Brands You Will Never Buy From

[seoulseeker]

I ran into a friend today and he mentioned that he will never again buy a Parker, after his first experience with their service, after having a very sketchy quality nib. He was also very obstinate about never purchasing from Lamy, calling their pens "ugly".

 

It got me thinking though, that I will probably never buy a Platinum, just because I think their nibs usually look hideous. Other brands that seem to primarily construct from celluloid crossed my mind, as I'm not a fan of the material.

 

Do you have any brand you flat out refuse to buy from, or to buy from again? What's the story behind it?

[lapis]

Okay, you asked for it... umm... wait a sec until I whip out my steel helmet... Montblanc!

I bought a brand new 146 and it turned out to be a slow starter, get the hiccoughs, write dry after about 10 seconds of non-use. So far, so good. I took it back to MB and they sent it to MB headquarters in Hamburg and it came back marked "restored". But it wasn't. So I repeated this whole affaire after lots of scans, mails, faxes, phone calls. Came back and ditto.

I mean, anything can go on the fritz but if the original company -- even such a "reputable" one like MB -- itself can't fix it after 2 attempts, then I have no faith in any further purchase.

 

BTW I love and use all of their inks.

 

Mike

[jotterius]

I can't say that I will not ever buy a pen from a specific company because I don't know what models they may launch in the future. From current pen models I will never buy a CdA fp.

[PaulT00]

Sadly the two brands I would never consider buying new pens from (i.e. modern) are the two biggest brands from years gone by - Sheaffer and Parker. Both have been reduced to selling stuff which must surely cause the illustrious founders of those companies to spin in their graves, squandering years of experience and goodwill to become (in my opinion) merely a brand applied to tat. Sad.

[ajoe]

Sheaffer -- Parker -- Waterman

 

I have been using fountain pens since approximately 1960. The above brands have continuously dissappointed.

 

IMHO, Sheaffer's poor quality cheap pens--the ones most people have access to in b&m stores--is be the biggest reason that many people don't use fountain pens.

[rogerb]

Sadly the two brands I would never consider buying new pens from (i.e. modern) are the two biggest brands from years gone by - Sheaffer and Parker. Both have been reduced to selling stuff which must surely cause the illustrious founders of those companies to spin in their graves, squandering years of experience and goodwill to become (in my opinion) merely a brand applied to tat. Sad.

 

I agree, largely, with this....although I 'Never say "Never"' in this context!

I had some superb service from the UK HQs of both companies, in the 70s, but am also sad to see their current ranges of products.

 

With such large companies as MB, one has to wonder how much they care, nowadays, about losing a customer due to poor service, and I might decide to take my custom elsewhere.

OTOH, if I had a problem with a small company, I would make an effort to give them a chance to 'put things right'.

Edited January 8, 2012 by rogerb

[BrandonA]

TWSBI as to me they look cheap and nasty but without the cheap price tag. I just can't see the point in them.

[mirosc]

I guess it would be easier to list the names of the brands I actually would love to buy from. There are too many old and new manufacturers out there that are either too expensive or too ugly or too lousy or...

Limitation is bliss :-)

[inkyleftie]

Oh dear, I'm feeling rather inferior now, as Sheaffer, Parker and Waterman pens form the backbone of my 'collection' (=accumulation). I suppose my experience with these companies is based on having enjoyed some basic but good models from their ranges - Skripsert, Parker 25, Philéas. Although I haven't been disappointed with more recent acquisitions either.

 

At the moment I can't see myself buying from the expensive Italian ranges, just because I would feel guilty about the cost, so I experience some vicarious enjoyment by reading the descriptions and looking at the beautiful photographs on FPN.

Edited January 8, 2012 by inkyleftie

[seoulseeker]

Oh dear, I'm feeling rather inferior now, as Sheaffer, Parker and Waterman pens form the backbone of my 'collection' (=accumulation). I suppose my experience with these companies is based on having enjoyed some basic but good models from their ranges - Skripsert, Parker 25, Philéas. Although I haven't been disappointed with more recent acquisitions either.

