Oh yes! I needed to hear this. I've got 3 pens I'm working on right now to get them writing the way I want. It's so much easier to buy more new pens but never solves the actual issue of all the ones that have SO MUCH potential! Yesterday I finally smoothed the nib on a new pocket pen and now I'm going to write with it SO MUCH more. At first I was going to replace the nib but even doing that costs $ and I had the skill to at least get the nib that came on it writing well. :)
As for how many pens is enough, as many as you want, of course. The correct question, I think, is, "How many imperfect fountain pens should you have lying around gathering dust?" My answer is none. Fix them, have them fixed, or get rid of them. For me, it's about the pen. If I love the pen, I'll deal with the nib. If I don't like the pen, I won't keep it, even if the nib is perfect. I grew up repairing pens, thanks to my grandfather. Also thanks to him, I grew up using good pens with gold nibs. All pens had gold nibs when he bought the ones he owned, and he knew how to repair anything. At age seven, when I could write my name in cursive, he gave me two pens, an original Conklin Crescent Filler, and a Button Filler Duofold. Just normal pens back then, and not worth very much at a time when fountain pens were giving way to ballpoint pens. I've been very, very lucky with high end pens. It took years to get my grail pen, a Namiki Maki-e, but it was perfect, and worth several times what I paid for. Same for a very nice, beautiful Namiki Chinkin. It was far, far cheaper than the Maki=e, but again as perfect as a pen can be. Maybe I'm easy to please. I wouldn't change a thing about two of my daily carry pens, a Bronze Age and a Scribo Feel. The fine nib on my Broze Age is perfect. Excellent flow, smooth, soft nib, and perfectly wet. I have a few other pens with gold nibs that I think are perfect. If they weren't I'd fix them, or get rid of them. Some problems, bad grip, poor balance, etc., just aren't fixable. But I also have a number of pens with steel nibs that are also as perfect as a pen with a steel nib can be. I've had to do nib work on a few of them, but many were perfect out of the box. It certainly helps that I do not like fancy grinds on fountain pens. I never have. Nice, round tipping is all I want. I can grind nibs, but I don't want anything that needs grinding. If I want fancy writing from a fountain pens, and I often do, I use a flex nib. I don't like nibs that change my writing without my input. I want to control the nib. "Perfect" is an interesting word. Perfection is not only different for each of use, but differs with the object, as well. I truly love fountain pens. They've my favorite writing instrument. But I've spent more time this year writing with pencil. More, I've spent more time this year writing with goose, turkey, and crow feather quills that I cut myself than I have with pencils. Perhaps stranger, I've spent more time this year learning to write hieroglyphics using homemade ink, papyrus scrolls, and pens cut from river reeds than I have with any other type of writing instrument. Each of these things is perfect for what they are. I don't remember ever buying a new pen because the ones I had were somehow unsatisfying. I buy new pens because I love the new pens.
You are the first person I have stumbled upon who has taken this approach. I have been working on exactly this for the past two years--getting nibs ground, replacing nibs, putting rubber sections on my Studios etcetera. Any pen that still doesn't get used after I have done my best to bring it up to snuff has been given away. My goal is to have every pen in my accumulation (it is too crazy to call it a collection) a pen I truly enjoy using. It has taken far longer than I anticipated because not every fix is as simple as replacing a nib but it is very satisfying to see hitherto abandoned pens come into the rotation.
Best fountain pen video I have ever watched. Enjoyed the rationale- identifyign the issues and fixing it, instead of getting more and more and creating more issues. Subscribed with my appreciation for this amazing content.
I'm sorry to say this but the pens are not the problem. It wouldn't matter if you collected cameras, watches, hi-fi equipment, motorcycles. You name it. The same state of mind would exist. The never-ending quest for the ultimate. All driven by the obsessive consumer society we live in.
That is definitely a large factor. All businesses are all competing for the limited dollars a consumer is willing to part with & there are endless shinny objects to be had. But at least being aware of it & trying to make the most of what we already do have can be quite rewarding. My MB 149 is a fav not just because of the "significance" of the pen. But mostly because of the 2 yr hunt for the right price, the time spent tuning & grinding the nib, etc. I'd rather have 10-20 pens I'm really happy with than 100 pens & only happy with the same 10-20 pens. Sounds good I theory of course... But the power of the pen quest is a mighty force.
perhaps, but also its lack of impulse control and quick reward. People end up with 20 lamys and twisbis and thats ridiculously expensive and you could ultimately get a quality fountain pen instead. You are still using like 1-3pens anyway, especially when they have same nibs or atleast same tier nibs or similar function nibs.
@@Cortesevasive Absolutely agree as well. I only have 1 pen duplicate, Muji. And with that one I did to re grind the nib. I so far have stayed away from having the same pens in all the colours & nibs, etc. To me it's like having a dozen cordless drills. 1 or 2 should be enough for most folks. So no need to have the same pen in different flavours. I'd rather have a toolbox full of different tools. But again, having a hobby & collecting is ok - to each their own. Just so long as I doesn't come at the expense of forgone retirement savings, savings for kids education, or accumulating debt. I told my wife when she was watching the Paris Hilton "documentary" & they showed how many shoes she had. I said "this is what a hoarder looks like with a lot of money."
Loved this video from start to finish. The topic itself is forever relevant to almost all of us fountain pen fanatics. I reckon I have already found my ‘perfect’ fountain pen: the Aurora 88. I now have eight of them. Problem is, I realize I needn’t have bought so many at all. There was no justification for this gratuitous self-indulgence than my deep love and appreciation for the pen. And the means to afford to buy so many. I bought my 88s with various different nib sizes, too: F, M, B, stub, 1.2mm italic. If that somehow mitigates my profligate spending on the pens. I guess it doesn’t. I could have bought the nibs separately for just a pair of 88s, at most. But then the nibs themselves are steeply priced. Aurora (and Sailor) nibs are my favorites. This is actually another common ‘mistake’ that many of us compulsively make, i.e. succumb to temptation and end up buying several different color/finishes of a particular pen we like a lot and believe suits our tastes and needs greatly. You soon realize that it’s, arguably, a waste of money that could be spent on a different desired pen, or frankly, not spent at all. I have done the same with a few of my other pens, i.e. buy more than one of the same pen. I have recently culled my collection down to a size I’m more content with. Gave away ten of my 14 Chinese pens, and a few other pens for free, to other pen enthusiasts. I have done the same with my inks. I resolved not to buy any more pens (or new inks) this year. So far, I’ve stuck to that pledge to self. But a particular new Visconti is proving irresistible. The Homo Sapiens you showed here is another alternative I’m considering. It would be best if my dollars went nowhere near these pens. I ought to buy a replacement Visconti nib instead to complement the lovely broad I have on my majestic Divina Blue Elegance.
My Diamond 580 ; is my every day carry. Regardless of what I need to write. I got an Extra Fine nib. Due to my complete lack of stationery supplies locally. I use the pen with everday looseleaf out of a school binder. I keep a meal plan, prepare a budget, make out expense reports, write personal letters, and, dable with creative writing with my Diamond 580. To me, it is indeed perfection.
Just discovered your channel. I really like your approach and your direct style. I’m an avid TH-cam pen watcher and this video is unique. I really loved this. No one has ever suggested making your newest and greatest pen that disappoints you into one that you will love. You are so right about it making more sense to fix the pen you bought with a little more expense instead of being frustrated and putting the pen away. I know for me, I have bought so many pens that really called out to me, only to find out that it has baby bottoms or writes too dry or too wet. But I psychologically didn’t want to spend more to get it “perfect” when I thought when I bought it it would be perfect. Your suggestion in this video makes so much sense. Thanks. I’m going to watch your past videos.
About 40 years ago I purchased a silver Fountain pen, ball pen and mechanical set by Caran d’Arche I still have them, and still use them everyday. Last year I purchased another set by Caran d’Ache,the 849, to add some variety. I have had Mont Blanc but don’t use them.
I am pacing myself by type and currently on nib-base phase. So I am trying to sample different nib manufacturers and grinds. This also means that I am overlooking wonderful pens like the Elmo, Momento Zero, Estie LE and so on because their nibs are technically the same. I do understand the nuisance of tunings done by different brands, but I also want to sample the sailor feedback and pelikan wet noodles. So I really have to restrain myself with these gorgeous and reasonably priced jowo pens.
