Levenger True Writer Starry Night

[Con]

I have ... let me count ... six True Writers and a Verona from Levengers.

 

Two stub nibs, a broad customized by Deb Kinney and the rest are mediums.

 

One of them is hard starting with the last ink I put in it,

(it was fine with the previous ink)

the rest are great, thank goodness.

 

I did contact the Outlet about their return policy before I bought

my last batch of pens from them and they said, "Items bought from the outlet are sold as is/final sale therefore they are not covered

as items bought from regular Levenger channels. If you receive the pen and it does not work, we'll send a new nib if that is the problem,

exchange (based on availabiltiy) or refund your purchase. The converter is included as well as an ink cartridge.

Hopefully this is helpful to you."

 

I will say that the customer service at the regular Levengers is outstanding.

[Deirdre]

I think I might pick one of these up.

[JD4020]

I think I'm up to 9 of the Levenger FP, including a couple flourishes, demonstrators, metalists, starry night, kyoto and the L-Tech. They were all new in the last year - some from outlet (refurbished) and some from regular site on sale. I'd have to say they've been some of the most consistent quality pens I've come across. The only one I was somewhat disappointed in was the L-tech. Nice heavy pen, but the threads in the cap were plastic (an insert) and not metal, which to me seems a bit fragile. But it was an outlet orphan so I'm not out much and it's a very usable pen.

 

True they run a bit wide, but I've found the F to work just....fine, and I usually prefer pens on the narrow side.

 

The great thing I've found with my growing herd of TrueWriters I have is they all have interchangeable nib inserts. So if I find one that's ohhh, just right I stay with it and just move from pen to pen. Also nice if I see a color/style on the outlet I've been wanting but not the nib width I prefer. Buy it, swap it out.

 

No hard starters in the bunch so far. A few nibs less smooth than others, but still better than the 2 Safari's I've had. My TrueWriter fireball demonstrator on a steady diet of LegalLapis has been my daily pen for 6 months and was the only pen to knock my Pelikan 200 off that roost. TrueWriter = $25, Pelikan 200 = $75. Works for me!

 

Build quality and finish has been top notch. The colors are vibrant (the cobalt blue demonstrator is amazing) and I get nice compliments from coworkers. Maybe I've been lucky, or don't know any better, but I give them 2 thumbs up for the money if you catch them at a discount.

[PAKMAN]

Looks like a must have for the folks here at FPN that bought the FPN Starry Night Blue ink!

 

I don't have any true writers but a friend at work just loves his.

 

For Christmas this year I was given a Levenger L-Tech pen. This is a really sweet pen! It looks somewhat like the old Rotring 600 but has a very accurate thread on cap. It comes in a very nice little aluminum storage case. I only wish they sold it with a fine nib.

 

http://www.levimage.com/IMAGE/PRODUCTS/PEN_INK/PENS/AP4750_S5_0908.jpg

[Glenn-SC]

Any $20 Safari will outwrite any True Writer.

Perhaps, but my son's $10 Pelikano Jr too writes better than many of my far more expensive pens. However, many of us obviously look for more than just good writing performance, and for just $16 over the Safari, this Levenger buys you a lot of "pretty." If it writes OK, or can be made to write decently, it seems like it could be a good buy for someone who likes the looks of the pen.

 

... this Levenger buys you a lot of "pretty."

That's a matter of taste that we disagree on, because ...

If it writes OK, or can be made to write decently,

the problem is it doesn't and can't without more investment that it's worth.

[tdcackler]

I dunno, I purchased a TrueWriter last fall and after a rinse, it writes just fine, er, medium as the case may be. I've had no issues with it. I also have another TW on loan (the L Tech mentioned above) and it also writes just fine, er, medium as the case may be.

 

Sorry to hear that your experiences haven't been as good as mine. My only concern is that it's a fine $35 pen (which is what I paid for it). Had I paid more, I think it might be overpriced, but I compare everything to the Pilot Knight I picked up which is probably my favorite pen and I gave around that new.

[StyloBug33]

I have ... let me count ... six True Writers and a Verona from Levengers.

 

Two stub nibs, a broad customized by Deb Kinney and the rest are mediums.

 

One of them is hard starting with the last ink I put in it,

(it was fine with the previous ink)

the rest are great, thank goodness.

 

I did contact the Outlet about their return policy before I bought

my last batch of pens from them and they said, "Items bought from the outlet are sold as is/final sale therefore they are not covered

as items bought from regular Levenger channels. If you receive the pen and it does not work, we'll send a new nib if that is the problem,

exchange (based on availabiltiy) or refund your purchase. The converter is included as well as an ink cartridge.

Hopefully this is helpful to you."

 

I will say that the customer service at the regular Levengers is outstanding.

 

 

I have six True Writers and a Verona also! Four of the True Writers I have gotten recently on various sales. One of my recent ones is the Starry Night, and I have to say it is a really beautiful pen. The resin (or whatever they use) they make the true writers out of is really pretty. I haven't had any problem with any of them, which is why I have ended up with a little collection. I also like Safari's, but the True Writers are more attractive, IMO.

[chkuo]

I have about 10 TrueWriters (including the Starry Night) and very happy with them. The colors are all very good, which is the reason why I bought them in the first place. While the build quality does not compare to Pelikan or some other major brands, they are solid pens at a good price (assuming that you get them on sale, the list price is too high IMHO).

 

All the ones that I have write well out of the box and even better after some minor adjustments.

[Bill]

I'd be curious to know whether any of you who've had bad experiences with TrueWriters have contacted their customer service department with your issues? In my experience, they've always done anything/everything they could to stand behind their products.

