What do you look for in a very expensive pen?

[bananamoon]

I've been fortunate enough to be able to try a pen that costs a little under $700, which is about 4 times as much as I've ever spent on a pen myself. It's a lovely pen but I'm finding it hard to get my head around the cost. Obviously value for money doesn't come into it, but if you are going to be buying a pen in that kind of price range, what are you looking for in the pen to justify the high cost? What does it need to give you that a $200 pen won't?

[Jon Szanto]

Heh, make my round of fora, and it pops up again! :)

Ian, I'll say the same thing I said on reddit: if you have to justify the cost of a pen, it's too expensive for you.

In a line that I consider spot-on and attributed to Rick Propas at the LA Pen Show one year, he said "There isn't a single person in this room that needs another pen." That is kind of it in a nutshell. Unless you have some kind of occupation that relies completely on the way your pen writes, all of your pens are being purchased for your pleasure. If it is just putting lines and dots on paper, any pen will do; if you are spending ever increasing money on pens because of look, design, feel, weight, materials, etc, you are doing that for no other reason than that it pleases you. With that said, you simply have to fork over the money, and if you can't do that with comfort, you have just acknowledged that the pen is costing more than you should spend. It's up to you whether you save up to build some financial cushion to have remaining once you pay it, or you come to terms with spending money on things that please you with no compulsion to justify the cost.

[mhosea]

but if you are going to be buying a pen in that kind of price range, what are you looking for in the pen to justify the high cost? What does it need to give you that a $200 pen won't?

So far I've never paid as much as $500 for a pen, but I think the principle is the same at $500 as it is at $700+. What am I looking for in the pen? I'm looking for the pen not to screw it up by being broken or brittle or something. What I'm really looking at is me, me looking at the pen, asking myself how much do I want it. The question is not why do I want it. The answer to that question is always silly, so I stopped asking that a long time ago.

[Empty_of_Clouds]

I am not sure it is a matter of justification, at least that is how I interpret Ian's post. I think it is more about what you are expecting to get for your money. That may seem like splitting hairs but they really are different perceptions: the former being a question of whether you should pay - in the abstract sense of it being a lot of money for what is essentially just a pen, the latter is more about levels of craftsmanship, design and/or materials and so on. That's the way I understand it, but the only expensive pens I have seen were a couple of MBs in a jeweler's shop here.

[bananamoon]

Thanks for taking the time to reply in both places Jon! Hope I've not committed some terrible faux pas by asking the question in more than one place at the same time. I agree that if you have to ask 'how much', so to speak, you can't afford it. I certainly can't afford a pen that costs this much. That's why I was posing the question.

[bananamoon]

I am not sure it is a matter of justification, at least that is how I interpret Ian's post. I think it is more about what you are expecting to get for your money. That may seem like splitting hairs but they really are different perceptions: the former being a question of whether you should pay - in the abstract sense of it being a lot of money for what is essentially just a pen, the latter is more about levels of craftsmanship, design and/or materials and so on.

Yes, thank you, that's what I meant, and you've put it much better than I did!

[Jon Szanto]

Ian, no worries whatsoever. TBH, the audiences are a little different, so I was a little more verbose here (more people know me and put up with my babbling... I think!) than on reddit. It's a very valid question you ask, and a very personal one as well.

Another aspect of this that I think *many* pen people will acknowledge (inwardly, if not out loud...) is that our 'upper limit' has probably altered over time. I will state the following: the most expensive pen I have purchased, to this day, is at the $500 value. When I started, five years ago, I would have figured someone was smoking crack to drop that kind of change on a writing instrument. The question becomes: what changed?

Well, first off, I got to know my own taste better, and pen architecture better, and most importantly, how a pen would feel in my hand - precisely, what physical qualities made holding and writing with that pen a comfortable and enjoyable experience for any length of time I chose. I'll use that one pen as an example as to what aspects made me no longer blink at a price I once considered beyond sensible:


I had become familiar with the same style pen by using a slightly different (in appearance) model
The overall design aesthetic of the pen pleased me in all aspects
I knew the pen to be a flawless performer when all was in order
The nib would be adjusted to my specifications
The pen was a Limited Edition, giving it a provenance and appeal that it wasn't "run of the mill"
With all of the above in mind, I was as certain as can be that it would not be a "temporary purchase" but a pen I could, and would, use and enjoy for the rest of my life.


