"Horsefeathers. Most people wouldn't know a Visconti from a Varsity," I told myself after reading the thread about pens that would impress others. To prove my theory I did a quick experiment at the office using two visiting contractors I knew. I pulled fountain pens from pocket, briefcase, desk cups, and display case and laid them in random order on a desk, a total of 32 pens. Retail price on the pens varied from near $500 to about $1.50. I asked each subject to pick out the 5 most expensive and 5 least expensive pens. Subject #1 was a 45-year old male who was familiar with the Cross BP but nothing more. Subject #2, 60, male, owned a Cross BP once and recognized the Parkers by their arrow, but did not recognize the name Mont Blanc. Both are intelligent, keep up on news, and willingly spend excessive money on their own hobbies. *Pens not selected in any category are listed at the end.

Most Expensive per Subject #1:
Waterman Phileas (green)
Pilot Vanishing Point (blue carbonesque)
Hero 100 (burgundy)
Parker 75 (1990's sterling silver grid)
Pelikan M200 (green transparent)

Most Expensive per Subject #2:
Pelikan M800 (blue striped)
Pilot Vanishing Point (red & chrome)
Sailor 1911 full size (navy)
Bexley SMG ebonite prototype
Pilot Knight (satin silver)

Least Expensive per Subject #1:
Lamy Safari (yellow)
Lamy Safari (charcoal)
Lamy Safari (red)
Pilot Varsity disposable
Pelikan M400 (white tortoise) - KCat, avert your eyes ;-)

Least Expensive per Subject #2:
Lamy Safari (red)
Lamy Safari (vista)
Pilot Varsity disposable
Parker Vacumatic (green striped)
Pelikan M200 (green transparent)

Observations:

1. All (or partially) metallic-finished pens did very well. Subject #2 tried to add the Hero 100 flighter and Parker "51". In fact, nearly every metallic pen was considered as expensive.

2. Subject #1's favorite was the Parker 75 sterling grid. Subject #2, a former engineer and hobby cabinetmaker, was fascinated with the Bexley ebonite but chose the red VP as his favorite once he learned how it worked.

3. Subject #2 had trouble deciding between the green Phileas and the navy Sailor for the expensive list.

4. Pelikans made up 25% of the pens. They made each list once.

5. Both subjects did pretty well identifying cheap pens. However, several cheap pens made the expensive lists. Subject #1 called the Hero 100 burgundy "elegant."

6. Pens absent from the test: expensive limited editions, Maki-e, solid gold, guilded pens, etc. Nor did I include Mont Blancs, Pel M625, Wearever "cracked ice", Snorkel, gift shop wood pens, and so forth, some of which were at the office but not dug out for the test.

7. Overwhelmingly, good writers made both lists. Poor writers made neither. I have no idea what that indicates ;-)

8. Both subject were good sports.

CONCLUSION: To a non-pen person, brand name means squat and the "shiny object" factor rules.

Please, no comments about faulty research. This was done in about 5 minutes solely for the amusement of me and fellow FPN'ers.

Bill

*Pens not selected: Pelikan 150 (gray/black), Pel 400 (1950's green striped), Pel M215 (blue), Pel M215 (black), Pel Piazza Navona, Monteverde Invincia Black Tie, Retro 51 Double 8 honey almond LE, Conklin Glider (blue sapphire), Waterman Phileas (2 - both the blue and black), Parker "51" (cedar blue/lined sterling), Parker Sonnet (2 - a 1990's black and a recent stainless), Hero 100 (flighter), Bexley Owners Club (amber).

Very funny Bill.

I will say from my limited experience at the office, the last pen that was recognized by a non-fp person (and there are a couple of fp people who will regularly ask what I'm using) was a plain jane black esterbrook double jewel J. IIRC, it was even called "fancy".

My regular daily writer for the past several months has been a Legacy I with GF cap and shiney Blue barrel. Not a single comment on it.

So much for the shiney factor.

Best-
Brian

Very fun stuff.

Bill, sounds like it was a fun experiment. I guess another conclusion is that non-FP people don't know much about FP's.

Don't you think big nibs are noticeable to people?

Brian, a black Esterbrook J may not be fancy, but it does have a certain elegance, doesn't it? I really like mine which I recently purchased.

Ron

I suspect you are correct.

I let them pick up the pens, but Subject #2 actually opened about 4 of them (tried pulling threaded caps off ) to examine the nibs before I added a new "rule" forbidding it.

Bill

I thought the Vacumatic would fare better

Everyone noticed my Core. "That's a cool pen! Can I try it?"

I wonder what they said about you to their friends and family?

My two year old is only interested in my pens with white stars. She
points at them and says "pre-tty". I'd better use them while i can.

Very interesting experiment Bill - thanks for sharing the results!

"So I'm at this guy's office today and he's one of those fountain pen wackos. He pulls out not one, not two, but 32 pens and asks me to rate them."

Yeah, sadly, I can just see this happening.

Good humor!

best-
Brian

A lady at work (older than I) asked me, "Is that an ink pen? I didn't know that they still make those."

<_<

Nah - I don't understand it but I guess "plastic" is plastic to most folks and therefore "cheap".

What I understand even less is how the Piazza Navona didn't make the cut. Of course, you were going for most vs. least and I can see someone looking at the PN and thinking "oh, that's somewhere in-between." Which is probably valid.

The Sonnet somewhat surprised me as well - I'd have thought most people would look at those and think they are expensive.

I had a similar thing said to me. Fortunately I am a gentle person and did not pull out a bic and say "yup, and they still make these ink pens, too!"

I loved my MIL's comment "oh.. is that one of those old-fashioned pens?" She was in her late 70s when she made this comment. Just goes to show that just 'cause you're "mature" doesn't mean you live in the past.

I do recall having my Phileas noticed by several folks over the time I had it before Pels came into my life. I wonder if it's the Art Deco styling that makes it look expensive to people?

He he...because the Lamys look like lego pens!

Excellent ethnographic work Bill. I really enjoyed your description of the process as well.