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Romillo Nervión


mongrelnomad

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Well there you go..if and when the pen does collect dust, as some pens eventually do..I mean who truly knows that the pen you like is going to be one you will use for the rest of your life? How are you going to sell it if there isn't any significant resale value?

 

The Romillo is also a pen that you won't get a chance to handle before buying..For all you know, you may dislike it from the very start..How are you going to sell it then?

Why do you think a Romillo wont have any resale value? I see near new Montblancs on this site sell for almost half their value all the time.

 

If I don't like the way the Romillo writes I should be able to have it adjusted to suit me or worse case I could sell it and if I get $3 for it that would be sad but at least I would have got to try it. I could have waited until my trip to Spain later this year to try beforehand but I am impatient so it's worth the risk to me.

 

It's hard to get everything right all the time.

 

 

The question, which I pose respectfully, is whether the Romillo line is closer to Saville Row or to Tonganoxie. It was Mongrelnomad who initially drew the comparison. His honest description of his Nervion has left me rather uneasy. Thus far, I find myself drawn a bit to Montblanc, which I assure you was completely unanticipated, and I am now put somewhat aback by ebonite pens and feeds. But this is an early appraisal and I look forward to learning a good deal more, especially once your very own Romillo is sitting on your desk. I'll bet you are counting the days.

Haha I guess I will just have to wait and see. I like Montblanc pens especially the old ones. I think it is true that ebonite is a bit more polarizing than resin or celluloid and unfinished it certainly isn't my favorite body material but I am not sure what is wrong with ebonite feeds...I have flown a good amount now with my pens (most of which have ebonite feeds) and I haven't had any real problems...I am careful to store the pens with the nibs pointing up though.

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Why do you think a Romillo wont have any resale value? I see near new Montblancs on this site sell for almost half their value all the time.

 

If I don't like the way the Romillo writes I should be able to have it adjusted to suit me or worse case I could sell it and if I get $3 for it that would be sad but at least I would have got to try it. I could have waited until my trip to Spain later this year to try beforehand but I am impatient so it's worth the risk to me.

 

It's hard to get everything right all the time.

 

Well honestly, how often do you see second hand, hand-turned pens having any significant resale value? Romilo just isn't big enough yet to have anything resembling a resale value. For MB, that half price is as good as most resale value gets, and is probably better than most.

Romilo is a gamble tbh. Its something that for me, if it turns out nice and is a treasure then I'll be lucky. If not, then its just a lot of money wasted for a pen that I will essentially have significant difficulties selling. For me, its not worth the risk unless I can see and handle the pen itself and know that I'll like it..

It isn't easy to get things right all the time, but I do try ;)

Fountain pens are like weapons. They just make your pocket bleed so much.

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First of all, I'd like to congrats and thank Mongrelnomad for this review!

 

After I read postings by Mongrelnomad, Sblakers, Keyless Works, and a few others, I bought two days ago a previously owned Romillo Sil #9 at 1/3 off the retail price. A great deal and I was first in line and there are many lined up.

There is also EO #9 asking 95% of the retail price and I suspect that it'll take a few days.

 

I came from Leica world and for those who knows Leica they cost a fortune. It is the only camera and lens of used gears that has increased in value over the years that I actually made money from it, but not on their digital M's.

Both are a tools for making a records. The camera for pen body and the lens for the nibs.

Each and every lens has a different signatures that the photogs and artists after a specific look. Someone's treasure is someone else's trash.

 

I have sold a few Leicas so I could afford some good pens. I still have couple of Leica and lenses that I'll keep.

 

There is always a demand for a pen that's handmade bespoke and especially hand hammered nibs and it's a one hell of a beautiful nib.

I bought it just for the look of the nib. Sil #9 looks a bit slim for my liking but I have to see and handle it.

I look forward to my newly acquired Sil #9 and I don't think I'll have problem selling at the cost of what I bought.

 

Believe me there are demands for Romillo.

Edited by Sketch and Doodle
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First of all, I'd like to congrats and thank Mongrelnomad for this review!

 

After I read postings by Mongrelnomad, Sblakers, Keyless Works, and a few others, I bought two days ago a previously owned Romillo Sil #9 at 1/3 off the retail price. A great deal and I was first in line and there are many lined up.

There is also EO #9 asking 95% of the retail price and I suspect that it'll take a few days.

 

I came from Leica world and for those who knows Leica they cost a fortune. It is the only camera and lens of used gears that has increased in value over the years that I actually made money from it, but not on their digital M's.

