I'm so happy you're posting with regularity again! Love watching your videos with my wife. We were extremely excited to learn you also play DnD. Would love more content about that and how you integrate your pens into the tabletop hobby. Keep it up!
For me, it's: 1. Monteverde Ritma. I absolutely love the way those pens look (especially the purple) but I couldn't stand almost anything else about them in execution. The section is super short, slippery, and not contoured at all, which was a horrible writing experience for me. The black coated nibs seem to write a lot drier than the non-coated ones. The magnet in the cap was so strong, that sometimes pulling it off would make ink fly everywhere. It was heavy, but also not well balanced. And I bought it for an EDC pen, but couldn't use it for that because the barrel kept unscrewing itself from the section. It was also a fingerprint magnet, though that alone wouldn't have been a deal-breaker for me. Gosh, I wanted to love that pen so much, and instead, I hated it so much. 2. Lamy Safari (also Al-star, Vista, Kakuno, Perkeo, etc.) I have a slightly weird grip and I just find those triangular grip sections super uncomfortable. I haven't bought most of those models after realizing the Safari doesn't work for me. I did buy a Kakuno and confirm it wasn't for me, either, but only because it was part of a lot with several pens I actually knew I wanted. So I'd always intended to sell the Kakuno in the first place. The Eco-T grip isn't triangular enough to bother me much, though. I also really don't like how part of the converter is exposed on the cheaper Lamy's, how quickly they dry out/evaporate ink, or how the clips look. 3. Diplomat Magnum. I really like the nib on that pen, and I especially love the Prismatic Purple/John Doe (depending on where people live) colorway. And it has a triangular grip section, but it's narrow enough that that doesn't bother me. However, the narrowness of the section itself really does bother me. It's just way too small for comfort for me, and I also don't like how quickly ink dries out in them. 4. TWSBI Swipe. Unlike you, I love TWSBI pens. They're my favorite brand. But I've bought something like four Swipes and gave two away, but sold two. I kept trying to like that pen, but I don't, and now I'm just done. The grip section is too narrow for me, they dry out way faster than other TWSBI models, the clip is ugly (imo) and useless, and I don't love the asymmetry between the shapes of the cap and the barrel. 5. Kaweco Bronze Sport. I love my Brass Sport, I like Bronze better than brass, and I liked the brushed finish, so I thought it would be great. But it was just too heavy for me to write with comfortably. I could only use it for a few sentences at a time, and my hand and wrist always hurt afterwards (though I have chronic health issues, so that probably isn't a universal experience). It also didn't patina as quickly or well as my brass and copper pens. And unfortunately, it was just too expensive of a pen for me to keep for something I didn't love and write with regularly. Honorable mentions: 1. Kaweco Art Sport. They're beautiful pens, I like the integrated clip, and I love my metal Kawecos. But they seem just a little shorter than the metal sports, which was just a tad too short for me. And the grip section felt a little shorter and narrower. And while I normally like light pens, it felt a little too light for it's size. And the cap seal wasn't as good as on the metal Kawecos. Ultimately, I sold mine, and probably won't buy another, though I'm always tempted because of how beautiful they are. 2. Kaweco Copper Liliput. I love copper and copper pens, but the section is too narrow for me, and I don't like cartridge only pens. 3. Benu Minima. I have the Cult Pens exclusive Samhain Minima, and I love it -- it's stunningly gorgeous, and I would absolutely buy *that particular* Minima again. But I wouldn't buy it in another colorway or with different painted art. Again, I don't like cartridge only pens, it's not really supposed to be posted, and it's just a little too small and narrow for me, especially in the grip section.
Might want to try the Invincia it has a #6 nib, and your Ritma has #5, I have a Jinhao 92, they are the same build, metal grip # 5 nib, there is not enough reach from pen to paper and you can't get that 45 degree angle that is meant for most pens. The black nib does have slippery slopes to them, take some Micro Mesh to them, gets a little bit of the coating off see if that helps you.
In regards to your honorable mentions 2 and 3 (or at least the liliput) kaweco has recently put out a new converter with a foldable piston so it fits in pens like the liliput whilst stil containing an acceptable amount of ink.
