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Considering Bexley - Demeter Or Monarch?


Kevan

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As the title says, I'm looking at a Bexley pen. I'm torn between the Demeter and Monarch models. Both similar styles with a classic 1920's-30's look, both large, with the Monarch obviously bigger and a little extra decoration on the cap.

 

I love the look of the Demeter (and Richard Binder is a fan of it, it seems), but the section looks a bit short, even though it flares out at the end. The Monarch has a long section, and looks like you don't have to hold the threads. Ordinarily I prefer that, and perhaps that would make the Monarch more comfortable to use?

 

Any recommendations? There's not much out there about these models in terms of reviews, except people seem to really like them.

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Have you seen the pens Howard Levy (founder of Bexley) sells on eBay. They are a great deal if you find a color and pen model combo you like. Easy to find if you search.

 

I like thr prometheus myself.

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I have seen those...and the Prometheus is an attactive design....but it looks like it has a girthy, Delta-esque section. Thicker than I like.

 

But I'm thinking about it. It's far too attractive to dismiss.

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You might like the 56. It is based on the old Waterman design. I think it is thinner by a fair bit.

 

I have a few of the steel nibs in B and they have been good writers.

If you want less blah, blah, blah and more pictures, follow me on Instagram!

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So....I ended up getting a Bexley Prometheus. An awesome deal on the Bexley Ebay store on one of the new(?) Red Woodgrain Ebonite versions of the Prometheus was too good to pass up.

 

Oh. My. God.

 

I am very impressed. The build quality is fantastic. The threads mate perfectly and are so smooth. The ebonite is lovely -- smooth, warm, and the transition to the acrylic section and end caps is seamless. I own several Indian ebonite pens and I love those, but the ebonite they chose for this really resembles woodgrain. It goes well with the gold furniture.

 

The feel in the hand is what surprised me most. I knew this would be a big pen; I've read the previous review of this model from October. And to be honest, I wasn't sure how I'd like that. I had a Delta that was chunky, with a large, fat section, and I didn't like it at all. Not one bit. This is.....wonderful. It sits in the hand naturally. The section girth presents no problem. It's light. I love it, I really do.

 

I opted for a Medium nib since the options were M or B (I usually go for a Fine, which suits my handwriting). I guess they tuned and tested the nib before they sent it out, since there was a droplet of water in the converter still, and I could see light through the tines. Always a good sign.

 

Well, again....whoa. Perfect writer. Wet, smooth....I could tell right away that I would need to switch to Pelikan ink for this pen. I did, and it is lovely. And I can always get another nib unit if this is too broad for me, but it's always a pleasure when something writes flawlessly out of the box. (Oh, about that...there was no box. Just the pen. Awesome! No box to wonder what to do with).

 

Any negatives I can think of are nitpicks, really. I wish something like this was a piston filler (and I know the original model was). The converter rattles a bit if you tap the barrel (but some converters do that, so no big deal). And I wish that the converter was a screw-in model...I actually wish more pen companies used them because it's more "solid" overall.

 

But other than that, this is perfect. Everything is well-made. There are no sharp edges. It feels amazing in the hand. It's well-built. Well finished. You can't ask for much more.

 

I keep saying "Are you kidding me?" when I hold it. This is a wonderful pen that writes like a dream. I am extremely satisfied. I feel like I got away with a steal here. I've paid more for pens that have been mediocre by comparison.

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Glad you found the pen to your liking. There is vaue in what they offer, epsecially at the eBay outlet prices. If you want a piston filler, I think the Magnum 2 has a piston. That model is fairly compact which makes it a good option for shirt pocket carry.

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Do you know why the prices are so much lower on the Ebay store? Is it because they are prototype colors like this ebonite?

 

I've looked the pen over, and there is no flaw. It doesn't look like a factory second to me. Everything is perfect on it. It surely doesn't seem like the "slightly imperfect" thing you usually find for outlet prices.

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Howard hand tunes and sets all the nibs for every pen, and tests them before they go out the door.

