How Pen Companies Fail the Pen Community
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- čas přidán 19. 07. 2022
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Wish you made this video in 2020. Back then when I started with the hobby I happily wrote different Lamys, which I all still love till today, and opted then for my first expensive pen, the Visconti Homo Sapiens with the 23 kt. Palladium. It was all you said. A horrible experience. But what was even more horrible to me was the reaction of the shop and of the community when I explained the problems. It was totally normal for everybody! And I felt lost, like, how can this be possible. Why nobody else is outraged that it's a regular thing for a 400 EUR pen. And in this part of Europe, there's not even a lot of options for nibmeisters that are recommended and affordable. I hate Visconti for this, and I don't give them a second chance even when I know they would deserve it. I love Gravitas and Ben does amazing work! I have the polycarbonate with a 1.1 stub and it's amazing. Can't wait for the Ultem! SBRE, I followed you for the pen reviews, but now I'm more excited for the Stoicism and Consulting the Doctor content :) Keep up the great work and thank you!
I purchased my Homo Sapiens Bronze Age from an excellent small shop and the Pd nib arrived tuned and writing perfectly... I highly recommend Pen Venture because Emy really cares. On the other hand, I purchased a Visconti Van Gogh from a different shop and it was clear they weren't testing the nibs. I ended up swapping in a Bock #5 because the Visconti nib was so terrible.
My first experience with Visconti was horrible. I was very new to the hobby at the time. I purchased a beautiful new $400 pen online that had an obviously bent clip off-center as soon as I opened the original Visconti box. The screw threads on the barrel would loosen frequently and have to be tightened, the feed was misaligned with the nib, and the pen would write well for a page or page and a half, then hard start and skip so badly I had to stop using it. I flushed and cleaned the nib and feed several times, and centered the feed with the nib, but it made no real difference. I contacted Visconti directly on their website and never received a response. I followed up again two weeks later, still never receiving an acknowledgement or response. I contacted Visconti's U.S. distributor, who was sympathetic but did not offer a solution. In desperation I ordered a new nib unit from another dealer, replaced the original - and of course - that nib unit had almost the identical writing problem. I contacted a nibmeister online (there were none local to me) who advised Visconti was notorious for problem nibs. If I wanted to send the pen for nib adjustment, I would have to pay for shipping to and from the nib meister, obviously pay for the adjustment work, and the average turnaround time would be 6 to 8 weeks, and could even be longer. This I found to be standard practice for nib adjustment work. After a $1,000 worth of cumulative frustration for a $400 pen, I simply stopped any further effort or use of the pen, period. As I was to learn later from several different reputable reviewer sites, even substantially more expensive Visconti pens had horror nib stories. I will not buy another new Visconti pen again. I would consider a pre-owned Visconti, but only if I trusted the dealer and was assured the nib was without problems.
Guess that I was pretty lucky with my HS dark age then, ordered an EF that came out with thicker line than a Sailor M, but at least, it's writing alright😅,but then, the caps airtighteness was only so-so, with ink all dried up inside the barrel if I don't use it after a few weeks
I am sorry you had the same horrid experience as I had with the Visconti Homo Sapiens. Never ever any more Viscontis for me! For Italian pens I save for my second Aurora and also but the Leonardos. Those two companies have delivered what they promised-but never never ever Visconti. The shop was helpful and sent the nib back twice to Visconti and it still didn’t write acceptable, they had finally themselves send it to a nibmeister and he only could do so much with that wretched nib. The pen now lies unused and unloved in my box and I regret every penny spent on it! It is really shocking that everyone in the pen community who earns money on pens; dealers, shops and CZcamsrs all know how awful 99% of the Visconti nibs are to write with and still they promote them! I would never even have known about the Homo Sapiens if I had not watched videos from pen shops or youtubers ( who are sponsored and therefore never gives honest reviews in fear of not getting pens to review). I was a blue eyed idiot who fell for the hype and as I have a low income it hit me harder than the rich ones who do not even think that buying a 400-500$ pen that doesn’t work is a problem.
Visconti never again! Bought a Visconti years ago. It self-destroyed. Sent pictures to manufacturer and made good arguments. They responded offering me a second grade in exchange + the return of the defective pen. It was cynical on their part and I let it go. Traditional makers (Pelikan, for example) never let me down.
I completely agree Stephen. The one Visconti I own cost me £450 and ink dripped from the nib. That's not acceptable and the fancy box and glossy booklets do not make up for the poor writing experience.
Yeap. And my bad nib was the palladium one. No thanks Visconti.
@@SirIsaacTheRed Yes. Mine too.
Really enjoyed you video Stephen , thank you !
Allow me to give you my opinion on this important issue.
Quality control occurs mostly during the machine set-up for production of the individual parts, avoiding mal functionality and problems during assembling.
Once the pens are assembled with parts which passed the quality control the manufacturer expects the pen will be fully functional and esthetically perfect.
This is however not always the case, logically each pen should undergo a writing test.
And then the problem starts, the buyer expects to buy “never inked” pen, so filling with ink would create the necessity of an intensive rinsing implying a complete disassembly & reassembling.
A simple writing test after dipping the pen would allow the finetune the nib , but does not guarantee the feed is fully functional.
At Conid we therefore decided to do the writing test by installing each screw in nib unit in a filled spare pen.
Doing so one is sure the complete nib unit is fully functional and one only has to rinse the nib unit before it is installed in a new pen
Just my 2 euro cents …
Francis
Your analogy with cars gave me a chuckle because Italian cars have long had a reputation of style over functionality and reliability.
I think some high end company’s want to make pen for collectors who only want to display the pens and do not use the pens for writing. The box is often more expensive than a normal, good, pen would be.
Hearing about your experience is very interesting. Every single one of the ~30 new pens I've bought over the years has written well straight out of the box. No skipping, no hard starts. I don't think I've ever spent more than €250; most of them were below €100. Maybe companies producing high-end pens are focusing too much on looks and not enough on performance.
This is literally why I won’t pay more than about $130 for a pen. Even that, I RESEARCH the hell out of it and won’t take a chance on certain brands that aren’t known to be stellar.
My 1st fountain pen was a Pilot Metropolitan, at the time of purchase boy that was expensive. I now have to restrain myself to keep my budget to $150. What I have noticed is, when I'm undecided about a Pen that has caught my eye; I fall back to my trusty never dusty Pilot.
@@dcmsr5141 I went through and bought several stub Metros because they are my favorite pen I have found. I do not care that they are steel nibs nor that they are inexpensive. I LOVE the way they write. That is all that matters to me. I’m a teacher- not a millionaire! 🙃
My top-end pen is a Pilot Prera… and I have just the one, augmented by a few Pilot Kakuno and Plumix pens. This is quite enough for me. A great deal of my writing needs are served by the cheap yet excellent line of Uniball signo UM-151 gel pens. This modest approach allows me to devote the better part of my writing budget to paper of good quality. I heartily recommend this prioritizing scheme for anyone who isn’t swimming in money.
As someone who has a few $200 pilots and platinums, the Prera is shockingly my favorite. The cap rubber is bliss every time and it’s held up for years
Do you think the prera is worth getting even if you have a kakuno? I heard the nibs are the same.
