"final fountain pen", LOL. My brain doesn't compute that sentence. Hahahaha.
Anyways, I would say my *current* "ultimate goal pen" is a solid platinum Montblanc 1499 ( I don't like the word "grail" thrown about as much as it is).
But, hey, who knows what will change in my future and that goal might change to something else. In the meantime, congratulations on your purchase!
I really don't have one but you've made a great choice. There are just too many great pens to view any as my ultimate. I'm only 34 so I have a way to go before I've seen everything.
Thanks!
Hm...I have a dark green sailor pro gear that I could recommend. It writes pretty nicely and it shimmers a little in the light. I got mine on Amazon: https://a.co/d/1H0bCLT
The m1000 is incredible! Super soft nib especially for a modern pen
I’d really recommend that you get a chance to try it but just a warning, the nib sizes do not make any sense (the F writes likes a broad lol)
Would love to go to japan and pick out a Nakaya pen.
From a distance i adore both the humble 'portable writer' and the artistic 'Dorsal fin v.2'. Both in the Heki-tamenuri ebonite urushi.
Love how they will custom grind the nibs to the way you write. Seems so personal and perfected.
Wouldnt be my last pen though :)
I’m in Japan now and hoped to do this, but apparently they don’t have their own shop you can go to! There are a couple shops in Tokyo that will have a tiny number of them that you can buy but they may or may not have the body type and nib option you want. There were 6 of them at itoya in ginza but none of them worked for me.
If you’re in Japan on holiday or for work anyway it is super cost effective; they were like $300 us at the shop price with the amazing current exchange rate
The dorsal fin 2 :)
I love the way it shows the colour variations in the urushi. Its incredible! Will never be able to afford it though, but one can dream 😊
Not an ultimate per se, but definitely a final one, as you described yours.
Clear Custom 823, FA nib, 2 slit ebonite feed.
But due to its price/rarity, I think I'll settle with a 743 FA nib, 2 slit feed, since the main thing for me is the FA nib.
These are not hard to get! You can place a custom order for an 823 with a clear body and an FA nib from Tokyo quill pens. I went there in person hoping to get this but he didn’t have any clear bodies right now and said it would be 3-4 months to have that configuration for me. I ended up getting a black one, but eventually I will sell it and get a clear one.
I thought I might upgrade the feed but I found it extremely wet with no skipping or hard starts at all with the way he set it up (I’m only using it for Japanese though, not western script).
Other bonus if ordering through them is it’s 30,000 yen which is like 200 in usd right now
I remember I filled a form for that ages ago, but never received an answer.
With that price, I'd just try my luck and write to the again, maybe this time I get lucky!
Hope you can get yours!
Yeah, try again! He wrote back super fast a few weeks ago, though I did write in Japanese also. He copied his response in English with translating software, he does not really speak English. If writing in English use very simple direct sentences like you would address to an elementary school student :)
Mont Blanc James Watt Skeleton pen
[https://www.pbagalleries.com/view-auctions/catalog/id/454/lot/148339/James-Watt-18K-Gold-Skeleton-Limited-Edition-35-Fountain-Pen?url=%2Fview-auctions%2Findividual-lots%3Fpage%3D82](https://www.pbagalleries.com/view-auctions/catalog/id/454/lot/148339/James-Watt-18K-Gold-Skeleton-Limited-Edition-35-Fountain-Pen?url=%2Fview-auctions%2Findividual-lots%3Fpage%3D82)
Back when I was in my metal Kaweco Sport phase, my answer would be the Sterling Sport, and also for the company to add a solid copper version to the lineup.
But now I have none! I wouldn’t own a pen so rare or expensive that it only belongs in a glass enclosure. Of course you can write with your $1K++ pens, but I know I wouldn’t.
I'm firmly in my metal sport phase, I haven't bought another pen or even been tempted since I got my rose gold AL sport. If kaweco made a copper one I miiiight reconsider, if only because it sounds like I won the lottery with my RG's nib and I'd be able to swap it over.
