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  1. collectorofmanythings

    Sailor Pro Gear Slim Mini Review

    I am relatively new to Fountain Pens (I started in early December 2020) and a little bit ago I got my first gold nib pen, which was my “grail pen” when I started, so now I am going to do a review! Design (9/10) I personally have small hands, so I don’t mind pocket pens. I understand how many don’t like pocket pens, but I personally love them. On this particular pen, it has a stair-step looking clip, which comes not out of but just under a gold band, and on the finial is the Sailor anchor. Below the cap, there is a thin gold band and right under that is a thicker gold band, which has stamped on it, “Sailor Japan Founded 1911”. There is a little more resin underneath and that is the end of the cap. At the end of the barrel there are some threads (will talk about later) and then another thin gold band. When you unscrew the cap (which takes about 1 and 7/8 turns) it reveals a beautiful 14k gold nib (which personally is my second favorite designed nib, right after the Pineider Quill Nib) that has “1911” on it, and underneath that the Sailor anchor, and then much smaller at the bottom of the nib is “14K”, “585” and the old Sailor logo that has the top of the S go all the way to the r. As far as I know, they only use it on their nibs now. It is surrounded by beautiful scrollwork. The grip section is a very, very dark gray with a flair at the end that tapers all the way up to a thin gold band, which goes back up to the threads which I don’t find sharp at all. There is a little space behind the threads and then there is a small step. The reason this is a 9/10 instead of a 10/10 is because it is a pocket pen, which not everyone loves, and then there is also threads on the back which I don’t like at all. I post most of my pens and I find this as just and extra step, which also just doesn’t look good when capped. This is the Stellar Blue model, and it looks at lot more blue on camera, it is more muted in real life. Nib and Writing Performance (10/10) This 14k medium-fine nib is absolutely wonderful. It does have the characteristic Sailor feedback, but I personally love that. It is very stiff, and gives just a little line variation. It is also quite wet, it’s not a gusher, but it is quite wet. Reverse Writing is surprisingly smooth. I have it filled with Jacques Herbin Terre d’Ombre and this is on 52 gsm Cream Tomoe River Paper. Overall (19/20) I think this pen is just wonderful, and I highly recommend it! This is my first review, so some constructive criticism would be great! Thank you for your time.
  2. rhodialover

    Montblanc Irish Green- A Review

    A Note About My Ink Reviews: All of the images in my reviews are scanned at 1200dpi on a Brother MFC-J6720DW in TIFF format, converted to A4 at 300DPI in Photoshop CC, and saved as a compressed JPEG. All scans were edited on a color calibrated ASUS PA248Q with aΔE<3 to ensure maximum color accuracy. TL;DR: The colors should be as accurate as is possible. Not having a suitable green (well, any green at all) in my ink collection, and not having any Montblanc ink to speak of, I decided to pull the trigger on a full bottle of Irish Green from Amazon. Rarely do I ever feel like buying a full bottle sight unseen (aside from such reviews as I can find on the internet), but in this case I liked the color enough and the price wasn't awful, so I bought it, along with Lavender Purple (also Montblanc) at the same time. I usually prefer blues to anything else, with my go-to being Diamine ASA blue, with the backup of Noodler's Midway Blue for the times I need something more water resistant. I have a single black, Noodler's X-Feather, and then Noodler's Apache Sunset, J.Herbin Stormy Grey, and Diamine Oxblood, and those have been my only inks for ~18 months, and I felt like I needed something new and more exciting. Enter Irish Green. So let me delve into the properties of this ink for a moment. Scores, where applicable, are represented on a 10-point scale, with 10 being better/larger than 1. Flow: When I tested this in my Edison 1.1 Stub, which is quite the wet pen, I found the flow to be wet, as expected, but not so wet that I found it difficult to use on lesser papers. What I did find, however, on lesser paper, is that the ink loses some of this flow and becomes a bit dryer when writing, and this is a noticeable difference, but should not be troublesome to most potential users. 7.5/10 Saturation: This ink is what I'd describe as a very saturated shader, but this could be due to the properties of the test pen. Stubs (at the very least the ones which I have had the pleasure of using) seem to have both a darker, more saturated output, but also seem to encourage shading. Lubrication: Better than most of the ink I own, but I have tried a sample of the Noodler's eel series and can say that it is similar. Very smooth, very much like glass, but not uncontrollable like some I've tried in a stub. Show-through: Virtually none on any of the Clairefontaine paper's I've tried, but quite a lot (as expected in a wet stub) on cheaper paper. Rhodia 90gsm as well as 80gsm Rhodia and CF Triomphe etc. handle it very well. Copy paper (which is what I did the review on) shows significant show-through, and the back of cheaper papers is simply not usable. Shading: It varies with the nibs used (also tried this ink in a Visconti Rembrandt M, and got almost no shading), but is usually enough to be noticed, but not enough to qualify it as one of those inks that is nothing but shading. Also varies with the paper used, CF and Rhodia papers which are less absorbent exhibit more shading. Bleed-through: None, even on cheap papers. Spread: None noticed on any of the tested papers. (Rhodia, CF, and #22 copy paper) Smear (dry): None on any of the tested papers. (Rhodia, CF, and #22 copy paper) Feathering: Extremely slight (not noticeable unless you look for it) on less-than-FP friendly paper, but none on higher quality papers. Water resistance: While it wasn't sold to me as water proof or resistant, and I fully expected it to wash off the page, I could not get it to rinse off. *Dry time for the water test was roughly 12 hours after it was applied to the paper, if immediate water resistance is your primary concern. (In which case I recommend X-Feather, from personal experience.) Other: The color is nice, but not so vibrant to be in your face and scream at you, but rather it is more of a muted plant green. It reminds me of foliage, to be honest, which isn't a bad thing, but it isn't light like Gruene Cactus Eel or dark like Diamine Sherwood green. It has quickly become one of my favorite inks for annotations and some general notes, but I don't think it fits for general writing, simply due to the fact that it is green. I have experienced no startup issues or nib creep. On another note, I really like the bottles, as they are both a significant design departure from Noodler's, Diamine, and J.Herbin bottles that I've owned. Overall, I am highly impressed by my first Montblanc ink, Irish Green.
