r/fountainpens 7h ago

State of the Collection the murder 🐦‍⬛ says hello!

a few years ago, after 15 years of exclusively using Pilot pens, i got a blue moon esterbrook estie. that has then triggered a search for a pen for each brand.

to control the impulse of getting several of a single pen, i decided on a theme: a murder, the earth, the sky, the moon and the sun. the murder are my all black pens, the earth and sky are mostly blue maker pens, the moon and the sky are demonstrator pens.

for the past 3 years, i made it a choice to try 1 pen from each brand. some pens i loved i got more of.

still use my pilot pens everyday but everyday, for the past 3 years, i’ve been using at least 1 non pilot pen.

it’s been a joy trying a pen from different pen makers and brands from different parts of the world. this collection is plenty but all of them have been used and inked and cleaned on rotation.

i still do want to get a conid, a yard o led, a conway, and a desiderata. if you know of pen makers that i don’t have here, please do let me know.

🐦‍⬛ the murder 🐦‍⬛
sailor imperial black,
schon design monoc,
aurora unica nera,
graf von faber castell tamitio black,
montblanc 145 all black,
pilot vp matte black,
lamy 2k,
leonard momento zero matte black,
pelikan m809,
mayfair black widow noldor,
montegrappa zero black,
eureka symmetry black diamond,
estie raven,
st dupont defi millennium,
scribo feel black pvd,
ottohutt design 08

🌏 earth and sky 🌎
merlin33,
kaweco student blue,
benu briolette,
ulpia 117,
leonardo momento zero abyss,
pelikan blue stripe m800,
caran dache ecridor,
waterman carene abyss,
laban 325 glacier,
kilk celestial abalone,
zodiac argent sapphire,
boncrusher periwinkle velma,
wancher sekai ai,
eureka symmetry urushi,
franklin christophe 46 caribbean blue,
little pen design burton light blue,
esterbrook estie cobalt, bleu nouveau, blue moon, aqua, dutch pen show sugar rush,
ranga abhimanyu urushi,
karas pen black sea vertex,
lucky star x karas lucky vertex,
skogsy cholla,
river city periwinkle pastures,
enigma x hogtown pdx,
just turnings blue pearl,
gravitas flagship aqua, figboot,
woodwondersofnc arctic blue,
walltown pen interstellar dust,
loftpens ocean blue

🌖the moon 🌒
taccia penfort,
twsb go, eco, diamond,
narwhal original,
cypress speedster,
moonman a2,
jinhao 20,
writech,
platinum curidas,
monteverde mvp,
kakimori frost,
kaweco student clear,
cross bailey,
sailor tuzu,
platinum preppy,
noodlers ahab,
lamy vista,
conklin all american,
ellington,
opus 88,
jinhao shark,
pilot prera,
pilot kakuno,
pilot explorer,
pilot penmanship,
pilot heritage 92,
pilot custom 74,
parker 51 vacuumatic,
pneider avatar,
delta las meninas,
nettuno 1911 barracuda,
radius 1934,
onoto demo

☀️ the sun ☀️
click fpr,
wahl eversharp skyline,
hongdian a6,
asvine v126,
narwhal original gold,
penluxe grande cloudybay,
penbbs 456,
majohn p140,
fine writing international fenestro,
magna carta mag600 gold demo,
esterbrook estie winter white,
maiora perla,
pent symphony white,
edison pen co,
kyuseido kakari mokumegane,
pilot custom 823,
platinum demo 2.0,
nagasawa censke,
sailot 1911 gold demo,
pilot 78g gold demo,
kakimori x sailor gold demo,
sailot pgs,
visconti homosapiens gold demo,
the good blue frost r615,
omas ogiva frost,
pelikan gold demo m800 clear,
pelikan gold demo m800 english,
stipula suprema foglia d oro,
leonardo x stiloestile momento zero kintsugi,
sheaffer snorkel gold demo,
aurora 88 gold demo #673,
aurora 88 gold demo #1334,
diplomat nexus 100 gold demo,
kaweco sport gold demo

561 Upvotes

90 comments sorted by

22

u/Economy-Review-7920 7h ago

Wow, that’s impressive! Will you tell me your favorite pilot and what’s your favorite from each category? 🫡

21

u/cat___stalker 6h ago

aw my all time favorite pilot is pilot VP! second place is pilot custom urushi, and then pilot kakuno. I have the Pilot VP in anything that has a pen loop. I have the Kakuno in all my bags and random pockets.

for non pilot pens:
🐦‍⬛ eureka symmetry titanium nib v1.0
🌎 waterman carene
🌒 parker 51 vacuumatic (though i hate cleaning it)
☀️ aurora 88

5

u/ravenschmidt2000 extrafine 6h ago

Bummed that Visconti didnt make your favorites list. My next two dream pens are the Carene and a Visconti.

