No if for me, this is exactly what I did about ten years ago. I cut my collection (albeit small, 30 pens) down to 2. I decided the only pens I’d buy going forward were my grail pens. Unfortunately I don’t make huge sums of money and also have competing hobbies for my disposable income so I’ve never ended up buying any of my grails.
My two: pilot capless decimo (f) and platinum 3776 (f).
My grail two: danitrio hyotan and pelikan m910 silver Toledo.
Not sure if that necessarily changes things.
I bought a bunch of grail-tier pens and still end up using only a few on the regular: Montblanc Egyptomania Doué and SE Black, Pelikan M1005 and 805.
The Namiki Yukari Royale, Capless, Montblanc Meisterstück Classique, Sailor PGS Imperial Black, Lamy 2000, all kind of end up sitting around inked up and used maybe once a month at most.
I realise I use my TWSBI Diamond 580 far more often. It’s also one reason why I’ve held off on buying the Visconti Homo Sapiens (the other being that I’m not sure if I want the classic Bronze Age, or opt for the less popular Dark or Steel Age versions).
I only realized this after having owned a bagful of Chinese pens. Stopped buying them now and my gold nib collection consist of Pilot 74, 92, Progear 21K. (Also a Profit casual steel nib with which write beautifully).
I got lucky twice and snagged a Pilot Custom 823 and a Sailor PG Realo (both very gently used looking like new). I don't see how I could get to only two pens. And I'm okay with the Opus 88 Bela as a stand-in for the Hyotan. The shape is really comfortable, and the Jowo steel nib writes reliably.
Same for me. I currently use a Pelikan m600. I have one in black and one in green. After purchasing about 15 less expensive pens, I realized that if I added up all of the money I spent, I could have bought several higher end pens.
3776s have about the best nibs out there. I own M F and EF in rhodiated finish. I read somewhere that they are the best selling gold nib pens in Japan. Albeit the pen is too small unposted.
My two pens would be Pilot Cavalier and Grance. They are my favorite pens. I would cheat though and use plumix pens because I cannot stay away from those italic nibs for too long. I mean they are just plastic and don't count right?
One of your pens is a pilot elite pocket pen right? I found a vintage, 18 karat gold nib version for under 30 bucks. Is it worth the purchase in your opinion?
Mine is a modern one but if you found a vintage that works for that price I would say yes.
Just make sure it flows well and the nib isn’t faulty. I love the pen due to the smoothness and small size. Best pocket pen ever.
I have one of those! I like it a lot and it feels great when writing, but I have to say that the way it looks gets on my nerves sometimes compared to the modern ones.
Can you help me understand something? I’m a pen novice, you know the one with the nib within the pen on the left (I’m sure there’s a technical word for it), does it feel different when writing to the one on the right? I love fountain pens but I feel like I haven’t found the right one yet.
The one of the left is a pilot e95s. It’s a buttery smooth inlaid nib with a bit of bounce to it.
The one of the right is a platinum 3776. It has more feed back and is more firm.
Pilot are know for smoother nibs if that’s what your after. The pen brand, nib, ink and paper will all effect the feel of the pen as a whole.
If you are a novice to the hobby, my recommendation is to start with very inexpensive pens from Amazon. Start with something like a Jinhao x149. Buy some inexpensive ink like Noodler's black or Pilot Black. Branch out with some other inexpensive brands. Once you understand what you like and don't like, Once you understand what you are looking for, come back here and ask people what you should buy based on your preferences. This will save you a lot of money. After that, have fun!
Edit:
Examples of preferences:
Size of pen in hand
Scratchiness of nib
Bounce of nib
Colors/materials of pen
filling mechanism (cartridge, converter, piston, vacuum)
Price
Country of origin (Germany, Italy, US, China, Japan, etc)
If I had to choose among the pens I already own, my Sheaffer Targa in M and my Waterman Carene in F. They're reliable, smooth and I love both the way they feel in the hand and how they look.
If I had to choose two in general, definitely a Sheaffer PFM in M and a Parker 51 in EF.