I also found the Kaweco Bronze Sport to be too heavy. My hand tired quickly, and I don’t have hand issues. I re-homed it. It’s the most I’ve ever spent on a pen. I am happy with the plastic Kaweco Sports, the aluminum Sports, and the Art Sport. I really like every TWSBI I own: ECO, ECO-T, Diamond 580 ALR, MINI, Vac 700R, Vac mini. They all write beautifully and are easy to clean. The Ferris Wheel Press Carousel Aluminum fountain pen is very pretty, but has, for me, a very uncomfortable grip - to be re-homed. The Benu Briolette Storm & Scepter II are gorgeous, write well, are comfortable in my hand, and just plain fun to use. Avoid lubricated inks, however - ink just pours onto the paper; Pilot Iroshizuku Ajisai,Pelikan Sapphire (long international cartridge) perform very well, as does Lamy Green (beautiful, well-behaved, and underrated, IMO). I have two Opus 88 Koloros and really like them. I had to re-home a beautiful Opus 88 Jazz because the section was too “girthy” for my skinny fingers hand caused my hand to tire quickly. The Benus are the priciest pens I own. I’m just not inclined to spend more for the blands many love and praise. It’s a personal thing. We each have our reasons for what we purchase. I’m content with what I have, but enjoy learning from the rest of you. If I change my mind and decide to spring for a more expensive pen, I know where to come for good advice.
Have a Aurora Ipsilon Deluxe (first fountain pen I bought) I like it, has an italic nib, the only thing I don't like, is that it's a cursive not a crisp italic (a small problem but that's it).
Nice work Kelly.. btw.. I have a Bexley Gaston.. but it is a 149 homage, And it was an impulse buy. 8 or so years ago.. truly, I could easily ditch 30 or so of my pens that I bought early on.. Bexley was an Ohio based, Edison like fountain pen maker.. it was a lovely company and made some beautiful pens. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the video! I won't buy again the Monteverde Monza. It's not terrible but I need to press. Also I'm testing the 9019 Jin hao (the massive one) because I wanted to try a big pen and... it's really too big for me, it gives me cramps when I use it after some time 🤣 the good thing is that now I know and at the end of the day, that was exactly the point. My hands are so small I can use the kaweco sport without posting them, so that helped me to avoid fake fomo over bigger pens at a rationale price. I still find it beautiful and funny though.
I have been fortunate to travel ti try a few pens before having to buy, and I know 5 that I wont buy again / wont ever buy! #1 Lamy 2000 - the nib didnt feel well at the angle I write, and the body had a strange texture in my hand #2 - Lamy Alstar/Safari, the grip section shape kills me #3 - Sailor King of Pens/ Pelikan M1000/ any larger oversized pen - my hand is too small to not cramp with these :( #4 - Platinum 3776, this one broke my heart but the nib writes better at a lower angle than I actually write. Id need to get a grind if I ever got another
My first Narwhal is an original plus, and I'm not sure if they just suck or if my expectations were too high because I love how easy to maintain my twsbi vac is in comparison.. mine had issues, and dealing with their customer service has me wanting to never own another Narwhal again even though so many people love theirs. Mine still isn't quite right, and it stains, which in a demonstrator is not ideal! So it might take me some time before I decide to risk money on them again. Lol
I don't have one, but they make me leary, they come out with too many pens. Does anyone know about their quality control? I don't think I will ever own one.
I love Nahvalur pens, but for a very specific reason: they do cheap, piston fillers. I take the nibs out and replace them with Zebra G titanium flex nibs. Those nibs are really meant for dip pens, but they work well in the Nahvalur feed and housing, and it's really convenient to be able to prime the feed when doing flex writing.
I’ve watched your videos here and there over the years, usually for pen reviews when I’m considering a new one. Finally subscribed 😅 (didn’t realize I hadn’t done so already). I also noticed the wheel of time series in hardcovers on the shelf, have to say that’s a goal of mine as well
I finished the series this year and it is so worth it! There is definitely the slump in the middle that’s well known but I would say that the series being as popular as it is, is well warranted!
@ I remember waiting for the last 4 books to release, and getting them on release from Borders, the full-size, hardcover collection with original artwork (they changed it at some point and I don’t care for the new version) would be fantastic. I’ve already re-read the series 5-6 times 😅
I've never had a problem with any of my TWSBI pens. Lamy Safari/Al Star writes great with a gold nib in it. Two brands that I'll give a wide berth to and probably never buy again, are Noodlers and Kaweco.
Kaweco Sport - so many people rave abouth them, but they're too dry & the nib pops out when you try to pop in a cartridge which i just don't understand.
Unpopular opinion here, but Pilot Kakuno. I'm just not a fan of the needle nib, tiny converter size, clear plastic seemed cool at the time, but with the converter being so tiny, you see nothing but the converter and ball bearings instead of ink. Cap has no clip. I expected them to feel so good based on what people recommended, but I just never got into Japanese pens after that when Faber-Castell and Lamy wowed me a lot more with their basic steel nibs. I've not even thought once to get either a "better" Pilot, a Sailor, after the whole nib discrepancy. I do however enjoy the Iroshizuku inks.