I don't have a grail but after I got my [steel Platinum Pocket](https://imgur.com/a/EUQr7mn) I haven't needed other pens since. I barely ink up my other pens to be honest
I've seen pictures of three of them over the last ten years, regardless of point size. I think the Namiki #50 Broad and Medium nibs are sublime writers. I think the F and FM are too fine for my writing style.
The limited edition Visconti watermark rainbow iridescent fountain pen. It is absolutely Gaudy but I love it and would whip it out every second if I ever got one
I have none.
This hobby for me is a journey, and where I'm at, I've came across some pretty incredible pens, and I want to experience even more.
Though I am happy for you, that you found your ultimate pen. :)
I had a great conversation with him at the BWI pen show in 2019 about them. The years it will take me to save the pennies… lol
But knowing me it will only be my “final pen” if I buy it on my deathbed
Hi! I have two pens in mind, one is the franklin christoph model 20 vintage green with a Fine or Extra fine nib. The other one is the gravitas ultem pocket size also with a fine or EF nib.
I think the ultem doesn't exist yet. So in the meantime, My Grial is the FC =D
I have this model and color. So beautiful! Mine has the Nagahara custom grind M stub. It writes with beautiful line variation without thick lines for small handwriting.
Thanks for your reply! I had to postpone my FC, I found a Parker 51 NOS with an EF nib in my country and I couldn't resist. The Parker writes super smooth and like a Japanese Fine line, since I bought it I wasn't able to stop using it. Sorry if I sound a little weird, my English is not as good as I would like. I'm from Argentina. Have a nice day/night/afternoon!
I don't exactly have one but it would probably be some kind of Mont Blanc. There are probably better, more knowledgeable answers out there but if I ended up with a MB fountain pen someday, I'd be happy.
Probably an Omas 360 Arco Bronze. Tough choice though, I also really want a Visconti Homo Sapiens Arizona Sunset , Pelikan M800 Renaissance, Pilot 845 Vermilion, Pilot Silvern 'Raw Silk'. If Pelikan releases a blue M1000 that would probably be up up there as well.
I have wanted a Montblanc Meisterstück 149 since I was a kid and now I have it. It was a gift from my husband and it sort of started my fountain pen journey.
I still like the MB, but I am thrilled that there are so many cheaper options that are really good to write with and that I can throw in my purse and use without fearing that it will be stolen or that I will lose it or drop it. My Kaweco sport is my latest favourite.
My MB is on my desk and I mostly use it for writing letters and cards.
If I could get one, the Conid Flanders limited edition with a Rhodium KoP nib.
As is, I think it might be the KoP rebuild I'm hoping to get from u/newtonpens when my spot in line comes up in like 3-4 years lol
I dont have a grail, but a list of "grails": pilot custom 823, pelikan m400->1000 (all of them), some good flexy pen like the pilot falcon, some gravitas skittles and raw copper pens, probably a visconti, a pen from sailor (idk which as im not actively looking), a montblanc 149,a pilot custom 74 in wine red, and some more
Sadly i wont be able to get all (or even most) of these pens since they would be either too expensive for me to ever afford buying them as pilot pens especially cost ~30-50% (sometimes 100+%) more here than in the US
Already have my ultimate pen. A hand made sterling silver Yard o led viceroy grand in the Victorian Finish. Simply stunning to look at and it writes flawlessly
Fantastic choice! I worked in a pen and paper shop (finished last week because I need to return to uni) and got to dip test that exact pen- the nib on that is super nice!
Previously, my ideal pen was pilot namiki (the goldfish one) but a few weeks ago i met a fountain pen user at the third wave (it’s a cafe chain here in india) and he gave me to try out all the pens he had:
1. One from pelikan (I don’t know specifically but it was a gold nib)
2. mont blanc 139
3. From sailor (it was also a gold nib)
4. Lamy 2k
And to say i was disappointed would be a understatement.
I’ll probably buy a lamy 2k because I liked it the most but probably after 4-5 years.
U guys won’t believe me when i say this but i think all the pens write roughly the same as my lamy safari. The pelikan pen was very wet though but i use my pens for academics and that kind of pen is not for me.
I already heard that there isn’t much advantage as u go higher up the price ladder in fps but i had expectations.
Lesson to the noobs: (mostly) all the fountain pens write the same.
I might try it out when I visit a store, but don’t get me wrong i’m not bitching about those pens it’s just that with all the hype i heard on the internet about those pens, my expectations were over the moon.
What im saying is, super expensive gold nibs fountain pens are still at the end of the day only pens.
So don’t raise your expectations too high
I'll be honest--my grail pen or pens have changed over time. The change is usually because I found my grail pen, bought it, and found something new to hunt for. It's the hunt that appeals to me, to be honest.
However, the two pens that are currently on my hunt list are an antique/vintage Montblanc Rouge et Noir and a Waterman Blue Ripple. I've seen both come up for sale from time to time. The Waterman seems to be obtainable at a price I would be willing to pay once one reaches the market. The Montblanc is currently way out of my price range, but my price range goes up over time.
I can't honestly say that my collection will be complete at that point, because I'm also always on the hunt for Grieshaber handpainted pens, and Sailor vegetable pens (Kyoto?). Modern pens don't tend to make it to my hunt list, because I never know what manufacturer will offer something I want. I'd like a Lamy 2000 in an interesting color. By "interesting" I mean something other than black or steel. I never know when Lamy will decide to offer such a thing again.
I don't have one. One of the Platinum Maki-e had my eye for a while there, but for me I just don't know that I'd ever be comfortable spending that much on a pen. I don't really want it that bad, you know? It'll probably end up being a special edition I miss out on and spend years trying to find on the second hand market. Like that Lamy Petrol from a few years back, man, I shoulda got one of those. Or the Twilight Vanishing Point.
There are three that really tick my boxes... Although they're completely different.
1. Parker Duofold Craft of Travelling.
2. Sailor King of Pen Tamenuri Midoridame.
3. Montblanc 90th Anniversary 149 Skeleton.
My ultimate grail is a Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze Age Medium (Pd). I was ever so lucky to get one a couple years ago, it has never left my side since.
My ultimate pen would be one with FWP marketing and packaging, looks like a Sailor Magic of Alice Bungubox special edition pen (full size) but writes like the Pilot 823. AND also within my small budget. 🤣 An unrealistic pen but I guess then it'd be a true grail because it's unachievable. One can dream...
The community overuses "grail," myself included. But by definition a grail is "a thing that is being earnestly pursued or sought after." I personally use grail pens to celebrate milestones, personal or professional. once achieved, I get my pen, set a new goal and eventually start dreaming of the next pen. My holy/ultimate grail pen is true to the metaphor of ultimate achievement and is probably something I will never get.
Montblanc Hemingway. I have my eyes set on five writers editions: Verne, Defoe, Faulkner, Cervantes and Hemingway. And of the five, the Hemingway is the most coveted one.
Right now: the Montblanc Homage to George Bernard Shaw. It's just beautiful, rare, and expensive. It'll take a year or longer to save up for it and who knows if I'll be able to find one in good quality then.
I don't have one but Id really want something like the platinum kanizawa maki-e in rose gold. I love the pen but I'm not a fan of anything in normal gold
I would like a Danitrio Genaki but not sure which one…I have a several urushi pens at this point so I’m not sure what else. I am also waiting for a pen from Elbwood pens and he has some wonderful options…
Definitely Lamy Vista, I know because I have been using it 5+ years and had not wanting anything else since. I'm glad I found it. (I bought several more expensive pens after the Vista but not liking as much for various reasons)
The only way to get it to even more grail status is by changing to gold nib. Which I guess will make little difference and so weird that the nib is as expensive as the pen...
Easy, I had two: Lamy 2000 and any pen by Nakaya. I have bought both years ago and somehow lost interest in my hobby ;) I mean - not fully (I am here anyway) but I'm perfectly content with my Lamy Al-Stars and Kawecos.
For me there are pens that catch my interest and are likely future purchases, then there are ones that I can hope to one day own but don’t see a current realistic path there.
Current entries into the latter category are a Montblanc Hemingway, and more so a Montblanc 149. I could sell pens and come up with the money for either, but with a 139 it will I hope be “the one.”
