Penfount • Pen Community
#FPQuestion of the day:
What’s your take on pens with full art on them, like Japanese maki-e pens, Retro 51 special editions, Diplomat Esteem MadC edition, etc.? Do they appeal to you or do you prefer a cleaner, more uniform look?
#FountainPens
Jul 22, 2025 at 12:00amWeb
Show threadBack To AnalogJul 22, 2025

@penfount

To me they are very beutiful works of functional art. I wiyld love to have one of those pens, but it is not in my budget.

Show threadindi 🪡Jul 22, 2025
@penfount I'd worry I would damage one and wind up not using it to keep it looking nice. A kakuno doesn't care if you drop it on the floor, you know?
Show threadJim P.Jul 22, 2025

@penfount Mostly they don't appeal to me. I prefer demonstrators most of all, but sometimes I like certain things like stacked celluloid. Depends on the pen and the price.

The Preppy Wa Modern Maki-e pens are a great balance there since they are inexpensive, semi-transparent, and have some art on them. Most of the initial offerings were not my style but I did buy one of them. Hoping they do more eventually but with different designs.

Show threadparadoxmoJul 22, 2025
@jimp have you looked at them recently? They just came out with another series recently like early this year I think
Show threadJim P.Jul 22, 2025

@paradoxmo The one I have now is from last August's second edition set. The first edition had a couple that were OK but I missed it entirely. Might still be able to find them but I didn't like them enough to go out of my way to get them.

The third edition comes out in August and maybe two of those are ones I like (the fireworks and the cats).

Better than none at all, though, and it also keeps me from hoarding entire sets.

Show threadJulesJonesJul 22, 2025

@jimp @paradoxmo Just after a new series was released Cult Pens was doing an offer with a complete set of the previous series for less than it would cost to buy individually.

I looked at the page, and then I looked at the wallet on the shelf with many variations of colour and nib size in the standard editions, and closed the tab. :-) The Maki-e are pretty, but I do not need more than the one I got Just Because, which I still haven't used.

Show threadJulesJonesJul 22, 2025
@jimp @paradoxmo My Preppy collection includes the green and purple from years ago when they had coloured nibs to match the ink. I was most sad when I went to get more colours and discovered they'd stopped doing the coloured nibs and were using coloured barrels instead.
Show threadparadoxmoJul 23, 2025
@JulesJones yeah the lacquer was cracking and obstructing ink flow, that’s why they stopped doing that
Show threadJulesJonesJul 23, 2025

@paradoxmo Now you've reminded me I vaguely remember seeing something about that.

And having searched to see if I could find anything about it, I have discovered the existence of the Platinum Meteor. Now telling myself I do not need to get another member of the Preppy family, I already have manymanylots Preppies plus a Plaisir.

Show threadparadoxmoJul 23, 2025
@JulesJones I accumulated a lot of the Preppy and Meteor/Starlet early on but have now given all away but one Prefounte which I permanently keep inked with Platinum Carbon Black. I figure they should go to people who would use them.
Show threadJim P.Jul 22, 2025

@JulesJones @paradoxmo I use and like the one I have, but I like Preppies in general.

If they offered them in EF I might have a problem, but that's another limiting factor. I prefer EF, so if I want an EF in one of those I need to buy another Preppy/Meteor/etc and swap nibs.

Show threadparadoxmoJul 23, 2025

@penfount I like them overall, but it depends on the design in the end. Regarding price, I think a good compromise is the silk-screened maki-e that they use on, for example, Platinum Wa pens or the Modern maki-e series. It's not as intricate as fully handpainted lacquer but it's still a nice design, and it's a lot cheaper.

I also do love my Retro 51, which is also silk-screened.