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Graf Von Faber Castell Fp's. Any Recommendations Please?


Chrissy

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I saw some of these pens yesterday in a pen shop in Oxford.

 

I just wondered if anyone has one and what they think of them.

 

How does the Fine nib compare with other brands, and are they all slimline pens?

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I had the GvFC Intuition all black resin FP with a Medium 18K nib a few years ago. It is a short and thick pen which can be used with the cap posted. I also had the platino rollerball version of it and a Guilloche BP. I can say that the engineering, materials used, craftsmanship are superior to many other well known brands. GvFC produces really fine writing instruments. As for quality, you will not be dissappointed.

 

As for the writing performance on the pen, I sometimes had starting issues. It needed a few strokes to start laying down ink, maybe due to the fact that it used a c/c filler system or the nib had a baby bottom (I did not know this term in those days). I tried to flush it many times hoping that it will be better over time, with no success, eventually sold it on the bay. I think it was my bad luck.

 

It also had a very interesting mechanism to remove the section. You would turn the chrome end cap anti-clockwise to remove the section. One drawback (at least to some screw-on cap fans) could be the push on cap but I think it is a modern design that GvFC chose to use on this pen. It secured with a confident click, no issues at all.

 

I had the experience with the medium nib, once it started to write it was a wet and smooth writer and like most of the European medium size nibs, a little bit on the broader side to my taste. If I had the opportunity to buy it again, I would select the fine nib.

 

And another thing that you may be interested in. If you are not addicted to the specific GvFC brand, you may also look into Otto Hutt pens. According to the information I got from the authorized seller here, they are produced in the same factory. I also had one Otto Hutt Design 04 pen which was extremely similar to GvFC's I had, regarding materials and craftsmanship. It was a top notch writing instrument, elegant and built like a German Leopard tank.

 

Just don't rush, as resale value of GvFC's are considerably lower than its counterparts, Montblanc, Pelikan etc. If you have the opportunity to try before buying, please do so.

 

Good luck!

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Chrissy, the Classics and Guilloche lines are slim. The Intuition line is much fatter and the wood Intuition pens fatter than the resin ones and with a larger nib. I find the quality and attention to detail superior to Montblanc or Pelikan and the after sales support far superior. The warranty is "Lifetime" instead of just two years.

 

All the ones I have are wet writers and totally forgiving when it comes to inks. They seem to like anything I've tried in them.

 

Otto Hutt is another fine German product but not made in the same factory or even the same town as the Graf von Faber Castell fountain pens.

 

I've reviewed many of my GvFC pens but IIRC they are all listed under "F" (for Faber? ) instead of "G".

 

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Hi Chrissy,

 

I have a GvFC Anello in ivory and platinum - I've been using it for about two years on and off and it's never let me down. I wouldn't say that it's the most thrilling pen to write with, but if it's been sat in the box for a while and I pick it up not only does it write flawlessly first time but it always makes me remember how attractive a pen it is!

 

Mine's fitted with a medium nib and it writes pretty much as expected. The build quality seems to be very good and the nib is attractive, if a little on the small side maybe.

post-84145-0-36324900-1394647495_thumb.jpg

Hope this helps.

 

Roy

izods fine writing instruments

 

t: +44 (0) 7464 637772 e: roy@izods.ink w: izods.ink

 

specialists in new and used fine writing instruments

 

http://s29.postimg.org/fjb7qmr7b/Main_Mockup2.jpgimage1.jpgdownload.jpg

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Thank you all for those comments.

 

In that picture, the GvFC certainly looks slimmer than the Visconti and the errrr Aurora(?)

 

I saw their fabulous ink bottle, that oozed quality, and despite it being the only one in the shop and it being Cobalt Blue rather than the rather nice looking Moss Green, I had to bring it home with me, just to own a bottle.

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I have the walden woods LE pen and Royvdbb and Jar are spot on in my experience. They are fantastic pens! Only pen I've used that will literally take any ink I throw at it. I used to use it as my tester pen but found that I could never get a good gauge of the inks flow because no matter what I put in it, it always wrote wet- but not too wet. The nib on my pen is nice and springy too. Construction is first rate as well.

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Thank you all for those comments.

 

In that picture, the GvFC certainly looks slimmer than the Visconti and the errrr Aurora(?)

 

I saw their fabulous ink bottle, that oozed quality, and despite it being the only one in the shop and it being Cobalt Blue rather than the rather nice looking Moss Green, I had to bring it home with me, just to own a bottle.

 

Spot on, it's an Aurora Talentum - a very decent every day writer! It's on the slimmer side, but in that colour scheme it works.

 

It's very difficult to say exactly why I like it so much, but it just seems to tick the boxes. It's never going to be the most dramatic pen, but strangely it does get a fair share of admiring glances... and as previously mentioned, it always writes perfectly regardless of whether it's sat in its box for a month or if it's an ink that can be a bit tricky in other pens. If it was a piston filler then I'd like it even more.

 

Roy

izods fine writing instruments

 

t: +44 (0) 7464 637772 e: roy@izods.ink w: izods.ink

 

specialists in new and used fine writing instruments

 

http://s29.postimg.org/fjb7qmr7b/Main_Mockup2.jpgimage1.jpgdownload.jpg

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  • 4 weeks later...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/mikefarha/IMG_0266_zpsc571c932.jpg

 

You can get most of the finer ones at significant discounts compared to some of the other big name German pens. Writes similar to Pelikan and presence equal to MB just not as know. Heavy pens that are very very nice. Would I pass on say an Alfred Hitchcock for a POTY? Probably not, but even the older Writer's aren't the same quality.

