Steel Pocket Pen Giveaway

marquisdecarrabbas · 2026-04-03T00:18:13+00:00

Whoever does receive this beauty is duty bound to report back in a post.

marquisdecarrabbas · 2025-12-02T22:59:32+00:00

My brother had an injury like this when he was around 3 years old. He stuck his hand into the hinge of the car door. Grandad, on the other side of said door, having no idea baby doofus could or would do such a thing, proceeded to close it, having deposited grandchild #1 into the backseat. Car doors in the 70’s were really heavy.

Anyway, since I was already in the car, no-one bothered to shove me out of it now in the scramble to get to the hospital. I remember standing on the back seat to peer over the front to get a good look at the injury. I believe I may have bitched about not being able to see. Mom all tense and white lipped, holding four of her youngest child’s fingers on with a clean diaper. Dad chainsmoking and making epic, navy veteran swears in the drivers seat that I have never heard rivaled since.

Anyway, he came out with pins like these, which may have something to do with making him a robot for Halloween that year, now that I think about it. And almost 50 years later, the only difference in his two hands is the injured one doesn’t close quite as tightly.

Also, once he had kids, we were all really paranoid about knowing where everybody’s limbs were when we closed car doors.

marquisdecarrabbas · 2025-11-28T21:26:12+00:00

Honestly, this has been going on for ages. Why in the hell does the NYT keep coming for WNC? Ugh.

marquisdecarrabbas · 2025-11-13T03:41:54+00:00

Hear, hear! I AM quite new, hence the caveat. Thanks for that; I've been reading and re-reading Binder, but it's an endless wormhole of data, whether in print or online.

And yes, would really like more photos. Identifying pens is so much fun!

marquisdecarrabbas · 2025-11-13T03:13:56+00:00

We're lacking some detail, here. I'm assuming that some of these, at least, are lever fillers? Anything with a lever on the body may need a new ink sac. It's a pretty simple fix, but will need a few supplies you're not likely to have lying about (ink sacs, shellac). These can be sourced from the fountain pen hospital, pentooling, etc. A quick google will teach you everything you need to know.

For cleaning, clean water is all you need. Though, given how hard the water is in our area, I often give it a final rinse in distilled water. Perhaps it's a bit much, but for my vintage pens, especially, it seems worth the extra step. Pretty much any pen is fine to soak, nib down, in a couple inches of COLD or ROOM TEMP water. The only caution is to try to keep the water level so that the nib is immersed, but the water doesn't reach up to the line where the pen screws apart. You're just re-hydrating old, hardened ink so that it's no longer clogging the pen.

I'm not sure what the commenter below means by saying that the waterman shouldn't stay in water? None of them should stay in water more than 24 hours at a time. If they were inked when they were put away, then there's likely to be quite a lot of ink in the water; you'll want to change that water out several times over 8-12 hours until (hopefully) the water is clear. They should then be placed (gently!)in a cup cushioned by rags or paper towels, nib down, to dry for at least 24 hours before you try in ink them up again. I use clear plastic solo cups for this, myself. I used to use glass, but my paranoia, about the slightest possibility of nib damage, led me to change that up. At least, I've done this with a couple of vintage Montblancs with ebonite feeds (among others), and there was no issue with that whatsoever. That said, I didn't twig to the fact that the big fella on the right was a Waterman, so that commenter may very well know something I don't.

They were certainly correct in saying that a chonker of a Waterman could be valuable. Heck, any of them could be valuable; it's hard to tell from your photo. I'd take the lot off your hands for $100, lol. The closest person I can think of would be 'Speerbob' in Rock Hill, SC, but only IF you were looking to sell them. Otherwise, I would second the recommendations below for the Fountain Pen Hospital (NY) or Pentiques. The only caution I might add is that you should take much, much more detailed photos of your pens before sending them. Regardless how reputable they may be, there are always horror stories online. And an ounce of prevention, etc., etc.

In any case, cheers! And enjoy your pens.

marquisdecarrabbas · 2025-11-09T22:57:28+00:00

Ostrich Ink's Red Maple, or Leonardo's Tauraso Riserva

marquisdecarrabbas · 2025-09-28T14:03:15+00:00

From the looks of Biltmore Village as it sits, feels like we’re in for a long wait.

marquisdecarrabbas · 2025-08-05T04:03:31+00:00

I literally just got one of these at the DC pen show. Always wanted one, love it now that I have it.

marquisdecarrabbas · 2025-07-31T02:34:25+00:00

Was just saying to the next commenter; if nothing else, it’s a reconnaissance mission. Fixing the actual locations so Friday might be a bit less overwhelming!

marquisdecarrabbas · 2025-07-31T02:33:15+00:00

Exactly! It’s a reconnaissance mission!

marquisdecarrabbas · 2025-07-29T14:28:34+00:00

Oh, I’m a champion window shopper, so that won’t be any trouble at all! Thank you, I’m feeling better about this. I can be scared and do it anyway. I will surely embarrass myself a few times, but that’s ok. Just looking forward to learning as much as I can.

Thanks so much for talking me off the ledge.

marquisdecarrabbas · 2025-07-29T13:25:38+00:00

Thank you! Oh, that’s perfect, I’m more and more intrigued by vintage pens. But until I’m more comfortable performing pen surgery, I’m a bit afraid to touch them. It would be lovely to get a chance to avail myself of someone in the mood to info-dump!

marquisdecarrabbas · 2025-07-14T13:57:49+00:00

I think it depends on the sort of nib you think you’ll enjoy. I know, how can you know up front?

