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Leonardo MZG "Golden Rule" owners - a question


JonSzanto

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I ordered a Leonardo Officina Italiana MZG in the Jonathon Brooks "Golden Rule" material, back when they were first offered. They sold out while ordering, but I was told there would be a second batch next. I sent my funds and waited. They had delays, which I was only partially informed of, and finally they are supposed to be in process this month.

 

Today, on an Instagram feed of another retailer, I see news of the pens finally making progress, and they note that the pen is the same, except a black ebonite feed instead of a red one. I find this infuriating, as small a thing as it may seem, so I need to ask:

 

Can any owners of the Golden Rule pen confirm that it does, indeed, have a red feed?

 

This is what I was expecting:

 

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When I purchase a low-cost pen I give a lot of leeway and I'm forgiving about certain things. It's a cheap pen. When I am looking at much more expensive, boutique items, I choose them carefully, including the details and elements that might set one apart. The attention to detail is one of the hallmarks of fine craftsmanship, and in that light, I am very disappointed if this change is occurring, and may consider a refund before shipping.

 

Thanks for any info that previous owners can share.

"When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick; and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

~ Benjamin Franklin

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Yes, mine has a red ebonite feed. It’s definitely a nice detail.

 

I think I know which retailler you are referring to and it’s good that he specifically highlighted that these additional pens do not have the red feed. I’m guessing that the original edition of 70 sold out but there was some spare stock of the acrylic that he persuaded Leonardo to make these pens from for him.


Do you know if these pens are also numbered out of 70? I am guessing not.

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6 minutes ago, MoriartyR said:

Yes, mine has a red ebonite feed. It’s definitely a nice detail.

 

Thanks for your confirmation. I am now going to contact my retailer. Not happy one bit.

"When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick; and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

~ Benjamin Franklin

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Ah, I looked around and I can see it on multiple retailer sites. The description on Stilo e Stile site says that the second run is not numbered (other sites just say it is limited but don’t mention the number, so better information on Stilo e Stile). So clearly this is a Leonardo thing, not one retailer, and these pens are separate from the limited edition of 70 pens, which are indeed sold out.

 

Looks like the price everywhere is the same as the original run, or even slightly higher. I think that’s slightly off, considering that this isn’t a numbered edition and doesn’t have the red feed.

 

But it is definitely all Leonardo’s doing. Not your retailer’s fault. I think you have to decide for yourself whether this is worth buying or not.

 

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6 minutes ago, MoriartyR said:

Ah, I looked around and I can see it on multiple retailer sites. The description on Stilo e Stile site says that the second run is not numbered (other sites just say it is limited but don’t mention the number, so better information on Stilo e Stile). So clearly this is a Leonardo thing, not one retailer, and these pens are separate from the limited edition of 70 pens, which are indeed sold out.

 

Looks like the price everywhere is the same as the original run, or even slightly higher. I think that’s slightly off, considering that this isn’t a numbered edition and doesn’t have the red feed.

 

But it is definitely all Leonardo’s doing. Not your retailer’s fault. I think you have to decide for yourself whether this is worth buying or not.

 

 

To be clear, I am not blaming the retailer for the feed issue. However, I purchased the pen during the initial run. I paid for it. It was only later that they informed me that they were sold out and that I would have to wait for the next round of pens. I *purchased* that pen in January, and after this much time they are offering a different item. I have no recourse but to inform the retailer of the issue and see what can be done. The more I think about this, the more peeved off I am. I loathe the current climate of people buying up LE pens to resell at a profit, and I am upset that I bought a pen for the same price as the LE - which it should have been - but will be worth less in the bigger picture. Had it been as ordered, I wouldn't give a rat's ass about a number on the pen.

The smallest detail, leading to all this angst. I am not meaning to dump on you, at all, but I'm just working through what I should do. Probably just get my money refunded and move on in life.