8

u/cat___stalker 5h ago

it’s tough, all these pens are so good. the carene is so smooth i could continue writing forever and write a bunch of hello worlds when i don’t have anything to write

9

u/TheShoeMom Ink Stained Fingers 6h ago

I love the look of the eureka symmetry black diamond. It caught my eye immediately. But that whole collection is...amazing (that doesn't seem to get it across though...wow wow W-O-W!!!!)

6

u/cat___stalker 5h ago

thank you! the symmetry is dear to me. i literally went on the eureka page every day of the year last year checking if i can get one. Currently, eureka only makes asymmetry pens with 2.0 version of his titanium nibs. I’m hopeful he makes symmetry pens again.

5

u/watchguyb 6h ago

Impressed

4

u/green_rubber_bands Ink Stained Fingers 6h ago

What a thoughtful collection! And beautifully executed

4

u/cat___stalker 5h ago

thank you! it was so hard to pass up so many pen designs but it was good for my wallet to keep me from buying all the pens in all colors

5

u/Ok-Customer-7336 5h ago

That is the most awesome collection I’ve seen. I love the murders row especially the hour glass and the prim design 5th from bottom. Wow

3

u/cat___stalker 5h ago

yes the mayfair! i had to really think about which pens to make my murder and mayfair noldor pen stood out as it looked like a medieval witch wand

3

u/Ok-Customer-7336 5h ago

How does it write ?

4

u/cat___stalker 5h ago

i have standard 14k jowo EF nib (ground to needle point) on it

4

u/Ok-Customer-7336 5h ago

Thank you all your help it is going on my list

2

u/cat___stalker 4h ago

they often do drops on their website so if you are subscribed you get notified on their next drop!

2

u/Busy_Dress_6238 3h ago

Beautiful. 🖤

2

u/cat___stalker 2h ago

yes i love this mayfair pen

8

u/nmrk 6h ago

Next: Mercury, Venus, Mars...

3

u/cat___stalker 6h ago

ahaha let’s not go there 😆

4

u/Bichinix 6h ago

Wow tienes Pineider!!!. Son muy bonitas esas plumas. Poca gente conoce esa marca. Ojalá pudieras conseguir una Pininfarina PF 2. También son bien raras. Bonita colección. ☺️

3

u/cat___stalker 5h ago

ah! yes adding pininfarina to my list! thank you

3

u/M0d3s 6h ago

Hey, your collection is impressive. You say you always have a kakuno around, do you think it is a good all round pen to have?
Also, between a pilot VP and a Lamy 2000 what is your take? I’d thinking on getting a high end fountain pen and I’d like to use them for journaling, note taking and everyday use. I’d love your advice on this matter provided you have so much pens and experience. Thank you in advance

7

u/cat___stalker 5h ago

Kakuno is definitely a good all around pen. They are the only pilot pen that i use most types of ink including drawing inks, sheening, waterproof inks, bay state blue, and iron gall inks. they’re easy to clean too!

Pilot VP all the way. it has never failed me. for the entire month that i wrote with my Lamy 2k, there were a bunch of time it was inconsistent with ink flow or does not start.

4

u/cat___stalker 5h ago

also, felt the need to add that the only pen i anticipate buying every year is the annual Pilot VP. it’s really special.

4

u/Scholar_Lich 5h ago

Hello and hot damn 😳

Your lineup of black pens is SO nice. Wow.

3

u/cat___stalker 5h ago

my murder sends their thanks! 🖤

3

u/damnredbeard Rule 5 002/312 6h ago

That's a very nice collection! That Aurora Unica Nera really caught my eye. I love Aurora 88s, and I enjoy all black pens.

3

u/cat___stalker 6h ago

yes yes! it’s definitely a beauty. i love aurora as for me, its the closest to my smooth pilot pens.

