Why Is (Graf Von) Faber Castell Not More Popular In The Fp World?

[KBeezie]

On nibs - the Faber Castell nibs are made by Jowo, the GvFC nibs by Bock, but both to their specification so they have little in common with the stock generic nibs.

 

Is there a possibility of being able to confirm that their Loom~Ondoro nibs are indeed Jowo made and not Bock?

[dapprman]

This table has been quoted here multiple times

http://danielpi.com/fountain-pens/2015/12/1/nibs-and-who-makes-them

Only differences I'm aware of are Onoto are now starting to use Jowo (was told by Onoto themselves) and Scribo have bought the old OMAS nib making machines so are in house (think the Write here models were using the Bock OMAS specified nibs).

Edited November 24, 2018 by dapprman

[KBeezie]

This table has been quoted here multiple times

http://danielpi.com/fountain-pens/2015/12/1/nibs-and-who-makes-them

Only differences I'm aware of are Onoto are now starting to use Jowo (was told by Onoto themselves) and Scribo have bought the old OMAS nib making machines so are in house (think the Write here models were using the Bock OMAS specified nibs).

 

First time I seen that site so it's interesting.

 

My main exception is that I have a Danitrio Mae West (shape is now called Hyotan), when I inquired about the pen with the company they told me it was roughly 15 years (18 years now) old, wasn't raw ebonite but rather recession urushi (guess it's rubbed on?) and that the nib was a Jowo-made "T" nib design, with Japanese Ebonite feed that cost them $45 per feed to have hand carved in Japan, and didn't have any spare feeds as replacement parts. They noted that they've since then moved to Bock nibs (the fireball ones), and plastic feeds, and that the plastic feeds would not be compatible with the older Jowo nibs (though from later understanding, the nibs themselves, bock and jowo are interchangeable if they're the same #, just the housing and feed are not)

 

 

So nice to see a source other than the mfr correspondence confirm that historically.

 

The rest of the list is about what I thought.

[dapprman]

My understanding about nib interchangeability is for the generic ones I believe one has more curve than the other so they can't be swapped, however that's not the same where they're making the nibs under specific directions of the pen manufacturer, e.g. for GvFC, Onoto, Visconti, etc - there the nibs are the same shape so can be swapped, on the feeds I'm not sure. On Onoto I know the housing is the same as at the LWES they swapped a Bock fine nib in housing for a Jowo medium one.

[Honeybadgers]

I've heard their pens tend to be prone to drying out. They're also very expensive. I adore my loom but I just don't have much more interest to spend more beyond that.

 

Don't even love their pencils.

[dapprman]

I've heard their pens tend to be prone to drying out. They're also very expensive. I adore my loom but I just don't have much more interest to spend more beyond that.

 

Don't even love their pencils.

Cost wise I'd disagree, remembering all the GvFC (not FC) pens are hand assembled and tested as well. Drying out - my GvFC Intuition and Guilloche Classic are not as bad as my FC Ambition and eMotions, but yes the ink does evaporate in them quite quickly - the nibs don't dry out though. My Anello does not have the same problem, but I think I'm lucky on that one.

[eciton]

I'm genuinely confused about how dismissive people are of GvFC.

 

The build quality and attention to detail in pens like the Classic and Intuition is absolutely top-notch, at least on par with Montblanc and Pelikan. The materials are excellent and unusual, including a range of rare woods. The aesthetic is consistent and (in my eyes) very attractive, and I enjoy the writing experience a great deal.

 

I had a drying out problem with my Intuition Platino (review here: https://ukfountainpens.com/2017/12/16/the-unconventional-flagship-graf-von-faber-castell-intuition-platino-ebony/), which was easily remedied by sealing the hole in the cap behind the clip. My Classic (review here: https://ukfountainpens.com/2018/10/11/the-graf-classic-exudes-quality/) has been flawless from day one.

 

As dapprman says, there is a significant cost of hand-manufacture in these pens. Look at the engraving and polish and you can see where the time was spent.

[sansenri]

I don't agree with some of the comments here either.

I also find GvFC to be high quality pens and I like the aesthetics, classy and certainly opposite to some very plain pens, but no doubt elegant.

I'm also very fond of their step free design, particularly in the Intuition, which is an incredibly comfortable pen to hold, especially in the wood versions.

It might be true that they are less common on the other side of the ocean, and cost may be an obstacle especially on the upper end range

Edited November 25, 2018 by sansenri

[Honeybadgers]

I'm genuinely confused about how dismissive people are of GvFC.

 

The build quality and attention to detail in pens like the Classic and Intuition is absolutely top-notch, at least on par with Montblanc and Pelikan. The materials are excellent and unusual, including a range of rare woods. The aesthetic is consistent and (in my eyes) very attractive, and I enjoy the writing experience a great deal.

 

I had a drying out problem with my Intuition Platino (review here: https://ukfountainpens.com/2017/12/16/the-unconventional-flagship-graf-von-faber-castell-intuition-platino-ebony/), which was easily remedied by sealing the hole in the cap behind the clip. My Classic (review here: https://ukfountainpens.com/2018/10/11/the-graf-classic-exudes-quality/) has been flawless from day one.

