Independents

Moderator Patrick_y gives a thorough introduction to Fountain Pens in this informative article about pens and how luxury pens are seeing an increase in interest around the globe. Fountain pen photo by Montblanc. This is Montblanc's special fountain pen, k...  

I own a few but really know nothing about them. I just buy ones that look cool to me.

Which cool pens do you have in your collection? I've got a lot! But some are duplicates. For instance, I have two Peter the Great fountain pens. ...  

1) Visconti Pininfarina carbon graphite blue 2) Visconti Opera Crystal Demonstrator 3) Pelikan Demonstrator pen 4) 2 Graf Von Fabell Castell 5) A Cross and a Montblanc can't remember what they are nothing special The sad part is they are all unused. I jus... 

I'd say open one of them and start using them! Nothing is too precious to be used! 1. That Viscontin Pininfarina CarbonGraphite Icon85 pen is very cool. 2. Do you like skeleton watches? I find people who like demonstrator pens like skeleton watches. 3. An... 

I'm trying out the Faber Castell as we speak. You're right time to try one. I like some skeleton watches but nothing in particular. No I don't have that Samurai pen but that looks cool. When it comes to FP I know nothing-I just purchase because it looks n... 

I tried the 8 and it seemed a bit too big and heavy for me. But other than that, I really liked the design. Would match well with the Bulgari Octo Finissimo watch! Tell us more about the Graf Von Faber Castell you're using. Enjoying it so far?

it's a smooth writer not that I would really know but it feels nice when I write. I can see why many watch collectors also purchase fountain pens as they go hand in hand (no pun intended). What is your favourite pen or grail pen Patrick?

Hmmm... Honestly. I think I'm happy with my pen collection. I'm currently exploring the Japanese side of fountain pens. I've got my grail pens already - pens being much more affordable than watches, so it's not too difficult. My favorite pen is the Peter ... 

Visconti skeleton fountain pen in titanium? Am I right?

We will have more fountain pen posts in the future! I'm doing a 360 back to my pen phase! Do you use a fountain pen regularly?

Dig them out! Clean them if necessary. Fill them up with ink and see if the ink will hold! Sometimes pens do leak after years of inactivity. Your pen is an old friend! Time to rekindle that old relationship!

what do you gentlemen write with fountain pens? I'm fountain pen fan and have used many when I was in school/college. However, in recent times, most of my writings (mainly work-related) are on computer, either typed or using some kind of stylus. I bought ... 

I mainly write letters and memos to friends, contractors, etc. with it. I'm not signing any big important papers nor contracts. I'm not doing any big mergers nor acquisitions of companies with them. The fountain pens get some use during the holiday season... 

Cross and Omas. Have some more Italien fountain pens at home. ...  

In America, children haven't even seen fountain pens before. I know Americans older than I am who have never even heard of the term.

Although he will get a notebook in a few weeks

Yes, in America, kids have no fountain pens at all. They have a ballpoint and pencils. Many children have never even seen a fountain pen in their lives. It's a completely foreign thing to them. If you gave them one, they wouldn't even know how to use it -... 

Last year I gave my niece, a Harvard grad a nice roller ball pen. Her response was "Thanks, I don't use them" Life changes and moves on. NICE IS NICE TO EACH GENERATION

She's not going to use that pen very much! It's hard to give stuff to young people these days... I have no idea what they'll use myself! There seems to be little if anything that's "permanent" in one's life anymore. Apple iPhones are changed every year or... 

Personally I have a conflicting history with fountain pens. In short, I love when people use them, I love reading and learning about them... but I cannot use them. I'm left handed and like many of us southpaws I really have an awful handwriting. Moreover,... 

Yes, being left handed is a challenge to use a fountain pen. Now, if you lived in China or Japan, it works to your advantage, because sometimes they write from right to left! We could find you an ink that dries quickly - those do exist. But you still have... 

I find writing with any pen seems to be a rarity these days. Sometimes I can go the entire day without lifting a pen!

that being said, I also taught myself how to write with my right hand to better enjoy fountain pens… took several years of practice, but it can be done!

