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GonzoTGreat
756
May 27, 2015
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With shipping included (as long as one is including an order for another 2 Metropolitans, this is the lowest price I've seen for the CON-50s. If anyone has found the for less (even if only by buying 5 or 10+ at a time), please post something.
Remember folks, you know you have friends who have coveted your fountain pens. And you know they have birthdays. And they have no idea how much these cost (or don't cost). I know I'm sounding like a sales-dude, but if you want the converters but are on the fence are on the pens, it's a different perspective to conider.
Believe it or not, this was meant to be helpful.
Cheers.
Periodically edited. No affiliations.
May 27, 2015
pixll
192
May 27, 2015
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GonzoTGreatIf you're buying in bulk, or with other pens/inks, I guess here would be a bit cheaper: http://www.engeika.com/product/967 Especially if you're stocking up on some cheap iroshizuku. (Japan has them way cheaper) Also plenty of ebay sellers that sell them for a bit cheaper, and if you buy in bulk from them I'm sure they'll offer combined shipping.
On a somewhat unrelated note, since you have both the plumix italic nib and the 78g broad stub, would you be able to give a quick comparison as to their properties and performance? I've heard people say that they're the same, but it doesn't seem so from your writing sample. Thanks.
May 27, 2015
GonzoTGreat
756
May 27, 2015
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pixll@pixll, Thanks for the link and other money saving suggestions. To be honest, I'm on a shoestring budget at the moment. While it's obvious that I truly enjoy using the Metropolitans, the CON-50s are higher on my "to buy" list. I'm using the aerometric converter on 2 of the 4 pictured. The 5th Metropolitan (misplaced) is using a refilled cartridge.
Okay, I just checked Engeika. They have the converters for $4.75/ea + $3.00 (per order?) for shipping. I'll waffle on my decision to go in on the drop for a little while, but I'll probably stick with the drop for now. As of this post, I still have 3-4 days to decide for sure.
[A brief aside: a little about me (it's relevant to the post): Many of us are drawn to Massdrop for different reasons: bargains on stuff we buy anyway, access to stuff we wouldn't have otherwise, browsing and the occasional splurge or whatever. I'm in the first category. Also, I use the stuff I buy. I write a lot (about 1+ml/day from a fine/medium nib) and am a voracious consumer of whatever info is out there when I'm starting out (and even now ... only 1.5 years into using fountain pens). As a result, I have a fair amount of knowledge about certain areas of fountain pen writing (pens, paper and ink) and enjoy sharing what I know - thus the constant and long posts. Because I'm so effusive, and I believe in transparency and "truth-in-advertising" I always mention what affiliations I may or may not have.]
Now, to your specific question: the Plumix vs. the 78g Broad. I think I had the same question when first getting into the time (and money-sucking) hobby/habit/addiction. Here's what I have figured out for myself. Bear in mind that this is all relative and from limited experience.
Plumix vs. 78g Broad comparison (no nib modifications except alignments):
Plumix seems a bit more crisp, with very slightly sharper edges. The down-stroke seems a bit narrower. It also seems a little bit drier (although that doesn't make logical sense, because that should be a reflection of the feed more than the nib). Given the choice, the 78g broad seems a bit more forgiving. If I'm taking notes in a meeting or a class and have to pick between the two, I'm going with the 78g. If I'm doing research from a book and don't have to scribble so quickly, I might pick the Plumix. My writing, though slower, is a bit "tighter" than with the 78g-broad. If I can create a picture that illustrates (no pun intended) what I'm talking about, I'll post it.
Also note: I'm not especially happy with the bodies of either the Plumix or the Penmanship (you didn't ask). Their shape doesn't bother me, but they're too light and the ink has had a tendency to leak (for me, at least).
Hope this helps.
Cheers.
Periodically edited to make corrections. No affiliations. The world is round.
May 27, 2015
larken
5
May 28, 2015
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GonzoTGreatIf you just want many convertors, you can considering using a buying service (there's a few out there) to get them direct from amazon Japan, at about similar prices (after shipping) as what MD is charging for them. It can be much better savings if you're intending to get other things in your order though, and the converters are a tag-along; they don't weigh much. Or well, unless you order like 10-20 of them.
I've recently gotten a few con-50s at below 4 usd ea prior to shipping. I was getting other items that were going to hit minimum shipping costs anyway, so adding the con-50s didn't add anything extra.
But it should be noted that if you're just getting 2-3 converters (and nothing else), the minimum shipping charges will bump the savings down to nothing (or worse), and it would be better to go with MD.
On a fair note, MD is giving is a great deal, on both the pens and the converters. I'd be totally onboard if I could use the extra pens.
May 28, 2015
pixll
192
May 28, 2015
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GonzoTGreatThanks. I think I may go with the Plumix then, given I don't intend to use it for note-taking and I tend to write reasonably slowly in the first place. Also, I don't think the dryness will bother me too much given I have zero problems with how my Penmanship performs. Just wondering, where did your Plumix/Penmanship leak?
Yes, I'm pretty sure it's $3.00 per order if you're only buying converters. That said, I've never bought from them before, I just have them bookmarked as a potential store to buy pens and inks that are unavailable/expensive outside Japan. They do seem to have a decent reputation on fpn though, which is where I heard about them. (Though apparently they can be a little slow to reply to emails)
May 28, 2015
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