@@radiofreealbemuth - I’d say it really comes down to your personal sense for self-indulgence. The Prera certainly looks more sophisticated, so if you have spare cash and a desire to see a finer tool in your hand as you work, then consider adding a Prera to your arsenal. The main reason I added a Plumix is I wanted the italic nib which can be swapped among these aforementioned pens for desired variety. But the Kakuno can do everything a Prera can do at a third the price. The final decision is something only you can be sure of.
@@BooksForever great point, and thank you for the explanation 🤗
Very well said Stephen. It always stuns me when I keep reading of people by default sending brand new pens to nibmeisters to get fixed! If we all refuse these pens and ask for replacements or refunds, these companies will eventually realise that they need to up their quality control. Of course I’m not talking about nibmeister custom grinds and modifications beyond what I described.
As someone that got into this hobby recently that has always got to me when hearing reviews online. That is why I stick with Pilot, in your analogy Toyota, and rarely venture out. Not saying they are the best but there is a lot of value in the peace of mind that you know it will just work.
Makes sense, but I would still test drive a Toyota before buying it. All the issues presented could have been prevented by testing. Not only by the producer and or seller, but also by the buyer. What does the fountain pen do in your hand with your handwriting? Is that what you want and are you willing to pay for that?
It is a personal thing so why let it be a decision based in other peoples opinions and experiences?
This video is totally unexpected. In a good way. Only in the last couple of years i've started buying fountain pens: so far i've never exceeded the 60 dollars/euro mark, and the reason being that I've always been scared to buy a pen which could not be perfect in terms of performance (even due to search of information and reviews which ended up being often rather conflicting with each other). I might be mistaken but i came to the conclusion that often times expensive pens are aimed for aesthetics, care for costly and rare materials, and status, which is fine if one is looking for that. But for me pens have utilitarian purposes.
Having spent my entire (40 year) career in manufacturing companies, I have to say there is NO EXCUSE for poor quality. William Edwards Deming showed us the way in the early 1950's (SPC - statistical process control). Once a process is characterized, it takes very few test samples to ensure excellent quality. I realize many manufacturers do not have a statistician on staff, but all you have to do is read a few books to understand the concepts of SPC (if only I could speak & write Italian... I'm looking at you, Visconti)...😉
Deming did great work!
If they want to sell expensive pens, at least do something that moves the needle in terms of design (NOT novelty pens, MB), materials, nib, feed, filling system, etc. If they want a real design challenge, make an good pen at a decent price. It’s buyer beware when companies extort high prices for pens meant for the speculative market, but contemptible when they use their brand names to extort high prices for sub-standard pens. As a manufacturer, I’m not sure it’s possible to engage in speculation without some ethical erosion.
I agree with both your points.
Way back in Grade II or III (c. 1959-1960) I began using a fountain pen at school. Try as I might, I can't remember anyone having a pen problem in all the subsequent years at school. I don't remember what makes of pen were in use in those days, although I still have my final school pen (Osmiroid 65) in action today. Which leaves me puzzled by the numerous reports of pen failures, especially with the really expensive ones.
My guess is that the industry nearly expired in the sixties, so all the accumulated trade knowledge was not passed on to a new generation of workers, hence the fall in manufacturing quality. Nevertheless, this is no excuse for the faulty products ever being sold to unsuspecting victims. And so I stick to vintage: more bang for the buck.
As for the gee-gaws plastered on some pens...such lapses in taste are well rewarded for anyone silly enough to buy one.
Thanks for a thought-provoking post.
Yes I still have my Osmirod 65 and 75 from high school in the 69s
I agree with your points. Thank you for all the thought you put into this video.
Completely agree ! I bought 3 Pelikan and had issues with them all. hard starts, skipping, dry nibs and I had to learn how to resolve this problems. it's so desapointing at this price tag and comaring to my low end pens that I got at the beginning that wrote with no issues at all.
Nib selection
I grew up in England in the 60s
Fountain pens were obligatory in school
Osmiroid company had an exchangeable nib
There was a selection of 25 nibs from, extra fine hard or soft, full selection of italics
So we could chose the nib that fit our writing style
Nib manufacturers like Bock or Jowo could do this
Then too many pens that are quite expensive have a standard deliver system such as Jowo or Bock nib
Me too. We had Osmiroid pens available to order from my school in the 1960s and, as we were learning italic script, we got them supplied with italic nibs. They even had left-handed nibs available. I don't think Osmiroid made particularly good pens (I think mine cost 7/6d) but they wrote well and I immediately fell in love with fountain pens and have been using them ever since. My current favourite is my Pelikan M800.
@@cliffhughes6010 Pelikan makes quality fountain pens and complaints about their products have been few and far between. I have an M400 and an M600, both with medium nibs, and they are both wet, smooth writers that write out of the box.
I think there is a big difference between pen users and pen collectors. Some people just care about the prestigious image a pen brand has, they want limited editions and pens that look the price they cost. Others (like me) care about the writing experience a pen gives them. That being said, I would rather buy my 20th TWSBI than pay hundreds of EUR for a pretty Italian pen that gives me nothing but trouble (which has happened). There are some brands I avoid. And if I would buy such a pen, it would be 2nd hand from someone I trust to sell me a pen that works. I don‘t see myself spending money on sending a nib to a nibmeister (there aren‘t even any in Germany to my knowledge) - I would rather just not use it. And yes, not all German brands are perfect, some just make expensive pens, I don‘t need that. But my 2 most expensive pens are Pelikans, I love my Lamy 2000 (have 3 in different nib sizes) and Kawecos are just too cute to be ignored. :D
Amen!
I bought a Pelikan and it flat-out didn't write right out of the box. The retailer exchanged it for one that does write, but I will not buy another Pelikan.
I completely agree with your points. I’d add that too many companies are completely out of touch with today’s market or fail to understand that different regions are different markets. And, on the opposite end, you have companies that needlessly limit some pens to one region when there’s a clear demand for them in other regions. As a Pelikan fan in the US, though, the most egregious sin is the excessive markup on Pelikan pens in the US. 🙂
Indeed, in Europe it’s practically impossible to get Pilot pens… and those available mostly have only nibs.
Pelikan pen prices in the UK are cheaper than in the U.S. Many UK dealers ship to the U.S.
The impression I have -I use pens from childhood and I am in my mid 60ies- is that old pens usually wrote well. It was rare to buy a pen and find that it did not write. Actually, until the 1980ies, that never happened. From then on skipping, hard starts, good first page followed by miserable second and useless third pages, misaligned nibs, nibs that broke after some time (and I do not use force), nibs that rusted and stopped writing, points that wore down totally, were the norm.
I was disappointed by every single brand I used at that time: Lamy; Parker; Montblanc; Aurora (the expensive ones); Rotring; Waterman; and many others I forgot.
I threw prudence to the wind and began to grind nibs, pull the tines apart, everything I dared. Some of them began to write properly.
Then I tried small brands, such as Mr Pen: the pen did not write, I sent the pen back and I never got a refund.
So I no longer buy pens: I use what I have from more than 30 years ago.
Also, my experience is that if you buy cheap pens you will be happier -they actually write better- than if you go for overpriced Montblancs, gold Auroras, fancy Viscontis and so on.
The best writing pen in my collection (rather: array of pens, I am not a collector, but a mere user) is the cheapest one: a Waterman Kultur. A pity it is so light...
