Live In You (Liy) Mountain

[MadAsAHatter]

I bought a Live In You (LIY) Mountain and it arrived the other day. Though there are a few things that are a personal disappointment, overall I really like the pen.

 

I’ll start with the good. Whatever resin they use is top notch, lovely colors and a nice chatoyancy. It’s a little weighty for a resin pen, but part of that is the metal collar that is used to hold the nib assembly. That metal collar makes it a little nib end heavy, but in a good way. If you post the cap it balances out well and doesn’t become back heavy. Don’t know if that was a design choice or a happy accident. When posing the cap secures on with a nice sounding “click”. Writing unposted it’s still balanced in the hand. Mine came with a #6 Schmidt F nib that writes more like an EF. Personally I like that since I prefer EF over F but that may be off-putting for some. I’d say ink flow and smoothness is pretty typical for a Schmidt nib. The clip is nice and functional. The cap band has some nice designs on it. I think it’s supposed to be sun & mountains with wavy lines for wind, but I’m not sure. It doesn’t really do anything for me, but it does look nice. And it does appear to be stamped instead of laser etched. The finial also looks to be stamped instead of laser etched. I think stamped over laser is a nice touch.

 

Now a few disappointments. Let me say that these are just personal disappointments and in no way are actual bad qualities. First is the color. The picture showed a bright orange & blue, the whole reason I got this particular pen. The color is more of a dark pastel blue and coral color. It’s still beautiful looking but not what I was expecting. Second is the nib. While I really like the way it writes as is, I was hoping to put a stub in it. I don’t know if this is a trait of Schmidt housing/nibs or not, but only the Schmidt nib will fit properly. Other nibs are too long and don’t sit right where there is a big gap between the nib and feed. It appears that the feed has a downward slope that other brand nibs do not conform to. There’s nothing wrong with the Schmidt nib but if you wanted to swap for something else you’re out of luck. And I’ve only seen it offered in F. Lastly is the price. It is a bit on the expensive side at $70, especially for a Chinese pen. I’d put this on par with say a Conklin Duragraph. Depending on the color the Duragraphs are a little cheaper. I paid the extra for what I though was a bright orange & royal blue pen and I really wanted that color combo. Otherwise I may have passed because of the price.

 

In conclusion, were there a few disappointments? Yes, but only on a personal level. Do I regret getting the pen? Absolutely not. Even though it is pricier, especially compared to other Chinese pens, it’s very pretty looking, writes well, uses quality resins and is well constructed. This pen will definitely find its spot in my rotation.

 

Here are a few pictures. Hopefully you can see the design on the cap band in the close up.

 

 

 

[Jamerelbe]

I can understand the disappointment, if the colours weren't quite as expected - but boy, that's still a pretty attractive combo. Hope you're able to find a stub nib that fits in the housing!

[A Smug Dill]

Second is the nib. While I really like the way it writes as is, I was hoping to put a stub in it. I don’t know if this is a trait of Schmidt housing/nibs or not, but only the Schmidt nib will fit properly. Other nibs are too long and don’t sit right where there is a big gap between the nib and feed. It appears that the feed has a downward slope that other brand nibs do not conform to. There’s nothing wrong with the Schmidt nib but if you wanted to swap for something else you’re out of luck.

 

 

No offence, but if that was a core intention or expectation on your part — to be able to swap in a different nib, especially one of a different make — did you even ask for confirmation from the seller (who, I understand, may not actually be in the position to answer such a question knowledgeably or authoritatively) or manufacturer, or just assumed it would be possible because it's a cheap/Chinese/"generic" pen?

 

Seamless interoperability between brands, even in modular design, cannot be assumed. I don't know about you, but I spent most of my career in IT and business architecture, and as much as interoperability is often touted as a benefit and selling point for customers who buy product, it's most certainly something I've learnt not to assume is considered advantageous to product manufacturers and vendors by default; "lab" testing of interoperability between candidate solutions often cost significantly relative to the commercial cost of acquisition of whatever is decided as the one to use going forward.

[Mech-for-i]

well nib , feed and converter inter-portability is a myth in this hobby , over the years I've learn not to expect that ... I've had Jowo nib tha will not fit in a Jowo housing , Bock nib that will not mate to a ( same sized , in fact same model ) Bock feed, and let's not count the time how I can had converter that just will not fit to a pen of the same made designed for that same converter in mind ... Schimdt, LIY, all the brands are no exception in this

[MadAsAHatter]

I can understand the disappointment, if the colours weren't quite as expected - but boy, that's still a pretty attractive combo. Hope you're able to find a stub nib that fits in the housing!

