Fountain Pen Brands Yays And Nays.

[nauta_atramentorum]

Just wanted to thank Uncial et al. for this fine resource thread! Regards.

[pjford]

Once again we (Italix) have been mentioned in a thread and connected with Jinhao. Our pens are not made by or have any connection with Jinhao. A few weeks ago we gave a breakdown of the origin of our pens:

 

Parson's Essential. Barrel and cap made in Taiwan, nib and feed and converter are made in Germany. Nib cut and reground, polished in UK

Churchman's Prescriptor. Barrel and cap made in Taiwan, nib and feed and converter are made in Germany. Nib cut and reground, polished in UK

Captain's Commission. Barrel and cap made in Taiwan, nib and feed and converter are made in Germany. Nib cut and reground, polished in UK

Deacon's Doodle. Made in China

Freshman's Notator. Barrel cap made in Taiwan nib and feed made in China.

Viper's Strike. Barrel and cap made in Taiwan, nib and feed and converter are made in Germany. Nib cut and reground, polished in UK

Imperium Sterling Silver. Made in Germany.

Imperium State. Barrel and cap made in Taiwan, nib and feed and converter are made in Germany. Nib cut and reground, polished in UK

English Curate. Barrel and Cap made in UK, nib unit made in UK, converter is German, Nib cut and regorund, polished in UK.

Commodore's Credential. Barrel and cap made in Taiwan, nib and feed and converter are made in Germany. Nib cut and reground, polished in UK

Originalis is hand made in England from mostly UK components. Converter is German.

So there it is, no single company makes an Italix pen, we source components and commission pens much like the big pen makers do.

[TSherbs]

Thanks, Mr. Ford. I saw your other post, too.

[aardvarkbark]

So, with the understanding that one person's idea of pen heaven is the next person idea of pen hell, what brands do you gravitate toward?

 

Initially, I preferred the 12-faceted barrel of the Omas Paragon for it's feel in my hand, plus the handsome celluloids they used.

 

Then I shifted to the Delta stantuffo. Beefier barrel fits my large paws. I like the internal piston and ink window. I do have a couple of same body shape but with converter too. I like their rather firm 14k nib.

 

Fortunately, I gravitated heavily toward them prior to Delta ceasing operations, so was able to obtain ten or so which allows for rotation every couple of weeks to enjoy the different resins.

[ever onward]

This is a great thread. Thanks to the OP, Uncial, pjford, and everyone who contributed their opinions and insight. I've been away from FPN for a while (though NOT from FPs--never!), and this was a nice dip back into the ink pool. I may add my two cents later.

 

ever onward

[mana]

For me there is one brand to rule them all. That brand is...

Pelikan.

... and especially the vintage ones. I do like vintage pens from other major players too such as Parker ("51", esp. Aerometrics), Montblanc (344 is a great pen not to mention the other earlier classics such as the 136 which I have... would also love a pair of grey and green striped 146 and different versions of the 139...), Lamy (99 have some of the smoothest nibs ever, incredible), Waterman's (52, 56...) etc.

Oh! Swan, Mabie Todd (Blackbird), Soennecken... so many great makers and pens that are pure joy to write with when they are properly maintained/restored.

More modern ones? A quick shout to rOtring, their Art Pens are rather lovely especially when shortened > tail trimmed so that the pen transforms into something transportable/manageable (makes for a great pocket carry pen esp. with their 1.1mm CI nibs which turn into stubs with more use). So it is not that much about price, buying retail (or refurbed) those go from about 19,99€ to lower three figures and onwards (lower four in case of some of the more exotic ones such as the striped celluloid 146s or the Pelikan 101N).

So... much "Yay!" there...

Nays... haven't really encountered anything other than my greatly inflated expectations meeting reality and being deflated by very poorly performing pens at various price ranges. The "Yay!" section represents pens that punch at or way above their monetary value. You can get great workhorses for cheap even if you count out the sumgai finds. Most often though... not. Cheap semi-modern pens often have horribly boring nibs. Or pens that are superduperawesome to look at and play around with (looking at you, rOtring 600) but which in practical use... are somewhat troublesome. There are some great looking (and very expensive!) pens which are horrible to write with.