I must say, in regards to your observations about pens that don't write coming from high-priced pens, it seems. Because I am old and on a limited fixed income, I don't have a single pen that cost more than $200. In fact, my most expensive pen comes in noticeably below that price point. I occasionally tell myself I should buy fewer lower-priced pens and save those dollars to buy a couple of high-end pens, like a Visconti or a Montegrappa. To add on top of the exorbitant (to me) price of shipping it to and from a nibmeister, as well as paying the nibmeister's fee, is definitely a deterrent to my making such s purchase.
I've worked a fair bit in manufacturing at different companies, and learned that paying attention to who really manufactures the product you're buying is essential. I'm a Pilot fanboy partly because of the excellent inhouse manufacturing they do.
It could be a case of indifference on the part of some pen manufacturers: they see themselves as above any critisism. You point out the irony of paying to have what should be a fuctioning pen repaired - those who recieve faulty pens should not even consider a nib meister, they should simply return the pen and request a refund or exchange.
I'm seeing this video a bit late, however, I am seeing it because it was mentioned in a Goulet Pens video. As I am not a collector or a hoarder of fountain pens, but a user (and maybe an abuser of fountain pens) since the mid 80's, I have unfortuneatly personally experienced the issues that you express in this video. As a respected reviewer of this hobby I so do appreciate your forth coming and candor on this subject matter and also to Goulet Pens for acknowledging your video - true community attitude indeed...thank you.
Thanks for an excellent video. I completely agree with your first point. As far as your second point is concerned, one imagines that the likes of Montblanc and Montegrappa can make limited edition pens (like the Disney or the Elvis from Montblanc) in the full knowledge that they will probably be bought by "collectors", and not by "users." They may never be used, so the collector may not care about the ergonomics or design and the writing experience is irrelevant. I am always amazed at the number of still-boxed, writers' editions that come up for sale.
Many "collectors" of expensive special limited editions only buy them as investments to be sold later for a profit. They have no interest whatsoever in them other than speculation and there is no inflated ego involved in owning them, that's for the buyers they sell to later. Rolex takes first place in that game. That's why some Rolex models that sold for $300 new 40 years ago can sell for $500,000 in the original case, unworn with paperwork and original sales receipt. If that isn't ego, nothing is.
I totally agree with you about Visconti. I brought a Van Gogh as my first major purchase as a memento of a holiday. The nib was terrible and I sent it back to the retailer. It came back to me just as bad, I don’t believe they actually did anything to it. So I sent it back again. This time, the retailer sent it to the Australian distributor. He sent me a written report of that was wrong with the pen and how he fixed it. He tuned the nib and now I have to say it’s one of the best steel nib pens I have. But I shouldn’t have the additional postage costs or the stress to get it that way. It’s a shame because although everything worked out perfectly in the end, I will never buy another Visconti
I cannot afford these high-end pens, but I wouldn't buy them even if I could. The impression that I get from those is that they are simply made for rich folks to purchase and display, but never actually used for writing.
If I want a pen that writes great, I choose a Lamy, TWSBI or Pelikan.
Pelikan pens are overpriced as fuck, but at least the ongoing opinion is that they mostly provide good quality and their pens write well, which isn't true of all luxury pen brands
@@tajniak4335 I agree Pelikan pens are very overpriced, and so are the standard line Montblanc pens. The larger picture is most manufacturing today is lower quality for higher price, and even if there are still some quality makers, you're going to really pay through the nose because they know the crap being produced by competitors is overpriced too.
@@tajniak4335 Pelikan pens aren't made in China. They're manufactured in Germany, one of those nations that insist on workers being paid a decent salary.
Some Pelikans are decently priced. Pound for pound, the best value for fountain pens are Lamy. You get a reliable, durable pen where you can swap out nibs cheaply, in both gold and steel. You can get the same from Pelikan, it just costs more. Take any pen from MB and compare it to it's competitor of same model and MB is just more.
@@ironmic9244 I do love my Lamy 2000.
I concur. My first Visconti is a Watermark that cost me 1500 EUR. The nib came with uneven tines that were polished unevenly as well. Two trips to the Australian AD, and a trip back to the Netherlands over several months were required to get a functional nib, and even then I had to perfect it myself. Needless to say, it's my only Visconti. I've never had such an issue with Pilot, Sailor, Platinum.
Pelikan is another serial offender with over-polished, skippy and hard-starting nibs. Brands made by Yafa (like the contemporary Conklin) are also serial offenders for atrocious nib QC.
What's even worse is their excuses. It doesn't take a pen to be inked to to be written with to detect obvious flaws like baby's bottoms, uneven tines, asymmetrical slits etc. It can be done with a simple careful inspection under a loupe.
I agree with you too Stephen. I have an Aurora Optima that I bought years and years ago for a pretty penny. It is a beautiful pen but the part that you twist to draw ink into the barrel developed some flaw and I took it the shop I bought it from here in Maryland and they sent it back to Italy. It came back with a leak in the barrel somewhere that I just can't find. I refuse to send it to Italy again. I'll send it to the Fountain Pen Hospital or drive it to down to Goulet Pens and beg Brian Goulet to see if he can't fix it or something but it's not going back to Aurora.
I recently bought a second Pelican M-800 in a different color. The pen will simply not write. It now sits in my collection as an unusable pen until I go to some pen show to find someone who can fix it for me. I have about 10 or 11 Leonardo pens and have one which has the same issue. I tried putting on a new nib, and still no luck.
As someone from county antrim, Ireland, that was a very good accent attempt! I completely agree with both of your points. I always was perplexed that my Montblanc 145 regular edition wrote better than my Solitaire Blue Hour counterpart at twice the price...
As always/often: nailed it!!
I don't think manufacturers realise the impact that one non functioning pen can have, as regards future sales.
My sister got herself a Lamy fountain pen, thinking she'd get a nice pen for once. She read the reviews, and decided to get the Lamy.
She could never get the pen to write at all. Ended up shoving it in a drawer and forgetting it.
I got into fountain pens, and she mentioned the Lamy. I said I'd look at it and see if I could get it going.
Tried everything I could think of. No chance. Would not work.
I now have a bad opinion of Lamy pens, which might be totally unfair. I might have got the one Lamy pen that wouldn't work.
But I'll never risk buying one because of that one experience.
I have bought several Lamy and they all wrote out of box. They may scratch something, have poor flow, but they always write, without a flaw. If you read the comments on this review, Lamy's reputation is very good.
In the last few weeks, I intervened in an FPN thread from a dissatisfied Lamy owner. "Why I don't like my new Lamy pen and I think something might be wrong with it". I find it hard to believe that your Lamy can't write well. I encourage you to read the thread and consult whatever you want.
@@MiguelGonzalez365 As I said, my Sister might have got the only Lamy pen that was totally dead.
I cleaned it and tried to make it work, no luck. The nib looked fine, as far as I could see.
I'll have to ask her if she still has it. If so, I'll try again.
She's probably thrown it away.
Another thing, I've bought loads of cheap Chinese fountain pens, including a set of five fake Lamys, and they've all worked perfectly.
It could just be bad luck. I no longer collect fountain pens, so probably won't buy a Lamy. I've got my grail pen, and about 20 other pens. That's enough for me at the moment.