So many writing experiences, so little time... The answer? A simple maths equation: N+1. N=the current total of pens you currently have. 😁 I agree that the higher priced pens should work well right out of the box. And, if Chinese pens have taught us nothing else, every pen that can take one should come with a converter. Sure, most vintage that had even a little care generally are some of the nicest writers, but, with the preponderance of pen repair shops in the past, how certain can we be that the pen you bought, that writes beautifully now, always did? The boutique pens are fairly recent. Most of the beloved pens from the past were mass produced. No craftsman painstakingly making sure that each pen left the factory writing well. Might have been 14 year old Ignatius Hoongristle at that end of the production line, who got the job to keep him out of a school for the "educable slow."
Thank you for this video dude. Seems so obvious when you think about it but your damn spot on. Have a few pens I dont bother with anymore and rather then putting in the work and getting them right they just sit there unused. Inspired me to start looking into fixing up, tuning and servicing my collection! Cheers man.
For me, the pen I reach for depends on what I feel like using that day, but if I had to choose only one of my pens to use everyday, it would definitely by my Pilot Custom Urushi. For me it's the perfect size, finish, nib and the overall writing experience is awesome. Thanks for sharing this because I think this is something all fountain pen users deal with.
LMAO........ So funny and good. On point! I own a very few high end pens, I mostly own middle ranged pens and quite a few bottom end pens. All different manufacturing companies....... I actually enjoy all of them because they are all unique in their own way......I get the chance to tune and adjust them to my liking. Keep up the great entertaining on point and informative videos.
I bought one Fountain Pen. And, did so due to how Ballpoints skip. I been using my Twisbi Diamond 580. And, use it non stop. I have had the pen for eight and, a half months. And, other than more ink. I am extactic with my Diamond 580.
A game changing video really, especially for a guy like me looking for the perfect nib in my quest for the perfect pen. I should start searching for the first, not the latter. Thanks!
We all head down this path, which seems to never end & can eat up a bunch of money. Good to take a pause, think about what you are even looking for, and realize youight already have it. Might just need some TLC
Great video as ever & close to my own mindset. Yes often buy pens that don’t quite live up to what I was hoping for. Two that I sent to a nibmeisster were a Platinum Ultra Extra Fine a really hard write and a Platinum BB extra broad of no real use to me. The nibmeisstee increased the sweet spot on the ultra extra fine nib & its a much smoother writer not perfect but better. The double broad has been ground into an italic nib and now has real value a lovely pen. So you’re right the total outlay for these 2 was £70. You can’t get a decent gold nib FP for that money let alone 2.
I’ve hit my fountain pen wall. Went through a buying rush and now I have a solid variety along with two of my favorite nib/brands. Some are really fancy while others are entry levels. I also have a vintage pen. All bases covered. Now I’m more focused on inks but instead of full bottles, I’m really enjoying just grabbing some samples and having fun with this unexpected hobby.
Ah, an enjoyable walk down memory lane. While I now feel comfortable doing nib smoothing etc and even find some odd enjoyment in tackling niggling pen problems (like flow on the Elmo!), I've gone the "professional route" on a few 'almost favorites' -- about 5 now and counting and LOVED the result...and still I hunt. I know what many of us do -- it's an illness but one I'm happy to suffer from.
My two first fountain pens were the 'Hero 901' and 'Jinhao X750', I wrote with them for a while, but for my style of handwriting I needed fine lines, so I got a 'Kailgelu 316' ef, I have been writing with it for almost an year and I like it quite well, but recently I got the desire to have even finer lines, and so I decided to stop any ideas of buying more cheap pens, and I will decide for a japanese 'ef' for my long term single pen. Platinum 3776 / Pilot Custom 74 / Sailor 1911L are the three I have in mind, and that my favorite color is really the old black and gold, makes it easier for me to choice.
Once you get a good quality, well made pen you'll see the difference right away. There are some very good low cost pens. However, the ones you mentioned are very well built and perform wonderfully.
If we bought pens for function, we’d probably only have 3 pens, but since some us buy functional art, the pursuit is endless! The only thing that slows me down is my preference for high end art pens.
No bad pens! Enjoy the ones you have & don't get caught up in "pen evny." But if there is something you really want & it's a stretch, see about finding a way to make a few extra bucks to make it happen. The pride & enjoyment I'll get using the funds from my TH-cam channel to buy my first pen will be greet then any other pen I've bought 👍
As an extreme newbie meaning I just bought a Twsbi last week with a few samples, I’ve learned a lot from this. I’m on the search for a second pen because I’m anxious to try my other samples. Lol
Oh wow, prepare to find an endless buffet of options. And with this buffet your eyes tend to be bigger than your wallet 🤑. For pen #2 what would I recommend hmmm 🤔. If we're sticking with steel nibs, a Faber Castell pen is a great option. Very well made and out of the box have lovely nibs.
About 60 pens later I have just had three pens made to my specification and this has cost me almost $500. Vintage Conway Stewart blanks. It's crazy. One sees a material that one doesn't have and that's it. There are so many variables. But this has transferred to journals and inks. This is a very expensive rabbit hole and I love it.
I enjoy almost all of the pens I purchased. There is a learning curve. For instance I found I prefer finer writing, with some feedback, but not so thin I have trouble getting the ink out. The ones I find I don’t care for I just get rid of. But each purchase has been to hone down my preferences, and I only keep the ones I enjoy using.
Yup it takes time to figure out what you like and dont like. I only have 1 duplicate pen which I bought very early. Since then I've been buying all different types to see whats out there. I have any idea what I like, but I still like to see all the different type of pens that are offered.
Thanks for doing this video. I was thinking of chasing the ultimate pen & thinking that the more you spend the better quality the pen you get. You have proved that thought wrong. I found pen happiness with a Platinum Plaisir with an extra fine nib. Very similar to how you liked the Muji you tweaked.
I've been feeling similar lately. It is a funny thing. My kakuno is my cheapest pen, but I love it just as much as the others. I just wish I had an extra fine nib for it so I may buy another but hopefully that will be my last for a long time.
You make a darned good point. I think I may fix up all of the cheap pens i got right now as great bulk writers but otherwise I think a Lamy 2000, old parker 51 vacumatic or wingsung 601 with gold nib, and a pilot E95s is in my future as my grails and users.
So funny. I started with one and I I'm now up to 18 including homosapiens and pilot and Montblanc. I also got that better feed for the pilot and you're right that fixed the problem and that flexib with the new feed writes beautifully. Now I am trying to hold off on a Montblanc 149. I am trying so hard not to drop the cash I don't really like the used market but paying full retail for a 149 is crazy.
The most expensive pen I have is a Parker Jotter, with the Pilot MR Retro Pop ballpoint pen on clearance at Office Depot at $6.95 being the second. I'm looking at fountain pens like the Pilot Metropolitan for the only fountain pen because I do like Pilot especially for their gel and rollerball pens.
I know a lot of people aren't comfortable with modifying their pens, but I think you'll never truly get the perfect pen until you do so. For me opus 88 + Flexible nib platinum housing let's me use my favorite nib with a much more ergonomic body, now to figure out how to get one of those suckers onto a faber castell e-motion
Great video, very wise too. I have to say, my favorite pen is my cheapest because I painted it, no joke. I have a video up showing it. I thought, after all this time, that it would chip or rub off, I wear it on my shirt collars, in pockets, and sometimes carry it in a rough canvas bag, and it still looks brand new, and all I used was nail polish, with a glossy clear over the colored polish. It's a wingsung 3008, so cheap at $4 a pen, but not strong, so I don't know how it has lasted this long. Examining my pen, I can see the gold colored metal trim it came with is wearing at the ends. I should have clear coated those too? I'm still very happy with it, I made it look like rain on wet concrete, or slate, and though it's a bit messy looking, I get stunned responses from waitresses when I write out, and they love it. I call it my rainy day pen. When I move, I will try to make another one. Love your videos, take care Sir!
A better car analogy may have been to replace the blown shocks with upgraded, better than stock, longer lasting, shocks, or replacing the worn tyres with better riding tyres. A nib is "where the rubber meets the road," so to speak, so upgrading the nib should make the pen feel better than new, it gives new life to the pen.
I don't really go exploring anymore because I'm an Asian EF writer. American and European EF are too thick for me. I even bought a set of 5 chinese nibs for Lamy so I could grind until happy for the only Lamy I have. I think Lamy is a wet writer so I also had to make the opening between tines very tight to get the flow I wanted. I broke 1 of the 5 nibs doing that but it was worth it. But my real problem with accumulating pens is that I want a lot of ink colors without having to clean and refill. lol So I'm always feeling I need more pens so I can have all colors ready at all times! I also acumulate the same pens. Most Platinum's pens have the same nib, they are very consistent and their cap seal is great for my porposes. So I have 6 Preppys and 3 Metors.
