I’ve got the Visconti Homo Sapiens Dark Age and Mont Blanc 146 Meisterstuck Le Grand ‘Around the World in 80 Days’. Both are fantastic pens. I regularly swap between them, and particularly love the organic feel of the Visconti.
Samuel your enthusiasm is contagious. The list you provide is very well based, I know from experience as I own fountain pens from Sailor, S.T. Dupont line D, Caran d'Ache (how can I not buy from the country that is my birthplace and proud to call my other home). I would also add to this list Sailor's Naginata Togi nibs, these are a writer's dream, they glide on the paper and are of so much help. I'll explain why: since I draw daily in my sketchbook and add notes, the Naginata Togi has made my life so much easier, it glides on the rougher surface and is adapatable to required thickness of line or of writing. I'm referring to the 1911 large model with a yellow gold nib. Although only cigar shaped and with little embellishment, this pen is now my work horse so I place it at the top.
What a fun survey! While I don't have those pens (my splurges were the Pelikan m805 Stresemann and the Sailor Pro Gear Realo), I can say that I'm not sorry to have such quality pens, as well as the ones I feel safe carrying every day at work. Thank you for your suggestions!
I have both Mont Blanc Chopin (145) and 146, each with a different "Binderized" nib. I love them! I don't really like the 149 because they feel like one of those fat pencils I had to use in elementary school when learning to write. Just too thick! Another pen I really like is my Namiki, Bamboo (the original one, not the Maki) with the beautiful 14kt, frosted edge nib. But once again, I cheated and had it "Binderized", by Richard Binder, to a .04mm Cursive Italic. I've got 50+ nice fountain pens, but those are my three favorites. Thanks for the video! Really great pens, and you do a great job of presentation!
Hahahah, no that’s a great one to buy first if you can, but i thought it would be a bit snob to talk about a 1800€ Fountain Pen as first Fountain Pen to buy. 😂 that’s also why i didn’t mentioned the Montegrappa Extra 1930 and the Otto Hutt design08
Great options for starters! 😊 I‘d probably also consider the Parker Duofold, and for startes with a tighter budget, the Waterman Caréne (it doesn’t get much attention, but its design is really iconic and the Caréne is arguably Watermans most innovative pen in decades!).
I can't take this video seriously when the very first recommendation is a Visconti, which has consistently put out defective products because it simply doesn't care about quality control.
Huh? A fountain pen starter list featuring only gold nibbed pens? Those are expensive, are you sure they’re suitable for newbies? Something like a Lamy Safari or a TWSBI Swipe would be better suited don’t you think?
@@SamuelNaldi The fact that you talk about starter pens, but shows a gold nib in the title? Fountain pens aren’t for everyone, and to figure out if someone is willing to take care of a writing instrument, I wouldn’t start with something that expensive. Even a steel nibbed Esterbrook wouldn’t be an optimal choice. I get that your channel is aimed at collectors, but not everyone needs to start their fountain pen journey with such an expensive and high maintenance fountain pen
@@justindesrosiers3145 i always wonder how people that use fountain pens think they have such a better point of view than someone that brought hundreds of happy new fountain pen users into the game? Like, literally hundreds of REAL people, spending their Money, that now enjoy using Fountain Pens with Gold Nibs. And you come here and tell me that what i say is not appropriate? On what do you base your opinion? Cause i base it on real experiences. Never ever in my life i’ve had someone buying a gold nibbed quality pen coming back to me and saying: “you know what? I should have bought a Lamy Safari instead?” These comments are so useless and wrong and give the absolute wrong perception of fine pens to people.
Dear Justin, I have seen some of your other comments and agree that there are merits to buying a lower quality pen first - to find out what you like perhaps. However I don’t see any harm in jumping straight into the luxury world if one can do so. The risk is making an uninformed decision yet this is exactly what Samuel’s channel seeks to help avoid. Through this channel, newcomers can understand what it is that makes this sector of the market so delightful and hopefully they can make more suitable purchases to match their desires. Furthermore, the title does quite clearly say ‘luxury’. I think newbies can decide for themselves whether this is something which interests them before clicking on the video. Something I appreciate about Samuel’s channel is the transparency about promoting a particular kind of experience. The benefits of acquiring a piece you can cherish forever, made with certain levels of craftsmanship are not things that a Lamy Safari (for example) could offer.
