What Pens Wouldn't You Buy Again?

[bunnspecial]

56 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

Could you please tell me who (or which seller or company) advertised it as “flex”, so I can go blast them for it, considering that isn't how Pilot describes or markets the pen?

Okay, I bought it from Goulet, who states "The softness of the nib is such that if you want to use it for daily writing you can, without having to flex it out. Though if you do want to showcase line variation, all you need to do is increase your writing pressure on the downstrokes and it's there for when you need it. Pilot doesn't advertise this as a "flex" pen, though it has that reputation in the fountain pen community. It most certainly provides distinct line variation, though you can overdo it, so just be cognizant of how far you're pushing it when you flex the nib tines. "

 

Regardless, I found it unsuitable for my use and frankly unpleasant to use again with the scratchiness of it in any use. We can quibble over "flex" but even Pilot advertises it as being able to give some line variation. I found the amount of variation unacceptable for my use and the pressure too high for  my preference.

 

This entire thread is subjective, and I've given reasons as to why I didn't like the pen. Fortunately I was able to sell it without a huge loss, but I would not buy one again. There are plenty of comments in this thread with which I find disagree with my experience-i.e. several folks have cited the ergonomics of the various Pilot retractable nib pens, while I find the standard size one(sold as the Vanishing Point in the US) to be very comfortable to use and find the clip placement ideal to keep the nib orientation ideal for an otherwise small/not easy to see nib. Plenty of others have pointed to various Lamy offerings or the company as a whole-I love the 2000, Studio, and Safari. The dry flow some have mentioned hasn't been my experience with several Lamys. So, again, my not liking the Falcon has nothing to do with whether or not it's a good pen.

[vicpen123]

9 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

For long writing sessions (i.e., longer than the generally 1-1/2 hours spent doing morning pages every day),

 

You write so much each day! Just to experience the joy of writing with a fountain pen or is there another reason???

I would not use a fountain for that long in a month of writing my to do lists and making notes when working.

 

[inkstainedruth]

5 minutes ago, vicpen123 said:

You write so much each day! Just to experience the joy of writing with a fountain pen or is there another reason???

I would not use a fountain for that long in a month of writing my to do lists and making notes when working.

 

That's actually how I got into FPs -- I had started doing morning pages and I wanted to get into the habit, so I bought a "nice" journal (in retrospect it had really lousy paper) and a cheapie Parker cartridge pen.  I was only using that pen for the journal, and ballpoints or rollerballs for everything else.  That Parker, a Reflex, and its successor (another Reflex) both had the rubberized grip disintegrate.  And I couldn't find a third one anywhere.  But still had cartridges.  So upgraded to a Parker Vector (and felt completely extravagant for paying a whopping nine bucks just for a pen).  Used it for several years and then left it and the current journal volume at my brother-in-law's and didn't get it back for a month.  By then, I had really gotten used to writing pages with a fountain pen.  In trying to get a replacement I found my way first to the Goulet Pens website and then here.  And now I use fountain pens for all writing and some drawing, except for some stuff that still gets done with rollerballs inked over pencil.

The idea behind morning pages is that you get up and the first thing you do is write three pages of basically stream of consciousness -- whatever comes into your head goes onto the page.  Then you close the journal and go on with your day.  I've described it in other threads as the "daily core dump".  Now, it feels weird if I DON'T do them (or if, for some reason I have to get up super early to go somewhere -- and then the journal gets tossed in the car to maybe do during breakfast).  It's not just to use a fountain pen more -- but the pens make doing it more enjoyable: I get to play with different pens and different ink colors (although there are times when I may end up using three or four pens if they're getting low on ink).  And, well, they just are nicer to write with than ballpoints (as I discovered before I got that Parker Vector back from CT...).

The pens make morning pages more fun, and doing pages gives me another excuse to use them -- so it's a win-win situation.  Although I also sign checks, make grocery and shopping lists, make research notes, do creative writing and occasionally draw with my pens.  And at times even scratch out bar codes on mail when I'm writing "REFUSED -- RETURN TO SENDER" on junk mail.... 