  3. Recently I was going through the youtube there I saw a fountain pen never heard off....the name is Parker Folio Fountain Pen. Any update regarding this pen?
  4. Cursive Child

    Krishna Inks-Granade

    Lovely, well-behaved ink from Kerala, India. https://krishnainks.com/ Apologies for the chicken (blood) scratch 😞
  5. My first attempt at a pen review. Comments and suggestions for improvement gratefully received. ----- Noodler’s 'Charlie' is a free eyedropper pen that comes with the 4.5 oz size of Noodler’s Heart of Darkness - and now also with FPN Voltaire Candide Vermilion. These are my impressions after using them together for about a month. BACKGROUND The free pen with Heart of Darkness used to be an eyedropper-converted Platinum Preppy. As Nathan Tardif of Noodler’s Ink explains, the Charlie pen is a response to the events in Paris in January 2015 - his way of saying ‘Je suis Charlie’, or at least ‘Ce stylo est Charlie’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-FpVSf8udI I missed out on the first batch of 140 Charlies, which sold out quickly. In some ways, being neither a satirical writer nor a cartoonist, I felt unqualified to take up that torch. But as soon as Goulet Pens (no affiliation, happy customer) got a second batch in stock around mid-May, I put in an order. FIRST IMPRESSIONS Charlie is a light, slim pen, similar in size, shape and materials to a Noodler’s Creaper. It feels comfortable and solid. The screw cap (mine is black with muted red-brown streaks that are hard to photograph) is interchangeable with a Creaper cap. Creaper above, Charlie below. The clear barrel, which is perhaps a touch softer than a Creaper’s, has NOODLERS INK CO stamped into one side and CHARLIE on the other. I think the absence of the ‘CHARLIE’ imprint on the barrel identifies a pen from the first production run. Uncapping the pen reveals a black section and a friction-fit steel nib with an ebonite feed and a classic profile. It looks like it might be possible to swap a Creaper nib and feed into the Charlie. Nib and section: Creaper above, Charlie below. Approximate dimensions (ruler and kitchen scale) Length: capped 132 mm, uncapped 118 mm, posted 138 mm Section diameter: 9 mm Inked weight: capped 12 g, uncapped 9 g Size comparison: (top to bottom) Ahab, Creaper, Charlie WRITING EXPERIENCE Before filling I pulled and cleaned the nib and feed to remove any manufacturing residues, as recommended for Noodler’s pens. The internal threads of the barrel are pre-greased. When filled to just below the threads, the barrel holds about 2.5 ml of ink. After filling, the pen wrote on the first touch - no hesitation or skipping. Inked with Heart of Darkness, the smooth non-flex nib produces a fine, wettish, and very black line. Reverse writing yields a finer, drier, but no less black line. It was briefly a hard starter after a couple of days nib-up in a pen cup. Loosening the section a half turn and then tightening it again primed the feed and restored normal flow. Writing sample on Nock index card. CLOSING OBSERVATIONS After a month using Charlie, I have only a few minor issues: - The ink reservoir seems to run down faster than I use it. The same is true of all my Noodler’s pens. Something about the permeability to air of vegetal resin compared to other plastics? - Because the cap posts deeply, any ink in the cap gets on the barrel and then on my hands. (I don't usually post but discovered this when measuring the posted length.) - The cap threads bind slightly, as on other Noodler’s pens. Quibbles aside, I like Charlie very much. I like its looks, the way it writes, and what it stands for. There is something attractive about a straightforward pen with a huge supply of indelible ink. Only the thought of all that ink getting loose in a bag or pocket stops me using it, or any eyedropper, as a carry pen. But that could change. As for Heart of Darkness, I don’t yet know if it will become my standard black. I like it well enough that I shall be using it a lot in Charlie (and other pens) - and not just because I have a lot of it. With many pens, aesthetics, fine materials, heritage - even price - inform the writing experience. Because it is functional, unadorned and free, Noodler’s Charlie removes these from consideration. There is almost nothing to distract from the essential function of putting ink on paper to fix your thoughts for posterity, or until you get to the supermarket. (I say ‘almost nothing’ because any transparent container of ink is quite distracting to me.) Whether you write and draw to advance free speech and great ideas, or for less exalted reasons, Charlie is an enjoyable little pen. Noodler’s Charlie Design: classic, open nib Options: random cap swirls, otherwise none Filling system: eyedropper only Nib: steel Feed: ebonite Body material: vegetal resin Pros free (with 4.5 oz bottle of Heart of Darkness or FPN Voltaire Candide Vermilion) smooth writer large capacity small and light posts securely feels sturdy Cons smells a bit (doesn’t bother me) too small and light for some Hommage à Tardif.
