Your 2024 in pens and intentions for 2025.

[sandy101]

So, it's the end of 2024. How did the year pass in pens?

 

This year I wasn't planning on adding anything much to the collected. And I almost didn't...

 

At the start of the year I got back into reading Hemingway and bought a Montegrappa Elmo 01 - reasoning that if Hemingway used Montegrappa it would probablhy be closer to the Elmo - and was much cheaper than the MG Hemingway Special editions. Unfortunately the nibs didn't write so well, but I had the presence of mind to take it to the London Pen Show and a nib specialist was able to get the two nibs writing. The MG with a Medium nib has been my EDC since. 

 

Later in the year, I bought two Montblancs. An MB Robert Louis Stevenson Writer's edition, purely because it was there in the local shop and I fancied a pen inspired by one of my countrymen & a 100th Anniversary 149 edition - as I didn't have one and got a good 20% discount on it. Both pens are getting daily use as desk pens. I bought fewer pens this year, but spent more money than I normally do.  I also bought a Caran D'ache 849 fountain pen in a sale in an attempt to have a cheaper EDC that was easier to replace (after almost losing a CDA Leman), but it didn't write so well. It's in my pencil case as a back-up

 pen, but it's not one I pick up often.

 

My eyesight has changed so I have changed nibs over the last couple of years. I'm favouring medium/broad nibs as I can read the thicker lines without having to find my reading glasses. I continue to use the for Postcrossing, creative writing and work work. 

 

Pens that got the most use in 2024 were the Montegrappa Elmo 01, a Lamy Aion which lives in my office at work, The MB Stevenson, a Visconti Van Gough with a broad nib, a Parker 51 and Pilot Falcon. Most of the vintage pens have stayed in their cases - I think my choices have consolidated a little more as I just want to ge tthe writing done. If a pen is getting in the way of that - it's not getting used. 

 

Inks have been Montegrappa black (bottle). MB's Stevenson (a seaweed green/brown), Parker Quink - Permanent Blue and Blue Black. Lamy Blue black and Caran D'ache black and idyllic blue. 

 

Paper - I've got a lifetime's supply of notebooks and then some. I've been mostly using an  English paper from Choosing-Keeping, Moleskine and Field Notes for EDC and Leucchturm1917 for journalling. The page nos and indexes on Leucchturm1917 make stuff easier to find. I have kept a journal reviewing art production over the years and it is very been useful to be able to find past reviews to compare notes over the years.  

 

Thoughts for 2025- I've got enough. Maintaining and using what I have got (which comes with a cost when a vintage pen or MB goes wrong) and selling some of the pens I'm not using  (which I say every year, but never get around to) is where I'm at at the moment. 

 

I've got two and a half novels to finish/redraft and that's what I should be focusing on. I've got some of the best writing tools in the world. Time to make use of them and make them count. 

 

Anyone care  to share their experience this year and their intentions/resolutions for 2025? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[UpadhyayAbhinav]

I bought a Pilot E95S <M> burgundy in Feb, have been quite happy with it except for the small converter. I bought four Jinhao pens in November, which turned out to be a curse because I was not happy with the out of the box performance of the nibs and hence tried to fine tune them using sandpaper of grit size 3K,5K,7K and 10K. This although did improve the writing experience somewhat, but as emboldened I was with this experience, I went on trying to improve my Parker Frontier and ended up ruining the nib. All these pens were the cheapest ones I own, so not a huge shock, but a shock nonetheless. In the last four months of the year I got too much into traditional Indian ebonite eyedroppers and flex nib calligraphy, cursive penmanship, Copperplate, Spencerian etc. I got a custom made flex nib, installed in a Woodex #4. Currently, there are pens and nibs from Kanwrite and pens from PLP that I have ordered and are in transit. They will reach me in one or two days. I have plans for more Woodex, PLP and Guider for this year. I am very optimistic about this year in terms of pens.

[Estycollector]

I use an FP daily for journaling and study notes.

 

What did occur this year is a repair to a Sheafer Crest with a sac replacement. I tools and supplies made it through the move in '20 and the shellac had not dried up or the talc been misplaced. It was satisfying to get the pen repaired so easily since I guess it's like riding a bike, as they say. 

 

Right now, I am not planning on more ink or pens, just consistent use. 

