The Perfect Fountain Pen You Can’t Have! 

I don’t want to find my perfect fountain pen, I’m enjoying the journey too much.

My perfect pen is like the perfect book, it’s not one that is perfect but a library that can fit the mood or feelings in that moment. Great video as always!

The ideal pen; for me; seems to be the one I'm writing with, in the moment.

Taking a long Saturday morning walk along a misty Illinois golf course with Hemingway Jones in my ear…. I feel like I am at a calming yoga retreat… absolute perfection

I bought my first fountain pen 25 years ago. It was a black Montblanc 149. I bought it at a Hallmark store, it was an old model so it was heavily discounted. I had no idea what a Montblanc was but for $230 it looked worth trying out. I haven’t bought another fountain pen since then but received a few Watermans as gifts. As the 149 has gained more sentimental value, I take it to work infrequently. I thought about getting another but the new prices are crazy. I’m interested in the Visconti HS. I’m intrigued by the mechanism and the materials connection to Italy.

You raise some fascinating questions. I think my perfect pen is the one I'm not writing with at the time.

My perfect fountain pen is the way I feel when I write with it. I like to feel that I am back in the 18th and 19th centuries, writing by candle, and writing onto parchment. I know it is a bit nostalgic and not that practical in todays life. Also, the pen that flexes a great deal. The perfect pen is not the expense of the pen, but like you said the comfort of the pen. I find the following Pens that I Love that flex. My Magna Carta Mag600 and my Pilot Custom 912 with a FA needle poing (Spencerian grind), and my new pen a Fountain Pen Revolution Ultra Flex with a steel nib. Ultimately, it is a pen that helps me to enjoy writing.

It is the exquisite imperfections, which makes the delightful characteristics of a distinct fountain pen. Each has its own soul, elegance, and surprises.

Thank you, HJ, you've given a lot to consider when evaluating past and future fountain pens.

H J. I enjoy analysing what brings joy, and satisfaction. Aesthestic is different, everyone, yet there is a golden ratio that is personalised and can have more universal compatibility. I love analysing as it shows appreciation, if you treat everything from a beautiful sunrise to great workmanship as nothing special, I feel there is little point. I think some imperfections or quirkiness can be quite whimsical and fun. Through using different fountain pens, one can hone what we do or don't enjoy. I think it's amazing that we can have discussions about an instrument that hails from birds feather, a quill to the expressive instrument we love... The Fountain pen... I have a few favourites

Hello HJ. Truly a wonderful video. The philosophical meaning behind your words was both inspiring and gave me pause to contemplate my own belief of the perfect fountain pen. Loved your nugget of Queen with Highlander at the beginning. One of my favorite movies and group. Keep up the great work. Cannot wait to see what you come up with next. Take care my friend.

Perfect detail, and explaining a perfect fountain pen… perfectly 😊 My perfect fountain pen changes with my mood, but they all make me smile and bring me joy. Maybe that’s perfect….. well for me ❤

Hello Hemingway! Thanks for the well-presented video! Every time I hear the word Perfection associated with anything relating to humanity. We are not perfect as a species and never will be. But, that's what makes the world interesting as no two people are EXACTLY alike. So stiving for perfection in the manufactures of humans is a sort of a will o' the wisp. Searching for something we know doesn't exist, but we love chasing it anyway. I think you nailed it there near the end. It's not so much actually finding the "perfect" pen, it's LOOKING for that "perfect" pen. And, if even if you NEVER find it, it was a lot of fun along the way!

Just a great video H. J. I think it's one of your best. Thank you so much for your time and talent.

I really enjoyed this one! Thank you for the lovely musings on what would make the Platonic ideal of a fountain pen. You covered a lot of useful aspects. Some I know where I land, some I don't, yet. I am enjoying the exploration!

Great show! My perfect pen is the Waterman Expert: perfect weight, perfect size, satisfying snap cap and satisfying snap to post. The nib is neither too small nor too big; it’s two tone, juicy, smooth, medium line. I love it.

