Why Are Duofolds Underrated?

[parban]

I find it really very surprising that UK Duofolds -- both International and Centennial models -- fetch much lesser price than other reputed brands like Pelikan and Montblanc. But Duofolds look very beautiful, perform perfectly and are free from the hazards of piston filling mechanism. They dont need tools for taking out nib and feed for cleaning either. The wooden boxes are pretty too. But despite all these, people dont want to pay for them as much as they pay for other reputed brands. Yes Montblancs are great and so are Pelikans, but exactly what make them so much ahead of UK Duofolds? I am not counting the current Duofolds here for obvious reasons. But my basic question remains.

 

Hope somebody would be able to answer it.

[Bluey]

You're trying to think in terms of reality when you should be thinking in terms of perception. How much something is "worth" has got nothing to do with how good it is.

[Beechwood]

Its a personal choice, the new price is very high for a simple cartridge/converter pen and many people like the idea that they are buying a quality brand, also German companies have built a brand image of German engineering which attracts premium pricing. By the same token, £650 for a plastic pen with a piston and no special cachet is, thought by some, to be over the top.

 

As I said its personal choice, if you like the nice box and the attractive finishes of the Duofolds then you will be a happy customer.

Edited July 7, 2017 by Maximan

[mitto]

+1

[inkstainedruth]

I suspect that's because modern Parkers are generally cr*p and people just assume that the modern Duofolds fall in the same category.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[rh968]

I think that Duofolds are some of the best and most beautiful pens around - that's why they have lasted over the generations and have saved Parker once or twice. I think that among some people, there is a bias against the Parker brand because it no longer, they think, lives up to its old standards. But of course the brand has always produced a few turkeys amongst its excellent pens - it would be surprising if it hadn't. And if it had stayed the same way as it had been, it would have gone down the drain like Conway Stewart has. Parker still produce brilliant pens like the Premier and the new Prestige Duofold is magnificent. The nib on the Premier is brilliant,and the new colours stunning. And the Sonnet is not a bad pen, regardless of what some on here say - I have a dozen and never had any trouble with any of them.

[mitto]

I honestly think that a C/C pen, howsoever high end it may be, should cost not more than $100-150.

Edited July 7, 2017 by mitto

[Sasha Royale]

The "real" Parker Duofolds are legendary. The Parker 51 is a benchmark for fountain pens, during the golden years of fps. the UK Duofold is a nice pen, but not special among its peers, except that it bears the legendary name, and has no resemblance to its namesake.

 

In the past, every time I looked at a UK Duofold, I was reminded of the Parker 51, which are still quite plentiful. It is an ill fate to be in competition with the P51. I have eight, so far. I recently inherited my father-in-law's UK Duofold. It is wonderful, as was he.

[Dutchpen]

Duofold are great pens. I have a large collection with modern duofolds.

They are reliable and look very classy.

When I use my mb149 I often hear 'oh, a Montblanc'. Whe I use one of my Duofolds I hear 'wow, that's a nice pen, can I see it? It happens Especially with my esparto silver fountain pen which seems to be some sort of magnet.

 

Duofolds are c/c fillers. Some like this some don't. The filling mechanism is unimportant for me. I personally think that c/c pens are great travelers.

 

I prefer writing with my mandarin yellow 1995 limited edition.

[Bluey]

I don't believe the filling system is that important as long as it works reliably and it carries a reasonable amount of ink suitable for one's own usage. The most important part by far is the nib as that's the soul and character of the pen. The filling system is merely the lungs.

It is wonderful, as was he.

That's very sweet, Sasha.

Edited July 7, 2017 by Bluey

[Joe in Seattle]

I'd say c/c system. Also, for those of us who recall the 1990's Duo feeds didn't play well with nibs. Drying out, losing their prime, inconsistent flow.

[Joane]

I agree with some of the posts above noting as a reason that the Duofold does not have a self-filling mechanism, which for many aficionados is an important feature in a top-of-the-line pen. I personally like the c/c filling system. I use the convertor almost exclusively but it's nice to know cartridges could be used in a pinch. Easy to clean and if necessary replace without the need for special expertise or professional intervention. The materials are extremely robust and I like the variety of finishes created over the past couple of decades and enjoy being able to change nibs for preferred writing effects.

