The new Edison Morgan

[soloworx]

Overview

 

I emailed Brian Gray of Edison Pens to have him custom-make a pen with my specs: flush cap/barrel nexus (a la Pearl), flat top and bottom, red/black ebonite, same material for the section, no windows, 5.75 inches length, rhodium clips and nib. My timing couldn't have been more perfect because Brian had such a pen in prototype stage (he showed me one in orange acrylic) and it wasn't difficult for me to say, "Go!" at that point. Payment done, Brian checked his calendar and right after the LA Pen Show, he started to work on my pen that I witnessed via his webcam magic. An Edison has long been on my list of must-have pens though I hesitate to call it a 'grail pen', owing to my more stringent definition of the word. After endless looking at his website, taking note of nib choices and custom grinds, I finally committed that 2010 will be the year of my Edison pen.

 

When the pen was done, Brian informed me that he is naming it the 'Morgan', and this pen, my pen, would be the first commercial sale of the Morgan. Being a fan of Jack Sparrow, Barbossa and Blackbeard's Seafood Island eat-all-you-can restaurant (:roflmho:) , I was well pleased with Brian's choice.

 

Appearance / Finish – 4.5 out of 5

 

The red & black ebonite of the Morgan lends a rich canvas for the innate beauty of the pen. Whereas wood ebonite or red and black BCHR may appear garish to some, this particular hue is very subdued, classic and elegant. The striations of the cap and barrel appear continuous as they should be, having been turned from the same ebonite stock. The exterior of the pen is brilliantly polished and devoid of lathe marks. One would think the barrel and cap were poured from a mold until you look at the inner bores and you verify that indeed, this is an artfully hand-made pen.

 

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_aDW5f2O4kgE/S2EcbQinn1I/AAAAAAAAC1M/fcTd9N5gWw4/4309430196_e518ac03ab.jpg

Above is Brian's photo. Mine is below:

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_aDW5f2O4kgE/S3yZ2kWlzdI/AAAAAAAAC60/1VNGZ4T2FMo/Edison%20Morgan%204.jpg

 

I chose a rhodium-plated clip to complement its look and the combination is just perfect. The cap unscrews with 1.75 turns; the barrel parts with the section in 6.5 turns. Some of my pens' barrels detach in 5 turns. This extra 1.5 turn with the Morgan is probably meant to accommodate a rubber o-ring should one decide to make this pen into an eyedropper filler.

 

For those who have received their Edison pens in plastic tubes before, I am happy to inform you that this Edison pen came in a proper fountain box - decently sized, faux leather covering, felt-like material inside with the obligatory elastic string to secure the pen. Lest you think it's a generic box, it is inscribed with the Edison Pen Co. logo on the inside cover. The box is sheathed in a white cardboard sleeve. Yay, Brian has boxes!!!

 

The barrel is inscribed, 'Edison Pen Co.' and "Morgan' on the second line.

 

Design/Size/Weight – 4.5 out of 5

 

The capped length is 5.75" and the width at its widest is 55mm, the juncture of the cap and the barrel. The pen is not meant to post like most pens whose cap and barrel are flush. You can though, thanks to the tapered end of the barrel but the 'foothold' is a scant half-inch and ungainly. The recessed part, barrel thread and section) is 74mm long, long enough for a comfortable grip without the threads carving lines into your fingers. The concave waist of the section is both sexy and functional. The ebonite section provides a comforting warmth to your digits, especially good when on a writing marathon.

 

The 5.75" length makes the Morgan longer than many of the 'benchmark' fountain pens in terms of size.

 

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_aDW5f2O4kgE/S3yZ6fr46zI/AAAAAAAAC68/ktW_FRBjZO4/Size%20comparo.jpg

A size comparison with some 'benchmark' pens – the Morgan is farthest right - from left, Duofold International, Souveran M1000, Delta 365, CS Churchill, MB 149, Visconti Casanova, Classic LM1, Visconti Arte Mudejar.

