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Fpn Store Open To Voters - Update June, 10 & 12


Admin

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Dearest Members of the Board,

The FPN Pen Store has been officially open for the voters now for a week already, so in short a good time for an update and further news :D.

 

 

Update (Invoice Details):

 

There have been quite a few questions on the content of the invoice email and the actual pen(s) ordered, which don't show on the PayPal or the Invoice emails. There actually is a way to check the complete invoice, as we discovered. When you click on "Your profile" (member id at the top right of the window), and have access to the FPN Store, in the drop down list shown you will see the option "Client Area" at the bottom of this drop down list.

 

Clicking on "Client Area" will provide you with a new screen, with on the left hand side the options "Overview", "Purchases", "Invoices", "Support", "Alternate Contacts" and "Billing Information". These options allow you to manage any items you bought in the FPN Store at the different stages of the purchasing process.

 

If you now click on "Invoices", you will see all invoices generated by you, with the text conform the Invoice email and PayPal statement you received. However, when you click on that text, you will get a new screen with the full text of the Invoice, including nib choices, etc., for every item on the invoice. It even allows you to print your (detailed) Invoice for future reference.

 

 

The news:

 

Since all good news comes in threes, let's do threes here as well :D.

 

1. The uptake of the pens has been very good, we are now at a little over 26 % of voters who have ordered and paid for their pens, and we are at about 20 % of funds required for all pens. The latter is a little less than seemingly is voted for, because of type of pens ordered mostly, but not by much - the little extra is there to give peopel who missed the vote a chance to order pens as well.

 

2. As of this moment all registered voters have access to all pens in the store (and in 3 more days time all members will have access to all pens in the store :D).

 

3. We had a long conversation with Stipula today, which proved very interesting and beneficial. Let us go into this below.

 

Stipula indicated that it is possible for us to buy individual, additional nib units for the Etruria models, and this was the first part of the conversation. Great news for those who'd like to buy an extra nib fro their FPN LE Etrurias!

fpn_1307744036__etruria-14k.png fpn_1307744075__etruria-18k.png

 

Part two was that they also came with a very interesting proposition. Considering that in September their Christmas production runs start, the busiest part of the year by far, and they would like to help us deliver pens in a timely a fashion as possible to our members, they tried to think with us and lowered the entry point for us to start producing pens. This would give us not only a head start for pen production when enough funds are available, but it also means that the total number of pens can be produced in smaller batches, provided we pay in advance for the materials used. This would amount to approximately 25 % to 30 % of the total cost of the pens, and we are almost there now. It would also mean that Stipula can do the design of the pens the moment we pay for materials, so we wouldn't lose any time, due to resource constraints, if for any reason we can't buy pens fast enough to avoid the post-summer holiday Christmas manufacturing season!

 

That is great news, because smaller production runs are apparently still possible within the busy season that way. In short: we could start delivery of pens much faster than the 60 day cycle normally required for the number of pens we are looking at. IOW, buy quickly - the sooner you do, the faster we all will have our pens!

 

Warmest regards,

from a very excited FPN Admin Team

 

Update June, 12:

As we did receive quite a few questions on buying an extra nib by those who already bought an Etruria, we can now announce, that those who already paid for an FPN LE Etruria, can buy a nib as well (or more if they like), and associate it with a pen, without incurring double shipping costs, due to the association with these pens (automatic). Furthermore, any new invoices generated this way, are automatically linked to the original invoice in the system.

56 Comments


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I have ordered my Passaporto!

 

Something I cannot find as addressed yet, will there be FPN LE engraving? I think the votes for all pens looked to wanting some kind of FPN engraving. Just curious if/what it will be?

Yes, there will be, and it still needs to be established exactly what it will be. The outcome of the votes wasn't clear enough yet. I will create another poll for this, but need to get a good picture first based on the earlier set of votes. As I have been swamped lately (figuratively AND literally :D), I haven't been able to do anything about this. It isnt urgent yet, but you can be sure there will be a poll soon enough :D.

