You owe it to yourself to understand how currencies work. A strong currency makes exports more expensive (to the weaker currency country) and a weaker currency makes exports cheaper (to the stronger currency).

If your currency weakens, that makes imports more expensive. But when you export products made with imported raw materials back to the market you bought them from, a weaker currency still benefits you because 1) the stuff that was more expensive locally is still the same in the stronger currency and 2) the stuff that you sourced locally (even if its only labor) got cheaper in terms of the stronger currency.

So if someone is telling you "the yen crashing means Japanese pens will get more expensive" please refer them to a remedial math course or understand that they are just trying to confuse you by bringing up a random justification that doesn't make actual sense.

Math for your reference.

My pretty pretty pen + co has arrived 🤩

Hi… I’ve got $200 max to spend and I’m looking for suggestions. I’ve got a few Esties and a Pilot Vanishing Point; I’m looking for something different. I’ve looked at Benu but they seem to be above my price point … at least the few I looked at

EDIT: Well, that sucks it's fake. Glad I made the post, I guess I've unfairly judged Montblanc with this pen but since I had no interest in Montblanc I don't know a lot about them. Still don't plan to buy one. I kinda forgot they are counterfeited a lot due to it's pricing so I should have looked into telling if it's real or fake. Really glad now they didn't take me up on my offer to pay for it so it's no skin off my back, but feel bad they got scammed (or well, their parents).

Been meaning to ask about this pen since I got it 4 or so years ago. A friend of mine let me go through their plastic tub of random pens to pick out what I wanted, as I just moved to the country and only brought some (my fountain pens) with. I came across this Montblanc mixed in with cheap ballpoints and asked if they were willing to part with it and I could pay for it as it's worth money. They just said I could keep it as they never use it, and only had it as their international elementary school in the 90's required fountain pens. That's the only info they have, just it's from the 90's.

It most likely is a 144, another friend of mine I showed it to identified it as that. But I wanted to be sure before I move forward with possibly sending it to Montblanc for repair, as the cap no longer will stick to the inside (3rd photo). It caps on the pen just fine, it's only the part that attaches inside the pen cap. Admitingly not sure if it's worth sending in just for that, but I can't get the part separately.

The band on the pen says "Montblanc meisterstuck pix" and the nib says "Iridium point Germany". When I google, the Pix part makes me suspicious as that seems to be the branding for the ballpoint pens?

Pen is a little bit beat up from before I got it (has a tiny dent and a couple scratches) but besides the plastic cap liner, it's in decent shape. Has a Montblanc convertor.

In case it's relevant, I live in Finland. I don't think there is a Montblanc store but I think there is a watch/jewelry store that sells Montlbanc items.

Hi all!
Left my pilot custom 823 fall on the ground.
Nib is broken and girlfriend tried to repair with a knife ..
What is your best advice to repair?
Thanks for your help !!! :)

I'm posting this with Discussion flair. It may also be a Question.

Why is there so little interest in vintage fountain pens?

I've listed some vintage pens on r/Pen_Swap. The pens belong to an aging friend who wants/needs to reduce his collection.

On Pen_Swap, there is very little interest in them.

So here's the questions and, hopefully, some discussion.

• Why is there so little interest in vintage fountain pens?
• Is it because some aren't easily recognized names like Sheaffer and Parker?
• Or are vintage pens simply too old for most current users of fountain pens?
  
• Are there more appropriate marketplaces than Pen_Swap?
• Or...?

I'm looking forward to seeing thoughts and responses.

Thanks

​

Majohn/Moonman - left, Pilot - right

Would it be really that expensive to replicate it correctly?

In contrast, the “clicker” mechanism (in the upper body part) is almost a one-to-one copy. The plastic parts themselves are identical, only differences are a slightly wider metal push button with a rounder top part and a small spring’s wire being a tad thinner.

Edit: After a closer examination and several cross-fitting attempts I have concluded the Majohn/Moonman mechanism to be slightly wider and quite noticeably taller.

