Shiny New Toy...

[chemguyethan]

Well anyway...

 

I'm a little worried about this pen now. Supposed to be delivered on Thursday, but I'm never home during the day so a notice was left for redelivery. I signed it and requested a redelivery online. I left the slip in my mailbox yesterday. The slip is gone but no pen.

 

Check online, says delivery scheduled for today. Well the postman came today, and still no pen.

 

WHY USPS WHY!?!?!? I just want my pen!

[DnzUlc]

I would honestly like to make a trip back to Izmir to see how it has changed in the 41 years since we left there, but with all the problems in Europe and the Mideast I am very hesitant to do so, plus at our ages do not care to make such a long flight.

 

I met a physician who had worked in our little hospital some 20 years before I was stationed there, so that would have been sometime in the mid 1950's and he was amazed at how the city had changed, saying that he saw numerous camel caravans on a weekly basis. I only saw one or two in the two years I was there, and suspect that they are a thing of the past, at least in the city.

 

I just hope Turkey can continue on it's conservative/moderate path and remain a stabilizing force in that region, but know that will be a problem with what is going on on the southern border.

 

Good luck my friend to you and your lovely country.

 

Thank you for sharing your fascinating memories and for your good wishes, i wish you best of everything.

[Lemony Cricket]

chemguyethan, does it say that the pen has already been delivered? If so, you might want to ask your neighbours. The last time I read about similar case, USPS didn't help at all with the search.

 

Here's the whole comment from Reddit:

 

 

So, I chased down three mailmen and all told me that "nothing was delivered to me". I grilled two supervisors at the USPS, and their ultimate answer was "we don't know where it is, and since it was scanned as delivered and not here, we can only initiate the claims process now, there's nothing more we can do."

I called BS...and then called the courier himself, and he told me that he "delivered an insured package to a few house away from mine, which was shaped like a package of chicken thighs you get at the super market". So, I knocked on that house two days in a row with no answer. I then called the USPS to see how to start the claims process, and they said "search google for USPS claims", then hung up.

On Sunday, my neighbor came to my house, with a ripped open USPS package and "Visconti" peeking through, and I immediately hugged her and she followed with: "our mail man was a f-ing idiot, this is yours".

I'm getting them some nice scotch, probably Balvenie, and inviting them to my house for bratwurst and beer. They renewed my faith in humanity, and I'm absolutely ecstatic.

This pen is as buttery and amazing as I've ever hoped, and I'm SO happy that it got here! Thanks for being amazing /r/fountainpens

:) :)

 

Fingers crossed you get it soon!

[jkingrph]

I don't know. I have had some international orders coming via the post office and the would be hung up in various incoming centers sometimes for a week or ten days. On the other hand I have had an d order from Spain on two occasions only take two days via UPS. I found an old Diplomat pen on e bay and ordered it, from southwest central Turkey. It shipped UPS Thur Nov 12 and per tracking is in Louisville, Ky now and will be delivered Monday, Nov 16.

 

It makes you wonder what is going on with USPS. Even a lot of the domestic shipments are extremely slow when you can get a small package from 1/3 of the away around the globe very quickly, then a domestic package from 300-400 miles away will take much longer.

Edited November 15, 2015 by jkingrph

[chemguyethan]

Thanks for the responses. Haha, Lemony, that's quite the ordeal that person had to go through to get their pen, I can only hope I don't have to do that...

 

And jking, I think a lot has to do with most international shipments are flown in (rarely would they go on cargo ship) while many domestic packages are driven large distances and sit in various sorting facilities. The international shipping is maybe a little more streamlined, it seems. My Visconti pen that I ordered from Australia on Sunday was delivered to me Thursday, even with signature confirmation! That was through DHL though... This Pelikan was shipped from Washington, and it did make it here in two days through USPS, but now this redelivery fiasco is driving me nuts...

 

The current tracking info says:

1) delivery was attempted Nov 12th and a notice was left.

