Spirit Of Life design by Henry Simpole

[Ghost Plane]

Just us, I guess.

[schadowrider]

Here! Keep checking hoping/expecting to see a scan of GP's writing with the SOL...

[Ghost Plane]

Ack! Won't be where I can try getting the scanner to work before the weekend. :embarrassed_smile:

 

Due to my ISP providing a new wireless gateway, everything has to be lugged the length of the place and physically plugged in with reload of driver software, etc. to get things to work.

[schadowrider]

Ack! Won't be where I can try getting the scanner to work before the weekend. :embarrassed_smile:

 

No hurry, no pressure; just don't want you to think you're off the hook.

[Ghost Plane]

Not exactly worth waiting for - especially when I'm scribbling manuscripts with mark throughs, lines, arrows, overwriting, etc. :embarrassed_smile:

[Chris Chalmers]

I sense a little wriggling there...........of course we want to see the Spirit in real action - not just posh writing to show off!!!

[Miranda]

Miranda! How are you getting on with your SOL pen? The last time you posted on here you were having problems. Has it settled down, or are you still not happy with the nib?

It would be interesting to know how you have got on with it.

Truffle Finder.

 

well, let's just say 'exquisite pen, shame about the nib.'

 

Still not working well enough even with Iroshizuku ink. Maybe an ultrasonic bath will help. Been a bit too unwell to get around to doing that. I didn't realise that Conway Steward had such a poor reputation for nib/feed quality control.

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/166753-flow-issues-with-new-cs-nib/

 

Sorry, hard to hide my disappointment.

[Ghost Plane]

For those who want to see my hand, but not the Spirit in action, click the link in my signature to see my woeful scrawl in an ink review. I am so glad I tested this ink in a lesser pen before letting it near the Spirit.

 

While I still have the borrowed equipment, I hope to get a writing sample of the verse using the SOL. But I'm definitely going to use an ink with known behavior!

 

Miranda, I'm so sorry you're still having nib troubles. After waiting so long and with such anticipation, it's terrible when the beloved doesn't behave as expected.

[Chris Chalmers]

Hi Miranda!

 

I have a spare nib -feed unit here if it will help until Henry can replace it for me. It's a Medium italic - I can ship it to you today - and have emailed you about this. What a bummer, not nice when a nib doesn't do what it says on the packet!!!

[Alice L]

For those who want to see my hand, but not the Spirit in action, click the link in my signature to see my woeful scrawl in an ink review.

 

 

Thanks for the teaser, Ghost Plane. We'll just be patient a bit longer, waiting for the SOL.

[Miranda]

Hi Miranda!

 

I have a spare nib -feed unit here if it will help until Henry can replace it for me. It's a Medium italic - I can ship it to you today - and have emailed you about this. What a bummer, not nice when a nib doesn't do what it says on the packet!!!

 

That's a bit drastic, Chris! It's not as if it's the oxygen concentrator has broken down. It's a faulty nib. I can wait until Henry and I sort this out.

After all, I do have a *few* other pens to go on with. Have even enjoyed playing with some dip pens that re-emerged.

 

Perish the thought I should be responsible for some-one else's nib! Let alone the bother and cost of returning it, given I can't get into post offices, as you know.

 

If it is one thing that stepping back and being more meditative about life, which is surely one of the thoughts behind the pen, is that, in the scheme of things, this is really unimportant. For whatever reason, I am to wait. No big deal.

 

ps. I can still be angry at Conway Stewart, though.

[Ghost Plane]

And well you should be. Seems like 3 out of 10 nibs were not up to snuff on this order, one way or another. Since 2 out of the 3 were the same size, that speaks to what they're sending out, and not in a good way.

[Miranda]

Problem is on it's way to be solved.

 

Henry has offered to send a new nib unit to me and I'm to prise out the nib in the faulty unit I have and insert in into the new one. Apparently postage costs and distance between UK/Australia stand in the way of other options.

 

Suppose that's decent customer service for a AUS$ 1,260 pen.

[Truffle Finder]

It seems as though people here are feeling that these 'nib-feeder' problems are Conway Stewart's fault, and I would like to point out that this is not the case. A few years ago, Bock supplied Conway Stewart with what turned out to be some faulty feeds with their nib units. Henry is fortunate to have been given the opportunity to use Conway Stewart branded nibs in his pens, it has been a mutually beneficial arrangement to date, and hopefully will continue to be so.The responsibility for the function of the pens is with Henry, not Conway Stewart!

