Metal pens: silver or gold?

[Susanna]

Speaking of personal preferences, not considering the cost: do you prefer a silver pen or a "yellow" gold pen?

I'm curious to know if the current fashion of white gold in jewels is valid also in pens.

Not trims, which depend also on the material and colours of body and cap: let's talk of metal pens.

 

In these days I'm monitoring the results of a close-out sale I'm running, and silver seems much more appreciated than gold. I'm wondering if this is due to its preciousness (in my case, silver is solid, while gold is plated) or to its look.

 

Your opinions will be very very welcome.

Edited October 14, 2008 by Susanna

[JJBlanche]

I always found gold pens garish, whether solid or plated. Silver pens are another story entirely; quite nice.

 

For me, in short, it comes down to how they look. I've never been a huge fan of gold. Perhaps a gold ring, or a gold nib, but not a gold pen, watch, etc.

Edited October 14, 2008 by JJBlanche

[FrankB]

Generally, I do not care for metal pens. Those metal pens I do own tend to be gold. I guess it is just personal taste, but I feel gold looks classier.

[richardandtracy]

I like both, with a slight preference for gold.

 

When I have gold, I want it to look like gold - white gold or platinum may as well be cheaper silver to my view.

 

Regards

 

Richard.

 

[Ghost Plane]

Susanna - While my preferences have ALWAYS run to silver [or platinum!] for both jewelry and pens, those gold pens I do own are often of unusual color combination or workmanship. For example I have a vermeil Conklin Crescent Glory LE that I found irresistable because of the interplay with the imperial purple resin beneath. My Visconti Romanica called to me because of the green and blue colored enamel against the vermeil and the cream resin, even though I already had the same beautiful design in silver and black. On the other hand, I rarely use my salesman's sample of the Visconti Renaissance in vermeil because the color seems "off" somehow for the design.

 

On the whole I prefer cooler tones in pens, jewels and art, and still don't have the evergreen or cappacino Van Goghs because of the gold furniture on the pens, even tho' the colors in person are beautiful.

[Renzhe]

I prefer the color of silver, but prefer gold's inertness.

[Edgar Allan Bo]

I don't like anything flashy on my pens (except the nib), but if I had to choose between gold and silver I would go with silver...

[MrRogers]

Neither but definitely gold above silver. The only silver pen I own is an aurora Ipsilon which always looks dirty and tarnished despite regular cleaning. If you choose a silver pen, get one with alot of patterns on the barrel.

 

MrR

 

PS- Also the cap on my Ipsilon constantly mars the silver barrel.

[wspohn]

I am very fond of sterling silver, and that would generally be my preference. Obviously solid gold isn't a candidate considering the price, so we have to talk about gold plate.

 

I think that there is a perception that a solid metal is superior to a plated item, and perhaps this is what you see on pens. Many people prefer to fly a little under the notice of others as well, and gold glitz doesn't do that.

 

I recently bought a very expensive pen and was offered the options of sterling, yellow gold plate or rose gold plate, both over sterling. I opted for unplated sterling.

[MYU]

What about mixed silver and gold? Or Vermeil? And of course there are other precious metals, like rhodium, palladium, and platinum. Lastly, stainless steel which can also be trimmed with silver, gold, or whatever other precious metal.

 

I've seen some seriously gaudy metal pens in both silver and gold, but then I've also seen some very impressive versions that are quite tasteful.

[Nickelodeon]

Definitely silver, regardless of whether we're talking about metal pens or only the trim. I've seen combinations of the two which look good but I've never been a fan of all-gold.

[yachtsilverswan]

For men, current styles are trending away from yellow gold and toward white metals (white gold, platinum, silver, and rhodium).

 

White metals seem more casual, and seem to dress down better than does yellow gold. A silver trimmed pen looks better with khakis and a polo than does a yellow gold pen. Perhaps after a decade of garish rappers clad in yellow bullion, perhaps men are rebelling against the bling.

