[Grimloki]

Wow. Pen-fi. I'm guess I shouldn't be surprised that some headphone addictianados love pens as well. I thought I got away from the fountain pen addiction hobby.
 
I had a Lamy 2000 for a number of years. Its a great pen. Neil Gaiman uses the Lamy 2000 as well. He refers to it as his 'novel writing pen'. 
 
I think Hero 100s are probably the best bang/buck fountain pens, as far as modern ones go. Very nice and ~$30.
 
They are based heavily on of one of the finest fountain pens ever made... vintage Parker 51s, which go restored for around ~$60+
 
Vintage fountain pens are really amazing. If you haven't had the pleasure of checking out whats available, you should take a look. I think they far surpass the modern offerings, in style and quality.
 
I spent a while finding the smoothest uncoated paper made. There are paper industry has standards for this kind of stuff... The first kind is too expensive for what it is, the second is Stora Enso 4cc color copy. Uncoated, super smooth, and dries really fast without feathering. Its worth it to have it bound up for you at Kinkos, if you don't mind unlined paper. Its cheap too. Excellent stuff.

 

[leftnose]

Quote:

[size=medium]It’s great to find someone that owns both, Visconti Homo Sapiens and Lamy 2000[/size]
 
[size=medium]I bought a Lamy 2000 a few months ago (I did not know about Visconti’s). Lamy 2000 has been the greatest writing experience I ever had, it really glides over the paper and you do not have to apply any pressure. The best value for money I can imagine.[/size]
 
[size=medium]I have a question: Lamy 2000 has an amazing nib and is made with “innovative” materials (at least for the 60’s). It also has an understated appearance (in matte black) and sturdy. Is it worth to invest the extra bucks to buy the Visconti Homo Sapiens (it costs about twice the Lamy)? Am I crazy to compare them?[/size]
[size=medium]Normally I only own one fountain pen, I sell the previous one to buy a new one, but I do not want to sell my Lamy 2000. If you could have only two pens, would you have the Lamy and the Visconti?[/size]

I assume you're asking me.
 
I'm not sure where you got your price figures on the Lamy vs. the Visconti but the difference is more like 5x, not 2x.
 
Now that I've had more time with the HS, I'll confidently say that it's the best writing pen in my collection and probably the best fountain pen I've ever used.  This is so much the case that I haven't even thought about searching for the next pen to add to my collection.  I very much like my 2000 as well and it's my primary pen at work.
 
However, if I were to cut my collection to two pens, or even one, the Homo Sapiens probably would be gone for the simple reason that it is a relatively expensive pen.  Mine stays in a case in my desk drawer at home when not in use.  To me, it's just too valuable to carry around.  To a certain extent, I feel the same about the 2000.  I think if I had to cut my collection to two pens, it would be a Lamy Safari for a carry/beater pen and a Pelikan 400 for desk use, especially since both pens have interchangeable nibs and are more versatile.
 
If you do not have the same hesitation about carrying expensive pens with you then, yes, the 2000 and HS would be an excellent pair.  They compliment each other very well.  The 2000 has a very stiff direct nib while the HS can almost be called a flex nib it is so smooth and expressive.  I might be tempted to recommend a Safari for its interchangeable nib to pair with the HS but that's just nitpicking.  Or, perhaps a Pilot Vanishing Point for carry and versatility. 
 
I understand the desire to have a small pen collection but I am so far past that point of reason that I really can't give you a definitive answer.  Whether or not or not the HS is worth the money is something only you can decide.  As with almost everything else, there's a point of diminishing returns with pens.  I think the 2000 is just about at the apex of price v. quality; pens don't get a whole lot better from a functional stand point but they get a whole lot more expensive.

 

[Grimloki]

Quote:

...I think the 2000 is just about at the apex of price v. quality; pens don't get a whole lot better from a functional stand point but they get a whole lot more expensive.

Well said.

