A $40 Luxury Pen? Ellington Pens Review

Can a brand new company deliver on the promise of a luxury pen for $40?
#figboot #fountainpens
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Figboot on Pens
P.O. Box 12430
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Google (2020) Lovers Point/The Pleasure of Writing. Available at maps.google.com (Accessed 8 November, 2022)
Measurements music by Dan Pacaldi: www.danpancaldi.com

[@AnInkGuy]

This is likely the nicest negative review I have ever seen. You are a highly skilled wordsmith for sure.

[@johngoins1902]

Right lolol I was thinking the same

[@Innieminnie]

Hey! Good to see you here man!

[@jonathanvanier]

David, your thoroughness, integrity, and knowledge of the pen industry really shines through in this review, and offers a real service to the pen community!

[@peponas87]

Ethan Ellington is maybe the brother of Daniel W-ellington, from the Chinese "luxury" watches.

[@bluntdude]

i am 1 min into the video. it is so refreshing to have a reviewer be so straight forward and not recommended poop brands to the viewers. here is a man with Integrity!!!

[@TomAnderson-hw9cl]

Thought it rather odd that the first sentence in their "Our Story" section on their website reads: "Ellington Pens first formed in the mind of mathematician Ethan Ellington’s mind." Maybe their pens are better than their sentence structure. Thanks as always, David, for an honest review!

[@alextaplin7354]

The way you speak in such a diplomatic and positive way about products or brands that very clearly fall below the quality or moral standards is truly admirable.

[@donbrownist]

Sometimes it is pretty painful honoring a commitment that you wish you had never made. Great informative HONEST review. Kudos.

[@karmesindryade]

Hi David, thanks for showing this "luxury" pen. I really appreciate how honest and fair your reviews are. So maybe some people might think that my comments here are not fair (but they are honest too): 1. I do not think that there actually is a real person "Ethan Ellington" who is a mathematician and who revolutionized the world of fountain pens during his pandemic-caused quarantine. 2. Wow, it all came "from the mind of his mind". 3. All this marketing blabla is so badly made and constructed from a cheap kit of phrases. No "start-up with a silly passion for fountain pens" would disgrace itself this way. 4. I think this is an attempt of a Chinese manufacturer to bypass the doubts of customers ("Hmm... can a 2 USD Chinese fountain pen really be good?" "Let's call it UK engineered and sell it for 40 USD") 5. When was the company founded? April 1st? Sorry if I am totally wrong. I would be very happy to be falsified. Greetings from Germany to all pen lovers worldwide.

[@Klokopf52]

They ask for a tip to "appreciate the team" during checkout. That kinda says it all xD

[@adamp3223]

I've been into watches for too long to let any of this slide. I have to assume that you're completely right.

[@martinlebl631]

Seems to be right on most point. All signs make my heckles stand up in warning. Although at $40 the risk isn't huge.

[@rogerboucher1913]

Well because the risk isn’t huge, it will attract a lot of people and they’ll make huge profits.

[@mjcossel6136]

@@martinlebl631I’d rather buy 8 Platinum Preppies.

[@bleepbloopbleepy]

I just saw a post on Reddit yesterday tearing apart this company’s website. The website had a ton of red flags, like referring to nibs as “pen tips” and more bizarrely, “Pen nips.” A lot of people are skeptical that “Ethan Ellington “ even exists considering the stock images in the company video. It sort of reeks of being a scam to me, but as your and Adventure Denali’s reviews show, at least the pens write. Everything else about this company just seems like really sleazy marketing to me

[@humanfirst11]

Oh she reviewed it too! Ok then. They would have reached out to Stephen Brown as well.

[@leighmoser6814]

FWIW “nip” is a correct term for the nib in the UK.

[@leighmoser6814]

FWIW “nip” is a correct term for the nib in the UK.

[@leighmoser6814]

FWIW “nip” is a correct term for the nib in the UK.

[@leighmoser6814]

FWIW “nip” is a correct term for the nib in the UK.

[@ganderian]

I greatly appreciate your professionalism and (as another comment said) integrity in all your reviews, and you rose to this challenge faultlessly. I'm sure this wasn't a video you were excited to make, but it's a service to your viewers and the FP community. I'm honestly surprised this company didn't see it coming when they insisted you make a video. 👏

[@ellingtonpens815]

Hey Ganderian! We were seeking feedback from one of the industry giants to further develop and iterate our pens, and that's exactly what David provided!