@@SamuelNaldi Let me tell you the tale of little Justin and his friend, TWSBI GO. This all started about a year ago, when little Justin learned through a friend that fountain pens were still a thing. Little Justin wrote with one for the first time and told himself that he needed to try it out for himself. But little Justin had no idea what to pick. So his friend made him buy a TWSBI GO. Little Justin was super happy to have his new pen, and he carried it everywhere. But little Justin had no idea what he was doing. Let me tell you some of the abuse that his TWSBI GO had to go through When writing for the first time with it, Justin weighted down on the nib so much that it permanently bent it, nib had to be replaced When replacing the nib, Justin tried to push the nib and the feed at the wrong angle. Feed permanently damaged. Good thing the new nib came with another feed… While fidgetting with it during a boring class, Justin accidentally unscrewed the piston assembly, the pen leaked Ev. Ery. Where. Justin slammed the tipping material against a glass table when writing at the edge of a page. Somehow the tipping material survived Justin tried shimmer ink for the first time. The nib size was an extra fine by the way. Guess how clogged up the pen was After another boring class, Justin jumped out of his chair, only to find his TWSBI GO right under his foot. The actual oen survived but the blue plastic cover didn’t But don’t you dare say TWSBIs aren’t reliable, because that pen is still part of Justin’s collection, because it still writes. Yeah the tipping material is scrap, yeah the plastic cover is cracked, but it puts ink down on the paper and it writes with a fine line. It works! Now repoace that TWSBI with a Meisterstuck. I’m watching. Oh you don’t want to? Who would’ve thought breaking something fragile and expensive wouldn’t be a pleasent experience! Because that’s what a first pen should be for: being abused and figuring out if you want to take care of something potentially more expensive It’s exactly like racecars. Oh you want to pass your license with a 500hp twin-charged Delta S4? With no power steering, driving assist, and crumple zones whatsoever? With an engine ready to blow a gasket at any second and a manual transmission without synchronizers? You can! (If you find one but that’s a detail) Nothing stops you from learning in it, but that’s not *preferable*. That’s why driving schools make you learn in easy every day cars like Honda Fits and Toyota Yarises. They’re small, with a minimum of driving assists and comfort, to see if you’re able to operate a basic vehicle. After you gain a little experience, now you can gravitate toward bigger trucks or faster sports cars. But to start out? A Peugeot 206 is fine! TLDR: I just said it’s preferable to start out modest just to see if you like it. At the end of the day I’m not anyone’s dad. Just don’t cry to me if you drop your Namiki Emperor on the nib
Which is the best first Fountain Pen in your eyes?
Moonblanc pen 144 149
I used jfk pen
JFK pen awesome
Montegrappa Zero! I have the Samba!
Caran d’Ache Léman 😍😍
I think the 149 is the best
AMAZING HOW SUCH A PEN HAS BEEN SIMILAR FOR MANY DECADES. NO DOUBT AN ICON
Definitely THE ICON of the industry
Moonblanc 149
Definitely not the best when it comes to value for money, but if status is what you want and an easy sell if you don’t want it anymore.
I’ve got the Visconti Homo Sapiens Dark Age and Mont Blanc 146 Meisterstuck Le Grand ‘Around the World in 80 Days’. Both are fantastic pens. I regularly swap between them, and particularly love the organic feel of the Visconti.
Beautiful pieces
Definitely a Montblanc 149 to begin with. You can never go wrong.
Absolutely!
