It's always interesting to see someone else's collection and maybe find something you want to try. I like how you have memories around fountain pens. I grew up as a science nerd and I was all about the mechanical pencils and technical pencils. Despite having very good handwriting I didn't get my first fountain pen until I was in my 40's! I made up for it though, I have a fun collection of mostly inexpensive but very loved fountain pens. I do have a bit of an ink addiction too.
Thanks for a wonderful video. I too got into fountain pens in school, in Catholic school back in Northeastern India. It was in the 4th Grade that we were issues a el-cheapo Indian made fountain pen, and thus was introduced to the world of fountain pens. Of course, throughout school, we were not allowed to use our parents' American manufactured Parker or Sheffer or German pens that they owned. We were allowed only cheap Indian pens, and the fit and finish of pen available to school students in India in the 1980s and 1990s was pretty bad. Anyways, at 17, I found myself at the Univ of Michigan as a freshman, and to my surprise, nobody used fountain pens!!!! I began to use mechanical pencils and cheal Bic ballpoints. This went on for a few years, until I say a Proffesor write with a real Parker 51 fountain pen. I asked him about it, and about pens in general, and he introduced me to quality fountain pens. I saved my money, and bought a Parker Duofold Centennial from him, that was the first real high quality pen that I owned. I still have that pen, and write daily with it. The Prof who got me into using and owning pens, has long since passed away, but the love for quality fountain pens that he inculcated in me ramains. Thanks for sharing your FP journey with us.
The centennial! I am simply in awe! What colour / nib do you have on that pen? I'm glad you had a professor who re-introduced you to fountain pens. Did he have a vast collection? What happened to his pens after he passed away? Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful day!
@@StationeryAt4 - The Prof passed away in 2007. He did have a collection of different Parker 51 pens, and Parker Duofold Centennials and the real vintage Parker Vacumatic Maximas, and Parker Senior Duofolds. The Parker Duofold Centennial pen that I bought from him was afrom 1995, it is the classic black pen, with a medium nib, which I had Mark Masuyama regrind to a medium fine nib at the Ohio Pen Show in 2015 or 2016. It is a very smooth writing pen, and I absolutely love it, love writing with it. If you are interested, the website of Five Star Pens, has at lease 3 1998 new old stock Parker Duofold Centennials, totally unused for sale for good price. Yeah, it is a bit expensive, but it is abot $300(US) less than what it would cost you if you bought a new Duofold Centennial. Have a great day. As far as the late Prof's pens and his typewriters, I managed to getone of his typewriters, but, alas, the pens were all sold to someone who was in charge of liquidating his estate, because his kids were all based in Boston, and they just contracted with a company to liquidate his estate. It was sad for me to see this.
When you mentioned the cap of the Faber-Castell Ambition not being sealed, I immediately grabbed mine and checked. It´s completely closed, so I guess there‘s something wrong with your cap… maybe get a replacement ? 🤔 I would like to get an Edison pen at one point, but haven‘t found a shop in Europe that carries the brand. Love my TWSBI‘s and can‘t say no to any new color they add… 😂 My first fountain pen in elementary school was a Pelikan Pelikano in red… I don‘t have it anymore because I used to chew on the back of my pens and they started looking really ugly at one point. But I do now own a blue model of that pen, and various other Pelikans like the M400, M600 etc… they are worth looking into, I believe. 😊 When I was older I got Lamy Safaris as well, they are of course very common in Germany… 😆 I have the Lamy 2000 and love it, but if you have the opportunity, try it out before you buy it because it really splits the community… either you love it or you hate it and for the kind of money you spend on a pen like that, you might want to try writing with it beforehand. 😊 Oh, and the Platinum 3776 is a joy to write with… you just have to use the right ink, it shouldn‘t be too dry, something like the Iroshizuku inks works best in my experience. Thanks for sharing ! 😊
Hi Heidejournal. Thanks for stopping by and sharing about your FC. Looking on reddit forums it seems people have had similar issues and perhaps it is also hit or miss like you have indicated with your experience of it. That being said, this pen was gifted to me quite a few years ago and when this was my only pen I thought it was normal for fountain pens to have issues like this. Consequently I never took it back to the store to verify if mine was faulty. The pen has tremendous sentimental value for me. I'll try replacing the cap next to see if that makes a difference. Thank you for the suggestion! Interesting about the chewing. I used to be a notorious pencil chewer but couldn't stand the texture of plastic in my mouth. Thankfully my pens never suffered the cruel fate of my pencils lol. I should have mentioned the Pelikans as party of my wish list. The more I keep hearing about/seeing them the more I want to pick one up. Thanks for the tip on the Lamy 2000 and the vote of validation on the 3776. What size nibs do you typically write with? Take care and have a wonderful day!
