What Pens Are You Using Today?

[kirkwrites]

My Current Fountain Pen Collection

 

My favorite pen is a sterling Parker 75 my twin sister gave me when I graduated college in 1975. I practically wore it out. When it started leaking, I put it on the shelf for a couple of years. I sent it back to Parker to get repair or replacement on lifetime warranty. They gave me a Parker Sonnet Ciselle as a replacement – and returned my worn out sterling silver 75 with some suggested sources for refurbishing it. I used Fahrney's and received a new piston-type converter and other parts. They preserved the excellent, old 18K gold nib. Lately, I'm using the replacement silver Sonnet Ciselle Parker sent me on warranty. It's finally breaking in. At first the ink flow was a problem. Cheap paper is partially to blame. None of my pens work as well on cheap paper as they do on better writing papers.

 

More recently, I purchased a black Waterman Expert II fountain pen. I found it online at a respected seller with a remarkably low price. My only disappointment was that the pen did not come with a converter – only one refill. I quickly remedied that problem. The refills are fine, but I prefer drawing ink from a bottle. One exception: I own several Parker Vector fountain pens. I bought a carton of them more than 10 years ago, at about $4 each. They're cheap, but remarkably reliable and smooth. I carry them in my bag when I'm knocking about, riding my bicycle, and don't want to risk losing a finer writing instrument.

 

In Portland, OR, I stopped by Paradise Pens and bought a Lamy All Star for under $40. It's another pen that's a good choice for rugged use, where I may risk losing it. The pen doesn't flow like my finer Waterman and Parker pens – or even as well as the Parker Vector. But it's lightweight, aluminum, and has a great feel.

 

An odd favorite of mine is a hand-turned walnut fountain pen with a German nib. The pen was crafted by a local Louisville hobbyist. It's personalized with my name laser-etched in the wood on the threaded cap. I don't care for the rhodium point compared to gold, but it's pretty nice. The natural wood is heavy, but well balanced. I found that it takes a standard piston converter ordered from Fahrney's online. I've always had trouble keeping the ink flowing in this pen – especially after it goes unused for more than a few days. Again, the converter seems to help in this regard.

 

Other pens I regularly use for journal writing, doodling, and general business include:

 

• 
   
  
• Waterman Phileas 15 years old
  
• Montefiore Wordsmith novelty gift pen
  
• Two refurbished J-series Esterbrooks like my dad carried
  

 

The Esterbrooks are fast becoming my favorites. They're strictly old-school, with old bladded-style reservoirs. My sister and nephew have gone crazy collecting them for pennies on the dollar compared with the more modern choices. They gave me pens they've refurbished. I love them both – the people foremost, and the pens as a reminder of the ones who gave them to me.

 

I recently ordered three Montefiore pens in a rosewood finished case for under $40, including shipping, from an online store. I bought them just to see how they compare with my better pens. I can't imagine that they'll be much to write home about. They're described as follows: "Crafted of solid brass, the 24-karat gold-plated, fine silverplated and rich enamel pens feature a high-performance Iridium point nib and come@[twitter]kirkwrites' class="bbc_url">@kirkwrites' class="bbc_url">@[twitter]kirkwrites in a rosewood stained display box." We shall see.

[Professor Zlatko]

Today my favorite fountain pen is a Pelikan 140...

[staypuft02]

today it's my workhorse work pen-- a muji aluminum fp with noodler's manhattan blue... though, i just received a pelikan m400 from DeScribe, which i know is just gonna distract me all afternoon long until i can get home and ink it :blink:

[riff raff]

TWSBI Diamond 530F loaded with Pelikan Edelstein Aventurine.

[Bill Smith]

Today's pen is a midnight black MKI UK production Parker 51 with rolled silver cap inked up with Diamine Imperial Purple.

[jniforat]

wing sung 220 celluloid from the 90s w/noodler's #41 brown

brand new lamy 2000 w/ B nin w/noodler's dark matter

estie blue j w/ a wet 2556 nib w/everflo true blue

[rsx]

Not quite a fountain pen, but using my blue Visconti Rembrandt Eco-Roller, with Noodler's Texas Bluebonnet ink. This is smooth and writes in places my fountain pen just won't go - like on cheap paper!

[ImolaS3]

Pelikan M400 broad with Dianmine Maroon and a Pelikan M600 OB with Diamine green

[countrydirt]

Today I will endure a day of "professional development" along with my teaching colleagues. So I planned out the inks and pens to keep my mind off the excruciatingly mind-numbing drone of the presenters. Lamy Safari - EF - Noodler's Red-Black; Lamy Al-Star - F - Noodler's Green Marine and Levenger Claret - homebrew; Cross Townsend - F - Sailor Jentle Black and Daiso mini - unnamed black short cartridge. Color coded notes for some inane reason.

[penburg]

I'm using a red Wing Sung 237 this week + Waterman's red (w/added Quink black to make a wine-ish red). Conical triumph-style nib.

 

I must say that for $15 (picked up at a show a couple of years ago) and having been stored away for some time, this is a nice, functional pen. Did some smoothing on the nib. I'm more willing to carry this around in my briefcase than my other vintage Sheaffer Triumphs. There is a place for economical Chinese FPs.

 

[rsx]

Using a Platinum Preppy 03 fountain pen I picked up yesterday. What a beautiful, smooth and wet fine point writer! Cheap, nice looking and refillable, great for writing on the lousy quality paper at work. I am going to enjoy using this pen more than many of its pricier cousins.

[Pippin60]

Black Emotica fine with PR Velvet Black, and Coffee Lamy Al-Star with Noodlers Beaver Brown.

[inkspot]

Cashmere Beige Waterman Harmonie with Waterman Black. My first fountain pen and sentimental favorite.

[peterg]

Today I was using a dimpled silver Parker Sonnet which I bought new in the 1980s. The others were a black Wyvern 80 with a lovely doric ring around the cap, a black rubber Pitman Fono with a wide gold band on the cap and a pair of Wearevers in light and dark green marble. They look like copies of a Parker Parkette and have steel nibs.

 

I wonder what I will take in next week. One of them will be a mottled red rubber Rosemary pen as it is our rememberance week.

 

Regards, Peter

[AtomicLeo]

Jinaho 321 with Marine Green and Rasberry Al-star Lamy with Burgundy Mist

[glindauer]

Today I am writing with a Parker 21 I purchased from a gentleman here on the FPN. It is a great writer-- I am pleasantly surprised, since it has been described as the inexpensive "school" version of the Parker 51.

[MassTahDohn]

For school either my Yafa or my Sheaffer School Pen (version 3?). For home either a Parker 21 or my Lamy Studio. For practicing caligraphy, my Manuscript Calligraphy Pen or my Pilot Plumix (which I just bought today!)

[reprieve]

Simpole B. P., italic fine nib, Noodler's Golden Brown.

Parker 51 Flighter, 1.3mm stub nib, Iroshizuku Tsuki-yo.

Nakaya Desk Pen Aka-tame, flexible fine nib, Iroshizuku Tsuki-yo.

[mannyr27]

Dani Trio Barytone M, Diamine Prussian Blue...

[lsmith42]

Gold MB 146 Stub w/Edelstein Topaz