Don't send your vintage FP to PENDEMONIUM in Kingman, AZ for repairs

[Bergspyder]

I sent my 30+ year old vintage Waterman fountain pen with an 18K gold nib to PENDEMONIUM in Kingman, AZ to adjust a sprung nib and smooth it out a bit.

We'll I got the pen back busted up in pieces. They said my feed was cracked, and when they put it on the grinder the 18K gold nib immediately snapped in two. Also, I never had a problem with it leaking, so how could the feed had been cracked? Is it customary to put a vintage 18K gold nib on a machine grinder? I don't know anything about fixing fountain pens, but isn't that a little extreme to be using a machine grinder?

I cannot believe they ruined my vintage FP. They were like sorry, these things happen. I was like WHAT?? SERIOUSLY? Now I need a complete feed and nib replacement. A rep from Waterman said, they may no longer stock older parts, even in France. This is a nightmare.

[Jon Szanto]

You've come here, NOT a member, and made your first post pretty much trashing one of the most reputable pen businesses known. Before anyone at all gives a moment's thought to this, you'd have to produce some written documentation. Sam and Frank know pens very well, and have been working with them for years and years, and their business at pen shows brings them face-to-face with thousands of pen collectors and users.

Things happen, and pens can be fragile. If you can calm down, give us a bit of clear information - I note you don't even identify the pen model, etc - I would be willing to believe people might come up with ways to help. You haven't started off too well, though. I'm ALWAYS sorry for the loss of a pen, but not only do I imagine it can be made right, but I don't for a moment think that they were careless in any way.

[butchhe]

I noticed this is your first post on FPGs so let me say :welcome:

Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, what a way to make an entrance. I don't know anything about Pendemonium but a little discretion goes a long way. Did you try to work the situation out with the business first before coming on here and blasting them? Can they find you a nib/feed at their cost if the damage was their fault?

I understand that you are upset with them, but sometimes taking a step back and work together with the business will go much further than putting them on full blast in a thread on a forum.

[mhosea]

We have a "Market Feedback" forum for this type of thing. Hopefully this thread can be moved there.

I understand your reaction, but really, I have no idea whether it was avoidable or not. Fixing a sprung nib requires removal, and resetting a nib carries inherent risk. This is especially true when it is impossible to knock the nib out from behind. And besides, a sprung nib implies a heavy hand, and a heavy hand might have cracked a feed, especially if you tried to fix it yourself by pushing the tines back down. On the occasions where I have accidentally cracked a vintage feed, this is exactly how I did it! .

I am guessing by "machine grinder" they are talking about a bench grinder with a rubber polishing wheel or some such rather than an abrasive wheel that would be used to actually grind the tipping to a new shape. But like I said, I just don't know what they did. What I am saying, however, is that it isn't obvious to me that they did anything wrong in this case. All I can really tell you is that if it happened on my watch, I'd be trying to hunt down replacement parts for you, trying to help you solve the problem you have now.

[butchhe]

You've come here, NOT a member, and made your first post pretty much trashing one of the most reputable pen businesses known. Before anyone at all gives a moment's thought to this, you'd have to produce some written documentation. Sam and Frank know pens very well, and have been working with them for years and years, and their business at pen shows brings them face-to-face with thousands of pen collectors and users.

Things happen, and pens can be fragile. If you can calm down, give us a bit of clear information - I note you don't even identify the pen model, etc - I would be willing to believe people might come up with ways to help. You haven't started off too well, though. I'm ALWAYS sorry for the loss of a pen, but not only do I imagine it can be made right, but I don't for a moment think that they were careless in any way.

You type quick and are way more elegant than I can be!

[jar]

Welcome home. Pull up a stump and set a spell.

Relax, you need it.

If you keep your feet to the fire the smoke will not get in your eyes.

If Sam or Frank tell you something you can be sure they speak the truth.

Also, 30 years old is certainly not a vintage pen.

Since the nib was sprung and the pen was scratchy there most definitely stuff wrong with it before you sent it to them.

[Jon Szanto]

OP has been posting the same thread at FPN. I expect he'll upload the image of the receipt he got back from Sam and Frank. It looks like he sent them a pen that was DOA.

What I'd *really* like to do is help this person get their pen working again. I bet we could make that happen.