  6. This is a review and comparison of competing brands of essentially the same fountain pen -- the Platinum Curidas and the Lanbitou 3088. After Platinum began selling its relatively recent Curidas model in 5 transparent colors, the Chinese pen maker, Lanbitou, came out with it's version of the Curidas, which Lanbitou designated the "3088." In virtually all respects, except the badging, the two brands offer identical pens. The biggest difference is the retail pricing; the Curidas sports an SRP of $90, but the 3088 can be purchased within a range, in USD, of around $9 and a bit more. The question is whether the Curidas is 10-times better than the 3088. It is not. In fact, in my estimation, the two pens are so comparable in appearance, build quality, and performance that the 3088 is the much better value. However, the 3088's resale value, if you try to sell one, will be much less than that of the Curidas, primarily because the Curidas is a Platinum product. I recently purchased all 12 color options of the 3088, but will compare its transparent teal version with the transparent teal version of the Curidas. Notwithstanding the color variation in the first two photos, in fact the color of each pen is virtually the same, and I would describe it as a greenish-blue or teal. Held to the light, it appears that the Curidas' color is a bit more saturated than that of the 3088. The third photo of the middle-inside of each pen is provided to show one (surprising?) difference between the pens. Notice that the Curidas has a plastic sleeve over its converter, while the less-expensive 3088 has a metal (brass? copper?) sleeve in the same location. Perhaps the metal on the 3088 accounts for the 1 g weight difference. Other than that difference, the pens work exactly the same inside in terms of filling by converter. Here are some objective comparisons: Weight empty: Curidas 24 g ; 3088 25 g. Weight after filling, expelling air and filling twice: Curidas 28 g ; 3088 26 g ; did the 3088's converter not work as well as the Curidas'? Length: exactly the same -- approximately 5 7/8 inches. (Sorry to mix metric and English systems) After filling each pen, each with a fine nib, each wrote immediately. The Curidas writes a bit wetter-thicker than the 3088. There is no question in my mind that the Curidas' fine stainless steel nib has more give (albeit limited) and feels better than that of the 3088, the nib of which is extremely firm and perhaps nail-like. When clicking the button to hide the nib, the Curidas manifested some hesitation (even after I removed and returned its spring), but did close, whereas the 3088 clicked closed immediately. If price is no object, I prefer the Curidas for its slightly more saturated color, its better-feeling nib, and its higher market value. However, for those not concerned with market value and slight color saturation difference, the 3088 is a superior value by far. As I mentioned earlier, I purchased one of each of the 12 colors of the 3088. In addition to the four transparent colors (whereas the Curidas offers five transparent colors, also including a true blue), the 3088 offers 8 solid colors (not offered at all in the Curidas line). The Curidas transparent colors offered are: clear, grey, red, teal, and blue. The 3088 transparent colors offered are: clear, grey, red, and teal (why not blue?). The 3088 solid colors offered are: black, grey, white, blue, red, pink, cocoa, and light green. I purchased my twelve 3088s on Ebay from a seller who shipped for free. When I checked today on Ebay about pricing, it appeared that the price of the 3088s increased, but that impression may have been mistaken. I noticed that just about every Ebay seller of the 3088s from China "advertised" a lower price than actually is charged when one "selects" the color and nib (either EF or F), which is disturbing; one cannot actually find the pen with the advertised price. On the other hand, the real price was so inexpensive for what I got that I didn't quibble.