[Bo Bo Olson]

I ended up with a lot of pens this year.

The 'gold capped' MB copy of the Lamy 2000, has a stuck piston so must be repaired. They were not on my list but were had cheap enough in a live auction.

Herlitz Bugatti set (wife has the BP), and that ink dried to the back of the bottle.

A Blue Lamy Studio, with now a Z55 springy gold nib. Oddly I wanted a M, but they were €80, and the B was only 40.

A Chinese pen that is worth a lot of money in China. Thankfully a nice poster told me not to take it to the flea market and sell it for €5.00.

MB 264, set.

Waterman 0554gold Gothic 1981-mid 30's....Wet Noodle. I really wanted that ink well.The 800 silver pen claned up well an dso did the ink incrusted nib of the Waterman.

A 400nn tortoise.

Some sort of East German pen with a very nice semi-flex nib.

Kaweco sport, semi-flex, piston pen and a semi-flex MB 14....nothing else. Which was great in I had in mind to get a 144 for the balance....but this is better.

A 1927 Parker Doufold....wet noodle.

This 1927 Duofold, I thought would go for much more than the €150 start bid, so didn't leave a  bid for it.

It didn't sell so I got it. Needs the plunger polished and a new sac.

 

A Pelikan 200 that was in a Parker Pennmann Ruby inkwell set.

An AP pen with a fancy internal piston/converter. Sometimes pens are just in a lot.

A couple east german pens.

Fend pens...'50s I think,  were part of a live auction lot.

The first one has no name, and what could be a fake Bock nib...a War pen, no cap rings. Then my second mercedes pen...they had a warehouse in my village near heidlebertArurora FP&BP in the middle, worn Diplomat Classica couple Osmia's, a Parker Firedance, and the end pen is a sterling silver 5005 Faber Castel. The 18 k MB nib is a display nib, no slit, nore tipping.

Outside the firedance, I've not used any of those pens yet.

 

 

A second Geha odds and ends bakalite box. I added a bit on that with the building the then Stationalry store was in. A building made by a famous for then 1900, architect.

From the start of the year....the two round gadget holders.

 

Then comes the many inkwells.  Or pen holders.

 

 

One at a time...both spotted by my wife.

Paperweight

Have more pictures with it's apart. When I win, the pictures are mine too.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I'm also working on two novels, and two story collections.  First drafts and subsequent notes are written with fountain pens.  And I too have tons of notebooks.  Discovered that I like Apica for its qualities.
 

But also, I've been culling both pens/ink and notebooks.  Donating duplicates, or pens that don't quite suit my hand.

 

I bought some new inks that looked good in reviews but were disappointing in real life (except for Yodaki, a Sailor pink with massive green sheen).  
 

The only new pen I'd buy is if the right Pelikan with Medium nib revealed itself, or a MB 149 jumped into my pocket.   

 

Happy New Year's Eve!

[Bo Bo Olson]

I was told I ran out of space,,,or my pictures were too big.

I had not come close to realizing what a busy year I had had.

 

 

Sorry but sometimes it just won't post right side up.

My wife went to an estate sale and asked for inwells. The Parker inkwell with Pennmann Ruby (more a burgandy) ink and a 200 Pelikan for €5.00

 

 

This one sat at a tombstone, stone mason's for many months, but was inexpensive.  The small lifter was needed. An other marble inkwell was trimmed up and a marble foot for a Art Decco marble clock was also done. If you look hard one can see the lifter is just a bit different.

I'm pretty sure this beer mug was early this year..The top is intereting, the cops had to make sure last call  was finished. This is pinched glass.

That by far is the most, and best detailed of my  70 or so pewter topped beer mugs.

[Penguincollector]

   I’m probably going to try and restrain myself unless I see a grail or an incredible bargain next year. This Xmas was a bit excessive, but super fun, and every other Amazon order had something pen related in it. After swatching a different ink every day this year, I am not planning on doing any ink projects for awhile except for using it all. 
 

   I bought too much to go through on a post here without getting a bit extreme.

 

 

[Bo Bo Olson]

1 hour ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

The only new pen I'd buy is if the right Pelikan with Medium nib revealed itself,

I would suggest a 400NN, a medium-long pen; great balanced posted pen** with a factory stubbed semi-flex nib....a flair nib.

