Wahl-Eversharp Skyliner 50

[johntdavis]

A couple of quick answers.

2) Why not much chatter on the Wahl-Eversharp forum by me about my pens. Simple. It would be a conflict of duties. I am the moderator of that forum. And the rule is no commercialism on the pen brand forums. I don't even what to give the impression of doing business there. These discussions we have been having border on a number of business related, pricing, delivery and shipping cost and its impact on the pricing and special deals etc. Completely inappropriate for the Wahl-Eversharp Band forum.

 

That makes a lot of sense. Not sure why I didn't occur to me before. I suppose, though, I wasn't thinking so much about you "doing business" there as expecting more chatter there about the new lineup from everyone else that frequents the W-E board. I frequent the Asian Brand Focus and Writing Instruments boards the most. When a major brand comes out with a new model I'm used to more chatter. I collect more Pilot pens than anything else, and if Pilot suddenly started brining back some of their vintage stuff (e.g.: a new run of the Myu series) the board would explode.

 

Since you're bringing back an entire brand that was previously dead, I was actually really surprised there hasn't been more noise from fans in W-E's forum. Right now I'm guessing that will change as more pens get into the hands of users.

 

I am planning to open my 50s here in a week or so, and do an unboxing video. We've already got a great video review, but it doesn't show the awesome special box the pen comes in.

 

This will the be the first time I try to put up a youtube video, and I'll be using my iPhone and a Gorilla pod holding it to my desk chair's arm (unless I come up with something else to wrap it around), so it might not be the greatest video ever it'll more than likely be kinda terrible, but I'll do my best.

 

(In other words, I'm trawling Google Image Search for those old "We are Experiencing Technical Difficulties" placards as we speak...)

 

 

 

[Scribble Monboddo]

A couple of quick answers.

1) The need for or lack of need for specialized EU shipping options in the initial plan was in retrospect probably a little ego/USA centric. That is, I thought people in the EU countries buy things imported from the USA everyday and make allowances for the added cost of such in their buying decisions. I know I buy products made in Europe here in the States all the time and know full well a part of the price is for customs duty. Heck I pay duty on these new Skyline pens that go into the WAHL-EVERSHARP inventory because they come to me from Europe.. For 35 years I have been buying my Au Sauvage Dior after shave knowing full well I was paying a premium for it...but nothing else would do for me.

 

So, I made a value versus price assumption...If I kept the cost of the pen and the shipping down best I could, people would see that the final price even with the VAT was still a good value. Clearly I did not anticipate a general prejudice (meant in the kindest possible way) that all things from the US including my pens might be rejected because of the VAT. Probably naive on my part because people would not know the value until they could see and compare the pen to others. That's why the reviews are/were so important: To demonstrate the quality, the merits and the value of our pens.

 

2) Why not much chatter on the Wahl-Eversharp forum by me about my pens. Simple. It would be a conflict of duties. I am the moderator of that forum. And the rule is no commercialism on the pen brand forums. I don't even what to give the impression of doing business there. These discussions we have been having border on a number of business related, pricing, delivery and shipping cost and its impact on the pricing and special deals etc. Completely inappropriate for the Wahl-Eversharp Band forum.

 

Syd

 

'Admire your candour Syd Well, hey, we all have our own national cultural perspective to overcome. I buy pens from the US, and south-east Asia, fairly frequently and don't have a fixed prejudice against a doing so; my concern, and perhaps that of others too, is that on a pen at this price level the extra taxes can be both costly and inconvenient. Consider a previous experience of my own, when a delivery from the US just above a threshold value was intercepted by Customs; I had to drive quite a distance to present myself at a post office depot, with ID, to pay a fee for the service that Customs rendered in opening my mail for me, pay a customs charge, and pay a sales tax on top of that too. None of this was the vendor's fault, really, but you can see why I wouldn't be keen to undergo that ordeal again.

