Conklin Nozac

[PinarelloOnly]

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My review of this pen is only to help someone who's looking to move

up a notch in the $150 market. I am not at all an expert on the subject of

fountain pens but I will tell you what I know.

 

 

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Right away I can say this, I absolutely love this pen and I am very

impressed with the quality and workmanship. It has a 12 sided body and cap,

cartridge/converter system that works well for a converter, steel threaded

inserts where the collar and body meet and a lifetime warranty. The med. 14k

two tone nib is nice and shiny and looks like chromed steel. It is on the

large side with the cap posted which I like. With the cap unposted my

wife loved to write with it and said it was perfect for a woman's hand in

that configuration. Also, this pen is lightweight.

 

 

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My Conklin Nozac at $100 with shipping was made for Swisher Pens as

an exclusive pen with swirl blue and white with some mild sparkle going on.

It reminds me of a Bell helmet I had in the 70's when I was a kid riding my

dirt bike.

 

 

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Outta' the box this Conklin pen was toothy and scratchy, it was no

match for my wife's 360 Mezzo w/18k med. nib (pics coming). However sticking

it out through 4 pages of writing (which I consider a short break in

period) it was becoming very clear how smooth this pen is and how it lays a

beautiful consistent wet line. Some describe this nib as stiff but I think

it is somewhat more of a medium flex......just right and definitely a nib

in it for the long haul.

 

I have hesitated buying a Conklin because of some reviews stating

skipping and starting problems. However, I'm the type of person to find out

why. After some phone calls to Fountain Pen Hospital and using my own

experience with my Vanishing Point, Cross and Recife, I drew a conclusion

that not using a top notch ink is the problem. So far, I am right and my

buds at FPH agree with me...." we get people in here all the time buying

$500+ fountain pens and then cheap out on the ink. The next day they want

their money back because the pen writes horrible." I think it shows what

finely tuned nibs/feeds these pens can have. Same goes for Omas, they

highly recommend their ink with the use of their fountain pens. It's not

just a big sell, there is proof out there with people having solved their

problems with going to inks like Aurora and Omas. This pen starts flawless

right at the touch of paper with no skipping and keeps a very even flow of

ink no matter how fast or slow the nib is moving.

 

Thank God for an American company like Conklin to put the price/performance

into the right prospective.

 

All pix taken with a Nikon D50 at ISO 1600 on an antique work bench from Nantucket.

 

 

 

 

 

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Thru the light.

 

 

 

 

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A very nice clip. Just the right tension.

 

 

 

 

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My 3 year old decided that he wanted his limited edition Hotweels in the pic. It turns out this pic shows some of the 12 sides to the cap.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Townsend / Nozac / M605 (rollerball) / Trusty ol' Vanishing Point

 

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[chainwhip]

Wonderful pictures and great review! Thanks Pinarello!

[Apollo]

I must say, those are some stunning pics. Beautiful colour on that Nozac and I'm glad it's worked out well for you so far. Alas, my experience with Conklins have been on the negative side. I don't mean to hijack your thread, but since this is a review forum, I think it's good to hear both the positive and the negative.

 

First, I will address the "ink" situation you mentioned. On my Conklins, I have used Noodler's, Private Reserve, Montblanc, Pelikan, Waterman, and even Parker Quink. These are not what I consider to be inferior inks, yet all my Conklins exhibited problems with ink flow, even with free flowing inks like Waterman and Quink. The culprit was not the ink used, rather the faulty feeds that these pens came with. All of the inks mentioned work in every pen I've used except for the 3 Conklins I've owned. The issue wasn't the ink, it was the poor quality of their feeds.

 

The worst one of the lot was my second Duragraph (which had a defective nib to start with). I tinkered with the feed to improve the ink flow, but if I set it aside for a couple of days, it wouldn't start unless I primed the nib. I finally gave up on it and replaced the whole nib/feed unit by unscrewing it and using another one out of a Dani-Trio Avant Garde. After that, it worked like a champion. Conklin have good looking pens, but they have too many quality issues and their customer service has gone down the toilet since they relocated to Jersey. It's bad enough to keep me from buying another Conklin again. Too bad they don't live up to the reputation of the original Conklin Pen Co.

