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Thread: Pen that worked for me but not the buyer

  1. #21
    Senior Member Ron Z's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pen that worked for me but not the buyer

    What ink is he using vs the ink you use? One of the little oddities is that many pens are balky with Parker black ink. Richard Binder and I have found that if that happens and we put any other ink in the pen, it works perfectly. Go figure.

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    Default Re: Pen that worked for me but not the buyer

    Quote Originally Posted by Ron Z View Post
    What ink is he using vs the ink you use? One of the little oddities is that many pens are balky with Parker black ink. Richard Binder and I have found that if that happens and we put any other ink in the pen, it works perfectly. Go figure.
    I had used the pen on a regular basis for almost a year with a variety of inks, usually Parker washable blue or some MB inks. the buyer claimed to have tried more than one ink and more than one paper, he was from eastern Europe so perhaps Pelikan or MB inks.

    It could all be down to a change of heart but as the purchase price was lvery ow and he paid the return mail costs I wouldn't have thought that there would be much in the way of motivation, he seemed like a decent man in any case.

    When I sent him the pics of the pen working perfectly he seemed genuinely surprised.

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    Senior Member Sailor Kenshin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pen that worked for me but not the buyer

    Quote Originally Posted by Ron Z View Post
    What ink is he using vs the ink you use? One of the little oddities is that many pens are balky with Parker black ink. Richard Binder and I have found that if that happens and we put any other ink in the pen, it works perfectly. Go figure.
    It happened to me! Now I only use Quink Black in c/c pens, where it's fine.
    My other pen is a Montblanc.

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    Senior Member azkid's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pen that worked for me but not the buyer

    So many variables make it hard to know how things will work for each user I suppose.

    Edit: I vaguely recall someone at a pen posse, once, having major issues getting one of my reliable pens to write because they were rolling the pen in one direction or another.

    It's interesting and surprising to hear about problems with Quink Black. It worked fine in my Esterbrooks, first gen Duofolds, 51s, 45s, and others and became a go to ink. Just goes to show you that you need the massive sample set of a pro pen restorer to find all the corner cases.

    I had a Pilot Falcon SEF that didn't work for me probably in part due to writing angle and pen orientation. It tended to drag on the page something fierce.

    My Pilot Stargazer (F) had major issues with dragging on upstrokes with a sample of RO Black Violet *after* it had the pen sat around awhile. Before that it was lovely. I was actually starting to doubt my ol reliable pen until I switched inks.

    I *do* expect the same reliability as I would a gel pen. The overwhelming majority start up easily and permit me to write quickly as I like, as long as the ink isn't too dry or too wet and the cap seals reasonably. But then, I know to try wetter or drier inks and use the pen once in awhile.

    For future pen sales maybe I will include some introductory tips. A small flier surely could help new pen owners with choosing a suitable ink and avoiding common issues.
    Last edited by azkid; November 30th, 2020 at 03:08 PM.

  6. #25
    Senior Member Ron Z's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pen that worked for me but not the buyer

    The Parker black issue isn't consistent by any means. But I've had enough people write about a balky pen, and I usually start with "What ink are you using." If they reply black Parker Quink, I suggest using any other ink, and then ask them to let me know what happens. Invariably a different ink takes care of the problem. No idea why. ...and its always black, never the blue or blue/black.

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    Default Re: Pen that worked for me but not the buyer

    Never had a problem with Waterman inks. I am surprised they are not more popular.

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    Default Re: Pen that worked for me but not the buyer

    Quote Originally Posted by Ron Z View Post
    The Parker black issue isn't consistent by any means. But I've had enough people write about a balky pen, and I usually start with "What ink are you using." If they reply black Parker Quink, I suggest using any other ink, and then ask them to let me know what happens. Invariably a different ink takes care of the problem. No idea why. ...and its always black, never the blue or blue/black.
    That's so fascinating--odd issues like this always make me curious about what is causing the issue.

    Are there inks that you have found tend to flow acceptably in a wide range of pens?

