New/NOS Reform 1745s -- The Best Combination of Value & Performance Available

[JJBlanche]

Original Reform 1745

German Piston Filler

100% New/NOS

This thread is an update of older 1745 ads I had going. To read tons of customer feedback, or to see what has changed between those ads and this one, click here, here, and here. When ordering, be sure to reference information and prices contained in this ad.

~The golden Reform badge in the photos is a removable sticker.~

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Tuned 1745s are, without a doubt, the best writers in their segment. A near mirror image of the Pelikan M120, these two German greats share identical performance, the same approximate size, and the same aesthetic motif. All this, yet the 1745 commands a dramatically lower price.

Pelikan M120 shown below, alongside a 1745 for reference.

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The Reform 1745 is a prudent choice. It blends value with performance, appealing to the uninitiated and experienced alike. It makes an ideal starter pen, and a good “workhorse” for various duties not appropriate for more expensive models.

It goes without saying that the 1745 is a great primary writer. Indeed, some customers have told me they're using it more frequently than their "name" pens. It writes just as well as any $100, $200, $500 pen, yet does not carry a monetary burden along with it. Indeed, when one spends that kind of money on a pen, it goes toward lux and flash. Those things have their place, but if you're looking for an understated writer, the Reform 1745 should be on your shortlist.

Customer Comments

I'm generally not one to flaunt "testimonials," but the response to these 1745s has been overwhelming.

Received my pen in the mail today. Came in a large tube just as described - no way in heck the pen can get damaged the way it is packed. Tried out the pen, and it's currently the best writer I own as well as a beautiful piston filler and a great knock-around pen useful for eveyday service. 10/10!!

Only problem is that I'm considering buying more, but know I need to stop buying so many pens!

Received my Reform pen today. Super quick delivery I must say. Only 1 week from US to Sweden. Great packing tube with nice printed instructions inside.
I really like this pen. The pen is perfectly tuned for my taste. Writes wet and smooth. I´d definitely recommend this pen and seller.

Got my pen today. Outstanding for the price. I might order a couple more as I really like the piston filling system and I don't think any other pen in this price range has that feature.

If you're interested in more first-hand 1745 accounts, check out the links at the top of this ad for approximately 20 pages of customer feedback.

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Regarding line width/nib gauge: 1745 nibs fall between extra-fine and medium. The tuning service I offer (listed below), can help you to get the nib width, wetness, and smoothness you desire, and is highly recommended for those who don’t modify or adjust their own pens. Tuned 1745s write like a dream, but untuned examples generally require at least some work to fall into line, so bear that in mind when placing your order.

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For the sake of clarity, these Reforms are 100% new/NOS/never used, sealed in the factory boxes, and removed only when orders are being filled. They are available now, and shipped from within the continental USA for speed and security.

Base Price: 1 pen = $8.75; 2-4 pens = $8.50 each; 5-10 pens = $8.25 each; 11 to 23 pens = $8.00 each; Sealed Factory Boxes of 24 = $190 (≈ $7.90 each)

≈≈Tuning Service≈≈

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Although these are great pens, "off the shelf" some nibs can be a bit dry or scratchy. They’ve also been sitting for several of years (hence, “new old stock”), and are stiff in a few areas (namely, the piston and feed). Some can overlook these shortcomings, or work them out of their own accord, but others demand top performance right from the start. For them, I offer a tuning service.

Through much research and subsequent experience, I’ve become quite the effective Reform tuner. I can take the most finicky 1745 and turn it into a writer anyone can appreciate. I use only the best materials and tools.

With tuning, the ultimate goal is to provide a pen that writes, flows, and functions well (ie: the pen is “tuned up”). Note that this is not a full regrinding. For example, I can't take a stock Reform nib and turn it into a cursive italic. Although this is possible, it would require retipping of the pen, as the iridium material is ground off when making such drastic changes. I do not have the facilities to retip. Indeed, even Richard Binder outsources his retipping.

That said, for a small additional fee you can provide me with basic requirements (ie: wet fine), which I can use as the foundation for your tuning. I can customize flow to whatever you’d like, but nib gauge is limited to some extent by what I start with (again, I’m only smoothing the nib, I’m not regrinding it). Feel free to request width’s between extra fine and medium.

When tuning a 1745, I proceed in the following fashion:

• The nib/feed assembly is removed and soaked in reverse osmosis/deionized water to remove storage wax/oils.
• A minute amount of silicon grease is added to the piston mechanism to smooth it up.
• The nib is returned to the pen, the pen is flushed with RO/DI water several times, and filled with ink. It is allowed to sit, inked, giving the ebonite feed enough time to absorb liquid and become supple after years of storage.
• Flow, smoothness, and consistency are evaluated and adjusted, to the point where a pleasant and consistent writing experience is achieved.
• The pen is subsequently allowed to sit for several hours, inked, to verify that the modifications "took" and that there are no leaks or other issues.
• After a final testing, the pen is thoroughly cleaned with RO/DI water, allowed to dry, and shipped off to its new owner, ready to write for a lifetime.

As is apparent, this is not a quick once-over. I strive to ensure that every pen I tune meets the exacting standards of its future owner.

For the sake of clarity, a "standard" tuning has the same attention to detail as a tuning with specs. The only difference is, I don't tune with a particular gauge in mind. The general result of a standard tuning is a fine with flow slightly above average.

Price: $6 per pen for a thorough tune-up; $8 for a tune-up with gauge and/or wetness specifications taken into consideration.

Shipping

Your pens are shipped in sturdy, professional shipping tubes and bubble wrap, not envelopes with wadded paper. Shipping is $3.00 within the continental US, up to four pens. For every pen after four, factor in an additional $0.10 per pen. Insurance and other services are optional, and quoted upon request.