 

Once there's a clear way to mandate delivery from/within the EU on your website, I'll be placing an order. Then, in the future, don't forget there are a handful of specialist, knowledgeable online fountain pen retailers within the EU who would almost certainly take an interest in stocking your products for you - and while that inevitably cedes some control, it could almost certainly help you shift a lot more units and win more fans. Some of us can perhaps help by requesting that these specialists consider stocking your product, if that's desirable.

[raging.dragon]

A couple of quick answers.

1) The need for or lack of need for specialized EU shipping options in the initial plan was in retrospect probably a little ego/USA centric. That is, I thought people in the EU countries buy things imported from the USA everyday and make allowances for the added cost of such in their buying decisions. I know I buy products made in Europe here in the States all the time and know full well a part of the price is for customs duty. Heck I pay duty on these new Skyline pens that go into the WAHL-EVERSHARP inventory because they come to me from Europe.. For 35 years I have been buying my Au Sauvage Dior after shave knowing full well I was paying a premium for it...but nothing else would do for me.

 

So, I made a value versus price assumption...If I kept the cost of the pen and the shipping down best I could, people would see that the final price even with the VAT was still a good value. Clearly I did not anticipate a general prejudice (meant in the kindest possible way) that all things from the US including my pens might be rejected because of the VAT. Probably naive on my part because people would not know the value until they could see and compare the pen to others. That's why the reviews are/were so important: To demonstrate the quality, the merits and the value of our pens.

 

2) Why not much chatter on the Wahl-Eversharp forum by me about my pens. Simple. It would be a conflict of duties. I am the moderator of that forum. And the rule is no commercialism on the pen brand forums. I don't even what to give the impression of doing business there. These discussions we have been having border on a number of business related, pricing, delivery and shipping cost and its impact on the pricing and special deals etc. Completely inappropriate for the Wahl-Eversharp Band forum.

 

Syd

 

'Admire your candour Syd Well, hey, we all have our own national cultural perspective to overcome. I buy pens from the US, and south-east Asia, fairly frequently and don't have a fixed prejudice against a doing so; my concern, and perhaps that of others too, is that on a pen at this price level the extra taxes can be both costly and inconvenient. Consider a previous experience of my own, when a delivery from the US just above a threshold value was intercepted by Customs; I had to drive quite a distance to present myself at a post office depot, with ID, to pay a fee for the service that Customs rendered in opening my mail for me, pay a customs charge, and pay a sales tax on top of that too. None of this was the vendor's fault, really, but you can see why I wouldn't be keen to undergo that ordeal again.

 

Once there's a clear way to mandate delivery from/within the EU on your website, I'll be placing an order. Then, in the future, don't forget there are a handful of specialist, knowledgeable online fountain pen retailers within the EU who would almost certainly take an interest in stocking your products for you - and while that inevitably cedes some control, it could almost certainly help you shift a lot more units and win more fans. Some of us can perhaps help by requesting that these specialists consider stocking your product, if that's desirable.

 

Selling direct Syd can minimize prices by eliminating retailer markup. If the pens were sold through retailers Syd would have to raise prices so that both he and the retailer could make a fair profit.

[Scribble Monboddo]

Selling direct Syd can minimize prices by eliminating retailer markup. If the pens were sold through retailers Syd would have to raise prices so that both he and the retailer could make a fair profit.

 

Indeed, it's true that selling anything through a retailer usually involves a division of margin. Against that, there are the advantages of increasing actual sales numbers; 5% of a hundred sales is a lot more useful than 10% of two sales. At the moment, trying to work out how to get one of these pens kept on the continent where it was produced is rather baffling, and the customer gets to talk to someone who may be feeling some stress from this start-up! A specialist online retailer on the same continent can eliminate customs charges, minimise postage/shipping costs, and provide that 'professional tone' which some customers do look for.

 

Direct selling and retail do not have to be mutually exclusive. It could make good sense to continue with the existing approach in the US market, and strike a deal with just a few European specialists such as Cult Pens and Fontoplumo. This could address concerns about foreign currency transactions, sales and import taxes (at least 20%, for a W-E travelling from US to UK), and delivery. That would generate income more rapidly and build up a customer base; it has worked for some well-respected brands, like Platinum. But having said I wasn't going to lecture the guy, I've now done the opposite, and maybe it's time to shut up and try to buy one!

Edited March 26, 2013 by Scribble Monboddo

[Wahlnut]

The latest development:

There are/have been such a variety of special requests so far that it would take a lot of programming to anticipate the wide range of possible requests and to make a website based method of handling everything at Check-out. (It took us 3 hours of discussion yesterday and today try to figure out a way to accommodate all the possibilities and programming required, and there was always one more thing people might want.)

 

Soooo ...

I have arranged with my webmaster to accommodate all manner of Special Request by placing a link in strategic places on the website that take the person requesting same to an email addressed to me in which they can ask for whatever they want including Intra EU shipping which will be spelled out in the page dedicated to Special Requests. Things like switching nibs, changing body colors, and yes Intra-EU Delivery. Whatever a person wants to request as a Special Request will be considered and quoted. In all such cases, billing will be customized as well. Once the agreed upon Special Request can be accommodated, an Invoice will be sent to the requestor via secure PayPal invoicing, and the remittance will be made through Secure PayPal payment method, and not through the WAHL-EVERSHARP website checkout process. I think that will handle the basic objection about a lot of issues including VAT that we have been discussing here.

 

We studied the trials and tribulations of many a failed and/or foundering old time and latter-day pen companies and learned a lot about why they failed and why they are foundering. In 1939 Eversharp itself went into a tail spin and never recovered and I know full-well why.(and it was not due to the Ball Point Pen wars alone. Sustainability Quality, and Value is what we are about. We are a "skip the retailer and pass the savings on to the consumer" company.

 

Making an hypothesis about why someone does this or that and being surprised about not finding a reasonable answer gives too much credit to the hypothesis. Rather than attempt to correct either one I can just say that the inner workings and contractual realities of the world I am in, even if baffling and bemusing, to those who may not have all the facts, will simply have to remain that way.

 

Happy writing

Syd

Edited March 27, 2013 by Wahlnut

[vondauster]

Just received my blue Skyliner 50 from Wahl-Eversharp. No need for me to add another full review, but I thought I'd share my impressions of this beautiful pen.

 

1. Did I say beautiful pen? Tastes vary, but if one is a fan of late deco design, this pen is beautiful.

 

2. Fit and finish are first rate. Everything falls into place perfectly: the blind cap is well machined and secure, the pen's cap screws on without a hitch or odd start (a problem on a few smaller manufacturer's models), and the polishing is flawless.

 

3. The filling system, which I choose to view as a captive converter a la the Visconti Steel Age Homo Sapiens (I never use cartridges any more) works well and feels secure.

 

4. The nib. In a word, nice. This is the "plain" stainless steel nib, not the ceramic coated or gold version, in a "fine-medium" default width, which I would characterize as a "Japanese medium." It is plenty smooth, with just the right amount of tooth. Perhaps most similar to a Platinum-brand nib in feel. I haven't flexed it much, as I tend not to write that way, but it seems to have some flex. A very nice writing nib, with 6/10 flow that is consistent.

 

5. Overall experience is one of elegance and balance. Journalling with it over longer sessions produces little or no fatigue. It shows that a great dal of intelligent design went into the shape of the Skyliner, and Syd has managed to keep its best features intact with the new production pens.

 

6. The Corvette is just cool.

 

I will be ordering a Classic as soon as funds are available.

 

Will

[Drone]

Hi Syd,

 

I was wondering... On the Skyline/Skyliner pens, since the clip is articulated, is there a cap liner? My experience with articulated clips having no cap liner are: (1) ink can easily leak through the clip mount, (2) setting aside an inked pen, even when capped, the nib/feed dries out faster compared to a pen with a cap liner.

