An updated look at grail fountain pens. Let me know in the comments what your grail pen is. #grailpens #figboot #fountainpen figbootonpens@gmail.com Instagram - @figboot11 Figboot on Pens P.O. Box 12430 Durham, NC 27709
My grail pens are vintage fountain pens. I like to get older pens and think about the letters that were written in the past using it. Maybe some one had it during WWII and wrote letters to family members while they were away.
Shortly after entering this hobby, my grail pen became a Visconti Homo Sapiens Magma. I’m glad to say I have one in my collection now and I absolutely love it.
9:39 - "I needed to go into a two-minute explanation..." Come on, David. We all know it was more like 20 minutes. 😂This is a heck of a collection, man. Props to you for building it!
I personally would never let people borrow my expensive fountain pens, I always have normal ballpoint pens for people to borrow. If they damage my fountain pen by accident, it would be very difficult to explain to them why they owe me hundreds of dollars and most likely ruin our friendship in the process.
@@Skywalker96214 Oh, I totally understand. I don't have heavy hitters like any of David's pens here, but I usually carry around a Platinum Plaisir for the sole purpose of lending it to people who might be curious about fountain pens.
I have found that because I'm on a very limited budget (was in graduate school, and am now still very early career), my grail pen is usually just the pen I'm eyeing next. So a year ago my grail was a Pilot Falcon (which was the pen that got me into fountain pens to begin with). With the Falcon acquired, my grail it is now the Diplomat Aero, for which I'm keeping an eye out on the resale markets if a good deal comes around when I have the money budgeted. This approach also helps me really appreciate the pens I have currently. While yes my DREAM grail is anything from Nakaya, and I'd love to have the classic grails too, those are all just fully unattainable for many many years. If I spent any time yearning over them, I don't think I'd have as much gratitude for my very small, but very deeply considered collection that I currently use
If you will find it doable, I highly recommend gold nib for Aero. Once I have purchased one from online shop and they have sent a steel nib by mistake, then resent a golden one, so I had a chance to compare them in my own hand. The steel nib is very good, but the gold one is something I call "a touch of an angel wing" - something so amazing you cannot believe it.
I love your approach to pen acquisitions. In my first 10 years of collecting, I purchased pens so often that I really never had a chance to sit and enjoy each one before I put it away and moved onto the next one. In the past few years I have not purchased many pens at all as my focus has shifted to enjoying what I have. The range of my collection is rather wide, from a simple $1 shark pen upwards of $20k for a limited Montblanc, but my favorites somehow fall into the more practical ones such as my Dar Lilac Lamy Safari and my Diplomat Aero pens. I also favor a few Visconti models, but my absolute favorites are my Aero pens. Having both gold and steel nibs in multiple sizes, I can confidently say I favor the steel ones.
Good luck! My “grail” was also the Metal Falcon. I couldn’t bd happier with it. I use it on more special occasions but try to keep it in use frequently along with a Vacumatic I use daily. Two years later, I can’t really see myself wanting more pens
Enjoyed seeing some of my favorites of your favorites again. And now I know someone who has an OMAS Ogiva Blue Angel Cocktail. I have wanted one ever since they came out and thought I would never spend that much on a pen -HaH. Thanks for highlighting the celluloids. Love your “Gray Polished” Arco sample.
I got my first grail pen not too long ago which is my Pilot Falcon. I absolutely love it and your video on the Pilot Falcon gave me realistic expectations for what the pen was capable of. It has allowed me to fully enjoy my pen and not be let down by it!
Wonderful fountain pens. 👍 I only collect vintage Montblanc fountain pens, the older the better. Holding an exciting piece of writing culture/history in my hands and then restoring it as best I can is what I enjoy most about collecting. I like your videos.👍
Woof woof! 😄 Tremendous selection. My Grail is more modest, but definitely something I desire more than any more expensive pen. It's a Pilot Myu 701 (M). Quite the most beautiful pen ever created ❤
I have recently realized that, for the moment, there aren't any grail pens calling to me. I just got the Radius Prisma after watching David's review, and am presently content to bask in my enjoyment of that pen. There are a couple easily attainable pens, such as a navy TWSBI, I would like to acquire, and probably will, but nothing that feels like a stretch or a goal. It's kind of a nice break, but I hope the feeling doesn't last too long. I fully expect that soon there will be some new marvelous writing instrument that will catch my eye, and that new chase will be equally enjoyable. David: this was a fantastic tour of grailery. Thank you for sharing all these wonderful pens with us.
