What Would Mark Twain Buy Today

[syngent]

Mark Twain


Bought a Conklin Crescent filler and fell in love



"I prefer it to ten other fountain pens, because it carries its filler in its own stomach, and I can not mislay even by art or intention. Also, I prefer it because it is a profanity saver; it cannot roll off the desk."
-Mark Twain

​

So, while the Conklin still matches what he loved about it, there are a lot of other choices on the market today, Which one would he choose and why ?. This isnt about your favourite pen now, I want to know what Marks favourite would be and whose pen he would promote on his travels, whose pen would become his modern day signature pen

Vintage pens are not part of this one, as well all know he would get a P51, so theres no point in allowing it lol

 

[Lamar]

I haven't a clue what he would use today as I haven't much knowledge but I gotta say that anti roll device is a nice touch!

 

[celestino]

James, i think he would go for a Pelikan demonstrator like this so he could marvel at the ink in the barrel!
http://www.pelikan.com/pulse/Pulsar/en_US_INTL.FWI.displayShop.99517./demonstrator-m1005

 

[Rockminer]

This is a tough one. If he really placed a priority on the pen not rolling, without the cap, then it limits the playing field. A lot of the usual suspects wouldn't make the cut, even the almighty vaunted "51".

 

[syngent]

I haven't a clue what he would use today as I haven't much knowledge but I gotta say that anti roll device is a nice touch!

Its not an anti roll device really Lamar, The crescent filler was one of the first pens with a sac that could fill itself from a bottle without the need of a needle or any funnels, you push the crescent down which compresses a bar spring squeezing the sac, then when you release it sucks in ink. twain loved it cause he could fill on the go, and had the added benefit of not being able to roll of his desk

 

[syngent]

well this Danitrio is not round so maybe that would be enough to sway him to a purchase
at just under 1000 bucks though it is quite the commitment lol

 

[Boro62]

im not sure what other pen mark twain would use, but i really want that conklin...bah...

 

[Andy]

im not sure what other pen mark twain would use, but i really want that conklin...bah...

Me too! Must.....resist......Conklin........

 

[Artimid]

Well, considering how broke Twain was for much of his life, I would say he would probably like a Hero.
If we are talking about the bit of time he hadn't blown all his money, then I would put my vote down for a capless fountain pen except that the capacity probably wouldn't be enough for him. I imagine he would enjoy the lack of worry about running ink (with a converter), the lack of rolling, and the ease of one handed quick use. For a person constantly writing, the ability to have the pen ready with a quick click would probably be amazing for him.
Pretty much any from this list: http://www.cultpens.com/acatalog/Retractable-Fountain-Pens.html
High quality, and would last a while with no worry about the nib being beaten up badly thanks to the protection of being inside the pen.

But then on the other hand, for someone who wrote as much as him and had as little money as him for most of his life, I bet ink capacity and quick filling would be key over the style of the capless ... so he might end up going with a http://www.gouletpens.com/Noodlers_Black_Konrad_Flex_Pen_p/n14007.htm or something like it, for the huge capacity and the ease of filling. Also, because of the price he can pick out his special one and buy multiple.

 

[Isaac]

Lets get Brian worked up...


He would buy a TWSBI!!!

 

[Slivovitz]

An interesting thing to think about. Mark Twain was not, in his time, afraid of new technology, supposedly the first professional writer to write on a typewriter. He might use almost anything today, Pilot G2 rollerballs for all I know. He'd have a lot more choices now.

He was, I assume, paid for his endorsement of the Conklin, although I don't doubt he genuinely liked it. It would no doubt tickle his sense of humor that his name was still being used to sell a modern reproduction. If he were brought forward to our time, though, he could go on eBay, and still get Conklin Crescents of the type he was familiar with, with their nice gold flex nibs. The two below are probably from the decade after his death in 1910, but I'm sure he'd be comfortable with them, and they still work great. [Edit, okay, you didn't want us to include vintage pens, but MT would have done whatever he wanted.]



By the way, after I'd taken three or four versions of this picture, my camera outlined Mark Twain's face on the book cover and asked me if I wanted to register this person. I wonder what he would have had to write about that.

 

[N2theBreech]

Yes, Mark Twain did appear to embrace new technology. He also appears to have been a no-nonsense person--Before fountain pens, he used stylograhic pens but, according to something I read, he hated the things and threw more than one across the room. I also read somewhere that, in his later years he dictated his writings, only using his pen to proofread. Maybe he wasn't as enthralled with writing by hand as we Conklin owners would like to think.

Therefore, after giving it minimal thought and little consideration, I think he would choose... a laptop.

Whoops, that's not a pen, is it?

OK, playing within the rules, I'm gonna vote for a TWSBI. I hear they are good writers for a poor writer, i.e. good value for money. They can be disassembled for both maintenance and easy nib swaps and, as Celestino noted, there is the novelty of transparency.

 

[brianw]

lets get brian worked up...


He would buy a twsbi!!!

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 

[vreddy2000]

Well, considering how broke Twain was for much of his life, I would say he would probably like a Hero.

++++1
hero 616.