 

Yeah, the colors weren't quite what I was expecting but that does not make it any less attractive. I really do like the coral and dark pastel blue. The color combo is very pleasing and it has a really nice shimmer when the light hits it.

 

 

No offence, but if that was a core intention or expectation on your part — to be able to swap in a different nib, especially one of a different make — did you even ask for confirmation from the seller (who, I understand, may not actually be in the position to answer such a question knowledgeably or authoritatively) or manufacturer, or just assumed it would be possible because it's a cheap/Chinese/"generic" pen?

 

Seamless interoperability between brands, even in modular design, cannot be assumed. I don't know about you, but I spent most of my career in IT and business architecture, and as much as interoperability is often touted as a benefit and selling point for customers who buy product, it's most certainly something I've learnt not to assume is considered advantageous to product manufacturers and vendors by default; "lab" testing of interoperability between candidate solutions often cost significantly relative to the commercial cost of acquisition of whatever is decided as the one to use going forward.

 

I'm well aware that it was an intention on my part and is in no way a fault in the quality of the pen. That why I prefaced that paragraph with "Let me say that these are just personal disappointments and in no way are actual bad qualities." I've only seen the pen offered with a Fine nib and other reviews say it writes more like an Extra Fine. I was hoping I could swap in a Stub but knew it may not be possible. And if I couldn't, based on other reviews, as long as the nib it came with could put ink on paper I was pretty certain I would be happy with it. Yes, I was a little disappointed I couldn't put in a Stub nib but I am perfectly satisfied with the nib it came with. I like the way it puts down ink. I may put an extra polish on it later, but it writes pretty smooth as is. The only thing is that since I'm not able to put a stub in it, it will go into the EF/F pen rotation instead of the Stub rotation.

 

 

well nib , feed and converter inter-portability is a myth in this hobby , over the years I've learn not to expect that ... I've had Jowo nib tha will not fit in a Jowo housing , Bock nib that will not mate to a ( same sized , in fact same model ) Bock feed, and let's not count the time how I can had converter that just will not fit to a pen of the same made designed for that same converter in mind ... Schimdt, LIY, all the brands are no exception in this

 

In the short time I've been in the hobby I've experienced similar things. If I have/buy a pen with the possible intention of nib swapping I generally adopt the mindset that it may not be possible and to be pleasantly surprised if I can. If I'm not able to swap nibs there still is a little disappointment but I also know that as long as the original nib is functional to be happy with what I have.

[Karmachanic]

As long as the width of the feed matches the width of you third party nib, said nib could possibly be "encouraged'"to match the curve of the feed. I had to do this to fit a Bock nib on a Jowo feed.

[basterma]

I have one of these in a speckled red, black, grey and white and it is a beauty to feel and it writes well. The grip is a decent shape and the weight is nice. I am not into swapping nibs, so I am ok with the EF supplied with the pen.

[inkstainedruth]

let's not count the time how I can had converter that just will not fit to a pen of the same made designed for that same converter in mind ...

True, that. I picked up what turned out to be a Waterman Exclusive (slightly different section from the Waterman Expert) and had trouble getting a *WATERMAN* converter that actually fit right.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

ETA: As for color discrepancy between what shows in the ads/on the screen and "reality"? Exhibit A is the Pelikan M405 Stresemann. It's the most expensive pen I've ever bought. And while I like it, I don't like it as much as I was expecting. It's a much darker grey for the binde than all the advertising led me to believe.

Edited October 30, 2020 by inkstainedruth

[Honeybadgers]

I dig that. especially a snap post.

 

It's funny, but "a bit heavy for a resin pen" is basically my perfect weight, lol

 

And yes, schmidt #6 nibs in particular do have a slight downward slope and swapping them can be a bit of a headache.

 

I have had success in the past "heat setting" plastic feeds however. A good 45 seconds in boiling water and VERY gentle pressure until they cool, check, repeat a few times if necssary, but I brought a plastic feed up a solid 1mm to meet a vintage #2 flex nib once, and it wound up going perfectly.

 

It's why I'm not the hugest fan of schmidt #6's though. But the 14k one I got in the kaco master, while being a slightly stubby western F that it was not advertised as, turned out to be a bit of a gem.