What Is The Most Ridiculous Pen Gimmick Ever From A Major Pen Company?

[dannzeman]

Noodler's offering a free bottle of HOD with their twenty dollar preppy.

 

Hrmmm, I always saw it as getting a free Preppy with my bottle of HOD.

[amble63]

My vote's for naming stupidly expensive luxury products after Gandhi...

 

+1

[dascoyne]

The Montblanc DNA ink they were offering (not sure if they stuill are, it was ink that incorporated some of your DNA to ensure the documents signed were from your pen with your ink. That to me seemed a bit ridiculous.

I know a cheaper way to incorporate your DNA into pen ink ...

 

... but, in the interest of good taste, I'll keep my mouth shut and leave that joke to your imagination.

[79spitfire]

The Montblanc DNA ink they were offering (not sure if they stuill are, it was ink that incorporated some of your DNA to ensure the documents signed were from your pen with your ink. That to me seemed a bit ridiculous.

I know a cheaper way to incorporate your DNA into pen ink ...

 

... but, in the interest of good taste, I'll keep my mouth shut and leave that joke to your imagination.

*iew*

[RGH]

The Montblanc DNA ink they were offering (not sure if they stuill are, it was ink that incorporated some of your DNA to ensure the documents signed were from your pen with your ink. That to me seemed a bit ridiculous.

I know a cheaper way to incorporate your DNA into pen ink ...

 

... but, in the interest of good taste, I'll keep my mouth shut and leave that joke to your imagination.

*iew*

 

Stabbing yourself with a sharp nib does seem excessive doesn't it.

 

Oh you say that's not what he meant.

[seriph]

I love Lepine pens .... the 'thing on the bottom' isn't a periscope, which would be a little redundant on a cruise liner

 

 

it is a smoke stack

 

I saw a piccolo pen recently - only in pics ... but I loved its quirkiness.

 

BUT - and apologies if someone else has mentioned it - I feel that Montblanc ranks in the top ten of most ridiculous gimmicks with their Gandhi Pen which at $25,000 was a little away from what the man stood for but that's not why I feel it ranks - no, it was the additional 5 metre length of gold 'thread' one could use to wrap around the pen's barrel that gets me .... this was meant to represent the fact that the Mahatma used to spin his own thread and make his own clothes! To the Indian government, it seemed to be an act of considerable ignorance, resulting in legal action being taken out against MB. I just can't help wondering who and how such an idea ever got up .... I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall of the committee meetings that approved it ...

 

http://www.luxurylaunches.com/entry_images/1009/05/mont-blanc-mahatma-gandhi_main.jpg

 

 

Of course, one wasn't meant to wrap the gold thread around the pen oneself .... they bring people in from overseas to do that kind of thing

Edited March 30, 2012 by seriph

[kamebard]

Here are 2 I can think of.

 

 

We had a contract signing at a sports magazine publisher who wanted to use the "Stallone" pen as he called it, and the pen is just uncomfortable to hold on all accounts. The Alchemy pen, we used for inking a deal with a scientific journal, and again, not practical at all, and the registrars ink did a number on the red finish.

[PeterBeoworld]

I love Lepine pens .... the 'thing on the bottom' isn't a periscope, which would be a little redundant on a cruise liner

 

 

it is a smoke stack

 

Actually, I think it is a ventilator duct. Early 20th century ships seemed to use these - think of Indiana Jones hiding in one in the first film!

[impossiblebird]

I find the idea of a disposable fountain pen a concept that is difficult to understand. A fountain pen is a quality writing instrument that should last for decades. The thought that a fountain pen is used until the ink supply provided with it is exhausted and then just thrown away just seems wrong.

 

Now Collecting disposable fountain pens - that would be wrong.:blink:

I would be surprised if there wasn't somebody on FPN maintaining a disposable fountain pen sanctuary right now ...

[seriph]

On the whole "Pencil Sharpener " thing .... I bought a Staedtler desk mount sharpener recently .... it is wonderful, but I lament the loss of my old timer - that one featured on an earlier post is totally wonderful ... it sure has seen some miles

 

 

... and my vote the best world's best pencil - any that frees a child to express themselves on the page, with satisfaction

 

(but I am grateful my fellow poster is incorrect about the Staedtler 925 25 ... we can get them here in Australia) ... love my Lepine sketch pencil as well ...

