Edison Hudson (Emerald Green, Ef)

[heymatthew]

Hello all,

I recently had a birthday and my amazing in-laws were kind enough to give me a gift certificate to Goulet Pens (no affiliation, just a very pleased repeat customer). My dad gave me a few bucks, too so I paired them up and ordered myself an Edison Hudson in Emerald Green. I had been eyeing this pen for quite some time, but being new to fountain pen ownership, I never pulled the trigger because it was a bit out of my comfortable spending range. However, with the birthday money in-hand, I felt that I could really treat myself to something special. And special it is.

 

I opened the box to find the usual Goulet Pens packaging which consisted of my pen and a bottle of Noodler's Baystate Blue tightly wrapped in blue cellophane and bubble wrap all tucked neatly into a Priority Mail box. After making my way through the plastic barriers, I carefully slid my new pen's box from its outer cardboard sleeve. I was surprised to find a rather nifty little faux-alligator box in a pleasant bordeaux color. It was a nice departure from the standard black vinyl and plastic from other manufacturers.

 

 

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Opening the tightly-hinged box revealed a very large, very impressive-looking writing instrument held securely with a strip of ribbon. The inner-lid is adorned with the Edison logo (which I find to be very clever). Under the pen, I found a small "Thank You" note from Brian.

 

 

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I found the color of the pen to be less "emerald" and more "olive." Depending on the angle of the pen and the intensity of the light shining on it, the colors range from a brilliant olive, almost golden yellow-green, to a deep forest, which almost registers as black. The pen has clean lines with a very minimal design. There is a rather handsome silver-colored clip on the cap and a subtle engraving on the barrel that reads:

 

Edison Pen Co.

Hudson

 

 

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Note: There appear to be some small knicks in the finish in these photos, but I believe they are just reflections and dust as there was a bit of dust on the pen when I opened it.

 

 

Uncapping the pen, I was greeted with a comfortably-contoured grip section and a large, very handsome steel nib in EF. The scrollwork on the nib is very nice and the logo is well-implemented. I really love the subtlety of the Edison branding on this pen. It doesn't scream Edison. It also isn't embellished with excessive trim rings, chrome accents and unnecessary seams and connections. It's very smooth, very clean and overall the fit and finish is top-notch. It feels far more expensive than it really is. I've not handled other pens more expensive than this one, but if I had to guess, I would guess a much higher price tag. The pen is hefty, but not uncomfortable in the brief time I've spent with it. For its size, it's surprisingly light weight.

 

 

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Putting pen to Rhodia Grid Paper with Noodler's Baystate Blue ink was a pleasant experience. The nib is pretty stiff, which I am a fan of, and very, very smooth. The line is predictable, making it an excellent choice for a daily writer. It has just a V-E-R-Y subtle amount of line variation when giving it a little bit of pressure. I tend to have a fairly heavy hand when writing so a good stiff, fine nib with as little variation as possible is what I prefer for 95% of what I do. I did find the nib to be a little bolder than I typically like. I may actually send it off and have it ground down a little bit to something a little finer. Compared to my newly-acquired Pilot Custom 74 with an F Nib, it's slightly more bold. I think it will be okay for everyday writing, but I'd still prefer something a little finer. I'll try and get a writing sample up tonight if I get a chance.

 

All-in-all, my first impressions of this pen are outstanding. I really couldn't be happier with the overal appearance, craftsmanship, fit and finish. I do wish it were a little finer, but that can be fixed by sending it to any one of several good nibmeisters. I have to spend a little more time with it and see if it's something I really want to do. At this point, I'm on the fence about it and if I did send it off, it wouldn't be any time soon.

 

I really can't give a testament to the long-term durability of these writing instruments because this is my first one and I have quite literally only had it for about 3 hours at this point, but I really would have to give anyone considering the Edison line the go-ahead on purchasing one of these pens. I will spend a little more time with the nib to some paper and try and get you all a more comprehensive review and writing assessment tonight or tomorrow. Please forgive the lack of this aspect at this juncture. I promise to get one ASAP.

 

Thanks for reading and I hope you find this write-up helpful and informative. If anyone has any quibbles or advice to offer, please send me a message or post here and let me know. I'm always open to constructive criticism. I'm fairly new at this and I want to give accurate, reliable information to others so if you feel that I've mis-represented any aspect of this product, please let me know.

 

Kind regards,

Matthew

[CoolFool]

Thanks for the nice review Matthew. I have an Edison Herald with an F nib, and I too have found that nib to be a little wider than I would like. I also find that the nib is just a little finicky, that is if I don't hold it just right, some times the nib will leave just the tiniest break in the line. I wonder if you've had the same experience? Still, I do love my Herald. It's my favorite.

