I actually own a few of these pens. The Visconti Desert Springs is a gorgeous celluloid. I just bought a Leonardo Momento Zero Grande and it is a wonderful pen. Mine does not have the ink window but the Mosaico resin is outstanding. I have the Pelikan M800 in brown and have marvelled at the design, construction and performance, though the nib, while very smooth does write a bit wider than the stated width. Great list, David.
Great list as always! I would love to get a M805 in tortoise shell. I'm a fan of brown, yellow, orange and red pens! Just imagine a tangerine orange Pelikan pen!
Thanks for the kind comments about the Rockster David, I’m so pleased you like it. I’m just trying to work out if Jenny was offering barks of approval or not 😊 Cheers Ash
Same for me. I enjoy Figboot so very much. He's a wonderful person, I think, and I'd like to meet him some day. But, gosh. How much money do you guess the fountain pens he shows here cost him? My guess is in the mid- to high five figures.
Nice video! It’s kinda funny that your last two mentions are the ones I’ve been considering, although the Parker pen looked real nice as well. I loved the outtake at the end…hilarious!
I know that I don’t react to dry urushi, but wet urushiol is just so nasty to work with. I don’t think I could use an urushi pen without it bringing back bad memories. Do you know of any ceramic penmakers? While firing shrinkage could make final assembly difficult, unglazed clay is one of my all time favorite textures in hand.
Splendid pens. I am happy to have the Pelikan m805 Stresemann. What you said about m1000 nibs being way broader than they are marked was true with my m805, so I got an m800 two-toned nib for it, and am thrilled with the smoothness with variation. Translucent barrel in the right light between the stripes.
1. Thanks for showing us all these fancy pens. As they are beyond my price range, videos like this are basically my only experience of them. 2. Kilk for the win. Looking at their pens makes me want to go to Turkey.
Great selection, David. You have eclectic taste and like variety, and so do I. Kilk is new to me, and now I'm very interested in finding out more about this maker.
Though I find modern pens interesting, my preference is older pens. I think it's because I enjoy the hunt - finding a Waterman Patrician or even a humble Parker 45 Harlequin in a charity / antique / bric-a-brac shop is more of a thrill to me than walking into a pen store (or visiting a website) and having a whole array of wonderful pens to choose from. Even more fun, to me, is finding a non working pen going cheap, and keeping it until I can find another which I can cannibalise to make a whole, working pen. I wonder if I am not, in fact, a pen collector but am in fact a tinkerer, lol!
Well, there goes a New Year's Resolution (to sell pens, buy few to none) -- or at least serious homework to do on the "few" side! I've been going thru the challenging exercise of winnowing my collection (mentally) to pens I would replace should something horrible happen. On that list are my Pelikan M800 (flex cursive italic courtesy of Mike Masuyama), Pilot 823, Leonardo MZ Grande, Sailor 1911 Lg, Edison Menlo or Collier, and recently acquired Kilk Camera Laterna!! I've tried over the past year to nab a Rockster Daydreamer but as you note, you gotta move fast!
I've been living that exercise because of my age (80). It is very trying because there are so many great memories which each pen con conjure up. What forces each sale in. my own case, is the knowledge that my heirs will simply throw the pens in a waste basket rather than send them on to a new "trustee". My personal favorites which will not go, are a pair of Montblanc 149s; every time I pick one up, it's like coming home again.
@@JoelTurrell I sure hear that. I'm turning 67 soon (so hopefully have some time to still enjoy my pens) but try as I might, I've not succeeded in kindling much FP interest in my kids or extended family so I thought it best, as a gift to them, to start simplifying estate issues. Here's hoping you have yet a good number of healthy years to enjoy the hobby!
