What Was Your Biggest Disappointment With An Expensive Pen

[A Smug Dill]

Those are beautiful pens that you have.

Thanks! I think they are too; that's how Platinum 'conned' me into spending a fortune buying them, haha!

 

I wonder if they only offer FMB on their website because they are the most popular options?

I haven't seen any other Japanese retailer offer any other nib options than what are listed on Platinum's Japanese web site.

[Pingu]

 

I have both the PTB-30000BN-61 and the PTB-50000BS, and I don't see much of a gap in either of mine.

 

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This is a close up from a retailer stock photo of the briarwood (in gloss finish) and you can see the gap is wider than the clip. The same occurs in my pen. Apparently Platinum said that was normal not a defect.

 

http://i64.tinypic.com/30aq53b.jpg

[A Smug Dill]

This is a close up from a retailer stock photo of the briarwood (in gloss finish)

I didn't know that the Platinum #3776 briarwood models were offered with a gloss finish as an option. The Platinum Izumo tagayasan (ironwood) pens, and also some Japanese stationery store exclusive models in other woods, yes; but they don't have a gold ring as trim above the top of the clip. Nakaya briarwood models, too, but they aren't Platinum pens and certainly aren't Platinum #3776 models.

 

and you can see the gap is wider than the clip. The same occurs in my pen.

How wide a gap are we talking about there? 0.2mm?

 

Apparently Platinum said that was normal not a defect.

Well, do you have Platinum #3776 models with other materials for the pen barrel and cap – say, resin in the 'basic' Black In Black, Chartres Blue, or Bourgogne models with gold trim, or the Oshino/Kumpoo/Shungyo, or the Nice line – against which to compare whether the briarwood model has more of a 'gap'?

[Pingu]

I didn't know that the Platinum #3776 briarwood models were offered with a gloss finish as an option. The Platinum Izumo tagayasan (ironwood) pens, and also some Japanese stationery store exclusive models in other woods, yes; but they don't have a gold ring as trim above the top of the clip. Nakaya briarwood models, too, but they aren't Platinum pens and certainly aren't Platinum #3776 models.

Yes they do a gloss finish, which looks beautiful, but I prefer the matte/satin finish. I reckon with regular use the oils from your hand will give it a natural sheen and patina. 😃

 

Edit: Apologies - correction - apparently the gloss finish is only available in the Nakaya version.

How wide a gap are we talking about there? 0.2mm?

 

About 1mm gap either side of the clip. Enough to wiggle it slightly in the notch.

 

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Well, do you have Platinum #3776 models with other materials for the pen barrel and cap say, resin in the 'basic' Black In Black, Chartres Blue, or Bourgogne models with gold trim, or the Oshino/Kumpoo/Shungyo, or the Nice line against which to compare whether the briarwood model has more of a 'gap'?

No I dont... but I imagine they probably dont, but then I suppose that plastic doesnt behave like wood/metal. Edited December 18, 2018 by Pingu

[A Smug Dill]

About 1mm gap either side of the clip. Enough to wiggle it slightly in the notch.

 

While there are bigger gaps on either side of the necks of the clips on my two briar Platinum #3776 pens, compared to that on the celluloid or the kanazawa-haku covered resin ones, the gaps are certainly much smaller than 1mm and barely noticeable (whereas the gaps under the clip necks are wider).

 

[Pingu]

The gap on on mine is maybe just slightly more than yours. And as I originally mentioned, the first pen that I rejected was actually better! But I understand that every briarwood pen will be slightly different, and having seen the gap even in photos of the Nakaya briars, I feel less disappointed than I was. It is still a wonderful pen and I hope with regular use it will develop a patina from skin oils.

[Pingu]

Gorgeous pens by the way, Dill, thanks for sharing. I especially like the second pen from the top. 😍

[A Smug Dill]

Gorgeous pens by the way, Dill,

 

 

Thanks!

 

This is the other brown pen that I'm really keen to get:

http://www.sailor.co.jp/lineup/fountainpen/10-3013

but even though I ordered it several times when it was offered at a good price, each time the order just got cancelled on the seller's end for reason of having neither stock nor a foreseeable restocking date.

