Branded!

[Inky.Fingers]

Every pen has a story to tell. Every brand is worth its price.

 

I carry Aurora for the longest time. I love the way the pen are made, the feel, and the marks that I can make with it.

 

I really like the way Pilot is so reliable. The Sailors are great imitators. The TSWBI are cheap and nice writer.

 

I dont really care much about the broand MB but that little star sitting on my front pocket is not only a show

but an invitation to a "pick me up" and "write with me".

 

I am currently using an 1920's MB No 2 Eyedropper. It is not a show pen by any standard, but just by

having the star popping ... next to my MT Swan... I would reach for the MB over the Swan.

 

How amusing!!??

 

Are you branded?

Edited August 30, 2019 by _InkyFingers

[OMASsimo]

Sorry, but I will be very frank. This is just another useless thread about brands that will lead nowhere. I will refrain from writing what my favourit brand would be to carry around if there was any of this kind but I have to disappoint you that certainly not "everyone is proud to carry around...an MB." I'm certainly not.

[Karmachanic]

I had a MB 149 for a while. Gave it away in 1996.

[Uncial]

Nice pens. Thank you for sharing what you enjoy. For me it's a lot of brands. It coukd be TWSBI, Montblanc, Omas, Visconti, Aurora, Franklin Christoph, Pelikan, Lamy Al Stars, and so on and so on. Of all of them though the ones that are permanently inkedbare Montblanc, Franklin Christoph and (increasingly so) a certain model by Montegrappa.

[Tadeo]

I'm more into pen models than into pen brands.

 

For the same brand, there are models I love and others I don't care at all or even dislike after trying.

 

As a sort of branding, I love the looks of Pelikan Söuveran series.

[DrDebG]

Thank you for the topic. I love my one and lonely Montblanc 146, but I actually love my Montblanc inks (and I have several) equally as much.

 

By the number of pens I have, some would say that I am brand loyal to Lamy, since I have several Safaris, Al-Stars, Aions, Studios and one 2000. Each one is very reliable.

 

But, my favorite pen is my Franklin Christoph Panther with Masuyama cursive italic nib. My next favorite pen is my Montblanc.

 

Perhaps if I had more Montblanc pens which shared the similar characteristics to my 146, I might be considered "branded".

[yubaprof]

Sorry, but I will be very frank. This is just another useless thread about brands that will lead nowhere. I will refrain from writing what my favourit brand would be to carry around if there was any of this kind but I have to disappoint you that certainly not "everyone is proud to carry around...an MB." I'm certainly not.

OMASsimo, I think you might be confusing being "frank" with being rude. It does not seem to me that InkyFingers is trying to offend anyone, but instead just stating his preference. There are Montblanc haters - you seem to be one of them - and there are Montblanc lovers. Why can't you just allow IF to express his love for the brand and leave it at that? What's the big deal?

[Inky.Fingers]

Thanks for the courage @yubaprof. I not hurt nor offended. Everyone does have his/her opinions. Thanks it's all good!

 

Perhaps some might have misread my intentions... I don't like the brand nor dislike it.. I do like the looks of it. These old relics are much more fun to play with. They have much more characteristics.

 

FYI...I still buy pens of all makes...As the season changes so does my favors. For now it is these little stars that shined for me.

 

What makes you smile?

[Honeybadgers]

There is no brand I inherently value because of the brand itself. They all have faults. I have less bad things to say about pilot than sailor or lamy or MB, but pilot makes its fair share of awful choices. I applauded their 30% price drop on the iroshizuku line whereas sailor are a bunch of barking lunatics when it comes to ink pricing. But I think pilot also overprices its pens in america for no good reason.

 

I would probably consider an executive that pulls out a less obvious brand than a MB, but even a MB fountain pen user is still a FP user and we need to appreciate everyone's tastes are different.

 

When it comes to vintage... I'm probably an admitted fanboy of eversharp. I only have 3 or 4 but they're my most cherished vintage pens.

Edited August 30, 2019 by Honeybadgers

[City74]

I have been collecting pens about a year now. I have tried most of the mainstream brands and have my likes and dislikes. I very much like MB, Pelikan and Sailor. Each to me has been very pleasant to write with and own. For an affordable brand I would say TWSBI and Lamy is nice. Im not a fan of Pilot at all, nor Monteverde. Even tho I have these brands I like or dislike I wouldnt say Im branded. Im open to trying new brands. While I may own several of the brands I like it doesnt mean Im a fanboy just that I enjoy them. Every brand has good and bad

Edited August 30, 2019 by City74

[Mech-for-i]

Most part about branding is all that , branding , the mass public know of MB or Parker because they are marketed heavily and had a brand image and brand awareness and they are for most part identifiable easily ... Over the years I had collect, use, and experience many pens from real big name to lesser one to obscure or even those with a bad name, my take is that I would treat each and every pen / pen model individually. Brand in most part had to go hand in hand with the brand's own business culture and how they go about it .. let's say I had many bad experience with a load of big name brand , especially Italian one ; I had many unique experience with Japanese pens too.