Wonderful collection! My tastes are rather different (I prefer smaller pens like the Sailor 1911 Large, Platinum 3776 Celluloids or Pelikan M800s and M600s) but your collection was inspiring and all the more interesting because you so vividly shared your personal enthusiasm. Your reviews are always interesting and thorough- so thank you for sharing these pens with us.
Ha, ha. I liked the post production dog barking scene. I don't know if you forgot to edit it out or not, but that was great. It IS too bad that I will be be in position to acquire ANY of the like of these Grails which you showed, although I do have a some few fountain pens which I have admired over time and have actually become the curator.
I had a grail pen that I expected always to be out of reach, both in terms of price and in terms of availability. But then I found one at an estate sale, and the seller was pricing well below the online market price. I'd have been happy just to have held the pen one time, since I never expected even to see it in person. It never really stopped being my grail pen after I purchased it from the estate sale; it feels like a special occasion whenever I ink it and write with it.
Always a fun -- and enviable list. I had the Conid on my grail list but after trying out a similar filling mechanism, decided it was too fiddly for me. The Sailor KOP comes on and off my list but I"m disappointed that such a nicely large pen has the usual, smallish Sailor converter. Finally, I tried for a while to get a Carolina Pen but I think I got in line when Jonathan was (still is) busy making resins for other pens; 12 months became 24+ which was more than I could personally tolerate. Now I'm getting old enough that I ask myself who'd inherit any special pens but none of my kids got the bug!
Good day dave , although its been a while since i watch youre vedeo , watching youre new top 11 pen compare to youre vedeo 5 years ago i xan say its much more colorfull , but that visconte homosapien of yours are beautifull that two extra ring in the mid are nice. As a parker 45 user it will just a dream to have one of those.
How wonderful. Any of your beautiful pens would be my “grail” pens. Sadly I’d say “unattainable” pens as I’m on a low income and could never save enough. So glad you’re able to enjoy such wonderful pens. My best wishes sir. (The barking dog outtake should have been kept in!).
Thank you for the video! One point on OMAS nibs: My understanding is that they did not make them in-house. They were a proprietary design, but were made for them by Bock. That is how SCRIBO is able to essentially continue to offer OMAS nibs today: They acquired rights to the nib tooling, which Bock now uses to make nibs of identical properties for SCRIBO.
The Night Sky Sakura is an honorable mention now!!???!! Whelp, my jaw is officially on the floor. Now I'm hyped to see what new pens made it into the list to unseat one of the OG champions!!
Having tried both at the Triangle show, the Yukari Royale is at the top of my grail list. I loved the feel of the Emperor, but it's big enough and my hand is small enough that it looked like I was holding one of those gigantic pencils you win at the carnival. Now to rework my budget for a couple of years to afford (and justify buying) the Yukari...
Nice choice! I’m yet to try the Yukari Royale but I was lucky enough to briefly try an Emperor. Given it’s bigger than my Custom Urushi’s which could do with just a touch of downsizing in both length and section diameter (KOP/MB149 size with the Custom Urushi nib would be perfection), the emperor is just a bit big for what I want. The Yukari Royale is next on my list. I may even part with one of my Custom Urushis and possibly buy a second Yukari Royale if it works for me as well as I’m hoping. My collection is currently pretty small (under a dozen pens I think), but primarily made up of Pilots.
As a passionate Dantista, my grail pens are the Visconti Dante pen and the Montegrappa series illustrating each of the three canticles of the Commedia. My favorite canticle is Purgatorio, so I most want that pen from Montegrappa. It features the seven terraces of Purgatory with a little illustrated scene in each, the mountain itself at the bottom of the pen, and the golden and silver keys to the gates of Purgatory (from Canto IX, one of my favorite cantos of Purgatorio) are on the cap. Since I can't justify that kind of purchase, I have to be happy with my two Leonardo pens with very Dantean symbolism.
While our tastes may vary I was glad to hear that you actually ink up your pens snd use them. I feel that people who collect anything only to put it in a safe deposit box are really missing out. Perhaps that dog barking at the end of the video was agreeing with me. 😉🐕
Thank you for showing off your amazing and great collection. You have many URUSHI lacquered fountain pens that even I, who live in Japan, don't have. I'm so jealous ☺️
Are urushi pens still expensive & hard to get in japan like overseas? I have a plan to travel japan and buy some nice japanese fountain pens, hopefully a variety of options with good price.