 

[Philemon]

[size=medium]Thank you for the response.[/size]
[size=medium]It seams that I bought the Lamy at a relatively high price and I found a store that currently has the HS at a quite fair price (about 3x the Lamy). I am resisting the temptation of going to see the pen, because I am sure that I will buy it “at the heat of the moment”.[/size]
[size=medium] I really think that, if I buy a pen (as well as a watch, for example), is to use it. I am really evaluating the HS purchase because it would be the most expensive pen I would ever buy and I certainly would like to use it.[/size]
[size=medium]I think that this pen is not too flashy, but I live in Mexico City and it is not the safest town on earth.[/size]
[size=medium]I read that, as the HS material absorbs humidity, it also absorbs the ink when you fill it. Is it true? For that kind of pen, I would not expect it to have that kind of “details”.[/size]

 

[leftnose]

Don't get me wrong, I use everyone of my pens that I own and wear all the watches I own but the pens are used and the watches are worn with care.  I don't wear one of my Pateks when I am mowing the lawn and I don't carry my Homo Sapiens if I'm working and writing on a factory floor.
 
Also, don't assume that the HS will be the last or most expensive pen you buy.  We all say things like that and yet, here we are on a headphones site every day!

 
Now, don't assume that the HS is not flashy just because it is black.  It's a very large pen and has quite a presence, especially when uncapped.  It is a pen that will get noticed.  I go to the D.F. on a regular basis and it is not a pen I'd carry in my shirt pocket there.
 
I think absorb is the wrong word.  I've only been filling my pen with Aurora Black and you can see a bit of a 'stain' on the pen for a few hours after filling but it goes away.  The same with the moisture from your hand.  You will see where you've been holding the pen but those marks will go away by the next time you use the pen.  It is certainly no worse than any celluloid pen.
 

 

[Philemon]

[size=medium]Thank you again for your response and also for your photograph comparing your working pens, quite useful although I will have to go “meet” the HS to see it and touch it. I will have to wait a little bit because of all the “back to school” expenses. I just hope to be able to get it at the price I was offered…[/size]

 

[ethan961]

Well, I just placed an order with TWSBI for the Diamond 530. Two, actually.
 
I got into fountain pens a few years ago when my grandfather gave me an old Sheaffer pen. I loved it, and I had finally found something that suited my writing style. However, while I was cleaning it out, I had the guts out and wrapped in a paper towel. The next morning, it was gone. Someone had tossed them in the trash, thinking it was just some plain paper towel. Even worse, the trash had just been emptied into the dump truck.
 
Well, a little while ago, I remembered how much I miss FPs. I decided that I wanted to get into them again and make it more of a true hobby.
 
I needed a workhorse that was both neat looking, held a lot of ink for note taking, and was reasonably priced. Seeing how TWSBI has been working so well with the FPN community to develop a great pen, and most people had favourable reviews of them, I figured they were worth a shot. I looked around and didn't find anything else that really appealed to me while still being affordable. Naturally, I looked for a Parker 51, but didn't find anything of real interest. I didn't really want a collectors pen, I wanted something to use.
 
I also bought a bottle each of Blue and Black plain Noodler's ink. Nothing fancy.
 
Does anyone have any suggestions for getting into this more in the future, such as must-have pens? I'm talking things like the KSC-75, the basic staples that everyone starts out on to get a good taste.
It looks like the TWSBI is a pretty good value, one person saying it was a toss-up between if he liked his Lamy 2000 or his TWSBI more for everyday use. A quick search here doesn't show anyone mentioning the TWSBI before, but then again, I don't think anyone has had the same quality search results with the Huddler search than with the old system.
 
I've always been a sucker for the small guys, so, naturally, they appealed to me even more.
 