I progressed in pens from a fountain pen set for doing Calligraphy for fun in my 20s, to rediscovering them in later years. In between, I was always looking for that next pen, as I enjoy writing/journalling and the writing tool has to be inspiring. I never knew about Fountain pens otherwise. So when I went into Reids for the first time about 8 years ago, I was completely blown away by those glass cabinets and all the pens in them. At first the price for a fountain pen was shocking but I've adjusted now. LOL. I went from spending max $5 on a disposable gel pen to $100+ on a lifetime fountain pen(s) pretty quickly. I just love all things fountain pens, and would never part from this hobby. Thanks for sharing your collection with us.
my favs are (not in order) Visconti Avatar, Platinum Century 3776, Pilot Vanishing Point, Lamy 2000, and the Lamy Studio (I switched the nib to Gold) Last year I picked up (from Reids) the Cross Peerless 125, and then this year MontBlanc 147 Le Grande (Grail), Kaweco Brass Sport (I've ordered a gold nib).
Good collection. Just add in a cheap glass pen or dip for ink testing. It’s so hard to tell what thin vs broad and on what paper looks irl. Century 3776 to see of you like more feedback. It’s nice imo but it’s different and sailor has more feel but platinum is louder but less pencil like. I am a ef uef and po nib fan platinum and pilot nail thin lines.
What a beautifully curated collection. Thank you for sharing! It’s always a great to hear how people are enjoying their pens and which ones have become daily go-to’s
I thoroughly enjoyed your style in sharing and the pens you shared. New subscriber today, as I enjoy your content and presentation. 🖋❤️ I’ve been considering sharing the beginnings and totality my fountain pens (collection) with others.
Hi MarcyMe! Thank you for your kind words and glad to have you join me on my journey. I would love to see your collection. Let me know when it's up! Warm wishes and have a lovely day!
Great video! Nice collection! FYI - Goulet Pens did a You Tube video on replacing TWSBI ECO nibs - you can purchase the TWSBI MINI nibs separately and swap the nibs. Drew explains everything in perfect detail! As for my collection I have that same portfolio. I have approximately 24 pens but I need to de-stash some so I can move up to the next level. My wish list is just about the same as yours (Esterbrook, Sailor, Pelikan, Visconti). Thanks for sharing!
Hi Carolyn. Thank you for stopping by. I had no idea about TWSBI mini nibs on the ECOs. That's great. I reached out to TWSBI as well as chatted with a local stationery shop about replacement ECO nibs. Both had indicated I'd have to buy another ECO or the GO. The mini nib and the GO are the same price where I live - actually the nib is a few dollars more so I suppose you could just buy a GO and swap the nibs and have a backup pen. Thanks for sharing that. I love the Goulet channel; such a mine of information on fountain pens. Let me know if you ever get your wish list pens. I'd love to hear your experiences with any of them. Take care and have a lovely day
I enjoyed this video tour of your fountain pen stash; thanks for sharing! One day I'd love an Edison, so it was helpful to hear you describe the experience.
Hi impish22. Thanks for stopping by. I couldn't agree more. For what you get at its price point; it's an incredible pen. Take care and have a lovely day!
Lovely collection, thanks for sharing. I certainly don't have half as many pens as you. I can certainly vouch for the Esterbrook Estie - I have an oversized one with a 1:1 stub nib, and it's fantastic. I also own a Waterman Carene which is a beautiful model but suffers from hard starts, and a Newton Pens Nikko which is probably my favourite, and certainly my daily driver - if you ever get the chance, Shawn Newton's pens are amazing and you really can't go wrong.
