I Committed Fp Murder

[Cordovian]

Well, maybe not murder...more like negligent homicide.

 

I usually put the pen I used at work that day back in my writing desk as soon as I get home. Last night I didn't do that. I didn't even take it out of my shirt pocket.

 

The pen I used yesterday happened to be my favorite, a Visconti Michelangelo Back to Black. The one pen that has remained in rotation since the day of purchase. It's medium nib was buttery smooth and never skipped. I loved everything about that pen.

 

It was a quick death. I dropped a piece of mail on the kitchen floor and when I bent down to pick it up my Visconto fell from my pocket and struck the tile floor with a horrifying clack. The cap went sliding under the kitchen table and the barrel rolled into the hall. At first I thought everything was okay and thought to myself "the cap just came off". I was wrong. When I went to retrieve the cap, the converter was protruding from the end. I knew at that point it was a fatality. I sighed as I retrieved the disemboweled barrel that had shattered leaving it's thread guide still attached to the nib. I tried to repair it but it was hopeless.

 

A solid case of negligent homicide?

 

Well, I've been thought the five stages of grief...

1. Denial and isolation
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

and now I'm trying to decide what to do. I looked around on-line but couldn't find any source to purchase a new barrel from. I sent an email to Iguana (where I bought the pen) to see if they could get me a barrel but haven't heard back from them yet.

 

Does anyone know where I can get a replacement barrel and bring my Michelangelo back to life?

 

 

[D B Holtz]

I don't know where you can get a replacement barrel, but I think you can reduce the charge from FP murder to penslaughter. Make an appointment with Amberleadavis; she is probably your best defense in pen court.

 

DB

[Koyote]

Send it back to Visconti and ask if they can repair it. You never know...They might have mercy on you.

[yogalarva]

I recently dropped a Vanishing Point that I was holding between my teeth (very gently, for both the sake of the pen and my chompers) while trying to answer a text message. Of course it was open, and of course it fell nib down. :-/

 

I don't have any personal experience with Visconti, but from what I've heard it can take a while if you send it directly to them. Perhaps sourcing a new barrel locally will be your best bet if you want it back in working order quickly...

[Christi0469]

I have no helpfull advice but I can offer condolences on your loss. We do always manage to hurt the ones we love most, don't we?

[gweimer1]

I managed a decapitation of a Sheaffer plunger fill that I just got. I could have sworn that the section was press fit, and not screwed on.

 

Anyone need a Feather Touch 5 nib?

[AndrewC]

Contact Visconti and see if you can buy a barrel from them. Otherwise, try a WTB on various pen boards, or try Shawn Newton and see if he can make you a barrel. THe last is probably your quickest, least expensive, surest bet.

[PAKMAN]

The sirens you will soon be hearing are the FP police on their way to arrest you for penslaughter... punishment will be severe!

[Jadie]

Oh! You...you monster! What did that pen ever did to you?

 

*swoon and falls into a dead faint*

 

I suppose we should be grateful it was quick. I remember my $2.50 hooded Chinese pen bouncing off two walls and a railing before clattering against the stairs....

[bullet08]

that was an accident. at best involuntary pen slaughter. i started playing with dremel and grinned a nib to nothing. now that's nib-cide. good thing steel nibs are cheap.

[Runnin_Ute]

Ouch! Sorry to hear. Hope you can get a replacement barrel....

[inkstainedruth]

Wow, Cordovian, I feel your pain.

I guess I've really been lucky -- I have a Morrison ringtop with a gold filled filigree overlay that has a nasty habit of unscrewing itself from the cap when I've got it on the lanyard, and almost lost the business end three times in the space of two days (once on the concrete floor of a parking garage). It is probably my oldest pen (I've been told 1920s or 30s), and at the time I bought it my most expensive. Also, one of the prettiest.

It managed to *not* land nib down any of those times, but after the third time (when I thought I'd lost it completely and searched my house and the grocery store and parking lot looking for it, only to find it had lodged between the driver's seat and the console) I came to a hard but firm decision: that pen doesn't get to play outside any more....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[them700project]

Order another in a different nib size that way you will have 2 nib choices plus some spare parts. That is of course if you cant source a new barrel.

Alternatively you could make it semi custom see if you can have a 1 off barrel made by someone on the board.

[LamyOne]

Hello Cordovian,

 

I'm sorry for your loss; no, I do not know where you can find a replacement barrel, but I'd take Koyote's advice. Mail it to Visconti and see what happens - you certainly do not have anything to lose.

 

I had a friend who had dropped his 149 on the floor and it shattered like glass - is this pen fiberglass too? At any rate, I hope things will work out for you. At least you don't have to worry about jail time, I mean with the overcrowding and all..........

 

Best regards,

 

Chris

[msun]

Aw, my condolences. I had a waterman that I broke in half, I think it was in my pocket, and just snapped :-(

[aussielondon]

It was a quick death. I dropped a piece of mail on the kitchen floor and when I bent down to pick it up my Visconto fell from my pocket and struck the tile floor with a horrifying clack. The cap went sliding under the kitchen table and the barrel rolled into the hall. At first I thought everything was okay and thought to myself "the cap just came off". I was wrong. When I went to retrieve the cap, the converter was protruding from the end. I knew at that point it was a fatality. I sighed as I retrieved the disemboweled barrel that had shattered leaving it's thread guide still attached to the nib. I tried to repair it but it was hopeless.

Mate as bad as this is... I have done this with a laptop before.... and I can assure you the look on my face was priceless.. but the damage done was not priceless at all.

 

Sorry to hear this happened mate, what is the value of the damage you think? (in US dollars)

Edited September 23, 2014 by aussielondon

[Baric]

Hang him! No mercy for the evil killer of pens! I'll get the rope!

[OcalaFlGuy]

Make an appointment with Amberleadavis; she is probably your best defense in pen court.

 

DB

LMAO!

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[alexander_k]

Order another in a different nib size that way you will have 2 nib choices plus some spare parts. That is of course if you cant source a new barrel.

Alternatively you could make it semi custom see if you can have a 1 off barrel made by someone on the board.

 

Excellent advice. A bit of money can help overcome grief and simultaneously create new opportunities.

[Cordovian]

Order another in a different nib size that way you will have 2 nib choices plus some spare parts. That is of course if you cant source a new barrel.

Alternatively you could make it semi custom see if you can have a 1 off barrel made by someone on the board.

This is the direction I leaning right now.

 

Visconti referred me to Coles of London. Coles will not sell me a barrel, I have to submit the whole pen for service. Sending it to Coles who will, in turn, send it to Visconti might turn into an expensive venture. They publicize that there is a $15 shipping and handling charge, a $35 service fee and that parts charges are at the discretion of Visconti. They have yet to tell me how much a barrel will cost should Visconti choose to charge for it. I don't want to get in a situation where they want nearly the cost of a new pen just to repair it. I'd have to pay it or lose the pen.

 

I haven't heard back from the shop I bought the pen from yet and I have one other source I'm going to contact today but it looks like I'll be shopping around for a fine point version.

Edited September 24, 2014 by Cordovian