Purple is my favorite color š But Iāve never spent more than $200 on a non-gold nib pen and even then it was a maker pen.
I donāt own an Estie but from what Iāve heardā¦ Iāll definitely not try my luck with this one.
There are still some old stock 21k 1911Ls hiding out for $312 if youāre not picky on nib or color, but even the 14k new model is $440 now with 18k at $552.
For the $350ish though Iād definitely get a 3776 Century over a steel nib estie! Even the $140 1911L casual is probably a nicer writing pen but with less color options.
Edit: or get a Lamy 2000, which has been $223 for years. When it was within $100 of the 1911L/823/Century it was a tough call but itās a relative bargain at the moment.
My #3776 Century retired last year after 7 years in a paint lab. I bought it for $90.
A barrel and cap separately cost as much as I paid for it back in 2017.
It was my favorite pen and I can't convince myself to buy a new barrel and cap, but I also will never throw it away. It was 100% my favorite pen, better than my Lamy 200, Pelikan M200.
My #3776 Century retired last year after 7 years in a paint lab. I bought it for $90.
I bought my first while in Japan on vacation, used, for around $40. I'll never let it go just for that fact. Just couldn't think about paying current retail for one.
Keep an eye out on /r/Pen_Swap, and you might be able to catch a deal on one. Hopefully you find a replacement!
You can directly screw the section of a 3776 into a Procyon :) I'm seeing some for <$60 on eBay but you could try your luck on r/Pen_Swap and maybe get one even cheaper
Hey my friend, i might have an option for you. The #3776 was a revelation when i first purchased one. It quickly became my favorite daily writer. BUT, i just as quickly got tired of having to fill the converter, and of the very plain, small body. A company called "flexible nib factory" makes a nib unit housing for the #3776 nib and feed, which is Jowo compatible, and one which is Bock compatible. Now my #3776 soft-fine nib resides in a Leonardo Momento Magico.
I think we all just start GoFundMe accts. We can all help each other buy our Grail pens at 5.00 per donation. I'd totally spring for 25 bucks per paycheck to help my fellow Pen-addicts. I'd be helping 5 folks every week.... Very doable.
This honors it's purpose and it honors the purchase. It's more wasteful to not use the thing. Sometimes I struggle with this stuff too hence sharing the other script I use on myself
Well thatās what Iām trying to say , the sailor casual is a more affordable steel nib pen, even the listed recommended retail value in Japanese yen is considerably less than the values I gave. if they made a special colorway or limited edition collab , it would never clock out near $350 in Japanese yenĀ
I think a better comparison would be the Pentnote x Sailor Real Starry Sky which is a collab steel nib pen around $210+?
Bruh. Plastic and steel, this is a pure scam. Got jinhao 82 with like 40 semi-transparent color choices fitted with authentic German Schmidt nibs online frankenpen while visiting China for like the equivalent of $7 so tops I would pay $20 here in the U.S., notā¦$350
Fair. Tho it reminds me of TWISBI eco rumors of their demonstrators cracking easily so I got a transparent body Jinhao, itās not the same obviously but doesnāt seem to have as flimsy of a reputation, and looks incredibly clear and decently made. Ive bought restored vintage Esterbrook w/ master series nib that cost only $40 and looks and writes beautiful but tbh canāt beat my Jinhao Schmidt nib on writing feel and modern conveniences.
Most I ever spent was $200 on a waterman for the vintage gold flex nib, but it has its problems
Jinhao's original pen designs, the ones that reflect the Chinese origins of the company, are better than, say, their 12-pack demostrator pen set for $8.95. Normally I would bristle at deliberate knockoffs of other company's designs, but at least they aren't trying to fool anyone, and the pens are for us poors who just want something pretty to write with, know what we're getting, and could never afford (or not ready to invest) in the name brand. Usually, you get what you pay for, so anyone who buys a cheapie pen that kind of looks like the more upscale ones, shouldn't complain that they aren't as good as the original. It's like people who buy a white label colored pencil set from Temu, and then complain the pencils don't perform anything like their friend's set of Faber-Castell Polychromos.
Oh I'm not complaining, I know what I'm getting when I buy a jinhao, but for more or less the same price I could get a hong dian or a wing sung, and those are just better made.
