Review by Laura Cameron

A few weeks ago, Ana told me she had a pen for review that she thought I would like.  She brought me the Diplomat Excellence A, Rhombus Guilloch Lapis Black Fountain Pen ($225MSRP).  I’m not going to lie; when I first saw the pen I thought “now THAT is a fountain pen!”

When I received the pen, it was truly like opening a present.  The pen comes in a white cardboard box bearing the Diplomat logo. Once “unboxed”, there is a metal sleeve that slides aside to reveal the gorgeous pen sitting on white satin, again with the logo.

The Diplomat pen body is an all-metal casing with a multi-layered lacquer finish and laser engraving.  The nib is a fine steel nib and bears the Diplomat logo.  The postable cap is a screw cap, and the very top of the cap also bears the Diplomat logo as well.

One of the reasons Ana thought I might like to review the pen is because of its weight.  This is a metal pen and has a very pleasing heaviness to it.  The body itself, with converter filled, weighs 29gms and, with the cap, it weighs 45gms.  While the cap is postable, I found that posting the cap made the back end of the pen fairly top heavy, so I preferred not to post it.

This pen was a joy to write with.  The ink filled quickly and the pen itself wrote very smoothly.  The fine nib is more of a Western fine, so not as fine as a Japanese nib, but still very nice.  I really enjoyed the quantity of ink that the pen put down; it gave excellent coverage without being too wet.  I was able to test this pen on both the Crossfield Journal and Field Notes Byline and it performed very well.

To be honest, my favorite thing about this beautiful pen is the thought put into all the little touches, specifically the aesthetically pleasing logo tying all the elements of the pen together. They are executed in a way that isn’t fussy, but really lend an air of elegance to this pen.

The great news for you is that this pen was generously sent to “the Desk” for a giveaway – one of you lucky readers will get to keep this pen!

THE GIVEAWAY: We are giving away this very Diplomat Excellence A Rhombus Guilloch in black with a steel fine nib. This is a tester model so it has been inked and tested here at The Desk but will be cleaned, re-boxed and shipped directly to you in like-new condition.

Please leave a comment below and tell us what ink you’d put in the Excellence A Rhombus Guilloch in black for your first fill?

FINE PRINT: All entries must be submitted by 10pm CST on Saturday, September 16, 2017. All entries must be submitted at wellappointeddesk.com, not Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, okay? Winner will be announced on Saturday. Winner will be selected by random number generator from entries that played by the rules (see above). Please include your email address in the comment form so that I can contact you if you win. We will not save email addresses or sell them to anyone — pinky swear. If winner does not respond within 10 days, we will draw a new giveaway winner. Shipping via USPS Priority Mail is covered. Additional shipping options or insurance will  be paid by the winner upon request. We are generous but we’re not made of money. US residents/APO only.

Laura is a tech editor, podcaster, knitter, spinner and recent pen addict. You can learn more about her knitting and tea adventures on her website, The Corner of Knit & Tea and can find her on Instagram as Fluffykira.

DISCLAIMER: This item was sent to us free of charge by Points of Distinction, the US distributor of Diplomat Pens, for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

The Bexley Sleeve Filler Fountain Pen (Retail $275, Special Offer $175) is a bit different than any pen I’ve ever used before.  It features a pair of gold bands on both ends. When I saw it at Vanness Pen Shop back in the Spring, my curiosity was piqued. I knew I had to try it out. It was part of a collection of new-old-stock pens that Vanness had in their inventory.

The date stamped into the cap in gold says “Bexley Col., OH USA 2001”. According to Vanness, this pen was a reproduction of a sleeve filler design from the early 1900s as well so it’s a double-throwback.

So, what exactly is a sleeve filler? By twisting the the gold band on the bottom end of the pen, it reveals a lever bar and the ink sac. So, the pen is actually a modern sac filler with the sac hidden under the “sleeve.” By depressing the bar and then releasing it — it will slowing raise up as it fills with ink — you are filling the ink sac.

It’s pretty ingenious. And once the ink sac is full, the sleeve is twisted back into place to recover the bar and sac.

From a long-term maintenance standpoint, I’m not sure how difficult it would be to have a repairperson disassemble the pen to replace the ink sac but I suspect that removing the pen barrel from the feed assembly is probably similar to a lot of other vintage pens. In 10 or 20 years, someone can figure out how to do it. In the meantime, the sac in the pen feels supple and durable.

The pen is black acrylic with gold bands and features a two-tone 18K nib. It’s a fairly petite pen. Not quite a pocket pen but it maintains small, vintage proportions (4.875″ uncapped and 5.125″ capped). However, the cap can be posted making it quite long (over 7″).

I lined it up next to some comparably small, modern pens for size comparison: to the right of the Bexley is an Aluminum AL Sport from Kaweco, a Franklin-Christoph Pocket 45 and a TWSBI Mini. None of these are posted. Clearly the Bexley is longer unposted and then it can be posted as well making it longer. The grip area is also comparable to the TWSBI and Franklin-Christoph.

In terms of weight, the acrylic makes this a pretty light pen overall weighing only 20gms total, uncapped just 12gms. It can be posted but in my small hands, the balance was off. If my hands were larger or my writing grip was different, I could see where it might make sense. Just be careful if you decide to post it as the inclination exists to twist the cap when taking it off the end which may cause the sleeve to come untwisted  and potentially expose the ink sac. Not a huge deal but it could get messy.

Have I talked about the nib. The nib is fantastic. I get why people go gaga over Bexley pens now. There are some really weird and wonderful reproductions and unusual designs in the line like this sleeve filler but the nibs! Its beautiful and its writes like a dream.

So, I inked this little black pen up with my favorite new black ink, Ky-no-oto #1 Nurebairo black ($28 for 40ml bottle) which is amazing and had a blast using this pen. I enjoy the scale of the pen and the buttery smoothness of this nib. There’s a little spring in the nib but not flex, so to speak. Its just a light, pleasing writing experience.

While a black acrylic pen isn’t something that normally makes people say “Oooo, what’s that?” I think it brings the focus to the pair of gold rings which is what makes this pen unique. But its the nib that makes this pen really sing.

The Bexley Sleeve Filler is also available in Camouflage and Terracotta. Since these are NOS, there are very few left. If this seems like something you might like, don’t dawdle. Once these are gone, it will be hard to find them in this condition again and be able to choose your colors and nibs.

DISCLAIMER: This item was sent to me free of charge by Vanness Pen Shop for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

I don’t often post photos of my pen stash but I’m making an exception today because this is a very special edition to my collection. I was lucky enough to be invited to participate in a small edition of Franklin-Christoph Pocket 20s utilizing rare Tibaldi Impero Celluloid that Thomas Hall had acquired and wanted to have made into pens and shared amongst his friends. Any profits earned from the manufacturing would be donated to a charity of Thomas’s choosing.

What was decided was that the pens would be created in a transparent ice Pocket 20 or Marietta 20 style (with or without clip) and the end cap would be made from the Tibaldi material in order to maximize the number of pens that could be made from the material. A total of about 85 pens would be made.

