Talk me out of buying a Conway Stewart Winston

[markofp]

I really enjoy the look of the pen, especially since the flag nib has been replaced with something more interesting looking, but I can’t seem to get myself to throw down for it. 
 

So I’m thinking maybe if some of you told me what you don’t care for about recent Conways (Bespoke British Pens era), then that would settle it, although they did send me a 10% off coupon recently.

 

Anyone?

[Frank C]

I'm afraid that I am going to do the opposite, so stop reading now if you don't want to hear it.

 

I have been considering a Conway Stewart for some time, now. They make beautiful pens and the owners are usually quite pleased with them. Lisa Vanness of the Vanness Pen Store told me that the company is a pleasure to work with. Michael Jecks, a British Author who has a youtube channel devoted to writing, writerlywitterings, goes on and on about how much he enjoys using his.

 

When my fountain pen account returns to a positive balance, a Conway Stewart is on my list. 

 

Please post photos and a review when yours arrives. 

[Doug1426]

Okay, here's my best attempt to talk you out if it, listed in bullet format below:

• The Winston only comes in 3 colors:  Classic back, classic brown and classic green.  Why would you buy a pen with so  few color choices?
• Since there are only 3 colors, you could only deplete your pen funds three times to acquire all the colors.  And since all of the colors (especially the green and brown) are knock-down gorgeous, you would then be frustrated at running out of options.
• Since the Winston is not only gorgeous, but functionally wonderful, you would have a dearth of complaining to do.  With nothing to complain about, you could quickly become bored. 
• On the flip side, friends, family, colleagues, etc may become bored hearing you extol all the pen's virtues.  Do you really want to bore all those folks?

All those negatives aside, best of luck deciding on which gorgeous one to get first.

[Inky-Republic]

Got one in classic brown and absolutely love it, but if I were going to buy one again:

 

1. Would have made sure I'd paid a little extra and got a stub nib right off the bat, cause buying one later from C/S is a really expensive business! In the end I sourced a No 6 broad from Bock and had it ground - a much cheaper option, but of course the branding doesn't match.

2. The original nib is safely stored, so when the pen is eventually pulled out of my cold clammy hands, it will have it's original nib and retained value.

3. The barrel of my Winston pen is permanently fastened to the nib assembly, which I find really frustrating. I read a piece on this forum from a guy who when ordering his C/S,  requested the factory not glue the barrel to the nib assembly - and they didn't!  If I'd known it was permanently fastened before purchasing, I would have put in the same request!

4. The Winston is a really big heavy pen, but since I have absolutely colossal mitts - I love it ! That being said, you have been warned!

[Frank C]

Now for the negatives, also in bullet points (for fun)

 

• It is made of acrylic, a boring, almost-indestructible, plastic. As we all know, really good pens are made of "precious resin". 

• It has a captive converter; the worst of all possible filling systems. There are many arguments between piston-filler devotees and converter-filler devotees, but with a captured converter, you loose all the advantages. No large volume, no ability to just replace the converter, no ability to use a bulb syringe to flush out the section. Having said all this, Conway Stewart does say, "This pen can also be ordered as a converter/cartridge version as a special by leaving a comment with your order."

•The nib options are limited. If you follow Inky-Republic's advice above to get a stub nib, they just have one of their regular nibs ground down. 

•I find that almost everyone gets bored quickly when I discuss my fountain pens. Once I tell them that it's not 100 years old, they tend to glance at their watch, my watch, somebody's watch; you know how that goes. 

 

I suggest that you save your money for a good pen. 

[Targa]

On 5/23/2021 at 4:41 AM, Inky-Republic said:

3. The barrel of my Winston pen is permanently fastened to the nib assembly, which I find really frustrating. I read a piece on this forum from a guy who when ordering his C/S,  requested the factory not glue the barrel to the nib assembly - and they didn't!  If I'd known it was permanently fastened before purchasing, I would have put in the same request!

Not so.  It is just stabilized with a bit of shellac, just like e.g. a P 51 hood.  All you need to do is warm it in hot tap water for a few minutes and it will screw off just fine.  BTW the nibs are just screw in, so you can swap as needed, and they sell them separately from pens if you want.  Loer pen in image is a 1929-ish Wahl Personal Point - the original nib-swapper pen.)

[amberleadavis]

@markofp What did you end up doing?

[Targa]

On 5/23/2021 at 12:35 PM, Frank C said:

Now for the negatives, also in bullet points (for fun)

 

• It is made of acrylic, a boring, almost-indestructible, plastic. As we all know, really good pens are made of "precious resin". 

• It has a captive converter; the worst of all possible filling systems. There are many arguments between piston-filler devotees and converter-filler devotees, but with a captured converter, you loose all the advantages. No large volume, no ability to just replace the converter, no ability to use a bulb syringe to flush out the section. Having said all this, Conway Stewart does say, "This pen can also be ordered as a converter/cartridge version as a special by leaving a comment with your order."

•The nib options are limited. If you follow Inky-Republic's advice above to get a stub nib, they just have one of their regular nibs ground down. 

•I find that almost everyone gets bored quickly when I discuss my fountain pens. Once I tell them that it's not 100 years old, they tend to glance at their watch, my watch, somebody's watch; you know how that goes. 

 

I suggest that you save your money for a good pen. 

I disagree on most of this.  Firstly "precious resin" is a nonspecific catch phrase that derived from Mont Blanc directly translating "expensive plastic".  While they steadfastly refuse to identify the resin, it is just relatively tough plastic, nothing more.  The Winston is made of very hard methyl methacrylate, aka "Perspex" in British terms.  It is very hard and durable and in no way less suitable vs. MB resin.  As Fran C. says, almost indestructible.  How is that boring vs. black indescript plastic???  

The "captive converter" is an example of bad marketing / bad choice of names by BBP, but not bad engineering.  It is indeed just a (good quality) screw-in international standard converter, with an extension on the end.  As shown in my prior post, the barrel is very easily removed using warm water or a low-power hair dryer if you are afraid of wetting it (you needn't be - it is after all "indestructible"), and the converter is easily exchanged if you need.  It holds pretty much exactly 1.0 ml, same as al most all pens nowadays.  I can't think of any time in the last 2 decades I was inconvenienced by having only 1 ml of ink in my pen.  By not having a permanent piston system, it is much more easily repaired / replaced.  The gold-plated extension is once again merely held in place by a dab of standard fountain pen shellac.  Just warm it up, pull it off, and stick it back onto a new converter, which screws in.  I personally think it is a much better, long-time repairable system, and just as much ink as 99% of all the present-day pens.  

There are nib options that include oblique, stub, italic, and "other" i.e. they will make to order.  How many do you have with e.g. Pelikan, Parker, or even the apparently revered MB?  MB has no option for stub or Italic, just widths and 3 (one sided) obliques.  So in all cases if you want a stub, you go to e.g. Master Mottishaw and wait 6 months.  My CS stub came in just a few weeks, as indicated on their site, and is fabulous.  I think it's kind of a good thing that they grind their own nibs to a high internal standard, by their own nib tuner.  

And one last shot - of course everyone gets bored by our hobby.  Tough for them, I do it for me, not for somebody else's approval.  My eyes glaze over when they talk about e.g. golf - you know, that game where old white guys walk around a field, hitting their balls with a stick until they fall into a hole.  

[Ceilidh]

I'm still scratching my head over the idea of coming here to be talked OUT of buying a pen. 😉

[sansenri]

One point has been mentioned which has so far held me back from buying one, and that is weight. It is not only a big pen, but that I can reasonably cope with, but also quite heavy, I don't remember the exact weight (someone has the figure?) But I believe well beyond 40 g (my limit for a pen to feel comfortable is usually not more than 30g and I usually also write unposted because I dislike the extra weight)

[markofp]

3 hours ago, Ceilidh said:

I'm still scratching my head over the idea of coming here to be talked OUT of buying a pen. 😉

 

Ironic, ain't it? 😉

 

On 7/7/2022 at 1:11 AM, amberleadavis said:

What did you end up doing?

 

I wound up buying a Pilot 845, which after receiving it wan't crazy about. I sold it on. 

 

I may still go for the Winston, but I am becoming a little tired of pens with JoWo nibs, especially after JoWo discontinued their two-tone gold option. I cannot imagine why they would do such a thing, I only love two-tone and I imagine there are others like me. Still, the Winston is attractive, maybe if the dollar picks up on the G.B. pound a little I'll jump for it.  

 

1 hour ago, sansenri said:

One point has been mentioned which has so far held me back from buying one, and that is weight. It is not only a big pen, but that I can reasonably cope with, but also quite heavy, I don't remember the exact weight (someone has the figure?) But I believe well beyond 40 g (my limit for a pen to feel comfortable is usually not more than 30g and I usually also write unposted because I dislike the extra weight)

 

The standard Winston is 48 grams, BUT if you get the cartridge/convertor option (instead of the piston) they can make you one that is 18 grams lighter, so it's right smack dab on your upper limit. I expect that they take the brass lining out.

[Z man]

8 hours ago, Ceilidh said:

I'm still scratching my head over the idea of coming here to be talked OUT of buying a pen. 😉

Alrighty then, are you out of your ever loving mind? This pen has a "captive converter." You're thinking of spending this kind of money on a FP that is neither a true self-filler nor a true c/c. Admittedly, I have a strong bias against c/c pens, but this (bleep) child is neither.

 

It just happens I reread the Conway Stewart article in the "Journal of the Writing Equipment Society", No. 83, today. In 2008, it described their commitment to making the best pens, not only in Britain but in the world, while upholding the best principles of the original firm, which is admirable undoubtedly.

 

This POS does neither, so their principles were BS from the start (and they're money grubbers) or their principles have changed (and they're money grubbers). Otherwise, why would they fob off a FP that is neither a self-filler nor a true c/c for that kind of lucre while claiming to uphold their principles?

 

If they truly mean what they say, why isn't this FP one or the other? What do they expect you to do when the converter inevitably fails? A captive converter, phoeey!

 

Even if you're duped into buying this piece of eye candy, do you really expect a FP to hold nothing but a couple mls of ink for this kind of money?

