I was looking over the Laban Mento fountain pens and really like the autumn flake and pumpkin seed colors. Anyone have this brand and model??They are reasonably priced and look good but i would still like an opinion or two for an eventual decision.
Here is a pic of the pumpkin seed color.

Thanks,

handlebar

TNS did an excellent review of the very pen you're considering here. In addition, I have a Mento. Do be aware that this is a VERY LARGE pen, easily dwarfing everything else I've held (relatively newby here, but this IS a huge pen). Mine is a Studio K SE, so it looks a bit different (no rounded ends), but essentially it's the same pen. GP steel nib is a fine in width and is a joy to use. Not too wet, not too dry, and nice and smooth. The pen is really a great bargain. Only down side is they tend to dry out if not used regularly. Other than that, a wonderful pen.

Thanks for the info southpaw. I didn't dig deep enough in the archives i guess. That review was just what i needed.

Handlebar

Glad to be of help.

handlebar, have you used the "search" function at the top right of the page? If so, one thing that helps a lot when searching is to make sure of a few things. Unless you know the forum in which the item is located, be sure "all forums" is selected under "search where" - this is on the left side of the page. Also, be sure the proper date range is selected - by default it searches posts from "30 days ago and . . ." newer. Change that to "any date." When I figured this out, my searches were much more productive.

HTH, southpaw

Hi,

I have exactly that Pumpkin Seed, which is a glory to look at. No picture can do justice to this, that in my opinion is the most beautiful contemporary acrylic around.

I bought mine from Ray@Wood and Dreams Fountain Pens (excellent service).

My broad nib always wrote as a dry medium/fine, so I had a nib exchange with a nibmeister in Rio de Janeiro (Josías Machado @ O Amigo das Canetas). He did a superb job, and now I use this beautiful huge pen mostly for calligraphy.

I have used the search function but didn't think of it when asking about the Laban. I'm a wee bit dense on saturdays!!! Thanks for the suggestions. I might purchase one of these later on next month. Looks like it will be a nice addition.As for the size of the pen, i like the larger ones. My hand just cannot write with smaller pens.
Thanks as well to Alejandro for his photo and insight. I'm torn between the pumpkin seed and the autumn flake colors. I notice the steel nib version is around $45. Since this will be an "at home" pen, i might opt for that. The upgrade is quite a bit more. maybe a second later.

Cheers,

Handlebar

I had two mentos, one with a steel nib and one with a gold nib. The gold nib was dry and a little fussy whereas the steel nib was smooth and had good slow. IN fact, the steel nib was probably a little smoother than the gold.

I agree that the pumpkinseed material is gorgeous. There is another material called something like black coal, a sort of gray and black. That finish too is very attractive and needs to be seen to be appreciated.

There is also a smaller version of the mento, though I can not remember what it is called. The small one is about the size of the modern sheaffer balance. The mento is really big.

jc

I have a Mento in coalflake, which is an attractive darker combination. It is indeed a larger pen, and I got mine at an attractive price from a local dealer. I'd use it more except...it won't write.

I'm using only cartridges, as it it didn't come with a converter. I've tried two or three different brands, and the store tried a couple, and in every case after a few hours it stops. Nothing works short of a disassembly and complete cleaning in water will get it to write, and then again only for a few hours.

After a couple of attempts the local salesman just shrugged his shoulders; it was a sale pen, so there was no return and it was just one of those things. (I don't buy pens there anymore.)

At this point the Mento is in my pen case; it looks nice there, but it was supposed to be a writer, not an ornament. I'm not sure how to apportion blame between the store and the pen, but all in all I have been very disappointed.

Before I considered another Laban pen I'd have to have a serious discussion about after-sale support with the seller.

Fazzaz---I do not know where you live, but in the US there is a business in california that handles Laban warranty work. The person I spoke with on the phone did not speak English well but that person told me to send in my pen and they fixed it and sent it back at no charge. What happened to my pen was that the cap cracked. They sent me a brand new cap. I also did a nib exchange with them and got the same no-charge service.

If you are near a Laban warranty place, I bet they would take care of you.

JC

JC --

Thanks. I'll try to find the address in California (I'm in Georgia) and send the pen off. If someone does have the address handy I'd appreciate a PM.

Regards

I've been eyeballing those pens too. Todd at isellpens carries them. They have a gorgeous old fashioned look to them.

All the best,

Hi, try the following. By the way, the converter they sent with the pen was the worst converter I ever had in regard to ink sticking to its side. But the pen was nice.

LABAN
Laban Pen Corp
15121 Graham St
Ste 103
Huntington Beach CA 92649-1133
Toll Free: 888-522-8565
Phone: 714-895-8860
Fax: 714-895-8825
Email: usa@laban.com

Thanks, John,

Perhaps this will give me the opportunity to report on how Laban handles service in the US.

I have a Mento in "Autumn Flake" and it's a nice writer---very stiff nib, tends to write a bit on the dry side, yes, and it is a big pen...but it is not heavy. I got mine from a good friend here on FPN and the pen was a good luck charm to me this summer. I had been looking for work and I found a good job not too long after acquiring the pen.
Right now, it is in the mail after having been stubbed by Viv ("einv" on FPN). I am really looking forward to writing again with this special pen!

Well after review and a sudden small influx of money, i have decided to buy the Laban Pumpkin seed in the steel nib. Also wanted to try Noodler's Cayenne ink.
I hope to receive them by weeks end or maybe next monday. Not sure of their shipping times as I Sell Pens says it is shipped either USPS or UPS. And they note that one can add 2nd day air for just a bit more but do not give the option. So i assume it will be Priority USPS.
I will let all know how my version writes when i ink it up next week!!!

I decided the steel nib was within my budget as the gold was $25 more.

Thanks for the reviews folks!!!

Jim

Good choice, Jim! Please let us know how you like it

Hi all,
had my Labans for less than a month but FAST becoming my favourite pens.
Will add proper reviews in Review section soon.
Armchop