Selling fountain pens

[kovalcik]

I saw another thread that posted a link to some videos on tuning fountain pens and it brought to mind a couple questions. So instead of hijacking that thread I started this one.

When selling FPs, how much tuning do you do to the nib before selling? Would you align and smooth as a matter of couse? Do you ink the pen and write with it before selling or do you let the customer do that after the sale is made to break it in to their writing style? Do you let customers try different pens?

Thanks for any feedback. I will have a few on my table for the the first time this season and I want the customers to be happy.

 

[wood-of-1kind]

As a general rule, you do not fill up the FP with ink to try out if it's a good writer. Dipping in ink is somewhat more acceptable. Tune up of the nib in my mind should be done after the sale and made to suit the purchaser. Unfortunately 'tuning' is considered somewhat of an art and not easily done necessarily by the seller. Folks such as Richard Binder are considered experts in this field and they do pass the knowledge forward. If I am not mistaken a few IAP members here have gone through his course so that this skill may continue down the road.