I saw the #21PenQuestions making rounds on mastodon. I am not so deep into fountain pens as many other folks sharing their answers, but here are mine nevertheless:
What is the pen they’ll have to pry out of your cold dead hands?
A dip pen set that was gifted by my partner.
What’s your guilty pleasure pen?
Parker vector stub nibs. Extremely cheap—in fountain pen world—and fun to do calligraphy with.
What’s the pen you wish existed?
A proper vintage flex nib in Lamy 2k body. I know it's not possible in hooded nib.
What pen would you give to a new enthusiast?
Lamy Safari. Great color options and very reliable.
What pen do you want to get along with but it just never clicked?
Conklin Duraflex. I have 2 variations, but not sure what's not working out here.
What pen do you only keep only because its pretty?
Couple of demonstrator Moonmans. Also a Kaweco Sport which has a nib problem yet to be fixed so it might not be under the 'only keeping because pretty' category.
What pen (or stationery product) did you buy because everyone else did?
I bought Lamy 2k and Pilot VP like this (reddit). But I have to say that both are on the top of my most used pens list. They are really great to work with.
What pen (or stationery product) is over your head or just baffles you?
Mostly the hand made Namiki pens. I think they don't baffle me as much as they would have, say, 2 years back. But it's still hard for me to think about the value.
What pen (or stationery product) surprised you?
Glass dip pens have surprisingly high storage. I wasn't thinking they would work to the length they do in one dip.
What pen doesn’t really work for you but you keep it because it’s a collectible?
I have a limited edition Conklin Duraflex. It's not as collectible, but it's still a limited edition, so I guess it counts.
What is your favorite sparkly pen (or ink)?
My first ink, Diamine Frosted Orchid.
Which nib do you love – but hate the pen?
Noodler's Ahab. I wish the pen body was better and didn't smell so strongly. I don't hate the smell as many other folks do, but it's still weird to have a strong smell attached to a pen.
What pen (or stationery product) gives you the willies?
Nothing here.
What’s your favorite pen for long form writing?
Lamy 2k. With medium nib.
What pen (or stationery product) do you love in theory but not in practice?
F or EF nibs. I see all these beautifully written notes on the internet with fine nibs, but I have never been able to have fun with them.
What pen (or stationery product) would you never let someone else use?
I can let them use anything. I do usually spend a second to say things like "it's a screw cap", "you can't flex it", etc. since a lot of people don't have experience with fountain pens.
What pen (or stationery product) would you never use for yourself?
Nothing here. I would use anything I get hands on.
What pen (or stationery product) could you NOT bring yourself to buy?
I have thought about getting a Visconti—specially a black Homo Sapiens—many times but never got myself over the fence.
What’s your favorite vintage pen?
I don't have any, but I love watching videos of Waterman's vintage flex pens.
What is your favorite EDC/pocket pen?
Sailor Pro Gear Slim. It's small, light, pretty, and writes well.
What’s the pen (or stationery product) that got away?
Nothing super strong here. But I feel I have always missed getting a troublemakers' ink bottle whenever their stock arrived.