I knew of the pen ahead of time, and when I went to a pen show and tried it, that sealed the deal. No hesitation, and in over 6 months, still an absolute delight, to simply see on my desk, and more so to use on a regular basis.

And, no shit, this daily routine of getting up in the dark, early hours of the morning with the shopping cart and pointed stick and going through the recycle bins for aluminum cans is becoming fairly pleasant. Fresh air, exercise...

:)

[Jon Szanto]

I am not sure it is a matter of justification, at least that is how I interpret Ian's post.

*I* may have introduced a little confusion, as when Ian posted elsewhere, he did use the term "justify" and in my reply, I allowed it to be carried here. But I think we're getting a good look at numerous aspects of a question many may ponder at some point in their pen interests.

[mhosea]

That may seem like splitting hairs but they really are different perceptions: the former being a question of whether you should pay - in the abstract sense of it being a lot of money for what is essentially just a pen, the latter is more about levels of craftsmanship, design and/or materials and so on.

Yes, that's true, but I'm coming at that from the other angle. I think wanting an expensive pen is a fundamentally emotive rather than rational thing. Rather than ask what sorts of things I am looking to get in an expensive pen, which seems to presuppose the falsehood that wanting it is a rational thing, I suggest that a more useful angle is to ask what sort of things one should be looking for that would be discouraging factors or even deal breakers that would make one pass on buying.

[Miss Fountain Pen]

If I'm buying something that costs more than $200 (give or take), I want a handmade pen. Obviously, I also want it to be a good writer and aesthetically pleasing, but I want that from all my pens (otherwise, why buy it?). But if a pen costs $500 or so, I'll only consider it if it's handmade.

[Empty_of_Clouds]

Good points.

If it was me I would be looking, and hopefully trying, lots of pens until I find one that has special appeal. If that pen turned out to be expensive, well, so be it. Part of the issue is that if we are looking for specific aesthetics and quality craftsmanship and materials, they can only or mostly be found at higher price levels. Though that comes down to what one perceives as quality. For some the epitome of quality could be, say, a Pilot 845. That can be had for around $350. For another person their perception of quality may extend to a Hakase or a Manupropria. In which case they will be looking at well over $1000.

It's an intricate question, yes? We have many factors, not least the simple one that what is expensive to one person isn't to another. To muddy the waters further, expensive has nothing directly to do with affordability either, as it is tied more to our personal value systems. For instance, I could conceivably afford to buy a Hakase (I probably couldn't, but let's pretend) but baulk at paying such a price because it seems like a frivolous waste of money. That's what I think of as the "I can, but I won't" scenario.

In a simplistic sense I take the view that one buys what appeals, and the cost is somewhat secondary even though it can mean not having what you want.



Edit: I am feeling a little fuzzy today. I sat through lectures on policy dealing with illegal drug use. I can now summarize the Western world's drug policy thus: "Nothing has worked so far, we must do something different - anyone got any ideas?"

[inklord]

For some the epitome of quality could be, say, a Pilot 845. That can be had for around $350. For another person their perception of quality may extend to a Hakase or a Manupropria. In which case they will be looking at well over $1000.
Intricate, indeed. I noticed that the dividing line between your examples falls between factory product and handmade 'manu-factured' pieces. There is a delicate border between these handmade pens with a great deal of artistic expression which often still use mass produced parts (such as nibs, feeds and converters) that has nothing to do with "quality" but with aesthetics alone. Modern mass production can and, if used in this way will, yield products of impeccable quality from where the only improvement is in aesthetics, and that leads then to mhosea's argument
I think wanting an expensive pen is a fundamentally emotive rather than rational thing - all justification falls short of the mark, because it's made up of all our complex ties to certain aesthetics and personal experiences.

