I wanted to respond earlier and the week has been brutal. I don't really even have the time to take a new photo, but I have one from a couple of years ago.
In 2014 I was still fairly new to the pen world, but thanks to my first pen show (LA) in 2013 I had gotten to meet and know John Mottishaw of Classic Foutain Pens / Nibs.com in LA. I really liked him, as a person as well as for his knowledge of and approach to pens. When their shop decided to commission a pen for their 20th anniversary, it just knocked me out. It was my first "big boy" pen purchase, #25 from a run of 88 pens. John did the slightest stub to the nice medium nib, tuned it up and sent it my way.
This is one question I can answer honestly and easily: I have two pens that have been inked every day and used nearly so for almost my entire pen time (nearly 12 years now). As luck would have it, my TWSBI 540 recently completely cracked at the piston knob, and it had hald Red Poppy (and lather KWZ Thief's Red the entire time. Always ready and writing immediately, red annotations clearly seen. It's recently been replaced by a similar TWSBI Mini, same KWZ ink.
But the orange and black Sailor Professional Gear Realo stands upright in a pen holder on my desk, always and forever filled with Namiki Blue. I love NB because the ink works all the time AND gives good enough water resistance to work for envelopes and postcards. The pen writes consistently and is a joy to use, a perfect fit for my hand. I can't imagine ever being without this pen, and it has stood the test of enough time that I know I'll use it until I can't use pens anymore.
Cheers,
Jon
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