  7. Dear FPN'ers, We are happy to share the Video review by Mr. Douglas from Inkquiring minds channel for Ranga Model 3C Pen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zksTx23RPLw Regards, Kandan.M.P Ranga Pen Company
  8. If you're into fountain pens, chances are you know who Kanwrite is. They're the largest nib manufacturer in India and their models like the desire and heritage have garnered critical acclaim all over the world. They also (allegedly) make some of Noodler's pens as well. But that's not all the models they make. They make some pretty good inexpensive pens as well... some of which are a good choice for students and beginners who would like to start their fountain pen journey. Today I'm going to look at Kanwrite's cheapest offering, the Apex. A simple eyedropper pen that can be found at about ₹60 - 100/- INR(less than $1-2 USD) in India. And for the TL;DR of it, it's a pen that, if you want a good beginner pen or you want to venture into the world of eyedropper pens, this is a good place to start. So, let's crack on... Design and Build This is the cheapest pen that Kanwrite offers, and you can tell... not necessarily on the build quality, but you can tell why they chose to go with an eyedropper for this, you're basically paying for the nib, feed and a plastic housing. But beauty lies in simplicity... right? For the minimal amount of materials used the pen looks and feels solid. Even though it's at the bottom of the barrel compared to other Kanwrites, ink it up and it has the same amount of character and appeal as other fountain pens. They have various tints for the plastic, but I went for the demonstrator look because, well... I'm a sucker for those. The pen is made of the same plastic that is called a "celluloid derivative" by Mr.Nathan Tardif himself, and yes... it has the smell, but not that much compared to other pens that I have that's made of the same material(lookin' at you... Kanwrite PC converter). and yes... it can handle drops like a ballpoint... I accidentally dropped it back side down about 3ft from the ground, and aside from a temporary ink fountain that covered my floor with purple ink, the pen wrote as soon as I picked it up and put It on paper(probably because the fall helped prime the feed even more). The cap is a simple screw in cap that takes around 2 turns to open/close. and the clip is sufficiently tight yet easy to clip into even thick fabrics. it also has Kanwrite stamped on it, alongside the heat embossed Kanwrite logo in the barrel. Overall for a ₹60/- pen, it looks distinctive, and that's good in my books. The only issue is that the pen has minor flashing marks on the inside of the section, probably due to not properly trimming the injection molded parts, but other than that, a solid pen that is well built. As for size, well... it's a small pen... From left to right: Kanwrite Relik Jinhao X450 Airmail/Wality 71JB(cartridge converter system) Kanwrite Desire Kanwrite Apex Nib, Feed and Writing Experience Kanwrite is a company Known for their nibs, so it shouldn't be a surprise that this one will also be a good nib, right? Well, we'll get to that in a bit. Let's first take a look at the nib, shall we? The nib is a Kanwrite No.00 stell nib in fine. The same nib that is used in the Relik and perhaps even the same size as in the Airmail 77 and Camlin 47. It's a tiny fella, and couple that with an ebonite feed that is sufficiently finned, and you can rest assure that reliability will be a strong suit of this pen... and it is. I have never run into any dry out issues even when left uncapped for the better part of an hour. So suffice to say, it's a reliable writer. Talking about how it feels while writing, well, the pen is a small guy. But even for me, a guy with a hand the shape of a kayak(slim and long...) writing it unposted was fine, but I'd still recommend posting it as then it's in my opinion a perfect size for writing with. Talking about writing, and well... It writes just like a Kanwrite. Very smooth for the most part with a hint of a feedback. It's less than you get while writing with a pencil but you feel that you are writing. This is with TNPL 70gsm copier paper though. Move on to a better paper like a Classmate or Rhodia, and the nib just glides... honestly, as much as the Airmail 69T that I shoehorned a Kanwrite No.35 nib into(Check that one out here). And I'm baffled that you can get this writing experience out of a pen that costs around the same as a ghee roast in a restaurant. Now the pen is an eyedropper and does take around 2ml of ink. And like most eyedroppers it does burp, but when the barrel is so low that you are not refilling the pen out of pure ignorance and laziness. So, refill it when the ink gets to about 1/8th mark, which'll last you more than 2-3 ballpoints. Plus, everything is friction fit, so it is easy to clean. Before getting into the conclusion here's a writing sample of this pen. Conclusion and Final verdict Honestly, there isn't much to say about it, if you have a Kanwrite PC, Saloon, Relik or any of the lower end ones, the experience is somewhat similar. and for just 60 rupees, you can't go wrong. Like I said in the beginning it's a pen that, if you want a good beginner pen or you want to venture into the world of eyedropper pens, this is a good place to start. It is a cheap and effective gateway drug into the world of fountain pen. couple this with a ₹25/- bottle of bril blue, and you're pretty much set for at least half a year, or more. Thanks for reading my write up and I'll see you around...
  9. Dear fellow Montblanc fans, We made an overview video about the new Montblanc Great Masters Red Python edition which was recently launched by Montblanc. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtUOv6iq8Oo What do you think of this new addition of the Great Masters series? Which one is your favorite in this series?
