Pen-Fi (FPs, RBs, BPs, etc...) [56k Warning]

[Solan]

I tested around 100 pens rather thoroughly a few years back, and there were two rather clear winners in terms of writing comfort and writing result:

Cross (*)
Lamy Persona

The Lamy was a rather odd contender, since Lamy is most known for pens at the other end of the spectrum, but this one pen was a true beauty, with titanium body and 18k gold nib and parts.

The Cross (* = I do unfortunately not remember the precise Cross model now) was somewhat thinner, but had an exquisitely fluid nib.

I ended up buying the Lamy, since thickness counts more to writing comfort for me than does the nib, but if I were to construct my own pen, it would be a Lamy with a Cross nib.

Other pens: Many other pens, Montblanc prominently among them, were very pretty looking but rather poor as writing instruments. Many of them were too thin, too tapered or too slippery at the grip point to give control of the pen without having to use force. The Lamy, in contrast, was perfect in this regard; it lets you write well and controlled with barely any gripping force.

I must give kudos to the seller, Andvord in Oslo, Norway, for letting me spend so many hours testing so many pens, and testing many over and over again until I had it narrowed down. They even gave me a free extra nib when I couldn't decide between fine and medium, just for the joy of the pen afficionado.

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[SuperNothing]

Had some Private Reserve Velvet Black arrive today. I really enjoy it. Much more than the Parker Quink Black I have been using. Although the Quink bottle and cap are alot nicer.

[milkpowder]

Is it as "velvety black" as the name suggests?

[Inz]

Just joined Pen-Fi. Purchased a Pelikan Souveran 400 Green/Black GT w/ a fine nib. I may have to switch to extra fine but I am not sure whether the additional clarity in my (tiny) writing would justify the increased scratchiness associated with extra fine nibs.

Pens At JOON New York - All The Best Pens In The World!

I've been using fountain pens for years but this is the first quality one. The others all cost me less than $15.

[milkpowder]

Sweet! The Souverans look very nice in Green/Black. Re: EF nibs, I don't think Nibmeiester Richard Binder is too impressived with Pelikan EF nibs. If you buy a nib from him, he'll make sure it writes like melted butter on a hot pan (or a healthier option - ice cubes on a skating rink) before it's sent to you.

I used to take notes with a Souveran 600 green stripe every day, but its duties have largely been taken over by a much cheaper, but just as good pen - Faber Castell Ambition.

What inks are you using? I'm going through a phase of MB British Racing Green at the moment The Souveran is filled with Pelikan Black though...

[Inz]

Noodler's black. The pen is going to be seeing everyday use, so I'll probably just be sticking with blacks (I never was a fan of blue ink..).

I'm liking it so far; it's much better, to me, than a bottle of Mont Blanc a friend gave me a while ago. But then again, I should really fill up one of my old pens to really discern the difference.

If/when I purchase another pen, I'll check out some different ink colors, or I could just fill up my old pens, but they write horribly..

Thanks of the advice regarding the EF nibs. If people start having problems reading my writing, I'll definitely look into ordering from him.

[milkpowder]

Ah yes, the MB Black is more grey than black. I have a bottle and some cartridges but they're not seeing much use. It's been a while since I've written with it but if I recall correctly, it's actually slightly purplish when run under water.

[mrarroyo]

Originally Posted by Inz

Just joined Pen-Fi. Purchased a Pelikan Souveran 400 Green/Black GT w/ a fine nib. I may have to switch to extra fine but I am not sure whether the additional clarity in my (tiny) writing would justify the increased scratchiness associated with extra fine nibs.

Pens At JOON New York - All The Best Pens In The World!

I've been using fountain pens for years but this is the first quality one. The others all cost me less than $15.

Great choice, Pelikans are fantastic writing tools. My oldest Pelican is about 10 years old and it just writes beautifully. Enjoy it!

[Inz]

Thanks! I just got a new (read: better) job, so I decided to buy something nice for myself. I was going to buy an amp, but my need for a good pen outweighed it. I'm hoping I will just keep this one pen for the next ten years, but we all know how that goes. I want a Nakaya next...

Edited for punctuation.

[Edwood]

Since I wanted to use Noodler's "Bulletproof" ink, I wanted a cheap rollerball solution. I found cheap rollerball pen that uses refillable fountain pen insert.

The Lyra Calypso.

Lyra Calypso Roller Ball Pen

I got the Calypso Roller Ball pens. Waiting on the Noodler's Ink.

The Calypso is a cheap cheap plasticy pen. Hope it doesn't leak like crazy or clog up. Not expecting much with it's $5 price tag.

-Ed