 

The eBay store is one of the best value less to get into a Bexley. Once you get one, though, you'll end up being more! They are my favorite fountain pen.

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I can definitely see how one can end up getting more.

 

Thing is, I have my favorites just like anyone else that's in this hobby long enough. And if you acquire enough pens, it's easy to become disillusioned, like "Oh, here's another resin pen with a Jowo steel nib and converter. How many of these have I seen, held, and written with?" No matter what color the resins are, to me at least, they start to blend together.

 

This model was able to break through that for me, though. It's so well-made, and nice to hold, and the ebonite/resin combo feels great. It's something unique in my collection. I'm glad I took a chance on it.

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My problem is, I match pens to ink colors, so right now, I've got 3 Poseidon pens of different colors for that very reason.

 

 

I know, I'm weird like that.

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I have a number of Bexley pens and can attest to the quality. Also, the price is quite good for those Howard sells onEbay. Howard does not sell "seconds". What he sells at a discount are trial combinations that he decided to not produce in commercial quantities. Before he markets a pen he makes examples of it in different materials. Sometimes he hasn't been able to get more of a specific material so he can't go into production with it and sometimes it just doesn't strike him as a color or material combination he likes as well as a different one. So, for some unknown reason one pen material and design goes into production and the other doesn't. Better for you, if it is a combination you like and can buy for a pittance. Imagine if Auto manufacturers did this! So indicates the imaginary website for a respected Automotive Manufacturer "You can have for a limited time only, this new recently discontinued super deluxe model with matching motorcycle for one quarter the price this special set sold for, but it is only available with the base engine for that model, not the supercharged engine that was in the marketed set." This functionally happened to meet with Bexley.

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Congratulations..enjoy your new pen.

 

Fred

 

"....Come on you've gotta listen to me

 

Lay off that whiskey and let that cocaine be."

 

~ When I was arrested I was dressed in black..

 

Johnny Cash ~

 

Re Magnum Poseidon II many also made utilizing c/c filler

Capped 5.5".....

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Had to make a quick decision on a Bexley... thought about it... bought it...

 

Just found out, to my despair, that the pen does not accept the Jowo nib units, of which I have many and was looking for an appropriate holder. Oh well, another pen disaster, sell it and suck up the loss.

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Had to make a quick decision on a Bexley... thought about it... bought it...

 

Just found out, to my despair, that the pen does not accept the Jowo nib units, of which I have many and was looking for an appropriate holder. Oh well, another pen disaster, sell it and suck up the loss.

Was it a piston Bexley? Those use different nib units. And the older Bexley models were threaded for Schmidt nibs so Jowo nibs wouldn't fit, if I'm not mistaken.
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No, converter, but the housing for the nib is different to the Jowo housing so the latter wont fit. :( I want to get another custom pen but I need the Jowo holder now rather than 7 months down the line. So, impulse buy here. It's okay, I suck at buying pens so it's no real surprise.

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With some of them at least you can wiggle the nib out of the housing and swap them. I have a Goulet Jowo nib in a Bexley Poseidon.

To hold a pen is to be at war. - Voltaire
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  • 3 months later...

My understanding is that the Bexley feed is a Boch, or threaded for a Boch...but the nibs are Jowo...and the cartridge/converter and the piston pens take different nib/feed assemblies...

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  • 5 months later...

Thanks for all of the info! I just scored a 2016 owner's club, which is ebonite, at a great price. My first ebonite pen, and I am completely hooked! Hope to see more ebonite from Bexley. A Poseidon in ebonite sounds like it would be a dream come true!

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My understanding is that the Bexley feed is a Boch, or threaded for a Boch...but the nibs are Jowo...and the cartridge/converter and the piston pens take different nib/feed assemblies...

Interesting. They seemed to get it right! I have a Delta, which I think has a Boch nib, and it is quite different from Bexley. Not sure if I like it. When I google the Boch nib and feed, they seem to look just like Belxey though

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