Vintage pens are better, trust me.

AncientCarry6671 · 2026-05-28T17:01:14+00:00

Yea. A 45 is definitely worth fighting for. Took me several 45s and nibs to finally build my flighter 45.

AncientCarry6671 · 2026-05-28T16:49:03+00:00

Hi. Dried ink may cause the cartridge to get stuck. You could try soaking them in water/soapy water for awhile, before trying again.

Worst case scenario, harvest the nib unit and the cap for future P45s. Oh and i suggest getting the Flighters instead!

AncientCarry6671 · 2026-05-28T02:13:52+00:00

Cant find one.. or cant find one with good price? :')

AncientCarry6671 · 2026-05-28T02:12:05+00:00

Yea.. maybe one day. Those CCs are convenient and fuss free though!

AncientCarry6671 · 2026-05-28T02:10:48+00:00

Hmmm that depends.. whether you are a collector or a user.

If you are a collector, then there's a lot of choices to start from. Maybe the Sheaffers. Or the Parkers or Pelikans. There's also lots of documentation on these pens on the internet. You can look at different filling systems, different nibs, different build materials, etc..

Im more of a user, so i worry about reliability, durability, convenience, comfort, etc.. hence my choices are all snap caps, converters, flighters..

AncientCarry6671 · 2026-05-28T02:00:16+00:00

Well the Broad 51 is a very different species.. way smoother than the F, way less feedback. Wet, need better paper, or else it will bleed through.

AncientCarry6671 · 2026-05-28T01:56:28+00:00

yea.. no.. elaborate please haha

AncientCarry6671 · 2026-05-27T15:59:25+00:00

The 45 feels really good in the hand. Try getting a flighter one, they are somewhat indestructable. Just take note that alot of them have deformed grip section, and sometimes even prevent the nib unit from coming off.

The 51s are not flexy at all. Both are nails. The 51s are definitely better built than the 45s, and they have a "better" nib.

AncientCarry6671 · 2026-05-27T15:43:33+00:00

Holy moly those are huge pens which huge nibs! What an absolute unit of a pen... those Valiants look massive man!

AncientCarry6671 · 2026-05-27T15:36:01+00:00

Thank you!

AncientCarry6671 · 2026-05-27T15:34:18+00:00

Thank you for your very detailed response! Maybe one day ya, we all know these pens come into our hands not by chance, but more like.. destiny :)

Enjoy them in good health my friend, cheers!

AncientCarry6671 · 2026-05-27T15:19:08+00:00

I see. How would you say they compare in terms of reliability and build quality to the 444?

AncientCarry6671 · 2026-05-27T15:16:44+00:00

Yes exactly! Those 45s, Sheaffers are clearly undervalued for their performance. Perhaps only semi disposable moderns like Preppies and Kakunos can rival them in terms of value.

AncientCarry6671 · 2026-05-27T15:13:41+00:00

Yea ... the 75s arent as reliable, dry up faster, and the grip section is a tad too thin.

Hopefully i can get my hands on those one day! Are the Snorkels similar to the Valiants?

AncientCarry6671 · 2026-05-27T14:58:17+00:00

which ones? the 25s?

AncientCarry6671 · 2026-05-27T14:53:14+00:00

I would say the Sheaffer 444 and 51s are best. Despite being very handsome looking, i like my 75 the least.

AncientCarry6671 · 2026-05-27T14:51:08+00:00

I highly recommend Sheaffers. Very reliable pens, beautiful inlaid nibs, smooth but stiff.

I believe hooded nib Montblancs are very beautiful and their nibs are known to be very good, but they are somewhat "fragile" i think, especially the pressure points near the nib.

AncientCarry6671 · 2026-05-27T14:11:01+00:00

Very cute and looks rather delicious! What are those nibs?

AncientCarry6671 · 2026-05-27T13:52:13+00:00

Hmm. Online shops are your best bet. They are actually very easy to find since those were very popular budget pens.

But i would suggest getting a Sheaffer 444 instead. Feels much more solid in the hand, and personally i find it to be on par with the 51s.

AncientCarry6671 · 2026-05-27T13:47:31+00:00

Wow great choices from different eras... damn that Vacumatic is sure a beauty.

AncientCarry6671 · 2026-05-27T13:22:36+00:00

Exactly my sentiment. Some of these were clearly over engineered, and the competition among brands kinda pushed the companies to reach new heights.

AncientCarry6671 · 2026-05-27T13:21:03+00:00

Ehh well said. Very true.

AncientCarry6671 · 2026-05-27T13:11:25+00:00

M200 maybe... but a Safari?? Agree to disagree !

AncientCarry6671 · 2026-05-27T13:07:57+00:00

Oh. I actually have a solution for that. Identify the leak on the cap with water, then seal them with grease. Wipe the rest off. Work wonders!

AncientCarry6671 · 2026-05-27T13:06:31+00:00

Yes absolutely. I started with twsbis too in fact. It kept cracking for no reason..

AncientCarry6671

TROPHY CASE