Brand Loyalty

[ragpaper1817]

I notice that there are people who are very loyal to a brand of pen ( Parker, Pelikan, etc..) Is this normal? What causes this affliction?

[torstar]

The collectors on here probably have pens from at least 10 brands. We like our luxury models, our warhorses and that one pen that we have that nobody else has ever heard of.

[Notgatherox]

Isn't it like fans of Samsung, Apple etc? Or fans of Coke, Pepsi? Or even fans of McDonalds, KFC?

 

It probably has to do with the feelings one has to the brand, some quality that one admires in the brand etc.

 

I myself, am a Pelikan fan. They're piston fillers, they have easily swappable nibs and they were my first proper fountain pen.

 

 

 

~Epic

[ragpaper1817]

I am new to the fountain pen culture and think its great that there are such loyalist. Maybe someday I will be one.

[jar]

I am new to the fountain pen culture and think its great that there are such loyalist. Maybe someday I will be one.

 

I have pens made by at least two dozen different manufacturers and in many cases examples made by a company the went through several different ownerships and transitions. During the time I have been buying fountain pens Sheaffer, Parker, Waterman, Montegrappa, Montblanc, Cartier, Dunhill, Conway Stewart, Onoto, Wahl, Conklin, Omas and very likely others all changed ownership, several more than once.

[zaddick]

The collectors on here probably have pens from at least 10 brands. We like our luxury models, our warhorses and that one pen that we have that nobody else has ever heard of.

+1 especially about the random pens!

[Maurizio]

As a user not a collector, I've became a fan of Pilot pens simply because they write consistenly well right out of the box (OOTB) with no adjustment necessary. When I started buying fountain pens a long time ago I was such a novice that I didn't even flush them out at first. Almost every Pilot I have bought (now more than 10) has always written nicely right OOTB (one exception was a Custom Heritage 912 - but the company offered to adjust it gratis - no one or company's perfect).

 

Generally, Japanese pens from the big 3 are consistenly good. I havn't tried a Sailor yet, but the Platinum 3776 I had was also a great writer OOTB.

 

I have, and have had, other pens including Aurora, Shaeffer, Waterman Phileas (terrible), Platinum, Pelikan, Lamy, Noodler's, Cross. and Kaweco, and have hung on to pens which worked well (Aurora Talentum, Kaweco Sport) or which I liked simply because of design (Shaeffer Conaisseur). But I still seek out Pilots because they deliver what they promise: a good writing experience at a reasonable cost. Surely there are other companies which produce well functioning pens, and people buy them a for a varietly of reasons, as it should be with this pleasant avocation. But for me, like a Honda Civic, Pilot Pens deliver consistent value for money, as well as innovations such as the Vanishing Point & Falcon nibs.

 

I am not in any way affiliated, just a "fanboy".

[inkstainedruth]

Well, my first pens were cheapie Parker cartridge pens, so when I upgraded it was to a Vector (I still had cartridges). And then branched out from there when I temporarily lost that pen (and when I found my way to here, it was All Over -- just move me to the front of the line for the "Slippery Slope" ).

Nearly a third of the pens I own are Parkers (mostly vintage and semi-vintage at this point). That being said, I also have lots of other brands. And if I find something I like, I tend to try for "more of the same" (I've always been kinda like this -- at one point years ago I had five crewneck sweaters of the same brand, all in different colors, because I'd keep picking another one or two up when Sears would have a sale -- since I knew they'd fit.)

So, one Vector eventually begat 5 more. From one Sheaffer Snorkel, it became three. One Noodler's Konrad became a second because I liked the first one so much. Then I lost the first one. And got a replacement in that color, and another one, and an ebonite one. And the Esterbrooks, with the huge range of nib units? Multiplied like rabbits.... And that was with ONLY buying mackerel J-series pens....

The current stash? Lots of Parkers (a couple of dozen) at this point, including six 51s (seven if you count the 51 Special). Lots of Esties. Seven Noodler's pens (Konrads and FPCs). Three Snorkels, plus 2/3 of a Sheaffer calligraphy set (the pen with the medium nib is lost in my house); and a Craig ringtop with a music nib. Five Pelikans. Four or five low end Platinums (if you count the Preppy highlighter pen). Four Morrisons, three Arnolds. Some cheap ($5 US or less) Chinese pens. Three cheap Kuretake brush pens.

Mind you, about a third of the stash is in need of repairs to get working....

But it's very easy (and safe) to say "I really like X", I wouldn't say no to getting another one" (different nib width, different color, different model): liked the Parker 21 I picked up so well that got me to really want a 51; after my first Vac, I started looking at other sizes and colors. Read up on 61s and the really cool fill system -- now I have two. Ditto for the Sheaffer Snorkels. And if I could find a Morrison ringtop with a sterling filigree overlay that was the twin of my gold-fill filigree overlay for a reasonable price? Sure, absolutely....

Ya go with what works....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[JotterAddict62]

For me I try to keep it simple [ PARKER ]. 95% of every pen I own is a Parker in one form or another. [ I mean anything related to Parker ] I am learning about the other brands, have about 12 Esterbrooks and the rest of what I have are the 3rd tier lot of mixed brands. I know enough when I see a FP that is not a Parker out in the wild at a good price I will bag it when pen hunting.

[Elana]

I think everyone's brand loyalty comes from a different, quite personal place.

 

I am naturally inclined toward brand loyalty, whether it's stationery, cosmetics, electronics, or anything else. I'm interested in a company's ethics, aesthetic, even their history. I like to feel that I am 'supporting' something that I believe in.

 

When it comes to Pilot pens (which constitute a healthy majority of my collection), I believe it is largely because I 'imprinted' on them when I bought my first Kakuno. That friendly little pen built a personal relationship with me, so naturally its extended brand family would also strike me as safe places to branch out.

