[DeletedAccount53]

Originally Posted by Mallika

Hi Wendi,

Ah, it's a pity that the refill wouldn't fit!! Nonetheless, it's very nice to have such a charming pen in your possession. It's to know that your home is being refurbished - I love the idea of sprucing things up.

The titanium pen with the fidget spinner sounds very unique indeed! But I can imagine that it must be pretty expensive

I've never heard about that Italian kind of porcelain, but it sounds fabulous! Yes, learning to spot antiques is an art in itself I believe

Take care!

Sorry I haven't answered until now, but I've been enjoying a bottle or three, family together and a lot of books. I've been offline for most of the time. Having the choice not to switch on devices has been tremendously empowering.

My interest in antiques was initially ignited by the books that are available in the library or second-hand shops which are quite the rarity these days, but also a valuable source of learning antiques and collectables is watching You Tube videos. Another exciting part is being present at an auction, but skilled bidders have to factor in the auctioneer's commission and items successfully bid, subject to VAT. To bid above a certain amount will affect their profit margin, so they have to be careful.

Fidget spinners are fun, but their whirring noise can be a huge irritation. Like some jerk clicking their pen to deliberately annoy, though said jerks don't make a habit of that if they are in close proximity of a thick ear or a split lip.

I can't bring myself to use my late mother's GvC pernambuco pen. It seems to repel me, also Julie and Tommy. Though that bronzed titanium pen I previously mentioned, the one with the fidget spinner costs a prohibitive £122.95 It's the MecArmy TPX10 which is a bolt-action type. MecArmy make lesser expensive pens, these being TPX8 in either brass or a slightly more expensive titanium, both being CNC machined.

There are elegant pens such as Caran D'Ache, Mont Blanc and GvC's 'Pen Of The Year' range, Montegrappa, S.T.Dupont, Yard-O-Led's astonishingly beautiful silver pens or Visconti, the latter few out of reach of most people's pockets.

Then there are 'tactical' pens, ones with glass breakers at one end, or are wrought from flamed titanium and contain a cord cutter beneath their clip, maybe an LED light or hidden blade. Interesting, but I believe there may also is a pen forum. But for those who just want a plain writing implement, a bog standard Bic is all that's needed.