[dannzeman]

For me, it really comes down to how much a pen appeals to me (by tripping emotional triggers) and what my budget constraints are at the time. As Jon mentioned, when I first started in this hobby I couldn't imagine spending more than $100 on a single pen. Pens were just pens and for the longest time I looked at them from a rational perspective in terms of what I'm getting for my money. Now, over the past year, I almost can't believe what I've spent on pens and realize there's a very strong emotional connection involved.

I would say I first noticed this when I purchased the Classic Pens LB5 from Andy Lambrou at the 2014 Colorado Pen show. I was very aware of the pen before the show and while I thought it was nice, I also thought it was vastly overpriced. When I met Andy, my perspective changed. I go into more detail in my review of the pen (https://youtu.be/3QNKRH6vLOA), but I've noticed a strong connection between me purchasing a pen and the relationship I have with the seller. It's one reason I purchased the LB6 from Andy at LA this year, and the Decoband from Syd at DC (in addition to many other reasons), and my first Nakaya from Lisa at SF.

I've also noticed that I find exclusivity more valuable than I once did. I get satisfaction from knowing that there's only 10 other people in the world (or whatever the number may be) that own the same pen as me.

[jar]

There are a variety of things I look for that go beyond mere functionality and many of those points are common across the board regardless of the actual product.

There are the immediate aesthetics; purtty; I want.

Then the practical; can I afford it without too much pain?

Next are the details; did the craftsmen pay as much attention to the parts that do not show as to the visible surface? Do the parts feel like they were meant for each other; are the threads silky in use; do the snap on caps close as though controlled by a tractor beam? Are edges smooth and rounded? How much hand crafting went into the product and was that crafting done by a master or apprentice? What are the materials used?

Ergonomics also play a part; how does the object feel? Will it be comfortable over extended use? Are the materials ones that will last? Is the construction well executed? Are there places that poke me or irritate? How is it balanced?

There is also the reputation of the maker and the seller. Does the maker have a reputation of producing high quality products? Does the seller have a reputation for after sales support?

If a product ticks all those points then there is a high probability I will buy it.

[pajaro]

Spending $700 or more for a pen should give you a pen you will like, and one that will impress others that you can afford to spend that money on something of known quality and that you are discerning enough to choose an impressive item that will give you the satisfaction that you have arrived and have better stuff.

[inklord]

gentle is the trap
created by our senses:
beauty is the bait

[Sandy Fry]

It is all a pretty simple process for me. If I can afford it and I like it, I buy it.

I am with Jon in this...if you have to justify the cost then it's out of your price range.

David

[tandaina]

I've been fortunate enough to be able to try a pen that costs a little under $700, which is about 4 times as much as I've ever spent on a pen myself. It's a lovely pen but I'm finding it hard to get my head around the cost. Obviously value for money doesn't come into it, but if you are going to be buying a pen in that kind of price range, what are you looking for in the pen to justify the high cost? What does it need to give you that a $200 pen won't?

Art. The only pens I've ever bought that were more than $300 were (are) works of art. That's why I buy them.

[pajaro]

I've been fortunate enough to be able to try a pen that costs a little under $700, which is about 4 times as much as I've ever spent on a pen myself. It's a lovely pen but I'm finding it hard to get my head around the cost. Obviously value for money doesn't come into it, but if you are going to be buying a pen in that kind of price range, what are you looking for in the pen to justify the high cost? What does it need to give you that a $200 pen won't?

Art. The only pens I've ever bought that were more than $300 were (are) works of art. That's why I buy them.

This has nailed it.

[Rusty888]

I go with uniqueness or something that makes me smile.
My Mont Blanc. Makes me smile
My visconti Wall Street Le is a rare pen. No one is has it and I enjoy being one of small few to use the pen

[Waski_the_Squirrel]

I have a few, but I'm not even sure that a $200 pen is "worth it." I've never spent $700 on a pen. I once considered $550 for a Nakaya, but couldn't talk myself into it.

