FPN Limited Edition Pen

[jonro]

I figure that there's enough interest for more than one review of this pen, so here's mine:

 

First Impressions (5/5)

It arrived in Bexley’s tasteful blue presentation case, which happens to closely match the deep blue in the pen’s end caps.

 

Appearance (4.5/5)

It’s a beautiful pen. The blue cracked ice acrylic body has some depth and iridescence to it. It’s also partly translucent. The rhodium plated stainless steel trim contrasts artfully with the different shades of blue. I have one small complaint. The laser engraved FPN logo is not centered on my end cap. This is going to bug me. Minus 1/2 star unless I can get the end cap replaced.

 

Design (5/5)

This is a big pen, not huge, just big, and I find it very comfortable to hold. It looks to me like its inspiration was the Parker Duofold, but the top end cap does not have the Dufold’s taper. The cap screws onto the section with less than 2 turns. The clip has the pocket-friendly ball at the end.

 

Nib (4.5/5)

The stainless steel nib is the same size as the 18k nib on my other Bexleys. It is nicely engraved, but doesn’t have the Bexley logo. It handles beautifully, but if the gold Bexley nib is a 5/5 (which it is), then I rate this a 4.5/5. That’s a value judgment, because small differences like that could be due to balance, different inks or just the fact that I haven’t been writing with it for very long.

 

Filling System (4/5)

It comes with a standard international converter, but nicely made. I’ve come to prefer C/Cs to everything but piston fillers. They are easy to fill, easy to clean and you can always go cartridge when desired.

 

Cost and Value (5/5)

It’s a big beautiful pen that handles with aplomb. Compared to other fine fountain pens, I consider this pen to be a very good value.

 

Conclusion (4.5/5)

This is an excellent pen. It writes beautifully out of the box (after an obligatory section rinsing). I hope we see yearly FPN-edition Bexleys.

 

 

[rroossinck]

That's definitely a snappy looking pen.

[Buster]

Appearance (4.5/5)

..... I have one small complaint. The laser engraved FPN logo is not centered on my end cap. This is going to bug me. Minus 1/2 star unless I can get the end cap replaced.

Same on mine, Jonro. Mine is southeast of center. I thought this may have been intentional, until I saw James' photo of the end cap on the "First Spy Photos" thread:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...c=30828&hl=

With a choice between making me nuts or looking at it as a graphic design feature, I'm going to try and go w/ the graphic design feature....yeah, that's the ticket.

 

Rick

[PinarelloOnly]

Appearance (4.5/5)

..... I have one small complaint. The laser engraved FPN logo is not centered on my end cap. This is going to bug me. Minus 1/2 star unless I can get the end cap replaced.

Same on mine, Jonro. Mine is southeast of center. I thought this may have been intentional, until I saw James' photo of the end cap on the "First Spy Photos" thread:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...c=30828&hl=

With a choice between making me nuts or looking at it as a graphic design feature, I'm going to try and go w/ the graphic design feature....yeah, that's the ticket.

 

Rick

 

 

My FPN engraving is also off center, I try to ignore it but I can't. I sent an email to Bexley about getting a solid blue

replacement with no engraving and they are away till May 7th.

[playpen]

Got mine today. It's as smooth as silk (steel nib) and my logo is off-center too..it's got a wide border on top of the logo and a narrow one on the bottom.

[bobioden]

Got mine today. It's as smooth as silk (steel nib) and my logo is off-center too..it's got a wide border on top of the logo and a narrow one on the bottom.

 

My logo is the same way, below center.

 

Bob

[wackyjacky1]

My logo is the same way, below center.

 

Bob

 

LOL, mine, too. Strangely, it doesn't bother me too much, although I suppose I would have preferred it to be centered.

 

PS Remember that thread about how Bexley's smelled funny? They sure do (mine does, at least).

Edited May 2, 2007 by wackyjacky1

[Taki]

Yup, mine is closer to the clip, too. That really does not bug me, though.

Edited May 3, 2007 by Taki

[jpolaski]

Yup, mine's south of center as well. Glad to see I'm not the only one. I'm not sure it's even replaceable. That "funny smell" is acetyl acrylate. It means everything was chemically welded. I for one thought it would have been a nice touch to have the FPN logo done as a Medallion set in the top a'la Duofold, but I like this one's charm.

[playpen]

You know what? I'm not upset with the logo being the way it is because it's exclusive due to the fact that such classy people also have it off-centered!