The M would be good, 1/2 a width narrower than modern Pelikan....or F for editing. Holds 1.95/2.00ml of ink.

One scribbles just normal, and natural pressure gives you the flair.

 

Otherwise, a used tear drop tipped Pelikan 200 would do well, great balance posted, a nice springy tear drop tipped nib....so you get a comfortable ride and a clean line. 5-7 years ago Pelikan ruined that great nib by making it double balled. Don't buy new!

 

Some folks complain about writing slow ith a semi-flex...because they are trying to make a flare nib into a Calligraphy nib. I think of that as Nib Abuse.

 

**When Noobie, the 400nn came in 4th in my 20 pen balance contest. 1st a back weighted standard sized  MB semi-flex KOB 234 1/2...4 1/2 is nib size. Second was a thin medium long Geha 725, with rolled gold  triming. 3rd was a standard sized silver P-75.

It only took me some three years to judge the 400nn to be better balanced than a 400.

That era pens show great balance posted.

..............................

With the right insperation ... one can write for 12 hours...otherwise it can take will power to do a couple of hours. There are times when all flows..........other times where the puzzle of detail has to be put in the right part of the picture. ... one piece at a time. One is going to have to throw away 1/3 as is...

Right now, I'm trying to dress three high classed 1881 Shady Ladies, off to winter war. Get out of town or die, now. The Winter Fashion of 1881...for gun fighting, Bowie carrying women; off to shave the lion in his den...well, one does have a 1876 Swiss Sabre she knows how to use.

.........................

I have a Pelikan 200 Copper-rose coming...that should be it.

Won't be...But I was shocked at how many pens and inkwells I got this year.

[inkstainedruth]

Something like 30 pens added to the stash in 2024, most recently the Lamy al-Star "Ravenclaw" pen from their "Harry Potter" collection (although one of the earlier purchases, the Sheaffer Fashion -- one of the estate sale finds from 2024 -- seems to have gone missing , as did a couple of other pens, including the TWSBI 700 Vac "Iris"; OTOH, I had a 51 Vac appear in my living room out of nowhere -- in a box, no less -- which I do NOT remember having bought ).  Did pretty well at estate sales in the area in 2024, most noticeably a Cordovan Brown 51 Vac put together with a Midnight Parker 45 along with TWO spare converters for the 45 in addition to the one installed in it; and the Parker sterling Ciselé set (although the nib on the FP is in bad shape).  And somehow ended up with THREE Snorkel desk pens (although only one base) at a couple of OTHER estate sales.

Trying to be better about buying ink, although picked up a couple of partial bottles of vintage ink at an antiques mall south of me, along with a bit of an oddball pen: a "Shirley Temple" pen (a lever filler apparently made by a Wearever sub brand); and just picked up a backup bottle Waterman Tender Purple when I was in NYC last week at Fountain Pen Hospital.  

Suspect my first purchases of 2025 will be converters for various pens (including the "Ravenclaw" al-Star, a couple of Parker Vectors, a couple of Sheaffer No Nonsense pens, and the Pelikan P10 Twist that was swag at this year's Pittsburgh Pelikan Hub (keeping my fingers crossed that in a couple of years Pelikan will release the blue and cream one in a smaller size than the M800...). 

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

[Sailor Kenshin]

21 minutes ago, Bo Bo Olson said:

I would suggest a 400NN, a medium-long pen; great balanced posted pen** with a factory stubbed semi-flex nib....a flair nib.

The M would be good, 1/2 a width narrower than modern Pelikan....or F for editing. Holds 1.95/2.00ml of ink.

One scribbles just normal, and natural pressure gives you the flair.

 

Otherwise, a used tear drop tipped Pelikan 200 would do well, great balance posted, a nice springy tear drop tipped nib....so you get a comfortable ride and a clean line. 5-7 years ago Pelikan ruined that great nib by making it double balled. Don't buy new!

 

Some folks complain about writing slow ith a semi-flex...because they are trying to make a flare nib into a Calligraphy nib. I think of that as Nib Abuse.

 

**When Noobie, the 400nn came in 4th in my 20 pen balance contest. 1st a back weighted standard sized  MB semi-flex KOB 234 1/2...4 1/2 is nib size. Second was a thin medium long Geha 725, with rolled gold  triming. 3rd was a standard sized silver P-75.