 

Nib Design and Performance – 4.5 out of 5

 

I ordered the 18k gold nib finished in single-tone rhodium. I asked Brian to fashion a cursive italic from a bold Edison nib and he came through with a smooth-writing 1.1mm italic nib. Below the Edison logo, the words '18kK-750' and 'Germany' appear. Part of nib performance is owed to the feed it is paired with. The Morgan's feed is multi-combed to ensure a healthy flow of ink while writing.

 

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_aDW5f2O4kgE/S3yZ0XQKe5I/AAAAAAAAC6s/qLe_pYFInMs/Edison%20Morgan%202.jpg

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_aDW5f2O4kgE/S3yZ1X7MfjI/AAAAAAAAC6w/nD79YhuaFw4/Edison%20Morgan%203.jpg

 

The nib has a bit of tooth as Brian himself acknowledged in his note to me and having been used to stubs, the cursive italic gave me a bit of a surprise. The thin/thick variation is very pronounced which probably accounts for this. I know I'll get used to this eventually so I'm giving it a chance for now, otherwise, I can readily smoothen it with my micromesh pads. By the way, despite the italic modification, the nib still has a healthy amount of iridium tip to last it a couple of decades (I'm guessing).

 

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_aDW5f2O4kgE/S3yZ4aRaTTI/AAAAAAAAC64/JOUDttuRFP4/Edison%20Morgan%20writing.jpg

The ink is J. Herbin Terre de feu.

 

The Filling System – 4.5 out of 5

Nothing fancy – a homely cartridge converter that does the job without fuss and effectively too. I should mention that Brian turned the inner bore of the barrel to very close tolerances because the c/c feels very snug as you insert the filler into the barrel. Nice!:clap1:

 

Cost – 5 out of 5

 

A relative topic. You pay what you can afford or what you feel is the proper amount for an object's value. You may or may not begrudge an electrician his fee for an hour's work in your home – it all depends on your perception. Same thing with Brian. Knowing his stellar reputation in the FP community, I was content to PayPal him the amount he quoted. When the pen arrived, he came through in all departments; he met all my requirements and my expectations.

 

Conclusion – 4.6 out of 5 (23 out of 25)

Overall, it was a great experience with Brian – conceptualizing the design via emails, a few rational adjustments here and there that he suggested, setting a schedule for fabrication, watching the process via webcam although Brian seems to wear the same thing on his workshop (LOL!), receiving the pen, and finally, inking it and putting it to the 'test'.

 

:notworthy1:

Edited February 18, 2010 by soloworx

[WendyNC]

So you're the lucky buyer! When I first saw this pen, a few minutes after the arrival of the email announcing it's upcoming debut, I offered to buy it.

 

It is truly a lovely pen and your writing sample looks great, too. Enjoy it in good health.

[soloworx]

Thanks Wendy, Brian couldn't sell it to you because I believe the photo he posted was that of the pen I ordered.

[ethernautrix]

I wanted to see the Morgan at the Pen Show. Alas. I do like it. Very much.

 

 

ETA: What I meant was: Nice review! Thank you!

Edited February 18, 2010 by ethernautrix

[Pjake]

Nice job on the review. This is a great looking pen for sure. I have always loved the look and warm feel of red/black ebonite. This one definitely gives me pause for thought...I really, really like it!

 

Peter

[rbanks]

Thank you for the review. I really appreciate the pictures. The pen is beautiful. By itself you can see the details and appreciate the workmanship. I like the comparison picture. I like the pens you chose to show. Each is a beauty in it's own right, but they make the Morgan stand out with it's quiet elegance as something special. Nicely done.

[dizzypen]

[jmkeuning]

grand freakin slam. mad skills there.

[ArchiMark]

Great review and beautiful pen, soloworx....

 

Enjoy it!

