Most used keepers

[Lloyd]

For those that have been amassing FPs for several years, what pen that you've had for over 1 year (and not had adjusted over the past year) do you use the most these days?
Also, same question but regarding ink.

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[silverlifter]

The one pen that has constantly been inked (of the 20 I own) since I bought it four years ago, and that gets used most days, is my Lamy 2K with a Bacas MCI grind. It is currently inked with Sei-boku.

The one ink that is always in one of my pens is KWZ IG Blue #3.

I also have three or four other pens that are permanently inked scattered around the house and garage, in much the same way that most people have biros lying around. These don't really count, right?

[rickap]

Mine is my Pelikan M1000, black, fine nib (writes like a wide medium).

The ink is Diamine Burgundy Royale.

[mizgeorge]

I have pens I've been using certainly weekly, if not daily, for over 50 years - a couple of old Pelikan 140s and a Parker 51. I also have a 149 that I've used constantly for over 30 years.

Inks are more difficult thanks to availability and changing taste, but I the MB is always inked with vintage MB Emerald (and I should have enough stored to see me out!). I suppose my other most used ink is probably Waterman Serenity Blue, as it's my go-to testing ink for new pens or repairs, with Pelikan 4001 Konigsblau running it a very close second.

[christof]

It's my black Parker "51" Special since years:



Ink is just as black, from Pelikan or Parker.

[adhoc]

Pilot Custom 823 FA nib inked with Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo. In the 3 or so years that I've had it, possibly more, it's been uninked for a total of maybe 2 weeks. I put in Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-Budo once and Kon-Peki twice in it, rest of the time it's been Tsuki-Yo always. It would be the perfect pen for me, if it would be slightly larger in diameter at the grip section.

[Jon Szanto]

I have a lot that see pretty regular action, but if somehow use could be tracked, I bet it would be a pair of Sailor Pro Gears. One is a Realo model that was for the Nibs.com 20th anniversary and Mottishaw customized the medium nib; this always has Namiki Blue in it. The other is a standard model with Rhodium trim/nib in fine that I actually purchased from someone on FPG, and is always filled with Sailor Kiwa-guro.

They life in a Nock Hightower 3-pen case, the wildcard slot always switches up, but the reason I single out these two is that both inks are waterproof, and I use them constantly for postcards and addressing. The Fine is perfect for postcards as I can write small but clearly with the black ink, and the other is great for addresses as well as a very comfortable pen to compose letters. They never dry out, they get re-inked with the exact same stuff and flushed maybe once a year. Really reliable, always perform well. Nothing over-the-top but I love those two pens.

[Jon Szanto]

..what pen that you've had for over 1 year (and not had adjusted over the past year) do you use the most these days? Also, same question but regarding ink.

And you?

[Lloyd]

..what pen that you've had for over 1 year (and not had adjusted over the past year) do you use the most these days? Also, same question but regarding ink.

And you?

Despite having several pens that sell for over 10x more, my matte black ebonite Ranga #5 that's customized to be roughly MB149 size in length and girth. It has a great steel Bock EF nib and always holds Noodlers Bulletproof Black ink (filled via eyedropper). Ergonomically, it's perfection for me.

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[Chrissy]

I tend to swap and change pens and inks regularly but out of those I currently have inked I regularly use a Sheaffer Legacy mk1 with L'Artisan Pastellier Equinoxe 6 ink and a Mb silver Solitaire with Mb Meisterstück Blue Diamond ink because the former has a stub nib and the latter has a broad oblique nib that I love writing with.

[Malcolm]

I have two permanently inked pens.

Nakaya. Inked since I got it just over five years ago.



Kaweco.



My most used ink is Noodlers Heart of Darkness.

[eachan]

I have many great writers but the one that is always in use is my Swan Levereless 1060



The nib has lots of flex (which I rarely invoke) and is a fine/medium without pressure.



The pen was made during World War II and that was the only time this barrel imprint was used.

[jar]

My Aurora 888P with Platinum cartridges.

[FredRydr]

For over a year, this Sheaffer Sentinel DeLuxe VacFill has been filled and ready to write on my desk.

IMG_3681.jpeg

[fountainpenkid]

For over a year, this Sheaffer Sentinel DeLuxe VacFill has been filled and ready to write on my desk.

