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Fountain Pens - Beginning of a Collection [2017 ~ 2018]

Expanding My Fountain Pen Collection

My current focus is on my nascent fountain pen collection, and I have been planning how best to proceed over the next 12 months to increase my collection to a total of six pens. Presently, I own only three Metropolitan pens, and I feel it's necessary to add some variety and quality.

Current Inventory

  • Pilot Metropolitan
    • Classic (Black)
    • Retro Pop (Turquoise)
    • Retro Pop (Purple)
  • Iroshizuku Ink
    • Kon-Peki
    • Murasaki-Shikibu

Future Desired Additions

Pens

  • Pilot Custom 74 Black — $75 — Mar 2018
  • Platinum 3776 Blue — $75 — Aug 2018
  • Platinum 3776 Red — $75 — Dec 2018

Accessories

  • Pen Case (3 Pack) — $25 — Aug 2018

Estimated Outlay: $250

Update: 12/31/17

I've delayed my planned purchases and will make them contingent on successfully passing my certification exams for Python and R. While the dates may vary, I want to ‘win’ these pens by passing the examinations. The Metropolitans have held up well and are being reinked every few days due to my studies.

Update: 2/4/18

I purchased the first pen, the Pilot Custom 74. Overall, it’s an 'okay' pen—better than the Metropolitans—but it has made me lean more toward the Platinum 3776 as my next purchase. I’ll likely increase that to two 3776s to establish a proper rotation.

After that, I plan to ease up and be more selective about my future purchases. I may also consider exploring other brands like Sailor or Lamy in 2019 or 2020.



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