@@almighty858 Hello. URUSHI fountain pens are expensive even in Japan. They may not be stocked in stores or may be made to order😭 If you are not particular about URUSHI FP, I think there is a wide selection of FP available at Japanese stores.
@@kaorumoon16th Thank you for your reply. I thought it might be easier and cheaper to find some fancy japanese fountain pens like urushi, makie or made of wood, something like limited editions. Do you think offline stores like Tokyu hands, Itoya, Loft have good price compared to online shops? or is there any some retailer shops which only japanese fountain pen lover know?
I reckon I’ve already acquired all the pens I had yearned for in the personal ‘grail’ category. But I know that I still really badly want the Taccia Empress Winter’s Breath. So, that’s the one!
I'd love to hear more about the maki-e pens--but especially, if you use them, if you have any thoughts or tips on how to use the pens without staining or discoloration. I recently bought a raw ebonite pen that stained the first time I dipped it into ink, and I've heard that some urushi pens will discolor in sunlight. A review combined with a primer would be great. These are grail pens for me--I think I might get one *one day* but not in the immediate future--and it's nice to combine the longing with a bit of education.
I just got my first grail pen just recently, a Waterman 52, a 52v in this instance. My advice, don't get them near the holidays like I did, the bidding goes about x2 during that time. Good luck getting your grail pens.
When I got into fountain pens in 2016, the Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze Age was the first pen that really caught my attention. The price has kept it well in 'grail' status for me, despite it not being hard to find or extremely rare. Someday I might pull the trigger, but who knows! It's something for me to admire from afar until such a time haha. A close second that also caught my eye when I first got into pens is the Pilot Myu. I adore the look of the integrated nib. I have been able to scratch that itch to an extent with some inlaid nibs (I adore my Sheaffer Targa), but it is still up there for sure. My main hesitation on it is the nib size - I have a preference for broad nibs, so I feel like if I got one it wouldn't see as much use as it deserves.
I have a Shaeffer Intrique with an inlaid nib, but it always seemed to leak ink everywhere leading to supremely messy hands when writing, no matter how much you cleaned the nib component after filling. Left such a bad taste in my mouth about Shaeffer. Glad to hear I may be the anomaly though!
@@leann848 Oh no, that sounds incredibly frustrating! I don’t have the largest example pool, but I did originally have a fine nib in my Targa and swapped it out for a broad nib and neither had leaking issues. So there are good Sheaffer nibs out there! I don’t blame you at all for side-eyeing the brand as a result though, I would have been heartbroken if mine were like that! I wonder if it was a result of the sealing around the nib needing to be repaired.
@@mariexlupin I'm not sure and I never really explored a good fix for it admittedly. I still have it in my collection, but it hasn't been inked in 10-15 years. It was my first experience with a piston converter and I thought perhaps I was doing something incorrectly, but I could never figure out where the ink was coming out. Just blue fingers every time I went to write! Maybe someday I'll take it to a pen show or send it off to see if there's a flaw that can be fixed. I still love the look of it, but I do have plenty of others to use in the meantime with my VPs, Montblancs (love them or hate them) and my Italian trio of Vsconti (2) and Aurora Trilobiti (which seems very underrated).
KNG OF PENS MENTONNED!! I adore my Progear Ocean! When I started working at the pen store that made me discover my passion for fountain pens, we had 2 K.O.Ps for sale. The Pillow Book Midnight Sky and the Ocean. I had absolutely zero knowledge in fountain pens but those two just... Stuck with me. I was obsessed with them (and subsequently, Sailor as a whole). They were calling me, begging for me to purchase them... But with a price tag of over a thousand CAD, and with me barely knowing anything about that big big world, safe to say I didn't aquire them immediatly. It's only a year later, after learning more about pens, gaining work experience and starting my collection that I finally felt ready. I chose the Ocean because the green/teal colour was just... Gosh... It's mildly see,through when looking at it up close, and off course, you mentionned it, the nib in B is fantaaaaaaaaaastic! I've had it for over a year, I still work at that pen store and it's still my most expensive, my best writer and my favourite piece in my collection! As for my next graal pen... Oof that's hard. We have 2 Porsche Designs that have been sitting in our store for years. They're made from Tec Flex, a metalic material used to isolate electrical wires in Porsche's endurance cars. Couple that with an 18kt nib from Pelikan and you get... 1600$ CAD for the most expensive of the two hehe... Still looks awesome I want one of them one day. This and anything from Namiki. I don't really care which they're all stunning lol. We also have Maki-Es from Sailor, my favourite (and off course the most expensive) is the K.O.P Endangered Mammals. Last one is probably the Visconti Black Divina that we have. I was shocked to learn that the bands were made of real silver! And I was so impresssed by the Palladium nib! It's soft like gold andf it's so tiny! Truly a dream touch! And it's the cheapest yet at 999 CAD! Almost free!
