As we sit here in early May, I've now spent most of the past year streamlining and reducing my pen accumulation, either by selling off unused pens or consolidating via trade (i.e., trading multiple pens for a single pen that I would use more). Despite writing about pens and pen-related topics for many years, I've never had as large a collection as people expect. I hate the idea of unused possessions, whether pens or anything else, and if something sits dormant for too long, I will absolutely sell it off.
The Concept of "Desert Island" Pens
In an ideal world, I would reduce my pen accumulation to around a dozen pens that I cycle through regularly. Because pens is partly a business for me, that's not realistic. At any given time, I have around at least a half-dozen pens that I'm either in the process of reviewing or testing out as potential shop stock. In addition to those pens currently "in for review," I make a point of keeping one of each model I carry in the store for customer service purposes, and I like to generally have at least one example of each pen from most modern brands on-hand for reference so that I can easily use them for comparison in reviews and editorials.
Practicality aside, I still enjoy a good thought experiment. If all of this (T.G.S., the Shop, any sort of pen-related business) went away tomorrow, and I wound up on a "desert island" where I could only keep 12 pens, what would they be? I can usually get to seven or eight pens pretty easily - it's those last few that are hard. Since I had to take an extended family trip this week, where I'd be required to do a fairly significant amount of work, this presented an opportunity to select what I'd call the "First Four": my workhorses for writing.
The Lamy 2000 is the epitome of the “Workhorse Pen”.
Pen No. 1: Lamy 2000 in Bauhaus Blue, EF Nib
I can safely say that the Lamy 2000 fountain pen is my favorite fountain pen of all time, both aesthetically and as a functional writer, and if I had to pick a single example to keep in my collection it would be the 100th Anniversary "Bauhaus Blue" release. I rarely buy limited edition pens, and when I do it's an intentional purchase. This one was a no-brainer, and I was lucky enough to find one available internationally after the U.S. alotments sold out. Lamy 2000 EF and F nibs often have a subtle architect-like shape out of the box, and this particular nib gives my writing just enough line variation to keep it interesting. Of all the Lamy 2000 pens in my collection, it's the keeper.
Did I mention that the pens from the “Maestro” series are piston fillers, which is uncommon in the standard Leonardo Momento Zero size?
Pen No. 2: Leonardo Momento Zero "Maestro" in Omas Burkina Celluloid, Custom Nib Studio Perspective Nib
While I have long-adored Omas Burkina celluloid and jumped at the chance to own this now-rare material in the standard Leonardo Momento Zero shape, I was lukewarm on the nib. The pen shipped with a medium 14kt gold nib paired with an ebonite feed, and like many pens with ebonite feeds, it wrote too wet for my taste. I recently asked Gena Salorino at Custom Nib Studio to shape the nib into their "Perspective" grind, and now the pen is perfect. I purchased this pen as part of the three-pen “Maestro” set; it was easily the largest pen "investment" I've ever made, and it was worth every dollar for this pen alone.
The Pilot Custom 823: Another standard model that epitomizes a workhorse fountain pen.
Pen No. 3: Pilot Custom 823 Amber, Medium Mark Bacas "Blade" Nib
I surprised myself a bit with this one, but back when I purchased this particular pen at the Atlanta Pen Show I was still relatively "young" in this hobby and inexperienced with the more uncommon filling systems and nib grinds. As far as pens with massive ink capacities go, the Pilot Custom 823 is one of the more approachable workhorse options that doesn't require eyedroppering. I had Mark Bacas grind the nib on this pen to a modified Architect (what you would probably today call a soft blade or a semi-Naginata/Kodachi), with slightly less line variation than a standard architect but with smoother edges. It's the first time a nib technician really sat down with me and discussed what I actually wanted and what would work for me - as opposed to merely offering the "standard" grinds from a list - at which point I understood the endless possibilities and how deep this hobby could run.
Pen No. 4: Montblanc 146 UNICEF, Custom Nib Studio Perspective Nib
The Perspective Nib makes another appearance, this time on the Montblanc 146. I've purchased two pens from their "UNICEF" series, both because I appreciate the idea behind the collaboration and because I love the Rosetta-stone inspired motif. The theme on this pen is subtle - other than the engraving and sapphire near the clip and cap finial, this pen is a standard Montblanc 146. Because there's no ebonite feed, the pen writes a slightly drier line than the Leonardo, which is great for those days when you aren't working on fountain pen friendly paper.
What are your "Desert Island Pens"? If you could only pick one pen from your collection to keep, what would it be, and why? What lands a pen on your "never sell" list - the nib or the pen body itself?
Feel free to share your own stories in the comments!
This post does not contain third-party affiliate links. The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases through the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.