If you use them then no worries. This was more for people who have impulse control problems & just feel compelled to buy but then feel remorse afterwards. Especially if they're racking up their credit card
The only way proved to be effective is to have several hobbies that you cycle through. As soon as something gets old, you start another thing (guitars for example)
My first set of pens 7 pack pilot pens from Amazon these are the ones that are meant to be discarded after the ink runs out, however, I have found a couple videos on how to refill them. I most likely will not refill them.
Nice to see this actually, I went from searching every type of writing equipment for the best experience to a focus on fountain pens to experimenting with nib sizes and inks to about where I am now in around a year. I have 9 pens, but the most expensive was only $70 and I don't have a gold nib yet which I realize is the next thing to experiment with. But, I don't have very much money and won't for some years to come because boringandprivate-life-circumstances-stuff, so I got a 12 pen display case and decided I can fill the remaining three slots. So watching your video I realize when that box is full I can say "well, case is full, let's work on them all now" and that it will probably be the right move both financially but also help me to genuinely get closer to the perfect pen. Currently grailing the 3776 for one of those spots, I originally wanted the Custom 74 but then I started to think I kind of like a bit of feedback and maybe the 3776 is the more "mature" choice for an entry-level gold. Also I need to not even think about 700 dollar pens made of lava, especially when we have completely opposing tastes and I'm one of those guys who wants to use dual-shading ink with a double broad on original-Tomoe-River-only and write a bunch of giant JOHN HANCOCK sized journal entry stuff. Starting to realize that being on the showy, ink-wastey side of this scale probably makes my taste the way it ends up with food and everything else: European, imported and too damn expensive. If you even read my post on your old video I do have a question; does grailing a Japanese pen in B/BB even make sense? I am obsessed with Japanese ink but should I skip their pens and go straight to the EU with...all this money I don't have?
Hey I did read your post! Wow lots going on.... A little confused with the BB Japanese nib VS EU nibs. But guess you're wondering if it's pointless to get a wider nib on a Japanese style pen. Japanese nibs are great for getting nice fine lines. If you like small detailed work/characters they are fantastic & do it better than western style nibs. But if you don't like that feature & you enjoy a wider line than go with what you like. Fat line on a Japanese pen?..... Go for it if that's what you like & what you want & how you'd use the pen! About the Platinum 3776 or Pilot 74 debate.... There's always about 5 pens people go for for their first gold nibbed pen. But there are SOOOOOOO many more options if you consider vintage. They might not look all new & shinny but damn they never let me down! You can get cool materials too instead of just solid 50's era colours. Just have to look around. Gold caps, different filling systems, sometimes even amazing gold flex nibs for under $140USD! First gold nib pen doesn't have to be the same one everyone else gets. Can be a cool little pen you found that has character, history, and somone else on this planet once owned it. And who knows who it was, where they were from, how they used it, what happened to them that they sold this pen? Will probably never find out, but you can wonder. That doesn't come with a brand new unused pen 🤔😉
part of my thing is to do sets: Sheaffer Intensity: Fountain, Rollerball, and Ballpoint - if your checkbook has attached copies you need the Ballpoint or Rollerball! - Monteverde Innova: Fountain, and Rollerball, the next will be the ballpoint, all in different colors!, same with Safari!
A $15 Japanese Fountain Pen (Muji) next to ones min 10x that price. LOL. BTW I love EF and F as well and guess what my favourite pens right now are .... Muji and TWSBI Eco (demonstrator), inexpensive pens. At first you buy a pen for the looks, and then later it is less about looks but all about writing experience (personal). mmm where does that also apply in life...
Ohh, a lot of amazing fountain pens appeared in these video. My preference is the ebonite fountain pens, like the Kiwi showed here. If someone is interested in Kiwi ebonite fountain pens, I recommend the review ...
There is always another pen waiting out there for a pen collector. You don’t have to keep them all. You can sell or give away the pens you don’t want anymore to make way for a new pen.
Why not grind the M lamy nib? Is it more expensive than 100£? Ohhh I dream with wet wet pens... I’m considering saving up for a Pelikan red m600, but it’s so expensive 😭 I feel guilty of just thinking of dropping that kind of cash on one pen.
About $60 to grind it down or $100 for a new EF nib. So I figure buy the EF and keep the M. If I want to, I'll grind the M to an OM. But I don't have the tools to grind from M to EF
@@Doodlebud so true. Apart from the cost difference, there is the waiting period, and other logistics related costs. It's a good decision to get an EF and enjoy the pen. 😊
@@dashsunil I ground my MB 149 & had no issues. Same process as steels nibs. It's just the tools I'm using aren't setup to do a good job with stepping down a nib width. Can do stubs, italics, oblique, and architect... But reduction in width needs different gear (at least for me)
I agree Valentina. My most expensive pen is my Stipula Etruria Magnifico, fortunately the price is quite magnifico, what I would call good value for money. I look at the other luscious lovelies for sale and Mr Guilt starts jabbering away in my head. Oh dear, what to do???
I like most of my pens. I’ve accumulated 15 in one year. Enough to know what I prefer. Maybe around 5 more, with the allowance to buy 2 that are way more than any sane person should ever spend for a pen. Unless, of course, I decide to investigate stubs and italics, obliques and such - then I may have to buy a few of those as well. As for vintage, I will only buy if I find them in person, at antique stores or flea markets and such...instead of eBay or other online venues. So, in the end, no more than 30.
There is a simple answer - You CAN NOT have too many pens, bicycles canoes ... Heck I don't even have the budget and so have to wait and save before the next one that I've had my eye on, but haven't stopped despite finding several I'm pleased with.
I have the perfect pen for me: a 34-year old Montblanc 146 gifted by my wife. But I do enjoy different writing experiences so I’ve tried some pens and I’m up to a total of 9. That is too many for me but I don’t really use my Kaweco Sport anymore so it’s really 8.
Very true, i did change the nibs on a few fountain pens that i wasn't happy with for how the nib performed. But then when you get into fountain pens its a rabbit hole and its difficult to stop.. mostly by the time you realise you need to stop its already too late LOL
That is what i do. I dont have that much money to spend it in a 100$ pen, but i would bought a 4-30$ pen and try to make it the best for me. I know it wont be perfect but at the end of the proces i get a very very nice pen for that price
Oh my! Your pen infection has spread & has now taken over your human form! You are now doomed to an eternal life of endless pen acquisitions. I got bit not long ago & am constantly trying to stop the spread. But feel like I'm in denial as it will soon one day take control of me as well! SOS... - - -... SAVE OUR SOOOOUUUUULLLLLSSSS!!!! !
Coincidentally I just received one yesterday from Japan. It's a typical high quality Pilot and has the new Con-70 converter. It writes very fine and has some natural line variation, and of course gives more with pressure, but definitely has sharp feedback. To be truthful it was silly for me to buy it since I have a Custom Heritage 912 with the FA nib and never use it, as my preferred writer is the Custom 823 with a medium nib. I have both the amber and smoke in medium and they write identically and perfectly for me. Once again I fell for the perceived magic of flex, lol.
@@chrislj2890 Another useful warning, thanks. So far I have been holding out by extensively using my Noodler's Triple Tail (flex), trying to determine what exactly the point of flex is for me personally.
@@ichirofakename I also have the Triple Tail and mine is a piece of junk, with horrid flow issues and a mediocre nib. Oddly my Noodler's Ahab was absolutely perfect with excellent flex until I dropped it in the sink and destroyed the nib. Sadly, a couple of replacement nibs just never gave me the same results. I also have an Aurora Optima LE Flex and that thing has no flex at all. I think we are better off using a stub nib for line variation with any consistency.
While our taste is greatly different from what I see there I agree with you on nib choice, fine or EF. I count myself lucky in that when I rekindled my interest in 🖋, I purchased a Sailor 1911L medium (Western fine) and the Pelikan 800 and a M805. All of my pens come from an excellent vendor in the U.K. who offers free nib tuning prior to shipping No issues with any of the pens from them. The only issue with a recent purchase was a Waterman Carene from France that arrived with ink stains on the interior of the box liner from a cartridge bursting. They were not willing to exchange the box.
I wanted the Bronze Age but ended up with a Blizzard. Magnetic vs the cool lock. I don't know. Maybe get that black body then Ill have both colours. ideas? I have LAMY and love the design. Piano black & white. I use the white more now. Time to clean up the black. Thanks for your ideas. Want another from @gravitas !! 02/26/2022
This reminds me of an Ann Patchett quote. In _The Getaway Car_ she talks about a friend advising her to stick with the draft she was already working on - INSTEAD OF STARTING OVER: "It was lifesaving counsel. Without it, I could have spent the next seven months writing the first chapters of eighteen different novels, all of which I would have ultimately hated as much as I hated this one." LOL
And with all those thing done, you will still want new pen hahaha. I sent my Homosapiens to a nib meister for the exact reason you mentioned in the video and am still waiting for it to come back. At the same time I am looking for pen online =.= We all need help.
Oh I hear ya! Hope your tune up on the HS goes well. Please post an update when it comes back or even email me directly. I can do a mention because I'm sure A LOT of people are interested! thedoodlebud@gmail.com
There's no such thing as the perfect pen. No two pens write the same and I like the variety of writing experiences. Also, the variety of sizes, colors and materials they are made from.
Agreed, one of my favorite pens is still the Kaweco Sport I got as my second pen because it just randomly has the greatest nib ever. It was from Amazon before I figured out you probably shouldn't buy pens on Amazon and it's just dumb luck. He's right, I'd love to be able to craft the pens I wanted to be the best ones to actually BE the best ones. Also explains why the FP reddit says "learn to tune your own nibs reeeeee" so much I think they just pinned it.
Fountain Pens are like girlfriends. The blonde girl is really hot, but so is that brunette, and I've never dated a redhead before and I love her accent... but 1 girlfriend that is really special is better than two dozen friends who aren't that special. I can't just have one pen, but I can have one EDC pen (Pilot 95S), and one journal pen (Pilot 835), a couple art pens (TWSBI Mini Vacs), and then one special vintage pen (Waterman 512) and one special modern pen (Pilot 845 Urushi Vermillion).
Yeah.. got a safari, wrote like a rusty fish hook. Tried tuning it, got better but never good. Bought a new bib.. also a dud. I eventually smashed it min down on the counter next to the sink, hands covered in ink. No more Lamys. Don’t care if I got the 1 in 100. No more. Recently ordered 2 Esterbrooks, $400.. BOTH were dudes. I’m a week in now but I got the Raven at least flowing well with a nice sailor type feedback, with a good bit of tuning. My winter white is still off but close. It has baby’s bottom but I’m about to get it right. That being said, went right back to my pending cart and dumped the other two Esties. I just don’t feel this is cool, even if I do eventually get them right. I know I overpaid for converter pens with steel nibs. I shoulder have to be stressed about them for a week or two. Of Al of my dozens of expensive hype fixation retail addiction hobbies, fountain pens have the worst QC issues… by a HUGE margin. TWSBI should get credit though. Always comes in juicy. Honestly, the Ecos write smoother and wetter than my expensive pens. So, when someone says, oh you just got the rare Lamy defect.. I remember that TWSBI is too busy selling out of the box perfection to make excused.. and they’re some of my cheapest pens. I get tired of duds. Don’t happen all the time but when it does it alway hast to be in a string of a few pens, leaving me over the sink losing my religion. 😂
Why do some pen makers just do not care about nib quality in mid range pens while wanting to keep part of that market ? Lamy Safari perfect example of love hate relation use same nib call it a Lamy AL and it is great QC is better ... Thx for the video
what I feared and learned through fp is probably the same to any hobby and related skills/knowledge learned and acquired through it, any hobby tutorials can be easily bought, watched for free, but nurturing the enjoyment so it lasts someone the whole lifetime? theres no tutorial or advice, some people got lucky they have nearby community, some don't, I think though, the online fp communities are people who find too much both commonality and disparity at the same time so we can't help but to let go preconceived notion of what the best thing is, so that said theres not many bad pens, some expectations may fell disappointing, but too many new curiosity and couldn't settle down to utilize it in good manners, seems like this is true beyond fp hobby itself, perhaps trying to take the steer from life away to be more in control of the acquisition sickness
@@DoodlebudI just recently got into fountain pens. Bought some lamy safari and al stars. Some zebra disposable ones to try. So now the collection/obsession begins 😅
Do you believe collecting is an abnormality of the mind ? I’m the owner of over thirty fountain pens , far too many to use and wear out in my lifetime.
I wasn't talking about collecting. If someone wants to have a collection with 300+ pens then that's great. Someday I might end up with that many pens. This was about having a bunch of pens you aren't happy with or regret buying. From my perspective, and that's all my videos really are (just random guy who chooses to hit upload on a video), I don't get any joy in having pens I don't like or wouldn't buy again if I had the choice. So then I'll either fix it so I do like it, or sell/give away. Just my thoughts on the topic which doesn't have to align with anyone else's.
I have the same issue with my Pineider La Grande Bellezza. It's a very wet fine quill nib that writes fat just like your Homosapien. I wrote an email to a nib smith just last night requesting work. This could be my penervana pen.
Have you ever thought of making your own pens? Turning them in celluloid perhaps? With you’re engineering background you have the skills. Lots of vids on TH-cam of course.
I have 15 pens. 7 are one use pens once the ink is gone I will discard them. Then I’m down to 8 pens. I will not purchase any more until my birthday. I will splurge on 0ne pen.
I concluded a long time ago there was no perfect pen; a great metaphor for life! I never sought a "grail pen." I just buy what I like -- what fits the parameters of what interests me in a fountain pen. As I approach 40 pens, do I have more than enough? You better believe it. Will I stop buying pens? Hellllll no. Perfection exists in the mind. Perfection can be the illusion, the chase, the satisfaction, or the present moment, that at any given time I pick up a pen and write, it's the perfect pen, inked with the perfect ink at the perfect time. It's all in the mind..
Oh yes! I needed to hear this. I've got 3 pens I'm working on right now to get them writing the way I want. It's so much easier to buy more new pens but never solves the actual issue of all the ones that have SO MUCH potential! Yesterday I finally smoothed the nib on a new pocket pen and now I'm going to write with it SO MUCH more. At first I was going to replace the nib but even doing that costs $ and I had the skill to at least get the nib that came on it writing well. :)
My motto for the channel is No Bad Pens! Did a video about that: th-cam.com/video/STkJZ4-LTiA/w-d-xo.html
As for how many pens is enough, as many as you want, of course. The correct question, I think, is, "How many imperfect fountain pens should you have lying around gathering dust?" My answer is none. Fix them, have them fixed, or get rid of them. For me, it's about the pen. If I love the pen, I'll deal with the nib. If I don't like the pen, I won't keep it, even if the nib is perfect.
I grew up repairing pens, thanks to my grandfather. Also thanks to him, I grew up using good pens with gold nibs. All pens had gold nibs when he bought the ones he owned, and he knew how to repair anything. At age seven, when I could write my name in cursive, he gave me two pens, an original Conklin Crescent Filler, and a Button Filler Duofold. Just normal pens back then, and not worth very much at a time when fountain pens were giving way to ballpoint pens.
I've been very, very lucky with high end pens. It took years to get my grail pen, a Namiki Maki-e, but it was perfect, and worth several times what I paid for. Same for a very nice, beautiful Namiki Chinkin. It was far, far cheaper than the Maki=e, but again as perfect as a pen can be.
Maybe I'm easy to please. I wouldn't change a thing about two of my daily carry pens, a Bronze Age and a Scribo Feel. The fine nib on my Broze Age is perfect. Excellent flow, smooth, soft nib, and perfectly wet. I have a few other pens with gold nibs that I think are perfect. If they weren't I'd fix them, or get rid of them. Some problems, bad grip, poor balance, etc., just aren't fixable.
But I also have a number of pens with steel nibs that are also as perfect as a pen with a steel nib can be. I've had to do nib work on a few of them, but many were perfect out of the box.
It certainly helps that I do not like fancy grinds on fountain pens. I never have. Nice, round tipping is all I want. I can grind nibs, but I don't want anything that needs grinding. If I want fancy writing from a fountain pens, and I often do, I use a flex nib. I don't like nibs that change my writing without my input. I want to control the nib.
"Perfect" is an interesting word. Perfection is not only different for each of use, but differs with the object, as well. I truly love fountain pens. They've my favorite writing instrument. But I've spent more time this year writing with pencil. More, I've spent more time this year writing with goose, turkey, and crow feather quills that I cut myself than I have with pencils. Perhaps stranger, I've spent more time this year learning to write hieroglyphics using homemade ink, papyrus scrolls, and pens cut from river reeds than I have with any other type of writing instrument. Each of these things is perfect for what they are.
I don't remember ever buying a new pen because the ones I had were somehow unsatisfying. I buy new pens because I love the new pens.