I won’t buy faceted pens or triangular grips, I have an odd grip and and the corners hurt my hands. I have two AL-Stars that I bought because I liked the colors, but I rarely use them. I do love the Lamy gold z nibs, and use them in Jinhao and Chren clones with round barrels, which cracks people up when they see a sub $3 USD pen with a gold nib. I won’t buy vacuum fillers, it’s too much ink and I am no longer a student, so I don’t have a need for so much ink. I’m the one person who likes the Kaweco mini squeeze converter (but not the Sport!) because it allows me to use the color I want and quickly change it when done.
I don't find Twisbi pens to be particularly dry : they have pretty regular, or even rather well tuned, Jowo nibs. Pens that I will never buy again, in no particular order (since I won't buy them ever again) : Lamy Safari / Al-Star (dry and scratchy, however I love all my Lamy gold nib pens), Faber-Castell Loom (the converter fit is loose and the nib is as hard as a nail), Scribo Feel (the piston mechanism was broken after a few uses, and the nib is nothing to write home about), Navahlur Nautilus (no particular downside but the most boring pen in my collection).
I won’t buy another Aurora either for similar reasons. Stipula pens are so pretty but never again for me…ever. Bexley was bought out by someone we all know but I cannot recall.
I’m really curious to know about your sour experiences with Aurora and Stipula. Because those two are among my top 5 favorite brands (Sailor, Taccia and Montegrappa are the others). Aurora and Stipula combined, dominate my current collection of pens: 32/56 pens between them. Stipula pens, I know, are notorious for their quirks, and very hit & miss nature. Aurora, while considered the most reliable among the Italian brands, are not without QC issues of their own.
@ It is about nibs. I think Aurora is well made for the most part, but like Cary the nib was so dry and stiff. Stipula is a bigger problem. I have purchased two.. One I returned due to the nib. The second one had a bad nib also. I sent it to a noted nibmeister. He did his best but the pen is still not right. The nibmeister said the tipping was uneven. One tine had too much tipping. then the clip was loose. I kept the pen bc I loved its aesthetics. I thought I might be able to get a new nib one day. Being slow to give up, I finally caved and said no more.
I've only gone hard at the fountain pen hobby for a year (though I dabbled lightly for quite a few before that), so I don't have a ton of regrets. To date, I can only really list two: 1) Ellington Pens Stealth. I'm sure everyone has seen the ads for these pop up somewhere. While I'm appreciative that it did kind of rekindle my interest in pens, I'm not a big fan of this pen. There were two big downsides for me. The first was that using the pen posted is...awkward at best. The big, octagonal decoration on the cap looks cool, but man, it is heavy and it throws off the balance of the pen when posted something fierce. Generally speaking, I tend to favor pens that post quite a bit. I need a pretty good reason to use a pen that doesn't post. The Stealth might fall into that category except for its fatal flaw. The cap is, by far, the worst sealing of any pen I own. I had to write with it daily (or even better, multiple times a day) to avoid it clogging up something fierce. The ink that it comes with is also pretty awful (feathers like mad and is a pain to clean out). All in all, while it looked cool and wrote better than I thought it would, it's been cleaned out and sitting forlornly in a little used pen case just because it and I didn't bond for the reasons above. 2) Monteverde Ritma. Man, I wanted to love this pen. It looks cool and the magnetic cap is pretty nifty. But dang, is it a piece of work. It's nearly impossible to hold. It's heavy. That in and of itself isn't a terrible thing; I have other heavy pens that I do like. But it is balanced so poorly and it has that polished, fat, cylindrical grip that just does not feel good in the hand at all. My handwriting suffers more with this pen than with any in my collection because it's just not a writing tool. While I do occasionally ink this one up (I have Diamine Tchaikovsky in there currently), I don't relish my time with it. Resale is practically nothing for it and I don't dislike anyone in the pen community enough to pass on this piece of work to them, so I just kind of suffer through it every few months. It's probably going to get parked next to the Ellington in that forgotten pen case before too long.
Cahill, made it to the end. Navahlur year of dragon limited ed. 14k m nib. The nib is just not right. It is smooth but does not lay down ink. i love robert jordan as an author. Further love brandon sanderson. Currently on audio books and wrapping up a previous w.o.t. before i listen in on the next stormlight.
Great video! I really don't care for my Esterbrook Estie. Don't like the nib. Got a replacement and also don't like that one. Although it's much better than the first one. And it's weird, because I have tried another Estie in a store and that one was great.
I didn't like my Estie at first either. I got a loupe and adjusted the nib which made the writing experience night and day. Now I have Diamine Golden Sands in mine and writes like a dream.