HI Neil, thanks for stopping by. What model/colour is your Estie? They all look gorgeous and tempting... Also thank you for introducing me to Newton pens. Those look amazing! Where did you pick yours up? Take care and have a great day!
Nice collection! The Edison Beaumont is a pen that I've had my eye on for a while. I was surprised to hear that your F-C Ambition was prone to drying out. I've never had that problem with mine, but I've only used it with inks that have a reputation for being wetter (Iroshizuku, etc...). It's good to know that I should avoid inks that are more likely to dry out in the nib.
Hi gadgetstop321. Thanks for sharing. Interesting on the FC. I have tried this pen with wetter inks i.e. the Iroshizuku and I still have the same issue. Looking on reddit forums it seems I'm not the only one. That being said, this pen was gifted to me quite a few years ago and when this was my only pen I thought it was normal for fountain pens. Consequently I never took it back to the store to get it checked out. I wonder if I received a dud. Either way, it has tremendous sentimental value and despite my wife's insistence that I should sell it, I'm going to hold onto it. Do you have any other issues with your FC or is it perfect? Take care and have a great day.
Lovely little collection! I have the Monteverde Giant Sequoia too, I don't often see other people with them so it's fun to see that you own one. It's a sentimental pen for me since I got my parcel with that pen on the day I got into labor - so my first child will always be "attached" to it =D I'm eyeing an Esterbrook Estie too, but I really can't choose between the finishes. No rush, because I first need to save up for it, lol. And justify the cost... I have two 3776s (medium and broad); I think the medium is on the thin side and the broad on the broad side... so for me, there is no perfect match (I like Lamy mediums). I do enjoy writing with them, but I'm never over the moon with them. Got them rather affordably, I'm glad I didn't pay full price. My most loved nib is the Pilot Custom 74 in medium. I think the looks of the pen are a bit boring (clear demonstrator + smokey grey ends), but the nib for me is pure perfection. I always have it inked up to write letters with. Might be another one for your list ;)
Thank you for stopping by and for sharing about your collection. I'm with you on justifying costs on pen purchases. Thanks for putting the Custom 74 on my radar. I agree it looks rather plain but now I'm very intrigued by the nib. Warm wishes and have a wonderful day!
The Sheaffer NoNonsense, possibly your school pen, are great and inexpensive. You can get the older ones secondhand very easily. I hear the new ones aren't great though. It is always sad when a gifted pen is not something that you like using. Private reserve has put out inks designed for hard starters. They are called Infinity inks, and I saw another Canadian pen youtuber test them and he was impressed. Thanks for sharing your collection! If you want a GORGEOUS pen for your wife I recommend the Xezo pens. I don't hear much about them but I was given their Maestro as a gift and it is so beautiful, reliable, and a joy to write with that I wish more people knew about them. It is a big, heavy pen that is too pretty to loan to people! They have many styles though, so there are smaller and less expensive styles as well. Not a cheap pen but the quality control is top notch, the craftsmanship is perfect, and the materials are stunning. It really is my favourite pen to use, but not an EDC because I would be devastated if I lost it.
Yes the NoNonsense! I remember mine came in a special felt lined blue box. As I said, it was quite the ceremony when we were switched over to fountain pens. A graduation of sorts! Infinity inks is something I'm going to have to check out for my Nahvalur pens. Fascinating! Thanks for the tip. What color Maestro do you have? I haven't heard about these pens either. It seems like they are only available from Amazon or direct from the manufacturer? They look intriguing and holy cow the price! Would you say the one you were gifted feels like it's worth a $200 + pen? Thanks for sharing!
@StationeryAt4 I have the mother of pearl and abalone one, which is now listed for $393!!! I mean, I get why they are not more common, just because a price like that needs to have reviews and history to back it up. I should loan mine to reviewers to get some objective feedback, but I will say it is as much a piece of jewelry as it is a pen, and it ticks all the boxes for both. I have a ridiculously generous friend who gave it to me for introducing him to fountain pens. I was shocked by the price when I looked it up, but every time our local group has a pen meet up he either gives us all hand-tooled leather notebook covers he has made, or vintage pens, mechanical pencils, or ink. I've learned to be careful what I say around him, because he takes so much joy in giving the perfect gift. It is a lovely quality, but also, alarming! And it makes things unbalanced, because who can keep up with that! If you met him tomorrow, and casually mentioned your dream pen, he'd sneak it in your mailbox within the week.
