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Sigma Style Italic Medium


mameranchu

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This is my first pen review…

Appearance & Design

 

http://flyingbird.info/FPN/box.jpg

 

The colour of the barrel is a darkish red. Not pinky, orangey, or purply, just red, which I like. With black and white swirls, the red/gold contrast adds a little class without looking gaudy or too flashy. The body shows appealing shimmer under light.

 

The end half of the pen is thinner than the front half to allow for posting. When you post the cap, it fits perfectly with a "click". I like the practicality of it, but you may not like the look of it you prefer a barrel with a traditional smooth shape.

 

The gift box it comes in is well made and would look good on a proper writing desk.

 

Construction & Quality

 

The body is hand-turned and has a nice "hand made" feel to it. It doesn't look cheap in any way. Seems strong enough to withstand years of frequent use.

 

The clip on the lid is very tight. It may be because it's likely to get loose with use, but much more rigid than my other pens. I keep this one at home and don't carry it around, so that's not a big problem for me.

 

For the first month or so, I got a whiff of chemical smell (different from celluloid/camphor) every time I unscrewed the cap or barrel. The smell got weaker over time, and not noticeable now unless I put my nose close to it. Hope it goes away completely one day.

 

Weight & Dimensions

 

It's a relatively short pen, but fits my hand well. The pen is not much longer with the cap posted. If you are a man with a big hand, or like to use your pen unposted, or don't like the weight of the pen at the back, then you may not like it.

http://flyingbird.info/FPN/lidOff.jpg

http://flyingbird.info/FPN/lidOn.jpg

Nib & Performance

http://flyingbird.info/FPN/nib1.jpghttp://flyingbird.info/FPN/nib2.jpg

This plain-looking 14k nib has a good and even ink flow regardless of the ink I use. Relatively wet. It doesn't skip, and is not scratchy. It doesn't flex much, but italic nibs don't need to. The inscription at the base of the nib reads "14K - 585".

 

Good line variations (thick/thin), but a little too broad for general writing on a standard ruled notebook/looseleaf. Here's the comparison on the line width on Rhodia paper:

 

http://flyingbird.info/FPN/width.jpg

 

Filling System & Maintenance

 

This pen comes with a converter (simple push & pull knob filling), and also takes international standard cartridges. The ink capacity on the supplied converter is very small. The converter has a plastic ball inside to keep the ink mixed or to prevent stiction, but that means even less room for ink. The photo below shows how small it is compared to a Lamy converter.

http://flyingbird.info/FPN/converter.jpg

Cost & Value

 

It may seem rather expensive for a lesser-known brand, but after using it for nearly a year now I think the price is reasonable for the pen of this quality.

 

Conclusion

 

Sigma Style Italic is a lovely pen and I'm glad I bought it. Overall score 8 out of 10. Given its line width and small ink capacity it won't be my main writing tool, but I'll keep it inked ready for use. If you like stub/italic nibs, you'll love this pen.

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Thank you for the review! I like broad nibs myself!

 

That nib is called "Italic Medium", but, on the paper, it's broader than Lamy 1.1mm Italic. It seems 1.5mm italic, doesn't it ?

 

Where did you buy it?

 

Great 1st review!

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Thanks fabrimedeiros :)

 

Yes, it's close to Lamy 1.5mm. Sigma is wetter than Lamy, so if you want sharp lines Lamy 1.5 may do a better job, but I prefer the way Sigma's nib feels on the paper. I guess you could have the nib adjusted to reduce the flow but I like it as it is.

 

I bought it from The Writing Desk with some other stuff. You can also buy it directly from Sigma Pens.

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