Edison Huron Grande

[geoduc]

Edison Huron Grande

 

After seeing photos and positive reviews of all the lovely Edison pens on this board, I decided that it was time to get one of my own. The hard part was choosing which one. I prefer to write unposted and like longer pens, and thus decided that the best choice for me would be either a Herald Grande or a Huron Grande. I wanted something colorful (I have plenty of sedate black pens already) and after looking at the options on the Edison Pen website, I chose to have it made out of stained glass acrylic. I then settled on the Huron Grande - my feeling was that the shape of that pen would best complement the material.

 

The best part of ordering an Edison is the ability to customize a pen to the user's specifications. Once I had an idea of what I wanted, I exchanged several e-mails with Brian Gray to discuss the pen. He was quick to communicate and let me know what options were available. Ultimately, I chose a c/c fill system since I don't need a huge ink capacity. I also asked him to machine the section to my preferred dimensions, and to custom grind a 0.6mm cursive italic nib. He had no problems in meeting my desires. When there was a slight delay in getting the acrylic, Brian let me know right away and kept me informed throughout the process. His communications were exemplary.

 

Appearance & Design: 9/10

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1051/5111555087_cec4c78393_b.jpg

 

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1195/5111555233_092054ce9f_b.jpg

 

 

I'll give it a 9 here, because I think the cap looks a little too large and bulky for the rest of the pen and makes it look unbalanced. Purely subjective on my part.

 

Uncapped, the pen is a thing of beauty. It's a nice comfortable shape and I like the fact that there isn't a big step near the barrel threads. The stained glass acrylic is quite nice as well. It is fairly dark and subdued in regular room light, but the color chips in the material really come alive in sunlight.

 

Construction & Quality: 10/10

No issues at all here. The pen is very solidly built. The threads are smooth; the acrylic is nice and thick. This pen should last far longer than I will.

 

Weight & Dimensions: 10/10

Capped length: 165mm

Unposted length: 138mm

Posted length: 199mm (I suppose you could post this pen, but I'm not sure why you'd want to)

Barrel diameter: 14mm

Section diameter: 12.5-11mm straight taper (custom section)

Weight capped w/converter: 30gr

Weight uncapped w/converter: 18gr

 

The Huron Grande is a very large pen when capped. The diameter of the cap is such that there is no clip available. It doesn't really matter; since I'd say that the pen is too long for any of the pockets in my wardrobe (the Herald Grande is available with a clip if that matters to you). Uncapped, the pen is a perfect size as far as I'm concerned.

 

The stock Herald Grande has a contoured section. I find it easier to have a relaxed grip with a larger section, so I asked Brian to custom machine mine to have a slight taper from 12.5 to 11mm. He gave me exactly what I wanted.

 

Here are some comparison photos showing the Huron Grande next to a Pelikan M800:

 

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1231/5111555329_39603746c9_b.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1191/5111554957_31f30e0e46_b.jpg

 

Nib & Performance: 8.5/10

I ordered a rhodium plated, 18k gold nib and had it custom ground to a 0.6mm cursive italic. The nib is stiff with just a touch of springiness that I like. The cursive italic grind is quite nice with decent smoothness and good line variation. Slight deduction here because there is one spot that consistently snags on the upstroke; I'll send it back to Brian to have it smoothed and then it should be perfect.

 

One of the nice features of Edison pens is that the nib assemblies are threaded and user interchangeable. I ordered an extra medium steel nib, but haven't tried it since I've been having too much fun with the cursive italic.

 

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1048/5112155240_eda4fc7815_b.jpg

 

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1121/5111555403_02cb0e05eb_z.jpg

Filling System & Maintenance: 8/10

Not much to say here. It's a cartridge/converter pen so there's not much to go wrong. It's nice because the pen uses standard international cartridges and converters, making it easy to find parts if ever needed in the future. Brian includes a Schmidt converter with the pen.

 

The pen is also available as an eyedropper. I took some measurements and roughly calculated the capacity of the barrel at around 2.9ml. I'd love to see a piston fill version in the future.

 

Cost & Value: 10/10

No doubt about that score. The ability to have a high quality pen customized to your specifications makes this a great value. The current price for the Huron Grande is $350 when supplied with a gold nib. It cost an extra $40 for the nib customization and nothing for the custom section. Hard to beat.

 

Conclusion: 55.5/60

I highly recommend an Edison pen for anyone who might be considering one. Certainly not the cheapest pens on the market, but the ability to have a quality pen custom made to your specifications make them a great value. Brian Gray provides great service as well.

[Silvermink]

That's some nice material, and a lovely pen on the whole.

[jigesh]

Beautiful mosaic pattern on this clipless pen! I saw one (I think it was a regular Huron) at the NYC pen show and material is really nice. I am sure Brian will re-tune the nib to your liking.

 

Do you feel a bit thicker, untapered grip section bring any fatigue on long writing sessions?

 

Thanks for the review and excellent pictures....

 

Jigesh

[geoduc]

Beautiful mosaic pattern on this clipless pen! I saw one (I think it was a regular Huron) at the NYC pen show and material is really nice. I am sure Brian will re-tune the nib to your liking.

 

Do you feel a bit thicker, untapered grip section bring any fatigue on long writing sessions?

 

Thanks for the review and excellent pictures....

 

Jigesh

 

Thanks, it's an excellent pen.

 

I find that the thicker section allows for a more relaxed grip and thus less fatigue. I tend to pinch down harder on the smaller contoured grips. That's just me of course; everyone is different.

[Yuki Onitsura]

The colours of the acrylic are absolutely amazing! I find the contoured grips more comfortable, but as Geoduc said, everyone is different which is why these custom pens are fantastic.

 

Yuki