Brands You Will Never Buy From

[warblerick]

I would never purchase another modern Parker. Also, after problems with at least 4 Visconti's, and although when you get a good one it can be a great one, I would not purchase another. And any pen by Koweco.

 

And though I have quite a few modern pricey pens that are some of my best writers and dearest posessions, my little TWSBI mini is a great pen, both in quality and cost. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one (but only the mini) with a different nib. For the $ I don't think there is a better entry-level piston-fill FP.

[rhodialover]

The only thing I will ever consider buying from Lamy is a Dialog 3.

Montegrappa simply does not appeal to me at all and never has.

JInhao or other Chinese knock offs will never have a home with me, no matter how many good things people say about them.

[circlepattern]

Yeah, some people like to get the original, but if you pretend the knock offs are an entirely different design, then most people wouldn't find them repulsive.

[mhphoto]

I'd like to say I don't discriminate against pens so broadly that a given brand would be off limits, but there are a few that I probably won't ever buy from, though I can't guarantee that.

 

TWSBI's have never fascinated me, though I know they have a loyal following. I do have a Micarta given to me as a gift, but the first nib was unusable and the second was barely usable. I finagled an Ahab nib into the nib/feed holder and it works nicely now, though I have to thoroughly clean it before every use, or my hands will be covered in ink because the material seems to wick ink away from the nib when capped.

 

Modern Mont Blancs are not something that interest me in the least (mainly due to modern nib/feed designs, being overpriced, and tales of horrible customer service). I would love to get a 14k/ebonite feed version of the 146 or 149 someday though.

 

Probably won't be getting a modern Parker or Cross—Parkers because of poor quality control of nibs and Cross because they're made in China. Vintage models of each are definitely on the table though. An exception would be the Parker Jotter, which I love.

 

Modern Watermans won't find their way into my collection anytime soon, but that has more to do with the current company's complete lack of reverence to the earlier American company that was the groundwork for all the success they enjoy today. That and their current models are just not interesting. I do have two modern Waterman Graduates though, and they're superb writers.

 

Sailor pens have never interested me, but there's really not a specific reason why. One of my goals for my collection is to have a few of the post-WWII Japanese steel flex nibs at some point.

 

I think the only American company I have and will buy new models from is Sheaffer. For some reason I really like a lot of their lineup, even though a lot of them are somewhat too thin and the type of lacquer-over-brass-body that doesn't make for good balance.

 

Lamy's don't really float my boat, but the Safari and Al Star have a special place in my heart.

[logantrky]

I will probably not buy a Lamy again. I had a CP1 and I couldn't connect with it. Lamy's designs are plain ugly to my eyes.

 

But, who knows, I may buy a Safari or something one day as a bang-around pen. Who knows..

[pajaro]

Faber Castell

Caran d'Ache

 

Too heavy and overdone.

[proton007]

I will probably not buy a Lamy again. I had a CP1 and I couldn't connect with it. Lamy's designs are plain ugly to my eyes.

 

But, who knows, I may buy a Safari or something one day as a bang-around pen. Who knows..

 

I like the 2000, and the Al Star with its anodized aluminium body is pretty unique.

Edited July 30, 2013 by proton007

[legume]

I'll probably never buy most brands of pens since only a handful have ever appealed to me, and even fewer have passed my "let it sit and marinate a while" test. I figure at this point if a brand hasn't yet produced anything that I like, it never will. This isn't exactly a time of innovation. The Golden and Silver Ages have long passed; though if fountain pen popularity keeps rising as it has lately we might see more of a comeback rather than just the increase in prices and the mass move to the luxury market.

 

The most broad stroke I will apply, which actually is as broad as it gets, is never to buy vintage pens (Though I might buy one with a flex nib one day. Might. Dip pens do the actual job of flexing much better and I don't feel the need to take my flexing on the road as of yet. But those vintage flex pens aren't exactly something you want to take outside.) They don't offer any technological advantage in terms of the nib and feed or the materials engineering, and in fact they're more weak and brittle due to their age. I guess I just don't like vintage pen culture as it is, in which the owner is expected to only be a temporary caretaker, leaving the pen in better condition than it was for future generations. And I know many people find the history and prestige of models and brands to be very important but I find it rather tedious. For me pens are just that: pens. Inanimate objects and consumer products. But I'm getting off topic.

 

The one brand I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole is TWSBI. I bought a TWSBI Mini because of all the posts about how great the nib was and because I loved the look of the Classic. I would have been happily underwhelmed with a nib that needed some work and wouldn't have minded having to get replacement parts for all the cracking and leaking issues, but with the nib the way it is it's just not worth any more of my time and effort, and certainly not any more of my money. Even at its optimal state the nib feels dead and scratchy, and as for the body it felt solid enough but develops cracks all over and the joints are shaky even with the replacement parts. It also leaks into the cap and onto my fingers when I'm writing. From what I read the rest of TWSBI's lineup seems more of the same. Their customer service also didn't impress. I guess it's my own fault for getting too emotionally invested and ignoring bad reviews.

 

Other brands I would avoid, as much as I love their pens, are Nakaya, Danitrio and others that primarily sell similarly priced pens. I think $600+ is just too much to spend on one pen, though even as I type this the Nakaya Chinkin Shinobu calls out to me, so I may have to retract this one day. No maki-e pens for me though, I couldn't possibly choose just one and I'd be happier owning none at all.

 

And of course there's Montblanc, which every fountain pen enthusiast has thrown in their face until they form an opinion on it whether they like it or not. For me they're a no go. I don't like anything in their current lineup and in any case the countless horror stories of their customer service department have put me off. I'm of the opinion that after-sale and repair service is one of the most important aspects of a company, and if I'm going to be seen as a nuisance and condescended to then I won't give them the chance.

Edited July 30, 2013 by legume

[proton007]

The most broad stroke I will apply, which actually is as broad as it gets, is never to buy vintage pens (Though I might buy one with a flex nib one day. Might. Dip pens do the actual job of flexing much better and I don't feel the need to take my flexing on the road as of yet. But those vintage flex pens aren't exactly something you want to take outside.) They don't offer any technological advantage in terms of the nib and feed or the materials engineering, and in fact they're more weak and brittle due to their age. I guess I just don't like vintage pen culture as it is, in which the owner is expected to only be a temporary caretaker, leaving the pen in better condition than it was for future generations. And I know many people find the history and prestige of models and brands to be very important but I find it rather tedious. For me pens are just that: pens. Inanimate objects and consumer products. But I'm getting off topic.

 

 

I understand where you're coming from, but the thing is, a lot of vintage pens are coveted because the current state of those brands is pathetic. I mean, take a look at most of the vintage brands that survive today, the most popular being Pilot/Parker/Pelikan/Sheaffer/Waterman.

 

The era of most of the popular vintage collections (30s to 70s) was probably the peak of fountain pens, so you wouldn't be able to get anything better. Hence, brands that still carry their heritage are the ones that are still preferred for their modern offerings. Pelikan, because the Souveran still carries that style element of the old Pelikans, ditto with Pilot, who periodically release special edition pens that are a tribute to their vintage collections.

 

Sadly, others have abandoned their old designs, and I've probably bought only one pen from them, just to try out, only to discover that their vintage offerings were much better.

[hot cocoa]

No Waterman, Sheaffer, Parker, or Cross for me...I'm just not not inspired by their designs.

 

Also, no cheap Chinese pens because they mostly strike me as either unoriginal or gaudy. That probably goes for un-cheap Chinese pens as well. I don't lump TWSBI with Chinese pens, but I'm not sure I'd ever get another of those, though the one I have works great.

[HandLikeAFist]

I'd never buy a Noodler's pen; the idea of having to tinker with a new pen to make it write is anathema to me.

 

But it's a moot point, as I will never buy anything Noodler, for ideological reasons, as mentioned by Derevaun above.

[legume]

I'm pretty sure I can avoid buying anything from Noodler's, simply because of the particular ideological stance they've woven into their branding. More power to 'em, but no thanks.

 

Otherwise, I won't rule anything out. But I feel the need to register advance disappointment in myself should I ever spend serious money on a showy, gold-trimmed, heavier-than-my-hand FP.

 

I'd never buy a Noodler's pen; the idea of having to tinker with a new pen to make it write is anathema to me.

 

But it's a moot point, as I will never buy anything Noodler, for ideological reasons, as mentioned by Derevaun above.

 

What about Noodler's ideology do you not like? A cursory Google search didn't turn up anything.

[pompa]

 

 

What about Noodler's ideology do you not like? A cursory Google search didn't turn up anything.

He's a libertarian. Also, he's said that he'd rather discontinue a line of ink than increase the price, and he designs his pens to not only be good value, but so that you should be able to change the nib, clean it thoroughly or replace the rubber seals yourself. I am guessing it is the political stance of advocating freedom that they don't like.

EDIT: I did not mean to suggest that they are opposed to freedom in general or anything of the like, perhaps I should have said something like freedom above all else. Did not mean to derail the thread into a discussion about politics. Edited July 30, 2013 by pompa

[cellmatrix]

Politics is really not what fountain pens are about. I'm glad the admins keep this most of this stuff out. I don't agree at all with Nathan's politics nor the way he inserts his ideology into his labels etc. But its a free country, freedom is good, and so anyway, lets just let him sell ink and we can all be friends. Maybe I'll buy something from him in the future just for fun.

[pompa]

But its a free country, freedom is good, and so anyway, lets just let him sell ink and we can all be friends.

Sounds like a plan. I didn't buy my Konrad (Or should I say Konrads perhaps, as I am waiting for another one now) because of his politics, and I do agree that it seem a little bit strange to incorporate your political views on the product labels, but on the other end it's a bit extreme to refuse the brand just because your political views differ.

[legume]

Politics is really not what fountain pens are about. I'm glad the admins keep this most of this stuff out. I don't agree at all with Nathan's politics nor the way he inserts his ideology into his labels etc. But its a free country, freedom is good, and so anyway, lets just let him sell ink and we can all be friends. Maybe I'll buy something from him in the future just for fun.

I knew he was political but that there must have been something drastic I'd missed if some people went as far as to avoid the whole brand for it. Guess not.

 

Didn't mean to derail the thread. Carry on.

[HandLikeAFist]

Pens, inks, and politics: an odd mixture. In all pen and ink cases I can think of, bar the one under discussion, there are never any particular political beliefs of the manufacturer included in product names, bottle labels, etc. I strongly disagree with what (little) I know about Nathan's stances, which I have picked up from his labels and product names, but it's enough to make me not buy the brand. (Same reasons I don't buy Brawny paper towels.) Too bad for me, as some of Nathan's inks look fascinating.

 

All that being said, I of course try to keep any political beliefs I might have far away from the fun and basically non-political acts of collecting and writing with fountain pens and cool inks. The only reason for me to reject Noodler's products is that Nathan has advertised his politics on his product; I didn't search: he told me upfront, so I don't buy, upfront. And I love the freedom he has to do what he wants; ditto my freedom.

[proton007]

What does politics have to do with pens?
You wouldn't buy from someone who holds political views different from yourself? Its a bit far fetched.

[irish_monk]

No Bexley's or Noodler's pens and ink. Done.

[carlosviet]

I am really disappointed with Parker since Sanford bought them out. In the '80's, I sent a FP that my grandfather gave me and while they could not fix it, they did send me a free FP along with my grandfathers pen for sentimental reasons. Now that the pen they sent needs service, they just say that that model is no longer in production and can't help. So now, Parker is off my list. I am interested in TWsBI piston filler but $60 USD?

 

Really? They send you a free fountain pen and you are disappointed because thirty years later they cannot or would not fix it? Talk about looking in the mouth of the gift horse!