I had an email from Lesley last week, and in it she asked if we had ever shown our “favorite, most cherished, always inked, sought after, or best find pen”. She asked what our “pick of the litter” pen is. My problem with that? ……JUST ONE PEN ????? Aaaaack!!! Is it even possible to choose? Well, I’ll try…..
This is sooo hard though!! I like fountain pens with fine nibs, I like smooth writers, and I like a good fit in my hand. My perfect pen must post, and it must be a reliable writer, both as a dependable starting pen, and as a pen with consistent flow.
In my daily carry pen case that I keep in my purse, I always have inked my Pilot E95s in Burgundy and Gold with a fine nib. It’s a smaller pen, but posted, it feels great in my hand, and it is truly a wonderful writer. I love the color combination, and I have always had a fondness for burgundy pens. The fine nib feels more like an extra fine, but the flow is consistent and the slip cap makes it extremely convenient to use.
Next to it, is my Sailor Pro Gear Slim Sky with a Medium-Fine nib. The translucent blue body is a gorgeous color that just makes me smile every time I use it, and it reminds me of a sunny clear summer sky. The medium-fine nib is unique to Sailor, and certainly worthy of the wonderful reputation that Sailor nibs enjoy. Sailor nibs, like Pilot and Platinum nibs, run about a size finer than American or European nibs, so this medium-fine nib feels more like a very thin fine. The flow is wonderful, and talk about a smooooth writer!! The Pro Gear Slim is the smaller size in the Sailor line-up, and it fits well in my hand. The cap posts well, and it is an incredibly reliable writer.
Lisa’s Daily Carry
Next in line, sits my Sheaffer Intensity in the now-discontinued Cornflower Blue, with, of course, the fine nib. This pen is at the core of a bit of a good-natured joke at our store. Whenever a customer looks at an Intensity, or tries one, I always say the same thing, which makes Dave and Brian laugh… “I LOVE my Intensity”!! This is a slightly heavier metal-bodied pen, but the thinner girth fits well in my hand. The cap posts well on the barrel, and the length works well for me. Nice weight, perfect girth in the hand for long writing sessions, nice smooth nib and good flow.
Other best, most favorite-est pens? My Sailor Magellan from approx 2001 or so, my Pilot Stella 90, now re-released as the Stargazer, Royal Blue Pilot Prera I took in trade at the Denver Pen Show in 2014, the Franklin-Christoph 03 in Anderson Blue, the green Omas I bought from our good friend Omas-enabler John Colton at the LA Pen Show in 2014. Lesley, you really want me to choose??? And I have not even started in on my amazingly smooth, ultra-gorgeous Aurora Optima pens – the Mare, the 75th Anniversary Red, the Sole in sunny yellow. They all have my heart!!!
Lisa’s Daily Carry
Well, Lesley, and the rest of you in PenLand, I guess I didn’t do a very good job of answering your question. There are so many amazing pens, so many good writers, so many shiny pretty pointy things, that it’s hard to choose. I do have the above listed favorites, but there are so many others that have wonderful attributes as well. It’s so unfair to have to choose!!
So share with me – what are you favorite-est, most awesome pens? What trips your trigger?
Ink It Up!
Lisa & Brian