 

Warm regards, Wim

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The only thing that I want to ask is when will the FPN store be open to non-voters? :mellow:

Monday evening, June 13, if I am not mistaken :D.

 

Warm regards, Wim

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Completely excited! Extra nib possibilities...wait...now I have to choose again ;)

Thanks so much to all the team!

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wonderful project, thanks very much for all the hard work put in.

Just got back onto fpn after a while. I had voted for the azzurite etruria but am now considering the celluloid. Would it be a problem if I switched from my voted etruria to the celluloid?

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Oh this is so much good news, I think I'm going to burst. Bunnies are not enough to express!!! :bunny01::cloud9:

 

The announcements on the right side CAUGHT my attention right away!

 

Now I have to figure which of the Etruria two tone nibs to get in addition to the 0.9 italic I ordered/paid for. Help me decide, Wim, there's too many choices and not enough experience.

 

Thanks!

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...Now I have to figure which of the Etruria two tone nibs to get in addition to the 0.9 italic I ordered/paid for. Help me decide, Wim, there's too many choices and not enough experience...

 

Most ink reviews by Wim have writing samples using various Stipula Etruria nibs (and few other brand nibs) that might help in selection. For example:

 

http://www.fountainp...nuscript-brown/

 

http://www.fountainp...?showtopic=3160

 

http://www.fountainp...?showtopic=2753

 

etc...

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I have ordered my Passaporto!Something I cannot find as addressed yet, will there be FPN LE engraving? I think the votes for all pens looked to wanting some kind of FPN engraving. Just curious if/what it will be?

 

 

I was wondering that too.

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wonderful project, thanks very much for all the hard work put in.

Just got back onto fpn after a while. I had voted for the azzurite etruria but am now considering the celluloid. Would it be a problem if I switched from my voted etruria to the celluloid?

No, especially since the store is now open for all models.

 

Warm regards, Wim

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...Now I have to figure which of the Etruria two tone nibs to get in addition to the 0.9 italic I ordered/paid for. Help me decide, Wim, there's too many choices and not enough experience...

 

Most ink reviews by Wim has writing samples using various Stipula Etruria nibs (and few other brand nibs) that might help in selection. For example:

 

http://www.fountainp...nuscript-brown/

 

http://www.fountainp...?showtopic=3160

 

http://www.fountainp...?showtopic=2753

 

etc...

 

:D

 

It is rather hard to decide. They are all very nice nibs. I guess it depends on what you find most important, and select according to those criteria first. Personally, I write most with 0.9 italic. 1.1 italic and M nibs - those go best with my handwriting.

 

But as Jigesh says - check my ink reviews, you get a reasonably good view of how these different nibs perform in real life.

 

Warm regards, Wim

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I have ordered my Passaporto!Something I cannot find as addressed yet, will there be FPN LE engraving? I think the votes for all pens looked to wanting some kind of FPN engraving. Just curious if/what it will be?

 

 

I was wondering that too.

We still need to decide on that - opinions vary a fair amount. There will be another poll on this, just haven't had the time yet to set one up properly yet. As long as we know what we all favour before Stipula starts producing, we are fine.

 

Warm regards, Wim

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Thank you!

 

wonderful project, thanks very much for all the hard work put in.Just got back onto fpn after a while. I had voted for the azzurite etruria but am now considering the celluloid. Would it be a problem if I switched from my voted etruria to the celluloid?
No, especially since the store is now open for all models.Warm regards, Wim

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...Now I have to figure which of the Etruria two tone nibs to get in addition to the 0.9 italic I ordered/paid for. Help me decide, Wim, there's too many choices and not enough experience...

 

Most ink reviews by Wim has writing samples using various Stipula Etruria nibs (and few other brand nibs) that might help in selection. For example:

 

http://www.fountainp...nuscript-brown/

 

http://www.fountainp...?showtopic=3160

 

http://www.fountainp...?showtopic=2753

 

etc...

 

:D

 

It is rather hard to decide. They are all very nice nibs. I guess it depends on what you find most important, and select according to those criteria first. Personally, I write most with 0.9 italic. 1.1 italic and M nibs - those go best with my handwriting.