Both are a tools for making a records. The camera for pen body and the lens for the nibs.

Each and every lens has a different signatures that the photogs and artists after a specific look. Someone's treasure is someone else's trash.

 

I have sold a few Leicas so I could afford some good pens. I still have couple of Leica and lenses that I'll keep.

 

There is always a demand for a pen that's handmade bespoke and especially hand hammered nibs and it's a one hell of a beautiful nib.

I bought it just for the look of the nib. Sil #9 looks a bit slim for my liking but I have to see and handle it.

I look forward to my newly acquired Sil #9 and I don't think I'll have problem selling at the cost of what I bought.

 

Believe me there are demands for Romillo.

I'll just leave a picture of my camera here... ;)

 

15246696621_d6552e2d3a_b.jpg

Edited by mongrelnomad

Too many pens; too little writing.

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It seems strange to me to buy a fountain pen because of resale value...I suppose if you are unsure about liking the pen that might have some weight but I just buy what looks interesting and sell off the pens start collecting dust.

I must admit, resale value has played a role in some, if not most, of my recent pen purchases. I've been fortunate - over the years I have successfully sold a number of pens that I found not suited for me (though quite a number were excellent pens, otherwise, just not for me:)), and have learned that careful purchases can minimize any loss should you decide to sell the pen.

 

Of course, in light of this review, I'd set aside such considerations for a Romillo purchase - the hand fashioned nibs are well worth the risk!

Edited by playtime

"Writing is 1/3 nib width & flex, 1/3 paper and 1/3 ink. In that order."Bo Bo Olson

"No one needs to rotate a pen while using an oblique, in fact, that's against the whole concept of an oblique, which is to give you shading without any special effort."Professor Propas, 24 December 2010

 

"IMHO, the only advantage of the 149 is increased girth if needed, increased gold if wanted and increased prestige if perceived. I have three, but hardly ever use them. After all, they hold the same amount of ink as a 146."FredRydr, 12 March 2015

 

"Surely half the pleasure of life is sardonic comment on the passing show."Sir Peter Strawson

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My sketch and My black M2

 

 

A black M2, rigid summicron, a Luigi (?) half case and the strap - also Luigi or an A&A?

IWC watch.

 

Nice very nice.

 

Pens not bad either :)

Sketch beautiful.

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Romillo pens.

I had not heard of them until I stumbled here.

I must say that were I to think of getting something like this, Romillo would be my choice.

 

A very even handed review - always useful to see pros and cons.

I must say I am a little surprised that pens such as these do not have tighter QC - at least yours didn't.

Nevertheless, it looks beautiful.

Edited by Diderot
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As to the comment of pens leaking, I travel quite a bit for work and have always carried 4-5 pens with me. On my previous trips, I only carried modern pens and those that have modern plastic feeds. They all did very well adjusting to cabin pressure during take off and landing. I did not do anything special with regard to positioning the pens. This last trip, I also brought along 2 pens that were different. One was a modern pen with a hand cut ebonite feed, and one vintage nib with a vintage feed in a modern body. While the modern plastic feed pens again faired well, the vintage feed and hand cut ebonite feed unfortunately leaked. So hearing that your pen leaked actually would be normal if it were put under pressure.

 

One of the problems that Mongrelnoman reported was that his pen leaked twice, once during an abrupt change in barometric pressure. When I read the comment above, I posted a question on another thread that had discussed the pros and cons of ebonite feeds at length. My question is whether an ebonite feed is more likely to leak than a plastic feed if there is an abrupt change in barometric pressure. Here is the answer I received:

 

no. the material has little to no bearing, it is the design of the feeder that matters. A feeder that is well capable of mitigating the effects of sudden pressure changes has to have a large ink buffering capacity. This is achieved by increasing the surface area of the capillary spaces, this means numerous very thin fins are needed. It is much easier and cheaper to create these heavily finned feeds using plastic injection molding. a good example of a modern intricately finned ebonite feeder is the feeder found on Aurora optima etc.

 

Based on what I've read here, if a new pen of good or high quality were to leak even on a rapid descent from 40,000 feet, I would would return it for repair.

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I'll just leave a picture of my camera here... ;)

 

15246696621_d6552e2d3a_b.jpg

:notworthy1: :notworthy1: :notworthy1: :notworthy1: :notworthy1:

 

This is the grail set for Leica! :puddle:

 

I used to have MP with 50 ASPH Summilux. Was too good for me to keep.

