Unpopular Opinions On Pen Design

[pajaro]

Black cigar pens . . . black being a common pen color, and the cigar shape being logical and functional. I don't like black pens much, preferring brighter colors. The cigar shape is all over, and some of the best pens have it. I am undecided, but the Parker 51 I like the look of best in my hoard has the squared off barrel, in bloody burgundy. Still, I suppose you could call it a cigar shape, more or less.

 

I am not an aficcionado of the expression "not a fan" that seems to be overrunning the world today. It's easy to use catchphrases rather than think.

 

 

A BALANCED pen.
If you are going to post the pen, then make the pen balanced when posted. I really dislike pens that become tail heavy when posted. Especially when the pen is obviously designed to be posted.
ALL of my Lamys (Safari/Vista, cp1, pur) become tail heavy when posted. And the cp1 and pur are obviously designed to be posted.

 

I think you would have to admin that a light pen like the Safari isn't going to be odiously unbalanced when posted. I have posted mine, and it never occurred to me they were unbalanced. Now, post the cap on something like a TWSBI 530, and that's noticeable. Pens like the Pelikan M1000 with a brass piston mechanism, that's a pain too. I agree with your premise, though. I always post a cap if it's possible. Pen makers should realize that this is a natural thing for many people to do, and make it work well.

[NinthSphere]

I don't care for my pens to be billboards, but I appreciate a nicely decorated, branded nib, clip, &/or finials.

 

I love personalized engravings, be it a name or as in some cases "For X because Y" type gift engravings & actually value them more than the equivalent unmarked pen.

[Leeuwenhoek]

Really interesting replies. I had never thought about branding in a collector vs user context. I suppose I consider myself a user but the branding doesn't affect writing at all. One thing I didn't predict being mentioned was demonstrators/clear pens although I can understand it. Size of pens is in my opinion even more subjective than the general appearance of the pen. Caps are also clearly an area of debate.

 

And yes it's great that there's such variation between fountain pen users, anyone regardless of age etc can write and most of us still do so everyday. I do feel slightly sorry for fountain pen designers though.

Edited June 1, 2016 by Leeuwenhoek

[praxim]

I always post a cap if it's possible. Pen makers should realize that this is a natural thing for many people to do, and make it work well.

 

 

I never post. Pen makers should realise that this is a natural way for many people to write so make the pen balanced when not posted.

 

I guess pen makers should offer different models or else specialise to deal with posters, non-posters, and randomisers.

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

I prefer my pens to be smaller, thinner, and lightweight. I also like smaller nibs, especially ones that are shrouded or hooded in some way. Plastic is a good thing if you can use the material properly. Metal is also nice in some places, but don't use something that can corrode. I also love stiff nibs and love the feel of steel nibs. Most of my pens have gold nibs, but steel is lovely, especially plain, unplated steel. It responds in the most wonderful way on the paper. The only drawback is that it can sometimes corrode in the right conditions. I have considered replacing the nib on my Lamy ABC with a gold one, but I really prefer the feel of the steel nib on it. Metal does not make a pen more durable, in fact, it can make the pen more vulnerable to permanent cosmetic damage in some cases such as dents or corrosion.

 

Dillon

[aucheukyan]

My opinion on this matter as a person in my late 20s. I prefer my pen designs to be minimalistic, which also applies for branding. Pens like the Lamy 2000, Pilot VP, the Parker 45/51 are among the pen designs I like. Subtle branding without engraving mark affecting the touch of it, makes it feel better when I run my hand around it.

 

That said, for example older parkers and edison pen with their wall of engravings on the barrel are not really my taste. They also catch grime and other stuff and turns greu and brown over time. I personally think the only LOUD marks on any pens should be on the nib.

[Runnin_Ute]

Giant heavy pens are something I don't care for, but know others do. And for that reason, I am glad they are out there. 30 grams is my top end. Especially for longer sessions.

 

I rarely post pens, but when I do, they need to do two things well:

1. post (cap stay on)

2. be well balanced/not tail heavy

 

If the pen is set so that posted the pen isn't tail heavy, if you don't post it should be well balanced as well.

[Thornys]

As noted above, Montblanc is a whipping boy on here.

 

So is Moleskin.

 

I have too much of both to try to pretend they aren't all that..,

 

As a naive newcomer, can someone tell me why Montblanc (and Moleskin) are regarded that way? Just very curious...

[Bluey]

As a naive newcomer, can someone tell me why Montblanc (and Moleskin) are regarded that way? Just very curious...

Perhaps someone can correct me but from what I've gathered so far, moleskine are heavily marketed as being a quality product, with claims to have been used by Ernest Hemingway et al, but in practice they are not very fountain pen friendly.

