Duofold Nib (it was meant to be brand 'new') >:(

[kissing]

My father doesnt usually let me spend much on pens, but these days in Australia (Melbourne), the big department store called "Myer" are having a massive "History-making" clearance sale on all stocks. I was just dropping in at the department store to pick up my Sheaffer Converter which I had ordered in and waited patiently for 4 weeks until something caught my eye...

 

A Duofold (Black Platinum) that was originally $750AU (around $566 US) was marked down to $300AU (around $226 US). What a bargain I thought! A new Duofold on display for less than half its price (I guess the store had trouble selling such an expensive pen). So I told dad about it and he thought for a while.

 

http://www.pencity.com.au/images/duofoldfpplatinum.gif

 

I am a highschool student in my final year at school, and he had previously promised me that if I got into the University course I wanted to get into (Medicine), he would get me a Duofold (what a way to motivate a son to study hard ) So since it was a great price, he decided he'd buy it beforehand for me and only give it to me once I got into the University as a graduation gift

 

However, when we looked at the nib, there were signs that it had been inked before (Ink stains on the feed) and the store owner said that people in the past may have dipped it to sample it. I was outraged! HOW CAN THEY LET CUSTOMERS DIP A DUOFOLD AND JUST PUT IT BACK INTO THE DISPLAY WINDOW! For all I know, that pen could have been lying there for years with dried up ink caked in the nib. Nevertheless, the store worker washed it with a wet cloth and we thought we would send it into Parker separately and tell them what has happened. (The store worker said that we had to send it in ourselves to Parker >_<)

 

Came home, and we thought we might sample it. I flushed it with water first, and surely enough, some dried ink dissolved and came out of the pen We inked it up with some Quink lying around and noticed that the nib had uneven tines! :blink: (one side scratchy problem).

 

and SO we picked up the piece of paper that the store worker had given us about sending it into repairs and noticed that it was an old order form with "Gillette Company" written on it <_<. We called the number on it and I got an auto message (the ones with those ANNOYING robotic female voices):

 

"For further assistance, press #." And when i pressed #, the voice said "Thank you and good bye" :blink: :blink:

 

Nevertheless, I found the number for Sanford Australia on the parker website (had to leave a message because they were closed today - Saturday). I am very annoyed :bonk: I want to get a new nib I feel very uncomfortable that the nib that came with the one we bought was sampled by someone else + it has uneven tines anyway! Its a solid 18K nib, so I feel bad that someone else has sampled it.

 

This is almost as bad as my Sonnet incident (Took it to the store, and the shop worker tried to pull the nib out with her hands by force before saying "I wonder if these come out. Dont know enough about them" *scratches head*)

 

Nevertheless...i'll be in contact with Parker during the following week and will get the nib changed.

 

I was just wondering. What is the difference between a Centennial nib and an International nib? It came with an Internation Medium (i think), but I'm thinking of using this opportunity to change the nib type to Centennial. But i have no idea what the difference is please help me out

 

[EDIT] I just read in the Parker website that Duofold Platinum doesnt come with Centennial. However, I am considering an Italics nib and wondering how comfortable they are for writing with. The only Italics nibs I have used in the past are the ones from Sheaffer calligraphy sets (Sheaffer Viewpoint) which I am very used to and write comfortably with. Are Duofold Italic nibs harder to write with?

Edited July 15, 2006 by kissing

[JimStrutton]

Apart from all the problems I reckon that you will get yourself a great pen there at a great price.

 

I hope that Parker will honour the warranty as the pen has just been sold by the retailer and replace or exchange the nib. I would go for the medium on the basis that you can always get it customised into a stub Italic or whatever at a later date.

 

From what you have said, the store has nobody that really understands fountain pens, and I have been offered the chance to try a dipped pen many times in department stores, so I know that this happens. Just keep with it, you will end up with a great pen in the end.

 

Jim

[Piano Player]

My Parker Italic nib is my favorite italic nib. smooth writer with crisp and dramatic line variation. I bought it new 15 years ago.

[kissing]

How is the ink flow compared to a normal Medium? I hope its nice and wet

[Piano Player]

How is the ink flow compared to a normal Medium? I hope its nice and wet

I find it wet enough. I don't like Italic nibs to be too wet since the line variation will suffer. My Conway Stewart Broad Italic is too wet for good italic writing. It does make a nice dramatic signature pen.

 

My Parker Italic is similar to the Sheaffer italics.

[FrankB]

I have understood that Parker tests each nib at the factory. So you could have a mint, new in the box Duofold that will have ink stains on the nib and dried ink in the feed. I have gotten three Duofold Centennials that had the dried ink. But misaligned tines is another story. Duofolds are supposed to have lifetime service privileges, so go for it. When you send the pen, remember to include a letter and explain in the letter that you bought the pen new in the box.

 

As for the Duofold italic nibs, I love them and they are my benchmark for italic nibs. I have found the F italic writes a little more like a stub, but the M and B italics have good line variation. The M italic nib is wet, but not too wet, as was explained. If you are at all curious about Duofold italic nibs now might be an ideal time to try one.

 

Good luck! I personally think a Duofold is worth the hassle.

[Ruaidhri]

K

 

Folks are right. Send it back to Parker. Whatever about having been dipped (really no big deal) the tines should not be misaligned.

BTW

Its a solid 18K nib, so I feel bad that someone else has sampled it.

Wouldn't worry about this either. The old thing about gold nibs wearing is mostly rubbish - the Iridium tipping is extremely hard wearing, and that's what does the work.

When you do get it right I think you'll find it a seriously nice pen

[Raymond]

I don't know about others, but in the old days when fountain pens were the main writing instrument, we were supposed to dip try a pen before buying it. The storekeeper would usually clean it after it was tried.

 

The other day, I was surprised to see some jewellery store in town selling Mont Blancs actually refused to let people dip try the pen. I don' think they sell too many pens that way.

[JimStrutton]

The other day, I was surprised to see some jewellery store in town selling Mont Blancs actually refused to let people dip try the pen. I don' think they sell too many pens that way.

And there lays the problem I have with MB, they are sold by jewelers as pocket jewelry not as writing instruments. You have to hand it too them for the marketing though.

 

A friend came back from Hong Kong a few weeks ago and could not wait to show me his MB, but you guessed it, fake Pretty good fake, but the gold nib sticks to my magnet a treat.

 

Jim

[sonia_simone]

Issues aside, congrats on acquiring such a special pen!