I have a vintage Waterman gold nib, that I just cannot get to love; it’s waay to wet for comfort. Lamy and Twsbi never appealed to me. However I just acquired a vintage Omas Extra 556/S Brevetto that I fell in love with at first writing. I have yet to discover a Pilot I don’t like. I’m refraining from starting to buy Sailors or Platinums, cause I figured that I can invest money in something else
Jinhao 9019, Lamy Safari or LX (grip section is not for me), Opus 88 mini (great nib and writer, but size is not for me), and Kaweco. The Kaweco is probably my biggest disappointment of the year. Maybe I need to try more inks or a different nib. Idk.
I realized I'm not a fan of Lamy pens and specifically their nibs. The nibs are just too stiff. I bought a Lamy Studio and found the nib too hard and un-flexible. I also bought a Lamy 2000 that ended up leaking at the section. It was from a reputable online dealer who accepted the return. Overall, I'm not too thrilled with Lamy.
I didn't have to go through the suck to find the gold, thanks to you dragging me kicking and screaming down the newbie-to-5-benu pipeline in a month. UA-cam radicalized me
For me, I have one LAMY Safari AL and I won’t buy another. The tri-pod grip section didn’t work for my style of writing. That pen currently sits on our family planner in the living room and everyone uses it…. That is not the case with the rest of my collection 😂
My #1 never buy again fountain pen is the Lamy Safari, but probably for another reason than you might think. The Lamy Safari was my first fountain pen ever. I was six years old when I got it and I would (have to) use it on a daily basis for 9 years. The grip section wasn’t good for me, I got a painful callus on my finger and to this day I hate even the sight of this pen… 😅 If only I would have known that there are more fountain pens out there than just Lamy Safari.. #2 is also a crescent filler but from Conklin. To this day it‘s the most expensive pen that I bought (so far) and I loved the look and hated writing with it. But it was in my very early fountain pen days and I was so ashamed of spending so much money that I hid it away and literally haven’t looked at it for two years. Maybe now I will actually like it? But you are right: the filling system is really horrible…! #3 is a simple, very bland Benu… Because now I adore Benu pens (right now my absolute favorite pen is the Benu Astrogem Midas…! Sooo perfect!) but I got rid of this boring, black bland one… If Benu, then please with sparkles and colors!!
I don't have a top (or bottom) 5 right now, but the Sailor Compass was without a doubt the worst nib I have ever dealt with. Could not get it to write no matter how I tried to fix that nib.
@@Green.Candies You should thank heavens and your lucky stars for that. 😀 Conklin pens (the modern ones) have for years been notorious for the infuriatingly misfiring , dud nibs, out of the box. And the Omniflex nib has no great reputation either. Ditto Monteverde. I’m sure it’s one reason why these pens are frequently seen on sale at deep discounts at retailers’ sites, through the year. I honestly think they should give away these pens to people for free. Vintage Conklin pens are the real deal. I own two. The only modern Conklin I own today is the Word Gauge (made in Italy by Stipula). Alas, even that one needed one nib change. Luckily, the new nib (a steel broad) writes very well. I’ll keep the pen. The Duragraph is a very nice looking pen. A vintage-y vibe to it, too.
@ Haha, who’s stalking who, Tracie? 😋..You’re the one who always finds me somewhere in the comment section first. And say hello like the friendly cat you are. Cool to find you here, too. I’m alright. Working too much. But it’s rewarding. Never buying Chinese pens anymore. But flying to China tomorrow. 🙂
@@sajjadhusain4146 It's fun isn't it? Since you don't like Chinese pens, buy me some, but be sure and put your London Fog cape on and Fedora before you do. LOL!!! Don't work too hard. until we stalk each other again... Sajjad. Take Care!
I'm so happy you're posting with regularity again! Love watching your videos with my wife. We were extremely excited to learn you also play DnD. Would love more content about that and how you integrate your pens into the tabletop hobby. Keep it up!
For me, it's:
1. Monteverde Ritma. I absolutely love the way those pens look (especially the purple) but I couldn't stand almost anything else about them in execution. The section is super short, slippery, and not contoured at all, which was a horrible writing experience for me. The black coated nibs seem to write a lot drier than the non-coated ones. The magnet in the cap was so strong, that sometimes pulling it off would make ink fly everywhere. It was heavy, but also not well balanced. And I bought it for an EDC pen, but couldn't use it for that because the barrel kept unscrewing itself from the section. It was also a fingerprint magnet, though that alone wouldn't have been a deal-breaker for me. Gosh, I wanted to love that pen so much, and instead, I hated it so much.
