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Conklin Stylograph Mosaic


RodneyOK

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This is a gorgeous pen from the modern incarnation of the Conklin Pen Company, the Stylograph Mosaic. It is advertised as being handmade from acrylic resin, producing no two that are exactly alike. The packaging that this came in was quite large and impressive, somewhat reminiscent of a casket! The pen itself struck me from the moment I set eyes upon it. It is certainly "man sized", and looks absolutely stunning. Now, on to the review...

 

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Appearance and Design: 9

 

As I've said before, I find aesthetics of this pen to be very striking. The art deco mosaic pattern and the vintage flat top look make a bold statement that really appeals to me. The blind cap and section are both black acrylic, and the trim is highly polished chrome. I subtracted one point here because of the sudden step down from the barrel to the section. While this doesn't bother me or interfere with my grip, others might find it to be problematic. The cap does post nicely, but results in a pen that is too top-heavy for my tastes. This might not be the case for those who grip up on the barrel.

 

post-82579-0-71216700-1338665989.jpg

 

 

Construction and Quality: 8

 

The overall appearance of quality is excellent. The shiny chrome trim is flawless as is the acrylic resin. One of the nicest features of the pen is the "Conklin Clip", which is a spring loaded clip that can be easily opened with the pinch of your fingers. It feels strong, but not overly so.

 

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Weight and Dimensions: 9

 

The pen has a solid feel and a nice amount of heft to it. It isn't overly heavy like some pens with a large amount of brass in the barrel, but has more weight than an all resin model. The barrel diameter measures at just over 1/2", and the capped length is 5 1/2".

 

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Nib and Performance: 8

 

The nib is the two-tone steel Conklin "Cushion Point". It is quite springy, and can achieve minor line variation with pressure, but I wouldn't call it flex. The crescent breather hole is a nice touch, as is the contrasting Conklin logo. This medium nib does write a narrower line than I normally see on western nibs, leading me to believe that it is made in the east. That aside, it is very smooth, and nicely juicy. There is just the right amount of feedback for me to really enjoy writing with this pen.

 

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Cost and Value: 7

 

This pen can be found for just around $115. At that price I would like to see a gold nib in place of the steel offering. This is a personal opinion, as I prefer the look and feel of gold. Other than that, the quality is commensurate with the price of admission.

 

Conclusion and Final Score: 8

 

I've got to say that I really love this pen! It is everything that I wanted it to be, and it will most certainly be one of my regulars in rotation. Only time will tell of the durability, but I have no reason to suspect anything but good results here. It does carry a lifetime warranty against failure due to workmanship and materials, normally a sign of the manufacturer's confidence in their abilities. If you like the vintage look of the old Conklins, I'd highly recommend this pen.

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- Rod

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looks an interesting writer for sure :thumbup:

Pens are like watches , once you start a collection, you can hardly go back. And pens like all fine luxury items do improve with time

 

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Nice looking pen! I'd wondered about these. Is the section metal or resin?

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1338677277[/url]' post='2362437']

Nice looking pen! I'd wondered about these. Is the section metal or resin?

 

Looking closely it appears to be metal coated with resin or lacquer. It doesn't have the cold feel of metal though.

 

 

- Rod

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Nice looking pen! I'd wondered about these. Is the section metal or resin?

 

The outer section is a resin sleeve over a brass sleeve -- with a resin collar below (the collar holds the feed and nib, which unscrew so that another nib size can be selected). There are actually three color patterns to the Mosaic:

 

http://www.hisnibs.com/images/Conklin/Stylograph%20Mosaic/ConklinStylographMosaicGroupConverter.jpg

 

Brown/Grey, Brown/White and Brown/Red.

Regards,

 

Norman Haase

His Nibs.com

www.hisnibs.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HisNibs1

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  • 11 months later...

Thanks for the review, RodneyOK. I just got the Stylograph in Red/Brown a short while ago. I opted for the stub nib. Really love it -- nice chunky pen, feels great to write with.

"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need." Cicero

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  • 1 year later...

I just ordered the white/brown with medium nib from Massdrop. Can't wait to see it. The nib sounds perfect for me, just shy of medium.

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  • 5 weeks later...

I bought this pen over the holidays - and agree with your estimation of the pen. It has become my the pen I pull out most often for any lengthy writing. I dont have a problem with the step down from barrel to grip, but also could see how others might be bothered by this. To give some context, it is less of a step down than that of a Pilot Metropolitan (which I find to be unusable).

Has the pen held up after two years of use?

-Words matter. Choose them carefully.

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Weight and Dimensions: 9

 

The pen has a solid feel and a nice amount of heft to it. It isn't overly heavy like some pens with a large amount of brass in the barrel, but has more weight than an all resin model. The barrel diameter measures at just over 1/2", and the capped length is 5 1/2".

 

 

Can anyone measure the length of the pen, unposted - nose to tail.... Since I prefer to write without posting the cap, I need the unposted length to be long enough for me to use.

 

thnx,

 

 

 

,.

...

"Bad spelling, like bad grammar, is an offense against society."

- - Good Form Letter Writing, by Arthur Wentworth Eaton, B.A. (Harvard);  © 1890

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I just received brown/white version today from Fountain Pen Hospital. They're on sale $68. I may buy all three color combos and also a stub nib, depending on how this one writes.

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I bought this pen recently and really adore it. On mine ... the chrome trim separating the barrel and black blind cap is somewhat loose ... allowing spin and the occasional rattle.

 

I'd like to get it repaired or tightened somehow. I thought about maybe some glue. Rubbing it over the ring gap (which is microscopic) and then polishing off the excess on the surface ... hoping it dries into a seal.

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That chrome trim is the friction piece that holds cap on when cap is posted right? It's very thin I can see how it could come loose as you post/unpost cap especially with any twisting action. Seems like a tiny bit of glue would work but a glue that won't eat or etch the finish on pen. You need a tiny needle applicator. E-6000 is a jewelry glue I wonder if it would work? Or just contact Conklin maybe the'll fix it for you. That might be best choice.

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I got to use my new brown/white version with a medium nib today with some Fountain Pen Hospital generic turquoise ink cartridges (Austrian source). I used it to take notes in a class last night and also this evening making entries in journal(Rhoda, so I used good paper). Fantastic writing experience. Nib smooth with just a bit of feedback. Feed was just right amount of ink. No issues with writing at all. At normal retail $130 it is in same price range as Pelican 205 and a Sailor 1911 medium size, $30 more than Sonnet with SS nib. The writing experience to me was comparable to the Parker Sonnet SS pens selling at around $100, maybe a bit smoother than those. So if it was $130 I think the Sailor or Pelican might be a better choice. But at $68 from FPH now it's a steal - that's $30 less than Parker SS nib versions. And this Stylograph Mosaic is a drop-dead beautiful pen. I'm tempted to order two more so I have all three colors and ink 'em up with three different ink colors. As far as writing and actual use this will be my every-day writer. The only drawback I see is what Stephen Lee Ogden posted about the chrome ring coming loose - I can see how that could happen as you post/unpost cap push it on real hard and twist a bit. That will torque the ring quite a bit and could easily cause it to come loose, as happened with Stephen Lee Ogden's pen.

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