I think for me the grail was the Pilot Myu/Murex - not terribly expensive, but also difficult to get. I managed to snag one off ebay and have largely felt like theres not really much left to collect after that. Maybe I'll get a custom tuned nib at some point...
My grail pen for a very long time was a Visconti Homo Sapiens and I ended up finding a fantastic deal on a Homo Sapiens Chiantishire and I have not really had a single grail to work towards since, I just mark pens I like down for later and see how I feel about them in the future.
My not yet obtained grail crosses a few categories. I haven't yet been able to justify a Taccia pen that goes nujts on the raden, maki-e, and urushi (and an 18k King of Pen nib), but they're some of the only ones in that price range I think I could justify at some point.
My is Kawuska in good condition. Sometimes it can be found at Polish auctions, but I never saw one, capable of writing, or even being refurbished… ok maybe in a museum ;). It’s a Polish, pre-war brand.
Yah...I wasn't completely sure, so I checked three retailer websites, each of which stated it was resin. Should have just checked Pilot's site, which states ebonite.
I have been beyond fortunate enough to acquire a few of my grail pens. And I must thank you for at least two of them, The dragon slayer from Ryan krusac and the Wetland Cypress from Papie Plume.
Just one correction, according to Pilot's website the 845 is also ebonite in the same way that the Custom Urushi is, where the parts that have urushi are ebonite and then the finials and such are plastic.
Yah...I wasn't completely sure, so I checked three retailer websites, each of which stated it was resin. Should have just checked Pilot's site, which states ebonite.
@@FigbootonPens No worries! I just noticed because I've spent lots of time perusing the main Japanese Pilot site and the separate Pilot Custom one. Excellent video as always, your Custom Urushi review really sold me on that pen and I love mine.
Hey there, David. I do have to make a correction regarding your comment about celluloid no longer being manufactured. The new OMAS company actually did restart production on new stocks of various celluloids, at least according to their website. Great video!
Great video. I really enjoyed watching this one in particular because you presented the pens as categories and I got to see a lot of beautiful pens. After your final remarks, there's a black screen for a few minutes followed by your visconti homo sapiens moment. Probably some editing issue. Otherwise, great work!
Back in my day, we called that a "bonus track" on a CD. :-D I'm pretty sure he included that as an outtake for us to hear Jenny (Ginny?) the Labradoodle. He he has included her in outtakes before.
I also have the Writers Edition Homage to Brothers Grimm Limited Edition 1812 Fountain Pen by Montblanc. From the looks of your Montblanc piece It finds inspiration in the story of Sleeping Beauty demonstrated by the twining leaves and thorns around the cap and barrel. The Clip is shaped like an old walking stick. Enjoy! I'll look forward to your foreseeable review of the pen.
My only real grail pen is the Waterman Carene in sea green, it's the first and only pen that really makes my jaw drop every time I see it. I love the maroon version as well, but the green with the gold is just too stunning. Unfortunately I could never justify spending that much on a pen!
Great video! The Silver Homo Sapiens... I've been trying to find it for years, unfortunatelly without sucess. Please let me know if someday you decide to sell it!
I am not sure I really have "a grail pen". I definitively have some nice pens that I wish to own someday. Nothing outlandish too. My next "aspiration" of getting one pen is probably an M nib pilot custom 823
Leonardo Vesuvio - or any other gold leaf and lacquer Leonardo pen that was/will be produced. However, for some reason I'm generally not into higher end pens and there are pens that I'd like to experience that are a lot more affordable.
If I asked somebody to be careful with something of mine and they ARGUED WITH ME?! They can borrow somebody else's pen, I don't care if they wanted my Gelly Roll. For decades my grail pen was a pale blue Aurora Talentum. It taunted me from the pen counter where I worked but I never had the price of it comfortably. Then for years I didn't run across any. The stars aligned recently. But most of the time my grails aren't that specific. I have categories like "the perfect hand painted Benu" or "the right colorway of Sailor Pro Gear." I know it when I see it, and I won't get anything that's just nice. It has to be just right.
