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Grifos Mandragola Silver & Wood Fountain Pen
01 / 15
Grifos Mandragola Silver & Wood Fountain Pen
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Product Description
A rare find for the pen collector who appreciates fine Italian craftsmanship, the Grifos Mandragola takes its name from the mandrake, a popular symbol in folklore believed to bring good fortune and cure a variety of ailments. The pen is available in three striking styles, each featuring bevel-patterned sterling silver and richly colored olive or briar wood Read More
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keyboard_arrow_downSlimcea
49
Feb 11, 2016
To be honest, I really can't recommend this drop, especially the version with the wooden cap. The pen came with the nib tines out of alignment badly, and it seems I'm not the only one with QC issues. Having a wooden cap is a bad idea as well - any ink leaks get soaked into the wood and refuse to come out.
Slimcea
49
Feb 11, 2016
The cap isn't lined, the wood makes up most of the cap. Insofar as I can tell, the wood isn't lacquered as well. The ink doesn't show externally, but that's probably due to the fact that I didn't get a lot of it on the wood - once I observed it happening, I stopped using it.
Eventually, I retired the pen as I had some other issues with it . To be fair though, those were purely of my own causing when I tried to fix the badly aligned tines and misalignment of the breather hole - I snapped the nipple on the feed when pulling the nib and feed out to fix the issues. The pen wouldn't write unless I primed the feed manually with the converter. Still, if the pen had shipped without all these issues, I wouldn't have had to resort to all that just to get it to write smoothly.
I do agree that it is a beautiful pen, which makes the QC issues even more frustrating unfortunately.
Eventually, I retired the pen as I had some other issues with it . To be fair though, those were purely of my own causing when I tried to fix the badly aligned tines and misalignment of the breather hole - I snapped the nipple on the feed when pulling the nib and feed out to fix the issues. The pen wouldn't write unless I primed the feed manually with the converter. Still, if the pen had shipped without all these issues, I wouldn't have had to resort to all that just to get it to write smoothly.
I do agree that it is a beautiful pen, which makes the QC issues even more frustrating unfortunately.
Stubnib
222
Grifos Pens
Feb 13, 2016
SlimceaHello from Italy, my name is Maurizio and me and my family own Grifos pen company which have produced the pens of this drop. Sorry if my English is rough but I spend more time doing pens then writing English and I know it will look rough and with funny Italian sound. I apologize for this. I'm sorry to see your troubles and I more sorry again to have not know them. Could you please let me know if you have contact Massdrop CS ? Seem that nobody of them was knowing your troubles, Massdrop staff was not aware and they underline that they are at disposal of customers for any issue of this kind and I would add I'm too at disposal from now.
Going deeper your problems I agree that on percentage something could gone wrong when you use natural things as wood. What I mean is that it is a living thing and it could move expecially if "shocked" from very cold or very hot temperatures, high or low humidity . Note that these pens was sent in the middle of December and worst they have made the travel into an aircraft hold where temperatures cold be of minus 50 Celsius. All this to explain that your wood made cap could have its inner hole ( where nib is) became tight so the nib rub against wood hole and in consequence the nib tines go out of alignment. Is a thing that is also happend with another wholesaler order made of silver and buffalo horn pens so I could presume with your wood cap too the same situation could be happen. We always use seasoned olive wood and it work fine to avoid problems but could be a statistic number where on 100 pcs a couple gone wrong with after sale wood movement. So I'm at your disposal if you would return the cap for a change or a fix.
About ink drops on the cap inner you have not to be afride of. Olive wood is
waterproof since it have inside a small part of olive oil which protect from water or water ink. So cap inner could became dirty of ink inside but it will not came out on the cap surface.
The wood surface of olive wood is leaved natural and only a layer of natural bee wax was put. We do not like synthetic transparent paint since they make the wood look "plastic" and worst after few years the layer became yellow especially if often put under sun rays. Bee wax is the traditional method and it could be used every time you like to have again your wood gleaming and new. You may find it in furniture shops or online as well. Put a layer of wax on the cap wood and leave it dry for half an hour at least. Then use a wool cloth and polish the wood, more you rub better wool will work and gleaming will be the wood.