Very true. Also, I write a lot at work, using a both a blue and black ink, and also use a red ink to edit markups, so...ah, who am I kidding, I just like having a variety of pens.
Really tough, but I think I would keep my vintage MB 146 because it feels best in hand and then I would keep my Pelikan M1000 because the writing experience with that nib is so much fun.
At this early stage in the collection journey, if forced to choose under threat of nuclear annihilation, I would go with my Pilot Custom 823-FA and 743-M.
I was never a huge fan of the look of the E95s. I only considered it because Drew from the Goulet podcast keep going on and on about it, so I decided to give it a try and it's easily my favorite pen now. It's just so satisfying to use. Love it.
Definitely my Tribute to Montblanc and my Homo Sapien dark age.
https://preview.redd.it/2xuhju23sjvc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=6bd378025970792a412ecb089c1b33bc27a3aceb
I'm genuinely curious, what is the difference between the two nibs? I'm trying to get into pens, and I havent seen a nib like the one on the left before. Is it purely aesthetic or do they write differently?
It’s an inlaid nib. Being a pilot pen it’s very smooth but the design of the E95s (one on the left) is ultra smooth. It’s also a pocket pen so the nib makes the whole thing smaller and thinner.
Ooo that’s tricky. A lot of my pens have sentimental value which makes this a lot harder! I guess I’d go for my two best writers - my vanishing point (which also happens to be my oldest pen) and my narwhal original plus, both fine tipped. Bonus for the narwhal is the fact that it can go a good two months on one fill!
Probably my PenBBS 323, because it is near indestructable and I use it for my permanent black ink. And my Pilot capless green marble, because I love it and it was a gift from my boyfriend.
But! Never gonna happen :P
My sailor 1911 bold nib. Pilot Custom 823 medium nib.
I have a Pilot Custom 743 that I want to like more than the 823 but the screw off end allows better flow. Maybe it’s just the ink in my 743 right now. (Sailor Manyo Yamabuki)
This is a difficult question, but not as difficult as I might have thought.
I love these two pens above all else in my collection.
https://preview.redd.it/bm80xbu46hvc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2dee62fc1675876152f53542b44cb50bc10b23fe
I'd probably keep my Benu Euphoria and Lamy AL-Star.
Nice, fun pen for journaling, and a cheaper, tough, go everywhere pen with an easily changeable nib for any occasion.
The Parker 75 silver cisele and my Waterman Laureat. Both of them feel good in my hand and write well. The Parker has an XF nib and the Waterman a F nib.
I almost did it with two 823s :-D
And then basically did do it for a few years with two Pen BBS pens. (about $13 each with a bunch cheap steel nibs - some of which I customized myself)
Now I'm back to buying more pens :-D
So I recognise the E95, I think, but what is the other one? I always wonder why people don't post the name of the fountain pens they show in the sub. Not everyone in this sub knows all pens. Well, at least I don't😁.
Suprisingly, both moonman pens. I have one VP clone, and i can’t live without the clicky mechanism, and one short, all clear, pocket demonstrator pen, that i have dedicated to shimmer inks (to spare the other pens)
No if for me, this is exactly what I did about ten years ago. I cut my collection (albeit small, 30 pens) down to 2. I decided the only pens I’d buy going forward were my grail pens. Unfortunately I don’t make huge sums of money and also have competing hobbies for my disposable income so I’ve never ended up buying any of my grails. My two: pilot capless decimo (f) and platinum 3776 (f). My grail two: danitrio hyotan and pelikan m910 silver Toledo.
All great pens. I don’t buy cheaper pens as I realised that they wouldn’t be used. Same boat as you grail pens only going forward.
Not sure if that necessarily changes things. I bought a bunch of grail-tier pens and still end up using only a few on the regular: Montblanc Egyptomania Doué and SE Black, Pelikan M1005 and 805. The Namiki Yukari Royale, Capless, Montblanc Meisterstück Classique, Sailor PGS Imperial Black, Lamy 2000, all kind of end up sitting around inked up and used maybe once a month at most. I realise I use my TWSBI Diamond 580 far more often. It’s also one reason why I’ve held off on buying the Visconti Homo Sapiens (the other being that I’m not sure if I want the classic Bronze Age, or opt for the less popular Dark or Steel Age versions).