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Runnin_Ute]

Noodler's Konrad. Mine is vegetal resin version. Smell wasn't nearly as bad as a lot of people experienced and it always wrote pretty well. The cap band fell off and is now lost. I  don't use it much anymore even after changing to a Goulet branded B nib.

 

The worst was a Parker IM. I had two for a while. Both had the same problem. Dry out. Not days, hours.

 

I have had very different experiences with older Parker pens. 51, 45, Vacumatic have all been good. Only the 51 Demi Vacumatic is currently inked though. 

 

Heavy pens are a no go for me. About 30 grams is my top end, prefer even lighter. I have two or three at the 30 gram weight, but would not get another. One was a birthday gift, one a PIF, one a Guider Capsule which is so big the weight is less of an issue. (159 mm capped) I  like it but I wouldn't buy another pen this big. It writes very well. I had a Kaweco Sport. Gave it away. Didn't care for it. 

[peroride]

On 12/20/2020 at 7:13 AM, sgphototn said:

knowing why someone didn't like a pen might be as helpful as knowing why someone did. 

This is a fun thread

 

Some folks worst pens are some of my favorites! 🤫  YMMV, my subjective opinions only

 

Pens that don't write or require too much work are not worth it to me. Caveat: I like low maintenance.

• Moonman M8 - Pretty Junk are 2 words that best describe this pen. Both the nib and feed are utter (bleep) despite swapping. It writes drier than the PenBBS F/EF almost to the point of not writing unless pressing hard. Two praises: the spring of the converter is a fun addition and the faux gold dust and abalone/raden/fish scales are kinda pretty.  Good for parts/frankenpenning.
• Noodler's Ahab - Love the Boston, woe the Ahab. Basically the ink dries out rendering the pen useless. Desk pen for constant noodling Nathan style.
• Traveler's company Brass Fountain Pen - one of my first fountain pen's getting into the hobby post-school fountain pens. Overpriced, marketing bullet from hell (it's shaped like a bullet, awww!) (bleep) nib. Supplanted by Kawaco Sports and other pocket pens.
• Montegrappa NeroUno Linea Duetto - More like Nero Zero, another non-writer with Medium nib at that. Needs a visit to the nib smith
• PenBBS 487 (F or EF) - I have quite a few, basically the magnetic mechanism 99% does not work after initial fill and needs a chopstick to push/release the magnetic piston plunger. The EF and F are tight tined dry despite wet ink but the round medium nib works well. Best used as an 1 time fill gimmick eyedropper, the next refill: Caveat Chopsticktor. Not the worst pen, just would not buy it again.
• Sheaffer Snorkel (vintage) - pop the sac and never go back. Fine pen, but would never buy again. Life is too short to invest in tooling or send pens back and forth for repair unless dire. And yes, I've sat in Ron Zorn's snorkel repair workshop talk; this mechanical contraption is complicated! Nothing but praise and accolades for the pros.
• Pelikan M30 (vintage) -  beautiful dip pen heirloom, just waiting for section plastic to crack

[Inksomnia]

Any PenBBS, I got their piston filler and It is basicly now syringe filler, since that piston is stuck every single time I need to refill it.

 

EF Kaweco sports, I have had three of those and two ow them have nib issues, hard starts, drying, skipping. And one even did not write at all...

[mana]

Lamy 2000.

[OmegaMountain]

23 hours ago, JonSzanto said:

 

Just to be clear: modern Conklin. Totally different company. Vintage Conklin? Some absolutely wonderful pens, and one of the reasons why people who know them have such antipathy towards the people selling pens under that name today.

Correct - I'm not a vintage pen user so I was definitely referring to the modern Conklins.

[DianaMurray]

I'm so annoyed with myself and I want some hand-holding. 