  10. Hi guys! I'd like to share with you a quick video review of the diplomat aero (Steel nib) I made recently! I think this is an amazing pen and just wanted to share my thoughts and the unboxing experience with you guys if you are interested in getting one of your own! Video review link! I'd have to say that if you're on the fence about getting one, you should just pull the trigger and get one! Let me know if you guys have an questions or comments! Links to where to get one; Diplomat catalog; http://www.diplomat-pen.com/product-category/diplomat/aero/ Get one here!; https://www.overjoyed.xyz/product/diplomat-aero-blackorange-fountain-pen-fine-45591
  11. Lamy 2000 is probably the only pen which has maintained it’s popularity since it’s launch in 1966.It’s an iconic design & is nearly a perfect pen with just some minor flaws for a normal user with normal requirements. It is & it has always been a popular choice for people looking for good quality, durable and a starter gold nib pen. This particular model of Lamy has never got out fashion & still is a very popular due to it’s simple design & easy availability everywhere. Pros- Timeless Design Nice Piston With Great Ink Capacity Pen Reliability Easy Availability Durability Great Pricing (You can still find it around $99 on sales) Comes with a legacy True Workhorse which is good for long writing sessions Post-able Well Balanced Snap on cap Nice 14k gold nib which is usually wet out of the box (but it may require basic tuning in some cases) Nib Units are available separately with some retailers Cons- Poor Quality Control Some very small parts can easily lost while cleaning or disassembling Cap nubs could be annoying for few guys Only 1 black color. Poor Packaging Retail prices are just too much & still Lamy is constantly increasing them Some people don’t like hooded nibs Specifications- Capped Length: 5.5 in.(139.7mm) Posted Length: 6.188 in.(157.2mm) Length of Body: 4.9 in.(124.5mm) Length of Cap: 2.6 in.(66.0mm) Diameter of Body: 0.5 in.(12.7mm) Diameter of Cap: 0.6 in.(15.2mm) Weight: 0.8 oz.(22.68g) Body Material: Makrolon Section Material: Metal Nib Material: Gold Fill Mechanism: Piston Cartridge Type: Bottled Ink Ink Capacity: 1.35ml Cap Type: Snap On(Magnetic) Postable: Yes Demonstrator: No Clip Style: Spring Lever Lamy 2000 Makrolon no doubt is a classic fountain pen & is most common pen that most enthusiasts have or will like to get. It’s could recommend it to someone who is looking a simple looking fountain pen with a good nib which you can take anywhere you want & is reliable writer. Makrolon itself feels quite pleasant in hand – slightly textured. The matte finish of pen looks simple but is quite unique. I don’t recall other pen apart from Kaco Edge which has such feel & texture (which is called a Lamy 2000 clone by some people but I feel they are different designs). https://inkpenlover.wordpress....ince-1966-too-have-some-flaws/ Nib- The hooded medium nib is made from 14K gold ,it has a some amount of springiness but don’t expect any wonders. The flow is vey good and starts immediately after some days too. The nib is extremely smooth with just a little bit of feedback. You will like the nib for sure , but yeah Lamy is inconsistent with nibs , And their is sweet spot issue in some cases too. Performance- It is a piston filler with an ink capacity of approximately of 1.35 ml. It is a nice filling mechanism overall & work flawlessly. The pen has ink window too; although it is not that great. But yeah it is helpful. This is a great workhorse pen & you won’t have any troubles. It’s a slip cap, so a slight pull is all that is needed to uncap the pen and get writing. Removing the cap really reveals what all the fuss is about. There are no steps between elements or weird changes of angle, just a simple and continuous curve from where the nib emerges from the section to the end of the barrel.The body is round with blunt, flat ends & is comfortable to hold . There is a short brushed metal section which leads the eye down to a small, partially hooded 14K rhodium-plated gold nib. The only departure from curved lines comes with the underside of the section, which angles up more sharply towards the underside of the feed. Breather hole is hidden so it prevents pen from drying out .Some may not like this short brushed metal section. Overall- This is a great starter gold nib pen, its a simple design but its elegant . Nib is nice & flow is very good. It is a durable pen ,it will last you for years. It’s a nice pen if you get it for between $100-150 but keep the flaws in mind before buying. It’s not worth the current MRP. You can get Safari with gold nib too,I enjoy writing with it more- it's personal preference ! Full review link - https://inkpenlover.wordpress.com/2021/04/28/lamy-2000-makrolon-review-masterpiece-since-1966-too-have-some-flaws/[InkPenLover](https://inkpenlover.wordpress.com/2021/04/28/lamy-2000-makrolon-review-masterpiece-since-1966-too-have-some-flaws/)
  12. pscrybe

    Lingmo Lorelei Review

    Hi everyone. First review here and open to suggestions. This is largely pulled from my blog post on the Lorelei with minor edits for your reading pleasure! Appearance The Lorelei appears to be a dupe of the Sailor Procolor 500. Mine is a clear demonstrator with silver trim and the clear feed displays inks quite nicely. The brand name”LingMo” is engraved on the trim of the cap in a similar manner found on the Sailor Procolor. Even the font used is similar to Sailors and the similarities don’t end there. LingMo Lorelei Converter. Potential Sailor CON dupe.Filling System The pen came with a piston converter which, knowing Chinese brands, could be a duplicate of the Sailor converter though I do not have a Sailor pen to try it out with. The converter looks similar to the Sailor converter but has a small metal object inside to break surface tension of the ink and works fine, fitting securely into the section. So well in fact, that for a moment I thought it was not removable when I first tried to remove it ! I noticed that the section came with an O-ring which gave me hope that it could be converted into an eyedropper to further show off the ink inside and it’s demonstrator body. Those hopes were dashed, however, as the barrel isn’t a single piece of plastic but two pieces. A tiny little plug at the end of the barrel closes it off and will leak. I was devastated. Functionality The clip on the cap is sturdy but quite hard and probably will not clip onto thick fabrics without doing damage. The cap is a threaded cap which screws on securely, though I’d be careful about over-tightening and cracking it. The cap posts by friction, no rattling or anything, and the pen is light & comfortable to write with posted or unposted. The nib and feed are friction fit, making for easily disassembly and cleaning. Write-ability The F nib produces a 0.5 line. It is a hard nib that produces little line variation with quite a bit of force. Straight out of the box, the pen wrote well with normal ink flow. There were no hard starts or any fiddling necessary to get it writing. The line produced appears the same as a Platinum Preppy F though the nib on my Lorelei was somewhat scratchier than both the tester in the shop and my Platinum Preppy F, feeling more like my Preppy EF nib. The pen I have was also wetter than the one tested in the store which already had decent flow. Personally, I find the LingMo Lorelei aesthetically pleasing (more so than the Wing Sung 659), and it has worked very well for me with no leaks or ink flow issues. I found it disappointing that the fully plastic body cannot be made into an eyedropper, but this should not be a problem for those of us who prefer cartridges/converters. Overall, a nice and affordable beginner’s fountain pen with a classic look.
