Why Are Some Pen Materials So Coveted?

[@Michelt007]

This is very interesting topic, thanks to doctor Brown to handle it so well, and thanks for the person who suggested it. I think we may all agree that, everything else being equal, we will pick the best looking pen, and that includes in big part the material it was made of. On the other hand, the money we pay for a pen, as for any product, is like the budget we give to the manufacturer to produce it, and if most is spent on one topic, we may have to pay much more to cover the rest, or accept that other parts of the pen will be of lower quality. The more I am into pens, the less I care about their look. The budget I give is to make the pen that write in the most comfortable and reliable way, which means the pen fits well in the hand, the nib glides on the page with some feedback, the converter (my preferred choice for ink reservoir) holds a decent volume of ink and can provide the feed with enough ink flow. Anything else is a nice to have, including a gold nib, for which the only reason is to have some soft and bouncy experience. I don't see the point for a gold nib that is as stiff as a steel nib, and as for steel nibs, a mini-fude or otherwise well-made nib, like the one for the Diplomat Magnum, is just as good as a gold nib and I will use it just as much as the gold nib.

[@paulmchugh1430]

Celluloid for the tactile feel of the material and colors. Ebonite for the feel, warmth, ripples and chased designs. Lava pumice for the feel, warmth of the material and the hydroscopic properties. Resin for the weight (or lack of) wonderful colors, ribbons, sparkle, "cracked ice", etc. Lacquer (laque) for beautiful and sometimes hand painted designs and artwork. Lacquer is usually applied to brass or ebonite Lastly wood which can be stained, painted or natural tones with lacquer, varnish or acrylic applied to maintain its appearance. These are the materials that I refer

[@tancreddehauteville764]

I like celluloid for its unique beauty, though some acrylic can almost match it. Ebonite has a warm, tactile feel that makes you want to hold the object. Sterling silver has weight, solidity and the feel of a rich, valuable metal. I have pens in all these materials and love them. That said, there is a limit in terms of what I am prepared to pay for them - prices have now risen to insane levels, and a browse on eBay can confirm this.

[@YvesVanmaele-du2ib]

Living in a highly digital world has sparked a comeback and growing interest in fountain pens in general ...

[@astromanager]

I think it's a matter of Alfred Sloan did with GM: make a model for everyone. The marketers found a way to tap the high-end pen market. In doing so, you also create demand to go up the scale (from Chevrolet to Buick to Cadillac), thereby enlarging the market of those who will pay the high price.

[@varadharajannadarajah]

Acrylic, Celluloid, Ebnoite and Urushi coated ebonite

[@evanbasnaw]

Value to me: I used to attend conventions. I was in for $800-1200 for the experience of a weekend and a few trinkets once or twice a year. I stopped going to those. Now, when I consider the value proposition of purchasing a pen (in the yearly budget) I consider that I'll get much more enjoyment out of writing with it long term for $200 than the weekend convention. My conditions: I don't consider sale price because any pen worth having is not something I plan to sell. I have a bit of discretionary income that I can budget for luxuries like pens. I consider them functional artwork and I like to support the creators of these things. I also design and make my own so I have a better understanding of what it takes to make a good product so it increases my appreciation for a well-built writing instrument.

[@poornimasalian308]

Which broad nib fountain pens are best

[@pcschick]

Pens probably fall into the category of "goods of ostentation." The more they cost, the more people are willing to pay for them. Think Chanel, etc.

[@ichirofakename]

1. Also interesting is the case of Conid. No special materials. The only thing special is the slightly unique filling mechanism and an unusually limited production. Which of those two features makes it so desirable? 2. Chinese food has also gotten much more expensive.

[@williamcatalano1762]

I seriously have no idea what all the hoopla is about Conid. I'm sure they are great pens, but they aren't worth what they are charging for them at all. I've also never been a demo fan so it won't appeal to me much in that sense either.

[@LucasKellis]

Spot on exploiting, though never seen an elasticity graph like that but I can appreciate a non-economists perspective of presentation.

[@Tom_Samad]

There's definitely an element of FOMO involved with some coveted pen materials. To me, the finish on a pen is also very important as well as the material that the pen is made from.

[@williamcatalano1762]

Oddly enough... My OMAS Paragon just came in the mail today. It's blue Saffron Celluloid. I have an ASC Triangolo in Green Autumn (Saft Green) Celluloid and a Nettuno 1911 Superba in Emerald Celluloid. I adore celluloid because I just love the feel of it. It also has this depth that most acrylics can't get to. I also have an Arco Bronze Celluloid Paragon coming. That material is the most beautiful I've ever seen. I've always wanted an Arco Bronze. I've also always wanted a Blue Saffron Celluloid. Is it worth over 1200 dollars? Absolutely not. But that's what I'm paying for the Arco Bronze. I got the Blue Saffron on a bigger discount because I had points coming for a percentage off. I guess Celluloid is my favorite material then Ebonite closely after. Metals and acrylics come after that. Each year it seems the price I'm willing to pay goes up a hair as I push the line so do the manufacturers. I agree they mark the price because they know they can sell it to us handily. I do adore this new Paragon though even though a lot of people have said how much they didn't care for it and how it isn't really OMAS. I'm not really a purist in that sense so it doesn't bother me. Pelikan recently changed hands too, doesn't mean the new pens coming out aren't Pelikans. But alas... I took this pen inked it up wrote with it and fell in love even more. Then I let it sit uncapped for over 6 minutes to test the nib drying out. It wrote immediately. That is a good pen I don't care who you are.

[@sunrisechaser7913]

To use another term from economics, some of these pens have become Veblen goods.

[@halfsourlizard9319]

100%

[@cpcfreak]

Elite and elusive craftsmanship is an interesting driver of the market, pens, watches, cover that huge spectrum from disposable to timeless. However, I find things become most interesting when something quirky grows in demand, like the Swatch craze a few years back, it drove a product from what many almost viewed as disposable to collectable and prices followed. We've seen something similar recently with NFTs. However, eventually there have been corrections, and I have to wonder if this is the ultimate fate of something like Bitcoin, of course the investors will hope and argue not but I wouldn't be so sure. When fashion departs true craftmanship remains but often becomes elite in the process.

[@karenstepanov1703]

Great analysis!) Can celluloid become foggy and lose its beauty with time? And how to prevent and treat it?) thanks!)

[@squirejinx]

While I respect craftsmanship, I regard a fountain pen primarily as a tool, a device that I use to make letters. I would readily pay many times the price of an ordinary sable hair brush if an expensive one improved the quality of my paintings to a comparable degree, but not for a brush that is merely aesthetically more pleasing (e.g., has a handle of an exotic wood) but has negligible impact on the quality of my painting. Some duffers will eagerly shell out a fortune for the latest whizzbang golf club rather than improve their game by dedicated practice with the old one.

[@osirisgolad]

I think part of the reason this is happening right now is that any small object seen to be both timelessly desirable and limited in production is seen as a safer asset to dump one's money into than the traditional assets like real estate. As long as the international financial systems keep being weaponised, this will continue to be the case. For me personally, the attraction is in the detail. There are plenty of materials that consist of shattered chunks of plastic recast into a rod, but if you ever see a pen made out of Impero celluloid, you instantly recognise the gigantic difference in detail. It's the same thing with old stacked celluloids compared to the acrylic dupes people have tried to make; there isn't the same attention to detail that brings the material to life. Arco and Spina celluloids, same thing, and it's not like there haven't been dozens of attempts to recreate them.

[@Draco52-h5r]

The type of material of the fountain pen is not my first priority. A fountain pen must: 1. write perfectly; 2. lie well in the hand; 3. look nice; 4. be priced correctly. That's it!

[@alexwhiteowl]

Interesting approach, and yes, penfluencers have much to do with it. I couldn't understand the celluloid appeal until i got a Leo Ibrida which has a celluloid section - it is beautiful!! But i still wouldn't pay that much for a celluloid pen. My sin was the PM4 material... Badly wanted a pen made out of it. I ended up with 3 and consider selling them, because the material has sooo many variants... Did you ever look for a specific material? Do you have any advice for the inevitable disappointment coming with swirl resin pens? Maybe this separated celluloid from resins, too - i haven't seen such big differences in celluloid appearances, as there are in resins... Still my most beautiful pen is a Leo MZG Mother of Pearl! (But even that had some less pretty variances)

[@stashi3107]

I thought this was going to be about pens and why particular materials are prefered for their construction. I would be interested in THAT video... Why use ebonite vs celluloid vs acrylic vs any particular metal? Weight? Feel in the hand? Assuming it is a c/c type pen, I am probably more covetous of construction. The pen should ideally be made from only three pieces of material: cap, barrel and section (into which you screw a nib unit -another 3 pieces!). No glue, no sleaves, no threaded collars, no cap liners, no clips(😮). Still, I don't mind listenning to Dr Brown's thoughts on the human physche/ condition! Given that one misses out on almost 100% of everything, it's probably important that the 0% you do experience has value to you rather than anyone else. So you can disregard me and buy pens in whatever materials you like. 😊

[@March22012]

I!m more a fan of the acrylics with interesting patterns. I”m not into the care of a more unique material. I also want to use the pen with joy so the shape of the barrel and nib are also important.

[@kokopiper]

I wonder if fountain pen elasticity would map onto levels of income inequality....?

[@duringthemeanwhilst]

an Arco pen Is a grail pen for me. one day 🙂

[@thomasmorrison675]

I prefer the acrylic, and "precious resin" pens, I don't care for the metal, brass and pens made of a heavy material. Would I like to have a celluloid pen, absolutely but I am not going to rush out and get one now, or anytime soon. I won't pay an inflated price for a pen based on the material it is made from.

[@astudent1109]

Your Economics is fine. Nothing to worry about

[@jacobus57]

I wonder how much the last five years of increasingly scorched everything combined with social media driven fomo, has contributed to profligate spending. When it comes to fountain pens, only two things really matter. In descending order, they are: 1. Writing performance (this includes capped dry out) 2. How it feels in hand. All else, to steal from Thomas, is straw. Do I enjoy pretty things? Of course, but I can hang pretty things on my walls. I would take the simple black Scrivenier pocket pen you gifted me over a 1k plus beast that had to be nibmeistered any day.

[@threethrushes]

I had the opportunity to buy three extremely rare, well-priced, beautiful Nakaya FPs just before Christmas. In the end, I decided just to get one of those. Why? Firstly, because I've decided to collect only a specific type of pen. Secondly, to let others enjoy these beautiful pens. Thirdly, I don't want to suffer from FOMO.

[@danravenna2974]

It happens across the board. As with firearms. Something unique will peak curiosity and the prices be darned. If it does not catch your fancy, you won't be able to give it away.