u/DiskOne3096

I'm curious if anyone else struggles with this and how you talk yourself out of it? For some reason it's really hard for me to make an order on a website if I'm only buying a single thing (idk why, if I feel like it's a waste to not have the shipping cost cover multiple items, or that a single thing is not enough and I need to add something else to make it feel "worthwhile"). I usually only add one or two small additional things which I wanted/liked but unlike the main item I didn't really need, and it's usually cheaper stuff but it does add up over time. I feel this in person sometimes too, if I'm at a shop and I only have one thing in my basket I'll feel weirdly obligated to add like, a pack of gum at the counter or something so it's not just a single thing.

I have a small collection of pens (8 currently) I'm very happy with all of them and I have at least one to suit all of my various pen needs, so I'm not wanting any more new models at the moment. But lately I have been thinking I would really like to add a vintage pen to my collection! I only want one, there's just something fun to me about the idea of giving a new life to a pen from decades ago which has been used by other people before me.

Unfortunately I don't live near any pen shops I could visit in person so I'd need to buy online, but I can't begin searching because I don't even know what to type in 😂 I can describe a few things I like in modern pens and if that gives anyone an idea, I would love to hear!

I know I prefer larger pens because I have a bit of a deathgrip and small/thin pens get uncomfortable to hold after a while, I hate having pens posted while I write so it mostly just needs to be long enough when uncapped. I do need it to have a clip, and a round grip section because I find faceted ones are uncomfortable to hold as well. Any material is fine, but I am fond of metal pens and enjoy the bit of extra weight they have. As for colours I enjoy the classic black with silver or gold trim but that's not a necessity. Cartridge/converter or piston fillers would be the best.

I don't know enough about pen history to give an specific era but honestly the older the better I think, since it's largely just for the novelty of it haha.

As for nibs I've only ever used standard nibs like a normal F and M so I wouldn't know how to handle any kind of specialist nibs, I've also only ever used steel nibs so I have no idea if I would like gold. I would be willing to try it, otherwise I'd be happy with another steel nib! It would be a bonus if the nib had an engraving/design on it, I just find those prettier compared to the plain ones.

My favourite pens to use are my TWSBI eco and diplomat viper (the grip on that one is so comfortable imo!)

I'm happy to do a little bit of work like taking it apart and cleaning, but I don't have the experience to attempt anything like tuning or grinding. Overall I'm just looking for something that could be a reliable every day writing sort of pen for journaling and note taking.

I don't have a strict budget but I would prefer something more on the affordable side, under $100 would be nice and under $50 even better. Thanks so much if anybody can help! 🩷