@@MiguelGonzalez365 I'll check out the thread you mentioned, though, thanks!
@@jeffreybarton1297 If you already have your grail, it's going to be hard to like another pen better 😀. Out of curiosity, what is that pen?
I'm guessing you tried more than one ink and on different papers. Herbin violette pensée works poorly in most of my pens (oddly enough it writes well with the Lamy Safari). It's also good to test the reverse side to see if the feed is OK. For example, on a baby botton problem, the reverse side works fine unless the tines are too tight.
As I imagine you have tried most of the solutions proposed in the tutorials, I think this could be a very unusual problem. In such cases, it is necessary to remove the feed and nib and check them very carefully. In one thread, the owner of a Kaweco Sport said that the feed had a burr in the channel that prevented proper flow. On another Kaweco, the feed was not fully seated. Another thing that podŕia have happened is that the tines were too tight, but that's the first thing the tutorials note.
I have about 20 fountain pens, of various brands. They all write well, but almost all needed adjustment, in many cases minimal, to get them to write to my liking. I have only touched one Lamy Nexx B and one Schneider Base M. I bought 11 Jinhao 992 and none of them wrote well out of box. As they were to be given as gifts, I had to adjust them. It was quite simple to get them to write well, almost all the tines were very tight. I kept 3 of them. In two of them, the housing cracked causing an exaggerated ink flow.
Yes that is crazy. I’ve had 4 dollar jinhaos that write amazingly out of the plastic and I’ve had 160 dollar pilots that don’t write at all without sending it back. It’s crazy that the more expensive a pen gets the more chance of it having issues it seems like
This video is one of those uncomfortable things for many that must be said for the common good, all the companies in the world that manufacture something are within a range of possible failures in their products, that is why there is quality control and that is why there are communities of users who seek to be heard and that there are people like them with problems in the use of a product acquired with a brand of any level of cost.
Agreed Doctor Brown, I have a Visconti mazzi/apache which would not write. I swapped out a feed/grip section from a $12 pen from India and the threads matched up with the Barrell ( lucky ) inserted the gold nib back... No issues. Also a montblanc 149 used paid $800 us. Start & skipping issues. U-tube tutorial videos, micro mesh & brass sheets later, problem resolved. I chucked my pilot VP and Sheaffer valor in the trash.
Fountain pens I ink up are my 1959 Sheaffer PFM #3, pelikan m805 stresemann & my lamy 2000.
Workhorse pens are my jinhao 159's with Goulet nibs all colors, 51a's and
moonmans.
Had I known then what I know now I would have bought only pelikans & jinhao 159's. Pelikan straight out of the box not flushed or cleaned straight to ink and on to paper have never failed me yet.
I completely agree with you I have had pens that don’t write
I highly agree! My poorest writers have been Monte Blanc and Yard-O-Led. On the other hand, Platinum, Sailor, Namiki, Pilot all write great out of box. Pelikans always have written well. As you said, Edison’s are always perfect. Other small shops like Carolina Pens and Woodshed Pens are tuned before shipping. I’ve ordered a Gravitas based on you plug. We will see how it does. Thank you for voicing the truth!!
Never had problems with Diplomat pen. The steel nips are better some my gold nips
I agree with what you had to say. My experience with smaller custom pen makers has been very positive. My issues have been with what to me are higher end pens, hundreds of dollars not thousands. So what is the right way to handle these problems? I usually tinker around to try to figure out the issue myself. One pen I had fixed by a nibmeister. One turned out to be a converter issue. But regardless, if I can't fix it myself, I will probably have voided the warranty and there will be more expense involved in correcting an issue that should never have existed. It would give me great pleasure to list the brands of pens I have found lacking but since that won't fix the issues, I will refrain.
Great video as always!! I totally agree with you. I have found the Japanese brands to be very consistent and I generally have more confidence in buying the high ends of a Pilot or Sailor vs a Visconti or even a Pelikan. Given the volume of manufacturing of pens, I just don't understand why it's so difficulty to have basic quality practices to nearly guarantee every pen that is shipped writes as expected. I also think it's not difficult to ensure consistency of writing. Every Fine from a brand should lay down a line width within a specific range for example. These are not difficult to test.
When compared to the rest of the world, Japanese culture dictates an entirely different thought process, high degree of responsibility and personal accountability that "westerners" find hard to live up to. Because of this cultural difference, the QA standards at Japanese manufacturers is far above that of western counterparts. A "westerner" who has not had repeated experiences interacting with Japanese culture, in Japan, will find it difficult to understand. Also, Pilot has an exceptional reputation to uphold and to sell a non-functioning pen would shame the company. That is a huge no-no in Japan with severe social repercussions for the person who shamed the company.
I see a recurring theme here. I too got a Visconti Rembrandt for my first expensive (for me at the time) pen. The nib skipped horribly, was not smooth. On the positive side, that is what made me learn how to tune and smooth my nibs. I was so shocked that a pen of this "stature" was so crap. I was put off of any costly pens for some time. I moved almost exclusively vintage pens. I figured if I was going to spend that much, I could get a more beautiful pen, with a gold nib, and usually ones that had been rehabbed to a point that made them far more desirable than anything from current offerings. I have since gone to some old standards, Sailor 1911, Platinum #3776, and they have been fantastic. I have had excellent luck with Opus 88, Narwhal, Lamy, TWSBI, and Pelikans. I tend not to stray out of those unless I am reasonably sure I am getting a good pen and value.
Normally I would be tempted to say the problem is with Italian companies. I had trouble with my Visconti HS (duh!) and Leonardo. But then I can recall absolutely awfully bad nib tipping placement on my "limited" Sailor Pro Gear White Russian and scratchy broad (?!) nib on Pilot 823. What. The. Hell?! At the same time I had great results with cheaper pens from some of those companies. I just can't find the pattern and reason to this. I end up not being comfortable to suggest any pen to a newbie knowing they might get something awful that make them hate such a fantastic writing instrument. Actually, it was exactly how I started - with scratchy fine nib on Lamy Safari. I forgot about pens for a few years because of that. Depressing.
Really, a Leonardo, Sailor, and Pilot?? That is shocking.
My fav pens for newbies? Preppy and Varsity. They always write great. But also some of the cheapest.
I would agree that I should not have to do anything extra to make my nib write. I also should not have to pay shipping for them to look at the pen is I am experiencing issues when under the warranty period. Perhaps finding the smaller companies who are in for the passion of pens is where we should just be focusing on. I don't think it should be hard to test every nib. They could hire a team to do that. Two examples of a large and small company; Lamy and Scribo. Each nib is tested before it's sent out. So it is possible.
Oh the Scribo pen I have is a dream-there one can talk about people who really care and put their heart, honour and skill into making a pen that is a joy to use!
Lamy is my ride or die. The Safari was my first fountain pen. I'm currently awaiting my Lamy 2000, the first over $100 pen I've ever even considered getting. Lamy has never done me dirty.
Yes, my Visconti's have been terrible. I've also had problems with Kaweco with baby-bottom. The other problem, particularly mid-priced pens, have times that are much too tight and create hard starts and restricted ink-flow.