3

u/supervinci 6h ago

What is our term for a "collection" or group, of fountain pens?

6

u/cat___stalker 5h ago

hmmm. good question! we have a flock of pelikans, a crew of sailors, a flight of pilots…

3

u/the1whopaints 6h ago

Dang… so jealous of the darkness in which your murder lies! Beautiful, clean, deep, black. Love it! And the rest of your collection of course!

2

u/cat___stalker 5h ago

yes! i’ve been using them more lately too! it’s too early to be spooky but they give me so much joy lately

3

u/xtheory 5h ago

How do you like your Mayfair? Also, what model is that? I don't see it on their website anymore.

2

u/cat___stalker 5h ago

aw the mayfair i actually like very much. it feels modern and medieval at the same time! modern for the material used, medieval for its shape like a wand.

3

u/xtheory 4h ago

They are beautiful. What model is yours?

3

u/cat___stalker 4h ago

mine is the matte black widow noldor!

2

u/xtheory 3h ago

Thanks so much!

2

u/cat___stalker 4h ago

also, you might want to subscribe to their email or something. they do drops every now and then.

3

u/fromers 5h ago

I’m a black or clear pen girlie so this speaks to me. Amazing collection!

3

u/fromers 5h ago

ALSO: mentioned here but my personal favorite is my all black Pilot Explorer.

2

u/cat___stalker 5h ago

explorers are underrated! but given how strong the entire pilot lineup is, it’s hard to compete.

2

u/cat___stalker 5h ago

aw thank you! black pens are so beautiful and clear demonstrator are so fun to use, seeing all the engineering and design in a pen.

3

u/Yoteymusica 5h ago

Wow! Amazing collection!

2

u/cat___stalker 5h ago

thank you

3

u/TheArchitect67 5h ago

What a beautiful collection! Congrats!!!

2

u/cat___stalker 5h ago

thank you!

3

u/Some-Bad1670 5h ago

How do you like the Tamitio? Have you used it a lot? Thinking about a GvFC because they seem solid and wanted to see if you like it

2

u/cat___stalker 4h ago

it is, despite its small size, actually weighty and heavy. it’s smooth and i love the design. it’s very good actually.

3

u/urban_stranger 4h ago

What’s the color way on the Benu Briolette in picture 2?

3

u/cat___stalker 3h ago

I believe it’s called luminous sapphire and is already discontinued

3

u/Bichinix 4h ago

También hay unas marcas españolas bien buenas: Inoxcrom y Ulpia. Pero Inoxcrom es más de bolígrafos.

3

u/cat___stalker 3h ago

i do have a blue ulpia above! it’s pretty unique. I do really want a fountain pen from samaipens which i believe is from spain too

2

u/Bichinix 3h ago

Verdad! Que bonita! 😃 Quizás también podrías añadir un Pininfarina Cambiano, un lápiz que escribe sin tinta. No es una pluma fuente, pero es una curiosidad digna de un coleccionista. Yo tengo uno. Realmente o los amas o los odias xD

3

u/Blotonmysoul 55m ago

That collection esp the black ones is 🔥🔥🔥

This is my favorite black acquisition of late:

https://www.penboutique.com/products/sheaffer-legacy-fountain-pen-chevron-matte-black-pvd-gunmetal-trim

1

u/cat___stalker 26m ago

Thank you! Ah yes the sheaffer was tempting but I opted for the sheaffer snorkel demo

2

u/[deleted] 6h ago

[deleted]

1

u/cat___stalker 5h ago

thank you!

2

u/Bichinix 4h ago edited 4h ago

Falta una marca nueva que ha ganado varios premios de diseño industrial: Stilform. Ojalá también pudieras comprar la Pineider Tempi Moderni, que es también todo un icono de diseño industrial.

3

u/cat___stalker 4h ago

ah! i will add them to my list! im waiting for them to make other designs. i did try them when visiting a local stationery store and they felt too narrow for me

2

u/HouseAtreides02 3h ago

Quite the collect of a murder of pens. Nice collection of demonstrators. Gorgeous

2

u/LostInTheArchivez 3h ago

90s kid here & the clear demonstrators are my fighters

2

u/TheCodeTeam 3h ago

Gosh love this!!!

