How bout this for an accurate fountain pen

Indiana Charles · Post by **Indiana Charles** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 11:59 pm

I am only going off the grainy picture off the main page here:

http://www.indygear.com/props/miscprop.shtml

but I did find a pen that looks remarkably similar made by Conway Stewart here:

http://www.conwaystewart.com/product_in ... 25654db414

It does have gold accents insted of silver ones but other than that it looks just like it. It is however a quite pricey at a price tag of $350.39.

Thought I would through this out here and see what you guys say.

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 12:14 am

I think I'll pass on that. ouch thas one expensive pen.

binkmeisterRick · Post by **binkmeisterRick** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 9:04 am

Heck, there are pens sold for thousands!

Redinight · Post by **Redinight** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 11:41 pm

After my Grandfather starting making big bucks, one of the first things he did was buy himself one of these expensive fountain pens. Why are these so expensive? Is it just a status thing? Clearly the cost is inflated...

I really like these, I think to start off the collection I will go with the Gold Collection Harlequin, $18K

GraveRobberGreg · Post by **GraveRobberGreg** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 12:37 am

I just purchased my first fountain pen made by waterman with a Med NIB and I liked it sooo much that I just ordered another one with a fine NIB. The watermans i bought are only about $40.

I cant see spending $100's of dollars on a fountain pen when I can get one for less.

OH YEA....Thanks Bufflehead and Bink!

binkmeisterRick · Post by **binkmeisterRick** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:54 am

Redinight wrote:After my Grandfather starting making big bucks, one of the first things he did was buy himself one of these expensive fountain pens. Why are these so expensive? Is it just a status thing? Clearly the cost is inflated...

I really like these, I think to start off the collection I will go with the Gold Collection Harlequin, $18K

Well, as someone who writes with fountain pens, you can tell a definite difference between a really good pen and a really bad pen. Just as there are collectors of all sorts out there (including Indy gear

) there are serious pen collectors. Some collect vintage fountain pens, some modern, some both. I have a taste for vintage pens, though I have a very modest collection at this point.

As far as what makes a pen expensive, it varies from the maker, quality, rarity, and so on. Nowadays, modern pen makers make pens specifically for the collector's market. Yes, it seems that in certain circles the fountain pen is used as a status symbol. I think that's a load of bull. The true fountain pen lover admires it for its qualities as an exceptional writing instrument and an expression of creativity. And you think paying a couple hundred bucks for a pen is a lot of money? Again there are pens people pay thousands for. There are also good modern pens for much less, as Greg pointed out. I personally can't see paying thousands for a pen, but if I come across the right vintage pen, I could see paying a couple hundred. But again, it depends on the pen and its condition. The thrill is finding old gems "in the wild."

I'm lucky that I live very near a renowned vintage pen shop (two actually, though I favor the one) so I can look at a wide variety of pens in mint or restored condition. I recently took in a 1937 Parker Vacumatic (which looks similar to the green pen in the main site link) that belonged to my grandfather. He used this pen every day and you could tell it, too. When I got it back, it was almost like having a brand new pen. It writes flawlessly and is a joy to use. Some of the great vintage fountain pens put many modern "high end" pens to shame. These pens, if used and taken care of, will last several lifetimes.

Are fountain pens for everybody? Well, the ballpoint pen ushered in the era of poor penmanship. There is a definite touch to writing with a fountain pen. Heck, they're still used a great deal by all walks in Europe, from my understanding. To make this gear-centric: would Indy use a fountain pen? Most certainly. Henry, Sr. did, and you can bet your bullocks Marcus had on on his person, too. Everyone was using fountain pens, since ballpoints didn't come into fashion until well after the war.

bink

Prof. Ed · Post by **Prof. Ed** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 9:18 am

Hi all,

I own a few good fountain pens. I make sure and clean them every 90 days and try my best not to let others write with them.
Over time a nib will form to your hand. It becomes personal. I find my writing improves tremendouly when using a fountain pen. The act is much more deliberate. They do not work well when I teach. Things happen too fast. A ballpoint or rollerball for that.
IMO fountain pens are wonderful to use at home to journal or write when you have a desk or table. They are not practical when traveling by plane. Pressure changes cause problems.
Good pens have always been expensive. Why? I'm not really sure. The craftsmanship, gold nib?
To experience real writing, one should obtain a fountain pen. Possibly with a gold nib. Sit down with some high quality paper and have at it.
Southpaws must use extra caution or your hand will be stained by thee ink. I know; I'm a lefty

Montblanc and Parker are my favorite brands. My all time favorite pen is the Parker 51. I have a working model from 1946. A new model of the pen is now available at $350

I would love to own one. It has an EF nib which I find scratchy. The MB149 with a medium nib is a great pen. Not cheap, but will last forever

Best regards,

Prof. Ed

binkmeisterRick · Post by **binkmeisterRick** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 9:39 am

You're right, Prof., the pen will conform to your writing style. When I got my refurbished Parker back from the shop, the one owner said, "Here, let me make sure this writes perfectly for you." Before being allowed to leave with the pen, he made sure the nib was tweaked perfectly for me. Yes, I'm a lefty, too, and so is the co-owner! He used a fine type of sandpaper to make sure the edge of the nib was shaped perfectly to my writing style and that the ink flowed smoothly. We probably spent a good 15-20 minutes perfecting the nib. Now THAT'S service! And I don't let anyone else use this pen.

Travelling with pens on planes can pose problems with fountain pens since the air pressure affects how the ink moves inside the ink sac (or cartridge in newer pens). I've heard the trick is to make sure your pen is completly empty or completly full so no air bubbles in the ink supply can case ink to blot out of the nib.

The Parker 51 is a pen with a big following. Though I prefer the likes of earlier Parkers, Wahl-Eversharps, and even Esterbrooks, the Parker 51 revolutionized the pen industry at the time.