are Conklins pens any good?

[FS goldfish]

i dont see many topic about this brand. im interested in some of their pens, so if anyone had any experience w/ them, let me know.

[langere]

i dont see many topic about this brand. im interested in some of their pens, so if anyone had any experience w/ them, let me know.

 

It seems like people complain about the new Conklins, but I have 4 of them (Glider Deluxe, New Nozac, Symetrik, Mark Twain Signature), and they all write beautifully. Their designs and colors are outstanding too. Absolutely beautiful pens!

 

It is interesting that this forum hardly deals with Conklin - perhaps because some people think (know?) that the originals, before the company was resuscitated, were better.

 

Erick

[RLTodd]

There are some threads around here. They seem to (at least in the past) follow the addage, when they are good they are very very good and when they are bad they are very very bad... I have had one of the first type and have one of the second. My advice would be to buy one from a dealer that will let you make exchanges, in case they have not improved their quality control.

 

 

[PAKMAN]

Can't comment on the modern Conklins but the two vintage 80-90 year pens I have are awesome! A Crescent filler with a Wicked flex nib and an Black and Bronze Endura Senior that is a real showpiece!

[sumgaikid]

 

 

I can only reply to vintage Conklin pens as I haven't tried out any of the new ones.It is safe to say that Conklin

Enduras,Symetriks,Nozacs and Halloween pens are good writers and highly sought after by collectors,esp. if they

are of the large size or are an unusual color(i.e.,Halloween in white,orange and black).

 

John

[FS goldfish]

im interested inthis CONKLIN HERRINGBONE

 

http://www.conklinpen.com/product/herringbone.html

 

[Richard]

... some people think (know?) that the originals, before the company was resuscitated, were better.

Just for the sake of correctness... The Conklin Pen Company was not resuscitated. The current Conklin company has no connection with the original beyond having purchased the right to use the names and designs created by the original. This leads to some interesting factoids, such as that the original Nozac was given that name because it was a true sacless pen ("No sac") in a day when almost all pens had sacs. Today's standard Nozac borrows the look of the original, but it's a C/C pen in a day when almost all pens are C/C as well; thus, the meaning of the name is lost. The modern Nozac LE, on the other hand, has a plunger filler, and so did the old Nozac Q.F. (Quick Filling). So they got a 50% hit rate on matching up the current and vintage Nozac versions. Here are vintage piston (herringbone) and Q.F. (striated) Nozacs:

 

http://www.richardspens.com/images/ref_info/nozac_profile/zoomed/nozac_rhb.jpg

http://www.richardspens.com/images/collection/zoomed/nozac_qf.jpg

 

Are the modern pens any good? They're modern pens, with all the potential for good and not-so-good that comes along with any modern pen. One problem I've noted with many modern Conklin pens is that they use the same feed that has proven unreliable in other brands of pens -- and Conklin pens with that feed can also be unreliable.

 

I've never understood why the modern company hung the name "Glider" on one of its models. Even though the modern Glider doesn't look at all like the vintage Glider, the name enough would be enough to put off most people knowledgeable about the vintage version, which flourished after the company had been sold to a Chicago syndicate whose purpose was to make money, not pens. Chicago Conklins were cheap, cheap, cheap pens that weren't as well made as many less recognizable third-tier pens. Toledo Conklins are fantastic pens. Here are two of mine, a Crescent-Filler No. 30 and an All-American (sub-brand) twist filler:

 

http://www.richardspens.com/images/collection/zoomed/crescent30.jpg

http://www.richardspens.com/images/collection/zoomed/all_american.jpg

 

End of screed.

Edited February 21, 2008 by Richard

[rroossinck]

RLTodd is absolutely right on with this one. When they're good, they're great. When they're bad, they're infuriating. I could fill pages with the stories... Because of those experiences, though, I've learned a few techniques for helping to improve the inkflow and make them into better, more reliable writers.

 

Edit: So is Richard.

 

I've wondered why they did that with the Glider too, Richard.

Edited February 21, 2008 by rroossinck

[Glenn-SC]

The modern Conklins I have had have been in the "very bag" camp exhibiting poor ink flow.

For their price the performance was unacceptable.

 

I like the sizes, colors, and styles but I own no modern Conklins.

[Cedar]

I own 3. Symmetrik that was used. And a new Cushion Point & Metropolis bought around the holidays. So far I've had good luck with all of them. The Metropolis is one of my "go to" pens but it or they do seem a bit finicky about the inks. Doesn't seem like that is terribly different from other pens by what I read here. Anyway, I like them.

 

Cedar

[Ghost Plane]

I got an LE Crescent Glory for my birthday and it's a wonderful pen. Pretty, nice B nib, comfortable in the hand, posts nicely and the silver overlay over the purple is gorgeous. It's my first crescent filler and easy as pie to use.