[adatse]

My view - and it is only my view, as many here will very strongly disagree. You may disagree strongly too, because a lot of it is personal preference.

 

Jinhao: largely pretty rubbish. You doe essentially get what you pay for and while these can be great fun and you can throw any kind of ink into them without worrying too much, they aren't exactly great quality. They can be a bit of a gamble to buy, but (I may have silly been lucky) more recently they seem to have a better track record. Some of them will break or disintegrate quite quickly, being made of quite cheap plastics. Finishes will wear fast. That said, there are one or two models that seem sturdy and reasonably well made. The 159 isn't bad at all. Overall they usually come in at the price of a BIC or cheap ballpoint and tend to last a little longer. Great for starters and ink experiments.

 

Pilot: Can't complain at all. The designs of some pens can be a little dull, but I can honestly say I've never had a bad writer. The Custom 823 is to my mind one of the best pens made that money can buy.

 

Sailor: Nice pens. I avoid the medium nibs as they have a peculiar cut that creates an odd sweet spot. Some of the nibs can be a little spotty on the lower range, but overall they are good pens. The Pro Gear model is especially good (but only if you post). They can come in a dizzying array of nibs, many of which aren't really all that suited to western writing styles. In my experience it is pot luck as to whether you get a nib that is smooth or a nib with feedback (not unpleasantly so though). Only one, a standard 1911, came with a scratchy unusable nib that was smoothed out eventually. Some of the plastics for the standard range are a bit cheap feeling (but still robust) and some of the special editions (such as the Seasons Pro Gears) can have odd blemishes in the finishes. Good value and enjoyable pens when bought direct form Japan.

 

Omas: Well, it's all about the nib isn't it? They did have some incredible materials (Arco anyone?) and they are generally extremely wet writers. Very beautiful pens, but their piston nobs always make me nervous. Since folding, the second hand market sells second hand Omas' for a price I wouldn't personally pay. But at times I'm tempted!

 

Montblanc: Yes, they are brutally expensive, but I'm very fond of them. Some of the more recent designs have baffled me and it irritates me that some models don't post. Many will insist that they aren't writers pens, but I have at least two inked at all times. Montblanc is never out of my rotation and the nibs are a dream (if you like smooth, well tuned nibs). The standard line up is boring to some, but I like it's understated classic design aspect and it is extremely well balanced and very comfortable to hold. The 149 is up there with the Pilot 823 in my book.

 

Pelikan: Great pens but the nibs can be very, very firm. Some complain about chronic baby's bottom - I guess I've been lucky. Nice finishes, comfortable, well balanced pens. If you can stretch to match the cost the M1000 is a superb pen. It, the MB149 and Pilot 823 are my Trinity of perfection. The nib is heavenly.

 

Wing Sung: Mixed bag, lots of rubbishy pens with poor design elements and shoddy bits but you can score gold occasionally.

 

Parker: They are good workhorses. I find most of them to be boring. I like the design of the 51, but it's about as interesting as writing with a BIC. They just aren't for me, but I couldn't say they are bad pens. Many here adore the 51.

 

Waterman: Again, great workhorses. the black lacquer on some can be alarmingly soft. The medium nibs write like felt tips. Very smooth and wet, but kind of dull. Some designs are a little more interesting but I just can't garner a great deal of excitement about them. Vinatge Waterman is a whole different ball game. The 52 is worth pursuing,

 

Delta: Now gone, but they did produce good pens. I was annoyed by the stupid fusion nib which I think has probably tarnished my opinion of them. Some of the designs have very poor balance and aren't that comfortable for long writing sessions, but they sure do look pretty.

 

Visconti: Like Lambo's they are beautiful to look at. They have their issues, but if you get a working model they are an absolute dream. The palladium nibs are good, but I much prefer their old gold nibbed pens.

 

Platinum: Nice pens, good work horses, decent nibs. Finishes are...ok. Not bad, but nothing really special. I think they are usually priced correctly for the market.

 

Noodler's: Fun and frustration in equal measure. You don't really buy this because of how beautiful it looks though. Creative use of the term 'flexible'.

 

Conklin: I love the old model crescents, but they can be very finicky. New models are fine, but a bit over priced in my view. The modern Mark Twain is probably the best out of them. More recent models (such as the Durograph) have been better priced. The old Endura's are a joy - very fine pens.

 

Sheaffer: Again, vintage were great, especially the old PFM's. I don;t know what the modern PFM's are like so I can't say. The Prelude models are pretty good. I love the old conical nibs, but they can be quite dry writers. Repair can be a pain.

 

Nakaya: truly beautiful finishes but nibs that I cannot get on with at all. My only advice is try before you buy. My most expensive mistake.

 

Danitrio: Incredible nibs, great finishes and materials - a pen that is far superior as a writer than Nakaya, but the tolerances aren't quite as tight. Expensive....very expensive.

 

Baoer: A few quite good, robust models that will last a decent while. Nibs and feeds can be spotty though; again, it can be a bit of gamble buy, but they are cheap. Can't really say I find them pretty though.

 

Swan Mabie Todd: The pens that put me off vintage! I've had nothing but bad luck and every last model I've owned leaked like a sieve. I really want to love them. Many here will swear by them. the nibs are a joy and the designs are pretty.

 

Wahl Eversharp: Nice deco design pens, interesting nibs. I'd recommend, but bear in mind they can be quite small in the hand depending on what model you buy.

 

Lamy: I like the design of the 2000 but the nib's sweet spot just started to annoy me so much that I sold the pen. I still have a few Safari's and Al Star's. Work horses that are a bit ugly. They do a good stub.

 

TWSBI: I've a bit of a soft spot for TWSBI. I've sold a few but never had one crack, which is a very different experience to many others. The stubs are great. The Eco is fantastic value for what it is. The AL is a bit big if you post.

 

Montegrappa: Can have poor finishes on the mid-tier level and some mid-tier nibs can be poor. For the price it should be gold, but is often steel. Nice pens though. I'd recommend going expensive to get a good one.

 

FPR: The only pens I would recommend someone to avoid. Just awful on so many levels. Your mileage my vary; some love them.

 

Lingmo Lorelli: Did I spell that correctly? Anyway, they are alright. Piston nobs are loose and beyond irritating. They write fine. Time will tell how long they last. I donut have high hopes.

 

GVFC: I like them, but can never get hugely excited by them. Great quality, good nibs, some very nice designs at the very high end.

 

Stipula: A bit of a mixed bag really. Some of their special editions look unusable but are in fact very comfortable writers and well balanced. The nibs are pot luck. Not what it once was. Avoid the Splash model like the plague.

 

Netunno: Nice pens, great nibs. Rare to find one these days.

 

Markiaro: I really liked these and the company produced some very fine leather goods. The Starfish model is a little old style steel nibbed pen that hits the buttons for me. Worth chasing down but nibs could be a little hit and miss but have enough tipping to be worked on easily.

 

Ranga: There are lots of Indian ebonies out there and Ranga are one of the better ones. I find lots of the models far too big to use and have had trouble with the eyedroppers, but you can get converter ones which are worth a look. Sometimes you can get unsightly machine tooling on the barrel. Nibs are ok.

 

Asa: I think they might be the best of the Indian type pens out there. Nicely finished but you do pay for it. Standard nibs made elsewhere.

 

Esterbrook: The modern iteration is over priced junk that is best avoided. The old models are fun, easily repaired, swappable nibs - great little pens, but in recent years their prices have slowly risen. Still good value though.

 

Diplomat: Rarely heard of, although the Aero model caused a stir a while back (and quite rightly so). Nice pens, steel nibs that are a little dull, but not bad at all. The little flower print has a tendency to rub off.

 

Hero: Generally not bad. Some old models had weird slightly bouncy steel nibs. Not exactly beautiful, but perfectly functional and cheap.

 

Kaweco: Good designs but don't necessarily appeal to me. If you want something nuclear proof I'd recommend them. Nibs can be somewhat spotty, but they are good about replacements.

