Brands You Will Never Buy From

[Moynihan]

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?

 

I buy to write with, and have become an unintentional collector

 

Italix (no comment)

Montblanc (affordability)

Any of the various brand with glitzy bodies and furniture and historical themes (my aesthetics)

Parker (pens post mid-1990's, user quality, my aesthetics)

Montegrappa (my aesthetics)

Monteverde (my aesthetics)

Pens from companies named for car brands/models (my aesthetics)

Retro 51 (my aesthetics)

Waterford (my aesthetics)

Waterman (post 1990's, my aesthetics)

Yard o Led (my aesthetics)

Visconti ( current models; combination of affordability and some aesthetic considerations, including the clip design )

Noodlers (quality, even at low cost, not anymore...)

Levenger (Quality)

Edited September 29, 2015 by Moynihan

[sidthecat]

My problem is that I have so little interest in modern pens, so I'm not likely to want any of them. I confess I've liked the looks of some of the minimalistic small-run pens coming out these days, rather than the shouty theme pens that the major companies feel obliged to roll out every six months, but the nibs! They're all the same!

[Sasha Royale]

TOSHIBA !

 

This company obtained certain secret milling techniques from the US Government, used in manufacturing ship parts. Provisions in the licenses required that the technology was not to be shared or left unsecured. Toshiba SOLD the technology to the USSR, compromising the security and safety of US Navy ships and seamen.

 

If dying of thirst, I would stab a Toshiba executive, who offered me water. The Japanese government imposed an insulting fine of $15,000. I would have sent US Marines to arrest and hang the executives. I would have sent the US Army Corps of Engineers to bulldoze the factories and offices, and sew the ground with strontium.

 

No, still not forgiven.

 

Have a nice day.

[Bookman]

TOSHIBA !

 

This company obtained certain secret milling techniques from the US Government, used in manufacturing ship parts. Provisions in the licenses required that the technology was not to be shared or left unsecured. Toshiba SOLD the technology to the USSR, compromising the security and safety of US Navy ships and seamen.

 

If dying of thirst, I would stab a Toshiba executive, who offered me water. The Japanese government imposed an insulting fine of $15,000. I would have sent US Marines to arrest and hang the executives. I would have sent the US Army Corps of Engineers to bulldoze the factories and offices, and sew the ground with strontium.

 

No, still not forgiven.

 

Have a nice day.

 

Deleted

Edited September 28, 2015 by Bookman

[cobalt]

The names mentioned are more like old movie stars, remembered for what they once were. Are they doing much to reclaim that? Apparently, just poor customer service, unreliable quality control, and perhaps upmarket pricing and cringe-worthy aesthetic design.

 

EB White (of Strunk and White fame) once said about the opportunity to personalise a fountain pen: I'd rather Simonise my grandmother.

 

Perhaps that explains the ennui around modern pens. They don't evoke even the excitement of faded glory.

 

I have a box of pens that are unlikely to see the light of day, though they write reasonably well such as the likes of Parkers, Watermans, and what-was-I-thinking pens such as Italix Parsons and others. Part of stopping buying pens is probably to be circumspect about oooh/aaah pen reviews.

[Precise]

I feel saddened by reading this entire thread. It's depressing.

 

The many complaints about customer service or manufacturer's repair departments got me recalling some of my own bad experiences with manufacturer's repair departments. The back fell off of my wife's expensive Swiss watch because it was poorly made. When she asked them for a free replacement, the manufacturer offered to make her a replacement back for $1,500! It was a penny's worth of stainless steel. I made a new back myself in about an hour.

 

Perhaps some many manufacturer's view their repair departments as profit centers rather than opportunities to rectify their own mistakes. That was the case with the Swiss watch back.

 

This thread also amazes me for how frequently pen manufacturers manage to screw up such a simple thing as a pen. If automobiles had the same failure rate as pens, they would break down every two miles.