[JDFlood]

I have two modern Conklins. My Mark Twain was first. It was a dry writer that demanded a lot of pressure to get much ink out of it. I wanted to use it as a "traveling" pen... for backpacks and bicycle rides because of its iron clad construction. But it was not enjoyable to right with. I looked for Conklin Repair... I don't remember the outcome of the search, they are not easy to find anyway. In the mean time I had learned that if you are careful I could spread the tines the right amount with a single edge razor blade by simple insertion. It has been a great writer ever since. Wet, writes every time, stays ready to use for long periods of time. Probably best to send it back to the shop when it happens. Also, I have a cheaper Conklin. It writes well. One characteristic, is both nib is very inflexible (feel like steel, I'd have to check if they are). If you need it to punch holes in things, if you are on a desert island and need to punch holes in coconuts, this is your pen. Hope this helps. JD

[handlebar]

I have owned 4 different Conklins with one still in my collection. It is a Glider and most of the time it works adequately.It does have some flow issues with certain inks though. But all in all,a decent brand for the price.

 

Jim

[MikeLip]

The only Conklin I owned was a Cushion Point with a fine nib. It wrote very well, when it wrote. Nib smoothness was great, but ink feed was a major issue. I tried several brands with no luck, plus all the common remedies on FPN - detergent mixes and so forth. I finally gave up in disgust, and right now I have no idea where the pen is.

[tnt]

I have a Mark Twain Crescent filler Sterling Silver limited edition. It's not the Crescent Glory and was limited to 100 pieces. It has M NIB and writes like a dream. Wet and smooth, one of my favorites to write with. Very heavy pen though.

[jonro]

Richard,

 

Thanks for a very informative post.

 

Jon

 

... some people think (know?) that the originals, before the company was resuscitated, were better.

Just for the sake of correctness... The Conklin Pen Company was not resuscitated. The current Conklin company has no connection with the original beyond having purchased the right to use the names and designs created by the original. This leads to some interesting factoids, such as that the original Nozac was given that name because it was a true sacless pen ("No sac") in a day when almost all pens had sacs. Today's standard Nozac borrows the look of the original, but it's a C/C pen in a day when almost all pens are C/C as well; thus, the meaning of the name is lost. The modern Nozac LE, on the other hand, has a plunger filler, and so did the old Nozac Q.F. (Quick Filling). So they got a 50% hit rate on matching up the current and vintage Nozac versions. Here are vintage piston (herringbone) and Q.F. (striated) Nozacs:

 

http://www.richardspens.com/images/ref_info/nozac_profile/zoomed/nozac_rhb.jpg

http://www.richardspens.com/images/collection/zoomed/nozac_qf.jpg

 

Are the modern pens any good? They're modern pens, with all the potential for good and not-so-good that comes along with any modern pen. One problem I've noted with many modern Conklin pens is that they use the same feed that has proven unreliable in other brands of pens -- and Conklin pens with that feed can also be unreliable.

 

I've never understood why the modern company hung the name "Glider" on one of its models. Even though the modern Glider doesn't look at all like the vintage Glider, the name enough would be enough to put off most people knowledgeable about the vintage version, which flourished after the company had been sold to a Chicago syndicate whose purpose was to make money, not pens. Chicago Conklins were cheap, cheap, cheap pens that weren't as well made as many less recognizable third-tier pens. Toledo Conklins are fantastic pens. Here are two of mine, a Crescent-Filler No. 30 and an All-American (sub-brand) twist filler:

 

http://www.richardspens.com/images/collection/zoomed/crescent30.jpg

http://www.richardspens.com/images/collection/zoomed/all_american.jpg

 

End of screed.

 

[nhsmitty]

I have a green Mark Twain Signature fine and it's a great writer. My first "expensive" FP.

 

 

[Deirdre]

I got an LE Crescent Glory for my birthday and it's a wonderful pen. Pretty, nice B nib, comfortable in the hand, posts nicely and the silver overlay over the purple is gorgeous. It's my first crescent filler and easy as pie to use.

I love crescent fillers, but they are a bit difficult to find the right pen case for, unless you carry a thin Cross in the other half of a two-pen case.

[Ghost Plane]

I doubt I'll take this one portable. If I'm going to bang around a very expensive pen, I'll take the Yard O Leds out of the house. They can take heavy usage if I don't want to use my Carenes. I'm not sure this one would last long in my purse. :embarrassed_smile: This is going to be one of my just for pretty desk pens.

 

For anyone contemplating, the Conklin nib is a similar length to a Visconti, so you'll need a deep ink pot to feed your pen. Fortunately the Visconti bottles are nice and deep.

[Waduino]

I have a Conklin All American (Orange Spice). You can read a review here somewhere, to which I've added a few comments. Mine writes beautifully. Lays down a nice wet line. It's a medium nib and I'm using a Coral Red ink which goes really well with the pen, for whatever that's worth. I tried it along with other brands at a store and chose this because of the smooth writing, good feel and attractive look.

Wad.