fountain pen taboos - don't enter if you're easily offended

[crussell]

I know people love to hate Krones, but I have three that I'm crazy about. Their big flaw, and the reason I don't have more, is that captive converter. They feel cheap in the filling process, with that little slip of a tin knob, and when the converter goes, it has to go in for service for essentially switching out a converter.

 

I'm not a big Parker fan, so I had no idea those were captive converters. They do have a better range of colors over the Pelikan. (Though my m800 is a demonstrator, so I'm always thoroughly aware of how much it holds.)

Edited June 6, 2011 by crussell

[Number3124]

2) Captive converters... IT IS NOT A %$#* PISTON FILLER. (And should not command the same price.)

 

 

 

I totally agree! Why does a modern Duofold cost more than a M800?? They have the same size, almost same category, however Duofold does not have a piston fill, which is a great difference.

 

The modern Duofold does not cost more than a Pelikan M800. The Duofold International is $440 and the M800 is $520. Even the Duofold Centennial costs less at $495.

 

Eh? All of the prices I've seen on Duofolds start at $600. It's a glorified C/C pen. They shouldn't ever cost more than $50.

[chris.hale]

I hate proprietary cartridges. I know a converter doesn't cost a lot more than a box of cartridges anyway, but the principle niggles. There is a standard, why not conform to it?

 

Take Parker for example. You can only use their cartridges, and you have a choice of blue, black, or red.

 

(I know this isn't a taboo, but neither is the rest of the thread.)

[fabrimedeiros]

2) Captive converters... IT IS NOT A %$#* PISTON FILLER. (And should not command the same price.)

 

 

 

I totally agree! Why does a modern Duofold cost more than a M800?? They have the same size, almost same category, however Duofold does not have a piston fill, which is a great difference.

 

The modern Duofold does not cost more than a Pelikan M800. The Duofold International is $440 and the M800 is $520. Even the Duofold Centennial costs less at $495.

 

Eh? All of the prices I've seen on Duofolds start at $600. It's a glorified C/C pen. They shouldn't ever cost more than $50.

 

Modern Duofold seems great pens, there are lot of happy owners, they're made of best material, but $500 is too overpriced. Even who likes c/c filler have to agree it's more expensive and complex to make a piston filler than a c/c pen. I know cartridge (eyedroppers even more and hold a ton of ink) is problem free, but the men love machines, mechanisms and those things, when well made, are fascinating.

[dcpritch]

1) I don't understand why ...

2) I hate ...

3) I am beginning to hate ...

4) I hate ...

5) I hate ...

6)... even men of letters mostly lack FP enthusiasm, and FP sellers don't know what they sell.

7) The idea of ... irritates me.

8) The idea of ... makes me really sick.

9) ... so I think currently.

10) To me, ...

 

Wow, that must have been therapeutic!

 

This is a great thread.

[spiv]

howz about wasting almost an entire Sunday

reading (and clicking on all the links in) this entire thread...

 

it's not a taboo - but this has turned into a pet peeve thread, hasn't it?

[Florida Blue]

2) Captive converters... IT IS NOT A %$#* PISTON FILLER. (And should not command the same price.)

 

 

 

I totally agree! Why does a modern Duofold cost more than a M800?? They have the same size, almost same category, however Duofold does not have a piston fill, which is a great difference.

 

The modern Duofold does not cost more than a Pelikan M800. The Duofold International is $440 and the M800 is $520. Even the Duofold Centennial costs less at $495.

 

Eh? All of the prices I've seen on Duofolds start at $600. It's a glorified C/C pen. They shouldn't ever cost more than $50.

 

The standard Duofold in black with either gold or platinum trim starts at $440. The only Duofolds priced at $600 or more would be LEs.

 

Personally, I like the Duofold over the M800. The M800 may hold more ink but I love the way the Duofold looks and I don't think there is anything wrong with a C/C pen. I suppose the piston filler mechanism is a little more expensive to produce and the Duofold Centennials are a bit overpriced at $495 but I still love the way they look. I also think that Parker/Waterman makes some great nibs in-house. A firm but smooth 18kt gold nib, but Pelikan is good is you prefer a semi-flex.

 

I can probably find a new Duofold much cheaper than an M800. They routinely sell on eBay for $200-$250 and you can get a new one from an authorized dealer for $350-$375.

[Florida Blue]

2) Captive converters... IT IS NOT A %$#* PISTON FILLER. (And should not command the same price.)

 

 

 

I totally agree! Why does a modern Duofold cost more than a M800?? They have the same size, almost same category, however Duofold does not have a piston fill, which is a great difference.

 

The modern Duofold does not cost more than a Pelikan M800. The Duofold International is $440 and the M800 is $520. Even the Duofold Centennial costs less at $495.

 

Eh? All of the prices I've seen on Duofolds start at $600. It's a glorified C/C pen. They shouldn't ever cost more than $50.

 

Modern Duofold seems great pens, there are lot of happy owners, they're made of best material, but $500 is too overpriced. Even who likes c/c filler have to agree it's more expensive and complex to make a piston filler than a c/c pen. I know cartridge (eyedroppers even more and hold a ton of ink) is problem free, but the men love machines, mechanisms and those things, when well made, are fascinating.

 

I do agree that the piston filler is something more special and adds to the complexity of the pen but a C/C filler over a piston is not a deal-breaker for me but I can still appreciate the extra effort that went into making the pen.