[Chemyst]

What I'd *really* like to do is help this person get their pen working again. I bet we could make that happen.

That may be at cross purposes with the OP's original intent in posting.

[Bergspyder]

Listen, I agree. I shouldn't be writing when I am emotionally charged. This was one of my dearest FP's and it hurts bad. I don't mean to bash Pendemonium, I just felt tossed away after speaking with them and hearing, sorry, these things happen.

[tandaina]

Listen, I agree. I shouldn't be writing when I am emotionally charged. This was one of my dearest FP's and it hurts bad. I don't mean to bash Pendemonium, I just felt tossed away after speaking with them and hearing, sorry, these things happen.

30 years old puts it at what, the 1980s? Not really vintage, but I understand a dear long time friend.

A couple things: pens *do* fall apart on occasion. I had/have an extremely rare German piston filler made by Soennecken (worth a great deal of money, if you can find one, which you can't. I've seen 2 of this pattern/size my entire pen collecting career). I sent it to a very reputable repair person knowing full well that it was 60 years old and fragile. The section disintegrated when the nib and feed were removed. Sadly some pens are just less robust than others. The repair person was extremely apologetic, but parts aren't available for such an old pen. He didn't charge me and I would absolutely recommend folks use Joel again, I still do, it was *not* his fault. Fixing old pens includes inherent risk. (Joel had a Montblanc barrel of the same size he was able to fit my nib and feed to and that worked with my cap. So he returned to me a working Frankenpen, and the broken parts. This was greatly appreciated, but totally above and beyond the call of duty and also blind good luck.)

80s Watermans don't have flex nibs, so if the nib was sprung... A lot of pressure was applied, either from a drop or a heavy hand. Which absolutely could crack the feed. You may be able to find a donor nib and feed on the parts market (there are folks here who could probably help). Really sorry this was your experience, but sadly any time we work on a fountain pen there is always the possibility of it being damaged by even the most expert repair people.

[Bergspyder]

Thank you Tandaina. This is the first time I sent an older FP in for repairs and are unaware of the risks, nor were any explained to me. Sam just said we will take good care of your FP, so I believed her. I also learned that a feed can be cracked and still not leak. I guess, now I know better. Sorry to everyone for the rant, it just hurts losing an old friend.

[Jon Szanto]

Thank you Tandaina. This is the first time I sent an older FP in for repairs and are unaware of the risks, nor were any explained to me. Sam just said we will take good care of your FP, so I believed her. I also learned that a feed can be cracked and still not leak. I guess, now I know better. Sorry to everyone for the rant, it just hurts losing an old friend.

Please believe me: you needn't apologize! I bet any one of us, especially those who muck about with old pens, know very well your anguish. And I don't use that term lightly, because there is a punch to the stomach when a valued pen goes dead. I came pretty fast and hard because I know the people you were dealing with, they are friends and valued professional, and I didn't want this to spin out of control. I think you can see from the thread hear and over at FPN: we sympathize, and we'd like to help as much as possible.

Really: when you've got some time and feel like it, tell us what the pen is. If you don't know the model, post a couple of pics. You never know how this may all turn out, but we are on your side, because we love pens, too.

[mhosea]

Seeing the receipt image in the other thread helped a lot.

I am confused about something, though. I do understand how the feed could snap off, but the nib is also broken? Are you saying that both your nib and feed are each in two pieces (2 pieces of feed and 2 pieces of nib)?

What kind of Waterman is/was it, anyway? Maybe there are generic parts that will work.

[Bergspyder]

Thanks Jon for the kind words. I'll have to fish around for some pics. However, I believe the model is called "Ideal" from the 1980's, straight and thin in stature with no tapering of the barrel, but with an 18K gold nib.

[TSherbs]

Did you also ask for advice over at FPN? There are many more members there, and you might get more responses from persons who have also had work done there.

[Jon Szanto]

Did you also ask for advice over at FPN? There are many more members there, and you might get more responses from persons who have also had work done there.

See post #7.

[sloegin]

Link to FPN thread?

Ideal is a trademark/name/slogan, not a model. Need a couple pictures of the pen to be able to identify it, capped and uncapped.

[Woody]

+1 for Pendemonium They really know their stuff. Feeds become brittle over time. As MIke mentione but never got an answer. . Was the nib in 2 pieces as well?