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DUKE Mako

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click here to read a customer review

"Norman, the Duke Mako green marble pen was received well. Nice smooth nib. It will be used many years to come. As with my other Duke pens, I really enjoy them all."
M. H., Mililani, HI

"Norman, I wanted to let you know the children have arrived! I've already filled and used the Mako and it's great. I love a pen with some weight. I can already feel the same with the Pinstripe...The weight on both pens is good and the action is smoooooth! I like a weighty pen so I don't have to bear down (ballpoints). These just lay in your hand and you can guide the point. Thx again."
D. H., Lexington, KY

"Hi Norman, thanks again for quick delivery of the pens.  I got mine Thursday and Britta's arrived in CA on Friday.  She immediately filled her 616 and started writing a letter; she loves the retro design and the burgundy ink.  I'm greatly impressed with my 616 demi as well.  I bought it as a "pocket pen," easy to carry and take notes with, and I've already found myself favoring it even over my trusty Pilot 78Gs—it's so light and writes so easily that sometimes it's almost like I'm not holding a pen!  The Mako is a beauty; it feels and writes like a high-class European pen, but the whole family has admired the design and color.  My 4-year-old son volunteered to clean it before I filled it, leaving me to take care of the 616 by myself.  And the penroll is lovely, too—I had a little trouble getting it back from my 2-year-old, who immediately decided such a colorful case should be for his own treasures!  I attended my first writing workshop in years today, and used the 616 the whole time; I'm delighted that using these pens has helped me rediscover my love for writing.  Thanks again, and be well."
C. P., Easton, PA

 


 

DUKE #911 Black Mako FP    $65.00


 

DUKE #911 Blue Mako FP    $65.00    Sold out


(a very deep blue...only apparent under direct light)

 

DUKE #911 Flecked Green Mako FP    $65.00    Sold out

 

DUKE #911 Brown Mako FP    $65.00    Permanently sold out

 

DUKE #911 Shell FP    $65.00    Permanently sold out  


 

The Mako is often considered to be the sleekest and most graceful of the ocean's shark species, although I don't know that I would necessarily echo the DUKE catalog's "coming towards us are friends" sentiment, as they're also know as one of the fiercest! I would agree however that DUKE's design team has managed to produce a sleek, graceful and fierce-looking pen, from the gentle curves of the cap top, to the incised hint of gills subtly etched near the clip. I showed this pen to a customer, minutes after having received it myself at a pen show, and without mentioning a name or brand, his immediate comment was that it reminded him of a shark! I'd say that DUKE succeeded with their design intentions.

The Mako pen series are modified torpedo-shaped, full-sized pens, that make use of DUKE's brilliant new resin finishes in the case of the green and brown -- or the classic sleekness of the all-black and chrome model. Interestingly, there's another difference worth noting. The green and brown model measure 5-1/4" capped and 6-1/8" posted, while the black is a slightly larger model, at 5-1/2" capped and 6-1/2" with the cap posted. The newest, the shell model, is larger still. It measures 5-3/4" capped and 6-3/4" posted!

 

In all cases, these are wonderfully balanced and weighted pens that are a real pleasure to write with, either posted or with the cap set aside. The cap is a 'click cap', which stays securely in place, and in addition to the '911' designation on the back, the capband (actually, a 'barrel-band') is also engraved on the front with 'DUKE' (in the non-shell versions). There is also a chrome ring near the bottom of the pen, which is cleverly indented in the center, providing a subtle but captivating visual element to the overall design.

Each of the green and brown pens is unique in appearance, making use of two of the most popular resin finishes that DUKE employs, as the green can also be found on the Earl, while the brown has long been used with the Gold Medal model.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The newest version has a beautiful black lacquer barrel-band, studded with mother-of-pearl inclusions. Set against the black lacquer of the rest of the pen, it's a stunning look.

 

 

 

 

Removing the cap displays the large spear-shaped, steel nib which I would rate as a light-medium in the line it lays down (somewhere between an American fine and medium). The nib is engraved with the DUKE 'crown' logo, 'Duke' and 'Germany'.

Unscrewing the all-metal fittings between the section and barrel reveals the large-sized piston filler for use with bottled ink. The pen comes packaged in DUKE's black-pebble gift box with warranty booklet. As with all new pens, I recommend to run a dilute solution of dishwashing soap (two or three drops to a small bowl of water) through a new pen a few times, followed by water only. Step one is effective at removing manufacturing oils that can tend to make the ink less than enthusiastic in heading from the converter/filler to the nib, and step two removes the traces of the detergent you've used...which tends to have the opposite, diuretic effect.

 

 

No matter which finish chosen, the Mako pen makes a nice friend to add to your pen collection.

 

 

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
  434 N. Leh St., 1A
  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: August 19th, 2023

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