verde since I first saw photos of it, but I was deterred by the cost, even with the usual discount. Then it seemed to disappear from most vendors' offerings, so I assumed it was sold out, and the matter was settled. A few weeks ago, Corsani ran a fabulous sale on a number of limited edition Aurora pens, and there was a Luce Verde, available with a Stub nib at a price I couldn't refuse. So, I didn't (refuse). 

 

Then pen is beautiful and the nib is smooth and juicy - just barely crisp enough for my italic handwriting. Anyway, I am really, really happy with it.

 

 

David

I saw some of these pens in person in 2020, when I first started buying fountain pens.  I think there was a color called “Jupiter” - still kind of kicking myself for not getting one.  I thought it was too expensive, little did I know that my opinions on price would change so much….love this one, it’s beautiful.

[Geslina]

There was an Amazon box waiting for me when I got home from work at midnight last night.  I had  been considering a Pilot Falcon with a soft fine nib for months, for both writing and drawing, finally used my Amazon points and got a red one for just over $100.  It’s not as soft as I thought it would be, not really very flexy either…maybe that will change with some use…but it writes very nice and I’m happy with it.

[Bo Bo Olson]

1 hour ago, Geslina said:

little did I know that my opinions on price would change so much…

Fifteen years ago, I thought, € 20 was expensive enough...then came 30....this came up out of the blue...for €70..

Years later, when I stopped 'buying' so many pens and getting repair work done. After Francis fixed it for me, building a internal back end. What I thought was semi-flex, was a Wet Noodle...it depends as Mauricio said, a lot of fiddly work when setting up a superflex pen.

I had then thought I'd never be able to afford a BCHR pen...eventually there was half a year where it rained them.

I went back to  new limit of 50....a couple Galieria Kaufhaus buys for 99... A 605 Pelikan, and a Cross Townsend...and I still flinched at spending 60 on an Osmia.Now my limit is €150.

1 hour ago, Geslina said:

It’s not as soft as I thought it would be,

In I have enough trouble with buying German pens...from my reading the Japanese 'soft' is regular flex, the same as a Pelikan 200 (82-97 400/600/800)...which is a springy nice riding nib...the level below semi-flex...which is not a flex pen but a flair pen.

Natural pressure gives you line variation with semi-flex. That you don't get with a 200 or a Japanese 'soft' unless you are are real hamfisted. then you have a sprung nib.

 

The problem with semi-flex is it is not semi-flex.....

Semi=almost.

 

Japanese 'soft' (regular flex) is soft compared to a nail or a semi-nail....but it is not semi-flex.

 

[DilettanteG]

On 5/17/2024 at 10:00 AM, Geslina said:

There was an Amazon box waiting for me when I got home from work at midnight last night.  I had  been considering a Pilot Falcon with a soft fine nib for months, for both writing and drawing, finally used my Amazon points and got a red one for just over $100.  It’s not as soft as I thought it would be, not really very flexy either…maybe that will change with some use…but it writes very nice and I’m happy with it.

I have three older Falcons from back when they were made by Namiki. (Hope I spelled that right.) And then I also had the soft nibs modified into extra flex, extra fine nibs. Perhaps the modern ones need that, too? Either way, very nice looking pen.

 

I ended up ordering the Pelikan M200 Copper Rose Gold with a modified Broad italic from Fritz Shrimpf a few weeks ago. So far, it's only winged its way onto the tarmac at some US airport. The tracking info doesn't say which one. It's got three inks and a pad of paper to keep it company, all by Fritz Shrimpf, which I bought to justify the international shipping fees because 'pen math.'

 

Now, I'm contemplating a Pelikan M800 2013 Brown Tortoise with a BB or 3B stub.  However, 2AM may not be the right time to make that decision. Good night, folks.

[Misfit]

Oh congratulations @DilettanteG I can’t wait to see a writing sample from your modified nib. I considered having Fritz Shrimpf modify the nib on the Moonstone pen, but opted not to. Pity in retrospect