If you had $1000 to spend on one pen right now...

[Misfit]

@Baka1969 life can certainly be that indeed. 

[Bo Bo Olson]

On 1/28/2024 at 4:15 AM, Runnin_Ute said:

ncluding the Parker 75 Cisele. But I don't know what I would get.

Is a superbly balanced pen if you post, and is light for metal, much less silver. Takes the squeeze gadget, a converter or a cartridge.

In 1971 or so, I bought the P-75 set. pulled the pens out of the box,and tossed it. I knew how it worked.

50 years later I find out it takes cartridges.

I just picked up the P-75 Thuya which I'd wanted for a long time. It is a bit lighter and the Thuya BP is much lighter, than the picture.

Just to give you even more choices.

For the $1,000 you can get many of the P-75 series.

[ajoe]

A Justus 95 and three shares of Apple stock.

[Londonista]

I’m fortunate to have the fine pens I want (Martelè, various YOLs, GvFC) but with an extra $1,000 I’d certainly look at a Visconti Homo Sapiens Crystal Dream.

 

The Onoto sterling silver editions would sadly still be out of reach.

[tde44x]

Visconti Homo Sapiens - one with an ink window - and a 23k dream-touch stub nib.

[jchch1950]

Montblanc 100th  Anniversary 146 Meisterstuck in green.

[2ouvenir]

Since we're saying "right now", I wouldn't. I already have enough fountain pens and I know that a thousand dollar pen would not improve on the writing experience over a pen that costs less than a hundred.

 

The money would be way better spent on other things like good quality paper, inks and heck, even a better writing-desk-setup. But I also have those, so I'd just pocket the money.

 

If I just started my fountain pen journey and I had the foresight... I'd save myself all this trouble of exploring brands and get something reliable from Sailor or Pilot and called it a day. And no, it doesn't have to be the "top of the line" from either brand. I am more of a practical person and wouldn't want to use an expensive pen on a day-to-day basis anyways.

[Bo Bo Olson]

43 minutes ago, 2ouvenir said:

would not improve on the writing experience over a pen that costs less than a hundred.

You are perhaps right with regular flex; if you can get them outside of Pelikan 200 and Japanese 'soft'....a springy nib. (Lately Pelikan 200's have been going for close to 100 +-)

Or the nail and or semi-nail pens....which were never on my list to buy; once I knew the difference.

 

400nn semi-flex/ and or oblique, stub= in German Ebay €100-120....much more in the States. ...and is one of the greatest pens ever made.

In all I do think many pens are worth a bit over a hundred €, that have semi-flex or more flexible nibs are more than what you expect.

I could throw a bunch of pictures at you but I'm not going too, in they would be priced from a while back.

 

I suggest looking at used, German piston pens on German Ebay in the auction section***....those after 1955 are with Plastic Gasket 2.0, still in use.

 

The Buy Now section, in German Ebay is Stateside priced, so I'd avoid wasting my money on that....when the Auction section is 1/2 or less Stateside prices that are on German Ebay Buy Now section.

Professional sellers have the time to xxxxx/wait more than regular citizens in the auction section.

[2ouvenir]

@Bo Bo Olson fair enough, I don't know much about flex pens though I don't see how that should affect the price, I'd imagine it is just adjusting the composition of the alloy in the nib. I just prefer a nib that is not too hard, but not so soft that it will become a flex pen. A Pelikan 200 would be as much softness in the nib I'd probably want in my writing experience. I write quite fast and detached, and I feel like a flex nib will slow me down.

[tonybelding]

Off the top of my head. . .

 

First choice:  A Conid.  Assuming I could actually get one.  They're presently not taking orders, and in the past it always seemed like there were obscure procedures to buy them, long waits, etc.

 

Second choice:  Another custom Edison.

 

[Topgunbai]

A vintage Waterman with a #7 Pink nib, if I could find one...

[Bo Bo Olson]

On 4/9/2024 at 10:17 PM, 2ouvenir said:

flex pens

I have no idea what you think that is...a semi-nail could be called a flex pen by a pure nail user.

.................You wrote....I write quite fast and detached, and I feel like a flex nib will slow me down."""

Only if you are getting artistic and doing nib abuse, does writing with a semi-flex or a maxi-semi-flex slow one down.

I had wondered for years how  come folks said that, I scribble along just as fast as with any other nib.Then I found out they were doing nib abuse...risking metal fatigue (see Richard binder's article on that) pressing semi-flex & maxi-semi-flex past the 3 X max....so were trying to do calligraphy instead of writing.....and semi-&maxi are flair nibs...not calligraphy nibs.

So buy your 400nn with confidence it won't slow you down a second.

 

Of the 30 pens I got out in two pen cups, @ 15 are semi-flex and I just grab and scribble.

do the same with the wet noodle I have out.........It to don't slow me down, in I'm just scribbling, not trying to do calligraphy.

 

The way my system works Regular flex...what one bought back when only the well to do had Color TV, Semi-flex, and Maxi-semi-flex are in a 3 X tine spread set.

(You can of course spring any by making the nibs do Olympic splits.)

Regular flex...is springy, slight tine spread if one is ham fisted...can be maxed to 3X a light down stroke, but not written with maxed.

More ease of tine spread and bend.

Semi-&maxi-semi-flex nibs are not flex nibs, they are flair nibs...they put a bit of flair in your writing with out doing anything.

 

Flex pens are called superflex. Three flex rates for beginners.

Tine spread of 4 X, seldom, mostly tine spread of 5-6 and seldom 7X...unless you are watching nib abuse on You Tube or someone springing the nib they are selling for your convenience. What counts most in these three flexes is the ease of tine spread, more than the amount.

Easy Full Flex

Wet Noodle

Weak Kneed Wet Noodle....very, very rare and in early 20'th century ...well mine is a pre'24 MB Safety Pen....also into the '30's as mentioned below the Pink Nib.

 

If you have a regular flex pen.....Pelikan 200 pens, or Japanese 'sort' nibs..........then my system of flex works.

If not you can't feel nor see what is what....you did mention having a springy regular flex 200.

 

Flex pens ...dip pens is the real flex pens. Wet Noodles are in the lower third of flex nib availability, of like the Hunt 99-100-101. My Weak Kneed Wet Noodle reaches half of those Hunt nibs.

I haven't spent enough time learning to draw letters with my superflex pens....and those who can write (not me) want fast snap back, not fat letters.

 

I will if asked explain my subjective system.

[welch]

For $1,000 I might buy a double-jewel P-51, but I have three 51s that write perfectly, and another two-dozen or so good ones. Do I need another 51, even a beautiful one?

 

The P-75 is a great pen, and I use it with my favorite three 51s. 

 

I've got a PFM and several other classics, including a MontBlanc 146 and a Pelikan 600 from Richard B (= "Binderized") but my hand just agrees with the three regular P-51s and the 75.

 

No expensive pen appeals to me. 

 

I would probably put the $1,000 toward our mortgage!

[PAKMAN]

The new Pelikan M1000 Renaissance Brown

[chromantic]

I would probably buy 2 Optimas. 

[penwarrior32]

Visconti HM bronze age or Pelikan M1000

[MHBru]

I’m with @PAKMAN … the new Pelikan M1000! 

[Detman101]

Uhhh....I guess I'd put a down payment on a Montblanc Calligraphy?
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