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sunnydisposition
0
Jan 24, 2015
not to be 'that guy', but this is available on Amazon for $12 a pack, not sure if it is worth the shipping time for >5$
GonzoTGreat
756
Jan 26, 2015
sunnydispositionHi @sunnydisposition,
For those with access to Amazon, the best deal I could find (as of Monday, January 26, 2015 in the USA) was about $14 bucks with free shipping (to CONUS, I think). The shipping on that particular item was not through Amazon, so it may or may not be reliable. The least expensive with Prime shipping was $15.50. Similar prices, etc. on eBay.
If you're pinching your pennies and know these pens are what you want, have the necessary Massdrop patience, then $13.50 is a reasonable deal, IMO. With Massdrop you'll get your item, but it might take a little while.
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@MonsieurKirby, Staples often carries three-packs of the black, blue and purple vaieties. Usually for around $9-12 +/- sales tax. If not this combo can be found online, as well. Periodically I've seen Massdrop offer single-color, 12-pen cases for sale.
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@ anyone who cares to know: My personal opinion/experience with these pens: I love 'em. I have 2+ sets of the assorted and refill them as needed. Using the "brute force" method of yanking out the nib and feed, the barrel seems to hold almost exactly 2ml. I put a small label on my refilled Varsities so I know what the current color is. There are numerous ways to refill these puppies and can be found at various site on the 'net.
The nib size is medium, but write closer to a (scratchy) fine when used "upside-down". With a decent loupe, it's easy to see if the tines are aligned; trying pushing the tine you want to change "down" instead of "up" - this minimizes the risk of a sprung nib.
If everything is working as it should, they tend to write a little wet compared to other pens (esp. Lamy studio), but are pretty smooth.
There are several different ways to remove the branding if you want: a little elbow grease with 90% rubbing alcohol in a VERY WELL VENTILATED SPACE (read: outdoors if you can) should do it. However, the ink window you can see through the branding works fine, so this isn't necessary.
What's particularly nice about these is that they're decent pens and if you lose one, you don't feel like a complete idiot. If someone sees you writing with one, wants to try it and really enjoys the fountain experience, then you can just give it away.
So, to sum up: Yep, you can get 'em pretty cheap on Amazon/eBay depending on the day and the dealer. You'll have to wait a while to get them from Massdrop, but you'll get 'em. They're great pens for the price and can be refilled with a little effort.
If you don't want to refill them, and are so inclined, try offering your empties to someone on one of the message boards. I for, one, would be thrilled to pay postage for a bunch of once-used Varsities that I could refill and give away (and spread the word).
Oh, and the stock colors are pretty darn saturated, not especially water-resistant and may have a slight chemically smell when first opened. Also, the caps have an inner seal so they stay wet for a while when not in use.
If you like the Massdrop idea, have the patience for potential delays in delivery and know you want these pens, I would recommend them. If not, you know where you can find them.
As usual, appolgies for the rambling post. I just wanted to throw this info out before it the drop ended. Hope this helps.
Cheers.
ps. No, I won't be participating in this drop. This post was meant to be informative. I always *want* more, but I have what I need for now.
[Edited for typos, grammar and general clarity.]
MonkyLady
14
Jan 27, 2015
GonzoTGreatThank you for this post. I did not even realize that you could write "up side down" and get a finer writing and I love it!
GonzoTGreat
756
Jan 28, 2015
MonkyLadyYou're quite welcome. Just passing on tips I've stolen … um … learned from others with more knowledge and experience.
Cheers.
writeon
40
Jan 28, 2015
GonzoTGreatThis post should be pinned or added to a knowledge database.
Very informative