 

Customer service is not going to help much when you return to the store four times in three days like I did in Boston a couple of years ago. I exchanged pens and nibs and store personnel. Patience and pleasantness existed on both sides but apparently there was not a single pen in the store that wrote worth a hoot.

 

Five stores that sold fountain pens within 150 yards of the hotel but I spent most of my shopping time at Levenger.

 

Bill

[Bearcat]

I have about 10 TrueWriters (including the Starry Night) and very happy with them. The colors are all very good, which is the reason why I bought them in the first place. While the build quality does not compare to Pelikan or some other major brands, they are solid pens at a good price (assuming that you get them on sale, the list price is too high IMHO).

 

All the ones that I have write well out of the box and even better after some minor adjustments.

 

 

Tell us about your "minor adjustments", please.

 

Mine is hard starting, seems to skip, and needs to be dipped or reinked after only a few minutes pause in writing. I have tried opening up the feed channels in the nib, etc. to no avail. Mine was from the outlet so return is not possible, but maybe I should seek a new nib????

 

I would never recommend a True Writer to anyone based on my experience. There is no rocket science to fountain pen technology and a company like Levenger should produce one that works out of the box, IMHO.

 

 

 

 

 

[Con]

Bearcat, you might consider contacting the outlet.

 

I did with the issues I had with mine and they

are sending me out a new nib.

[Kamiyashi]

I got one and returned it because it felt so cheap--like it was completely made out of plastic. I love Van Gogh, but it had to go back.

[chkuo]

I have about 10 TrueWriters (including the Starry Night) and very happy with them. The colors are all very good, which is the reason why I bought them in the first place. While the build quality does not compare to Pelikan or some other major brands, they are solid pens at a good price (assuming that you get them on sale, the list price is too high IMHO).

 

All the ones that I have write well out of the box and even better after some minor adjustments.

 

 

Tell us about your "minor adjustments", please.

 

Mine is hard starting, seems to skip, and needs to be dipped or reinked after only a few minutes pause in writing. I have tried opening up the feed channels in the nib, etc. to no avail. Mine was from the outlet so return is not possible, but maybe I should seek a new nib????

 

I would never recommend a True Writer to anyone based on my experience. There is no rocket science to fountain pen technology and a company like Levenger should produce one that works out of the box, IMHO.

 

Some of the nibs had the tines touching each other, thus restricting the ink flow to the tip. Although the examples that I encountered wasn't really bad (just a bit drier than I'd like), I pull on the shoulders of the nib to open up the gap between tines (make sure to recheck the the alignment under a loupe after every pull). But if the nib that you have is really bad, I'd suggest to contact the seller to see if you can get a new nib.

 

[tdcackler]

My first TW was a bit of a pain if it sat. So I tore it apart, soaked it in soapy water, dried it out and now it writes like a champ. In fact, I don't think I've wrote with it at all this week.

 

Yep, sat in my pad folio along with my Knight (which I used this week exclusively in meetings). Started without a pause and wrote like it's supposed to. After doing that, I've had no problems with my TW.

[AndyH]

For anyone who is wondering whether I bought one, I didn't. By the time I made up my mind, it was no longer shown in the catalog on the website.

 

So I found one at the Levenger Outlet on Ebay and bought it for 14.95. It's supposed to arrive tomorrow.

[bphollin]

I have a TW Fireball red demo coming from the same lot, Andy. I'll be curious to swap notes when it arrives and we've had time to play.

[johnmont007]

I have a TW Fireball red demo coming from the same lot, Andy. I'll be curious to swap notes when it arrives and we've had time to play.

 

I have a TW Fireball Demonstrator with a medium nib that has been a constantly good performer, with a variety of inks, since I purchased it. So far, a good value for the price I paid. That said, I did purchase it on sale and I have not purchased a TW at full retail.

 

 

[Jimmy James]

I'm up to 4 TWs and a Clipper (which I should review because I think nobody has yet).

 

They're all fine pens in my book. I am disappointed by the finish of the copper Metalist TWs I have (yes, I have two due to Levenger Outlet's error in sending me the wrong nib width they corrected by sending me a whole second pen gratis). I've been disappointed by the copper finish on every pen I have tried so far, though. My sapphire and obsidian TWs are terrific, and the Clipper is nice if a bit funky. My nibs have been totally problem-free.

 

I'd say the pens are just about comparable to the Phileas in terms of writing experience. At under $40, I'd say that makes for good value. I prefer the styling of the TW to the Phileas and to the Safari. I can't say anything about the Safari's nib, but I can say that I know I've had Baystate Blue in my TWs without incident. Until/unless Lamy starts making at least feeds out of something different, it's unlikely I'll own a modern Lamy.

[John Cullen]

AndyH-----I hope you enjoy the pen. This thread just clarifies how great a part of our discussions are mere personal preference. Personally I think the Safari looks ugly and cheap, sort of like a kid's pen. But that is merely personal preference. Different nibs are designed differently, so they feel different in the hand. Some people hate Bexley nibs; some people hate Lamy nibs. Some people like to monkey with old pens and others want to buy from a place that whips out a replacement part no sweat rather than monkey with paying to send the pen around the world. Some people will not buy a c/c pen and some people avoid pistons.

 

I think everyone has to look around and use a few pens and then decide which one works for him or her and fits his or her needs and budget. In the end, most people seem to come up with a few pens that they find perfect for their own use.

 

I hope you enjoy your TW. If not, and you buy it off the main web page, you can probably return it to the seller for a refund or replacement, an option many places and brands will not offer.

[Romagno]

I just returned two TrueWriters, primarily because of low quality (cheaply made) and assembly (nibs were misaligned, and not fully installed). The stub nib Obsidian had serious flow issues, as well.

 

This is just my personal opinion.