As you can see from the close-ups, my pen cap is threaded with blue and is a walnut stone color. I think it looks stunning. I had it paired with Jim Rouse’s fabulous fine S.I.G. steel nib which he smoothed perfectly for my silly southpaw writing.

I eyedropper filled it with my go-to subtle ink, Sailor Jentle Chu Shu. It’s the picture of dignity and I’m so glad to have a part of history.

Review by Laura Cameron

When I first saw a picture of the 3952 Abalone Shell Fountain Pen ($148) with fine nib I was struck by how pretty it was.  As I mentioned when I reviewed the Diplomat Excellence A, I am a big fan of pens that are elegant in their attention to detail.  The choice of the Abalone shell body with the metal trim elements in rose gold finish made this a winner for me.

The 3952 Abalone pen is crafted from real abalone shells.  Though the abalone portion appears faceted, the pen is actually a smooth round body.  The grip is a beautiful rose gold, and the nib is a Bock stainless steel nib; I chose an extra fine nib, though I see that double-broad is still in stock as well.  The cap is a metal cap with guilloche patterning on it.  It has a clip, that is attached with screws.  The cap posts and has threads at the end of the barrel for posting.  I will say that I still can’t quite decide whether the cap or the body is my favorite part of the pen.

The 3952 is decently weighty. The body, full of ink but capless, weighs 23gms. Adding the cap brings it up to a hefty 39gms, and I have to say that the pen was too top-heavy for me when the cap was posted.  The pen is 5″ even from the end of the barrel to nib tip and a full 5 5/8″ long capped.

Finally, the pen takes either standard international cartridges or a converter, which is included in the box with purchase.

When I received the pen I grabbed my Crossfield journal, and loaded it up with some Pilot Iroshizuku ink in Ajisai. I have to say I was really impressed with this pen. It inked up easily, and wrote smoothly from the get go. I love the weight of the pen in my hands. So far my only minor complaint is that the grip section between the nib and the threads for the cap is sort of small (about 1/2″) and I think I would prefer it to be just a smidge longer for how I hold my pen. Otherwise, the pen writes beautifully and I really enjoy using it. I appreciate the thought and craftsmanship that went into this pen, and I feel it’s a beautiful pen at a fair price.

DISCLAIMER: This item was sent to me free of charge by Pen Chalet for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

Laura is a tech editor, podcaster, knitter, spinner and recent pen addict. You can learn more about her knitting and tea adventures on her website, The Corner of Knit & Tea and can find her on Instagram as Fluffykira.

Review by Laura Cameron (and Ana Reinert)

Ana:

Since both Laura and I have ended up purchasing or acquiring several of the same products, we have decided to do some “tag team” reviews where we provide two points of view. Since our pen experience levels differ and our tastes differ, sometimes our opinions will be similar and sometimes they will differ. We hope you’ll enjoy these posts.

Ana: I was lucky enough to pick up the Karas Pen Co. Decograph at the “unveiling” at the San Francisco Pen Show in August. The fabulous crushed green glass-look material used for my pen body is limited edition and not yet available in wider circulation. It’s ever-so-slightly translucent. In the right light, I can see the converter but its absolutely luminescent. The cap is the standard black thermoplastic with the aluminum finials and stainless clip.

The lighter weight of the thermoplastic material makes the Decograph easy to hold and the material warms in the hand like vintage pens.

The absence of a cap band gives the Decograph a sleek, streamlined look. This was made possible thanks to some clever engineering details inside. There’s a steep step-down inside the cap that keeps the grooves of the twisting far enough away from the edge of the cap that it will prevent cracking, thus avoiding the need for a cap band. So… the pen gets the streamlined look of a vintage pen without the fatal flaws of a cracking cap that plagues those old gems.

I paid to upgrade the nib on my Decograph to a Bock 14K gold EF.  I’ve not used the Bock gold nibs before I felt this was a good opportunity to indulge.

I don’t have a lot of experience with the Bock gold nibs but there is a nice bit of spring (not flex per se) and since the Decograph is lighter than a Fountain K or INK, the light, springy nib in a light springy pen creates a bouyant writing experience.

As a lefty, I had no issues writing with the stock gold EF nib. It had good line variation and will work well on the variety of paper stocks I have to use at work.

A lot of comments have been made about the Decograph packaging, both good and bad. The pen is definitely the most upscale creation from the Karas Pen Co. and it seems fitting that the packaging reflect this. The aluminum tube harkens to the roots of the company’s original products and creates a lovely protective keepsake for the Decograph that is reminiscent of the tins that Fossil watches come in and shaped a lot like Retro 51s come in which were based on the tubes from lots of vintage pens.

That said, the packaging idea came to the Karas team after the pen was designed. It is an add-on to make the Decograph that much better and was not added to increase the cost of the pen as might have been suggested on chat forums.

I’ve used the Decograph on and off since August and enjoyed it a lot. It’s aesthetically very appealing. For me, the weight and balance is spot-on and I love the gold EF nib. I think its priced competitively with other turned, custom pens of this caliber. The details and finishing are excellent. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with the Decograph.

Laura:

As I’ve said before, I love a good, weighty fountain pen, so it’s no surprise that I really love my Karas Kustoms Fountain K.  I was interested, however, to learn that Karas was coming out with a pen that looked quite a bit like their other metal pens, but was instead a machined thermoplastic body, called the Decograph.  Then I saw a photo posted of the limited edition, colored ones and I was hooked. Karas held a lottery among Karas Pen Club members to purchase one of the limited editions and I was lucky enough to get the exact one I wanted – turquoise with black swirls.

When the pen arrived I was pleased how solid it felt in my hands, despite weighing far less than the Fountain K.   The pen body is smooth with clean lines. The cap screws on and off, and is postable and the Bock #6 nib (I ordered fine) is a pleasure to write with.  I immediately filled it with Pilot Iroshizuku Yama Budo and I was off to the races!  I really enjoy this one and pull it out at least once almost every day. If you’re looking for a lighter weight pen with clean lines and excellent quality, I’d pick up one of these.

Laura is a tech editor, podcaster, knitter, spinner and recent pen addict. You can learn more about her knitting and tea adventures on her website, The Corner of Knit & Tea and can find her on Instagram as Fluffykira.

DISCLAIMER: Some of these items were provided free of charge by Karas Pen Co. for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

When I’m at the San Francisco Pen Show, I make a point to check out the the Peyton Street Pens table. They carry some of the most unusual items, particularly pens from the Indian manufacturer Ranga as well as many amazing restored vintage pens.

This year, I picked up an ebonite Bamboo Slim model made by Ranga in solid green with a fine italic JoWo nib that was ground by their in-house nib meister. I love how the seam of the cap is hidden so completely by the grooves of the bamboo design. From that standpoint, the pen is the most “novelty” design I’ve ever purchased but the ebonite and slim shape is incredibly comfortable in my hand and the fine italic grind makes writing a pleasure as well. What initially turned out to be a bit of a last-minute, impulse purchase at the end of a long pen show weekend has become a bit of an everyday carry for me.

The grip section is long enough to be comfortable to hold for writing for long periods of time which was surprising because again, it was a bit of an impulse purchase. I thought the pen was charming.

The nib is a standard JoWo nib but being at the show allowed me to get a slightly more customized nib option. This is a fine cursive italic nib which came with a slight upcharge but was well worth it to me.

The best part of this pen, of course, is the writing experience. I love writing with it. From the day I bought it in San Francisco, I’ve had it filled with PenBBS #224 Tolstoy which is a perfectly olive-y green ink. It’s like writing with bamboo.

What I did discover is that while the cap does post on this pen, I do not recommend it. It looks ridiculous for starters and the material around the  cap is not strong enough to handle the wiggling that is required to put the cap on and off the end of the pen to post it without cracking. As you can see, within a few weeks, I weakened and cracked the ebonite around the edge. I’m hoping that I can get it repaired before the piece breaks off. So… don’t post your cap, even though I know you want to! The pen is long enough without it. The pen is 5.25″ long uncapped and 5.75″ capped.

Weightwise, it comes in at 16gms uncapped and filled with the converter . Capped, it weighs 20gms.

I recall the final price for the pen to be around $100-$120 with nib and material which looks to be the listing price on Ebay and their site. With a standard nib, the price is about $72 which is a great price!

While it doesn’t look like Peyton Street lists this particular pen color and nib configuration (they recommend if you want the fine italic nib to choose “no nib” and then go to the nibs section and choose the JoWo #6 nibs and select the custom nib units) on their web site, they often list pens on their Ebay site, including several of the solid ebonite Bamboo Slim models.

Review by Laura Cameron (and Ana Reinert)

Since both Laura and I have ended up purchasing or acquiring several of the same products, we have decided to do some “tag team” reviews where we provide two points of view. Since our pen experience levels differ and our tastes differ, sometimes our opinions will be similar and sometimes they will differ. We hope you’ll enjoy these posts. This is the third in the series.

Ana:

The Benu Supreme Collection pens were launched on Indiegogo and both Laura and I were really taken with the beautiful colors of the the pens. Enough so, that we decided to go in together on the purchase of the Two Pen offer. Soon after we put up our cold hard cash, our pal Joe at Gentleman Stationer offered to let us take his sample pens out for a test drive. He sent over two of the models — the Bird of Paradise from the Essence collection ($200) and the Sublime 025 from the Supreme Collection ($185). When we originally saw the images of the pens, we thought they looked very large but when the pens arrived, we were both surprised at how light the pens were. The material used for these pens is unlike anything I’ve felt before in higher end fountain pens. Yes, the inclusions in the material are blingy and sparkly and look like spun gold fleck but the material is so light its feels insubstantial.

My task was to review the Bird of Paradise while Laura reviewed the Sublime. The Bird of Paradise has a more traditional cigar shape but the end has a stepdown so that the cap can post. It gives the pen a bit of an inelegant end that detracts from the cosmic colorway. The embossed lines in the cap also seem a little unnecessary and detract from the overall color feel. What is so appealing about the Benu pens is the amazing swirls of color and the textural interruptions just get in the way.

The Bird of Paradise pen uses a smaller Schmidt nib unit than the Sublime style pens which throws the visual weight off on the design as well. It might look a little less off balance with the larger #6 nib. I don’t tend to favor broad nibs since my handwriting is too small but the Schmidt nib wrote well and the gold tone nib was matched to the gold cap band and gold flecks in the pen.

Overall, the design of this pen feels mismatched. I like the celestial feel of the coloring but its called “Bird of Paradise” not “Bird of the Galaxy”. The shape of the pen overall is odd, the weight feels way too light and I don’t really like a heavy pen but this just feels so light as to feel cheap and insubstantial–like if it rolls off the table just once it will shatter. And for the price point, even for a custom made pen, I guess I expect more.

Laura:

It was the sparkle that got me. When I saw the BENU Supreme Collection Indiegogo project, I was most struck by the shiny, sparkly pen bodies. I went ahead and backed the project and delivery was estimated for November. So it was a bit of a surprise when Ana told me that the BENUs had arrived; it turned out that Joe of The Gentlemen Stationer had loaned her a few samples for testing and review.

We decided to review the pens together. I tested the Sublime 025, which is available for pre-order now for $185. The major focal point of these pens is, of course, the bodies which are made of aventurescent resin.  In my model this meant silver sparkle, with blue, black and purple. The ring material on the cap is rhodium plated brass and the clip is stainless steel. The cap unscrews and theoretically, is postable, though in practice it doesn’t work well (the cap is kind of loose and doesn’t fit on the end of the pen that well). The nib is a Schmidt stainless steel nib, and the one I tested was a fine, although medium and broad are available as well.

In terms of specs, the pen weighs 15gms, uncapped and full of ink, and capped the pen weighs 26gms.  The pen is also 5″ from end to nib point, and 5 1/8″ capped.

The best thing about this pen is the body, which is really fun to look at.  The pen is sort of a funky shape with a broader cap and a more tapered barrel and it almost reminds me of a tube of mascara.  The pen is more lightweight than I generally like, but does compare favorably in size to other pens.

I have to say, however, that I didn’t find this pen to be a super exciting writing experience.  The problem is that the BENU just isn’t as nice to write with as other pens at the $175 price point.  I’ve been spending my recent days writing with a Karas Kustoms Decograph ($165) and the 3952 Abalone ($148) and have been enjoying them far more than this one.  While the body is amazing looking, I’m just not sure the stock nib makes it worth the price tag.

Laura is a tech editor, podcaster, knitter, spinner and recent pen addict. You can learn more about her knitting and tea adventures on her website, The Corner of Knit & Tea and can find her on Instagram as Fluffykira.

Aaron asks:

Have you ever heard of adapting an old lever bladder filling pen into a converter set up?

I had a suspicion that making this sort of adaptation was not exactly possible but I reached out to Nibgrinder and pen expert Mark Bacas to get a bigger brain in on this and here’s what he had to say:

The likelihood of that being feasible is probably very small.

So, if what you are trying to preserve is a vintage nib, you are better off finding a nib unit in a comparable size and finding someone who might be able to retrofit the nib into a modern nib unit with a modern feed and converter attachment rather than trying to save the whole unit. If you are trying to preserve the whole pen and nib, then you’ll have to learn to love those rubber sacs.

Or dip fill your pen. I dip a lot of my old Esterbrooks. The nib unit will suck up a good deal of ink just from the capillary action to allow me to write or draw for a half a page or more before I have to dip again. It’s far less disruptive than a classic dip pen, even if there’s no bladder in the pen at all. Then I just dip the pen in water to clean at the end of a writing session so I can use a different ink color the next time.

Mary reports:

I have recently had 2 gel pens totally leak out from the opposite of the point end. All the clear gel leaks out with all the ink. I have a lot of gel pens, markers, ball point, color pencils, all mediums, this is the 1st time this has happened. These particular pens are stored in there own container and I noticed the clear gel in the pen tube has separated a little and it’s attached to the sides inside of the tube.i feel all these pens will eventually do the same. my other gel pens I have, do not have this happening. Could it be Heat, pressure, falling down or simply a fluke
Thank you
Mary
This brand is CaseMate so it surprises me a bit.

