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Thread: Precious Resin

  1. #21
    Senior Member Ole Juul's Avatar
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    Default Re: Precious Resin

    Quote Originally Posted by AzJon View Post
    An important thing to consider is that even in English "precious" doesn't mean "rare" or "hard to find" or something somehow finite. The root of "precious" simply means "valuable" (from Latin pretiosus) Given the range of plastics used to make pens (especially with the rise of the Bic polystyrene ballpoints), using higher-tier plastic to make a pen certainly would imply greater value.

    Edit: also, if its "just" ABS plastic, a reminder that there are different grades of ABS plastic depending on how the three primary components (Acrylonitrile, Butadiene and Styrene) are blended for the final product.
    Exactly. People tend to use these terms as if they refer to only one formulation when they certainly aren't. ABS, as you say, has different grades. I find it particularly bothersome when people sometimes put all plastics in one category when talking about quality. Personal preference aside, some plastics are indeed both valuable and precious.

  2. #22
    Senior Member Ole Juul's Avatar
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    Default Re: Precious Resin

    Quote Originally Posted by Chuck Naill View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by AzJon View Post
    An important thing to consider is that even in English "precious" doesn't mean "rare" or "hard to find" or something somehow finite. The root of "precious" simply means "valuable" (from Latin pretiosus) Given the range of plastics used to make pens (especially with the rise of the Bic polystyrene ballpoints), using higher-tier plastic to make a pen certainly would imply greater value.

    Edit: also, if its "just" ABS plastic, a reminder that there are different grades of ABS plastic depending on how the three primary components (Acrylonitrile, Butadiene and Styrene) are blended for the final product.
    There appears to be two camps here. One camp thinks the use of "precious" not to mean what generally it means in English and gives pen makers who use it a pass. The other camp thinks its a gimmic to make the buyer think she/he is getting something special. I have to admit that I am in the latter camp. Regardless of how special it is, its still plastic. I just got a Lamy Vista. Lamy says its made of ABS. They don't call it precious and they are a German company. They are not trying got sell is for $800 either.
    Can we add another category? I'm basically with you, but I believe it is more a matter of bad English being perceived as a "gimmic" and therefore it might as well be.

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    Default Re: Precious Resin

    Quote Originally Posted by Ole Juul View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by AzJon View Post
    An important thing to consider is that even in English "precious" doesn't mean "rare" or "hard to find" or something somehow finite. The root of "precious" simply means "valuable" (from Latin pretiosus) Given the range of plastics used to make pens (especially with the rise of the Bic polystyrene ballpoints), using higher-tier plastic to make a pen certainly would imply greater value.

    Edit: also, if its "just" ABS plastic, a reminder that there are different grades of ABS plastic depending on how the three primary components (Acrylonitrile, Butadiene and Styrene) are blended for the final product.
    Exactly. People tend to use these terms as if they refer to only one formulation when they certainly aren't. ABS, as you say, has different grades. I find it particularly bothersome when people sometimes put all plastics in one category when talking about quality. Personal preference aside, some plastics are indeed both valuable and precious.
    I have no argument with your points, but cracks in MB pens is often discussed. Perhaps it happens with a Lamy Safari, but I have never noticed it being complained about.
    Last edited by Chuck Naill; September 7th, 2020 at 10:54 AM.

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    Senior Member Ole Juul's Avatar
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    Default Re: Precious Resin

    Quote Originally Posted by Chuck Naill View Post
    ... cracks in MB pens is often discussed.
    Well ..... that's "precious".

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    Senior Member ethernautrix's Avatar
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    Default Re: Precious Resin

    Did someone say amber?

    My friend Marta, a pen restorer of some renown in Poland, made this pen with amber pebbles she'd picked up along the shore of the Baltic when she was a child on vacation with her mother. About three years ago, she somehow (maker's secrets) attached the amber pebbles to a pen and worked for a couple of months, filing and sanding the amber down by hand to what is seen today. (The nib is from one of my Nakayas.)


    IMG_20200907_185256.jpg
    Last edited by ethernautrix; September 7th, 2020 at 11:07 AM. Reason: Omitted salient detail
    _____________
    To Miasto

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    Default Re: Precious Resin

    Quote Originally Posted by Ole Juul View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Chuck Naill View Post
    ... cracks in MB pens is often discussed.
    Well ..... that's "precious".
    I had a mid '90's MB 149 and I like the brand, no disparaging intended, but it's a bit irritating to think the MB plastic has a crack problem.

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    Default Re: Precious Resin

    Quote Originally Posted by ethernautrix View Post
    Did someone say amber?

    My friend Marta, a pen restorer of some renown in Poland, made this pen with amber pebbles she'd picked up along the shore of the Baltic when she was a child on vacation with her mother. About three years ago, she somehow (maker's secrets) attached the amber pebbles to a pen and worked for a couple of months, filing and sanding the amber down by hand to what is seen today. (The nib is from one of my Nakayas.)