 

As dapprman says, there is a significant cost of hand-manufacture in these pens. Look at the engraving and polish and you can see where the time was spent.

 

When you get north of $350, I will have an expectation that a pen that isn't an urushi work of art be all but required to have a form of self filling mechanism.

 

And a heavy metal cap backweighting a pen that is thin and otherwise seems made to be used as a lightweight premium EDC pen just... eh.

 

I have very eclectic tastes (you should see my canary yellow vintage eclipse. it's so ugly. I love it) but nothing about the GvFC pens appeal to me.

 

"rare woods" is zero reason to increase cost. I can get afzelia crosslay, an insane, curly burl, or Thuya burl, an outrageously pretty wood that is no longer being harvested anywhere on earth, for about $35 for a pen blank sized piece. There is no wood on earth that justifies any noteworthy increase in cost. Honestly, no non-spalted, curly, or burl woods really get me going anymore.

 

Here's a few examples of what I've made. I plan on eventually starting to make solid (non kit mechanism) wooden C/C's with screw in nib units

 

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c101/popnsplat/pens/DSC_0114.jpg

 

 

 

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c101/popnsplat/pens/DSC_0270.jpg

Edited November 25, 2018 by Honeybadgers

[praxim]

I have a GvFC Intuition which I find attractive, reliable and a good writer. I have not purchased any more because some other similar brands (especially S T Dupont) were already filling spaces in my collection, leaving too small a niche for the GvFC. The latter are first class pens, from my single sample, so had I started with them then other brand pens may not have been so numerous.

[ParkerDuofold]

Hi Adim, et al,

 

So many pens... so little time. C'est la vie.

 

 

- Anthony

 

P.S.: I'm sure this has probably already been said,... I didn't have time to read every reply,... but their price structure and lack of piston fillers and gold nibs doesn't help drive sales, either. Once you hit a certain price plateau; consumers start to expect more than a c/c pen with a steel nib... no matter how good that steel nib may be.

[bass1193]

Here's a few examples of what I've made. I plan on eventually starting to make solid (non kit mechanism) wooden C/C's with screw in nib units

I agree with everything you said in your post

 

But I'm amazed that you find the time to work at a lathe too! Dude... wow.

[Honeybadgers]

I agree with everything you said in your post

 

But I'm amazed that you find the time to work at a lathe too! Dude... wow.

 

Oh I haven't made any in a few years. I'm a full time student, full time paramedic, and have an autistic teenage foster kid.

 

I need to find a #0 morse taper drill chuck for my mini JET lathe to resume fabrication - doing it with a drill press is really tedious and requires mandrels afterwards that just aren't practical. And a #0 MT is really annoying to find. I do have the chisels and a chuck that could accept full blanks.

Edited November 25, 2018 by Honeybadgers

[praxim]

... their ... lack of piston fillers and gold nibs doesn't help drive sales, either. Once you hit a certain price plateau; consumers start to expect more than a c/c pen with a steel nib... no matter how good that steel nib may be.

I agree about lack of piston filler but the nib on mine is most definitely 18k gold.

[bass1193]

Oh I haven't made any in a few years. I'm a full time student, full time paramedic, and have an autistic teenage foster kid.

 

I need to find a #0 morse taper drill chuck for my mini JET lathe to resume fabrication - doing it with a drill press is really tedious and requires mandrels afterwards that just aren't practical. And a #0 MT is really annoying to find. I do have the chisels and a chuck that could accept full blanks.

As a full time student with a full time job in an auto repair shop, and with many hobbies, I am amazed that you get by! Remarkable! I go to a demanding engineering school, but you take the cake in working hard

[Honeybadgers]

I agree about lack of piston filler but the nib on mine is most definitely 18k gold.

 

I think some GvFC pens are north of $250 with steel nibs.

[praxim]

 

I think some GvFC pens are north of $250 with steel nibs.

 

and some are south of $350 with gold nibs. I was merely correcting any possible misapprehension from PD's post that they all had steel nibs.

[mulrich]

I have an intuition and its not a bad pen but it doesnt make the rotation often. I think it had problems drying out so I may try plugging the hole mentioned above.

 

Im one of the few people who much prefer a c/c filler, even on higher end pens. Pistons and other built in mechanisms arent as easy to clean as a converter.

[adim]

@Honeybadgers: Excellent pictures and great reviews, thank you for sharing! And thank you all for sharing your points in this discussion!

[ParkerDuofold]

I agree about lack of piston filler but the nib on mine is most definitely 18k gold.

Hi Praxim,

 

No argument. It evidently varies by model... and perhaps by geographic region as well. I cannot recall the model name of the one I considered, but it was around $325 with a steel nib and a c/c format. I just couldn't wrap my mind around that... considering an L2K is less than half of that... and jettisoned the idea.

 

Be well.

 

 

- Anthony