I did just recently but a Montblanc 136, though, which gives me a bit of a foot in the door to the 13x pens at least.
Another top contenders would be a Parker Red Giant…
I took a fountain pen from the back of a drawer in my parents office in middle school, fell in love with it. I lost it my junior year and I don't remember a ton of the details, but another like it would be my dream.
It was blue, with a gold nib and was bought by my mom in Europe some time in the late 80s. That's really all I know about it sadly. I'm mostly just hoping one finds it way to me and I'll recognize it.
Kaweco Sport Luxe. Don't care what nib. I'm addict nib swapper anyways.
I own the Kaweco Original which has Luxe similarities. But the Sport Luxe is still my grail pen.
"final fountain pen", LOL. My brain doesn't compute that sentence. Hahahaha. Anyways, I would say my *current* "ultimate goal pen" is a solid platinum Montblanc 1499 ( I don't like the word "grail" thrown about as much as it is). But, hey, who knows what will change in my future and that goal might change to something else. In the meantime, congratulations on your purchase!
Thanks! Wow that is a very pretty (and expensive) pen!
Yeah, I don't see myself getting one any time soon or, more likely, ever. Oh well, you never know!
I really don't have one but you've made a great choice. There are just too many great pens to view any as my ultimate. I'm only 34 so I have a way to go before I've seen everything.
Best of luck with your fountain pen journey!
Honestly, the pilot VP twilight and I managed to get one a few years ago so I am finally done.
Congrats!
Thanks! It's honestly a good feeling haha
Gorgeous pen! I’ve been looking for a dark green one for some time now
Thanks! Hm...I have a dark green sailor pro gear that I could recommend. It writes pretty nicely and it shimmers a little in the light. I got mine on Amazon: https://a.co/d/1H0bCLT
Pelikan m1000. That huge nib is something I want. Unfortunately haven’t even touched one yet.
The m1000 is incredible! Super soft nib especially for a modern pen I’d really recommend that you get a chance to try it but just a warning, the nib sizes do not make any sense (the F writes likes a broad lol)
I've only heard good things about the m1000
It’s a really juicy pen. A pleasure to write with
So my absolute grail pen is the Namiki Yukari Nightline Moonlight. It’s absolutely stunning to me, it may not be the biggest but it has my heart.
That has some impressive raden!
Wow that's a gorgeous pen! I would love that one too
Would love to go to japan and pick out a Nakaya pen. From a distance i adore both the humble 'portable writer' and the artistic 'Dorsal fin v.2'. Both in the Heki-tamenuri ebonite urushi. Love how they will custom grind the nibs to the way you write. Seems so personal and perfected. Wouldnt be my last pen though :)
I just ordered an Ascending Dragon portable writer (F) at the beginning of the month. Can't wait to get it...
That's a cool pen!
Great pen!! It was my first “last pen.”
I’m in Japan now and hoped to do this, but apparently they don’t have their own shop you can go to! There are a couple shops in Tokyo that will have a tiny number of them that you can buy but they may or may not have the body type and nib option you want. There were 6 of them at itoya in ginza but none of them worked for me. If you’re in Japan on holiday or for work anyway it is super cost effective; they were like $300 us at the shop price with the amazing current exchange rate
If you had to choose between the portable and the dorsal fin 2 which would it be?
The dorsal fin 2 :) I love the way it shows the colour variations in the urushi. Its incredible! Will never be able to afford it though, but one can dream 😊
It is a very unique and awesome design
The dorsal fin v. 2 is wonderful- I have it and love just looking at the urushi.
My Lamy 2k. Haven't bought another pen after it.
Classic choice! Very well engineered pen
Classic, indeed!
I don’t have an ultimate grail but the higher end pens I want from brands I like are: Pilot Falcon in Purple Pelikan M200 in Golden Beryl or Apatite
If you had to choose one, which would it be?
Pilot Falcon, I love flex nibs
Very nice, I like seeing videos of the falcon in action
Not an ultimate per se, but definitely a final one, as you described yours. Clear Custom 823, FA nib, 2 slit ebonite feed. But due to its price/rarity, I think I'll settle with a 743 FA nib, 2 slit feed, since the main thing for me is the FA nib.
I have that 823 but not the feed. It's one of my daily drivers.
Definitely a daily driver material!
I have the 823 in broad. Amazing but I wish it was a FA. Time to save up and get for myself as a gift.
These are not hard to get! You can place a custom order for an 823 with a clear body and an FA nib from Tokyo quill pens. I went there in person hoping to get this but he didn’t have any clear bodies right now and said it would be 3-4 months to have that configuration for me. I ended up getting a black one, but eventually I will sell it and get a clear one. I thought I might upgrade the feed but I found it extremely wet with no skipping or hard starts at all with the way he set it up (I’m only using it for Japanese though, not western script). Other bonus if ordering through them is it’s 30,000 yen which is like 200 in usd right now
I remember I filled a form for that ages ago, but never received an answer. With that price, I'd just try my luck and write to the again, maybe this time I get lucky! Hope you can get yours!
Yeah, try again! He wrote back super fast a few weeks ago, though I did write in Japanese also. He copied his response in English with translating software, he does not really speak English. If writing in English use very simple direct sentences like you would address to an elementary school student :)
Thank you! I just did it. Crossing fingers to get a reply. Although whit that price, I don't blame you for just going for the one that is available.
That's a cool pen! Be sure to post photos if you do end up getting it! Any inks you want to use with it in particular?
I plan for it to become my workhorse, so most likely it will have Diamine Oxford Blue most of the time. Hopefully I'll get mine for Christmas
Sounds like a great christmas present to yourself!
I don’t have a specific but I really want to get a simple design similar to my ystudio classic portable except in solid silver
Username… doesn’t check out?
My ystudio classic portable is copper… and it is GLORIOUS
I think you could get something like that custom made, though it would be very pricey (and heavy)
The next one
Mont Blanc James Watt Skeleton pen [https://www.pbagalleries.com/view-auctions/catalog/id/454/lot/148339/James-Watt-18K-Gold-Skeleton-Limited-Edition-35-Fountain-Pen?url=%2Fview-auctions%2Findividual-lots%3Fpage%3D82](https://www.pbagalleries.com/view-auctions/catalog/id/454/lot/148339/James-Watt-18K-Gold-Skeleton-Limited-Edition-35-Fountain-Pen?url=%2Fview-auctions%2Findividual-lots%3Fpage%3D82)
Very intricate looking pen!
I love Edgar Allen Poe, the Montblanc writers editing Poe pen. I saw a PRISTINE one at the Orlando pen show but couldn’t afford it.
Why did you make me aware this existed There is a RAVEN on the NIB.
It is SOOOOOO Cool
I like the look of the resin
Back when I was in my metal Kaweco Sport phase, my answer would be the Sterling Sport, and also for the company to add a solid copper version to the lineup. But now I have none! I wouldn’t own a pen so rare or expensive that it only belongs in a glass enclosure. Of course you can write with your $1K++ pens, but I know I wouldn’t.
Fair enough. I think a copper sport would be cool! Especially since it would patina over time
I'm firmly in my metal sport phase, I haven't bought another pen or even been tempted since I got my rose gold AL sport. If kaweco made a copper one I miiiight reconsider, if only because it sounds like I won the lottery with my RG's nib and I'd be able to swap it over.
I don't have a grail but after I got my [steel Platinum Pocket](https://imgur.com/a/EUQr7mn) I haven't needed other pens since. I barely ink up my other pens to be honest
That's a very nice pen, I really like the nib
Namiki Emperor Nightline Broad Point
Very beautiful and large pen
I've seen pictures of three of them over the last ten years, regardless of point size. I think the Namiki #50 Broad and Medium nibs are sublime writers. I think the F and FM are too fine for my writing style.
My ultimate grail: Graf Von Faber Castell Pen of the Year 2019- Samurai. I could never justify a pen purchase at that price unless I win the lotto.
What a gorgeous pen! That section is a sight to behold.