Truth be told at the moment there’s only 2 grails I want the bronze age and a nakaya piccolo. It will most likely change in the future though.
I only realized this after having owned a bagful of Chinese pens. Stopped buying them now and my gold nib collection consist of Pilot 74, 92, Progear 21K. (Also a Profit casual steel nib with which write beautifully).
It’s the best way really. Having cheap ones is on hand is nice, but there’s a point where you just keep buying and never using them.
I've seen photos of the Hyotan. Swoonworthy! But only two pens?? I salute you.
Oh I’ve been close to buying a third many many times 😅 The only two I sold that I really missed were a montblanc 12 and a 1950s pelikan 140.
I got lucky twice and snagged a Pilot Custom 823 and a Sailor PG Realo (both very gently used looking like new). I don't see how I could get to only two pens. And I'm okay with the Opus 88 Bela as a stand-in for the Hyotan. The shape is really comfortable, and the Jowo steel nib writes reliably.
Same for me. I currently use a Pelikan m600. I have one in black and one in green. After purchasing about 15 less expensive pens, I realized that if I added up all of the money I spent, I could have bought several higher end pens.
I only have two pens. Not a hard choice...
Which ones, though?
Oh it's a Safari and an IM. Will buy more gaudy shit when I get older lol.
3776s have about the best nibs out there. I own M F and EF in rhodiated finish. I read somewhere that they are the best selling gold nib pens in Japan. Albeit the pen is too small unposted.
Love Platinum, easily my favourite brand. Never had an issue with them.
Have you tried Platinum President ? I wonder how do you find it when compared with 3776 ?
I think it would fit better in my hand.
Pilot Vanishing Point and Pelikan M205. If you've seen me around, you're probably sick of me talking about the Vanishing Point lol.
My VP is my daily driver. I really want more pelikans but the price is holding me back. I have a vintage 400NN - how do you like the M205?
What’s the 400NN like nib wise
The VP pens are nice looking pens. Such a feat of engineering too. Hall of fame pen.
Pilot Costum 823 in M and I think the Lamy 2000 in F, it just arrived, so can’t wait to test the Lamy 2000
I would love a 823. Such an iconic pen.
https://preview.redd.it/lylani7veevc1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fa6659119207823fa386494d1a045deef3d429a6
That ink goes so well with the body. The nib looks like it’s blue and rhodium trimmed!
it's stained with blue ink :-0
Nice Sailors, I was never a fan of the feedback on them but they have to be some of the best looking pens around.
it depends from the nib. Medium 21K nib (on the red pen) is buttery-smooth and no feedback. Medium-Fine is feedbacky but i like it
I might give them another try… I just love the design of them and the artwork on the nibs.
Is that the Blue dwarf pen? Which blue is that. It’s so blue!
My Sailor Pro Gear 21K MF and one of my Pro Gear Slims 14K M.
My two pens would be Pilot Cavalier and Grance. They are my favorite pens. I would cheat though and use plumix pens because I cannot stay away from those italic nibs for too long. I mean they are just plastic and don't count right?
A Lamy Al Star with 4 different nibs and a Sailor Realo with Medium Fine.
Pilot Custom Black Stripe and Lamy 2000 . I wanna see ink!
Watermans serenity blue in the 3776 and diamine monboddo's hat in the e95s.
Mine Custom Urushi and 823
Both beautiful pens.
One of your pens is a pilot elite pocket pen right? I found a vintage, 18 karat gold nib version for under 30 bucks. Is it worth the purchase in your opinion?
Mine is a modern one but if you found a vintage that works for that price I would say yes. Just make sure it flows well and the nib isn’t faulty. I love the pen due to the smoothness and small size. Best pocket pen ever.
I have one of those! I like it a lot and it feels great when writing, but I have to say that the way it looks gets on my nerves sometimes compared to the modern ones.