For Montblanc, my guess is that they are widely seen as being overrated and overpriced. What other companies call "plastic" Montblanc calls "precious resin". Allegedly, modern Montblanc pens are expensive junk compared to what they used to make, the sign of yet another company relying too much on their past reputation and image.

Edited June 2, 2016 by Bluey

[Thornys]

Bluey, thank you - that's what I suspected...

 

[JonSzanto]

The Visconti "Bridge" clip.

The Parker "Arrow" clip.

These designs bug the (bleep) out of me. Nothing worse than one design element that gets slapped on a pen no matter how differently that particular model is designed.

[utopic]

I'm going to answer in the style of the OP, therefore unpopular opinions on pen design, in my opinion:

 

1. big pens (unless you have big hands, in which case it makes sense). I doubt that all people wanting a flagship pen would enjoy a blackjack sized instrument

2. flashy pens, Visconti's come to mind, but they're not the only ones

3. intrusive branding, for example:

 

4. threaded caps. If good alternative designs are available, why complicate things?

5. heavy pens

6. slick/smooth metallic grips

7. fancy materials that require extra special care (don't leave it in sunlight, don't put water on it, don't clean it with alcohol etc etc etc)

8. unbalanced, incomplete designs (i.e spectacular body, average nib - spectacular nib, average body) on expensive pens

 

I enjoy :

decently sized pens & understated designs.

 

In fact as a pro example, Parker 51 comes to mind for 1,2,3,4,5,7. No wonder I like it so much.

[The Blue Knight]

Biggest caveats; faux piston turning knobs (cough, cough Kaweco), Nibs aren't correctly proportioned to the sections in size, optional extras that really should be included e.g. pocket clips on mass produced pens.

Edited June 2, 2016 by The Blue Knight

[vorpal]

I think my number one peeve is black cigar pens. They're everywhere. Everywhere!!! Sadly I have ended up with 2 of them because there was no other option for the nib choice.

When I write with a black cigar it feels akin to writing with a Bic biro. It feels so lifeless and uninspiring and drab and dreary, like a rainy grey day in England in January. A fountain pen is mostly about the nib, but it needs something a little different added to make me want to pay for the pen and to enjoy writing with it.

 

Another is using the pen as a billboard. I was having a look at some Indian eydroppers recently but on every single one that caught my eye, a closer look revealed "Wality"(or something!) written on the barrel which turned me cold.

 

I buy the ugly pens for the nibs and send them to Shawn Newton, who makes new bodies for them. I have so far rehoused a Sailor and Waterman nib, and gotten a new body for my Esterbrook nibs.

[Old_Inkyhand]

And I've come up with more ideas about my likes and dislikes

I dislike the look of the crescent fillers. I don't like too light pens, I like to feel some heft. And plain, boring, simple nibs don't make me smile.

[Bluey]

 

I buy the ugly pens for the nibs and send them to Shawn Newton, who makes new bodies for them. I have so far rehoused a Sailor and Waterman nib, and gotten a new body for my Esterbrook nibs.

Actually that's an excellent idea! Maybe there's someone who does similar work closer to home - a little Goggling suggests Shawn Newton is in America which makes it inconvenient for shipping costs/customs. Definitely something for me to keep in mind though. Thanks!

Edited June 2, 2016 by Bluey

[Gofixmix]

I have to avoid hooded nibs due to childhood trauma - when we were all forced to use the same kind of (ballpoint) school pen, ironically shaped like Parker 51.

 

Much prefer plastic to metal.

 

Much prefer buying demonstrators compared to black pens, but seem to prefer writing with black, as if demos get distracting after a while. Ouch

 

Don't like finishes too nice that get scary to take as EDC-unrelated to price or value.

 

Pens that don't post or post with weird balance are OK, but I could never LOVE them, even if I rarely do post.

 

Basically - all OCD issues

 

Imprints, engravings, mixed feelings:

Beautiful!

Could you please make it bigger and shinier?

...but if you can not spell the name of your own country, just forget about it.

[Namo]

What I really don't like is when my hand disagrees with my taste. For example, I love the Long cigar Nakaya. But I can't write with it for long before it becomes uncomfortable. Same for the Piccolo (in unpolished shu...).

 

Edited June 2, 2016 by Namo

[pajaro]

 

I buy the ugly pens for the nibs and send them to Shawn Newton, who makes new bodies for them. I have so far rehoused a Sailor and Waterman nib, and gotten a new body for my Esterbrook nibs.

 

That's an interesting and productive idea. When you don't like the pen housing the nib, get it replaced with something to your taste. It's a good thing to have someone like Shawn Newton around to make this possible.

[TSherbs]

smooth metal sections are an abomination