Top four* pens I have never inked

Because I squirrel pens away and they’re my precious and there’s actually at least five

Well well well, if it isn’t the consequences of my actions. Pristine pens… outside of pen shops?

To continue with my disjointed, lifelong saga of acquiring pens, today’s topic would be that at one point, either due to deals or due to poor self control and access to a credit card, I have bought/won, and/or stored at least five pens that I promised myself I’d use and failed to do so.

The whys and the whythehecks will come later. Let’s talk pens.

I don’t know when it all began, but just off the top of my head, I can think of at least five pens that have been sitting unused for at least several months, if not years.

Opus 88 Mini Drunk Cat, F nib (I forgot the actual name)

I won this pen several months(?) ago and I like it, although I am not sure I can support alcoholism in felines. I’d prefer to separate my alcohol from my cat’s water (not that he didn’t try to lick my drink ever and even once succeeded in stealing some of my coffee). Regardless, I happen to own two more 88 Minis with cats (Grumpy Cat and Cat Café), and I might be looking at another (Beluga) but as we already discussed, I am holding off because I can totally buy no pens in January.

Just one… more… week.

The reason I haven’t inked this one is because I just couldn’t figure out what ink I should use. And I kinda don’t like red ink. And if I put maroon, it won’t make sense because of the color clash.

There’s nothing wrong with it, of course. It just hasn’t made the rotation just yet. From my experience, Opus 88 Mini nibs are pretty good; the B was a bit skippy, but the 1.4 stub is to die for. So I will go ahead and say that this F nib has to be good, and the pen is super fun to use, especially with that Japanese eyedropper. Chef’s kiss.

Pilot Kaküno Transparent Light Green/Light Blue, EF

Lookit that smiley face

Hear me out. I have two of them. One has the transparent green cap, the other the transparent blue. I was gifted both and I have used one, but the other I just couldn’t because they’re the same, right? So I figured, maybe this other pen will find another home one day, and I will rehome it, and I would prefer to do that with the pen being pristine.

As they’re both EF, I will say that the EF nib on the Kaküno is the smallest, weirdest, most satisfying EF I’ve ever used. It’s basically a budget needlepoint, and the flow is impeccable. I’m pretty sure I’d be able to write on a grain of rice, if I could ever write a non-run-on sentence.

Retro 51 Apollo, M

Yes I took a photo of a box and not the pen, sue me

Once upon a time when my brother was graduating from high school, he had to write a 40-page paper on a topic of (mostly) his choosing, and he chose the Apollo program. It was indeed interesting, and I read it with pleasure, but the point is that to this day I associate that topic with my brother; naturally, when Retro 51 came up with the Apollo fountain pen, I just had to have it.

And I missed the boat. It was out of my budget (I used to have a budget), and I told myself I already have the Mustang fountain pen and he has a Mustang rollerball, so it’s basically the same. The Mustang wrote great out of the box and I ended up grinding the nib and now it’s one of my favorite writers (as the Apollo would be).

Fast forward to 2023 and the Apollo pops up on the world’s meanest forum, the r/pen_swap, and a few days later, the pen was in my hands.

So… why not ink up the coveted pen? It arrived in a beautiful, sealed box, and I am worried that if I open it it won’t be perfectly sealed. What if I can sell it in 50 years?!

I won’t. It is there to remind me of my brother. But what if… what if…

Decision fatigue is real.

Pilot Vanishing Point Raden Stripes, M

This is/was my grail for a long time. Basically, after I got my first gold nib pen in 2017, the matte black VP, I saw the Raden and… honestly, fell in love. Back then (and honestly, even today), spending $400-850 on a fountain pen seemed extremely stupid, so I shelved that desire, and instead of indulging, I resorted to watching videos. I ended up changed my mind from liking the Galaxy to liking Raden Stripes more, by the way.

But then, 2022 rolls around and Cult Pens decide to slap a huge sale on their website, and there I was… paying maybe half of what I’d be paying in the US. Still too much money, of course, but pen math worked its magic, and also, I thought I was buying in US dollars and not pounds, so the joke is on me.

It arrived in a beautiful wooden box, with a lovely Namiki branded bag, paperwork, and other paraphernalia, and it stayed in its beautiful wooden box for probably a year before it moved in with my other coveted pens in a soft cushioned box. I left it in its plastic condom baggie, and there it remains still.

Because, hear me out, if I take it out, and if I hate the nib, I will be upset. If I take it out and put ink in it, it won’t be pristine anymore either!

And also, let’s be real, it should be inked with my favorite ink, and I still haven’t settled on that.

Left to right: Benu White Christmas that I didn’t talk about today as it was a topic of a previous post (but I haven’t inked that one yet), Pilot Kakuno, Opus 88 Mini, Pilot Vanishing Point, and a pristine box of Retro 51.

Conclusion

It seems that I get pens because they’re shiny and new. And because there’s a hella good deal. And because I get bored and there is only so much trash tv to watch. And then I look at them and put them on the shelf because they’re pretty and not touch them again. Or I don’t want to “ruin them” with ink. Or because I get anxiety from opening a nicely packaged thing.

As you all know, my first resolution for 2024 was to buy no pens in January. My second fountain pen resolution was to pick a date and ink them pens, or if I don’t, I accept that I have to go back to r/pen_swap, and list them there. Perhaps someone else, who is nicer to pens, will give them a better home.

Are you like me or am I the weirdest banana eater in the history of fountain pen hobby? Would love to hear your thoughts.

P. S. The content is still and will remain free, but if you’re so inclined, you can always support my work by pledges. I have goodies I’d like to share, and also, I would greatly appreciate it. I promise all donations will go towards pen purchases.