 

BTW...

 

I have arranged with my webmaster to accommodate all manner of Special Request by placing a link in strategic places on the website that take the person requesting same to an email addressed to me in which they can ask for whatever they want...

Works for me

 

 

Sustainability Quality, and Value is what we are about.

 

And @vondauster; thanks for the mini-review.

 

Best Regards, David

[Earthdawn]

Here is a pic of the inside of the cap.

 

You can blow air through it so it is not sealed air tight. There is a liner that goes up the wall of the cap which is a soft plastic. That is what gives it such a good solid feel when posting it. In the original video I demonstrate this.

 

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac10/thevaporcafe/75BC44A6-C5FF-4AFB-B10D-44D32D8228DE-12162-000003D657E65424_zps18b7d7ce.jpg

[Drone]

Here is a pic of the inside of the cap.

 

You can blow air through it so it is not sealed air tight. There is a liner that goes up the wall of the cap which is a soft plastic. That is what gives it such a good solid feel when posting it. In the original video I demonstrate this.

 

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac10/thevaporcafe/75BC44A6-C5FF-4AFB-B10D-44D32D8228DE-12162-000003D657E65424_zps18b7d7ce.jpg

Hi Earthdawn, Thanks for the picture. Glad to know there's a cap liner. I'll bet the nib and feed are sealed pretty well when capped. So likely no worries about drying out over a reasonable period of time (say, a week or two at-least?).

[OakIris]

I am trying to decide between the Skyliner 50 and the Skyline Classic. Except for minor material differences, the color choices and the nibs used, the two models appear basically the same to me. Is there anyone here that has both models that could do a quick comparison? (Not trying to hijack your thread, Earthdawn...hope you don't mind the question. )

 

The Classic has the new ceramic coated nib, which Syd says is a bit smoother than the steel nib that comes with the Skyliner. I haven't yet read any complaints about the nib that comes on the Skyliner, nothing but good, in fact, but the only review of the Classic that I have been able to find mentioned that there was a somewhat annoying squeak when writing with the ceramic coated nib. Over all, the reviewer really liked the pen, but he also said that the converter rattled, which could also become annoying. Here is the review: Skyline Classic

 

I do like the looks of the navy blue Classic but the Classic costs about $50 more than the Skyliner; is the different color choice and the ceramic coated nib worth the extra cost? (And you don't even get a cool toy Corvette with the Classic. )

 

Holly

Edited March 31, 2013 by OakIris

[Wahlnut]

I am trying to decide between the Skyliner 50 and the Skyline Classic. Except for minor material differences, the color choices and the nibs used, the two models appear basically the same to me. Is there anyone here that has both models that could do a quick comparison? (Not trying to hijack your thread, Earthdawn...hope you don't mind the question. )

 

The Classic has the new ceramic coated nib, which Syd says is a bit smoother than the steel nib that comes with the Skyliner. I haven't yet read any complaints about the nib that comes on the Skyliner, nothing but good, in fact, but the only review of the Classic that I have been able to find mentioned that there was a somewhat annoying squeak when writing with the ceramic coated nib. Over all, the reviewer really liked the pen, but he also said that the converter rattled, which could also become annoying. Here is the review: Skyline Classic

 

I do like the looks of the navy blue Classic but the Classic costs about $50 more than the Skyliner; is the different color choice and the ceramic coated nib worth the extra cost? (And you don't even get a cool toy Corvette with the Classic. )

 

Holly

 

I just replied to the rattling question elsewhere. It should not rattle. I offered to replace the converter free of charge. And the squeaking issue is probably related to the quality of the paper, too. I offered to supple another hand tested nib if the squeaking was a problem, but the user said it was not worth the trouble. All of our pens are guaranteed to be free of manufacturing defect, and we stand firmly behind that.

