What Pen Won't You Buy?

[JulesSilvan]

Ones made from ebonite. I like the patterns in some examples of that material but due to a latex allergy I would never knowingly buy one.

[Jgalfano]

I will (most likely) not buy any Cross or Parker. Seems to me they don't have a knack for innovation anymore, and none of their pens particularly excite me. Too "classic," you could say. Montblanc - meh. Not worth the money. Limited editions aren't worth the money to me. Unless they add a filling system that was previously never available in a specific model (i.e. a lever-fill Custom 74 or something) or if they use a different material (i.e. a celluloid Lamy 2K). Any pen over $150-$200 that has a steel nib is going to be a tough sell. Otherwise, pens that cost less than $20 (excluding vintage) are usually a no-go, besides maybe a Nemosine Singularity or something similar (despite the fact I have two Jinhaos).

[Misfit]

lI wanted to limit my purchases to pens with only stub or italic nibs as another poster. Trouble is, I haven't lived up to that. I won't buy a Mont Blanc for reasons others posted but also because it's the brand non-FP users know of and assume those are the fountain pens you own. Not entirely MB'a fault but for their evidently excellent advertising.

[creeder14]

 

Montblancs look a lot like their Pilot and Sailor look-something-alikes. All the Montblancs I have are wonderful pens to use, and the customer service was as good as any.

 

I share the dislike for Snorkels. A cool gadget, but expensive to restore. It works, but the Sheaffer tip dip pens were also able to fill with the tip of the feed in the ink, making the complicated machinery unnecessary.

A little update on my Snorkel saga.... after writing this last night, I finally got the pen apart. Turned out it was hard water deposits holding the section on, not shellac. I just wasn't twisting hard enough.

 

So then, I pull the thing apart, and... no spring. Seriously. Some (bleep) sold me a Snorkel in "working order" with no spring in it. $40 for the damn thing. No clue if it needs a new sac or not, because I can't even try to fill it. Not very happy with that guy.

[jar]

A little update on my Snorkel saga.... after writing this last night, I finally got the pen apart. Turned out it was hard water deposits holding the section on, not shellac. I just wasn't twisting hard enough.

 

So then, I pull the thing apart, and... no spring. Seriously. Some (bleep) sold me a Snorkel in "working order" with no spring in it. $40 for the damn thing. No clue if it needs a new sac or not, because I can't even try to fill it. Not very happy with that guy.

If that is the case maybe no spring is a true favor. While it's apart go ahead and change the sac, seals and washers. It is a whole lot easier than doing it when it's filled with leaked ink.

 

David Nishimura sells replacement springs.

[pajaro]

I would send the pen back, and would do nothing else.

[Jamesbeat]

I started thinking about this when I read a listing for a German pen made in the 40s.

And I thought: "I can't have a Nazi pen!"

For entirely different reasons I don't buy pens with clips because I don't wear shirts with pockets. And I don't much like modern, inflexible nibs. Otherwise I'd have a million damn pens - even with these constraints I have too many, but that's a job for my therapist.

 

So, what's your line in the sand?

I don't agree with this sentiment either.

I'm sure the vast majority of everyday Germans weren't evil Nazis.

The Nazis are an example of how wrong things can go when the loud minority wins, much like the 'social justice warriors' today.

 

I'm sure whoever were working in the factory making that pen were probably taken in by the propaganda, and were unaware of the atrocities being committed by the Nazis in the concentration camps.

 

I'd be willing to bet that most average Germans were just working hard trying to feed their families and avoid drawing the attention of the SS and Gestapo.

 

A wartime production pen might be interesting. I'm sure Germany had trouble sourcing materials, and I bet there were some ingenious workarounds.

Edited January 11, 2017 by Jamesbeat

[Ant81]

I'm new to fountain pens and therefore haven't made many purchases but since I only use pens for taking notes and writing at work, I tend to steer away from wider nibs (M and thicker) just because of the way I write and how hard it becomes to read with that line thickness. Someday I might get into calligraphy and that preference will change but for now, only F or EF nibs for me usually.

[Bluey]

I don't agree with this sentiment either.

I'm sure the vast majority of everyday Germans weren't evil Nazis.

The Nazis are an example of how wrong things can go when the loud minority wins, much like the 'social justice warriors' today.

 

I'm sure whoever were working in the factory making that pen were probably taken in by the propaganda, and were unaware of the atrocities being committed by the Nazis in the concentration camps.

 

I'd be willing to bet that most average Germans were just working hard trying to feed their families and avoid drawing the attention of the SS and Gestapo.

