Talk to me about "Binderized" nibs, please

[Rufus]

Almost all the nibs I have on my pens are very smooth. The ink flows like water out of a high mountain. If not, I modify the nib a little bit or give ithe pen a good wash and change ink. The result is very good.

 

I think a 'nibmeister' is not necessary. They charge too much for a few minutes work you can do yourself (may take a little longer). They could maybe repair a damaged nib, but that's a different story.

 

I beg to differ: I don't believe that the nibmeisters I deal with charge too much. They are certainly not the cheapest when it comes to buying new pens, but they certainly aren't the most expensive either. I don't mind paying a small premium over the "cheapest" vendor, as I know when I buy from someone such as Richard Binder or John Mottishaw that I'm going to receive a pen that "writes right". I found it to be a false economy to go with the cheapest price alone, as most of the time when I've done so I've regretted it. Each to his/her own, however.

 

[Wolf]

Almost all the nibs I have on my pens are very smooth. The ink flows like water out of a high mountain. If not, I modify the nib a little bit or give ithe pen a good wash and change ink. The result is very good.

 

I think a 'nibmeister' is not necessary. They charge too much for a few minutes work you can do yourself (may take a little longer). They could maybe repair a damaged nib, but that's a different story.

 

I beg to differ: I don't believe that the nibmeisters I deal with charge too much. They are certainly not the cheapest when it comes to buying new pens, but they certainly aren't the most expensive either. I don't mind paying a small premium over the "cheapest" vendor, as I know when I buy from someone such as Richard Binder or John Mottishaw that I'm going to receive a pen that "writes right". I found it to be a false economy to go with the cheapest price alone, as most of the time when I've done so I've regretted it. Each to his/her own, however.

 

Maybe you are not lucky with buying or not an efficient looker for the best quality/price pen. I bought many pens and most are/were very well and I pay average 40% of retail price.

 

I just don't want to pay $ 40 for a few minutes 'smoothing' job. If you are prepared to do that, that's fine with me.

[Rufus]

Almost all the nibs I have on my pens are very smooth. The ink flows like water out of a high mountain. If not, I modify the nib a little bit or give ithe pen a good wash and change ink. The result is very good.

 

I think a 'nibmeister' is not necessary. They charge too much for a few minutes work you can do yourself (may take a little longer). They could maybe repair a damaged nib, but that's a different story.

 

I beg to differ: I don't believe that the nibmeisters I deal with charge too much. They are certainly not the cheapest when it comes to buying new pens, but they certainly aren't the most expensive either. I don't mind paying a small premium over the "cheapest" vendor, as I know when I buy from someone such as Richard Binder or John Mottishaw that I'm going to receive a pen that "writes right". I found it to be a false economy to go with the cheapest price alone, as most of the time when I've done so I've regretted it. Each to his/her own, however.

 

Maybe you are not lucky with buying or not an efficient looker for the best quality/price pen. I bought many pens and most are/were very well and I pay average 40% of retail price.

 

I just don't want to pay $ 40 for a few minutes 'smoothing' job. If you are prepared to do that, that's fine with me.

 

 

But you see, I'm not paying "$40 for a few minutes 'smoothing' job"; I'm paying for the assurance that the pen will right properly and the way I like it. As I said, "each to his/her own"; clearly YMWV, and my personal experience has shown that it's been money well spent.

Edited October 8, 2008 by Rufus

[Wolf]

Maybe you are not lucky with buying or not an efficient looker for the best quality/price pen. I bought many pens and most are/were very well and I pay average 40% of retail price.

 

I just don't want to pay $ 40 for a few minutes 'smoothing' job. If you are prepared to do that, that's fine with me.

 

 

 

 

But you see, I'm not paying "$40 for a few minutes 'smoothing' job"; I'm paying for the assurance that the pen will right properly and the way I like it. As I said, "each to his/her own"; clearly YMWV, and my personal experience has shown that it's been money well spent.

 

You are paying "$40 for a few minutes 'smoothing' job" if you send it to a nibmeister. If you buy a new pen you pay more than if you buy somewhere else. If you can wait patiently for a good deal you pay average 40% of retail price. The chance that the pen is good is high. Say 90% or more. If you buy more than 1 pen and do the calc you will find out that your so called assurance is very high priced.

It's the feeling of assurance you have and you pay a high price for it.

 

[Rufus]

Maybe you are not lucky with buying or not an efficient looker for the best quality/price pen. I bought many pens and most are/were very well and I pay average 40% of retail price.