@StationeryAt4 I will say that I do expect to be in Calgary in the spring to visit family, and if you have a local pen club I can bring it to a meetup for everyone to try.
Thanks for sharing! Not easy to do/ love the thoughtful collection. My first pen purchased as an adult with my first salary was a Parker Sonnet. Awful nib and too slim for my hands. Didn’t really have too much experience except for the fact that my parents had Parker pens when we were children. Hence, the Sonnet. I don’t even know what ink I had to fill the converter- Waterman Black?! Haha! Best wishes!
Hi tfjarvisgirl! Thanks for the kind feed words and for sharing. Can I ask what your current favorite pen? Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!
I went to primary school where we had to use fountain pens too😄but the ones we used back then were never as pretty and fancy as the ones we see today. Cartridges were the thing back then too.
I've said this before, but why not again. If you let the pen do the work as you should, heavier pens are much better for long writing sessions. People go by "logic", rather than by experience, or even by experts. Pencils and ballpoint pens give people cramps and hand fatigue, but they still think they should use very light fountain pens for long writing sessions? Heavy is good, and even the Arthritis Foundation recommends heavy pens. I use the Brass Sport for two five hour writing sessions each week, and would use it more if I didn't have other pens, also heavy, that I don't want to neglect.
HI James, Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. Fair point and I think that's the beauty of the hobby - it's such a subjective experience. Warm wishes and have a wonderful day.
I have a Faber Castell Ambition OpArt Flamingo F and couldn't agree more: the nib is drier than a mummy spit. Plus, the section is awfull. It slices your finger tips. It's a beautiful pen, but unusable. I hate it. The cap is sealed, though. On the other hand, I regret so much haven't bought the blue Opus 88 Fantasia... it still haunts me because I really loved it.
I got mine fixed! It turned out there was an issue with the nib feed. I had my stationery shop send it to Faber who replaced the nib unit and now it works like a charm. I too have regrets about the blue Fantasia. It's a gorgeous looking pen. Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely day!
Hi there. Good question. None of the stores around me carry a specific cap for the F-C. I'll have to get around to making one of my own and sticking it inside the cap. Warm wishes and have a lovely day!
Whoa, you've had particularly bad luck with Faber-Castell. I fall into the group that thinks their steel nibs are superb. I only draw with my fountain pens. My collection is dominated by Sailor, Franklin-Christoph, and TiLiner. Plus Pilot Parallels.
Sir saw this video now by chance.you have a good collection but all are mass produced cheap plastic pens I request you to stop buying these cheap pens and concentrate on one company and buy all their models or go in for nakaya ,hakase etc they are real pens of class and not mass think it over thanks god bless you.google them and see for yourself
Hi Sanjay. I appreciate your suggestion. I'm at where I'm at both in terms of affordability and having a variety of colors/pens at the ready. I really like having variety. Ultimately for me it's more about the actual writing and affording the best instrument to help I can at the time I want to write. What pens do you focus on in your collection? Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day.
It's always interesting to see someone else's collection and maybe find something you want to try. I like how you have memories around fountain pens. I grew up as a science nerd and I was all about the mechanical pencils and technical pencils. Despite having very good handwriting I didn't get my first fountain pen until I was in my 40's! I made up for it though, I have a fun collection of mostly inexpensive but very loved fountain pens. I do have a bit of an ink addiction too.
Thanks for a wonderful video. I too got into fountain pens in school, in Catholic school back in Northeastern India. It was in the 4th Grade that we were issues a el-cheapo Indian made fountain pen, and thus was introduced to the world of fountain pens. Of course, throughout school, we were not allowed to use our parents' American manufactured Parker or Sheffer or German pens that they owned. We were allowed only cheap Indian pens, and the fit and finish of pen available to school students in India in the 1980s and 1990s was pretty bad. Anyways, at 17, I found myself at the Univ of Michigan as a freshman, and to my surprise, nobody used fountain pens!!!! I began to use mechanical pencils and cheal Bic ballpoints. This went on for a few years, until I say a Proffesor write with a real Parker 51 fountain pen. I asked him about it, and about pens in general, and he introduced me to quality fountain pens. I saved my money, and bought a Parker Duofold Centennial from him, that was the first real high quality pen that I owned. I still have that pen, and write daily with it. The Prof who got me into using and owning pens, has long since passed away, but the love for quality fountain pens that he inculcated in me ramains. Thanks for sharing your FP journey with us.