Samuel your enthusiasm is contagious. The list you provide is very well based, I know from experience as I own fountain pens from Sailor, S.T. Dupont line D, Caran d'Ache (how can I not buy from the country that is my birthplace and proud to call my other home). I would also add to this list Sailor's Naginata Togi nibs, these are a writer's dream, they glide on the paper and are of so much help. I'll explain why: since I draw daily in my sketchbook and add notes, the Naginata Togi has made my life so much easier, it glides on the rougher surface and is adapatable to required thickness of line or of writing. I'm referring to the 1911 large model with a yellow gold nib. Although only cigar shaped and with little embellishment, this pen is now my work horse so I place it at the top.
Thank you so much for this marvelous feedback Gihan
I think custom 823 has it all as a great first pen, Btw you missed pelikan m800
definitely missed that one Mohamed and it's really good you are mentioning it... but i'm still happy about my selection. 😂
What a fun survey! While I don't have those pens (my splurges were the Pelikan m805 Stresemann and the Sailor Pro Gear Realo), I can say that I'm not sorry to have such quality pens, as well as the ones I feel safe carrying every day at work. Thank you for your suggestions!
❤️
All of that are exceptional for sure.i agree with you. But I surely want the Otto Hutt.
I've not seen anything from you about Waterman, and I think they also make high quality affordable FPs. Exception for instance... what do you think?
I have both Mont Blanc Chopin (145) and 146, each with a different "Binderized" nib. I love them! I don't really like the 149 because they feel like one of those fat pencils I had to use in elementary school when learning to write. Just too thick! Another pen I really like is my Namiki, Bamboo (the original one, not the Maki) with the beautiful 14kt, frosted edge nib. But once again, I cheated and had it "Binderized", by Richard Binder, to a .04mm Cursive Italic. I've got 50+ nice fountain pens, but those are my three favorites. Thanks for the video! Really great pens, and you do a great job of presentation!
Thanks for sharing this George and glad you enjoyed the Video’
I’d love to try DuPont and Montegrappa zero🔥🔥 Great selection! Love them all
Day will come! 😎 Thanks Toru. Glad you like the selection.
I need a S.T. Dupont eventually!
Wont regret it bro
Hi Sam! Great video as always! I love the sweater.Cheers!
Thank you Liz!
I adore homo sapiens, but pilot custom 823 feels so good...
It's a crime against fountain pen humanity that you didn't mention ST Dupont as a perfect first pen...
My shopping list is now updated!
😂👍🏻
Brilliant overview 😍😍
Good one. You’ve picked up the best pens.
🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
07 OH
Nice one indeed
Thanks Samual😀
Thank you! 🙏🏼
So the Sailor KOP you are holding is the best Second Luxury fountain pen to buy 😂
Hahahah, no that’s a great one to buy first if you can, but i thought it would be a bit snob to talk about a 1800€ Fountain Pen as first Fountain Pen to buy. 😂 that’s also why i didn’t mentioned the Montegrappa Extra 1930 and the Otto Hutt design08
Great options for starters! 😊 I‘d probably also consider the Parker Duofold, and for startes with a tighter budget, the Waterman Caréne (it doesn’t get much attention, but its design is really iconic and the Caréne is arguably Watermans most innovative pen in decades!).
Thank you for sharing this Florian!
I can't take this video seriously when the very first recommendation is a Visconti, which has consistently put out defective products because it simply doesn't care about quality control.
Thanks for sharing your experience and opinion.
Huh? A fountain pen starter list featuring only gold nibbed pens? Those are expensive, are you sure they’re suitable for newbies? Something like a Lamy Safari or a TWSBI Swipe would be better suited don’t you think?
What exactly isn’t clear about the Thumbnail Title?!?
We don’t talk about cheap pens on this Channel, we talk about fine Writing Instruments.