"When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick; and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

~ Benjamin Franklin

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I don't blame you for being angry, under the circumstances. No reflection on your feelings, but this brings to mind some thoughts of mine on the general topic, which I would like to riff on for a few lines.

 

I believe changing a relatively small detail on a limited and numbered edition is an escape clause, so to speak, for the manufacturer (or sometimes manufacturer and retailer partnership) to later sell additional but not identical copies of that item, no longer limited or numbered, without technically infringing on the exclusivity of the original. I believe that Leonardo made this change on purpose for that reason, which is disappointing, especially considering there is no price break. I agree the retailer is likely not to blame, because when they were told that additional pens in that material would be made, they probably weren't told about the change in feed color (although that sort of change seems common in cases like this and they should have at least suspected something similar would happen). You are certainly entitled to ask for a full refund. 

 

Although I don't like the practices here, either making a resource more scarce and expensive by numbering it, or buying one or more of them only to hold them for re-sale, I don't see any remedy except not to participate in it myself. 

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1 hour ago, MoriartyR said:

Yes, mine has a red ebonite feed. It’s definitely a nice detail.

 

I think I know which retailler you are referring to and it’s good that he specifically highlighted that these additional pens do not have the red feed. I’m guessing that the original edition of 70 sold out but there was some spare stock of the acrylic that he persuaded Leonardo to make these pens from for him.


Do you know if these pens are also numbered out of 70? I am guessing not.

Just to be clear, it wasn't a case of Leonardo having extra rod stock left over from the first run.  As I understand it, the initial release sold out in record time and Leonardo immediately planned on releasing a second batch.  Jonathon made more for the second run.

 

To the OP, it seems that this is a pen that you really wanted so may I suggest that, before you cancel your order, you reach out to Leonardo and see if it might be possible to get a red feed to swap in for the pen you are slated to get.They are very responsive via their FB page and have always seemed to be very good about customer service.  It might be worth a shot. 

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39 minutes ago, JonSzanto said:

I purchased the pen during the initial run. I paid for it. It was only later that they informed me that they were sold out and that I would have to wait for the next round of pens. I *purchased* that pen in January, and after this much time they are offering a different item.

 

Pretty much the same thing happened to me.  I ordered and paid for one of the initial batch of 70 Primary Manipulation 4 as soon as I received notification that ordering had gone live.  I thought my order had gone through successfully.  It was only when I emailed the retailer after some buyers had already taken delivery, that I was told my order had been placed for a pen in the second release - which wasn't even available for pre-order when I put my order in.  Needless to say I wasn't happy and asked for a refund.

 

To be fair, the refund was processed within hours and prior to that I'd received excellent service from the retailer.

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For what it’s worth, Jon, I personally didn’t think my Golden Rule was a particularly beautiful pen. The material is mainly shiny bronze swirls and if you happen not to get one with a decent amount of red in the mixture it looks kinda cheap and quite boring, in my view. I like my other Leonardos better, like the Girasole.

 

Also Leonardo now offers the size 8 nib on their Momento Zero Grandes. I got a size 8 nib with the Pompeii model that I bought and it surprised me how much better this nib was. The added size seems to give a little softness to the nib and it can bring lovely shading to the ink. It is a very good nib.

 

If I had my choices again I would not have bought the Golden Rule and I would get instead a Girasole with the size 8 nib, or wait for another MZG that I like and opt for that nib.

 

Just my personal opinion.

 

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16 minutes ago, Storch said:

Just to be clear, it wasn't a case of Leonardo having extra rod stock left over from the first run.  As I understand it, the initial release sold out in record time and Leonardo immediately planned on releasing a second batch.  Jonathon made more for the second run.

 

To the OP, it seems that this is a pen that you really wanted so may I suggest that, before you cancel your order, you reach out to Leonardo and see if it might be possible to get a red feed to swap in for the pen you are slated to get.They are very responsive via their FB page and have always seemed to be very good about customer service.  It might be worth a shot. 