But, I look at it this way: the disposable ballpoint I got for free at my last conference does the same job as my most expensive pen (a Pilot Justus 95). They both write. But something made me by that Pilot.

I want a comfortable pen that makes me forget about the pen and just write. The words appear and I don't even think about the pen. The Pilot does that. Admittedly, so do my Noodler's Konrads. So it must be more than this.

The Pilot looks good. It feels good. It writes well. (Something is making me question the grammar in those sentences: shouldn't they have consistent "good" or "well?") There is a certain amount of craftsmanship to my mass produced Pilot that is not present in the ballpoint or the Noodler's. It's very well made and well balanced. The mechanical aspects of the pen are cool as well.

I could not justify the $550 Nakaya I was looking at a while back. I saved for it, reached my goal early, and never bought it. I still think it's a gorgeous pen, and I would buy it at a lower price. But at $550, there just wasn't enough of that intangible something in that pen to convince me to buy it.

The truth is, there is a lot of emotion tied up in this, and emotion cannot be justified logically. I was willing to buy an overpriced Platinum 3776 Yamanaka. But, for several hundred more, the Nakaya is not worth it.

The way I figure it is that emotionally, I have to feel good about a purchase, whether that makes sense or not. If I don't feel good about it, I will not enjoy it. At this price point, logical thinking is no longer a thing.

[bluesea]

I've been fortunate enough to be able to try a pen that costs a little under $700, which is about 4 times as much as I've ever spent on a pen myself. It's a lovely pen but I'm finding it hard to get my head around the cost. Obviously value for money doesn't come into it, but if you are going to be buying a pen in that kind of price range, what are you looking for in the pen to justify the high cost? What does it need to give you that a $200 pen won't?

Art. The only pens I've ever bought that were more than $300 were (are) works of art. That's why I buy them.



Was about to go into a spiel about ergos and nib selection etc, till I saw your post. Art was the reason I went with Nakaya.:D The Lamy 2000 as well actually.

[lsmith42]

As I taught in class at the SF Pen Show in August, it's "the eroticism of office supplies."

If you want it, and the idea of owning it pushes your button, then there you go...

I have had only a few that were let-downs after purchasing, and they didn't stay with me long.

I've had a few more that have been divested, and then the divestiture was deeply regretted. I've then hunted down replacements, or, in some cases, the actual pens that I had once owned.

[Paddrino]

The most expensive pens I own we're all due to specific events in my life that I treasure as much as the pen. My Lamy 2000 was bought for me by my wife for our 15th wedding anniversary. My Visconti Homo sapiens florentine hills was bought after I went to a local pen store after a surgical procedure I had earlier that day (it was on sale as well). So, for me, those specific pens were bought for a special occasion or momentous event. I write with both of them every day. The other pens I have are just workhorses or unique feature pens (like my everyday writer twisbi Eco or my noodlers Arab) that I use for specific purposes such as my pathetic attempts at lettering/calligraphy. The 'special' ones are not special just because they are more expensive, they mark events in my life that I will remember every time I pick up that pen. They are unique and I bought them for their beauty and memorable events in my life. I have other pens, but they are simply tools and utilities I use to write. These other pens reflect the story of my life.

Additionally, as to the question of 'worth'. You are the only one that can answer that question. If you are approaching the evaluation from a purely utilitarian point of view, the answer, unfortunately, is usually an 'absolutely not'. Plastic, no matter how pretty, has very little intrinsic worth. If you are approaching the question from an aesthetics point of view, the question could be 'maybe'. Is a Vincent van Goth painting 'worth it'? Some would argue absolutely, others would simply shrug and walk away. In this case, beauty really is simply in the eye of the beholder, and only that individual beholder can determine its worth. To me my Visconti is priceless. Not only for the beautiful green swirls in the acrylic, but for what that pen represents, an event in my life when I made an important decision to have a surgical procedure done to give my wife and I peace of mind. So, just like the van Goth painting, the value goes deeper than simply 'paint on a canvas'. I hope this helps in your decision.