The centennial! I am simply in awe! What colour / nib do you have on that pen? I'm glad you had a professor who re-introduced you to fountain pens. Did he have a vast collection? What happened to his pens after he passed away?
Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful day!
@@StationeryAt4 - The Prof passed away in 2007. He did have a collection of different Parker 51 pens, and Parker Duofold Centennials and the real vintage Parker Vacumatic Maximas, and Parker Senior Duofolds. The Parker Duofold Centennial pen that I bought from him was afrom 1995, it is the classic black pen, with a medium nib, which I had Mark Masuyama regrind to a medium fine nib at the Ohio Pen Show in 2015 or 2016. It is a very smooth writing pen, and I absolutely love it, love writing with it. If you are interested, the website of Five Star Pens, has at lease 3 1998 new old stock Parker Duofold Centennials, totally unused for sale for good price. Yeah, it is a bit expensive, but it is abot $300(US) less than what it would cost you if you bought a new Duofold Centennial. Have a great day.
As far as the late Prof's pens and his typewriters, I managed to getone of his typewriters, but, alas, the pens were all sold to someone who was in charge of liquidating his estate, because his kids were all based in Boston, and they just contracted with a company to liquidate his estate. It was sad for me to see this.
When you mentioned the cap of the Faber-Castell Ambition not being sealed, I immediately grabbed mine and checked. It´s completely closed, so I guess there‘s something wrong with your cap… maybe get a replacement ? 🤔 I would like to get an Edison pen at one point, but haven‘t found a shop in Europe that carries the brand. Love my TWSBI‘s and can‘t say no to any new color they add… 😂 My first fountain pen in elementary school was a Pelikan Pelikano in red… I don‘t have it anymore because I used to chew on the back of my pens and they started looking really ugly at one point. But I do now own a blue model of that pen, and various other Pelikans like the M400, M600 etc… they are worth looking into, I believe. 😊 When I was older I got Lamy Safaris as well, they are of course very common in Germany… 😆 I have the Lamy 2000 and love it, but if you have the opportunity, try it out before you buy it because it really splits the community… either you love it or you hate it and for the kind of money you spend on a pen like that, you might want to try writing with it beforehand. 😊 Oh, and the Platinum 3776 is a joy to write with… you just have to use the right ink, it shouldn‘t be too dry, something like the Iroshizuku inks works best in my experience. Thanks for sharing ! 😊
Hi Heidejournal. Thanks for stopping by and sharing about your FC. Looking on reddit forums it seems people have had similar issues and perhaps it is also hit or miss like you have indicated with your experience of it. That being said, this pen was gifted to me quite a few years ago and when this was my only pen I thought it was normal for fountain pens to have issues like this. Consequently I never took it back to the store to verify if mine was faulty. The pen has tremendous sentimental value for me. I'll try replacing the cap next to see if that makes a difference. Thank you for the suggestion!
Interesting about the chewing. I used to be a notorious pencil chewer but couldn't stand the texture of plastic in my mouth. Thankfully my pens never suffered the cruel fate of my pencils lol.
I should have mentioned the Pelikans as party of my wish list. The more I keep hearing about/seeing them the more I want to pick one up.
Thanks for the tip on the Lamy 2000 and the vote of validation on the 3776. What size nibs do you typically write with?
Take care and have a wonderful day!
The thumbnail had me cracking up 😂 Thx for the laugh ! I feel the same way, about some of my pens.
Lol. Someone who shares my sense of humor! Glad you liked it. Have a wonderful day!
Cool collection!