 

I could try one of the sellers who are asking for 40% or 50% more, but then given the technique used for finishing the barrel, I'm a little wary of how the join of the sheet of cherry bark would actually be. I don't want to be coming back to this thread to be complaining about it afterwards as a big disappointment in an 'expensive' pen! (Also, it's only offered with the Medium nib, and I'm not so keen on that.)

[edlazarus]

Does the converter actually fill properly when you draw ink up from the bottle through the nib and feed?

 

If you remove the converter, then attach a rubber syringe bulb (the type used for irrigating ear canals) already filled with water to the section and squeeze, does water flow readily out of the nib, or does the pressure build up until the section is ejected with explosive force?

The supplied converter didn't fit at all and could not draw up ink. What ink it had would come out at the bottom of the converter/top of the feed when trying to empty and fill. The screw in converter my retailer provided fit, and could draw up and expel ink properly through the nib and feed. Didn't try a bulb syringe because there was obviously a clear and functioning pathway for ink to move through the feed into the converter, and out again if you expel ink from the converter. Thus the puzzle. Once one writes out the ink from the feed, ink does not move into the feed without priming. Dry to the point that if you lay the nib on a paper towel or dab the nib with a paper towel, no ink wicks off to the towel, whether you are trying on the feed side or the slit side. This despite the converter being full of ink and the ability to fill and expel from the converter with no leakage.

[Pingu]

 

 

Thanks!

 

This is the other brown pen that I'm really keen to get:

http://www.sailor.co.jp/lineup/fountainpen/10-3013

but even though I ordered it several times when it was offered at a good price, each time the order just got cancelled on the seller's end for reason of having neither stock nor a foreseeable restocking date.

 

I could try one of the sellers who are asking for 40% or 50% more, but then given the technique used for finishing the barrel, I'm a little wary of how the join of the sheet of cherry bark would actually be. I don't want to be coming back to this thread to be complaining about it afterwards as a big disappointment in an 'expensive' pen! (Also, it's only offered with the Medium nib, and I'm not so keen on that.)

We seem to have similar taste! 🙂 I wanted to get the cherry bark a few years ago but didnt... I ended up getting the chizusugi precious wood instead... in keeping with the thread topic that was a disappointment as its shorter than I expected and I have to post the cap... i wish Id got the cherry bark instead. I think it looks to be discontinued now.

[A Smug Dill]

Thus the puzzle. Once one writes out the ink from the feed, ink does not move into the feed without priming.

Sounds to me that a bubble or air gap recurrently forms whether the feed connects to the converter.

 

If I were you, firstly I'd try using the pen with an ink cartridge that is pierced by the internal end of the feed, and see if the same symptoms arise. I'd probably try a very 'wet' ink such as Sailor Shikiori yodaki in the converter; I know some inks, such as Sailor souboku pigment ink, are more apt to create such air gaps. Lastly, if possible I'd try to insert an agitator such as a stainless steel spring or ball bearing inside the converter, to help break up any bubbles that form.

[A Smug Dill]

I ended up getting the chizusugi precious wood instead... in keeping with the thread topic that was a disappointment as its shorter than I expected

I ordered both the quince and the ebony pens in that series (from different sellers) on eBay. The quince one was delivered, but I suspect the Japanese seller of the ebony one never sent it; when it never arrived after six weeks and I sent the seller a note to query it, I got a full refund (for over US$200!) within an hour but with no other reply from him. That's the only problem I've ever had with a Japanese seller on eBay!

 

Anyway, yes, the quince pen ended up way too small for my tastes and comfortable use, so off to my fiancée collection it went. I think she still hasn't inked it even though five months have passed.

 

i wish Id got the cherry bark instead. I think it looks to be discontinued now.

For Sailor pens in that form factor, I got both of the koshu-inden pens.

