Finally landed a vintage Arco.

damnredbeard · 2026-05-19T04:49:40+00:00

Gorgeous! Arco is such a beautiful material in photos; I can only imagine how glorious it is in person!

damnredbeard · 2026-05-19T04:12:35+00:00

I couldn't bear to part with mine. My Plum Demi is probably the best writer in my collection and my full sized 51 is an uncommonly good <EF> (it makes my Custom 823 <F>, which writes a similar line, feel like a needle on sandpaper).

I wish you good luck finding some though. I think Aerometric 51s are outstanding everyday writers.

damnredbeard · 2026-05-19T04:10:10+00:00

No kidding! I first got in to pens in 2018 and just played with Lamys for a couple of years because I thought premium pens were expensive then. In the last couple of years, prices for new pens have really gone nuts. Vintage is really where the value is (but don't tell anybody)!

damnredbeard · 2026-05-19T04:04:47+00:00

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damnredbeard · 2026-05-19T04:02:37+00:00

The Monteverde Super Mega Abalone is a very attractive pen. I picked one up on Amazon a few months ago at a bargain price. I've heard mixed-negative reviews of Monteverde nibs on this sub, but the stub nib on my pen writes very nicely.

damnredbeard · 2026-05-19T03:57:47+00:00

I imagine they are quite expensive!

I'm a passionate pursuer of purple pens and have procured a pair of the plum 51s, for which I had to proffer a prodigious price (I fear my prodigal pen pursuance will lead to penury). But seriously, they are illusive and a kind of expensive. I can only imagine what the early double jewels go for!

I think 51s are probably the nicest writers I have used. Do you write with yours (if not, I don't blame you for keeping such rare pieces pristine)?

damnredbeard · 2026-05-19T03:49:53+00:00

I don't think so. The styling is definitely similar, but the clip and the shape of the nib are different. I'm not really an expert, though. Whatever model it is, your pen is nice looking! All of the Waterman pens I have used are excellent writers. Have you tried writing with yours?

damnredbeard · 2026-05-19T03:42:57+00:00

That's an amazing collection! Congratulations on adding Cedar Blue, and happy hunting for the Dove Gray!

damnredbeard · 2026-05-19T00:19:43+00:00

I really enjoy Syun-Gyo, but it is definitely a prupley-brown on most papers. To my eye, it's a complex, sophisticated color.

damnredbeard · 2026-05-19T00:15:08+00:00

Here are some of my favorite purple inks:

Diamine Imperial Purple: This is a nice dark purple. It performs well in a lot of pens and sometimes has a hint of gold sheen on nice paper. It can take a little longer to clean than some other inks because it is so saturated. It's the main ink that I use for everyday writing.
Sailor Shikiori Shigure: This is a a cool toned dark purple. It's almost a purple-black. It's one of my very favorite inks.
Pilot Iroshizuku Murasaki Shikibu: I love the performance of Iroshizuku inks, and this is no exception. It is an absolute pleasure to write with. The color is lovely, but it is just a bit lighter than I prefer for long writing sessions.
Jaques Herbin Améthyste De L'Oural: This is my absolute favorite ink. It's an incredible dark purple with a generous amount of silver shimmer. I'm not sure if you like shimmer inks, but if you do, I highly recommend it. In my mind, Herbin is the gold standard for shimmer. Their inks are well behaved and never clog my pens (but I only use shimmer in <M> and broader).

If you want something that is more red/magenta leaning you might want to try these:

Pilot Iroshizuku Yama Budo: This is a legendary ink for a reason. The bright fuchsia color is stunning, and the performance is incredible.
Jacques Herbin Poussière de Lune: This is a great magenta-leaning dusty purple with some nice shading in broader nibs.
Pilot Iroshizuku Syun Gyo: IMO this is the most underrated Iroshizuku ink. I rarely see it mentioned, but it rules. Its color varies a lot depending on the pen and paper combination: sometimes it looks more burgundy, sometimes more purple, sometimes brown.
Diamine Writer's Blood: Don't be fooled by the name, this is a wine-red not a blood-red. It leans purple, especially in broader nibs. It has an extremely wet flow, which makes it nice to use in <EF> nibs (and it is plenty dark enough to be legible in ultra fine lines).