 

Of course, the decision is yours. My advice is don't waste your hard-earned coin on this shiny bauble (O, look a puppy!). There are plenty of other shiny baubles out there that are true c/c or self-filling FPs without helping money grubbers buy their next fancy boat or car with profits from you.

 

But that's me. Everybody is entitled to their opinion, and you asked for some.

 

Z

[Z man]

Sorry, didn't think a phrase like "b**tard child" would be bleeped. Sincere apologies.

 

Z

[ParramattaPaul]

I have three current production Conway Stewart pens, a Churchill which I believe is slightly larger than the Winston, a Duro (shorter and more slender than the Churchill), and a (quite small) limited edition Series 58. Quite honestly,  I wouldn't part with any of them. They are fine writing, quality pens.

 

The size differences are not an issue for me, and I enjoy using each of them.

[dudleian]

I have their Seamus Heaney pen (and wow, the idea of that pen having a Union Jack on the nib…) and it is a delight: ergonomic, good looking, with a lovely responsive nib. I bought it for Heaney, but kept it for the pen. YMMV. 

[ParramattaPaul]

2 hours ago, dudleian said:

I have their Seamus Heaney pen (and wow, the idea of that pen having a Union Jack on the nib…) and it is a delight: ergonomic, good looking, with a lovely responsive nib. I bought it for Heaney, but kept it for the pen. YMMV. 

Same here. It's on my desk now and gets used regularly. 

[Targa]

13 hours ago, Z man said:

Alrighty then, are you out of your ever loving mind? This pen has a "captive converter." You're thinking of spending this kind of money on a FP that is neither a true self-filler nor a true c/c. Admittedly, I have a strong bias against c/c pens, but this (bleep) child is neither.

 

It just happens I reread the Conway Stewart article in the "Journal of the Writing Equipment Society", No. 83, today. In 2008, it described their commitment to making the best pens, not only in Britain but in the world, while upholding the best principles of the original firm, which is admirable undoubtedly.

 

This POS does neither, so their principles were BS from the start (and they're money grubbers) or their principles have changed (and they're money grubbers). Otherwise, why would they fob off a FP that is neither a self-filler nor a true c/c for that kind of lucre while claiming to uphold their principles?

 

If they truly mean what they say, why isn't this FP one or the other? What do they expect you to do when the converter inevitably fails? A captive converter, phoeey!

 

Even if you're duped into buying this piece of eye candy, do you really expect a FP to hold nothing but a couple mls of ink for this kind of money?

 

Of course, the decision is yours. My advice is don't waste your hard-earned coin on this shiny bauble (O, look a puppy!). There are plenty of other shiny baubles out there that are true c/c or self-filling FPs without helping money grubbers buy their next fancy boat or car with profits from you.

 

But that's me. Everybody is entitled to their opinion, and you asked for some.

 

Z

Once again, the comment about the "captive converter is not correct.  Here is what I said (above in this string)

 

The "captive converter" is an example of bad marketing / bad choice of names by BBP, but not bad engineering.  It is indeed just a (good quality) screw-in international standard converter, with an extension on the end.  As shown in my prior post, the barrel is very easily removed using warm water or a low-power hair dryer if you are afraid of wetting it (you needn't be - it is after all "indestructible"), and the converter is easily exchanged if you need.  It holds pretty much exactly 1.0 ml, same as al most all pens nowadays.  I can't think of any time in the last 2 decades I was inconvenienced by having only 1 ml of ink in my pen.  By not having a permanent piston system, it is much more easily repaired / replaced.  The gold-plated extension is once again merely held in place by a dab of standard fountain pen shellac.  Just warm it up, pull it off, and stick it back onto a new converter, which screws in.  I personally think it is a much better, long-time repairable system, and just as much ink as 99% of all the present-day pens.  

[markofp]

15 hours ago, Z man said:

Otherwise, why would they fob off a FP that is neither a self-filler nor a true c/c for that kind of lucre while claiming to uphold their principles?

 

 

 

What you are asking them for is to uphold your principles. No offense, but I'm not sure that you speak universally for the entire community. There are beautiful and expensive pens in the world that are c/c fillers (the big Pilot Urushi comes to mind).  If you have an issue with c/c pens, don't buy them. Others are fine with them, and to go off on them like you have done here is to insult the taste of anybody who owns and is pleased with one. 

[como]

@markofp I like this model very much, and I was very tempted to buy one. What held me back is the design concept of the brass tube for added weight. It's a component neither beautiful nor functional. A minor detail but it bothers me a little. Though I have never seen a vintage Conway Stewart with this design (but for sure this model is vintage inspired), I find the shape and the colours (the green and brown version) very nice.

[Targa]

22 hours ago, markofp said:

 

What you are asking them for is to uphold your principles. No offense, but I'm not sure that you speak universally for the entire community. There are beautiful and expensive pens in the world that are c/c fillers (the big Pilot Urushi comes to mind).  If you have an issue with c/c pens, don't buy them. Others are fine with them, and to go off on them like you have done here is to insult the taste of anybody who owns and is pleased with one. 

No need to chastise.  After all, it leaves more for the rest of us.