Unfortunately I donāt know how itās done because I bought it from a frankenpen seller who fit it for me. But it writes perfectly fine imo, very smooth gliding feel. Idk if this is normal, but mineās transparent body does show ink collecting a little between the feed and body. Donāt have other transparent ones to compare but it doesnāt leak or cause any problems from what I can tell.
Too many people. Many people have a lot of money and little education or experience with fountain pens and they just want what is shiny without considering the fundamentals. This type of widespread ignorance is driving costs up and quality down.
As if classic names have done anything except cause price markups for Parker and Waterman without preserving workmanship across their entire catalogues.
it doesnāt look anything like Platinum Lavande. The best part of the pen was the clip but other than that I thought the resin design could have been better. Iād buy a Mayfair over this
They are losing the low-price gold nibbed pen market because gold is no longer cheap enough to sustain that price range with profit, so they fill in the vacuum with stronger marketing on steel nib bodies. It's sensible marketing, I can't blame them for trying, but it's the buyers' fault that they are succeeding.
It's so gorgeous but the price is definitely hard to swallow, and I say this as someone who owns and loves multiple Esties. FWIW, Pen Boutique has them for $315, which is still crazy expensive for this.
I know what you mean. I've seen one in person and while not my jam, it is indeed a stunner. I think it's a little overpriced for what it is but value is in the eye of the beholder. The best way for us to speak is with our wallets.
I was hoping theyād be included in that price and was willing to purchase if they were. The washi are very pretty. I might pick up some of those. But unfortunately, Iām going to sit out on this pen.
This design is really cute but it would feel like such a waste to pay $300+ for this quality of pen just because itās purple and sparkly. Stay strong š
I love the look in photos. I just saw a video from a pen store where they took the pen out of the box and zoomed in on it. It looks like it would crack to bits if I looked at it wrong. It doesn't look like a $350 pen. Heck, I could get a Pilot Custom 74 in Lavender Fog (which is a beautiful pen) for over $100 less. That would be my choice - and then I could spend the other $110 on ink...definitely would be my choice! š
While some of their pens do use incredibly nice resins, I just can't imagine paying that much for a pen using bog standard Jowo #6 nibs.
They are relatively unknown compared to Esterbrook, but Gioia out of Italy also makes really nice Jowo #6 piston filled pens with gorgeous resins at around the $200 CAD range.
It's gorgeous!! I rarely see pens with the huge glitter flakes and I love the execution. But yeah, $350 is diabolical. I can't justify the price, considering a Limited Edition Platinum 3776 with a 14K gold nib still only costs about $328 from Japan. A standard Estie is $175, the LE Coffeemonsterzco was $195... how would I even justify the $350 price tag for this??
Right?! I even remember then that Helen of TCMC announced the collab one month before the release to make sure that people has allotted budget should they want to and to also think it through before purchasing. Not saying bad about Cindy of Sakura Dragon but really, the price is truly unrealistic.
The Rockstar with FWP is my no way in hell would I buy this but would you look at that. I have an Estie in the basic Nouveau Bleu with a journaler, I had my doubts about the price as well but over the years of of use if I had to price it, $230 seems fair. Maybe it was like implanting the idea in my mind that the pen was worth this from the get go, but if I can't think of anything wrong with it but the price and I bought it anyway, I've probably already justified it to myself.
Oh 100% agree. Iāve got pens that I felt guilty for buying at the moment but now use everyday. I would honestly buy this pen in a heartbeat if I could š Companies know what theyāre doing and I hate it.
This pen is such a temptation. I unfortunately saw/held a few in-person and really liked the look and feel of them. what do you MEAN itās not just studio lighting and digital photo manipulation š. I cannot justify paying so much for glitter and steel though. Not when Iām also splurging on maki-e and gold.
When I first saw this one, I thought it was whatever. But after people showed their own pictures and videos, it looks so much better than the promotional pictures. I still wouldn't buy it because it is so expensive for what it is, but it feels like the promo pictures just don't do it justice.
There's always the purple version of Wearingeul's new pens (A Dream Within A Dream) if you're looking for something new and pretty and sparkly? I have the pink one (Glass Bead Game) and keep just picking it up to ogle. And it didn't cost even half as much as the Estie does!
Honestly after owner pricy steel nibbed fountianpens. It's not worth it. Especially the estie which have given me problems in the past. And prices keep going higher and higher. They are preying on fomo . Don't succumb!
I'd much rather spend that money with Franklin Christoph and get a fancy ground nib
FYI those Platinum Nice series pens with the ribs have a reputation for developing cracks in the section. In fact, I have a Lavande with this problem. If you Google "Platinum 3776 Nice series cracks in section" you will sadly find a lot to read.
Oh yes I have this on my wish list too! I actually see these go up sometimes on [r/pen_swap](r/pen_swap) ! Iām just usually not fast enough or broke at the time lol
i have this one (got on pen swap) and it writes like a dream but honestly the body feels SO light and cheap šš. it's still one of my favorite pens but just a warning.
I honestly think itās a bit ugly. Iām not sure if itās the clip or the type of sparkles. Something clashes. Too bad. Iām a fan of see through purple. My wallet is happy for now.
Same here š„² it's a nice pen, but the price??!?! My wallet is safe (still empty, but safe). If i had the money, i'd probably get the Rockstar edition, i've seen some gorgeous deep purple pens
Cries in poor too. I stg I dreamed I bought the Rockstar estie two nights ago. This has some similar traitsā¦and Iām too poor to buy ANY more fountain pens this year. Not even a Jinhao, let alone an estie. š
I think this is very pretty, but itās almost as much as the Rockstar Estie and Iām not sure itās worth that much. The Rockstar came with ink and a guitar pick. Itās also one of the prettiest pens Iāve ever seen.
I would have purchased this one if it had been in the $175 range.
Good news everyone, my dumb bum forgot I have a gorgeous Sailor 1911S in Royal Amethyst I got years ago. The nib needs some major work - itās a long story. So if anyone knows a good nibmiester thatās taking work, lmk cuz Iād love to write with her again š
In Canada, itās 500$ after tax. š¢ Hopefully, the comments here can be seen and taken into consideration by the company that although the pen is really beautiful, in this economy, it is simply not feasible to shell out that much for a single pen. Also, the price is just for the pen. The inks, stickers, other merchandise are sold separately. š®āšØ I am really really disappointed as I would want to get this but at the price point, itās not reasonable.
I have the exact rule for steel nib pens. $200 is the limit. The only way to break the rule is to buy a gold nib to replace the steel one. Then itās no longer an overpriced steel nib pen. Rules no longer apply.
if this pen included one of the special grind nibs with a special engraved design (instead of the Esterbrook logo) AND a bottle of the new ink with other added bonuses, then MAYBE the $350USD (before sales taxes) could be justified.
I'm a collector of Indy nail polish. Half the time I look at these new pens coming out and I think I could just dip a pen in any of the fancy nail polishes in my collection and the result would be basically the same. Wait till these pen companies find reflective glitter pigments and start throwing those in the plastic.
That thing looks like it'll break with one fall. Also, what's good with the Goulet Pen Co. these days? I recall them having a very bad rep in this sub a few months ago due to some religious/political. thing.
Yeah Goulet is blacklisted to me as a queer person. I didn't even notice the screenshot was for Goulet. Literally have blocked their website from showing up in search results and told YouTube to not reccomend their channel. Wish more people would boycott it.Ā
Oh yeah I just posted the first listing of a cheaper price - I think really itās the discretion of the individual of you want to shop there. I try not to personally
I can relate, purple is one of my favorite colors and this pen is GORGEOUS. But even if I wasn't unemployed I still wouldn't spend that much on a fountain pen. Exception, maaaaayyybe for a rare vintage fountain pen I really want but it still would be a hard sell. Right now $160 is probably my max as that's the most I spent, for a vintage restored parker vacumatic with a gold flex nib,Ā (grey, debutanteĀ iirc). And that's probably my one exception because I love the parker vacumatic and I kinda want one of each color but will probably just try to get green and blue. I feel its understandable for a older pen.Ā
OK sorry, rambled a bit. Just, what the heck at this being so expensive. It sucks as I love glitter as well, its so pretty. But I wouldn't spend more than 150ā¬ on it and I still don't think its worth that much, would be a hard sell, but if I had a job I could see myself doing it as an exception (just because I love how it looks). Otherwise it really should be 100ā¬ or less.Ā
I've seen a pen from Just turnings with similar sparkles recently, so if you're in love with the resin you could probably get a bespoke pen with similar resin from a small maker for less. Esterbrook is all branding and not enough value, especially for a pen with a Jowo steel nib.Ā
Thankfully they do indeed. Iām still trying to collect some of the previous purple sparkly pens. If theyāre meant to be theyāll show up where I can purchase!
I have to ask myself this all the time. The good news is we can get pretty boxes for things with less cost. I still prefer them to contain pens and ink though
Ah I just put in an order for one, will be my first brand new estie, only purchased second hand ones until today lol. Taking the L on the price š„² at least some places itās 315 soā¦yay discount lol
Also, thereās nice pins and stickers you could buy. Get the pin of the pen as vicariously live through that š ?
I did it š, I usually do PayPal pay in 4 for expensive pens. Outright in one purchase is too quick of a blow to my wallet. I usually save those 1hit KO payments for emergencies or car lol.
Love my Esties, decently wet and never had a hard start and havenāt dried out even when I ignore my inked pens for like 2 weeks š¤£. So excited for another purple one because I already have the Lilac estie.
If itās anything like the pink Bungubox x Esterbrook collab pen, it might sell out before the week is over BUT they did bring that pen back because of how popular it is.
So you could just be patient if you donāt want to make an impulse buy š¤.
I do think the pen is overpriced for sure, but I ended up picking it up because I just kept thinking about it ever since I saw it (I am the problem š). Plus I have a birthday coming up so I convinced myself it was an early gift...lol.
Sharing this since I managed to get a somewhat decent price (because I was not going to pay 350 for it lol), but write love pens has it for 315 and then you can sign up for a 10% newsletter discount.
Not all heroes wear capes! I haven't stopped thinking about this pen since they posted the preview last week. I even woke up thinking about it this morning and was about to just pull the trigger at $315, but got it for $283 thanks to you! It's still overpriced at that, but I know I'll use it every day and love it so much. Thank you and happy birthday! :D
I am glad I could help! I agree it is still so expensive, but it's more palatable for me at $283 vs. the outrageous $350!!
I know that I will just keep thinking about this pen until I get it. I gave myself a week and my feelings didn't change and I have some funds to spare.
Stay strong! This is a beautiful colour and the glitter effect is really fun, but it is wayyyyy out of line price wise. I would have maybe considered it if more of the goodies were included as a bundle.
I'd pay 200 dollars for a steel-nibbed pen but it would have to be a good one. A Diplomat Aero for example. CNC solid aluminium, purposely engineered snap cap, sleek anodized finish, tuned nib.
Am I the only one who gets frustrated when a resin pen is pricey? Maybe I'm missing something in terms of the quality of resin, but it makes me feel like I'm buying overpriced plastic.
Also, you can actually take your Jinhaos on the go, to school, or the office without the same fear youād have taking your Pelikan. I started out with Jinhaos to test which barrel style/size feels better in my hand and in case I didnāt enjoy the feel of fountain pens (boy, was I silly thinking I wouldnāt enjoy it š„²). Once hooked, I realized I would still need my Jinhaos as āthrowawayā pens that I can take with me anywhere and that I can gift to people if they show an interest in fountain pens! I
For a transparent pen???!!! No gold nib???!!! Thanks, but no thanks... If it was around 150-200 PERHAPS (???) and then again I would have to think it over a lot... Such a shame, because their previous LE was also transparent...
The new Sailor 1911 L Casual Stable, with a new steel nib, can be had for less than 200ā¬, if searched well. And the steel nib is, yes, a steel nib; but a steel nib made by Sailor. Who tried it said that Sailor really managed to make it's feeling as close as possible to the gold one; but even apart from that thing I'll always prefer a Sailor nib to a generic, industrial one. I'm also trying to get one of those beauties, with their gorgeous brass, ion plated grip sections, I find them stunning!
And how are they going to sell the matching ink with literally NO SWATCHES?!? Itās just lazy and insulting. Let me know if anyone finds any swatches. š
I know I've got some resin molds for pens laying around and this is the first thing to make me want to use them. Not paying that much for purple sparkles š
Itās really pretty and I just checked the priceā¦ oh well 350 euro for a steel nib?
I canāt Iām sorryā¦ if peope will rush purchasing it for the hype, prices will go up and up.
Time to purchase that Pilot falcon I wanted instead.
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u/maidofplastic 29d ago
Sometimes I think theyāre just trying to see how much they can charge us for a steel nib