 

This POTY is a Piston filler, blind cap, 18 K M nib that writes more like a fine, a lot of heft and imposing. Great writer that I enjoy.

 

 

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I have a classic with pernambuco wood. A quality pen with good writing characteristics. I enjoy the wood feel in my hands and the nib (M) lays down a fuss free line once the ink gets going after a while in the case. I really like how the cap on my pen screws on so quickly and easily.

 

The Pen of the Year series is a solid value on the gray market.

If you want less blah, blah, blah and more pictures, follow me on Instagram!

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From a quality perspective I don't you can find anything truly better than GvFC. I had one in the past and I discovered that metal sections were not for me. I know there are some new ones that don't have metal sections but they aren't winning me over in the looks department.

 

If you like the pen and it feels good in your hand I don't think you will have any regrets.

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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/mikefarha/IMG_0266_zpsc571c932.jpg

 

You can get most of the finer ones at significant discounts compared to some of the other big name German pens. Writes similar to Pelikan and presence equal to MB just not as know. Heavy pens that are very very nice. Would I pass on say an Alfred Hitchcock for a POTY? Probably not, but even the older Writer's aren't the same quality.

 

This POTY is a Piston filler, blind cap, 18 K M nib that writes more like a fine, a lot of heft and imposing. Great writer that I enjoy.

 

Great looking pen!

 

I have an Intuition in Terracotta.

 

Very solid well made pen with a great nib, no starting issues. A wet medium smooth writer. Cap is a solid snap on rather than screw on.

 

The POTY maybe different, but as someone else alluded to, mine is a little souless, even though it does everything well.

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POTY is interesting. It is blind cap and hides a piston filler. It is a screw on cap unlike the snap on regular editions. The metal is probably off-putting to some, but it is very substantial like MB for example Jules Verne. I would say if someone considers Pelikan and the nibs they do soulless one might feel the same way here. The nibs and the pens have some of the utilitarian nature of the other two big German makers, but value wise you get more especially at what some are selling them for. I love the POTY 2008. Then again I love MB bigger pens like the 149 Hemingway. But I also love the sexy Italians and Japanese. So I like soulful and soulless alike.

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that POTY is so beautiful, i showed that to my g/f she was in disbelief.

 

let me guess they weaved it into a tube then cast in lacquer/resin and polished into sheen? im looking at how they made it that way and does it have such spectacular depth ?

 

 

blah another holy grail pen to be put on my list... :)

'The Yo-Yo maneuver is very difficult to explain. It was first perfected by the well-known Chinese fighter pilot Yo-Yo Noritake. He also found it difficult to explain, being quite devoid of English.

So we left it at that. He showed us the maneuver after a sort. B*****d stole my kill.'

-Squadron Leader K. G. Holland, RAF. WWII China.

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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/mikefarha/IMG_0266_zpsc571c932.jpg

 

You can get most of the finer ones at significant discounts compared to some of the other big name German pens. Writes similar to Pelikan and presence equal to MB just not as know. Heavy pens that are very very nice. Would I pass on say an Alfred Hitchcock for a POTY? Probably not, but even the older Writer's aren't the same quality.

 

This POTY is a Piston filler, blind cap, 18 K M nib that writes more like a fine, a lot of heft and imposing. Great writer that I enjoy.

 

 

That is a fabulous looking pen, even without seeing it's nib. The fact that it's a piston filler is even better.

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  • 4 months later...

Well, I do know one thing for sure: the Basic is comically heavy and thus uncomfortable to write with. They are beautiful pens, for me especially because I like wooden pens. I don't know much about the nibs, though. Sorry if this post has not been of help -_-

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Chrissy, the Classics and Guilloche lines are slim. The Intuition line is much fatter and the wood Intuition pens fatter than the resin ones and with a larger nib. I find the quality and attention to detail superior to Montblanc or Pelikan and the after sales support far superior. The warranty is "Lifetime" instead of just two years.

 

All the ones I have are wet writers and totally forgiving when it comes to inks. They seem to like anything I've tried in them.

 

Otto Hutt is another fine German product but not made in the same factory or even the same town as the Graf von Faber Castell fountain pens.

 

I've reviewed many of my GvFC pens but IIRC they are all listed under "F" (for Faber? ) instead of "G".

 

I second everything that Jar has said and GvFC, together with Waterman and Omas are my very best FP favorites. I also love the Otto Hutt Design 4's, great, stylish product.

 

One of the smoothest nibs I have ever had and gorgeous designs are the Intuition Platino Grenadlla (shown below) and Intuition Platino Pernambuco models.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/229850-the-other-german-pens/?p=2519250

 

Graf%25203.jpg

Best regards,
Steve Surfaro
Fountain Pen Fun
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Paris | Venezia

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I second everything that Jar has said and GvFC, together with Waterman and Omas are my very best FP favorites. I also love the Otto Hutt Design 4's, great, stylish product.

 

One of the smoothest nibs I have ever had and gorgeous designs are the Intuition Platino Grenadlla (shown below) and Intuition Platino Pernambuco models.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/229850-the-other-german-pens/?p=2519250

 

Graf%25203.jpg

The intuition is perhaps one of the best Graf Faber Von Castell I would recommand, outstanding craftsmanship and workmanship on these, if you have more money then get a pen of the year made with rare materials.

Pens are like watches , once you start a collection, you can hardly go back. And pens like all fine luxury items do improve with time

 

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