This price bracket has always dominated my own collection of pens. The $500+ range will be just as interesting to watch because I have many pens priced in that zone. This is, unsurprisingly, a very tasteful list of some choice, cool pens. After some thought, and it’s always a tough call on these lists, my own select 10 favorites in the $250-$500 range are (in random order): Aurora Talentum Aurora Hastil Sailor Pro Gear Pilot Justus 95 Platinum 3776 Century (10th Anniversary Edition) Montegrappa Montegrappa Montegrappa Brenta Stipula Etruria Classic Electra Waterman Exception Lamy 2000 (stainless steel)
Why is your Platinum 3776 anniversary edition worth more than US$100 above my not anniversary one? I am not objecting to your purchase decision whatsoever. I am asking for my own education in fountain pens.
@@user-br3sl9go3b ..I have four other 3776s. Two in the regular resin/plastic finish and the other two pricier ones in celluloid. All with different nib sizes. Now, this Anniversary 3776 pen is arguably worth the higher price (to me, anyway) for a few reasons. It is a new, more attractive design, with a seemingly superior feel to the resin finish. It has a new, prettier nib, quite distinct in design and the way it feels and writes - unlike the still excellent nibs on the older 3776s. The new nib is slightly but noticeably softer than the normally quite stiff older nibs, but not the kind of softness you will get from the SF (soft-fine) nibs of the older models. It is a delicate spring-y give to the nib that is pleasant in its own right. The new pen is also, of course, a limited edition release. There is not a semblance of any injection molding line or seam on the new pen that you would see on the older, cheaper 3776s. It is an expensive pen, of course. I thought a lot over it before deciding to buy. Not the slightest regret. Possibly my pen of the year (2022). 🙂
@@sajjadhusain4146 Any word on if this will be the new nib going forward, or was only used on this edition? I've heard Platinum is changing the nib, but can't find much, even from Platinum.
@@ironmic9244 …Great question! And I’m seeking an answer, as well. No definitive info yet on the new nib, as far as I’m presently aware of. I guess Platinum haven’t made a decision yet. Or will keep us waiting for a while yet. As much as I like and enjoy the older nibs, any official confirmation that the new nib on the new 3776 pen is going to be the default gold nib on all future 3776 pens will be news I’d welcome with open arms. Of course, more nib size options would be necessary, too. The 10th Anniversary Platinum 3776 is a swell pen. The splendid new nib is the icing on the treat.
@@sajjadhusain4146 Initially, I heard the new nib was going to be smaller, more like a 1911S or Custom 74, but the nib while more slender seems to be the same length, maybe a little longer, which I suspect is the reason for the softness. I'd like to know, so I won't be put in a situation akin to the Sailor nib changes, since I would like to get the music nib on the 3776.
I really like your list videos. It would be helpful if they were links to the pen providers especially the custom or smaller makers. I have been watching for a while and you do interesting and informative reviews. I have put some pens on my wishlist. I've just gotten back into using fountain pens ager over 30 years. It is a rabbit hole I am enjoying. Thanks for all your videos and all the beautiful pens we get to see.
The majority of the pens I shared have full reviews on my channel with more in-depth info. Many of the pens can be found at a multitude of retailers, so I tend not to single out one retailer with a product link...unless it was that retailer who provided the pen for review.
Have you ever thought about doing a compilation of practical everyday pens? I love a high quality pen but worry about carrying it in my bag all day, do you have one you prefer?
David, you have the Sailor Pro Gear as an honorable mention, but the 1911L in the Top 10. Assuming it has something to do with aesthetics, why the distinction? Is it the length or shape, or neither?
I've been lured by the blue-striped Pelikan M805 (and 800) since the very start of my fountain pen addiction. But! No way am I going to spend US$656 to, say for example, pay Pen Boutique for this writing instrument. The price is out of this world. At that price I can fly to Berlin!!
That last Pelican. Not sure between the 800 or 805. Still a grail pen for me. Will be for awhile longer. Very much enjoy hearing about these lovely pens. Thank you!
An 800 or 805 Pelikan has always attracted me. But not for the going price. As I said elsewhere, I can fly one way to Berlin for the asking price from any number of US fountain pen retailers. Seriously. I wonder what the profit margin is for it. It can't cost Pelikan more than US$50 to churn out. Can it?