[Tseg]

An issue of my own making relates somehow to the pressures I put on the nib as I write the underline loop of a “g”, causing a skip or ink off only 1 tine, with a frequency higher than I find tolerable. If my pen is freshly inked, thus quite wet, the problem does not exist, but once ink settles in and the pen lays down less ink, even if still fairly wet, I can get this issue. It does not happen with all my pens, but does happen with my Namiki Urushi Vermillion No. 20, Sailor King of Pen Pro Gear and Lamy 2000, and maybe a few others. If I write the loop more carefully and slowly, paying attention to pressure applied, the problem will go away. Just that 1 letter I have an issue with. I want to blame these expensive pens because clearly not all my pens are deficient here. At the same time, I know it is a personal problem I need to overcome.

[Flaxmoore]

Any gold Pilot, oddly enough. I love my steel Pilots- I've written literally thousands of patient notes with them. Every gold Pilot, even EF, writes like a steel B.

[A Smug Dill]

Every gold Pilot, even EF, writes like a steel B.

 

 

Really? To which Pilot EF nibs specifically were you referring? My Pilot Vanishing Point rhodium-plated 18K gold EF nib certainly doesn't, and neither does my Pilot Elite 95S with 14K gold EF nib. Have you tried those models?

[Pingu]

The other slightly disappointing thing id mention about my Platinum EF nib is although I really like the nib, it writes quite dry. Should I try flossing it? 🤔

[kulnet]

Sadly, my biggest disappointment was in my grail pen - a Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze. It didn't matter what ink I put in it, it was a hard starter every time without fail. It would also run dry all the time. I even took it to a local nib meister and even he couldn't explain it away. I think the pen was just snake bit. It was one of those wasn't meant to be kinda things I guess. So disappointing.

[ItsMeDave]

Mine was a rose gold Montblanc 146 that continued to skip after two trips to MB Service in Toronto.

It also had a sticky piston, so when I sent it to a nibmeister to address the skipping issue I requested that the piston be lubricated.

It came back from the nibmeister writing great, but leaking, from what I assume is a poorly tightened nib unit.

It was too much trouble to send it back to the nibmeister so I figured I pick up a nib removal tool and handle the leak myself.

Tsk, it's been months and I still haven't picked up the nib removal tool, I really need to get on that.

[sirgilbert357]

For me, it was a Parker 51. It was one of the early ones with the all Lucite bodies and in great condition. The pliglass sac was in excellent condition and it had been fully restored by a well respected pen seller.

 

I got the pen and it looked fine, filled fine, but wrote with the weirdest feedback I'd experienced. I tried to look at it under a loupe, but the tines looked great and everything checked out. The issue persisted, so I deinked it and put it up, frustrated. Much later, I looked at it under a loupe again and because there was no ink on the nib, I could now see the tipping was gone and part of what I was writing with was the gold itself! I messaged the seller, who had asked a quite high price for this pen and he agreed to buy it back, but at a substantially lower price. I felt cheated, but it was months later, and I knew I could never sell it as it was and get the same price he was offering, so I reluctantly accepted the loss.

 

I had traded two other Parker 51's plus cash for that one pen. I thought it was my "Grail 51", but ended up with less cash in my pocket and I was down two perfectly functioning P51's.

 

In the end, I decided the Parker 51 just isn't anything special. It's a decent pen, but that's about it. I do like the clutch cap, as it never seems to wear out, but that was the most notable feature.

 

I recently took delivery of a Wing Sung 601 with the spring loaded plunger filling system and -- I surprise myself saying this, but -- I love it! It's a better functioning and more satisfying to own and use pen than any of the three other P51's I have owned, and it was 20 bucks!

 

It's my go to work pen and I have no desire for the inferior filling system of the original P51. The 601 can be easily fully disassembled and thoroughly deep cleaned too, something I really appreciate.

Edited December 20, 2018 by sirgilbert357

[4lex]

Sadly, my biggest disappointment was in my grail pen - a Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze. It didn't matter what ink I put in it, it was a hard starter every time without fail. It would also run dry all the time. I even took it to a local nib meister and even he couldn't explain it away. I think the pen was just snake bit. It was one of those wasn't meant to be kinda things I guess. So disappointing.

I had same experience with Homo Sapiens. It would write like a hose for half page and then stop writing. Eventually I sold it on.