Review of the Conklin Duragraph Fountain Pen
Product Review of the Conklin Duragraph Fountain Pens
I have heard so much from customers about the Conklin Duragraph fountain pen and what a great pen it is that I decided to try one myself. I have to say that I was not disappointed. I have always liked the look of the pen especially the amber color with the black and orange resin together. The design as well as the color combination is what initially drew me to the pen.
The color on the Amber Duragraph is a mixture of orange and black resins. The amber color resin has a slight translucency while the black resin is opaque. If you look closely you can see the nib through the amber in the cap. Atop the cap and at the end of the barrel are solid black resin ends. The Conklin logo is engraved in white in this black finial on the cap. There are three chrome colored trim rings on the pen with the center band thicker than the others. This center band has the Conklin logo engraved on one side and the "Duragraph" on the other. Additionally, 6 small crescent moons, the trademarked symbol of the Conklin Pen Company, are also engraved.
The section of the pen is the same solid black resin as the finial of the cap and end of the barrel. The pen comes in two different nib colors. Originally the redesign was introduced with a two-tone chrome and gold stainless steel nib. Later Conklin introduced a black version of the nib, also stainless steel. Both colors look great but I am partial to the black nib with this pen. Engraved on the nib is "Conklin" and "Toledo USA". The breather hole on the nib is fashioned in the crescent moon shape.I love the way this pen writes! I opted for the fine nib which lays down a nice wet line. I actually feel the fine nib is slightly wider than most of the fines I am used to. I had read reviews of others that suggested the the nib actually ran finer but this was not my experience. The pen writes very smooth and I can see why so many have praised this pen. The Duragraph is a great writing experience.
The size of the Duragraph pen is ideal for me and fits my hand well. I would classify it as a mid-size pen although it may be slightly to the larger end of the spectrum. Definitely not close to the size of the Conklin All American fountain pen though. I prefer writing without the cap posted and it has good weight and balance. With the cap posted the Duragraph measures almost 7 inches so it becomes top heavy and just makes it too long to write comfortably.
The Duragraph comes in a blue leatherette box with a soft white satin interior. Included with the Conklin Duragraph fountain pen is a standard universal ink cartridge to get you started. Also included is an ink converter for the pen as well if you prefer to use bottle fountain pen inks.
The Conklin Duragraph fountain pen is also available in Forest Green, a beautiful marbled green resin, and Cracked Ice, which looks like small fragments of white and ivory ice floating in a black background. All three colors of the Duragraph look great.
Conklin was established in 1898 but faded away and was recently revived. They have recently come out with some great new redesigns of their old pen models. These recreations include the Conklin Crescent Fountain pen as well as the All American pen mentioned earlier.
Conklin Duragraph Fountain Pen Review Conclusion
So would I recommend the Conklin Duragraph fountain pen? Absolutely! Our customers rave about the pen and now I know why. The Conklin Duragraph fountain pen is great pen and a great value. It writes well, looks sharp and won't break the pocket book. The pen is well built and sturdy and comes with a lifetime warranty. The Conklin Duragraph is a quality writing tool, definitely worth the price tag.Buy the Conklin Duragraph Fountain Pens
Specs of the Conklin Duragraph Fountain Pens
Length: 5.500 in.Posted Length: 6.875 in.
Diameter: 0.563 in.
Weight: 1.000 oz.
Body/Trim: Resin
FillType: Cartridge/Converter
Conklin Duragraph Reviews from our Customers
See what our customers have to say about the Conklin Duragraph Fountain Pens. Don't just take our word for it, read actual customer reviews of the product and see what they think.
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Fantastic pen! I am very happy with it and Pen Chalet's excellent service.
overall: 5 out of 5
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I enjoyed using my wife's Duragraph, briefly. Understandably, she didn't want to part with it for very long. I had to order my own, the amber version. I came in a nice gift box. I was very pleased with the quality and performance!
overall: 5 out of 5
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This is a great fountain pen. I would recommend this as a first fountain pen. Medium nib writes smooth with the monteverde ink and also writes a fine lime when flipped over. Very happy with this pen!!
overall: 5 out of 5
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Excellent pen, wonderful hand feel. 'Quick' is how I describe pens that can keep up with my sketching, and this is that!
overall: 5 out of 5
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The pen overall is very nice, but the nib itself is very stiff and hardly flexes at all (I bought the model with the flex nib, of course). It takes quite a bit of pressure to get any flex out of the nib, and even with significant pressure, the variation in line thickness is very modest... you'd hardly notice it if you weren't looking for it. Otherwise, it's a nice enough pen; if you don't expect it to flex much, the flow is good and reliable, and it's comfortable in the hand.
overall: 4 out of 5
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I like this pen and the fine point. Attractive and writes well, but somewhat bottom-heavy when cap it posted. Like the fact that replacement nibs are available for Conklin- May order one with my next order..
overall: 4 out of 5
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I admit I was a little surprised to see a round breather hole in the nib instead of a crescent-shaped one, but that in no way detracted from the pen's performance. Once again I am thoroughly pleased with another Conklin pen. I am up to eleven of them now.
overall: 5 out of 5
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I purchased a Cracked Ice Duragraph with stub nib in the end-of-year inventory reduction sale. The pen itself is very nice. I like the size and feel, and it balances well in my hand. I did have one problem, though. The nib was extremely rough, hard to write with, and ran dry constantly. Looking under magnification I realized the tines were of uneven length and didn't appear to have ever gone through any finish grinding or smoothing. I contacted Pen Chalet and the sent me out a replacement nib immediately and at no cost to me. The new nib works great and the pen is now a joy to write with. I'm now very happy with both the pen itself and with Pen Chalet's customer service. Thanks!
overall: 5 out of 5
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This is probably my favorite fountain pen. It has such a smooth writing experience. The flex nib adjusts with my own hand pressure. I have a movement disorder and this feature for me works quite nicely.
overall: 5 out of 5
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This is a fantastic pen. The only drawback is that it can be pretty top heavy with the cap on. To prevent fatigue, I just leave the cap off while using it.
overall: 5 out of 5
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Pictures of the Conklin Duragraph Fountain Pens
Prices for the Conklin Duragraph Fountain Pens start at:
Retail:
$65.00
Sale:
$52.00