@@user-br3sl9go3b Take a Pelikan, make it look almost like a Pelikan, call it Mellikan and put it on the Internet market. You'll soon see... Status symbol they say...
David, I don't mean to be intrusive but I can't help but ask you when it was you re-mortgaged your house and traded your car for a more suitable scooter...
There are complete reviews of each of these pens on my channel...this video was just an overview. Feel free to watch any of those thorough reviews for the additional information you are looking for.
I actually own a few of these pens. The Visconti Desert Springs is a gorgeous celluloid. I just bought a Leonardo Momento Zero Grande and it is a wonderful pen. Mine does not have the ink window but the Mosaico resin is outstanding. I have the Pelikan M800 in brown and have marvelled at the design, construction and performance, though the nib, while very smooth does write a bit wider than the stated width.
Great list, David.
Jenny barking at the end hahaha
She is sayin' "Wood. Wood, wood, wood!" :D
That dog is a rock star.
That dog is ... umm ... a pain in the you-know-where.
Great list as always! I would love to get a M805 in tortoise shell. I'm a fan of brown, yellow, orange and red pens! Just imagine a tangerine orange Pelikan pen!
The Parker Duofold was a surprise, one of my favorite pens. Thanks for the 10 pen immersion. Have a good 2023.
Thanks for the kind comments about the Rockster David, I’m so pleased you like it.
I’m just trying to work out if Jenny was offering barks of approval or not 😊
Cheers
Ash
No...that was the "neighbor had the nerve to go out to their car" bark. 🤣
This is well out of the price range I'd consider for now, but I always enjoy hearing you talk about them.
Same for me. I enjoy Figboot so very much. He's a wonderful person, I think, and I'd like to meet him some day. But, gosh. How much money do you guess the fountain pens he shows here cost him? My guess is in the mid- to high five figures.
Nice video! It’s kinda funny that your last two mentions are the ones I’ve been considering, although the Parker pen looked real nice as well.
I loved the outtake at the end…hilarious!
the new Rockster looks gorgeous. Looking forward to the full review. And, Happy New Year everyone!!
Jenny is doing her job😂….good list
Lovely list, am genuinely enjoying this series of videos. Thank you.
Nice list 👍 I concur with the M805 on top.
I have been on the fence about the Duofold; would be great to see a comparison with the Pelikan 😉
OMG Yoshi's pen the Night Sky Sakura is so beautiful. Where do I go find him!? Thanks for sharing your list!
Love the end commentary by the fur/four/legged family member… priceless….
I love your reviews very much, David. Have a feliz año!
Grettings from Spain 🇪🇦
Nice list, David. I’ve got a few pens on my wish list, including the Kilk Celestial and the Pelikan M805.
Love that ending 😆😆
David, you are a dangerous man😂. I am now tempted to go on a pen buying spree!
Always dangerous to watch your videos. My wishlist continues to grow! Pen 18111 Sakura pens are dreamworthy! Thanks A Lot!!
I know that I don’t react to dry urushi, but wet urushiol is just so nasty to work with. I don’t think I could use an urushi pen without it bringing back bad memories.
Do you know of any ceramic penmakers? While firing shrinkage could make final assembly difficult, unglazed clay is one of my all time favorite textures in hand.
Splendid pens. I am happy to have the Pelikan m805 Stresemann. What you said about m1000 nibs being way broader than they are marked was true with my m805, so I got an m800 two-toned nib for it, and am thrilled with the smoothness with variation. Translucent barrel in the right light between the stripes.
1. Thanks for showing us all these fancy pens. As they are beyond my price range, videos like this are basically my only experience of them.
2. Kilk for the win. Looking at their pens makes me want to go to Turkey.
Save the +$300 (!!) by not purchasing the Kilk pen and you can travel roundtrip to Turkey for a 25% discount (from any East Coast airport)!