The point I am trying to make is that if anyone is having problems with their nibs in their SOL pens, please let Henry know, and he will sort the problem out as soon as possible.

Truffle Finder.

[Ghost Plane]

In better news, I was able to pass the pen around the table at a meeting to a chorus of envious sighs...

 

Glad to hear the explanation as it was the CS reputation, nibs, and dimensions of the Churchill that led me to choose it as the basis of the SOL.

 

I'm sure we'll get it sorted soon.

[Miranda]

It seems as though people here are feeling that these 'nib-feeder' problems are Conway Stewart's fault, and I would like to point out that this is not the case. A few years ago, Bock supplied Conway Stewart with what turned out to be some faulty feeds with their nib units. Henry is fortunate to have been given the opportunity to use Conway Stewart branded nibs in his pens, it has been a mutually beneficial arrangement to date, and hopefully will continue to be so.The responsibility for the function of the pens is with Henry, not Conway Stewart!

The point I am trying to make is that if anyone is having problems with their nibs in their SOL pens, please let Henry know, and he will sort the problem out as soon as possible.

Truffle Finder.

 

So, can we sort out the proximate and distal or ultimate causes of faulty feeds? Let's play the analogy game.

 

I purchase a £80,000 luxury car [which is probably a reasonable £800 SOL pen/car exchange rate] which is fitted with Conart Stewway 'They Sometimes Work' Brakes^TM. These brakes are fitted at my local luxury car dealer who doesn't test that the brakes work because the 'They Sometimes Work' Brakes^TM . are usually okay. I have an accident. Dealer says it's all his fault. And certainly not the fault of the Conart Stewart 'They Sometimes Work' Brakes^TM

 

^{_{I go to the}} 'They Sometimes Work' Brakes^{TM _{forum and find that many other luxury car owners are having the same problems as me.}}

 

^{_{But this is apparently not at all related to my problem.}}

 

^{_{Further inquiry reveals that the}} 'They Sometimes Work' Brakes^{TM _{have used BockHead Brakes in the past, so it is now time to blame the Germans for any problems. How terribly English!}}

 

^{_{cue for Fawlty Towers: Don't mention the War! [German] It's not my fault you started it! [ Fawlty] You invaded Poland!}}

 

^{_{So, no-one takes responsibility for quality control, yet all parties are responsible.}}

 

 

^{_{Look, I hate having to do this, but I am so dispirited that I feel that maybe the SOL pen and I should part company. It is so hard to keep looking at this beautiful thing that simply doesn't do the job I paid for it to do: namely write.}}

 

 

[Truffle Finder]

Henry was very unhappy to hear that things appear to have escalated to the extent that it has, and Miranda's disappointment with her SOL pen.

He has offered her a complete refund including the shipping costs, and is prepared to offer the same to anyone else who wishes to return their pen to him.

It should be pointed out at this point that Henry did 'test-drive' every pen prior to dispatch, but none appeared to be faulty; when these checks were done, he was looking to see that the ink-flow was correct, not looking for any of the 'rogue-feed units, as it was assumed that these had all been discarded several years ago when he was first alerted to the problem.

Over the next few days, every nib-unit will be checked, and discarded if found to be faulty.

Henry would like to make it absolutely clear that he takes full responsibility for this problem, and apologises for the disappointment that anybody has experienced.

Truffle Finder.

[Miranda]

Let's declare peace!

 

It is just so out of keeping with the Spirit of Life pen. I don't want to write the Pen off: I want to write with the pen!

 

You won't hear any more negative comments from me on this site about the pen or other things.

 

Hopefully, the next peep from me will be rapture from writing with the pen!

 

Did you know that Australia has just had it's first Saint, Mary McKillop proclaimed?

[Ghost Plane]

Always nice to see someone recognized for their service to others. Reminds me we should say thank you to each other more often.

 

Which reminds me to thank everyone involved in this pen project one more time. It's hard to believe that last November I got the idea that my favorite verse should be on a pen. I was thrilled to death when someone else asked if they could have one and then another and another and now we have a waiting list with Henry against a second run!

 

I suspect we'll go forth and do special things with our pens once everything is settled. At least that's my fondest wish.

[Truffle Finder]

I have just been looking it up on the other thread, and it was 7th November when you mentioned it to George, about the idea of wrapping a verse around a pen.

It's amazing how quickly time has flown since then, when George came over to deliver the 'idea' to Henry.

When the nib problems have been sorted out, let us all hope that everyone will enjoy the pens in the same 'Spirit' that they were originally intended.

See Yawll!!!

Truffle Finder.