Outstanding Review!!! Thank you for pointing out the pink elephant!!! I had purchased two Visconti’s (Bronze and Steel Age) in quick succession, one of which was sent back twice to the reputable seller. They pointed out that Visconti simply didn’t have quality control. Yes , I bought them and still have them-4 years ago -but don’t use them. I need to send them to a nib meister. As a result I have not nor will I buy another Visconti-it’s on the.
Exact reason why half of my fountain pens are Pilot Custom 823/743 and Sailor KoP, they write out of the box and by writing I mean writing!!! Perfectly! My only Visconti was tuned in store (Akkerman). Other half of my collection is Pelikan M80x/M1005 and they have great nibs and if there is a problem, they have a excellent exchange service (for new fountain pens).
I bought my two Viscontis too early; a Bronze Age and a Medici both with palladium nibs. I was able to get accetable performance from the Bronze Age by myself, but the Medici wrote so badly that I sent it to a nibmeister. Another pen I had a problem with was a Pelikan Toledo M700. When I returned it for repair, my accompanying letter noted that it wrote "like a dry stick." Pelikan returned it in excellent working order, but I had to bear the cost of sending the pen to Germany and then wait for its return. The pens I have mentioned so far were expensive, but a cheaper pen, a Conklin crescent-fill, I got new at a pen show, but it wouldn't fill properly. I had to send it back to Conklin so the bladder would expand after it had been compressed.
Very good discussion. RS
It would be interesting to hear from someone like Brian Goulet or the Andersons about this issue. I know they test nibs before they send anything out, which may give consumers the idea that certain companies have a high QC. I imagine it's not at all like that and they see an awful lot of duds.
Not all. I requested a test on a Lamy 2k and goulet denied me.
It was B Goulet with his videos that made me dream about a Visconti Homo Sapiens-I just thought he was honest and believed that Visconti was a great pen brand. I suppose the pen owners and pen reviewers get pens directly from the companies and those pens are thoroughly checked and without flaws and then they do bot care that the pens they send out on the markers, to us who then had fallen for the rave reviews, are not working properly. The hype is already out there . So after my horrid Visconti experience I am much much more sceptic of youtubers who are given pens, I feel I can only rely on reviews from those who bought a pen w their own money! And I never believe any shop owner, how nice and pleasant they might be!
We try to test pens on request, but it's tough, as we don't charge a premium to do so and we don't have a nibmeister so we're limited in what we can test for or fix. Especially since covid and we have fewer people working on site daily, so time for testing is an issue. We definitely want to provide a great writing experience, but we're actually quite torn on both ends of the spectrum. Some customers would gladly wait/pay to get a higher quality product, many others shop around online and want the least expensive/fastest shipped item and still expect it to write just the same. No retailer can provide additional hands-on expertise and service/repair and also be the cheapest/fastest...and it's tough to do a combination of the two.
it's challenging to do any nib work as a retailer because it essentially requires us to be a hands-on expert with every nib in every size in order to do that and there are a LOT of different nibs. There are some basic principles that transcend all nibs but there are nuances to many nibs that one company will tweak vs another, so there's some gray area there that requires a lot of experience to understand. It also changes over time, as nibs can change, so it requires us to keep up with all those changes, too (and we mostly don't get advanced notice of these changes either).
We do as much testing as we can, but we will sometimes have to turn down requests (especially on pens we know have a really great reputation and don't usually need it). What we do really try to do a lot though is communicate to manufacturers the issues we're seeing because quite frankly, that's where these issues need to be addressed. If one manufacturer ships out to retailers all over the world, it makes far more sense for the manufacturer to fix all the issues since they have the expertise and control to do so, the thousands of retailers globally who may be carrying their brand can't realistically be expected to have the same knowledge about their nibs as they do. So bottom line is this is complicated, but we really want to take as much feedback from customers as we can, test as much as we can ourselves, and also communicate as much as we can to the manufacturer. -Brian Goulet
@@SpookyPistolero yeah, sorry about that. The LAMY 2000 especially we've tested many, many pens over the years and they're quite consistent, so we found individual testing to be pretty superfluous and not a good use of anyone's time. We also have limited staffing especially since covid hit, so we've not been able to do as many pen tests as we'd like. But we try to be really understanding and generous in our returns and troubleshooting if there are any issues. -Brian Goulet
@@SUSSDUE Visconti in particular is tough, they've changed their nibs several times over the years, so even videos I made a while ago were on pens/nibs that aren't the same as they are now. This is always a challenge when companies change things, and with Visconti in particular, it's been a lot to keep up with in the last 5 years or so... -Brian Goulet
Montblanc is my worst experience. I love the fine nib. This year alone I had to return 4 new pens out of 7. Two were direct purchases from the MB site USA. The ones that work are stellar and subjectively I prefer over my Sailors which are excellent pens and #2 as a favorite pen. Only 1 out of my 10 was returned. Music Nib was a mess. Thanks for the video 😊
Excellent video, my newest and one of my two most expensive pens skips, and often the writing becomes lighter in longer writing sessions, indicating to me that the feed is not supplying a constant flow. Plan to contact the Independent maker for assistance.
Leonardo Officina Italiana continued to sell the Momento Zero Grande Capri after they received complaints on defective internal design which made impossible to use this fountain pen!
I absolutely agree. I purchased a Visconti Divina (larger size) with a palladium nib. I ordered the stub nib, it came, didn't write, and sent it back. I was sent to Mike M the nibsmith to fix, and it couldn't be fixed. So I was offer the chance to choose a different size nib. I picked the broad and I it hard starts continuously! I get so frustrated writing with it because it just doesn't write well enough to finish a sentence or start one! I have purchased a new gold nib for it and I hope that will fix the problem. The pen cost >$700 and the new nib cost $300. I sure hope it works. I have pre-pallidum nibbled pens by Visconti with good nibs that write beautifully and have never had a problem. Visconti should have stuck with those gold nibs in the first place.
I've been really lucky. I've only had one expensive pen that was horrible. Strangely, the nib and feed are just fine in other pens.
On that note, there is one major manufacturer which dip tests each pen: you get them with ink on them. That's not a full test, of course, but at least gives a clue. Of course, the smaller manufacturers are more likely to fully test: they don't dare to have a bad reputation. Larger manufacturers see the impact of a bad reputation only after a lot more time, so they can gamble.
You mentioned car manufacturers. I drive a 22-year-old Toyota Camry. It has some cosmetic issues, but I trust it completely. Where I live, I need to drive a car I trust. But there are some manufacturers who are known to require a bit of work.
I would love to hear more about this topic from you. There are so many topics that could fit under this umbrella. The "hideous designs" is just one. And I can think of one particular manufacturer which makes mostly ugly, over-decorated pens.
This is absolutely 100% correct 👏
YES! I spent my hard earned money on an expensive (for me) Pelikan and it won’t write! I can’t get a response from the company. I’m considering sending the pen to a nib meister or just selling it. Conversely, my TWSBIs nearly always right great. When I have contacted the company with an issue, I get a quick and friendly response.
I know, it's disheartening when they don't even respond to a warranty issue. Visconti won't either...trust me, I've tried more than once.
I would gladly pay 10 to 15 percent more that writes straight out of the box. Another great video. Keep them coming.
