Recommendations (or warnings) sought for possible retirement gift...to myself

[topcat666]

Hello,all,
It's been a while since I posted but life's been somewhat topsy turvy with the Covid lockdowns et al.
There is a faint glimmer of hope that I might be able to retire this year but it's by no means certain and ,in addition, I have a biggish birthday coming up (but at my age they're all biggish birthdays).
My plan is to treat myself to another FP.
My parameters:
£500 or thereabouts budget but prepared to be flexible.
Western Fine nib or Asian equivalent.
Prefer not black in colour (so no MB)
Slight preference for good cartridge converter but happy to look at proven piston fill (probably ruling out Visconti HS)
"Girthy" rather than thin. Not because I have large hands but have arthritic hands instead.
Likely candidates:
Pelikan 600/800/even 1000. Always liked their colours but I'm not sure of the nib being fine enough. I've seen samples where the EF looked like a F.
Waterman Carene
Aurora Optima (tricky to find,it seems,in the UK) but I quite like the notion of a nib with feedback.
Onoto?
I think I should have some Japanese models to consider but I am well out of touch with Japanese pens except that I will probably stay clear of Sailor as I have one and dislike the converter;the nib (Naginata?) is now too smooth for me whereas when I first bought it over 10 years ago it seemed soooo good!
Any thoughts viz. Pilot or Platinum?
Indeed, any other recommendations or warnings about my likely candidates?
Thanks for looking and take care ,everyone, in these very strange times.

[soretailedcat]

I love my only Onoto, a Magna Classic in tortoiseshell. I first saw it on another forum but it was out of production & after a few years of perusing any existing unsold pens from shops I was thrilled to discover they had begun production again. I ordered immediately & have been delighted since receipt.

I cannot speak about the nib you prefer since I am @ the other end of the spectrum with a preference for a broad nib but mine has been filled since I received it & I have never been sorry for its purchase. I enjoy the piston filled pens that I use but I am quite content with my converter filling Onoto. The cleaning advantage for me far outweighs the piston's advantage for a larger fill.

I also enjoy my only Aurora, the Africa despite its return to Italy TWICE for repair. Because it has been repaired each time by the factory I cannot complain but it is surely worth noting.

I hope you are able to look forward to retiring from work & wish you a happy Birthday when it arrives. I just had one last week & found it quite nice despite the increased number!

[Pterodactylus]

A Pelikan is never a bad choice.
Do you prefer hard nibs (nails) or springy ones.

The M600 has a very hard nib, the M800 and M1000 are a bit softer.
When a wide girth is a requirement then a M1000 might be the better option.
The question is do you like such a large pen?

Best would be to try some pens first at a shop to see what you like or what you don’t like.
Itˋs not easy to recommend something as the personal preferences are often quite different.

[An old bloke]

Might I suggest this: https://conwaystewart.com/collection...l-quartz-green

Or this: https://conwaystewart.com/collection...l-quartz-white

There are a number of equally attractive options at the same +/- USD 510 (£365) price range.

[silverlifter]

17mm Nakaya Cigar (Portable or Writer). Slightly above your budget, but ticks all the other boxes: girthy, but light and warm in the hand, excellent for long sessions. Comes in a range of non-black finishes. Cartridge converter. Nibs can be tuned and ground to your specifications by their craftsmen.

[jar]

Platinum Izumo and Nakaya pens are covered in urushi which has a great tactile feel and are quite light. They are also available in relatively wide sections which are comfortable for those of us with arthritis.

Platinum Izumo:


Platinum President, Izumo, Montblanc 149 for size reference:


Nakaya:

[Sandy]

I don't quite know what the definition of "girthy" is, but the Carane is not a girthy pen. It is not slim, but at the same time not what I'd classify as girthy.

The Platinum Izmo (from Cult Pens) is a nice pen, is girthy enough - and is within your budget. In my experience, the Platinum medium nibs have a bit of grip and will probably give you what you need.

The Pelikans will also work for you.

Anoother alternative is the Cross Peerless - that comes with a Sailor nib. I quite like it, but it migh tnot be for you.

[Chuck Naill]

It appears here that men purchase a pick up truck upon retiring and insist upon backing into a parking space which tells me that both are a poor choice.

[topcat666]

Thanks for your fast and helpful replies.
Urushi always looks good to me - more so than maki-e pens which I like to look at but would never use as I think they're works of art.
The Platinum Izumo looks good;a pity it can't or shouldn't be posted but not a dealbreakersince, if I do manage to retire, hopefully any FP will be a housepen (I'll keep my 51for outdoor carry,I think).
It didn't surprise me to hear good reports of Onoto and has the benefit to me of being located in the UK for customer service.
The Cross Peerless suggestion was really out of the blue. Cross seem to be a sort of "gift" pen brand in the UK and probably not so popular but the reviews of the Peerless are good with decent prices too although the gold plated version looks seriously in your face. The blue and even the black offset by the trim look good.
Good recommendations and I also take note of the Aurora repair issue (not the first time I've heard such).
Pelikan wil still be an option,I think, but no FP shops open due to Lockdown 3.0 in the UK and I fear my local shop (20 miles away) is unlikely to reopen after lockdown ends - a fate for a number of shops both here and in other countries. So, the opportunity to test and adjust pens in a shop will not be viable; I'll just have to get used to changing times and online buying
Thanks again and take care, everyone.

[Sandy]

The Writing Desk is inyour area and is still trading online. They sell Pelikans. I recommend them because they test the nibs before they send out the pens - so you always get a pen that writes out of the box. All my Viscontis have come from there and they have all been great writers.

[RWS]

May I suggest that you look at the pens made by Jack Row?

The silver Mirage is a bit out of your price range, but the bronze Canterbury should be affordable.

