Hi-End Pens Are A Lot Of Trouble

[oneill]

Ive got two of the Abalone panel Jinhaos The smaller version and the larger. I cant remember the models off hand.

 

My favorite pen I have is an Omas Paragon Ludovico Einaudi in broad. This pen was tuned at Omas and its literally perfect in appearance and performance! I have zero complaints about that pen over a couple years now. Omas could make perfect performers if they wanted. I just dont think many had been factory tuned. This particular pen was still sealed with the QC signed sticker over the plastic. It had never been opened and was as new but had a slight amount of a red ink left in the pen. This one did not have a rotated nib and the tines are perfectly aligned. Ive never even had to heat set it! If my house was on fire and I could only save one pen, it would be that one!

Good on you Bluey for having 2 of the Abalone,would you agree that it is a Collectors pen,I have mentioned this many times on FPN. Max Walker RIP the famous Australian cricketer was a Lover of Jinhao Pens and proudly

owned a Jinhao Golden Dragon he bought for about $2. in Taiwan and used it as his Daily User

Keeping his Mont Blancs

from wearing

out Its one of the oldest pens that Jinhao have made they also produce a Silver of the same pen.Trust Me. Oneill

Edited January 27, 2018 by oneill

[oneill]

Ive got two of the Abalone panel Jinhaos The smaller version and the larger. I cant remember the models off hand.

 

My favorite pen I have is an Omas Paragon Ludovico Einaudi in broad. This pen was tuned at Omas and its literally perfect in appearance and performance! I have zero complaints about that pen over a couple years now. Omas could make perfect performers if they wanted. I just dont think many had been factory tuned. This particular pen was still sealed with the QC signed sticker over the plastic. It had never been opened and was as new but had a slight amount of a red ink left in the pen. This one did not have a rotated nib and the tines are perfectly aligned. Ive never even had to heat set it! If my house was on fire and I could only save one pen, it would be that one!

Ive got two of the Abalone panel Jinhaos The smaller version and the larger. I cant remember the models off hand.

 

My favorite pen I have is an Omas Paragon Ludovico Einaudi in broad. This pen was tuned at Omas and its literally perfect in appearance and performance! I have zero complaints about that pen over a couple years now. Omas could make perfect performers if they wanted. I just dont think many had been factory tuned. This particular pen was still sealed with the QC signed sticker over the plastic. It had never been opened and was as new but had a slight amount of a red ink left in the pen. This one did not have a rotated nib and the tines are perfectly aligned. Ive never even had to heat set it! If my house was on fire and I could only save one pen, it would be that one!

Good on you Bluey for having 2 of the Abalone,would you agree that it is a Collectors pen,I have mentioned this many times on FPN. Max Walker RIP the famous Australian cricketer was a Lover of Jinhao Pens and proudly

owned a Golden Dragon he bought for about $2. in Taiwan and used it as his Daily User Keeping his Mont Blancs

from wearing

out Its one of the oldest pens that Jinhao have made they also produce a Silver of the same pen.Trust Me. Oneill If you like Japanese pens take a look at the ones on this page engeika ebay Trust Me, Oneill

[praxim]

Bluey and sub_bluesy may wish to be distinguished from one another.

[sub_bluesy]

Good on you Bluey for having 2 of the Abalone,would you agree that it is a Collectors pen,I have mentioned this many times on FPN. Max Walker RIP the famous Australian cricketer was a Lover of Jinhao Pens and proudlyowned a Golden Dragon he bought for about $2. in Taiwan and used it as his Daily User Keeping his Mont Blancsfrom wearingout Its one of the oldest pens that Jinhao have made they also produce a Silver of the same pen.Trust Me. Oneill If you like Japanese pens take a look at the ones on this page engeika ebay Trust Me, Oneill

The sea shell pens are definitely unique at that price. When I saw them, I couldn’t say no! I’m in the process of building up the sea shell area of my collection and those two Jinhao’s fit very nice. I’m not sure how many they’re making but I would imagine most had been beat up pretty good because of the affordable price. Mine look better than new after a polish . The shipping packaging quality is all over the place on Chinese pens and sometimes they come in with slight blemishes. Both are solid writers.