[@BethBurns68]

@@ellingtonpens815 , I ordered the Alpine Rose pen from you on Etsy and it arrived today. I'm waiting until Christmas to open it, but this is my first fountain pen and I'm excited about it. :)

[@ellingtonpens815]

@@BethBurns68 Super excited for you! Welcome to the wonderful world of fountain pens! Please let us know how it's going for you. 🙂

[@irregularstuff5290]

Honestly, I'm not really a fountain pen person (liners are much easier to work with), but I'm happy that I've stumbled upon your channel! Pen puns and person who is very passionate about their field is fantastic combination. Thank you for your work!

[@retro51fan]

I looked up the domain name and found out it was registered to someone in Iceland. The same address (ie. street and number) belongs to some phish-y sites according to a Reddit thread. .⚠! Thank you for your honest, informative and thorough review, David. It's harsh to say this but this seems like the kind of "company" that is re-selling inexpensive Chinese-made at a huge profit for the benefit of people who are nervous about ordering via eBay/Aliexpress/etsy et al.

[@josephtedesco8429]

Despite their marketing, I think it's good that you highlighted their pros. Hopefully if they take it seriously, they can grow as a brand and maybe try to do different/new things. Very thorough and honest review!

[@ellingtonpens815]

Yep, we've taken careful of David's remarks for sure!

[@humlab9998]

I like how your recent reviews of newer companies have been straight forward and critical.

[@archivist17]

Thanks for not dismissing this offering, but applying your diligence - perhaps even more than usual on this occasion - to provide us with a review of integrity and great honesty.

[@mrcat3493]

David, your honesty and integrity is so appreciated by myself and a lot of members of the fountain pen community. I know when you review something, you are giving a through and fair review. I wonder if this company is owned by the same people as Scriveiner Pens that sells on Amazon

[@srvfan84]

I will say that one Chinese pen company that has consistently impressed me is Hongdian, but the Hongdian pens I have look way more interesting than this one and at generally 1/4-1/2 the price on Amazon with free shipping. That still puts them in Pilot Metropolitan price range and the Pilot nibs are unquestionably superior. Most other Chinese brand pens (Jinhao, Moonman), I've had some great ones, but the overall quality was inconsistent and just ultimately incomparable to Japanese or German made ones. I can't imagine being happy with buying this for $40, for the same price as a Narwhal Classic.

[@yorkdox7]

See now I don’t like these dodgy “companies” sending their things to reputable reviewers who I trust and think of quite highly. I feel like they are trying to drag them down. You did a wonderful video though being as honest as always. I appreciate you!

[@ellingtonpens815]

Hey Beth! Our only intention in sending our pens to David was to get his honest and candid feedback on our initial collection!

[@lyriklambert7837]

"I don't need to be sued over a fountain pen review" Iconic quote right there

[@michellesgoldberg]

Thanks David. That was a very honest, thoughtful review. Amazon has it for $19.95 with $4 coupon, so worth trying at that price. I agree with many others in saying that I doubt very much this is really what they say they are.

[@dr.d723]

I so much appreciate your candor and integrity. This really reminds me of many pen sellers that I ran into during my travels to Asia. You pen reminds me very much of an inexpensive pen that I purchased in Shanghai for about $1.20. Even the "nut" on top looks the same. I think I will pass on this one . . .

[@Foervraengd]

Really enjoying these recent videos covering shady brands and products. That.... "concept art" of the pen brought a smile out of me haha. My gut reaction to the "40 dollar luxury" idea is that they most likely are marketing to people who arent into fountain pens at all - people who think that any pen over 10 bucks are more or less overpriced and would think 40 dollars is luxury tier.

[@halfsourlizard9319]

It's the MVMT / Vincero / Filippo Loreti of the fountain-pen world: Concocted 'history', 'affordable luxury', 'disruption', 'cutting out the middle man', etc. ... all designed to dupe unsuspecting novices who are led to believe that they're 'getting a steal'.

[@martinlebl631]

It is a market, and if you can sell them a $10 pen with free shipping and a fancy box and a story for $40, then it could be a business. Unless of course FP enthusiasts sniff this out. :)

[@halfsourlizard9319]

@@martinlebl631 Shipping is *included*, not 'free'. 😜

[@jamesaritchie1]

@@halfsourlizard9319 When you include "free" international shipping on a product, then the profit margin on that products is very, very high.

[@buck-pucker]

It's odd that in a time where we have a plethora of well designed and constructed Chinese pens (many with original designs), many made by Shanghai Jingdian, this kit-like pen shows up at a higher price point. Maybe this would have sold in Sky Mall 10 years ago.

[@willlucas5150]

"Engineered in England, Assembled in China"

[@5hort3]

During the writing sample, I like how you gave the ink a bit more attention by showing swatches and the bottle. I hope that becomes more common during writing sample segments.

[@EastWind123]

Every time I hear "Urban Hunter," I think of the Urban Sombrero from Seinfeld. 😆 Thank you for this honest and thorough review. I would love to see you review the "Stonegraph" pen from "Executive Vibe" that comes up almost daily in my Facebook feed. It seems similarly sketchy. They used to use very obviously stolen video, but they have since upped their game. I admit, it looks pretty tempting for the price. If it writes as depicted, I'd probably buy one.

[@avawetzel3408]

i'm slowly getting into stationery and pens, and i'm so glad i found your channel. you very clearly know what you're talking about and you explain it clearly and thoroughly so even a complete newcomer to fountain pens like myself has no problem keeping up. the photographs you take of the details are utterly stunning and you seem very honest with your reviews. i'm excited to watch more from your channel!!

[@philipbenier5861]

David, always appreciate your reviews and you are one of my go to guys for honest and fair pen information. For this pen as Urban Hunter I found on Amazon for $19.95 USD

[@13noman1]

Thanks, David. I always appreciate your factual, balanced and in-depth reviews. I found myself reflecting on other < $40 pens I've purchased in the past year (paying my daughters' college tuitions so nothing fancy!) and have to say I've been quite pleasantly surprised by several Chinese pens, most notably the HongDian N6! A nice weight and balance, good construction quality, piston fill (!) and only $32!

[@insertclevername4123]

When I first started looking into fountain pens a year or so ago, my first purchase was a HongDian Black Forest. I figured for $15, even if I didn't like it, I wouldn't be out much money, and it's still one of my favorite everyday writers. Looks nice, works every time, and for an inexpensive pen that doesn't try to pretend that it's the second coming of Montblanc, it suits my purposes just fine.

[@13noman1]

@@insertclevername4123 Good choice. I started more than 30 years ago when info sources and good quality Chinese pens were less well known so I started on the "deep" (read: expensive) gold nib end of FPs. You've started the right way!

[@SoulWatcher72]

@@insertclevername4123 my first fountain pen was also the Hong Dian Black Forest pen! I had used nib pens before for art sake but never as a writing utensil and carry pen. I still have it and use it. Cheers

[@jamesaritchie1]

HongDian is probably the best of the bunch, but as nice as they feel, and as well as they write, they are still made of very, very cheap materials. The plastic is cheap, the nibs are cheap and have low grade stainless steel for tipping, and the "brass" used in the metal ones doesn't even qualify as brass by western standards. Making a pen that feels good and writes well is actually pretty easy, but making one from high quality materials costs money, even in China. I stopped buying Chinese pens a long time ago. My conscience won't let me give money that may be used for genocide, political imprisonment, or outright murder. But to each his own. But friends there still send me a handful or two of pens every now and then. I test them, then give them away to friends, or more often, donate them to Goodwill. One of the pens they sent was a Hongdian Fountain Pen with a Green Barrel, and a Cloisonne Flower Painting. It was made of metal, it was heavy, it was beautiful, and it wrote like a dream. That was the only one out of dozens that I was tempted to keep. But the "brass" was still a very, very cheap metal that doesn't even resemble western brass, and the nib was as cheaply made, and the tipping just as soft, as other Chinese nibs. Nor was the "painting" actual painting. But add a new nibs for twenty ducks, and it would have been wonderful where looks and performance were concerned. China is extremely good at what they do, which is "Selling very pretty children's toys to outsiders as adlt tools", as one of my Chinese friends puts it. Even with inhumanly cheap labor, China is not immune to the cost of some materials, and not even China can manufacture a one or two dollar pen using high quality materials. A number of Chinese pens can sell for fifty cents to a dollar in China, which should say something about how cheap the materials are, and how high the profit margin is.