Thanks for stopping by and glad you like them! Cheers
I progressed in pens from a fountain pen set for doing Calligraphy for fun in my 20s, to rediscovering them in later years. In between, I was always looking for that next pen, as I enjoy writing/journalling and the writing tool has to be inspiring. I never knew about Fountain pens otherwise. So when I went into Reids for the first time about 8 years ago, I was completely blown away by those glass cabinets and all the pens in them. At first the price for a fountain pen was shocking but I've adjusted now. LOL. I went from spending max $5 on a disposable gel pen to $100+ on a lifetime fountain pen(s) pretty quickly. I just love all things fountain pens, and would never part from this hobby. Thanks for sharing your collection with us.
Thank you. It sounds like you've amassed a fountain pen collection yourself. Any particular ones that stand out for you?
my favs are (not in order) Visconti Avatar, Platinum Century 3776, Pilot Vanishing Point, Lamy 2000, and the Lamy Studio (I switched the nib to Gold) Last year I picked up (from Reids) the Cross Peerless 125, and then this year MontBlanc 147 Le Grande (Grail), Kaweco Brass Sport (I've ordered a gold nib).
Good collection. Just add in a cheap glass pen or dip for ink testing. It’s so hard to tell what thin vs broad and on what paper looks irl. Century 3776 to see of you like more feedback. It’s nice imo but it’s different and sailor has more feel but platinum is louder but less pencil like. I am a ef uef and po nib fan platinum and pilot nail thin lines.
I so enjoyed this video. Thank you! I subscribed. Blessings
Thanks for subbing and glad you liked this :) Take care and have a wonderful day!
What a beautifully curated collection. Thank you for sharing! It’s always a great to hear how people are enjoying their pens and which ones have become daily go-to’s
Thanks for watching! Warm wishes and have a lovely day!
Great video!🙎🏾♂️👍🏾👍🏾
Thanks for watching. Have a wonderful day!
Your collection is lovely. I enjoyed hearing your whys. Thanks for sharing.
HI Kimberly. Thank you for stopping by and your kind feedback. Warm wishes and have a lovely day!
Awesome! Video
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for stopping by
I thoroughly enjoyed your style in sharing and the pens you shared. New subscriber today, as I enjoy your content and presentation. 🖋❤️ I’ve been considering sharing the beginnings and totality my fountain pens (collection) with others.
Hi MarcyMe! Thank you for your kind words and glad to have you join me on my journey. I would love to see your collection. Let me know when it's up! Warm wishes and have a lovely day!
Great video! Nice collection! FYI - Goulet Pens did a You Tube video on replacing TWSBI ECO nibs - you can purchase the TWSBI MINI nibs separately and swap the nibs. Drew explains everything in perfect detail! As for my collection I have that same portfolio. I have approximately 24 pens but I need to de-stash some so I can move up to the next level. My wish list is just about the same as yours (Esterbrook, Sailor, Pelikan, Visconti). Thanks for sharing!
Hi Carolyn. Thank you for stopping by. I had no idea about TWSBI mini nibs on the ECOs. That's great. I reached out to TWSBI as well as chatted with a local stationery shop about replacement ECO nibs. Both had indicated I'd have to buy another ECO or the GO. The mini nib and the GO are the same price where I live - actually the nib is a few dollars more so I suppose you could just buy a GO and swap the nibs and have a backup pen. Thanks for sharing that. I love the Goulet channel; such a mine of information on fountain pens.
Let me know if you ever get your wish list pens. I'd love to hear your experiences with any of them.
Take care and have a lovely day
Such an awesome collection! I waited to long to get a Sailor, I wish I had gotten one sooner. Probably my most favorite. Cheers!
Thank you!
I enjoyed this video tour of your fountain pen stash; thanks for sharing! One day I'd love an Edison, so it was helpful to hear you describe the experience.
Glad it was helpful! Warm wishes and have a lovely day!
I love the twsbi
Hi impish22. Thanks for stopping by. I couldn't agree more. For what you get at its price point; it's an incredible pen. Take care and have a lovely day!
Lovely collection, thanks for sharing. I certainly don't have half as many pens as you. I can certainly vouch for the Esterbrook Estie - I have an oversized one with a 1:1 stub nib, and it's fantastic. I also own a Waterman Carene which is a beautiful model but suffers from hard starts, and a Newton Pens Nikko which is probably my favourite, and certainly my daily driver - if you ever get the chance, Shawn Newton's pens are amazing and you really can't go wrong.