 

Thank you. I guess I never thought to go directly to the manufacturer and... um... I have posted to the "Official LOI" page on FB with my issues. I also have not had any difficulties with the retailer (who may also be involved in the FB page!) and don't truly fault him, it is just a very unfortunate situation. I'm trying to not bring anger into the picture, just disappointment. I've got the feelers out, let us see how things go from here. I appreciate the supportive note.

 

"When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick; and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

~ Benjamin Franklin

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17 minutes ago, JonSzanto said:

 

Thank you. I guess I never thought to go directly to the manufacturer and... um... I have posted to the "Official LOI" page on FB with my issues. I also have not had any difficulties with the retailer (who may also be involved in the FB page!) and don't truly fault him, it is just a very unfortunate situation. I'm trying to not bring anger into the picture, just disappointment. I've got the feelers out, let us see how things go from here. I appreciate the supportive note.

 

Several months ago we (more-less) "agreed to disagree" about our feelings regarding Leonardo.  It begins at post # 18 of this thread:

https://fpgeeks.com/forum/showthread.php/33569-Leonardo-Momento-Zero-Hard-Starts-after-being-capped/page2?highlight=724Seney+Leonardo

 

I'm not trying to say, "I told you so" as much as I'm genuinely sorry to see that you had to experience it for yourself.

Hopefully, they will make it right for you.  Please let us know....it is an important chapter in this continued dialogue.

 

 

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29 minutes ago, JonSzanto said:

 

Thank you. I guess I never thought to go directly to the manufacturer and... um... I have posted to the "Official LOI" page on FB with my issues. I also have not had any difficulties with the retailer (who may also be involved in the FB page!) and don't truly fault him, it is just a very unfortunate situation. I'm trying to not bring anger into the picture, just disappointment. I've got the feelers out, let us see how things go from here. I appreciate the supportive note.

 

I really hope it works out for you.

I can absolutely understand where you are coming from I missed out on the first release of the Primary Manipulation pens.  I really liked the look of the triple cap band and was more than a little disappointed that the second wave was only the double band and that the triple banded ones for sale second hand were exorbitantly marked up.  It really is about the details and hopefully you can get the ones you want.

Another thought that I had is you could reach out to Flexible Nib Factory and see if they could do a red ebonite feed for you.

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23 minutes ago, Storch said:

I really hope it works out for you.

 

[snip] 

 

It really is about the details and hopefully you can get the ones you want. Another thought that I had is you could reach out to Flexible Nib Factory and see if they could do a red ebonite feed for you.

 

Thanks, fingers crossed, I suppose. It *is* a physically small aspect, but while it is one thing to run out of OMAS Arco rods, they can't be short of something like red ebonite to make feeds. Someone else suggested FPR, but I'm still in the mode of "but *this* is what I ordered, *you* supply it!".

And it's all FWP, I am aware of that.

"When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick; and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

~ Benjamin Franklin

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3 hours ago, JonSzanto said:

I *purchased* that pen in January, and after this much time they are offering a different item. I have no recourse but to inform the retailer of the issue and see what can be done.

 

Wait. Isn't the legal and logical recourse — and one that I believe is still available to you — to cancel the order for a full refund, whether you take it as 1. the item you will be supplied is not as described at the time of your order being placed and accepted, or 2. the item you are now expressly offered instead of what you originally ordered is not an acceptable substitute?

 

3 hours ago, JonSzanto said:

The more I think about this, the more peeved off I am.

 

That is perfectly understandable. Nevertheless, recourse does not at all imply a means to secure the outcome you originally wanted (and still want), but what you can rightly demand as compensation or remedy because you won't get what you wanted.

