I really don’t know why. I don’t take that many notes. When I’m in meetings, I’ve been telling people I color code my notes. But honestly, I have just been switching pens at random… I’m never going to use all this ink before they dry up, and it’s going to be a pain to clean them all. Normally, I’ll only have one or two inked at a time.
True freedom is having options and not needing to make a choice.
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Looks like I’m subscribed already! Guess I kinda forgot about it. I’ll have to come by more.
That looks so cool, where did you get the pens from?
The Chinese ones are all AliExpress.
- Wing Sung 630
- Penbbs 456
- Hongdian M2
- Majohn A1
The vintage ones I have are from estate sales, thrift stores, ebay, flea markets. They always need to be repaired, so you either have to have the tools and skills to do it yourself, or be willing to pay to ship them out and get serviced by one of the few people who still do that kind of work. The blue one there I got off ebay listed as “restored” only to have it come with a petrified old ink sac. And Snorkel sacs are not fun to replace.
- Sheaffer’s Snorkel Statesman
- Sheaffer’s Lifetime (oversized flat top)
And lastly, the Visconti Van Gogh Starry Night. It’s a beautiful pen, with a cool magnetic cap and hinged spring clip. Visconti is kind of notorious for their hit and miss QC, but I got this one for half price because they changed the nib one year and somebody on Amazon was clearing out their old stock. Couldn’t say no. It’s a nice pen, but I did have to tune the nib a bit because it was dry and scratchy.
Oh, thanks for the compliment, too! Nobody at my work has an appreciation for fountain pens. I was pretty excited to tak about them, and just kind of blurted it all out in text.
Is that a mechanical keyboard in the back aswell?
Yeah! It’s a Kzzi Z98. I found it at a bin store for $12! It has concave, double-shot PBT keycaps, linear switches, this screen that i mostly use for a useless clock that is typically hours off, and has wired, BT, and 2.4ghz connectivity. I’m thinking about getting a white and red Nulea trackball to go with it. Or, fix up an old Logitech Trackman. Well, older than the one I have. You know.
I love the Hongdian pocket pen for my EDC. I’m curious about that retractable outside the case though. Do you recommend?
Also, the Hongdian is fantastic! I like it better than my Kaweco Sport. It posts longer, has a better clip, and just feels more substantial. For half the price.
The Majohn (Moon Man) A1. I love it. This is the new clipless one. The black also comes in a clipped version, and there are a ton of other colors and patterns for the clipped. There is also the A2, which is the same pen, just with a plastic body. I have two A1’s, and an A2. They are all great. I have no idea how they compare with a real Vanishing Point, but for $15 they are fantastic. I’ve had no issues with sealing, they’ve stayed wet for over a month before.
The third one and the last one are gorgeous
Thank you very much. The third one is a Penbbs 456, which has one of the coolest filling mechanisms in modern pens (IMO). It’s a vacuum filler. There is a plunger under the cap at the end. You pull it out, and dip the nib in the ink. Then, you press the plunger down quickly. It creates a vacuum behind it. At the end of its stroke, the barrel widens out and the vacuum goes around to the nib to suck the ink up. It’s not the only pen to do this, but it is one of the cheapest. It’s beautiful, and a good writer, too. And they come in a ton more colors now than when I got mine. Pretty sure they are cheaper now, too.
The last one is the Visconti Van Gogh Starry Night. It’s your standard cartridge converter type pen, made with some pretty resin swirled together. The colors are inspired by Starry Night, but they have a whole line of Van Gogh inspired pens if you’re more of a Cafe Terrace fan. They aren’t cheap though, usually around $280. And after having mine for a few years, I can tell you that it’s overpriced. You’re paying for the Visconti name. I’m not saying it’s a bad pen, I just wouldn’t pay full price for one.
Wow, such a detailed answer! Definitely the Van Gogh one is above my budget, but the Penbbs seems like something I could gift myself one day hahah. Thank you!
I am not into fountain pens, as my handwriting should be covered by the Geneva Convention, but this looks awesome!
Thanks! Mine was terrible when I started, too. If you’re pen curious, something like a Jinhao 82 might get you hooked. They come in a nice array of colors, and they are super cheap. Jinhao has decent steel nibs, though they are always a bit fatter than I expect. If you write small, you’re going to want an F or EF. Definitely not an M.
