Opinions On Fit And Finish

November 14, 2015

Calling TWSBI better quality than Lamy or Parker is just wrong.

My experience (with two Vac700's and two Mini Classics) with Twsbi compared with Lamy (one 2000, four Al-Stars) puts the Twsbi's at or ahead of my similarly-priced Lamys in terms of fit and finish, but not up to the fit and finish of the 2000.

I'll pick up any of my Twsbi's for writing something before I get out any of the Al-Stars. The 2000, sadly, came out second best to several trucks one morning, and it will be a long time before I can afford to replace it.

YMMV, of course.

November 14, 2015

My Vac 700 entered my rotation this week, and I already can't wait for it to run dry and back into storage. i find the fit, finish, and function of the pen to be at or below my expectations for pens in this price range. My kids can always tell when the 700 is in rotation, because they always call it "broken." The fact that I have to leave the plunger section unscrewed to guarantee a flow of ink rather than sealing off the feed and nib (and I don't want to "modify" my pen as I'm using the pen as designed). I also spend more time cleaning ink out of the cap of this pen than any of my other pens. I won't buy another TWSBI.

In the realm of vintage pens, I find so many great examples of pens with outstanding characteristics of fit and finish. From Parker to Sheaffer and on to Esterbrook, I love the fit of a perfect slip cap or the minimal threads of a screw cap. The materials are excellent and have lasted decades (or in the case of my Waterman, a century). One of my favorites is the Parker 75. The perfect snap of the cap, a comfortable writing experience, the perfect feel of the material in terms of balance and weight--I find it an excellent example of Parker trying to face down the tidal wave of cheap ballpoints.

For modern pens, none equals my Nakaya. Nakaya fit, finish, and craftsmanship has few equals (and most of those are also from Japan). For the mass-produced pens, I also think Japanese craftsmanship also shines through. I have an excellent selection of Platinum, Pilot,and Sailor. I appreciate the long line of Pelikans and their consistent design to include the 1.5 twists to remove the cap and the perfect feel of an outstanding piston filler. After Pelikan, I don't find too many other modern Western pens worth my interest.

Buzz

November 14, 2015

I agree about the Pilots with a couple of qualifiers: the VP is a different animal, it doesn't seem to have that something that makes me want to hold it that even the cheaper Prera has, and the nibs all seem to suffer from creap. I have 78gs in addition to the Prera and vp and to varying degrees all nibs look messy. My sometimes look more like dip pens. Not a big deal, but I think a clean nib while writing would fit within this discussion.

My TWSBI Eco has some cool fit and finish aspects: crystal clear and great fit. Posting is flawed admittedly. But the thing I think I find most amazing is the shockingly clean section/feed while inked. A day or two after inking every feed fin is visible and the plastic is almost colorless. Yet ink flows. Nib also is amazingly clean while writing.

November 14, 2015

Since I have many vintage pens, I've become aware that there were considerable variations in F&F among the various companies, at least regarding the ringtops that I collect. Waterman, for instance, barely updated its line and the BCHR pens feel more fragile than the more carefully thought-out pens made by Wahl, Moore and Mabie Todd. Great nibs, but old-fashioned even its time.

Oddly, one of my best pens has no markings aside from a simple "M" on the lever. No idea what it is but it's a wonderfully sturdy pen.

November 16, 2015

I agree with Buzz_130 about the Parker 75. I was gifted one recently, and it's a very solid pen with a great nib. I'm selling mine, because gold isn't my color, but it's fantastic.

I also really like my Lamy Safari, it doesn't feel like a high end pen, but it feels solid, and well put together for the price point. I'm never afraid to use it, which is important to me.

November 16, 2015

Just an aside, another topic on FPN about Omas business troubles linked to peneconomics.com, but drifting through that site, I also ran across this blog post http://www.peneconomics.com/blog/2015/6/22/fountain-pen-aesthetics which I find entirely relevant to the OPs comment that we often don't speak about the F&F. Again, this may be evidence that we haven't developed the language to express our reactions to the pens we like and don't like.

November 16, 2015

I agree that ST Dupont is probably the top for fit and finish. They are sort of the Lexus LS of the pen world; not fun or interesting to drive but they have a flawless fit and finish down to the smallest of details. The next tier would be GvFC followed by Caran d'Ache.

I appreciate these top three brands but I didn't enjoy writing with the ones I had so I ended up letting them go. I suspect I will have another ST Dupont at some point.

Out of the pens I currently own I would put Pilot/Namiki at the top followed by...hmm Montblanc? I don't have that many new pens. I love Aurora but I don't really think their quality of finish is consistent throughout their model line up. I also agree that TWSBI is excellent.

November 28, 2015

As far as fit and finish are concerned I would say my Namiki Falcon, Pelikan M630, and Scriptorium Pens Inkling and Wordsmith would fit the bill. I also have quite a few vintage pens from the 30's and 40's that also fit right in there. Some of my favorites for fit and finish are my Wahl Eversharp Equipoise and Parker Duovacs.

December 2, 2015

To rank my pens from lowest to highest fit and finish:

Cross Townsend.

Montegrappa Cosmopolitan.

Omas Marconi and Omas Walesa limited edition.

ST Dupont Defi.

Montblanc 146 Solitaire.

HOWEVER. I have seen Montblanc skeletons that should have received more fit and finish. I cannot see paying $20 grand for a pen that has casting lines and tooling marks on the skeleton structure. These are promotional photos of their Louvre model. This should not have left the factory without those marks being polished out. A fine knifemaker or watchmaker would know this. So should Montblanc.