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A black M2, rigid summicron, a Luigi (?) half case and the strap - also Luigi or an A&A?

IWC watch.

 

Nice very nice.

 

Pens not bad either :)

Sketch beautiful.

Dual Range Summicron late version. Goggle rangefinder not shown in the photo.

Luigi half case.

 

The drawing was done with Stipula Bertinoro which en route to Firenze.

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This is an enlightening review, but just a bit shocking. I expected that if you plunk down over a thousand dollars for a handmade fountain pen, what you will get will be spot-on: impeccably crafted, a personalized nib, and flawless. Mongrelnomad asked whether I would prefer a Romillo Essential 9 to a Montblanc writer's edition. I had never thought of buying a Montblanc, but the Johannes Brahms is a beautiful pen and the specifications are just about right for me. Given what I have read here, he should not be too quick to assume that I would choose the Romillo over a Brahms plus a lifetime of ink. On the other hand, I might be making too much of a single review and look forward to reading what Keyless Works has to say once his Romillo arrives.

 

The finish is not flawless, but I have also had Montblancs that disintegrated in the first month (a sterling 146 whose piston snapped), others that haven't written out of the box (baby bottom nib more than once). Don't assume the QC on Montblanc will be any better, and I would prefer to deal with Alvaro in the case of a problem than the minions of a giant, faceless, corporation.

 

What a fantastic review with beautifully clear pictures. I love how you leave a question hanging at the end. I respect these guys for making their own nibs and not using boring generic nibs which is my pet peeve with most handmade fountain pens. That nib looks nice and huge with long tines which makes me suspect that it may be at the very least, a little bit soft and springy if not flexy.

 

Thing is though..I didn't find the ebonite pen to be nicely polished at all..it seemed rather..unfinished..tbh..

 

It would have been so much better if they just made this pen a cartridge converter rather than a messy eye dropper.

 

Hmm..it is a little conflicting though, as much as I hope you enjoy your pen, for the price these guys charge, I'd be able to buy a nice MB with solid resale value..Oh well..Just my two cents!

 

The finish was disappointing, but I have grown inured to it. If anything, it makes me less reluctant to use the pen out and about. Regarding resale price - I would never buy anything I own with even a single eye on any other possible future owner. IMO that is a sure route to simply not buying what you want. That said, if you check recent sold prices for pre-loved custom, hand-made pens by Romillo and Hakase, I think you will be surprised to find them trading with substantially less than the accepted ~50% discount for a similar Montblanc (with a few notable exceptions). Minimal supply, high barriers to entry, an assumption that the previous owner treated it well: all these factors will keep the price buoyant for the foreseeable future.

 

Another point is actually the kimono was probably a necessary addition. This pen is massive. Most pen cases don't even fit the MB 149, and his is so much bigger. If they didn't provide you with a case, how were you going to carry your pen around?

 

I carry the Romillo in a zipped Faber Castell pen case. Fits perfectly. http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31uj8CXuY0L._SY355_.jpg

 

Congrats for this beautifull acquisition!!

What frightens me a bit is the eyedropper system.

The hand made nib idea is very attractive though.

I think we need more of this kind of added value products , like bulkfiller ,...

Don't even get me started on bulkfillers (I'm waiting [im]patiently for my Flanders Feilds LE)!

 

Thank you for an excellent review Mongrelnomad, truly helpful and insightful.

 

One thing I am slightly alarmed about is the flexibility of this "firm" grade nib. The line variation in the writing sample is at worst noticeable :)

 

I want a firm nib - the custom aspect surely must mean that Romillo can deliver on this if I follow through with my intention to order in November? Welcome your thoughts on this.

Ask Álvaro. This is 'rigid'... it's not rigid.

Too many pens; too little writing.

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One of the problems that Mongrelnoman reported was that his pen leaked twice, once during an abrupt change in barometric pressure. When I read the comment above, I posted a question on another thread that had discussed the pros and cons of ebonite feeds at length. My question is whether an ebonite feed is more likely to leak than a plastic feed if there is an abrupt change in barometric pressure. Here is the answer I received:

 

 

Based on what I've read here, if a new pen of good or high quality were to leak even on a rapid descent from 40,000 feet, I would would return it for repair.

 

I wish this was the case. The only pens with which I've never had any leaking issues are pens with shut-off valves (Bulkfillers, vacuum fillers, etc). I don't think this is a sign of a 'faulty' Romillo, it just contradicted the assurance given by the company.