2) redelivery scheduled on Nov 13th for Nov 14th (Nov 13th was also when I left the signed slip in my mailbox)

 

And now it still just says redelivery scheduled for Nov 14th (which was yesterday).

 

So I'll check later today (they do sometimes deliver on Sundays) and Monday and if nothing I'll have to try and contact customer service or something.

 

Anyway, hope it'll show up in the next day or two.

[jkingrph]

I don't know, I have a pen ordered through Amazon and it is coming from Japan. It shipped Oct 22 and they estimate delivery on Nov 19, so it's a wait and see game on this one. Four weeks seems excessive for something as small and lightweight as this nowdays.

[Lam1]

I'm so sorry that you are going through this. I hope it gets sorted out very soon, so that you can enjoy your pen. And, please post some pictures of that 3B nib .

[chemguyethan]

Ah yes! I'm at work and just casually decided to rechecked the USPS tracking and it says delivered today!!!!

 

Wooooooo, I'm so excited!

[chemguyethan]

And my two acquisitions from the past "holiday," haha. The lovely Pelikan M800 with 3B nib paired with the Visconti LE Opera and a B nib. Glorious smoothness from both and just all around excellent pens!

 

http://i1373.photobucket.com/albums/ag391/chemguyethan/Pens%20and%20things/2015-11-16%2023.03.35_zpszmt9uqis.jpg

 

And for comparison of the nibs...

http://i1373.photobucket.com/albums/ag391/chemguyethan/Pens%20and%20things/aef0165d-e552-455f-9773-9179e60f9e27_zpsmyva0crw.jpg

 

I'll likely post a real review of the pen after a while, once I've gotten to use it. I know there are a multitude of reviews of pens just like this one, but not MY pen, haha. I suppose it'll be more my impressions of the pen. For now I'll just leave you with those two pictures and say I'm quite pleased right now!

[chemguyethan]

Just a few more pics. Already loving the pen...

 

http://i1373.photobucket.com/albums/ag391/chemguyethan/Pens%20and%20things/2015-11-17%2022.34.46_zpsic8jww2f.jpg

 

http://i1373.photobucket.com/albums/ag391/chemguyethan/Pens%20and%20things/2015-11-17%2022.35.48_zpsi3zwcztr.jpg

 

Just so smooth, such nice flow. Really fun to write with. Very pleased with my purchase.

[Runnin_Ute]

I don't know, I have a pen ordered through Amazon and it is coming from Japan. It shipped Oct 22 and they estimate delivery on Nov 19, so it's a wait and see game on this one. Four weeks seems excessive for something as small and lightweight as this nowdays.

I have recently done the same. (M200 Cognac from Japan seller via Amazon) Ordered 11/17, tracking shows it was picked up on 11/19, hit customs in Los Angeles on 11/21. The time frame given when ordered? 12/15/2015-1/7/2016. Hopefully it will arrive before then. I often times have stuff like pens shipped to my office to lessen stress like chemguyethan experienced. It isn't a perfect solution but seems to work most of the time.

Edited November 24, 2015 by Runnin_Ute

[Runnin_Ute]

Just a few more pics. Already loving the pen...

 

http://i1373.photobucket.com/albums/ag391/chemguyethan/Pens%20and%20things/2015-11-17%2022.34.46_zpsic8jww2f.jpg

 

http://i1373.photobucket.com/albums/ag391/chemguyethan/Pens%20and%20things/2015-11-17%2022.35.48_zpsi3zwcztr.jpg

 

Just so smooth, such nice flow. Really fun to write with. Very pleased with my purchase.

Beautiful pen. Hope you enjoy it not only now, but long term. I bought a very nice marbled M200 with an OB that has become a daily carry pen.

[jkingrph]

I just submitted a claim to Amazon for the pen from Japan. It has been a full 5 weeks now, and no sign of it. The seller did not provide a tracking number and when I contacted him he said it might be lost, to wait while they looked at tracking?? That's been several days and no response from him, so went ahead with my claim.

