There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
- Rhodia Webnotebook (A5) - $19.95
- Noodler's Eel Black Ink (3oz) - $13
- TWSBI Vac700R Clear Fountain Pen (F nib, if you don't have a better guess) - $67.50
- **Total**: $100.45
If she likes being able to add flair to her writing, having a flex nib could be fun, but at the same time the price tag will go up at that point. Most flex-nib pens that I know of are $150+ on their own, and the cheapest I think I have seen one is the Pilot Elabo at $120 on sale. Alternatively, if she isn't sure what she is looking for, or doesn't have experience with fountain pens at all; it may be safer to start on the cheaper end. If you swap out the TWSBI for a Platinum Preppy, and purchase a converter for it, then she can try out a pen that won't matter much if it is lost/ broken, and will save you ~$60.