 

A wartime production pen might be interesting. I'm sure Germany had trouble sourcing materials, and I bet there were some ingenious workarounds.

Nail. Head. Hit.

 

I find it a very surreal way of seeing the world by Sidthecat if that's what she really believes.

Edited January 11, 2017 by Bluey

[max dog]

Given Waterman and Parkers are made in the same factory in France, I assume by the same craftsmen, machinery and ownership, why Waterman's don't suffer the same QC issues as you hear about with the modern Parkers. There's not a single negative comment about Watermans in this thread.

Edited January 11, 2017 by max dog

[Baalberithim]

I won't buy a modern Parker since I just don't see the value in them. If the Duofolds were priced around the $100-$150, I'd go for it, but most of the reviews I've read have indicated that they're lackluster and riding on the coat tails of old glory. I also won't pick up a Montblanc at retail prices. If I could make enough "fun money" on the side fixing and repairing pens, I'd be happy to get one. I'd probably grab a MB first, as I can get vintage Parkers cheaper and with generally more favorable reviews.

 

The only pens I absolutely will not buy, regardless of my income or their quality, are Chinese pens as they're currently made. The Pen Economics blog had a pretty good article on the topic. With their current prices and ways of doing business, it's simply not something I would feel comfortable supporting when I have viable alternatives. It doesn't sit well with me that I'm relying on people who might make less in a year than I can in a couple of weeks to give up a portion of their meagre income in taxes for subsidies that allow me to get a luxury good at dirt cheap prices. There are a lot of good companies and people I like making similar products that aren't prohibitively expensive for me to purchase. If they made pens at a reasonable cost and charged what they ought to be charging for them, I wouldn't mind giving them a try, but as it is, I would feel like a cartoonish rich villain punching a poor guy and taking his lunch money before sending him back to work in my factory.

[Mister5]

I'm probably aligned with what inksrainedruth said. The $200 price point would be my breaking point though if I found a real good bargain for say a M800 then I might jump. I don't care for too much bling. Probably not going to get an pink pen or any line green or florescent colors (except for the kids). I've been veering away from demonstrators as they make me want to clean the pen at a subatomic level.

[ViciousLooRoll]

Demonstrators that take cartridges / converters and can't be eyedroppered; I want to see my ink sloshing around!!

[Tintafuego]

I would never buy a Noodler's pen. You hear an enormous amount of horros stories about all of them. The Neponset sells for about $75 or $80 now? That is not pocket money for me, and I would not like to receive one, have to tinker with it for a month because it does not write and then have to put it in the garbage.

And to the OP, just a thought: I think Nathan Tardif is a very ill informed person about history and politics, and I don't agree with him, but that does not mean that I won't buy one of his inks! Why wouldn't I !? Habanero is one of my favorite inks! He makes some very good inks and he sells them at one of the most customer friendly prices in the fountain pen world today!

And I would love to have in my collection some vintage Kawecos either from the twenties, thirties, forties, fifties, or sixties. A 1927 Kaweco is not better because it was made during the Weimar Republic, and a Kaweco from the thirties is not bad because it was made when the Nazis had took over Germany.

Look up in wich country was the fountain pen invented, and what sort of things was the goverment of that country (wich is not the same that the people of that country) doing at that time. You might be surprised.

[Rednaxela]

Lamy Safari.

[Kelly G]

A little update on my Snorkel saga.... after writing this last night, I finally got the pen apart. Turned out it was hard water deposits holding the section on, not shellac. I just wasn't twisting hard enough.

 

So then, I pull the thing apart, and... no spring. Seriously. Some (bleep) sold me a Snorkel in "working order" with no spring in it. $40 for the damn thing. No clue if it needs a new sac or not, because I can't even try to fill it. Not very happy with that guy.

Have you looked very closely inside the barrel? Sometimes when the barrel doesn't open easily it is a sign of previous leakage. This can cause the spring to rust to the sac protector or sometimes corrode to the inner barrel wall. Even it you can't see it, dig around a bit with a crochet hook or something similar; gently of course. Good luck.

[Kelly G]

I'm in the never say never camp. My tastes and budget have changed over the years and I find myself with pens I would not have imagined ten or fifteen years ago. It is not just that I'm able and willing to spend more on a pen, lately I've dabbled in Chinese and Indian pens that are quite inexpensive but high quality. At the same time, I've commissioned a couple of pens that are far beyond the price point where I started accumulating vintage pens some seventeen years ago. I have some general rules, but I've also exceptions to all of those rules in my accumulation.