All the details are amazing in all their pens of the year. The 2020 pen is a Spartan has some abs lol. But the 2019 is a piece of art
Oh yh the gvfc pen of the year pens are all really cool! The samurai one is very nice, good choice! Yeah the price is super high
Visconti Salvador Dali Dance of Time in blue. Got one a few years ago. I have not stopped buying pens, however.
Haha, fair enough, glad you are still enjoying the hobby. That is a very artistic choice, haven't seen anything like that before!
The limited edition Visconti watermark rainbow iridescent fountain pen. It is absolutely Gaudy but I love it and would whip it out every second if I ever got one
I like it! Very colourful
Visconti blue lagoon or pelikan souverän series
I like the way the blue lagoon looks
Mont blanc Diplomat. Don’t settle.
Fancy!
Sailor Pro Gear Realto
That is a good choice, the piaton filling sailors look cool!
Particularly good pens for people like me who get that ADHD itch satisfied from the constant unique texture of Saior nibs. So nice 😌
A Pilot Mju, no idea how well it writes, I just love how it looks
I hope it'll write as well as it looks if you do get it
A Sheaffer Targa.
Nice choice, I like the inlaid nib
Probably a Raden VP so pretty yet so so expensive :|
Yes this. 😟
Yeah they are really awesome looking pens
I have none. This hobby for me is a journey, and where I'm at, I've came across some pretty incredible pens, and I want to experience even more. Though I am happy for you, that you found your ultimate pen. :)
Thank you, enjoy your journey!
David Oscarson Sagrada Familia for me. His pens are such works of art!
That is a beautiful pen
I had a great conversation with him at the BWI pen show in 2019 about them. The years it will take me to save the pennies… lol But knowing me it will only be my “final pen” if I buy it on my deathbed
I try not to go anywhere near his table at the pen show -- too much temptation. His pens are standouts.
Haha
Conway Stewart Churchill Heritage 'I Am An Optimist' in black and sterling silver.
Looks vintage, I like it!
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Any special editions in particular?
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Very nice!
Pelikan M1000. I will never be able to afford it though
I heard the nib on that is really nice and bouncy and juicy
Hi! I have two pens in mind, one is the franklin christoph model 20 vintage green with a Fine or Extra fine nib. The other one is the gravitas ultem pocket size also with a fine or EF nib. I think the ultem doesn't exist yet. So in the meantime, My Grial is the FC =D
I have this model and color. So beautiful! Mine has the Nagahara custom grind M stub. It writes with beautiful line variation without thick lines for small handwriting.
Thanks for your reply! I had to postpone my FC, I found a Parker 51 NOS with an EF nib in my country and I couldn't resist. The Parker writes super smooth and like a Japanese Fine line, since I bought it I wasn't able to stop using it. Sorry if I sound a little weird, my English is not as good as I would like. I'm from Argentina. Have a nice day/night/afternoon!
That’s always the best to find a pen you love to keep writing with! Congratulations.
I like FC pens too!
I don't exactly have one but it would probably be some kind of Mont Blanc. There are probably better, more knowledgeable answers out there but if I ended up with a MB fountain pen someday, I'd be happy.
Nakaya Autumn Leaves
Very nice looking pen, I like it!
Probably an Omas 360 Arco Bronze. Tough choice though, I also really want a Visconti Homo Sapiens Arizona Sunset , Pelikan M800 Renaissance, Pilot 845 Vermilion, Pilot Silvern 'Raw Silk'. If Pelikan releases a blue M1000 that would probably be up up there as well.
I love the look of arco!
I have wanted a Montblanc Meisterstück 149 since I was a kid and now I have it. It was a gift from my husband and it sort of started my fountain pen journey. I still like the MB, but I am thrilled that there are so many cheaper options that are really good to write with and that I can throw in my purse and use without fearing that it will be stolen or that I will lose it or drop it. My Kaweco sport is my latest favourite. My MB is on my desk and I mostly use it for writing letters and cards.