Cartridge / convertors, with a full range of Jowo nibs available, steel or gold.

Buying a pen hand made in England will support our craftsmen. And Jack is a great person to deal with.

No connection, just a very satisfied customer.

[Sandy]

Keep an eye of Amazon and Cult Pens.

Cross pens regularly come with a substantial discount - also Cross usually offer a discount off your first order if you join their mailing list - so 10% of a Peerless? Yes, please.

Similarly with Platinum. I think Cult Pens is the only Izumo dealer in the UK (happy to be proven wrong) but every so often have a 10% discount on Platinum, including Izumo.

I have only held the Pelikan 800/1000 - I can't remember if it was one or both, but I remember that at least one of them was back heavy, because the piston rod was metal, which, for me at least - ruined the balance of the pen.

Of the 600/800, they did not feel significantly different to the MB146 I already had, so I haven't bought one.

[Seattleite]

It appears here that men purchase a pick up truck upon retiring and insist upon backing into a parking space which tells me that both are a poor choice.

You know that the reason for backing into a parking space is that it is safer than backing out of one. How competently someone backs in is a different matter, but it is probably less irritating then the truck that backs out of one blindly and ends up in your grill.

As to the OP, I only collect vintage.... Old pen for an old person may not fit the occasion.

Bob

[Wahl]

I only own two non-vintage FP´s, a MB 139 and Pelikan 800, I think both would fill your needs.

[An old bloke]

It appears here that men purchase a pick up truck upon retiring and insist upon backing into a parking space which tells me that both are a poor choice.

That is an interesting comment, not completely true, but interesting. I'm male and retired as are the vast majority of my former workmates. Not one of them owns a pickup truck much less purchased one upon retirement. Sporting goods were our common choices with fishing rods, golf clubs, and tennis rackets topplng the list.

[penwash]

Hello,all,
It's been a while since I posted but life's been somewhat topsy turvy with the Covid lockdowns et al.
There is a faint glimmer of hope that I might be able to retire this year but it's by no means certain and ,in addition, I have a biggish birthday coming up (but at my age they're all biggish birthdays).
My plan is to treat myself to another FP.
My parameters:
£500 or thereabouts budget but prepared to be flexible.
Western Fine nib or Asian equivalent.
Prefer not black in colour (so no MB)
Slight preference for good cartridge converter but happy to look at proven piston fill (probably ruling out Visconti HS)
"Girthy" rather than thin. Not because I have large hands but have arthritic hands instead.
Likely candidates:
Aurora Optima (tricky to find,it seems,in the UK) but I quite like the notion of a nib with feedback.

First of all, congrats on the retirement, and I wish you a smooth transition in your favor this year (given that the pandemic is still here).

I'd like to endorse Aurora Optima. It seems to check all of your parameters, and owning one, I can vouch for it's niceness including a nice piston system. FYI, my collection is mostly vintage pens, so I am quite picky when it comes to modern pens, and the Optima, being one, passes my "picky" test.

Another Aurora that I would consider owning someday is the Aurora Internazionale, such a lovely design and details. But unless you get a great ON SALE deal somewhere, it's about 2x your budget.

As for the difficulty to get one in UK, I would suggest getting one from Appelboom or lacouronneducomte.com, both seems to be reputable dealers based in Europe. And of course lots of pen stores in the US that I can mention, but not relevant in this case.

[mizgeorge]

As for the difficulty to get one in UK, I would suggest getting one from Appelboom or lacouronneducomte.com, both seems to be reputable dealers based in Europe. And of course lots of pen stores in the US that I can mention, but not relevant in this case.

Ironically, it's now easier (and usually cheaper) for us in the UK to buy from the US than from continental Europe - in fact many sellers there simply will not ship here at the moment. Partly because of the utterly unworkable (and incomprehensible) new VAT rules, and partly because our customs departments aren't accepting incoming deliveries because they're apparently overwhelmed with incoming post.

So much for reducing carbon footprint.

[topcat666]

Thanks again for the replies to my query.
I've always been attracted to the Pelikan stripes but I'm not sure if their fine will be fine enough.
I've ruled out the Aurora as I'm not convinced about ease of repairs or purchase due to Brexit.
The Platinum is in there but I've become intrigued by the Cross Peerless and will try to speak to a UK dealer who seems to have the black,blue and grey models (they also have the gold plated version but that's a bit over the top for me
This hobby (addiction?) leads me down different tracks and I find now that I've electronically gazed upon:
Faber Castell e-motion (looks good for arthritic hands,good nib ...and cheap.)
Edison (Collier & Beaumont) available in UK and reasonably priced.
John Twiss (handmade in UK) using acrylics to very nice effect but some without clips (I'm sure he could add them) and reasonably priced.
Otto Hutt No 6 (red, fairly inexpensive,reportedly very well made and looks suitable for my hands).
Now,if I can just persuade my wife and daughter to look beyond shirts and fragrance for my birthday!
Thanks again for your thoughts.

[Chuck Naill]

It appears most retired men here purchase a pick up. Usually one they cannot drive or back into a parking space. That said, I am sure they feel more secure.

[topcat666]

Just to advise that I've just ordered a Cross Peerless in black with a fine nib.
I havered about it but a Sailor nib with Cross converter was a strong pull although I wasn't too enamoured of the body so held back.
Then I got a discount code sent to me so for £195 for a gold nib, good converter and did I mention the Sailor nib, I think that was too good to pass by.
At the end of the day, I guess I'm just soooo cheap
Having said that, there's still some budget left to pick up an Edison Collier with steel nib (Antique Marble finish?).
Maybe a gold nib if I rreally wanted one but the steel nibs are highly rated.
What an addiction this FP stuff can be