The perfect pen would definitely have some kind of integrated lasers in the nib and a biomechanical circulatory system that would modulate ink flow based on a combination of pressure sensors and reading the user's intent. Maybe it would have a few little hearts you could see beating inside when it was in a good enough mood to be translucent. It would be able to make acerbic comments about your writing or gently verbally antagonize you when you're trying to think, just to amuse itself.

The Franklin-Christoph Model 20 is perfect. Beautiful, richly-colored resin, perfect cylinder of medium girth, grip flows unimpeded into the barrel. Hand-tuned nib of your choice, mine being . Slide-on cap.

Thoughtful, interesting. It's an exploration for sure, with different discoveries along the way. Thanks for posting this!

Thanks for the information and review. This really helps 👍

After years of trying different fountain pens, I've concluded that the Montblanc 149 is the perfect one for me. I love its girth, its nib, its piston, its screw-on cap, its classic, subdued elegance. It's a luxury piece that can also earn its keep as a workhorse--I use mine relentlessly and it never fails. I only need to look at it on the desk and my desire to write is awakened. It makes me think of Venice or a cafe in Berlin. I would say that the MB 146 and the 147 "Traveler" come in as close seconds. And if Montblanc did not exist, perfection would be the Pilot Custom 823. (Regarding the cap, I like the "slowness" of unscrewing it--gives me extra time to think! Snap-ons feel soulless to me, especially those magnetic caps from Pineider.)

Indeed the journey is what is important.

I would definitely watch you do a video on those beautifully covered editions of classic books.

My perfect pen is one I enjoy writing with in general. It achieves the look and feel I want when paired with the ink and paper I have chosen. Lastly, it perfectly reflects and expresses my thoughts on the paper when I am writing a letter. Lisa

I love this channel and all the great information. This episode was so inspiring, I joined! I agree with what most are saying, the best pen is the one I am interacting with now. And, at some point, it will get cleaned, put away and then a new one will appear!. I do like the “aggressive” types as I like variety. Today, I took notes with a monteverde that has a rope / fibers like barrel… not smooth at all but great for grip. Thank you for this and I look forward to more!

My favorite of your videos so far. I thought it would be predictable, but you surprised me. My perfect pen: the Graph von Faber-Castell Classic in either ebony or pernambuco. Since I can't afford either one I have the Hongdian 1866 in ebony and bubinga wood. They suprised me as well.

Looking at my pen collection now, I fell like I am communing with a group of friends, non of us perfect, but all of us having qualities that make us unique and exciting. A bit like the chat on one of your Tuesday Night Live videos.

For me, my edc pen checks most of my boxes. It's a LAMY Accent with a 1.1 stub nib. I'm on team "screw cap" but with this it's also easy accessible nib. Just 1/3 of a full turn and the cap comes off. And if I want to post it (for a lengthier writing-session with a light hand), it just snaps on the back of the barrel. My only downpoint is the girth of the grip. But, to my great advantage, this is interchangable and spareparts are easy to get. I plan to take apart a rubberversion and woodturn my own out of an olive blank on my mini lath.

I am still experiencing my ever-growing collection. One standout is my Wordsworth & Black White & Gold nib pen. The weight, the shape, the feel, just everything, makes it such a joy with which to write.

It may be cheap and you may laugh but my late 1950's era Sheaffer Glideriter with a semi-hooded nib comes close to perfection. Nothing fancy with steel nib and cartridge filler but very smooth. I refill cartridges with syringe. I have several fountain pens but keep returning to that one.

WOW! Perhaps one of your best videos ever. Thought provoking to a FP nerd. I found myself mentally reviewing my pens in each category you discussed. I think every aficionado has different pens for different settings and situations. I like a converter to change inks readily. I love large ink capacity vac and piston fillers for extended trips or writing sessions. I like transparent barrels to know inks levels, a black resin with a gold clip for classy situations in public. My handwriting is smaller so I really need a finer sized nib, but every once in a while I want a gusher to lay down a bold shimmer ink that would clog a grail or fine nib. So many choices and favorites from expensive grails to “hit the jackpot” inexpensive Chinese clones. What a wonderful hobby/lifestyle. Thanks, Tim.