 

Syd

[OakIris]

I am trying to decide between the Skyliner 50 and the Skyline Classic. Except for minor material differences, the color choices and the nibs used, the two models appear basically the same to me. Is there anyone here that has both models that could do a quick comparison? (Not trying to hijack your thread, Earthdawn...hope you don't mind the question. )

 

The Classic has the new ceramic coated nib, which Syd says is a bit smoother than the steel nib that comes with the Skyliner. I haven't yet read any complaints about the nib that comes on the Skyliner, nothing but good, in fact, but the only review of the Classic that I have been able to find mentioned that there was a somewhat annoying squeak when writing with the ceramic coated nib. Over all, the reviewer really liked the pen, but he also said that the converter rattled, which could also become annoying. Here is the review: Skyline Classic

 

I do like the looks of the navy blue Classic but the Classic costs about $50 more than the Skyliner; is the different color choice and the ceramic coated nib worth the extra cost? (And you don't even get a cool toy Corvette with the Classic. )

 

Holly

 

I just replied to the rattling question elsewhere. It should not rattle. I offered to replace the converter free of charge. And the squeaking issue is probably related to the quality of the paper, too. I offered to supple another hand tested nib if the squeaking was a problem, but the user said it was not worth the trouble. All of our pens are guaranteed to be free of manufacturing defect, and we stand firmly behind that.

 

Syd

Thank you so much for your response, Syd. As I said, I had only read one review of the Classic, so didn't have much to go by; excellent to know that neither the squeaking nib nor the rattling converter are normal for the pen, and that any such problems are quickly corrected.

 

I still don't know which pen to get; it's that darn model Corvette enticing me I am sure - but one of these pens will be coming to me quite soon.

 

ETA: I ordered a Skyliner 50 in blue yesterday. I was born in the 50's, my parents honeymooned in the Bahamas, my favorite color is blue, I love the looks of the original Wahl-Eversharp Skyline pen, the model Corvette is so cool....obviously, I was lost from the beginning. I have already received a tracking number for my order, so I am already impressed by the good customer service. I will now begin saving up for the promised Doric model!

 

Holly

Edited April 1, 2013 by OakIris

[vondauster]

Holly,

 

That is the one I ordered and am delighted with. I don't think you'll be disappointed, and the 'vette is just fun.

 

Will

 

Also from the '50s

[OakIris]

Holly,

 

That is the one I ordered and am delighted with. I don't think you'll be disappointed, and the 'vette is just fun.

 

Will

 

Also from the '50s

I saw that you had chosen the Bahama Blue Skyliner, Will. I almost bought a different color so that we wouldn't both show up at our Pen Posse meetings with the same pen, but, heck, the more the merrier - and I really like the color! (I hope to see you - and your Skyliner - at our posse meeting next week!)

 

Holly

[johntdavis]

Got mine out of the box yesterday and flushed it with JB's Perfect Pen Flush. I'm loving it, though I've run into a few hiccups.

 

1) The only flex nib I've ever used (for five minutes at the Dallas Pen Show) was vintage, and it required only slightly more than zero pressure to flex. I was at first surprised how much I had to press (relatively) to get this nib to flex. I was actually afraid of springing the nib, so that made me even more cautious. I guess that's the difference between modern semi-flex and vintage flex, then? It actually seems to flex easier now that I've used it more, though I notice when it flexes the tines separate more like a Y than like | |. I suppose that's normal.

 

1a) I take it the gold flex nib W-E is working on is more like a vintage flex? If that's the case, count me in with the eagerly waiting masses.

 

2) I don't know why it didn't occur to me, but writing necessarily needs to be bigger to take advantage of the flex nib. My writing is normally very small. To have room to flex I need to make my words 3-4 bigger. Given how (relatively) hard I have to press on the nib, I also have to write slower. I think it would be very hard to write normally (i.e.: take notes) while flexing the whole time, at least with a semi-flex.