2. Lamy Safari (also Al-star, Vista, Kakuno, Perkeo, etc.) I have a slightly weird grip and I just find those triangular grip sections super uncomfortable. I haven't bought most of those models after realizing the Safari doesn't work for me. I did buy a Kakuno and confirm it wasn't for me, either, but only because it was part of a lot with several pens I actually knew I wanted. So I'd always intended to sell the Kakuno in the first place. The Eco-T grip isn't triangular enough to bother me much, though. I also really don't like how part of the converter is exposed on the cheaper Lamy's, how quickly they dry out/evaporate ink, or how the clips look.
3. Diplomat Magnum. I really like the nib on that pen, and I especially love the Prismatic Purple/John Doe (depending on where people live) colorway. And it has a triangular grip section, but it's narrow enough that that doesn't bother me. However, the narrowness of the section itself really does bother me. It's just way too small for comfort for me, and I also don't like how quickly ink dries out in them.
4. TWSBI Swipe. Unlike you, I love TWSBI pens. They're my favorite brand. But I've bought something like four Swipes and gave two away, but sold two. I kept trying to like that pen, but I don't, and now I'm just done. The grip section is too narrow for me, they dry out way faster than other TWSBI models, the clip is ugly (imo) and useless, and I don't love the asymmetry between the shapes of the cap and the barrel.
5. Kaweco Bronze Sport. I love my Brass Sport, I like Bronze better than brass, and I liked the brushed finish, so I thought it would be great. But it was just too heavy for me to write with comfortably. I could only use it for a few sentences at a time, and my hand and wrist always hurt afterwards (though I have chronic health issues, so that probably isn't a universal experience). It also didn't patina as quickly or well as my brass and copper pens. And unfortunately, it was just too expensive of a pen for me to keep for something I didn't love and write with regularly.
Honorable mentions:
1. Kaweco Art Sport. They're beautiful pens, I like the integrated clip, and I love my metal Kawecos. But they seem just a little shorter than the metal sports, which was just a tad too short for me. And the grip section felt a little shorter and narrower. And while I normally like light pens, it felt a little too light for it's size. And the cap seal wasn't as good as on the metal Kawecos. Ultimately, I sold mine, and probably won't buy another, though I'm always tempted because of how beautiful they are.
2. Kaweco Copper Liliput. I love copper and copper pens, but the section is too narrow for me, and I don't like cartridge only pens.
3. Benu Minima. I have the Cult Pens exclusive Samhain Minima, and I love it -- it's stunningly gorgeous, and I would absolutely buy *that particular* Minima again. But I wouldn't buy it in another colorway or with different painted art. Again, I don't like cartridge only pens, it's not really supposed to be posted, and it's just a little too small and narrow for me, especially in the grip section.
Might want to try the Invincia it has a #6 nib, and your Ritma has #5, I have a Jinhao 92, they are the same build, metal grip # 5 nib, there is not enough reach from pen to paper and you can't get that 45 degree angle that is meant for most pens. The black nib does have slippery slopes to them, take some Micro Mesh to them, gets a little bit of the coating off see if that helps you.
In regards to your honorable mentions 2 and 3 (or at least the liliput) kaweco has recently put out a new converter with a foldable piston so it fits in pens like the liliput whilst stil containing an acceptable amount of ink.
I also found the Kaweco Bronze Sport to be too heavy. My hand tired quickly, and I don’t have hand issues. I re-homed it. It’s the most I’ve ever spent on a pen. I am happy with the plastic Kaweco Sports, the aluminum Sports, and the Art Sport.
I really like every TWSBI I own: ECO, ECO-T, Diamond 580 ALR, MINI, Vac 700R, Vac mini. They all write beautifully and are easy to clean.
The Ferris Wheel Press Carousel Aluminum fountain pen is very pretty, but has, for me, a very uncomfortable grip - to be re-homed.
The Benu Briolette Storm & Scepter II are gorgeous, write well, are comfortable in my hand, and just plain fun to use. Avoid lubricated inks, however - ink just pours onto the paper; Pilot Iroshizuku Ajisai,Pelikan Sapphire (long international cartridge) perform very well, as does Lamy Green (beautiful, well-behaved, and underrated, IMO).
I have two Opus 88 Koloros and really like them. I had to re-home a beautiful Opus 88 Jazz because the section was too “girthy” for my skinny fingers hand caused my hand to tire quickly.
The Benus are the priciest pens I own. I’m just not inclined to spend more for the blands many love and praise. It’s a personal thing. We each have our reasons for what we purchase. I’m content with what I have, but enjoy learning from the rest of you. If I change my mind and decide to spring for a more expensive pen, I know where to come for good advice.
Loving the regular uploads Carrie 😊
I’m loving all these recent videos!
The great thing about our hobby is that there are many opinions on pens and they are all correct. I love the Ipsilon. Love your content
Have a Aurora Ipsilon Deluxe (first fountain pen I bought) I like it, has an italic nib, the only thing I don't like, is that it's a cursive not a crisp italic (a small problem but that's it).
