Pinieider—should I do it?

[LeadoutTJV]

I recently found a Pineider in vanness that appeals to me greatly. In general, do these pens enjoy a favorable reputation on this

forum?

 

 

[Frank C]

So which pen is it? 

 

I have two Pineider Full Metal Jackets. They are supposed to be unbreakable; I haven't tried to break them yet. They have nice gold nibs with some springiness. They have the magnetic closure which is convenient. They are piston-fillers; my idea of the quintessential fountain pen filling system. 

 

They are very lightweight; some people like that, some don't. The caps don't seal as well as threaded caps; my pens dried out in this desert climate very quickly.

 

In summary, there are lots of people who like Pineiders. I won't be buying any more any time soon. 

[LeadoutTJV]

Avatar deluxe brass Reisen

[Frank C]

That's a good-looking pen. 

[LeadoutTJV]

I agree, but I need function along with form

[collectorofmanythings]

Pineider is a highly respected brand, their pens are designed by Dante del Vecchio, who was the founder of Visconti, and their stationery has been used by many monarchs. I am hoping to purchase a Pineider Avatar UR Deluxe at some point, though many colors have been discontinued by Goulet, my preferred retailer, and I am hoping that they won’t phase out the line. But to get back on subject, I highly recommend Pineider.

[LeadoutTJV]

1 hour ago, collectorofmanythings said:

Pineider is a highly respected brand, their pens are designed by Dante del Vecchio, who was the founder of Visconti, and their stationery has been used by many monarchs. I am hoping to purchase a Pineider Avatar UR Deluxe at some point, though many colors have been discontinued by Goulet, my preferred retailer, and I am hoping that they won’t phase out the line. But to get back on subject, I highly recommend Pineider.

Thank you. 

[TheDutchGuy]

My experience with the Avatar UR isn’t that great. Dante also designed the Visconti van Gogh range. Both the van Gogh and the Avatar UR are colourful Italian CC pens with a steel section (which many people seem to dislike), common steel nibs made (I believe) by Bock and a spring-loaded movable clip. Basically the Avatar UR strikes me as a slightly different version of the van Gogh. However it’s the differences between these pens that really make the difference, so to speak.

-the Avatar UR has a flare at the bottom end near the nib, which might improve the writer’s grip on the slippery section. To some, this might make the Avatar a much more pleasant pen to use;

-a small point, but still: the van Gogh has a threaded metal collar inside the barrel, the Avatar US hasn’t;

-the van Gogh has an inner cap to prevent the pen from drying out, the Avatar UR hasn’t.

 

This last point is crucial. The spring-loaded clip mechanism requires rather large holes in the cap. If you blow through the Avatar UR’s cap, there’s hardly any air resistance. So the nib is flopping in the breeze. Depending on ink and weather, my Avatar UR dried out between 24 and 48 hrs. And I mean totally dried out. In contrast, my van Gogh never dries out. Try blowing through a van Gogh cap, won’t work, the cap is completely sealed. Why Dante thought he could dispend with the inner cap in the Avatar UR is a mystery to me, but in the end that decision makes the Avatar an unreliable and frustrating pen.

 

In the end, since my Avatar was already out of its warranty period, I just gave the pen back to Appelboom and invited them to test whether it really is unbreakable, as Pineider says it is. Might make for a good video ;-). Of course they chose a somewhat less entertaining route and contacten Pineider. That was months ago. No response from the brand. That’s rather disappointing.

 

(Pineider’s more expensive Grande Belleza is different matter, btw. That’s a nice pen for those who appreciate its aesthetics and can handle the metal section.)

[InesF]

Hi @TheDutchGuy.

Thank you for this comparison.

While I never considered the Avatar (owning a Grand Bellezza already), the vanGogh model is on my list of interesting pens.

 

And yes, same as you, I hate drying pens! I cannot unsee when these first lines of handwriting have a darker color. For that reason I have two Italian pens and a Parker archived in a drawer, not using them any longer. Gifting them for a destruction event is a really good idea! 🥳

[maclink]

I have two Pineider Avatars, one of the original models and one of the current.  These pens are supposed to be very durable, but I dropped the first of the two and the cap band came loose and wouldn't stay on.  I eventually used a little superglue to keep it in place!  My confidence in the pens durability and the romantic idea of a pen that's friction assembled without the use of glue, and designed by Mr del Vecchio, disappeared after that experience.

 

The pens aren't that comfortable either and I grew not to be a fan of the magnetic closure.  I never used one long enough to see whether or not it dries out.

[Frank C]

17 hours ago, TheDutchGuy said:

. . . I just gave the pen back to Appelboom and invited them to test whether it really is unbreakable, as Pineider says it is. Might make for a good video ;-). . . . 

That's already been done: