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Hello everyone, We all remembers our first fountain pen we started writing with. We have always cherished that pen and the company. For me, Airmail has been and will always be close to my heart. From school days to 2012 have been loyal to Airmail. However, when I misplaced them in 2012 it broke my heart. Since then searched a lot for them. Always thought the company might have closed. However , a month back noticed that Airmail has started selling the pens on Amazon.in It was a surprise and ordered couple of 70 and & 71JT. Each costing about 350/- INR which seemed very resonable. Will be reviewing Airmail Wality 70 with few pictures. Online order experience: 1. Ordered four Airmail 70 pens of brown colour. The very next day received a call from the representative informing that brown colour is not available and if I may wait for a week or order mix colours. Could not wait and ordered the mix colours(brown, red, blue and green) . The person was courteous and simple to talk to. No typical business-wala talk but very humble gentleman. The package was shipped within 2 days, shipped by BlueDart and received in 9 days. 2. They were packed in a A4 size envelope, which could be better packed for added safety. I was expecting them to be packed loose bound together and scratched/ damaged. However to my surprise each pen is packed neatly in a box with foam cut for the pen, with an eyedropper and a spare two-tone medium nib. It was something unexpected and does get a smile on you. Compare it with the Parker packed in a cheap cardboard and plastic covers. 3. It would make a nice gift for someone who loves FPs. Pictures of the Beauty A Classic look The box Foam cut to safe the pen from any scratch with a eyedropper Spare nib Slim profile Comfortable to hold. Light weight. Rests nicely. Well balanced when writing without the cap posted. Even with the cap posted the pen is well balanced due to the light weight. Either way , with or without the cap it is comfortable to hold and write for long duration. The nib with the pen is fine. It is equivalent to 0.5mm. A bit fine than Luxor 0.5. Depends on how much pressure one puts on. There is no flex to it at all. The nib has been smooth to write with. Had to tweek a bit for wet writing which I prefer. The feeder is a flat feeder unlike few who have a thick feeder. The feeder is of good quality and surely is not a cheap hand made one. The grooves to screw in are nicely made and it screws in smoothly. The feeder has grooves for ink flow. They are not cut by hand. Precise neat and deep cuts which has ensured nice steady ink flow throughout. The grooves are well cut ,both in and outside the barrel. Translucent slots to see the ink level. To see the level one needs to hold it vertical for few seconds, let ink to flow and against a bright light. Quality of pen: 1. Extremely well made. Impressive. Construction of the pen is top notch quality- comparable to any pen one can think of. Feel it to believe it. 2. Elegant looking. Does catches the eyes of people around, writing or be it in pocket. 3. Light weight. Does not mean its cheap material!!! 4. It is nealty made, well designed for long duration writing. Have not felt tired holding it. Ink Flow: 1. Out of the box, filled and it started writing straight away. Used it for couple of days but seemed dry for my liking. A bit of adjusting the feeder for wet ink flow and working like magic since then. 2. Have not had any sudden ink blobs flowing out till now. 3. Kept it uncaped for 15mins, picked up and it wrote straight away. ( I dont think anyone would keep their FP uncaped for so long!) 4. Takes 3ml of ink. Thats more than enough one needs to fill in pages! Conclusion: 1. It is an extremely serious contender to many FPs which cost more than twice! For VFM it beats Parker hands down!!!! 2. The colour, the design all along catches the eyes of beholders around. Rather than discussing the papers to sign- the topic always came to the FP. 3. With the pretty decent cardboard box, neat presentation can be a gift. 4. For daily use its a beautiful, quality FP and pleasure to write with. 5. Many would want to change the nib. I am satisfied with the nib it has, been smooth so far. 6. For extreme VFM for a student who would want a ED pen- Trinity is lot better as it costs 100/- as compared to 350/- for Airmail. Anyone who has been using it, would like to hear your experience. Thank you

While supplies last we have discounted the Visconti Rembrandt. Choose from either the Special Ops ballpoint or Silver Shadow fountain pen: Visconti Rembrandt Ballpoint PensRetail: $165.00Sale: $99.00 Visconti Rembrandt Fountain PensRetail: $175.00Sale: $122.50

FYI: Kobe Pen Show 2018. November 23, 24, 25.

Hi, It is a small fountain pen from an old Indian brand named Flair. The aerometric filled pen has gold plated fittings - Clip, Cap Finial , Barrel End and a wide Barrel Ring. It has a gold plated tipped nib, engraved with "Flair Duranium". Though the section length is 25 mm long, part (8 mm) of the section is hooded under the gold plated barrel ring. The pen writes smooth with little bit feedback. Compared with Jinhao 159 Specifications: Weight - Capped : 13.00 gm Weight - Uncapped : 8.00 gm Length – Capped : 108.75 mm Length – Uncapped : 98.00 mm Length – Posted : 127.00 mm Length – Barrel & Section : 8.50 mm Length – Section : 25.00/17.00 mm Length – Cap : 45.75 mm Diameter – Cap : 8.30 mm Diameter – Barrel : 8.30 mm Diameter – Section : 7.60 mm Filling System : Aerometric/Proprietary Ink Capacity : 0.75 ml Nib : # 5 GP Stainless Steel "Duranium" Tipped Feeder : 5 mm Ebonite Thanks for reading, -saji

Hey! I'm new to posting on FPN but have been reading for a while. I wanted to ask for recommendations of my next pen. I started out with the varsity and preppy and since have expanded my collection. I have the following pens: Platinum 3776 14kPlatinum BalancePlatinum PlaisirPilot MetroTWSBI Eco (lost this )Wing-Sung 3008Wing Sung 6359Monteverde MonzaJinhao Shark I was considering buying the following pens but have not heard as much about them. Diplomat MagnumSailor LecoulePilot e95sFaber Castell Loom I wanted to add that though I have a lot of Platinum pens, I don't really enjoy the writing experience. I like the pilot though it's a bit dry. The pen i've enjoyed the most is maybe the TWSBI. Also, I have smaller hands and typically like lighter pens. Any advice on what to buy next?

I'm currently in Berlin for a 20 day trip and i think I've stumbled across a strange phenomenon. I was so excited to be in here aside from all the good things but for fountain pens too. To be in Berlin or in Germany, totally was a very exciting idea for me fountain pen wise, the dream of all the flea and antique markets filled with Kawecos, Lamys and particularly Pelikans but there were nearly none of them. I've gone to more than 15 flea and antique markets (which includes the biggest one, Mauer Park) and there was just one counter with over the top prices, nothing more for any ballpoints, fountain pens.. to sum up nothing about pens, Pelikans. Just wondering about if anyone lives in Berlin / Germany knows something about this situation, is there an underground Pelikan mob or something?

I have just stumbled upon a lovely blog. There are some great posts on Pitman's shorthand, Platignum pens and school pens from the 60s. I hope you enjoy reading it as I did. Link: https://shorthandtypist.wordpress.com

Hi FPN, I am trying to learn the history and information on this pen stamped Hosei. It is a Japanese eyedropper with sealing rod. The barrel is stamped: Hosei / Sanshin & Co.,PT / Tokyo. The nib is stamped: Special / Hosei / Ideal / JIS / 4366. The cap band is stamped: R14K. I did not see Hosei under the topic: Pen Manufacturers - Current and Past, so does anyone know anything about this pen? Thanks in advance everyone.

Can someone identify this chinese fountain pen from the 80's ? I had one ln the beginning, of my school years and it had a 14 k gold nib , but i can't remember the producer and the model number .

Namaste people. This coming Wednesday is pretty special because after a gap, I'm going to India again. Yaaay!!! This time we planned to give Delhi a small visit. Now, being the person I am, whenever a destination is chosen for a trip, I search for possible pen shops. I did the same here but I really couldn't get much in detail. So to all people who've been to or are in Delhi, are there any pen shops that sell for amazing prices? I'm mostly looking to purchase an everyday writing pen (Mostly Indian made) and also some spare nibs and ink if possible, for the best prices. an anyone help me? Thanks and regards, Adit Kamath

The Reaktor Line of Writing Instruments, our entry level, fully machined writing instrument line, is now available for purchase. The Starliner XL fountain pen is part of the Stage 1 Launch of the Reaktor Line, retailing for $55 USD with a standard Bock polished steel nib and free shipping in the United States. See more details below The style and elegance of a fine writing instrument without sacrificing durability or function in the new Starliner XL fountain pen. Inspired by classic fountain pen designs, built with modern machining techniques; it’s truly a marriage of history and technology. With an all new slip-cap retention system and comfort-contour grip to ensure the cap stays in place with a solid “click”. The absence of threads provides a smooth transition from the grip to the body, making the pen perfect for any writing grip. Designed to be comfortable when not posted, the Starliner XL also features a deep posting cap for added balance if needed. CNC Machined from 6061-T "space age" aluminum, which provides extreme durability, performance, and comfort. Featuring the Bock 076 (#5) nib units available in various tip sizes and materials, capable of using either standard international cartridges or a standard international cartridge/converter, it’s a writer’s dream. Ships standard with a Polished Steel nib in sizes EF-B, 1.1mm stub, 1.5mm stub, or 1.9mm stub, a Schmidt K5 Converter, and two Monteverde black cartridges. Upgrades to Titanium and 14k Gold available. Rugged enough for an outback excursion, dignified enough for the board room; let the Starliner XL from Karas Pen Co fulfill all of your writing needs. Reaktor: Create.Explore.Record. PRDUCT REVIEWS Figboot on Pens Gourmet Pens Pens!Paper!Pencils! The Gentleman Stationer The Clicky Post UK Fountain Pens The Finer Point BYOB Pen Club The Well Appointed Desk

We recently reviewed the S.T. Dupont Conquest of the Wild West set, and wanted to share our thoughts below. Most importantly, we have the fountain pen on sale! Would love to hear your thoughts or any questions! S.T. Dupont Limited Edition Conquest of the Wild West Set Certain things are known to pair well together, particularly in the world of luxuries. From food pairings like wine and cheese to complementing ties with pocket squares in men’s fashion, it’s hard not to appreciate a good set of items that feel like they were born together. What S.T. Dupont has done with their Limited Edition Conquest of the Wild West set is just that – paired a pen and lighter that match so well together, it will be the desire of any fountain pen enthusiast, lighter collector, or luxury goods fanatic! Oh, and they threw in a cigar punch to boot! The Lighter and Cigar Cutter The Ligne 2 Conquest of the Wild West lighter is truly something else. S.T. Dupont is known for using only the finest materials, and this lighter is no exception, with its palladium finish and black lacquer. From the perspective of a lighter aficionado, they’d be happy to know that the characteristic “ping” when the lid is opened is of course present in this model as well. The roller is also sculpted for a better grip, and the flame adjustment button and filling valve have been conceived for the best ergonomics. The Wild West theme of this collection is most evident in the middle of the lighter, where a full bullet hole strikes through the center of this magnificent piece. The gun smoke and dust surrounding the bullet hole and the crossed pistols at the top of the lid drive the whole theme together. A beautiful stainless steel chain accents the lighter and can be removed as needed. The cigar punch (cutter) is the perfect match for the lighter, and is certainly a rarity that you won’t find with just any luxury brand! The Pen and Ink The beautiful S.T. Dupont Limited Edition Conquest of the Wild West pen features a gorgeous cap that instantly gives an old timey saloon feel – a perfect complement to the lighter. As part of the Line D, the artistry is inspired by both research into the past and the current handiwork of S.T. Dupont’s master lacquerers. This natural lacquer for the larger proportioned pen somehow still gives it a streamlined look. The extraordinary writing instrument is available in ballpoint (with twist mechanism), convertible rollerball (easily converts to a ball pen or felt-tip with a refill change), and fountain (with 14K gold nib). And don’t forget your shield-shaped bottle of ink while you’re at it ~ the royal blue, as shown in the main photo, is totally stunning! What Makes S.T. Dupont the Right Fit? S.T. Dupont has an almost 150-year history of creating these types of luxury goods for the savvy collector… but how? Their quest for sustainability is probably one of the main reasons they have been able to turn these items into a lasting legacy. From responsible lacquer management, to fair trade processes, to replanting in the natural environments where they source supplies, it feels like S.T. Dupont has truly figured out how to make something good last. Their engraving techniques (such as guilloche), expert lacquering skills (sometimes up to 10 layers!), and use of only the best precious metals all contribute to the richness of this company’s goods. How Can I Make These Mine? We are currently offering these pieces (purchased together or individually) through our website. They are of course in brand new and unused condition (with all boxes and papers), and come with a two-year warranty! https://www.truphaeinc.com/blogs/truphae-news-and-stories/s-t-dupont-limited-edition-conquest-of-the-wild-west-prestige-collection-fountain-pen-lighter-and-smoking-kit

So everyone knows about the changes with Visconti this year, but do you feel like they are on the right track with some of the actual pen changes too? The new Il Magnifico is super weighty and just seems to be a much more solid/sturdy pen all around (solid sterling silver cap, Italian red marble body), etc. This is one new piece that makes me think they are heading in a positive direction. Your thoughts?

Greetings from San Francisco, only a few blocks from the ocean and edge of the continental United States. I have been searching for the right implement to control my shaky handwriting for years and had mostly settled on pencils as my best choice. Then several months ago I purchased an inexpensive Pilot Metropolitan fountain pen and everything changed. I am embarrassed I had not discovered the FP before now. Sitting in my study with the sound of a wind-up clock ticking over my shoulder and the feel of my pen moving across velum writing paper has become one of the most profound feelings of calm I know in what is my hectic career driven world. I am writing on this forum today because I am so overwhelmed with what I need to learn about fountain pens. This network seemed like the place to start but yet I feel like I am diving into an ocean. SouzaKH

Serwex 1362 Red, FPR 1.0mm Stub nib The Serwex 1362 is a cheap ($6), Indian made pen sold by Fountain Pen Revolution. This pen is actually a pretty nice writer. I am always looking for new pens to review!

My friend Sanjeev has just launched an "Extremely beautiful" pen under the brand name "Glare" and it's called THE GLARE C7. He has sent me 7 of the C7's with different nib variations to let him know what I feel about them. The pens look extremely colorful and delicious. The attractive, radiant and highly polished designs make these pens instant head turners and make you want to hold them immediately. The designs on some of these pens are extremely rich and vivid... The pen comes in 7 different design options. Glare C7 is made up of extremely high quality acrylic that not just makes it look great but also feels amazing in the hands. But what really surprises you is how extremely lightweight this pen is. The lightweight of this pen is also because of the minimal use of metal on it. Unlike the Glare 71, there are no chunky metal clips, bands and threads. The only metal you will find on this pen is the cute stainless steel clip and the ring at the bottom of the cap. However, the build quality of this pen is exceptional with every part fitting smoothly and seamlessly in its place that makes the pen extremely durable. Plus, the polishing on it is top notch that makes it feel like you are holding an extremely premium pen. The pen has a screw on cap and the cap has a screw on top that helps you to adjust the clip properly. The cap not just posts buttery smooth at the back of the pen but also provides perfect weight and balance to the pen while writing. You would love to write with this pen for long hours with the cap posted. Now, this is a cartridge converter pen that accepts both international cartridges and converters. Now, if you want, with the help of some silicone grease... you can also convert this pen into a jumbo eyedropper. The section area of this pen is also very well designed... It tapers down a bit and sits nicely between your fingers... So, you can write for long hours with this pen without hurting your fingers. The stainless steel nib of this pen and its ebonite feed, both, are made in Germany, and so is the iridium tip of the nib. And what's exciting is that you can unscrew the nib and the feed.. and replace it with a different one. And it's extremely easy to do so. Glare C7 comes in 3 different nib options - Fine, Medium and Broad. Each option has 2 different color variations. The first is the simple stainless steel nib and the other is the gold plated one. All the nibs carry the same minimalistic design and compliment the overall look of the pen. A couple of diagonal lines running around the big breather hole look very cool. The size of the nib is engraved on it and so is the fact that the tip is made up of "German Iridium". Now, I have just written briefly with all these nibs but I am already extremely impressed with all 3 of them. All the nibs write incredibly smooth and fast... and literally glides effortlessly on the paper. In fact, writing super fast with them would not be an issue at all. You would really enjoy writing with these nibs. The ink flow of all the three nibs is exceptional and that is because of their amazing nib and feed combos. And the more i am writing with them, the better the ink flow is getting. I am really impressed by all the three nibs... The work Glare has done on them, really shows. Now, how well this pen performs would depend on the price of this pen and how aggressive Glare India promotes it in the international markets. And if priced well, I would definitely recommend this pen for the sheer writing pleasure that it provides. You can soon purchase these pens from Store108.com

I just discovered one of my Pelikan pen clips, and the only one for that matter, is magnetic. At first I thought that it was because on top of the box I keep my pelikan pens I have a hard drive, but none of the other pens exhibit this peculiarity. And I also noticed something strange about this pen, every few months if left untouched, something forms on the clip, at first I thought it was rust, but it cleans off with a very vigurous paper towel rubbing, so I guess it's not rust. Also, only this pen does this. It is an m200 cognac. Anyone else having this pen can tell me if their clip is magnetic? P.s. it's not the paper clip that's magnetic. I checked.

RANGA DEMONSTRATOR BAMBOO - Regular size The review is simultaneously posted at my blog here : Link Ranga Handmade Pens is a brainchild of M.S. Pandurangan who himself is a master pen turner and all pens and pencils are made by him only. His son M.P. Kandan is doing great deeds by taking care of the business part of Ranga Handmade Pens. I must add that both him and his father are very humble and polite. I have organised few group buys on Fountain Pen Network for Ranga Pens and every-time the dealing with him have been very professional. He has never lapsed on the dates as far as his commitment and deliverables are concerned. But yes thats what my experience has been till date and I hope he continues do to the same. Ranga Pens make use of ebonite and acrylic for pens and in-fact they are the first and one amongst two pen makers in India to offer Premium Ebonite. They have a dedicated eBay store where they sell not just Ranga Pens but also pens from other manufacturers from India like Wality, Oliver, Fellowship etc. which are all machine turned. The pens from Ranga are also stocked by Teri of Peyton Street Pens in USA with also some exclusive models. The group buys on FPN have helped in acquiring lot of Ranga Pens. They have more than 10 models in their line-up : Model 4C Bamboo Model 3 Model 4CS Model 5 Model 6 Model 8 Model 2c Model 2d Zeal And I have already reviews one of the model which is Model 4C but this review is about one of the unique model in their line-up which is Bamboo. Ranga Bamboo – Doing Rain Dance Ranga Bamboo – Braving the Rain Design : 05/05 The pen design resembles the natural bamboo with forged joints acting as nodes and parts between the two nodes acting as inter-nodes. The pen in review is the clip-less demonstrator in brushed version with polished finials. Natural Bamboo Ranga Bamboo – In Demonstrator version Ranga Bamboo – Asymmetrical inter-nodes provides it Natural character All in all there are 5 nodes with smaller inter-nodes at cap and to me that provides it natural character. The finials, both top and bottom, are polished and are in conical dome shape. Ranga Bamboo – Polished Conical Dome Shaped Finials Once thing to be noticed is that the cap finial is smaller in length as compared to the barrel finial and the reason for that is to provide balance to the pen when writing so that it does not become top heavy. Ranga Bamboo – Different Length of finials with Barrel one being longer The inter-nodes in the cap are smaller than what is on the barrels in length. The cap also has breather hole and this version is clip-less so it looks like one bamboo rod albeit in a different material. Ranga Bamboo – Clip-less with breather hole Ranga Bamboo Cap – Inner nib look and feel when pen is capped The cap closes to form a node and it actually flushes with barrel as can be seen from picture above. There is minute drop between section and barrel as the cap flares at bottom where it meets the barrel. The grip section is polished and not in matte finish. There is no branding anywhere on this pen. Below are the images of the pen showing pen capped and uncapped. Ranga Bamboo – Capped Ranga Bamboo – Uncapped It is superbly crafted pen with a very unique bamboo style pen like no other. And I believe the pen is worth the price it commands. The pen is also available in different ebonite and acrylic materials which must be around 30 plus in nos. So one has lot of options to get the pen in his particular colour and finish liking. Kudos to Ranga for the superb design. Built & Construction : 04/05 The pen has matte finish which is executed very well and transition from matte finish to polished finials is sublime though they are not perfect but its close. Ranga Bamboo – Matte Finish barrel to Polished Finials Earlier I thought that the finials could be made symmetrical in length but part of the reason to do that was to keep the pen balanced while writing without increasing the length of cap. But then I thought otherwise, this asymmetry is what gives it natural character. The cap opens in 4 turns and threads are very well crafted and are not at all sharp. The grip section as mentioned is also very well polished. Also I must add that the polished end of the finials are highly polished and very neat without any lathe marks visible. Ranga Bamboo – Polished Section with neat threads I applied silicon grease on the nib unit which you can see from the image above as I eyedropper-ed the pen. The finish, the grooves, the material quality are all top notch. However one thing i want to mention is the the material thickness decreases at the cap lip and must be handled very well as there is no band to protect any kind of crack. This is a handmade pen completely and is a “WOW” product at this price point. Balance & Size : 4.5/05 The cap posts but only just and that too not very securely. I think it is not required as it makes the absurdly large and uncomfortable also the pen itself is very long at 135 mm when uncapped. The pen is very well balanced with just a little more weight in front end of a nib unit. Ranga Bamboo – Writing with Cap Unposted Ranga Bamboo – Writing with Cap Posted The pen is light in weight with no metal parts used anywhere on the pen. Images below show the weight of pen with cap and without cap : Ranga Bamboo – Weight of Pen (inked) with Cap Ranga Bamboo – Weight of Pen (inked) without Cap Few specification of the pen are as follows: Length of pen (closed) – 145 mmLength of pen (open and unposted) – 135 mm (including nib)Length of Grip Section – 34 mmMaximum Dia of Cap – 15 mmMaximum Dia of Barrel – 15 mmMinimum Dia of Barrel Section – 12.5 mmMaximum Dia of Grip Section – 11 mmMinimum Dia of Grip Section – 10 mmWeight of Pen with Cap – 24 gms (inked)Weight of Pen without Cap – 18.75 gms (inked) Below pictures show the comparison of pen with other pens: Pen Comparison – Capped (Top View) : Pilot 78G vs Lamy Safari vs Ranga Bamboo Pen Comparison – Uncapped and Posted (Top View) : Pilot 78G vs Lamy Safari vs Ranga Bamboo Pen Comparison – Capped (Lateral View) : Pilot 78G vs Lamy Safari vs Ranga Bamboo Pen Comparison – Uncapped & Posted (Lateral View) : Pilot 78G vs Lamy Safari vs Ranga Bamboo One thing of worthy mention here is that the grip section long and comfortable and makes this pen as gem of a writer for long writing sessions. Nib : 05/05 The pen comes with variety of #6 size nib options like JoWo EF, F, M , B, 1.1, & 1.5 and Schmidt F, M, & B for CC mechanism which is a threaded screw in one and also can be used as an eyedropper too and other nib options are Ambitious and Bock (conklin imprinted) but these are only for eye dropper version of pens. The nib that I took was the dual tone Bold point JoWo nib which is screw in nib unit with plastic high finned nib and it performed flawless out of the box with welcome feedback. It is a juicy firm nib and writes wet. Ranga Bamboo – JoWo Nib – Bold Point Ranga Bamboo – Nib with Rain droplets I sometimes wonder why I need gold nib when this nib performs so well. Ink Filling Mechanism: 05/05 The ink is filled via converter and cartridge can be also used. But real fun lies in using this pen as a eyedropper and seeing the ink sloshing inside. Ranga Bamboo – Used as eyedropper Ink capacity around 4ml if used as an eyedropper. The converter that comes with pen is Schmidt K5 and has capacity of 0.6 ml. One thing to be noted is that before you use it as an eye dropper do apply silicone grease on threads of barrel and also on nib unit threads. Below is the handwritten sample and review of the pen : Ranga Bamboo – Handwritten Review – Page 01 Ranga Bamboo – Handwritten Review – Page 02 Ranga Bamboo – Handwritten Review – Page 03 Ranga Bamboo – Handwritten Review – Page 04 Conclusion : 23.5/25 I pen is available in group buy at FPN for US$85 which is a steal considering it is handmade pen and it is a unique design. The pen is more of an artefact from India and is recommended to users who want something more from a pen. What I Like: Unique Design Handmade Quality Finish Good Balance and Size Good Ink Capacity Nib Options Material OptionsWhat I don’t Like: Cap Material is thin at Lip Little expensive HOW TO BUYThe pen can be bought via occasional group buys organised at group buy and at the moment when I am writing this review the Group Buy is Active. LINK Pen can also be bought from following places : E-Bay : LINKAmazon : LINKPeyton Street Pens : LINKE-Mail : mpkandan@yahoo.co.in For more reviews you can check my blog here : LINK

We photographed some of our Montblancs recently. Since their pen design is usually a bit more simple, the photographs work well on both plain and textured/detailed backgrounds. What do you think?

Hello everyone, I have recently acquired this interesting Delta Dolcevita, but I cant find the exact model anywhere, and I really searched online a lot. It is a piston filler, and is 143mm long. It is very similar to the Soiree, but all of those I saw had orange accents. Here are some pictures that I hope will help. I am very thankful for any input!

Title says it all, I took photos of my entire collection, next to each is the amount of use the pen got (for wearing of the tip). Here you go: Waterman Graduate F, ocasional use: Rotring Artpen 1.5, almost no use: Rainbow 239, vintage, ocasional use: Rainbow 232, vintage, heavy use: Pilot Varsity, used once till empty: Picasso 998, inked for first time: Picasso 916, ocasional use: Picasso 902, moderate use: Picasso 606, almost no use: Pelikan Jazz M, moderate use: Parker IM italic ground by me, almost no use: Lamy Safari M, moderate use: Lamy Safari F, heavy use: [url=https://flic.kr/p/26oDbzc] [url=https://flic.kr/p/26oDbA4][url=https://flic.kr/p/26oDbA4] Lamy Safari EF, almost no use: [url=https://flic.kr/p/26oDbCZ][url=https://flic.kr/p/26oDbCZ] [url=https://flic.kr/p/26oDbEx][url=https://flic.kr/p/26oDbEx] Laguiole, almost no use: [url=https://flic.kr/p/26oDbGr][url=https://flic.kr/p/26oDbGr] [url=https://flic.kr/p/26oDbHZ][url=https://flic.kr/p/26oDbHZ] Koh-i-Noor B reground by me, almost no use: [url=https://flic.kr/p/26oDbKx]https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1721/41606694605_4a0d5de8d5_o.jpg [url=https://flic.kr/p/26oDbMg]https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1757/41606694705_1937345841_o.jpg Wooden IPG, damaged nib, no use: [url=https://flic.kr/p/26oDbND]https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1722/41606694785_87e2376a1c_o.jpg [url=https://flic.kr/p/26oDbQc]https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1732/41606694875_1520115df4_o.jpg Wooden IPG, no damage, used once: [url=https://flic.kr/p/26oDbRV]https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1728/41606694975_2d63cf8536_o.jpg [url=https://flic.kr/p/26oDbTD]https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1745/41606695075_d94aa7f6cd_o.jpg Blue IPG, almost no use: [url=https://flic.kr/p/26oDbWV]https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1756/41606695265_c18de6e77b_o.jpg Hero 332, vintage, heavy use: [url=https://flic.kr/p/26oDbYZ]https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1757/41606695385_1e6e17fe6d_o.jpg [url=https://flic.kr/p/26oDc2e]https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1743/41606695515_7d0c52c37a_o.jpg Hero 007, new, no use: [url=https://flic.kr/p/26oDc2K]https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1748/41606695545_94c0a4100a_o.jpg [url=https://flic.kr/p/26oDc4D]https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1733/41606695655_cdb999039e_o.jpg Hero 007, moderate use: [url=https://flic.kr/p/26oDc6T]https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1737/41606695785_dd41dfb494_o.jpg [url=https://flic.kr/p/26oDc98]https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1753/41606695915_66b57f7131_o.jpg Faber-Castell Basic Carbon Fiber F, heavy use: [url=https://flic.kr/p/26oDcav]https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1750/41606695995_097d7bb808_o.jpg [url=https://flic.kr/p/26oDce8]https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1751/41606696205_2ae16d1039_o.jpg BIC Easy-Click, ocasional use: [url=https://flic.kr/p/26oDcgx]https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1732/41606696345_34d54276eb_o.jpg [url=https://flic.kr/p/26oDchV]https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1751/41606696425_698e694df2_o.jpg

A few months ago, when Kevin from the JustWrite Pen Company (www.JustWrite.com.au) gave me the opportunity to review some of the pens in his line-up, I was expecting to receive a shipment of mostly inexpensive (but hopefully good value!) Chinese and Indian fountain pens – and to be sure, most of the pens I received fit that category precisely. Not this one, though: to my surprise, included in with the Jinhaos, Walitys etc, came the Diplomat Esteem. Compared to its stablemates, the Aero and (especially) the Excellence A range, you might call the Esteem a ‘midrange’ pen. Be that as it may, it’s the most expensive pen I own, and I was (very pleasantly) surprised to be receiving it free in return for an impartial review. A little harder to do, when your jaw is dropping at the price tag(!) – but I’ll do my best to live up to my side of the bargain. It’s a beautiful looking pen – nicely weighted, comfortable in the hand – and provides a great writing experience, BUT… I’ve had a few issues with the stock nib, which took me some time to diagnose. After a bit of to-ing and fro-ing, I’ve sent the original nib back – but agreed with Kevin (who’s been very helpful along the way!) that I’d present this review, ‘warts and all’ – and give an update down the track, when the dust has settled re warranty issues. ______________________________________________________________________ 1. Appearance & Design (9/10) –Black-and-Chrome Finish, Beautifully Styled With the exception of the two TWSBI pens I purchased last year, most of the pens I’ve obtained over the past 12 months have come in a factory-issue plastic sleeve – so forgive me if I take a moment to comment on the packaging. The Diplomat arrived in a brushed-aluminium case – roughly the size of a glasses case, though not quite as deep. Inside the case sits a felt-covered ‘tray’ of moulded plastic, with a groove just large enough to house the pen. I’d describe the case as ‘business-like’ rather than luxurious – but I like it that way. http://i.imgur.com/HoqFcdt.jpg?1http://i.imgur.com/DiKWo0q.jpg?1 As for the pen itself? I think you’d have to say it was ‘conservatively styled’ – long, sleek and slender (but still comfortable to hold); with a glossy black lacquer finish on the cap and body, and shiny chrome-coloured trim. On the finial of the pen you’ll find the black-and-white Diplomat logo prominently displayed; the bottom of the pen has a grooved chrome ending that also serves a very useful function (see below). If you’re not keen on glossy black, this pen also comes in an ‘easy grip’ matte black finish – or, if you want to live even more dangerously (!), you can go for pastel colours (also ‘easy grip’ matte finish): turquoise, lime green, pink, or lilac…. Oh, there’s also a straight (brushed) stainless steel option, for . Me, I’m not into pastels (they don’t suit my complexion?!) – so the glossy black lacquer was right up my alley. http://i.imgur.com/tLXku9X.jpg?1 No matter which colour you choose, the trim is the same – shiny chrome – while the grip section is a sturdy black plastic. Diplomat do sell gold-plated and/or two-tone stainless steel nibs in some of their other models – but the only option for the Esteem is chrome-coloured stainless steel. More on that below. 2. Construction & Quality (10/10) – A beautifully-constructed penI know 10/10 seems excessive, but really, I can’t fault the pen. Though not overly heavy, it’s made primarily of metal, and has a satisfying ‘heft’ to it; it feels well-balanced in the hand; there are no obvious blemishes anywhere on the pen – it’s well-designed, and flawlessly executed. After three months of continuous usage, the lacquer has held up well. The lid comes on and off with a satisfying ‘click’… And maybe here is where it’s appropriate to talk about the purpose of that stainless steel ending to the barrel. The cap is designed to post on the end of the pen – and it posts securely, settling over the stainless steel ending with another satisfying ‘click’. More often than not I write with my pens unposted, (unless I’m writing with a Kaweco Sport or TWSBI Mini – you get the idea) – but the pen remains comfortable and well-balanced, either way. http://i.imgur.com/fhi4TId.jpg?1 3. Weight & Dimensions (9/10) – A comfortable, mid-sized penIn terms of size (and cost), the Esteem sits in between two of the Diplomat’s better known pens – the Diplomat Traveller (which I’d considered purchasing before this arrived in the mail), and the much higher end, much more substantial Excellence A Series. I think I’d like to try the Excellence A sometime – I quite enjoy writing with heftier pens – but the Esteem, although I’d class it a ‘Medium’ size pen, punches well above its weight (so to speak). Weighing in at 26.2g capped, or 15.7g uncapped (you’ll need to add another 3 mL for a full Diplomat converter), and with a diameter of 10.5mm for the grip section, the pen just feels substantial in my hand. The pen is 136mm capped, and 125mm uncapped – which I think most hands will find quite comfortable to write with – but again, this pen is designed to post, in which case you’re wielding a 158mm writing implement. The diameter of the pen barrel at its widest point (the barrel and cap both taper towards the end) is around 12.5mm – as I say, a medium-sized pen, rather than a ‘monster’. The grip section tapers from 10mm near the ‘step-up’ to the barrel, down to 8mm near the nib – I tend to hold it towards the step, and find that pretty comfortable. 4. Nib & Performance (7/10) – A surprisingly pleasant experience to write withI’m a firm believer in the concept that a pen is only as good as its nib – and unfortunately, the Diplomat nib that came with this pen was problematic from the moment it arrived. It came with a Medium nib – which I’m OK with, though I tend to prefer Fine or Stub nibs (the latter is not an option, incidentally)… but that wasn’t my problem. http://i.imgur.com/hNOiflJ.jpg http://i.imgur.com/zCr9A1y.jpg On the upside, first of all, the Diplomat nib was pretty ‘springy’ – you could get a decent amount of line variation without a great deal of pressure. And it was so smooth, it wrote like a dream… until, that is, it began ‘skipping’, seemingly at random, as I wrote. Pressing down harder on the nib was usually sufficient to get the flow started again – but it made for a very “stop-start” writing experience. At first, I thought the problem might be the ink I was using (Pelikan Royal Blue)… or the home-made ‘bulb converter’ I’d whacked in (more on this below)… But when I obtained a Diplomat cartridge converter and swapped in about 5 different inks, it became clear that wasn’t the problem. I also noticed a slight misalignment between the underside of the nib and the feed, which was fairly rectified – but that didn’t solve the problem either. I suspect either that the tines are too close together, or (possibly) a ‘baby’s bottom’ problem. Eventually, in consultation with Kevin (from JustWrite), I decided it was better to return the nib under warranty, rather than try to adjust it myself. Within a week of receiving the pen – and unrelated to the skipping problem – I decided to order a replacement nib unit, a Fine. The writing sample below was mostly written with this nib. Like the Medium, the Fine nib writes beautifully smoothly, and is relatively springy – though I wouldn’t recommend overdoing it, it’s not a flex pen! The Fine writes a noticeably narrower line than the Medium – though it’s definitely not the finest Fine I have in my collection (if you get my meaning!). I had a couple of issues with this nib as well – I had to adjust the nib relative to the feed to get the alignment of the tines just right – but once that was done, I’ve found this pen an absolute pleasure to write with! http://i.imgur.com/t0LwncM.jpg?1 5. Filling System & Maintenance (4/10) – Why no cartridge converter?!?!I’ve deliberately scored the pen very low on this point, for two reasons. In the first instance, I cannot understand why a $100+ pen would not come with a cartridge converter included. All I got with the pen was a single lousy cartridge, plus a ‘dummy’ cartridge (as in, empty and with the bottom cut off)… and a note in the included warranty material that the pen should have two cartridges in the barrel at all times (one as a spare). Every single (cheap) Chinese pen I’ve purchased that takes cartridges, comes with a (cheap) cartridge converter installed – why do these higher-end European name-brands have to be so stingy?! To make matters worse, I quickly found that the cheap Chinese converters I had ready to hand would not fit this pen – around the ‘nipple’ the cartridge fits onto, Diplomat have incorporated a ‘cuff’ or ‘ring’, which I suppose is meant to create a snugger fit for the cartridges – but it also had the effect of preventing me using any converter that doesn’t have an appreciable taper below the nozzle. My only remaining options were to use cartridges (and refill them if necessary)… or to obtain a compatible converter. Once again, Kevin came to the rescue – sourcing a Diplomat-branded (Schmidt-style) converter for me, at a cost of another $10. http://i.imgur.com/u6MM6uK.jpg To be fair, Diplomat are not the only culprits when it comes to shipping pens without converters – and standard international cartridges work perfectly well – but still, on principle, I feel compelled to mark them down for doing this with a premium-priced pen, and to mark them down further for designing the pen so that only a more expensive converter. 6. Cost & Value (9/10) – It’s not cheap – but why should it be?I’m genuinely puzzled as to why Diplomat seems to have such a low profile in the fountain pen community – they’ve been around since 1922; their pens are great quality (my nib problems notwithstanding); and though they’re not cheap to purchase, you really do get what you pay for. This is the most expensive pen in my collection – and honestly, I would have thought twice about purchasing it (full disclosure, though: I was seriously considering setting aside some birthday money to place an order on the matte black version). But for all its conservative styling, this really is a lovely pen – so I’d have no hesitation recommending it. 7. Conclusion (Final score [sUM/6]: 8.5)I know, I know, add up my scores and divide by 6, and you’ll only get 8 – but I think the pen deserves more than that. I had to score the pen down for the nib, because of my problems with the Medium (which I believe will be sorted out by warranty) – and I can’t blame the pen for the manufacturers’ decision to ship it without a converter. So I’ve bumped it up to 8.5. These scores are really subjective – but this pen offers one of the most pleasant writing experiences I’ve experienced, when the ink is in full flow. I said a little earlier that I don’t know why Diplomat doesn’t have a higher profile – let me add to that, I don’t know why the Esteem seems so lowly esteemed, if you’ll pardon the pun! It’s a more substantial pen than the Traveller – which I’m told is a great pen, just a little small for sustained writing – and it’s significantly cheaper than the Aero and the Excellence. I’m happy to recommend this pen to anyone who’s interested in a good quality, serious-looking pen – and will keep you posted on developments with the Medium nib.

It has been a very long time since my friend has actually posted any review on his channel. I would like to share with you the new review that he has just posted of a very premium "Indian fountain pen" called the Glare 71. Here's the video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gGDiLlv4dc As he himself is unable to access his FPN account, he has asked me to post it on his behalf. Anyways, talking about the pen, Glare 71 is an extremely premium fountain pen in every aspect. It is a head turner that has got premium looks, exceptional build, feels amazing in the hands and writes exceedingly well. For more information about the pen, do watch the video. I hope you like it.

Here is the video:

I have just seen the review of the Rotring Surf pen on Youtube. It looks like a basic pen, with a smooth nib. Does anyone have this pen? If yes, then how cool is it? Here, have a look at the full review first: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEM_gAsrMm4