  13. As a newly active member in this forum, I have learnt so much from you all that I wanted give back with my first review. As I haven’t used a wide variety of fountain pens, I am not familiar with 100% of the terms used to describe the behaviour of the nibs. Instead, I will use analogies where appropriate, even if you find them terrible! To compensate for my lack of knowledge, I am reviewing not one, but 2 of these pens (well 2 different design variants). [TL:DR] If you don’t have time to read everything, the TL:DR version is in the highlights section at the bottom, along with the links to all of the photos. I created a separate photo album in Flickr for each pen so that you can focus on what you prefer. If you don’t want to scroll to the bottom, here are both photo albums: 1. S100 (M-Blue/Chrome) - https://flic.kr/s/aHsmW84Npb 2. S100 Ferrari (M-Black) - https://flic.kr/s/aHsmW84Rxv [Quick back story] As I mentioned in my intro message a few weeks ago, I joined this forum in 2009 after buying my first Fountain Pen, the Pilot Prera, while I was on holiday in Tokyo that same year. The pen was so good that I never bothered to log into FPN ever again! As I’ve been stuck in lockdowns in 20/21, I’ve been writing a lot more and needed a change as I finally got bored with it. It’s still a fantastic pen, but it needed a new home, so I sold it on eBay. The hunt for a new pen began in May 2021 along with my 2nd ever login to FPN after 12 years. Miraculously, the username and password still worked! [The 1st purchase: May ‘21] Once again, I got lucky. I walked into a jewellers shop in Bristol near where my parents live which has a tiny little cabinet in a corner containing the smallest selection of pens I had ever seen. It was clearly set up by someone who thought “I suppose we better have some pens just so that we can tick the box”. When I saw the Shaeffer 100 in Blue and Chrome, I asked if I could test it out because it looked so nice with the blue lacquer and chrome cap. It was a delight to use right from the start. As soon as I began writing, I knew I had to buy it. The (M) nib was buttery smooth. Overall, the pen felt even better than when I first tried the Prera all those years ago. I asked the price and he said it was £35. I couldn’t believe it. It felt like it cost at least £50 - £70. I just smiled and handed over the money immediately. Then let’s fast forward a few weeks into Jun ’21. As I always need a black and blue pen, I wanted to buy the pen in black too so that I could fill it with the matching ink colour. The shop didn’t have any, so I had a look online (I single handily reduced their fountain pen inventory by a third a few weeks earlier!). I found the Ferrari version of this pen at The Hamilton Pen Company, also at £35. The pen had a discrete Ferrari logo at the top. The yellow colour in the logo was a perfect complement to the all-black body and cap. I didn’t hesitate to order it because of my positive experience in the store with the original blue/chrome version. Hamilton’s customer service was excellent. The pen arrived the day after I ordered it. [Build Quality: 10/10] The metal body and grip section make the pen feel much more expensive than the price. It feels like you are writing with a luxury pen. It has a decent “premium” weight (Body: 21g, Total: 32g) and the quality of manufacturing is 10/10. No flaws anywhere on the body or grip. The nib is top notch as well. The pattern on the nib also makes it look really expensive. If you are thinking of buying this as a gift for someone, you should not hesitate. [Design: 9/10] 1. Size - This is a what I would call a regular sized pen, the kind which you would be used to buying in a stationary store. I’ve seen others call this a slim or small pen. It all depends on what you personally define as small or large. The S100 is similar in width and size to a Pentel Energel as you can see from my pictures. 2. Material – I love all metal pens, but I don’t like brushed metal which I find too slippery. I personally find this pen is rock solid when I hold it. I’m not a fan of mixed plastic and metal. I personally prefer either all metal or all plastic/resin like the Prera. Mixing the materials in a pen feels to me like buying a Rolls-Royce and then fitting tyres from a Ford Escort. Don’t do it. As George Bush would say: “you’re either with us, or against us”. 3. Colour and Finish – the lacquer and colour on both pens looks and feels premium and expensive. As I said earlier, these pens feel a lot more expensive than £35 each. 4. Clip – This is the only downside of this pen and why I didn’t give this section a 10/10. The clip is so stiff that you cannot pull it out enough to put inside a pocket. I don’t understand why Sheaffer have made it so stiff. The only reason I didn’t give a lower rating for this negative aspect of the pen is because I don’t put pens in a shirt or suit pocket. If I did, I would probably give the design score a 7/10 or 8/10 rating. [Nib: 10/10] - The (M) nibs that I got with both pens are extremely smooth and buttery when writing. However, as I will discuss later, the line width varies slightly depending on which ink I