 

At the moment I can't see myself buying from the expensive Italian ranges, just because I would feel guilty about the cost, so I experience some vicarious enjoyment by reading the descriptions and looking at the beautiful photographs on FPN.

 

Everyone will have different preferences, thats the beauty of fountain pens

 

I have only avoided a parker thus far because I think that their clips are far too stylized, and detract quite significantly from the pen. Would take a parker with a plain clip (or no clip for that matter) any day

Edited January 8, 2012 by seoulseeker

[jar]

I can't think of any brands where I could honestly say "I'll never buy one of their pens" but there are many where I can say "So far they have produced nothing I want."

 

Many such marques are among those others prize, so it is certainly a matter of personal taste.

[Mike 59]

Agree that it's not easy to say would never buy from a company, because the next one they make may be the one to have!

I guess many of us think it's the next one that will be perfect for me, then it isn't, so wait a bit longer......

Odd thing is that today's manufacturing machinery and methods should be very superior to pre-war, it shouldn't be possible to buy sub-standard

products. But reality is very different, and I think along the lines of; "about 1 in 3 are good, will I be lucky?"

I have had very good and poor products from most popular makers, I couldn't stick to just one manufacturer, it narrows the odds too much.

[Toolattack]

Most of the Tibaldi range is just 'too much' for my taste, so I would not buy anything from them at the moment.

I think that portraits hardly ever work on pens, because of the cylindrical shape of the barrel and lid and Tibaldi seem to use the portrait a lot in their range.

Having said that, some of the Bentley range is much more understated in comparison - so I would never say never!

I guess IMHO they may be great pens to write with, but I don't really want to carry around something that would make even Liberace blush!

[smodak]

TWSBI. Just don't like it.

Noodler's - Do not have time or mindset to tinker. Does not work out of the box.

Edited January 8, 2012 by smodak

[rogerb]

Most of the Tibaldi range is just 'too much' for my taste, so I would not buy anything from them at the moment.

I think that portraits hardly ever work on pens, because of the cylindrical shape of the barrel and lid and Tibaldi seem to use the portrait a lot in their range.

Having said that, some of the Bentley range is much more understated in comparison - so I would never say never!

I guess IMHO they may be great pens to write with, but I don't really want to carry around something that would make even Liberace blush!

 

I agree ...modern Tibaldis set high standards of vulgarity(and excessive cost)!

 

OTOH, my Tibaldi Iride with a piston-filler, beautiful celluloid, and a sweet B nib, is my pen which is most admired, by collectors and non-collectors alike

[mikkolopez]

i wouldn't say I wouldn't buy from any brands out there but I did stick to the brand that has satisfied my appetite so far, and that's a Parker, most probably i'd stick it out with them.

[jbb]

I generally avoid Noodler's inks now.

[smodak]

I generally avoid Noodler's inks now.

 

+1 I use Noodler's inks but will never buy a noodler's FP again.

Edited January 8, 2012 by smodak

[georges zaslavsky]

Parker Pens because Sanford stole me of 60€ I asked for cap exchange and what I got in return was an exchanged cap but also a scratchy nib.

 

Waterman because like my favorite dealer Mr Mora told me, they offer nothing new and since the end of production of the man 100, they propose nothing stellar or extraordinary.

 

Visconti because of the finickiness of the quality control and the stifness of the nib, the packaging and celluloid body are not enough to convince me more than 500€ on a pen.

 

Delta because most of their nibs are dull, characterless and offer no line variation. I also hate lever fillers.

 

Aurora because of the stiffness of their nibs and unpleasing aesthetics of their pens. Tried several auroras but I dislike them.

[Pen Nut]

I generally avoid Noodler's inks now.

 

Me neither. Just cashed in my last 5 bottles and thats it for me. Pen wise I was massively dissapointed with a Yard O Led I owned. Customer service was great but the actual pen, Viceroy Grand, was hopeless so this sort of soured my YOL view BUT that said I would never say I would not own another.