Safari For $11.5? M405 Stresemann For $215?

[bass1193]

Wow, indeed. Those aren't token gifts at all.

Indeed! I fully retract my comment calling them shady early in the thread

[A Smug Dill]

Stop tempting me, guys!

 

I'd really like to buy something Endless Pens now, if it sold something that I think embodies 'premium' and is 'good value' as offered by EP. Alas, the Aurora Optima LE flex nib pens are not 'better' than, say, the Namiki Falcon with chrome trim fitted with an EF nib (much cheaper on Amazon.com.au and Amazon.com than US$300 delivered to Australia) in my book, piston-fill has no worth-paying-for advantage over a cartridge/converter as the filling mechanism, an Italian EF/M/B nib certainly does not inherently show better workmanship than a Japanese nib of the same nib grade with precision.

 

Nothing against Aurora as a brand, and I actually ordered two Aurora pens from LCdC (one already received and inked), but I wish the Aurora 88 Sigaro Blu did not have a glossy metal section and the Aurora Optima LE flex nib pens had more of a 'premium' (e.g. urushi, gold-leaf adorned, celluloid, or precious wood) pen body.

[bass1193]

Stop tempting me, guys!

 

I'd really like to buy something Endless Pens now, if it sold something that I think embodies 'premium' and is 'good value' as offered by EP. Alas, the Aurora Optima LE flex nib pens are not 'better' than, say, the Namiki Falcon with chrome trim fitted with an EF nib (much cheaper on Amazon.com.au and Amazon.com than US$300 delivered to Australia) in my book, piston-fill has no worth-paying-for advantage over a cartridge/converter as the filling mechanism, an Italian EF/M/B nib certainly does not inherently show better workmanship than a Japanese nib of the same nib grade with precision.

 

Nothing against Aurora as a brand, and I actually ordered two Aurora pens from LCdC (one already received and inked), but I wish the Aurora 88 Sigaro Blu did not have a glossy metal section and the Aurora Optima LE flex nib pens had more of a 'premium' (e.g. urushi, gold-leaf adorned, celluloid, or precious wood) pen body.

I also prefer c/c pens for lower ink capacity for the same reasons you do (so many inked at once!) I have one Aurora, an Ipsilon that was gifted to me. The nib in that is on par with the steel Japanese nibs in my stable. I'd love to hear how you find yours, and how they compare with finer Japanese pens if you got a better Aurora than an Ipsilon

[mke]

nib comparison is pure alchemy - especially if one doesn't know the methodology of the tester and the outcome

[RexG]

Thanks to all of you for your thoughts on this - I've seen their Christmas sale and thought about purchasing a couple of their pens. This thread has been amazingly helpful

[XYZZY]

Is anybody familiar with them outside of this sale? I'm wondering what their normal prices are if I don't jump in now. I can't seem to find what their regular prices are. Just browsing under Brands seems to produce the same prices as browsing under Christmas Sale.

[A Smug Dill]

Just browsing under Brands seems to produce the same prices as browsing under Christmas Sale.

Alright, so Endless Pens does not appear to be offering any new inventory or further discounts in the period immediately after Christmas. If you're tempted anyway, shouldn't the question be whether you feel its asking prices for the items you want are good enough to seduce you, and induce you to spread your wallet flaps? Its regular prices are not likely to be any cheaper than what they are now.

 

The items in its current catalogue that mildly interest me are mostly 'limited edition' models, so I doubt think Endless Pens will be restocking those. It's just that I wasn't and am not tempted enough by what those models are, especially now that I've just depleted my spending money ordering (products that Endless Pens does not appear to be interested in carrying) from La Couronne du Comte and Pen Chalet .

 

If you aren't after something that is 'limited edition', then Endless Pens is mostly likely going to have another sale next Fountain Pen Day, Black Friday, Christmas, and so on if it stays in business until then. Why would you be interested in buying at its regular prices?

 

<EDIT>

I just received a communiqué in email from EP stating,

SALES ENDS ON 01.01.2019 AT 10:00PM Eastern Standard Time (USA)

Edited December 29, 2018 by A Smug Dill

[Mechayoshi]

Update: Stuff got here QUICK. Presentation was excellent. The pen is smaller than Im used to but the nib is good. Sort of reminds me of my Lamy 2K in a way... Currently inked with pilot blue black. (Can’t figure out how to post pictures?)