HI Neil, thanks for stopping by. What model/colour is your Estie? They all look gorgeous and tempting...
Also thank you for introducing me to Newton pens. Those look amazing! Where did you pick yours up?
Take care and have a great day!
Nice collection! The Edison Beaumont is a pen that I've had my eye on for a while. I was surprised to hear that your F-C Ambition was prone to drying out. I've never had that problem with mine, but I've only used it with inks that have a reputation for being wetter (Iroshizuku, etc...). It's good to know that I should avoid inks that are more likely to dry out in the nib.
Hi gadgetstop321. Thanks for sharing. Interesting on the FC. I have tried this pen with wetter inks i.e. the Iroshizuku and I still have the same issue. Looking on reddit forums it seems I'm not the only one. That being said, this pen was gifted to me quite a few years ago and when this was my only pen I thought it was normal for fountain pens. Consequently I never took it back to the store to get it checked out. I wonder if I received a dud. Either way, it has tremendous sentimental value and despite my wife's insistence that I should sell it, I'm going to hold onto it.
Do you have any other issues with your FC or is it perfect?
Take care and have a great day.
Lovely little collection!
I have the Monteverde Giant Sequoia too, I don't often see other people with them so it's fun to see that you own one. It's a sentimental pen for me since I got my parcel with that pen on the day I got into labor - so my first child will always be "attached" to it =D
I'm eyeing an Esterbrook Estie too, but I really can't choose between the finishes. No rush, because I first need to save up for it, lol. And justify the cost...
I have two 3776s (medium and broad); I think the medium is on the thin side and the broad on the broad side... so for me, there is no perfect match (I like Lamy mediums). I do enjoy writing with them, but I'm never over the moon with them. Got them rather affordably, I'm glad I didn't pay full price.
My most loved nib is the Pilot Custom 74 in medium. I think the looks of the pen are a bit boring (clear demonstrator + smokey grey ends), but the nib for me is pure perfection. I always have it inked up to write letters with. Might be another one for your list ;)
Thank you for stopping by and for sharing about your collection. I'm with you on justifying costs on pen purchases. Thanks for putting the Custom 74 on my radar. I agree it looks rather plain but now I'm very intrigued by the nib. Warm wishes and have a wonderful day!
Loved this video!
Glad you liked it! Thanks for stopping by. Take care :)
The Sheaffer NoNonsense, possibly your school pen, are great and inexpensive. You can get the older ones secondhand very easily. I hear the new ones aren't great though. It is always sad when a gifted pen is not something that you like using. Private reserve has put out inks designed for hard starters. They are called Infinity inks, and I saw another Canadian pen youtuber test them and he was impressed. Thanks for sharing your collection! If you want a GORGEOUS pen for your wife I recommend the Xezo pens. I don't hear much about them but I was given their Maestro as a gift and it is so beautiful, reliable, and a joy to write with that I wish more people knew about them. It is a big, heavy pen that is too pretty to loan to people! They have many styles though, so there are smaller and less expensive styles as well. Not a cheap pen but the quality control is top notch, the craftsmanship is perfect, and the materials are stunning. It really is my favourite pen to use, but not an EDC because I would be devastated if I lost it.
Yes the NoNonsense! I remember mine came in a special felt lined blue box. As I said, it was quite the ceremony when we were switched over to fountain pens. A graduation of sorts!
Infinity inks is something I'm going to have to check out for my Nahvalur pens. Fascinating! Thanks for the tip.
What color Maestro do you have? I haven't heard about these pens either. It seems like they are only available from Amazon or direct from the manufacturer? They look intriguing and holy cow the price! Would you say the one you were gifted feels like it's worth a $200 + pen?
Thanks for sharing!
@StationeryAt4 I have the mother of pearl and abalone one, which is now listed for $393!!! I mean, I get why they are not more common, just because a price like that needs to have reviews and history to back it up. I should loan mine to reviewers to get some objective feedback, but I will say it is as much a piece of jewelry as it is a pen, and it ticks all the boxes for both.
