Favorite Fountain Pen and Ink Acquisitions: Six Standout Picks

Introduction

Every year produces a short list of acquisitions that actually earn their place in rotation, rather than sitting in a drawer. This roundup covers two inks and four fountain pens that were used long enough to be judged properly, from an Australian brown with a evocative name to a discontinued flagship that can still be found at a discount.

The Inks: Two Browns and Blues Worth Adding

Ink buying was kept deliberately restrained this year, since the collection already holds more ink than a lifetime of writing would use. Two bottles, both picked up around Fountain Pen Day, still managed to stand out.

Robert Oster Vanness Exclusive Charred Hickory

Robert Oster is an Australian ink maker with a huge color range and a reputation for solid performance, and this was a first bottle from the brand. Charred Hickory is a Vanness exclusive that Robert Oster produces only for Vanness Pens, so it is not something you will find everywhere. There is also a shimmering version, but the plain formulation is the more appealing choice if shimmer is not your thing.

What makes it work is that it is an interesting brown rather than a basic one. It goes down lighter, shows some shading, and dries into a redder, woody hue that lives up to the name. Inked in a wet fine nib, it performs without complaint and has become a go-to for anyone who finds most browns dull.

Akkerman Delfts Blauw

Akkerman’s Delfts Blauw is a blue meant to evoke the china-blue glaze on Dutch plates and cups, and the packaging carries the same motif. It was on the wishlist since release, held off only because the collection already leaned heavily on blues. The wait turned out to be unnecessary; it belongs near the top of the blues collection already.

It rides a line that is easy to love: a lighter, slightly purple-leaning blue that reads as subdued yet somehow still vivid. In medium nibs and up it shows lots of shading, and even in an extra fine it remains dependable and comfortable. It is a calming shade, the kind you reach for when the writing itself should be relaxing.

Platinum 3776 Urushi Maki-e Sansui

This was likely the first fountain pen purchase of the year, found at the Dallas pen show after never having seen it before. It is a Platinum 3776 underneath, finished as an urushi maki-e pen with a motif called Sansui: islands, trees, boats, waves, and a sunset rendered at the top of the pen.

The artwork is entirely hand-done, with the design physically raised under the lacquer so you can feel it beneath your fingers. Tiny golden dots scattered as rocks add detail that rewards close inspection. This was a first urushi pen, and it genuinely feels different from a standard 3776; the lacquer adds something to the hand feel.

Because it is still a 3776, the writing was a known quantity: a fine nib that is among Platinum’s best and writes like a dream. It is a pen that feels special to use, not just to look at.

Platinum President

Another Platinum made the list, this time as a semi-impulse buy that felt justified. The President is now discontinued, which is bad news for the model but good news for buyers: stock is often still available at a much better price than its original retail level.

This example is the burgundy, with a second black one in the collection carrying an ultra extra fine nib. The fine is the preferred writer of the two; the ultra extra fine has a hair-thin downstroke with a wider cross stroke that suits architect-style writing better than everyday handwriting. The President is slightly bigger and wider than the 3776, which reads as a step up, and it carries a distinctive clip design.

The real value is the nib: an 18-carat gold President nib, the same one Platinum uses on its flagship urushi Namiki-tier model, in a far more cost-effective pen. The difference from the 14-carat 3776 fine is noticeable, different rather than strictly better, but the whole package is gorgeous, comfortable in the hand, and a shame to see go out of production.

Gravitas Sentry White Delrin

The most recent acquisition on the list is the Gravitas Sentry in white Delrin, based on one of Gravitas’s main models. Visually it is deliberately plain: no loud branding, no wild colors, just subtle styling with coned tips at either end. The real appeal is the material and the writing.

Delrin is an engineered plastic that feels unlike anything else in a typical collection, and the build quality shows: these pens are machined one at a time by Ben Walsh in Ireland, and every nib and pen is checked before shipping. The stainless steel section pairs with an excellent extra fine nib that is simply smooth.

Because the body is strong, ink-resistant plastic and the section is solid steel, the balance is remarkable: the weight sits right in the fingers and the pen disappears in the hand, comfortable enough for hours of writing. It can even be eyedroppered safely. Shipping from Ireland takes a little longer, but there is little else to fault.

Pineider La Grande Bellezza Rocco

The last pen nearly did not make the list, and the story of why is worth telling. On first impression the La Grande Bellezza Rocco is stunning: a deep, swirling resin meant to mimic the look of celluloid, a great form, a convenient magnetic cap, and a piston filler with an ink window that holds plenty of ink.

The problem was that it was a ridiculously dry writer, barely putting out ink and drying out repeatedly even when capped, across two different inks. The fix came from a brass shim flossed between the tines, which stopped right around where the feed ends. During that process, some of the black nib coating flaked off near the tip, suggesting a manufacturing issue with the coating had been blocking ink flow to the tip.

After that bit of elbow grease, the pen transformed: it now writes wet, true to size, smooth, and has stopped drying out when capped. That is why it earns its place, with the caveat that it took troubleshooting to get there. Anyone picking one up should be prepared to floss the tines if it arrives dry.

Buying Advice

A few patterns emerge from this list. Platinum’s finer nibs remain excellent value, and discontinued models like the President can be genuine bargains if you find remaining stock. Independent makers such as Gravitas reward patience with craftsmanship you can feel, and exclusive inks like the Vanness-only Charred Hickory are worth grabbing when you see them. If a new pen writes dry out of the box, try nib flossing before assuming the pen itself is flawed.

Conclusion

Not every great purchase works perfectly on day one, and this list includes both instant favorites and one pen that needed rescuing. What they share is that all six earned their place through actual use: two dependable, characterful inks and four pens that range from hand-painted art to no-nonsense engineered plastic. Each one makes a strong case for looking beyond the obvious choices.