Quote Originally Posted by wingwiper View Post
Quote Originally Posted by FredRydr View Post
The pen with the Majestic Iridium nib has very interesting patterns in the celluloid and the band. Third-tier pens often outshine the big names like that. Ebonized pearl is my favorite celluloid for the Balance pens, though the brilliance of the abalone dims when the celluloid ambers.
"I'm w/Fred on the Sheaffer's.........the Ebonized Pearl can be gorgeous albeit most are discolored today. My Carmine and Rose Glow ain't to shabby either. The finishes on some of the Gold Bond, Gold Medal, Diamond Medal, Universal, etc., which are supposedly 2nd tier pens can be outstanding. Clips on these brands are all over the place as well.......... One thing I do like about these manufacturers is the nibs were warranted and occasionally very flexy.
Hmm, red carmine sounds familiar - I think I actually have one of those. It's like a darker red, striated design, right? Believe mine is a triumph with a wide band and a conical nib...it's quite lovely, although it was ugly when before I cleaned it up. I've got a variety of different pen brands, but none of those you named. I'm sure one will show up at an estate sale one of these days. There's one that I cleaned up today that was obviously an Esterbrook J lookalike and I really like how the Esterbrooks look. Still in the cleaning and fixing stage...looking forward to giving them all a try when I'm done!