 

3 hours ago, JonSzanto said:

I loathe the current climate of people buying up LE pens to resell at a profit,

 

Does it matter whether fellow/competing buyers are snapping up the pens to resell at a profit, or stick them in a display of their private collection and take them out of circulation (and also any semblance of active use for a writing instrument) perhaps permanently, or throw them in a blender or under a moving bus just for kicks or notoriety on Instagram/YouTube, as long as they're exercising their right to compete for scarce ‘resources’ and then, when they win, use those things in ways you wouldn't? At least, in the case you're describing, they're not wantonly destroying the pens, or locking them away permanently.

 

3 hours ago, JonSzanto said:

I am not meaning to dump on you, at all, but I'm just working through what I should do. Probably just get my money refunded and move on in life.

 

Exactly what I would advocate. There are thousands upon thousands of fountain pen purchasers and/or users is the market and hobby as ourselves, and it's folly to try to make the collective all be of like mind and behave as you would (like). I mean, if there's going to be alignment, how do you feel about being either constrained or ‘re-educated’ so that you could and will only do with pens what some contingent of our peers in Ebonia would do?

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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17 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

Wait.

 

Thanks. That was about as unhelpful a post as I wanted to read today. I am well aware of my recourses, etc, etc. 

"When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick; and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

~ Benjamin Franklin

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FWIW, I received an email from The Nibsmith today advising of their "in stock" status & immediate availability for shipping of these Leonardo MZG "Golden Rule" FPs.

To my eye, the photos are showing a red feed.

 

Hope you have gotten this matter resolved to you satisfaction.

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6 hours ago, Seney724 said:

FWIW, I received an email from The Nibsmith today advising of their "in stock" status & immediate availability for shipping of these Leonardo MZG "Golden Rule" FPs.

To my eye, the photos are showing a red feed.

 

Hope you have gotten this matter resolved to you satisfaction.

 

In fact, Dan has posted on IG (I think it was) that his current stock of MZG Golden Rule and PM4 pens do have red feeds.

 

Good luck, Jon! I love my Golden Rule with a stub nib.

 

David

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30 minutes ago, dms525 said:

 

In fact, Dan has posted on IG (I think it was) that his current stock of MZG Golden Rule and PM4 pens do have red feeds.

 

Good luck, Jon! I love my Golden Rule with a stub nib.

 

David

I’d contact Dan directly about that before buying, as the web page showing the red feed still describes the pens as being part of the allotment of 70, which means either he still has original stock, or he didn’t change his picture if he has new stock, or that the new issues do indeed have red feeds.  His picture of the Pelikan Petrol Marbled still shows the metal finial, so he’s using mfr. supplied pics on his pages at least for this pen, which from what I hear does not accurately represent the pen buyers are receiving.  

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36 minutes ago, dms525 said:

 

In fact, Dan has posted on IG (I think it was) that his current stock of MZG Golden Rule and PM4 pens do have red feeds. Good luck, Jon! I love my Golden Rule with a stub nib.

 

I saw that, courtesy of another good Samaritan. I have been friends with Dan for many years and have purchased and had nib work done by him. Besides the fact that my pen has been paid for since January (with Casa della Stilografica), the US price is more than $200 more than I have already paid. Think of the number of red ebonite feeds I could buy for that.
 

In a way, this has turned into a tragi-comic manga-worthy story. I honestly tried to delete this thread to tamp down any rancor. I'm not getting feedback from the retailer, but I had also mistakenly written the wrong seller (ANOTHER Italian I've dealt with!) and fortunately we had a good laugh about the mix-up. I *think* I've heard from the LOI people through the Facebook group, but at this point there is absolutely no information as to how my pen will be presented when ready to ship. I've never had a scenario as weird as this one, and the sad part is that when I look at the many photos, this really could be an all-time favorite pen.

 

If I end up getting one. Time will tell.

"When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick; and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

~ Benjamin Franklin

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4 minutes ago, Carrau said:

I’d contact Dan directly...

 

Please see my previous response to David, which was being composed as you sent your note.

"When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick; and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

~ Benjamin Franklin

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