I agree with you about pens not writing. I also agree with you about hideous, uncomfortable pens, but most of those I can't afford, and the rest I just don't buy. It probably falls at least partially under the "pens that don't write category", but I can't stand it when pens don't have a good seal. Some brands have spoiled me for that, but it's limited the brands I buy, because it's rare that I tend to settle for less these days. I also think that brands fail their customers tremendously by getting into huge, obnoxious verbal and legal battles over things that are petty and irrelevant, like copyright infringement -- even though I am a fan of the actual pens of the two companies I can think of that did so.
In my opinion, the uniqueness and soul of a pen resides in the nib. The nib dictates the way in which you should write with a pen and the relationship it has with the paper. The nib is the main reason for wich I buy my pens. My 3 daily writers and favourite nibs are Sailor 1911 KOP (B), Pilot 823 (M) and Lamy 2000 (M). Each one has it's own personality, feedback and springiness. The fact that they all have different filling systems only adds to the experience of owning them. None of them has had any issues regarding their nibs. They were perfect out of the box, and the three of them added together were cheaper than a single Visconti. So where does the love of fountain pens end and where does the snobbery of owning an expensive item made of exquisite materials that fails at the very task it's built for begin. It's just like a beautiful trophy wife, that's dumb and lousy in bed. And don't get me wrong, I'm all in favor of nice things, hell, I even own a lot of them. But they're all great at the job they're built for. Anyway, I'm starting to digresss. My advice for the less advanced fountain pen users out there is: go to eBay and find a nice JDM Pilot 74 at the right price, then go for a Sailor 1911 with a 21k nib. It willl change the way you view the quality of a nib. Thanks for bearing to read all this.
Great article on pen issue's. I fully agree with you about companies producing pens that don't work properly. I have a lot of pieces by Montblanc, most of which are not used, of the six that are in use only one has written well from the box, the others have required work to correct faults. If only one from six is trouble free then what percentage of the other hundred has an issue.
Every Japanese pen I have used wrote perfectly out of the box, European pens not so much, why is this? Montblanc do have a good customer service department although with a slow turn around possibly because of the amount of returns on the product.
The best Montblanc nibs are those from the 1950s to circa 1980s. I have a 252, a 14 and a 22 that write flawlessly as soon as the nib touches the paper, even after several days. I also own two olders 146s, one of which is bordeaux, and a new Starwalker as well. They write very well too, including the Starwalker.
A writing instrument that doesn't write? Ironic. (insert Palapatine meme). Here are some other ways that that pen companies can fail the pen community:
- Overcharging for plastic pens. I'm not talking about small makers who lovingly turn and polish pens. I'm talking about brands that churn out plastic pens but charge premium prices.
- Overcharging for gold nibs. The amount of gold in a gold nib is worth less than $50, probably much less if the nib is 14K and small. Yet somehow a gold nib costs $100+ more than an equivalent steel nib.
- Offering uninteresting nib choices. Many brands offer a limited range of basic nib sizes, often using generic nibs from JoWo and Bock. While these nibs can be made interesting with the help of a nibmeister, it's another step that's time and hassle. It's encouraging to see some brands offering wider ranges of nib sizes and/or house-made nibs. And I'm seeing more and more small makers partnering with nibmeisters to offer interesting grinds with new pens. Plus there are retailers who have in-house nibmeisters who can make a nib special before the pen goes out the door.
- Co-opting brands. Maybe this is personal, but I find it incredibly irritating when a once glorious brand is acquired and used to produce pens that have nothing to do with the brand's original pens.
- Misrepresentation. Speaking of resurrected brands, it's really disingenuous to do things like put the name of a city in Ohio on the nib of a pen made in Asia. There's also been the saga about a particular Japanese company implying that their urushi is applied domestically.
- Failing to innovate. Certain brands seem to have stagnated on a few designs that they just issue in different colors over and over and over again. I suppose this does give individuals the opportunity to find a pen whose aesthetics match theirs, but I think it is also a form of stagnation. I think we also reached peak "turned stick of swirly plastic" in recent years. So for me at least, it's been very exciting to see some makers really pushing on innovation in design, materials, finish, etc. Ben from Gravitas is a prime example of this. Hmm, I haven't made a video in a dog's age, maybe I should do one on innovation in fountain pens.
Despite all of this, it feels like we are living in a modern renaissance of fountain pens, with so many wonderful and great choices out there.
I agree, agree, agree to each point you made. Smaller, independent makers and innovators are becoming where quality is.
I hear you about the palladium nib…..mine also has never written well. I’ve stopped using it, which is sad as it was a “grail pen” for me. I’m not wealthy and it cost a lot-for me.
So sorry to hear you had the same experience I had. I am not wealthy and it took a long time to save for my Visconti Homo Sapiens and then it never worked. Such a huge dissapointment!
I've been using fp's since the 80's. I won't buy a fp from a seller who does not have a nibsmith to adjust the nib on the pen before it's mailed to me. That limits me a lot on purchases but I'm perfectly okay with that. I just won't spend money on a pen that I cannot use or (like you said) have to send out to a nibsmith to fix (that I have to pay for). I've been so frustrated with this for many years. Thank you for putting this out for the pen companies to hear. What is very disappointing is that the pen companies know what their issues are and they are just not fixing them because they have never had to - not just with nibs but with anything. And, my other issue is with those limited edition pens - they are pricing themselves out of range with them - some aren't worth the add'l $100.00+ over the non-limited made with the same exact material but just a different color - I won't buy them either.
Brian at Edison definitely still does that! Easily some of my best-writing nibs have come from Edison.
I completely agree with your first point. While they aren’t perfect, I usually suggest Pilot to those who are looking for a pen. I have a large collection, and my Pilots are the only pens I haven’t had to tune myself, or send to a nib meister. This excludes the Falcon, that model seems to be a nightmare even with professional tuning.
And again, I completely agree with your desire for there to be less $2k pens that have strange designs bolted on for additional unrefined opulence. They get placed on the shelves of pen stores and collect dust for years.
Meh, I was really disappointed with how my pilot metropolitan wrote, to the extent that my 5 dollar Jinhao writes way better.
And to add to @Rtwik Gupta's reply - I had scratchy, brand new, BROAD nib on Pilot 823. Almost the opposite end of price spectrum.
@@rtwikgupta4744 There isn't a pen company in existence that makes perfect pens. This is a numbers game. We are asking who statistically makes pens that consistently function the best. Ultimately, my suggestion is for people to obtain basic supplies and learn how to tune their own pens. That alone has saved me lots of time and money.
@@greengohm Fortunately my 823 was great right out of the box. This is a numbers game unfortunately, there will always be a percentage of pens that don't work as they should right from the start.
@@beardedpens6132 All well and fine, but not everyone is adept at these matters and you can end up ruining some nibs learning how to correct them. And some people have no interest or the time required to learn and would rather have a nibmeister work on them.
I also find that some pens like Visconti Opera Masters, as great as they look, they bleed ink from the part where you hold the pen. Why would an expensive pen like that bleeds ink from sides?
One recent reviewer bought a very expensive Visconti pen and the tines of the platinum nib were bent at different angles from each other. Not even one of the tines was in the normal position. I bought a moderately expensive Visconti ($450) pen, and the clip was obviously bent at an angle off-center, the nib was awful, and the metal barrel screws loosen frequently and have to be re-tightened. And while you can report warranty problems on Visconti's website, they never respond. Trust me, I did and never got a response even following up with second attempt.
