So. I lost a grail pen in Houston. A Edelberg Tachy PVD given to me at Christmas time by my wife 5 years ago for our 5th year anniversary. I lose pens when I travel. And I have been traveling a lot. Driving on 10, I had to stop abruptly, and my laptop bag flipped, spilling contents. In the rush to get to the airport, I must not have seen it against the carpet as it was essentially all black against a black background. Everyone is sold out except for Edelberg itself. I wanted to replace it because of the sentimental value. I think my wife also expected me to lose it but now, but it was nice having an exclusive daily writer that had worn to my hand. Just as I was about to complete the order on a replacement, i held back. I had to fly overseas and figured on holding off on the purchase until I returned. Landing in Schipole, near Amsterdam, they had a Montblanc boutique in the airport. I saw a carbon fiber Skywalker black that piqued my interest and thought that if the trip went well, i'd get that instead, saving the replacement purchase for when money isn't tight to where dropping money on a luxury pen doesn't make me feel worse than losing one.
On the return trip, I stopped back in for another look, knowing that I'd spend a few euros more at the Airport, but this was impulse. It was then that I saw the Solitaire. It was beautiful, had a nice balance, had zero gold trim, and I lit up when I saw it. Thats the one I wanted, but it had a medium nib and I just like fine nibs, even though the Tachys was a very wet M, and MBs aren't known for being drippy, I still wanted the fine. The Boutique lady told me to buy the pen and send it off for replacement; which seemed too complicated. Once she deferred to do it, i took some time to think about it. At the gate, I googled the pen and found that the price was high, but not disgustingly so, but there was a shop in the area that had the pen and offered NIB sizing. Called him up and ordered the pen. I learned that he wouldn't size the nib, but would send it off to MB and then send the pen to me, about two weeks. Ok. Bought it.
So now I am sitting here using a Retro51, one of the first pens that I bought without losing, using the ink that worked so well in the Tachys- Faber Castell Cobalt Blue. Seems fitting for my Solitaire, but seems like I'm giving my kid hand me downs. So. What's your opinion for my inaugural pen, Montblanc, and European trip souvenir? I have tried an assortment of colors, and since it is my daily writer, oranges, pinks, purples, etc all of the other non-traditional colors add too much flair for my engineering work produce, so I am predilected toward the blacks and blues, and sometimes the darker greens.
What say you?
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