[@stephenbaluran3298]

You were pulling your punches here, yet still somehow landing them. Great, thorough review.

[@NickT6630]

Thanks for the honest review David. I wont be going anywhere near this company!

[@davidanderson3425]

Thanks David for a very thorough appraisal of Ellington Pens. Clearly this is a decent pen. It writes well and is available in a nice range of colours/finishes. Sadly there is only the medium nib and for many buyers this could be an issue. My main concern is the price. Is it worth $40? I doubt it. Hopefully Ellington will recoup their startup costs and develop their range further in the future. I will watch with interest.

[@ellingtonpens815]

Thanks for your kind words, David! Yes, we are indeed developing a broad (pun intended!) range of nibs, from EF all the way to Stub and Flex nibs!

[@kennethjohnson4280]

Thank you for being upfront about this company. I was considering purchasing a pen, but if they are this unscrupulous in their marketing, where else can they not be trusted? And so I will not be doing business with this company.

[@BrianHartman]

I'm only 5:11 into the video so far, and there are a *lot* of red flags here, from the dubious nature of the videos on their site, to the landing page not working to getting an account pulled on Instagram. After watching the end of the video, I'm glad the purchasing process went smoothly. The markup on the pen is ridiculous, but it doesn't look like a bad pen. The only thing that made me cringe a little in terns of the pen design was the finial. To have it come off that easily was alarming. Right now, this company kind of looks like what MVMT is to the watch world (which isn't really a compliment).

[@AvesLacertilia]

Recently found your channel. As someone new to fountain pens, I appreciate how thorough you are throughout your videos. Looking forward to the next one!

[@FigbootonPens]

Thanks for watching!

[@cesspresso]

No desire to repeat or pile onto others comments, I must admit that I’m again interested in the rubic’s cube stack. I’m wondering what the color arrangement signifies in this review?

[@AvatarIroh]

I was thinking the same thing. The white face stood out. Maybe it’s code that David is trying get out to us.

[@jerryw255]

Excellent review. Thank you.

[@jamesaritchie1]

An excellent, intelligent, and honest review. I don't know how you managed that with such a shady and obviously lying company. I would guess there is no international shipping. Amazon, rather, has a bunch of these pens scattered out in various warehouses so delivery anywhere in the US is two or three days at most. It's the same Chinese "brass" that Jinhao and other Chinese manufacturers use. It is so low grade that it really doesn't even count as being brass by western standards. Most Chinese metals are this way. They use western names and designations for various metals that are nowhere close to their western counterparts. Two of the biggest offenders are 1095 steel, which is so far off from western 1095 steel that there has been much uproar about it, and "brass". Western 1095 steel, and especially 1095 CV steel that real Ka-Bar knives use, is one of the very best high carbon, or "naked" steels in the world. It's what anyone who goes into the wilderness wants. Chinese 1095 steel is so weak you can bend it over your knee. Compare the brass in a Chinese pen to something like the brass in a Kaweco Brass Sport. There is no resemblance at all. You can tell at a glance that they aren't the same metal. This Chinese "brass" is simply so cheap and easy to make that Chinese manufacturers use it for all sorts of things. It is readily available, and Jinhao chose it for many of their early pens because it was actually cheaper to use than plastic. But it sounds good when marketed as brass. This "brass" dents easily, and I've found dents on many chinese pens made from it, once the thin layer of shrink wrap is removed. The shrink wrap that gives many pens the color or design on the barrel is perfect for hiding dents and dings, and it does. In short, when any Chinese made pen claims to be made of brass, I stop listening and the word "luxury" never enters my mind. A really excellent, well-balanced review, but I don't see pink flags with this company, I see glowing red flags. As for China, I have a LOT against China, ranging from ongoing genocide to political imprisonment to wiping some whistleblowers out of existence, to outright murder of dissidents, to government sponsored muggings of business people, to build a stockpile of nuclear weapons large enough to destroy the world, and at a time when everyone else is trying to reduce the number of weapons we have. In manufacturing, China really doesn't try to hide a lack of quality. They are not ashamed of how manufacturing in China works. As one frind of mine in China put it, "We make wonderful, beautiful children's toys and sell them to outsiders as adult tools." He is in fountain pen manufacturing. Andother friend who manufactures knives says the same thing, only in different words. Chinese pocketknives, at least some of them, are beautiful, and very, very well made with exacting fit and finish, but when you compare them to western knives, you notice the blade are just a little thinner, the brass looks more like stainless steel than brass, etc. And the steel is almost always a grade or often two grades, below what it claims to be. These are the only two areas of manufacturing I know anything about, but my Chinese friends say it's the same all over. This does not mean that Chinese knives and fountain pens can't be pretty, or that the fit and finish will be terrible. Nor does it mean that these products don't perform well. It does mean the materials will be inferior, and the pens will not last as long as a western counterpart. If you want your Chinese pen to last much longer, the smart thing to do is to replace the nib. The tipping on just about all Chinese nibs is made from very low grade stainless steel. It wears down very fast with regular use.

[@rudolfdrescher6418]

Love the Feedback , Insights and overall revies of the Pens he evaluates , really great info

[@ellingtonpens815]

Thank you very much for posting this review, David! Naturally, we think you were fair and candid in everything that you said. Your comments, also, about the excessive and in some cases unpermitted use of stock footage are noted, and we've since removed that video from our website. We're a start-up with a silly passion for fountain pens and clearly still have a lot to learn - so thank you once again for your feedback!

[@Robert-zb5ep]

Great honest and fair review handled with integrity. There are A LOT of "affordable luxury fountain pen" brands on Amazon around the same price point and Ellington Pens just seems like an addition to those brands. Years ago when I was a novice to fountain pens I would get suckered into these and not know any better.

[@Javi_C]

Thank you for showing us David!

[@rkrock2514]

Sketch-city! So glad I grew up in NYC, where I learned to spot china-town junk a mile away. If anyone does buy one of these "Luxury" pens, let us know if u find "Help-me" notes in the care instructions, like the Shein clothing company orders! Wouldn't doubt it.

[@craigbond7877]

I am usually quite wary of pens advertised on Facebook and their "snake oil" advertising. This company seemed a little better but I was seeing a few red flags. I made a couple neutral comments and questions. Later these comments were gone and I found it interesting that there were no comments at all despite several days passing after the initial post. Thanks for your honest review and alerts to some "pink flags."

[@kimduhaime502]

This thing looks like a mashup of extra parts from other pens. That bolt shaped finial thing looks like a piece that's found on the Ferris Wheel Press Brush model, as does the shape of the grip. FWP is Canadian but their pens are made in China.

[@ericritter46]

I have 3 of these. I enjoy them. The only issue I've had was the midnight rose would not work with diamine midnight AT ALL. I guess it just doesn't like that ink. It works fine with the diamine green/black and writers blood.

[@munozrick]

Thanks for a tell-it-straight review. I would love to also see Doodlebud's take on the engineering and manufacturing quality of this pen. The company seems to be counting on many potential customers that have no fountain pen knowledge and are easily swayed by marketing hyperbole.

[@gadgetstop321]

I like the idea of the final being removable in case the clip gets sprung and needs to be bent back into shape. The cap appears to post deeply, which I like, but the large nut shaped finial seems to be responsible for back weighting the pen when posted, which I find disappointing.

[@danielwilliams1672]

I find it interesting how the hexagonal finial is basically just a nut. It makes the cap look cheap in my opinion. Interesting pen.

[@stephaniehyatt309]

I hate that cheap nut! Just horrid 🤦‍♀

[@ShahriarFarkhan]

I appreciate the thoroughness and honesty in your review. Over the last few years, there have been a few companies trying to market inexpensive Chinese pens in the west. Usually, at a considerable markup. The worst of these take off the shelf pens that one can purchase directly from ebay. I'm glad this company has tried to be upfront about the source for their pens but but their marketing leaves a lot to be desired.

[@shaloorakheja8991]

Thanks David for a thorough review. I ordered this pen on Nov. 08 and its scheduled to arrive on Nov. 16th. So not quite 2-4 days they claimed but hopefully it will appear tomorrow.

[@ellingtonpens815]

Hey Shaloo! Thank you so much for your order! It's 2-4 business for UK and US orders, but 5-10 for international orders! Excited for your pen's arrival!

[@shaloorakheja8991]

@@ellingtonpens815 Did get my order today. It writes well, but not postable at all for me. Very back weighted and difficult to write. But other than that, I think its pretty decent.

[@stormsigma]

Just about the only pen I've ever been glad the finial unscrewed was my Opus 88 Demonstrator, because it had a habit of burping ink after being in my shirt pocket all day, and so had (highly visible!) ink staining up inside the cap. I was able to unscrew the finial, remove the clip, and dunk the entire thing in a small vial of pen wash and it cleaned it right up.

[@michaelangarone4773]

Excellent and honest review. I remember and purchased the Visionaire from Kickstarter and was not impressed with the pens I received.

[@jacobling2119]

"the margin is rather healthy", says it all. 🤣🤣

[@sue08401]

I own one and the nicest thing is it writes smoothly - BTW I have owned fountain pens for over 60 years and actually sold them many decades ago and have owned Montblanc's, Shafer's, Parker's, Pelican's etc. It's a decent pen and a good value

[@avgjoeshow4208]

Reminds me of the Wordsworth and black pens you see on amazon

[@gregoryhawkins9172]

Stevie, thank you for information

[@bigstaif7753]

Hi, What do you think of the Jinhao x159 (a hommage pen or sort of a meisterstuck 149 knock off

[@alfredomalchiodialbedi7901]

Hi, thanks for all the great reviews that make us able to make advised choices; by the way, just to let you know, this pen that is supposed to be delivered in the US in two days actually arrives in at least five days.

[@kojiattwood]

Let me guess, they talk about "cutting out the *DREADED* 'middle-man'"

[@lucaciprian8923]

"Affordable luxury", "Indistinguishable from an expensive one"... these sentences sounds really like we have the "Daniel Wellington" of the fountain pens...

[@edwardstaats4935]

Thank you for your excellent video

[@randy25rhoads]

Wow, the story section of their website is, ahem, really something. And by “something” I of course mean “horseshit”.

[@LisaRSArt]

Bought two. The first one a Stealth, was a gift. The second one, a Piano, did not write at all with the cartridges provided. In the end…not a bad writer but not super smooth. Good price & great shipping but I probably would not buy again.

[@humanfirst11]

I felt that you were extremely careful wording your reviews for this pen.

[@seancoyote]

The most distinctive feature of the pen, the octagonal finial. Isn't that just a polished brass nut?

[@TheNightowl001]

In light of the shortage of color/trim combinations that appeal to me, the price, the lack of available finer nib sizes and the hubris in their advertising, I think this sits well below Hongdian in my list of desirable pens to add to my collection. The size and weight keep them somewhere on the list if they ever come up with an extra-fine nib for the Stealth model and a decent discount. Incidentally, they CLAIM that the nib is a "gold alloy," not stainless steel. Appreciate the in-depth review listing what you find as negatives as well. I think our opinions about this line of pens would probably be pretty similar.

[@thespaminator]

I think you can get much better pens for a lot less money.

[@crouserm]

I appreciate your careful research into the background as well as your exposition of the working of this pen, David. You confirmed my thought that this was an English pen rather in the same way as a Wordsworth & Black. I'd rather have less ersatz backstory and more production value. The Hongdian N7s and N8s spring to mind.

[@josephfiore2843]

Was there a part two to this review? I can't seem to find it. thanks.

[@FigbootonPens]

There was not...the additional info is at the end of this video.

[@andrewilliamson4926]

"Inkling." I see what you did there.

[@soxandbears]

Watch enthusiasts getting Daniel Wellington vibes watching that promo video

[@ellingtonpens815]

And, FYI, our first IG account was (incorrectly) detected as a bot hence why it got banned, we couldn't retrieve it despite going through IG's verification process!

[@ichirofakename]

Best of luck with your new endeavor.

[@ellingtonpens815]

@@ichirofakename Thank you for your kind words!

[@mikedulrich]

The hex looks like a gold painted nut from a hardware store, which makes the pen feel like it was stuck together with spare parts. Seems like they're spending more on marketing than they are on the actual product. But if the nib works reasonably well, at least it's functional.

[@daniduc]

Yeah, I believe the correct technical term for this pen and company is “dodgy af”. Avoid. Thanks for the heads up.

[@jadeturtledesigns]

I have 2 Ellington pins. I use them as everyday carries in my bag they're okay for what I use them for, but it wouldn't break my heart if i lost them

[@theautisticside]

Reposting what I commented on another reviewer's video. Based on a UK business and trademark search, Ellington Pens is owned by the same person who own(ed) Dryden Designs. Neither Ethan Ellington nor Michael Dryden actually exist. The person behind these two brands has other e-commerce websites with fake employee profiles and other unsavory business tactics. And that's just what I dug up in an hour's worth of internet search. And yes, I have receipts.

[@theProf_01]

Well done. Kudos!!!

[@gynechiatrist]

Well. Integrity lives. $40 is not nothing. Let’s see if they exist in 90 days!

[@kseanmcfarland]

Must not be going well. They're $20 on Amazon right now. Wigs me out that there are only 50+ 5-star reviews on their site. No 4,3,2, or 1. Sprinkle some 4's in there so it's not obvious fakery. Still, I'd maybe try it for $20. Waiting to see if they make good on their claim of more nibs coming soon.

[@ellingtonpens815]

Thanks for alerting us to the price discrepancy on Amazon, Sean! Not sure how this happened, but it's now been fixed!

[@kseanmcfarland]

@@ellingtonpens815 LOL cool. Don't anybody come for me! 😆

[@ellingtonpens815]

@@kseanmcfarland haha! alright, we'll call back the goons! 😜

[@ReneLangerWien]

Looks like the pen equivalent of an Daniel Wellington watch..

[@AwesometownUSA]

I didn’t get the reference (not a watch guy) (… uh, yet), but I couldn’t find any info about DW through a google search that wasn’t just front loaded, SEO overdrive, effusive “marketing-speak” … which now that I type that, does seem pretty apt D:

[@Richard_Barnes]

I live in the UK and wanted to support the launch, however I will not buy from a UK company that then chooses to sell it in USD. Credit card fee's then added for USD to GBP conversions for anyone without a fee free credit card. Appreciate your honest review as always 🙂

[@ellingtonpens815]

Hey Richard! Our website prices appear in USD but customers can choose to pay in whichever local currency they wish, without incurring any exchange or transaction fees!

[@CAMSLAYER13]

100% it's a Chinese company trying to imply value for money

[@Klokopf52]

After doing some digging into the company myself i can fully understand that strange aftertaste they leave. Somehow they managed to turn a somewhat honest business into one that looks like it is run by con artists... Not a good thing. Just an example: They sell you a fairly cheap to make pen for 40$, charge 9$ shipping to Germany, and then they ask you for a tip during checkout? I have only ever seen this on kick-starter type companies. Greed beyond belief wrapped up in a false sense of kindness and appreciation, just my opinion tho. Also, they ask for a tip before i get the pen, so if its crap do i get my tip back? Doesn't make sense to me... I just ordered one to test the nib myself since i really like this price bracket for pens. Enough to get something decent, but not the end of the world if they brake or get stolen. Nice travel companions basically.

[@ellingtonpens815]

Hey Lukas! Firstly, thank you for your order! We don't ask for a tip, it's simply there for those who might wish to exercise that option! Yes, shipping is a bit pricey; we ship with an expedited DHL courier from the US (where most of our stock is currently held) and pay around $20 per unit for this service and only pass on 50% off the cost to the customer! And lastly, we'll follow up with you via email once you've received your Ellington Pen to see if you still stand by your 'cheap' remark! Thanks again for your patronage!

[@mellow-jello]

Gives further credit to other Chinese legit manufacturers (Jinhao, Hongdian, etc.) whom produce affordable pens, and make no claims to be luxury items, or sus marketing. At least Ellington did not make it to the bottom spot of his reviews, though close there with the mixing inks Ti pen.

[@cyntoh9265]

Any else notice the president(?) is using a ball point in his images where he discusses the balance and nib comparisons.

[@texasboy5117]

Looked on their website and they say the nibs a made of “gold alloy”. I believe I will take a pass on this pen.

[@mattivirta]

all nibs have gold alloy i not have newer hear or seen pure full gold nibs anywere, not possiple gold have too soft metal.

[@texasboy5117]

@@mattivirta Yes 24K (pure gold)is too soft. Most gold nibs use 18 or 14K nibs. Even these nibs are tipped with another metal. “Gold alloy” is often used for something which is something which is a cheap.

[@mattivirta]

@@texasboy5117 no matter have full or alloy gold all working good, same than if has chrome cover working good, waste only money have full gold.

[@kennethjohnson4280]

Attempted to purchase Bloody Brexit, and two months after this video and I can't find it anywhere not even the Diamine website.

[@janekerrigan4293]

It’s a German exclusive

[@_Wolfsbane_]

And here I was hoping for a 40 $ gold nib offering.

[@nancymcnee2707]

Figboot - really like watching your videos. Tell us newbies how you came to have this name!

[@FigbootonPens]

That is a question which might very well be answered in the next video I post...so stay tuned.

[@kolaloh]

3 minutes in: I love how optimistic this video is :) 5 minutes in: ah yes, some good old freebooting 19 minutes in: what a name for an ink! The end: but did the QR code work?

[@FigbootonPens]

Kind of. The code takes you to the Facebook Messenger for Ellington. I was expecting it to take you to their website.

[@sennen222]

If you feel have to tread so carefully until the 7:30 minute mark, it tells us everything we need to know - that our money is better deserved elsewhere. 100% smoke and mirrors... "gold alloy" hahaha

[@jadefae]

As much as this is a negative review, I must admit with all those red flags it doesn't seem that bad. Would I still prefer to just stick with a Lamy Safari or smth? Yeah probably, but like, decent I guess.

[@DerekManuel]

Seems like an OK pen, and not bad looking, but probably overpriced at $40. I do not like that their marketing is so deceptive, though, and if I didn't have enough other reasons not to buy one of these, I probably would not support them on that basis.

[@daniduc]

This reminds me Daniel Wellington watches: cheap made in China product being sold as if they're affordable luxury itens designed in Europe, using social media for an aggressive marketing bordering deception, and luring influencers/reviewers to borrow their prestige and reputation

[@mattivirta]

lot basic stuff in china have sure luxury in europe because chinese hadmade stuff have lot lot better and made last 4000 year china and japan, and have lot better skill made many stuff than europe automation line factory can newer made.

[@halfsourlizard9319]

Everything about this company is dodgy and seems to -- at best -- stretch the truth. I pity the naïve who believe that these pens were invented by a 'mathematician' ... or who think that they're getting a 'gold-alloy' nib (or is it 'nip'(?)) at this pricepoint ...

[@alexmood6407]

Some Chinese pens are well made. I have A couple of Cross pens and the finish is very good. Considering that both Cross and this pen are Made in China maybe 40 dollars is not such a bad price. After all, manufacturing cost is usually around 10% of the retail price. But their promotional material would put me off from buying this pen. Maybe it’s a positive sign that we have these companies selling rebranded or repackaged fountain pens from China. Dryden pens comes to mind. It means there’s demand for fountain pens. And this is not a new practice. I have a 1971 Conway Stewart President that is just repackaged Platinum pen. Conway Stewart was respected brand at the time in trouble because ballpoint became preeminent writing tool and fountain pen was not yet reinvented as luxury and collectors item. So they imported cheap but well made pen from Asia and sold it under their name.

[@bryanmarsh9886]

I note your restraint with this review, and it feels like you were somewhat coerced into doing this review of a cheapo kit-like pen. The phrase that you "don't need to get sued over a fountain pen review" is a sad commentary.

[@ellingtonpens815]

Hey Bryan! We struggle to 'cooerce' one of our team members to show up to the office on time lol, so I think you're giving us too much credit in 'cooercing' David to do anything he doesn't want to do!

[@coniferous4637]

Honestly the pen doesn't seem so bad if you value the look more than other things

[@AntonioBarba_TheKaneB]

it looks about as luxury as the average $5 brass body generic Jinhao pen, nothing wrong with that but it's not worth the $40. For the same price you can get much better chinese pens like the Parker IM :D

[@mattivirta]

true, i have pilot and parker and mountblank and many chinese 5$ pen have better than old shit ower expensive name brand pens.

[@williamhowland1171]

On sale at Amazon and with a coupon that is offered cost me $16.

[@ellingtonpens815]

Lucky you William! We're new to the whole Amazon thing and still trying to find our way around, hence the few issues we've been having! Anyway, hope you like it!

[@timothyweber671]

Them not telling you why their account got banned makes me not wanna buy one at all super sketch

[@nikbuckingham1132]

Octagonal what? Ain’t that just a gold colored bolt?