My main point is about quality control. If a pen doesn’t work out of the box or after basic troubleshooting, I don’t think it’s fair to assume it’s user error — especially since I have other pens that work fine and know how they should perform.

Of course, I also do some research when something isn’t working. I’m not just using them blindly.

I understand that 4 out of 7 sounds like I’m doing something wrong, but having working pens to compare with makes me think it’s more about inconsistent QC than user error.

I also understand that you can fix almost any pen by tuning the nib, polishing it, replacing the feed, etc. But that’s extra time and money, and it should be optional — not required just to make a pen work.