When Is Conid Starting Up Again?

[Bill Wood]

Last time I heard, at least from their website they’ve been shut down since Spring. Has there been any news on start up again, or has Conid faded?
my thanks

- Bill

[WLSpec]

They sent out a newsletter recently saying that they will be back, but to my knowledge, it is still unclear when. I am also waiting

 

This thread might help: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/354077-conid-open-orders/?hl=conid

[brokenclay]

Also extensive discussion here: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/354077-conid-open-orders/page-1

[silverlifter]

This chart may be helpful:

 

 

 

 

[Bill Wood]

Thanks all.

w

[Karmachanic]

I asked Carnac. He said Decuary, or perhaps Jantober.

[como]

Cosmas?

I asked Carnac. He said Decuary, or perhaps Jantober.

[Karmachanic]

Cosmas?

 

The Magnificent

[como]

But seriously, the Covid situation in Belgium is really bad. We are not much better here.

[SleeperService]

Don’t suppose anyone’s heard any updates as to Conid, COVID or Belgium?

[silverlifter]

5 minutes ago, SleeperService said:

Don’t suppose anyone’s heard any updates as to Conid, COVID or Belgium?

 

Situation is improving, but still not great...

 

[SleeperService]

Thanks Silverlifter, some of these reports do make for some grim reading. Hopefully at least some of that effect was testing capacity related. Hope they end up doing ok. 

[AlecG]

A few months later, Belgium is opening barber shops again. 
Did anyone hear something from Conid? 
Did they fulfill all the old orders?

I am really needing a work horse, but second hands seem only available in the US and for sky high prices, especially with shipping, import fees, duties and VAT. 

[AlecG]

And a week later the news is that Belgium isn't relaxing Corona-measures. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

[maclink]

I would definitely be patient about their return and am not expecting a return anytime soon.  In their newsletter from Oct 2020, they wrote:

 

Our mother company Komec Helsen is the main supplier for a pharmaceutical company and our full attention was required to ensure they would be able to keep on producing without failure. Thus we opted to postpone the restart of Conid.
 

But then, they were more reassuring with the statement immediately following:

 

We wanted to let everybody know that we have not been sitting still, on the contrary. The little time we had left for Conid we have used to work on the long term future of Conid. We have been working on a lot of aspects with the sole purpose of improving quality and consistency while reducing lead times. 

 

They had to postpone the May 1, 2020 start.  I would be surprised if they managed a May 2021 start.

[AlecG]

Yes, I know, but I have hoped for a message every three months or so. 

Just to show they are alive and doing well, if nothing else. 

[sgphototn]

1 hour ago, maclink said:

I would definitely be patient about their return and am not expecting a return anytime soon.  In their newsletter from Oct 2020, they wrote:

 

Our mother company Komec Helsen is the main supplier for a pharmaceutical company and our full attention was required to ensure they would be able to keep on producing without failure. Thus we opted to postpone the restart of Conid.
 

But then, they were more reassuring with the statement immediately following:

 

We wanted to let everybody know that we have not been sitting still, on the contrary. The little time we had left for Conid we have used to work on the long term future of Conid. We have been working on a lot of aspects with the sole purpose of improving quality and consistency while reducing lead times. 

 

 

When you get a statement like that it's not certain Conid will return. I find such a statement unassuring and more like a polite kiss-off.

 

I'm also of the mind that Conid hasn't been making money even at the high price charged for their pens. A growing company doesn't take a high demand product then stop making it and begin being mysterious about if and when it might restart manufacture.

 

If Conid does return, it could be years or someone else will buy the brand and start making pens again.

 

 

[MoriartyR]

2 hours ago, sgphototn said:

When you get a statement like that it's not certain Conid will return. I find such a statement unassuring and more like a polite kiss-off.

 

I'm also of the mind that Conid hasn't been making money even at the high price charged for their pens. A growing company doesn't take a high demand product then stop making it and begin being mysterious about if and when it might restart manufacture.

 

If Conid does return, it could be years or someone else will buy the brand and start making pens again.

 

 

I think you are reading way too much into this. Conid was always a labour of love and a sideline for the company owner, Werner Helsen and a few other employees, which they worked at mainly on the weekends when Komec Helsen’s high-tech machine tool equipment was available for other use.

 

Although the owner is a fountain pen enthusiast there are clearly very good reasons why the demand for their main business producing machines used in the pharma industry would preclude a return to pen making right now. The Pfizer BioNTech covid vaccine is produced in Belgium and Komec Helsen is one of Pfizer’s key suppliers there. They must be absolutely flat-out trying to meet the global demand for the vaccine and this work could hardly be more important. Given the situation I do not think we should expect anyone at Komec Helsen to be writing emails to update the fountain pen community. What they have told us seems to me to be sufficient.

 

It is of course possible that they may choose not to re-open Conid but I see no reason for anyone to think that will be the case. In the meantime it is very good news that the main business is so busy and the company is thriving.

 

 

[SleeperService]

Didn’t realise they supply Pfizer for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Amazing!

[maclink]

1 hour ago, MoriartyR said:

The Pfizer BioNTech covid vaccine is produced in Belgium and Komec Helsen is one of Pfizer’s key suppliers there. They must be absolutely flat-out trying to meet the global demand for the vaccine and this work could hardly be more important. Given the situation I do not think we should expect anyone at Komec Helsen to be writing emails to update the fountain pen community. What they have told us seems to me to be sufficient.

 

It is of course possible that they may choose not to re-open Conid but I see no reason for anyone to think that will be the case. In the meantime it is very good news that the main business is so busy and the company is thriving.

 

 

I was wondering about that and even if they weren't already, they'd likely have been recruited.  I'm not at all surprised and for this reason, we may not see Conid making pens again for a long time.