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ConnorGasgarth
52
Oct 11, 2015
$200 for a nib made from steel and a converter needed? And a MSRP of $400... no
vitali
13
Oct 12, 2015
ConnorGasgarthI recently purchased Otto Hutt Design 2 and it is now my favourite pen. You are entitled to your view, but IMHO it is unsubstantiated.
STINGFAN
48
Oct 13, 2015
ConnorGasgarthIt says it comes with a converter.. "Both come in a black gift box with a cartridge, converter, and microfiber cloth."
Otto Hutt has a very good reputation for making high quality Fountain Pens...they are NOT widely distributed in the US like many other Pens are.
b.steinke3
10
Oct 15, 2015
ConnorGasgarthit doesn't matter. sure its not a gold nib but I know of other expensive pens with a steel nib and they write perfectly. look at the Visconti Van Gogh for instance. I find that pen writes beautifully. and the delta fusion nibs are essentially a steel nib with a gold slab pasted on the top of it and it is possibly one of the smoothest nibs I own. You are paying for the remarkable craftsmanship. Dont knock it until you try it. It may surprise you. unless you are specifically looking for line variation. but a good solid steel nib is always useful in anyone's pen collection
mainak12
16
Apr 29, 2016
b.steinke3I always wanted to ask this question. So why are fountain pens made with 14kt or 18kt gold nibs if the steel ones work well anyway? Is there a difference? It seems logical that steel nibs would be more durable and not easily hurt if it fell. I collect fountain pens and I like to buy pens with gold nibs. Am I throwing my money away?
b.steinke3
10
Apr 29, 2016
mainak12gold nibs usually offer a more pleasurable "bouncy" (as many people call it) writing experience. They are more expensive so unless you are looking to improve the "feeling" then I wouldn't say it's worth it. Steel nibs are very good and I still love using them. If you don't have a problem with steel nibs then I most certainly wouldn't worry about upgrading. If it ain't broke don't fix it. I have many gold nib pens and many steel nib pens. I love both for various different reasons. Gold or steel nibs will both break if dropped from any meaningful distance. However, the durability aspect comes into play when trying to flex the tines. Gold nibs are softer than steel so if you try and flex the tines there is a greater risk of springing the tines (if pressing too hard). But again, if you press either steel or gold too hard the tines will spring, it's just easier with the gold. To answer your question, they are made because people enjoy the finer things in life. It's just a way to further improve the experience. The only way you'd be throwing away your money is if you don't use the pen or if you don't enjoy a bouncier writing experience. If you are an avid user and collector, and know you love fountain pens then I would say it is definitely worth a shot, if you don't like it then sell it. Fountain pens retain pretty much all of their value unless damaged. So whether you're throwing away your money or not depends what you look for in a pen. Sorry for the long answer :P I love talking pens
mainak12
16
Apr 29, 2016
b.steinke3That's great. You make a lot of sense. I do like gold nibs exactly for the reasons you state but sometimes even gold nibs do not feel good. I suppose one needs to stick with the certain feel and weight of a particular pen and use it regularly to be happy. I also buy gold-nibs pen for their resale value. I got into collecting pens because my father and grandfather both had certain favorite pens, and on each birthday I received a nice pen. That is why I am sentimental about pens and now I have so many that I use one every week. Again, thank you for your generous and enlightening response.
mainak12Adding to b.steinke3's excellent answer: Gold nibs, even though softer, are practically impervious to corrosion and the relentless wear of time. SS nibs, though durable can and will corrode, especially if carelessly inked.