Testimonials Archive 2014
December 22nd
John made the nib EXACTLY how I wanted it. It's beautifully done. I have a vintage Mont Blanc Meisterstück 144G with a left oblique nib and John ground it into a crisp stub (almost a cursive italic). It's truly amazing how spot-on he got it. I am awestruck. This was the first time I ever had a nib customized and I was very nervous about it. I talked to Michael over the phone about what I wanted and he gave me excellent advice and eased my tension. I hope that Michael is held in high esteem at Classic Fountain Pens because in my opinion he is as great at service as John is at nibs. I appreciated his patience and counsel immensely. He is a valuable asset to CFP.
Thank you John and thank you Michael.
Best wishes and happy holidays,
Thomas DePierro
December 19th
Dear Jonella,
The customized Pelikan pen works like a dream. This is truly one of my favourites. Please pass on my thanks to John and your whole team.
Regards,
Carl Bulliard
December 3rd
Greeting all,
Just wanted to let you know that the Skyline arrived and exceeded my expectations.
I thought it would be clean, adjusted, and reasonably tuned - but it's really clean, really adjusted, and really well-tuned. Lovely pen.
Many thanks,
Jason Barnhart
December 1st
John-
My Pilot 823 with the stub conversion arrived yesterday. I inked it immediately. Wow! It is exactly what I wanted. The nib is perfectly tuned to my writing style, the pen is beautiful, and I’ll be able to take it on airplanes.
Thanks so much for another great pen.
-John D. in Seattle
November 24th
November 14th
Dear John,
I thought that I ought to let you know that the Parker Sonnet OB nib which you sent to me about a week ago, arrived safely and in good order yesterday; I actually took delivery today.
The nib is delightful, writing with a juicy line with lots of variation generated by the cut of the nib. The nib exceeds my expectations and greatly expands what I can do with my Sonnet pen.
I am most appreciative, and look forward to our next nib or our next pen!
Sincerely yours,
Bill G.
November 11th
I recently purchased a Pilot Falcon fountain pen with an extra-fine flexible nib from
Classic Fountain Pens (nibs.com). I am extremely pleased with this pen. I do
a lot of Spencerian cursive writing and have heretofore never been able to locate
a currently produced pen with a sufficiently flexible nib. John at Classic Fountain Pensadded extra flex to the pen. The horizontal strokes of the pen produce an extremely fine line, while the vertical strokes produce a wide line, thus dramatically making fora beautiful script. The cap and barrel of the pen are metal and really beautiful. Ihighly recommend this pen to anyone seriously interested in beautiful cursive writing.
Tom Kilton
Urbana, Illinois
November 4th
October 28th
Hi everyone at nibs.com,
I just wanted to thank you for your excellent service in getting me my Nakaya Midori. The pen is of course, magnificent. I’ve been looking forward to having a Nakaya for awhile, and this pen does not disappoint. I am especially pleased with the nib. I have a light touch, and the SF (and whatever John did to it) is perfect for me. It writes like a dream.
Of course, this pen now spoils me for anything else!
kind regards,
E.Dennis, Ontario, Canada.
October 21st
Dear Christina,
I have to tell you how much I am enjoying my new Nakaya fountain pen.
First, it is just the colour I was hoping for; I keep staring at it!
Second, the nib is exactly right. I have now used a couple of types of ink and a few types of paper and it is great with all.
Thanks so much for helping me with this purchase.
Cindy
October 7th
October 2nd
Dear Nib Master/Mistress,
Just received my order today and am absolutely thrilled! The Aurora does write as smooth as my Pelikan Medium, which is a lovely surprise (the pen itself is beautiful, of course). And the stub, oh my! It’s my first. I think I squealed out loud when I saw the writing. I was a little worried, being a lefty, but whatever you did, it’s as easy to write with as any of my other pens, if just a tiny tiny bit fussier about position (and still easier to manage than my Pilot VP).
Anyway, just had to write and gush all over you with my gratitude. Hope you stay in business forever. Can’t imagine buying a pen from anyone else ever again.
Sincerely yours,
Kool-Aid drunk Rhea Knops, Minnetonka MN
September 9th
Hi Folks at Nibs.com,
Huge thanks to Jonella for setting me up with this pen and, of course, to John Mottishaw, for creating the very best fountain pen I have EVER owned. ***I can't put it down!!!
That Architectural nib is pure genius and so perfect for my handwriting. This purchase alone made my trip to the 2014 DC Supershow SO worthwhile!!!
Regards to Shoshana, too - so great to meet Jonella and Shoshana at that show - nice to attach a face to the e-mails!
You guys are the greatest. Major thanks.
Mark
September 4th
September 3rd
Dear John,
It has been approximately three weeks since receiving the Paul Rossi “Pelikan Magnum 101N,” and between his unrivaled workmanship and your expertise, I finally have the best of all worlds – a modern-sized 101N set to my specifications. It is quite fabulous; the acrylic body of the pen and the distinctive red cap with gold clip and rings absolutely glows, reminiscent of the original; the writing experience phenomenal! And with the ink flow set so that I am able to enjoy my morning ritual prior to starting my day – completing the crossword puzzle in the NYT, I am a very satisfied customer, indeed! But then, through all of the years that you have been tuning my pens’ nibs, you have never let me down! Thanks once again for pursuing and enabling this project with Paul,
Warmest regards,
Dr. Harris Saltzburg
August 25th
August 22nd
Please convey my gratitude to John for his expert work on my favorite Nakaya! I am emotionally attached to my decapod and the new juicy LOB is just perfect to write with. Smooth, interesting line variation and enough added flex for play. Thanks again! Love what you did.
Michael Przbyla
August 16th
August 11th
Hi Everyone,
I just wanted to let you know that my Platinum Century series Nice Limited Edition clear demonstrator Arrived safely. Once again I would like to thank you all for your wonderful service and for a beautiful pen with a great nib. The ink flow is perfect!!
Thank you to all of you and I look forward to doing business with you again.
Kind regards
Vicki Roy
August 6th
I just wanted to thank you all for the wonderful pen and service. The Pilot Metal Falcon with Spencerian grind is a lovely writing instrument. The buying process was quick and painless, and delivery was prompt and trouble free.
Here's written proof how much I dig this pen:
July 17th
July 16th
Dear John,
The Mottishaw Parker Duofold nib has exceeded all expectations. Great writer. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
With all good wishes, I remain
Yours very truly,
Sam.
July 7th
Hi Christina,
Thank you so much for the advice in picking out the best grind for the Platinum! After a week or so of using it every day I am so happy with it. I look forward to many years of writing with this work of art.
—Dennis from Ohio
July 2nd
Dear John and Crew:
I am THRILLED with my new pen, my third from you. The nib is tuned perfectly for me and, as usual, your customer service is next to none.
Thank you so very much! I love this wonderful Pen World and you surely stand out as among the best of an amazing group of people.
-Carolyn Bremer
July 1st
Just want to give you some feedback. I've had my custom Spencarian grind Namiki Falcon pen for awhile now. I really enjoy writing with it. Thanks!! Here are some samples.
—Thang Ngyuen
June 27th
To Christina, Jonella, Michael, et al. unknown, and to John,
I would just like to say cheers for the wonderful service, beautiful pens, and amazing grinds.
The pens arrived today and the nibs could not be more perfect!
thank you all
Regards,
Anthony
Sydney, Australia
June 27th
Dear Christina,
I received my new Sailor Sapporo and I really love it. The nib is finest I have and so incredibly smooth. Many thanks to John for making that possible. He really knows his business. I’m so happy that there are great online shops with knowledge and craftsmanship like yours available.
Best wishes from Helsinki,
Nina
June 20th
Hi,
I just ordered a custom Sailor 1911 with a needle point nib. It is fabulous and I'm very pleased with it. I love to draw and have had difficulty getting a fine line - microns run out of ink quickly and I prefer not to contribute more plastic to landfill/oceans when possible. My dear rapidographs clog very easily at small sizes and maintenance is constant. This pen flows well and is a joy to use. I did a quick sketch of the pen this morning but it was hard to get the writing end in perspective while I was using it. Perhaps I can request another with a different nib in another color for my birthday next year.
In any case I wanted you to know how pleased I am with my new pen. Ordering by phone was a pleasure and the gentleman who answered was knowledgable and guided me to select just the right combination of size and pressure that worked for me.
Thanks again,
Margo Rivera-Weiss
June 20th
Hi Jonella,
With the Namiki Falcon, John gave me exactly what I asked for. It produces a bold, well-defined line on 20 lb. Clairefontaine paper, and I am really happy with the nib as-is. I have an Esterbrook J and a Sheaffer No Nonsense, both smooth writers with stub steel nibs, and I love the character of the lines they produce. However, the clarity of the straightforward line produced by the Falcon is itself a kind of character, and given the exceptional smoothness of this nib, I think it's wise to leave well-enough alone!
Please give John my thanks for optimizing the nib, and tell him how pleased I am with the service he and all of your team have given me. I'll definitely be a repeat customer!
Kindest regards,
Robert Senner
June 13th
Hi! I just received my Sailor 1911m in black and gold, with MF nib. I could not be more happy with it! This was my first gold-nib pen. I am amazed at the build quality, and at how well the pen writes. Thank you for your optimizing services - the pen is perfect! I am very impressed by my overall experience as a customer. I look forward to buying from you again!
May 12th
Michael and John,
Received the Sailor pen with italic ground nib yesterday; thanks for the quick response.
The italic ground nib writes smoothly, and has pleasing contrast; thick to thin line. Although I am not an expert, I can not imagine wanting anything that writes more smoothly, nor with more consistent grace on my moleskine note paper.
Good to know that craftsmen such as yourselves are available to meet the demanding needs of calligraphers.
thanks
John Comstock
May 5th
April 25th
April 17th
Hello John and all at CFP,
I received my Waterman's #5 with the abused pink nib back from CFP this morning. Despite having read the myriad of glowing online testimonials about your work I was still not expecting such wonderful results! What you can do with fountain pen nibs transcends that of a crafts-person and is clearly the work of an artisan!
Much thanks,
Jesse
April 14th
April 10th
Hi Jonella,
The pen arrived and I have been playing with it since: it's wonderful, I cannot leave it down! John did a truly masterful job.
Thanks!
Ale
April 7th
Just writing to let you know that the nib (extra fine semi flex Ideal No 2) I ordered came in today! I was able to fit it into my 580 and I’m happy with the results so far!
-Lenny Marchese
April 1st
Jonella,
I'm so happy with the Pelikan pen and nib. It writes so well and it is a good weight for me.
Your patience and customer service has been outstanding. I want to thank you and John for the time you took to really "get it right" for me.
If you ever see the "Sahara" version of the Pelican pen, let me know, because that is one I really like.
Thanks again and nibs.com is now my first choice.
Regards,
-- J Samples
March 27
March 27
March 26
Jonella,
I wanted to let you know that I got the nib today, and just tried it out. I am overjoyed with the quality of it -- it's superb. The edge is crisp, the feel is great, the lines are lovely.
Thank you for all your help.
Daniel
March 25
John,
I recently purchased a Nakaya Long Ascending Dragon Heki-tamenuri with a fine nib and it is outstanding. I filled it with ink and started writing and the nib is smooth and never misses a beat. Thank you for tuning it. The pen itself is simple in design but beautiful and the ascending dragon adds complexity. I ordered it in memory of a friend that passed away unexpectedly and it is a wonderful reminder of him. Thank you for the service and since I have a few pens from your company I can say that your organization is fantastic. Thanks again for a one of a kind pen and a nib that compares to the best.
Be Well,
David
March 24
Hi,
I bought a Nakaya Briarwood in Light Matte finish in February and I am Delighted with it! I have been using it frequently for over a month, so I thought that now was the time to say that I am not disappointed in the least, and I would like to thank you very much for the pen!
Not only is it a wonder to look at, but writing with it is refreshing and fun - and my handwriting is much improved because of it.
--
Regards,
Oliver
March 21
I recently ordered a Pilot-Namiki Falcon with a customized nib. The package was well prepared, and arrived promptly.
I have to say I have never indulged in a pen that I knew had been 'set up' and had some customization for my individual use. I also wanted to test your customer service, because I have no history with ordering from you. What a pleasure in both cases! After inking this pen I chose a high quality paper and had a terrific time doodling. Because the pen was so reasonable, I am tempted to begin using it as an every day writing tool so I can extend that enjoyment.
I look forward to ordering from you in the future. You run the kind of business we all enjoy doing business with.
Sincerely,
David
-Jean-Louis G., PhD
March 13th
Wow! My pen arrived, it is gorgeous and the nib is just amazing.
Thank you, Jonella for you kindness and efficiency and thank you, John, for reading my mind and sending me the perfect nib.
- Dr. Carolyn Bremer
March 11th
February 27th
February 25th
I received my Namiki Falcon with Spencerian customization yesterday... IT IS AWESOME!
The bounce and return of the nib, the thick and thin, the ink flow and balance are all perfect. To my surprise the gold furniture and nib are also much richer looking than what I saw in pictures. Thanks for the wonderful and extremely fast service. This pen is an absolute joy to write with.
Thanks,
Ryan Holcomb
February 11th
Dear all,
After travelling a week or so, the Long Cigar Nakaya reached its ‘new country’ where it already earned some fans. The first one was the custom officer who never taxed such a FP. “Is it gilded,” he asked? “It’s lacquered,” I answered shortly. “I see,” he said, and took the money (24% + 3,7% of the price).
As for me, opening the wooden box I remained voiceless. The rip sour-cherry-like color is so beautiful that I could never imagine. I admired it, I fingered, I caressed, I smelt it. I found it hard to believe. Finally I inked it with some yama-budo and I tested the nib. Precisely what I wanted: a smooth soft M-F nib, perfect for a fast, small writing like mine’s. Indisputably, it was masterfully customized.
Should I add that I never had a so pleasant experience while buying pens? Yes. You all deserve my sincere gratitude for this.
Best wishes from Romania,
Silviu Lupescu
February 6th
Thanks again for all your help. Your prices and service were the best and all aspects of the purchase was customer-focused, kind and timely. You guys will retain my business. No company has ever been this well, personable.
—Georgia Kerr
February 4th
Hi Christina
I have received the pen and it looks wonderful. Most importantly the nib writes wonderfully - smooth, so smooth and a good wet flow. I'm sad to say this, but a lot of pens fail at this. I am now beginning to suspect that my M800 has a faulty nib....
Please send my compliments to John as well.
Thank you very much.
Michael Soon
January 18th
January 17th
Jonella and John –
I received my Omas Arco yesterday, and it is perfect now! Thanks so much for taking such good care of me and my pens. It is a real joy to use these pens every day.
Mike Sampson
Minneapolis, Minnesota
January 17th
To John Mottishaw, and to Classic Fountain Pens,
I just received my Nakaya Naka-Ai back after service to the nib and feed, and I just wanted to express my appreciation for the service you have provided.
The pen is working beautifully now, with most excellent ink flow. It is a pleasure to be able to write with this beautiful new pen! A sincere thanks to CFP and especially to Mr. Mottishaw for the excellent work!
Have a great Christmas season!
Ken Cavers
January 15th
Hi Christina,
Just wanted to let you know I received the pen today, and honestly, I couldn't be happier. :)
Thanks again for your help, and please do thank John for me as well. I've re-fallen in love with this pen, and am grateful for your incredible service! You're all pretty awesome, and have made me a (continual) repeat customer.
Best,
Ken
January 14th
-Nick Olmos-Lau