Nice work Kelly.. btw.. I have a Bexley Gaston.. but it is a 149 homage, And it was an impulse buy. 8 or so years ago.. truly, I could easily ditch 30 or so of my pens that I bought early on.. Bexley was an Ohio based, Edison like fountain pen maker.. it was a lovely company and made some beautiful pens. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the video! I won't buy again the Monteverde Monza. It's not terrible but I need to press. Also I'm testing the 9019 Jin hao (the massive one) because I wanted to try a big pen and... it's really too big for me, it gives me cramps when I use it after some time 🤣 the good thing is that now I know and at the end of the day, that was exactly the point. My hands are so small I can use the kaweco sport without posting them, so that helped me to avoid fake fomo over bigger pens at a rationale price. I still find it beautiful and funny though.
I turned my 9019 into a Christmas tree ornament!😊
I have been fortunate to travel ti try a few pens before having to buy, and I know 5 that I wont buy again / wont ever buy!
#1 Lamy 2000 - the nib didnt feel well at the angle I write, and the body had a strange texture in my hand
#2 - Lamy Alstar/Safari, the grip section shape kills me
#3 - Sailor King of Pens/ Pelikan M1000/ any larger oversized pen - my hand is too small to not cramp with these :(
#4 - Platinum 3776, this one broke my heart but the nib writes better at a lower angle than I actually write. Id need to get a grind if I ever got another
My first Narwhal is an original plus, and I'm not sure if they just suck or if my expectations were too high because I love how easy to maintain my twsbi vac is in comparison.. mine had issues, and dealing with their customer service has me wanting to never own another Narwhal again even though so many people love theirs. Mine still isn't quite right, and it stains, which in a demonstrator is not ideal! So it might take me some time before I decide to risk money on them again. Lol
I don't have one, but they make me leary, they come out with too many pens. Does anyone know about their quality control? I don't think I will ever own one.
exact same experience for me as well, not to mention their hard like a rock nib that is not enjoyable.
@@FarzBol Thanks I just crossed it off my list.
I love Nahvalur pens, but for a very specific reason: they do cheap, piston fillers. I take the nibs out and replace them with Zebra G titanium flex nibs. Those nibs are really meant for dip pens, but they work well in the Nahvalur feed and housing, and it's really convenient to be able to prime the feed when doing flex writing.
I’ve watched your videos here and there over the years, usually for pen reviews when I’m considering a new one. Finally subscribed 😅 (didn’t realize I hadn’t done so already).
I also noticed the wheel of time series in hardcovers on the shelf, have to say that’s a goal of mine as well
I finished the series this year and it is so worth it! There is definitely the slump in the middle that’s well known but I would say that the series being as popular as it is, is well warranted!
@ I remember waiting for the last 4 books to release, and getting them on release from Borders, the full-size, hardcover collection with original artwork (they changed it at some point and I don’t care for the new version) would be fantastic.
I’ve already re-read the series 5-6 times 😅
I’m enjoying your videos.
I've never had a problem with any of my TWSBI pens. Lamy Safari/Al Star writes great with a gold nib in it. Two brands that I'll give a wide berth to and probably never buy again, are Noodlers and Kaweco.
Kaweco Sport - so many people rave abouth them, but they're too dry & the nib pops out when you try to pop in a cartridge which i just don't understand.
yeah mine dries out in-between every single use!
I have a Bexley 701 c/c fill and really like it. It's a M point Schmidt nib. And the acrylic is really pretty.
Unpopular opinion here, but Pilot Kakuno. I'm just not a fan of the needle nib, tiny converter size, clear plastic seemed cool at the time, but with the converter being so tiny, you see nothing but the converter and ball bearings instead of ink. Cap has no clip. I expected them to feel so good based on what people recommended, but I just never got into Japanese pens after that when Faber-Castell and Lamy wowed me a lot more with their basic steel nibs. I've not even thought once to get either a "better" Pilot, a Sailor, after the whole nib discrepancy. I do however enjoy the Iroshizuku inks.
Interesting stuff, thanks.
I won’t buy faceted pens or triangular grips, I have an odd grip and and the corners hurt my hands. I have two AL-Stars that I bought because I liked the colors, but I rarely use them. I do love the Lamy gold z nibs, and use them in Jinhao and Chren clones with round barrels, which cracks people up when they see a sub $3 USD pen with a gold nib. I won’t buy vacuum fillers, it’s too much ink and I am no longer a student, so I don’t have a need for so much ink. I’m the one person who likes the Kaweco mini squeeze converter (but not the Sport!) because it allows me to use the color I want and quickly change it when done.