You are the first person I have stumbled upon who has taken this approach. I have been working on exactly this for the past two years--getting nibs ground, replacing nibs, putting rubber sections on my Studios etcetera. Any pen that still doesn't get used after I have done my best to bring it up to snuff has been given away. My goal is to have every pen in my accumulation (it is too crazy to call it a collection) a pen I truly enjoy using. It has taken far longer than I anticipated because not every fix is as simple as replacing a nib but it is very satisfying to see hitherto abandoned pens come into the rotation.
Good stuff. There is a ton of enjoyment in making something work perfectly just the way you like it
Best fountain pen video I have ever watched. Enjoyed the rationale- identifyign the issues and fixing it, instead of getting more and more and creating more issues. Subscribed with my appreciation for this amazing content.
Thanks so much! Looking forward to hear your comments on other videos 👍
I'm sorry to say this but the pens are not the problem. It wouldn't matter if you collected cameras, watches, hi-fi equipment, motorcycles. You name it. The same state of mind would exist. The never-ending quest for the ultimate. All driven by the obsessive consumer society we live in.
That is definitely a large factor. All businesses are all competing for the limited dollars a consumer is willing to part with & there are endless shinny objects to be had. But at least being aware of it & trying to make the most of what we already do have can be quite rewarding. My MB 149 is a fav not just because of the "significance" of the pen. But mostly because of the 2 yr hunt for the right price, the time spent tuning & grinding the nib, etc. I'd rather have 10-20 pens I'm really happy with than 100 pens & only happy with the same 10-20 pens. Sounds good I theory of course... But the power of the pen quest is a mighty force.
perhaps, but also its lack of impulse control and quick reward. People end up with 20 lamys and twisbis and thats ridiculously expensive and you could ultimately get a quality fountain pen instead. You are still using like 1-3pens anyway, especially when they have same nibs or atleast same tier nibs or similar function nibs.
@@Cortesevasive Absolutely agree as well. I only have 1 pen duplicate, Muji. And with that one I did to re grind the nib. I so far have stayed away from having the same pens in all the colours & nibs, etc. To me it's like having a dozen cordless drills. 1 or 2 should be enough for most folks. So no need to have the same pen in different flavours. I'd rather have a toolbox full of different tools. But again, having a hobby & collecting is ok - to each their own. Just so long as I doesn't come at the expense of forgone retirement savings, savings for kids education, or accumulating debt. I told my wife when she was watching the Paris Hilton "documentary" & they showed how many shoes she had. I said "this is what a hoarder looks like with a lot of money."
Yea I tend to hoard, I collected sneakers, watches, fountain pens, shoes…
Loved this video from start to finish. The topic itself is forever relevant to almost all of us fountain pen fanatics.
I reckon I have already found my ‘perfect’ fountain pen: the Aurora 88. I now have eight of them. Problem is, I realize I needn’t have bought so many at all. There was no justification for this gratuitous self-indulgence than my deep love and appreciation for the pen. And the means to afford to buy so many. I bought my 88s with various different nib sizes, too: F, M, B, stub, 1.2mm italic. If that somehow mitigates my profligate spending on the pens. I guess it doesn’t. I could have bought the nibs separately for just a pair of 88s, at most. But then the nibs themselves are steeply priced. Aurora (and Sailor) nibs are my favorites.
This is actually another common ‘mistake’ that many of us compulsively make, i.e. succumb to temptation and end up buying several different color/finishes of a particular pen we like a lot and believe suits our tastes and needs greatly. You soon realize that it’s, arguably, a waste of money that could be spent on a different desired pen, or frankly, not spent at all. I have done the same with a few of my other pens, i.e. buy more than one of the same pen.
I have recently culled my collection down to a size I’m more content with. Gave away ten of my 14 Chinese pens, and a few other pens for free, to other pen enthusiasts. I have done the same with my inks. I resolved not to buy any more pens (or new inks) this year. So far, I’ve stuck to that pledge to self. But a particular new Visconti is proving irresistible. The Homo Sapiens you showed here is another alternative I’m considering. It would be best if my dollars went nowhere near these pens. I ought to buy a replacement Visconti nib instead to complement the lovely broad I have on my majestic Divina Blue Elegance.
My Diamond 580 ; is my every day carry. Regardless of what I need to write. I got an Extra Fine nib. Due to my complete lack of stationery supplies locally.
I use the pen with everday looseleaf out of a school binder. I keep a meal plan, prepare a budget, make out expense reports, write personal letters, and, dable with creative writing with my Diamond 580.
To me, it is indeed perfection.
Good to hear you're enjoying your pen
The perfect pen is the one you enjoy using. I have a lot of 'perfect' pens (and inks)!
Just discovered your channel. I really like your approach and your direct style. I’m an avid TH-cam pen watcher and this video is unique. I really loved this. No one has ever suggested making your newest and greatest pen that disappoints you into one that you will love. You are so right about it making more sense to fix the pen you bought with a little more expense instead of being frustrated and putting the pen away. I know for me, I have bought so many pens that really called out to me, only to find out that it has baby bottoms or writes too dry or too wet. But I psychologically didn’t want to spend more to get it “perfect” when I thought when I bought it it would be perfect. Your suggestion in this video makes so much sense. Thanks. I’m going to watch your past videos.
Thanks for the feedback. I have no idea if what I'm doing makes sense to anyone but myself, so comments let me know! 😁👍
About 40 years ago I purchased a silver Fountain pen, ball pen and mechanical set by Caran d’Arche I still have them, and still use them everyday. Last year I purchased another set by Caran d’Ache,the 849, to add some variety. I have had Mont Blanc but don’t use them.
Very well explained, practical approach and helpful as well. Thanks for sharing. 😊
I am pacing myself by type and currently on nib-base phase. So I am trying to sample different nib manufacturers and grinds. This also means that I am overlooking wonderful pens like the Elmo, Momento Zero, Estie LE and so on because their nibs are technically the same. I do understand the nuisance of tunings done by different brands, but I also want to sample the sailor feedback and pelikan wet noodles. So I really have to restrain myself with these gorgeous and reasonably priced jowo pens.
So many writing experiences, so little time...
The answer? A simple maths equation: N+1. N=the current total of pens you currently have. 😁
I agree that the higher priced pens should work well right out of the box. And, if Chinese pens have taught us nothing else, every pen that can take one should come with a converter.
Sure, most vintage that had even a little care generally are some of the nicest writers, but, with the preponderance of pen repair shops in the past, how certain can we be that the pen you bought, that writes beautifully now, always did? The boutique pens are fairly recent. Most of the beloved pens from the past were mass produced. No craftsman painstakingly making sure that each pen left the factory writing well. Might have been 14 year old Ignatius Hoongristle at that end of the production line, who got the job to keep him out of a school for the "educable slow."
Thank you for this video dude. Seems so obvious when you think about it but your damn spot on. Have a few pens I dont bother with anymore and rather then putting in the work and getting them right they just sit there unused. Inspired me to start looking into fixing up, tuning and servicing my collection! Cheers man.
Awesome, glad it resonated with you. I've fixed 3 of the 4 pens I've wanted to so far & am really enjoying them now. No. Bad. Pens. 😎
Oh my God so funny I can't stop laughing I especially loved the blue ink on your thumb.
There is never a day I don't have ink on me somewhere... The joys of fountain pens!
For me, the pen I reach for depends on what I feel like using that day, but if I had to choose only one of my pens to use everyday, it would definitely by my Pilot Custom Urushi. For me it's the perfect size, finish, nib and the overall writing experience is awesome. Thanks for sharing this because I think this is something all fountain pen users deal with.
A nice Urushi pen is on my list to pick up one day.
LMAO........
So funny and good. On point!
I own a very few high end pens, I mostly own middle ranged pens and quite a few bottom end pens. All different manufacturing companies.......
I actually enjoy all of them because they are all unique in their own way......I get the chance to tune and adjust them to my liking.
Keep up the great entertaining on point and informative videos.
I bought one Fountain Pen. And, did so due to how Ballpoints skip. I been using my Twisbi Diamond 580. And, use it non stop.
I have had the pen for eight and, a half months. And, other than more ink. I am extactic with my Diamond 580.
A game changing video really, especially for a guy like me looking for the perfect nib in my quest for the perfect pen. I should start searching for the first, not the latter.
Thanks!
We all head down this path, which seems to never end & can eat up a bunch of money. Good to take a pause, think about what you are even looking for, and realize youight already have it. Might just need some TLC
This speaks to my soul.
I unfortunately sold mine for a pen....