Best of luck, and show us some pictures of your new pen when you get it ;)

[Kaputnik]

There is a price point, admittedly not very well defined, where having paid "that much" for a pen would spoil my enjoyment in the pen itself. Spending $600 on a single pen just feels wrong to me in a way that buying four $150 pens does not. Illogical? Certainly, and there was a time when even $30 seemed ridiculous for "a pen".

But for what I want in a pen, there is currently no need to reach even $200 (and I haven't done so). There are vintage pens that appeal to me esthetically, old celluloids and BCHRs in particular, and some vintage nibs are excellent, but half the fun is finding one for as little as possible. With modern pens I'm more focused on function, and getting a pen that writes the way I want it to doesn't have to cost more than I've already paid. Indeed, here too I look for bargain pricing, buying Pilots from Japanese eBay dealers, for example.

Buying a pen as a work of art is quite understandable, but it's not what I'm in to. And buying a "beautiful" pen only to find out that it writes no better than one costing a fraction of the price is a disappointment I don't need.

[Marsilius]

"What do you look for in a very expensive pen?"

An 80% discount!

Seriously, I know that feeling of guilt/regret after having spent more than I should have. But that feeling could be had over a $100 pen or a $500. The amount is different, the feeling the same.

[gbryal]

The most expensive pen I have, I have because I wrote with it and thought the nib was just about perfect. I didn't and don't really find the pen body, weight, materials, or appearance to be extraordinarily special, in my mind not much different from my Jinhao 159 (which is a superb value).

i don't regret buying it. It's a nice pen (It's a Cross Peerless 125). I wonder sometimes though if I should have just gotten a Sailor 1911, if that would have been a similar nib in a less expensive pen.

The only pens I would consider in the price range of the Peerless or more would be the Nakaya. They are pleasant to look at and have a lot of difficult hand work done to them. So I'd say today, if I bought an expensive pen, it would be in appreciation of individual artistry (but they have to be something I'll really carry with me and use.)

[mirstudio]

Hi Everyone! Fr. the most part, the people I've met that buy expensive pens, $1,000 +, are die hard collectors that love and appreciate the art in a pen; and have the money to indulge. Some buy pens for the sake of collecting a beautiful object. Some are speculators looking for an investment. I've spoken to people that have 1,000+ pens and they show up at most pen conventions looking for that one pen, in the show, that speaks to them amongst the thousands for sale. They look at pens with the same admiration a sculptor studies The David of Michaelangelo. The truth is, some pens are breathtaking!

[Pommel]

The only reason for me to spend more than €200 on a pen is when I really really really want it.

Such an expensive pen I would want to test before buying first anyway. Holding it, feeling the balance, test the nib.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

[Z-Tab]

One thing that I want when I spend hundreds on a pen is to know that there is an established secondary market where I can recover the vast majority of my cost. I like to try different pens and I know that there's a decent chance I'm going to pass along any pen that I buy. If the used market for a pen is 50% lower than the new price, then I'm going to be buying used.

[catbert]

I look for reassuring confirmation that it doesn't appeal to me and that I can ignore it. My wish list is long and expensive enough already. :)

[dneal]

I look for my emotional response to the aesthetic.

[penwash]

This is such an informative thread, I have to attempt to summarize it:

Q: What do you look for in a very expensive pen?

A:
1. A piece of Art
2. A connection with the seller or maker <--- I have a personal experience on this one also
3. A bargain (where can I get it at a much lower price)
4. Something that makes us smile
5. An embodiment of good characteristics that we know about a pen <-- This will change as our knowledge increases
6. An emotional (aesthetic ?) trigger
7. A challenge <-- read below

For me, if I see an expensive pen that I like, it becomes a challenge to find a way to fund it by trading up for it.
I learn how to do this with my camera collection. I was able to obtain a top-tier model Rolleiflex (for those of you who couldn't care less about cameras, a Rolleiflex is akin to high-end Visconti or Mont Blanc pens) via trading up. It was a lot of fun doing it, and I ended up only having to pay the camera repairman to service the camera. I still use it regularly today.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I've been fortunate enough to be able to try a pen that costs a little under $700, which is about 4 times as much as I've ever spent on a pen myself. It's a lovely pen but I'm finding it hard to get my head around the cost. Obviously value for money doesn't come into it, but if you are going to be buying a pen in that kind of price range, what are you looking for in the pen to justify the high cost? What does it need to give you that a $200 pen won't?


