New Pens From Classic Pens

[sexauerw]

I had a long chat with Andy Lambrou at the Dallas Pen Show last weekend and we mostly talked about a new series based on the LM1 Legend. He is thinking about doing a guilloche engraving pattern on the plastic caps and bodies of these large pens and has produced several prototypes. One was done with a multi-colored plastic and turned out not to be attractive, the designs of the plastic and the engraving clashed and did not look good. So the designs he is now considering are all in solid colors and he will begin with black. This post is just a feeler to see if there is enough interest in these pens for him to proceed. For myself, I hope he does; I want one!

 

The engraving is quite a bit deeper and more striking than is normally seen. There are four prototypes under consideration as shown below, plus a plain unengraved pen. Tentative list price would be $700 for pens with smooth ends or $750 for pens with patterned ends.The plain pen could be produced for a list price of $650. Andy is leaning toward number 1 or 2 at the moment, but no decision has been made. Please look at the pictures and then help us out by answering the questions in the poll. And please note that only pen numbers 2 and 5 have production nibs, the other three nibs are prototypes and not representative of the actual nibs that will be supplied. Available nibs will be F, M, B and Broad Italic, all in 18K two-tone gold. I've been using a pen with the broad italic nib and have enjoyed it immensely. It's very smooth and has plenty of line variation. It's not a flexible nib, but it is a bit soft and will give just a hint of extra variation with pressure. I haven't had a chance to use the standard F, M or B nibs yet so I can't comment on them.

 

Number 1, Medium-sized diamond pattern with smooth ends

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j66/sexauerw/MediumDeep-cutDiamondPrototypePlainEndsClosed.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j66/sexauerw/MediumDeep-cutDiamondPrototypePlainEndsOpen.jpg

 

Number 2, Medium-sized diamond pattern with patterned ends

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j66/sexauerw/MediumDeep-cutDiamondPrototypeEngravedEndsClosed.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j66/sexauerw/MediumDeep-cutDiamondPrototypeEngravedEndsOpen.jpg

 

Number 3, Large-sized diamond pattern

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j66/sexauerw/LargeDeep-cutDiamondPrototypePlainEndsClosed.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j66/sexauerw/LargeDeep-cutDiamondPrototypePlainEndsOpen.jpg

 

Number 4, Fishnet pattern

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j66/sexauerw/BlackFishnetPrototypeClosed.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j66/sexauerw/BlackFishnetPrototypeOpen.jpg

 

Number 5, Plain Black Pen

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j66/sexauerw/PlainBlackPrototypeClosed.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j66/sexauerw/PlainBlackPrototypeOpen.jpg

 

Here is one final picture to give you an idea of the size of these pens. The red pen is an S. T. Dupont Vertigo II, which is the Extra-Large size Orpheo model. The Legend is slightly longer and noticeably larger in diameter. However, being plastic, it's also noticeably lighter than the brass Vertigo II. I wish I had other large pens with which to compare the Legend to, I know many of you don't have S. T. Dupont Orpheos. But I don't have any MB 149s or Pelikan 1000's which seem to be the standards for size comparisons for large pens, so this is the best I can do. I can, however, provide measurements:

5.79" (147mm) long, capped

5.13" (130mm) long, uncapped

6.2" (158mm) long, posted

.67" (17mm) dia. at the cap band

.63" (16mm) dia. cap proper

.58" (15mm) dia. barrel

.45" (11mm) at center of the section

Weight is barely over an ounce with converter but no ink. (Vertigo is about 1 3/4 oz on my postal scale. Accuracy questionable but both pens weighed on same scale.)

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j66/sexauerw/LegendvsOrpheoforSizeComparison.jpg

[raging.dragon]

From the dimensions, I assume these are based on the Legend 766 with a Bock 250 (#6) nib? If so I'll pass. I would be interested in a pen in this price range (or even a bit higher) based on the larger Legend 777 anb Bock 350 (#8) nib.

[richardandtracy]

The diamond patterns look like they are all quilted. Quite attractive, but to be honest, I don't like the shape of the base pen so an attractive pattern doesn't make it much better for me.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[ever onward]

Those patterns aren't really my style. The plain pen isn't bad...but I try to avoid plain-gold-and-black and plain-silver-and-black pens as much as possible. I mean, I have a fair amount of them, and I'm not saying I won't buy any more, but I try to go more colorful routes whenever possible.

 

JMO,

eo

[ever onward]

Also, there's an inherent problem in the poll. I answered "no" to the first question and thus didn't choose anything in the second question, but when I clicked "Vote," I got a message saying I have to answer every question. Problem.

 

best wishes,

eo

[Bo Bo Olson]

I'd not be buying one, but do think the full pattern would be better than 'cheap' plain ends.

I like the fish net.

Brown or Green, perhaps blue but never red.

 

I would want more than a springy nib like on an MB, so would accept a 14 k nib semi-flex. In fact modern 18 K nibs are not my thing, but a 18 C nib with that flex like the '50's would float my boat.

[whitedot]

The poll doesn't work.

 

I would have voted no.

[OakIris]

I think they are nice looking pens, but no way I could afford to buy one.

 

I would have voted "no" as well, but as others have mentioned, the way the poll is set up you can't just vote no and be done with it, you have to answer all the other questions, which would, I think, skew the results - and probably already has since only 5 people voted "yes" but there are numerous answers to all of the other questions!

 

Holly

[Susanlouise]

I like the diamond and fishnet patterns. I would not want black, or plain (too much like a MB). The price seems OK but would be better if it were piston fill.

 

FWIW!

[Glenn-SC]

For the price stated I can buy a unique custom pen made for my specification.

[NedC]

Sadly they are out of my price range, and a bit larger than I prefer. That said, I really like both the fishnet and large diamond patterns and if either were to offered in a deep brown or maroon with a black section, blind cap and finial and I were to find a more lucrative position that also didn't entail large relocation or commuting expenses, i would be very interested, I might even be persuaded to sell off a large chunk of my current pen menagerie to afford one. The price seems in line with a Sailor 1911 ribbed or an Onoto Magna Classis with chasing and 18K nib and the patterns are unique.

[Tadeyev]

No, would not buy these….

Compared to the Charlotte & Marguerite and the Kimono sets from Classic Pens, these new proposals don't do a thing for me, very sorry to say.

If I am honest, and please, no offence intended, I think they are actually quite unattractive, even ugly.

Just my 2 cents worth; to each his own.

Tadeyev

[BrandonA]

You poll requires answers for all questions, yet you only state to answer #2 if you answered YES to #1. Therefore you will either get people only voting if they say yes or supplying erroneous data to #2 if they voted NO to #1.

 

I wouldn't personally buy one of these pens but I do like the looks of #1.

 

Not sure I'd want to pay $50 to get a patterned end - this seems like quite a large hike in price over the plain end.

[olivier78860]

For 350-400 I would perhaps consider, but for 650-750, no chance. Onoto makes a pen with similar characteristics for 400€.

[sexauerw]

Wasn't Mr Lambrou going to launch a ZJ2 model? Was the plan shelved?

 

No, the plan was not shelved. Whichever of these pens winds up being selected will be the ZJ2.

[Ravenlunatic]

Way too expensive for this poor pensioners blood. But I do like the big pens.

[emiliovillegas]

Price is too high

[Miketsheehan]

No

[tinta]

No,.... I'd rather buy his (& Mr. Sunami's) latest large, heavy & very expensive book about Japanese pens.

Way more bang for the buck.

[paolino_paperino]

No, I wouldn't buy these. They are outside of my price range and, frankly, I don't find them attractive.