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    Senior Member Ron Z's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pen that worked for me but not the buyer

    Waterman works well, as do MB, and Aurora. I test all of the pens that I repair with blue Pelikan ink and use it exclusively. I use one ink because that, along with using one type of paper, eliminates two variables when testing pens for smoothness and flow.

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    Default Re: Pen that worked for me but not the buyer

    When you received the pen back, did he ask you to give it a once over and send it back, or did he return it and ask for a refund? Sounds like a person who does not want the pen, for a reason known only to him. What are your policies regarding returns? If not stated up front, customer may feel the need to claim that the pen is faulty in order to justify a return. "Pen doesn't work" seems like a pretty easy out.

    You went above and beyond to make sure pen is ok. Don't sweat it.

    Bob

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    Default Re: Pen that worked for me but not the buyer

    Quote Originally Posted by Seattleite View Post
    When you received the pen back, did he ask you to give it a once over and send it back, or did he return it and ask for a refund? Sounds like a person who does not want the pen, for a reason known only to him. What are your policies regarding returns? If not stated up front, customer may feel the need to claim that the pen is faulty in order to justify a return. "Pen doesn't work" seems like a pretty easy out.

    You went above and beyond to make sure pen is ok. Don't sweat it.

    Bob

    No, what happened Bob was that I gave him a refund on what he had paid being cost of the pen plus mailing to Poland.

    Therefore when it came back to me the pen was mine and the buyer was out of the picture, I filled the pen and it wrote immediately, first stroke of the pen. I sent him pics of the pen in use. He seemed surprised but by that time I was done. It is not as if it was an expensive pen to him, around $20. It was just a simple little CS 27 that I had used on a daily basis but it was time to move on to someone who said that they wanted to try a low priced Conway Stewart, I thought I was doing him a favor.

    I suspect that the pen may have been a little too plain for him, i don't know. The 27 is not the largest of pens, smaller than average, perhaps he was hoping for something better. Speaking of people and their expectations, I had a similar experience when a Hungarian student at my old university bought a Parker 51 from me. He claimed to have limited money and was sending some money home to Hungary. I gave him a 50% refund through paypal and also filled the box with three other pens, all for free. He wrote a stinking letter to me saying I was cheap because the three free pens were not Parker 51s.

    People!

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    Default Re: Pen that worked for me but not the buyer

    You certainly went above and beyond. Yes, I'm beginning to think that it isn't the pen.

    People!

    Bob

  16. #32
    Junior Member bunyip's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pen that worked for me but not the buyer

    Perhaps related, this evening I switched pens from a 1940s open nib pen to a 1950s closed nib pen with a drier ink. I prefer to hold pens fairly high, some above the section rather than on it; a bit of height is my preferred position. I noticed with the switch that my fingers soon slid down to a much lower grip on the section near the nib; almost ballpoint like. In that position I could write with the same level of effort as with the earlier high grip / open nib pen to produce similar ink density on the page from nominally the same width nib. I then tried another 50s closed nib pen with slightly broader nib and much the same ink; now my fingers moved back to a more normal position for much the same output (though not quite as high as my favoured pens; less favoured sloppy nibs entail an even higher grip for lightness or lower for fine control). It seems I am changing grip to counteract pen/ink variables to produce a pleasing output or writing experience.

    We talk about pen, ink, paper as the three variables with each of these analysed in greater depth. There is also grip height (aside from grip formation) which has a direct effect on leverage and on result, as much as we vary any of the usual three. It needs to be discussed at the same time.

    It may be that buyers obtain a quite different experience even when we dictate to them ink and possibly paper.

    I write unposted fwiw

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    Senior Member Ole Juul's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pen that worked for me but not the buyer

    Quote Originally Posted by RobJohnson View Post
    . . . It is not as if it was an expensive pen to him, around $20. . . .
    Did you say $20!!! Wow, and he's going to all that trouble? (Not to mention putting you to all that trouble.) That is really strange, and bordering on weird. Rob, you're a saint.

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