Best collectable pens

WLVCA

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Nov 2, 2012
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I haven't written with a cartridge ink pen since I was in Catholic grade school and the penguins were beating the snot out of me because I held my pen and pencil leaning forward instead of backwards when I wrote. Who the hell still writes enough by longhand that would warrant wanting to collect and use ink pens? And stationary?? Really Steve? Pray tell, on what occasions do you use stationary and your ink pen of choice?

I went to Catholic school, too. We were required to use a fountain pen. I am left handed and the nuns wanted me to write with my right hand - the left hand was the devil's hand. Couldn't do it. Tough for a left hander to use a fountain pen because your writing hand crosses over the wet ink and smears it - I had the "lean forward" style as well.
 

Steve Williams

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I went to Catholic school, too. We were required to use a fountain pen. I am left handed and the nuns wanted me to write with my right hand - the left hand was the devil's hand. Couldn't do it. Tough for a left hander to use a fountain pen because your writing hand crosses over the wet ink and smears it - I had the "lean forward" style as well.

I'm left handed as well

I went through Meds School taking lecture notes with a fountain pen. You learn to write back hand very quick or learn a whole lot about smudging
 

carolkoh

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I want to try and find him something a little unusual and interesting.
.

Try the not so famous brands then - but still purchasable from the US. You are in New York. Lots of pen stores there for you to actually view / hold / try the pens. Stevdan Pens, Paradise Pens - or go to the Fountain Pen Hospital and talk to the staff. If you feel like browsing - here's a link to a page of links of pens manufacturers - http://www.seattlepenclub.com/resources.shtml - I manage the website. So if you find a broken link... tell me? :)
 

Odysseus

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Jun 2, 2012
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A few years ago I got a set of platinum plated pens as a corporate gift. To my surprise, they were Waterford, the same company that makes expensive hand-made cut Crystal, like champagne glasses, whiskey decanters, and the crystal ball they lower every year in New York for New Year's. They're very nice and they're somewhat unique, because they're not your "typical" pen brand.

Recently Waterford has been making lots of pens, and a lot of them are not very exclusive, but the good ones are Platinum-plated and they have the Lismore pattern (Waterford most famous crystal pattern). Check it out, they should be around $300 each, so a good set would be around $600.

Hope this helps!
 

GaryProtein

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I'm left handed as well

I went through Meds School taking lecture notes with a fountain pen. You learn to write back hand very quick or learn a whole lot about smudging

. . .especially if you use a broad tip Montblanc. That pen puts down an mL of ink per page and takes a while to dry.

When I was in college, I bought myself a sterling silver Parker 75 with an XF nib. It dried fairly quickly. Forty years later, it is still one of my favorite pens for writing. My Montblanc 149 pens are only used as signature pens.

Regarding the "art of writing", it is dead. I see how kids on television clips hold their pens and pencils, and it is apparent that no one ever showed them how to hold writing instruments correctly and their penmanship is abhorrent. They hold their pens and pencils about 5mm from the writing point where the pen barrel is about 4-5mm in diameter and clamp down on it, holding it almost vertically, scribbling with their thumb, index and middle fingers (sometimes with their ring fingers also--how can they be so spastic???) which tires them in a few minutes instead of holding the instrument 25 to 30mm from the point at a relaxed angle and using their forearm to write.

Another fountain pen I like very much is the Parker Duofold Centennial in Pearl and Black.

Some of the Auroras are also pretty nice. I got an "Afrika" limited edition several years ago for a very good price.
 
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JackD201

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Apr 20, 2010
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Catholic school here too and also made to write with fountain pens. Didn't do much to help my penmanship which I think is hopeless.

I was and am still notorious for using one pen in particular and that would be me and my stash of Pilot V7s. My colleagues used too tease me about it :D

One of them must have gotten fed up so last Christmas he gave me a Monteblanc Brahms limited. He knows I love music A LOT and so he picked this out for me. Comes with a tuning fork too. :D I'll probably bring it out for formal signings and the like, still V7 everyday for me. ;)
 

flez007

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I collect pens as well, liked the Montblancs limiteds, Montegrappa and Caran in particular, pics comming...
 

egidius

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stile, the actual point of it..

Funny that, I like pens too :p


My current daily writer is a Pelikan 1050. It looks understated to the point of boring, but it otherwise ticks all the boxes.

Me too :)
But I cannot stand most of those conservative victorian lookalikes. There are really two pens I have and love, one is an absolute minimalistic LAMY, the other is a more classical but still simple looking CROSS.

As to what you feel about it; you need to choose your own pen! the actual tip is best in Gold, really no comparison to anything else, but you must not ever let anybody else write with it. You buy it, you bend it your way, then it feels like home!!
 

JackD201

WBF Founding Member
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It's my first and only one :) Now I wonder if there will be more in the future. :)
 

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