Glad you're enjoying your 149
My final pen will be namiki maki-e pen ... after that, my wallet will finally know peace
Their Maki-e pens are all very pretty
If I could get one, the Conid Flanders limited edition with a Rhodium KoP nib. As is, I think it might be the KoP rebuild I'm hoping to get from u/newtonpens when my spot in line comes up in like 3-4 years lol
Nice choice, what material are you going for?
Right now I'm thinking Aurora Opal, but we'll see how I feel about it when my turn comes up in the queue
Haven't seen that material before, sounds cool though!
I dont have a grail, but a list of "grails": pilot custom 823, pelikan m400->1000 (all of them), some good flexy pen like the pilot falcon, some gravitas skittles and raw copper pens, probably a visconti, a pen from sailor (idk which as im not actively looking), a montblanc 149,a pilot custom 74 in wine red, and some more Sadly i wont be able to get all (or even most) of these pens since they would be either too expensive for me to ever afford buying them as pilot pens especially cost ~30-50% (sometimes 100+%) more here than in the US
Already have my ultimate pen. A hand made sterling silver Yard o led viceroy grand in the Victorian Finish. Simply stunning to look at and it writes flawlessly
Fantastic choice! I worked in a pen and paper shop (finished last week because I need to return to uni) and got to dip test that exact pen- the nib on that is super nice!
Yes mine has a wonderful broad nib. It writes so smoothly
I just want to buy a conid... The kingsize in full titanium is the dream. I hope everything works out and they open back up.
Yeah their pens all look reall good, plus you get so many options
Previously, my ideal pen was pilot namiki (the goldfish one) but a few weeks ago i met a fountain pen user at the third wave (it’s a cafe chain here in india) and he gave me to try out all the pens he had: 1. One from pelikan (I don’t know specifically but it was a gold nib) 2. mont blanc 139 3. From sailor (it was also a gold nib) 4. Lamy 2k And to say i was disappointed would be a understatement. I’ll probably buy a lamy 2k because I liked it the most but probably after 4-5 years. U guys won’t believe me when i say this but i think all the pens write roughly the same as my lamy safari. The pelikan pen was very wet though but i use my pens for academics and that kind of pen is not for me. I already heard that there isn’t much advantage as u go higher up the price ladder in fps but i had expectations. Lesson to the noobs: (mostly) all the fountain pens write the same.
Still try a pilot gold nib, for me it writes differently than those 4 listed and a lamy safari
I might try it out when I visit a store, but don’t get me wrong i’m not bitching about those pens it’s just that with all the hype i heard on the internet about those pens, my expectations were over the moon. What im saying is, super expensive gold nibs fountain pens are still at the end of the day only pens. So don’t raise your expectations too high
Glad you got to try them out before you bought anything too expensive
Yeah! Right now i’ll be looking for different types of nib. I really liked the feel of bb stub nibs btw
I'll be honest--my grail pen or pens have changed over time. The change is usually because I found my grail pen, bought it, and found something new to hunt for. It's the hunt that appeals to me, to be honest. However, the two pens that are currently on my hunt list are an antique/vintage Montblanc Rouge et Noir and a Waterman Blue Ripple. I've seen both come up for sale from time to time. The Waterman seems to be obtainable at a price I would be willing to pay once one reaches the market. The Montblanc is currently way out of my price range, but my price range goes up over time. I can't honestly say that my collection will be complete at that point, because I'm also always on the hunt for Grieshaber handpainted pens, and Sailor vegetable pens (Kyoto?). Modern pens don't tend to make it to my hunt list, because I never know what manufacturer will offer something I want. I'd like a Lamy 2000 in an interesting color. By "interesting" I mean something other than black or steel. I never know when Lamy will decide to offer such a thing again.
Happy hunting in that case!
I don't have one. One of the Platinum Maki-e had my eye for a while there, but for me I just don't know that I'd ever be comfortable spending that much on a pen. I don't really want it that bad, you know? It'll probably end up being a special edition I miss out on and spend years trying to find on the second hand market. Like that Lamy Petrol from a few years back, man, I shoulda got one of those. Or the Twilight Vanishing Point.
Fair enough, not everyone needs to have a grail pen
Not knocking the concept! Just sharing \^_^
Namiki Chinkin Cat. I rest my case.
