ThePENguin.com - thanks!

[ransky]

Thought I'd offer some kind words about my purchase from Rick Propas at thePENguin.com.

I'm very much a modern pen fan as my experiences with older pens have left much to be desired. However, I ventured outside my comfort zone and bought a Pelikan M400NN with a fine nib from Rick. I described what I wanted and asked him to pick the pen. His emails were prompt and courteous. The pen arrived quickly and packaged very securely in a PVC pipe tube, all nicely padded and tucked in a shipping box.

The pen is just...wow. I'm blown away. It's in pristine condition. Hard to believe it's 50+ years old. No dings or scratches, and the trim is still bright and shiny. The piston runs smoothly, like a new Pelikan. The best part is the nib. When I first put it to paper, I thought I was writing with something that had come off Richard Binder's bench. It's smooth with a touch of feedback, really nice. The nib is firm under a casual hand, but flexes with some pressure. It offers a touch of line variation that provides a nice amount of expression.

This is my first purchase from Rick, and it's a humdinger. If this is the vintage pen experience, I've been missing out. Thanks, Rick!

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[Jeph]

I am really surprised that there are not more comments about Rick, but after thinking about it a while I think that it is just accepted as a fact that Rick Propas offers top quality pens and service. For the few that do not already know, where is my first experience.

About 3 months ago I felt like it was time to treat myself to a nice pen that already worked without having to survive my pen restoration attempts. Mostly on a whim, I sent Rick Propas at the PENguin an e-mail. After a few e-mail exchanges, we had made a deal for a user grade red M600 with a 14K M nib. I had it sent to my parents in the US to be my Christmas present from my girlfriend during my vacation. That was a long 3 month wait. The shipping box was never opened and it was wrapped as it had arrived.

When I opened it, what I found was not what I would classify as a user grade pen. Instead I found a pristine, in-the-box, red M600 with no detectable flaw. I inspected it again with my glasses on. Then I inspected it once more with my loupe. Yesterday I inspected it again with my loupe and a strong light. I still can't find a flaw. And the pen writes absolutely flawlessly.

So not only was Rick helpful and friendly with someone (me) who was obiously just an enthusiast instead of a hard core collector with limitless pockets, but the product I received was far beyond my expectations and the agreed upon price. The picture does not do the pen justice but everyone loves pen pr0n.

I can assure you that if I am ever in the market for a high class pen, Rick will be my first stop.
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[tandaina]

Yay! So glad you took the plunge. I once DIDN'T listen to Rick's advice and ended up with a nib I didn't like. So I bought the nib he'd told me to buy and bingo, PERFECT for me. Lesson learned, listen to Rick. ;)

Also: Welcome to vintage Pelikan nibs. They are, IMO, the best nibs in the game. They are simply sublime. The modern nibs are meh, the nibs from the 40s and 50s cannot be beat. :) :)