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Fountain Pens Without Branding (Or Subtle Branding)


Alma

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What do you think about branding on fountain pens? Do you own any fountain pens without branding (but from a brand) or with subtle branding?

 

I checked all my pens and every one has branding of some kind. Sometimes on the barrel, the clip, the nib or the cap. I think the most subtle pen I own is the Lamy 2000 ("LAMY" on the clip), but the design alone is a little bit like branding.

 

I never thought about branding on fountain pens. I only wear clothes and accessories without visible branding on the outside, but my stationary and pens are full of branding. Strange thing. Branding does not appeal to my taste ( I like minimalistic design), but I have no personal (or "political") problem with it.

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There are designs that scream more than others but most companies have some sort of signature that shows it is theirs. Usually you can guess a pen by the clip (waterman, parker, sheaffer) - that's half the fun of pen-spotting. But, I think Nakaya in their cigar format are pretty much void of branding...

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First, incase the pen pleased you by it's work, it is important and always has been that you know what brand it was.

 

Some fountain pens have always been a status mark, like Parker, MB, Sheaffer, Pelikan among others. Like a good watch or a fancy car. That is natural.

I grew up before Branding....remember laughing at some kid who had a T-shirt no better than Fruit of the Loom (then with Jockey the top brands) that had BOSS printed in big letters on it, that cost lots more money.

 

How ever, one is prisioner in the Status Cell. It has to have a known name on the sweater, and not be knitted by Grandma.

Personally I'd prefer my monogram on a shirt and not an alligator. You can get such a shirt at Land's End for some $5 more.

 

I'd not worry about it much, 95% of the people you know or meet wouldn't know a $5 fountain pen from a $500 one. And are shocked some one would waste a whole $35 on a fountain pen.

 

There are so many pretty designs that are with in a Brand ID. The 600/620 Pelikans are easy to identify as a Pelikan but there are so many beautiful ones. A bit of flash in life when it's top quality is not the worst thing.

 

Go to German Ebay,,,,,there are so many old vintage black and gold pens from many makes, you can be satisfied with the 'common' black and gold pens, that with out a distinctive clip or a jewel, look alike. English too, with the black and gold Swans.

Edited by Bo Bo Olson

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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Actually I feel a bit self-conscious when I carry a pen with the MB star to university (I'm a student). Although my MB pens are cheaper vintage ones, the star is pretty well known. It can make me feel like a snob, some rich idiot who "only" cares about branding. Not to say that branded things or MB pens are bad, on the contrary. On the other hand it's nice to have some small pieces of personal luxury. My mind is not settled on this matter yet.

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I generally dont like pens that scream a particular brand in a professional or other public setting. They might distract people from the job on hand and depending on their views of a particular brand, prejudice them positively or negatively. there is also the danger of having a better pen than someone who is senior in hierarchy, which might cause offence. More extravagantly branded pens are better used in private in my opinion.

 

In a professional/student setting I would prefer a black pen with rhodium trims. The pen of my preference is the Pelikan M205. Has the Pelikan brand on the cap but you should know what to look for, else it is just another pen. I also have a black M805 which I use, when no hierarchy issues are involved, for example when I have an appointment with my bank, insurance or at a public service.

 

I am not quite sure how a Montblanc would fit into a student setting. I have heard people saying someone somewhere was using a 146 or similar in a daily university setting. Certainly I have never seen such a thing in 2 years of university attendance in Germany, most students who write with fountain pens prefer a Lamy Al-Star or similar pen. I was once in a team project and had my M215 with rings with me, two team members were constantly looking at it. I hated that. i once had a meeting with a lecturer and he pulled out an old M200, perhaps 2ß years old. I was glad I had m M205 there and not the green striped M800 I had thought of carrying. Perhaps in humanistics, it is different though.

Edited by fplover01
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Actually I feel a bit self-conscious when I carry a pen with the MB star to university (I'm a student). Although my MB pens are cheaper vintage ones, the star is pretty well known. It can make me feel like a snob, some rich idiot who "only" cares about branding. Not to say that branded things or MB pens are bad, on the contrary. On the other hand it's nice to have some small pieces of personal luxury. My mind is not settled on this matter yet.

Before my time, but I recall people mentioning getting Parker caps just to clip them in their shirt so you had that iconic parker arrow clip being shown off.

 

Far as branding, I'm cool with either, I already know what it is, no one else *needs* to know, but I'm not exactly self conscious of it either, most people I run into wouldn't know one from the other, might look at a Jinhao 159 and think it's a high end Montblanc (despite the lack of 'splat' on top).