 

I rarely impulse buy. I haven't been doing the fountain pen thing for over a year. Got back into it. Needed new pens. Old pens missing in action or dysfunctional....

 

So I went on Goulet and saw what seemed to be a nice re-starter kit: the Monteverde Monza 3. Three pens (medium, fine, flex) for $34 altogether.

 

Then I did a YouTube review search and discovered that this pen is the exact same as a Jinhao 992, which you can get half a dozen for $12. 

 

So annoying! I'm grumpy. Yes, chalk it up to education, experience, the university of life, and I can afford it, it's not going to put me out on the street, but still.

 

Six 992s for $12 beats three for $34 any day. 

 

🤥😰

[JonSzanto]

11 minutes ago, DianaMurray said:

I'm so annoyed with myself and I want some hand-holding.

 

Consider your hand held.

[sgphototn]

11 minutes ago, DianaMurray said:

I'm so annoyed with myself and I want some hand-holding. 

 

I rarely impulse buy. I haven't been doing the fountain pen thing for over a year. Got back into it. Needed new pens. Old pens missing in action or dysfunctional....

 

So I went on Goulet and saw what seemed to be a nice re-starter kit: the Monteverde Monza 3. Three pens (medium, fine, flex) for $34 altogether.

 

Then I did a YouTube review search and discovered that this pen is the exact same as a Jinhao 992, which you can get half a dozen for $12. 

 

So annoying! I'm grumpy. Yes, chalk it up to education, experience, the university of life, and I can afford it, it's not going to put me out on the street, but still.

 

Six 992s for $12 beats three for $34 any day. 

 

🤥😰

While Goulet has some good information, when it comes to selling pens, he's selling pens. I bought my Conklin Duragraph in January when he said that Conklin's now had JoWo nibs. Wouldn't have mattered if it had an Omas nib. The pen was a disaster.

 

Checking around before you purchase with those who aren't invested in selling you something is a wise move. I should have done so myself.

[Antenociticus]

Several of them are pocket pens:

 

Kaweco Liliput – nice object but way too fiddly for something you have in your pocket to use on the go.

 

Conklin Minigraph – doesn't screw tightly closed, always dries up. Again, useless behaviour for a pocket pen.

 

PenBBS 471 – I hate the way that empty cap gapes up at you when you're writing. Generally I like PenBBS pens, but this one was a major disappointment.

 

Also:

 

PenBBS 309 – bored with the sticking pistons

 

TWSBI ECO – assorted cracking problems, nib unit now drips, and the whole thing feels too long and clunky in my hand. Not my pen.

 

 

[DianaMurray]

13 minutes ago, JonSzanto said:

 

Consider your hand held.

 

Thank you - your hand feels so warm & comfy.

 

I just emailed and phone & asked for a cancellation. Why not? It hasn't been shipped yet. 

 

Oops. Just checked. Yes, it's been shipped. Well, can't say that Goulet isn't efficient. I don't blame them - yes, they are just the vendor. It's not the candy store's fault if I get cavities.

[DianaMurray]

13 minutes ago, sgphototn said:

While Goulet has some good information, when it comes to selling pens, he's selling pens. I bought my Conklin Duragraph in January when he said that Conklin's now had JoWo nibs. Wouldn't have mattered if it had an Omas nib. The pen was a disaster.

 

Checking around before you purchase with those who aren't invested in selling you something is a wise move. I should have done so myself.

 

Aye, aye, mate!

[JonSzanto]

1 hour ago, sgphototn said:

While Goulet has some good information, when it comes to selling pens, he's selling pens.

 

My first purchases from them were during the first six months of the company's existence. It was a breath of fresh air in and part of a new era of fountain pens. They have built it into a solid business and offer a lot of resources for new users, as well.

That said, Brian certainly knows his pens. He likely also knows that some of the things he sells, and pushes, are not of good quality. I was with them all the way until they started in on the crappy Yafa brands. I cringe when young, new users get eye-candied by pens that will fail or have flaws, who believe flex hype in nibs that are close to junk. It's all a bit demoralizing, but that's business.

