Edison Pen Morgan

[ailleurs]

Pictures are at the end of the post. Thanks for reading. If you have any suggestions on how I can improve my pen reviews, please let me know since this is the first one I've done. On to the review!

 

Preface: I ordered the Morgan at the Chicago Pen Show after talking with Brian Gray and his wife. I had gone there thinking I'd order either the Pearl or Herald, but once I played around with the various models on display, I realized the former felt too small. I kept picking up a Morgan in Persimmon Swirl acrylic, and finally decided that there was a reason that pen kept finding its way into my hands. That's what I ordered, with some customization. There are no reviews of the Edison Morgan linked to the pen review index, so hopefully this will get the ball rolling.

 

Appearance & Design (9.0/10) – I love the long, sleek profile of the Morgan. The length and shape were much better fits than the Pearl or Herald. I ordered it with an ink view window. Since the persimmon swirl acrylic is orange, Brian suggested an amber window, and I have to say it is the perfect match. It looks like the material of the window was made specifically for this pen.

 

I commented to Brian that the section was a little smaller than I normally like, so he offered to sand the cap threads where they met the section so that I wouldn't notice them as much. The final product is perfect for my hands. I don't feel the threads at all when holding the pen.

 

I also wanted some custom engraving on the pen. The size of the engraving is the only thing that knocked this part down from a 10. The print is tiny, tiny, so small in fact that I can't read it unless I squint. I realize now that it needed to be this small to fit the entire phrase I wanted on the ink view window. Still, if I had known the typeface would have ended up that small, I would have asked it to be on the cap where it would be more legible. Next time I'll know to ask that question. It's minor in the grand scheme of things.

 

Construction & Quality (10/10) – The Morgan feels well made. There is no wobble anywhere, and the joins between ink view window and the barrel are seamless. I like the fact that the cap is flush to the barrel when closed, which is another one of the reasons I went with the Morgan. The transitions are flawless, a testament to Brian's high standards for his product. I've had pens that cost a similar amount not feel as well-made. Because the pen is acrylic, I'm not worried about dropping it. I spilled some ink in the cap and it cleaned right up. I’ve had Iroshizuku Asa-Gao and Herbin Orange indien in it so far and the ink view window cleaned right up. Not the least trace of staining.

 

Weight & Dimensions (9.5/10) – According to the Edison Pen web site, the pen weighs 19g with the cap, 11g without the cap. It's a long pen when capped, a full 6 inches, but only 4-1/2 inches without the cap. The barrel and cap width are both .610" according to the Edison pen site.

 

Pens with posted caps tend to feel unbalanced to me, but the Morgan works well posted or unposted. I tried both just to be able to comment in this review. There is a slight pull toward the posted cap. The Morgan could be slightly heavier to be better balanced without the cap posted, but I realize my preference is not universal in this regard. Having ink in the pen makes a difference in the balance; it’s better with ink in it.

 

The Morgan is longer than most of the pens I own, but it does not feel over-sized. It's extremely light until filled with ink, but well-balanced. I wrote a long letter as soon as it arrived and experienced no hand fatigue whatsoever. I typically have a death grip on my pens, but not this one. I think its light weight and fabulous nib convinced me not to hold on so tight.

 

Nib & Performance (10/10) – I'd give the Morgan an 11 here if I could! This is where the Morgan really shines, IMO. I have gravitated toward wider nibs in recent months and ordered a two-tone steel B. I also like wetter pens. At the Chicago show, I gave Brian two pens I enjoyed using, one with a level of feedback I appreciate and another that laid down exactly the right ink amount for me. Brian wrote with them and told me he'd tune the B nib to be "a little juicy, like an 8.5 or 9/10." It turned out exactly the way I had hoped. It never skipped, started right away after filling and started up again after leaving it uncapped for an hour. I’ve left it uncapped as long as two hours without a single problem starting again. It’s my best pen in that regard.

