2024 Pen of the Year and Awards

[@kellieashman6908]

Thanks for all your reviews this year Mick, have a great new year and I look forward to watching your videos in 2025

[@Glenn-j2e]

Happy New year Mick, Australia has lots of great pen and ink makers.👍🇦🇺

[@theoffstageme]

@@Glenn-j2e we sure do!

[@CarlosBarros-e1x]

Great Mick ! Happy near year ! 🎉🎉🎉

[@hishamw6755]

Happy New Year and look forward to your future videos as a fellow Australian

[@levon9]

Interesting list, thank you for sharing. Happy 2025

[@impish22]

what an amazing collection !!

[@teresaharris-travelbybooks5564]

Thank you for coming up with different criteria for your person best.

[@archivist17]

Great choices, Mick! Sad to hear about your P136 woes. Mine is a wonderful performer. Mind you, I do tend to change the original F or EF nibs on Chinese pens for something more usable as soon as I get them, so can't remember enough to comment on the original writing experience. I like that you made different categories in your Awards, to highlight different aspects.

[@daintiestquarters3411]

Rod Roncari doesn't have a website. How do people buy his pens?

[@theoffstageme]

You can message him via Instagram or if you don’t have instagram, I might be able to pass on his email address.

[@frankv7068]

@@theoffstageme I don’t have instagram, I would like to email my interest in that fountain pen as well.

[@daintiestquarters3411]

@ thank you! his email would be helpful. I have instagram and i just saw his pens there, but i dont know how messaging works in that platform. 🌺

[@theoffstageme]

@@daintiestquarters3411 his email is [e-mail]

[@daintiestquarters3411]

@ thanks!

[@georgemitchell1980]

I think the Lamy 2000 Pine is definitely worth the price. The enclosed book with facing pages in English and German is quite interesting. The notebook is very high quality. The box is a collector’s item. The limited edition number on the clip also adds to the overall presentation. Thanks so much for the video as well.

[@paulmchugh1430]

Fabulous selection of pens, Mick. I need to get a Platypus pen, perhaps the Model 10 (less money). I hope the P136 has not pushed you away from MaJohn. The P139 with the #8 nib is stellar. Is it far and away the best MaJohn pen I own. Yes it is derivative but it feels great in the hand and writes like a dream. Another pen I would put near or at the top is the Platinum President with a medium nib. It has the largest nib Platinum made for regular production and it is equivalent in size to the Montblanc 146. Absolutely gorgeous writer. You can still find it through after market sites like eBay for a reasonable price. I wish they still produced it. The OPUS 88 Harmony is another great pen. Smaller than the Omar or Bela but it still holds 2ml of ink and the nib is well tuned. Like you the Hong Dian C1 is the surprise pen for me. Inexpensive but it posts well, can be eyedropper filled, and writes excellently.

[@davidcostello7320]

Love that green color on the Lamy 2000. I can’t afford what Lamy is asking for it, but I purchased the Aion in that color and have been enjoying it immensely.

[@ichirofakename]

What a unique and interesting list, with only one from Japan, one from Germany, and zero from Italy. Let me know when you find a pen from Sweden. Ravishing for the win.

[@theoffstageme]

@@ichirofakename this is just the awards I give from the pens I reviewed in 2024. Plenty of pens from all over place in the over all list. I’ll have a think about Swedish pens

[@MissMarilynDarling]

Yeah the Moonman p136 needs the Jowo nib housing to really shine I put the Jowo nib housing on it with a Franklin Christoph broad jowo nib OMG its so nice now and I can put my gold Jowo nibs and most of my other nibs on it too which is super nice :)

[@AnonYmous-ry2jn]

Nice awards event! What ink is that?

[@theoffstageme]

Robert Oster Kids on the Block is the ink. It's awesome.

[@AnonYmous-ry2jn]

@ thanks so much! I’ll be candid! I’m basically broke but splurged buying my first (inexpensive) fountain pen in 25 years. Looking for something cheap but gorgeous. If the Oster (including shipping) is more than I want to spend, which is preferable for blue-black: Monteverde or Aurora? I’m up at 3:45 am (NY) looking at pen and ink videos!

[@theoffstageme]

I like the colour of the Aurora Blue Black, but prefer the performance of the Monteverde. I have used Monteverde Blue-Black a lot because it’s pretty affordable, and definitely nice enough.

[@AnonYmous-ry2jn]

@ thanks thanks thanks! I’m so wishy-washy; now leaning toward Monteverde Sapphire. Some reviews make it look like a deep, rich navy blue; but another review gives the impression it’s somewhat purplish, which I definitely *don’t* want. Maybe I’ll go back to the Monteverde blue-black on your suggestion. Very frustrating dilemma. Ideally I’d have something between a navy blue and a blue-black, which I guess is a dark navy blue, obviously; but with interesting copperish sheen and shading. But but not flashy or obvious, nor something that would gunk up my pen!!

[@theoffstageme]

@ my experience with Monteverde Sapphire is that it’s a nice rich blue, with a purple undertone. It’s nice, but I don’t think it is super unique. The blue-black has grey tones, which I like, but it’s not super blue. Not as blue as the Aurora blue-black. If you have access to Diamine, check out Diamine Blue-Black, Oxford Blue, or even Majestic blue.

[@davidcostello7320]

I understand your Wooden Spoon decision. A lot of Chinese pens can be hit and miss for quality. My Majohn P136 is a fantastic writer. It writes so well that my wife stole it!