Slightly off topic, but not entirely so;
Clearly, the majority of "nicer" pens use screw-on caps. As I don't like threads or steps in my grip section, my options for a comfortable pen are severely limited. The only pen I've found where the threads are far enough away from the nib is the Onoto Magna Classic. (Thankfully, my Onoto writes perfectly and I love it.)
Why do most pen makers put the threads squarely in the middle of the grip area? A pen should be comfortable to hold for hours at a time!
i think there is reason to believe the pen community has helped the manufacturers move Quality Control to the users. People get new faulty pens yet report in forums how great Company X is because it responded quickly. Company X is praised for failure. The two-fold message becomes 1) we expect faulty product and 2) we want to work with you, Company X, to send it back and get the replacement (or just correct it ourselves). The company builds that process into the cost. The Returns Dept must be less expensive than expanding Quality Control to stop issues being passed to end users.
i would prefer the companies train us as users to expect our new pens to have a touch of amethyst ink in the nib feed as an indicator they did a quality control write with the pen. Why amethyst? Any other color would be an indicator of receiving a previously owned and returned pen.
Visconti doesn't bother to respond when you contact them for warranty repair or replacement, even with a second follow-up. I know, because I tried. One of the other commenters here had the same thing happen with Pelikan.
as a reference, ferrari's are known to have similar issues, where the car spends more time in the workshop than driven properly. It's not unique to pens, and it seems to be more common in super high end brands and perhaps italian.
So how did pen factories fail the pen community? Basically they failed to connect with the pen community because otherwise this question would not have been asked.
I understand the pen community is “small” and differs but it has been growing since years. So what does the community want? That is what the factories are supposed to be there for. Understand our demands and dreams when comes to pens and there use.
What I miss is the opportunity to test pens in a shop. Fountain pens are still quite rare and not easily available. Your first impression is through media, but you want to hold it in your hand. Even pocket knives are more available and feasible (and have a same price range). Why do we have to test our products after buying them and then discover it wasn’t what we expected?
Yes, you are right. We are testing after purchase. But that's where they have us, because if we don't like it, we have to pay to ship it back, and worry about the restocking fee. Too much of a hassle to do that, and then you've spent money, with nothing to show for it except for a return invoice.
I agree. I live in San Francisco and the only two places where you can actually see, hold and test a pen is a nice Lamy Boutique that opened several years ago, and a Montblanc shop that's been here for decades. Great if you want a Lamy or a Montblanc, but that's it.
I agree, of the more expensive pens I have bought the majority skip or have similar issues, at this point I would never again buy an expensive pen from someone that does not have in house tuning before shipping.
Hi, excellent observation, Btw! I have a similar problem with Leonardo, not with the nib but with the clip. But Look at this fact, no any email or any contact for customer service or support on Leonardo’s page! Try to find it. In the box I've got warranty paper, also no any number or email to contact them. Do they afraid to have a contact email or what?
Your commentary is spot on. I am relatively new to the pen world, and I own fewer than 20 pens. Although I research nearly every pen before buying it, for 6 of them the reliability of the writing is dodgy at best. That is a disturbingly high percentage of lemons! The prices of the dodgy pens vary. There are 2 Viscontis, an Opus 88, a TWSBI, a Conklin, and one made by a tiny manufacturer whose name I don't remember. Every pen looks beautiful and, is a joy to use when it's writing. Unfortunately, the frequency with which they write well is less than ideal and there is no guarantee that a pen that is writing well will continue to do so. I've never returned a pen. I'm not confident the replacement will be any better. I'm planning to take them all to a nib meister and get them sorted out. The cost will be equivalent to buying another pen, but so be it. A pen has one job. If it can't do that, what good is it?!
Thank you! I have a Visconti Van Gogh (Sunflowers), which is a beautiful pen but writes terribly. I foolishly bought it on impulse a few years ago and now it's sitting in it's box, rarely used. I've been thinking about sending to someone who fixes nibs, but would I be throwing good money after bad?
Spot on!😎
Thanks for saying this. The money goes into fancy celluloids and not into nibs. Problem is you don't write with the fancy pen body.
Montblanc special editions are almost invariably hideously ugly.
I think you missed one pen fail that is excepted by the masses. how companies sell pens that will crack. Especially certain piston filler and vac filler pens rendering them not useable
One of the things I love is when someone trusts me to help them pick their first pen because I can steer them away from the ones that might not work. And it is unacceptable that this is a concern, but it is. Maybe they expect that we all know how to tune our own nibs but that's far from true and it's like you say, we'd never accept that about cars. If the check engine light started blinking in the lot, you'd never drive it home.
Related to your second point, I do think form over function is becoming a PROBLEM. The Ferris Wheel Press Brush CAN be posted, but they ask you NOT to because the cap will scuff the body. Why is this true?! Either make it so that it will not post or make the cap a little less fancy.
However, if anything, ink companies are worse than pen companies on this issue. A great many bottles are quite attractive but you can't necessarily get your pen in there. I just want things to be pleasant to use.
"an Italian company", "palladium" - yeah, my biggest gripe with them. When I buy a pen from *them* I resign myself to the fact that I am probably going to have to send it away to Mark Bacas as soon as I get it. When I buy a pen, I expect it to write - period. None of my pens are for looking at, being on display, etc. They all get used.
ok .... So why not provide us your top 10 list of companies producing the best nibs on their pens. Eg. Pelikan is in first place for producing the smoothest, nibs allowing the greatest control and expression in the writing experience. In second place is .... Also, how about discussing filling systems? At a certain price point it seems to me a piston filler should be considered a must. Lastly, overall fit and finish and quality of materials. EG. Montblanc pens are not made as they were in the past. Is the customer losing something in the quality department? Are resins materials all about the same? Which companies are using better platings for their clips and barrels? My two cents worth. thanks
My top companies in producing the best and most consistent nibs are Japanese. They have never failed me. However, most of their models fail your requirement for a piston filler with some notable exceptions (Pilot Custom 823, Sailor PG Realo). For me, ink capacity is more important than the filling mechanism
but nib quality, writing experience and consistency far outweigh both.
@@SirIsaacTheRed Much appreciated - Thanks
Lamy nibs are made in-house and most people have great luck with them. Faber-Castell makes great writing steel nibs, and most of their fountain pens are moderately priced. Graf von Faber-Castell, the upscale arm of Faber-Castell makes wonderful gold nibs, but expensive as there is more hand manufacture. Sailor nibs are high quality also. Pelikan nibs aren't as good as the ones they made prior to 1997, and those who collect vintage Pelikans do so primarily for the better nibs they have.
@@jaystone4816 Very interesting your comment about Pelikan. Do you know that this is the case even with M800 and M1000 models? Now, from what I have read I am planning to try out a Pilot custom 823. It seems that from the price point they are hard to beat. Thanks for your note.
@@crissignori7482 pilot and sailor are consistent in nib quality imo - and also you read that all over the place.... Cheers from Germany.
Took me over a year to get my Visconti to write reliably. Never that brand again.
Edison nibs rule. Gravitas nibs rule. Franklin Christoph nibs rule.
I completely agree w you.
They are a standard Bock or Jowo nib
That’s why they rule….