 

Conklin is an American based company, but you can buy a Taccia or a Laban made in Taiwan, just like modern Conklins are and at least they won't be plagued with all the quality issues that Conklins are notorious for. That said, I'd be very interested to hear how your Nozac continues to perform in the coming weeks ahead.

Please keep us posted. http://70.85.81.229/3043/144/emo/1043420644.gif

Edited March 18, 2006 by Apollo

[Sidney]

I have hesitated buying a Conklin because of some reviews stating skipping and starting problems.  However, I'm the type of person to find out why. After some phone calls to Fountain Pen Hospital and using my own experience with my Vanishing Point, Cross and Recife, I drew a conclusion that not using a top notch ink is the problem.  So far, I am right and my buds at FPH agree with me...." we get people in here all the time buying $500+ fountain pens and then cheap out on the ink.  The next day they want their money back because the pen writes horrible."  I think it shows what finely tuned nibs/feeds these pens can have. Same goes for Omas, they highly recommend their ink with the use of their fountain pens.  It's not just a big sell, there is proof out there with people having solved their

problems with going to inks like Aurora and Omas. This pen starts flawless right at the touch of paper with no skipping and keeps a very even flow of ink no matter how fast or slow the nib is moving.

Wonderful review! I knew there had to be some great modern Conklin's out there.

 

The problem with mine was the nib would dry out after a page of writing, no matter what ink I used. Yes, some pens are fussy about the ink you choose. And some inks are repackaged under a different, sometimes more expensive, brand. Something I found unnerving, as I contemplated selling my Ohio, was FPH's drastic reduction of the Ohio's price from a MSRP of $200 to $29. And after three bad experiences with their customer service I'm really turned off the brand.

 

Update: It turned out that FPH's $29 Conklin Ohio's was a clearance on steel, rather than the usual gold, nibbed pens. And persistence pays off with Conklin's customer service as I traded my Ohio for a Nozac that writes as wonderful as Pinarello's.

Edited November 24, 2006 by Sidney

[PinarelloOnly]

Here are some more pics and a writing sample. The squigqly lines were done at a fast pace to show good ink flow.

 

 

 

 

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[southpaw]

Thanks for the review. I've like the looks of the Nozac for some time, but just haven't been able to take the plunge due to the numerous reports of quality concerns. Maybe one day. Glad to hear yours appears to be a winner. Keep us updated.

[chainwhip]

I just noticed your Nozac matches your Pinarello!

 

[PinarelloOnly]

Thanks for the feedback guys!!!!!!!

 

 

 

Chainwhip - I hopefully will be building a red OPERA next year!!!!!

Edited March 18, 2006 by PinarelloOnly

[Bill]

Pen? What pen? I was looking at the Pinarello. Are those Ksyrium wheels?

 

Bill

[PinarelloOnly]

Thanks Bill...Yep they are!

 

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[chad234]

Very nice review, good lighting in the pics. Thanks for including the writing samples, which really are helpul imho.

[rak]

Nice review of the Nozac. I have also contemplated getting a Nozac. Some of the colors that are available look outstanding. I have been hesitant to get one due to problems mentioned by other on FPN. I am really glad to hear positive feedback on this pen. Please keep us updated on how it performs after several months of use.

 

Also, great looking Pinarello, makes my Bianchi look plain. I will definitely need to consider a Pinarello in the future when I get a green light from my wife to get a new bike.

[Bill]

Thanks for the review. My only Conklin is a Glider but its nib has been a disappointment so I set it aside for now pending some work on it. The Nozac is a looker and sounds like it performs well. I may give that a shot.

 

Yes, I like Pinarello...and Cinelli and Colnago and DeRosa... Just like pens, it's hard to pick a favorite.

 

To rav: Since it passes through Indy, have you ridden RAIN? I did it in 2004.

 

Bill

[tryphon]

I have hesitated buying a Conklin because of some reviews stating

skipping and starting problems.  However, I'm the type of person to find out

why. After some phone calls to Fountain Pen Hospital and using my own

experience with my Vanishing Point, Cross and Recife, I drew a conclusion

that not using a top notch ink is the problem.  So far, I am right and my

buds at FPH agree with me...." we get people in here all the time buying

$500+ fountain pens and then cheap out on the ink.  The next day they want

their money back because the pen writes horrible."  I think it shows what

finely tuned nibs/feeds these pens can have.