[heymatthew]

Thanks for the nice review Matthew. I have an Edison Herald with an F nib, and I too have found that nib to be a little wider than I would like. I also find that the nib is just a little finicky, that is if I don't hold it just right, some times the nib will leave just the tiniest break in the line. I wonder if you've had the same experience? Still, I do love my Herald. It's my favorite.

 

You are quite welcome. It was my pleasure. I haven't found it to be picky in the brief time I've spent with it, but I did notice that very quick horizontal strokes (ie, underlining) did show some gaps. I also had a few short horizontal strokes miss when crossing an 'H' or putting the horizontals on an 'E'. But I would say that 99.9% of the lines I put down went down where I intended them to go. Thank you for your feedback.

[JefferyS]

Thanks for the review. I have four Edisons, and they are all excellent pens. My most recent one (a Pearlette) has one of the smoothest nibs in my collection.

[heymatthew]

As promised, here is a very brief writing sample. It's on rather terrible paper for fountain pens (Moleskine Sketch Book Paper) and I don't do so well writing on unlined paper so please forgive the horrible handwriting. I will spend some more time with the pen over the next few days and report back with my findings.

 

So far, I'm pleased. You'll note the very slight skipping on the second horizontal line on the page. Otherwise, it wrote well for this sample.

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8186/8438847943_9429b67f49_h.jpg

[Lince]

Beautiful pen, thanks for sharing!

[heymatthew]

Beautiful pen, thanks for sharing!

 

Thank you and you're welcome!

[Blue_Moon]

I'm looking at a Hudson. How do you like it now, that it's been awhile?

[anaximander]

I find your handwriting very clear and expressive.

[CoolFool]

I'm looking at a Hudson. How do you like it now, that it's been awhile?

I have a Hudson that I bought a couple of weeks ago from Richard Binder. Beautiful pen, writes very well with a fine maybe XF cursive italic nib. The only drawback is that this pen is so large that it doesn't quite fit in my pen tray.

Edited July 11, 2013 by CoolFool

[rhodialover]

I have a Collier and couldn't be happier with it. It is my best writer, outdoing pens that cost twice as much.

[ravantra]

One of my favorite pens. I have one the same color with a 1.1 stub. I like the way it looks a different colored shade in different lighting conditions.

[de_pen_dent]

Nice review, thanks - I want to expand my collection of Edisons and was looking at this one. I didnt realize that the body's colors are so textured - makes me want it even more.

[monanza]

Great review. I have been going back repeatedly to browse Edisons at Goulet's and Richard Binder's sites.

 

Cheers.

[Brian]

This is a good review. Nice colors and tastefully understated from the photos. I second the endorsement of Brian at Edison. Have always received good service and would buy again.

[heymatthew]

I'm looking at a Hudson. How do you like it now, that it's been awhile?

 

My apologies for not responding to this sooner, but I just realized that you commented. For some reason, I lost my subscription to my own review. I've had this pen for about 8 months now and it's just as wonderful as the day I got it. I have since bought two more Edisons (one on the way still) and I can't complain one bit about any of them.

Did you end up getting the Hudson? If so, what do you think about it? If not, what did you get instead, and why?

 

 

I find your handwriting very clear and expressive.

 

Thank you... It gets a little unruly sometimes so it's nice to get a compliment on it.

 

 

I have a Collier and couldn't be happier with it. It is my best writer, outdoing pens that cost twice as much.

 

A Collier is at the very top of my wishlist for Edison pens. I just picked up a Pearlette from the boards here, but if I could get my paws on a Collier at a good price, I'd jump on it.

 

 

One of my favorite pens. I have one the same color with a 1.1 stub. I like the way it looks a different colored shade in different lighting conditions.

 

Thank you for taking the time to comment. I agree, the different colors are quite mesmerizing.

 

 

Nice review, thanks - I want to expand my collection of Edisons and was looking at this one. I didnt realize that the body's colors are so textured - makes me want it even more.

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to comment, and you're welcome. I think you can't go wrong with any of his pens. I would equate Brian choosing materials to Van Gogh or Monet choosing paint colors. He just knows how to put together materials and textures to make exquisite writing instruments.

 

 

Great review. I have been going back repeatedly to browse Edisons at Goulet's and Richard Binder's sites.

 

Cheers.

 

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it. Be careful doing that. I did it and woke up one morning with at $150 hole in my bank account.

 

 

This is a good review. Nice colors and tastefully understated from the photos. I second the endorsement of Brian at Edison. Have always received good service and would buy again.

 

Thank you for taking the time to comment. And yes, Brian is an excellent pen-maker and a good person in general. I'm thrilled to own his pieces.

[Blue_Moon]

I haven't bought the Hudson yet, but it is on my list. I'll have one in the future.