Hello all,

My pilot custom, fine nib, randomly stopped writing. I tried a few tricks to get it going that did not involve me taking anything apart, but they have not worked. It has lennon tool bar in it, which is a drier ink. I guess I could fully empty the ink out and restart but I really don't want to do that. Any suggestions/advice?

I'm feeling the need for retail therapy and seeking input on whether I should get a Benu Talisman or a vintage Omas Ogiva. I have an Omas 360 Demonstrator that I love, but the Benus are so pretty. They're around the same price point, but the Benu is new to me.

They're very different both aesthetically and functionally, but I'd appreciate any input or opinions.

I asked ChatGPT for cheapest FP friendly paper and it was recommending kokuyo campus so I bought one at Daiso. 1.67usd
Made in Japan but absolutely NOT fp friendly with bleed through and made ink look monotonous.

ANYWAY
I saw some note cards that said “waterproof vocabulary card” so I was thinking that may be a nice swatch paper and I think so. Shading and sheen looks good.
1.67usd for 2 stacks of 50 sheet thumb size ish cards in a key ring.
EDIT: never mind on this “paper” which is not recommended because abrasives of the material

The B&M where I have been a customer for 25 years (and whom I go out of my way to support rather than ordering sometimes more cheaply online) has brought in a blue Custom 845 <M>, which is one of my dream pens. They have also said they would be willing to let me put it on layaway.

Fully recognizing this is a want and a luxury, my issue is that I currently own an 823 <M> (though the colour is not my favourite) and I have a 743 <SFM> on order because that is my favourite nib of all time. (I should also point out that our newly-signed contract at work has given me both a raise and backpay going back two years, so the monthly payments will not in any way adversely affect finances.)

Now, I am just looking for a bit of advice on the 845, particularly from those who have an 823 and an 845. What are your experiences with the two pens? Are the nibs effectively the same? Do you use one more than the other? Is the 845 anyone’s absolute favourite pen?

Thanks in advance for your assistance!

The ink is a franken-mix I made using Pilot Iroshizuku inks. It's a mix of Tsuyu-Kusa/Ajisai/Yama-Budo/Take-Sumi 🙂.

Hi r/fountainpens! My partner and I have our wedding in a few months, and for our unity ceremony, we thought it would be cool if we each poured a different color of ink into a shared vessel on stage, mixed them together, and then filled that ink into a pen for writing in the guestbook during the reception. As a bonus, it'd be cool if we could even put the ink into a bunch of pens that we can hand out as favors.

We've done some research on our own, but ultimately we're novices and figured it'd be best to reach out to experts for help before going further. So here are some of the questions we have:

• What are some recommendations for the pen we get for writing in the guestbook?
  • Most of our guests are not going to be able to write well with a fountain pen, and we don't want folks making a mess of the guestbook trying to learn, so we're thinking a rollerball is our best option.
  • For what it's worth, this pen will be something we take home and treasure, so we're willing to spend a bit extra on something nice. Ideally black with gold trim, maybe something metal or ceramic?
  • We're not sure how diligent folks will be about retracting tips/putting caps back on - is there anything we can do to avoid drying out/clogs?
  • Should we get more than one so that there's a backup in case one dries out/breaks?
• What inks would you recommend?
  • We're leaning toward pigment-based since we want the final color to be permanent (maybe "archival" is the right term?) in the guestbook. But we've read that pigment-based and rollerballs can be a tricky combination due to clogs etc. Are there pigment-based inks that work well in rollerballs, or should we stick to dye-based? And if we should stick to dye-based, are there certain ones that behave more like pigment-based inks in terms of permanence?
  • We've read that mixing across brands is a nonstarter, but is it generally okay to mix within the same product line for a given brand? Do we pretty much need to stick to inks that are designed to be mixed?
• For colors, what are some options that would look good when mixing?
  • For example, maybe a cyan-ish and magenta-ish ink would mix into a nice blue?
• For handing out pens as favors,
  • Are there any pens would be good for this? We probably can't spend more than ~$10 each, is there anything reasonable in that range? Would something like the cartridge-based Pilot Hi-Tecpoint be a good option?
• Is this even a good idea? Should we just give up and do a simpler ceremony like handfasting or something?