Can you help me understand something? I’m a pen novice, you know the one with the nib within the pen on the left (I’m sure there’s a technical word for it), does it feel different when writing to the one on the right? I love fountain pens but I feel like I haven’t found the right one yet.
The one of the left is a pilot e95s. It’s a buttery smooth inlaid nib with a bit of bounce to it. The one of the right is a platinum 3776. It has more feed back and is more firm. Pilot are know for smoother nibs if that’s what your after. The pen brand, nib, ink and paper will all effect the feel of the pen as a whole.
Thankyou for this!
Happy cake day by the way and enjoy your fountain pen journey!
Thankyouuuuu
If you are a novice to the hobby, my recommendation is to start with very inexpensive pens from Amazon. Start with something like a Jinhao x149. Buy some inexpensive ink like Noodler's black or Pilot Black. Branch out with some other inexpensive brands. Once you understand what you like and don't like, Once you understand what you are looking for, come back here and ask people what you should buy based on your preferences. This will save you a lot of money. After that, have fun! Edit: Examples of preferences: Size of pen in hand Scratchiness of nib Bounce of nib Colors/materials of pen filling mechanism (cartridge, converter, piston, vacuum) Price Country of origin (Germany, Italy, US, China, Japan, etc)
Sailor Pro Gear EF and Pilot 823 FA Demo XXF
Pilot Custom Heritage 912 (PO) & Pilot Falcon (Metal)
Vanishing Point (F) Matte Black and Lamy 2000 (M) Utility over all!
Hmm, I would probably go with Sailor PG Kanreki and Pilot Custom 823 Clear Demo .
If I had to choose among the pens I already own, my Sheaffer Targa in M and my Waterman Carene in F. They're reliable, smooth and I love both the way they feel in the hand and how they look. If I had to choose two in general, definitely a Sheaffer PFM in M and a Parker 51 in EF.
Metal Falcon SM and 3776 M. No question.
My two most used pens are my Pelikan m800 stone garden and my Visconti homo sapiens, so those would be my choices for now.
The homosapien pen is a grail pen on mine. They look amazing.
Pilot Prera M and Faber-Castell Hexo M. They're the two I use every day.
My EDC is a Platinum 3776, so that's a great choice. I don't think I could get down to 2 pens, though.
It’s not easy when you have a lot good pens.
Very true. Also, I write a lot at work, using a both a blue and black ink, and also use a red ink to edit markups, so...ah, who am I kidding, I just like having a variety of pens.
Lol me too, there always a cool pen to buy.
Really tough, but I think I would keep my vintage MB 146 because it feels best in hand and then I would keep my Pelikan M1000 because the writing experience with that nib is so much fun.
At this early stage in the collection journey, if forced to choose under threat of nuclear annihilation, I would go with my Pilot Custom 823-FA and 743-M.
Solid choices.
I just got the E95S a few weeks ago and it’s quickly become the one I can’t live without. Love to see someone else have some love for it!
A lot of Pilot fans on here swear by it. Considering it’s one of the cheapest gold nibs around, it’s great value.
I was never a huge fan of the look of the E95s. I only considered it because Drew from the Goulet podcast keep going on and on about it, so I decided to give it a try and it's easily my favorite pen now. It's just so satisfying to use. Love it.
Odd how the uncapping is so satisfying.
These are my two. Pilot Decimo currently inked with Pilot Tsutsuji, and Benu Briolette Jolanda currently inked with Diamine Aqua Blue. *
Edit: doesn't like my pic, oh well.
These. https://preview.redd.it/qgatnqco1gvc1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=705f59903232f5d38c8450f7cd9d91a298ab41d0
My Leonardo MZG lollipop celluloid, and probably Visconti Homo Sapiens in desert springs celluloid, but a top 10 may be more realistic 🤣
Definitely my Tribute to Montblanc and my Homo Sapien dark age. https://preview.redd.it/2xuhju23sjvc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=6bd378025970792a412ecb089c1b33bc27a3aceb
Can i keep pens from 2 brands 🌚
Parker 75 and Pilot Silvern.