Do go there! You will not be disappointed. Fly over sooner than later. IMO
Great list. I'm glad to see the 823 so high up. It was my grail pen and I recently bought one with a broad nib and it's wonderful.
Great selection, David. You have eclectic taste and like variety, and so do I. Kilk is new to me, and now I'm very interested in finding out more about this maker.
Though I find modern pens interesting, my preference is older pens. I think it's because I enjoy the hunt - finding a Waterman Patrician or even a humble Parker 45 Harlequin in a charity / antique / bric-a-brac shop is more of a thrill to me than walking into a pen store (or visiting a website) and having a whole array of wonderful pens to choose from. Even more fun, to me, is finding a non working pen going cheap, and keeping it until I can find another which I can cannibalise to make a whole, working pen. I wonder if I am not, in fact, a pen collector but am in fact a tinkerer, lol!
Well, there goes a New Year's Resolution (to sell pens, buy few to none) -- or at least serious homework to do on the "few" side! I've been going thru the challenging exercise of winnowing my collection (mentally) to pens I would replace should something horrible happen. On that list are my Pelikan M800 (flex cursive italic courtesy of Mike Masuyama), Pilot 823, Leonardo MZ Grande, Sailor 1911 Lg, Edison Menlo or Collier, and recently acquired Kilk Camera Laterna!! I've tried over the past year to nab a Rockster Daydreamer but as you note, you gotta move fast!
I've been living that exercise because of my age (80). It is very trying because there are so many great memories which each pen con conjure up. What forces each sale in. my own case, is the knowledge that my heirs will simply throw the pens in a waste basket rather than send them on to a new "trustee". My personal favorites which will not go, are a pair of Montblanc 149s; every time I pick one up, it's like coming home again.
@@JoelTurrell I sure hear that. I'm turning 67 soon (so hopefully have some time to still enjoy my pens) but try as I might, I've not succeeded in kindling much FP interest in my kids or extended family so I thought it best, as a gift to them, to start simplifying estate issues. Here's hoping you have yet a good number of healthy years to enjoy the hobby!
Sounds like Jenny likes the purple dye stabilized pen too! 🐶🐶🐶
This price bracket has always dominated my own collection of pens. The $500+ range will be just as interesting to watch because I have many pens priced in that zone.
This is, unsurprisingly, a very tasteful list of some choice, cool pens.
After some thought, and it’s always a tough call on these lists, my own select 10 favorites in the $250-$500 range are (in random order):
Aurora Talentum
Aurora Hastil
Sailor Pro Gear
Pilot Justus 95
Platinum 3776 Century (10th Anniversary Edition)
Montegrappa Montegrappa
Montegrappa Brenta
Stipula Etruria Classic Electra
Waterman Exception
Lamy 2000 (stainless steel)
Why is your Platinum 3776 anniversary edition worth more than US$100 above my not anniversary one? I am not objecting to your purchase decision whatsoever. I am asking for my own education in fountain pens.
@@user-br3sl9go3b ..I have four other 3776s. Two in the regular resin/plastic finish and the other two pricier ones in celluloid. All with different nib sizes.
Now, this Anniversary 3776 pen is arguably worth the higher price (to me, anyway) for a few reasons. It is a new, more attractive design, with a seemingly superior feel to the resin finish. It has a new, prettier nib, quite distinct in design and the way it feels and writes - unlike the still excellent nibs on the older 3776s. The new nib is slightly but noticeably softer than the normally quite stiff older nibs, but not the kind of softness you will get from the SF (soft-fine) nibs of the older models. It is a delicate spring-y give to the nib that is pleasant in its own right. The new pen is also, of course, a limited edition release. There is not a semblance of any injection molding line or seam on the new pen that you would see on the older, cheaper 3776s.
It is an expensive pen, of course. I thought a lot over it before deciding to buy. Not the slightest regret. Possibly my pen of the year (2022). 🙂
@@sajjadhusain4146 Any word on if this will be the new nib going forward, or was only used on this edition? I've heard Platinum is changing the nib, but can't find much, even from Platinum.