IMG_3681.jpeg

I was given that exact model and color of Triumph at my very first pen show in LI in 2011: I was a highschool freshman, and the vendor (I think it was John Danza) saw me inspecting it admiringly, and probably with the hope of nurturing a young person's interest in the hobby, said, "take it." I was a bit surprised, but I took him up on it and had it restored by Ron Zorn, whose booth was down the aisle at the show. It really opened my mind to fountain pens as objects of practical design and engineering, and took me down the rabbit hole of celluloid. I'm very grateful for that, even if I didn't end up loving the pen as a user.
To answer Lloyd's question, I've only had one pen in my arsenal for more than a year at this point (though all but one of my current pens I intend to keep indefinitely): my OMAS Extra vest pocket, which I especially love to write lyrics with. It's a very wet, expressive and flexible nib, but usually feels the most 'at the ready' on a daily basis, apart from my "51". Similar to the green striated Triumph, it was a transition point in my pen journey: my first collector-grade vintage Italian pen, the one that has inspired me to (somewhat) focus on them. When I bought it my sophomore fall of college, it was the most I'd ever spent on a pen. I subsequently bought a 1950's 557/f and grey-pearl 556/f, a modern 556/f, and of course the Lucens and Extra lucens I have now. I've bought and sold many pens in the 4 years since I got my Extra vest pocket...but I have never had the heart or desire to sell it.

[Radonactionservices]

For over a year, this Sheaffer Sentinel DeLuxe VacFill has been filled and ready to write on my desk.

IMG_3681.jpeg

I was given that exact model and color of Triumph at my very first pen show in LI in 2011: I was a highschool freshman, and the vendor (I think it was John Danza) saw me inspecting it admiringly, and probably with the hope of nurturing a young person's interest in the hobby, said, "take it." I was a bit surprised, but I took him up on it and had it restored by Ron Zorn, whose booth was down the aisle at the show. It really opened my mind to fountain pens as objects of practical design and engineering, and took me down the rabbit hole of celluloid. I'm very grateful for that, even if I didn't end up loving the pen as a user.
To answer Lloyd's question, I've only had one pen in my arsenal for more than a year at this point (though all but one of my current pens I intend to keep indefinitely): my OMAS Extra vest pocket, which I especially love to write lyrics with. It's a very wet, expressive and flexible nib, but usually feels the most 'at the ready' on a daily basis, apart from my "51". Similar to the green striated Triumph, it was a transition point in my pen journey: my first collector-grade vintage Italian pen, the one that has inspired me to (somewhat) focus on them. When I bought it my sophomore fall of college, it was the most I'd ever spent on a pen. I subsequently bought a 1950's 557/f and grey-pearl 556/f, a modern 556/f, and of course the Lucens and Extra lucens I have now. I've bought and sold many pens in the 4 years since I got my Extra vest pocket...but I have never had the heart or desire to sell it.

Is the “Vest Pocket” like a 555 or Dama? Or is it a wider diameter pen?


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[fqgouvea]

I rotate my pens a lot, but lately these six have insisted on being used:

Six.jpg

From left to right: an Aurora Magellano with an Aurora Black cartridge, a Montblanc Noblesse that used to belong to my father, with Montblanc Shakespeare, an Aurora Optima, a Pelikan M800 Stresemann with Omas Green, a vintage Aurora with Waterman Blue, and a Montegrappa Elmo with Salix.

Two of the Auroras and the Pelikan were bought right here on FPG. The Magellano was an eBay purchase; its firm fine nib has become a favorite with my wife so it's always ready to serve. The Elmo came from the Nibsmith, and sees use mostly because of his cursive italic nib. The Pelikan has the most boring nib of the bunch, alas, but I like the size and appearance.

All but the vintage Aurora have been around for quite a while. The vintage Aurora was bought more recently and has not been put to rest yet.

[fountainpenkid]

For over a year, this Sheaffer Sentinel DeLuxe VacFill has been filled and ready to write on my desk.