I know! I think Doodlebud is my soul mate. He understands me!
nice opening, I'm so feeling it, more and more...
Great video as ever & close to my own mindset. Yes often buy pens that don’t quite live up to what I was hoping for. Two that I sent to a nibmeisster were a Platinum Ultra Extra Fine a really hard write and a Platinum BB extra broad of no real use to me. The nibmeisstee increased the sweet spot on the ultra extra fine nib & its a much smoother writer not perfect but better. The double broad has been ground into an italic nib and now has real value a lovely pen. So you’re right the total outlay for these 2 was £70. You can’t get a decent gold nib FP for that money let alone 2.
I’ve hit my fountain pen wall. Went through a buying rush and now I have a solid variety along with two of my favorite nib/brands. Some are really fancy while others are entry levels. I also have a vintage pen. All bases covered. Now I’m more focused on inks but instead of full bottles, I’m really enjoying just grabbing some samples and having fun with this unexpected hobby.
Ah, an enjoyable walk down memory lane. While I now feel comfortable doing nib smoothing etc and even find some odd enjoyment in tackling niggling pen problems (like flow on the Elmo!), I've gone the "professional route" on a few 'almost favorites' -- about 5 now and counting and LOVED the result...and still I hunt. I know what many of us do -- it's an illness but one I'm happy to suffer from.
My two first fountain pens were the 'Hero 901' and 'Jinhao X750', I wrote with them for a while, but for my style of handwriting I needed fine lines, so I got a 'Kailgelu 316' ef, I have been writing with it for almost an year and I like it quite well, but recently I got the desire to have even finer lines, and so I decided to stop any ideas of buying more cheap pens, and I will decide for a japanese 'ef' for my long term single pen.
Platinum 3776 / Pilot Custom 74 / Sailor 1911L are the three I have in mind, and that my favorite color is really the old black and gold, makes it easier for me to choice.
Once you get a good quality, well made pen you'll see the difference right away. There are some very good low cost pens. However, the ones you mentioned are very well built and perform wonderfully.
If we bought pens for function, we’d probably only have 3 pens, but since some us buy functional art, the pursuit is endless! The only thing that slows me down is my preference for high end art pens.
So helpful! Thanks for the insight!
I have 2 main pens: Kakuno fine and Metropolitan medium. I just don't have the money so I try o love my collection lol
No bad pens! Enjoy the ones you have & don't get caught up in "pen evny." But if there is something you really want & it's a stretch, see about finding a way to make a few extra bucks to make it happen. The pride & enjoyment I'll get using the funds from my TH-cam channel to buy my first pen will be greet then any other pen I've bought 👍
Still only have a Kakuno and Metro?
@@hx5525 Branched up to decimo, only gifted FP user could fight back GAS lol
As an extreme newbie meaning I just bought a Twsbi last week with a few samples, I’ve learned a lot from this. I’m on the search for a second pen because I’m anxious to try my other samples. Lol
Oh wow, prepare to find an endless buffet of options. And with this buffet your eyes tend to be bigger than your wallet 🤑. For pen #2 what would I recommend hmmm 🤔. If we're sticking with steel nibs, a Faber Castell pen is a great option. Very well made and out of the box have lovely nibs.
Recently I bought the Opus88 Omar Demonstrator and I can say that I found the perfect pen. You don't need to spend over 500 to find the perfect one.
I have one too, love the Omar
About 60 pens later I have just had three pens made to my specification and this has cost me almost $500.
Vintage Conway Stewart blanks. It's crazy.
One sees a material that one doesn't have and that's it. There are so many variables. But this has transferred to journals and inks. This is a very expensive rabbit hole and I love it.
I enjoy almost all of the pens I purchased. There is a learning curve. For instance I found I prefer finer writing, with some feedback, but not so thin I have trouble getting the ink out. The ones I find I don’t care for I just get rid of. But each purchase has been to hone down my preferences, and I only keep the ones I enjoy using.
Yup it takes time to figure out what you like and dont like. I only have 1 duplicate pen which I bought very early. Since then I've been buying all different types to see whats out there. I have any idea what I like, but I still like to see all the different type of pens that are offered.
Thanks for doing this video.
I was thinking of chasing the ultimate pen & thinking that the more you spend the better quality the pen you get.
You have proved that thought wrong.
I found pen happiness with a Platinum Plaisir with an extra fine nib. Very similar to how you liked the Muji you tweaked.
I've been feeling similar lately. It is a funny thing. My kakuno is my cheapest pen, but I love it just as much as the others. I just wish I had an extra fine nib for it so I may buy another but hopefully that will be my last for a long time.
You make a darned good point. I think I may fix up all of the cheap pens i got right now as great bulk writers but otherwise I think a Lamy 2000, old parker 51 vacumatic or wingsung 601 with gold nib, and a pilot E95s is in my future as my grails and users.
So funny. I started with one and I I'm now up to 18 including homosapiens and pilot and Montblanc. I also got that better feed for the pilot and you're right that fixed the problem and that flexib with the new feed writes beautifully. Now I am trying to hold off on a Montblanc 149. I am trying so hard not to drop the cash I don't really like the used market but paying full retail for a 149 is crazy.
The most expensive pen I have is a Parker Jotter, with the Pilot MR Retro Pop ballpoint pen on clearance at Office Depot at $6.95 being the second. I'm looking at fountain pens like the Pilot Metropolitan for the only fountain pen because I do like Pilot especially for their gel and rollerball pens.
I know a lot of people aren't comfortable with modifying their pens, but I think you'll never truly get the perfect pen until you do so. For me opus 88 + Flexible nib platinum housing let's me use my favorite nib with a much more ergonomic body, now to figure out how to get one of those suckers onto a faber castell e-motion
when too many is too many? im struggling NOT to buy another pen in this month :-0 this hobby is so addictive
Great video, very wise too. I have to say, my favorite pen is my cheapest because I painted it, no joke. I have a video up showing it. I thought, after all this time, that it would chip or rub off, I wear it on my shirt collars, in pockets, and sometimes carry it in a rough canvas bag, and it still looks brand new, and all I used was nail polish, with a glossy clear over the colored polish. It's a wingsung 3008, so cheap at $4 a pen, but not strong, so I don't know how it has lasted this long. Examining my pen, I can see the gold colored metal trim it came with is wearing at the ends. I should have clear coated those too? I'm still very happy with it, I made it look like rain on wet concrete, or slate, and though it's a bit messy looking, I get stunned responses from waitresses when I write out, and they love it. I call it my rainy day pen. When I move, I will try to make another one. Love your videos, take care Sir!
At the end of the day, what's matters the most is if you enjoy something. Good to hear you're loving your custom pen
The right amount of pens is what you have plus 1
A better car analogy may have been to replace the blown shocks with upgraded, better than stock, longer lasting, shocks, or replacing the worn tyres with better riding tyres. A nib is "where the rubber meets the road," so to speak, so upgrading the nib should make the pen feel better than new, it gives new life to the pen.
I don't really go exploring anymore because I'm an Asian EF writer. American and European EF are too thick for me. I even bought a set of 5 chinese nibs for Lamy so I could grind until happy for the only Lamy I have. I think Lamy is a wet writer so I also had to make the opening between tines very tight to get the flow I wanted. I broke 1 of the 5 nibs doing that but it was worth it.
But my real problem with accumulating pens is that I want a lot of ink colors without having to clean and refill. lol So I'm always feeling I need more pens so I can have all colors ready at all times! I also acumulate the same pens. Most Platinum's pens have the same nib, they are very consistent and their cap seal is great for my porposes. So I have 6 Preppys and 3 Metors.
If you use them then no worries. This was more for people who have impulse control problems & just feel compelled to buy but then feel remorse afterwards. Especially if they're racking up their credit card
I see that I am not the only fanatic searching for the "perfect" fountain pen. Several times I say "Eureka" but over time, I find imperfections.
Seems like many of us are convinced one day we will catch the magic Dragon 😏
The only way proved to be effective is to have several hobbies that you cycle through. As soon as something gets old, you start another thing (guitars for example)
That Lamy pen is pretty cool, but I steer clear of that brand, they don’t know the meaning of extra fine IMO. I’ll stick to my Pilot VP
My first set of pens 7 pack pilot pens from Amazon these are the ones that are meant to be discarded after the ink runs out, however, I have found a couple videos on how to refill them. I most likely will not refill them.
It's enough when my wife says STOP. At least for a while.