 

But as Jigesh says - check my ink reviews, you get a reasonably good view of how these different nibs perform in real life.

 

Warm regards, Wim

 

jigesh, thank you very much for those other links. I had seen the manuscript brown review, but could not decide. I'm now leaning towards a Fine.

 

Wim, what comes with the extra nib? Is it like a Parker replacement nib/feed with threaded end? Does the Stipula have threads, even though you said it is safer to friction remove/replace nib/feed?

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jigesh, thank you very much for those other links. I had seen the manuscript brown review, but could not decide. I'm now leaning towards a Fine.

 

Wim, what comes with the extra nib? Is it like a Parker replacement nib/feed with threaded end? Does the Stipula have threads, even though you said it is safer to friction remove/replace nib/feed?

Hi Sam,

 

it is a complete nib (sub) assembly, i.e., a feed, nib, plus a collar holding this all together, and a rubber o-ring to stop ink going up or down between threads and section, in a way much like a Pelikan nib unit, just longer and larger.

 

You can actually exchange these units between any of th enewer Stipula pens with large nibs, just that you should never use a lot fo force, both when screwing them in or screwing them out.

 

The Stipula F nibs are the smoothest Fs I have come across so far, and the springiness of these nibs is more pronounced then with wider tippings (due to the smaller area touching the paper I would think), so from that POV an F is a very good choice. Actually to the extent that when taking notes you need to be careful to not to be distracted by the pleasurable writing experience :D - happened to me several times :D.

 

Warm regards, WIm

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Sounds perfect. Let me add that to my order now. Thanks much!

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I'm surprised the "pens left" are not declining faster.

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I am not sure, they are falling at all.

Etruria silver celluloid 18k nib has been 14 all the time?

I honestly thought, that the numbers were static.

 

If they aren't, that would mean, that a lot of those who voted didn't buy, yet.

 

Oh well, let's wait and see.

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Looks like it. We will discuss this in the admin team.

 

Warm regards, Wim

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I made the Passaporto and Erutria (.9 Italic) counts drop... :bunny01: :bunny01: :bunny01:

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Wim, just wondering if the paucity of payments will jeopardize any models being made?

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As for Etruria LE, the Chrome trim had 105 votes, and the vermeil one had 50 votes. I don't remember the original in-stock count in the FPN store for these pens, but as of today, 13 chrome and 49 vermeil show to be in stock. That means, at least, 92 payments for chrome trim and 1 payment for vermeil (doesn't seem right; I know I paid for it and Wim also voted for vermeil so he must have paid too!) have been made. That makes a total of 93 excluding those who did not vote but might have ordered/paid for. I guess we needed 100 for Etruria pricing; so there's still hope for Etruria to be produced. I might be wrong in my (wild) guesses here.

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Wim - I want to order another nib unit for the Etruria, but I'm undecided about which one. Can you tell me how long the window of opportunity will remain open for me to order the extra nib unit?

 

Thanks again for all the hard work! :thumbup:

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Wim, just wondering if the paucity of payments will jeopardize any models being made?

Well, it would delay production - we will still have them made. We are discussing options in the admin team, at least trying to - one of us has a computer problem right now.

 

Warm regards, Wim

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As for Etruria LE, the Chrome trim had 105 votes, and the vermeil one had 50 votes. I don't remember the original in-stock count in the FPN store for these pens, but as of today, 13 chrome and 49 vermeil show to be in stock. That means, at least, 92 payments for chrome trim and 1 payment for vermeil (doesn't seem right; I know I paid for it and Wim also voted for vermeil so he must have paid too!) have been made. That makes a total of 93 excluding those who did not vote but might have ordered/paid for. I guess we needed 100 for Etruria pricing; so there's still hope for Etruria to be produced. I might be wrong in my (wild) guesses here.

Well, see above. My count hasn't been subtracted yet, actually.

 

We are busy trying to figure out ways to get the voters to pay more quickly. So far, a few over 170 of the 480 individual voters ordered and paid for their pens. That's excluding admins - we'll wait till last to defer to others.

 

Warm regards, Wim

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