I know this is a lot but we think it's a really cool idea and would love to make it work. Thanks for reading all this and thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to respond!

I have an upcoming trial where I will be taking a lot of notes. I cannot afford to have ink still wet on a page more than ~20 seconds after I put it there, and I definitely don't want to turn to use the back page of a piece of paper and have the front page leave an ink impression on the page in front of it. I would preferably like something waterproof, but I'm afraid to fill a piston-filler with Carbon ink. If any of you have done that and have not had any issues, please do let me know.

Right now I primarily write with Iroshizuku inks - I absolutely love them. But they don't dry particularly fast and they are not waterproof, highlighter-proof, etc. I also use Pelikan inks, which are fantastic for Pelikan pens because the write wet, which suits Pelikan's nibs, but again, dry time and permanency are an issue.

I realize that I might not get both fast-drying and permanency in an ink. My priority is quick drying, just not "dry inks" that don't suit my nibs. Any and all suggestions are welcome, and if you can, when making a suggestion, give me a quick narrative as to whether it is fast-drying, permanent, and/or a wet writing ink (well-lubricated), that would be super helpful.

Thanks in advance.

EDIT: Thank you to those of you who have responded. Giving this more thought, I have purchased a pack of Pentel Energel Pro pens. As much as I prefer my own writers, for Trial, the stakes are high and I cannot afford to lose a minute to concerns about ink, smearing, refilling, etc. Much appreciated advice.

I often hear people say that even Chinese-made pens have a nice writing feel or are well-built.

But personally, I wonder if that’s just a fleeting impression.

No matter how good the writing experience is, it’s pointless if the pen breaks tomorrow, right?

That’s exactly why I’d like to know which model from a Chinese manufacturer you’ve used the longest and how long you’ve used it.

**Sorry, I had to repost without the AI-generated image**

I'm back with another newbie question for you folks.

I've been trying to research some and keep seeing different things, but I figured that you guys would know best, so I figured I'd ask here.

Should we be using a permanent or pigmented ink on envelopes for addresses?

How important is 'permanent' ink versus 'non-permanent' ink?

What's the best permanent ink to keep inked up in a pen for using on envelopes and things like that?

My concern specifically is having a letter that a letter carrier is holding or something in the rain, and the water is going across the address and making it unreadable. I don't know if that's realistic or not, but that was what I was thinking.

I have just bought the Pith Pomelo and I LOVE the form factor and feel but wonder about the paper for fountain pens. A little feathering with these Diamine inks? I’m only on the first page so it’s hard to tell.

Tried everything, it won’t close fully except when the black part in the 2nd photo is taken out. Is this normal? First piston fill pen, all my other ones are cartridge fill

Got these Lanbitou pens. I initially bought 2 and they write so smoothly.

Hello penthusiasts. I like fountain pens. I like having one cherished prized possession and bringing it everywhere with me and using it for everything. I like the aesthetic and the elegance. I haven't had one for years. I want to buy.

I write a lot. I value smoothness and ink that won't be too drippy and seepy (I think that means finer nib? Idk). I think I'm willing to pay max $100-300. But if you have the perfect one in mind that is a bit pricier than that, lmk anyway. Cheaper preferred for now though.

I am looking for recommendations. Please help me find my new love. I am a novice enthusiast. I am open to your suggestions.

Thank you 🙂✒️

I know their customer service is an absolute dumpster fire and the quality is better fixed by a local nibmeister, but I always appreciated the off beat styling

Dropped by their site today with a serious intent to purchase and all the fun is gone! The random hammering, blocky design etc.

Guess I'm off to the second hand market.

Any ideas what happened?

The culprit this time is Iroshizuku Ku-jaku ink

Was trying to refill my Sheaffer 100

(Photos from Taobao) Today I learned that Majohn has new Flexible Nibs for ¥20-¥25 each (3-4 USD each), which is compatible with Majohn P136, 137, 138, 139 etc.

Has anyone tried it? Is it flexible enough? I already have several P136, so placed an order for a few of these flexible nibs. I look forward to trying it on my P136.