1. Have you ever used a vintage flex?Originally Posted by millan
2. Most people who "level up" to more expensive pens are not *necessarily* attracted to the pens because of the performance, but beauty, craftsmanship, and artistic values
Re: How did you make the jump to "Expensive" pens?
1. Have you ever used a vintage flex?
2. Most people who "level up" to more expensive pens are not *necessarily* attracted to the pens because of the performance, but beauty, craftsmanship, and artistic values
Re: How did you make the jump to "Expensive" pens?
I have one pen, Lamy 2000, above your top end, but I share your sentiments. I am older, so I will wait at least until my youngest is through college. But there are some beautiful vintage pens out there (I don't care for flex, though). To work I carry only cheap workhorses.
Avalona (March 6th, 2016)
Re: How did you make the jump to "Expensive" pens?
That's what I thought about my Lamy Safari a few years back...
PS. Welcome to FPGeeks!
Re: How did you make the jump to "Expensive" pens?
Really depends on your personal preference of "perform better", and course when we're talking bout Lamy 2000, it also depends on your luck with getting consistent quality control (their EF and F nibs on the 2000 aren't exactly consistently great performers) to just throw it out there.
I have several pens that I feel perform much better than the L2k, and while I haven't had the Pilot Custom 92, there are a few that I find nicer than the similar sized nibs (Pilot #5) I have tried. I also tend to lean vintage for personal preference but none of my vintages have ever exceeded the $200 value mark in terms of normal second-hand pricing. Closest ones are probably the Pelikan 400NN from 1956 with a 14K Semi-Flex EF, and a 1950s Pelikan 140 in Black with a soft 14K Broad cursive italic, both under 200. Most of the other vintages value wise hover at 100 or less.
As I said it really boils back down to personal preference, and sometimes your specific preference for shape, weight, size, feel, response etc has a higher price tag, and sometimes your expectation is lower. Kind of like someone saying they can't imagine any way another pen could perform better than a Jinhao X750 or a Zebra, but that's all they ever used.
Re: How did you make the jump to "Expensive" pens?
OOPS! Detail correction: The Pelikan Toledo 700 did not cost more than $500, so my first pen that cost more than $500 was the Montblanc Hemingway.
Also forgot to mention how after my enthusiasm for Nakaya took hold of my senses, I started thinking of other items in terms of Nakayas, not dollars. A weekend trip to New Orleans to attend a Gogol Bordello concert, for instance, cost around two Nakayas.
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To Miasto
Re: How did you make the jump to "Expensive" pens?
Haven't crossed the $500 threshold on a single pen yet. I've managed to find reasonable deals on the pens I desire to stay below this fateful line.
I once spent $700 on a set of 4 lovely pens. It was a good deal, so good that someone tracked me down a few weeks later and offered me over $1000 for them. I was persuaded to oblige.
I'd be glad to cross the $500 mark again if it's another good deal like this.
Kai
"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished." -- Lao Tzu
Re: How did you make the jump to "Expensive" pens?
[QUOTE=penwash;161545]1. Have you ever used a vintage flex?
No, or rather if I have, I'm not sure I would notice. I have a light touch and don't try to impose flex on the nib.
Re: How did you make the jump to "Expensive" pens?
I'm a newbie so no over $500 pens. Ask in a few years I guess...we'll see how well I held out then. A year ago, $100 was my limit but then 6 months ago I fell in love with the Amethyst M205 from Pelikan. I had just lost someone whose favorite color was purple and that pen feels like a tribute when I use it.
But then once I went over $100 for that purchase and I loved that pen so much, it is easier to spend that much now on other M2xx's and M4xx's. So limit has moved to $250. But for $250 I need to feel like I'm making a really good deal. (I think I only paid over $200 for one of my pens, everything else has been less, and I do not regret that over $200 pen). I try be practical and I want to USE my pens, not be precious over them, so I have been happy getting a pen I want that's been used and costs less because its no longer perfect. That way I don't think so much about how much I spent and more about how much fun I'm having using them.
Last edited by Nineninenine; March 6th, 2016 at 10:51 AM.
Hawk (March 7th, 2016)
Re: How did you make the jump to "Expensive" pens?
If you have, you would notice, since even a light touch (by the definition of most firm nib users) would show it pretty easily especially when stepping up the pace. But even the firmer semi-flex of some of the vintage brands themselves are a different feeling/experience (which course you may or may not like).
Re: How did you make the jump to "Expensive" pens?
If you have, you would notice, since even a light touch (by the definition of most firm nib users) would show it pretty easily especially when stepping up the pace. But even the firmer semi-flex of some of the vintage brands themselves are a different feeling/experience (which course you may or may not like).
I wouldn't be too sure about that. I bought a Waterman Lady Patricia with a lovely fine nib and had it, using it only sometimes, for a couple of years at least before discovering the amazing flexible nib. In the hand of good calligraphers (Ewa Landowska in Poland, to name one), the nib produces superb Spencerian script. In my hand, the result is jarring, jaggedy thick and thin lines, but wow, what a nib!
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To Miasto
Re: How did you make the jump to "Expensive" pens?
Closed my eyes and hit the buy icon.
TSherbs (March 7th, 2016)
Re: How did you make the jump to "Expensive" pens?
But the point here is, you did notice thick and thin lines, which won't happen if you use a firm nib.If you have, you would notice, since even a light touch (by the definition of most firm nib users) would show it pretty easily especially when stepping up the pace. But even the firmer semi-flex of some of the vintage brands themselves are a different feeling/experience (which course you may or may not like).
I wouldn't be too sure about that. I bought a Waterman Lady Patricia with a lovely fine nib and had it, using it only sometimes, for a couple of years at least before discovering the amazing flexible nib. In the hand of good calligraphers (Ewa Landowska in Poland, to name one), the nib produces superb Spencerian script. In my hand, the result is jarring, jaggedy thick and thin lines, but wow, what a nib!
I produce embarrassingly ugly script even with an Aikin Lambert nib, but I knew that I was using a nice superflex and not a nail.
Last edited by penwash; March 7th, 2016 at 05:59 AM.
Re: How did you make the jump to "Expensive" pens?
As embarrassing as it might be to admit, all I noticed was that the nib was kindv soft. I tend to hold a pen at a high angle, so that probably contributed to my ignorance. I thought the minor line variation was because of the soft nib and I kept trying to hold it so that the nib would feel firm. Annnnd did no damage, thankfully.
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To Miasto
Re: How did you make the jump to "Expensive" pens?
perfect
Re: How did you make the jump to "Expensive" pens?
I crept up on that price point slowly over a few years. Being a rather thrifty person (cheap) I had a list of pens that I wanted and would scan the penboards and ebay and other locations to see if I could find one from my list. For the most part I could eventually find it for 70% off of MSRP. Used of course but I'm not one to really care if it is hermetically sealed. So my first $500+ pen cost me about $200 and was a Montegrappa can't remember the flavor but it was a plastic and silver. Along the way I would buy and sell pens in the rotation to go higher and higher. I only once went about $1500 and that was the last expensive pen I ever bought. All of the fun and writing joy I have found in pens beneath the floorboards (<50!). You don't get the ego boost from having other pen nuts envy you but for the most part an expensive pen and a student/ cheap pen will give a similar line.
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