 

Over time also brand might had their product deviate from their established image and their own fostered culture of how one product should be ; and change with time ; and sometime that banding and brand image can also be a restriction to a company also ( witness Kaweco, Lamy, they are classic example of trying too hard to stay with their perceived image and had shown it )

Edited August 30, 2019 by Mech-for-i

[chromantic]

First there was the arrow - the Parker arrow. Now it's the Pelikan's bill.

[sirgilbert357]

I don't care about brands, per se. The reputation of the company for quality is my main concern - I'd rather not buy a pen that has a reputation for being junk. And after that, I focus primarily on the qualities of each individual pen.

 

I find it curious to say someone is "proud" to "carry" a given brand. Where I come from the word "proud" has negative connotations. I realize it can be used to express sentiments of content, satisfaction with one's accomplishments, or being pleased with something or a situation...but the way it was used in the OP - "proud to carry around" - communicates an arrogance of showiness or a prideful view of one's material possessions. As in "Hey, look!! I have a MB sticking out of my pocket!"

 

Maybe that's not how the comment was intended? I don't know...there's no tone of voice here, so I'm just reading the words at face value.

 

I'd also point out that the generalization that "everyone" is "proud to carry" a MB is not a factual statement, lol.

[Inky.Fingers]

@ Sirgilbert357 I didn't realize that I wrote "proud"... correction made. I would rephrase to "it makes me giddy". Proud is too strong. My choice of words failed me. Thanks for pointing it out.

[Bo Bo Olson]

At a live auction I had a '20's MB Saftey Pen** in my hand, and it had as John Sowobda(sp) the English nib grinder calls a 'Weak Kneed Wet Noodle".

 

Having had to wait in four man line to feel the nib....the pen went for a worth more than I could afford.

 

**A safety pen loads like a eye dropper, but the nib screws in and out of the pen by a mechanism, not unscrewing a nib and taking it off the pen.

Edited August 30, 2019 by Bo Bo Olson

[DrDebG]

I would agree with most of what has been said above. The individual pen, the construction and how well it performs for me is far more important that the brand. I had a beautiful Montblanc Boheme that was perfect in almost every way, but it wasn't comfortable in my hand. Whereas I have a "no-name" Chinese fude nib pen that is built like a rock and is completely sufficient for my needs. It cost all of about $.50.

 

The key is the pen. Does it work well for me with my "standard" ink (Waterman Serenity Blue) and "standard" paper (Cambridge Executive spiral bound notebook paper)? If the answer is yes, then I am more concerned about the "variables". How well does the pen perform with my other inks and papers? I have pens that work with every ink and paper I own. These are the pens that I reach for when I am working - they are reliable. Then I have other pens that are more selective about the ink and paper. I will use them more for personal use at home.

 

With that said, I am more likely to purchase a pen from a brand that proves to be reliable for me than a brand that I haven't tried. I recently purchased two pens from a "brand" that was new to me. As beautiful as they are, they have had problems from day one. After spending more money to replace feeds and nibs and have them adjusted, they are working but I would not call them reliable. Am I likely to buy from this "brand" again? No, even though I love the look and feel of their pens.

[sirgilbert357]

@ Sirgilbert357 I didn't realize that I wrote "proud"... correction made. I would rephrase to "it makes me giddy". Proud is too strong. My choice of words failed me. Thanks for pointing it out.

 

 

No problem. I can totally relate to the feeling of a pen making you giddy!

[pararis]

Sorry, but I will be very frank. This is just another useless thread about brands that will lead nowhere. I will refrain from writing what my favourit brand would be to carry around if there was any of this kind but I have to disappoint you that certainly not "everyone is proud to carry around...an MB." I'm certainly not.

 

I agree completely. The OP presumes that his likes and dislikes are of broad concern to everyone. I don't give a damn what pens he, or any of you, like. Spouting off about your pen preferences here is so much useless hot air. Better to take your coveted pen in hand and put some ink on real paper.

[DrDebG]

 

I agree completely. The OP presumes that his likes and dislikes are of broad concern to everyone. I don't give a damn what pens he, or any of you, like. Spouting off about your pen preferences here is so much useless hot air. Better to take your coveted pen in hand and put some ink on real paper.

 

Perhaps I may be escalating this a bit, and I mean no disrespect to you, but if this thread is so offensive, may I suggest that you find another thread that you would enjoy.

[Uncial]

Jeepers, there must be something in the water. It feels like a new David Cronenberg movie: "TWSBI; The Division Of Nations."