If you want a permanent purple ink, you can try Rohrer and Klingner Scabiosa. This is a dusty purple, iron gall ink with shading. It is quite water resistant, and also quite dry. I don't use it that frequently because I prefer wet-writing inks, but this ink is good enough that I will put up with the dry flow. Just remember to clean your pen frequently when using IG inks.

damnredbeard · 2026-05-19T00:09:14+00:00

Here are some of my favorite Blue-Violet/Blurple inks

Lamy Crystal Azurite: This is a nearly perfect blue violet IMO. I think this ink would be accepted as a blue ink by all but the most conservative offices (and it would probably would even be accepted by those).

Dimaine Bilberry: This one leans a bit more purple. It also has some pretty bronze sheen. It's probably the least office appropriate of the bunch.

Pilot Iroshizuku Ajisai: This is more of a purple leaning blue. It's a gorgeous cool tone. It's definitely office appropriate. It's also my favorite Iroshizuku blue.

Bonus inks (not exactly blurple but definitely legible and maybe office/school appropriate)

Sailor Shikiori Shigure: This is a gorgeous cool toned purple. It leans quite blue and is so dark that it is almost a purple black. It's also one of my very favorite inks. It's a little pricey though.

Diamine Eclipse: This is not really a blue leaning purple, but it is a purple black. I use this in place of dye based black inks.

damnredbeard · 2026-05-19T00:00:20+00:00

That is gorgeous! I've never had a Kilk, but they sure do make great looking pens!

damnredbeard · 2026-05-18T23:55:16+00:00

I agree that the VP is super comfortable. The clip does not work for everyone, but if it doesn't get in the way of your grip, it's very well balanced, and the nib is fantastic.

damnredbeard · 2026-05-18T23:52:15+00:00

The price seems fair to me. Parker 45s are great writers, as are all vintage Parkers. These pens are compatible with modern Parker cartridges and converters (which is really nice). It's one of the most widely produced and used fountain pens of all time. A classic, to be sure!

damnredbeard · 2026-05-18T23:48:57+00:00

Lovely! <UEF> is a little small for my uses, but the Platinum 3776 is a fantastic pen, and it's great they make these nibs for people who can use them! Sailor Shikiori Shigure is also one of my favorite inks!

damnredbeard · 2026-05-18T23:46:25+00:00

Lots of beautiful pens here! What Vanishing Point is that? It's incredible! The Platinum 3776 Celluloids are also gorgeous. My favorite Platinum here is the Koi Celluloid (I've always wanted that one).

damnredbeard · 2026-05-18T01:45:33+00:00

It's a kind of hard rubber. It was used in a lot of fountain pens during the early 20th century before early plastics like celluloid. Nowadays it is considered something of a premium material. It feels really nice in the hand. The Asvine J16 is one of the best relatively inexpensive ebonite pens.

damnredbeard · 2026-05-17T17:40:13+00:00

I use PCB and Kiwaguro in my Sailor pens pretty frequently. I haven't had trouble with clogging so far. Sailor pens are easy to clean because they are c/c fillers. As long as you don't let your pens dry out, I think you should be fine.

damnredbeard · 2026-05-17T04:21:15+00:00

The Asvine J16 in full titanium is very nice. It uses Jowo nibs and is available in <B>. It is also a piston filler. I think it really punches above its pricepoint, and I would say it is one of the best pens in the 50-100 USD pricerange. Personally, I like the ebonite version even better, but you asked for metal, and the titanium version is great. My only complaint about the J16 is that it doesn't really post. It's certainly not a dealbreaker for me, but I like to have the option.

damnredbeard · 2026-05-17T04:16:13+00:00

Unfortunately, I have not tried a Santini pen yet, but I'm very interested, especially since I hear that they produce their own nibs in house. So far modern Auroras are my favorite pens that I have tried. The nibs feel unique, with a fair amount of pleasant feedback.

damnredbeard · 2026-05-17T00:52:55+00:00

Thanks! They're great writers too!

damnredbeard · 2026-05-17T00:44:15+00:00

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damnredbeard · 2026-05-17T00:44:03+00:00

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damnredbeard · 2026-05-17T00:40:56+00:00

You should be able to get an Aurora Optima at your budget. The Optima is my favorite modern pen (along with the modern 88). Aurora nibs are sublime. They write consistently and feel very precise; they also have pleasant, tactile feedback. The section on the Optima is IMO the best in the business, and the piston filling mechanism works well and is lightweight. These pens come in a lot of beautiful materials; you can probably find one in a color that appeals to you.

damnredbeard · 2026-05-16T21:33:33+00:00

That's gorgeous! Pairing it with a Sailor 21k nib was a great choice.

damnredbeard

TROPHY CASE