 

I just don't want to pay $ 40 for a few minutes 'smoothing' job. If you are prepared to do that, that's fine with me.

 

 

 

 

But you see, I'm not paying "$40 for a few minutes 'smoothing' job"; I'm paying for the assurance that the pen will right properly and the way I like it. As I said, "each to his/her own"; clearly YMWV, and my personal experience has shown that it's been money well spent.

 

You are paying "$40 for a few minutes 'smoothing' job" if you send it to a nibmeister. If you buy a new pen you pay more than if you buy somewhere else. If you can wait patiently for a good deal you pay average 40% of retail price. The chance that the pen is good is high. Say 90% or more. If you buy more than 1 pen and do the calc you will find out that your so called assurance is very high priced.

It's the feeling of assurance you have and you pay a high price for it.

 

We maybe talking a cross-purposes. I don't send all the pens I purchase to a nibmeister; I buy my pens from a nibmeister when I can. If the nibmeisters I deal with don't sell the pen I'm looking for then I'll buy the pen from whatever reputable source sells them, but I don't then send them to a nibmeister to have it smoothed/tuned as a matter of course.

 

[Wolf]

Maybe you are not lucky with buying or not an efficient looker for the best quality/price pen. I bought many pens and most are/were very well and I pay average 40% of retail price.

 

I just don't want to pay $ 40 for a few minutes 'smoothing' job. If you are prepared to do that, that's fine with me.

 

 

 

 

But you see, I'm not paying "$40 for a few minutes 'smoothing' job"; I'm paying for the assurance that the pen will right properly and the way I like it. As I said, "each to his/her own"; clearly YMWV, and my personal experience has shown that it's been money well spent.

 

You are paying "$40 for a few minutes 'smoothing' job" if you send it to a nibmeister. If you buy a new pen you pay more than if you buy somewhere else. If you can wait patiently for a good deal you pay average 40% of retail price. The chance that the pen is good is high. Say 90% or more. If you buy more than 1 pen and do the calc you will find out that your so called assurance is very high priced.

It's the feeling of assurance you have and you pay a high price for it.

 

We maybe talking a cross-purposes. I don't send all the pens I purchase to a nibmeister; I buy my pens from a nibmeister when I can. If the nibmeisters I deal with don't sell the pen I'm looking for then I'll buy the pen from whatever reputable source sells them, but I don't then send them to a nibmeister to have it smoothed/tuned as a matter of course.

 

First I thought you were talking about sending a pen to a 'nibmeister'. If you buy a pen from a 'nibmeister' you pay a lot more for a feeling of assurance. That was the second part of my answer about.

 

[Titivillus]

I think if you buy the pen from Richard and have it re-ground by him at the time of sale you don't join the six month queue; he does it immediately.

 

Wow I would hate to be one of the people that has patiently waited in line months or weeks it seems only to be bumped multiple times because people buy new pens from him.

 

Kurt

 

[Usui]

In this little segment, word of mouth advertising for someone with proven performance is powerful! It would appear his popularity has exceeded his resources(time). Part of the cost of his highly regarded work.

 

This thread makes me both want a bindersized nib and to learn how to do what he does on my own.

[MrRogers]

I think if you buy the pen from Richard and have it re-ground by him at the time of sale you don't join the six month queue; he does it immediately.

 

Wow I would hate to be one of the people that has patiently waited in line months or weeks it seems only to be bumped multiple times because people buy new pens from him.

 

Kurt

 

I hear you but who would wait 4 months for an M600 at retail price? He'd never sell any pens.

 

At that point, the defective pen you get in a week at a discounted price could go to and from chartpak a dozen times.

 

MrR

[RevAaron]

Exactly. I imagine he makes more of a profit when selling a pen than selling a tuning. Especially for new pens, many of which don't require a ton of work. That's how it goes, though!

[Titivillus]

I hear you but who would wait 4 months for an M600 at retail price? He'd never sell any pens.

 

At that point, the defective pen you get in a week at a discounted price could go to and from chartpak a dozen times.

 

MrR

 

I don't think he is really selling pens but the services that other people mention on pens.

 

And who can really say that a new pen you buy will go back to Chartpak?

 

 

Kurt

 

[MrRogers]

I hear you but who would wait 4 months for an M600 at retail price? He'd never sell any pens.