 

3) It's been about 20 hours since I've inked the pen and I've written with it a lot--or at least, flexed a lot--and used a lot of ink. Still, I'm surprised to find myself seeing skipping on vertical/slanted vertical strokes, either flexed or not flexed. Yet at the same time, normal writing appears unaffected. It might well be the ink. I'm using Monteverde Brown and it's a very ... odd ... thing. Every time I get out the bottle it takes me five minutes to open because the ink around the cap has turned into rubber cement. I pulled the converter to look and it still seems to have plenty of ink in it--the walls are coated, at least.

 

4) Is everyone else's Skyliner blindcap flat at the tip, with unfinished looking plastic? It almost looks like the tip broke off or was chipped. It was like this when I got it out of the box, so I wasn't sure it wasn't just a side effect of the way the plastic is molded. I was gonna try to get a picture, by my iPhone 5 cannot focus for close up shots. At all. And when I pull the camera away the lighting washes out the blind cap. That aside, this is undoubtedly one of the most solidly built pens I own. It feels great in my hand and I can carry it without fear that it will break if it gets breathed on too hard.

 

Any comments or advice would be appreciated.

[OakIris]

Got mine out of the box yesterday and flushed it with JB's Perfect Pen Flush. I'm loving it, though I've run into a few hiccups.

 

1) The only flex nib I've ever used (for five minutes at the Dallas Pen Show) was vintage, and it required only slightly more than zero pressure to flex. I was at first surprised how much I had to press (relatively) to get this nib to flex. I was actually afraid of springing the nib, so that made me even more cautious. I guess that's the difference between modern semi-flex and vintage flex, then? It actually seems to flex easier now that I've used it more, though I notice when it flexes the tines separate more like a Y than like | |. I suppose that's normal.

 

1a) I take it the gold flex nib W-E is working on is more like a vintage flex? If that's the case, count me in with the eagerly waiting masses.

 

2) I don't know why it didn't occur to me, but writing necessarily needs to be bigger to take advantage of the flex nib. My writing is normally very small. To have room to flex I need to make my words 3-4 bigger. Given how (relatively) hard I have to press on the nib, I also have to write slower. I think it would be very hard to write normally (i.e.: take notes) while flexing the whole time, at least with a semi-flex.

 

3) It's been about 20 hours since I've inked the pen and I've written with it a lot--or at least, flexed a lot--and used a lot of ink. Still, I'm surprised to find myself seeing skipping on vertical/slanted vertical strokes, either flexed or not flexed. Yet at the same time, normal writing appears unaffected. It might well be the ink. I'm using Monteverde Brown and it's a very ... odd ... thing. Every time I get out the bottle it takes me five minutes to open because the ink around the cap has turned into rubber cement. I pulled the converter to look and it still seems to have plenty of ink in it--the walls are coated, at least.

 

4) Is everyone else's Skyliner blindcap flat at the tip, with unfinished looking plastic? It almost looks like the tip broke off or was chipped. It was like this when I got it out of the box, so I wasn't sure it wasn't just a side effect of the way the plastic is molded. I was gonna try to get a picture, by my iPhone 5 cannot focus for close up shots. At all. And when I pull the camera away the lighting washes out the blind cap. That aside, this is undoubtedly one of the most solidly built pens I own. It feels great in my hand and I can carry it without fear that it will break if it gets breathed on too hard.

 

Any comments or advice would be appreciated.

 

I received my Skyliner last week on Friday so don't have a lot of experience with it, but I do like it very much.

 

The instructions on the Wahl-Eversarp site said to only flush the pen with water when you wanted to store the pen, clean it to change the ink, etc., and gave no instructions as what to do with the pen before first use. The FAQs do say do not put any soap in the water that you use to flush out the pen - no reason for this is given. I am not blaming the pen flush for your skipping problems, just pointing out what the manufacturer advises.

 

Anyway, I just filled up the pen with ink when I got it and it writes perfectly, no skipping noticed. Mind you, I, too, am quite unfamiliar with semi-flex or flex nibs so I am just using the pen "normally," not trying to force it into flex mode. It would seem that it would take more pressure than I am willing to attempt to get the nib to flex. Earthdawn had no problems getting the nib to flex, however, so perhaps he could give us some pointers about how to correctly use the pen so the nib is flexy but not sprung!