I have a ridiculously generous friend who gave it to me for introducing him to fountain pens. I was shocked by the price when I looked it up, but every time our local group has a pen meet up he either gives us all hand-tooled leather notebook covers he has made, or vintage pens, mechanical pencils, or ink. I've learned to be careful what I say around him, because he takes so much joy in giving the perfect gift. It is a lovely quality, but also, alarming! And it makes things unbalanced, because who can keep up with that! If you met him tomorrow, and casually mentioned your dream pen, he'd sneak it in your mailbox within the week.
@StationeryAt4 I will say that I do expect to be in Calgary in the spring to visit family, and if you have a local pen club I can bring it to a meetup for everyone to try.
Thanks for sharing! Not easy to do/ love the thoughtful collection.
My first pen purchased as an adult with my first salary was a Parker Sonnet. Awful nib and too slim for my hands. Didn’t really have too much experience except for the fact that my parents had Parker pens when we were children. Hence, the Sonnet. I don’t even know what ink I had to fill the converter- Waterman Black?! Haha!
Best wishes!
Hi tfjarvisgirl! Thanks for the kind feed words and for sharing. Can I ask what your current favorite pen?
Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!
I went to primary school where we had to use fountain pens too😄but the ones we used back then were never as pretty and fancy as the ones we see today. Cartridges were the thing back then too.
Hi Lise. I hope they bring back fountain pens into school. At least the option to use them. Thanks for stopping by!
I've said this before, but why not again. If you let the pen do the work as you should, heavier pens are much better for long writing sessions. People go by "logic", rather than by experience, or even by experts. Pencils and ballpoint pens give people cramps and hand fatigue, but they still think they should use very light fountain pens for long writing sessions? Heavy is good, and even the Arthritis Foundation recommends heavy pens. I use the Brass Sport for two five hour writing sessions each week, and would use it more if I didn't have other pens, also heavy, that I don't want to neglect.
HI James,
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. Fair point and I think that's the beauty of the hobby - it's such a subjective experience. Warm wishes and have a wonderful day.
Pilot explorer best fountain pen.
I haven't gotten one yet. What drew you to them? Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.
I have a Faber Castell Ambition OpArt Flamingo F and couldn't agree more: the nib is drier than a mummy spit. Plus, the section is awfull. It slices your finger tips. It's a beautiful pen, but unusable. I hate it. The cap is sealed, though. On the other hand, I regret so much haven't bought the blue Opus 88 Fantasia... it still haunts me because I really loved it.
I got mine fixed! It turned out there was an issue with the nib feed. I had my stationery shop send it to Faber who replaced the nib unit and now it works like a charm. I too have regrets about the blue Fantasia. It's a gorgeous looking pen. Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely day!
What type of writing desk is that? Does it have a specific name? We would love to see you make a video about it ☺️
Hi David, there's a story to it. I'll take you up on your video idea!
@@StationeryAt4 omg! Please do, if you get the chance! I find them so beautiful!
I think the Sheaffer No-Nonsense fountain pen, and the Lamy Safari are kindred souls
Lol. I never thought about it that way but I can see that
Why don’t you put a plastic cap inside your F-C cap?
Hi there. Good question. None of the stores around me carry a specific cap for the F-C. I'll have to get around to making one of my own and sticking it inside the cap. Warm wishes and have a lovely day!
Whoa, you've had particularly bad luck with Faber-Castell. I fall into the group that thinks their steel nibs are superb.
I only draw with my fountain pens. My collection is dominated by Sailor, Franklin-Christoph, and TiLiner. Plus Pilot Parallels.
Hi Ichiro, thanks for stopping by. Incredible collection. What do you primarily draw?
@@StationeryAt4 Mostly abstracts, believe it or not. Generally in 2-3 colors, various nib widths.
Sir saw this video now by chance.you have a good collection but all are mass produced cheap plastic pens I request you to stop buying these cheap pens and concentrate on one company and buy all their models or go in for nakaya ,hakase etc they are real pens of class and not mass think it over thanks god bless you.google them and see for yourself
Hi Sanjay. I appreciate your suggestion. I'm at where I'm at both in terms of affordability and having a variety of colors/pens at the ready. I really like having variety. Ultimately for me it's more about the actual writing and affording the best instrument to help I can at the time I want to write. What pens do you focus on in your collection? Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day.