 

And finally ... to our poor partners who think us rather odd - this guy has us ALL beat hands down - bloody cool work though, I reckon.

 

... yes - that is on the TIP of a pencil

 

http://cdn.bitrebels.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Dalton-Ghetti-11.jpg

 

http://www.bitrebels.com/design/nano-art-insane-pencil-tip-carvings/

 

 

The world is an amazing place

Edited April 1, 2012 by seriph

[seriph]

Re: the smoke stack - ventilation duct - I stand corrected and thank you for that.

[Sagar_C]

Here are a couple of ideas from vintage times. One is the Combo (pen and pencil) and the other is the adjustable nib. I know people collect them, but both seem gimmicky to me.

 

Dave

 

Combo is something I have not used ever but adjustable seems very useful to me.

[leod]

-Italians with their unlimited supply of Special and Limited editions

-twsbi for Diamond pens that crack easily

[eric47]

-Italians with their unlimited supply of Special and Limited editions

 

You mean like the one in your avatar?

 

Just about every pen manufacturer is into special and limited editions. And not just pens, you see it all over the place. I saw some limited edition Converses the other day in store window.

[VillersCotterets]

What is the most ridiculous pen gimmick ever from a major pen company?

 

Sylvester Stallone.

 

http://theconsumerism.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Montegrappa-Chaos-Pen.jpg

Edited April 2, 2012 by VillersCotterets

[seriph]

god that's a ridiculous photo AND pen!

[eilu]

Faber Castell 2009 LE, which was made of horsehair...

 

On pencils: we still have Mongols made & manufactured here. Simply the best.

 

On jeeps: here, this is what local jeep (or "jeepney") looks like (the design trend is "the more ridiculous the better"- I've seen one covered in lots and lots airbrushed of Spongebobs) they're used for public transport, so I guess the design is a way of catching the eye of potential passengers.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xicuNOaWmrk/TKqH61oZRQI/AAAAAAAAABI/EGEWVPOggIA/s1600/08.jpg

Maybe someone should come up with a pen themed like that...

[82Greg]

Your version of the name come from " During the jeep's service in Korea, the name was referred to as "Just Enough Essential Parts" by the troops due to the very basic design." Which would be consistent with the dark humor of the American service man referring to the tools he is given to work with...

 

Right up there with "Found On Road, Dead," "Fix It Again, Tony," "Poor Old Nutjob Thinks It's a Cadillac" (bowdlerized from a version with an ethnic slur), "Drips Oil, Drops Grease, Everywhere," and the ever-popular "Cheap Heap, Every Valve Rattles, Oil Leaks Every Time."

 

I owned one Jeep Cherokee a long time ago, it literally feel apart at 100K. It was the only American made car I've ever owned. I doubt that I'll ever go that route again.

[seriph]

At first I thought the horsehair pen was a real oddity too .... but coming from a major Australian equestrian region, and having seen the actual pen, which is really a thing of beauty to me, I kind of get it - GVFC offered a very funky option too (or so I was told by the Authorised Dealer) - one could bring in their horse's hair and it would be sent to GVFC and the pen would be made using that. When you realise how IN LOVE many people are with their horses this level of insanity makes this a very clever piece of marketing provided GVFC ensured they got their message out to the appropriate market. But I imagine they would have. I actually think this may have been quite a big seller but have no way of knowing - I can just imagine our region's biggest stud owners would enjoy doing this for some of the bigger winners or best animals.

 

http://blog.penandco.com/public/Faber_Castell/006_-_still_B.jpg

[82Greg]

 

 

I used to own a Montblanc - it was the first high value pen I bought. It rolled off of my desk one day onto a wooden floor and the barrel shattered.

 

I have since learned more about them, and many other pen companies as well. The MB precious resin advertising is a pretentious and silly gimmick since not many people would pay their prices if they advertised it for what it is. It is not resin, it is only plastic. And it is not precious, it is inexpensive.

 

Not "inexpensive," I believe the word you meant to use was indestructible. MB "precious resin" is not inexpensive when sold at retail. The material in question only ceases to be "precious" after the destructibility has been successfully demonstrated.