Excellent video! There are so many things to consider in finding the perfect pen. Right now it is a Scribo Feel the Writing in Ebonite with a fine nib.

My favorite pens at the moment are, in no preference order are :Sailor 1911 L 22K, Namiki Falcon (bought before it became a Pilot SF, Montblanc La Boheme Red heart and the Vintage Parker '51' probably from the '50s.

Looking forward to the journaling videos! My elevator pitch for journaling is "easiest way to have a conversation with yourself". I like seeing different peoples EDC's as you get ideas for little things, I've been using the Zeiss wipes for years but that would have been a handy tidbit. As for perfect fountain pen? For me it's the GvFC Guilloche, I have three so...

After 60 years of writing with fountain pens, I know which pen suits me best. I have experience with many pens, cheap, expensive, with steel nibs, with gold nibs, cheap, expensive, Japanese, German, American, Chinese, Italian.... The pen that I write most beautifully with and which is therefore the perfect pen for me, is the Parker IM Black Flame Vibrant Rings.

I’m thinking about my pens differently after watching this. Thank you! At the moment the LAMY 2000 is my perfect pen. Also one of my newest so that may have something to do with it. 😅

HW-You are quite entertaining to listen to this fine Friday morning! May you and your family have a most excellent weekend…I have yet to read any Roman literature and tend to reach for favorite Bill and Ted references by the end of the week. Take care…

Nice outro with the video in sync with the music. 👍❤️

What I want: Pen band ink window. Volcanic resin. Pilot #10 FA nib. Ebonite feed. Easy disassembly, like Twsbi. Clip like Faber-Castell E-Motion Sized like MB 149. Visconti hooksafe or .75 turns to uncap like FC E-Motion.

Thank you soooo much dear T.... Hemingway ☺ Honestly, going through such criteria is what I was doing on a previous comment I made (who knows what video of yours) but YOU, sir, did this perfectly! 👏👏👏 I gathered my top 10 - 12 pens and followed along considering weight, length, material, grip form and feel, and NIB (which could be swapped), I find that while I love some lighter pens (like the e95s and Pelikan) I prefer a heavier pen. Grips that are too thin don't work for me for journaling or extended writing. I do like a formed grip (like the extremely light inexpensive Pelikan Twist) but haven't found the ideal grip with all the other criteria YET. For now, my perfect pen is my new Monteverde rainbow Lightning with black Omniflex nib. It's so smooth, not too juicy or flexi but my dream writer. I've written pages and enjoy every word. But let us not forget INK! The ink that came with it bleeds through my most beautiful Tomoe River journal. Colorverse Iris Nebula struck Lightning for me. ahhhhh. Thank you again for offering such a wonderful guide. You are appreciated! May the quest continue... 🖋

Excellent analysis. This video got me thinking and led me to the following conclusion : a Montblanc Mozart (Liliput size Meisterstück) in the pocket and a Wancher Dream Pen True Ebonite Matt Black with custom CSI nib on the desk. Perfection depends on context.

Thanks, HJ. Great video! I disagree though with a couple of points: (1) I prefer the screw-on cap. My Pilot Custom Heritage 912 only takes 1 1/2 turns to uncap. I don't see how anyone could complain about that. I almost didn't buy it because it uses a converter/cartridge. (2) The eyedropper fill is the perfect fill method - nothing to have a problem with except for the seals. As long as the seals are good, you're good. And you can just fill it partially if you want to change inks a lot and save on ink. Plus, what could be easier to clean?

Thanks for such a well done and thought provoking video. I think you are spot on. I’ve been giving it some thought and to all you have said I would add one additional characteristic which I recently learned from our friend Waski Squirrel. The pen must “disappear” in your hand while you are writing so that you are not aware of it as you keep on writing. I would also say except when its beauty impinges on you consciousness while you unaware of it while you are writing. Currently I have 2 pens that fit my perfect category, though at any one time I have at least 10 pens inked, I write with them almost every day since I got them nearly 2 years ago. M600s: a Blue Stripe EF -Cross BlueBlack ink; and a Turquoise Red F/M left Oblique by the NibSmith -SBRE Brown ink. And my recent, the end of last year acquisition, which I am still testing to find the final ink for, seems like it will become my #3 perfect pen. A Leonardo SuperNova 2023 Bohemian Twilight XF. Thanks for the inspiring video.

Perfect (!) summary to my opinion! Very well done on all respects. Yes, it's not very elegant to use a converter, yes the 149 is great but yes the 146 is more EDC-like, yes a snap-cap is much better but a screw-cap seals better, and so forth. The perfect pen doesn't exist, as you mention in your title!

Ive been pondering this very thing as my collection is more than I had in mind. Im trying to synthesize it as Ive always had an attraction to Copperplate etc for domestic life as it was done in days of old. Finding a Flex nib with heft in my hand is where I am lead to after all these years of exploration

Besides all the physical stuff, I would submit that if a pen model's history echo to someone else - like a Doufold to Hemingway or Conan Doyle, a Coklin to Twain, etc... or an experience of Diamond Sparkling Shadows ink from whatever black and gold cigar/torpedo pen (looking at my Jinhao x159) taking you to Lovecraftian cosmic horror while you write under a kerosene lamp during a storm outside. Or, writing with Diamine Ancient Copper under your New England Autumn leaves... The perfect pen should transfix and transport the writer.

My favorite aspect of this hobby is variety. For that reason, there’s no such thing as a perfect fountain pen for me - only a perfect fountain pen set.

I have a black Diamond 580 ALR and absolutely love it. It may end up being the last pen I ever buy.

Louis Madarasz wrote with an old stick with a dip pen attached and a grip made of string. He produced the most wonderful script with this simple gear. Arguably in the pursuit of the 'perfect' pen one would have to ask 'perfect in what regard?' For Madarasz the ability to enable him to put down wonderful handwriting far exceeded the aesthetics of the tool. For pure collectors this could be well reversed. Bearing this in mind suggest that there can never be an 'everyman' perfect pen, and that's to say nothing of personal taste - of which no dispute can be made!

I've tried a lot of different pens, modern and vintage, over the years. But I've found that, for me, the perfect pen is a Pelikan, and the perfect sized Pelikan is the M600/605. I have small hands, but I also have arthritis, so the girth, length, balance, and weight of the M600 suits me best. I enjoy using my Pilots, Auroras, Sailors, Esterbrooks, Vacumatics, TrueWriters, Lamys, TWSBIs...but when I pick up one of my Pelikans, it's like coming home.

Forme, the MB 149 fp is the perfect pen for my needs. The second choice is the Kaweco Sport fp in either brass or in steel.

I've done the exercise of my ideal pen. But I don't know. I like some, some I don't. And it depends what I'm doing with it. Even finish is a variable. After all, I like the Lamy 2000! But also have bought a few pens for their finish.

I didn't consider which is my perfect fountain. I just prefer checking out quirky fountain pens. For me, it's more fun to check out a Pilot Myu, the nib of which is practically integrated to its body, compared to let's say Pelikan M1000, which is a grail pen for me. I like weird pens.

For me it always come back to my vintage Parker 51. It fits all of categories you laid out. The weight, length, nib, filling system, cap, look, material. It tops them all for me. It shows in my handwriting when I use it. It was not the worlds most popular pen for so long by accident. It was good enough for the queen & Ike, and onbviously good enough for me.

My perfect pen is the Conklin Old Glory!! Medium size nib.

I love the books behind the pens as well. Please share where I can buy those beautifully covered editions.

Wonderful video. Thanks! Each video, particularly this one, is like several videos in one. I have to watch multiple times: I find myself looking at the B roll instead of listening, then reading what you have written. And, when appropriate, trying to place the quote. A two-fer or a three-fer as I sometimes hear in the local popular culture depending on the depths to which I descend. Or in more upscale terms, video poetry! My ideal grip girth is like yours. My MontBlanc 147, my Pelikan M 800s, etc. When deciding on M 800s or M 1000s I bought a Jinhao 159 just to learn the girth of the M 1000. M 800s it was. I miss the larger nib of the M 1000 though. Sometimes I write with the 159 just because I like the look of it whilst writing. And I just ordered a Jinhao 9019 for the same reason and for the reported nib softness reported by some reviewers. I got a kick of the “kick” in the outro when the heavier drum on the downbeats “caused” some visual distortion. Laughed when I realized what was going on. Almost as good as the typewriter at the end of the outro of the Hemingway’s pens video. Still smiling at both. Thank you, sir, for an entertaining, thought provoking, and delightful addition to your oeuvre.

