So I May Have a Problem (cough)

Laura4 Comments

blue fountain pens with chrome trim

Sometimes a new pen purchase triggers … well, not a look in the mirror, exactly, but a furtive peek into the pen case.

Is it possible that I like blue and chrome pens a little too much?

You know, I’m going to go with “no.”  That is unpossible.

Don’t think twice, it’s alright.

Blue fountain pens with chrome trim

Things That Are Blue: Two Bright Blue Pelikans

Laura4 Comments

Pelikan M605 Marine Blue and Pelikan M205 Transparent Blue fountain pens

Here is a quick look at my new blue Pelikan, the M205 Transparent Blue, with my slightly older blue Pelikan, the M605 Marine Blue.

The M205 is a demonstrator. The Marine Blue is not: the glossy, translucent plastic of the Marine Blue looks much less transparent in person than in photographs. But the Marine Blue has a definite “ooh shiny” quality.

The M205 is smaller, thinner and lighter, and has the steel nib instead of gold. But it’s also less expensive. And, yet, shiny. I passed this up when it was widely available a few years ago, but as soon as Pelikan reissued it, I snapped one up.

I use modern Pelikans all the time, and with blue my favorite ink color, I’m glad to have both of these.

Pelikan M605 Marine Blue and Pelikan M205 Transparent Blue fountain pens

Pen of the Day: Pelikan M205 Transparent Blue

Laura2 Comments

Pelikan Classic M205 Transparent Blue Demonstrator with writing sample

Pelikan M205 Transparent Blue with fine nib. It’s full name seems to be the “Classic M205 Demonstrator Transparent Blue Special Edition” which certainly is a mouthful. But that does say it all. The pen is blue, it’s a demonstrator and it has chrome-plated trim.

Despite some internal struggle, I just had to have it. And it really looks great.

Pelikan Classic M205 Transparent Blue Demonstrator

As you can see from that photo above, the piston is black, but the spindle and other fittings are a lighter color — beige or gray. That makes the assembly less obtrusive, but still visible. I like Pelikan’s attention to detail there.

The only things I don’t love about this pen, and I knew both going in, are the Pelikan steel nib and the pen’s light weight. There’s nothing to do about the weight, since I don’t like writing with the pen posted. But as for the nib, because it’s a Pelikan I can swap in other nibs. And maybe I’ll have the steel nib stubbed or something. As we say in Chicago, “I know a guy.”

But, the look of the pen, I just love.

Pelikan Classic M205 Transparent Blue Demonstrator

Fountain Pen Favorites for April 2016

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calendar image

April was indeed the cruellest month around here. The weather was drear, everyone caught and recaught colds, and friends had stuff to deal with. But it’s all over now, baby blue. So we’ll scratch our metaphorical match and start anew.

The good news is that I’ve finally shaken off my post-pen show cold. And the other good news is that, at least in terms of fountain pens and inks, April actually had some nice highlights.

1. Chicago Pen Show. Four full days. Lots of fun. I bought some great things. And I have a lot of pens on the wishlist now. One pen actually made the buy list. I just have to wait for it to be released. Patience is one of the virtues I really need to work on.

2. Venvstas Carbon T. I do like my new pen.

3. Box o’ Stuff.  In the midst of cruel April, a box of pens and ink landed on my doorstop. The only thing I’ve taken out that box, so far, is the Dark Lilac Lamy Safari and ink. But there’s much better inside. I’ll look forward to those.

 

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Photo by Dafne Cholet, Flickr, used under Creative Commons license.

Wrapping up the 2016 Chicago Pen Show: Part 2

Laura5 Comments

2016 Chicago Pen Show fountain pens for sale

It’s not a pen show without pens, of course. So when I confessed in Part 1 of the 2016 Chicago Pen Show Wrap-Up that I hardly had any time to look at pens, I meant “look at” in the serious-buyer sense. I saw a lot of gorgeous pens this year. The lights were bright, as you can see, but that’s not the only reason I was dazzled.

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Wrapping Up the 2016 Chicago Pen Show: Part 1

Laura5 Comments

Chicago Pen Show ballroom on trader day

As you know if you follow the blog, last weekend was the 2016 Chicago Pen Show. Above is a photo from Thursday, before the show was set up for the public, and before most of the vendors had even arrived. What a carpet, huh?

This year the pen show went from Thursday, April 28 through Sunday, May 1.  I was helping out, so I was there every day. On the good news/bad news front, I hardly had any time to shop for myself. But that’s okay. If you aren’t a serious collector, a pen show can be kind of a reconnoitering mission. You see things, and you mull.

But the show was amazing. I’d like to give a briefer overview in this part, and then in the next part go more in depth about some of the pens and people.

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Pen of the Day: Parker Duofold Centennial

Laura4 Comments

Parker Duofold Centennial Black and Pearl with Rohrer & Klingner Fernambuk ink

Parker Duofold Centennial with medium stub. This is the modern Duofold in Black and Pearl. I saw a few of these at the pen show. Along with a number of vintage Duofolds in the original black and pearl celluloid. So it’s nice to take out mine again.

However, the main thing I’m interested in today is the ink, Rohrer & Klingner Fernambuk.

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