@@neemancallender9092 I have several Edison pens and they write beautifully; I'm pretty sure Edison checks the nibs before they send them out. Franklin-Christoph for sure checks every nib on every pen they sell.
Sorry.. hit send too soon.. meat to add that my Edison pens.. all write very well.. my Pelikans do as well.. and I can rely on TWSBI to be reliable.. aside from that early plastic problem that appears to be long gone. The other gripe for me is the vast difference in line with of the nibs.. my fine Pelikans M800 had to be adjusted to an EF for me to be able to use it in real life.. thanks for another great video!
Frank in Colorado
Thank you for your most interesting presentation. You have handled a difficult subject in a professional way. I hope the industry takes notice at your comments. I am by no means an expert in pens, or anything else, but I certainly enjoy them. Over the years I have developed a certain gusto for the science of metals. Following my instincts, I was most curious with the Palladium nibs; following my gut feeling I believed that a palladium nib would be far superior to a comparable gold nib. I purchased a pen with the said Pd nib, and returned it in less than a week. A few months ago, I came across an interesting fountainpen. It was made by a very small Japanese manufacturer and it had a #6 palladium nib. Out of my collection (none above the $3,000 MSRP), this pen is by far the best writer of them all.
The company that carelessly manufactured the expensive palladium nib pen did not respect me as a customer.
Some percentage of problems have to do with customer expectations and lack of experience with fountain pens: people putting in a cartridge and expending the pen to write right away; people pressing on nibs because they expect the ballpoint pen experience; people having paid more and thus demanding magical results.
True, but only a small percentage. Anyone who is an experienced pen user - and I'll arbitrarily set that as 2 years - has complained about current nib quality for some brands in particular. These are people who don't damage nibs intentionally or otherwise. And the best nibs produced by some of the major brands still around today were made by them in the 1960s-1990s, superior to those they ship their pens out with today. Most of the work nibmeisters do today is correct and tune lousy nibs, not the fancy or elaborate grinds. Sure, they get those too, but the bulk of what they do is because pen makers have shifted quality control - and its cost - to the consumer, while raising prices.
One of the challenges is that pen people are nice people. We need to be honest in one’s response and return a pen that does not work and claim our refund. My most recent disappointment is a Tibaldi, and when asked to comment by the retailer was honest. We are now talking about how to get the pen to write better and it is. However we still have the hard starts after one converter full of ink. I live at the other end of the earth so I don’t think a nib meister is an option.
I really love your take on this. My personal experience is very much the same. I love the visuals of most of the Omas pens. I own 4 or 5 of them. I. Love them, but they just dont write well. This vey morning, I inked my Omas Phaeton to use it in the office. When I got there, it just didn’t wrote at all. At the same time I inked my Montblanc Faulkner and, as always, it wrote perfectly. An Omas Pen is like a Ferrari from the 90s. Looks brilliant but is horrible to use it daily. I’m meanwhile very fond of Pelikan and Montblanc pens. They just work. ALL the time. You can say what you want about Montblanc. I get it. But their pens work. My M800 is the best pen I have. It is simply bullet proof. It might not have the looks of an Onas pen, but what does that matter if it doesn’t write.
Recently I bought a Visconti Homo Sapiens with their in-house made nib, which did not write. I asked the seller to change the nib to a broad one (the original was medium), as I thought it would write but again, the pen did not write. Under considerable pressure, it would write with a thin, discontinued line (thinner than extra-fine). The famous nib meister was busy, so I wrote to Visconti. They blame everyone but themselves. Only when the seller threatened to sue them did they ask me to send the pen for repair, not immediately but after one month. I am still waiting. It is a shame most of the pen reviewers participate in this duplicity. In fact, one of them attacked me for writing a negative evaluation of his demonstration of Visconti Homo Sapiens pens, with a similar nib. Thank you for your honest reply.
A lot of this is why I've been buying my pens mostly from Nibsmith. The tune and smooth option is right on his website and every pen I've gotten from him has been great. (I haven't tried any of his specialty grinds.) Other pens I've ordered without a QC check from the shop (Narwhal, etc.) have been awful.
I agree, Nibsmith does a great job. So does Franklin-Christoph, an established American pen maker. Every nib is checked before the pen is shipped to the buyer.
Totally agree with your first point. There are several brands I refuse to buy - and not just luxury ones, but the $150 range too - because I hear enough stories about QC issues that I won't even bother. Why buy the pen, then wait for months on back-and-forth-shipping for new nibs, or spend more money and time for a nibmeister? (Not saying they're not worth the time, just I don't want to *have* to do that.)
I notice if I go a pen retailer I can spend £100 on a pen but not get a cartridge or any ink. I also often have to get the micro mesh out.
If I go to my local supermarket I can but a Parker pen with a cartridge and no need for micro mesh. Usually about £9.
I feel pen buyers are penalised if they are passionate about “quality” pens and have a level of understanding them.
Car companies send out factory recall notices to customers when they find something wrong. It would be impractical to assign a FPIN (fountain pen identification number) on each fountain pen's cap or barrel, but yes, quality control needs to be better for some companies.
May I suggest to make a review on ST DUPONT NIBS! It would be great and unedited event.
I have the experience of complete failure to write with two caran d'ache 849s, one I bought and other a present and both hard start, skipping and scratch. They are the cheapest caran d'ache fountain pens but they around £40 which for my standards is expensive ( I do not buy pens more than £100 ). Swiss made the price does not match the poor quality.
My biggest complaint is the lack of nib options with most brands, even on their expensive models. This is closely related to my second complaint, which is that so many companies refuse to use screw-in housings for easy maintenance and nib swapping.
And lastly: incoherent design and cost saving decisions. At a certain price point there are certain things that I expect to see on a pen, you have to convince me to spend that kind of money. A lot of the time one design choice makes a pen look or feel cheap, which I find especially annoying when the company does it properly on their cheaper models but then decides to change things up, poorly, on their more expensive model.
Nib options from the major makers used to be readily available. They have all but disappeared now. One big reason some collectors prize vintage pens is the superior quality of the nibs compared to modern ones. In addition to better quality, you can get nibs in semi-flex, flex, obliques, etc.
I commented on a forum or FB once that I just bought a $1000 open and it won't write. The first commenter asked, is it a Pelican M1000? They got it in one.
I'm waiting for my Pelikan 600 to come back from the nibmeister. It was on sale, but still, the most expensive pen I ever bought. My Pilot Kakuno for 12 bucks has a better nib.
@@nicekaren3397 unacceptable!
European fountain pens didn't have much appeal to me. I heard of so many problems arising from their pens that it seemed like they were only resting on their laurels and their company name. I personally like Platinum and Edison Pens. They write so beautifully and are workhorse EDCs in their own right. Smooth, amazing feel-good feedback, reliable, and consistent writers. I haven't had much problems with their pens. They brought back the joy of writing and BUJO once again for me. Platinum is fairly well-known in the FP community, but Edison Pens still seem to operate at a small business level so they still very much have that personal touch. In fact, my custom pen from them was worth the money. It has everything I wanted made with the materials and style that I wanted. Brian still does make a lot of their pens, so I was able to talk to him throughout the manufacturing process of my custom pen. I think that some companies became too big that they lost sight of their customers and pen users.