Originally Posted by
Sadiq
Thanx for the replies migo984, rusty888 & gbryal.
Tell me, when paying over $100 & in some cases well over...are these pens awesome writers right out the box? No tinkering needed? Aside from gbryal, I've read countless times of people getting their expensive pen's nibs worked on even before they ink them up. Does this not defeat the purpose of paying a premium?
Just as a side note - my collection is still at 4 pens, nothing fancy. However, I've been contemplating getting a few different cheaper pens over the next year...the survey I did made me think that maybe I should save up & buy 1 more expensive pen.
I can't name a favorite pen or even favorite brand but do own a fair number of over $100.00 pens. Probably not hundreds of them but maybe close.
BUT, while I hear constant stories of "pens not working right out of the box" my experience has been just the opposite. That may well be the result of experience though. I've been using fountain pens almost exclusively for over a half century. I understand that each pen will be slightly different and while the pen itself is not that adaptable, I am. I simply change the way I use that pen to suit its characteristics. This has become so ingrained that I do not even think about it; I just pick up a pen I may not have used in decades and within a paragraph or two we mesh like that old best friend where you just pick up a conversation that began 10 years earlier.
Of the hundreds of pens I've accumulated over the years I can remember less than a half dozen that I have felt needed work or adjustment.
So maybe you might enjoy a short gallery of some pens I really really like.
This is an xtra-large size ST Dupont Vertigo. It's probably about a thousand dollar pen today. The lighter is likely about the same relative price.
I like it for several reasons; the attention to detail, the way it caps and uncaps that is actually sensual in both feel and sound and of course the amazing hand done chinese laque work.
Here is a closer look at that, note each color is a series of layers built up by hand and cured between each layer.
a Montegrappa 80
th. Anniversary. They seem to be selling between $1500-3000.00 today.
Again, beside the fact it's another great writer I love the attention to detail and the low relief carving of the solid Sterling silver.
A Sheaffer Jim Gaston Cobalt Blue. There are only about 100 of these so they don't come up very often. The last I saw was selling for about $600.00 IIRC.
My tiny Yard-o-Led Viceroy Victorian pocket pen. They seem to be selling for around $400.00 these days.
This is a really little pen but all of the gullioché and repoussé work was done by hand by a master craftsman.
and with its Big Brother
I hope you enjoy this tour.
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