What Was Your Last Impulsive Pen Acquisition?

[Estycollector]

Do they give you the level of shipping you are paying for, or are they spending less on shipping, packing and postage costs, than what you are being charged for? If you are getting the shipping you are paying for why complain? If they are shorting you, bleep 'em.

Lets say the price listed for shipping is $4.00. The price of the pen is $15 and either I make a low bid or they offer a low bid. When I get the pen the postage spent is less. Yes, Im complaining because its dishonest.

[Estycollector]

Do they give you the level of shipping you are paying for, or are they spending less on shipping, packing and postage costs, than what you are being charged for? If you are getting the shipping you are paying for why complain? If they are shorting you, bleep 'em.

Lets say the price listed for shipping is $4.00. The price of the pen is $15 and either I make a low bid or they offer a low bid. When I get the pen the postage spent is less. Yes, Im complaining because its dishonest.

[corniche]

Hi all,

 

Since Labor Day Weekend; I've had a few involuntary impulses:

 

Top Row: (L-R):

 

1. Conklin Duragraph; Matte Black; Broad nib; Goulet L.E.

2. Sheaffer Prelude; Copper; Medium nib; USA made; Peyton Street Pens, NOS.

3. Conklin Mark Twain Crescent Filler; Vintage Green; Broad nib; Pen Chalet.

4. Conklin Mark Twain Crescent Filler; Red Chase; Medium nib; Truphae.

5. Visconti Mirage; Emerald; Medium nib; Pen Chalet.

6. Visconti Mirage; Aqua: Broad nib; Pen Chalet.

7. Levenger True Writer; Kyoto Reissue; Medium nib; Levenger.

8. Leonardo Officina Italiana Momento Zero; Sorrento; Stub nib; Pen Chalet.

9. Conklin Duragraph; Nightfall L.E.; Broad nib; Truphae.

10. Conklin All American; Southwest Turquoise; Stub nib; Pen Chalet.

11. Esterbrook Estie; Blueberry & Gold; Medium nib; Truphae.

 

ROW II:

12. Edison Beaumont; Aurum; Broad nib; Goldspot

13. Laban Celebration; Blue Oyster; Medium nib; Goldspot.

14. Conklin Word Gauge; Blue; Stub nib; Pen Chalet.

15. Sheaffer No Nonsense; Sheaffer Employees Credit Union; Medium nib; Peyton Street Pens, NOS.

16. Levenger True Writer; 20th Anniversary; Medium nib; Levenger.

 

 

 

NOT PICTURED:

1. Conklin Endura; Abalone L.E.; Stub; Pen Chalet.

2. Platinum Curidas; Urban Green; Medium nib; Truphae.

3. Esterbrook Estie; Maraschino & Gold; Stub nib; Fahrney's.

Awaiting delivery.

 

4. Lamy 2000; Medium nib, (forgot in pocket).

 

Sorry they're out of order, but I took them as they came... and unfortunately, the pictures do not do some of them justice.

 

 

- Sean

[inkstainedruth]

Pilot Decimo w/broad nib and Lamy 2000 w/medium nib.

 

I've bought and sold/returned two VPs/Decimos before, though because the VP was too heavy and I wasn't happy with the thin nib I purchased with my Decimo. I think the broad will be very nice, as I like juicy mediums.

I've also found that to be the case of VPs vs. Decimos. Unfortunately, the VPs come in a much wider variety of colors and finishes. And when I got my Decimo, I had to get one from an eBay seller in Japan because Pilot's "marketing" department won't sell the grey in the US (and at the time they weren't selling the dark blue either, which would have been my second choice.

If I ever do get a dark blue, I was considering getting a B nib (mine has a lovely writing F). So I'd be interested in what you think of the B nib on yours is when you get it.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Estycollector]

Do they give you the level of shipping you are paying for, or are they spending less on shipping, packing and postage costs, than what you are being charged for? If you are getting the shipping you are paying for why complain? If they are shorting you, bleep 'em.

Lets say the price listed for shipping is $4.00. The price of the pen is $15 and either I make a low bid or they offer a low bid. When I get the pen the postage spent is less. Yes, Im complaining because its dishonest.

[NumberSix]

Lets say the price listed for shipping is $4.00. The price of the pen is $15 and either I make a low bid or they offer a low bid. When I get the pen the postage spent is less. Yes, Im complaining because its dishonest.

