Search the Community

Hello, everyone. I'm Marcus. I am new to FPN. I have enjoyed fine writing instruments since I was in college - I'm not in my mid-thirties. I'm not an expert by any means. I'm not even a collector. I just enjoy handwriting. I have a little bit of graphomania. I really enjoy writing with fountain pens. My current inventory include Waterman Carene, Parker Sonnet, Pilot Kakuno and Hero 007. My ink of choice right now is Pilot. I am not particular about paper as long as it doesn't bleed. I don't mind writing on regular printer paper, as long as I have something behind it for the bleeding. I prefer Asian fine nibs or Western extra fine nibs. I look forward to meeting you all in the forums and learning from everyone.

Hi! I was wondering if anyone knows if the Jowo spare nibs, coming with feeder to screw in the section, are compatible with Edison pens? I understand Edison uses these nibs, so it might not be out of the realm of possibilities. An example of Jowo spare nib: http://www.fpnibs.com/en/size-6-jowo/52-14k-nib-unit.html#/acabado-two_tone

Sigh --- Reposted under correct heading of Ecipse

Big new article from Brian Gray on the Edison Pen Co. site: http://edisonpen.com/page.cfm/Reevaluate-Converters Most of what he's written squares well with my own experience, having used many different kinds of fillers. I've gradually concluded that all filling methods have their pluses and minuses, and the Magical Wonder Filler has never yet been invented. (The syringe filler in the Gate City Belmont comes pretty close, though!) Although converters don't excite me, I understand the practical and economic reasons why they are so prevalent, and I've come to terms with them. Unlike Brian Gray, I have had lots of problems with converters! I'm sure he only deals with high quality Schmidt K5 converters on a daily basis, so he can be forgiven for not fully appreciating how many cheap, shoddy, leaky, poorly-fitting converters are out there in the world. I've found the converters that go into better pens from major pen makers are generally good, and so is the K5. The cheaper Schmidt converters, or Lamy Safari, to say nothing of Chinese ones, are less dependable. I feel that all converters are semi-disposable items. They are a bit dainty, and even if you get a good one to start with, you can expect it to wear out eventually. The good news is that changing them out is quick and easy. So. . . Troublesome but easy-to-fix is not a bad tradeoff. Another problem he neglects to mention is air lock. Sometimes, especially with some dry inks, a converter will get an air bubble lodged in a way that prevents ink from flowing to the feed. It doesn't happen too often, but it can be quite a nuisance when it does. (In my experience, vac-filler pens are even more prone to this problem.) Because of their relatively small capacity, and because they are insulated from the pen's barrel with an air space, converter pens deliver very consistent ink flow most of the time. This makes it easier to design a feed, since it doesn't have to deal with irregular surges of ink. The problem there, as Brian noted, is that those readily available feeds designed for C/C pens may prove inadequate when adapted to another filler type. Everything is connected.

... I think I may have a fetish for chatoyance. Left to right: Conklin All American Yellowstone Rosetta Napoleon II Tortoiseshell Rosetta Napoleon II Lemon Ice Edison Nouveau Premiere Spring 2015 Lilac Think Nebula Glactic Fudge Think Nebula Irish Spring Noodler's Konrad Coral Sea Noodler's Neponset John Mung Noodler's Neponset Bengal Tiger The Think pens are of questionable origin. No one seems to know anything about them. But they sure do look nice!

Hello everybody! I'm planing to buy a double ended pearl from Edison, one nib is going to be a full flex from Richard Binder and the second one is a problem ... I know for sure, that I want a nib with line variation, but which one? For comparison I have only my Lamy nibs in 1,1 (which is just not broad enough for me and doesn't give the line variation I'd like), the 1,5 (which I like) and the 1,9 (which is my favorite). As far as I read, most compare the Lamy nibs to stubs, right? So I'd be intrigued to have a cursive italic for comparison. But that would leave me with 1,1 which sounds small. 1,5 sound better, but that would be a stub again ... Can anyone compare the line variations given by these two nibs? Which one gives more variation? Cause in the end that's more important to me (at least I think so) than the broadness. Thanks for the input, Tari

Good Morning, Everyone (well, morning in the CST anyway)! Before I start my review, allow me to preface it by saying: My handwriting is horrible. It's bad. It's horrid. It's not good. I've been told many times that I missed my calling as a Doctor based solely on my penmanship. Please do not expect my letters to be flowing, evenly spaced, in neat parallel lines. In fact, this was my biggest barrier to posting my first review, being self-conscious about my ability to write in block letters or cursive. So, on we go to the review. I ordered this pen from Goulet Pens. My path to this pen was as follows: I had a fountain pen as a child (which I lost), and later received a MontBlanc as a gift (which the gifter lost, so I married her). At the tender age of 43 I decided to buy a new one. After extensive and detailed research lasting all of 5 minutes, I ordered a Conklin Duragraph and after using it realized that I wanted something better (and also reminded myself to slow down, smell the roses and do a little more research before making a purchase). That's when I ordered the Edison Herald in Copper Flake acrylic. My Duragraph has a fine nib, which I did not like, so I bumped up to a medium nib. The pen arrived well packaged (with a Tootsie pop!) and inside was the Edison box. Comparing the giant sloppy "trying to be really nice but failing miserably" box that the Duragraph arrived in, the Edison box was right-sized, had an attractive appearance inside and out (including this for those who care about the boxes). Inside was this beauty. What a gorgeous colored pen. I had ordered a set of ink samples in dark red, and ended up buying a bottle of Noodler's Antietam to match the color of the pen. My second choice would be Diamine Red Dragon, which also matches nicely (a bit redder, a bit darker). The cap is a nice fit and the threads match up nicely (not so tight that you worry about cracking the cap). The clip is well proportioned to the pen, and is positioned so that a small bit of the top peaks out of your pocket (if you carry one in the chest pocket). I like that, as it's a conversation starter. The pen is smooth, and is lightly engraved "Edison Pen Co." over "Herald". I'm guessing it's a laser engraving. I filled the pen using the included converter, although I could set it up as an eyedropper, too. Since I was trying different inks, I stuck with the converter. I wrote with the pen posted, and unposted. I prefer unposted, because it seems to "snuggle" into my hand a little more comfortably. The ink flowed smoothly and right at the 7/10 wetness that Edison promises. The nib is smooth, and writes with a light touch (you know when you've hit the pressure sweet spot because the pen just floats across the paper). No scratchiness, not "toothy", just a wonderful nib that wants to move faster than my hand (and brain!) can write. Summary: Appearance 10/10 - Absolutely gorgeous. For full effect, get it outside in full sunlight. WOW! Wetness: 7/10 Smoothness of nib: 9/10 - It's not a slippery nib, and it's far, far nicer than the Conklin nib that I had been using. Ergonomics: 10/10 - This pen just feels nice in the hand. Warm, light, comfortable curves, the nib section is nicely contoured and fits my short, thick fingers nicely Sealing (how well the cap seals against drying out): 9/10 - I get the occasional dry start, but I think that's more the ink than it is the pen. I think the Red Dragon ink would make this a 10/10. Weight: 10/10 - I prefer a lighter weight pen because I get hand cramps on a regular basis (always have, since a small child). Overall: 9.5/10 - Not rating it a 10/10 because someday, I may find a better pen. Possibly. I'll revisit this in 10 years and maybe change it to a 10/10 :-)

Hello, Edison pen users! (Or Edison nib users, if you're into Frankenpens---for the purpose of my question, it works just as well.) I think we've all read about Brian Gray's standard steel nib offerings---a nib with a "7/10" flow, wet-writing with a "touch of feedback". So, I've been reading reviews of this "7/10 flow/wetness" nib. Some find it suitably smooth and wet, others consider the feedback a bit distracting. I'm on the verge of getting an Edison myself (extended Mina, with either a F or italic nib), but I've never had any experience with Edison nibs. What is this 7/10 nib like in comparison to other nibs? I'd like your feedback so I can decide whether I should ask for adjustments in flow before I place my order. I know it's better to try the nib out first, and switch it later if I don't like it-----or send one of my pens directly to Brian so he can make a nib to match, but I thought I'd try to save some time/money this way. ^__^ Here are my personal experiences: 1) I have a Visconti Rembrandt with an M nib that, to me, epitomizes the ultimate writing experience---not too smooth to be slippery, but with enough "resistance" to make me aware of the paper. And it's quiet. Very quiet. I love it to pieces. (I suspect the weight of the pen counterbalances the smoothness/slippery quality of the nib, but whatever the case, it writes like a dream.) 2) I've tried a friend's Lamy 2000 with a M nib---equally quiet nib, but WAY too slippery and wet for me. Writing with it was like cruising through buttercream (fun!), but the lack of control annoyed me after the first few minutes. 3) I don't like "noisy pens". My MB (M nib), for example, has wonderful flow but you can always "hear" it against the paper when it writes (unless I use lubricating inks). This is, of course, comparing it with the Visconti on the same paper with the same inks. Also, is there any notable difference between Edison's regular steel and two-toned steel nibs (besides the appearances, of course)? Thanks!

In the (not so) distant future (3 years), I plan on buying an Edison pen for myself as a graduation gift and I want to know if it is really worth it. I see on this forum "ERMAHGERD EDISON PEN, SO BEAUTIFUL AND SMOOTH!!!!", but I plan on fully decking it out and I want to know if it's really worth it compared to similarly priced pens that I would really like. Also, when I mean fully, I mean with gold nib, nice filling system, a small engraving and a few modifications. This would truly be a unique pen and quite sentimental from the start. I estimate it would be around $600-650 USD. OR, would it be better to buy something like a limited edition/vintage pen (eg: Conway Stewart, Visconti) and then have that kind of let it be. I guess the question I'm really asking is "Is the price justified by the sentiment, or should I just get a 'better pen'?" Well, I still have a few years (which when I think about it isn't even that long. AARGH I'm thinking to much) to mull over it; thanks for reading my pent-up stress over fountain pens, and have a fantastically beautiful morning/day/evening/night!

My shipment from Edison with the 2014 LEA Glenmont has finally arrived and it was well worth the wait. Not only is it a stunning pen, but I managed to snag #1 of 63. The wine color was a richer burgundy than I was expecting and it screamed to be filled up with BSER. I am still in awe over the beauty of this pen and the extra fine nib is a dream to write with. A bit of tooth and wet enough to glide effortlessly on clairefontaine or copy paper. I could go on and on, but I know you want to see the pictures. Thank you to Clockspot for the outstanding photography. http://i.imgur.com/CUJ2bNj.jpg http://i.imgur.com/25zlCot.jpg http://i.imgur.com/9y7Vd5d.jpg http://i.imgur.com/IdD7Gzd.jpg http://i.imgur.com/44S7V7Y.jpg http://i.imgur.com/tVGw7mg.jpg http://i.imgur.com/rdNGEF7.jpg http://i.imgur.com/Wa5nLzh.jpg

Fans of this beautiful Goulet special unite! Please note that in some photos you will find of this pen on the web the colors of the pen appear more vibrant than they actually are in real life. Thank you for this wonderful fountain pen, Brian and Rachel! Warm regards, Virginia ''Geena''

So...there are Spencerian dip nibs. And then there's Spencerian nibs, modern modified beauties via the likes of John Mottishaw on the Namiki Falcon and Richard Binder on Edison Pens. I have no experience with any of these four: Edison pens, Falcon nibs, mods by Mr. Mottishaw or Mr. Binder, and I'm curious as to how these modifications compare. Judging from reviews and pictures alone, they look and write great! Lots of line variation, which suits my likes exactly. But how does it feel like to write with one? Is there anything that sticks out? Is the scratchiness very noticeable when compared to, say, a vintage wet noodle nib like a Waterman 52 1/2? Are Falcon nibs more fragile after the modification? What about modified Edison nibs? I would love to hear your input. The only "flex nibs" I have now are a Danitrio EEF and a Noodler's Ahab. But I'm interested in going full-flex-----without the hassle of staking out eBay for those once-in-a-lifetime vintage wet noodles that everyone seems to bid on. A Mottishaw'ed Falcon or a Binderized Edison seems the best bet, so everything else aside, how do the nibs compare? Is there a significant difference? I don't think writing pressure will be an issue here, since I write with a very light touch---people used to have trouble reading my pencil lines! Thanks in advance!

So, the pen I most desire is a Edison Menlo, pump filler. However I won't be able to afford one for several years for sure, and the original Parker Vacs scare me. I know it's expensive but I love that shape and the filling system, and the ability to pick your own acrylics. What makes a pen worth it to you, personally, I like steel nibs just as well as gold nibs, if tuned properly. Is it purely aesthetics, purely the nib (softness, smoothness, plating?), or size? For me it is mainly shape and filling system, I have $75 for my Pump Filler, and I'll probably spring for a Newton Pen after that. Also, what is the most you can ever see yourself paying for a fountain pen. Please don't give any answers like ''the minimum should be $300 because quality is expensive'' this is simply not true for the majority of users. Thanks for your time and I look forward to reading your responses

For a while now, I have had my eye on both of those pens. I've read reviews about both, but none of which help... I write unposted to start. I understand both are indeed small, that isn't really an issue though considering I write with my Scheaffer Craftsman (Thanks again Matt!) unposted. And That pen is considerably small. I will not take any nibs larger than a fine. I write too small and all nibs larger than fine, make my handwriting unreadable. So, what is the better pen to invest into? What has a smoother nib? A nicer feel in the hand? Any help is appreciated. And thank you all for taking time to read my thread! ~Phil

Edison Pens have always remained in the periphery as far as my pen addiction is concerned. To me, the idea of a "custom pen" (and the associated price point) always raised questions such as "Why don't I buy an expensive German/Italian/Urushi/vintage pen instead?". There's a whole lot more that goes into buying a custom Edison pen than just walking into a shop (or browsing an online store) and using your credit card. And that's what makes this different, and special. Many of you have already gone through this with Brian at Edison Pens (and enjoyed it) - with a custom pen, you first choose the model. Then you choose from different materials (Acrylic, Ebonite mostly) and within the material, literally hundreds of colours and patterns, and you can also further customise the pen until you end up with something truly unique (and truly personal). This review is of the Edison Beaumont in Persimmon Swirl acrylic (which is my second Edison; I'll do the review of the first one another day). Appearance, Material & Design The Beaumont was an obvious choice of model. After having been bitten by the "vintage pens" bug of late, choosing the beaumont was like getting a vintage sheaffer, but with modern guts. It also posts quite deep, which was a big plus for me. After poring over Brian's smugmug site for all the possible materials & patterns, I settled on the persimmon swirl material. It was always in my short list of materials to try. It shows up in many other reviews, always positive (the few videos also indicate it's a "shiny and mesmerising" material). Incidentally, you can get this material in a Production line model currently, the Collier. I opted for black finial & end cap, plus rhodium trim, all of which I thought makes the rest of the pen stand out. I also requested the section be made matte/satin finish, to improve grip (considering the hot & humid weather here). You can keep looking at the pen for a long long time, especially how it shimmers in the light, truly mesmerising! Here are some photos that paint a better picture... Nib I chose a 0.6mm cursive italic steel nib, which Brian himself customises. It writes with good line variation, with enough feedback, and on the dry side as I requested. I wouldn't put it at par with the work of nibmeisters like Masuyama, but Brian sure knows what he's doing! Filling system Standard cartridge/converter, which also has an added advantage (over upgrading to a bulb-filler) that you can be more adventurous with your ink choices. With (latex) bulb fillers, you will need to be more careful with reactive inks. Value In terms of the dollar amount you spend (starts at $250 as a custom order, with extra for the nib customisation; or at $150 if bought from the production line from other retailers), one might not immediately consider this a "value" purchase. But when you consider all the models/materials/patterns/textures you can choose from, to end up with a pen that was made for just one person - you - and then when you actually hold the (absolutely gorgeously) finished pen in your hand, you'll understand why this purchase was different from the umpteen others you made in the past. Shipping, on the other hand, was a whole different story. If you live in the US, you wouldn't have to pay the exorbitant prices USPS charges for International shipping. For me, shipping charges hurt! Conclusion In conclusion, all I can say is - if you ever considered buying a custom pen, drop Brian a mail, and give this whole buying experience a try. What I have is a great daily writer, solidly built, "my very own pen".

Some pics of the pen, then the handwritten review followed by the text in case you can't read my writing. Also I was writing from the back of the book towards the front, so keep that in mind Fountain Pen Review — Edison Beaumont pneumatic-filler First Impressions Whenever you get a new pen it's always an exciting moment. Even more so when you have never actually held the pen or even really seen it until it arrives in your mailbox. This is part of the experience of ordering a custom=made pen from Brian Gray at Edison Pen Company. The pen I ordered was a Beaumont pneumatic filler pen in Antique Marble acrylic with a steel nib in medium. Two-tone on the nib with the end caps matching. It was exciting to get the email that the pen had shipped. The pen comes well packaged shipped via USPS. It has a simulated alligator case in which the pen rests. Included is a metallic Edison bookmark of their logo and that's kind of cool. There's also a thank you letter from Brian Gray with his fabulous signature. And instructions about how to fill and empty the pen using its pneumatic filler. The pen itself is lovely. Of course it's a modern acrylic not a vintage celluloid so one shouldn't make comparisons there. But it's very attractive, smoothly polished, and a pleasure to hold in one's hand. Appearance (1-10) 9 When I first saw the pen it was a shock. The pens I'd had up to then were black (Aurora Ipsilon and Lamy 2000). So here is all this color and translucency. And the pen seemed more orange than I had been expecting based on photos from the Edison website. For some reason I thought it would be more towards yellow. There were examples of more orange versions but I hadn't noticed them perhaps. But about half the pictures show a yellow antique marble. Some of this was simply my inexperience with the materials and how to go about ordering a custom pen. I now understand that color lots change and the exact pattern will vary from batch to batch. Now I can say that I really enjoy how the pen looks. It has a depth to it and wonderful color variation in the acrylic. It really is beautiful. The nib itself is stunning. None of the pens I'd had up to then had such a large nib. At first, it seemed massive. But writing with the pen showed that the size was perfect for where ones' hand met paper. The translucency of the pen was another surprise for me. One of those things that's difficult to photograph. But it was a cool effect and nice to see the filling mechanism working. One can in the barrel see the tool marks of the cutting bore (not sure of the name for this) and it'a an intertesting artifact of the manufacture. The section color is amazing. Brian says that's from the black of the feed. It's like looking at some black marble with gems embedded in it. The cap has lovely patterning to it of the antique marble. The clip and band are nice. There's nothing really special about them. Construction and Quality (1-10) 10 The pen is really well made. The pen doesn't feel cheap at all. I'm not willing to drop the pen to see how rugged it might be. But I think capped it would do OK. The threads are very nice. They are very crisp and the cap and barrel connect smoothly. Even though the threads seem low the cap is well connected. And the low threads on the barrle means the threads don't disturb your writing. It's like they're not even there. Weight and Dimensions (1-10) 10 The pen is 5 1/8" capped, 4 13/16" uncapped, and 6 ¼" posted. I usually write without posting and this is a perfect pen size for me. I probably have medium hands for a girl. According to the Edison web site, the pen weighs 13g (0.46 oz) and 20 g (0.7 oz) without the cap and with. It very light in the hand so for extended writing it's easy to use. Posted is fine too, but I prefer the balance of the pen unposted. Others may feel differently about that. The pen is a little thicker in the barrel than an Esterbrook J or Parker Vacumatic major and about the same length (a little longer). So if you have vintage pens this gives you can idea of the size of the pen. Nib and Performance (1-10) 9 I chose a two-toned steel nib in Medium. I believe this is the #6 nib. According to the Edison web site EF, F, M, B, 1.1 mm italic, and 1.5 mm italic nibs are available. The #6 18k nibs are avilable in EF, F, M, and B and they are $100 extra in cost. I've been quite happy with the steel nib. You can get various customizations which will be done either in-house or by Mike Masuyama of Mike-It-Work. Full flex 14k nibs from Richard Binder are available. My writing style doesn't lend itself to these customizations so if that's something that interests you I'd inquire with Brian Gray. I arrange to have the nib set up at 7 on theflow scale of 1 to 10 and Brian has it with "a touch of feedback". I can alsmot write without touching the paper with this nib. It has the kind of flow that I like. I don't think I'd want anything wetter than this. There's a little bit of noise letting me know how I'm writing. Perhaps some people wouldn't want that. Some of it is my writing style. So far I haven't noticed any problems with different papers. I write in my Moleskine notebook, on regular copy paper, and for special occassions Mohawk Via Linen. The nib has one spot perhaps that has a hint of dryness but it's not really anything that I don't experience with other pens. The Edison nibs can be swapped out by the end user. It may not be that every Edison nib fits every pen, so best to check. Filling System & Maintenance (1-10) 9 The filling system for this Beaumont is a pneumatic filling system. According to David Nishimura's web site on vintage pens, Shaeffer and Chilton used a pneumatic system. The Shaeffer system was called the "Touchdown". The Edison pen is closer to the Chilton system. I won't go into lots of detail but there is a blind cap at the end of the barrel. Unscrewing it allows you to pull up the plunger. The mechanism is straightforward and easy. Emptying the pen is the same put you don't put the pen in the ink well. There is a description of the mechanism at the Edison web site. The filling system uses a sac but it's quite large and the pen can hold 1 to 1 ¼ ml of ink. More than twice what a cartridge converter would hold. I'm still getting used to this filling system, but it's really easy. And pretty much fills the first time. One thing some people may not like is that you can't see how much ink you have left, so as the pen exhausts its ink supply you wonder why is the pen so scratchy all of a sudden. That's your clue that you need to add more ink. I like that Edison is bringing back these historic filling systems. Especially when they are good systems such as this one. They're fun too. Cost & Value (1-10) 9 A custom pen such as this is not cheap. Since you can only order one from the Edison Pen Company it'll be unique (or nearly so). There are Edison pens you can order from the usual retail outlets. These are the production line. The cost for this pen was $350 compared to a standard c/c Beaumont of $150 at Richard Binder's site. I think I got a good price for such a pen. I haven't really looked at other custom pens so I can't compare costs. The only thing I would have liked to have done was get an 18k nib, but I wasn't willing to spend that much. In spite of the cost, I think I got a really great pen that will last for years, assuming that I don't fill the pen with the "ink that shall not be named". Overall 56 out of 60 I'm very happy with this pen and my experience of acquiring a custom Beaumont pneumatic filler. I was happy enough that I've ordered a custom Menlo pump filler. This review was written using Organics Studio Blue Merle ink and my Beaumont pneumatic filling pen.

My Edison Huron came today! After just a few seconds tryout (have to get dinner...) I can say I really like it. It was an inventory pen, not a special order, and it is in Rocky Mountain Stone acrylic. The ink is Café des Iles from Herbin,

Hi all. I've been having great fun with my new Edison Nouveau Premiere and a 1.1mm stub nib from Goulet Pens. Today I decided to switch it out to the fine nib I bought from Richard Binder. Unfortunately the 1.1mm nib was screwed in pretty tight by whoever assembled it, and I ended up misaligning the nib and feed. It's pretty noticeable just looking at it. However, it hasn't seemed to impact ink flow or writing. I tried adjusting the feed back into place with my fingers but it always bounces back to misaligment. Since the Edison nibs are attached to the feeds, is there any way I can fix this? I'm a novice at all of this... Edited to add a clearer picture.

So, a while back, a friend of mine gave me an Edison Nouveau Premiere as a gift. Months later, intending to sell it, I looked up the pen's price. It retailed for $150. Wow! What a generous gift I was going to sell, like the dear and loyal friend I am. The only thing is, mine looks rather different than the ones I can find online. As you can see from the very first promotional article Goulet wrote, http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t8w9p0cBRs0/TWB5-vHbFTI/AAAAAAAABS0/alLIWLpFqyg/s400/20110218-DSC_0003.jpg These pens' sections are all concave. They "flare", so to speak. In contrast, my nib's section... http://i.imgur.com/Iog2gSg.png ...doesn't flare at all. I almost think it's even slightly convex. Don't let the lighting fool you. The nib's silver-colored, not gold, like its picture might appear. And the "M" on the nib is obscured by the light, but it's there. Here are some more pictures of the pen. Note how the section does not lie flush with the body when screwed on. All the pictures I can find of the Edison Nouveau Premiere in my color ("Black Satin") have the same section as well. See, for instance, a review on our own forum... Or, well, just take a look at Google Images. None of the replacement nibs that Goulet sells look like the one I have, nor does anything on the Edison site. These all sport more rectangular section designs. My question is, basically, what's the deal here? Where did this nib+section come from? Is it from a discontinued model? Is it the result of a freak accident? Is its anomalous and unexplainable nature the first harbinger of the oncoming apocalypse? More importantly, is the pen itself still worth the $150 retail price? (Apologies if this is in the wrong section, I'm a newcomer... despite having joined a year ago.)

Hi Pen Fans! We are very happy to announce a new material that is is now available in the Production Line Collier! This new material will be called Blue Steel Acrylic. It's a very nice deep blue with lots of depth, and a rather subtle swirl. http://edisonpen.com/userfiles/image/Collie%20Blue.jpg http://edisonpen.com/userfiles/image/Collier%20Blue2.jpg Since this pen is part of the Production Line, remember that Edison will not sell this pen direct. The retailers that carry the Production Line will be selling this pen. You can find these retailers here. All retailers have placed their orders for this pen, so they all should be ready to ship! So this makes 4 nice materials that can be had in the Production Line Collier! http://edisonpen.com/userfiles/image/Colliers%20Production(1).jpg By the way.....do you notice something interesting when you look at the photo above? If you look closely at the Antique Marble Collier on the right, you'll notice that the color of the Antique Marble is a little darker. Some of you might remember when we made an announcement about 2 years ago regarding a slight color change to the Collier. Back then, the manufacturer that we were getting the Antique Marble from changed the color to be just a little bit lighter. Well, we have good news! The original darker amber color is now back! I personally like this darker color a lot more, and I think that most of our fans agree. So as of now, the Blue Steel and original Antique Marble materials are available in the Collier! Click here to see the retailers that sell these pens. Thanks! Brian at Edison

I'm looking at purchasing an Edison bulb filler second hand and I don't care for the nib size. I'm wondering if I can change the nib with one of the new Goulet nibs, or a similar #6 nib. Note- I won't be changing the feed, just the nib if possible. Anyone know? Thanks for the help!

I finally have the funds to purchase the ever so lovely Edison beaumont. I have been wondering though how the extra fine nib is. If anyone can tell me their experience with the edison EF nibs (scratchiness, wetness, etc.) it would be very appreciated. Thanks, ~Phil

Four years ago, I reviewed my 1st Edison pen: the yellowstone Huron. It's the pen in my FPN avatar, too, btw. The FPN review is here, and I as I look at that review today, I do want to apologize for deleting my Photobucket account which housed the photos for that review. (There's also photos on my blog here.) My pen collection has been through huge shifts over these last 4 years, yet the Huron has survived all those changes, and in fact, instigated many of them. It's still my favorite daily writing pen. Generally, I prefer my daily writing pens to be clipless. Dunno. Just do. Decided, though, that my Huron needed a little something extra for the cap. Brian came up with a "cap ring" for it! My photos do not capture the ring as well as Brian's so with his permission, I'm using his. I have more details and photos on my blog, if that's okay to post. Honestly, this was just the little "lift" I wanted for my Huron! Sharing my excitement, Julie

I posted a thread a day or so ago seeking input on an Edison pen purchase. Strange thing though, even with all the positive comments on Edison Pens I came away wanting a Sailor Sapporo. I've been reading through the reviews etc and I have a couple of questions... 1) Mostly it seems that Sailor has a reputation as a great pen builder but there are a few who say they have inconsistent quality; is Sailor a quality build? 2) I would get it from Mr. Mottishaw at nibs.com; does he do good work? Bonus question: it appears that Sailor nibs are not interchangeable like say Pelikan nibs - is this correct? TIA, Tony

I had about settled down to a comfortable selection of a couple of pens for everyday use - Pelikan 2XX and maybe 4XX and Pilot VP's. They are comfortable to me and I like the fact they have interchangeable nibs. Now a tiny bit of background if you'll bear with me. I've been influenced by a woodworking book I have - Christopher Schwarz' The Anarchist Tool Chest. A very simplified takeaway is supporting an Artisan economy.* When I thought about applying that to fountain pens, Brian Gray (along with a handful of others) seems to come the closest to that ideal. So when it comes time to get my next pen, I'm really thinking about getting an Edison. Not sure which model. So what's the point of this post? One to spread the reasoning behind my crazy aesthetic anarchist idea. Two, to get a little nudge to do it * I know who makes my chisels (Dave Jeske of Blue Spruce), my back saws (Mike Harrell of Bad Axe), and so on.