It only took me some three years to judge the 400nn to be better balanced than a 400.

That era pens show great balance posted.

..............................

With the right insperation ... one can write for 12 hours...otherwise it can take will power to do a couple of hours. There are times when all flows..........other times where the puzzle of detail has to be put in the right part of the picture. ... one piece at a time. One is going to have to throw away 1/3 as is...

Right now, I'm trying to dress three high classed 1881 Shady Ladies, off to winter war. Get out of town or die, now. The Winter Fashion of 1881...for gun fighting, Bowie carrying women; off to shave the lion in his den...well, one does have a 1876 Swiss Sabre she knows how to use.

.........................

I have a Pelikan 200 Copper-rose coming...that should be it.

Won't be...But I was shocked at how many pens and inkwells I got this year.

But they are quite handsome.

[AmandaW]

I have a Perkeo collection that may get completed in 2025. I didn't bother with the All Clear because the cap liner is so visible and unpretty, but I just realised adding a clip might hide the worst of it. There are two clip colours so I would be wanting two pens. Then I realised I could put the colour converters in them... How many of those are there? OK, maybe not THAT complete...

[Bo Bo Olson]

1 hour ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

But they are quite handsome.

Thank you....luck has much to do with it.

I don't have the moola to chase.

.....................

Now comes the hard part......not buying but have restored or repaired.

[PennyTheDog]

I bought a few pens, including three that I like especially: a Nahvalur Original (medium), a Lamy Studio (fine), and a Sailor 1911L (mf). I’ve been using the Nahvalur with red ink for most of my grading, the Lamy with black ink for most of my drawing, and the Sailor for most of my writing (although the Sailor is my newest pen). I don’t have a good picture of the Lamy, but the other two are shown.

 

I’ve also been picking up some school supplies for my son, who’s starting college in the fall. For the pens and pencils I’ve tried to get models that are nice and work well but wouldn’t be too painful to lose. I got him a Pilot Metropolitan and Prera; two Parker IM rollerballs; two Parker Jotter gel pens; two Uni Jetstream 4&1 multi pens; and a Pentel Sharp Kerry mechanical pencil. Obviously this was all a little unnecessary, but it gives me something to do instead of fretting about him leaving!

 

For 2025 I hope to do less buying, and more writing and drawing. The grading, I feel like I’m doing plenty of that already. Happy New Year!

[A Smug Dill]

My intentions for 2025: no new acquisitions. (Yeah, right.)

[TSherbs]

In 2024 I bought zero pens. I talked myself out of two or three impulse purchases (nothing of note or large expense).

 

Not sure what 2025 will bring. I am open to whatever happens. I look around occasionally at <100USD new releases, but nothing much has struck me for a long time. 

[dms525]

Leonardo pens and their Radius1934 brand continued to be the focus of my collecting. Here is the Class of 2024 group photo:

 

 

I did acquire a number of other pens. The most special of which, in my opinion, was the Visconti Homo sapiens Lotus Garden.

 

 

I also was able to buy an Aurora Optima Luce Verde, a pen I had admired since its release. It was put on sale at a time when it was sold out by most shops!

 

 

I did "discover" a new pen maker whose pens are a bit unusual in design but very comfortable to use - Ulpia from Spain. Here's the first one I bought:

 

 

 

I contemplate with mixed feelings the likelihood that Leonardo with continue to release new pens in 2025 I will be unable to resist.

 

David

[senzen]

2024 was the second year running I failed at not buying more pens; even when getting them is becoming more expensive (import tariffs), more of a hassle, and I lowered my preferred budget per pen to under $50*, expecting to find nothing.

 

Pelikan MC110*: main excuse: 1.5 calligraphy nib; real excuse: it's a brown and chrome Pelikan! Gets along with Smokey Grey.

 

Geha 700, bordeaux with a steel nib: gorgeous. Another pen for Smokey Grey.

 

Mabie Todd Swan 3230*, greenish grey, medium nib: wanted to experience this brand and model for a long time, was not disappointed. Ancient Copper looks awesome coming out of it 

 

Geha Scholier, grey with 14k nib. It's a Geha, what can I say; did require a bit of tinkering but all is well now. Produces a lighter Edelstein Tanzanite.

 

Lus 58 Giubileo*: the nib can be made more flexible or rigid, like the Pilot Justus; cracked filling system unfortunately, wich will require a bit of thinking and patience.