I don't find Twisbi pens to be particularly dry : they have pretty regular, or even rather well tuned, Jowo nibs. Pens that I will never buy again, in no particular order (since I won't buy them ever again) : Lamy Safari / Al-Star (dry and scratchy, however I love all my Lamy gold nib pens), Faber-Castell Loom (the converter fit is loose and the nib is as hard as a nail), Scribo Feel (the piston mechanism was broken after a few uses, and the nib is nothing to write home about), Navahlur Nautilus (no particular downside but the most boring pen in my collection).
I won’t buy another Aurora either for similar reasons. Stipula pens are so pretty but never again for me…ever. Bexley was bought out by someone we all know but I cannot recall.
I’m really curious to know about your sour experiences with Aurora and Stipula. Because those two are among my top 5 favorite brands (Sailor, Taccia and Montegrappa are the others).
Aurora and Stipula combined, dominate my current collection of pens: 32/56 pens between them.
Stipula pens, I know, are notorious for their quirks, and very hit & miss nature. Aurora, while considered the most reliable among the Italian brands, are not without QC issues of their own.
@ It is about nibs. I think Aurora is well made for the most part, but like Cary the nib was so dry and stiff. Stipula is a bigger problem. I have purchased two.. One I returned due to the nib. The second one had a bad nib also. I sent it to a noted nibmeister. He did his best but the pen is still not right. The nibmeister said the tipping was uneven. One tine had too much tipping. then the clip was loose. I kept the pen bc I loved its aesthetics. I thought I might be able to get a new nib one day. Being slow to give up, I finally caved and said no more.
I like twsbi as well, but every 580 and 700 I bought cracked within two years. I have a cup graveyard of twsbi pens. They’re great if you baby them!
I've only gone hard at the fountain pen hobby for a year (though I dabbled lightly for quite a few before that), so I don't have a ton of regrets. To date, I can only really list two:
1) Ellington Pens Stealth. I'm sure everyone has seen the ads for these pop up somewhere. While I'm appreciative that it did kind of rekindle my interest in pens, I'm not a big fan of this pen. There were two big downsides for me. The first was that using the pen posted is...awkward at best. The big, octagonal decoration on the cap looks cool, but man, it is heavy and it throws off the balance of the pen when posted something fierce. Generally speaking, I tend to favor pens that post quite a bit. I need a pretty good reason to use a pen that doesn't post. The Stealth might fall into that category except for its fatal flaw. The cap is, by far, the worst sealing of any pen I own. I had to write with it daily (or even better, multiple times a day) to avoid it clogging up something fierce. The ink that it comes with is also pretty awful (feathers like mad and is a pain to clean out). All in all, while it looked cool and wrote better than I thought it would, it's been cleaned out and sitting forlornly in a little used pen case just because it and I didn't bond for the reasons above.
2) Monteverde Ritma. Man, I wanted to love this pen. It looks cool and the magnetic cap is pretty nifty. But dang, is it a piece of work. It's nearly impossible to hold. It's heavy. That in and of itself isn't a terrible thing; I have other heavy pens that I do like. But it is balanced so poorly and it has that polished, fat, cylindrical grip that just does not feel good in the hand at all. My handwriting suffers more with this pen than with any in my collection because it's just not a writing tool. While I do occasionally ink this one up (I have Diamine Tchaikovsky in there currently), I don't relish my time with it. Resale is practically nothing for it and I don't dislike anyone in the pen community enough to pass on this piece of work to them, so I just kind of suffer through it every few months. It's probably going to get parked next to the Ellington in that forgotten pen case before too long.
thanks for sharing.
Cahill, made it to the end. Navahlur year of dragon limited ed. 14k m nib. The nib is just not right. It is smooth but does not lay down ink. i love robert jordan as an author. Further love brandon sanderson. Currently on audio books and wrapping up a previous w.o.t. before i listen in on the next stormlight.
Great video!
I really don't care for my Esterbrook Estie. Don't like the nib. Got a replacement and also don't like that one. Although it's much better than the first one.
And it's weird, because I have tried another Estie in a store and that one was great.
I didn't like my Estie at first either. I got a loupe and adjusted the nib which made the writing experience night and day. Now I have Diamine Golden Sands in mine and writes like a dream.
Perhaps you should have bought the one in the store, even if it seemed pricey. When you've got a good one in your hand, don't let go! Just a thought.
@@ichirofakename yes I should have. But I thought they would all be that good 😂
@@echosouthall6582 oh that's great! I should try that but am too scared 😂
@@jolienkrispijnThat seems like a reasonable assumption.
