True Writer Pen Collection - So Far

[Misfit]

The code is VIPFALL @mge01park

 

I like the fiber tip too. I have one TW rollerball, and got it one of those refills.  

[mge01park]

Thank you @Misfit. I have as many RBs probably as FPs, but they’re older starting from the 90’s. In recent years like 5-6, I’ve only bought the two Select Groups and two ballpoints, one was orange and one was turquoise. I don’t have the actual names but I can check. The fiber tip are really good in all sizes. 

[mge01park]

Did we fall off the cliff? I bought nothing on NFPD! A new Levenger catalog is arriving today. The Levenger Great Gatsby Fountain Pen on the cover @$135.50 (how the $.50, mindboggling), not me, even with the discount, it’s still going to cost $110. 🫰.

[Misfit]

I don’t understand the pricing sometimes. Like the TW Great Gatsby, as well as the $149 for a Retro 51 fountain pen. It’s like they don’t want us to buy them. 

[Ceramicist]

46 minutes ago, Misfit said:

I don’t understand the pricing sometimes. Like the TW Great Gatsby, as well as the $149 for a Retro 51 fountain pen. It’s like they don’t want us to buy them. 

I think it's their way of offering exclusivity for those who want to spend the money so their name remains synonymous with luxury brand. It can be off-putting for their faithful customers who regularly purchase their products. 

[Misfit]

Well said @Ceramicist

[mge01park]

12 hours ago, Ceramicist said:

I think it's their way of offering exclusivity for those who want to spend the money so their name remains synonymous with luxury brand. It can be off-putting for their faithful customers who regularly purchase their products. 

As a Levenger customer since the mid 90s and somebody who would go to the HQs/warehouse/store weekly in FL and then the nearby retail store in the late 90s to the 2000s & knew several employees and ownership somewhat, I have respect for the reputation of the Company. I’ve had many conversations with employees there through the years and even with current management. I also have respect for the TW in general. The TW prototype has never changed, they’re produced in China and I feel they’re overpriced nowadays. Their cost must be fairly nominal even with tariffs and it’s hard to buy a new one when you know they’ll be super discounted eventually or BOGO. TBH, they’ve  really increased in price like everything else of course. I went all in on the last two TW Select groups which were in the $150 range and my average price for the 14 bought was in the $60s. I buy alot of Freeleaf also and back in the old days many accessories. TBH, I don’t feel there’s any real Company exclusivity and with their prices at this point; they’ll struggle if they don’t keep these deals going constantly. I also really don’t think they’ve looked at as any kind of a luxury brand by most people. I have real doubts about that and and even so the luxury brand competition in Pens is beyond anybody’s imagination. The competition is fierce in pens which for way less $ in some cases you can get piston fillers, pens with #6 nibs and pens that come with 5+ nib choices. For me personally, I’m loyal but Opus 88 and TWSBI changed the game for me over the last 10-12 years. That’s my 2 cents, sorry for the length. 

 

 

 

[Misfit]

What gets me is the companies that don’t include converters. Even a $2 Jinhao Shark pen comes with a converter. So good on Levenger for including converters.  
 

I’ve learned to play the waiting game too. Get on sale, and with a coupon code. Or buy one get one free is the other deal.

[Ceramicist]

2 hours ago, mge01park said:

As a Levenger customer since the mid 90s and somebody who would go to the HQs/warehouse/store weekly in FL and then the nearby retail store in the late 90s to the 2000s & knew several employees and ownership somewhat, I have respect for the reputation of the Company. I’ve had many conversations with employees there through the years and even with current management. I also have respect for the TW in general. The TW prototype has never changed, they’re produced in China and I feel they’re overpriced nowadays. Their cost must be fairly nominal even with tariffs and it’s hard to buy a new one when you know they’ll be super discounted eventually or BOGO. TBH, they’ve  really increased in price like everything else of course. I went all in on the last two TW Select groups which were in the $150 range and my average price for the 14 bought was in the $60s. I buy alot of Freeleaf also and back in the old days many accessories. TBH, I don’t feel there’s any real Company exclusivity and with their prices at this point; they’ll struggle if they don’t keep these deals going constantly. I also really don’t think they’ve looked at as any kind of a luxury brand by most people. I have real doubts about that and and even so the luxury brand competition in Pens is beyond anybody’s imagination. The competition is fierce in pens which for way less $ in some cases you can get piston fillers, pens with #6 nibs and pens that come with 5+ nib choices. For me personally, I’m loyal but Opus 88 and TWSBI changed the game for me over the last 10-12 years. That’s my 2 cents, sorry for the length. 

 

 

 

No apologies; I'm glad you responded in depth. I hear you; however, there's luxury and then there's luxury, and this (quality, price point, etc.) is different for each person. I personally think that Levenger, while selling items of good quality, is at the lower end with their offerings, but even so, they still need to offer something that feels exclusive to those who are looking for that experience. A savvy entrepreneur or business who wants to appeal to a wide audience will give consumers more choices.

[Ceramicist]

2 hours ago, Misfit said:

What gets me is the companies that don’t include converters. Even a $2 Jinhao Shark pen comes with a converter. So good on Levenger for including converters.  
 

I’ve learned to play the waiting game too. Get on sale, and with a coupon code. Or buy one get one free is the other deal.