Still good people, still have nice items as well, but people still need to do their homework, and regain a sense of healthy skepticism of hype and marketing, which has been lost in the last couple decades. Or else, you'll get threads about pens you regret buying... 😉

[PDW]

22 hours ago, Sealkat said:

And to go back to the topic of the thread....I learned the hard way that I don’t get on with metal sections. The Lamy 2000 is  (in my eyes) a beautiful design but I cannot keep a hold of the slippery wretch. The one exception seems to be if the section is sliver - somehow less slippy than other metals. Having said that, I prefer lighter pens for extensive writing/notetaking, so I’m not about to load up on silver pens either. 

 

 

 

I'm happy with the 2000 , but i can't use any pen with a smooth bright, shiny chromed/steel/other metal section. Having to grip the pen hard enough to stop it slipping in my hand stops me from writing freely. The only fix is to wash my hands to degrease my fingers every five minutes, or to put the instrument aside and try to remember not to buy another like it, however good the reviews. The latter works most some of the time.

[inkstainedruth]

15 hours ago, peroride said:

Sheaffer Snorkel (vintage) - pop the sac and never go back. Fine pen, but would never buy again. Life is too short to invest in tooling or send pens back and forth for repair unless dire. And yes, I've sat in Ron Zorn's snorkel repair workshop talk; this mechanical contraption is complicated! Nothing but praise and accolades for the pros.

Yeah, I'm happy to pay the pros to do the repairs on anything complicated.  And Snorkels are the most complicated fill system on the planet....  I can take 45 nib assemblies apart, and I THINK I could manage a re-sac job on a lever pen.  And I did a first pass on an Esterbrook nib bent into an s-shape then let Mike Masuyama fix what I did at my first pen show).  But beyond that?  I factor repair costs into the price....  Which is yet another reason I like finding pens in the wild for cheap....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[AmandaW]

4 hours ago, DianaMurray said:

Six 992s for $12 beats three for $34 any day. 

 

🤥😰

 

If it's any consolation you could chalk up the extra cost as faster shipping - it's a long way from China. And the 992 is a great pen - probably my favourite cheapy - very reliable.

 

I do know what you mean though and I don't blame Goulet so much as Monteverde because the Monza is sold everywhere. Even at the art store here, but marked up even more - Aus$50. (LOL, you got a bargain. 🙂)  Personally, I have since looked at everything Monteverde with suspicion thinking it will be boxed up cheap stuff - it might be good, but it's still boxed up cheap stuff. (Though I did wonder at the time how Brian Goulet could keep a straight face in that Monza video! I think it damaged his brand too.)

[A Smug Dill]

The nib on the Monteverde Monza is much, much better than the one on the stock Jinhao 992, though, in my experience.

[Storch]

Without a doubt the Visconti Pininfarina.  Not the one with the cap, but the retractable one.

I got lucky and found one of those listings with terrible pictures that look like they were made with a digital camera from the late 90's, all grainy an pixelated but I was intrigued and the price was hard to pass up.  Once I got it, I was immediate struck by the packaging which was subpar, it was a cardboard box with a bunch of cut and glued foam sheets to form a protective packing.  Very very functional just not so aesthetically pleasing.  Once I got the pen out, I loved the forged carbon material, it felt so different than anything I had ever picked up.  Then you get to the clip.  If you hate vanishing points, just you wait.  The Visconti bridge clip (which normally I appreciate as being very easy to operate) on this pen however seemed front and center and so completely obtrusive to never be ignored. Add to that the fact that even when closed the pen dried out completely in under a day and, because of the fancy twist mechanism, to fill it you had to remove the converter ad then use one of those mosquito attachments. 

If it weren't for the fact I got a good price up front, I would have stood to lose a whole lot on that hot mess of a pen but luckily I managed to do okay when I got rid of it which is the only silver lining.