[2airtoon20]

S

 

My high-end pens account for the majority of my pen problems. Conversely, my more "ordinary" pens, in the $100 to $200 range, write smoothest and most reliably.

 

I've had three Visconti Power Filler pens, all priced over $500, which didn't fill according to Visconti instructions. One was replaced three times and still didn't fill properly.

 

My Conid bulkfiller went back to Europe with a leaky crack in the section. And since it came back it has never swallowed the claimed amount of ink. And the so called "easy" fill procedure is anything but easy.

 

I've cleaned all of the above and put them away, probably never to write again. I can't sell them because they don't work right.

 

Several of my beloved Omas piston fillers have leaked around the piston rod, including one brand-new (before Omas closed).

 

And of course, low-end, cartridge-converter pens are usually fixed with a new $8 converter. I also like the visual check on ink level.

 

In addition to the filling issues, many of my gold, high-end nibs arrived (brand new) with defects in the nib settings, such as misalignment, excess gaps, etc. But my steel Bexley and Delta nibs have been perfect as delivered.

 

I also find steel nibs write smoother on the upstroke than gold. That's the opposite of what most people think, but there's a scientific reason for that. Here it is:

 

When you stroke upwards and the nib encounters a bit of roughness in the paper, it bends downwards. That causes it to dig in harder. The more flexible the nib, the greater this tendency. Thus gold strokes rougher than steel. We're talking about ordinary nibs here, not vintage flexers.

 

Cheers,

 

Alan

Starting to think that Visconti is more about aesthetics rather than writing experience...

[Bluey]

 

 

Starting to think that Visconti is more about aesthetics rather than writing experience...

Nobody buys Visconti for the writing experience. People buy them because they like shiny and pretty things. The attached included nib occasionally writes too

Edited February 7, 2018 by Bluey

[Inkling13]

Ultimately a pen for me is a tool and not a status symbol. I have never spent more than £100 tbh. I would be very reluctant to spend four figures on a pen except for some of the hand painted Japanese pens.

Given enough time, every tool can be raised to status symbols. Have you seen a workshop of nothing but the best Laguna, Jet, and Festools? They cost 100x vs your local walmart big box brand, and I would bet they would garner envious looks, just like a $1k+ pen.

[Inkling13]

Too bad OMAS has gone the way of the dodo...

[max dog]

What is a "status symbol" for people here at the FPN? Something that gives one a feeling of superiority because they have more money and can afford expensive things? I believe very few, if any who frequent a fountain pen forum seek high end pens for the Status Symbol, but rather the craftsmanship and attention to detail that is appealing.

 

And what is a high end pen anyway? It is so subjective and relative. Practical difference between a "high end" and a "low end" pen is, when a high end pen breaks, it is worth getting repaired, whereas a low end pen when it breaks usually goes in the garbage or gets sold off.

Edited February 7, 2018 by max dog

[sub_bluesy]

Any high end pens I have I picked up due to rarity or some unique features I can’t find on anything else. I’ve found that 99.9% of any people that notice what pen I’m using have no idea who made it. A co worker asked me about my Montegrappa Extra Otto the other day because it looked fancy and all I could talk about was the endless battles I’ve had to fight with it since I got the pen and how I’m convinced it’s actually cursed/possessed and doesn’t really want to be a pen at all. The status symbol part never came up. That pen has literally stabbed me before!

[wspohn]

What is a "status symbol" for people here at the FPN? Something that gives one a feeling of superiority because they have more money and can afford expensive things? I believe very few, if any who frequent a fountain pen forum seek high end pens for the Status Symbol, but rather the craftsmanship and attention to detail that is appealing.

 

 

Agree. No one but us FP geeks even notice a pen, so if you don't own the pens for your own satisfaction, you are doomed to disappointment.

[Freddy]

Absorbing read................Thanks

 

Fred..

enjoyin' some Tesseron N° 53..cookies..and

Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band

August Darnell aka Kid Creole &

Andy Hernandez aka Coati Mundi

Cory D............................