 

I do wonder about the ink you are using - if it dries and turns to the consistency of "rubber cement" in your pen or feed like it does on the bottle, not sure I would want to use that ink! Perhaps try a different ink?? I am using Diamine Midnight Blues and experience none of the problems that you mentioned.

 

The blind cap on my Skyliner does have a mold mark on it and the plastic for the mark is slightly flattened and a slightly lighter color, but it does not look as if it was broken off of the mold -it is nice and smooth. (I didn't even notice this until you posted about the blind cap on your pen. :embarrassed_smile: )

 

I don't know if any of that helps, but that is my experience with the pen so far. A joy to look at and to write with; no complaints here as yet.

 

Holly

[Earthdawn]

Well I looked at my blind cap through a loop and have no inconsistencies at all. Though I hope I am looking where you guys are.

 

As far as flex... It is not a vintage wet noodle kind of flex. I think it has a great a nib because you can write as you would normally all day without it feeling like the nib wants to flex. BUT if you want some line variation you can get it when you want. With any flex it is done on the down stroke. It certainly takes some practice when it is something you dont normally do. But there in lies the fun. Take some time to figure out what letters you want to have flex. For myself I usually will flex the first letter of a new paragraph. I practice my capital letters often and I look at the style other people use as well and combine what I like from there. Then continue on writing as I normally would.

 

So again, it's on the down stroke that you will find flexing easy. Going forward you will learn based on your writing style where you can flex and how much you can push it. REMEMBER that ink and paper change the dynamics of how it all works sometimes lol

 

Have fun and practice... Lord knows I need to!

 

johntdavis; I sent you a PM that might help you take some pics.

[Wahlnut]

Please see answers interspersed below in CAPS...I am not shouting.:

 

Got mine out of the box yesterday and flushed it with JB's Perfect Pen Flush. I'm loving it, though I've run into a few hiccups.

 

1) The only flex nib I've ever used (for five minutes at the Dallas Pen Show) was vintage, and it required only slightly more than zero pressure to flex. I was at first surprised how much I had to press (relatively) to get this nib to flex. I was actually afraid of springing the nib, so that made me even more cautious. I guess that's the difference between modern semi-flex and vintage flex, then? It actually seems to flex easier now that I've used it more, though I notice when it flexes the tines separate more like a Y than like | |. I suppose that's normal.

YES THAT IS NORMAL.

1a) I take it the gold flex nib W-E is working on is more like a vintage flex? If that's the case, count me in with the eagerly waiting masses.

 

2) I don't know why it didn't occur to me, but writing necessarily needs to be bigger to take advantage of the flex nib. My writing is normally very small. To have room to flex I need to make my words 3-4 bigger. Given how (relatively) hard I have to press on the nib, I also have to write slower. I think it would be very hard to write normally (i.e.: take notes) while flexing the whole time, at least with a semi-flex.

WHILE THE FLEX PART OF THE PENS ATTRIBUTES IS A GOOD THING, NOT ALL WRITING IS DONE WITH FLEX. I THINK YOU WILL FIND THE NORMAL WRITING WITH LIGHT TOUCH IS VERY RELIABLE, SMOOTH, AND EASY.

 

3) It's been about 20 hours since I've inked the pen and I've written with it a lot--or at least, flexed a lot--and used a lot of ink. Still, I'm surprised to find myself seeing skipping on vertical/slanted vertical strokes, either flexed or not flexed. Yet at the same time, normal writing appears unaffected. It might well be the ink. I'm using Monteverde Brown and it's a very ... odd ... thing. Every time I get out the bottle it takes me five minutes to open because the ink around the cap has turned into rubber cement. I pulled the converter to look and it still seems to have plenty of ink in it--the walls are coated, at least.

