“If you could only keep [___] fountain pens….” I try to avoid answering these questions because (1) the number ends up being somewhat arbitrary; and (2) I would never be able to limit myself. At the same time, as a thought experiment, it’s often helpful to engage in exercises like this one because it requires you to think about your likes and dislikes, what drives your collection/accumulation, and what you would want to use every day if you were forced to restrict yourself to a handful of pens. Here goes nothing, with a little history behind each selection.
Lamy 2000 (Medium Matthew Chen Kodachi Nib).
You knew that one pen on this list would be a Lamy 2000. But why just a standard black version and not one of the fancy limited edition releases? Because this particular pen features an excellent medium Kodachi nib by Matthew Chen that’s not only the best Kodachi I own but one of my first by Matthew. While this particular nib doesn’t offer a ton of line variation due to the narrower grind and relatively lack of tipping, it’s just enough to keep things interesting.
Pilot Custom 74 Lavender Fog (SFM Nib).
The Pilot Custom 74 is one of my core workhorse fountain pens, and I have several, including stock medium and extra-fine nibs. If I had to pick one to keep, however, it would be the recently released Lavender Fog for no other reason than the Soft Fine Medium nib, which adds a bit of bounce and line variation to the otherwise stiff 14k Custom 74 nib.
Pilot Custom 912 (Waverly Nib)
Yes, there are lots of Pilots on this list. Yes, most will be pens featuring Pilot specialty nibs. I have a full review of the Waverly in the works, and I’ll have more to say later, but this slightly upturned nib is designed to write smoothly at any angle and makes for an excellent all-day-every-day workhorse. Yes, the design of the Custom 912 is somewhat “understated,” but I also find it comfortable and well-balanced.
Pilot Custom 823 (Medium Mark Bacas Blade Nib).
This Pilot Custom 823 in Amber was the first really expensive fountain pen that I purchased, and has stayed in regular rotation for nearly 10 years due to the nib, which sports my first-ever blade/kodachi-style grind by Mark Bacas. If you notice the trend, yes, I enjoy grinding medium nibs for subtle line variation. And yes, this is indeed an Amber pen. It looks blue because it’s filled with dark blue ink.
Pilot Capless Decimo Nagasawa Kobe Gradation Harbor mint (Fine-Medium Nib).
These gradient-finish Pilot Decimos are made exclusively for Nagasawa Stationery, a Japanese retailer based in Kobe. This one features the rare fine-medium nib, which is - for me at least - the perfect nib width for everyday writing. I also love the color palette on this pen because it reminds me of the beach every time I write with it. (This specific model is the “Harbor Mint” release, now discontinued, but reach out to our friends at Vanness Pens who might have a few of this year’s Kobe Gradation release.)
Opus 88 Jazz (Medium Platinum 3776 Nib).
My not-really-an-Opus-88 pen, since it features a transplanted medium 14k Platinum 3776 nib that was swapped using a Flexible Nib Factory housing. This eyedropper pen is an absolute ink tank - It holds almost an entire 4ml sample! - and works great with shimmer inks since the nib is pretty wet.
Kasama Una PEEK/Titanium (Medium Mark Bacas Blade Nib).
I wanted to include at least one visually striking/unique pen from my collection, and after careful consideration I selected this piece by Kasama from the Philippines. The barrel features a combination of PEEK (an ultem-like medical-grade engineered plastic) and anodized titanium. Once again, you have a medium Mark Bacas Blade grind.
Pelikan M800 Souverain Stone Garden (Custom Nib Studio Perspective Nib)
This pen actually made me stop buying Pelikans, because the flecked tortoise-style barrel and dark blue acrylic has everything I was looking for visually in the brand. This M800 nib also features one of Gena’s “Perspective” grinds (Custom Nib Studio’s take on the blade/Kodachi style).
Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black Edition (Fine Nib).
A long-time favorite, and one of the few Sailor fountain pens that remains in my collection. This particular pen has sentimental value and would stay regardless, but it also has an excellent fine nib that’s stiff as a nail and exceptionally good for small writing and annotation. The original matte texture on this pen has worn shiny from so much use over the years.
Schon DSGN Faceted Titanium Shell (Fine Monoc Nib)
Finally, I would plan to keep what is easily the most unique pen in my entire collection in terms of both barrel design and nib. The Schon DSGN “Monoc” nib is designed and built completely in-house, featuring a unique ultem feed and a reversible tip that allows you to write fine or extra-fine. The hammered titanium barrel has a gentle texture which, when combined with a longer grip section, makes this pen surprisingly comfortable to use. I consider this a capstone piece to my personal collection and have bought relatively few expensive pens since acquiring this one.
A Final Note
When compiling this list, my core consideration was whether I could see myself writing with one of these chosen pens forever. As a result, the list draws heavily from (1) pens that house favorite nibs, and (2) pens I feel are exceptionally well balanced for everyday writing. I disregarded factors such as sentimentality and monetary value, even though I have countless pens that were gifted to me or made by friends, and will accordingly remain in my collection forever.
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