What a great story. Thank you for sharing this with us! I have an acquaintance who was born left handed and his parents forced him to do everything with his right hand. Must have been very difficult. He says he's mostly right handed now and slightly ambid... 

My late uncle was born left handed and was forced by my grandparents to write with his right hand ("The devil uses the left hand!"). Despite this unfortunate event, when his son (my cousin) was born also left handed (!) he did the same and forced him to w... 

Ugh! Difficult parenting! But hopefully it worked out for your uncle in the long run!

When I broke my left shoulder I needed a surgery and lost the possibility to use my left arm for about two months. I learned to write with my right hand at the time but I lost that ability immediately after resuming writing with my left hand (unfortunatel... 

Ouch!

As a very long term collector of Montblanc fountain pens I also admire the craftsmanship that can be applied to a pen. Very similar to high end watches in terms of finishing and use of different materials. Attached a Kepler LE39 to give an impression - an...  

I have to admit, I don't have a single Patron of Arts that I've ever inked nor any of the ultra special limited editions. I don't have thing as limited as 39 pieces. Very special pens you've got and I'm glad to see that you use them! I admire mine, but I'... 

All pens are made to be used. My permanent is the Axis Mundi 101, I am sure you have seen it already.

Very skeletonized looking too! Do you like skeleton watches too?

but with watches - no )

and that's not a pretty sight! The movement was all rusted. Ironically, I've seen two times they were Nautilus watches.

My weapon of choice was a black and gold Sheaffer Fashion, I consumed several of them going through high school & uni, I loved the matte black slender body and the sharp nib, very much like a good katana and a great match for my writing style.

Time to dig out that Sheaffer and put it back to use! Have you used it recently?

I often see a great similarity between watch and pen collectors I too used to collect pens I have some but don’t collect anymore I do use some in my daily routine and love the way they feel and write Current useage include MB 149 Parker - x 2 not sure of ... 

I have a Parker somewhere. Glad that you're still using them on a regular basis! I've only got two pens inked currently (will go to three, I've never had more than four pens inked simultaneously).

I owned them both somewhere along the decades....

And the intro is perfect.

Remember to start digging out your fountain pen. It's probably been forgotten in a dark drawer somewhere! Clean it out, put in some ink, and give an old friend some new life! And if you're already using it, GREAT JOB! Don't stop using your good loyal frie... 

I have a Waterman and a Montblanc that I’d love to use, but am afraid to mess it up. And you’re part of the post where you comment on inks validated the fact that I can indeed damage it if ink dries in there, or I don’t clean it correctly. I was thinking ... 

Montblanc ink has a "Super Cleaner 21" detergent inside that is actually a fairly good ink. Color saturation isn't the best (the blue isn't the bluest, the black isn't the blackest), but overall use, it's pretty good. The main thing is not the ink though,... 

It’s also very interesting. The same applies to your points about paper. I do miss the days when I would write everything out, including edits, revisions, etc. and then finally type up a final product after the “creative process” was done. The pen and pap... 

The computer may save overall time, but the thoughts don't flow freely and all the hiccups on the computer really ruins the experience. In the end, due to all the interruptions and interruption to flow of thoughts, I think I'd probably be best with a pen ... 

I personnally use a Montblanc Meisterstück but I have used many different ones (Schaeffer, Waterman, Parker...), particularly as a pupil, as it was compulsory in the French schools back in the days (at least in mine). One point though, on your section 2 a... 

So the Nib 4mm/6mm/9mm is the diameter of the plastic feed (the finned plastic section underneath the gold nib). Not referring to the tip itself. So a Nib#9 would have a huge 9mm feed, but the tip could be Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Bold, and so on. Genera... 

The writing experience doesn't get any better than this supposedly! If you look at the photo below, realize all three nibs have the exact same job. And they're written by the exact same user (me). The nibs are kind of flexible (very slightly flexible) and...  

I have been a fountain pen collector since the mid-1990’s when I got a big promotion and my boss said, ‘get yourself a fountain pen!’ I did — it was a Cross Townsend. I have gone through many phases in the intervening years, Pelikan, vintage, Montblanc, p... 

I do like Yard-O-Led pencils. I don't own any fountain pens from Yard O Led though. My collection is mostly dominated by Montblanc too, although I'm starting to approach the Japanese pens now - starting kind of late in some ways. Crossword puzzles? I do m... 

The writing experience with a nice fountain pen is so much better than a ballpoint or rollerball, all be it a bit messier (in my case) when refilling ink from a bottle. All the best, Jon

A purist would normally recommend filling from a bottle, but I have to say, I do think using cartridges is no problem at all! They're definitely cleaner. And if that bottle is still very full of ink, well, we can't let that go to waste. We will just have ... 

…both with Iroshizuku ink - from a bottle! All the best, Jon ...  

So. I'm somewhat familiar with the 149. I actually own one - although I don't really write with it. I do use my 146 on a regular basis, which isn't too different from the 149 (nib on the 146 is much smaller and might feel slightly stiffer). I do not own t... 

When in Hong Kong in 1968 I bought a 14k AT Cross pen and pencil set for my father. He never used them because he didn't want to lose them. They are in the safe, brand new. Over the years I have accumulated some pens and custom shaving brushes.

Those badger hair brushes sure do look very nice! The ritual of shaving is definitely a very special thing! And you generally don't lose shaving brushes! Do you still use your Montblanc Meisterstuck? If not, please dig it out from the drawer, fill it up w... 

I will "talk" to those extinct tools----I still write notes occasionally on nice personal stationary... The brushes and DE razors, and accompaniments are still in full play.!!!! Bye the way, A very enjoyable read...

I don't smoke, but even I still appreciate the beautiful lighters. Nice stationary is a must. I've been using a lot of hotel stationary these days. Some hotels have good stationary, some don't. Thank you for the kind words! I still don't own anything made... 

Do you use a fountain pen?

Plus the deep blue body and broad music in gold appeal to my life / style. Partnered with some 'fun' ink colors (❁´◡`❁)

The Pelikan Xuan Wu is my favorite. Very cool!

Many years ago was at a friend's home who at that time was a VERY avid collector of fountain pens. As i recall, he had a few red Dragons of some kind, all sorts of incredible pieces... and was in the middle of collecting a Chess Set of fountain pens (stil...  

Those notes are handcrafted on the silver barrel. It's quite a work of art!

reading this and will for sure go back and study it again. I have heard someone say that you should never let somebody else write with your fountain pen because the nib has adjusted itself after your way of writing. When others write with it this is damag... 

Short term writing won't revert your nib. So if someone wants to borrow it for a small amount of writing, it's not a big deal. But yes, the nib does adjust slightly to the primary owner's writing style. It's important to note, the tip of the nib is coated... 

Here are my pens and a couple matching pencil & rollerballs. Nowadays when I don’t sign contracts and rarely write letter longhand, they only get used writing to relatives or signing cards (a bit like pocket watches; rarely in use). Honestly, I never noti...  

Totally agree with everything you said! And yes! Pen loaning is a big risk if your friend drops it! Your pen stand looks magnificent all shined up! Mechanical pencils? Two words... Rotring 600. Full stop. No better mechanical pencil in the "drafting" styl... 

for your reply - crisp and clear as always. On the topic of letting others use your pen I picked up a pretty good advice when I bought a Visconti rollerball in Italy. If somebody asks you if he/she can barrow your pen you feel a little stupid to say no I ... 

Yup, that's the trick! Fortunately, I don't have any weird people who would do that to me. And even more fortunately, hardly anybody ever asks to borrow a pen anymore. Maybe on the airplane when we're all filling out that little landing card? But nowadays... 

Here are a few (with a couple watches). The one I use most is the red Aurora. Just a wonderful pen. ...  

Nice lamp! Nice B&O Speaker, and so on, AND WHAT NICE PENS! The Hemingway has a super-large nib and feed! Awesome pen! Glad to see your pens are getting some use! You've got four very nice pens there! And I see that you like pens that fill from a bott... 

These things are begging to be used!

...  