KEEP ME POSTED ON THIS, I AM CURIOUS ABOUT THE INK ISSUE, BUT IF IT KEEPS SKIPPING I WILL REPLACE THE NIN UNIT WITH A NEW ONE AT NO CHARGE.

 

4) Is everyone else's Skyliner blindcap flat at the tip, with unfinished looking plastic? It almost looks like the tip broke off or was chipped. It was like this when I got it out of the box, so I wasn't sure it wasn't just a side effect of the way the plastic is molded. I was gonna try to get a picture, by my iPhone 5 cannot focus for close up shots. At all. And when I pull the camera away the lighting washes out the blind cap. That aside, this is undoubtedly one of the most solidly built pens I own. It feels great in my hand and I can carry it without fear that it will break if it gets breathed on too hard.

EACH BLIND CAP COMES FROM THE MOLD WITH A TINY BIT OF PLASTIC FLASHING AT THE TIP. IT IS RUBBED OFF BEFORE THE PEN IS FINISHED BY RUBBING IN CIRCLES AND ARTICULATING THE PEN AGAINST SOFT CARDBOARD WHICH ALSO LEAVES A NICE SHEEN AT THE TIP. SOUNDS LIKE YOUR MAY HAVE MISSED THAT STEP. AGAIN I WILL SUPPLY A REPLACEMENT IF YOU WISH. FEEL FREE TO ATTEMPT THE RUB OFF I MENTIONED AND IF THAT DOES NOT REMOVE IT TO YOUR SATISFACTION, I WILL DEFINITELY REPLACE IT AT NO COST OR SHIPPING CHARGE.

SYD

 

(Again...I was not shouting)

 

Any comments or advice would be appreciated.

[johntdavis]

Sid, thanks for the responses. And it wouldn't be horrible if you were shouting. I could imagine I was getting technical support from BRIAN BLESSED.

 

As to the way the nib flexes, thanks for confirming it was normal. I figured it was but wanted to make sure.

 

I made a video of a writing session with the pen, to demonstrate the skipping problem I'm having. Since I'm having problems with the ink not coming out trying to take pictures didn't seem like it would be that helpful. I'm going to put the video up somewhere where not everyone can see it, and will post a link. I don't want people to get the wrong idea about this wonderful pen because mine is misbehaving.

 

The video also has a close up of the blind cap.

 

The weird thing is, it worked GREAT the first day. Flexing, not flexing, drawing, whatever...

 

I'm almost wondering if it's the ink, but i've never had a problem with it in my Pilot VP. Then again, that has a very different kind of feed...

[johntdavis]

Sid, thanks for the responses. And it wouldn't be horrible if you were shouting. I could imagine I was getting technical support from BRIAN BLESSED.

 

As to the way the nib flexes, thanks for confirming it was normal. I figured it was but wanted to make sure.

 

I made a video of a writing session with the pen, to demonstrate the skipping problem I'm having. Since I'm having problems with the ink not coming out trying to take pictures didn't seem like it would be that helpful. I'm going to put the video up somewhere where not everyone can see it, and will post a link. I don't want people to get the wrong idea about this wonderful pen because mine is misbehaving.

 

The video also has a close up of the blind cap.

 

The weird thing is, it worked GREAT the first day. Flexing, not flexing, drawing, whatever...

 

I'm almost wondering if it's the ink, but i've never had a problem with it in my Pilot VP. Then again, that has a very different kind of feed...

 

You might want to watch full screen to see the details. For record, unless I was trying to flex the nib, I was writing with zero pressure.

 

Is there any reason I shouldn't have flushed the pen with J.B.'s Perfect Pen Flush (standard ammonia dilute + sulficants--if anything, failing to get that out of the pen should have made it too wet/runny).

 

This is my first time using iMovie or posting a YouTube video. I was using an iPhone with a GorillaPod wrapped around a glass mug. Haven't figured out how to flip the video yet...

 

I also got a closeup of the blind cap.

Edited April 10, 2013 by johntdavis