 

There are three nib options with Edison: steel, two-toned steel and 18K gold. After reading Brian's article on steel nibs, I opted to stay with the cheaper steel, but chose two-tone to complement the clip and the pen color. It looks fabulous. Edison Pen offers nib customization, and it is possible to swap nibs out of these pens. I plan on ordering a .9 CI nib for this pen in the very near future, based on reviews of other Edisons I've seen here on FPN. There is a writing sample below. There's no line variation, but I am fine with that since this will be my everyday writer.

 

Filling System & Maintenance (10/10) – This Morgan is a bulb-filler. Instructions were included with the pen (as was some silicone grease in case I wanted to swap nibs or use it as an eyedropper). Filling via the bulb involves dipping the pen up to the section in the ink and compressing the bulb. Because the nib is on the long side, I couldn't get it submerged in a bottle of Herbin Eclat de saphir, which is a fault with Herbin's bottle design not the Edison Morgan, IMO. It took about 10-15 squeezes of the bulb to fill the pen. Ink capacity is considerable, though I have no idea exactly how much it holds. More than my Lamy 2000, that's all I can say for certain. I wrote about 40 pages before it ran dry, and the ink reservoir was not completely full when I started.

 

The blind cap comes off easily to expose the bulb mechanism. The section can be removed, as can the nib. This should make maintenance easy. Edison Pen also provides after-market service. I can't comment myself yet on that, but trust it to be excellent if the customer service I have received to date is any indication.

 

Cost & Value (10/10) – I paid $350 at the Chicago Pen Show, which is the price listed on the Edison Pen web site. I wasn't charged for shipping or the engraving since I bought it at the show. Brian also threw in a free bottle of Waterman Havana since there were some unexpected delays in getting the pen to me. He's a real gentleman, and it was an absolute pleasure dealing with him. I'd consider my Morgan a bargain at considerably more money than this. Worth every penny. I'll definitely buy another Edison in the future.

 

Conclusion (Final score, 9.75/10) - I'd buy this pen again in a New York minute. In fact, I'm already planning my next Edison purchase. I may wait until another pen show to do so, given how dramatically my thoughts on which pen to buy changed once I played with the pens. It’s already my daily writer, and I am almost looking forward to the start of a new semester to be able to use it to grade papers.

 

Final thought: go buy an Edison if you’re at all thinking of it. If you’re not thinking of it, you should!

 

A note on photos: The top two are courtesy of Brian Gray at Edison Pen, and the remainder are by me or my husband. If I can manage to get a decent shot of the engraving, I’ll add that at some point.

http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/af326/chouchou_bucket/Pens%20and%20inks/DSCN0008.jpg

 

http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/af326/chouchou_bucket/Pens%20and%20inks/DSCN0011.jpg

 

http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/af326/chouchou_bucket/Pens%20and%20inks/DSC_1904.jpg

 

 

http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/af326/chouchou_bucket/Pens%20and%20inks/DSC_1899.jpg

[Truppi327]

That is a gorgeous pen. Great choice of color and I completely agree with having an amber window, clear would mess with the fluid lines the pen has. Someday I will have an Edison of my own, someday...

 

I think you had a very thorough and well laid out first review. I hope you give us more.

 

P.S.

I bet Noodler's Dragon's Napalm would be another good ink to pair with the pen...

Edited June 13, 2010 by Truppi327

[stevlight]

Brian makes some of the best pens out there by ANY manufacturer IMHO!!

 

I have a Herald grande on the way to me I can not wait to use!

[gkterry]

Gorgeous Pen and nice review - looking forward to the review of that next Edison!

 

 

 

PS - I would suggest Iroshizuku Fuyu-gaki - a persimmon ink for a persimmon pen.

 

 

 

 

Edited to fix punctuation

Edited June 13, 2010 by gkterry

[dizzypen]

[Signum1]

Great review! Here are my suggestions for future pen reviews.

 

1) Take shots of pen outdoor with sunlight because this will provide better lighting for your pictures.

 

2) Hand write the pen review, then scan pages. If you don't have a scanner, take a picture of the pen review outdoor for reasons noted in point one.

 

All in all, thanks for the pen review.

[soloworx]

The Fountain Pen Review index needs some lovin' from the moderators because it is so woefully outdated. I did post a review of the Edison Morgan in February, but like many other pen reviews did not make it to the index.

 

Anyway, I share your enthusiasm about the Morgan. I chose the converter option for my Morgan because I did not want to break the lines of the beautiful red/black ebonite that I chose for my pen.

 

Congratulations on your purchase.

[regulator]

[ailleurs]

Great review! Here are my suggestions for future pen reviews.

 

1) Take shots of pen outdoor with sunlight because this will provide better lighting for your pictures.

 

2) Hand write the pen review, then scan pages. If you don't have a scanner, take a picture of the pen review outdoor for reasons noted in point one.

 

All in all, thanks for the pen review.

 

Signum, thanks for the suggestions. I will post new outdoor photos as soon as it stops raining. We haven't seen the sun here in a week, *sigh.* Still, rain gives me the perfect excuse to sit with a pot of tea and write all afternoon...

[shane27]

All these great Edison reviews make me want one...

[Brian]

Have been looking and reflecting and then finally decided to post a comment. This is a really interesting pen, if pens had personalities this would be an extroverted, foot forward individual that needs no explanation. You can easily see its no nonsense steel point, that it has a certain color of ink, and how much ink is in there to present to the world with. It is both colorful combined with substance in its design so that there is depth to this pen going beyond the visual (the basis for this is my own experience with a #76 bulb filler that performs and works very well). I particularly like the effect of the shape resulting in two slightly tapering ends that are polished smooth. To me this little touch unites the design and pulls this pen together quite well.

 

Thanks for sharing an interesting fountain pen design and choice of color.

 

 

[ailleurs]

Have been looking and reflecting and then finally decided to post a comment. This is a really interesting pen, if pens had personalities this would be an extroverted, foot forward individual that needs no explanation. You can easily see its no nonsense steel point, that it has a certain color of ink, and how much ink is in there to present to the world with. It is both colorful combined with substance in its design so that there is depth to this pen going beyond the visual (the basis for this is my own experience with a #76 bulb filler that performs and works very well). I particularly like the effect of the shape resulting in two slightly tapering ends that are polished smooth. To me this little touch unites the design and pulls this pen together quite well.

 

Thanks for sharing an interesting fountain pen design and choice of color.

 

That strikes me as amusing, Brian, because I'm as introverted as they come. All my extravagance comes out in the pens and inks I use. It is a fabulous pen though. I like it better the more I use it.

[Hennypenny]

Ailleurs,

 

I had to laugh about your being an introvert because I have an Edison Herald in this same Persimmon Swirl color -- and I, too, am as introverted as they come. Seems we use our pens as our alter-ego -- to go places we don't normally go!

 

Pretty pen -- love the ink window with the Persimmon Swirl! Gotta love those Edisons - and you will find that Brian stands behind his work and will provide excellent follow-up service should you ever need it.

 

V

[karmakoda]

Thank You for an outstanding review. Very thorough, organized and easy to read. I have no suggestions on how to improve the review, only hope I might do as well.

Congratulations on a stunningly beautiful pen. I was going to order a boldly coloured pen from another manufacturer, but your review and Steve's, stevlight, have helped me reconsider. It is wise to order from a pen show where the various models can be tested.

Well done.

 

I participated in a professional development workshop illustrating the strengths of introverted/extroverted personalities. As an introvert, the quiet time writing with a fountain pen, is relaxing and recharging.

The persimmon acrylic and orange ink? Zest for Life!

 

Your observation about J Herbin ink bottles is "right on the money", and I wonder why they have not considered changing the design? Some colours are available in larger bottles, but I save Montblanc and Aurora bottles to refill with my Herbin favorites.