DUKE Columbus

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"Cool pen!  I'm thrilled with how it looks but won't be able to ink it up until I get home tonight.  It sure is beautiful!  You know, I held it in my hand as though writing and I know the clip won't be any problem for me — I seem to be pretty flexible with handling different pen shapes and sizes.  And just as you'd noted on your website, the presentation case is lovely PLUS the bonus pen carrying case beneath the display area (which I did not know about beforehand)." R. D., Minneapolis, MN

"Norman, I received the pen today and it is everything I expected. Thank you so much for the quick turnaround on this order. The Columbus has now replaced my Namiki Vanishing fountain pen as my every day favorite. The light medium nib is a little larger than my fine but it is so nice. Thank you so much and I will definitely be looking again at your selection or pens. Your loyal customer" A.R., Mundelein, IL
 

"Impressive quality, right down to the packaging! Nicer than many pens costing three times as much -- even my husband likes this one and he doesn't even like fountain pens!!!"   S.Q., Murrieta, CA

"Lo and behold! This is a knighthood of pens. I'm used to a Parker 45, this is definitely another feeling.
It's heavier, feels really solid (I dislike plastics, so this is my style), and it handles very easily. After filling it - no snags or whatever, just turn the bubbles out then the ink in - it started writing smoothly, already more smoothly than my Parker of many years of writing. This is a real fountain pen and I like it very much indeed. I may be one of the few in Holland having such a beauty!" A.S., Rotterdam, Netherlands

"Columbus received!  What a wonderful pen.  Thank you so much for holding one/selling it to me."
D.P., Birmingham, AL

"Just received the Columbus today - what a beautiful pen - and what a large beautiful box.  I thought you had mixed up my order! Allow me to reiterate what a joy it is to do business with you." C.B., U.S. Navy

"Columbus arrived!  It is stunning, and one of the most unusual pens I've seen!" P.T., Arvada, CO
 

#226 Columbus FP    $125.00    Sold out   

The DUKE Columbus offers a stunning design in a full-sized pen. Measuring 5-3/8" capped, and 5-1/2" posted, the iridescent blue, highly textured barrel is actually made from copper! DUKE has found a process which somehow fuses this gorgeous cobalt blue to the alternating high-gloss smooth sections and to the elongated, 'pebble'-textured 'x' patterns. It's like no other finish I've seen, and the photos don't really do it justice.

The material and finish of the barrel is only the start of the unique features of this pen design. The flared cap, which reminds me shape-wise of a Pharaoh's headpiece, is one of the first design elements to capture attention. A slightly roughened band sits near the bottom of the polished cap, with raised lettering boldly stating 'Gold' 'Duke' and '226'. Due to the position of the clip (which bears the DUKE crown logo), the cap makes no secret of it's presence when the pen is clipped to a shirt pocket. The cap top is engraved with a sunburst or 'flowerburst' design, surrounded by 'Duke' and 'Germany' (read a bit more about the China/Germany connection here).

The cap unscrews, and can similarly be screwed onto the bottom of the barrel. However, there's a little something special about that barrel bottom...turning it while the nib is submerged in a bottle of ink engages the non-removable piston filler enclosed within the barrel, thereby filling the pen.

With the cap removed, one sees the 14K gold nib, in a light-medium. I found the nib to have a slight amount of flex -- atypical for most Asian nibs -- which allowed me to lay down a medium line of ink with moderate pressure, while my angled strokes are naturally thinner, producing distinctive shading to my writing. The nib is gently flared along the sides, with concentric ovals engraved as a design. Additionally, the name 'Duke' is written lengthwise in script, while the base of the nib is engraved with '14K' and '580' (as with other 14K DUKE nibs, this should read '585' to indicate the gold content...a charming anomaly). NOTE: The latest shipment has come with a mixture of nibs, including the all-gold shown here, as well as two-toned version of the nib, like that of the Bright Pearl, pictured here, or the Gold Medal, pictured here.

The overall shape of the pen is reminiscent of the Stipula 'Iris' model, produced several years ago. As with that model, and the Namiki 'Vanishing Point' pen as well, the position of the clip provides a challenge for some people when writing, as the thumb and index finger have a tendency to meet at that point...especially for those who tend to grip their pen close to the nib. Although the feeling was a little odd when I first picked up the pen to write, I quickly adjusted, and found that there was ample room below and to the sides of the crown logo on the clip to make writing a comfortable experience for me.

The gift box continues the 'pebbled-surface' effect of the pen...writ large...and is itself unlike anything I've seen before. A lifetime warranty, serviceable through Shanghai, is included, along with a DUKE leather pen case. Shipping weight is 3 lbs.

IMPORTANT SERVICE NOTE: Every nib that ships from His Nibs is closely examined under high magnification and tuned or adjusted if needed. About 85% of modern nibs need some adjustment out-of-the-box from the manufacturer for an optimal writing experience. Most commonly, the tines of the nib are misaligned -- which would cause scratchiness at the minimum; the slit between the tines is partially or fully closed -- which would starve the nib of ink and at best cause skipping; or the slit between the tines is too wide -- which will either again cause skipping, or conversely, flooding. There are other factors  -- such as separation of the nib from the feed -- that are inspected and repaired before any pen leaves the Palace.

The only 100% guarantee of course comes when the pen is actually filled with ink and written with for the first time, but our pre-shipping inspections and tunings have eliminated 99.99999 (my finger is getting tired) of the frustrations that a customer experiences when first using a new fountain pen. Although this can be time-consuming on occasion, it affords our customers a much more pleasant experience when receiving a fountain pen from His Nibs -- and saves us the frustration of dealing with returns!

Ordering Procedures & Returns

International customers, please note, we will not falsify shipping documents

Please send your order and shipping address (along with any questions) to:

orders@hisnibs.com
(on PayPal transactions, the email address may also display as stonebri@verizon.net)

We will email you back with your order total (PA residents please add 6% sales tax)

Credit cards, for the quickest fulfillment of your order, are accepted through PayPal, a secure site allowing you to use your credit card without us even seeing the information. If you'd like to make use of this credit card service, please let us know when you email your order and address, and we'll email you the appropriate Request for Payment, and instructions for the simple payment procedure (you don't need to join PayPal to use it).

If you would like us process your credit card directly instead, then please email us:

1. Card # (dividing this number in two, between two emails, will ensure security)
2. Expiration date
3. Name on card
4. Address for billing statement
5. Card verification # (3-digit number printed on the back of your card. It appears after and to the right of your card number, or 4-digit number on the front of your AMEX card).
 

If you'd rather pay by money order or check, kindly make payable to:

His Nibs.com
  2540 W. Union Street
  Allentown, PA 18104

We ship via insured Priority Mail
(email for cost)

Warranties and returns

If an item proves to be defective, in most cases the manufacturer's warranty will apply. However, please email us first so that we can determine the easiest way to resolve the problem to your satisfaction. In the case of fountain pens -- which are a bit more individualistic than other writing instruments -- what may at first appear to be a defect (hard starting or poor flow for example), can in almost all cases be resolved with a few simple 'tweaks' to the nib, which we'll be happy to guide you through or perhaps suggest returning to us for adjustment.

Should you wish to return a non-defective item within 3 days of receipt because it doesn't suit you for some reason, again please email us and we'll arrange an exchange, credit or refund (minus any shipping/insurance charges), if the item is returned in an 'as new' condition. If you've dipped a fountain pen to try its writing characteristics, kindly clean off any ink residue prior to shipping -- to save us both a nasty surprise .

We want you to be happy with your purchase from HisNibs.com and hope to have you join the ranks of our many long-term, repeat customers!

Revised: November 3rd, 2015

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