 

Edison: Nice pens, well finished, standard nibs. Some interesting deign aspects. I find them a little over priced for what they are (please don't lynch me).

 

Franklin Christoph: Interesting pens. Not for everyone, but the designs are good and they have nice balance and a certain pared back aesthetic. The specially tuned nibs are excellent and the cursive italics are the best out there in my view.

 

Conway Stewart: Good pens in lovely materials. Even the newly revived branding has garnered favourable attention. Definitely worth a look.

 

Scriptorium: Ever dream of a open that doesn't exist? Here is the place you can have it made. Highly recommend. Priced just right.

 

Crocodile: Boring, cheap Chinese pens. They're ok. Sometimes the feeds can make them very dry writers.

 

Laban: A brand that doesn't get a lot of attention but is definitely worth a look. Some great designs, nice nibs and decent quality for the price. Some are huge, but a lot of fun.

 

Italix: Many fans of this brand, but I'm not one. They are priced well for what they are and offer a bewildering set of nib types which make it a great place to buy if you want to experiment. I can't shake the feeling that they are rebranded Jinhao's, but to be fair, the pens I own from them have stood the test of time and the finishes are still flawless which is more than can be said of the vast majority of Jinhao's I've bought.

 

Wancher: Began life as a cheap Japanese pen maker with a most unfortunate name. Have begun to produce some really very interesting pens and have had a number of good associations with Sailor recently. The old makie-e pens they did years ago are screen printed but pretty good and nice writers.

 

I think I better stop, if you haven't already died of boredom reading this. Pilot, Pelikan and Montblanc are a good place to start, I really don't think you can go wrong, but it will likely depend very much on your personal preferences of course. If you go vintage I would say, be ready to get stung and be ready to tinker (sometimes endlessly). When you get a working pen it can be a joy, but you can have an awful lot of pain along the road to it.

this is a generous wealth of information. thanks for sharing!

[Honeybadgers]

Generally, avoid monteverde and anything made by conklin or yafa without doing research.

 

if you buy a visconti, either be prepared to send it back multiple times or just spend money having it nibmeistered. the 23k palladium nibs are almost universally bad writers out of the box (and absolutely stunning writers when tuned)

 

Avoid lamy EF or F nibs in the steel nib varieties.

 

Kaweco's broader nibs tend to suck.

 

Avoid bexley 18k stubs.

[pajaro]

What one person feels is a "boring" nib is what gets things written for someone else.

 

If you are looking for excitement from a pen or if you are looking for titillation from a pen you will probably label most nibs as "boring," but all those "boring" nibs are other peoples' tools. Not everyone thinks of a pen as a toy. Perhaps factually stating how a pen writes would be less insulting than describing things, inanimate objects, as "boring." Whenever I read the "boring" description I feel somewhat insulted by someone striking a pose of superiority.

[Honeybadgers]

I think a brand can't be a "nay" if its products work as intended. If they do and you don't enjoy it, there's nothing wrong with the brand, the problem is you as a consumer. A bad brand is one that sells products that do not work or do not last. Visconti is just not on my radar now that I have a working homo sapiens. I know that I have about an 80% chance of receiving a dud writer out of the box. I'm also never going to touch a monteverde pen with black painted metal after sending back and getting three different pens with the paint chipping off (which sucks since the invincia only came in black parts but had a nice snap post and the invincia deluxe does not post properly) and the monza which is a damned insult to this community, a thousand percent markup on the same pen from china.

 

And I'm also probably never going to buy another stipula without researching the hell out of it, since I was interested in the tocco ferro but eventually scared off due to the quality control issues, and the passaporto was crispy fried puke.

[pjford]

My view - and it is only my view, as many here will very strongly disagree. You may disagree strongly too, because a lot of it is personal preference.

 

Jinhao: largely pretty rubbish. You doe essentially get what you pay for and while these can be great fun and you can throw any kind of ink into them without worrying too much, they aren't exactly great quality. They can be a bit of a gamble to buy, but (I may have silly been lucky) more recently they seem to have a better track record. Some of them will break or disintegrate quite quickly, being made of quite cheap plastics. Finishes will wear fast. That said, there are one or two models that seem sturdy and reasonably well made. The 159 isn't bad at all. Overall they usually come in at the price of a BIC or cheap ballpoint and tend to last a little longer. Great for starters and ink experiments.

 

Pilot: Can't complain at all. The designs of some pens can be a little dull, but I can honestly say I've never had a bad writer. The Custom 823 is to my mind one of the best pens made that money can buy.

 

Sailor: Nice pens. I avoid the medium nibs as they have a peculiar cut that creates an odd sweet spot. Some of the nibs can be a little spotty on the lower range, but overall they are good pens. The Pro Gear model is especially good (but only if you post). They can come in a dizzying array of nibs, many of which aren't really all that suited to western writing styles. In my experience it is pot luck as to whether you get a nib that is smooth or a nib with feedback (not unpleasantly so though). Only one, a standard 1911, came with a scratchy unusable nib that was smoothed out eventually. Some of the plastics for the standard range are a bit cheap feeling (but still robust) and some of the special editions (such as the Seasons Pro Gears) can have odd blemishes in the finishes. Good value and enjoyable pens when bought direct form Japan.

 

Omas: Well, it's all about the nib isn't it? They did have some incredible materials (Arco anyone?) and they are generally extremely wet writers. Very beautiful pens, but their piston nobs always make me nervous. Since folding, the second hand market sells second hand Omas' for a price I wouldn't personally pay. But at times I'm tempted!

 

Montblanc: Yes, they are brutally expensive, but I'm very fond of them. Some of the more recent designs have baffled me and it irritates me that some models don't post. Many will insist that they aren't writers pens, but I have at least two inked at all times. Montblanc is never out of my rotation and the nibs are a dream (if you like smooth, well tuned nibs). The standard line up is boring to some, but I like it's understated classic design aspect and it is extremely well balanced and very comfortable to hold. The 149 is up there with the Pilot 823 in my book.

 

Pelikan: Great pens but the nibs can be very, very firm. Some complain about chronic baby's bottom - I guess I've been lucky. Nice finishes, comfortable, well balanced pens. If you can stretch to match the cost the M1000 is a superb pen. It, the MB149 and Pilot 823 are my Trinity of perfection. The nib is heavenly.

 

Wing Sung: Mixed bag, lots of rubbishy pens with poor design elements and shoddy bits but you can score gold occasionally.

 

Parker: They are good workhorses. I find most of them to be boring. I like the design of the 51, but it's about as interesting as writing with a BIC. They just aren't for me, but I couldn't say they are bad pens. Many here adore the 51.

 

Waterman: Again, great workhorses. the black lacquer on some can be alarmingly soft. The medium nibs write like felt tips. Very smooth and wet, but kind of dull. Some designs are a little more interesting but I just can't garner a great deal of excitement about them. Vinatge Waterman is a whole different ball game. The 52 is worth pursuing,

 

Delta: Now gone, but they did produce good pens. I was annoyed by the stupid fusion nib which I think has probably tarnished my opinion of them. Some of the designs have very poor balance and aren't that comfortable for long writing sessions, but they sure do look pretty.

 

Visconti: Like Lambo's they are beautiful to look at. They have their issues, but if you get a working model they are an absolute dream. The palladium nibs are good, but I much prefer their old gold nibbed pens.

 

Platinum: Nice pens, good work horses, decent nibs. Finishes are...ok. Not bad, but nothing really special. I think they are usually priced correctly for the market.

 

Noodler's: Fun and frustration in equal measure. You don't really buy this because of how beautiful it looks though. Creative use of the term 'flexible'.

 

Conklin: I love the old model crescents, but they can be very finicky. New models are fine, but a bit over priced in my view. The modern Mark Twain is probably the best out of them. More recent models (such as the Durograph) have been better priced. The old Endura's are a joy - very fine pens.

 

Sheaffer: Again, vintage were great, especially the old PFM's. I don;t know what the modern PFM's are like so I can't say. The Prelude models are pretty good. I love the old conical nibs, but they can be quite dry writers. Repair can be a pain.

 

Nakaya: truly beautiful finishes but nibs that I cannot get on with at all. My only advice is try before you buy. My most expensive mistake.