Nice to see this actually, I went from searching every type of writing equipment for the best experience to a focus on fountain pens to experimenting with nib sizes and inks to about where I am now in around a year. I have 9 pens, but the most expensive was only $70 and I don't have a gold nib yet which I realize is the next thing to experiment with. But, I don't have very much money and won't for some years to come because boringandprivate-life-circumstances-stuff, so I got a 12 pen display case and decided I can fill the remaining three slots. So watching your video I realize when that box is full I can say "well, case is full, let's work on them all now" and that it will probably be the right move both financially but also help me to genuinely get closer to the perfect pen. Currently grailing the 3776 for one of those spots, I originally wanted the Custom 74 but then I started to think I kind of like a bit of feedback and maybe the 3776 is the more "mature" choice for an entry-level gold.
Also I need to not even think about 700 dollar pens made of lava, especially when we have completely opposing tastes and I'm one of those guys who wants to use dual-shading ink with a double broad on original-Tomoe-River-only and write a bunch of giant JOHN HANCOCK sized journal entry stuff. Starting to realize that being on the showy, ink-wastey side of this scale probably makes my taste the way it ends up with food and everything else: European, imported and too damn expensive.
If you even read my post on your old video I do have a question; does grailing a Japanese pen in B/BB even make sense? I am obsessed with Japanese ink but should I skip their pens and go straight to the EU with...all this money I don't have?
Hey I did read your post! Wow lots going on.... A little confused with the BB Japanese nib VS EU nibs. But guess you're wondering if it's pointless to get a wider nib on a Japanese style pen. Japanese nibs are great for getting nice fine lines. If you like small detailed work/characters they are fantastic & do it better than western style nibs. But if you don't like that feature & you enjoy a wider line than go with what you like. Fat line on a Japanese pen?..... Go for it if that's what you like & what you want & how you'd use the pen!
About the Platinum 3776 or Pilot 74 debate.... There's always about 5 pens people go for for their first gold nibbed pen. But there are SOOOOOOO many more options if you consider vintage. They might not look all new & shinny but damn they never let me down! You can get cool materials too instead of just solid 50's era colours. Just have to look around. Gold caps, different filling systems, sometimes even amazing gold flex nibs for under $140USD! First gold nib pen doesn't have to be the same one everyone else gets. Can be a cool little pen you found that has character, history, and somone else on this planet once owned it. And who knows who it was, where they were from, how they used it, what happened to them that they sold this pen? Will probably never find out, but you can wonder. That doesn't come with a brand new unused pen 🤔😉
part of my thing is to do sets: Sheaffer Intensity: Fountain, Rollerball, and Ballpoint - if your checkbook has attached copies you need the Ballpoint or Rollerball! - Monteverde Innova: Fountain, and Rollerball, the next will be the ballpoint, all in different colors!, same with Safari!
A $15 Japanese Fountain Pen (Muji) next to ones min 10x that price. LOL.
BTW I love EF and F as well and guess what my favourite pens right now are .... Muji and TWSBI Eco (demonstrator), inexpensive pens.
At first you buy a pen for the looks, and then later it is less about looks but all about writing experience (personal). mmm where does that also apply in life...
Hmmmm 🤔.... 😍🤣
Ohh, a lot of amazing fountain pens appeared in these video. My preference is the ebonite fountain pens, like the Kiwi showed here. If someone is interested in Kiwi ebonite fountain pens, I recommend the review ...
There's ALWAYS room for another pen in your life!
There is always another pen waiting out there for a pen collector. You don’t have to keep them all. You can sell or give away the pens you don’t want anymore to make way for a new pen.
Why not grind the M lamy nib? Is it more expensive than 100£?
Ohhh I dream with wet wet pens... I’m considering saving up for a Pelikan red m600, but it’s so expensive 😭 I feel guilty of just thinking of dropping that kind of cash on one pen.
About $60 to grind it down or $100 for a new EF nib. So I figure buy the EF and keep the M. If I want to, I'll grind the M to an OM. But I don't have the tools to grind from M to EF
@@Doodlebud so true. Apart from the cost difference, there is the waiting period, and other logistics related costs. It's a good decision to get an EF and enjoy the pen. 😊
@Valentia, it's difficult to self grind a gold nib. A thorough professional is required, so I guess the cost is high.
@@dashsunil I ground my MB 149 & had no issues. Same process as steels nibs. It's just the tools I'm using aren't setup to do a good job with stepping down a nib width. Can do stubs, italics, oblique, and architect... But reduction in width needs different gear (at least for me)
I agree Valentina. My most expensive pen is my Stipula Etruria Magnifico, fortunately the price is quite magnifico, what I would call good value for money. I look at the other luscious lovelies for sale and Mr Guilt starts jabbering away in my head. Oh dear, what to do???
I like most of my pens. I’ve accumulated 15 in one year. Enough to know what I prefer. Maybe around 5 more, with the allowance to buy 2 that are way more than any sane person should ever spend for a pen. Unless, of course, I decide to investigate stubs and italics, obliques and such - then I may have to buy a few of those as well. As for vintage, I will only buy if I find them in person, at antique stores or flea markets and such...instead of eBay or other online venues. So, in the end, no more than 30.
One nice one for each suit jacket pocket.
There is a simple answer - You CAN NOT have too many pens, bicycles canoes ... Heck I don't even have the budget and so have to wait and save before the next one that I've had my eye on, but haven't stopped despite finding several I'm pleased with.
How many pens? The correct financial formula for this question is : current number + one more
I like that formula. Simple, elegant, practical, & easy to remember
I have the perfect pen for me: a 34-year old Montblanc 146 gifted by my wife. But I do enjoy different writing experiences so I’ve tried some pens and I’m up to a total of 9. That is too many for me but I don’t really use my Kaweco Sport anymore so it’s really 8.
Very true, i did change the nibs on a few fountain pens that i wasn't happy with for how the nib performed. But then when you get into fountain pens its a rabbit hole and its difficult to stop.. mostly by the time you realise you need to stop its already too late LOL
That is what i do.
I dont have that much money to spend it in a 100$ pen, but i would bought a 4-30$ pen and try to make it the best for me.
I know it wont be perfect but at the end of the proces i get a very very nice pen for that price
The juicy pen might be alright with a dryer ink.
Tried very dry inks, but still a gusher. Needs an adjustment to get it right
The only pen I need is the next one. Currently that would be a Pilot 743 (FA).
Oh my! Your pen infection has spread & has now taken over your human form! You are now doomed to an eternal life of endless pen acquisitions. I got bit not long ago & am constantly trying to stop the spread. But feel like I'm in denial as it will soon one day take control of me as well! SOS... - - -... SAVE OUR SOOOOUUUUULLLLLSSSS!!!! !
Coincidentally I just received one yesterday from Japan. It's a typical high quality Pilot and has the new Con-70 converter. It writes very fine and has some natural line variation, and of course gives more with pressure, but definitely has sharp feedback. To be truthful it was silly for me to buy it since I have a Custom Heritage 912 with the FA nib and never use it, as my preferred writer is the Custom 823 with a medium nib. I have both the amber and smoke in medium and they write identically and perfectly for me. Once again I fell for the perceived magic of flex, lol.
@@chrislj2890 Another useful warning, thanks. So far I have been holding out by extensively using my Noodler's Triple Tail (flex), trying to determine what exactly the point of flex is for me personally.
@@ichirofakename
I also have the Triple Tail and mine is a piece of junk, with horrid flow issues and a mediocre nib. Oddly my Noodler's Ahab was absolutely perfect with excellent flex until I dropped it in the sink and destroyed the nib. Sadly, a couple of replacement nibs just never gave me the same results. I also have an Aurora Optima LE Flex and that thing has no flex at all. I think we are better off using a stub nib for line variation with any consistency.
@@chrislj2890 So my flow issues are not unique. Thing goes from dry to wet to dripping in one session.
Hi D. B.......do you ever purchase from retailers that tune & smooth before sending?
I haven't but am considering. Exchange & shipping to Canada can be brutal sometimes. So always trying to score a deal.
I have a problem of buying all the colors of a fountain pen brand like all lamys and Twsbi ecos but I really just love the black ones
There's a whole big wide world of pens outside the Safari & Eco 😁. I like to take the buffet approach & try everything
While our taste is greatly different from what I see there I agree with you on nib choice, fine or EF. I count myself lucky in that when I rekindled my interest in 🖋, I purchased a Sailor 1911L medium (Western fine) and the Pelikan 800 and a M805. All of my pens come from an excellent vendor in the U.K. who offers free nib tuning prior to shipping No issues with any of the pens from them. The only issue with a recent purchase was a Waterman Carene from France that arrived with ink stains on the interior of the box liner from a cartridge bursting. They were not willing to exchange the box.