Edited December 29, 2018 by Mechayoshi

[mke]

Just got a mail from Endless Pens:

 

SALES ENDS ON 01.01.2019 AT 10:00PM Eastern Standard Time (USA)

[Aquinata]

My cart has 4 items still sitting there since the first post here, but no Christmas Cash to hit the Buy Button with...

Edited December 29, 2018 by VertOlivia

[Dickkooty2]

Thanks for the heads-up! I was tempted by the Pel 200 price but I have three vintage that I use and that are a more basic tenet to me ... collect user level items and ephemera that reflect the times.

[mke]

> Pel 200

 

I have one 200 and two M400. Recently I bought two M1000 - black and green. What a difference!! I think I will sell the vintage ones.

 

I was tempted (very much) by the blue M8xx but then I thought I should wait for Pelikan bringing out new models of the M1000.

 

I would recommend buying an M8xx - use the chance - incredible price.

Edited December 30, 2018 by mke

[mke]

need to correct - the Pelikan M800 is just a little bit cheaper than in Germany e.g, 334 vs 350 USD.

The M815 is very much cheaper. 690 Euro in Germany vs 520 USD at Endlesspens - looks like the 815 is just too new to have significant reductions (in Germany).

Fortunately, the EF is not available anymore - otherwise I'd be $520 less heavy.

Edited December 30, 2018 by mke

[archaon593]

After studying this thread for the past couple of days, I am now ready to go bankrupt.

2 or 3 items waiting in the cart.

Pull the plug or not before the Christmas sale is over?

[mke]

Go bankrupt - now or never.

[mke]

My Monte Grappa of Montegrappa has arrived. It took its time from US to Japan - or I need to say, it took its time IN JAPAN. If this is due to choosing the cheapest way to send or due to the end of the year with the many holidays, I don't know. Anyway, it just has arrived and I was spared from added import taxes.

 

Well-packed - no complain.

 

They even added 2 spare cartridges - I appreciate. Now, I need to find out how to use them with this pen - it is a piston filler. That it is a piston filler is not even written in the accompanying Montegrappa manual.

 

And I found out that the F nib is as nail as nail could be. My first and probably last Italian pen. (Read: I have to many pens anyway.)

 

Pen looks OK, however, without the 50% off by EndlessPens, I would not be happy. This is the first impression. Might change while using it.

[Dragoph]

I got a m805 with a fine nib, will update when it's here. Very excited right now as it will be my first "upper end" fountain pen.

Edited December 31, 2018 by Dragoph

[Theroc]

They even added 2 spare cartridges - I appreciate. Now, I need to find out how to use them with this pen - it is a piston filler. That it is a piston filler is not even written in the accompanying Montegrappa manual.

 

Funny. To be fair, Montegrappa are notorious for avoiding piston fillers.

[A Smug Dill]

I can't seem to find what their regular prices are.  Just browsing under Brands seems to produce the same prices as browsing under Christmas Sale.

 

 

Well, now you can see the 'regular' prices – which are still purported to be discounted, but of course the list prices before discount on the Endless Pens web site may exceed what the rest of industry in the US (by surveying a number of other retailers' web sites, say Pen Chalet and Nibsmith.com, and check whether they agree between themselves) says they are.

 

Item	Nibsmith.com's 'original' price	Endless Pens' 'original' price	Endless Pens' current price	Endless Pens' Christmas Sale price
Aurora 88 Sigaro Blu	US$895	US$1020	US$612	US$426.25
Aurora 88 Minerali	US$795	US$950	US$570	US$394
Aurora Alpha	n/a	US$475	US$285	US$199.50
Aurora Optima LE Flex	US$650	US$660	US$396	US$300.50
Pelikan M600 Vibrant Orange LE	US$550	US$550	US$330	US$278.50

 

if I recall the earlier prices correctly.

[mke]

Prices in USD

 

Pelikan M800 was Sales price 334, now 402.

Monte Grappa by Montegrappa was Sales price160, now 180; street Price 300.

Only the Pelikan M815 has the same price during the Sales as it is now 510, still that's cheap. Fortunately, no EF available anymore, otherwise my wallet and my wife would cringe in pain and anger.