 

At that point, the defective pen you get in a week at a discounted price could go to and from chartpak a dozen times.

 

MrR

 

I don't think he is really selling pens but the services that other people mention on pens.

 

And who can really say that a new pen you buy will go back to Chartpak?

 

 

Kurt

 

 

I wasn't suggesting that a new pel will have to go back to chartpak. I'm saying that people wary of getting a bum pel nib could buy from anywhere that doesnt tune their pens and send it back multiple times til they get a proper working nib (if necessary) versus waiting 4 months to receive from richard if he added new pens to his lengthy work list.

 

Not sure I understand the first part of your post. He obviously sells pens.

 

Mrr

 

 

[QM2]

You can see writing samples of some of Richard's customisations here:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...showtopic=78755

 

I get most of my pens reground by Richard, because I love to write with italics and "XXF" nibs.

[wscoas]

I think if you buy the pen from Richard and have it re-ground by him at the time of sale you don't join the six month queue; he does it immediately.

 

Wow I would hate to be one of the people that has patiently waited in line months or weeks it seems only to be bumped multiple times because people buy new pens from him.

 

Kurt

 

I hear you but who would wait 4 months for an M600 at retail price? He'd never sell any pens.

 

At that point, the defective pen you get in a week at a discounted price could go to and from chartpak a dozen times.

 

MrR

 

I actually ordered a new pen with a customized nib from Richard Binder and he sends the pen within a week (it arrived two days ago) and takes the time to discuss the customization. Perfect service. Sorry for all the people who had to wait for pen repairs, but I am enjoying myself trying to learn how to write with an cursive italic nib.

 

Best regards,

 

Anton

 

 

[Titivillus]

I wasn't suggesting that a new pel will have to go back to chartpak. I'm saying that people wary of getting a bum pel nib could buy from anywhere that doesnt tune their pens and send it back multiple times til they get a proper working nib (if necessary) versus waiting 4 months to receive from richard if he added new pens to his lengthy work list.

 

Not sure I understand the first part of your post. He obviously sells pens.

 

Mrr

 

Yes and I was commenting that you might not have to either send it back the first time or send it back multiple times.

 

What I was saying is that he sells the binderizing first and the pens second. There are lots of other places to buy Pelikans and for less money so what he is selling, and getting a higher price for, is what I said above.

 

Kurt

 

[MrRogers]

Gotcha :thumbsup:

 

MrR

[thehobbit]

I'd like to ask, how does it work, if I want to get my pen binderized...

Is it that I just sent him the pen? Or shall I email him first?

Thanks!

[Richard]

I've tried to bite my tongue and stay out of this thread, but I just saw the following quoted fragment, and I have to say something.

 

Wow I would hate to be one of the people that has patiently waited in line months or weeks it seems only to be bumped multiple times because people buy new pens from him.

I'd like to see your evidence, please, that anyone gets bumped. Oh, never mind, you don't have any because that's not the way we work.

 

In actual fact, we do not bump people in the queue so that sales work can be done. We quote a turnaround time that we believe will allow all the necessary work to be done in a fair and expeditious manner -- the more likely cause for a slowdown is a half-hour repair that turns into an all-day affair because the pen was clogged with India ink or had a melted sac or had an inner cap that wouldn't come out for clip replacement. In actual fact, we are turning almost all pens around in the estimated time or less, and we are reducing our estimated turnaround. And we do not offer expedited service, which would be a real cause for bumping people who can't shell out the heavy surcharge that others levy for that sort of thing.

 

Edited October 14, 2008 by Richard

[Richard]

I'd like to ask, how does it work, if I want to get my pen binderized...

Is it that I just sent him the pen? Or shall I email him first?

Thanks!

Please email first.

[Rainwalker]

When buying my first good fountain pen, a Namiki Falcon, I wanted to make sure that I got a good writer - it has been many years since I used a fountain pen and I was not even sure I could correctly evaluate if it wrote well or not!

 

I bought my Namiki from Richard for the peace of mind that it would perform as it should. Turn around time was less than two weeks, even though he was sold out at the time I ordered, and I got a great writing pen that continues to improve with use.

 

The price at $125 was actually better than any other web site I had investigated, though I did not spend much time investigating - I knew that I was going to order from Richard for the above stated reasons.

 

All in all, my experience with Richard Binder Pens has been excellent and I would recommend ordering your pen from him if you have any qualms about whether you will get a dud or if you think you may not be able to evaluate if it is as good as it should be.