[Erik Dalton]

I came late to these pens. I have three Vintage Duofolds, and a modern international and Centennial. I really love the vintage pens. The modern ones, are two of my favorite pens to write with. One is a Fine and the other a Meduim. The nibs wrote butter smooth right out of the box. Both are very juicy and put down a very wet ink line. For that reason I'm partial to the Fine nib on the fatter Centenial.

It's a high end pen. Price wise, it's not an inexpensive. I tend to think it's priced right, though I'd like to see it less expensive😉

 

I'm curious if others have experienced this Pelikan like "juicy" nib on their modern Duofolds? Can I expect this on all models?

[torstar]

They damaged the name by releasing different kinds of Duofolds, some not as good as others.

 

Cross has done the same.

 

If you keep adding water to the mixture, it's not the same kind of Milk as you started with.

[gibbs]

I agree with some of the posts above noting as a reason that the Duofold does not have a self-filling mechanism, which for many aficionados is an important feature in a top-of-the-line pen. I personally like the c/c filling system. I use the convertor almost exclusively but it's nice to know cartridges could be used in a pinch. Easy to clean and if necessary replace without the need for special expertise or professional intervention. The materials are extremely robust and I like the variety of finishes created over the past couple of decades and enjoy being able to change nibs for preferred writing effects.

 

I haven't tried any of the more recent parkers, the newest I've used being a vector and that ran and continues to run without fault, so I cannot comment on there latest however something has to be said for simplicity of C/C pens, here in the when people think of fountain pens for most parkers are the first thing that comes to mind, with there cheaper lines being ubiquitous here in the stationary isles of supermarkets etc. which is great as I know that if I am out and about and do run out of ink it is highly likely that I can get some cartridges that will work, and that is something that I cannot do with my platinum as amazing a pen as it is.

Edited July 7, 2017 by gibbs

[Jerome Tarshis]

To begin with, I don't know that today's Duofolds are underrated. Let's say they are. To my mind it isn't, if true, because they are cartridge-or-converter pens and a high-end pen can't be that.

 

Nakayas are c/c pens. So also are the products of S. T. Dupont, Graf von Faber-Castell, and Yard-o-Led. The Hermes Nautilus is a c/c pen. I could go on with this. There seems to be an awful lot of room in the luxury pen market for c/c pens. If the current Parker Duofolds aren't perceived in the same way, it's for a different reason than their filling system.

[parban]

I say 'underrated' because these high end gold plated godron versions I got NOS at around 375 US $ with boxes. They are perfect from each and every aspect. Getting high end MBs or Pelikans or Viscontis at this price is simply unthinkable.

 

I am not talking of purchasing new duofolds from showroom. Bidding prices I feel are a better reflector of buyer preferences. I had purchased one Ivory modern duofold but strongly feel that these UK duofolds are far better.

 

Yes vintage Duofolds were great but the filling system often create problems, C/C pens are free from that. And vintage duofolds also dont get the price that other famous brands get on average. There may be a few exceptions like madarine models but in general Duofolds are much cheaper because of some unknown reasons. That I was trying to find out.

My thanks and regards to all.

[parban]

I changed the arrow nib of the Centennial by a heart nib as it was F and I prefer M. This I mention as the Centennial may look a frankenpen but it was bought perfect.

[christof]

I don't collect modern pens...but if there was one I wanted, it would be a Duofold! I like how close they are to the original (at least the first ones)

 

 

C.

Edited July 8, 2017 by christof

[penmanila]

i've had quite a few (maybe three dozen?) vintage and modern duofolds, and while i truly love their looks, and have no problem with the converters on the modern ones, i've found their nibs to be generally stiff and boring. i do have a flexible vintage big red, and i had a BB italic on a modern centennial, but that's about it. nothing like the wet, juicy BB-stub nib on my agatha christie or the springy B on my M1000.