 

Just curious, what's the weight like compared to some of the 'benchmark pens' you show? For example, the Churchill, M1000, or MB 149, all pens that I have, so can relate to....

 

Thanks!

[soloworx]

I don't have a precise enough scale right now (not even in the kitchen) so I'll get back to you on this. Offhand, it's lighter than the three pens you mentioned - the MB149 and the M1000 being heaviest, the Churchill next and the Morgan, the lightest of the four.

 

To all who have posted, thanks for the compliments. I really am enjoying the Morgan!

 

Chito

 

Great review and beautiful pen, soloworx....

 

Enjoy it!

 

Just curious, what's the weight like compared to some of the 'benchmark pens' you show? For example, the Churchill, M1000, or MB 149, all pens that I have, so can relate to....

 

Thanks!

 

EDIT: Closest in size is the Edison Huron and Brian lists it as 21 grams. M1000 is 32.7; MB149 is 29 grams according to Nibs.com. The Churchill is 40 grams (!?!?) according to Melpens.com though it feels lighter than the Pelikan and the MB.

Edited February 18, 2010 by soloworx

[ArchiMark]

I don't have a precise enough scale right now (not even in the kitchen) so I'll get back to you on this. Offhand, it's lighter than the three pens you mentioned - the MB149 and the M1000 being heaviest, the Churchill next and the Morgan, the lightest of the four.

 

To all who have posted, thanks for the compliments. I really am enjoying the Morgan!

 

Chito

 

Great review and beautiful pen, soloworx....

 

Enjoy it!

 

Just curious, what's the weight like compared to some of the 'benchmark pens' you show? For example, the Churchill, M1000, or MB 149, all pens that I have, so can relate to....

 

Thanks!

 

EDIT: Closest in size is the Edison Huron and Brian lists it as 21 grams. M1000 is 32.7; MB149 is 29 grams according to Nibs.com. The Churchill is 40 grams (!?!?) according to Melpens.com though it feels lighter than the Pelikan and the MB.

 

Thanks for all that info...very helpful, Chito!

[jpr]

Super review of a super pen! Congrats Chito!

I have always been an admirer of Brian Gray.

You have now made me a fan.

[Ed Ronax]

Excellent review, thanks.

[rollerboy]

There's something about flush caps that does it for me. Nice review.

 

 

The recessed part, barrel thread and section) is 74mm long, ...

 

That 74 mm dimension doesn't sound right to me. That's supposed to be from the nib end of the section back to the step right? From the picture that looks like it's perhaps 1/3 the overall barrel length. That would make the barrel length 232mm or 8.75 inches long. You'd have to screw the cap on awfully tight to get the capped length down to 5.75 inches!

[soloworx]

There's something about flush caps that does it for me. Nice review.

 

 

The recessed part, barrel thread and section) is 74mm long, ...

 

That 74 mm dimension doesn't sound right to me. That's supposed to be from the nib end of the section back to the step right? From the picture that looks like it's perhaps 1/3 the overall barrel length. That would make the barrel length 232mm or 8.75 inches long. You'd have to screw the cap on awfully tight to get the capped length down to 5.75 inches!

 

Sorry, you're right: it's 7.4mm and not 74. I got cockeyed using my analog caliper (time to switch to digital, I guess).:embarrassed_smile:

[HenryLouis]

looks crisp!

[beetlebug]

Chito,

 

Very nice review and pen. Next time let us know when he's making one for you so we can watch!

 

-TAO

[bgray]

Chito,

 

Very nice review and pen. Next time let us know when he's making one for you so we can watch!

 

-TAO

 

There's a couple on the schedule this coming week.

 

Thanks.

[jonro]

Thanks for the review. I think that the new Morgan is my favorite Edison Pens design. I hope it serves you well for years to come.

[dandelion]

What a beautiful pen! I really like your photos of it - especially the nib close-ups and the writing sample. An Edison is on my wish list and this review doesn't make it easier to...not buy more pens. Thanks for a great review!