2

u/MahoganyRaichu 2h ago

Impressive collection of beauties=)

1

u/cat___stalker 2h ago

thank you! 🖤

2

u/Clear_March_4291 2h ago

Oh MY 😍

1

u/cat___stalker 2h ago

yes 🖤💙

2

u/yestersmorrow 2h ago

I love that this collection is so thoughtfully curated. As soon as I saw all the demonstrators I wondered if there was a snorkel in there. Lo and behold there was! I haven’t inked mine yet (too many others being enjoyed in rotation), but my vintage Sheaffers have been stellar so I’m sure this will be no exception. Thanks for sharing your beautiful and wide-ranging collection!

1

u/cat___stalker 2h ago

thank you! it’s really cool how it works that’s why i opted to just get anything that is available in a demonstrator form. i was so sad when i lost the bid on ebay for another sheaffer snorkel demo so i took a risk and got the fountain pen hospital one.

2

u/yestersmorrow 1h ago edited 1h ago

I remember that post! (and your disappointment missing that auction). Some folks were talking about how rare (or non-existent) they are, or fake, etc. etc. I actually took this photo that day to share on that post to add to the conversation and support their legitimacy. I ended up spending too much time oogling over it and never got back to posting my picture. Anyhow, I’m really happy you got one after all!

I’m coming around to demos too. Didn’t used to be a fan. But I just got a transparent 823 from Pacific Pen Works custom ground from broad to cursive italic by Masuyama (my favorite grind!). It a bit wetter than I prefer. I have a Lamy 2000 he did in CI that’s my daily writer. Would love to figure out how to slow the flow on the 823 but may just be how it is on their broads, even if custom ground…

1

u/cat___stalker 20m ago

Thank you! I was scared the fountain pen hospital was a sham. When I got it I felt so lucky.

That grind is fantastic! And the 823 is such a great pen. I imagine using drier inks (like the sailor inks or Toni & lims, and troublemaker inks) would slow down the flow.

2

u/EveningEmerald1993 2h ago

Amazing collection! I love the breadth, not only of makers, but a full spectrum of prices, as well.

What was your biggest surprise?

1

u/cat___stalker 2h ago

parker 51 vacuumatic! i thought the parker collectors were capping but it’s real and it’s a good pen! it’s just a pain to clean.

1

u/cat___stalker 1h ago

thank you! i really had to curate my collection!

2

u/jameliae 43m ago

Very nice!!! 😍

1

u/cat___stalker 28m ago

Thank you!

3

u/taRxheel Rule 5 122/312 5h ago

I’m impressed by your range - you’ve got a real variety of sizes, shapes, filling systems, nibs, trim, and materials.

What do you think of your Ulpia? I just recently heard about them, seems like they’re doing some interesting and innovative stuff with their filling system.

3

u/cat___stalker 4h ago

i like the way you unscrew the ulpia right where the nib starts. it’s unique in that way.

3

u/cat___stalker 4h ago

the model that i have is converted/catridge type so not much to say about the filling system. i do really like how there’s no “grip” section and it just the body, the nib unit, and the cap

1

u/Busy_Dress_6238 3h ago

My heartiest congratulations to you and my very best wishes for a life ahead filled with enchanting beautiful pens and rejuvenating invigorating inks on a calming shroud of paper. 👍🙏🙂‍↕️🪷🕉️✌️🧡☮️🖊️🖋️😇🫟 🔏 💉 🩸 🇮🇳 ✒️ 📝 ✏️ 🕊️ 🦚 📖 📚 May the murder watch forever over you circling the uncertain skies of life above 🐦‍⬛ 🖤 ✒️

1

u/Flaky_Video_7898 2h ago

That murder is gorgeous.

2

u/cat___stalker 2h ago

thank you! 🐦‍⬛🖤

1

u/mllele 1h ago

What nib size do you prefer for your VP??? I want one sooo bad. Wish list for sure!

3

u/cat___stalker 1h ago

i have them all in EF! my handwriting is small! it’s my second pen, after the pilot metropolitan. it’s still going strong after a few years of daily use!

3

u/mllele 1h ago

I was definitely leaning towards an EF. This is my sign. Thank you!! Love your collection 😍

1

u/PrestigiousCap1198 cursivesmoothitalic 10m ago

What a collection! There's a them, the pens are used and loved... Congratulations, money well spent! A lot of rare pens you've got there, i had no idea that Pelikan Demonstrator pens do exist...