What pens are we carrying today?

[Diamondback]

Just a no-name, checkerboard-pattern bigbore nicked from a Boeing supply-cabinet.

 

[Riposte3]

Well, I loaded it up with some ink when I got home and WOW!! I could not believe the difference in how it writes compared to the cheap drug store fountain pen I had in high school. The medium nib puts down a really nice line and seems to float on the ink as I write. Just amazing.

You'll soon wonder how you ever wrote with anything else! My Waterman Philias (with the fine nib) is my daily workhorse pen. It works wonderfully with Noodler's Luxury Blue ink, and never skips unless it's running low on ink.

Working in a law office, I occasionally run into forms that specify black ink. For those occasions, I also carry a Pelikan M150 (extra fine nib) filled with Noodler's Black.

 

[High Pockets]

Waterman Phileas Blue Marble,....filled with Noodler's bulletproof black.

It came into my life today,....at noon.

Having just, (thanks to fellow Loungers), re-discovered the enjoyment of using a fountain pen,...I've been using a couple of Varsity throw-aways and even a Lamy Safari loaded with Noodler's Antietam. The Varsity's are decent pens that will eventually go in the trash anyhow, so it's nice to know that if I drop one it's no big deal. The Safari has been a blast!

I find it at this point nothing short of "hard to believe" that there's any pen out there that could impress me any more than this Phileas has today.

 

[Spats McGee]

Still carrying my everyday workhorse pen, a Shaeffer. If I remember correctly, it may be a Triumph, but I'm not sure. Not vintage, circa 1993. It's got the inlaid nib and a short-ish clip. Loaded with Baystate Blue for signing all those letters and documents.

Edited to add: @ High Pockets -- Yeah, I've had a Phileas for several years and it's a great pen for the money.

 

[DodgeDeluxe]

I just purchased a brand new Waterman's Phileas today, and I cannot figure out why I am getting ink all over my fingers while writing?

 

[David Conwill]

I just purchased a brand new Waterman's Phileas today, and I cannot figure out why I am getting ink all over my fingers while writing?

I've never had that problem with my Phileas, but I have it with my Sheaffer. Are you using a piston converter or cartridges?

-Dave

 

[DodgeDeluxe]

The pen came with both, currently I am using a cartridge.

Dan

 

[bd3]

You'll soon wonder how you ever wrote with anything else! My Waterman Philias (with the fine nib) is my daily workhorse pen. It works wonderfully with Noodler's Luxury Blue ink, and never skips unless it's running low on ink.

Working in a law office, I occasionally run into forms that specify black ink. For those occasions, I also carry a Pelikan M150 (extra fine nib) filled with Noodler's Black.

I already do! I do need to work on my penmanship though. I have gotten pretty messy over the years of scribbling notes to my self. Its nearly as messy as a proverbial doctors. lol

 

[Shangas]

I'm doing a lot of at-desk writing today. My pen is a dip-pen charged with Waterman's black.

 

[JohnnieT]

Of forms and folly.

I attempted to use fountain pens in high school and college, but never having the money for anything more than cheap big-box store cartridge jobbies, I usually only succeeded in making a mess or having skipped, faded, illegible work.
I switched to various Parker roller balls, which is all my beer budget will allow.
Here in the sandbox, I keep a handful of Parker Jotter ball points. Medium point, black ink.
I may have to obey the Army's black ink rule, but I like to think I have a bit more class than the plastic Bic disposable allow.

 

[David Conwill]

I attempted to use fountain pens in high school and college, but never having the money for anything more than cheap big-box store cartridge jobbies, I usually only succeeded in making a mess or having skipped, faded, illegible work.

Have you tried the Pilot Varsity? I had real good luck on those before I could afford the "real thing." I even was refilling them with syringes, which meant they basically were paid for after about three refills.

I may have to obey the Army's black ink rule, but I like to think I have a bit more class than the plastic Bic disposable allow.