 

The comparison to automobiles also reminds me of how gentle the environmental challenge is for a pen (sitting on my desk), compared to automobiles which must endure freezing, heat, vibration, etc.

Edited September 30, 2015 by Precise

[The Good Captain]

Can't remember if I've added this before but I have three modern Omas pens and although the nibs are great, the piston-filling systems on all three had to be taken apart and greased. All of them leaked from the filler nob after only a short time.

So - Omas; never again.

[evyxmsj]

I would be tempted to name Montblanc. I went into its Union Square/SF store a couple of years ago and the salesmen were mean to me.

 

 

Edit: To be perfectly fair, it was a bitter cold day, I was just getting over the flu, probably had a touch of fever left because I was shaking violently with chills, and I hadn't shaved in a week. I must have presented quite a sight. Mrs. Bookman says I kept my ski mask down over my face while I opened my trench coat. I admit the trench coat didn't help. But still. There's no need to be snotty.

 

 

Edit: I should add that I can sympathise with a similar experience from a local pen shop. No brand in particular though.

Edited September 30, 2015 by evyxmsj

[ScienceChick]

The only brand about which I can say "never" with confidence is the current Esterbrook. What a travesty.

[evyxmsj]

I'm not a fan of metal-barrel (or grip) pens. Just the feel of it really.

[I.M.]

The only brand about which I can say "never" with confidence is the current Esterbrook. What a travesty.

+1

[maus930]

hard to make a blanket statement -- I won't buy a Parker or Sheaffer that was made after they moved off shore ---

I have a number of Excellent Fort Madison Sheaffers that I enjoy -- The problem with Sheaffer is that along with

A number of excellent models they produced millions of cheap pens that were virtually throw aways -- very low quality

[figboot]

TWSBI. Just don't like it.

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

 

I have to say that I do enjoy my TWSBI pens. My Diamond 580 was my first purchase that made me feel like FPs could be really cool.

 

Noodler's on the other hand...I've had nothing but issues with the two pens I have. I'm getting a little fed up with most of my Noodler's inks as well.

[Moynihan]

+1

+1

[Bisquitlips]

I give every FP and nib a second chance.

 

But that is my weakness. And my poverty!

[SujiCorp12345]

I won't say never, but I'm unlikely to try a Noodler's pen ever again. Just too much fiddling required to get them to perform in my opinion.

[hbquikcomjamesl]

Parker, because of the 25.

 

MB because I loathe the very concept of snob appeal (which is also why I would never accept a Rolex watch as a gift, preferring to stick with Timex).

[beboy]

I am not fond of older high end brands who now exclusively make their pens in China, like Cross and Sheaffer. I think these are the only brands I would never buy new pens from. There was too much offshoring in North America, so I try to avoid the brands who sent abroad all their production activities to radically cut cost and increase their margins, if I can.

 

On the other hand, I would still buy new Parker and Waterman pens made in France (but not the models made in China, for the same reason as above). My modern Sonnets are among my favorite pens and, unlike others, I am quite satisfied with their after sales and repair service.

 

Moreover, I would buy Chinese pens made by Chinese companies if they were not all about gold plating, shinny finishes and bling-bling. If I buy a cheap pen, I don't want it to look expensive.

[Fabienne]

Every Jinhao I have ever come into contact with hates me. I admire anyone who has good luck with them and loves them, they hate hate hate me.

 

P.S. Ending a sentence with a preposition? Brands I Will Never Buy From? No: Brands From Which I Will Never Buy.

[Precise]

Every Jinhao I have ever come into contact with hates me. I admire anyone who has good luck with them and loves them, they hate hate hate me.

 

P.S. Ending a sentence with a preposition? Brands I Will Never Buy From? No: Brands From Which I Will Never Buy.

I'll skip the "from", preferring to say, "Brands which you will never buy"

or perhaps, "Brands you'll never buy" or "Brands you refuse to buy"

Edited October 2, 2015 by Precise