    IMG_20200907_185256.jpg
    Outstanding!!!

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  10. #28
    Senior Member AzJon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Precious Resin

    Quote Originally Posted by Chuck Naill View Post
    There appears to be two camps here. One camp thinks the use of "precious" not to mean what generally it means in English and gives pen makers who use it a pass. The other camp thinks its a gimmic to make the buyer think she/he is getting something special. I have to admit that I am in the latter camp. Regardless of how special it is, its still plastic. I just got a Lamy Vista. Lamy says its made of ABS. They don't call it precious and they are a German company. They are not trying got sell is for $800 either.
    Eh, I'm not giving Montblanc a pass as much as I'm defending the German language. Edelharz is literall "high grade resin", which may be more expensive (or valuable) than other plastics, even if they are ABS. ABS is a lot better than polystyrene (a la the Bic Crystal, for example) in its overall durability.

    To be honest though, you aren't buying the plastic with a Montblanc, you're buying the name, so the point is moot. Even if they took away the words "precious resin", people would still buy it as a status symbol.

    And to a certain extent, you buy Lamy for the same reason, if not the same ends: Its an unpretentious, straight forward pen, a tool for the common man, a frugal choice for durabilty and reliability. In short: projecting the things in yourself that you want others to see.

    And that's fine.

    In the end, its just your opinion that someone is being tricked. I guarantee that is not the case. There are people that are just as passionate about their love of Montblancs as there are people that are passionate about Lamy. Often they are passionate for both (I've met them).

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    Default Re: Precious Resin

    To add to the above, find out for yourself—what is the translation of "edel"?

    Google includes as adjectives: Noble, precious, fine, aristocratic, gallant, and regal.

    Looking up etymology it suggests the terms elegant, classy, high-quality when referring to things.

    At least MB didn't claim their pens are made of "aristocratic resin."

    If I translate precious to German, I get words like vertvoll (valuable, precious, useful, worthy), kostbar (precious, valuable, sumptuous, luxurious), and of course edel.

    Literal / inaccurate translation seems the most likely explanation to me.

    Note that the term "precious resin" isn't exclusive to Montblanc; Pelikan and Faber-Castell use it, too.

    Is it part of Montblanc's advertising or sales training? How often is it mentioned on their website? Per the link below, "no" and "rarely".

    http://www.peneconomics.com/blog/201...precious-resin

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    Senior Member guyy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Precious Resin

    A noble metal is Edelmetall in German. I am not a chemist, but as i understand it, the plastic in MBs is Edel-whatever because it’s resistant to corrosion, decomposition and oxidation — or at least more than the celluloid it replaced.

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  16. #31
    Senior Member AzJon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Precious Resin

    Quote Originally Posted by guyy View Post
    A noble metal is Edelmetall in German. I am not a chemist, but as i understand it, the plastic in MBs is Edel-whatever because it’s resistant to corrosion, decomposition and oxidation — or at least more than the celluloid it replaced.
    That's a reasonable explanation. In German "Edelstahl" is stainless steel. It's upgrading the word "Stahl" or "Steel". German will often add a strengthening prefix to a word. In that same way "Harz" is any kind of resin. "Edel" applies an implication that its better than just naturally occurring resin.

    Quote Originally Posted by azkid View Post
    To add to the above, find out for yourself—what is the translation of "edel"?

    Google includes as adjectives: Noble, precious, fine, aristocratic, gallant, and regal.

    Looking up etymology it suggests the terms elegant, classy, high-quality when referring to things.

    At least MB didn't claim their pens are made of "aristocratic resin."

    If I translate precious to German, I get words like vertvoll (valuable, precious, useful, worthy), kostbar (precious, valuable, sumptuous, luxurious), and of course edel.

    Literal / inaccurate translation seems the most likely explanation to me.

    Note that the term "precious resin" isn't exclusive to Montblanc; Pelikan and Faber-Castell use it, too.

    Is it part of Montblanc's advertising or sales training? How often is it mentioned on their website? Per the link below, "no" and "rarely".

    http://www.peneconomics.com/blog/201...precious-resin
    Exactly this. It is making a mountain of a molehill, but is also the easiest way to say hurr hurr dumb dumb payed much money for silly pen.

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    Senior Member Detman101's Avatar
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    Default Re: Precious Resin

    Quote Originally Posted by ethernautrix View Post
    Did someone say amber?

    My friend Marta, a pen restorer of some renown in Poland, made this pen with amber pebbles she'd picked up along the shore of the Baltic when she was a child on vacation with her mother. About three years ago, she somehow (maker's secrets) attached the amber pebbles to a pen and worked for a couple of months, filing and sanding the amber down by hand to what is seen today. (The nib is from one of my Nakayas.)


    IMG_20200907_185256.jpg
    That...is...so...pretty....wooooow.....

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