Fountain Pens


Most of my "collections" consist of paper ephemera, found doodads, whatnots and whatchamacallits, or otherwise inexpensive items.

Fountain Pens are the one luxury item that I indulge myself in.

I was going to sort them by favorites but they are all a favorite for one reason or another, so here they are in no particular order.


Quick Links Menu


Conklin Endura Abalone Shell Limited Edition 1898 Gunmetal Trim

Retro51 Tornado Cioppino

Deli Sandalwood

Monaggio Bamboo

Jinhao 5000 Dragon Ancient Gray




Conklin Endura Abalone Shell Limited Edition 1898

Possibly my number one favorite, based on its appearance alone. It is absolutely stunning. As a I am both a paua shell lover and fountain pen aficionado, this pen is a dream.

I chose the OmniFlex nib for this pen, which took some getting used to, but now I love it. Conklin created only 1898 of these pens, I got number 187.

I purchased this beauty from The Goulet Pen Company in 2021.

From the official Conklin website:

Take a step back in time with the new Conklin Endura. The Conklin Pen Company, (est. 1898), originally released the ever successful Endura in 1924 and the Endura line continued to expand and grow. Based on the original models, the new Endura has all the aesthetic design features which made this pen such a timeless classic. The Endura Abalone uses the highly iridescent inner nacre layer of authentic abalone shell from New Zealand. The shell of abalone has traditionally been used as a decorative item, in jewelry, buttons, and as an inlay in furniture and in musical instruments. The inner shell of the abalone is a swirl of intense colors, ranging from deep cobalt blue and peacock green to purples, creams, and pinks. Hand-turned and hand-polished, the barrel brilliantly reflects shimmering light off of its surface, enhancing the stunning colors of the Abalone shell. Gunmetal plating adorns the clip, band, and trim, enhancing the elegance of each Endura pen. Limited Edition of 1898 available in Fountain, Rollerball and Ballpoint pen. The fountain pen has a black Jowo stainless steel nib personalized with the Conklin name, the historic “Toledo, USA” mark, and a special crescent-shaped breathing hole. The stainless steel nib with iridium tip is both smooth and dependable, available in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, Stub, and Omniflex. Filled by either cartridge or converter (included).

Retro 51 Tornado Cioppino

Possibly my second favorite. Bits of paua shell float in a sea of black lacquer. It is gorgeous. The only thing I don't love about this pen is the gold / rose gold appointnents. I prefer silver colored metals, and always will. I bought this pen from Fahrney's Pens in 2022.
I chose the Retro51 Fine Point nib for this pen.

Fifteen years ago, the folks at Retro 51 took a trip to an old Italian Fishing Village. While there, they learned of a local dish called Cioppino, or shellfish soup. It was there that the inspiration for this stunning desire was born.

Ad sheet from the original 2018 release of the pen:
Ad sheet from the 2018 release featuring the rollerball version.





Deli Sandalwood

This was an inexpensive "impulse buy" and it has ended up being one of my favorites. I love its clean design. It's extra long, evenly weighted, and doesn't have a clip which makes it comfortable to hold. I bought this pen from Amazon in 2022, unfortunately it's no longer available.
It was originally available in three wood options; Ebony, Rosewood and Sandalwood. Now I wish I had bought one of each and another in the Sandalwood!

I have my Deli Sandalwood loaded with Noodler's Ink - 19010 Pecan, which is a beautiful medium chestnut brown color.





Monaggio Bamboo

My second favorite wooden pen is the Monaggio in Bamboo. It came with an ink converter cartridge and a matching bamboo pen case.

I have my Monaggio loaded with Noodler's Ink - 19018 Walnut.





Jinhao 5000 Dragon, Anceint Gray

Another impulse buy. Around $20 and it's a working piece of art.

A closeup image of both sides of the cap, showing the detail of the dragon that wraps around it.

Jinhao 5000 Dragon posted and capped.

I chose the Fude/Bent Nib for this lovely pen.

I have my Jinhao 5000 Dragon loaded with Diamine Earl Grey. The link will take you to the Diamine homepage in UK, but you can buy it in the US from many fountain pen shops.




I have quite a few other fountain pens which I use and love on a daily basis,
one day I will get around to showing them all to you right here.


Thank you for visiting my Fountain Pens page!



index

Page last updated: