# Excellent FP



## talbot (Jan 5, 2009)

I browse on the FP Network mainly because I like Fountain Pens and actually use them on a daily basis. That said, I haven't actually written with any that I've made myself.
I recently purchased the following: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/P69-Chinese-R...photoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262

The decision was based on one of the forum members who had also bought one and stated how good it was so for the price of a gent kit approx I ordered one and was amazed at the quality of the pen that arrived. It cost me about £20 delivered .
It was well packaged in a wooden box and the plastic/acrylic was beautifully finished and the kit components are to a very high standard of finish and manufacture. It also writes extremely well.
Furthermore, its my idea of what a fountain pen should look like (apart from the Chinese characters all over the cap!)
It's a very attractive pen at what is, a silly price and I wish that it,without the writing, and others from China were available as kits.
Just thought I'd share my purchase with you and  comment on the price and value for money it represents.
regards, Bill


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## thewishman (Jan 5, 2009)

Looks like a nice pen. The design on the nib is quite nice.


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## texasfootball21 (Jan 5, 2009)

I'm so tempted. I now write with one of my pens but maybe I should see what I fountain pen *should* feel like. Might help me make better pens, yeah, that's how I'll justify it.


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## chriselle (Jan 6, 2009)

texasfootball21 said:


> I'm so tempted. I now write with one of my pens but maybe I should see what I fountain pen *should* feel like. Might help me make better pens, yeah, that's how I'll justify it.



Surely you jest...lol.  Certainly not to sabotage Talbot's "warm fuzzy:biggrin:"on a good purchase but man, all I can vision is mass produced injection moulded plastic with some cheesy silk screening conveyered out by the hundreds like cheap dollar store toys. Eeeew! 

Nope.  A fountain pen *should* feel like a classic piece of hand turned and polished ebonite with a quality fine tuned nib. 


All that said, my favorite fine line writer is a $3 clear plastic Pilot with a cheap EF nib...:wink:


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## talbot (Jan 7, 2009)

chriselle said:


> Surely you jest...lol.  Certainly not to sabotage Talbot's "warm fuzzy:biggrin:"on a good purchase but man, all I can vision is mass produced injection moulded plastic with some cheesy silk screening conveyered out by the hundreds like cheap dollar store toys. Eeeew!
> 
> Nope.  A fountain pen *should* feel like a classic piece of hand turned and polished ebonite with a quality fine tuned nib.
> 
> ...



Hi Chris,
I understand your scepticism and I certainly wasnt expecting a great deal when I bought this pen either.
I was very pleaseantly surprised however.
I use on a daily basis a MB149, a Waterman and a cheap Lamay Safari all of which are excellent writers.
I now also use the  Chinese Jinhao and without the cap it looks every bit as good as the MB and feels like a quality instrument as well as writing like one.
It also doesn't look like cheap plastic I assure you, see attached pics. The writing on the cap is not printed by the way, its etched/engraved, still looks awful mind you.





I wasnt posting this initially as a review or recommendation to buy, simply trying to point out that I could buy a complete pen of good quality, and I say again that it is, for the same sort of money as a Jr. Gent which now that Ive tried one is not as good a writer, as well balanced, or as good looking as the Chinese Jinhao.(Apart from the cap of course.)
Its a pity that such a kit is not available to buy as i'd love to use some of my ebonite to produce a pen that looks, to me anyhow, as good as this one.
Not wishing create an arguement here, simply posting my observations and thoughts.
regards,Bill


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## chriselle (Jan 7, 2009)

Bill,

  My post was for the most part tongue-in-cheek....more cheek than anything I guess:tongue:.  If I saw that in a store (i don't do ebay) around here for 15 bucks I'd probably buy it but I'm kinda "up to here" with EVERYTHING being made in China.  But, we'll save that for another day.  
I was looking at some of the other offerings from that company....pretty hard to resist especially if they tamed down the bling.

Cheers, 

   Chris


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## talbot (Jan 7, 2009)

Hi Chris 
I guessed that and I also agree with Chinese comment but sadly its a difficult source to avoid these days, in almost all markets.
I look often at Japanese pen sites like Nakaya and hope that one day I'll be able to treat myself to one of their's, then I think the Chinese and maybe even the MB would relegated back to their boxes.
You couldnt do me a nice price could you?
Kind regards, Bill


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## pipecrafter (Jan 7, 2009)

I took a look at their offerings too, and thought a couple had nice lines and shape, but the bling was just too much for me.  I'm more an "understated elegance" type of guy, and lots of shiny metal and different colors just isn't my style.


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## chriselle (Jan 7, 2009)

talbot said:


> Hi Chris
> I guessed that and I also agree with Chinese comment but sadly its a difficult source to avoid these days, in almost all markets.
> I look often at Japanese pen sites like Nakaya and hope that one day I'll be able to treat myself to one of their's, then I think the Chinese and maybe even the MB would relegated back to their boxes.
> You couldnt do me a nice price could you?
> Kind regards, Bill



Bill,

There are a number of cool pen shops in Tokyo that sell some pretty nice pens and for the most part the prices are pretty fair.  If you have something in mind I would certainly do what I could to help you find it.  Keep in mind that the yen is pretty strong right now so you'll take a beating in the exchange.  Anyway, I'm always around so just give a holler.


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## Firefyter-emt (Jan 8, 2009)

I kind of like that pen myself...  Not sure if I would buy it, but I do kind of like it.  I do not buy much in these lines myself, but I do admit to having a Hero 616 in my collection. (Parker 51 clone)  I bought two just because they were so cheap and had a good "rap".  I have to be honest, while the Hero is not a Parker by any means, its a wonderful pen.  I gave one to a friend of mine who is a FP user and she LOVES the pen herself.

I would love to see a real close up of that cap.  Maybe one with the converter showing too?

PS... that is a big pen too, I did not figure it would be on the size range as your Monte!


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## garypeck (Jan 9, 2009)

if you guys want to have those kinda kits..... i do have quite a few of them.....PM me for details....


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## talbot (Jan 9, 2009)

Firefyter-emt said:


> I kind of like that pen myself...  Not sure if I would buy it, but I do kind of like it.  I do not buy much in these lines myself, but I do admit to having a Hero 616 in my collection. (Parker 51 clone)  I bought two just because they were so cheap and had a good "rap".  I have to be honest, while the Hero is not a Parker by any means, its a wonderful pen.  I gave one to a friend of mine who is a FP user and she LOVES the pen herself.
> 
> I would love to see a real close up of that cap.  Maybe one with the converter showing too?
> 
> PS... that is a big pen too, I did not figure it would be on the size range as your Monte!



Hope these will do for you?
Regards, Bill


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## Firefyter-emt (Jan 9, 2009)

Very nice.... Man, look at that section!  That has a sweet design, nice shape and heavy duty threading.  

Is the lettering on the cap smooth, or can you feel where it was engraved? It looks rather smooth in the photos.  How's the nib feel, nice and smooth? Med-fine ect...


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## talbot (Jan 9, 2009)

Firefyter-emt said:


> Very nice.... Man, look at that section!  That has a sweet design, nice shape and heavy duty threading.
> 
> Is the lettering on the cap smooth, or can you feel where it was engraved? It looks rather smooth in the photos.  How's the nib feel, nice and smooth? Med-fine ect...



The lettering on the clip and the cap is etched/engraved.
The nib plating is not the best quality but it writes pretty smoothly and the ink flows evenly without interruption, in fact it writes better than a lot of more expensive pens Ive had over the years.
It doesn't say but I think its  got to be a medium.  I'm using this more on a daily basis and as I dont write with caps posted on my pens I don't have to look at the bling and it looks quite classy that way.
I just wish I could buy a kit of this style and quality at the same price.
Regards, Bill


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## garypeck (Jan 10, 2009)

talbot said:


> The lettering on the clip and the cap is etched/engraved.
> The nib plating is not the best quality but it writes pretty smoothly and the ink flows evenly without interruption, in fact it writes better than a lot of more expensive pens Ive had over the years.
> It doesn't say but I think its got to be a medium. I'm using this more on a daily basis and as I dont write with caps posted on my pens I don't have to look at the bling and it looks quite classy that way.
> I just wish I could buy a kit of this style and quality at the same price.
> Regards, Bill


 

Hi Bill,

I have a similar kit...... but its in Chrome..... do PM me for details.....


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## Ligget (Jan 11, 2009)

Just shows what us penturners have to compete with!


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