Merlin 33

[debraji]

Received my Morocco Merlin 33 from Richard Binder in yesterday's mail. It's a lovely little writer, and feels good in the hand. I'm not seeing flex in the nib when I write on bagasse paper, but detect a little bit of line variation when writing in my Black n' Red notebook. I wonder if the amount of flex will increase over time?

 

All in all, I'm very pleased with the Merlin.

 

--debraji

[AltecGreen]

Received my Morocco Merlin 33 from Richard Binder in yesterday's mail. It's a lovely little writer, and feels good in the hand. I'm not seeing flex in the nib when I write on bagasse paper, but detect a little bit of line variation when writing in my Black n' Red notebook. I wonder if the amount of flex will increase over time?

 

All in all, I'm very pleased with the Merlin.

 

--debraji

 

 

There doesn't seem to be any way to tell how flexible any given Merlin is going to be. My Morocco had the finest nib (extra fine) and the most flex. My Storm Front was more of a fine and had the least flex. I just received three more this week but I haven't inked them yet.

[holgalee]

What size sac does the Merlin use and how does one remove the section?

[holgalee]

Does anyone know the answers? I'm liking my Merlin 33 but didn't get it from Richard Binder, so I'm thinking of checking the condition of the sac and possibly order a new one.

[indigirl]

Just got my modern stripe green Merlin 33 from Richard Binder, & like rollerboy above I am not having a good first impression. Not much flex & a bit skritchy skratchy... will continue to play w/ it & see if it grows on me. I must say it's a beauty though! Perhaps if I don't start liking it better, somebody who really wants this color will swap w/ me...

[Inka]

Just got my modern stripe green Merlin 33 from Richard Binder, & like rollerboy above I am not having a good first impression. Not much flex & a bit skritchy skratchy... will continue to play w/ it & see if it grows on me. I must say it's a beauty though! Perhaps if I don't start liking it better, somebody who really wants this color will swap w/ me...

 

Richards' Site now show the pen you bought from him as;

http://www.richardspens.com/images/pens/colors/merlin/modern_stripe_green.jpg

''Modern Stripe Green"

(Out of Stock)

$65.00

As for you mentioning "Not much flex & a bit skritchy skratchy...", did you read the descriptions for the Merlin 33 and the Merlina?

 

I did find as well where he says;

"We have disassembled, checked, and rebuilt each Merlin to ensure that it will perform like new (or maybe even better).

Because these are vintage pens, we do not “Binderize” their nibs. (We do dip-test each one and adjust it to write well.)"

So that sounds to be he doesn't do the nib work known to many as “Binderize” to these nibs, basically smoothed and adjusted flow but he does say "...it will perform like new (or maybe even better). ".

To me I am still unsure why your pen is feeling as you say when writing with it "a bit skritchy skratchy".

Have you contacted Richard about this? While not "Binderized", it would still write well and as far as I know he would do some smoothing & adjusting if needed to make them, in his words, "...it will perform like new (or maybe even better). ".

He's good about taking great care of his customers from everything I have ever read, the pen you bought is a really nice pen, seems very odd you got it in this condition and I cannot speak for Richard as why this happened in your case.

If you like it otherwise, you'd be better off keeping it, contact Richard and politely explain the situation and what you were expecting to get, ask what he can do to take care of this for you.

I really think you should keep the pen, have Richard fix the nib to write right for you if he can, as you're not asking him to customize, just adjust & smooth the nib tips to get rid of the scratchiness or "tooth" you're feeling as you write.

I'm sure I could fix it for you easily, I've been teaching others to do the same here on FPN, as long as they have the skills, patience, and get the few relatively inexpensive materials to do the job themselves.

Honestly, contact Richard first, before making a decision you may regret later by getting rid of it, especially seeing as it is OUT OF STOCK and it's possible he may never have them again.

 

A beautiful pen with an interesting history and with Richards’ work [once fixed to your liking] it should give you many years of writing pleasure.

Best wishes for a happy outcome!

 

~Scott~

[HenryLouis]

I found my Merlin to be buttery smooth, and nice and wet. Even when flexing. It's not all about how wide the tines get, its about the difference between thick and thin lines.

[Inka]

I found my Merlin to be buttery smooth, and nice and wet. Even when flexing. It's not all about how wide the tines get, its about the difference between thick and thin lines.

Exactly, Henry, something seems to be "off" with indigirls' pen.

Richard also states the flex varies on these pens, so not knowing what indigirl was expecting or how the pen is being used; I'm not sure how to respond further.

I wouldn't mind getting it to see what the problem may be and I have nothing to trade for it but it does look like a sweet vintage pen with great color and lines.

Contacting Richard would be my next step [would have been my first, actually] to seek and answer and a solution.

[indigirl]

Thank you for the encouragement... I was hoping that I might have the same experience as rollerboy, a bad first impression that soon changes into pen happiness. The amount of flex is debatable, but for sure what I'm experiencing is not "buttery smooth" by any stretch of the imagination! I will follow your advice & if the happiness does not set in soon I will ask Richard about it.

 

Just got my modern stripe green Merlin 33 from Richard Binder, & like rollerboy above I am not having a good first impression. Not much flex & a bit skritchy skratchy... will continue to play w/ it & see if it grows on me. I must say it's a beauty though! Perhaps if I don't start liking it better, somebody who really wants this color will swap w/ me...

 

Richards' Site now show the pen you bought from him as;

http://www.richardspens.com/images/pens/colors/merlin/modern_stripe_green.jpg

''Modern Stripe Green"

(Out of Stock)

$65.00

As for you mentioning "Not much flex & a bit skritchy skratchy...", did you read the descriptions for the Merlin 33 and the Merlina?

 

I did find as well where he says;

"We have disassembled, checked, and rebuilt each Merlin to ensure that it will perform like new (or maybe even better).

Because these are vintage pens, we do not “Binderize” their nibs. (We do dip-test each one and adjust it to write well.)"

So that sounds to be he doesn't do the nib work known to many as “Binderize” to these nibs, basically smoothed and adjusted flow but he does say "...it will perform like new (or maybe even better). ".

To me I am still unsure why your pen is feeling as you say when writing with it "a bit skritchy skratchy".

Have you contacted Richard about this? While not "Binderized", it would still write well and as far as I know he would do some smoothing & adjusting if needed to make them, in his words, "...it will perform like new (or maybe even better). ".

He's good about taking great care of his customers from everything I have ever read, the pen you bought is a really nice pen, seems very odd you got it in this condition and I cannot speak for Richard as why this happened in your case.

If you like it otherwise, you'd be better off keeping it, contact Richard and politely explain the situation and what you were expecting to get, ask what he can do to take care of this for you.

I really think you should keep the pen, have Richard fix the nib to write right for you if he can, as you're not asking him to customize, just adjust & smooth the nib tips to get rid of the scratchiness or "tooth" you're feeling as you write.

I'm sure I could fix it for you easily, I've been teaching others to do the same here on FPN, as long as they have the skills, patience, and get the few relatively inexpensive materials to do the job themselves.

Honestly, contact Richard first, before making a decision you may regret later by getting rid of it, especially seeing as it is OUT OF STOCK and it's possible he may never have them again.

 

A beautiful pen with an interesting history and with Richards’ work [once fixed to your liking] it should give you many years of writing pleasure.

Best wishes for a happy outcome!

 

~Scott~

 

[HenryLouis]

This is how mine writes regularly, without purposely adding pressure:

 

http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u18/Henrylouis16/IMG_3074-1.jpg

 

Wet and smooth!

 

I actually posted a review of mine, it's in the review index.

[indigirl]

HenryLouis, I'm jealous! Mine is not like that at all. On mine it seems I have a choice between no flex w/ ok smoothness vs. a little bit of flex w/ lots of scratchiness. Dang

[indigirl]

Well, I emailed Richard & he 1) said semiflex is a subjective term & 2) reiterated that they cannot cherry-pick these pens.

 

So look for me on the "want to trade" board soon... sigh!

[rollerboy]

Well, I emailed Richard & he 1) said semiflex is a subjective term & 2) reiterated that they cannot cherry-pick these pens.

 

So look for me on the "want to trade" board soon... sigh!

 

Have you played around with your grip and the stance of the pen? I found my Merlins to require a fairly low writing angle and to be quite sensitive to rotation (unforgiving of anything other than equal pressure on both tines).

 

I'll see if I can describe the grip that worked for me:

Index finger on the section a little more on top than usual ... say at the one o'clock position. I think this helps keep the tines even on the page.

Thumb on the barrel above the threads (so decidedly back of the index finger) at about the 9:30 position.

Barrel crosses the side of the palm just above the base of the thumb. So it's a lower angle than my typical grip which sees the barrel cross the side of the palm just below the base of the index finger.

 

And yes, write lightly or at least not heavily.

 

Note that I'd still classify my Merlins as having high feedback nibs, but within reason and with character that I like.

 

[indigirl]

Yes, I also figured out the lower writing angle part of it, which brings the pen into an acceptable range of smoothness, but it still seems I must kiss any idea of flex goodbye. I appreciate your very detailed instructions & will follow them to see if things improve further.

 

This is all an interesting learning process; I didn't realize I was so picky about smoothness... now I know! & I guess some people consider anything softer than a nail to be "semiflex"; lesson learned.

 

Well, I emailed Richard & he 1) said semiflex is a subjective term & 2) reiterated that they cannot cherry-pick these pens.

 

So look for me on the "want to trade" board soon... sigh!

 

Have you played around with your grip and the stance of the pen? I found my Merlins to require a fairly low writing angle and to be quite sensitive to rotation (unforgiving of anything other than equal pressure on both tines).

 

I'll see if I can describe the grip that worked for me:

Index finger on the section a little more on top than usual ... say at the one o'clock position. I think this helps keep the tines even on the page.

Thumb on the barrel above the threads (so decidedly back of the index finger) at about the 9:30 position.

Barrel crosses the side of the palm just above the base of the thumb. So it's a lower angle than my typical grip which sees the barrel cross the side of the palm just below the base of the index finger.

 

And yes, write lightly or at least not heavily.

 

Note that I'd still classify my Merlins as having high feedback nibs, but within reason and with character that I like.