It needs to do my dishes, laundry, and appointments. ;)

[TSherbs]

"What do you look for in a very expensive pen?"

An 80% discount!

At least!

The only other thing I would wish for is a ticket to a foreign land cuz my spouse would not let me return home.

[fly_us]

My most expensive pens are almost hit $700 mark, two Nakayas. And i'm look up to $1000-1500 mark now.

I used to buy pens lesser than $200, and when i said used to, it means i bought a lot of them. Sometime there are 5-6 of them in the mail. I spent most of my hard earn money into the pens, which i think could be nice to have. After a while, i realized that i don't need all of them but only enjoy few pens.

That's is where i start thinking about saving a small amount of money each month to buy the pen that i truly love. The saving time also serves as a buffer to make sure that i really love it, or it is just a hit and miss. When i have enough fund and if i still want it, then it is the true love to me :).

So what is look for in an expensive pen is the mutual feeling on am i really love it or not.

[bananamoon]

Thanks so much everyone for such interesting thoughts! Personally, if I was ever to spend this much on a pen it would need to be beautiful, write perfectly and be handmade (at least in part).

The pen in question was a Bespoke British Pens Conway-Stewart Winston, a pen that didn't meet any of these criteria for me, although I know of at least one other person who fell absolutely in love with it and will be buying one.

[rpsyed]

This is an interesting question. I have a handful of pens over $500, including two pens over $1,000, and two more $1,000+ on order and paid for. Firstly, I'm looking for something beyond just a good writing experience. I expect an expensive pen to write wonderfully, but it's not what I'm seeking out. My Danitrio Mikado is a fantastic writer. But then again, so is my Pilot Vanishing Point. I personally look for a pen that meshes with me aesthetically. Simple flat-tops like Romillo pens, are what I'm most often attracted to. I also look for handwork and craftsmanship - I put a lot of value on craftsmanship. I find myself struggling with wanting to pay $700 for a MB 149 or Pelikan M1000. At the same time, I wouldn't hesitate at all to spend twice that amount on a Romillo, Danitrio, Newton, Nakaya, etc.

[inklord]

Here's another idea: sometimes I get emotionally attached to an item because of how at some point in my life's little history I connected with it in a unique way (like through a shopping window, when I was a child...) This kind of emotional bond could make any price point negligible if the necessary funds were available... I only know of three pens like that, and two of them are way below the numbers we talked here, the third is desirable, but currently not at all affordable :)

[Mags]

I am looking for a pen of good quality. A pen that is unique and has a larger size. I want a piston filler with lower chances it will require repairs. So more heirloom quality. I want a unique aspect such as colour or resin pattern. The pen should have a good working clip that is not tight. The nib should be a number six size or larger and butter smooth. A preference for 14-18kt gold on all pen finishes, clip, bands, and of course the nib. A presentation box is sometimes desired and I think of my Churchill pen from Conway Stewart as an example.

[EloquentOgre]

I look for a few things.

