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Marlborough Model


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The rose ripple has arrived today. The ebonite is beautiful but if you take a close look, you can see many scratches on the cap and barrel. There are also some small defects on the end of the barrel. The soft IB writes not only smoothly but can directly transfer my thought on the paper. It is hard to do in other pen manufacturers. However the nib seems not to start at the first stroke, and the tines do not align perfectly (same as Churchill) . The QC of CS should be better. Because of italic ,I can not rotate too much,or it will have click sound. The lever fill system seems a little bit different from Churchill too. The flow is wet but not too wet like my Churchill. I think I need time to get used to it and run in the nib.

 

Hi there,

 

Thank you for posting your feedback on the beautiful Marlborough edition. Can you please advise a little more information by what you mean concerning small defects at the end of the barrel. If you prefer to send your message directly to me by email, my address is: maryburke@conwaystewart.com

 

The lever fill system has been modified so it is not exactly the same that was used for your Churchill pens.

 

Kind regards,

 

Mary Burke

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Mary,

 

Do you have a picture of the eyedropper version? As the current pictures displayed all have levers. I would also assume the bands on the barrel of the ED version will also be omitted?

 

Cheers

Floyd

Nervous? No, I'm just thinking...

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I think hard rubber is softer than acrylic, so there may have some tiny flaws on the cutting edge. I understand Marlborough is handmade ,but I think CS can do a better job. I still can not trust lever fill as the same as piston fill, but this is CS's tradition especially a vintage version. Yet I have to say CS is kind in a choice of three filling mechanisms. The improved lever fill system works efficiently and holds more ink than Churchill I think . The Marlborough vintage is smaller than I expect . Marlborough is shorter than 146 but with a bigger nib. The IB shows more line variations than my MB barleycorn BB. Overall I am satisfied with the Marlborough vintage that brings me great writing pleasure.

Edited by mjchuang9
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However the nib seems not to start at the first stroke, and the tines do not align perfectly (same as Churchill) . The QC of CS should be better. Because of italic ,I can not rotate too much,or it will have click sound. The lever fill system seems a little bit different from Churchill too. The flow is wet but not too wet like my Churchill. I think I need time to get used to it and run in the nib.

 

That is very sad to read. The pen looks wonderful but if the nib has problems, and this is an ongoing problem that Conway Stewart should have sorted years ago, then I for one will have to think long and hard about a purchase :hmm1:

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I have to say that it doesn't take much looking here on FPN to find adverse comments about the state of the nibs in 'new: out of the box' condition, which is a crying shame. There are some other issues around as well; for example I'm still waiting for confirmation of registration of four pens and I've already passed this on to Mary but haven't heard from her either.

I like the ones I've got, now that I've got them writing the way I like and the way they should be, but it took time and patience.

I wonder what the results would be if all those people who bought the 'luxury' models actually inked them and found out what the nibs were like?

The Good Captain

"Meddler's 'Salamander' - almost as good as the real thing!"

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My first CS is Churchill having an overflow problem due to too separate tines ( same as my Aurora 88 ) and nib misalignment ( although I adjusted the feed to solve it ) . I do not consider to buy another CS until I saw the Marlborough vintage . I feel I still can not trust lever fill but I really dislike c/c not even to mention western eyedropper .CS said they improve the lever filling mechanism and I think it matches the vintage style most . The ebonite looks beautiful, and I like the soft touch of the CS nib . I just got the pen yesterday, what I said is the first impression. I am a MB fan so I set the standard for the other pen manufacturers . A few of my MB had the flow problem too, I had experiences to send back Imperial Dragon and 75th 149 LE three times for nib problems ( still not satisfied ). I also bought a 6000 US dollars Namiki maki-e with urushi defect and 3000 US dollars Danitrio urushi eyedropper without o-ring in Japan . My recent purchase of Aurora Mar Tirreno also has defects on the silver trims and nib . I would like to limit my collections on MB and Namiki earlier because they both have the best QC than the others . Suddenly I feel it is not necessary to give up the others . CS is elegant and having the soft nib that I appreciate . The Marlborough vintage recalls me some small Japanese pen makers with high quality . However they usually use Pilot or Sailor's stiff nibs . This is why I purchased CS again, I realize that softer nibs need more time to get used . In fact I ordered another Classic Black BB .