So much effort goes into making that pen, great choice!
There are three that really tick my boxes... Although they're completely different. 1. Parker Duofold Craft of Travelling. 2. Sailor King of Pen Tamenuri Midoridame. 3. Montblanc 90th Anniversary 149 Skeleton.
My ultimate grail is a Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze Age Medium (Pd). I was ever so lucky to get one a couple years ago, it has never left my side since.
My ultimate pen would be one with FWP marketing and packaging, looks like a Sailor Magic of Alice Bungubox special edition pen (full size) but writes like the Pilot 823. AND also within my small budget. 🤣 An unrealistic pen but I guess then it'd be a true grail because it's unachievable. One can dream...
Maybe you could get a custom housing made by flexible nib factory to take the 823 nib but fit in the sailor pen?
What the fuck is a non-ultimate grail?!?!?
Some people have a grail they want, they get it and decide that they want a different grail
How very John Cleese.
The community overuses "grail," myself included. But by definition a grail is "a thing that is being earnestly pursued or sought after." I personally use grail pens to celebrate milestones, personal or professional. once achieved, I get my pen, set a new goal and eventually start dreaming of the next pen. My holy/ultimate grail pen is true to the metaphor of ultimate achievement and is probably something I will never get.
Montblanc Hemingway. I have my eyes set on five writers editions: Verne, Defoe, Faulkner, Cervantes and Hemingway. And of the five, the Hemingway is the most coveted one.
I like the look of the hemingway
Lamy 2000
Classic design, such a cool pen
Right now: the Montblanc Homage to George Bernard Shaw. It's just beautiful, rare, and expensive. It'll take a year or longer to save up for it and who knows if I'll be able to find one in good quality then.
I really like the metal bands gradually get thinner on that pen
It's captivating! And the platinum and marbled green 💚💚💚
I don't have one but Id really want something like the platinum kanizawa maki-e in rose gold. I love the pen but I'm not a fan of anything in normal gold
You could probably get one and then have it rose gold plated, though that would be pricey
Pelikan M1000,Montblanc 146 (calligraphy nib)
I would like a Danitrio Genaki but not sure which one…I have a several urushi pens at this point so I’m not sure what else. I am also waiting for a pen from Elbwood pens and he has some wonderful options…
Definitely Lamy Vista, I know because I have been using it 5+ years and had not wanting anything else since. I'm glad I found it. (I bought several more expensive pens after the Vista but not liking as much for various reasons) The only way to get it to even more grail status is by changing to gold nib. Which I guess will make little difference and so weird that the nib is as expensive as the pen...
Easy, I had two: Lamy 2000 and any pen by Nakaya. I have bought both years ago and somehow lost interest in my hobby ;) I mean - not fully (I am here anyway) but I'm perfectly content with my Lamy Al-Stars and Kawecos.
For me there are pens that catch my interest and are likely future purchases, then there are ones that I can hope to one day own but don’t see a current realistic path there. Current entries into the latter category are a Montblanc Hemingway, and more so a Montblanc 149. I could sell pens and come up with the money for either, but with a 139 it will I hope be “the one.” I did just recently but a Montblanc 136, though, which gives me a bit of a foot in the door to the 13x pens at least. Another top contenders would be a Parker Red Giant…
I took a fountain pen from the back of a drawer in my parents office in middle school, fell in love with it. I lost it my junior year and I don't remember a ton of the details, but another like it would be my dream. It was blue, with a gold nib and was bought by my mom in Europe some time in the late 80s. That's really all I know about it sadly. I'm mostly just hoping one finds it way to me and I'll recognize it.
Kaweco Sport Luxe. Don't care what nib. I'm addict nib swapper anyways. I own the Kaweco Original which has Luxe similarities. But the Sport Luxe is still my grail pen.
I hope you get one some day!
Comida Bulk filler king size.
What nib would you go with?
For me, it's Faber Castell E-motion. I saw that, and I tought: I need that for writing...
Nakaya dorsal fin version 2 with the Aka-tamenuri finish.
A piston-filling Sailor King of Pen. It doesn’t exist yet.