Pen recommendations

In article ,
(GB) writes:


I think I will be buying a nice pen as a gift. I know NOTHING about
pens and really need some links to good information on what to look
for. Recommendations are great too. I'll spend up to $200 but could
go a little higher. Thanks so much

Does the recipient know much about pens? If not, you might consider a Mont
Blanc. It might not write well, and will break easily. But for people who don't
know much about pens, they will appreciate the a Mont Blanc because of its
status symbol. For many people, Mont Blanc's are the only brand they'd consider
as quality pens.

Mont Blancs aren't bad pens. It's just that many pen people consider them
overpriced, and dislike their sphil.

So, if the recipient does know about pens, you oughtn't consider a Mont Blanc.
It might show that you haven't given the pen much thought, and just bought the
pen because it is an obligatory status symbol. I would recommend a Pelikan M800
fountain pen, or a high end Namiki.

If the recipient knows a lot about pen, you might want to consider an American
vintage pen.

Dik

On 25 Aug 2003 22:36:57 GMT, (Dik F. Liu) wrote:

If the recipient knows a lot about pen, you might want to consider an American
vintage pen.

Or a Japanese vintage pen or a German vintage pen (including a number
of extremely well made Montblancs such as the early 142s, 144s, and
146s with all metal telescoping piston mechanisms) or a Dutch vintage
pens (I have a very nice rose pearl w/white veins Nationaal here
that's bound to impress) or an English vintage pen or an Italian
vintage pen or...... B

On 25 Aug 2003 22:36:57 GMT, (Dik F. Liu) wrote:

snip
I would recommend a Pelikan M800 fountain pen, or a high end Namiki.

No, Dik. The high-end Namikis go directly to me (esp. those
disgusting raden lacquered ones like the Nightline). Glen's friend
would be more than happy with a Vanishing Point, which btw, is a very
nice pen in the less-than $100 price range. The Mandarin Yellow is
gorgeous (if you can find them) as is the Blue Carbonesque ... and
fiddle sticks... now I see they have a Red Carbonesque! --- Bern

In article , BLandolf
writes:


No, Dik. The high-end Namikis go directly to me (esp. those disgusting raden
lacquered ones like the Nightline).

What are you - an only child?! You have to learn how to SHARE, young lady.

Dik

Hi, Glen!

$200 can get you a beautiful pen, and there are a lot of options open
to you at that price.

Things to look for:

If the gift is for a man, a full sized pen is the way to go, something
that will look slick with a suit and tie. If it's for a woman, go for
a compact pen she can fit into a purse, day-runner or checkbook.

Unless the recipient is a collector or an irredeemable antique-hound
with really specific ideas about what they want, don't go with a
vintage pen. It's too easy to get taken by unscrupulous dealers if you
aren't on top of the market, and unless it's in absolute mint
condition (it won't be at your price), it can come accross as a cheap
rather than a thoughtful gift, despite its actual worth.

Most new pens, even the really pricey ones, are simply plastic. A high
price tag is no gurantee the pen won't feel and look cheap, especially
in "basic black". On the other hand, brightly colored "celluloid" pens
are very eye catching, and that sort of plastic has a pleasing heft to
it. Even if the brand isn't immediately recognized, a high quality pen
stands out just the way a fine quality watch does. Filcao, Cesare
Emilano, Conklin and Monteverde make excellent celluloid pens in the
$80-$150 range. Filcao also has silver and rosewood pens. The Rotring
600 is a heavy, macho pen machined from steel that can be used as a
pry-bar or self defense weapon in a pinch. Great for mechanichs,
engineers, tradesmen and geeks.

Fountain pens are very classy, but also somewhat high maintenance,
requiring regular use and care. If the gift's recipient is't likely to
use it once a month or so, or just isn't the type to enjoy messing
about with neat things for the sake of messing about with neat things,
a rollerball and pencil combo might be a better choice. A fountain pen
will have more "wow" power, tho.

If you go with a fountain pen, a gold nib isn't neccessarily a
"better" nib than a steel one, though it can send the right message in
a gift. Also, some pens, like all of the Pelikan Souverans, are
designed to fill straight from an ink bottle, while most others take
cartridges. If you give them a "filler", make sure to give them a
bottle of ink to go along with it... the india ink you find at art
supply stores will likely wreck the pen.

Some models known for their attractiveness and quality in your range:

Filcao Leader
Filcao Forever (A tiny fountain pen that will tuck away anywhere.)
Cesare Emilano Cassiopea (available with a gold nib!)
Conklin Glider
Pelikan M400
Monteverde Intima (both in FP and rollerball, perfect for a purse)
Waterman Carene
Namiki VanishingPoint
Rotring 600 (Get a pen and pencil, and still be inside the budget.)