Edited by mjchuang9
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I find it very sad that CS have nib issues that they don't seem to be able or wiling to address, and I find i just as sad that this thread will be closed down if too many people talk about their problems with CS pens. :angry:

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DM48, you're fairly new to FPN, so you aren't yet familiar with this board.

 

To spare Mary an appearance of impropriety, I will take the liberty of posting in her fora. The following is addressed to ALL posters:

 

The preference of this board, unlike others where flame wars abound and the risk of costly lawsuits abound, is for those experiencing difficulties with their pens to take up their issues directly with the vendors or companies involved. Market Watch is the appropriate place to then discuss, factually DISCUSS, not beat the matter into the earth, whether customer service met their expectations.

 

We do not permit or encourage publication of people's private correspondence. We insist on fact-based reporting. In cases where the vendor or company is not a member of the board, there is no chance for them to defend themselves and we prefer such one sided posts be short and informative rather than turning into a slagging thread that will result in THIS board being shut down if a company hears of it and sends a cease and desist order.

 

As noted above by another poster, ALL manufacturers have QC issues. It is the degree and manner of their responsiveness that should be discussed calmly and rationally in the appropriate forum in a manner that encourages resolution and sets out the proper method to achieve it.

 

In the Italian pens forum where I moderate, we keep a pinned thread of contact information at the top of the thread to facilitate communication with companies to further resolution of issues.

 

To conclude, it is not discussion of QC issues or manufacturing defects that results in thread closure. We prefer that contact with the companies and resolution be done outside the forum or back channel if their representatives are members here. Once all attempts are exhausted and satisfaction is or is not achieved, then and only then is it appropriate to give praise or seek advice from the membership.

 

As a purchaser and user, I understand the urge to vent. But on a forum with upwards of sixty thousand members and even more viewers, it often is not the appropriate place.

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I really like the looks of this pen, can anyone say something about the weight? The sound of "18 g" really puts me off. A pen doesn't need to be super heavy to please me, I also like my Nakayas, but this sounds really really lightweight, especially for a rather large pen.

Read more about me, my pens, photography & so on my little blog

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I hope it has a bit of weight to it. I LOVE my Churchill but it is on the light side whereas the Winston has nice weight. I wonder how the Marlborough compares.

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I hope it has a bit of weight to it. I LOVE my Churchill but it is on the light side whereas the Winston has nice weight. I wonder how the Marlborough compares.

 

See sticky post regarding CS pen dimensions, webpage referenced has size and weight info on it....but here's link for you...

 

CS Pen Dimensions

 

Churchill 29.6g

 

Winston 54g

FP Addict & Pretty Nice Guy

 

 

 

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I hope it has a bit of weight to it. I LOVE my Churchill but it is on the light side whereas the Winston has nice weight. I wonder how the Marlborough compares.

 

See sticky post regarding CS pen dimensions, webpage referenced has size and weight info on it....but here's link for you...

 

CS Pen Dimensions

 

Churchill 29.6g

 

Winston 54g

 

Thanks for the link, that was a great help. The Marlborough would seem to be VERY light! I shall give it a try at the London Pen Show to see if it's too light.

 

David

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DM48, you're fairly new to FPN, so you aren't yet familiar with this board.

 

To spare Mary an appearance of impropriety, I will take the liberty of posting in her fora. The following is addressed to ALL posters:

 

The preference of this board, unlike others where flame wars abound and the risk of costly lawsuits abound, is for those experiencing difficulties with their pens to take up their issues directly with the vendors or companies involved. Market Watch is the appropriate place to then discuss, factually DISCUSS, not beat the matter into the earth, whether customer service met their expectations.

 

We do not permit or encourage publication of people's private correspondence. We insist on fact-based reporting. In cases where the vendor or company is not a member of the board, there is no chance for them to defend themselves and we prefer such one sided posts be short and informative rather than turning into a slagging thread that will result in THIS board being shut down if a company hears of it and sends a cease and desist order.