@@SamuelNaldi The fact that you talk about starter pens, but shows a gold nib in the title? Fountain pens aren’t for everyone, and to figure out if someone is willing to take care of a writing instrument, I wouldn’t start with something that expensive. Even a steel nibbed Esterbrook wouldn’t be an optimal choice. I get that your channel is aimed at collectors, but not everyone needs to start their fountain pen journey with such an expensive and high maintenance fountain pen
@@justindesrosiers3145 i always wonder how people that use fountain pens think they have such a better point of view than someone that brought hundreds of happy new fountain pen users into the game? Like, literally hundreds of REAL people, spending their Money, that now enjoy using Fountain Pens with Gold Nibs. And you come here and tell me that what i say is not appropriate? On what do you base your opinion? Cause i base it on real experiences. Never ever in my life i’ve had someone buying a gold nibbed quality pen coming back to me and saying: “you know what? I should have bought a Lamy Safari instead?”
These comments are so useless and wrong and give the absolute wrong perception of fine pens to people.
Dear Justin,
I have seen some of your other comments and agree that there are merits to buying a lower quality pen first - to find out what you like perhaps. However I don’t see any harm in jumping straight into the luxury world if one can do so. The risk is making an uninformed decision yet this is exactly what Samuel’s channel seeks to help avoid. Through this channel, newcomers can understand what it is that makes this sector of the market so delightful and hopefully they can make more suitable purchases to match their desires.
Furthermore, the title does quite clearly say ‘luxury’. I think newbies can decide for themselves whether this is something which interests them before clicking on the video. Something I appreciate about Samuel’s channel is the transparency about promoting a particular kind of experience. The benefits of acquiring a piece you can cherish forever, made with certain levels of craftsmanship are not things that a Lamy Safari (for example) could offer.
@@SamuelNaldi Let me tell you the tale of little Justin and his friend, TWSBI GO. This all started about a year ago, when little Justin learned through a friend that fountain pens were still a thing. Little Justin wrote with one for the first time and told himself that he needed to try it out for himself. But little Justin had no idea what to pick. So his friend made him buy a TWSBI GO. Little Justin was super happy to have his new pen, and he carried it everywhere. But little Justin had no idea what he was doing. Let me tell you some of the abuse that his TWSBI GO had to go through
When writing for the first time with it, Justin weighted down on the nib so much that it permanently bent it, nib had to be replaced
When replacing the nib, Justin tried to push the nib and the feed at the wrong angle. Feed permanently damaged. Good thing the new nib came with another feed…
While fidgetting with it during a boring class, Justin accidentally unscrewed the piston assembly, the pen leaked Ev. Ery. Where.
Justin slammed the tipping material against a glass table when writing at the edge of a page. Somehow the tipping material survived
Justin tried shimmer ink for the first time. The nib size was an extra fine by the way. Guess how clogged up the pen was
After another boring class, Justin jumped out of his chair, only to find his TWSBI GO right under his foot. The actual oen survived but the blue plastic cover didn’t
But don’t you dare say TWSBIs aren’t reliable, because that pen is still part of Justin’s collection, because it still writes. Yeah the tipping material is scrap, yeah the plastic cover is cracked, but it puts ink down on the paper and it writes with a fine line. It works!
Now repoace that TWSBI with a Meisterstuck. I’m watching. Oh you don’t want to? Who would’ve thought breaking something fragile and expensive wouldn’t be a pleasent experience! Because that’s what a first pen should be for: being abused and figuring out if you want to take care of something potentially more expensive
It’s exactly like racecars. Oh you want to pass your license with a 500hp twin-charged Delta S4? With no power steering, driving assist, and crumple zones whatsoever? With an engine ready to blow a gasket at any second and a manual transmission without synchronizers? You can! (If you find one but that’s a detail) Nothing stops you from learning in it, but that’s not *preferable*. That’s why driving schools make you learn in easy every day cars like Honda Fits and Toyota Yarises. They’re small, with a minimum of driving assists and comfort, to see if you’re able to operate a basic vehicle. After you gain a little experience, now you can gravitate toward bigger trucks or faster sports cars. But to start out? A Peugeot 206 is fine!
TLDR: I just said it’s preferable to start out modest just to see if you like it. At the end of the day I’m not anyone’s dad. Just don’t cry to me if you drop your Namiki Emperor on the nib