use. - The (M) nib is perfect if you are a newbie and want your pen to work immediately whether you use it every day, or every few days. I have not had any problems with hard starts or ink not flowing after a few days of not using them. - The decoration of the nib is beautiful and once again, is something I would expect from much more expensive pens. [Filling and Ink] When I first opened the pen and saw the way that the converter and attachment were designed, I wondered if I could simply draw up the ink from the end of the converter, and just wait for it to flow through to the feed. I decided to live life on the edge and break the rules of nib refilling. I can be a crazy b**ch sometimes. Thankfully, filling the converter directly worked fine. It was so much cleaner and tidier. The mess that I used to make with the Prera refilling via the nib made my desk look like a crime scene every time I had finished refilling. (I will add the photos of the attachment and pin when I next refill, you will be able to see the updates in both photo albums). I took this opportunity to try 2 new inks, one for each pen. With my old Prera, the only bottled ink I had ever used was Pilot Iroshizuku Asa-Gao. That’s because it came with the pen in a gift box. I didn’t know it was anything special at the time! After a bit of research on Cult Pens, I decided to go for the Pelikan 4001 blue/black ink to match my blue pen and waited a day for it to arrive. Their service was top notch as it arrived on time the next day. For the black ink, I learnt from the FPN forum (and many YouTube ink reviews) that so many black inks actually come out grey. I did NOT want that at all. I learnt that Diamine Onyx Black was really black on paper. I ordered it from The Pen Company and it arrived within 2 days. [S100 with Pelikan 4001 Blue/Black Ink] I was very happy with the Pelikan 4001 Blue/Black Ink because it had exactly the kind of shade I was looking for. The ink is extremely high quality and has nice variation in different parts of my writing. It dries quickly so that was an added bonus. I also thought it was super smooth until… [S100 with Diamine Onyx Black] This ink blew me away. The smoothness far exceeded the Pelikan 4001 ink which I thought was excellent anyway. I’d say it feels 100% smoother than the Pelikan ink. [Sheaffer Cartridges: 0/10] While I was waiting for the Diamine Onyx Black to arrive in the post, I thought I would give the black Sheaffer ink cartridge a go. The Ferrari version of the pen came with one black and one blue cartridge. That was a mistake. The Sheaffer ink cartridge was terrible. The ink feathered a lot and ghosted heavily in my Moleskine diary. It also made blotches out of the eye of the nib too. AVOID using these cartridges at all costs. I assume the Sheaffer bottled ink is the same so I will not be buying that in future. [Writing Samples] (See examples in both photo albums). I have been using Claire Fontaine A5 ‘Age Bag’ notebooks for a decade because the paper is top quality and silky smooth. I found that using both pens in the Claire Fontaine notebook behaved in a way that I believe you would call scratchy. In other words, there was a tiny bit of resistance now and again. Not too much to be a problem at all, but this was the first time I used both pens in anything other than my diary and I was surprised! The S100 pens never skipped a beat when writing in my Moleskine A5 diary (which is thinner and lower quality paper than the Claire Fontaine). I also found that using the Diamine ink in my Moleskine diary makes the line a little thinner. The Pelikan ink in my blue pen appeared just the same thickness when using both types of paper. The Diamine ink ghosts more than the Pelikan ink in my Moleskine diary (in fact, the Pelikan hardly ghosts at all). The Pelikan ink is superior in this respect. There are no feathering issues at all with both inks. With the Claire Fontaine paper, ghosting and feathering is not a problem at all for either ink. [Summary] I hope you found this review to be useful. If it doesn’t include all of the details you would expect, I’d be happy to answer any other questions below. In summary, I’d say that the Sheffer 100 Fountain pen is perfect for both newbies and long-time Fountain Pen users who want a bullet-proof pen which works with a 100% guarantee each time. It would also make a perfect gift for use at work, or for students who value high quality items. I have really enjoyed using both pens (and both inks) and I’m looking forward to exploring more types of Fountain pens and inks in future. [TL:DR - Highlights] Photo albums (flickr): a. S100 (M-Blue/Chrome) - https://flic.kr/s/aHsmW84Npb b. S100 Ferrari (M-Black) - https://flic.kr/s/aHsmW84Rxv 1. [Build Quality: 10/10] – Solid pen, fantastic materials, top workmanship 2. [Design: 9/10] – The stiff clip is the only let down. If you’re the kind of person that puts a pen inside your shirt or suit jacket pocket, don’t buy this pen. 3. [Nib: 10/10] – Super smooth and beautifully designed 4. [Sheaffer cartridges: 0/10] – Sheaffer cartridges absolutely suck. Throw them away > pour jet fuel onto them > light match > end sequence.