 

Hmmm. ink related? Not likely, my friend!

Most modern inks are fine (stay away from reds and burgundys) and all modern pens should write properly with any decent ink.

The improvement you see is most likely due to the fact that by writing a couple of pages, you caused the tines to move outwards slightly, giving the nib/feed a heavier flow. Same thing happens also because the tines, flexing outwards ever so slightly are set a little further apart from each other: increasing flow.

Now that the flow is OK, go back to the other ink and you'll see that it now flows better, too.

You see, one of the biggest misconceptions of the later years is that "fountain pens do NOT adapt to their owner's writing": they certainly do! Some "experts" say that iridium is so hard that it would take a long time for it to be shaped to your writing style: but they miss the fact that it is not the iridium (which, incidentally, does wear to an individual's writing, but it takes a lot of pages!!!) that adapts to the writer: it is the nib itself and, in particular, the tines! This was even more pronounced in the old days, when nibs were flexible and could take a slightly different position more easily. It is less pronounced with very stiff steel nibs. Your gold nibs are soft enough to adapt to your style of writing.

Edited March 19, 2006 by tryphon

[antoniosz]

I have hesitated buying a Conklin because of some reviews stating

skipping and starting problems.  However, I'm the type of person to find out

why. After some phone calls to Fountain Pen Hospital and using my own

experience with my Vanishing Point, Cross and Recife, I drew a conclusion

that not using a top notch ink is the problem.  So far, I am right and my

buds at FPH agree with me...." we get people in here all the time buying

$500+ fountain pens and then cheap out on the ink.  The next day they want

their money back because the pen writes horrible."  I think it shows what

finely tuned nibs/feeds these pens can have.

 

Hmmm. ink related? Not likely, my friend!

Most modern inks are fine (stay away from reds and burgundys) and all modern pens should write properly with any decent ink.

 

100% agree with Giovanni. There is a number of common minor problems that an experienced user can detect rather quickly, e.g., the touching tines, the bad converter, etc. Unfortuntately the typical employee of a brick and mortar shop is rather ignorant about these things and they start making theories like the "top notch ink" ....

 

 

PS> Beautiful pictures by the way

Edited March 19, 2006 by antoniosz

[Apollo]

That whole business of "not using top notch ink being the problem" is just sales hype. A $500 plus fountain pen should be no different than any other fountain pen that can use inks like Quink, Waterman, Pelikan and others. Using Aurora or Omas inks in a Conklin will not make it write any better than using Parker Quink which happens to be one of the safest inks to use in a pen. I'm not saying that all inks are the same, but if a fountain pen can't write with a standard fountain pen ink like Quink, then most likely there's something wrong with the pen.

Edited March 19, 2006 by Apollo

[davyr]

incredible pics and a great review, PinarelloOnly! keem em coming...

[PinarelloOnly]

Davyr.....Thank You,

 

I hope to get another review in w/pics this spring. I'm thinking maybe an Ancora Perla.

[johnr55]

I also have a Nozac, purchased from Fahrney's with a fine nib in the 'regular' blue finish. I can echo the beautiful feel of the pen, and what a great clip! Nothing is more frustrating or awkward than a clip that's too tight and you stand there trying to get it back in your shirt pocket and keep a conversation going... It's part of why I love the Sheaffer Stylist--like the Nozac you just press the top and then let go--simple and effective.

 

It's such a beautiful size, not swagger-stick large and not too small, either.

 

Mine was smooth out of the box, I filled it with Legal Lapis and it's written like a champ ever since. No temperament, no flow problems with my other two favorites, Aurora black and Waterman Florida blue.

 

And no defects--I was hesitant after reading other people's problems.

[alvarez57]

Very, very nice Pinarello... reminds me in my ol' days riding the Stelvio....They are very steady and fast bikes!

Very nice pen too!

 

BTW, how did you get all the pics in the same post ?

Edited February 14, 2007 by alvarez57