First, and foremost, ergonomics. I need a pen with an extra wide (11.5-14.5mm, ideally on the high end of that) section, but which at the same time is relatively light weight and well balanced. Oh man, that balance, that's important. I thought a Pelikan M1000 was going to hit the sweet spot, but nope, they're so ridiculously back heavy because of the excessive brass in the filling mechanism (I assume because of the bass ackwards idea that many folks seem to get that higher weight/mass=quality) that even that lovely springy nib can't appease me enough to tolerate it. I would just find it annoying if all things were normal, but I have a neurological condition that results in intense pain with pens I have to fight to write. Either a pen works well for me, and I can write for long sessions with no problem, or it doesn't, and - no middle ground alas. Other features matter too, like material. Metal sections, especially smooth... sorry, no. Just no. No. No. Nope. Omas, I love you, but what the hell? The new Paragon would be perfect, except for that damned metal section... why? Omas, why? Give me a pen the size of a new paragon, in Arco Bronze celluloid, with the section the same material as the body, and I would be throwing my money at you. Hell, even with regular cotton resin models.

Second, I want it to be beautiful to my eye. Which can be tricky. There is a fine line between pretty and tacky I generally err on the side of conservativeness. Flashy colors and lots of gold (I seriously don't get why I like arco bronze pens, but I do, which sort of contradicts this) tend to make me recoil a bit. Yet I see beauty in many very conservative black and gold designs. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and all.

It takes all of this to even make me consider throwing a lot of money at a pen nowadays. I'm really getting a feel for what I want now, so finally I am starting to look at the more expensive stuff. At present, what catches my eye strongest are big Urushi pens. From Nakaya 17mm Cigars and Dorsal fins (v1 and 2) to Danitrio Denshos and Mikados. Especially the Denshos and Mikados. I am equally torn between shu-dame, ki-dame and midori-dame Urushi variants - no flashy maki-e (not that I dislike it, my wallet just can't touch them). Soooo pretty. I'll probably be getting one within a couple months. Or at least ordering one. But I'm also looking at all the options for custom made pens (Hakase, Romillo, Newton, Scriptorium) to meet my wants.

Of course, I'm kind of looking at an expensive pen from a weird standpoint at the present. Because of my current condition I have had to retire way too young (44) and am looking at long term fixed income living, so my expensive pen dreams are going to be limited to one, maybe two based on store credit and "fun money" savings that I have now, and then they're going to have to last me as treasures for a LONG time, because I won't be buying anything nice well, pretty much ever again the way things are going. But I've accepted that. As I see it, it's nice to have a few treasures to enjoy, and pens can last a long time, even when used daily - I can hold them, feel them in hand, and use them. Objets d'art that live to be used, not just looked at. It helps further that writing really has a theraputic effect, helping me escape/shift my mind away from my physical problems when medicine can't.

Anyway, yeah - I've been asking myself the very same question OP, and those are the answers that come to my mind.

[bluesea]

I look for a few things.

First, and foremost, ergonomics. I need a pen with an extra wide (11.5-14.5mm, ideally on the high end of that) section, but which at the same time is relatively light weight and well balanced. ...


The Montblanc 149 fits that requirement, but there must be some reason you've left it off your list?

[EloquentOgre]

Yes - both are on my list! I am actually really torn about what to do with my pen money. Right now it looks like either a single Danitrio or two pens... A nakaya portable cigar in 17mm size and maybe an Eboya Houga large size. Or a Hakase in that lovely jade green celluloid. It's really a hard choice. Whichever way I go I'm getting a treasure.

[EloquentOgre]

The 149 I just don't trust. An old friend had two of them which gave him nothing but trouble. It's a pen that's on my want list but not very high in spite of its many appealing characteristics. If I was still working I would probably rank it higher but I can't afford to deal with montblanc service prices if it gets all flakey over time.

Still i keep looking at used 149s and pondering.

[mhosea]

Still i keep looking at used 149s and pondering.

I have a couple, both bought used. Both needed lubrication, and both nibs needed adjustment before I was happy with them (sort of punted with the Broad and had it ground to a smooth cursive italic by Pendleton Brown). I bought a wrench so that I could lube the piston whenever I wanted, and so that I can flush the nib and feed thoroughly from behind if I want. There's no trouble left in them, I think. They're dependable now. They'd be excellent everyday workhorse pens if I wanted them to be. But for the most part they sit unused. I like playing with them every now and again because of the large nib, but after the novelty of seeing big nib wears off, I'm ready to put them away, at least the Medium point. Pendleton did make a nice stub, but it'd be just as nice if that same tip were on a smaller nib. I like the size of the 146 a lot better than the 149, though the fact of the matter is that I wouldn't know that if I didn't own both. If I had only the 146, which is the right choice for me, I'd always wonder whether I'd like the 149 better.

