American Pen Company?

[sharon888]

Got an email today from Colorado Pens about pens offered by the American Pen Company. They seem pricey for what they are. I wonder who their target market is. People who don't know too much about pens it seems. Their site is www.americanpencompany.com.

[TheRealScubaSteve]

I saw that on another forum yesterday. Their website leaves me highly skeptical.

[bbycrts]

Wow. $285 from an unknown company and that doesn't even include a gold nib - $90 more. Not a fan of magnetic caps, either. Definitely not for me!

[TheRealScubaSteve]

Wow. $285 from an unknown company and that doesn't even include a gold nib - $90 more. Not a fan of magnetic caps, either. Definitely not for me!

 

Their product has "superior technology," though.

[liverman]

I like the pen rest. The picture does not do the wood justice. Wonder if I could just get one of those?

[JimCouch]

Hmm, if they are US produced the price does not seem that out of line to me.

[NinthSphere]

That's a rather bland looking pen. Their boxes aren't blowing me away either.

[bbycrts]

That's a rather bland looking pen. Their boxes aren't blowing me away either.

It's no Esterbox, that's for sure.

[Blue_Moon]

Interesting. However, I already know the best American Pen Company. The name is Franklin-Christoph: http://www.franklin-christoph.com/

[WateryFlow]

Looks like a very recent startup. So recent that the website, apparently, isn't even live until next month

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=1501573660129721&story_fbid=1555704928049927

 

It doesn't seem any different to paying the inflated prices that most western companies such as Lamy, Parker, Pelikan, MB, Waterman etc charge for what you can realistically get much cheaper elsewhere for essentially the same product. People choose to pay those prices so there is obviously a market for it, and that company are tapping into it.

Edited February 25, 2015 by WateryFlow

[markleewebb]

If you check out the Colorado Pen website, you'll see it's a subsidiary of Colorado Pen. They're now manufacturing their own line of pens, and spec'ing most of components and assembly in USA. They talk a lot about their manufacturing process and some of the engineering ideas and best practices they're using. I posted a similar thread asking if anyone had any more info other than what's on website - looks like no one knows much about it yet.

[Cordovian]

$285 for a mundane looking cartridge pen? $375 if I want with a gold nib?

http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/567/016/136.jpg

[The Blue Knight]

Another company that doesn't mention where the pens are made. Here we go again...

 

More ironic with a name like "The American Pen Company".

[spotted and speckled]

Interesting. However, I already know the best American Pen Company. The name is Franklin-Christoph: http://www.franklin-christoph.com/

YES!!! And don't forget about Bexley, if you're really looking for pens made in America.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Nope to...."""the inflated prices that most western companies such as Lamy,"""""

 

Been on a Lamy factory tour....not over priced pens.....they don't want to move their factory to China....in it's Family owned.....very modern factory some 200 yards long of production....50 yards wide. Modern worker safe large machinery costs a lot; and must be kept up to date.

Some second story production also...but that's the 'old' factory of only 70 yards long. Basically the 2000, there.

 

Workers are paid a living wage....but remember German high taxes and 15% for health care does eat at $20-25 an hour wages for skilled union member workers.

 

They don't have an after work in the MB counterfeit shop so the workers can make a living either like the pen factories in China.

 

Making pens cheaply/inexpensively is much more costly as you think.

They make 600,000 pens a year....Fountain, RB &BP. Sadly I got a BP for the factory tour gift.

Lamy does make some very nice BPs, too.

 

If you want a good Chinese pen a Duke goes for some $50-70. The cheap ones are not 'over priced.'

You are paying 5-6 X what it costs in China. You are getting what you pay for....good for a year or two....perhaps with luck longer. I've not seen folks bragging on how old their Chinese pens are....vintage. Lots of vintage Lamy pens, semi-vintage too.

 

Hero now makes a great Safari (the patent of 37 or so years has ran out)...lots cheaper than in 'overpriced' Germany....They make a nice fake P-51 too...buy three and perhaps one works.

 

Levi's were once The best clothing factory to work in in the US. The workers were well paid, good benefits; retirement and health.

In China, it's 366 a year, 12 hours a day, hot bunk dorm, and dirt cheap. The price of course for some odd reason is not cheaper due to the slave labor.

Lots of fashion jeans are made in death factories (no BS) in China....better a short life as an almost well fed slave as starvation.

Edited February 25, 2015 by Bo Bo Olson

[bone215]

Bo Bo,

That is a very interesting post.

[thatotherguy1]

Those nibs look a lot like JoWo nibs to me... not a bad thing but for almost $300 I think it's reasonable to expect a gold nib.

They seem to be cartridge/converter pens as well, given the fact that their FAQ page refers to cartridges several times but does not mention any other filling mechanism for fountain pens as far as I can see. They also sell both international short and long cartridges, along with bottled ink and what looks to be a Schmidt type converter.

I'm not impressed to be honest. If I'm paying $300 for a pen I at least want it to have a self filling mechanism, preferably with a gold nib too. Maybe that's out of line, but I don't think so.

[liverman]

I was trying to be nice. They are neighbors. I like the beetle kill pine and I like people who make things out if it because we have a bunch of it out here in Colorado.

 

But they got me a little spun up with this video on their website: http://www.americanpencompany.com/Who-We-Are. I pulled a couple of quotes from the video:

 

"The American Pen Company began with the realization that we no longer manufacture fine writing instruments in this country."

"It allows us to bring a product of superior technology at a great value where the consumer has the opportunity to build the pen their way"

 

Looking at the marketplace today in the US, I believe we are seeing a renaissance in commercial pen companies; that there are companies who have stepped into the void left by the Parkers and Sheaffers; that there are companies who manufacture fine writing instruments in the USA now and have been doing so for some time:

Bexley

Edison

Franklin Christoff

Scriptorium

Newton Pens (reminded me I have to send in my donation for the scholarship!)

Arizona Pen Company

Pens by Lyle Ross

Kairos Pens

Ryan Krusac Studios

RiKwill

Argent Blue

...and I know there are a bunch I have not yet discovered and don't know yet! (But would like to...)

 

These companies may not produce the volume of pens that Parker and Sheaffer and the others did "back in the day", but I would argue anyone who says they are not "manufactured" in the USA or that they are not "fine writing instruments". And you can pretty much "build your pen" with many of these folks.

 

In fact, I am starting a new direction in my collecting - bespoke pens from the boutique manufacturers. It's like drinking craft beer or wine from family vineyards.

 

I applaud a new company on the market which makes their product in the USA. I respectfully disagrees that "we no longer manufacture fine writing instruments in this country". I believe there are companies that have been manufacturing fine writing instruments in this country for a while.

 

I think the market will decide if the American Pen Company will join that group.

Edited February 28, 2015 by liverman

[Tresconik]

What is this "superior technology" they speak of?
A cartridge/converter system of filling?

[prf5]

BoBo -- The retail price of fountain pens, jeans, and smartphones is related to more to company profit, various contributors to overhead, and marketing decisions than to actual production cost, including workers' salaries. Paying workers a living wage with benefits and good working conditions would have a noticeable but small effect on the retail price.