 

I disagree. First, you paid the amount listed. Second, $4 barely covers the ebay fees, PayPal fees, and the shipping. You can't ship slower than 1st class at that package size, and in my experience it's going to cost $2-4, depending on the size and packing method. Hell, if it costs only a dollar to ship, you're still not getting ripped off. You agreed to that shipping amount - it's part of the price of the pen, a price that you agreed to pay.

 

If they promised priority mail and charged $10 for it - and then shipped first class - you would have room for argument. Or if they waited a week to ship with no pre-announcement to that effect, then you would have room for argument.

 

But even in the case where they charged $10 and didn't promise anything but first class, I would be fine with it. As long as the whole price (pen + shipping) was an amount that worked for me, then I will pay it and not remotely feel cheated. That's how online purchasing works, especially on eBay.

Edited September 27, 2020 by NumberSix

[corniche]

I've also found that to be the case of VPs vs. Decimos. Unfortunately, the VPs come in a much wider variety of colors and finishes. And when I got my Decimo, I had to get one from an eBay seller in Japan because Pilot's "marketing" department won't sell the grey in the US (and at the time they weren't selling the dark blue either, which would have been my second choice.

If I ever do get a dark blue, I was considering getting a B nib (mine has a lovely writing F). So I'd be interested in what you think of the B nib on yours is when you get it.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

Hi all,

 

If anyone is interested, I have the full size VPs with medium, broad and stub nibs. I can post a writing sample of the lot later this evening or tomorrow.

 

 

- Sean

[A Smug Dill]

If anyone is interested, I have the full size VPs with medium, broad and stub nibs. I can post a writing sample of the lot later this evening or tomorrow.

 

Thanks!

 

In the meantime, there is this on Goulet Pen's Nib Nook:

 

Source: Goulet Pen

 

Don't forget to scale the writing samples to match your screen's pixel density. The screen on my 13-inch MacBook Pro has a pixel density of ~113.6ppi, and so the images need to be made 22.6% larger on it to give a more accurate representation of the line widths.

Edited September 27, 2020 by A Smug Dill

[Mercian]

I'm using a medium Lamy 2000 today. With wet & spreading inks (like Lamy Black) it writes broad-medium in above than average quality paper and writes straight broad on the lower cost ones. The nib is lovely though. Will try with something more tidy next time.

I’m a bit surprised that your LAMY 2000 does not write to the ‘correct’ width when loaded with LAMY’s own ink.

Is it a much-‘wetter’ writer than all the other modern LAMY pens?

Mind you, that too would surprise me.

I mean, if LAMY have perhaps reformulated their inks to make them ‘wetter’ since the introduction of the 2000 (e.g. to work well with their larger-sales-volume school pens like the Safari), I would have expected them to also modify the feed of the 2000 at the same time they reformulated the inks - so that all of their pens work optimally with their own ink.

 

Has anybody else had the same problem with a LAMY 2000 and LAMY ink?

Or could bayindirh’s pen perhaps have its nib mis-aligned with its feed?

Edited September 27, 2020 by Mercian

[corniche]

Thanks!

 

In the meantime, there is this on Goulet Pen's Nib Nook:

 

Source: Goulet Pen

 

Don't forget to scale the writing samples to match your screen's pixel density. The screen on my 13-inch MacBook Pro has a pixel density of ~113.6ppi, and so the images need to be made 22.6% larger on it to give a more accurate representation of the line widths.

Hi Smug Dill,

 

You're welcome.

 

Well, let me put it this way: expect a picture similar to the photos above showing my latest acquisitions. Aside from that, don't expect too much - because I don't know a pixil from a paxil - nor would I know how to adjust the pixelation - and I'd prefer not to learn how.

 

 

- Sean

[Estycollector]

 

I disagree. First, you paid the amount listed. Second, $4 barely covers the ebay fees, PayPal fees, and the shipping. You can't ship slower than 1st class at that package size, and in my experience it's going to cost $2-4, depending on the size and packing method. Hell, if it costs only a dollar to ship, you're still not getting ripped off. You agreed to that shipping amount - it's part of the price of the pen, a price that you agreed to pay.

 

If they promised priority mail and charged $10 for it - and then shipped first class - you would have room for argument. Or if they waited a week to ship with no pre-announcement to that effect, then you would have room for argument.

 

But even in the case where they charged $10 and didn't promise anything but first class, I would be fine with it. As long as the whole price (pen + shipping) was an amount that worked for me, then I will pay it and not remotely feel cheated. That's how online purchasing works, especially on eBay.