International shipping begins at $5.00 to most locations.

Please Note: Shipping times vary. The primary factor is the shipping tubes, which require manual sorting by the USPS (thus taking somewhat longer than standard first class mail, even though they are shipped first-class rate). I've had pens take 3 days to get halfway around the world, and I've had pens take 3.5 weeks to get two towns over. Unless you specifically request and pay for some form of tracking, such as delivery confirmation, I will not know where you package is unless I have not yet mailed it. Rest assured, I have never lost a pen in the mail, regardless of destination; an order from me will arrive.

Given the number of orders I get for these, and considering the nature of the tuning service, I’ve gotten into the habit of shipping out orders once a week, generally on Saturdays or Mondays. All told, most orders are at your door within 2 weeks or less from the day you place it, although there have been occasions where the mail service takes longer (see above about the shipping tubes for details).

Ordering Process

Money orders are accepted (sorry, no checks). My preferred payment method is via PayPal. If you'd like to order, please send a private message, with your PayPal email address mentioned in the body. Also reply to this thread with a "PM sent" post, in the event that the PM system does not deliver the message, and/or my inbox is full and cannot process incoming mail.

**If you're ordering from outside the US, please note that fact in your private message, and also let me know where your order will be going**

For a number of reasons, it’s easier for me to send a PayPal invoice as opposed to receiving payment direct, which is why I request the PayPal email address. Invoices will remain open for a limited amount of time after they have been generated.

Should you have any questions, don't hesitate to drop me a line.

A Little History

I often get questions regarding the history of Reform as a brand. Although relatively little is known, there are certain factoids that render a basic background. So if you’d like to stick around for just a bit longer and entertain your curiosities -- grab a smoking jacket, sink into a desk chair, and continue on…

Early in Kawaeco's history, there was an important employee by the name of Mutschler. His exact position at that firm is not known (by me, at least), but he and some others left in 1928 and set up their own factory in Heidelberg. Reform (later, Mutschler-Reform, subsequently a division of Mutschler Holdings) was never a well-known brand, but on the other hand produced four times the volume of its Heidelberg neighbor, Lamy. This is most likely because Reform focused on the student segment, as opposed to the higher end that Lamy and others strove to control.

In the nineties, the business of pen manufacturing decreased sharply in the West, as a result of Asian competition. It was at this time that Reform (now a division of Mutschler Holdings) tried to focus on the production of high quality nibs. Originally, nibs marked “Iridium Point Germany” came from Heidelberg, and were some of the best available (and still are, if they can be found).

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The 1745 was designed and produced during what can be called Reform’s golden age. As suggested in the ad proper, the 1745 was an alternative to the Pelikan 120 in the student segment, offering the same quality and build materials, while selling at a much lower price. The 1745 came on the scene shortly after the 120 -- in the 1950s -- and was phased out of production in the late 1960s, right as C/C pens were beginning to dominate the student market.

After Reform's first restructuring in the early 70s, the company name was changed to Mutschler-Reform. With new management, it focused on logo pens (ie: a company would submit it's logo/design, and Reform would print it on pens). They also produced high quality nibs, in competition with Bock, and a small line of cartridge/converter pens (the Bremen being most famous of these). After the second restructuring in the late 80s, Reform tried to focus exclusively upon high quality nibs, in the hopes of rivaling Bock for the nib market.

The effort didn't work, as Bock had itself well established in that niche. Reform thus severed its ties to pens, and began stirring up capital with a small collection of holdings. Vestiges of the company can still be found in numerous absorbed entities throughout the business world, but nothing exists today that could be called "Reform."

In this sense, Reform as a pen manufacturer was really three different companies: the original Reform, which lasted from the late 1920s until the early 1970s and produced many of Reform's best products, including the 1745; Mutschler-Reform, which existed from the 1970s until the late 1980s, and produced novelty pens and a few decent C/C lines; and the final iteration, which may have been called something to the effect of Mutschler Holdings, with Reform being the nib division. All three had their own business philosophy, but the tooling and quality remained fairly consistent throughout.

In all, Reform is an interesting and often overlooked brand. They made consistently good products up until the doors shut, and will be remembered with fondness by the fountain pen community for years to come.

-JJ Edited December 10, 2008 by JJBlanche

[JJBlanche]

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[tmenyc]

I love mine -- received earlier this week, it was tuned to exactly how I wanted it, and it's breaking in nicely.

[nickyd]

I love mine -- received earlier this week, it was tuned to exactly how I wanted it, and it's breaking in nicely.

 

Quite agree.--I've got two 'tuned' 1745's and they need to be used for a while to increase performance. They become smoother the more they're used.

Great value.

[JJBlanche]

I love mine -- received earlier this week, it was tuned to exactly how I wanted it, and it's breaking in nicely.

 

Quite agree.--I've got two 'tuned' 1745's and they need to be used for a while to increase performance. They become smoother the more they're used.

Great value.

 

I'm glad these meet with your expectations. They represent one of the best values out there, particularly when tuned.

 

Although the tuning process will remove any burrs and imperfections that lead to long-term scratchiness, etc, some manufacturing residue (ie: wax, oils) tend to remain on parts of the writing tip. This is why I mention a 2 week break-in period amid the instruction packet. Both my Pilots and my Pelikan required a similar break-in, and indeed most folks mention giving a fountain an extended run before it's judged.

 

Of course, I'm completely willing to work with anyone who feels their pen is not as it should be, but out of the hundreds of orders I've had for these, I can count on one hand how many pens I had to replace (at my cost of course, including shipping).

 

Happy holidays, all!

 

-JJ

Edited December 12, 2008 by JJBlanche

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