Hmm . . . a grail pen that I have yet to see in person is a MONTBLANC Her Serene Highness Grace of Monaco Limited Edition 29. This is definitely a grail pen and likely unobtainium for me. But it is a stunning pen.
David, always enjoy your videos. Question - where can I buy the ridged blue material you use to place your pens for size comparisons. I have looked high and low for that and cannot find it. Thanks! Bob Holt, Virginia
I'm dying to know, too. I'm wondering if it's from Delmoon. They're in India, and they make pens with eggshell and/or raden for very reasonable prices. I got my first pen from them last week, and it's beautiful 😊
I will only spend over $100 on a pen that has a gold nib, and I'll never spend $200 on a pen. Given that, my most grailular pen is the Pilot E95S or vintage Elite, or a Sheaffer Taranis. That style is really cool and weird
My problem with expensive pens is that you got to select a nib size, and you can't switch it like a 10$ Lamy steel nib. I would go with fine, but some inks would make me select medium. And then paper! I'm good with fine on cheap paper. With Rhodia? Maybe broad then!
Firstly, a disclaimer, I am not a collector. For me a pen is a tool to be used. That said, if I were to get a grail pen that I ended up not using then it clearly wasn't the grail I thought it was. This is one of the main reasons I have held off from mindless consumerism and throwing money at expensive pens for no good reason.
Pretty good inspirations ,which is not to say "fake" because it's obvious they are not MB's, are available from several sellers, with varying colors and amounts of the detail from the real ones.
I picked up the Doyle and I have to say I love it. I definitely hear you on the price, but I still kick myself for passing on the Agatha Christie edition years ago and now that's on my grail list alongside the Hitchcock. Undoubtedly, both of those now will be even more painful than the initial price but you have to do what feels right to you. Perhaps you'll get another shot at Doyle someday! Pairs nicely with the Pilot Iroshsizuku Fuyu-Syogun!
I have a mont blanc gold in box fromthe Sultan of Brunei never used It is a beautiful ballpoint very rare item Iam sure lookin to sell if price is right they are I think around 5 thou dollar mbe higher .
I love the KOP! Why were the LB5 rods overpriced at $1000 when the base LB5 pen is worth $5000-$6000? Without the material, the pen would only be worth also $1000 since it's just a modified KOP right?
I noticed that all of your grail pens were rather recent. Is there a reason there isn't anything vintage in your grail category? Say a Waterman 58 or anything else - is it lack of design appeal, does the age eliminate practicality for you, or is it something else? PS. Like the dog blooper at the end!
@25:35 Celluloid is more durable than hard rubber? In what sense? I always thought of celluloid as fragile - prone to ink-staining, yellowing with age, crazing, shrinking. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-0lNiwUm1JhM.htmlsi=6JFhvLYxDoeTKWrv&t=298 made me think ebonite was basically bulletproof except the fade-to-olive from UV+water. I love the look of celluloid, would love more excuses to get celluloid pens. I'm jealous of your arco :)
My grail pen has been a Visconti Homo Sapiens but I've always held off from it because I've heard many things about the issues people would have and then their customer service not being too helpful. I'd hate to spend that money and not get the help I need.
Do not buy a Homo Sapians unless you are allowed to ink the pen and write with it before purchase unless you are comfortable needing to send it off to have a the nib and feed issues corrected at your own cost. I've purchased two (Crystaldtesm and Bronzage) within the last year. Near woukd write at all until I had a nub Smith fix them. I was prepared to have to do this, but not all will find this palatable.
I'd say the same given how hit or miss people are with Visconti. I thought they had dealt with the nib issues, but as @kt479 says, they clearly haven't. That being said, I have two (Tuscan Hills and Demo Stones) that I haven't had any issues with. Safer to be able to ink and try in person if you can.
There's another RU-vid "David," and he is from the UK. Im sure you know him. He owns my grail, which is a gorgeous Visconti Manhattan Arco in swirls of carmel and cocoa. I don't really care for the Homosapiens. It looks too industrial 😅
I don't think I have grail pens anymore, because I've realised every pen has something "wrong" with it that makes it fall short of being worth chasing. I've come to the stage where I've finetuned my collection to the point where I have a bit of everything I was looking for and I just enjoy using my pens, even if each of the individual pens could be improved, e.g. different material, different nib, different filling system. I'd have to learn to create every part of a pen to my specifications and make my own design to get my hands on a grail pen, and that's not very likely to ever happen. By the way, The Great Wave Off Kanagawa is a woodblock print, not a watercolour painting.