This is definitely a unique situation. I have not used the CaseMate brand of gel pens but it is possible that heat, pressure or some other environmental factor caused the clear gel to shift thereby causing the gel ink to run out of the end of the pen. I had a few gel pens in a suitcase that went into the bulkhead of an airplane which caused some unfortunate results.

If anyone has any suggestions for Mary, please leave a note in the comments.

Marko asked:

Can you recommend a product that could hold a 5.4″ x 7.7″vanguard flagship and maybe a couple of pens? I asked Baron Fig and they didn’t have a recommendation.

As this question was posed a while back, I am happy to say that there is now a leather cover for the Vanguard called the Guardian. While it does not hold any pens, it does cover the notebook nicely and is available in six colors.

Alternately, Galen Leather makes a cover for the Confidant that will hold a pen, phone and iPad.

New Podcast:

There is a new pen community podcast called The BYOB Pen Club. Its a round table discussion of Pen Addict Slack regulars. If you are looking to have a virtual drink at the bar with some pen friends, this is the podcast for you. This is the closest approximation to pulling up a chair at any of the after hours events at a pen show I’ve experienced in a podcast. At least that’s how Episode O plays. Here’s hoping that future episodes keep the same casual camaraderie.

New App:

Austin Tooley developed an iphone pen/stationery blog aggregator called Nibbler. What a fine way to entertain yourself while waiting for the bus! There is a $1.99 in-app purchase option to “re-skin” the app or as a way to thank Austin for his efforts. Help support the pen community and the on-going efforts they make to keep it awesome.

New Field Notes Edition:

The Resolution Edition is the 10th anniversary edition of Field Notes. Spoiler Alert! The Resolution Edition includes a red, white and blue cover. The white cover is the Date Book and the red and blue are Checklist notebooks. There is also a 2018 calendar card that fits inside the books. The subscribers’ bonus is a reprint of the original Draplin Field Notes pack. The Checklist notebooks remind me a lot of the Word. Notebooks not that anyone invented the idea of a checklist or bullet list but its all coming full circle.

New Pen Releases:

Sailor Pro Gear Slim Purple Cosmos ($250) is a limited edition of only 800 available. It is a deep purple with metallic flecks with a 14k nib and sliver hardware. The pen is due to ship any day now. You can ask to be notified if there are any available at Anderson Pens but the remainder left may be slim. I ordered mine back in July.

The Parker Jotter Architecture Series takes its inspiration from London architecture. Each pen is etched with elements inspired from a particular  time period: classical (red), modern (blue), postmodern (black)  and gothic (bronze). Each pen comes in a gift box, making it giftable for both seasoned collectors or new collectors. MSRP $25/£19.

The Visconti Opera Master Fountain Pen Luna ($795) will be available in a limited edition “Goulet blue” resin with silver sparkles. This Goulet exclusive is limited to only 188 units and can include the magnetized MyPen System options – natural stones can replace the Visconti logo in the finial. The pen features the Visconti’s double reservoir power filler and a 23kt palladium nib in medium. It comes in a leather pen box with a glass ink bottle filled with Visconti Blue ink.

Retro 51 has two new Tornados available. They are yoga themes, one is the bamboo Hamsa ($45) and the other is the brightly colored, glow-in-the-dark Chakra ($45). The Retro 51 seasonal Popper was also released. It’s called “Winter Wonderland” ($37).  I really like the yoga releases and I think the illustrations on the holiday Popper are excellent this year.

Platinum is releasing the newest in their Nice 3776 line the 3776 Century Nice Fountain Pen in Lavande ($228). First, there was the Lilas in pink and now the more purply Lavande. If you like the more demonstrator style pens but still want a colorful barrel, this might be an option.

The new TWSBI Eco T fountain pen in blue (€ 35,00/€ 28,93 Outside EU) will be available soon. The Eco is a favorite piston-filling, entry level fountain pen. It’s reasonably priced and one of the only available with a piston-filling system instead of cartridge/converter. TWSBI continues to release new colors for their Ecos and ALs on an on-going basis.

The Karas Pen Co. 1703 Special Edition Decograph “Winter’s Tale” (starting at $165) in wintergreen is the most recent addition to the new line of thermoplastic-based fountain pens. This limited edition color is just in time for the holidays with its crisp, refreshing evergreen with a glittery frosty white streak shot through it beside a black trail.

The 1703 maintains all the same features of the original Decograph fountain pens.

The only change is the color which has been limited to a run of 60 which is laser etched below the threads after the “1703-XXX”.

Have you been naughty or nice?

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by Karas Pen Co. for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

I got lucky enough to be able to purchase the NOS Esterbrook Aztec Gold purse fountain pen and pencil set from Jesi (aka JesiRaine of BYOB Pen Club) a few weeks ago. The pen even had the sticker on it.

I had never seen the Aztec Gold color before so I couldn’t resist this set. It’s my first in the “brights” purse pens. Yet another of the Esterbrook rabbit holes. I went for the most beautiful example for my first so it will be hard for any others to live up to it.

Ever since I started buying fountain pens, I’ve wanted a Pelikan. I initially thought I wanted an M200 series. I liked the simplicity and classic looks but didn’t know when I began collecting what the difference was between the various lines of Pelikan.

Over time, I learned that as the numbers got bigger (for the most part) the Pelikan pens get larger and the nibs and craftsmanship get more elaborate. The 200-series features the slightly-soft, steel nibs, the 400-series introduces the gold nibs and the pens get a bit larger and then the Souveran and 600-, 800- and 1000-series get a bit larger and more elaborate with inlay and upgraded nibs, clips and so forth.

My first experiences with the soft steel nibs of the M200 series did not go as planned, As much as the Pelikan aesthetic appealed to me, the soft steel nibs did not work well out of the box with a left-handed writer. They are a nib that requires testing firsthand or working with a nibmeister to get the most out of them. This seems counter-intuitive for the lower end of the price spectrum for Pelikan pens but for lefties who tend to push their pens rather than pull, this is an unfortunate reality. So, I have been reticent to try another Pelikan for several years.

This year, though, I visited with a Pelikan collector  at a couple pen shows who was an enthusiast and showed me several beautiful, rare Pelikans and talked through some of the finer points of the pens. In educating me about the pens and nibs and letting me test out the gold nibs firsthand, I was able to realize that it was the steel nibs that had been my frustration and not Pelikan in general. Sad truth? I needed to up my game.

Then Pelikan introduced the Souverän 605 White Transparent this fall and I knew I had found my first Pelikan. I immediately pre-ordered it from Vanness Pens with an extra fine nib, having been warned that the Pelikan nibs run a bit wide and wet.

I anxiously awaited its arrival. The pen immediately became dubbed “The Ghost” online due to its translucent appearance and its white-on-white with silver tone palladium hardware. I prefer “The Ghost” to the less descriptive White Transparent name that Pelikan gave it.

The box that the pen shipped in is the same trashy, ribbon-laced box that the previous M600 Pink Special Edition came in. At least this time it didn’t have a giant bow.

Inside, the box is a simple paperboard inlay with a satin ribbon and rubber band to hold the pen in place. I can almost ignore the ridiculous corset lacing box at this point.

Once I threw the box in the closet and looked closely at the pen, all is better. The pen is stunning. The creamy white cap and end cap and the translucent barrel with iridescent stripes and palladium hardware is all perfectly angelic.

It did take me an inordinate amount of time to choose an ink though. Since the ink color can be seen through the iridescent white stripes of the transparent barrel, I wanted to pick just the right color. I’m sure any color would look good but I wanted something seasonally appropriate too. It’s cold and blustery here in the Midwest so I chose an icy blue, Montblanc Miles Davis Jazz Blue.

When the ink hits the embossed ridges of the nib? Pure magic! That’s one thing that’s hard to argue — Pelikan still makes some of the most beautiful nibs in the business. That scrollwork is gorgeous.

To give a sense of scale, I’ve photographed the Pelikan M605 alongside some other pens. From left to right: Pilot Decimo, Lamy AL-Star, Sailor Pro Gear Slim, TWSBI 580, Pilot Metropolitan, the Pelikan M605 and Kaweco Sport.

The Pelikan is between the Sailor and the Metropolitan in size overall.

Here are the same pens, posted. The grip section is very similar to the Sailor with a very subtle step between the threads and the barrel making it pretty comfortable to hold no matter your hand size or grip.

All of these pens have small nibs too, interesting side note.

Weight wise, the Pelikan M605 weighs 19gms posted/capped and 12gms unposted and filled with ink. It’s probably one of the only pens I find perfectly balanced when posted. The cap posts deeply and solidly so that the pen does not feel top heavy or precarious. If you like to post your pens, the M605 is definitely a pen that will accommodate the urge.

In writing, I was tickled to discover how much I loved writing with the pen from the moment it touched the paper. The gold nib was smooth and had just a little feedback on some papers, enough to know my pen was on the paper and not skating above it.

The M605 did make me want to write “all fancy” and not my normal chicken scratch. I suppose that’s not a bad thing. Maybe this will be the start of a year of penmanship improvement? Maybe I shouldn’t get my hopes up quite yet?

The Ghost has definitely set me on the path to other Pelikan pens. The M805 Ocean Swirl which was released just a month or so after the M605 White Transparent was equally lust-worthy and made me seriously wonder if I was on a slippery slope of Pelikan pen obsession. Luckily, my wallet intervened.

TOOLS

• Paper: Rhodia Uni-Blank No. 16 with 6mm guide sheet
• Pen: Pelikan M605 Souverän White Transparent EF
• Ink: Montblanc Miles Davis Jazz Blue

Vanness Pens was lucky enough to get a custom edition of the beloved Franklin-Christoph Pocket 45 ($105)  in a translucent turquoise blue and I was lucky enough to get one from the first batch.

Vanness finally received their shipment on the second batch and there’s already a waiting list for a third shipment. We Franklin-Christoph collectors sure our rabid about these little pocket treasures.

They originally shipped with stock steel nibs but I swapped out the nib with an 18K Masuyama Needlepoint nib that I had in another P45 to make mine extra special.

What took me so long to post about this jewel was finding just the right ink for it. There was much debate about it and testing before I came to a decision. What ink do you think I finally decided to got with? What would you fill yours with?

Review by Laura Cameron

In the past, Ana has let me try writing with her Sailors (specifically the Fresca), and I knew I wanted one.  So when the special edition Sailor Professional Gear Slim in Purple Cosmos (retail: $250) went live, I eagerly pre-ordered. What came next was months of waiting and wondering if there would even be enough pens for everyone to get one. But then it arrived and it was beautiful.

The Purple Cosmos is a deep, dark purple with lots of silver glitter and sparkle.

As I said, it’s a special limited edition and only 800 were made. The pen body is a beautiful violet sparkle resin, and the nib is 14k gold and rhodium plated. In this model I opted for the EF nib. It’s surprising to me that after preferring a wetter, medium nib during my first forays into fountain pens, now I am enjoying a finer line.

The Purple Cosmos has all the usual Sailor touches: the end caps and rims, the Sailor ring around the cap, and the iconic anchor.

The pen is very lightweight (just under 20 grams), which is surprisingly pleasing to me. It’s only surprising because I have definitely stated my preference for a more weighty pen. However, the pen is slim and lightweight and perfect for my hand size. The Purple Cosmos is is 4 7/8″ capped, and 5 5/8″ posted. I don’t usually post my pens, but this one is easily postable and pleasantly usable either way.

I really, really love this pen. I know I say that about most of the pens I review but I feel like it’s even more true with this one. I received it shortly after Thanksgiving and I’ve already had to refill it once because I pull it out and use it almost every day. I don’t have occasion to write that much in my daily job (lots of typing!) but whenever I can use pens and ink, this is the pen I reach for. It has supplanted some of my other favorites.

I find the Purple Cosmos is definitely smaller than my TWSBI Eco and some of the other pens I write with, but about comparable to the Pelikan M200 that my father shared with me over the holidays. I’ll admit – the Sailor beats the Pelikan every time.

Though she be but little, she be fierce.

Editor’s Note: While the Sailor Pro Gear Slim Purple Cosmos was limited edition, other models of the Pro Gear Slim are available and Sailor releases limited edition models throughout the year through various retailers worldwide. So, if you think a Pro Gear Slim might be a pen you want to buy, keep an eye out for options. If a specific limited edition interests you, the secondary market may be your only option and even then, these will sell at a premium.

Laura is a tech editor, podcaster, knitter, spinner and recent pen addict. You can learn more about her knitting and tea adventures on her website, The Corner of Knit & Tea and can find her on Instagram as Fluffykira.

I don’t know what’s gotten into me lately but I think I was inspired to buy another cheap Chinese fountain pen from a photo on Economical Penster’s Instagram. All those demonstrators lined up made me weak. So I hopped over to Ebay and I bought a clear demonstrator Wing Sung 618 (approx $10.70) which is a weird attempt to copy the beloved Parker 51. I also bought a version in a pastel pink but it’s staying in the packaging because it turned out to be even more difficult to use as I’ll explain later.

Both pens came in the same packaging. Does it look familiar? It is a direct knock-off of the Lamy packaging for the Safari pens. They even clip the caps to the insert card inside just like Lamy. The diecut windows are the same as Lamy too. Weird to put a Parker 51 in a Lamy Safari box. Makes my head spin. I will deposit the box in the nearest recycling bin and we can move on.

Since there were probably few true Parker 51 demonstrators, its doubtful anyone would ever mistake this pen for a true vintage classic but the hooded nib is not something often found on modern pens and for less than $15, it was a gamble I was willing to take. I have a Wing Sung 698 that I love because I’m pretty sure the nib is a Pilot steel nib and its buttery smooth so I was willing to gamble on another Wing Sung pen on the chances that another pen would also have a super smooth nib.

The 618 also has a plunger/piston filling mechanism that is a bit janky and this is where the demonstrator model comes in handy over the solid colored plastic version. Being able to see how far I’d pulled the plunger and how much ink I’d filled was really helpful. The solid plastic was really hard to tell if I’d gotten any ink in the pen and it was possible to completely pull the plunger out of the back of the pen hence allowing the ink to leak (or flood) out the back end. The demonstrator allowed considerably more control since I could see how far I’d pulled the piston out without any unfortunate accidents. For -$15, I can’t complain too much.

The ink capacity is pretty substantial too though it took me awhile to make sure I got the mechanism properly reseated. The Wing Sung 698 is much easier to reseat and even has a bit of a locking mechanism that I think is an improvement over the actual TWSBI 580 it was aping.

The nib is fine and as smooth as I was hoping. Being able to see the ink color is also kind of cool.

As for knocking off Parker… well, I don’t quite understand the Chinese mentality behind taking design elements from other brands and using them as your own. You can either live with this or you can’t. The nib on this pen is so smooth that I am overlooking the blatant copyright infringement. I would MUCH prefer that they did something else with the clip.  The cap band is not true to a Parker 51 so they are not trying to emulate or convince anyone that this is a real NOS Parker so I don’t see why they bother with the clip? Do your own clip. If you want something that feels reminiscent of the time period, that’s fine but make it your own. I digress. I knew what I was getting into when I bought it. And the clip works just fine. I just feel a little dirty when I use it.

As for the hooded nib, other brands made hooded nibs though clearly the 618 is trying to replicate the Parker 51 and its other hooded pen designs as well. Since other pen manufacturers made hooded nibs in the 60s, I’m more inclined to overlook it had it been the only retro design element. But again, I digress. The actual nib is smooth and a little springy and a delight to write with just like the Wing Sung 698 (TWSBI 580 replica with Pilot nib).

So, all-in-all, despite being a blatant knock-off  of a Parker 51, the Wing Sung 618 did have the decency to choose a pen with perfect cigar lines to mimic. The cap band is a little beefy for the rest of the pen and the piston is janky but the nib more than makes up for its faults at it’s sub-$20 price. I’m on the fence as to whether I’d recommend the 618 or the 698 first if someone was looking for an inexpensive Chinese pen. For the filling mechanism, I’d go with the 698 but for looks, I like the 618 better.

I was curious about the Opus 88 Koloro fountain pen ($93) which combine ebonite body components with transparent resin as well as being eyedropper fillers. This combination of elements seemed very unusual in a streamlined design I found aesthetically appealing so I was willing to give it a try.

The pens ship in a fairly simple package with a cardboard shipping sleeve and a magnetic closure box containing the pen and a rubber eyedropper.

I ended up filling the pen using my regular syringe rather than the eyedropper included as I felt I could better control it and get around the plunger mechanism. I made sure to watch the video posted by Pen Chalet about how filling mechanism works and how to loosen the piston before using the pen to aid in ink flow. I’ve never used an eyedropper that required this so I’m glad I watched the video.

The nib looks to be a standard German nib unit with the Opus 88 branding added.

The cap can be posted and it looks pretty streamlined but it makes the pen pretty back heavy. Uncapped, the Koloro is 5″ long. Capped it measures 5.5″ and posted it measures a whopping 6.25″.

I worked with the pen over several days and it was definitely hard starting after sitting and required priming the feed by twisting the piston out a turn and then turning it back in and then out again a couple times to get ink flowing again. At least, that was my experience. While this was not the exact advice from Ron, it was the quickest way I found to get the ink going again.

Once the ink was flowing, the pen writes beautifully. The weight in the hand is nice and the grip and threads transition nicely so its easy to write with it for longer periods. I prefer using it unposted.

The combination of ebonite and translucent sections is really mesmerizing. I do wish that the ebonite has included an ebonite feed which I think would have helped with the ink flow.

I do like the beaded detailing around the clip as well.

The two clear sections on the pen align with where the nib section is and where the ink is so you can see the nib and your ink capacity which is both aesthetically appealing and functional. I tried to put somewhat coordinating ink in the pen using Monteverde California Teal (review coming soon). I wondered if a more lubricated ink might have also helped with overall ink flow.

For size comparison, from left to right: Kaweco Sport, Pelikan M605, Sailor 1911 Regular, Lamy AL-Star, Opus 88 Koloro, Pilot Custom 912, Karas Pen Co. Decograph and TWSBI 580.

The same pens listed above, posted.

The Koloro weighs 25gms capped and 15gms uncapped, filled with ink. The weights listed above are all for pens capped or posted so the Koloro is pretty consistent with many of the pens of similar size.

Overall, I find the combination of materials interesting and was intrigued by the filling mechanism but I am finding some issues with the tendency to need to prime it. I’m not sure how effective the Koloro would be as an everyday writer for meetings and being used on and off through out the course of a day. That is a test I did not get to put it through yet. But just in my weekend writing tests between one day and the next and needing a good while to prime it means this may be better suited to use for letter writing, journal writing or other longer writing sessions where you can sit and prime the pen prior to use.

There’s something about it, in its aesthetics that appeals to me, so I want to find a way to make it work for me. Does that ever happen to you? Beyond rational though, you like a pen despite its flaws?

DISCLAIMER: This item was sent to me free of charge by Pen Chalet for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

Wancher from Japan has just launched their Kickstarter for the True Urushi line of fountain pens. Its one of the pens in their full Kickstarter that includes an ebonite “Dream Pen” (Super Early Bird is $175/Early Bird is $185)  and a maki-e pen as well. The True Urushi (Super Early Bird pricing starts at $350/Early Bird at $385) is available in black, red and blue and the tamenuri red which is a pooled dark red finish. The maki-e is a black urushi design inlaid with sakura (cherry) blossoms (Super Early Bird pricing is $1000/Early Bird is $1100) in a traditional Japanese design. The project is being launched as a chance to sell urushi pens direct to consumers from the manufacturer reducing the costs and hopefully making these unique pieces more affordable.

After talking with friends and examining the Wancher True Urushi pen, it is definitely a beautiful example of urushi. The weight in the hand is good and the finish is smooth. The cap has a spring load to help keep the nib from drying out similar to the design used by Platinum.

The transition between the grip and barrel where the threads are is comfortable though the overall pen is pretty large. The urushi keeps the pen light. Its a feeling unique to urushi pens. The finish is smooth but not slippery.

I examined the exterior of the pen closely and so no flaws in the finish. With no decoration, there would be no place to hide if there was a bubble or scratch or other flaw and there was none that I could see.

My pen came with the German (Jowo, I think) gold nib in medium. There’s a bit of flex in it and, as a lefty, worked better if you write from an below-the-line writing position. If you are an overwriter or more of a side writer, the gold nib is probably going to flex too much and get choked by pushing it so I would recommend the steel nib instead. Its a friction fit nib so it could easily be swapped out at a later date should you choose to upgrade it.

The feed is ebonite and available in black or red. Upon photographing it with my macro lens, I was able to see it in a way I wasn’t with the human eye. The bottom three or so fins — do they look black to you? I wonder if the “red” ebonite feed is actually just painted to appear red? I wouldn’t have thought so until I took the macro photos but now I have to wonder. Regardless, the ink flowed well and the look is lovely. Will it stand up to repeated cleanings and stay red still remains to be seen but at the price point, I’m willing to risk it.

I don’t normally choose a medium nib but it provided a decent range of line variation. In a pen this size, I think a fine nib would probably be too small.

The True Urushi pen weighs 26gms capped and 18gms uncapped. Due to the lightweight quality of the urushi, even though the pen is the largest in my collection, it is certainly not the heaviest. The cigar shape does make it wider than many of the pens in my collection and after writing with it for some time, I did start to notice that it was noticeably wider than most pens that I use. For some, this wider shape will be a blessing. For me, it was just a touch too wide in the grip section to be comfortable in longer writing sections but I have VERY SMALL hands.

I’ve mentioned this in the past, my hands are kid-sized gloves small. This is probably the only issue I had. I will never have a future as a concert pianist and I have trouble with large pens. My hands are small. I don’t get to make jokes about Trump’s small hands because mine are smaller. Most adults will not have an issue but if you are also of wee petite hands, this pen might be a bit big in your hands. There. I said it.

The True Usurshi pen cannot be posted but is still a relatively long pen. It’s almost as long as many of my pens posted. From left to right: Franklin-Christoph Pocket 45, Sailor 1911, Pelikan M605, Lamy AL-Star, Wancher True Urushi, Pilot Custom 912, Platinum 3776 Shungyo, Sailor Pro Gear Slim.

Addendum:

I was lucky enough to have my pal Kasey come into town last night with his Nakaya Decopod in tow so that I could do a side-by-side comparison of the Wancher True Urushi with the Decopod. It had been some time since I’d held this particular pen in my hand so being able to compare apples to apples (so to speak) was a great way to wrap up this review. Of course, its not really apples to apples as we were joking last night because, really, the Wancher Ture Urushi is just going to be an urushi gateway for a lot of people.

Physically, the two pens are quite similar is length, width and weight. Lengthwise, the pens are almost identical. The Nakaya Decopod weighs 23gms capped and 17gms with the converter so it’s a little bit lighter. The grip section is a litle bit longer and the barrel overall is a bit narrower. The way that the facets line up everytime I unscrew and screw the cap back on really is sort of magical.

The Wancher True Urushi is 90% of what people want in an urushi pen. And when you set it next to something like a Nakaya Decopod, some of that 10% becomes clear. Of course, that 10% also comes with many $100s of additional more dollars as well so 90% may be enough.

The seam between the cap and the body is not as seamless as a Nakaya but it is consistent with a Namiki Urushi pen or Platinum’s Urushi 3776 Maki-e designs which are basically cigar shapes as well.

The pooling of color of the urushi finish that clearly denotes the exterior as urushi means a lot to people. If so, the tamenuri dark red will probably be the color that will be the most appealing.  But, of course, some of the various sizes and shapes of some urushi pens like the facets of the Decopod, the Piccolo, or the Dorsal Fin are what set the urushi pens apart from turned pens. The cigar shape of the Wancher True Urushi will whet the appetite for the feel of the material and the luster and sheen but the other details will have to be saved up for another time.

If you’ve never held an urushi pen in your hand before, the Wancher True Urushi fountain pen is a wonderful specimen of urushi work. It is priced to be within the reach of most fountain pen collectors (I think) for what it is. This is a handcrafted pen with a gold nib. It is priced consistently with a hand turned resin or acrylic pen or even a hand turned wood pen from a quality craftsperson. If owning an urushi pen has been on your bucket list but spending the money for a Nakaya or Danitrio seems prohibitively expensive, then the Wancher True Urushi is a great option.

The Luxury Leather Pen Case

If you purchase two pens in the Kickstarter, you can receive the Luxury Leather pen case as a bonus. Susan over on the Pen Addict wrote a review about this case in November and there was some dust kicked up about the case and its similarities to a Franklin-Christoph case. I did not know about the case when I accepted the review of the True Urushi pen review nor did I know that the case would be included in the Kickstarter. I’ve since talked to Brad about what, if anything, had happened regarding the pen case.

While yes, the shape is quite similar to the Lucky13 Penvelope, the material and weight is markedly different. The interior of the Luxury Leather pen case is soft fabric and not nearly as stiff as the material used in the Franklin-Christoph Penvelope. That said, I’d now like to discuss the case on its specific merits as its a free bonus. I know it may be a hot button issue for some people but its my understanding that due to the quality differences (this is not a stiff boot leather material) the Wancher Luxusry Leather pen case, which aesthetically very similar is not in the same league with the Franklin-Christoph Lucky 13 Penvelope.

The cover I received is navy blue pebbled leather with an ivory interior. Viewed from the side, its easy to see there would be more than enough room for taller pens than my small, dainty pen collection normally contains.

The Wancher True Urushi is clearly the largest pen in the case and fits snugly. The last five slots on the right contain my tiny Lady Sheaffer Skripserts which practically swim in the pockets as they are slim and clipless. Just to left of them is my new vintage Platinum ladies pen which does have a clip but pinched the fabric a good deal. All the pens to the left of those are modern pens and had clips and fit appropriately.

There was enough space in the pocket in the front to hold a slim A5 sized notebook and still snap the magnetic lock which would make this a good case to take to a pen meet-up or other pen-related event for pen testing and demonstrating. I wouldn’t try putting anything thicker than a notepad or slim notebook in the case though but its nice to know that you can at least get some writing material in there to make an on-the-go package out of it.

The case is a bit flexible overall but the leather feels nice in the hand and the interior ivory looks elegant and sturdy. Issues with comparisons to the Franklin-Christoph case aside, the Luxury Leather Case is a beautiful perk.

Extras

There are some additional add-ons in the Kickstarter campaign as well like a pen rest they call the “Pen Pillow,” roll stops that can be added to your pen for a more personalized design while keeping your pen on the table and two stretch goals to add additional urushi colors.

DISCLAIMER: This item was sent to me free of charge by Wancher for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

One of my first fountain pen loves was Kaweco fountain pens. When I was given the opportunity to get a limited edition Bungubox June Bride Something Blue AL-Sport, I said yes immediately. I didn’t know what it would cost with the premium and currency exchange and shipping but I threw caution to the wind and bought it.

The pen came in a specially stamped black tin box with the BunguBox logo and the “June Bride Something Blue” name on the lid. The type face leaves something to be desired but that’s the designer in me talking.

Inside the tin is the pebbled finished turquoise aluminum Kaweco which is a gorgeous color and stamped in white matte foil or silkscreen is the same type “June Bride Something Blue”.  Also included is a piston cartridge converter. This is the first time I’ve gotten one of these from Kaweco so I’m crossing my fingers that its more efficient than the squeeze converters.

(Amusing upside photos of the cap as seen from the perspective of a left-handed writer.)

I purchased the fine nib but I have yet to ink up the pen. I have so many other Kaweco Sport pens that this one has made its way into the “collector” category at the moment rather than into the “user” category. Have I become that kind of pen collector?

Every year, one of the most anticipated releases is the Lamy AL-Star and Safari fountain pens and accompanying limited edition inks. It is an absolute frenzy, especially since over the last few years, there has been more interest in both the pens and the inks than there has been available supply.