My perfect pen would be an aluminum (with an internal resin sleeve to prevent reactions with the ink) Japanese eyedropper in a pocket size and with a good clip, shouldn't be that hard to make but It's unfortunately non existent (the closer one is the Gravitas pocket filler but it's a standard eyedropper and it doesn't have a clip).

Hi. I consider my 149 and 823 perfect pens. Very nice indeed Hemingway.🤗 Cheers🦘

For me it's rather hard to predict whether I'd like writing with a pen. E.g. Kaweco Liliput seems too small, but I like writing with it! If not for the atrocious capping experience I'd use it a lot. (Threads are small and tight, not easy to align and it requires a few rotations.) So it's trial and error for me...

I believe -I never tried it but rely only on reviews- that my perfect pen would be the Pilot Falcon in its flex but not ultraflex version.

Interesting video. All good points. What s my "perfect pen"? I don't have one All good engineering is compromise. Making different choices doesn't necessary make for a lesser design. And variety is better, than, I think, a single choice. I guess this is why I typically have 15 to 20 pens inked. Different choices for different times/moods or simple caprice. So I guess I don't believe in a perfectly engineered/designed product.

Fun question to consider. Personally I like a flat top pen if given a choice. I would add ebonite to the feeling of the body, which is another reason to enjoy vintage or Indian pens. I also prefer silver / steel / titanium … for accents. Gold plate reminds me of the fake / cheap / vain taste of a certain former president. My ideal pen also needs some story or provenance, and reasonable price, which makes vintage / used better for me. Yes, it is a very personal quest. Fun video. Have a good holiday weekend.

Conid Bulkfiller with a Medium-Fine Sailor 21 k is the perfect pen for me. But a 100 pen collection would go wasted if I use the perfect pen. Hence the quest for yet another perfect pen. That's the fun in the hobby isn't it. Inspite of getting a perfect pen we go ahead to see if there is something better. This is true in the hobby and more importantly in life as well. Perhaps this is how we make our life worth living and enjoying it.

The thing with an ideal pen is that it would have to be for any writing. But it would not necessarily be the “best” for a specific task. The pen that I think fits that role in my collection is my Pilot Custom 74 is a medium nib. It is not my favorite pen though I have stronger affinities to other pens which depending on the task is better than the 74 but would not be as good an all rounder.

Excelente video.Me ha encantado. Colecciono estilográficas y también busco, sin encontrar. la estilográfica perfecta que, para mí, sería la combinación de un plumín japonés, una fiabilidad alemana y un diseño italiano. Puede parecer extraño, pero en una Pelikan Souveran M 800 verde y negra (una de mis favoritas) he colocado un plumín Fino nº 15 de Pilot ( en concreto de una 823) y llevo más de dos años sin cambiar de estilográfica. Así que, en parte, he conseguido tener mi pluma "perfecta". Un saludo y gracias por sus aportaciónes a este precioso mundo de las estilográficas.

I think identifying the perfect fountain pen is challenging because there are different functionalities for fountain pens. For work, I need a good quickdraw pen with a fine/ extra fine nib that matches my aesthetics. In this case, my pilot decimo in peridot green is perfect. However, for writing letters, it's good to have a stub nib or flex nib. I don't think it's possible to have a perfect pen for every scenario. I also have a preference towards metal pens; however, when I saw the 2023 New Years edition of the Benu Euphoria, I said I needed to have it. The emerald green with the sparkly silver and gold glitter was just too perfect. I think in a way that's life. Everything has positives and negatives and we in a way have to appreciate the disorder in that.