I was given that exact model and color of Triumph at my very first pen show in LI in 2011: I was a highschool freshman, and the vendor (I think it was John Danza) saw me inspecting it admiringly, and probably with the hope of nurturing a young person's interest in the hobby, said, "take it." I was a bit surprised, but I took him up on it and had it restored by Ron Zorn, whose booth was down the aisle at the show. It really opened my mind to fountain pens as objects of practical design and engineering, and took me down the rabbit hole of celluloid. I'm very grateful for that, even if I didn't end up loving the pen as a user.
To answer Lloyd's question, I've only had one pen in my arsenal for more than a year at this point (though all but one of my current pens I intend to keep indefinitely): my OMAS Extra vest pocket, which I especially love to write lyrics with. It's a very wet, expressive and flexible nib, but usually feels the most 'at the ready' on a daily basis, apart from my "51". Similar to the green striated Triumph, it was a transition point in my pen journey: my first collector-grade vintage Italian pen, the one that has inspired me to (somewhat) focus on them. When I bought it my sophomore fall of college, it was the most I'd ever spent on a pen. I subsequently bought a 1950's 557/f and grey-pearl 556/f, a modern 556/f, and of course the Lucens and Extra lucens I have now. I've bought and sold many pens in the 4 years since I got my Extra vest pocket...but I have never had the heart or desire to sell it.

Is the “Vest Pocket” like a 555 or Dama? Or is it a wider diameter pen?


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I believe the 555/f and 555/s and (later but equally-sized) Dama are similar in diameter and/or* slightly slimmer but longer-barreled, with less chunky proportions. See picture below--pen no. 77 is a 555/s, no. 73 is (possibly later?) 555/f, and of course no. 71 is an adorable Extra Lucens vest pocket:


*when I first looked at this picture, I assumed pen 75 to be the 555, as it was equally long and slim to the 555 in slot 73...apparently 555/s models were thicker than 556/s models, at least sometimes? I would greatly appreciate clarification from a more experienced OMAS collector.

[FredRydr]

For over a year, this Sheaffer Sentinel DeLuxe VacFill has been filled and ready to write on my desk.
IMG_3681.jpeg

I was given that exact model and color of Triumph...

Is the “Vest Pocket” like a 555 or Dama? Or is it a wider diameter pen?

The Sentinel DeLuxe and the celluloid-capped Valiant have virtually the same dimensions, and were Sheaffer's largest pens from the 1942-48 era of "Triumph-style" Vac-Fill fountain pens. Capped, this one is 12.8mm diameter at the cap band and 130mm long.

[Radonactionservices]

For over a year, this Sheaffer Sentinel DeLuxe VacFill has been filled and ready to write on my desk.

IMG_3681.jpeg

I was given that exact model and color of Triumph at my very first pen show in LI in 2011: I was a highschool freshman, and the vendor (I think it was John Danza) saw me inspecting it admiringly, and probably with the hope of nurturing a young person's interest in the hobby, said, "take it." I was a bit surprised, but I took him up on it and had it restored by Ron Zorn, whose booth was down the aisle at the show. It really opened my mind to fountain pens as objects of practical design and engineering, and took me down the rabbit hole of celluloid. I'm very grateful for that, even if I didn't end up loving the pen as a user.
To answer Lloyd's question, I've only had one pen in my arsenal for more than a year at this point (though all but one of my current pens I intend to keep indefinitely): my OMAS Extra vest pocket, which I especially love to write lyrics with. It's a very wet, expressive and flexible nib, but usually feels the most 'at the ready' on a daily basis, apart from my "51". Similar to the green striated Triumph, it was a transition point in my pen journey: my first collector-grade vintage Italian pen, the one that has inspired me to (somewhat) focus on them. When I bought it my sophomore fall of college, it was the most I'd ever spent on a pen. I subsequently bought a 1950's 557/f and grey-pearl 556/f, a modern 556/f, and of course the Lucens and Extra lucens I have now. I've bought and sold many pens in the 4 years since I got my Extra vest pocket...but I have never had the heart or desire to sell it.

I decided to pull out and fill up this Sheaffer. I don’t know what model it is, whether a Sentinel or something else, but it has the conical nib and doesn’t have a Snorkel but rather a rod type vacuum filler.

It is strange because instead of having a dot on the cap, it’s on the end knob.

The pen is marked W. A. Sheaffer Pen Co. and has the number 1500 underneath it.

It fills easily and holds a bunch of ink. Right now it is filled with Diamine Imperial Blue.

Any ideas on which Sheaffer this is and when it might have been made?








The nib is incredible, by the way, although does not flex at all.

Thanks!


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