Last but not the least I agree with you that the same pen but with the olive wood on the barrel and silver cap could avoid both your mishaps ( inner hole and ink drops on the wood) even if (I return to say) that both them could be fixed as shown the "no problem" of the other quite 50 customers of this drop with the same pen but with no complains about.
I will answer to other messages too. I remain at your disposal.
Regards from Aosta Valley of Italy
Maurizio
CankleMan
1
Nov 10, 2015
The original description had said that the base option was a gold plated stainless nib. Did it not?
Liz
1159
Nov 10, 2015
CankleManYes, @CankleMan and @RobertoSemp. We're trying to get more information from the manufacturer on the nib that comes with this particular model. I believe the one pictured is actually the gold-plated steel nib, but there may also be the option for a regular steel nib as well. Stay tuned, and thanks for your patience!
Edit: Grifos has confirmed that this is a gold-plated stainless steel nib that is included with the pen as default.
Edit: Grifos has confirmed that this is a gold-plated stainless steel nib that is included with the pen as default.
Liz
1159
Nov 10, 2015
ZaubersemmelThat's a good point @Zaubersemmel, a matching rose gold nib would look lovely with the rose gold plated accents of this pen. We'll pass along your feedback to the manufacturer!
Stubnib
222
Grifos Pens
Mar 27, 2017
dieyenHello "dieyen", hello Dr_bossimo
In your intrested messages there is your answer too... we as craftman pen company could provvide both but also we have to remain on "Mass drop" level to meet price expectation, also pen tastes are tastes and same in resturants where people love T bone steak rare, other medium rare and other well done but on contrary of resturant chef we can't so easely meet each taste or better we could but not at same Massdrop great price. The righ way would be give to Massdrop staff feedbacks about and then if feedbacks and requests will be enough MD will be more easely intrested in run new pen version drops. Regards from Italy
Maurizio
Theroc
2318
Keyboard Club Member
Feb 11, 2016
Too bad. I thought we'd finally gotten a proper drop.
This just feeds the stereotype about Italian craftsmanship; design that makes your heart pound and quality control that breaks it.
Stubnib
222
Grifos Pens
Feb 14, 2016
Hello Theroc, thank you for spent time to go deeper on our pen quality, you have avoided to stop your evaluation to first feedbaks here on Massdrop only. I always worried about the power of the negative feedbacks, you could work fine for dozens years collecting thousands positive but are enough few negatives to have delete years of efforts. I accept to have negatives but after all is done, I mean if a few customers on 100 have had some problem on handmade pens is a statistic thing and as usual Massdrop staff and me are here to assist and fix, what I Suffer is the hurry to write negatives even without contact customer services first. May be they are used to mass production pens of big brand names which with their standard and automatic production plant sell many thousands pieces clone each of other. As you have discovered we are a small company of 4 people only and each pen are handmade and we use natural materials that the big companies can't use since difficult to standardizes and sell in their worldwide shop network. Olive wood is one of these and on an order as this Massdrop one of 50 pcs a couple of wood caps have moved during shipping ( maybe due to winter cold temperatures)... well it could happen, wood is a live material we can't grant 100% but we could assist them at 100% if they contact us.
About your doubts on order the pen or no remember you have full warranty, you have 14 days of satisfied or refund warranty so you could test the pen for a long time and if not satisfied ask for a return and have a refund or a change. Moreover you know what money other valued customer said on our pens and I hope you could trust them at least. Then if you are worried about have the olive cap note that in the drop pictures are shown also the same pen with silver made cap and olive wood barrel. In this version of the pen the silver cap can't move since made of precious metal .
I would close saying to those prefer big brand names pens comparing ours with theirs if they never meet someone of these big ones who spent their Sunday time answering to customers questions on pens wich if produced with the same features by them would cost 4-5 time more.
Always at your disposal and best regards from Italian Alps mountain.
Maurizio
Stubnib
222
Grifos Pens
Feb 14, 2016
Hello Dan, thank you so much for your comforting words on my English! I appreciate.
Do not worry if you are not able to speak Italian, also many our politicians are unable to rightly speak it but they have power position however so you too could try to govern our country! Joke aside, thank you for your pen purchase and yes we could send you it with a broad nib ( by Bock company of Germany). No problem at all. Thank you for your support to small companies. Are hard time for craft men company as our. Every day I loose some suppliers since they as us feel the competition of big brands strong of their multimillionaire marketing and their production outsourced in China.
Always at your disposal and best regards from the smallest region of Italy! Aosta Valley.
Maurizio
randywit
0
Feb 14, 2018
Massdrop has failed to resolve my issue with this pen, and Andrewpn has a similar issue. CS is not handling my claim, but "specialized team". I've heard nothing from them. Why a "specialized team" for a defect clearly visible upon inspection? After initial excitement and satisfaction with Massdrop, I fear I am finished with them. Will call Better Bus. Bureau soon.
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Stubnib
222
Grifos Pens
Feb 15, 2018
In truth is exactly the hallmarks. I confirm. I presume that they look a bit heavy since they was punched with strenght needed to make them readable on the squared Guillochè engraving of the silver. The issue is that the law on hallmarks require that they "must be readable" but to get this on some silver engraving like this one we need to add strenght on the punch. Sorry if this is a problem for you but again it was made as "warranty" . If you think this is a problem we could arrange for a return and a change. Best regards!
Jdjung
147
Apr 18, 2018
You're upset because the artisan actually stamped your pen with his mark and also labelled it as being authentic silver? I think the artisan stamps makes the pen more valuable to me. Though what would be cool is if Stubnib would actually put the names next to the marks so we know which maker actually made each pen with the history of each maker. :)
ProjectVelo
2
Mar 14, 2016
Just received my Grifos ManDragola Silver and Wood Fountain Pen today. I got the Silver Body with Wooden Cap with an extra fine nib. It is absolutely gorgeous - the picture I took does not do this pen justice. It looks so much better in person. Put the cartridge in and was up and running in just a few minutes. Writes very smooth and can't wait to get many years of enjoyment out of this pen. Have got many compliments already about how elegant and exquisite the pen looks. The pen is very well balanced and has a little bit of weight to it, but not overly so as to create hand cramps when writing for an extended period of time.
Stubnib
222
Grifos Pens
Mar 21, 2016
ProjectVeloHello from Italy!
Thank you so much for your very positive words! Enjoy your Olive and silver pens hooping to have you again as ur customer here on next drop of pens!
Maurizio
tantris
6
Jun 5, 2017
There's no photo of the wood barrel unposted. I'd like to know how the wood barrel terminates. Also, for people owning this pen with EF nib, how does that EF nib write? Well? Poorly? Scratchy? Hard starting? Skipping?
Stubnib
222
Grifos Pens
Jun 6, 2017
tantris Hello, you are right, there isn't any pich showing it in big, but if you scroll the page you will find a line with three litte pic of closed pens that show how the end of the barrel look. Click on one of them and you will get very enlarged pic as the one I attacch here (hooping you vould see it enlarged).
About how nib write I would not answer since we are the producer of these pens so I leave some other customers respond you. I would only add that all our nibs came from German company Bock and you may Google t ans see a huge number of review about this quality brand. All the best from Italy. Maurizio
ShahrinCamille
29
Jun 5, 2017
CrashspeederGrifos gold nibs are definitely softer and demonstrates a definite spring compared to their steel ones, although not flexy as in vintage-style line variation. Both are equally smooth, but the difference is certainly there, and worth paying the premium IMHO
mmg122
115
Dec 21, 2016
Maurizio...do you recommend bees wax for the briar wood also?
Great looking pens! Thanks for the opportunity to get one of these awesome pens.
Happy holiday!
Mary
Stubnib
222
Grifos Pens
Dec 21, 2016
mmg122Hello, in truth we use bee wax for all our wood, Olive, Briar, Bog Oak, Wallnut as our elder was usual do with their wood furnitures.
Thank you and Happy Christmas!
Maurizio
Stubnib
222
Grifos Pens
Feb 3, 2017
mmg122Sorry, only now I see your question. Sure we use bee wax for briar wood too. The though is that a pen is hold in hands and more is natural the thing less broblem we will have with health so no chemical varnish, only bee wax.
Regards
Maurizio
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