So, when information was leaked at the end of 2017 about the Vibrant Pink AL-Star fountain pen (€ 22,73 € 22,73 Outside EU) and Vibrant Pink ink ( 50 ml bottle: € 10,90 € 9,01 Outside EU / T10 cartridges 5-pack € 2,00 € 1,65 Outside EU ) for 2018, how could I resist?

I mean, its pink and it’s an AL-Star! Imagine how torn I would have been if it had been the Safari? The Vibrant Pink AL-Star is actually a lovely shade of fuchsia. The color ranges from a deep raspberry when its cast in shadow to a bright, hot pink when it reflects the most light. Overall, the effect in person is a bit deeper and richer than a lot of the initial photographs portrayed the pen. It’s not as candy colored as I initially expected it to be.

When lined up along other pink pens in my collection, the Lamy Vibrant Pink is on the darkest edge of pink, darker than my Sailor Pink Love so it’s not as “kiddie” looking as I feared it might look.

I was only able to get cartridges at this point so I dipped a paint brush into the cartridge to do my swab. I did get sheen and evidence of the gold. It was more evident when wet. When dry, the shimmery quality is less evident but the ink maintains a good deal of shading.

In my painted title, the gold halo is super evident. I think it bodes well if you write with a wide nib or plan to use the ink for calligraphy. Fancy fun!

Comparing swatches, my instinct is to say that Lamy Vibrant Pink is closest to Sailor Jentle Peche but I think Peche is a little bit warmer pink and Vibrant Pink is a little bit cooler pink. I do think if you want a spot-on match to the overall Vibrant Pink AL-Star, Callifolio Andrinople is still a great choice.

As for the Vibrant Pink ink, all I can say is that I am thrilled that Lamy made a genuinely usable pink ink with a luscious golden sheen that sells for reasonable price. Now, the hope is that they can actually deliver enough bottles to sate the appetites of the rabid ink fans out there.

TOOLS

• Paper: Rhodia Uni-Blank No. 16 with 7mm guide sheet
• Pens: Lamy AL-Star Vibrant Pink with F nib
• Swatches: Col-o-Ring Ink Testing Cards
• Brush: Blick Synthetic Round #0
• Ink: Lamy Vibrant Pink Ink (T10 Cartridges/ 5-pack)

DISCLAIMER: This item was sent to me free of charge by Fontoplumo for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

The pen community has been showered in great Kickstarter opportunities lately. We thought we would round up all the best and also follow-up on a few that are currently shipping.

Pay It Forward

Pay It Forward is the brain child of Oscar Rodriguez and his project to provide free pens, ink and notebooks to children and new pen enthusiasts at pen shows. In order to help continue to fund the project, he launched this Kickstarter recently. The enthusiasm to back it has been excellent and the backer rewards are great. Backers can receive a specially created ink by Papier Plume called Heart of Gold, a set of Story Supply notebooks and a recently added stretch goal option of Rickshaw Bags pen sleeves printed with the Pay It Forward logo printed on them. The Franklin-Christoph pen option went fast so that backer reward is no longer available sadly. I missed that completely.

Both Laura and I are backing this Kickstarter at the Ink & Notebook Level. We both backed before the Rickshaw Sleeves were added.

The Pen Addict RelayCon 2018

Its year four of RelayCon and Brad, Myke and I are ready to record live from Atlanta. But wait… that’s not all. This year, we want to do more! NockCo has a new case called the Tallulah and I designed enamel pins with our heads as backer extras. But wait… there’s even more! Brad and Myke want to take The Pen Addict on the road to New York to visit CW Pencils and then on to the Toronto Pen Show too! My fingers are crossed that they can kidnap me and take me across the border too! Let’s go big!

Laura is kindly backing this at the Vlog level because she does not want to wear my head. Can you blame her?

Elemental Notebooks

Using the table of elements as a jumping off point to create a series of notebooks, the Elemental Notebooks created four notebooks. The first four in the Kickstarter are Carbon (black), Hydrogen (light grey), Oxygen (blue) and Nitrogen (green). Each color will become available as the campaign hits a certain funding level. The paper is 100gsm and available in dot grid, lined or blank. The page edges are painted black with color details and the cloth spines are foil stamped with the table of elements information for each element. Backing starts at $20 and there is 30 days left in the campaign.

Laura and I went in together on one backing package for this Kickstarter.

Wancher Dream Pen

I reviewed the Wancher Dream Pen a couple weeks ago and since then, the Kickstarter has been going gangbusters. There are still two weeks left to back the project and many options including the Ebonite version as well as the True Urushi and the luxury True Maki-e.

Laura backed the True Urushi and since I have already have the True Urushi, I don’t need to have two.

DeNobil Fountain Pens

Just launched is the  DeNobil Fountain Pen.  While the brand itself did not include a video introducing its pens and brand to the world, they did include a review that Matt from The Pen Habit did of one of the pens offered as a backer reward. There are two fountain pen models — the 300 and the 400. The 300 is a cigar-shaped pen while the 400 is a flat-end design. I’d compare the 300 to a Sailor 1911 and the 400 to a Sailor ProGear in terms of shape. Then they are offering both models with clips as the 350 and 450 respectively. Both models are ebonite and like the Ford Model T are available in “whatever color you want, as long as you want black.”

DeNobil has a long way to go to reach its funding goal and but it sounds like their goal is to set-up their whole factroy with the funds from this Kickstarter so they have a lot riding on the outcome. Backing starts at $140 for one ebonite pen.

No one at The Desk has backed the project yet but we are keeping a close watch on this Kickstarter.

TiArto EDC

The TiArto EDC from BigiDesign is the newest iteration of their refill friendly pen design. This time the pen is modular sized and accepts 750 different refills. The Kickstarter backing is over but the pens have not been delivered yet so you can still get in on pre-order pricing. BigiDesign has fulfilled several previous Kickstarter projects and their pen designs continue to refine and innovate on their previous endeavours and the TiArto EDC is no different. If you have a favorite refill or six, this is a great way to have one pen to use them all.

I did not back this Kickstarter as I love my original TiArto but wonder if I should pre-order one anyway?

Hippo Noto

The latest update from the Hippo Noto campaign is that the ivory paper editions of the Hippo Notos were approved and were shipped prior to Chinese New Year and are on their way to Hawaii now to the warehouse to be distributed. If you are still waiting on your Kickstarter backer order (like me), its only a matter of weeks now. There is still an option to do a Late Pledge so if you’d like to get a Hippo Noto notebook, go ahead and place a pledge now before retail prices are final.

Laura has both received and reviewed her Hippo Noto. I am still awaiting my Hippo Noto and ink shipment.

Comp Design Notebook

Last year, the Comp Design composition notebook was one of the most anticipated Kickstarter projects. The goal was to make a high-quality composition notebook with high-quality binding and  high-quality paper. Unfortunately, the project faced many setbacks in the manufacturing process that caused delay after delay. By the time the notebooks finally arrived, I had such a sour taste and I didn’t really want to use them. However, they are a solid notebook and met the goal they set out to fill. If you did not back the original Kickstarter and wait over a year to receive your Comp notebook, you might want to hop over to the Comp website and order one to try. Available in lined or blank.

I backed in the 3-pack of blank Comp notebooks plus the tote bag.