Doea anyone here have any experience with Conklins?

I purchased a Conklin Duragraph at Christmas. It had a nib which appeared to be loose (clicking) in the section, and I sent it back for an adjustment/replacement.

The repaired/adjusted pen wouldn't write without 10 minutes of coaxing, and the convertor audibly hit the inside of the barrel whenever I set it down.

Conklin sent me another pen which I received Saturday. The convertor also hits the inside of the barrel, and the nib again appears to be loose in the section.

Is this normal behavior for a Conklin?

Jeff Miars

Hi Jeff,

Welcome to FPN. No, it's not normal for it to do that. It seems Conklin's quality has not improved at all. I sometimes wonder if they've even heard of the concept of quality control. It's a shame, because they have such great looking pens.

There may be an easy fix for the loose nib problem. The nib/feed units can be unscrewed from the section so it may just need a bit of tightening. First, remove the cap and unscrew the barrel, then remove the converter. Next, hold the nib/feed in a soft cloth or tissue with your left hand and hold the section by the threads with your right. Now, gently turn the threads clockwise to tighten. This will fix the loose feeling and most likely eliminate the issue of the converter rubbing or hitting the inside of the barrel. Be careful not to overdo it or you may crack the acrylic shell.

Now, onto another "quality control" issue. Modern Conklins are not the most reliable writers and many folks who've owed them have reported problems with ink flow. They're notorious for being slow starters and in some cases begin skipping or just dry up on you as you write. I've found that it's due to a poorly designed feed. You can tinker with the feed if you're so inclined, but it can be a tricky affair and you may end up doing more damage than good. Another option would be to unscrew the nib/feed unit and replace it with that of another Taiwan-made pen like a Taccia, Libelle or Dani-Trio Avant-Garde. The units are interchangeable.

I wasn't sure if the nib/feed unit screwed in or was a friction fit, and I'm a little anxious that with my size and strength I could easily strip threads or crack acrylic.

I tried this tightening technique on a previously owned Duragraph, to no effect. Perhaps I didn't twist hard enough. I sent that nib back to Conklin; they tightened it alright - now it won't write.

I've had feedback from another source that sending this pen back for repair is unlikely to produce a better-performing pen. What is your experience in this regard?

Jeff

P.S. - And thanks for the welcome.

Jeff, you can pull the nib and feed out without unscrewing the whole unit by giving it a good tug. To put them back in place, just align the nib on top of the feed and press fit it back into the section. It's the black plastic base inside the acrylic "section" that screws out.

I think it's ridiculous that the pen you sent to Conklin for adjustment was sent back to you in non-working condition. I've owned 2 Duragraphs and a Mark Twain signature pen all three had issues with poor ink flow. They would write great when the feed was saturated with ink, but once they dried, it was hard to get them starting again.

My second Duragraph was the worst of the lot and came with a defective nib. I tinkered with the feed to improve the ink flow, but if I set it aside for a couple of days, it wouldn't start unless I primed the nib. I finally gave up on it and replaced the whole nib/feed unit by unscrewing it and using another one out of a Dani-Trio Avant Garde. It's a perfect fit. My Duragraph now has a steel IPG nib that's on the stiff side, but writes smoothly and reliably even after sitting for a couple of days. I sent the original Conklin nib and feed back where they belong. In the rubbish tin.

Personally, I've given up on Conklin and I don't plan on buying another any time soon. They're strikingly beautiful looking pens, but they're of no use if they can't write. What's sad about the whole thing is the lack of proper quality control and Conklin's lack of concern for the end user. Emails go unanswered and when you send a pen to them for repairs or request a replacement part, you get one back in the same shape if not worse.

Apollo:

I tried the adjustment you suggested. And I've been using the fountain pen for the last couple of days at work, where I write a lot.

It seems to be working well now, even if I let it sit uncapped for a few minustes, and even with the original Conklin convertor in place. I understand from reading the repair section of FPN (pardon my error in posting here) that these are two issues which plague Conklins.

It amazes me that Conklin can stay in business with a product that requires so much adjusting and replacing. Maybe the pens really cost less - a whole lot less - than we are led to believe.

Jeff

I once asked a retailer if they carried Conklin pens. They said they didn't because they were "too much trouble."

By the way modern Conklin has nothing to do with the old Conklin

Stylo, one of the pen retailers down in my area also stopped carrying Conklins for the same reason. Too much trouble.

Of course. Perhaps this thread should also be moved to the Writing Instruments forum?

Apollo,

Conklin should hire you to repair and customize the Duragraph! I can not stop using mine!


Angelo

Angelo, I'm glad you like it. That new nib and feed make all the difference. All they have to do is get rid of those crappy feeds and raise their quality control standards. If they can't do that then they have no business making pens.