[VertOlive]

I finally ordered my first Nakaya after looking at them for over two years.

The aesthetic is perfect to my eye.

The emotional draw, having lived in Japan on and off over 17 years, leaves me with an appreciation of that aesthetic. The pen captures the essence of Japan for me.

I've had all that time to decide what I really like and notice the pen I'd have chosen 2 years ago as a newbie is not the one I chose now as a veteran of about a hundred pens going through my hands.

[rpsyed]

I finally ordered my first Nakaya after looking at them for over two years.

The aesthetic is perfect to my eye.

The emotional draw, having lived in Japan on and off over 17 years, leaves me with an appreciation of that aesthetic. The pen captures the essence of Japan for me.

I've had all that time to decide what I really like and notice the pen I'd have chosen 2 years ago as a newbie is not the one I chose now as a veteran of about a hundred pens going through my hands.

Congratulations! What model did you pick? Any customizations? I always wanted to get a Nakaya with kanji. The one Nakaya I have, a kuro-tamenuri Piccolo, I picked out from the in-stock selection of CFP ... I can be impatient ...

[rpsyed]

Yes - both are on my list! I am actually really torn about what to do with my pen money. Right now it looks like either a single Danitrio or two pens... A nakaya portable cigar in 17mm size and maybe an Eboya Houga large size. Or a Hakase in that lovely jade green celluloid. It's really a hard choice. Whichever way I go I'm getting a treasure.

Eboya pens are pretty fantastic. Light weight, lovely ebonite - just a perfect writer's pen. I recently got a medium-size Kyouka with the ink shut-off valve and am completely smitten with it. Though I do love my Danitrio Mikado and Nakaya as well. You really can't go wrong with any of the three =]

[EloquentOgre]

It's not very often in life when one finds oneself at a crossroads, knowing that whichever path he chooses will be a choice well made. It sucks that I can't get all three, but whichever way I go, I'm going to be getting a beautiful piece of art and artifice.

[Chuasam]

$700 is an expensive pen but not a VERY expensive pen.
And then there's this.
I saw one in real life many years ago. It was hideous
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_i1tiz9DLkIs/TCgjoITDtRI/AAAAAAAAWvs/D95NRINJ3z8/s1600/Montblanc+Meisterst%C3%BCck+Solitaire+Royal+Black+ Diamond.jpg

What do I look for in an expensive pen?
Self actualization.

[Miss Fountain Pen]

$700 is an expensive pen but not a VERY expensive pen.
And then there's this.
I saw one in real life many years ago. It was hideous
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_i1tiz9DLkIs/TCgjoITDtRI/AAAAAAAAWvs/D95NRINJ3z8/s1600/Montblanc+Meisterst%C3%BCck+Solitaire+Royal+Black+ Diamond.jpg

What do I look for in an expensive pen?
Self actualization.

O.M.G. That pen is hideous. And let me guess, it costs something like $7000, right?

[Chuasam]

O.M.G. That pen is hideous. And let me guess, it costs something like $7000, right?
try $175,000
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/19242/lot/59/

[Miss Fountain Pen]

O.M.G. That pen is hideous. And let me guess, it costs something like $7000, right?
try $175,000
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/19242/lot/59/

:jaw:

[Dronak]

if you are going to be buying a pen in that kind of price range, what are you looking for in the pen to justify the high cost? What does it need to give you that a $200 pen won't?

There's only one thing that comes to mind immediately -- a gold nib. I don't want to pay hundreds of dollars and only have a steel nib. Apart from that, a high-cost purchase would probably require some kind of special occasion, so that there would be some sentimental value added to the pen itself. I generally don't buy very expensive pens, so I'm not sure I can say much more than that.