Auroras Cracking?

January 16, 2018

Guys I am recently saving up for a Big pen purchase. I have thought about an Aurora Optima blue auroloide. But I have read some horror stories of the pen cracking. As I am a teenager, I dont have much funds so I dont want to spend on repairs. Plus, it is a tedious process to ship pens from the UAE. So I want to know if that was a problem in their early auroloide pens or if this has been happening recently as well.

Thanks and regards,

Adit

January 16, 2018

Aurora cracking is rare. There are more happy and satisfied than there are disgruntled. It's an Italian brand that is really well made and are all amazing writers.

January 17, 2018

I love my Auroras. I have 7 and am planning on keeping adding to my collection. I do have a Sol that I just obtained at a really good price that does have cracks in the barrel and leaks. This pen came to me dirty and with an unknown history. Ill be sending it to Kenro and off to Aurora. They have repaired 2 other of my pens. It takes some time but they come back clean and ready to fill.

If you buy a new they cover repairs under warranty. If you buy used which I tend to, itll cost you to repair but the overall quality is excellent and will serve you well. Im glad to help you or answer any questions.

January 17, 2018

The very first serie was more prone to some cracking or even deformation .

That one of the early 90's.

January 19, 2018

My Aurora 88 Anniversary started to crack after 2 months of having it. It was cracking and splitting in 5 places, but they took it on warranty and have offered to repair it.

January 22, 2018

My Auroloide Optima cap came apart shortly after buying it - I had the cap posted and when I removed it from the back of the pen to screw it back on everything below the band stayed on the pen. They replaced it for a small fee (which took many months) and not too long after that the replacement cap broke. Periodically, I try to get contact from Aurora to get a replacement cap, but I never hear back and give up on it after a while.

January 31, 2018

I've sent the Optima Demo twice to Aurora for cracks in the plastic. It's cracked again and I'm gonna give up on it now.

Never had any problems with the Auroloide versions though - I have three, all are troopers.

On an afterthought, I've wondered whether the clear resin is prone to cracking because of something that happened during shipping. It's the only pen I ordered from abroad (I live in the US). During air transit, the plastic is probably subjected to below freezing temperatures, and then to hot temperatures, and the transition may have affected it.

February 1, 2018

On an afterthought, I've wondered whether the clear resin is prone to cracking because of something that happened during shipping.

Isn't that something that would show up pretty quickly? I'm sort of wondering whether there isn't something going wrong in Aurora's production -- injection molding stresses, for example, that might take a while to reveal themselves as strain cracks:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/332002-disintegrating-aurora-ipsilon-deluxe/

February 1, 2018

I own about +20 pens vintage and modern from this brand.

Vintage and classics (like Kona and Hastil) and repairs? Forget 'bout it!

Modern, a first issue green aluroide had a 1mm shrinkage between the barrel and the piston knob.

Hard to spot, but it was there alright. Personally, I didn't have the slightest problem with it.

It was a known issue with the aluroide series and I read here that several members got their pens replaced.

Used several modern black Optimas in gold and HT on daily basis and soon ended up carrying them even in my jeans pockets. Never had a problem with this series. A pen that you can count on IMHO.

However, many (including myself) find it a little short uncapped.

Modern 88, one of few of my all-time favorites. No matter what, always inked. Always nearby.

Aside from the looks - but I consider that a matter of taste, since I started using fountain pens it is a product that never ever let me down even under reasonably hard circumstances.

I am talking airplane flights here, summer holidays on the seaside, skiing, mountain hiking, low or hi temperatures and the craziest inks, you name it. Always in my pocket or pouch and never a problem or even the slightest leakage.

Once it slipped out of my hand when I was coming down the stairs (approx. altitude of 3-5 stairs!) directly on a marble floor!

The ink window broke, but I had it repaired directly at Aurora.

Including 2-3 kind reminder E-mail messages and a few calls (just to be sure), got it back in something like 3 months.

I believe the ink window is the only weak spot of this model, but this lightly given statement of mine surely does not apply to the Optima as it is a shorter model.