Although there are some instances for me where non-Italian-made pens are prized (Schaeffer, Waterman, for instance), I find the Italian pens trouble free. Ancora, Montegrappa, Visconti, Omas, to name a few. And from Japan, Sailor makes a delightful pen. I favor a fine nib and a brown ink. So okay, occasional dirty fingers, but leak-free shirt pockets, no leaks in jackets. Take a look at Fahrney’s for pens, The Fountain Pen Hospital, and Pendemonium (some great bargains on refurbished pens).
Geez, your note reminded me of a bunch of Esterbrooks and two Pelikans waiting around to be called into service. But obsessive? About pens? Moi? Thus the real problem emerges. Ball- and roller-ball pens are not to be thought about because the moment you think about them, you realize how awful they are, then move on, or is it back,to the quirks and moods of the fountain pen.
Oh, and if you’re looking at fountain pens – I like the Libelle pens. They’re not too expensive, and they’re really nicely balanced. No leaks so far.
And you can’t go wrong with J. Herbin inks. They’ve been in business since 1670 – they seem to know what they’re doing. My pen is loaded up with Vert Olive right now – when I run out, I’ll move over to Rouille D’Ancre.
Heather: thanks for the note on the Libelle brand – I will check that out. I too use ink by J. Herbin; I currently use “ambre de birmanie” (which is lovely), but I also have “midnight blue”.
Fountain pens are so addictive – I have to keep it all in perspective.
Although there are some instances for me where non-Italian-made pens are prized (Schaeffer, Waterman, for instance), I find the Italian pens trouble free. Ancora, Montegrappa, Visconti, Omas, to name a few. And from Japan, Sailor makes a delightful pen. I favor a fine nib and a brown ink. So okay, occasional dirty fingers, but leak-free shirt pockets, no leaks in jackets. Take a look at Fahrney’s for pens, The Fountain Pen Hospital, and Pendemonium (some great bargains on refurbished pens).
Geez, your note reminded me of a bunch of Esterbrooks and two Pelikans waiting around to be called into service. But obsessive? About pens? Moi? Thus the real problem emerges. Ball- and roller-ball pens are not to be thought about because the moment you think about them, you realize how awful they are, then move on, or is it back,to the quirks and moods of the fountain pen.
Nice.
Lovely.
Oh, and if you’re looking at fountain pens – I like the Libelle pens. They’re not too expensive, and they’re really nicely balanced. No leaks so far.
And you can’t go wrong with J. Herbin inks. They’ve been in business since 1670 – they seem to know what they’re doing. My pen is loaded up with Vert Olive right now – when I run out, I’ll move over to Rouille D’Ancre.
Heather: thanks for the note on the Libelle brand – I will check that out. I too use ink by J. Herbin; I currently use “ambre de birmanie” (which is lovely), but I also have “midnight blue”.
Fountain pens are so addictive – I have to keep it all in perspective.