Others will pipe in with their personal favorites, I'm sure.

~ Matt Gabriel, Mad Poet

(GB) wrote in message . com...
I think I will be buying a nice pen as a gift. I know NOTHING about
pens and really need some links to good information on what to look
for. Recommendations are great too. I'll spend up to $200 but could
go a little higher. Thanks so much

Glen

"GB" wrote in message
om...
I think I will be buying a nice pen as a gift. I know NOTHING about
pens and really need some links to good information on what to look
for. Recommendations are great too. I'll spend up to $200 but could
go a little higher. Thanks so much

I am going to put in a vote for a new or old Parker 51. If you're getting
it as a gift, and would like to make a nice presentation, etc, an all, go
for the new. If you want to give an original and something that has
character or history, go for a used.

I was in NYC this past weekend and picked up a new Parker 51 Special Edition
and was completely blown away by it. It's a little more than you want to
spend but I think you can talk down the price a little. I did. This pen
has shot to the top of my pen list. My previous top of the list was the
Aurora Mare, which like the Parker 51 worked right, no problems at all, the
first time, right out of the box. The new 51 tops the Mare because it's
just so much SMOOOOOOTHER. The Mare writes fluidly. The 51 GLIDES across
the paper.

When I bought my first fountain pens a few years ago, it was tough because
so many pens didn't work "exactly" right, right out of the box. I used to
hear the gibberish about "breaking it in", and "letting the pen get used to
your writing style" etc. I have a Waterman Carene that leaks around the
nib. I have an Ancora that needed to be sent back to Italy for repair.
With the Mare, the Parker 51 and a few others, you'll learn that those
phrases are to cover up poor quality control. Getting a pen is a nice gift.
Getting a fountain pen is a special gift. Getting fountain pen that works
right, right out of the box is a treasure. Finally, getting a Parker 51,
new or old, as a gift would be sublime.

On Tue, 26 Aug 2003 11:39:58 -0400, "Robert Chin"
wrote:

snip

With the Mare, the Parker 51 and a few others, you'll learn that those
phrases are to cover up poor quality control....

Not to rain on your parade, Robert, but the new 51s (both colors) had
major problems with the barrels cracking (flat out terrible plastic).
Parker made new barrels and sent them to all their distributors.
Make sure yours has one of the new barrels on it so it doesn't
spontenously crack in a few months. --- Bernadette

"BLandolf" wrote in message
...

Not to rain on your parade, Robert, but the new 51s (both colors) had
major problems with the barrels cracking (flat out terrible plastic).
Parker made new barrels and sent them to all their distributors.
Make sure yours has one of the new barrels on it so it doesn't
spontenously crack in a few months. --- Bernadette

Thanks for the heads up. Is there a way to check, or should I just call
Parker?

Bob

On Tue, 26 Aug 2003 14:11:10 -0400, "Robert Chin"
wrote:

"BLandolf" wrote in message
.. .

Not to rain on your parade, Robert, but the new 51s (both colors) had
major problems with the barrels cracking (flat out terrible plastic).
Parker made new barrels and sent them to all their distributors.
Make sure yours has one of the new barrels on it so it doesn't
spontenously crack in a few months. --- Bernadette

Thanks for the heads up. Is there a way to check, or should I just call
Parker?

Hi Bob... I would ask the folks from whom you bought it. Parker sent
spare barrels to the distributors, and the distributors sent spares to
dealers. The seller should know whether the barrel has been replaced.
Bernadette

In article , "Robert Chin"
writes:

I am going to put in a vote for a new or old Parker 51. If you're getting
it as a gift, and would like to make a nice presentation, etc, an all, go
for the new. If you want to give an original and something that has
character or history, go for a used.

I was in NYC this past weekend and picked up a new Parker 51 Special Edition
and was completely blown away by it. It's a little more than you want to
spend but I think you can talk down the price a little.

The original 51 has an ink collector. This feature is not visible from the
outside; and many who own the original 51s might not know about it. Yet, this
feature is a part of why the original 51 was such a reliable pen. You don't see
the feature on the outside. It's not there for show. But it is there working
quietly to ensure that that pen writes well pages after pages. The new 51, as
far as I know, lacks such a feature.

Even cheapo Heros have an ink collector to regulate ink flow. I don't
understand why the new 51 fails to follow the tradition.

Dik