Provincial Mills Custom Dragon Pen

May 22, 2018

I am a big fan of fountain pens (Duh). I am an even bigger fan of fountain pens that look and write great without breaking the bank. The Dragon Pen from Provincial Mills, made by Dan Cobler, fits this description. I recently have been converting people into using fountain pens, and was marveling at how nice the Montegrappa Zodiac Dragon pen was, but the price was too rich for my blood. A little later my friend told me she did her own search for pens and found a dragon pen for less than a hundred bucks on Etsy. Skeptical, I opened the link she sent me and lo and behold a dragon pen. I noticed that there were a few sellers selling a similar pen, but with different finishes and prices. I am not a fan of gold trim in pens, so I contacted Dan from Provincial Mills, who had silver colored trim on their pens. I told Dan I liked his pen and the silver trim, but none of the barrel colors were to my taste. I asked Dan if he had any pens with a blue barrel in stock. Dan explained to me that his pens are custom made, in the sense that he buys the nib, clip, and trim pieces from a supplier, and makes the acrylic cap and barrel himself in the shop from blanks and then assembles the pen. I have dealt with responsive vendors in the past, and they are rare, but Dan surpassed my expectations when he responded to all my inquiries right away, even at 11 PM. Dan told me he would try to make something blue and send me photos a few days later of what he came up with. The pen in the photo looked great, so I said take my money please!

The pen arrived with my other pen related items (Girologio 96 pen case review coming). Upon opening the box the pen was shipped in, a black cardboard box with Provincial Mills logo and Dan's wax seal came into view. I did not expect any fancy packaging since the pen wasn't expensive, and was pleased to see personal touches like personal wax seal and a thank you note. Personally, I rather have my money go towards the pen rather than some fancy packaging - but that's just me.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/navydoc414/S_7996675626635_zpsdonbrzyj.jpg

When I opened the box I was pleasantly surprised! The pen was much bigger than I thought. The colors of the acrylic were bold and stunning. The blue, brown, and gray barrel was a perfect fit with the silver trim. In terms of looks it definitely looks like something much more expensive than what I paid for. As I picked the pen up I immediately noticed this was a hefty pen. This is not a pen for those who want something light. The pen is even bigger than my Pelikan M1005. The trim pieces on the cap, barrel, end cap, and pocket clip are all made of a metal - pewter from the appearance of things, which give the pen it's extra weight. Upon close inspection, I could see that the metal pieces are of good quality - the dragon scales on the cap and end cap, the dragon clip, and the cap ring are detailed and well finished. The dragon claw on the cap ring make it seem like it is grasping the barrel. The claw holding a stone on the barrel is also a nice touch. I did see minor blemishes on the cap ring where it meets with the acrylic at the cap, which appeared to be tooling marks.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/navydoc414/S_7996675920960_zpsrz8y3uck.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/navydoc414/Image_d37969c_zps2vq5tghl.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/navydoc414/DSC00881_zpsv8r0tlzx.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/navydoc414/DSC00891_zpsoyluetlq.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/navydoc414/DSC00896_zpsqfopeldy.jpg

The nib is a steel nib with a medium iridium point. It is stamped "Iridium Point Germany.". The heart of a fountain pen is the nib, and a pen that doesn't write is just an expensive paperweight. Fortunately, the nib is smooth and well regulated. There is no flex, and writes more like a nail. It glides through paper without any roughness or feedback. The pen comes with a converter and can use international size cartridges. So far I have used Pelikan Edelstein Aquamarine ink and it has been great.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/navydoc414/DSC00892_zpsmqpcyd5l.jpg

The pen can be used with the cap posted, and screws into the end cap. In that configuration, it is best suited for short writing stints or if you are trying to build Popeye like forearms. Without the cap posted, it is actually well balanced and very comfortable to use. I was skeptical at first when I saw how much girth there was to the barrel in contrast to the thin section, but I must say the beefy barrel fits well in my hand and the scales machined in the section give my fingers positive feedback. If I did have to change anything, I would have Dan install a larger nib, possibly a #9. To me, the nib in the pen is a bit small and disproportionate to the overall size of the pen. Next to the M1005, it looks very inadequate, like a crab with small claws next to a whooping lobster.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/navydoc414/DSC00902_zpsfn4qvnvh.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/navydoc414/DSC00905_zpssbpra4e8.jpg

Here is the dragon pen next to my Pelikan 1005

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/navydoc414/DSC00889_zpslhicjut9.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/navydoc414/S_7996882055625_zps4mjysewh.jpg

In summary, this is a very nice pen and a good value, and goes to show that one doesn't need to spend a fortune to get a nice and fancy pen. The dragon pen has a nice nib that writes smoothly, looks great, and it didn't break the bank to get it! Don't mistake inexpensive with cheap, because this pen is not cheaply made. The pen is well made with nice materials - so if anything, it is a great value. The best part is that I got to support a vendor who was attentive and most important, passionate about his products and craft. Dan wasn't just a seller of fountain pens, but also someone who likes them and uses them. As a matter of fact, my friend also bought a pen from Dan, with hers being purple and silver. I would definitely recommend this pen.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/navydoc414/DSC00904_zpsomfjunpr.jpg
Thanks for reading, and happy writing!

Edited May 22, 2018 by usnavydoc

June 2, 2018

Update:

Did some research on this kit pen and learned a few things about it. I still like it a lot. The one thing I mentioned in my review was that I wished the nib was bigger. Unfortunately due to the size limitations from the section, a size 3 nib is all it will fit. Not sure if a different section would fit, but it wouldnt look as good without the dragon scale pattern. I found an old Jinhao nib that had a dragon stamped on it, which made it perfect for the pen. After a bit of fitting the nib fit perfectly, and it writes even better than before. The pen I took the nib from had a less efficient feed. Using the feed that came with the dragon pen, the nib is wet and smooth. Not bad for a $75 pen.