Pilot irozhisku kon peki or jHerbin blue ink? Which is best

Very interesting conversation! Would be nice to write some things down about this, some musings :)

For me, my pens- my tools- can’t reach a point of perfection anymore than I can become their perfect user. But for right now I’m loving the burgundy metal Pilot Namiki. It’s converter sucks up ink piston-style. That was a surprise. Another surprise was how much I’m enjoying its weight. Behind this is the Pilot Falcon -lighter - and that falcon nib never lets me down. I love my Pilot pens best. But perfection? I wouldn’t dream of asking it of one pen. That would be cruel to them all. 😅

My perfect pen has changed over the years. When I started, I found any nib larger than a European fine too wide. Today, I prefer a medium gold nib and think fines feel restrictive. I can't discuss nibs without also discussing paper. The two must be carefully paired for the best writing experience. Finer nibs that tend to be on the dry side benefit from a coated paper such as Clairefontaine Triomphe, where the paper texture allows the nib to glide effortlessly. I find that same paper a bit slick with a wet medium+ nib. Here, a paper with a bit of tooth is preferred. Even then, a really well tuned steel nib can provide a better writing experience than a mediocre gold nib.

I am new to fountain pens and am having the best time discovering this world. I have a question, can I use the fountain pen ink to safely write monthly checks? I have cartridges from Lamy and Twsbi, as well as Noodlers Ink. Thank you and I enjoy your videos.

What is that lovely black (hexagonal? octagonal?) and brass pen shown at 3:02, please? So intriguing!

My perfect pen is the Scribo Feel with 14kt feel the flex nib fine ❤

Heft, girth, metal grip, And price - Monteverde Impressa, Laban Solar, And Sheaffer Intensity!

Weight of a MB 146, yes; cylindrical, yes. And while aesthetics are important, they take a far second place to writing performance. For me, the perfect pens are Magna Carta 600 and 650.

Did I not catch it or did you omit talking about the feed? As in material -ebonite, plastic, etc- . Are there variations in types of feed? I am just starting on this fountain pen journey... Is ebonite feed found in any new pens or only in vintage pens? Could you list some pens with ebonite feed? Thank you...

But can I have the perfect blue?

Nice, can you suggest a good blue ink brand please

Well, it's too complicated for me. Otoh, that is *_exactly_* what interests you and what you enjoy. It's your cup of tea, so it's great. To me, it's simple. Any fountain pen that works comfortably, flawlessly and without problems or annoyance, when handled right, is a "perfect" pen to me. A pen must start promptly. Like *_always_* start promptly. Ink flow should be even and also stop promptly. The pen must do these things smoothly and without pressure. Then it must not dry out in mere days or weeks. I think it's reasonably to demand that a pen should be able to write even if it has been lying unattended on the desk for months. It's okay if it needs a bit of priming after like two months or something like that, and it's allowed to have dried out after half a year. But I do care a lot about good sealing. Pens that fail these things, I simply drop out of use. That's why my Watermans stayed in the drawer for years, don't always start promptly. That's why my Parker Duofold never sees use. An absolutely fantastic nib, lovely, but pen is not sealed well enough. I do like a lightweight pen, like a resin or plastic pen. And I like a thick pen. But ultimately that doesn't matter much. A heavy pen or pencil thin pen can be "perfect" for me. Same with filling systems. I see advantages with some type of systems, but as long as it's not bladder or contain other components which may fail at some annoying moment, I'm fine. I like function. That was the original reason I went all in on fountain pens long ago, and it's still what I value.

I don't think there is one single perfect pen. I have different pens for different writing. Also, I enjoy writing with a variety of pens, but we are all different. :)

I have wonderful Pelikans, a Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze Age, and others I love. However, the only pen I own that is virtually perfect is my OMAS. The cotton resin is soft to the touch. Sailor is too hard. The 18k italic in house nib is magnificent. The weight is perfect. The piston filler is flawless. The one characteristic that prevents its affront to God is it is such a wet writer that I must use very dry inks, currently Salix. It’s probably a simple fix, but it writes divinely, though a gusher, so I dare not have it altered.