[Number3124]

Ugh... I could never bring myself to spend more that $50 on a C/C pen. I also couldn't go more than $70 on an aerometric. Aerometrics are right up there with C/C on my list of most hated fillers. My favorites are Vacumatics, Touchdowns, Levers, and Push-Buttons.

[HEROfan]

not my opinion but the opinion of many-a-numbskulls: "why would you use a $200 pen? its just a pen! i mean my BIC writes just as well."

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

these are mine

1. many modern pens are EXTREMELY OVERPRICED. i have less than 30$ mass produced pens that write just as well as 600$ + pens.

 

 

 

2. you have not mastered the fountain pen until you can grind nibs and have mastered the are of flex nibs and oblique-italics.

 

 

 

4. just because its made in china doesnt mean its cheap or badly made.

 

 

 

5. montblancs are SOOOOO overpriced

 

 

6. C/C pens are a PAIN.

[saskia_madding]

A taboo to talk about - the for sale board here can be a total nightmare. I've bought several pens from people, and none of them are totally as described. I've gotten pens with intermittent, crappy ink flow, scratchy nibs that need more than just realignment, and one with a completely broken filling system that the seller claimed was just "finicky", and also claimed that it's common for pens of this age to have finicky filling systems.

 

These pens are an annoyance to write with and I have to send them to get fixed. I cannot in good conscience sell them without disclosing their failings, and then I won't get the cost back that I paid for them. I might have thought better about buying them if I had known it would cost $40 minimum for shipping plus another $40 minimum each for having them serviced.

 

GAH.

Edited June 7, 2011 by simonerodrigue

[RedSox04]

The parker 51 has a badly designed cap. It just didn't fit at all, compared to a secure cap.

[Florida Blue]

Ugh... I could never bring myself to spend more that $50 on a C/C pen. I also couldn't go more than $70 on an aerometric. Aerometrics are right up there with C/C on my list of most hated fillers. My favorites are Vacumatics, Touchdowns, Levers, and Push-Buttons.

 

I will agree on push-buttons. They are fun to use and the mechanisms are reliable and easy to have repaired.

[jslallar]

I love this thread.

So here goes:

1. I like my Parker 45 and 21 as much as 51 for writing quality.
2. Of the moedrn Parkers the most consistent performer is the Frontier.
3. All cross pens except Townsend are too thin for me.
4. Why don't manufacturers give more nib choices with the cheaper pens, like the B, BB, OBB, XXF?
5. A pen which you only gawk at or put in a locker is jewelry not pen, look again!
6. Every pen should have an option to post it, I cant undrstand pens made not to be posted. The user should have a choice to use it either way.
7. Nibs should be much more widely available for every model and pen - and the users should have a choice of several for the same pen or different pens. A pen is for the writing and the collectors are mostly users too - "A pen is only as good as its nib." And if you beleive that then many a LE with a dull 'M' nib or oft times a poor starter or skipper is not worth 99% of its cost.
8. Why balk at a Frankenpen - if I use a nib that I like in a pen body whose balance suites me - it sounds reasonable.
9. Those who say MBs are overpriced forget that they are paying for the material and the NAME. A Ferrari, Mercedes or a BMW retail price is way over the actual production cost too.
10. Gold nibs are over rated for sure, they are prettier for sure buit the writing quality is comparable for the same models.

[rocketeerandroll]

It makes me sad when I see people use Bic Pens in real life. I hated using them as a child so much that I looked down on them even then.

 

I hate the look of vintage style Demonstrator pens. The middle transparent parts just don't look right to me. The nibs look great but I hate the idea of little horizontal holes in the pen body. And by the way, maybe that's what bothers me. What vintage pens had that actual look? None? Nice try, Demonstrator. Try harder.

[singh.simran]

Not that strange, but I hate when people swoop in last minute on auctions that I have been watching and thinking about for days. It makes me feel like they saw it on a whim and bought it, but that's probably not at all the case.

 

 

Im the opposite. Nothing makes me madder than a no reserve auction having people actually bidding on it for days. We all know that the last person to bid will be the one who gets it, just wait until the last minute, try to get a bid in and the item will sell for less. There is no reason to ever bid on an item before the last second. Ill watch auctions for days on end but never, ever, ever put in a bid until the last second it just makes no sense.

 

 

Perhaps it's to do with the sale price being a fair reflection of what people are willing to pay for the item, and good for both seller and buyer? Ebay/etc aren't just a way to get things as cheap as possible at all costs... personally I consider sniping or similar software "cheating" of a sort.

 

Of course if you want to bid that way, all fairness, you get things cheaper, but no reason to get mad at people who just put in the bid of whatever they will pay at any time prior to auction end. It's kinda how auctions are meant to work.

 

 

Now what IS annoying is the amount that ebay (and its subsidiary paypal) make out of every sale, and how there's nothing you can do because no other site has ebay's market penetration and they force you to use paypal.

[bushido]

omg, i'm the op and i had no idea that this thread would still be running strong all this time. for those who think it's a whine session, it's not. if it's important enough to post here, it's really taboo to talk about without offending someone. no attacks on individuals of course, just the users of those fps! just kidding (or not)!!!

[79spitfire]

What happened to your avatar?

[lovemy51]

i can't see the big deal of MB racing green ink!

[MidnightBlue]

I can't see the rant and raving of MB at all. Yes, I do and have owned them. Thanks