@@ironmic9244 …Great question! And I’m seeking an answer, as well. No definitive info yet on the new nib, as far as I’m presently aware of. I guess Platinum haven’t made a decision yet. Or will keep us waiting for a while yet. As much as I like and enjoy the older nibs, any official confirmation that the new nib on the new 3776 pen is going to be the default gold nib on all future 3776 pens will be news I’d welcome with open arms. Of course, more nib size options would be necessary, too.
The 10th Anniversary Platinum 3776 is a swell pen. The splendid new nib is the icing on the treat.
@@sajjadhusain4146 Initially, I heard the new nib was going to be smaller, more like a 1911S or Custom 74, but the nib while more slender seems to be the same length, maybe a little longer, which I suspect is the reason for the softness. I'd like to know, so I won't be put in a situation akin to the Sailor nib changes, since I would like to get the music nib on the 3776.
Your top 2 are definitely grail pens for me, but I can see some more to put on my list! 🖋
I really like your list videos. It would be helpful if they were links to the pen providers especially the custom or smaller makers. I have been watching for a while and you do interesting and informative reviews. I have put some pens on my wishlist. I've just gotten back into using fountain pens ager over 30 years. It is a rabbit hole I am enjoying. Thanks for all your videos and all the beautiful pens we get to see.
The majority of the pens I shared have full reviews on my channel with more in-depth info. Many of the pens can be found at a multitude of retailers, so I tend not to single out one retailer with a product link...unless it was that retailer who provided the pen for review.
Modern Duofold nibs are just soo good.
Beautiful pens to drool for!
Great list and top pen. Cherish my M805 Ocean Swirl with an EF :)
Love the Easter eggs. Jenny! 😂
Have you ever thought about doing a compilation of practical everyday pens? I love a high quality pen but worry about carrying it in my bag all day, do you have one you prefer?
David, you have the Sailor Pro Gear as an honorable mention, but the 1911L in the Top 10. Assuming it has something to do with aesthetics, why the distinction? Is it the length or shape, or neither?
Something tells me Jenny was greeting UPS making another pen delivery. What a collection. Enjoy.
Wich Parker pen do you like ?
I love my Sailor 1911L in Burgundy.
Pilot Custom 823 is for $220 on Amazon, just bought one in B and it’s the real deal.
I've been lured by the blue-striped Pelikan M805 (and 800) since the very start of my fountain pen addiction. But! No way am I going to spend US$656 to, say for example, pay Pen Boutique for this writing instrument. The price is out of this world. At that price I can fly to Berlin!!
11:59 Figboot Parker?!?
I really like some of those pens but I feel like they would be too short for me, I need a pen that posts. Any recommendations?
The full reviews of each of these pens includes posting details.
Well outside my range of affordability now, but this is interesting nonetheless.
Hi Jenny !!!!
I was disappointed you didn't write with them. Pens are made to write with not just to show off.
Each of the pens have full-length reviews on my channel where writing samples are provided.
That last Pelican. Not sure between the 800 or 805. Still a grail pen for me. Will be for awhile longer. Very much enjoy hearing about these lovely pens. Thank you!
An 800 or 805 Pelikan has always attracted me. But not for the going price. As I said elsewhere, I can fly one way to Berlin for the asking price from any number of US fountain pen retailers. Seriously. I wonder what the profit margin is for it. It can't cost Pelikan more than US$50 to churn out. Can it?
@@user-br3sl9go3b Take a Pelikan, make it look almost like a Pelikan, call it Mellikan and put it on the Internet market. You'll soon see... Status symbol they say...
Sheesh, I must stop watching these! 🤪
David, I don't mean to be intrusive but I can't help but ask you when it was you re-mortgaged your house and traded your car for a more suitable scooter...
Wancher urushi pens are really disingenuous.
Very short details are given. Waste of time sorry to say
There are complete reviews of each of these pens on my channel...this video was just an overview. Feel free to watch any of those thorough reviews for the additional information you are looking for.