I don't have any nice ink pots. I wanted a nice crystal one, but never got around to finding one I liked. I like your design, it doesn't take up too much space on the desk. The one I liked was by Lalique for Montblanc but it took up a huge amount of space... 

My ink pot is made of silver which I like a lot. It is not old, from the 1997. Comes from Birmingham. Found it in the www some month ago. Will have a look at the Lalique.

This one is a big boy, made by a renowned pen smith Monsieur Louis Vuitton. Brass? covered with brown alligator skin. got it as part of a watch trade. I've never written with it. Waiting for Patrick Y to teach me cursive. ...  

Cursive - oh boy!

Here are my two pens I like to carry around a pen and a note pad in my pocket for taking notes when I fancy, for this first I bought my self a Mont Blanc rouge et noir bebe, the pen is very small so one has to use it posted, it only takes one small cartri...  

Thanks for the question and thanks for looking. The MB Baby is not for people who like big and thick pens. Unposted it is not usable. Its cap is not screwed, it comes off with a nice twang, however for posting there is a platinum coated part on the upper ...  

I didn’t know of Boheme, I read some reviews about it now it’s such a nice pen. Yes smaller sizes are very easy to travel, also for air travel I just take the cartridge out and put a new one in after landing. No headaches.

Being cartridge only had some disadvantages. But worse case scenario, find a syringe and fill it up an empty cartridge with your favorite ink color! Why not!

Haven’t done that yet though…. but I was thinking of buying some empty cartridges from the internets and playing with different colors.

But I really liked the Boheme. It was a great width - about the same width as the Montblanc 146. But shorter, but you could post the cap - the cap posted on the back with a screw! So it felt even more secure and you weren't risking scratching anything. I ... 

There is a platinum coated section on the upper side of the pen where you screw the cap, it is very secure. However if you liked the girth of the Boheme, as far as I can see from the pictures the Montblanc Bebe might be a bit on the thin side.

That Montblanc Bebe is definitely a smaller pen. I wished you could try the Boheme. But now that they've stopped making it, they're hard to find.

Its intricate mode of working delighted me. You screw the cap and the nib comes out etc. very nice. Maybe I can find one on pen swap or in some other place, I’ll keep it in mind

And the cap can go on both ends! There are screw threads on both the nib side and the back side.

Thanks Patrick!

The nib on that one is not huge. I'd say it's possibly bigger than the Montblanc Classique 144. But not much bigger if it's really bigger at all. It's definitely smaller than the 146. I've got one around here somewhere. Because it's a cartridge pen and yo... 

However in my MB baby the nib size is pretty small too. On my Pilot Custom 823 it is much more bigger and the nib size affects how you write. On my two pens I am using medium nibs, I asked my Nakaya too with a medium nib however people say that apart from... 

That's the right paper! Sounds like you've got a nice set up!

Now I’m reading inks, trying to find different colors from different brands like Iroshizuku, Akkerman etc. It’s a nice hobby, apart from watches of course!

Here's a great website I use for comparing the Iroshizuku inks... It's a decent resource. I use the Montblanc inks - which are very safe, they won't stain your barrels. If you use a Demonstrator pen it won't stain the inside of the pen usually. It's prob... 

First when I fancied using a fountain pen I didn’t know anything so I bought a Lamy, it was a proprietary cartridge pen and it was so hard to clean I remember wasting quite a lot of time in front of the sink, then putting the pen in a cup filled with wate... 

Mine takes much longer than that since I have a built in piston! Need to cycle that thing up and down 30 times or so!

Still much much better than my Lamy, and it was a cartridge pen!

Do an internet search for "fountain pen cleaning bulb syringe" and consider getting one of those. That helps with cleaning a lot!

It looks very easy I will buy one thanks 🙏

I really like the pen. I had one. I miss it. I still have two; a Noir et Noir and a Rouge et Noir which are technically pre-Boheme. Beautiful pen. I like it.

I wasn’t aware of the Mozart series, yes size wise they are very much alike, a very nice pen, one distinction is that mine has no clip which I find easier to just put on your coat pocket and go about your business. Nothing to accidentally hook on somethin... 