 

Highly polished all metal pens are also less popular - white or yellow, because they look too dressy for everyday casual use. I have a Michel Perchin pen carved from a solid block of sterling silver, but the cap and barrel are coated with a translucent blue enamel to blunt the blinding bling of an all metal pen. Most pens aimed at a male demographic use metal trim, but are not entirely constructed of polished metal.

 

Between the white metals, I prefer platinum or white gold. Silver has to be frequently polished to keep its luster. And Rhodium has a colder look with less depth to its finish.

 

I tend to match the metal color of my pen to other accessories - my belt buckle, cufflinks, glasses frames, etc. (I don't wear a watch or ring.)

 

One of my favorite pens is Faber Castell's Porsche Design P3110 which has a barrel of woven bands of stainless steel and yellow gold. The flat finish of the stainless steel subdues the polished gold and makes the pen look good in any setting.

 

Now, if we could just convince Montblanc to release a MB 149 with platinum trim instead of yellow gold...

[Richard]

Silver pens. Like this Wahl 652C.

 

http://www.richardspens.com/images/collection/zoomed/wahl_652_ss.jpg

[Rufus]

I voted silver. Generally I prefer ebonite, celluloid or plastic over metal when it comes to pens. I have only two metal pens: a sterling silver Parker 75 and the silver Bexley Fifteenth Anniversary/2008 Owners' Club. I find metal pens too heavy as a rule.

[Titivillus]

I'd love to see a green gold pen...but that isn't going to happen any time soon I fear!

 

Kurt

[Shangas]

If it's gold, it should be solid gold, so that it doesn't wear or brass too easily. If not, then I'd take silver. But I'd prefer gold.

[lapis]

Hard to answer but I voted silver.

The next pens I want with a lot of metal (cap or not) include a Parker 75 but also a Pelikan M450 and/or an M900.

I myself prefer silber because the rest of the colours, whatever, e.g. green, red, blue all fit better with the "colour" of silver than they do with gold.

 

Mike

[WillAdams]

Back when I was a kid wearing gold framed glasses and a gold high school class ring it would've been gold --- these days it's silver and I'm still trying to work out which silverish pen I should get (ideally I'd like to get something made of sterling or pure silver which is very geometric w/ a plain, sensible, military clip):

 

- Sheaffer Agio Chrome Nickel --- will match the Barely Black I already have and I can swap the nibs around, but not silver, and I wish it were less ornate (I want plainer end caps)

 

- Sheaffer Targa --- (assuming I could find one) --- I'm not wild about the inlaid nib, and I'd have to either have the nib re-ground or would have to track down an italic nib from one of the calligraphy sets

 

- Sheaffer TRZ --- as hard as the pen would be to find, the converter would be even more difficult, right?

 

- Caran d'Ache Ecridor Retro --- a bit more ornate than I want, could be engraved though, but some people have had durability issues w/ the nylon which holds the cap? Would also need to have the nib reground

 

- Pelikan Pura --- not as geometric as I'd prefer and not silver, would have to be reground.

 

- Pelikan Pharo --- not as geometric as I'd like, but a very cool shape (unfortunately I gave one I'd bought away as a gift....)

 

- Lamy St, Linea or cp 1 pt --- these don't seem to be available in the states and the Lamy logo is a bit more prominent than I'd prefer

 

- Muji Aluminum fountain pen --- can't find any, not silver, but otherwise exactly what I want I think.

 

I seem to recall that Levenger had a sterling silver fountain pen available a couple of years ago, which would've been just what I wanted if I remember right --- is there anything else I'm missing? Any other suggestions?

 

William

 

 

 

 

[clickiechick]

@WillAdams - you can never go wrong with the Ecridor retro design - pure classic elegance.

 

I love silver pens best. I like how versatile it is, how you can go from industrial to luxury very easily with it.

[Susanna]

Thank you for your opinions!

I see that silver absolutely wins vs gold. (It means I must rebate the gold pens... )