[coco]

Great review. And that's the best photo I've seen of the pen. I wondered if I should have gone for the 18k nib, but I like the stainless steel very much. It writes smoothly (like jonro's review says, it writes beautifully right out of the box...this has been my experience with other Bexleys, too). I, too, noticed the FPN off-center, and I pondered it for a moment, then decided it was artistically off-center

 

 

 

 

[PinarelloOnly]

I received an email back from Bexley and they replied that they would fix my cap,

replacing it with a non-engraved cap which is what I asked for. Also, I was asked to

read their website on returns for Lifetime Warranty work which is to include $7.00 for

return ship. and insurance! The money to ship both ways (from me to them and back)

including insurance for an obvious defect on a brand new pen is something I am not

prepared to do. Even my wife said the FPN logo being off center is like a train

wreck, you can't stop looking at it..."you should send it back it's a new pen!"

I said, "..yes but I only ship USPS Priority w/ins. and in the end it's going to cost about

$15 bucks full circle! Then she goes.."oh , well that sucks!"

 

This is not a rant or a complaint!

 

I write this only because I take pride in both the Fountain Pen Network

and my pen with the FPN logo on it...I have even greater pride in the people who made

this happen and the moderators of all the forums. I know some of you say you don't mind

it being the way it is but to have more than a few with OUR logo on it just isn't right.

 

I know tomorrow morning I might think differently, pack it up and pay the bill to get it fixed and make it right!

 

BTW, my 18k two-tone <F> nib was by far worth the extra money!

Edited May 3, 2007 by PinarelloOnly

[aunt rebecca]

hi,

 

since i am an off centered person--the logo suits me!! :thumbup: :thumbup:

[jonro]

And so began the great asymmetric logo controversy...

[Djehuty]

Mine's off-center as well. Just the sort of thing which will draw my eye constantly.

 

<sigh>

 

If it were the limitations of engraving centered by eyeball and done by hand, I wouldn't mind. But this was done by machine, which could certainly have been more precise. No fault at all to the people involved in setting this up and getting these made, but I'm annoyed that Bexley appears not to have taken as much care as they could have, and will now charge extra to fix the problem without really fixing it.

 

I love the pen, because I love its connection to this site, and I think it was a tremendous venture, well-thought-out and well-executed, and I have nothing but praise for everyone from the FPN who spent time and energy on this... but Bexley dropped the ball, and with them I am not pleased.

 

[GirchyGirchy]

Chalk up another offset engraving. I actually had two pens delivered, one for myself and one for a friend on here who wasn't able to reach a computer to order one quickly enough. Mine is slightly Southeast, IIRC, but my friend's looks pretty well centred.

 

Part of it bugs me that a $200 pen doesn't have a centred engraving, but another part doesn't really care, and thinks it makes the pen unique.

 

The problem hits close to home - I deal with barcode reading at a manufacturing plant, and had to work on a difficult project to get a square 2D barcode stamped onto the end of a part. The mark is dot-peened instead of laser, and their fixturing was not up to par, so we had marks going every which way. Fixturing is by FAR the most important part of engraving/dot peening - you can't get anything else right without a rigid, accurate fixture.

 

My guess is that it's a laser-etched mark, and something was awry with the fixture. An annoying little issue, but an issue nonetheless.

[Judybug]

The laser engraved FPN logo is not centered on my end cap. This is going to bug me. Minus 1/2 star unless I can get the end cap replaced.

 

Mine is off-center, too - it's lower than center - close to the clip. I thought maybe this was the intended placement until somebody posted a picture of the end cap in another forum. I'm trying to decide how important this is to me - my FPN pen will probably never be seen next to anybody else's FPN pen to make a comparison. Wish I hadn't seen that picture! I'm often attracted to off-center, unsymetrical designs. But now maybe this is going to bug me, too. Otherwise I'm totally satisfied with the appearance and performance of this pen. Wonder how many off-center end caps there are?

 

Judybug

 

[Judybug]

. . . but another part doesn't really care, and thinks it makes the pen unique.

 

Hey, GirchyGirchy -

 

This is what I thought, too ---- even if my engraving is a mistake, it will be unique --- you know, like a one-of-a-kind miss-stamped sheet of postage stamps. But since there appear to be several off-center end caps, we've lost our uniqueness!

 

Judybug

[GirchyGirchy]

Hey, GirchyGirchy -

 

This is what I thought, too ---- even if my engraving is a mistake, it will be unique --- you know, like a one-of-a-kind miss-stamped sheet of postage stamps. But since there appear to be several off-center end caps, we've lost our uniqueness!

 

Judybug

I konw, it kind of ruins it! Maybe I should take my friend's instead - apparently the straight ones are the rarer examples.

[Kelly G]

Part of it bugs me that a $200 pen doesn't have a centred engraving, but another part doesn't really care, and thinks it makes the pen unique.

 

But what if it's only a $100 pen? <_<

 

FWIW - I too have an off-centered engraving, but, the good news is, the engraving is lined up with the clip. If it had been off-centered and askew from the clip, that really would have bugged me. My steel F nib is a bit less that buttery smooth, but it's more than tolerable and worthy of breaking in. Overall, a very striking pen.