# Postable vs postable



## Cwalker935 (Oct 23, 2014)

I know that the topic of postable or non postable has come up before, just wondering if opinions have changed. Any new thoughts?


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## BSea (Oct 23, 2014)

I still like non postable.  Although it seems like postable wins out in customer preference.


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## Brooks803 (Oct 23, 2014)

BSea said:


> I still like non postable.  Although it seems like postable wins out in customer preference.



Same here.


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## avbill (Oct 23, 2014)

Non postable  has a clean line to it.  Much more elegant looking.   Where history has educated the client  that  all  pen's need to be postable  .  The minds of the client will never change.  

 A person bought a non-postable fountain from another turner.  She came back to the same art show one year later and saw me there.   She knew I was not   the pen turner but asked anyways  Could I change the pen into a postable pen?   I said yes, She's being my client now for three years.  

With postable pen  --you do not have to post the cap -- making it non-postable.   You have the both worlds with one pen.


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## StuartCovey (Oct 23, 2014)

I prefer the look of postable over non-postable.  But since theres no real differences in quality between them, it's really just a matter of opinion.


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## monophoto (Oct 23, 2014)

I'm a fountain pen user (for more than 40 years).  I rarely post the cap, but I can understand that for some people, posting the cap helps prevent it from getting lost.

Ultimately its a matter of preference.  Boxers versus briefs.


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## skiprat (Oct 23, 2014)

I made a mock up of one that solves both issues and it's in Constant's old Research thread.Here
I thought he was going to use the idea but I don't think he has.


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## thewishman (Oct 23, 2014)

I have met lots of resistance is trying to sell non-postable pens. I don't even carry them now - I gave up.


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## Carl Fisher (Oct 24, 2014)

I don't like posting a pen when I write. 

That said, 90% of the people who pick up one of our capped pens will immediately try to post the cap on the back and show frustration when they can't.

I've started making all of my Atrax pens postable for this reason.  I'd rather let them have the option and not use it, than want it and lose a sale because it doesn't have it.

Even my custom (kitless) pens have a tapered body that allow posting the cap via press fit.  Best of both worlds.


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## GaryT45 (Oct 26, 2014)

I've never made a non-postable 2 tube pen, my personal preference is a postable pen.  So far, it has never come up as something that anyone wanted (going on 3 years turning pens now).


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## Smitty37 (Oct 26, 2014)

If the customer wants postable....sell him/her postable.


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## georgestanley032 (Oct 29, 2014)

I've always like non-postable. There's nothing really wrong with any of the 2. I agree that it's only a matter of preference on whether which of the 2 is better.



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## Chatham PenWorks (Oct 30, 2014)

Visual appeal - nonpostable 

Functionality and sellability - postable


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## Smitty37 (Oct 30, 2014)

Chatham PenWorks said:


> *Visual appeal - nonpostable
> *
> Functionality and sellability - postable


Visual appeal where?  Side by side they can both look pretty much the same depending on the model.


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## skiprat (Oct 30, 2014)

Smitty37 said:


> Chatham PenWorks said:
> 
> 
> > *Visual appeal - nonpostable
> ...



Ok Leroy, please enlighten me....please can you tell me which pen kit model in either the postable or non-postable version looks the same and which model 'depends'.......I'm really lost on this one......????
( Yes, I'm rattling your cage a bit too....  )


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## Chatham PenWorks (Oct 30, 2014)

Smitty37 said:


> Visual appeal where?  Side by side they can both look pretty much the same depending on the model.


    I'm with skiprat. I'd love to know what model looks anywhere close to the same using both options.


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## Smitty37 (Oct 31, 2014)

skiprat said:


> Smitty37 said:
> 
> 
> > Chatham PenWorks said:
> ...


Jr Gent 2 for one.  Minor difference in the End Cap.  If you believe that to be a major difference in looks, you and I just see things from a different perspective because I don't see it that way.:biggrin::biggrin:


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## Smitty37 (Oct 31, 2014)

Chatham PenWorks said:


> Smitty37 said:
> 
> 
> > Visual appeal where?  Side by side they can both look pretty much the same depending on the model.
> ...


See my reply to Skip....I think that everything except the end cap exactly the same translates to "pretty much the same".


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## panamag8or (Nov 2, 2014)

I think end caps make pens look tacky and unfinished. Take a look at the pens people actually pay good money for: Mont Blanc, Pilot, Parker... no end caps, they all have friction fit, and look so much better. I wish someone would offer a decent kit that looked sleek, rather than having what looks like an air valve cover on it. [/rant]


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## walshjp17 (Nov 2, 2014)

A practical view of the postable v. non-postable discussion:  A friend in sales asked me to make him a high-end roller ball he would use when presenting contracts to clients for signing.  He wanted it non-postable because he said he lost too many pens to clients by handing over the entire pen (i.e., posted) for signing and then a conversation about wording ensued and - long story short - he forgot to get the pen back from the client.*  He stated he would rather hold onto one part of the pen while the client used the other part to sign.  That way he would not forget to get the pen back from the client.

I prefer non-postable, but as Smitty noted, the customer gets what the customer wants.

*This actually happened to me when I was a client of another salesman.  It's how I ended up with my first Mont Blanc -- and yes, I did try to contact the salesman for over three months without success.


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## Smitty37 (Nov 2, 2014)

panamag8or said:


> I think end caps make pens look tacky and unfinished. Take a look at the pens people actually pay good money for: Mont Blanc, Pilot, Parker... no end caps, they all have friction fit, and look so much better. I wish someone would offer a decent kit that looked sleek, rather than having what looks like an air valve cover on it. [/rant]


people tend to not like making friction fit pens....to easy to overturn and end up with a cap that won't stay on posted or not.  I would agree though that the end caps could be designed much better but that would make the barrels longer to keep the same overall length.... at least for Rollerballs....


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## 79spitfire (Nov 2, 2014)

I can take or leave postable/not postable pens. I have plenty of both. What drives me crazy is a pen that looks to be postable, but isn't. Those are the ones where I end up dropping the cap. 

For the general public, 99% of commercial (mainstream) pens with caps are postable. I haven't had any luck selling any pens with caps (yet). I need to be more aggressive...


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## panamag8or (Nov 2, 2014)

Smitty37 said:


> panamag8or said:
> 
> 
> > I think end caps make pens look tacky and unfinished. Take a look at the pens people actually pay good money for: Mont Blanc, Pilot, Parker... no end caps, they all have friction fit, and look so much better. I wish someone would offer a decent kit that looked sleek, rather than having what looks like an air valve cover on it. [/rant]
> ...



Longer barrels would be fine with me. Some kits look funny, with so much metal, and a little piece of blank.


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## Smitty37 (Nov 2, 2014)

panamag8or said:


> Smitty37 said:
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> > panamag8or said:
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Most non postable have the same amount of metal showing as the postable version of the same kit....


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## skiprat (Nov 2, 2014)

Yeah Leroy, but it depends on the model....:wink:


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## Smitty37 (Nov 2, 2014)

skiprat said:


> Yeah Leroy, but it depends on the model....:wink:


I presume you're right Skip, but it just happens that all of the non postable pens in my collection have a fairly large metal end cap....including a few pretty expensive ones.  Some of them might not even come is a postable version.


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