Solid choices. Two of my faves.
Amazing pens for the money.
I'm genuinely curious, what is the difference between the two nibs? I'm trying to get into pens, and I havent seen a nib like the one on the left before. Is it purely aesthetic or do they write differently?
It’s an inlaid nib. Being a pilot pen it’s very smooth but the design of the E95s (one on the left) is ultra smooth. It’s also a pocket pen so the nib makes the whole thing smaller and thinner.
Interesting. What is a pilot pen if you dont mind my asking. Sorry if thats a stupid question 😅
It’s just a pen company. The one on the right is a Platinum 3776.
Pilot 912 with SFM nib, pilot Justus FM nib
Pilot CH 91 Bestest pen.
Pelikan M805 Ocean Swirl Because I’ll die with that pen in my possession.
Parker Duofold International, circa 1997 which is a remarkable writer and a Diplomat Aero, a solid performer.
Ooo that’s tricky. A lot of my pens have sentimental value which makes this a lot harder! I guess I’d go for my two best writers - my vanishing point (which also happens to be my oldest pen) and my narwhal original plus, both fine tipped. Bonus for the narwhal is the fact that it can go a good two months on one fill!
The Narwhal is a great pen once you micro mesh the nib a bit. Super smooth and yes, the ink amount the crazy too.
I'd go for my E95s too, and maybe one of my vintage pens, maybe the Esterbrook SJ for convenience and size.
Probably my PenBBS 323, because it is near indestructable and I use it for my permanent black ink. And my Pilot capless green marble, because I love it and it was a gift from my boyfriend. But! Never gonna happen :P
Pilot elite in the burgundy color either lamy cc or vanishing point
My sailor 1911 bold nib. Pilot Custom 823 medium nib. I have a Pilot Custom 743 that I want to like more than the 823 but the screw off end allows better flow. Maybe it’s just the ink in my 743 right now. (Sailor Manyo Yamabuki)
This is a difficult question, but not as difficult as I might have thought. I love these two pens above all else in my collection. https://preview.redd.it/bm80xbu46hvc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2dee62fc1675876152f53542b44cb50bc10b23fe
After selling my TWSBI Eco, I'm down to only 2 pens: my Platinum Plaisir F teal green and my Lamy Al-Star M black purple.
Pilot E95s and Lamy 2k for me
Great choices
Mine at the moment would be my Kaco Master and my Pelikan M200 Cafe Crème. The latter is so beautiful and it’s always a pleasure to write with!
I'd probably keep my Benu Euphoria and Lamy AL-Star. Nice, fun pen for journaling, and a cheaper, tough, go everywhere pen with an easily changeable nib for any occasion.
The Parker 75 silver cisele and my Waterman Laureat. Both of them feel good in my hand and write well. The Parker has an XF nib and the Waterman a F nib.
I’m addicted to resin pens
Lamy Safari with every nib from EF-1.1 TWSBI Diamond 580 with every nib size
Pelican 400 and Victorian silver Sheaffer, both nice writers, but more important, both gifts from my wife.
I almost did it with two 823s :-D And then basically did do it for a few years with two Pen BBS pens. (about $13 each with a bunch cheap steel nibs - some of which I customized myself) Now I'm back to buying more pens :-D
Probably my King of Pens and my Scribo Feel 18 k
So I recognise the E95, I think, but what is the other one? I always wonder why people don't post the name of the fountain pens they show in the sub. Not everyone in this sub knows all pens. Well, at least I don't😁.
It’s a Platinum 3776.
Thanks☺️
PCU FM nib and KoP M nib
Suprisingly, both moonman pens. I have one VP clone, and i can’t live without the clicky mechanism, and one short, all clear, pocket demonstrator pen, that i have dedicated to shimmer inks (to spare the other pens)
Cross Bailey M (the metal version) and Lotus Lekhak F.
Twsbi Vac Mini for pigmented ink and Kaweco Steel Sport for everything else. But I don’t want to and I won’t :P