What Pen Won't You Buy?

[TheRealMikeDr]

Not to derail the thread - but I'd like to offer my experience with a new Parker Duofold - this pen is one of the best writers out of the box I own. The pen writes perfectly and is super smooth.

 

Not trying to talk anyone out of their dislike - nor minimize previous bad experiences from anyone - but rather to say that not all current/new Parkers are going to be bad. I'm super happy with my Duofold.

[matteob]

Yea I have no experience on more costly Parkers. I won't buy a new Parker on principle though I will buy vintage with the 45 and 25 being as nostalgic for me as a Staedler Noris pencil and the stuff from 90s and before is terrific. The Parker 45 takes some beating as an everday pen especially the metal flighter .Big Corps though when they get their grubby mits on well established makes (to them "brands") seldom make things better. It is like Kraft with Cadbury's chocolate.

 

Anyway don't want to derail the thread on personal politics. I have never had a truly useless pen that has refused fo write

Edited January 4, 2017 by matteob

[pajaro]

Not to derail the thread - but I'd like to offer my experience with a new Parker Duofold - this pen is one of the best writers out of the box I own. The pen writes perfectly and is super smooth.

 

Not trying to talk anyone out of their dislike - nor minimize previous bad experiences from anyone - but rather to say that not all current/new Parkers are going to be bad. I'm super happy with my Duofold.

For the price it ought to be good.

[Manalto]

For the price it ought to be good.

 

True enough - but at least it is.

[maus930]

No metal sections, no clipless -- they just roll off the table and rattle around in the pocket -- No Cross basically costume jewelry, No Lamy- way overpriced for clunky design

[sidthecat]

We've put a finger on the hearts of our community and found passion.

 

I didn't mention that I don't like "limited edition" pens - they're status objects and have nothing to do with writing. Most of my favorite pens look like (bleep) and write like heaven.

[praxim]

I am not sure how a thing which is a fully functional pen, and by reports often a very good one, can have nothing to do with writing?

 

It's the bling that has nothing to do with writing, and bling is on a continuum from negligible to ridiculous; or are all pens other than LEs wholly unstyled?

 

The only thing to have surprised me about the comments is the frequency of commentary against clipless pens. I guess I did not allow for now many people still work so need to carry their pen clipped to them. Even most clipless are slightly shaped to prevent rolling. I want and have some of each for their different appearances (styles) so it is far from a "don't buy". As a minor note I find it nicer to hold or roll a smooth cap rather than a clipped cap in the other hand while scribbling a note.

 

I now have one pen with a metal section and have been surprised by its comfort. The patterns on the metal make it easy yet comfortable to hold without slipping even when writing for a while. Metal section remains a strong caution for me though.

 

What I would not buy is based largely on what I like versus what adds nothing for me.

[OmegaMountain]

I probably won't buy any Noodler's pens. I was really considering them but then read about all the tinkering and work just to get them to write half the time. Not my speed with a pen.

[flipper_gv]

For me, I will never buy another Parker - Ever.

 

After having to send back 2 Stainless Steel Sonnets and then using the "store credit" to upgrade to a Gold Nib Sonnet called "Great Expectations: Big Red" I also had to return that one soon after. Every time, the store told me the wait time was about 3 months to get it repaired because it had to be sent back to France for warranty.

 

The problem: Extremely hard starting. I mean REALLY hard. When I returned the Big Red pen, the lady suggested I replace it with something they had in store so they dipped another fancy Sonnet (The Pearl white) and it hard started... after a dip. The stainless steel ones scratched the paper and sometimes put holes in cheap paper when writing in one direction and with the gold nib pens, I had to scribble for about 2 seconds to get it to write (Almost as if I was colouring in to see the wetness of a pen in a YouTube review)

 

The only pen that came close to useable was the Big Red where it would skip on the first letter of every word I wrote. It would skip say, every 5-8 vertical lines I drew to test (and always skipped on the first line... ALWAYS) and most of all, there was no way to contact the distributer for Parker in Australia and the line I got was that the repair process was only in France.

 

Could it be just manufacturing oils? I ask because I usually hear only good things about Parker QC.

[pajaro]

For me, I will never buy another Parker - Ever.

 

After having to send back 2 Stainless Steel Sonnets and then using the "store credit" to upgrade to a Gold Nib Sonnet called "Great Expectations: Big Red" I also had to return that one soon after. Every time, the store told me the wait time was about 3 months to get it repaired because it had to be sent back to France for warranty.

 

The problem: Extremely hard starting. I mean REALLY hard. When I returned the Big Red pen, the lady suggested I replace it with something they had in store so they dipped another fancy Sonnet (The Pearl white) and it hard started... after a dip. The stainless steel ones scratched the paper and sometimes put holes in cheap paper when writing in one direction and with the gold nib pens, I had to scribble for about 2 seconds to get it to write (Almost as if I was colouring in to see the wetness of a pen in a YouTube review)

 

The only pen that came close to useable was the Big Red where it would skip on the first letter of every word I wrote. It would skip say, every 5-8 vertical lines I drew to test (and always skipped on the first line... ALWAYS) and most of all, there was no way to contact the distributer for Parker in Australia and the line I got was that the repair process was only in France.

 

 

 

Could it be just manufacturing oils? I ask because I usually hear only good things about Parker QC.