[OMASsimo]

What is a "status symbol" for people here at the FPN? Something that gives one a feeling of superiority because they have more money and can afford expensive things? I believe very few, if any who frequent a fountain pen forum seek high end pens for the Status Symbol, but rather the craftsmanship and attention to detail that is appealing.

 

I only can second that statement. Except for real FP aficionados, nobody will fathom the expense or true value of a fountain pen nowadays. Only Montblancs might be recognized due to their excessive marketing. I can use a wonderful and totally trouble-free $1000 OMAS pen and nobody but myself will know what it is, what it cost, and what an outstanding piece of art it is. This is a luxury, I admit, but it's not a status symbol. It certainly doesn't give a feeling of superiority, only pure joy writing with it. And I can get a similar satisfaction by writing with a $20 vintage Kaweco pen, though it's not nearly as pretty and precious.

[praxim]

And what status is there in a vintage pen? Nobody knows what it is when they have trouble enough noting that you are using a fountain pen at all*. They are a lot of trouble in the sense that their utility depends heavily on quality of restoration, and still they may have quirks or fragilities which were designed out in later pens, yet they are high end in the sense that one pays far more than their utilitarian worth whether their appearance is beautiful or nondescript.

 

* my experience

 

 

I can use a wonderful and totally trouble-free $1000 OMAS pen and nobody but myself will know what it is, what it cost, and what an outstanding piece of art it is. This is a luxury, I admit, but it's not a status symbol.

 

Well said. I may quote you on that.

[JonSzanto]

They are a lot of trouble in the sense that their utility depends heavily on quality of restoration, and still they may have quirks or fragilities which were designed out in later pens, yet they are high end in the sense that one pays far more than their utilitarian worth whether their appearance is beautiful or nondescript.

 

* my experience

 

Yes, and not primarily *my* experience. Many of the great pens from the early part of last century not only aren't that difficult or expensive to restore but they also are rock-solid dependable. I have a *lot* of pens, but none see more use than some of the Sheaffer and Parker pens from the 20s-30s. Most did not cost that much and will last my lifetime of use. The top pens (OS Balance, 1st gen Vacs) are certainly not dogs but aren't over-the-top bling like many of today's high-end pens.

 

The Sheaffer Lifetime pens quite often live up to that moniker. The ones I use to write with certainly have, and with very little in the way of issues or upkeep. Compared to "high-end" pens for sale today, they are a bargain.

[flipper_gv]

Bluey and sub_bluesy may wish to be distinguished from one another.

[Pub]

This has been very interesting reading and I’m aghast that there are so many pens getting through to customers that have significant faults - many of which have cost a lot of money.

 

My experience of this is limited, but I have had some problems myself.

I take exception that I’m basically being silently told that I may have to have a nib corrected after purchase, and that that is something Fountain pen users have to put up with.

 

That to me is absolute rubbish - imagine buying a laptop with the possibility that you have to take it to a computer specialist to make it work.

 

Lastly, I do know people personally who have been talked round to changing from rollerball pens which write perfectly smoothly, to Fountain pens, then having a horrendous experience with them because the nibs have been very scratchy. Consequently, they have changed back.

 

No wonder Fountain pen manufacturers are struggling and folding.

[JonSzanto]

No wonder Fountain pen manufacturers are struggling and folding.

 

Except that no one has given - and I do not believe anyone would be able to - any numbers to put to all of this. Just what percentage of new pens have issues, require adjustments/replacements/repair vs. the percentage of pens that people have perfectly wonderful writing experiences. If there is one thing we know about the human animal is that we are far more likely to hear about it when something is not making them happy than to praise something as good as they expect.

 

To draw widespread conclusions about an entire 'industry' by virtue of anecdotal complaints is meaningless, save for the catharsis of the venting.

[Pub]

I think I’m a pretty simple person and not overly critical.

I understand that not every item can be perfect, but in all fairness there is no need for pens being sent out split or major problems with the nib.

Nobody can convince me that thousands of 500 dollar pens are sold every week, it might not even be a few hundred at that price, so there really should be better visual inspection.

[sub_bluesy]

Speaking of high end pens being a lot of trouble.......just found two cracked spokes on the cap on my Visconti Watermark. Sob!