Conid Bulkfiller: All The Pen You'll Ever Need.

[mongrelnomad]

The last week has been beyond intense - my pregnant wife, three year old daughter, two dogs and I have moved country to start a business in a strange land. As soon as we landed we suffered a series of difficulties... With our lives packed away, I have been taking notes, drafting contracts, editing a manuscript; all the while my collection of pens and inks was packed, all except for one. The miracle pen.

 

It never leaks, the cap seals incredibly tight, the clip is inviolably secure, it holds a huge amount of ink (I've lost track of how much I've written and yet it still keeps going - good, as for now I don't have any ink with which to refill it); it has been tossed in bags, attached to pockets, in toddlers' and dogs' mouths. It has proven damn-near indestructible and I have never, ever, witnessed a pen nearly as well engineered, or fit for purpose. It is the only fountain pen I own that is absolutely as practical as a roller-ball.

 

And so I would like to thank Werner and Francis at Conid for designing and manufacturing what is probably the best, the most practical, and most reliable fountain pen the world has ever seen, and for creating a product that has actively made my life easier during this trying time. My collections spans over 100 pens, modern and vintage, and yet I cannot think of a single other that could have endured this all...

 

Edited March 26, 2015 by mongrelnomad

[RyanM]

God. I hope you and your family are okay otherwise. I agree a pen that can come with you anywhere is a good pen. My Parker Sonnet is similar to this.

[Bemo]

Very timely as I'm looking at buying the Minimalist+ when it comes out. Thank you very much. And best wishes to you and yours.

[Frank C]

That is quite a testimonial, especially with those Hakase pens—I believe—in your avatar. I have not yet purchased a Conid, but I am always looking for bullet-proof fountain pens. Also the dollar is amazingly strong now, so it may be a good time to buy.

[kbrede]

The exchange rate is good but just be aware Conid is charging non EU customers VAT.

Kent

[rwilsonedn]

Good luck in your new adventure!

ron

[Chrissy]

The exchange rate is good but just be aware Conid is charging non EU customers VAT.

Kent

+1 I was just about to say this.

 

If you buy for delivery to the US it should cost you 20% less

[Frank C]

The exchange rate is good but just be aware Conid is charging non EU customers VAT.

Kent

 

 

+1 I was just about to say this.

 

If you buy for delivery to the US it should cost you 20% less

 

Thanks for the information. I'll send them a message and ask.

[Jamesbeat]

The exchange rate is good but just be aware Conid is charging non EU customers VAT.

Kent

I'm pretty sure that's illegal, and may even be fraud.

Non-EU customers are not subject to VAT.

 

I live in the States now, but I'm from England, and I used to run a VAT registered company.

I wonder how they put the illegal VAT revenue through their books?

 

Either it's an honest mistake, or it's a nice little earner for somebody at Conid.

 

Someone should let them know and see how they react.

[katerchen]

I'm pretty sure that's illegal, and may even be fraud.

 

 

Can you at least wait for Francis to come in and say something before you throw these words around?

 

-k

[Jamesbeat]

 

Can you at least wait for Francis to come in and say something before you throw these words around?

 

-k

I didn't realize he was one of us.

I'm sure that someone open and enthusiastic enough to post about his pens on a forum is likely to be honest.

 

It's likely a 'feature' of the online store, maybe just a mistake in the settings.

 

Francis, if you're reading this, please don't be offended by my previous posts, but you do need to fix the issue.

[Frank C]

 

 

 

Thanks for the information. I'll send them a message and ask.

 

Message sent, automated reply that Werner was not in the office today. I'll keep you posted.

[mongrelnomad]

Just a quick post to say that I was ex-EU and bought my Conids without VAT.

[milkb0at]

Ignoring all the VAT stuff, that OP's post is a great testament to the quality and functionality of a Conid. It's always good to hear of fountain pens being well used, being exposed to real life incidents and surviving.

 

I hope, mongrelnomad, that your life settles down soon and good luck in the meantime.

[sd10521]

Thank you for the review and I hope things sort out for you and your family soon. I am looking forward to giving this company a shot in the very near future. I love the way they take engineering to an art form with what they do.


I ordered the FPR "Minimalistica + when the orders opened and was not charged VAT for my United States delivery.

[kbrede]

Thank you for the review and I hope things sort out for you and your family soon. I am looking forward to giving this company a shot in the very near future. I love the way they take engineering to an art form with what they do.

I ordered the FPR "Minimalistica + when the orders opened and was not charged VAT for my United States delivery.

VAT is included in the base price. Was VAT deducted from the base price? Or did you pay import duties? If not, you paid VAT. You either have to pay VAT or import duties. Conid subtracts the VAT out from the base price for EU customers. It's different than how I've seen most European countries do business.

Kent

[mongrelnomad]

Thanks all for the kind wishes. Such a full-on upheaval has proven testing, but every day (we hope) brings us closer to something akin to a new normal. I'm not sure that, knowing what I know now, I'd still have undertaken all this at once, but in the words of our adopted country: c'est la vie.

 

I didn't want this to be a full-on review - I have already reviewed my kingsize celluloid bulkfiller - but rather to articulate how surprisingly complete a package my delrin streamline bulkfiller has proved. I would never have expected a fountain pen to perform anywhere near as well as the Conid has in these circumstances, and wanted to share my experiences.

Edited March 28, 2015 by mongrelnomad

[prf5]

God. I hope you and your family are okay otherwise. I agree a pen that can come with you anywhere is a good pen. My Parker Sonnet is similar to this.

 

Agree. The Conid product is inventive and intriguing and I will continue to follow its development. However, my Parker Sonnet and 75 have done everything that the OP attributes to his pen, but they have done it for years rather than days and I have not had to endure the limitation of a piston filler. Even if a pen holds 2 or 3 ml, the ink eventually runs out. With a CC pen, one cartridge goes out and another goes in. Presto.

 

I am concerned about the "toddler's mouth" remark. I hope it was a metaphor.

[tinkerteacher]

Francis posts here regularly, usually in the Mall forum about his latest prototype, under the user name Fountainbel. But, he is just the engineer, the genius designer, while Werner runs the business side of Conid.

 

Agreed that his creation the Bulk Filler, is an amazing thing, both mechanically and aesthically. And, with the incredible EUR-USD rate, is sorely tempting. If I had the funds, I'd buy it in a heart beat.

Edited March 28, 2015 by tinkerteacher

[pavoni]

Great post mongrelnomad.

 

Not that most will need reminding but, mongrelnomad really knows his pens and so any recommendation from him has to be taken seriously. I had the pleasure of meeting him once at the London Pen Show. Guess where I found him? Yep, at the Conid stand chatting to Francis and Werner (you might not remember but we all had a photo taken together!)

 

I am not attracted to the styling of the delrin streamline bulkfiller but was intrigued by your description of how you use abuse it. Most of my 200 or so pens are vintage and whilst I certainly use them, they are fantastically pampered, including my bulkfiller demonstrator, which, despite near daily use, looks in exactly the same condition as when I first bought it new from Conid some years back!

 

I quite like the thought of a pen that could look after itself, that could be tossed into a bag (all mine are kept nib up) and that would still perform as you say yours does mongrelnomad. Umm, I was holding out for one of the new Kingsize out in June this year but I might, just might instead go for a pen carrying mongrelnomad's hearty recommendation of near indestructibility

 

Pavoni.