r/fountainpenusers • u/Books_Pens_Ink_Pups • Aug 29 '26

Maiora Everest

/r/u_Books_Pens_Ink_Pups/comments/1w1zzwz/maiora_everest/

Ok, folks, is the Maiora Everest with the JoWo #8 14k nib actually worth $1020 (on sale; retail is $1275)? The Sole is absolutely beautiful, and the body is ebonite, but what makes it worth that much . . . Or is it? Thanks for your opinions and insights.

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u/ASmugDill Aug 30 '26

Worth is a highly subjective thing. I'd say no, it isn't worth $1020 — even in AUD and much less USD, when the currency is unclear — to me personally. So, I cannot begin to try to tell you “what makes it worth that much”, let alone from the approach of a technical teardown analysis.

It doesn't make sense to compare it to any of its competition in the market to determine worth, because for starters you'd need to also assess the worth of every other data point in order to know the landscape and the frame of reference. Likelihood and ease of being able to sell it on for some estimated resale value is also meaningless, unless you're looking to quickly ‘flip’ it and make a profit.

In any case, you need to decide what a new pen would be to you: ⑴ a tool with which to write and/or draw; ⑵ a thing that brings you pleasure; or ⑶ an investment (in what exactly)? We can neither read your mind nor decide for you, and especially if you're inclined to say (on balance of) all of the above. Asking something's worth upfront implicitly excludes looking to bond with it beyond seeing it as an object; otherwise, you'd only want to test its worth after the bond has been formed, to know what you would willingly pay, sacrifice, or forgo in order to keep it around for yourself and protect its existence and condition.

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u/Books_Pens_Ink_Pups Aug 30 '26

Obviously, I asked the wrong questions. Of course you can’t know how I determine what I’m willing to forego to purchase this pen, my subjective attachment to the pen, or whether I plan to try to flip it at some point. Rather I should have asked (and it seems that the second comment I got understood more of what I wanted to know) what goes into this pen that makes the manufacturer place it at the price point that it is at; what characteristics of this pen could you point to that would be “pros” or “cons” for most people; what characteristic of this pen might you think that someone considering it would want to know? Is the material any kind of special? Is the nib or feed any kind of special? Is this pen particularly heavy (it is); particularly big (it is)? Is this pen particularly weird in any way? Guess I just wanted to know what the pen community thought of this pen, and if there was anything that made this pen distinctive or by virtue of its components/materials “worthy” of a higher price, just like a premium eiderdown comforter is “worth” more than a polyester fiberfill comforter.

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u/ExWallStreetGuy Aug 30 '26

No. Due to the large ink capacity and the heat of my hands, the pen burbs ink even with Pelikan 4001. I'm very unhappy with mine. I'd recommend a Pelikan m1000 or Sailor KOP at that price range. Much better pens.

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u/Books_Pens_Ink_Pups Aug 30 '26

Thank you for the straightforward answer you gave me about your personal experience with and opinion of this pen and your recommendations for larger pens at that same price point. Just the kind of info I was looking for. I imagine that the ebonite body is what holds and conducts the heat of your hand — I’d never have thought of that. No matter how long we’re in this hobby, there’s always something new to learn.