I've owned many Montblanc fountain pens, but never a Pilot 823. I've heard amazing things about them though!

It’s a really nice pen, maybe not nice like a Montblanc but for its price bracket it’s worth every penny. It’s a bigger pen though so I keep that one at home.

It's such a cool pen! The problem is that all of these pens are very nice, but I don't write enough to keep more than 2-3 pens inked at any given time. Can you tell us which Nakaya you're waiting for? Totally okay if it's a secret!

But please check their web site in english. I discovered ( albeit late ) that you can directly order from Japan and they have very intricate pens, please see sections Makie, Raden, Tame Sukashi, Yako Makie etc. there are so many intricate and beautiful pe...  

But in order to get those prices you need to be able to order to a Japanese address I guess? Anyhow, I’ll check

If you haven't been to Japan... I highly recommend a visit! Good excuse to fly to Japan!

Just this June I was there for a long trip in between Tokyo and Hokkaido, since we are in wps I also bought a grand seiko while there, I’ll do a post of it some time, trying to capture some good photos of it. The problem with Nakaya is they don’t instantl... 

I was in Tokyo in June for the Patek Exhibition. I had a great time! I hope you had a good time too! I've never been to Hokkaido! It must be nice in June. And not cold!

I am learning so so much from this site. I don’t have a Patek yet so even though I read about the exhibition I wasn’t there for it. Maybe in the future if they do one again… We went to Sapporo which is a nice city like a compact Tokyo, and cooler so it wa...  

I've never been to that area! Now I want to visit! Ahh, glad to have a new appreciator on our site! And I hope you find the Patek Philippe of your dreams one day! Here is a link to the Patek Tokyo Exhibition that I wrote during my visit to Tokyo. www.... 

At the time I was in Tokyo for some days at the end of our visit and could have gone to that exhibition, I remember seeing on this site other members getting together and sending photos of this gathering to WPS, but somehow I missed your post and that I c... 

The week complication isn't a big help to me. But I REALLY LIKE THAT CASE!

But a sportier looking steel Patek on a strap is just the thing for me, and this special one is a watch that I might be able to purchase in the future, so fingers crossed. Thank you very very much for your kind wishes, indeed I need luck on my side

Sending you all my good wishes for this watch in your direction!

And thank you for how kindly you received and welcomed me to this site as a moderator.

On behalf of all the moderators, we're so happy you found our site and registered! Did you know, the case to the 5212 is the same case design used as the World Time for the Tokyo Exhibition? Same case! ...  

This place is a gem I didn’t know the World Time for the Tokyo Exhibition shared the same case with 5212, though I read at the time the extensive review of the watch on this site and read also the discussion over the watch, it never occurred to me that tw... 

I'm not crazy about the 5212, but I am crazy about that case!

It is for me too at least an attainable dream for the coming years

When we were in Tokyo we went to Itoya but sadly then I didn’t know about Nakaya, so didn’t check, wonderful store though. But for Nakaya there is also an option of producing the pen according to your specifications, there is a questionnaire to fill while... 

I would try the standard pen first and if I can't imagine it being any better, then I'll just go and get the standard pen. But if I sense anything is even the slightest bit off, I'll try the custom route. Just to evaluate it and see if it's actually any b... 

So I hope that it’s going to be right for me, Nakaya beeing a very exclusive brand there are no places around me to go and try one, so I directly went the custom route. The stationary store which I bought it informed me that I’ll have to wait around 9 mon... 

Please share your lovely new pen once you get it! And a few months after that, please let us know how it writes! I'm already volunteering you for TWO articles on this pen!

I promise to write articles about this pen once I receive it.

I can't wait. And it will also show the world this very little known brand - Nakaya is almost unheard of.

However I think in time this will change

It's already abuzz in the hardcore fountain pen community. I can't wait to see the Dorsal Fin!

They are indeed beautiful

Wait! I have too many pens. I hope I don't like the pens at all and then I don't have to buy one at all! (joking)

They are STEALTHY works of art!