If the asking price is $15 and I get an offer for $9 for example. I expect the seller to ship at the rate they post and not less.

[amk]

Re shipping charges, yes, they have to cover the packing, getting to the post office (it's a 10km trip for me), and so on, not just the postage.

 

But quite a few sellers have refunded me postage when they found it was cheaper than they expected. I don't expect that but I do appreciate it.

[inkstainedruth]

That would definitely be a seller who rated very positive feedback.

I'm wondering, now, though about whether in other instances the case of a seller who based the shipping charges on the expected cost of the item, rather than the size/cost of the shipping container (the USPS "Priority Mail" boxes come to mind).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

ETA: I'll give a personal example. A few years ago I got a Parker Vector calligraphy set from an eBay seller. The shipping charges were higher than the item itself -- but it turned out that the metal container the set came in had to go into a larger size Priority Mail container, which of course cost more than a smaller box would have.

Edited September 28, 2020 by inkstainedruth

[A Smug Dill]

Aside from that, don't expect too much - because I don't know a pixil from a paxil - nor would I know how to adjust the pixelation - and I'd prefer not to learn how.

 

 

I apologise for not expressing myself clearly. The advice to scale the image(s) was directed at (prospective) users of the Nib Nook tool, and not at you or other volunteer producers and sharers of information. The resolution of the images in the Nib Nook is not apparent from the metadata (i.e. there is no EXIF data I can see in the retrieved JPEG files, when viewing in GIMP), and I had to calculate it myself based on the dot grid markings in the images.

 

Come to think of it, I don't know how to insert image resolution information into JPEG files I create/save using GIMP (on a Mac). I can go to the dialog for image properties (File▸Properties), but it doesn't look like I can add entries in the Advanced tab.

 

Edit: OK, I can now see there is resolution information in JFIF data for those JPEG files, when viewed in the native Preview application in OS X, but the content (72ppi) is wrong in the Nib Nook image files. The JPEG files I create in GIMP has the correct information, but only if I have performed the Scale Image operation and remembered to enter the correct numbers during it.

Edited September 29, 2020 by A Smug Dill

[corniche]

I apologise for not expressing myself clearly. The advice to scale the image(s) was directed at (prospective) users of the Nib Nook tool, and not at you or other volunteer producers and sharers of information. The resolution of the images in the Nib Nook is not apparent from the metadata (i.e. there is no EXIF data I can see in the retrieved JPEG files, when viewing in GIMP), and I had to calculate it myself based on the dot grid markings in the images.

 

Come to think of it, I don't know how to insert image resolution information into JPEG files I create/save using GIMP (on a Mac). I can go to the dialog for image properties (File▸Properties), but it doesn't look like I can add entries in the Advanced tab.

Hello Smug,

 

In that case, here you go:

 

 

I have 4 VP's: one medium; one broad and two stubs. The one stub is a dog - the first one in the sample - and I'm going to send that back to Pilot. The other nibs I've had for a year or longer.

 

The difference between medium and broad is barely perceptible. BION, the medium is smoother - at least mine is.

 

The ink is Diamine Midnight. (The dog nib was inked, the other 3 were dipped).

 

 

- Sean

 

PS: I still don't know where the hell that shadow came from.

[A Smug Dill]

... two stubs. The one stub is a dog -

 

I also have to Pilot Capless 18K gold Stub nibs, and frankly I don't like either of them (even though I like Pilot's steel CM nibs that fit the MR / Plumix / Prera / 78G models). I spent an awful lot of time working on one of them just yesterday, hoping to make it more user-friendly such that it doesn't just stay unused for months on end; and dried Sailor Shikiori (in this case, yodaki) ink was a huge pain to clean out of it completely!

 

 

Just as well I didn't order the 2020 Limited Edition 'Link Black' Vanishing Point with a Stub nib.

[maclink]

I got myself a Pelikan M101N Grey/Blue with an EF nib.

[VivienR]

As I still not gave up a hope that one day I can read-write, talk fluently in Japanese, and seen how nice addition the bend nibs for kanjis ordered a Moonman S3 Green with bent nib 0.6-1.2.

[Karmachanic]

In transit. 1956 MB 344-G, ebonite feed OM nib, white star on cap.

 

[essayfaire]

Just picked up a Monteverde Luna at an excellent price in a stub nib. I don't usually use stubs, but plan on using it when creating grids in my bullet journal and being able to use inks that won't play nicely with all my EF and F pens. We'll see if I think it was a foolhardy purchase once it arrives.