 

It is not manufacturing oils causing hard starts and skipping with Sonnets. I have several Sonnets from the 1990s and some Sonnets from post-2007. All are hard starters and some skip unexpectedly. Most are old enough for the oils to have been washed out or leeched out. There were claims that workers riveting the clips on were breaking internal caps, causing the problems. This was supposedly cured by revisions post-2007. Balderdash. Some members have said sealing the cap with wax has worked for them. Some claim to have fixed a Sonnet by putting some cement or epoxy into the cap. Maybe that works. I have a number of Sonnets, and also Insignias in a pen tray, and to heck with them. I don't feel I could honestly offer them for sale. I am not buying any more Parkers new. The only good pen they ever made was the 51 anyway.

[Bluey]

 

Could it be just manufacturing oils? I ask because I usually hear only good things about Parker QC.

I'm not sure if you've had a time warp back 40 years ago or you're being sarcastic.

Edited January 4, 2017 by Bluey

[IndianElf]

I probably wouldn't buy any pens with metal sections, chrome bodies, clip less by default, boring designs like some Parkers and TWSBIs. Definitely wouldn't buy a demonstrator that costs more than USD 100. Also not a fan of paying a lot of money for branding.

 

I do prefer some, mostly custom, pens without clips. This is because I feel that the clips look cheap and tacky.

[siamackz]

Most of my favorite pens look like (bleep) and write like heaven.

My experience too!

[inkstainedruth]

I probably won't buy any Noodler's pens. I was really considering them but then read about all the tinkering and work just to get them to write half the time. Not my speed with a pen.

 

Some people have had all sorts of trouble. I haven't had problems with any with mine, other than of my own doing (with my first Konrad, I accidentally got the blind cap stuck inside the cap, and then couldn't figure out why I couldn't screw the cap all the way back on -- borking the nib in the process... ).

So it's a case of YMMV. I now have 3 FPCs, 3 Konrads (including an ebonite one) and 5 Charlie pens (and I don't even LIKE eyedroppers all that much -- but free is free).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[inkstainedruth]

BUT...the box is another story.

 

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[inkstainedruth]

BUT...the box is another story.

 

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[chromantic]

From conglomerates that don't give a rat's a** about pens and only sell stuff ("um, what do you call these things again?") in boxes emblazoned with once-revered brand names.

[flipper_gv]

I'm not sure if you've had a time warp back 40 years ago or you're being sarcastic.

 

What? I'm just saying that's what I've heard on the forums and such. Not saying I'm right.

[Leonil]

In defense of Parker, their 51 and their modern ballpoints are responsible for their reputation and therefore why I repeatedly went back to parker after 4 bad pens in a row as my first ever parker / fountain pen experience.

 

My bad experience is representative of how poor the modern sonnet line is - My first few posts to the FPN forum was a search as to why a cheap $10 Duke 209 wrote better than a Parker out of the box. The advice was flushing, turning the nib, adjusting the feed etc. In the end, it's primarily the sonnet line. They suck, but I still want the special edition Parker because it was literally my first Fountain pen for myself (the Duke was a present that got me into pens) So after weeks of trying to make it work, it couldn't and the cheaper sonnets were worse.

 

Since then the only Parkers I would consider would be the Duofold and the vintage 51 - They are, across the world, the only parkers anyone who knows parkers, would recommend, That being said, after my poor experience with Sonnets, I would never, ever touch another parker except for the Subtle Big Red which I want for the design. For me it is the holy grail design.

 

It is strange however, that the only people I KNOW that love sonnets are those with no Fountain pen experience -the Sonnet is EVERYWHERE IN AUSTRALIA. I mean EVERYWHERE. You go into any department store, gift store, newsagent, stationary store, office supply store and there it is, the Parker Freaking Sonnet and people buy them for presents and office bling, and the people I know that have them dont know how bad they suck until I hand them a cheap jinhao or a safari and they always ask "How does it start right away?"

[TheRealMikeDr]

In defense of Parker, their 51 and their modern ballpoints are responsible for their reputation and therefore why I repeatedly went back to parker after 4 bad pens in a row as my first ever parker / fountain pen experience.

 

My bad experience is representative of how poor the modern sonnet line is - My first few posts to the FPN forum was a search as to why a cheap $10 Duke 209 wrote better than a Parker out of the box. The advice was flushing, turning the nib, adjusting the feed etc. In the end, it's primarily the sonnet line. They suck, but I still want the special edition Parker because it was literally my first Fountain pen for myself (the Duke was a present that got me into pens) So after weeks of trying to make it work, it couldn't and the cheaper sonnets were worse.

 

Since then the only Parkers I would consider would be the Duofold and the vintage 51 - They are, across the world, the only parkers anyone who knows parkers, would recommend, That being said, after my poor experience with Sonnets, I would never, ever touch another parker except for the Subtle Big Red which I want for the design. For me it is the holy grail design.

 

It is strange however, that the only people I KNOW that love sonnets are those with no Fountain pen experience -the Sonnet is EVERYWHERE IN AUSTRALIA. I mean EVERYWHERE. You go into any department store, gift store, newsagent, stationary store, office supply store and there it is, the Parker Freaking Sonnet and people buy them for presents and office bling, and the people I know that have them dont know how bad they suck until I hand them a cheap jinhao or a safari and they always ask "How does it start right away?"

 

Ha! I have a Vacumatic (from 1944) and a 51 from the 60's along with a 75 from the early 70's and all of those write wonderfully. I wouldn't touch a Sonnet with a 10 foot pole but do have a Baoer 388 which writes pretty well