 

What I do require is a pen that writes without too much fiddling. It is the writing that counts most; although, looking into a deep urushi finish carries quite a bit of weight.

I'm in the pen accumulating game for two reasons, maybe three.

1. I like to write with fountain pens and do so 99.9% of the time.

2. The hobby (obsession) is just fun.

3. It is an obsession, but in a mild and relatively harmless form.

[dogpoet]

I would never buy a Noodler's pen. You hear an enormous amount of horros stories about all of them. The Neponset sells for about $75 or $80 now? That is not pocket money for me, and I would not like to receive one, have to tinker with it for a month because it does not write and then have to put it in the garbage.

And to the OP, just a thought: I think Nathan Tardif is a very ill informed person about history and politics, and I don't agree with him, but that does not mean that I won't buy one of his inks! Why wouldn't I !? Habanero is one of my favorite inks! He makes some very good inks and he sells them at one of the most customer friendly prices in the fountain pen world today!

 

I wouldn't buy one of his inks, simply because I've already wasted a load of money on his godawful pens, and I'm not at all inclined to give him any more. His politics have little bearing on this, but you are dead right about the Noodlers pens not being all that cheap. I'm sorry but this "it's a cheap toy for true enthusiasts to tinker with, you shouldn't expect it to work out of the box" line is drivel. For what the cheapest Noodlers costs, you could buy a Kaweco Sport or a Lamy Safari. The Platinum Preppy is cheap (and there are Chinese pens that cost even less, if you can swallow your moral qualms), but these Noodlers things? Not really. They're not all that cheap, they just look cheap and shoddy next to other pens in the same price brackets.

(And don't even get me started on those "flex" nibs...)

So yeah Noodlers is definitely right out as a brand.

[Manalto]

I'm in the never say never camp. My tastes and budget have changed over the years and I find myself with pens I would not have imagined ten or fifteen years ago. It is not just that I'm able and willing to spend more on a pen, lately I've dabbled in Chinese and Indian pens that are quite inexpensive but high quality. At the same time, I've commissioned a couple of pens that are far beyond the price point where I started accumulating vintage pens some seventeen years ago. I have some general rules, but I've also exceptions to all of those rules in my accumulation.

 

What I do require is a pen that writes without too much fiddling. It is the writing that counts most; although, looking into a deep urushi finish carries quite a bit of weight.

I'm in the pen accumulating game for two reasons, maybe three.

1. I like to write with fountain pens and do so 99.9% of the time.

2. The hobby (obsession) is just fun.

3. It is an obsession, but in a mild and relatively harmless form.

 

"What Pen Won't You Buy?" doesn't mean "What Pen Do You Absolutely Refuse To Ever Buy As Long As You Live." Most people with even just a few years on them realize that their tastes may change over time. (Although the popularity of tattoos makes me wonder if I'm wrong about my previous sentence.)

 

So, what pen won't you buy? Why?

 

 

I'm sorry but this "it's a cheap toy for true enthusiasts to tinker with, you shouldn't expect it to work out of the box" line is drivel...

(And don't even get me started on those "flex" nibs...)

So yeah Noodlers is definitely right out as a brand.

 

+1

 

"I'm not rich enough to afford cheap things."

Edited January 11, 2017 by Manalto

[Kelly G]

 

"What Pen Won't You Buy?" doesn't mean "What Pen Do You Absolutely Refuse To Ever Buy As Long As You Live." Most people with even just a few years on them realize that their tastes may change over time. (Although the popularity of tattoos makes me wonder if I'm wrong about my previous sentence.)

 

So, what pen won't you buy? Why?

 

 

 

 

Well, Manalto, there are many pens I prefer not to buy at this time, which doesn't mean I won't change my mind. There are too many to list.

Here is an example from my previous post. I don't like metal sections. However, I have a Yard-o-Led Grand Barley that is all sterling. It is a very fine pen and one that won't leave my accumulation in the foreseeable future. I wouldn't buy many other pens with metal sections, at least those I know of now.

I prefer larger pens to smaller pens, still, I have a number of Pelikan M200s that are some of my most reliable pens and at one time were daily carries. Would I buy another? If the price was right and I ran across a striking example, sure.

I am past the point that I am accumulating pens at a rapid pace (define that for yourself) but I still buy the occasional pen. As an example, I recently purchased a Gama Kuyil as I wanted to try an Indian ebonite pen. It is a good pen that I'm carrying at the moment. This purchase led to participating the in the Ranga model 3 & 3c group buy. I'm waiting for those two pens. So, with me it isn't so much what I won't buy, but where my obsession is at the current moment. I prefer to look at the positive side of it.