Conklin Duraflex - Plating Flaking off Cap Band

[BayesianPrior]

Purchased a Conklin Duraflex in the Endless Summer acrylic yesterday.

Today I noticed a large piece of the rose gold plating on the cap band has flaked away - I know this isn't a very expensive pen, but I am shocked that it happened within 24 hours of purchase and after one page of writing (unposted, so the cap was stationary on desk the whole time).

Anyone else experienced this with Conklin pens? I've reached out to Yafa to see whether this covered by the warranty, or whether I should go back to the retailer (an arts and crafts supply story which doesn't specialise in fountain pens). Any thoughts or comments are welcome.

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[Jon Szanto]

It should be made right by either retailer or Yafa, as no pen should exhibit these flaws. That said, they are not known for high quality production, just really aggressive marketing, so they have manage to sell a lot of their product to a new audience of pen buyers. I am really sorry to hear of your problem and even more so that this continues to be a stain on the name of a once venerable pen company. Wnen Conklin was in business in the earlier part of last century, they made very good pens.

I wish you the very best on getting this replaced.

[Blue Note]

I had a similar issue on a Bexley, which also was not a particularly expensive pen, but nonetheless one does expect better from a name brand. It had a similar pattern in the acrylic to yours which is why I bought it. I would start with the retailer and work back to the manufacturer. I just stuck the Bexley in the drawer and forgot about it. Good luck.

[BayesianPrior]

It should be made right by either retailer or Yafa, as no pen should exhibit these flaws. That said, they are not known for high quality production, just really aggressive marketing, so they have manage to sell a lot of their product to a new audience of pen buyers. I am really sorry to hear of your problem and even more so that this continues to be a stain on the name of a once venerable pen company. Wnen Conklin was in business in the earlier part of last century, they made very good pens.

I wish you the very best on getting this replaced.

I had a similar issue on a Bexley, which also was not a particularly expensive pen, but nonetheless one does expect better from a name brand. It had a similar pattern in the acrylic to yours which is why I bought it. I would start with the retailer and work back to the manufacturer. I just stuck the Bexley in the drawer and forgot about it. Good luck.

Thanks Jon and Blue Note for your kind words and encouragement. It's not a big deal in the grand scheme of life; I could put it in a drawer and forget it, or try to flog it on the classifieds (at a loss and with complete transparency on the flaking plating), or just drop it in the bin and say that was an $80 lesson not to venture outside of trusted brands. I knew I wasn't buying a Pelikan, Sailor or Omas, and didn't expect a similar writing experience, but on some level it does bother me that corporations see fit to sell products that fail within hours of purchase.

In a similar vein, it always baffles me when companies launch a "better" version of their standard product (always at a higher price point) yet continue to sell the standard version. If a product can be objectively improved, why continue to manufacture, market, and sell the now-inferior standard product?

[mizgeorge]

I would simply return it to the retailer for a full refund. It's shoddily finished, and whilst not hugely expensive (in the scheme of things) is more than, say, a Narwhal, which are far better QCd.

If they just get dumped, there's no reason for the manufacturer to improve, because they have no idea there's a problem.

How disappointing.

[BayesianPrior]

Happy outcome! Retailer accepted the return (and didn't charge their customary 20% restocking fee). I drove down the street and picked up a Cleo Skribent Classic piston filler in burgundy...wowza. Photos and review coming soon!

[Chrissy]

A poor start that was successfully dealt with by the retailer. Good final outcome. Starting with the retailer is always the recommendation.

[mizgeorge]

Good result The Skribent is a decent pen, IMO very good value, and has a nice nib. It's also going to be light years ahead in terms of quality!