W/NW Show me your nice fountain pens

Chris and oneANT, Nice to see other Nakaya users. I have three and enjoy them all: one portable cigar and two portable writers. Portable cigar is a dark green and I found a Diamine ink for it that matches British Racing Green quite well.



ChrisLivsey said:
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Cigar shape, portable Aka-tamenuri in Ebonite with Goldfish Maki-e converter.
Empty, deciding on which ink is definitely worse than choosing film type.
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Dave, I agree: cannot have just one pen. But the best match, in my opinion, to your Leicas is a Pelikan M800 in the green/black color combination. Well made and a terrific writer. And you can easily change out nibs, as you would lenses on a camera.





dave lackey said:
Uhhh.. Good grief! 😱

I have been wanting to get a single, yes just one, fountain pen for my desk. If anyone here just had to have one fountain pen, which one would you choose?😕
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Mine is a set of Kaweco Lilliput pens, made from aluminium. Fountain pen and ball point. Fountain pen filled with Pelican Jade Green ink.
Haven't got a picture handy but it you look 'em up on the interwebs you can see how small they are.

Bought 'em in Berlin a few years back and was mocked for the price vs size but I intend to use 'em for many years to come.
 
rumbliegeos said:
Like photo gear, fountain pens can become addictive. These are vintage Conway Stewarts, a major English brand:

[url=https://flic.kr/p/f61xMr]Untitled by Auchinbreck, on Flickr[/URL]
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I used to own a Conway Stewart - the pink and black colored one which is 5th from the right in the group shot. I lost it somewhere unfortunately but while I owned it I loved it for the flexible 18 carat nib which was a pure joy to write with. I recall taking it to work one day and suspect I left it in someone's office during a meeting. (Never did like or trust that guy).

I have since bought many fountain pens including a Montblanc Meisterstuck but none compare in terms of the pleasure in use.

One thing I want to ask you is whether you know what the barrels are made from? I recall it had a most unusual smell (and taste if one put the end of the barrel in one's mouth).
 
For those who wish to indulge but do not wish to pay a lot of money go to ebay and find the fountain pen section in collectibles/pens and writing instruments. The Chinese make a huge range of fountain pens none of which are of the quality of good European or Japanese pens in my experience. But in many cases they can be had for no more than a few dollars each. And at this price they are mostly quite pleasant pens for the price. (And if you do get a dud occasionally then you have lost little). Its a fun way to indulge in a new obsession without the wife threatening a divorce. I have bought probably 20 or so cheap pens and the better ones are really quite nice to use. They all suffer from similar problems such as a too small ink reservoir and excessively stiff nibs. But at the prices you will pay it's also a good way to learn how to modify nibs to write more smoothly etc. There are plenty of pen blogs which will provide instructions. So yes, this is another addiction, but fortunately the itch can be scratched more cheaply than is the case with cameras unless you wish to pay big bucks for rare custom pens. Which is fine too if that is your pleasure.
 
dave lackey said:
Uhhh.. Good grief! 😱

I have been wanting to get a single, yes just one, fountain pen for my desk. If anyone here just had to have one fountain pen, which one would you choose?😕
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If you wish to buy a classic pen rather than anorth inexpensive Chinese pen I mention in another post I have a soft spot for Sheaffer pens. There are many designs and prices to fit your budget but there is something about them that is both nice to look at and use. Classic Sheaffer pens are readily available on eBay
 
peterm1 said:
If you wish to buy a classic pen rather than anorth inexpensive Chinese pen I mention in another post I have a soft spot for Sheaffer pens. There are many designs and prices to fit your budget but there is something about them that is both nice to look at and use. Classic Sheaffer pens are readily available on eBay
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I really like Lamy safari, they go for about 25$ online now.
If I'd want to invest in a good fountain pen it would be Pelikan m600 series.
I have M200 and the pen is a joy to use as well as being easy to clean and maintain. I am pleasantly surprised people still use fountain pens in this iphone era 🙂
Who can recomend a good royal blue ink?
 
arseniii said:
I
Who can recomend a good royal blue ink?
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Second Lamy Safari, my sons use them for school, I maintain them, nib changes etc, we mix and match colourways which is fun.

On blue (Royal) I am partial to J HERBIN Eclat de Saphir

http://www.thewritingdesk.co.uk/showproduct.php?brand=Herbin&range=D+bottled+ink&cat=ink

Encre Bleue Nuit is a darker, blacker blue, as inferred by the name and is I think perhaps more sophisticated a blue and less "school" blue.
You need to try on your paper though people forget the influence that has on colour perception.
 
I took up fountain pens in late high school (really not a normal teenage boy pursuit) and took most of my notes throughout college with a Pelikan 120. I wore out two barrels on it (probably due to carrying the pen in a trouser pocket, which tends to bend it when you sit--really bad idea) and finally retired it. Recently I have tried some cheapie pens with surprising success. The Noodler's Ahab is fun and incredibly smooth for its price point. A shout-out to them for great pens (though they're more known for ink) at great prices, and even more kudos to Goulet Pens. They're my go-to source now, featuring Noodler's items and many others. Goulet are sort of like Freestyle is to film -- a dedicated small company that's passionate about the subject. (I'm no relationship to them, just a very satisfied customer.)

--Dave
 
I use a Pelikan M800 (with the usual green striped barrel) every day at work. I have other fountain pens - I quite like Sheaffers - but the Pelikan really is better. For one thing, it holds enough ink to get through a long interview, which a cartridge/converter pen doesn't. Secondly, it's much smoother. Finally, it has been utterly reliable and never dries up. Is it worth 2.5x the price? Actually, it is, because it works that much better and unless I lose it, it's a one-off purchase.
 
bobkonos said:
Chris and oneANT, Nice to see other Nakaya users. I have three and enjoy them all: one portable cigar and two portable writers. Portable cigar is a dark green and I found a Diamine ink for it that matches British Racing Green quite well.
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Dang, Bob,

I just received a gifted Orvis flyrod in dark green. It is beautiful! Now I see these pens in green with, of all things, British Racing Green ink! Now I have to get a pen to match my M3!😛
 
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