What is it with the federal government and black ink? How on earth do you tell what's an original and what's a duplicate? Or maybe that's the point.

-Dave

 

[JohnnieT]

To David.

I never got a chance to try the Pilot Varsity. But it's definitely one I will check out when I get home next year. Cartridge pens are awfully convenient when it comes to carrying them around all day.
I went to high school in a very small town and went to college at Murray State University in Kentucky. In both places I was limited to what was available at Wal-Mart, and ordering online was a distant luxury for the kid with three jobs paying his own tuition.
I think the government deal with black ink has less to do with the appearance of duplicates and more to do with uniformity. If everyone has the same thing and uses the same thing, all documents appear the same way. In someone's mind I suppose it's neater and more presentable.
Interesting fact:
Although most senior NCO's and Officers will give you quite the barking for it, the regulation (AR 25-50 I think) states black OR dark blue.[huh]

 

[Riposte3]

I went to high school in a very small town and went to college at Murray State University in Kentucky. In both places I was limited to what was available at Wal-Mart, and ordering online was a distant luxury for the kid with three jobs paying his own tuition.

Now that, I can understand.

As far as cost goes though, a Pelikan Pelikano (a good quality, inexpensive FP) runs about $15-$20, and the converter runs about $5. A 3 oz. bottle of Noodler's Black runs about $12.50, and should last a year or more even with heavy use. (Based on my usage. A 1oz. bottle of Noodler's Luxury Blue lasts me roughly a year, and I work in a law office, constantly scribbling notes, taking phone messages, etc., plus I'm taking 1 or 2 college classes a semester.)

I think the government deal with black ink has less to do with the appearance of duplicates and more to do with uniformity.

I wonder how much of that is a holdover from mimeograph days, due to the government's never-to-be-underestimated inability to change. Mimeographs often used blue ink, so copies were blue, and black indicated an original signature. The "black or dark blue" standard probably came about with early photocopiers, which only made copies in black. Blue on black indicated an original signature then, but early machines had difficulty copying blue, so it had to be dark blue so it would come across on copies.

Modern high quality color copiers mean that color is useless for determining originals, but now it's become a "standard" and anything other than "black or dark blue" is considered "unprofessional."

Of course, I could be wrong, too.

 

[DodgeDeluxe]

Today I am carrying a 1930's circa lever fill fountain pen made by "Miracle", just picked it up on ebay. Nib is a fine that says Warranted "Velvet Touch" 14k Gold Plate. Pen looks to be made of celluloid, a very attractive black with copper and silver.

Dan.

 

[John in Covina]

There are tons of small pen makers back in the day and the Warranteed nibs are common to find on the little brands. You always have to wonder what was the person that got the pen like, what did they do and what type of letters and such did they write with your pen.

 

[MrBern]

Gandhi pen

Is anyone carrying Mont Blanc's $23K Limited Edition MahatmaGandhi fountain pen?

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c97b5bc0-add9-11de-87e7-00144feabdc0.html

The limited-edition Ma hatma Gandhi pen, priced at Rs1.1m ($23,000, €15,800, £14,400), has an 18-carat solid gold, rhodium-plated nib, engraved with Gandhi’s image, and “a saffron-coloured mandarin garnet” on the clip. The pens were unveiled this week, before the national holiday on Gandhi’s birthday.

“I know there is a contradiction between the man they are commemorating and the product they are commemorating him with, but you can’t expect a company like Montblanc to come out with a cheap thing,” he told the Financial Times.

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

Nothing fancy, not even a name attached, but both the Mr. and I carry a nice hefty fountain pen, and have a couple ink bottles handy in the kitchen for refills.

 

[Shangas]

Today's scribbler is a jet-black ca. 1935 Sheaffer 'Balance' lever-filler. Fine, 14kt gold nib.

 

[EmergencyIan]

I carry a Waterman five days a week.


- Ian

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

I carry a Waterman five days a week.


- Ian

What do you carry the other two days?