 

As noted above by another poster, ALL manufacturers have QC issues. It is the degree and manner of their responsiveness that should be discussed calmly and rationally in the appropriate forum in a manner that encourages resolution and sets out the proper method to achieve it.

 

In the Italian pens forum where I moderate, we keep a pinned thread of contact information at the top of the thread to facilitate communication with companies to further resolution of issues.

 

To conclude, it is not discussion of QC issues or manufacturing defects that results in thread closure. We prefer that contact with the companies and resolution be done outside the forum or back channel if their representatives are members here. Once all attempts are exhausted and satisfaction is or is not achieved, then and only then is it appropriate to give praise or seek advice from the membership.

 

As a purchaser and user, I understand the urge to vent. But on a forum with upwards of sixty thousand members and even more viewers, it often is not the appropriate place.

 

Fair enough, but I think that the poster mjchuang09 was well within his rights to note the production defect and nib issues with his Marlborough in this forum and in this thread. Just as he should note when the situation is righted (as I'm sure it will be).

 

The experience will no doubt prove informative to readers, and should be viewed very differently to baseless conjecture or proverbial "flame wars".

Too many pens; too little writing.

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I was not targeting a particular poster, but rather the misperception of why threads are shut down.

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For those wondering about the weight - it is a light pen. A very light pen. An awesomely light pen. It's definitely an homage to vintage pens which weren't as heavy as what we see today from many models. That is one of my favorite aspects of this one - it looks and feels so vintage a couple non-pen friends of mine were surprised that it was new and not an antique I had found and got shining like a new penny.

 

So, if you're a huge fan of those pens weighted down with brass sleeves, this is not going to be a big hit for you.

 

To the quality discussion - I hate to say it but my pen had issues right out of the box as well. The nib & feed were badly misaligned. There was also a lot of some sort of residue on my nib and around the section. I just invested a few minutes in the nib/feed and wiped everything down with a soft cloth and the pen has been great ever since.

 

Other than the nib issues that were easily remedied, this is a first rate pen.

-- dreg

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The misaligned nib of Churchill is due to not-centered feed. The same issue on Marlborough is caused by nib-ground I believe. Furthermore , please see the picture I posted, the clip is not centered too, it is slantwise to left side. This is the first time I have the clip issue. I cannot solve it by myself, so I sent them back for repair or replacement. Marlborough is a great pen under good QC , that is why I ordered two. Many posters said CS and Pelikan have higher percentages in nib & feed issues. Since this is an easy job done in a few minutes, why not do it right before leaving the factory? Once my Marlborough is well tuned, I believe this would be one of my favorite.

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that is why I ordered two.

 

What finish is the second one? I ask because, though I ordered the black, the red is still very very appealing. (As is knowing it'll soon be available in CS's stupidly beautiful resins.)

Too many pens; too little writing.

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I'd truly love one of these pens.It would be a dream pen. Unfortunately the price tag is a bit steep for me at the moment which means I won't be able to get the limited edition woodgrain model (the one I really want). I assume these are paid for in full at point of purchase as opposed to in installments.

 

As for why it's steep well here goes, seatbelts fastened it's a list:

 

Laptop hardrive died so have to purchase a new laptop, (lost all our photos)

Need to pay legal fees for divorce,

Work has been scarce since November,

Winter Gas bill has come in,

I've bought numerous pens over the last three months and probably spent £300 on those (ebay),

I'm rebranding my decorating business (which I'd love to tell you the name of but might get my wrist slapped over forum rules) so I need to...

Get a website done,

Design and get 10,000 leaflets printed to start with,

Design and print business cards and letterheads,

Learn to drive,

Get a van,

Get it sign written,

Get a board made to go outside jobs (boards mean business).

 

and there also may be a new arrival :clap1: . (waiting for scan appointment to confirm)probably should have put this first.

 

So there it is shame though I's set my heart on this pen. As for defects I'm pretty sure CS would repair them if there were any but there seems to have been a massive effort gone into the design and manufacture of this pen.

 

Lever or piston or converter fill well I'd probably go for lever as it means I wouldn't have to keep unscrewing the barrel to fill the pen.

 

Me and my pipe dreams eh. Lovely pen though, kind of the ultimate pen.

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