New to Serwex Pens

[Lady Onogaro]

So after hearing people speak favorably about the Serwex pen, I decided to try one. Having a fondness for demonstrators, I ordered the 1362 Serwex Blue Demonstrator in Fine and a flex nib. When I received the package, they had also sent along the pink version (that was nice, and I was just thinking that I should have bought the pink Lamy). You can see the pens here:

http://www.fountainpenrevolution.com/SerwexPens.html

When I got them on Monday, I have to say I was rather underwhelmed. They definitely look better in the picture. Pink plastic seems to have leaked onto the piston (it doesn't look as if it will affect it). The seams are not smooth. The plastic is not smooth on the cap of the blue demonstrator. So I was not in a hurry to ink them up.

Tonight I inked them up and tried them both. I changed the nib of the pink one to the flex nib and put Organics Studios Emily Dickinson in it. I put De Atramentis' Sherlock Holmes in the blue one.

I tried the pink one first on Rhodia paper. It's not a bad writer at all. I will need practice with the flex nib (which is a lot like Noodler's), but I am not dissatisfied. I did change out the flex nib to try the fine point nib in it, and I love it. (Truly, I am a fine point nib person. I have something of a tiny writing hand, as Hector will testify ("tiny writer; tiny pens") :)

I tried the blue one and was quite impressed with the fine, smooth line. I would not have expected it at all. Both will make good everyday writers, I think.

The only thing I am dubious about is whether they will hold up over time. But hey, they gave me 2 good writers for $10.00 plus shipping.

Does anyone have more experience with them over time? What is the oldest one you have?

Denise

[DrChumley]

I have a couple of Serwex pens that I have yet to ink up. I believe Serwex also manufactures pens for the FPR line as well, and I have tried a couple of those. The nibs on the pens seems to be hit or miss. They either work great, or they need a lot of work to work great. I actually prefer the FPR flex nibs to Noodler's (mainly because they write out of the box, and don't require a ton of tampering just to get them to usable.)

But I agree with you about the build quality. I really did want to like these pens, and I think there's a lot of potential there, but both the FPR and Serwex pens that I've tried seem to have just a bit of a sloppy feel to them. One of my piston filler demonstrators has a huge gloppy mess of silicone grease in the piston area. It looks like a manufacturing error, but it's just sloppy assembly. The fit and finish of the pens isn't particularly refined. I've yet to have one that hasn't written consistently. I haven't had problems with ink flow or hard starts.

I wouldn't generally gift any of these as first fountain pens, but they are pens I don't mind lending to someone at work (assuming, of course, I have had the opportunity to adjust them ahead of time.

(Also, Lady Onogaro, you do have tiny handwriting. I'm not entirely sure how you manage it. :)

[Sailor Kenshin]

I have a Serwex ED pen sent as a 'bonus' when I ordered another ED from FPR, some Wality or Airmail, can't recall. It is underwhelming, and I don't know what I was thinking, since I'm not an ED type (and in fact want to sac the other pen!).

BUT...it is the only pen that makes my Neverflo True Spew ink behave, when used as a dipper. So I keep it out on my desk.

[Lady Onogaro]

That's it exactly, Matt. I had purchased the pen before I saw your excellent review of the Trivari. I can't figure out how the pink plastic of the pen body got onto the piston. I would have thought they were separate manufacturing processes (pistons inserted after the body is finished). Perhaps the body of the pen wasn't cured before the piston was inserted. It was strange, in any case.

The Pilot varsity is a cheap pen, and it doesn't have those quality issues. This is also true of the Sailor Clear Candy, which must be cheaply manufactured but still looks kind of cool.

You have a good way of looking at it; a pen that isn't really giftable, but one that's okay for work.



Denise

(My handwriting is little but mighty! :) )