Don’t know if you can get one of these for £200 but the Pilot Myu/Murex is a thing of particular beauty (in my eyes, at least)

Any photos of the carved nibs? sounds interesting.

This thread’s brought out the impulsive in me and I’ve splashed out on a Pilot Vpen… It’s the most expensive pen I’ve ever owned.

brought out the impulsive in me and I’ve splashed out on a Pilot Vpen… It’s the most expensive pen I’ve ever owned.

Congratulations on your purchase, there is something nice about writing with a fountain pen.

Snigger

http://www.penisland.net/

So the long and short of it is, if you want a pen for actually writing with rather than doing stuff like signatures, take it for decent test drive first.

Agreed in full!

For many people, they think it’s more about pulling a Mont Blanc out to sign that big deal, grrrr, you’re a tiger, etc!

I test drove/wrote my Cross and it’s a joy to write with.

(I never put the cap on top like that though. Looks scruffy and doesn’t balance as well for writing.)

Gahhhh hurry up payday! I want [b]need[/b] to be fiscally irresponsible!

Double snigger
http://www.penisland.net/wood.html

So, I don’t need a fountain pen but was seduced by reviews of the Italix pens mention ed. Ordered one (Churchman’s Prescriptor) yesterday, arrived today, and it is gorgeous. Heavy and well weighted, it writes beautifully, so if the OP is still looking these are definately worth a look. Need to find the paper to do it justice now

Also Lamy carts are proprietiary.

That’s weird because my old faithful plastic Lamy takes Parker cartridges absolutely fine.

Lamy might be proprietary, but you can either buy a refiller that lets you use any bottled ink for about £3 or buy the disposable cartridges in bulk for not much money online.

I’m glad you liked the Italix!

As for carts: there is a “standard” (international / euro) and neither Lamy or Parker use it. But those two are almost the same – and as Pinkster found out – will work in each other in a pinch. Or yes CHB, use a convertor with bottled ink!

There are other flashier pens for signing things and looking important, but for a stealthy lovely pen the Lamy 2000 is the best.

This is the truth.

I have two 2000s: a black Makrolon with medium nib, and a stainless steel 2000M with EF nib.

These go with:

Cross Century II
Lamy Safari (white and Vista)
AG Spalding (wood and translucent bodies)
Lamy Safari (platinum grey with gold nib)
Dunhill Sidecar Chassis with an immense Bock nib, which a near miss on losing it means it now never leaves the house

I use bottled ink in all of them – always Diamine.

Other than the past few weeks when the urge to use a Lamy 2000 ballpoint has overtaken me (and the occasions only a pencil – Rotring, natch – will do), all my writing is done with a fountain pen.

I think a recent pay rise may warrant a new pen. Definitely Japanese, probably a Sailor (Pro Gear or 1911) or a Platinum 3776 or Pilot Falcon.

Ourman in t’North: I have the Stainless steel Lamy 2000 too, but it’s too heavy and the cap tends to fall off easily due to weight.
The Lamy Dialogue 3 I have in SS is also a nice pen, but the clip tends to get in my way when I write as I am left handed and hold the pen in a gawky way.
Is the Diamine ink much better than standard Lamy stuff?

I love a nice fountain pen although mine are just cheap ones – mid 90s Parker (x2) and a Schneider iD after being led astray by this thread. I find that I rarely use them in this age of computing and my handwriting had regressed to Kubrick’s ape level.
I’d love to be able to do caligraphy style writing
Can anyone recommend an online teaching resource for this?

Is the Diamine ink much better than standard Lamy stuff?

I think so, but if you look on the Diamine web site there’s 2 things to note
– a far bigger range of colours than Lamy
– 30 ml botttles for £2.67

ElShalimo – Member
I love a nice fountain pen although mine are just cheap ones – mid 90s Parker (x2) and a Schneider iD after being led astray by this thread. I find that I rarely use them in this age of computing and my handwriting had regressed to Kubrick’s ape level…

I no longer have much occasion to write and I fear that is happening to me too.

You can dramatically improve most cheap nibs if you are prepared to put a few hours in with a very fine oilstone.

This thread has inspired me to get out my pen again though. I’ll find some excuse to use it.

You can dramatically improve most cheap nibs if you are prepared to put a few hours in with a very fine oilstone.

How does that work?

You can dramatically improve most cheap nibs if you are prepared to put a few hours in with a very fine oilstone.
Seeing as how paper is pretty abrasive by itself, putting in the equivalent amount of time writing on some fairly rough surfaced paper will have exactly the same effect, which is to get the nib adapted to exactly the right angle for your writing style, and polished at that angle.

Thanks

Cheers everyone, I like the look of the Lamy 2000, so will try one at my LFPS (local fountain pen shop). But some of the others linked look nice too. Maybe I need more than one. or two. Or three…..

Churchman’s Prescriptor from Italix (c£50).
Pure pen porn (especially when added to some Diamine Sargasso Sea ink)

I already have a perfectly good pen (a parker that I was given) but I’m really tempted to get a lamy studio and an ink pot. What say you oh “potentially more fiscally responsible than I am” ones?

Curse you Terry Wrist!

Today I found myself in a stationer’s shop fingering the fountain pens.

I got as far as the counter before I realised I would be wasting bike money on a pen.

A near miss.

🙂

Somewhere, I have a black plastic Lamy I bought donkey’s years ago, I’m now going to have to start hunting through various drawers full of assorted clutter to try to find the damned thing!
See what you’ve started…
(Tut!) 😉

psa – WH Smith online are doing Lamy Studios for 28 gbp, code SPRING5 gets you an extra fiver off so 24 gbp delivered.

Top one, on its way!!! Thanks, good post

Looks like I’m going to the local smiths at the weekend to see if I can get a test write!

I had a hunt around last night, couldn’t find the Lamy, but I found two Parkers and a cheap Osmiroid italic, which are soaking in a little box full of water to get all the dried ink out, and I’ll get some cartridges at the weekend.
One of the Parkers is a 99, I think, the other I have no idea. When I’ve got them dried out I’ll stick up a photo.