 

Specific to fountain pens, for me at least, the converters create their own level of brand investment. I bought a whole bunch of Pilot converters so that my upper limit of inked up Pilot pens would be... well, really quite unnecessary. Like I'll just toss an extra Pilot converter into a shopping cart without a second thought. But if I buy a pen from any other brand, I consciously keep a one-to-one ratio of converter to pen, and each converter feels like an extra 'expense' in a different way. "If this was a Pilot, I wouldn't have to buy this converter." Irrational perhaps, but does change the feelings around making the purchase.

 

Cartridges have the same effect; I keep a bunch of Pilot cartridges for emergencies when on the go, but buying a cartridge for any other brand feels like a complete waste of money to me.

 

Also, Pilot is a Japanese company, and I have Japanese heritage. Almost all of my pens are from one of the big Japanese pen companies; literally the only exceptions are two Lamys I bought and haven't even used yet. Not only do I enjoy Japanese aesthetic and quality, but I like supporting the Japanese economy (I especially felt that way after the tsunami). I tend to enjoy Japanese things in all aspects of my life: craft, media, cuisine, etc. It gives me a feeling of nostalgia and safety, and brings me closer to my mother. But even among the Japanese brands I collect, I favour Pilot the most for my everyday pens. As another Pilot fan stated above, they just write really well Which is a great closer for my extended dissertation on Pilot pens, thank you and good night!!

Edited May 13, 2015 by Elana

[penxade]

I am not that knowledgeable about fountain pens. (I'm still struggling to decide which pen I should use as my first one.)

 

I have heard awful things said by people about fountain pens of X and Y company which leaks a lot, is overly priced etc.

 

I think that this kind of fear plus the fact that a lot of people buy pens online, they can't write with the pen of a specific model in a physical pen shop and therefore everything is infinitely more subjective to word of mouth. They don't really want to waste some money on a pen that's not similar to what they've used. A pen that could be uncomfortable in the end. I'm having the same problems.

Edited May 13, 2015 by penxade

[torstar]

I am not that knowledgeable about fountain pens. (I'm still struggling to decide which pen I should use as my first one.)

 

I have heard awful things said by people about fountain pens of X and Y company which leaks a lot, is overly priced etc.

 

I think that this kind of fear plus the fact that a lot of people buy pens online, they can't write with the pen of a specific model in a physical pen shop and therefore everything is infinitely more subjective to word of mouth. They don't really want to waste some money on a pen that's not similar to what they've used. A pen that could be uncomfortable in the end. I'm having the same problems.

 

Good point on buying pens off the internet. I try to give the stores a chance to be competitive, recent purchases online have been for vintage pens.

 

I don't buy expensive pens any more and like stores (like Wonderpens.ca on the way home) to tempt me into impulse purchases on reasonable expenditures.

[Hector67]

Here at the FPN you will find about everything. Some are random brand collectors, some are brand oriented and some even go as far as collecting every version of an specific model of a certain brand. That is what makes this forum such a fun and educating place to visit! You learn from years and years of experience from collectors, traders, experts and users in every imaginable brand and model.

 

Me: not a brand loyalist. I trend to buy Montblanc more often than other but I find other brands very atractive and buy their pens. The two things I base my purchases on is that I really like the pen and that it will be a pen I will use.

[ragpaper1817]

Some really great responses here. If If I may ask, is pen quality really influenced by changes in company ownership? The machinery and employees are the same.

[torstar]

Some really great responses here. If If I may ask, is pen quality really influenced by changes in company ownership? The machinery and employees are the same.

 

Anything reformulated always get bad reviews.

[rwilsonedn]

Some really great responses here. If If I may ask, is pen quality really influenced by changes in company ownership? The machinery and employees are the same.

That's a whole new subject. In principle you have a point--if only the owners change, what difference does it make? But there are degrees of change.

Even at the least degree, new owners impart a new feel on a company--they may instill pride and expertise, or they may undermine them.

Often new owners purchased the company because they felt it could be more profitable, and so they institute cost cuts: fewer finishing or QC steps, third-party nibs, less expensive materials, or lower-paid employees for instance. They may be making the same brands on the same machines, but with quite different results. You can really see that in the deterioration of some vintage brands as they came under pressure first from the Great Depression and then the ballpoint.

Sometimes new owners don't actually buy the company: they only buy the name and maybe the patents. So they may start up an entirely new business: for example importing parts, or whole pens, from China and branding them with a classic brand name. The result will be entirely different. Conversely, a few brand names have been restarted by craftsmen determined to make a better pen than the original. They often succeed too, at least for a while.

So yes, it makes a difference.

ron

[DanceOfLight]

I suppose some of us are enamoured by a brand (childhood connections... anyone), some of us by the meterial (Precious metals, 18K nibs, shiny bits of sea shell etc), some philosophy (tool / Art / beauty) and some can be explained easily by consulting Mr Freud

[flipper_gv]

Honestly it's real simple.

 

If a specific approach to the fountain pen design appeals to you, there is a good chance the rest of the brand has a similar approach across its range. You then end up liking this brand more than others.

 

That simple.

Edited May 13, 2015 by flipper_gv

[ragpaper1817]

That is true. Each brand has it's design characteristics that appeal to people.

[aardvarkbark]

I'm fond of a couple of particular models -- DolceVita mid-size and vintage Paragon. I've bought multiple versions of both because they are very comfortable in my hand, write smoothly, offer piston fill, and, when I've needed a nib exchange or service, I know that I can count on Yafa and Kenro (US distributors for Delta and Omas, respectively). I have no interest in other styles offered by these manufacturers, so it might be a stretch to say I have true brand loyalty.

Edited May 14, 2015 by aardvarkbark