 

Danitrio: Incredible nibs, great finishes and materials - a pen that is far superior as a writer than Nakaya, but the tolerances aren't quite as tight. Expensive....very expensive.

 

Baoer: A few quite good, robust models that will last a decent while. Nibs and feeds can be spotty though; again, it can be a bit of gamble buy, but they are cheap. Can't really say I find them pretty though.

 

Swan Mabie Todd: The pens that put me off vintage! I've had nothing but bad luck and every last model I've owned leaked like a sieve. I really want to love them. Many here will swear by them. the nibs are a joy and the designs are pretty.

 

Wahl Eversharp: Nice deco design pens, interesting nibs. I'd recommend, but bear in mind they can be quite small in the hand depending on what model you buy.

 

Lamy: I like the design of the 2000 but the nib's sweet spot just started to annoy me so much that I sold the pen. I still have a few Safari's and Al Star's. Work horses that are a bit ugly. They do a good stub.

 

TWSBI: I've a bit of a soft spot for TWSBI. I've sold a few but never had one crack, which is a very different experience to many others. The stubs are great. The Eco is fantastic value for what it is. The AL is a bit big if you post.

 

Montegrappa: Can have poor finishes on the mid-tier level and some mid-tier nibs can be poor. For the price it should be gold, but is often steel. Nice pens though. I'd recommend going expensive to get a good one.

 

FPR: The only pens I would recommend someone to avoid. Just awful on so many levels. Your mileage my vary; some love them.

 

Lingmo Lorelli: Did I spell that correctly? Anyway, they are alright. Piston nobs are loose and beyond irritating. They write fine. Time will tell how long they last. I donut have high hopes.

 

GVFC: I like them, but can never get hugely excited by them. Great quality, good nibs, some very nice designs at the very high end.

 

Stipula: A bit of a mixed bag really. Some of their special editions look unusable but are in fact very comfortable writers and well balanced. The nibs are pot luck. Not what it once was. Avoid the Splash model like the plague.

 

Netunno: Nice pens, great nibs. Rare to find one these days.

 

Markiaro: I really liked these and the company produced some very fine leather goods. The Starfish model is a little old style steel nibbed pen that hits the buttons for me. Worth chasing down but nibs could be a little hit and miss but have enough tipping to be worked on easily.

 

Ranga: There are lots of Indian ebonies out there and Ranga are one of the better ones. I find lots of the models far too big to use and have had trouble with the eyedroppers, but you can get converter ones which are worth a look. Sometimes you can get unsightly machine tooling on the barrel. Nibs are ok.

 

Asa: I think they might be the best of the Indian type pens out there. Nicely finished but you do pay for it. Standard nibs made elsewhere.

 

Esterbrook: The modern iteration is over priced junk that is best avoided. The old models are fun, easily repaired, swappable nibs - great little pens, but in recent years their prices have slowly risen. Still good value though.

 

Diplomat: Rarely heard of, although the Aero model caused a stir a while back (and quite rightly so). Nice pens, steel nibs that are a little dull, but not bad at all. The little flower print has a tendency to rub off.

 

Hero: Generally not bad. Some old models had weird slightly bouncy steel nibs. Not exactly beautiful, but perfectly functional and cheap.

 

Kaweco: Good designs but don't necessarily appeal to me. If you want something nuclear proof I'd recommend them. Nibs can be somewhat spotty, but they are good about replacements.

 

Edison: Nice pens, well finished, standard nibs. Some interesting deign aspects. I find them a little over priced for what they are (please don't lynch me).

 

Franklin Christoph: Interesting pens. Not for everyone, but the designs are good and they have nice balance and a certain pared back aesthetic. The specially tuned nibs are excellent and the cursive italics are the best out there in my view.

 

Conway Stewart: Good pens in lovely materials. Even the newly revived branding has garnered favourable attention. Definitely worth a look.

 

Scriptorium: Ever dream of a open that doesn't exist? Here is the place you can have it made. Highly recommend. Priced just right.

 

Crocodile: Boring, cheap Chinese pens. They're ok. Sometimes the feeds can make them very dry writers.