Agreed on both points. Levenger knows, though, that those who really want a pen and don't want to wait for a coupon will go ahead and purchase that pen. I believe that they market pens like the Gatsby to appeal to those who are fine with spending more than on their average True Writers and who want, perhaps, to say they have an exclusive True Writer. But then there are those who can afford the Gatsby and like the design and purchase the pen solely for these reasons.

[mge01park]

29 minutes ago, Ceramicist said:

Agreed on both points. Levenger knows, though, that those who really want a pen and don't want to wait for a coupon will go ahead and purchase that pen. I believe that they market pens like the Gatsby to appeal to those who are fine with spending more than on their average True Writers and who want, perhaps, to say they have an exclusive True Writer. But then there are those who can afford the Gatsby and like the design and purchase the pen solely for these reasons.

In reality though, when is there never a coupon or discount on the website or a first time buyer pop up if you haven’t logged in, etc.? I don’t think anybody pays full price. Furthermore, people are very savvy today particularly pen buyers armed with information and with the way wealth has transposed the country, it’s not luxury to the 1-10%’ers and probably overpriced to the rest. There’s always some who will pay any price. I have doubts the Gatsby will sell well without a reduced price whichever way it happens. Today it costs $101.63. 😊 not $135. On Reddit, where the FP group has 371k members there’s quite rarely ever a mention of Levenger or the TW. Just saying. 

[Ceramicist]

1 hour ago, mge01park said:

In reality though, when is there never a coupon or discount on the website or a first time buyer pop up if you haven’t logged in, etc.? I don’t think anybody pays full price. Furthermore, people are very savvy today particularly pen buyers armed with information and with the way wealth has transposed the country, it’s not luxury to the 1-10%’ers and probably overpriced to the rest. There’s always some who will pay any price. I have doubts the Gatsby will sell well without a reduced price whichever way it happens. Today it costs $101.63. 😊 not $135. On Reddit, where the FP group has 371k members there’s quite rarely ever a mention of Levenger or the TW. Just saying. 

That's a lot of conjecture, but I respect your opinion.

[mge01park]

14 minutes ago, Ceramicist said:

That's a lot of conjecture, but I respect your opinion.

Really! “A lot of conjecture” - a lot of an opinion or conclusion formed on the basis of incomplete information.

[donnweinberg]

Here are photos I made of my 2 newest True Writers, just received last night:

 

Twilight Storm BP (2025)

 

Shadow BP (2025)

[mge01park]

Whoa, those are super nice ones. Congrats! They were the two I had my eyes on plus the Classic Butterscotch. 

[Carguy]

On 11/8/2025 at 5:16 PM, Ceramicist said:

I think it's their way of offering exclusivity for those who want to spend the money so their name remains synonymous with luxury brand. It can be off-putting for their faithful customers who regularly purchase their products. 

I find this to be true. In my opinion, Levenger isn’t what it once was - but very few things are. I’m sure they had to change with the times to avoid becoming obsolete. I still like many of their products and still spend $ there, but not as much or as often. Maybe that’s a good thing for me - who realizes that he has more paper products than I could ever hope to use. I’ll always be a Levenger fan though.

[Misfit]

I just worry that the pricing could turn some of their fountain pen buyers off. They don’t buy the fountain pens over $100. Then perhaps Levenger makes even fewer fountain pens. It’s worst case scenario thinking. 
 

I think I’m past the spending lots on a single pen. I did that earlier in my pen buying mostly with Visconti pens. 
 

But why was the Origins, with metal cap less money than Great Gatsby? I figure it’s marketing. 
 

Retro 51 does this too. Most fountain pens are under $100. Then they make a store exclusive or holiday edition, and price them at from $129 to $149. 

[Ceramicist]

@CarguyI agree! I bought my first Levenger Stipula in person in a brick and mortar in the early days of the Internet, and an online fountain pen vendor presence wasn't something I recall. Now, with the proliferation of e-commerce, marketing is taken to an entirely new level and continues to evolve. It's interesting how brick and mortar establishments had to struggle to compete and avoid obsolescence not only with online vendors but with the big box stores, and it seems as if they've all taken a back seat to e-commerce. However, now, the online sites are continually trying to best each other to stay in the game. Exclusive offers and products and sales seem to be working.

@Misfit And we don't know who buys what, really. Who doesn't like the exclusive pens because of their design or the fact that they're Levenger (or any other pen manufacturer) or perhaps the cost is off-putting? What makes someone click "add to cart" when they can't afford to do? What makes someone, who has the disposable income and the inclination, choose a pen like the Gatsby? Maybe they're fans of the novel or Fitzgerald or jazz in general. Maybe they love the 1920s. I was surprised The House at Pooh Corner is still available. I find these variables all so interesting.

 

[donnweinberg]

19 hours ago, mge01park said:

Whoa, those are super nice ones. Congrats! They were the two I had my eyes on plus the Classic Butterscotch. 

 

Yes, the Butterscotch (shown just below) is very nice.

[Misfit]

I got a Levenger catalog in the mail today. The cap on the Great Gatsby has a pattern, so now I see why it could and likely should cost more than the Origins. 
 

I’ll be using the Midnight Spark today as my own of the day.