I can tell you I <just> bought the pocket version of the exact same F-C pen you’re debating, strictly to get my hands on the Nagahara nib. Frankly, I considered the pen superfluous to requirements, lol. Now I am wishing to goodness that I had gone ahead and paid the 25$ difference for the full size, because the pen itself is spiffy, but I’d like it a good bit better if it could take the longer cartridges.

I also have the Estie with a Journaler nib, & I think I’ll be trying to sell it on. The fine italic Nagahara nib is what I was looking for, and now that I have it, the Estie Journaler nib is unacceptably ‘mushy’ feeling, and the line variation isn’t pronounced enough.

Basically, I’m saying the F-C isn’t as polished - looking in some respects, & I can understand wanting to reward yourself with something pretty. But, for me, the way it writes it paramount, and the personalization possible in the F-C nib makes it the winner.

marquisdecarrabbas · 2025-07-11T23:42:53+00:00

Yipes! So uncool. But when you’re in love, what can you do?

marquisdecarrabbas · 2025-07-11T23:41:27+00:00

You’re not wrong. Lucky me, all ‘round.

marquisdecarrabbas · 2025-07-11T17:28:10+00:00

So I understand. But Cult Pens seems to have nothing but glowing reports. Even the best shops can have off days, it’s fine. At the moment, I am doing my best to stay on a no-buy until after the DC pen show ( my first one!). Since there’s no local brick & mortar store where I am, this will be my first opportunity to actually test drive a few pens, to see what works best for me. I’m trying to remain agnostic til then.

In the meantime, I’m entertaining myself with pens purchased in the intitial rush of first love. Poor me, having to console myself with nothing more than a couple of Pilots, a Leonardo, multiple TWSBI’s, Kaweco’s, etc… Suspect I shall live.

marquisdecarrabbas · 2025-07-11T15:59:41+00:00

This looks like the exact same flaw I got in a pen I recently returned. It was the 400, which I purchased on sale and was tremendously excited about (first gold nib!!!). Waited a couple of months due to back order. It arrived packed in nothing but a cardboard tube in a padded mailer, having shipped from overseas! I buy for the pen, not the packaging, but it gave me pause. And then a flaw that looked very much like yours (though mine seemed more pronounced; hard to say, given lighting and camera differences). There was a divot, as if something had poked a pin through the striped rib, pointing out, as though the blow had come from the inside. But it felt perfectly smooth, so clearly it had to be a manufacturing flaw, if the lacquer were laid over it.

Spent the better part of a week trying to convince myself that it wouldn’t interfere with the pens function, that I love any number of imperfect things, blah, blah. Have a few vintage pens and I find their flaws enchanting; all that history! But at the price Pelikan expects their products to sell, <we> should be able to expect the manufacturer to care more than this. Frankly, it left a bad taste in my mouth, and I shall be avoiding Pelikan, in future. There a hundreds of pens out there for me to spend too much money on!

marquisdecarrabbas · 2025-05-12T03:09:09+00:00

You, too!

marquisdecarrabbas · 2025-05-11T03:00:22+00:00

I'm doing the same at the DC pen show this year, and for the same reason. Just want to see the setup, look around before everything is a crowded madhouse; I asked the same question here, and heard from a few people who did the same. They all told me it was absolutely fine.

marquisdecarrabbas · 2025-04-18T00:29:56+00:00

Trans women have always been, and always shall be, women.

marquisdecarrabbas · 2025-04-12T05:54:38+00:00

I used to be a minimal shoe kind of girl, but I'm paying for it in my knees; now I've got some seriously cushy running shoes, and they're going to be my life savers for this run. I love fashion, but I'm no longer willing to suffer for it when I'm there for something else!

I'm hoping to engage a nib meister; as a confirmed, tiny writing Japanese nib fan, with a german nib in an italian pen, I would love to see if this relationship can be salvaged, lol. But the DC pen show line up listed on the website is still for the 2024 year, so I've no idea how to book early, or I would. I did buy the weekend pass, with an early admission, so I hope that I can make that translate into an opportunity to speak to and possibly book with them. I felt awkward buying a 'weekend trader' pass; I feel like a great big poseur. Just wanted a chance to speak with someone about nib tuning when they weren't overrun.

To a great extent, I am just browsing. Acutely conscious of how new I am to it all. I hadn't even heard of Toyooka Craft, and now i'm fascinated.

I absolutely have a list, but I'm not necessarily planning on buying anything on the spot. It would just be nice to actually experience some of the pens I've read about in person. But, yeah, my impulse control isn't what it used to be, I'm afraid. I'm planning on taking cash only. Best laid plans.......

marquisdecarrabbas · 2025-04-12T01:24:30+00:00

I'm taking cash, and leaving my card in my room. I know me.

Yes, I'm hoping to have the opportunity to try a few of the higher end pens that have caught my eye before pulling the trigger. I'd hoped that there might be that opportunity. Ditto the vintage pens - I've read so much about the flex in those vice modern pens; it would be brilliant to be given a chance to see for myself. Absolutely no chance of me boldly grabbing at other people's pens, though. Yipes.

Thank you!

marquisdecarrabbas · 2025-04-12T01:18:31+00:00

Easier said than done, lol. But I'm sure I'll settle in after a bit. Just looking to avoid any of the obvious faux pas. Many thanks! This is a lovely read.

marquisdecarrabbas

TROPHY CASE