Hi Richard, which vendor do you use in the UK?
I just want ten tho
just one more. 😎
Dean, it appears that it is as obvious to you as it is to me........the ultimate pen is the NEXT ONE.
Why or when and? I mean, you can always buy more pens AND send those ones off to be ground.
Very true...why buy one whe you can have two for twice the price! 🤔😂
I wanted the Bronze Age but ended up with a Blizzard. Magnetic vs the cool lock. I don't know.
Maybe get that black body then Ill have both colours. ideas?
I have LAMY and love the design. Piano black & white. I use the white more now.
Time to clean up the black. Thanks for your ideas. Want another from @gravitas !! 02/26/2022
You've been on a binge-watch of my videos! Love it! :)
@@Doodlebud easy listen and I like what you scope on. Who would not watch.
great topic
My name is Marilyn, and I’m a penaholic. (Hi, Marilyn). I haven’t bought a pen in 31 hours.
Seems like my computer knows what I need... but toooo late! Oupsie lol
This reminds me of an Ann Patchett quote. In _The Getaway Car_ she talks about a friend advising her to stick with the draft she was already working on - INSTEAD OF STARTING OVER: "It was lifesaving counsel. Without it, I could have spent the next seven months writing the first chapters of eighteen different novels, all of which I would have ultimately hated as much as I hated this one." LOL
And with all those thing done, you will still want new pen hahaha.
I sent my Homosapiens to a nib meister for the exact reason you mentioned in the video and am still waiting for it to come back. At the same time I am looking for pen online =.= We all need help.
Oh I hear ya! Hope your tune up on the HS goes well. Please post an update when it comes back or even email me directly. I can do a mention because I'm sure A LOT of people are interested! thedoodlebud@gmail.com
There's no such thing as the perfect pen. No two pens write the same and I like the variety of writing experiences. Also, the variety of sizes, colors and materials they are made from.
Agreed, one of my favorite pens is still the Kaweco Sport I got as my second pen because it just randomly has the greatest nib ever. It was from Amazon before I figured out you probably shouldn't buy pens on Amazon and it's just dumb luck. He's right, I'd love to be able to craft the pens I wanted to be the best ones to actually BE the best ones. Also explains why the FP reddit says "learn to tune your own nibs reeeeee" so much I think they just pinned it.
Fountain Pens are like girlfriends. The blonde girl is really hot, but so is that brunette, and I've never dated a redhead before and I love her accent... but 1 girlfriend that is really special is better than two dozen friends who aren't that special.
I can't just have one pen, but I can have one EDC pen (Pilot 95S), and one journal pen (Pilot 835), a couple art pens (TWSBI Mini Vacs), and then one special vintage pen (Waterman 512) and one special modern pen (Pilot 845 Urushi Vermillion).
Where do I find a pen that writes that wet
Yeah.. got a safari, wrote like a rusty fish hook. Tried tuning it, got better but never good. Bought a new bib.. also a dud. I eventually smashed it min down on the counter next to the sink, hands covered in ink. No more Lamys. Don’t care if I got the 1 in 100. No more. Recently ordered 2 Esterbrooks, $400.. BOTH were dudes. I’m a week in now but I got the Raven at least flowing well with a nice sailor type feedback, with a good bit of tuning. My winter white is still off but close. It has baby’s bottom but I’m about to get it right. That being said, went right back to my pending cart and dumped the other two Esties. I just don’t feel this is cool, even if I do eventually get them right. I know I overpaid for converter pens with steel nibs. I shoulder have to be stressed about them for a week or two. Of Al of my dozens of expensive hype fixation retail addiction hobbies, fountain pens have the worst QC issues… by a HUGE margin. TWSBI should get credit though. Always comes in juicy. Honestly, the Ecos write smoother and wetter than my expensive pens. So, when someone says, oh you just got the rare Lamy defect.. I remember that TWSBI is too busy selling out of the box perfection to make excused.. and they’re some of my cheapest pens. I get tired of duds. Don’t happen all the time but when it does it alway hast to be in a string of a few pens, leaving me over the sink losing my religion. 😂
"Stop buying pens!"
NO!
Well OK then..... buy more pens 😅
@@Doodlebud it's hard not to. I appreciate the encouragement though.
@@celticwinter yeah there's no end of gorgeous pens out there!
Why do some pen makers just do not care about nib quality in mid range pens while wanting to keep part of that market ? Lamy Safari perfect example of love hate relation use same nib call it a Lamy AL and it is great QC is better ... Thx for the video
what I feared and learned through fp is probably the same to any hobby and related skills/knowledge learned and acquired through it, any hobby tutorials can be easily bought, watched for free, but nurturing the enjoyment so it lasts someone the whole lifetime? theres no tutorial or advice, some people got lucky they have nearby community, some don't, I think though, the online fp communities are people who find too much both commonality and disparity at the same time so we can't help but to let go preconceived notion of what the best thing is, so that said
theres not many bad pens, some expectations may fell disappointing, but too many new curiosity and couldn't settle down to utilize it in good manners, seems like this is true beyond fp hobby itself, perhaps trying to take the steer from life away to be more in control of the acquisition sickness
NEVER ENOUGH
Until one day when............. its too much 😯 😂
@@DoodlebudI just recently got into fountain pens. Bought some lamy safari and al stars. Some zebra disposable ones to try. So now the collection/obsession begins 😅
That's what everyone has a feeling about but don't understand )))
Just stopped by to say I totally read the title wrong 👋
Keep on buying penis but stop buying pens! ;)
Pick up a kasama una or a tala I bought them and I’ve been happy performance has been great and flow nice try it you will love it
Hmmmmm looks interesting 🤔
@@Doodlebud it is you don’t have to worry about scratches or dents
The tala post nice the una no née to post
That’s need
Do you believe collecting is an abnormality of the mind ? I’m the owner of over thirty fountain pens , far too many to use and wear out in my lifetime.
I don't think its an abnormality. 30 pens.... I know several people with well over 1000! LOL
yeah.... im on my 200... and there is always a new holy grail pen next month
Then here I have 5 different pilot preras and 5 different safari's/al-stars in the same size for some reason
For a moment there I thought Q-Tip was a serious fountain pen user! "You on point Phife? All the time Tip" - Possible fountain pen reference? 🤔😂
@@Doodlebud game recognize game
Less really is more.
Yup. Get the diamonds in the ruff to be beautiful gems before getting more unfinished diamonds
A lot of these comments... people owning less than 20 pens & thinking theyre hoarding ...dude, i have like a 100 & wont plan to stop soon.
Keep on keepin' on 👍
One good one is enough!
By my calculations it must take at least 50-100 to get this one good one 😉
which ink were you using in the homosapien?
No idea, was a while ago
Do you know what collecting means?
I wasn't talking about collecting. If someone wants to have a collection with 300+ pens then that's great. Someday I might end up with that many pens. This was about having a bunch of pens you aren't happy with or regret buying. From my perspective, and that's all my videos really are (just random guy who chooses to hit upload on a video), I don't get any joy in having pens I don't like or wouldn't buy again if I had the choice. So then I'll either fix it so I do like it, or sell/give away. Just my thoughts on the topic which doesn't have to align with anyone else's.
I think you're searching for a Waterman 94.
Uh-oh… looks like someone clicked the wrong aspect ratio when exporting…
I have the same issue with my Pineider La Grande Bellezza. It's a very wet fine quill nib that writes fat just like your Homosapien. I wrote an email to a nib smith just last night requesting work.
This could be my penervana pen.
Have you ever thought of making your own pens? Turning them in celluloid perhaps? With you’re engineering background you have the skills. Lots of vids on TH-cam of course.
I definitely have, but just don't have the time or the equipment to make them at the moment.
I have 15 pens. 7 are one use pens once the ink is gone I will discard them. Then I’m down to 8 pens. I will not purchase any more until my birthday. I will splurge on 0ne pen.
There's definitely a quality vs quantity balance to be found
I concluded a long time ago there was no perfect pen; a great metaphor for life! I never sought a "grail pen." I just buy what I like -- what fits the parameters of what interests me in a fountain pen. As I approach 40 pens, do I have more than enough? You better believe it. Will I stop buying pens? Hellllll no. Perfection exists in the mind. Perfection can be the illusion, the chase, the satisfaction, or the present moment, that at any given time I pick up a pen and write, it's the perfect pen, inked with the perfect ink at the perfect time. It's all in the mind..
Well said 😊
Hi, I’m Doodlebud, and I’m a nibaholic.