I have a vintage Waterman gold nib, that I just cannot get to love; it’s waay to wet for comfort. Lamy and Twsbi never appealed to me. However I just acquired a vintage Omas Extra 556/S Brevetto that I fell in love with at first writing. I have yet to discover a Pilot I don’t like. I’m refraining from starting to buy Sailors or Platinums, cause I figured that I can invest money in something else
Jinhao 9019, Lamy Safari or LX (grip section is not for me), Opus 88 mini (great nib and writer, but size is not for me), and Kaweco. The Kaweco is probably my biggest disappointment of the year. Maybe I need to try more inks or a different nib. Idk.
Hi. As you know, expense means nothing. I had Blue lamy 2000 and I hated it, total waste of money.👎
Have to say I don’t really like the sub $200 2000. Don’t see how a change of color and an additional $200 is going to change that.
I realized I'm not a fan of Lamy pens and specifically their nibs. The nibs are just too stiff. I bought a Lamy Studio and found the nib too hard and un-flexible. I also bought a Lamy 2000 that ended up leaking at the section. It was from a reputable online dealer who accepted the return. Overall, I'm not too thrilled with Lamy.
I didn't have to go through the suck to find the gold, thanks to you dragging me kicking and screaming down the newbie-to-5-benu pipeline in a month. UA-cam radicalized me
For me, I have one LAMY Safari AL and I won’t buy another. The tri-pod grip section didn’t work for my style of writing. That pen currently sits on our family planner in the living room and everyone uses it…. That is not the case with the rest of my collection 😂
My #1 never buy again fountain pen is the Lamy Safari, but probably for another reason than you might think. The Lamy Safari was my first fountain pen ever. I was six years old when I got it and I would (have to) use it on a daily basis for 9 years. The grip section wasn’t good for me, I got a painful callus on my finger and to this day I hate even the sight of this pen… 😅 If only I would have known that there are more fountain pens out there than just Lamy Safari..
#2 is also a crescent filler but from Conklin. To this day it‘s the most expensive pen that I bought (so far) and I loved the look and hated writing with it. But it was in my very early fountain pen days and I was so ashamed of spending so much money that I hid it away and literally haven’t looked at it for two years. Maybe now I will actually like it? But you are right: the filling system is really horrible…!
#3 is a simple, very bland Benu… Because now I adore Benu pens (right now my absolute favorite pen is the Benu Astrogem Midas…! Sooo perfect!) but I got rid of this boring, black bland one… If Benu, then please with sparkles and colors!!
TWSBIs falling apart is perfect in line with their reputation
I don't have a top (or bottom) 5 right now, but the Sailor Compass was without a doubt the worst nib I have ever dealt with. Could not get it to write no matter how I tried to fix that nib.
I keep saying I'll never buy another Parker, but I keep doing it 😞
Only wish you had pens to show. It's necessary to complete your experiences.
Favourite sweatshirt in the wash?
Bexley, (any)TWSBI, any Conklin, Monteverde, or Noodler’s pens. And oh, no Chinese-made pens.
Dunno if I was lucky, but I have a Conklin Duragraph with Omniflex nib and it writes great
BAH!!! No Chinese pens, you scaredy cat. How are you Sajjad, here you are stalking again...LOL!!!😀
@@Green.Candies You should thank heavens and your lucky stars for that. 😀
Conklin pens (the modern ones) have for years been notorious for the infuriatingly misfiring , dud nibs, out of the box.
And the Omniflex nib has no great reputation either.
Ditto Monteverde. I’m sure it’s one reason why these pens are frequently seen on sale at deep discounts at retailers’ sites, through the year.
I honestly think they should give away these pens to people for free.
Vintage Conklin pens are the real deal. I own two. The only modern Conklin I own today is the Word Gauge (made in Italy by Stipula). Alas, even that one needed one nib change. Luckily, the new nib (a steel broad) writes very well. I’ll keep the pen.
The Duragraph is a very nice looking pen. A vintage-y vibe to it, too.
@ Haha, who’s stalking who, Tracie? 😋..You’re the one who always finds me somewhere in the comment section first. And say hello like the friendly cat you are. Cool to find you here, too.
I’m alright. Working too much. But it’s rewarding. Never buying Chinese pens anymore. But flying to China tomorrow. 🙂
@@sajjadhusain4146 It's fun isn't it? Since you don't like Chinese pens, buy me some, but be sure and put your London Fog cape on and Fedora before you do. LOL!!!
Don't work too hard. until we stalk each other again... Sajjad. Take Care!
I have a couple of Bexley pens from the late 1990s or early 2000s. Nice resins, duofold shape.I like them
The only one I ever liked was a blue ebonite Equipoise. The designs, in general, and gosh, mainly the nibs just ruined the experience for me.
I don’t understand why it’s important to even bring up the “rainbow” thing.