 

Waterman Gentleman 33*, black plastic wood finish: drop dead gorgeous. Works fine with Vert de Gris, stilll produces way too much shading for my liking, which usually improves with a bit more cleaning, but the section seems rather fragile.

 

Platinum 3776 Century Oshino (tansparent), F nib: gorgeous pen, I'd long given up on finding a Century; the nib writes like a pencil, more so that Sailor, eventually gave up and very slightly polished it, now a great writing experience with Bleu de Minuit. Doesn't dry out as advertised but the ink does slowly turn darker.

 

Cleo Skribent*, F nib: a little known brand I'd given up on, this is the cartridge model; very nice pen for Vert de Gris.

 

Parker 85, silver with a medium nib: I was surprised to find this pen for close to the new preferred budget; very similar to the 75, perhaps less elegant, but doesn't dry nearly as quickly. Perfect with Celadon Cat.

 

[Bo Bo Olson]

2 hours ago, dms525 said:

Leonardo pens and their Radius1934 brand

And the rest....Very pretty pens.

[SpencerianDream]

I probably bought 20 pens this year, a mix of old and new. I’d like to say I’ll dramatically throttle back in 2025, but realistically the jury’s out. I have 3-4 on my “realistically I will probably buy” list, and a few others at least will probably come along when I find a deal that’s too good to pass up. 
 

I feel like this year I’ve honed my tastes a lot and also learned to appreciate other things —which is dangerous for the wallet. It’s a lot easier when you can say “no that’s not a Japanese EF so I have no interest.” Heh. 
 

 

[inkstainedruth]

So far, for 2025, I expect that I will be getting various pens repaired at some point or other -- top of the list is probably either getting nib work done on the Parker 75 with the F nib from the set I bought at an estate sale in November, or trying to find a replacement nib that doesn't cost an arm & a leg and another arm (including having someone install it for me).

And I want to get back to doing testing of all the different inks i've acquired over the last couple of years, and doing comparisons between them if they seem to be similar colors.

I also might be trying my hand at fiction writing after getting into it a bit with someone on FB.  Someone had posted about their new novel coming out (I gather some sort of fantasy series) and I basically asked what publisher, since the person had made some snide remarks about Amazon.  And got told "Oh, I'm SELF-publishing" and I couldn't figure out what made that ANY better (and cost-wise, possibly WORSE, than a "vanity press") and talked about my mom.  And then someone ELSE was like "Well, what have YOU published?"  And I said, "I'm not a novelist -- and we were talking about my MOTHER; or what part of "Doubleday Crime Club" did you not parse the FIRST time I said that?"  Mind you, she was only ever able to sell them ONE mystery, but it did come out in both hardcover & paperback editions, plus an edition in the UK, and I think a paperback edition translated into Italian.... And that was with Doubleday paying HER -- not her going to some vanity press house.  As for the original woman blathering about how SHE liked "control", I was basically thinking, "Yeah, whatever..."  -- because Mom actually SOLD something like 40 novels -- mostly without an agent and DEFINITELY without her having to cough up money other than to mail the manuscripts off....  She wrote them herself, she edited the manuscript copies herself, and she didn't pay anyone to hawk her stuff FOR her.  The closest to that was that she "co-authored" one of the bodice rippers that someone she knew slightly -- I think from SFWA, but don't remember who it was -- had gotten turned down at Playboy because it was apparently really bad (basically she "wrote" it, based on the other person's idea, and was slightly PO'd that the other guy got 20%).  Although Mom did suggest (even though that wasn't picked up on) that the guy's "pen name" should blather on the cover about how good the book was.... 

I didn't bother to say that while I only have ONE credit to my name as far as writing poetry (and I didn't know that the small magazine I'd sent it to had accepted ANY of the stuff I'd sent them until I got my ONE contributor copy) I DID get that one poem published in an actual magazine that *wasn't* just some school publication.  And that was when I was a freshman in college.  I also didn't bother to mention that my brother got 2 SF/horror stories published in actual SF magazines when HE was 17 and still in high school....  (Mom told that to some guy at an SFWA Nebula banquet or party in NYC that year and she said the guy basically turned a little green around the gills and said to her, "When *I* was 17, I was still collecting BASEBALL CARDS!")

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth