A Few Pens I Will Never Sell
As I have fallen down this awesome rabbit hole of Fountain Pens and paper and ink, I have created quite a beautiful collection of fine writing instruments, including pens from big brands and artisan pen makers alike. And each one has a story. One of the reasons for Lucky Star Pens coming to life is to sell some of my own pens in my collection. As others in the pen community often say, I am ‘paring’ down, making way for possible new acquisitions. I also like to think of it as sharing beautifully well-maintained pens with fellow pen lovers who can begin a new story.
First, my Kanilea collection, which includes six of my own and two that my parents have, will stay with me always. I cherish these pens each for their unique beauty and also for the special meaning they represent for me, which is my incredible friendship with Hugh and Karol Scher. Plus, the pens are incredible works of art and stellar writers.
I have a Namiki Milky Way that I cherish because it is truly one of the most beautiful pens I have ever held and I acquired it in Paris at Plume et Bille which is a fun story of how the pen found me. Also, the particular pen that found me that day in Paris was made by the only female urushi artist at Namiki. That’s pretty cool! And the nib! Omg, it is so smooth and buttery on the paper! Btw, this pen is inked with iroshizuku ku-jaku and I have no plans of changing the ink, ever.
Another cherished pen is a Montegrappa Silver Mule that is engraved by Jake Weidmann, Master Penman. I had the honor of meeting him at the 2017 DC Pen Show where he was hanging with the Kenro Official guys engraving any pens that were purchased. He engraved a flourished arrow on one side of the barrel and my full name on the opposite side. It is a one-of-a-kind piece of art from the world’s youngest Master Penman. Pretty amazing!
I have two Cross Beverlys, one purple and one white, that were gifted to me by my best friend and they came all the way across the pond from Ireland with her, so I cherish those. The Cross Beverly is not an expensive pen at all and probably can be purchased at any Office Depot, but a gift from a friend is priceless.
I had a pen buddy ask me recently how much it would take for me to give up my Montegrappa Grappa Limited Edition from Bassano del Grappa. My reply? Some things just can’t be bought. The pen itself is incredibly stunning, a site to behold, and a phenomenal writer, but the experience it represents for me is why it will always be a keeper. I know, I am sooooo sentimental.
In this crazy pen world where you can find almost anything you are looking for (except a LE Montegrappa Grappa, lol), there is always a new pen to acquire. Except when you own a pen that has a custom Dan Smith grind on it. I had to do a little inventory just to create this list of keepers that Dan has worked on.
*Montegrappa Butterfly Ammiraglio with an architect grind
*Platinum Rocca-architect grind
*Pelikan M605 Souveran White- stub italic
*Montegrappa Venezione Extra Rosso cursive italic
*Montegrappa Black Skulls Fortuna-cursive italic (ahhhh, and I just remembered that, in fact, I gave this one away to a dear friend! Lucky him!)
*Montegrappa Nero Uno with an oblique broad
I recently discovered my affinity for the Sailor Pro Gear Slim, of which I now have three, two with a zoom nib that is so fun to write with, and so these little gems are keepers, for sure. I also have a LAMY 2000 with such a surprisingly delightful EF nib that writes a bit like an architect grind. I acquired this one in New Orleans at Papier Plume (my favorite store to visit when I’m on a layover in New Orleans) along with Fred Faggionato’s Dragonfly urushi lacquer.
Speaking of nibs, most of my keepers are meaningful pens that have a great story, but also have a stellar nib that makes them pens I reach for often. The short list includes a Copper Karas Kustoms Fountain K with a Bock .9mm stub nib, a Montblanc Etoile, the Montegrappa Aviator, and a sweet little gold vintage Waterman pocket pen made almost a hundred years ago with a super flexy nib.