 

Laban: A brand that doesn't get a lot of attention but is definitely worth a look. Some great designs, nice nibs and decent quality for the price. Some are huge, but a lot of fun.

 

Italix: Many fans of this brand, but I'm not one. They are priced well for what they are and offer a bewildering set of nib types which make it a great place to buy if you want to experiment. I can't shake the feeling that they are rebranded Jinhao's, but to be fair, the pens I own from them have stood the test of time and the finishes are still flawless which is more than can be said of the vast majority of Jinhao's I've bought.

 

Wancher: Began life as a cheap Japanese pen maker with a most unfortunate name. Have begun to produce some really very interesting pens and have had a number of good associations with Sailor recently. The old makie-e pens they did years ago are screen printed but pretty good and nice writers.

 

I think I better stop, if you haven't already died of boredom reading this. Pilot, Pelikan and Montblanc are a good place to start, I really don't think you can go wrong, but it will likely depend very much on your personal preferences of course. If you go vintage I would say, be ready to get stung and be ready to tinker (sometimes endlessly). When you get a working pen it can be a joy, but you can have an awful lot of pain along the road to it.

 

Endless speculation over the years as to where in the world 'Italix' pens are made:

Parson's Essential. Barrel and cap made in Taiwan, nib and feed and converter are made in Germany. Nib cut and reground, polished in UK

Churchman's Prescriptor. Barrel and cap made in Taiwan, nib and feed and converter are made in Germany. Nib cut and reground, polished in UK

Captain's Commission. Barrel and cap made in Taiwan, nib and feed and converter are made in Germany. Nib cut and reground, polished in UK

Deacon's Doodle. Made in China

Freshman's Notator. Barrel cap made in Taiwan nib and feed made in China.

Viper's Strike. Barrel and cap made in Taiwan, nib and feed and converter are made in Germany. Nib cut and reground, polished in UK

Imperium Sterling Silver. Made in Germany.

Imperium State. Barrel and cap made in Taiwan, nib and feed and converter are made in Germany. Nib cut and reground, polished in UK

English Curate. Barrel and Cap made in UK, nib unit made in UK, converter is German, Nib cut and regorund, polished in UK.

Commodore's Credential. Barrel and cap made in Taiwan, nib and feed and converter are made in Germany. Nib cut and reground, polished in UK

Originalis is hand made in England from mostly UK components. Converter is German.

So there it is, no single company makes an Italix pen, we source components and commission pens much like the big pen makers do.

[pajaro]

As I get into using the Parker Sonnet pens I have collected, I find that, in spite of possible drying out issues, these pens are wonderful and pleasing writers. These generally no longer dry out from day to day. I don't know what I was doing wrong, but they stay moist for a few days at least. The fines are often more extra fine than German extra fines. The broad italic is spectacular, and the fine italic is special. With the exquisite feel of the pen, I am glad I didn't get rid of the Sonnets.

 

A YAY for the Sonnet.

 

Edited July 11, 2018 by pajaro

[pjford]

We have a new fountain pen arriving mid September. The Italix 'Chaplain's Tankard'. High capacity ink bottle piston filler. Twenty nib options. Proposed price just £21 GBP (plus VAT in EU).

[TSherbs]

We have a new fountain pen arriving mid September. The Italix 'Chaplain's Tankard'. High capacity ink bottle piston filler. Twenty nib options. Proposed price just £21 GBP (plus VAT in EU).

Looking forward to seeing this.

[Honeybadgers]

 

Once again we (Italix) have been mentioned in a thread and connected with Jinhao. Our pens are not made by or have any connection with Jinhao. A few weeks ago we gave a breakdown of the origin of our pens:

 

Parson's Essential. Barrel and cap made in Taiwan, nib and feed and converter are made in Germany. Nib cut and reground, polished in UK

Churchman's Prescriptor. Barrel and cap made in Taiwan, nib and feed and converter are made in Germany. Nib cut and reground, polished in UK

Captain's Commission. Barrel and cap made in Taiwan, nib and feed and converter are made in Germany. Nib cut and reground, polished in UK

Deacon's Doodle. Made in China

Freshman's Notator. Barrel cap made in Taiwan nib and feed made in China.