Hoping to have more fountain pen posts soon!

It is true that fountain pens can be seen as an outdated writing instrument but also true that for those who still hand write there is no other pen so enjoyable to write with as a fountain pen. I´ve been writing and collecting fountain pens for many years... 

I've only been collecting the past 25 years. It seems you have been collecting for much longer than I have! I too started with fountain pen collecting before watch collecting and started appreciating them much like how you did. I started very much with Ge... 

... since so long and even before taking watch collecting like me. I read your comments about your preferences with much interest. The Montblancs are great pens indeed. I own many of them too, including some vintage ones, but I don´t write too much with m... 

I do like the 149 and my daily pen is the 146. I really like my 146. I don't use vintage pens neither. I've heard horror stories about getting them repaired. When it comes to Pelikan, I do really enjoy the M1000. It's a great pen. The nib is so much more ... 

I´m glad to share with you the love for both MB and Pelikan pens. Agree with your thoughts here. The 1000 is an stunning pen for sure. I own it and enjoy its big and flexible nib but it´s too big for my hand for long writing sessions. But superb for signi... 

I'm really interested in trying out the Nakaya Dorsal Fin V2. It definitely looks interesting to me. Maybe I should get a Nakaya Dorsal Fin Version 2 with a music nib? Hmmmm... For music nibs, I'm definitely leaning more towards the 3-tine 2-slit models f... 

Here I´m sharing some shots of my Nakayas Dorsal Fin 1 and 2 to add some fuel to your interest in these beautiful pens. My Dorsal Fin 1 is equipped with a "B" nib which writes like an European M. Dorsal Fin 1 has the "fin" on the cap only. DF2 has fin on ...  

Okay. I'm definitely sold. Now, all I have to do is to try the pen and make sure that I like the way it sits in my hand. I was thinking at first to do the exact same color as your Dorsal Fin 2, but to do it with a white metal (platinum or Rhodium) plated ... 

There are many nice choices of nib finishes but of course require extra $ to add them. The pen is very comfortable but as pens are very personal it would be better if you can try it in your hand and feel it. I´m sending a link by PM which you´ll find inte... 

I became interested in pens when I got one for my birthday (photo). Unfortunately, I don't write with it too often because the writing is too thick. A friend told me that I need a fine or extra fine nib, but it's very hard to find one 🤔 ...  

That is a VERY NICE pen you got there! You can take your pen to the Montblanc boutique near you and ask them to change out the nib. If your nib is in perfect condition, they can exchange it for you generally with very small cost. If your nib is not perfec... 

...my Montblanc pen is silver, I like it a lot. I visited the boutique already. Received the info from a seller that I have to leave my pen with them, they have to send it somewhere for the nib change. However, they will keep the old nib and for a new, I ... 

At that point, I'd just buy another pen! If you were close by, I'd find you a nice Pelikan with an EF for not much more than that! And Pelikan pens, you can unscrew the nib section and replace it on your own!

but I would like to use my gift as well 🤭 I tried once some Japan pen. The nib was great. Very thin and precise. As well easy to use with different angles. Unfortunately, I don't remember the brand name 🤔 The only thing I remember is that the company made... 

The three biggest Japanese fountain pen brands are Pilot/Namiki (they're both the same company, under Pilot Group), Sailor, and Platinum. Japanese fountain pens are known for super smooth fine nibs because the characters have very small markings that need... 

Do you know this brand?

One of the Big 3 Japanese pen brands. They have a higher end brand that is artisan crafted called "Nakoya" where I like the "Dorsal Fin" model. All Platinum brand pens are high quality. I've written with them, but I don't really use one on a continuous ba... 

Platinum PP-100000M Silver hammered like my MB, but has only M and B nib sizes 🙈 ...  

Platinum's M is probably as fine as a Montblanc F. Do you ever make it to Japan?

I have friend from Japan 😉

And visit some Japanese watch stores too!

Currently using ...  

I've got the same bottle of Quink somewhere. And we both have Montblanc 146 pens! Although mine is the simple black plastic version and yours is the nice "Solitaire" version. What a nice collection!