Anyways, I paid $106 for 2 pens shipped EMS to me in Canada. Ink cost me around $35 shipped from the US. I'll post back when they arrive and post my impressions, even though they'll be fairly useless, being only my second pen. Any thoughts? I also have a Pilot 78G in the mail ($10 shipped) as an emergency backup. I'm thinking of getting another TWSBI when they come out with a vac filler system and Bock Ti nibs as planned. Of course, provided I like the first ones.
 
Ethan

 

[unl3a5h3d]

I am wanting to get a nice pen. I have finally moved up to a Moleskin journal and it is the best thing ever. Now I want to make full use of it. I have used a Pilot G2 for several years, the same case, just many refills. I like the feel of it, the only thing I don't like is that I have to leave my notebook open for the ink to dry, any way I can get around this? Thanks. 

 

[ethan961]

Quote:

I am wanting to get a nice pen. I have finally moved up to a Moleskin journal and it is the best thing ever. Now I want to make full use of it. I have used a Pilot G2 for several years, the same case, just many refills. I like the feel of it, the only thing I don't like is that I have to leave my notebook open for the ink to dry, any way I can get around this? Thanks. 

You can switch inks to something that dries faster. The forum fountainpennetwork.com is invaluable for finding that kind of stuff.

 

[unl3a5h3d]

Quote:

You can switch inks to something that dries faster. The forum fountainpennetwork.com is invaluable for finding that kind of stuff.

Sweet thanks!

 

[erratik]

Copped a sharbo X today so excited.
 
didnt know if i wanted 0.3mm or 0.5mm for the pencil so i got both (i write tiny and love the size of 0.3, but i cant find 4B 0.3mm lead and 2B isnt really soft enough/dark enough for my taste)
 
got blue black, blood red, and mandarin orange for inks
 
gonna main the blue black

 

[The_X]

I've had a lime green Lamy Safari with Aurora Blue for about a year now.  Since then, I have owned, enjoyed, and lost a Lamy Studio and Lamy 2000!!  I am just not destined to own expensive pens, it seems.  Yesterday, I picked up a second Safari in the matte charcoal color with some brown J. Herbin ink.
 
My favorite pen so far has been the 2000, but the Safari is just incredibly reliable and likeable.

 

[heavy_-j]

Just ordered myself a red lamy safari with a fine nib, and a converter from isellpens.com, and two different sampler packs of ink from pear tree pens to try out!  I'm pumped for this....and also scared for my bank account!  thanks a lot guys.....
 
 
 
 
this should be fun....now to find some paper....

 

[revolink24]

Quote:

Just ordered myself a red lamy safari with a fine nib, and a converter from isellpens.com, and two different sampler packs of ink from pear tree pens to try out!  I'm pumped for this....and also scared for my bank account!  thanks a lot guys.....
 
 
 
 
this should be fun....now to find some paper....

I have a Safari. It's awesome. You should be really happy with it.
 
I have a couple more expensive pens, but they really aren't worth the extra cost over the Safari for doing actual writing. Plus, the cost means you have to be extra cautious. Are they better to look at? Absolutely. Are they better to write with? Not by much. So your wallet doesn't have to hurt too bad here.
 
Just avoid Pelikans. They're addictive (at least they are to me.)

 

[heavy_-j]

Quote:

I have a Safari. It's awesome. You should be really happy with it.
 
I have a couple more expensive pens, but they really aren't worth the extra cost over the Safari for doing actual writing. Plus, the cost means you have to be extra cautious. Are they better to look at? Absolutely. Are they better to write with? Not by much. So your wallet doesn't have to hurt too bad here.
 
Just avoid Pelikans. They're addictive (at least they are to me.)

 I've kinda gotten the feeling this is the case.....although I'd like to try a 18k gold nib or something someday...thats about the only upgrade that seems like it might make a difference. 
 
 
I just got the safari yesterday actually!  luckily it came with an ink cartridge so I can try it out, otherwise I'd be sitting here with an empty pen waiting for my box of ink from pear tree!  .....I definitely like it so far.....takes a bit of getting used to though....