Viper's Strike. Barrel and cap made in Taiwan, nib and feed and converter are made in Germany. Nib cut and reground, polished in UK

Imperium Sterling Silver. Made in Germany.

Imperium State. Barrel and cap made in Taiwan, nib and feed and converter are made in Germany. Nib cut and reground, polished in UK

English Curate. Barrel and Cap made in UK, nib unit made in UK, converter is German, Nib cut and regorund, polished in UK.

Commodore's Credential. Barrel and cap made in Taiwan, nib and feed and converter are made in Germany. Nib cut and reground, polished in UK

Originalis is hand made in England from mostly UK components. Converter is German.

So there it is, no single company makes an Italix pen, we source components and commission pens much like the big pen makers do.

 

 

I have a parson's essential, and I can readily confirm that this is in no way whatsoever the same lacquered brass that jinhao uses. The pen is lacquered brass, yes, but a lot of high end pens have actually sold themselves on chinese lacquer. And the fit/finish is far, far superior.

 

I have a question, is the new piston filler plastic and/or acrylic, demonstrator? or will it be a sleeved metal body with a piston filler?

 

Either way, I'm buying one as soon as you have them!

[adatse]

This is incredible and super informative. Thank you all for sharing! Defintely taking notes from this post.

[DanceOfLight]

Practically every company has a few lemons escaping the QA line, however hard they try (statistics...anyone?), I tend to judge companies on what they do when a customer gets one of these fruits. How the brands stand behind their product and offer customer service irrespective of where you bought the pen is a lot more important to me than counting how many samples of each were working OK when out of the box (in reasonable terms that is). The brands listed below have stood behind their products (in order of helpfulness / eagerness to resolve the issue/request). Note, this is when the companies were contacted directly and NOT through the dealers / Shops that the pens were bought

 

- GvFC : Top notch

- Newellco [waterman / Parker] : Superb

- Pelikan / PD: Excellent

- Lamy : Excellent

- Caran d' Ache : Very good

- MontBlanc : Good

- Diplomat : Good

- OttoHutt : OK

- Cross : meh

 

Companies that did not bother to respond

 

- Visconti

- Omas

- Delta

[kazoolaw]

 

 

Companies that did not bother to respond

 

- Visconti

- Omas

- Delta

 

 

Are we to make anything of their common country of origin? Or that 2 out of 3 are out of business?

[JakobS]

I mostly have vintage pens, the two vintage brands that stand out as "yays" for me are:

 

Esterbrook: The use of high quality stainless steel both in their nibs and furniture on the pen have allowed many ~60-70 year old pens to perform as if they were just made, the Celluloid on the Dollar and J pens are pretty hardy against occasional drops, and I find the plastic used in their early SM Deluxe pens to hold up relatively the same as well...the wide variety of points provided the ability for almost anyone to enjoy their pens, except maybe someone who wanted extremely flexible nibs...

 

Sheaffer: Most specifically I am thinking about their conical nibs and even more specially the possibly unmarked palladium silver nibs in their Imperial II Deluxe pens. I have yet to find a ink that won't work in these pens, they all flow perfectly, and are some of the smoothest pens I tried in a sense that I just forget about the pen and write...

 

I find these pens to be low maintenance and easy to repair, having only to replace sacs and one J bar in a collection of 14 pens between the two brands...

.

Edited August 8, 2018 by JakobS

[DanceOfLight]

 

 

Are we to make anything of their common country of origin? Or that 2 out of 3 are out of business?

 

The attempt to contact them (Omas & Delta) was made years before they folded. What saved the day was the knowledge captured in the repair section of this very forum combined with prior skill and experience in watchmaking. All but one from Visconti, 50% from Delta and 15%-20% from Omas needed intervention. O! to add to the insult, Omas pens came encased in a plastic covers (apart from the fancy outer box that is) with a nice sticker saying "QC OK" and a hand-signed. I've always been curious about the stuff they smoked, these QC people, now there is no way to figure that out.