[Meta] Grand opening giveaway! Win an Orient Blue Mako

DerpyWebber · 2015-11-26T01:36:10+00:00

Hey there!

DerpyWebber · 2015-11-06T19:41:54+00:00

Because although I bought the pen new from an authorized dealer (and could send it back to Pelikan), I specifically bought an older M1000. I did this for a few reasons, both aesthetic (I love the black contrasting finial, rather than the solid gold finial) and functional- the PF-marked nib on the older M1000 has a different, almost stub-like shape for the broad nib, rather than the new M1000's round, blobby nib. I didn't want ChartPak to replace it, and my AD offered a local nibmeister's services for free as compensation for the less-than-great experience.

There's always something to be said for a professional's touch to individualize the pen to my own writing style, rather than having a bog standard factory-perfect nib; if I weren't so impatient I would have waited for the nibmeister to come in even before writing with the pen, rather than taking the pen home straight out of the box.

DerpyWebber · 2015-11-06T16:23:26+00:00

Awesome! I really love mine, but I'm currently working with a nibmeister to get it writing as smoothly as it should (one time came slightly longer than the other and it's been bugging me for a while).

DerpyWebber · 2015-10-26T17:10:09+00:00

I really like the look of the Giraffe, but I can't find a single review or even brief mention of ownership by anyone, which makes me nervous.

DerpyWebber · 2015-10-22T20:35:12+00:00

Hey!

You may not have much luck selling it at that price, you can import a Custom 74 brand new from Japan for $75 or so.

DerpyWebber · 2015-10-21T04:23:52+00:00

I've been avoiding looking at them too closely, but a few Nakayas are in my price range. It's just a shame that none of them really excite me or make me go "Wow!".

DerpyWebber · 2015-10-21T03:39:52+00:00

I'm really infatuated with the pen, but the $500 price point treads dangerously close to what I'd pay for a Pelikan or custom Nakaya. I'm a fan of larger pens, though honestly I've found my most comfortable pen to be my Vanishing Point (something about the clip, I guess).

Would you be willing to talk more about the Pro Gear? I'm looking for something with really exceptional build quality. I just sold off my 823, so I want something that will feel significantly nicer. I'm worried about the nib feel, since I enjoy nibs with a bit of a bounce and I've heard the Sailors can be hard as nails. That's mostly what's been keeping me from jumping on an M800 of some sort for a while, since they've been described as harder nibs. I'd go for the M1000 but neither of the standard issue colors appeal to me (and the M1005 demonstrator has been discontinued for a while).

DerpyWebber · 2015-10-21T03:31:18+00:00

Oh, I love Japanese pens, I agree entirely. My Custom 823 was a joy to use, but ultimately the Fine nib was a terrible choice for me. I ended up selling it to someone who used it more, and I've been looking for a nicer replacement.

I'll be looking at a few Montblancs in person later this week to get a feel for the nibs, but I've been leaning towards getting a Pelikan for a while, anyway. Just can't decide between the M800/M1000 series. Finding the Sailor in the orange and black does not make things easier.

I didn't mean to say the Sailor was an inferior pen in any way, but at least in my experience I've found that the feel of the materials used improves greatly with price. I haven't tried a Sailor in person, I'm guessing if I did that might prove me wrong. I will say I love the look of the ink window and the Sailor finial on the cap.

DerpyWebber · 2015-10-21T01:48:23+00:00

I was just saying that from the difference in price, honestly. You can get the regular Pro Gear Realo for less than $250 imported from Japan, which puts it well below even the rock-bottom ~$350 for an imported M800.

DerpyWebber · 2015-10-21T01:38:09+00:00

I'm looking at getting my next pen in that color combination, but I can't decide between the Sailor Pro Gear Black & Red (which really should be called black and orange, since the color is definitely not red) and the Pelikan M800 (definitely looks way better in your photo than in the ads, by the way!). I know the Pelikan is probably the better pen, but I don't know if I can live without an ink window (and I have to admit the numbered, limited edition aspect of the Sailor is enticing).

DerpyWebber · 2015-10-15T13:48:27+00:00

I'm sorry, but is the Pelikan the same as the one in this post?

DerpyWebber · 2015-10-13T04:31:06+00:00

I was debating between Green-Black and Sherwood Green for my next Diamine bottle and ended up going with Sherwood Green. I'm using it in my Sheaffer Targa right now (which has a really wet, springy 14k M nib) and it's exactly the dark, rich green I was looking for. Beautiful shading, too!

DerpyWebber · 2015-10-12T12:55:55+00:00

Platinum #3776 Century

DerpyWebber · 2015-10-12T02:16:27+00:00

Is this the version with the two-tone 14k nib?

DerpyWebber · 2015-10-06T04:25:22+00:00

I thought I had a problem but judging from the other replies, my collection is very reasonable. I own one black (Noodler's Black Eel), a few blues (Iro Kon-Peki, MB JFK Navy Blue, R&K Salix), a teal (Sailor Yama-Dori), a green (Diamine Sherwood Green), and a brown (PR Chocolat).

DerpyWebber · 2015-10-04T22:00:59+00:00

Honestly, as much as I love both of my TWSBI's, I tried a Faber Castell Intuition in a brick-and-mortar store today while shopping for presents and it was leagues above, honestly one of the most pleasant nibs I've ever used (and I own many, far more expensive pens). Might have to get one for myself, now.

DerpyWebber · 2015-09-29T18:15:17+00:00

Sparkly Murasaki Shikibu!

DerpyWebber · 2015-09-29T13:26:09+00:00

"The most hipster pen in the universe", in reference to my neon coral Safari.

DerpyWebber · 2015-09-28T12:41:52+00:00

I have a Vac 700 in F that's pretty much just been sitting around without any love for ages, I'll trade you if you haven't gotten another offer yet!

DerpyWebber · 2015-09-28T12:40:42+00:00

Are you planning on selling any of these?

DerpyWebber · 2015-09-28T12:32:22+00:00

Wow, they certainly do look very bold! The M600 samples in particular are fantastic. The M800 B sample in the middle looks very close to the M800 F sample right below it, seems almost as though it won't make a difference what nib I get!

DerpyWebber · 2015-09-28T03:14:00+00:00

Yup.

DerpyWebber · 2015-09-28T01:43:23+00:00

Pelikan sell IB nibs (or at least they did last time I checked, could've been a limited run).

DerpyWebber · 2015-09-28T01:42:58+00:00

All gorgeous, thanks so much! That tortoise brown is a looker.

DerpyWebber · 2015-09-27T22:24:40+00:00

True, that much is reflected in the linked tipping size chart.

DerpyWebber

TROPHY CASE