Too many pens; too little writing.

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:notworthy1: :notworthy1: :notworthy1: :notworthy1: :notworthy1:

 

This is the grail set for Leica! :puddle:

 

I used to have MP with 50 ASPH Summilux. Was too good for me to keep.

 

I was trundling past the Leica store in Tokyo when I glimpsed this in a cabinet inside. Nearly fainted with excitement. There was no way I wasn't taking it home. It is my favourite camera (though my black paint MP gets more of a workout). Not a huge fan of the 50 Summilux ASPH, though. The floating element catches when you're focussing, meaning it isn't as buttery smooth as it could be. According to Solms "they all do that Sir". No mind though, I have plenty of other 50s (Elmar 2.8 collapsible, rigid Summicron, Noctilux f1.0 and f0.95)...

 

Your M2 is rather gorgeous... the inspiration behind the MP-3's exposure dial!

Edited by mongrelnomad

Too many pens; too little writing.

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I was trundling past the Leica store in Tokyo when I glimpsed this in a cabinet inside. Nearly fainted with excitement. There was no way I wasn't taking it home. It is my favourite camera (though my black paint MP gets more of a workout). Not a huge fan of the 50 Summilux ASPH, though. The floating element catches when you're focussing, meaning it isn't as buttery smooth as it could be. According to Solms "they all do that Sir". No mind though, I have plenty of other 50s (Elmar 2.8 collapsible, rigid Summicron, Noctilux f1.0 and f0.95)...

 

Your M2 is rather gorgeous... the inspiration behind the MP-3's exposure dial!

The "crème de la crème" of Leica. I admire you.

Having gone through M2, M3, M4, M6, M6ttl, M7, MP, M8, M9/ I stopped at M9, out of all M's I love M2.

I can't justify having expensive gear for a personal work. I had to let go in order to have another.

 

I now only have left Black (re-painted) M2 and Chrome M2.

I especially love the black exposed dial.

For me it's the most soft sounding M's due to worn brass gears. The newest M's have bright clinking metal sound.

 

For me, I do my best work just using a piece of charcoal stick and a paint brush. Hence my Avatar.

 

All the best!

Edited by Sketch and Doodle
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The "crème de la crème" of Leica. I admire you.

Having gone through M2, M3, M4, M6, M6ttl, M7, MP, M8, M9/ I stopped at M9, out of all M's I love M2.

I can't justify having expensive gear for a personal work. I had to let go in order to have another.

 

I now only have left Black (re-painted) M2 and Chrome M2.

I especially love the black exposed dial.

For me it's the most soft sounding M's due to worn brass gears. The newest M's have bright clinking metal sound.

 

For me, I do my best work just using a piece of charcoal stick and a paint brush. Hence my Avatar.

 

All the best!

 

Interesting re MP.

I don't have one but have used one on and off, and although they are lovely objects, I could never justify the price hike over an M3/M4 which are essentially an MP without a meter.

I also rate the M7 highly and although it does not feel quite as dense as an M3/4 or MP, it still is a fantastic workhorse.

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I wish this was the case. The only pens with which I've never had any leaking issues are pens with shut-off valves (Bulkfillers, vacuum fillers, etc). I don't think this is a sign of a 'faulty' Romillo, it just contradicted the assurance given by the company.

 

According to information posted on another thread, Romillo began using the feed that hari317 described above about two years ago. Either you have a defective pen, an old model, or a factory second. If there is a defect, it would interesting to read your review after you have it repaired.

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According to information posted on another thread, Romillo began using the feed that hari317 described above about two years ago. Either you have a defective pen, an old model, or a factory second. If there is a defect, it would interesting to read your review after you have it repaired.

I have no idea about the Romillo feeds, where did you read my description of the Romillo feed?

In case you wish to write to me, pls use ONLY email by clicking here. I do not check PMs. Thank you.

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According to information posted on another thread, Romillo began using the feed that hari317 described above about two years ago. Either you have a defective pen, an old model, or a factory second. If there is a defect, it would interesting to read your review after you have it repaired.

 

That's a bit of a leap there. Considering the numbers manufactured, the age of these feeds (ie. since the new in-house nibs have been used) and the size of the company, I don't think any of the above are realistic assumptions... I think it is simply a case of the eyedropper mechanism not being as foolproof as assumed...

 

I have no idea about the Romillo feeds, where did you read my description of the Romillo feed?

 

^ Yup.

Too many pens; too little writing.

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