Buyers Guide and Engraving Notes

Need help?
We are always happy to take your telephone calls to give advice.

Just call us on 01895 630361 9.00am til 5.00 pm.

 

Note: Fountain pens start from as little as £6 but for a quality pen with a steel nib you will need to look at a price from £35, for pens with a solid gold nib the starting price is usually in excess of £100. Fountain pens have very special advantages not only do they improve handwriting but they bring an added unique interpretation and style to the written letter. We offer 50 different colours of writing ink thereby making your pen your personal trademark.

What makes MrPen different than its competition?

  • We can engrave your pen or put a personalised plate on the gift case.
  • Next day delivery whether engraved or not.
  • Our stock holding is substantial, we are rarely out of stock.
  • We are here during business hours to answer your question by telephone or online.
  • We offer free gift wrapping.

GOLD NIBS Call us on 01895 672537.

  • Solid gold nibs are in 14ct or 18 ct gold, 18ct is the softer of the two.
  • Gold nibs are flexible and tend to show the characteristics of the handwriting. This is because the nib flexes giving width to certain strokes when slight pressure is applied.
  • Gold nibs are everlasting as long as the pen is cleaned and treated carefully.


STEEL NIBS Call us on 01895 672537.

  • Steel nibs either plated or unplated are less expensive than gold.
  • They have a harder feel but some users prefer this.
  • A quality steel nib is still long lasting and will give many years of service.
  • Ideal for figures and handwriting where flexibility is not the criteria.

NIB TYPES Call us on 01895 672537.

  • Nibs come in Medium (choice of 80% of customers), Fine and Broad. Some makers offer wider choices like Extra Fine, Italic, Stub and Oblique. We also have a tiny number of nibs which are double broad or even broader.
  • On most pens the rounded pellet on the tip of the nib is coated in alloy to facilitate a 'key' with the paper. This pellet writes with the same line width regardless of stroke provided the pen is being used without too much hand pressure. They also work well when used by both left or right handed users.
  • Italic nibs are blunt ended this gives thin and thick strokes but only a few makers offer this option. Sigma, Italix and Parker (Duofold). We may have the odd remaining nib in other models so it is best to telephone if you have a special requirement.
  • Oblique nibs are cut away usually to the left hand of the nib tip and are favoured by left handed uses. Oblique pens write with same characteristics as the italic pen.
  • Stub nibs have a slight pellet at the tip of the nib giving an italic stroke but less pronounced.

THE ALTERNATIVE and COMPLIMENTARY  Call us on 01895 672537.

Ballpens.
Quality ballpoint pens are refillable and will give long service between refill changes. Refills are inexpensive, about £2.  The design and quality construction of the refill makes it less likely to become blotchy when used for a prolonged period. Most models are twist action but some still use the one handed press button.

Rolling Ball pens.
Have a very 'liquid' ink in some respects giving the feel of a fountain pen without the stroke characteristics. The refill will be shorter lived than its ballpen counterpart. The pens of this type most often have caps rather than an action.

Porous Point, Plastic Tip or Fibre Tips.
A minority of makers offer this option the most prominent being A.T.Cross.

Propelling Pencils.
Pencils use a thinner lead these days, usually 0.5mm or 0.7mm. A minority of makers like Laban still offer 0.9mm leads. Makers are offering fewer propelling pencils and some are discontinuing models. If you prefer to use a pencil now is a good time to buy. Most are pump action, some are twist and pump and a tiny number are still the traditional twist. The advantage of a propelling pencil over the conventional woodcase pencil is the consistency of the writing line and the facility to rub out errors. Still a great choice for the daily crossword or for note taking.

Engraving.
We can only engrave on metal pens but not all metal pens are suitable. If there is no panel for you to insert your engraving requirement at the point of order then assume it is not offered on that particular pen. However we may still be able to attempt an engraving but there may be drawbacks, if you telephone we can advise you on the pros and cons. Some pens do not engrave well, there are various reasons for this, for example pens with a coating or an uneven surface may present difficulties. Narrow pens are best engraved with block letters as script may prove indistinct. For technical reasons on specific pens we may only be able to engrave lightly, this may be because the undersurface of the pen may show through and spoil the effect. We use a diamond engraver similar to the jewellery trade, this cuts the surface but leaves it plain. We do not print pens or laser engrave them so there is no colour fill.  

Telephone 01895 672537.
We encourage our customers to telephone us because such a large pen site as MrPen with so many products can be very confusing for the first time buyer or gift customer. We list products by maker and model but because it would be difficult to have sub listings by price, filling system, nib type, etc. a telephone conversation can help to clarify your potential choice.

  • It is not essential to be sitting in front of your computer when you call as we can always tell you where to find the product on the site for later reference.
  • If you have a budget let us know so that we can point you in the direction of the pens that represent the best value. We have more pen offers than practically anyone else on the internet due to our special relationships with manufacturers and substantial buying power.
  • No question is too trivial we are happy to give you all the time you need.

We are based in the UK but supply world-wide therefore prices are shown without VAT. The website will calculate VAT at checkout but if you are window shopping add 17.5%. You will also need to add £6 for delivery of pens. All pens are sent 'Special Delivery' no other postal method ensures next day delivery in the UK and it includes insurance as well. We are able to track Special Delivery parcels so in the unlikely event they do not arrive at the guaranteed time we can tell you exactly where they are. Some of our competitors use 'Recorded Delivery' this does not guarantee delivery nor is it traceable, if a Recorded Delivery package gets lost it could be weeks before the supplier can facilitate a replacement we on the other hand can instigate a replacement immediately.

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Engraving Notes

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MrPen offers three styles of engraving.

It is important to note the following before choosing the style of engraving.

Not all styles are suitable for all pens or brass plates.

Free block lettering is very plain and is ideal for slim pens as it can be clearly read. It is also perfect for all engraving but the results are very plain a good choice where identification is the most important factor.

'Shadowed' (£3) is similar to Block Letters but is a double engraving where the letters are engraved twice but slightly moved to the right over the original. The effect is pleasing and gives a better impression on some metals and materials.

Script (£3) is the most popular style but on very slim pens it can be indistinct.

Old English (£5) can be very striking but is less suitable for slim pens and certain surfaces. It is ideal for just initials (but not on slim pens) or on brass plates which are fixed to pen cases, even then long sentences are not advised, if used for a name or initials only, the results are excellent.

Block lettering is free, Script carries a supplement of £3 per pen and Old English a supplement of £5 per pen.

We will engrave as instructed so please be careful with spelling, punctuation and the use of upper and lower case letters. Some pens are not suitable for engraving either because the surface is of certain type of acrylic or a metal which is not stable enough to accept and engraving. There are borderline cases so please telephone if you require advice. Some surfaces will only accept a feint engraving, there are various reasons for this, sometimes there is a danger that the brass base may show through or the letters distort due to diamond drag.

We use engraving machines similar to that used by the jewellery trade, the engraving is cut into the surface there is no colour fill, however a wax fill can be used in certain circumstances. We do not print pens or offer lasering. The pen engraving equipment can only operate using the three fonts so logos or special type styles are not offered. MrPen also has computer controlled imprint engraving, this is offered for brass plate engraving for the pen gift case. In the case of the imprint diamond engraver the selection of the typestyle is much larger, we can also engrave logos and images.

Many of the product options on the site do not offer engraving, that is because engraving is either not possible on that particular pen or the result is potentially of an indifferent quality. However we are happy to discuss the possibility of engraving on any pen but the potential result is best outlined on the telephone or by email first.

Please do not select the engraving option if you are unsure of your choice of pen, engraved pens cannot be returned for refund or exchange. Remember you can always return the pen for engraving later.

Italic Pens

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We have them!

Our rather odd headline is because many manufacturers have discontinued pens with italic nibs. Sheaffer and Cross have both made an exit from this niche market. Having said niche probably 10% of our customers prefer the italic as their first choice. It is stated that there is no demand for italic pens anymore, why then do we sell them every day? It comes down to lazy retailers who simply want to minimise their investment in stock. After Sheaffer stopped offering the italic option on its excellent Prelude range we commissioned our own brand 'Italix' and we offer 15 low cost nib options for the range, at £49.50 plus VAT they come close to the Prelude pricing. Two models are offered by Italix, 'Original' and 'Pocketo'. Sigma have supported us with an excellent Italic and Oblique options for their 'Style' models. Parker continue to offer the Sonnet and Duofold with italic options as do Waterman. We now offer the plated nib Sonnets also with an italic option.

Budget price italic pens are still offered from Sheaffer and Parker both as individual pens and in excellent sets.

Engraving a Brass Plate.

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Make your Gift or Presentation really special.

Engraved Plate for the Pen Case. FREE! with any pen bought from MrPen

 

  • Tastefully engraved gilt plate absolutely free when you buy a pen from MrPen.
  • Wide choice of typestyles. Click blue square, above right, to view styles.
  • Various sizes.
  • Logo or symbol can be included FREE!
  • Fixed to the inside or outside of the manufacturer's gift case.
  • Free option of stock image for seasonal and special occasions * Click blue square, above right, to view stock images.

* We have thousands of additional images, so if you require something special, please just ask.

Email Image (Your logo, symbol or cote of arms etc) info@mrpen.co.uk

Prices exclude VAT.