 

It's strange that I can get a pen from Spain in two days via UPS, 4-5 from Germany via international post office, Five weeks from a modern country like Japan is absurd.

 

While I was typing this I got an email from Amazon stating that the claim was approved and my refund was coming. Talk about fast about 3 minutes.

Edited November 25, 2015 by jkingrph

[inkstainedruth]

I just submitted a claim to Amazon for the pen from Japan. It has been a full 5 weeks now, and no sign of it. The seller did not provide a tracking number and when I contacted him he said it might be lost, to wait while they looked at tracking?? That's been several days and no response from him, so went ahead with my claim.

 

It's strange that I can get a pen from Spain in two days via UPS, 4-5 from Germany via international post office, Five weeks from a modern country like Japan is absurd.

 

While I was typing this I got an email from Amazon stating that the claim was approved and my refund was coming. Talk about fast about 3 minutes.

 

The refund is good, but I'm betting you'd rather have the pen....

I ran into this last year with a pen that I had repaired by Ernesto Soler. The tracking emails said it had been delivered. Turned out the guy (not my regular mailman) had hit the wrong button on his little tracker gizmo, but couldn't be bothered to correct his mistake. Spent half the day on the phone with USPS going "WHERE IS MY PEN?"

And the Pelikan M200 Café Crème I'd ordered from Rolf Thiel? It got held up in Customs in the NY area for a few days. And then got shipped to New Hampshire (!) before going to Pittsburgh. Still trying to figure that one out.

Of course Pittsburgh has become the regional processing center for both Erie and Johnstown, as the USPS has been trying to implement cost-cutting measures. But from NYC to Pittsburgh via New Hampshire? Made no intuitive sense....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Diderot]

Just a few more pics. Already loving the pen...

 

http://i1373.photobucket.com/albums/ag391/chemguyethan/Pens%20and%20things/2015-11-17%2022.34.46_zpsic8jww2f.jpg

 

http://i1373.photobucket.com/albums/ag391/chemguyethan/Pens%20and%20things/2015-11-17%2022.35.48_zpsi3zwcztr.jpg

 

Just so smooth, such nice flow. Really fun to write with. Very pleased with my purchase.

 

That's a lovely pen.

 

What is that blue ink? It looks beautiful.

[chemguyethan]

Yikes, sorry to hear about the shipping troubles you all are having. It's very frustrating when you're left in limbo wondering where your pens are.

 

 

That's a lovely pen.

 

What is that blue ink? It looks beautiful.

 

It's actually Private Reserve: Tanzanite. So it's more purpley than blue, but that picture does make it look blue. The picture below from an earlier post maybe illustrates a little better what the ink color is compared to an actual blue ink. So the top is the Tanzanite and the bottom is Sailor Sauten (which I love, by the way, haha).

 

 

And my two acquisitions from the past "holiday," haha. The lovely Pelikan M800 with 3B nib paired with the Visconti LE Opera and a B nib. Glorious smoothness from both and just all around excellent pens!

 

http://i1373.photobucket.com/albums/ag391/chemguyethan/Pens%20and%20things/2015-11-16%2023.03.35_zpszmt9uqis.jpg

 

[Diderot]

 

It's actually Private Reserve: Tanzanite. So it's more purpley than blue, but that picture does make it look blue. The picture below from an earlier post maybe illustrates a little better what the ink color is compared to an actual blue ink. So the top is the Tanzanite and the bottom is Sailor Sauten (which I love, by the way, haha).

 

 

 

Ah yes, I can now see the difference between the two images more clearly.

 

Quite coincidentally, I was going to order a pot of Sailor Souten today .

[chemguyethan]

 

Ah yes, I can now see the difference between the two images more clearly.

 

Quite coincidentally, I was going to order a pot of Sailor Souten today .

 

I highly recommend that ink. Flows nicely in pens I've used it in. It's not terribly expensive. It is a really lovely blue color, with pretty nice shading, and really great red sheen under the right conditions. I think at least for now it's my favorite blue.