To Whomever May Know,
Are all of the gold bands on the Steinway solid gold, or are any of them gold-plated? Also, did this pen come in any other filling system other than lever-filler? I absolutely love mine but was just curious about a couple things. Oh, one more...how long should I expect the ink sack to last and how much does CS charge to replace them?
Thanks,
Robert

Hi Robert,

The Steinway was available in a choice of lever fill or converter cartridge and the bands are crafted from 18 carat solid gold. This limited edition was very successful and is no longer available.



The 100 year guarantee and warranty is valid for the service/sac replacement of your fountain pen.

Kind regards,

Mary Burke

Awesome! On the CS website, it states that in order for the One Hundred Year Warranty to be valid, the pen has to be sent in for service every 5 years ($200 fee). It also states that the sac replacement is $100. I just want to understand this correctly. If I send my pen in every 5 years and pay $200, then the sac replacement is free. But if I just need the sac replacement, it's $100? Sorry, I'm a little slow with these things. I appreciate the info and just so you know Mary, the nib on the Steinway is DELICIOUS! I absolutely love this pen and the look of the lever fits it to a T. CS never ceases to amaze me with their craftsmanship and thought to detail.

Robert

Not sure I regard that as much of a warranty really. £300 pen - and very nice it is too. But £100 every five years adds up to £2000 - I wonder if the service charge is fixed - I guess not so we have to assume the £2000 is at today's prices. Contrasts with the experiences of my wife and her Cross Classic Black. A £60 pen - with a lifetime guarantee. I bought my wife one of these when we were married some 18 years ago. It has had a nib replaced at least once and Cross replaced the whole pen recently as she had an accident with it and as the pen had changed, they simply gave her a new one. Total cost - nil. That is a warranty.

Hi,

If you have a question or a concern regarding the service charge, please contact Sean Gumbleton in the UK via email: seangumbleton@conwaystewart.co.uk

With kind regards,

Mary Burke

Yes, my (<$1000) saxophone has a 'Five year warranty'....during that time all servicing & repairs are free (parts & labour), I just have to get it to them, which I do with an annual visit to their factory in West Yorkshire.
There I get a warm welcome, hot tea/coffe, and a chance to blow any saxes they have kickin' around.
What's more, if I wish to trade it in against a more expensive model, I get a trade-in of the full retail price I paid.

Now, that, IMO, is a warranty

I agree that is excellent customer service.

I do not have any power of input for the warranty creation or policies relating the guarantee. All I can do is suggest that you send Sean Gumbleton an email at seangumbleton@conwaystewart.co.uk I feel certain Sean will be interested in everybody's feedback concerning the 100 year guarantee and warranty service.

Kind regards,

Mary Burke

I should add that I have no problem with the service offered by Mary. Quite frankly I am sure every pen company wishes that they had a Mary! Oh that correspondence with most British companies was half as friendly and helpful. I am sure if I were to buy another new CS, it would be mostly due to your posts.

Okay, so just to make sure I'm reading this correctly - in order for the 100 year warranty to be valid I need to send my pen(s) every 5 years for a service that currently costs $200?

And I can email Sean Gumbleton at the address provided to let him know my thoughts on that?

From my conversation with Sean this morning you are correct about the five yearly service stipulation. Please, by all means, feel comfortable to send an email to Sean as it is very important for the UK to receive your feedback.

Kind regards,

Mary Burke

I meant no offence to you, Mary...Like most others I realsise what an asset you are to CS and their customers.

I was simply trying to present another perspective on warranties and customer service.

[I have to say that you wouldn't get such service from any of 'The Big Four' sax manufacturers...or, for that matter, from just about any of the smaller ones. This company is virtually unique....and I don't see any signs of their going bust for 'giving too much away' ]

Dreg, just think of it as $40/year for 'insurance'.....
(Personally, I think I'd rather invest the $40 and I could buy another, brand-new pen about every 6 years )

Sounds like marketing trickery more than an honest warranty. But - On the other hand ...

I bought some software from a small (one-man) company where the owner promised a "lifetime warranty" on his product. After a few years, he was spending his whole time answering service calls from people who were demanding fixes to old product, yet weren't willing to pay for upgrades. After several years of increasing frustration he had to shut his doors and open a different business - this time with a time limited warranty that his customers could accept and he could stay in business with.