 

I kind of like subtle though, usually either on the clip or on the nib, and not much else, or as a faint imprint on the materials like on my Aurora Afrika (shows the brand on nib, cap band, and imprinted clear on the celluloid body, but it's clip shape is probably going to be the biggest give away to people who know Aurora).

Edited by KBeezie
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I like branding, as well - subtle, but clear branding, that is. It's frustrating to appreciate something, and have difficulty identifying it. However, I agree with above comments - I don't care for branding that screams in your face.

Franklin-Christoph, Italix, and Pilot pens are the best!
Iroshizuku, Diamine, and Waterman inks are my favorites!

Apica, Rhodia, and Clairefontaine make great paper!

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I have a pen that I picked up awhile back -- a no name lever filler, but it has a 14K music nib on it! I had a bit of nib work done at DCSS in August by Deb McKinney (the tines were slightly misaligned), but I wish I knew more about the pen (such as what size sac it will need, or whether the nib is original to it). Don't remember if I've posted pix of it.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

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Branding has its place. On some pens, it's a white snowflake, others is the iconic arrow clip, and some have a spring clip. Companies want to be able to show they made a product that people want to buy. As long as the branding fits the overall design, characteristics, and appeal of the pen, I'm fine with it.

 

Buzz

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Most pens have the look of the manufacturer (clip, splat, etc) and don't have the manufacturer's name printed boldly on the the pen. That I can deal with.

Even the Lamy Safari, which has a large LAMY molded into the barrel of the Safari, at least it isn't color filled, so isn't so "in your face." I just rotate the barrel so that it is on the opposite side of the pen, and I don't have to look at it.

 

But as was mentioned, for vintage pens, it really would be nice to know what brand/model a pen is. So I really appreciate when the name is pressed into the body of the pen.

 

Now with cameras, most/many cameras have the manufacturer's name boldly printed on the camera.

And now they make it even worse with the manufacturers name on a bright wide camera strap...free advertising.

Edited by ac12

San Francisco Pen Show - August 28-30, 2020 - Redwood City, California

www.SFPenShow.com

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Do Rotring count as they're effectively a dead brand now? That red ring is a subtler mark than a snowflake or a pelikan on the cap, after all...

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I never thought about branding on fountain pens. I only wear clothes and accessories without visible branding on the outside, but my stationary and pens are full of branding. Strange thing. Branding does not appeal to my taste ( I like minimalistic design), but I have no personal (or "political") problem with it.

 

If you haven't already, you should go visit the Japanese store chain Muji. :D

 

Muji makes their own FPs too :P

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My Edison Collier is fairly subtly branded. You can see

 

Edison Pen Co.

Collier

 

engraved on the barrel if you hold it up the light just right.

 

And put on your reading glasses.

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If you haven't already, you should go visit the Japanese store chain Muji. :D

 

Muji makes their own FPs too :P

 

There is a Muji shop next door. But they don't carry the fountain pen.

I am madly in love with their highlighters. :D

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Vintage pens without a brand are tricky to a newcomer. So I do like some identity on them, especially as they'll go to my son at a later date.

 

I've never really noticed branding on fp's particularly except for the iconic MB which has crossed generations. FPs as a class of pen when compared to disposable rollerballs/ballpoints have pretty minimal branding really. I recall very little non-branded space on the few disposables I favoured in another life.

Noodler's Konrad Acrylics (normal+Da Luz custom flex) ~ Lamy AL-Stars/Vista F/M/1.1 ~ Handmade Barry Roberts Dayacom M ~ Waterman 32 1/2, F semi-flex nib ~ Conklin crescent, EF super-flex ~ Aikin Lambert dip pen EEF super-flex ~ Aikin Lambert dip pen semi-flex M ~ Jinhao X450s ~ Pilot Custom Heritage 912 Posting Nib ~ Sailor 1911 Profit 21k Rhodium F. Favourite inks: Iroshizuku blends, Noodler's CMYK blends.

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I generally dont like pens that scream a particular brand in a professional or other public setting. They might distract people from the job on hand and depending on their views of a particular brand, prejudice them positively or negatively. there is also the danger of having a better pen than someone who is senior in hierarchy, which might cause offence. More extravagantly branded pens are better used in private in my opinion.

 

 

I cannot even imagine working for someone who would even care if I was using something that was better than a senior in hierarchy. Such a person would not be anyone capable of my loyalty or support.

 

But quite a few pens have little visible branding.

 

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