  14. Pros- Beautiful Finish Perfectly Balanced Amazing Nib (both steel & gold nibs are amazing). Snap Cap Very Solid Pen, Almost Indestructible Comfortable grith Great Packing Cons- Price is very higher for steel nib variant , you will get too many gold nibs in this price segment. Clip is tight. Diplomat don’t has good Customer Service, incase your pen turns out to be faulty. It’s a Heavy Pen, And people with small hands won’t like this pen. Some things you need to know – Body Material – Lacquered Metal Cap Type- Snap Cap Filling Mechanism- Cartridge, Converter Grip Material- Resin Nib Size – Extra Fine, Fine, Medium Postable – Yes Trim – Silver Diameter Body – 13.1mm (0.52in) Diameter Cap – 14.4mm (0.57in) Grip Diameter- 10.2mm (0.40in) Length (Body) -128.5mm (5.06in) Length (Cap) – 62.9mm (2.48in) Length(Nib) – 22.4mm (0.88in) Length Overall – 138.5mm (5.45in) Weight (body) – 28.0g (0.99oz) Weight (cap) – 18.0g (0.63oz) Weight Overall – 46.0g (1.62oz) Capacity of convertor- 1.17 ml Other Aspects – Packing- Great! you will like the presentation. It contains pen resting on Diplomat Satin Pillow, converter,cartridge & service guide. Design – The pen is perfectly balanced,with a very simple minimalistic branding. It’s aesthetically pleasing. There is a small stepdown from the body to the grip section.You won’t have any issue with grip section.It is not smooth & even people with large hands will love this. Nib Performance- It has amazing steel nib, one of the best steel nibs I have ever used (my favorite still is OPUS 88 nib). It is very smooth & on par with many gold nibs. It also comes with gold nib , you have to pay extra $130 for it. I have it too, it is equally nice. It writes very well too. But price goes too high with gold nib, their are many amazing pens available in that category. For anyone looking for heavy pen with a good nib, I will recommend it. Note – I have three of these, one with steel nib & other with gold nib. Two were purchased by me from Goulet Pens & third one from a local store. Full Review Link- https://inkpenlover.wordpress.com/2021/05/15/diplomat-excellence-a2-skyline-review-a-pen-you-can-consider-in-sub-250-category/
  15. Pros- Strong Aluminum Body Nice Nib which has slight flex to it Very Light Weight yet sturdy Good For Long Writing Sessions Unique Design Cons- Cap Spins!!!! – hexagonal pen’s sides don’t always line up between the cap and body. It spins also while posted Converter Not Included Overpriced – Better pens are available at lesser price. Section can work itself loose from the body through writing One pen of mine had a baby bottom, so poor QC. Bad Customer Service. Specs & Things you should know- Material- Aluminium Snap On Cap Clip Material – Metal Clippable- Yes Converter – Not Included Diameter – Grip 7.7 mm Diameter – Max 13.1 mm ED Convertible- No Grip Material – Plastic Length Capped – 14.1 cm / 5.6 inches Length Uncapped- 12.3 cm / 4.8 inches Weight with Barrel (Empty)- 0.34 oz / 10 grams Weight with Cap – 0.27 oz / 8 grams Weight of Whole Pen (Empty)-0.62 oz / 17 gramsgrams Other Key Things – Packaging – Nice, but you should remember it doesn’t comes with converter. Design- Okay!! the pen has Faceted hexagonal body which looks nice but spinning cap is deal breaker for sure. It becomes too long when used posted. Some guys may not like this Slim Grip! Nib Performance – Nib is smooth & flexes a bit when pressure is applied on it. Overall- Unique design but many major drawbacks. And when compared to other pens in this price range it’s total disappointment. Note – I have 3 of these, I purchased these pens from GouletPens , JetPens & Fahrney’s pen. It retails from $55-65. Full Review Link - https://inkpenlover.wordpress.com/2021/05/13/caran-dache-849-fountain-pen-review-great-hexagonal-design-but-it-is-overpriced-has-major-flaws-too/
  16. collectorofmanythings

    Conklin All American Courage Red Review

    Today, I am reviewing the Conklin All American Limited Edition Courage Red pen. First of all, in my opinion Conklin get a lot of unnecessary bad press. While brands like Edison get wonderful reviews for their pens which often are around 170 bucks that come with a steel nib, and Conklin which also offers cast resins for sometimes over 100 cheaper, and they get horrible reviews. Now I am not saying that Edison pens aren’t great, because they are, I’m just saying that they are pricey for what they are, and, in my humble opinion, Conklin pens are a steal. If you don’t like the nibs, then you can get a Goulet nib or an Edison nib, and if you want a good nib, you can get an Edison gold nib or a JoWo gold nib from fpnibs.com (who offers the JoWo 14k gold nib at just $115!) in the #6 size. Sorry about that, now let me get back on track. This pen is a limited edition of 1898 pieces (Conklin was founded in 1898) and I personally have #0693. So be sure to get it while you can! Design and Build Quality (8.5/10) This pen is huge. It’s about the size of my hand. Granted, I have relatively small hands, but nevertheless it is huge. I can’t imagine anyone ever posting this pen. I personally don’t like reds and pinks a lot, but this pen really spoke to me because it reminds me of a betta fish I used to have when I was younger. Without that though, I don’t think I would have gotten it. It is medical themed, and it is called the Courage series because of the incredible amount of courage shoes by first responders during the pandemic. The clip has the medical snake around a pole, and then the cap band has a heartbeat in the front with another heartbeat on the back which is used to spell “COURAGE”. The body tapers down to the end. The swirls in this pen are magnificent. The material has such a depth to it, and it has pearlescent whites and thin streaks of black all throughout the semi-translucent red resin. It is just gorgeous and a sight to behold. When you unscrew the cap (which takes about 1.75 turns), it reveals a JoWo steel nib, in my case a 1.1 mm stub. It doesn’t have a lot of decoration, just the Conklin logo and Toledo, U.S.A. . The reason that it is a 8.5 out of 10 is because it’s just so huge. Nib and Writing Experience (7.5/10) The writing experience is pretty good. You can’t write incredibly quickly, or else you’ll get skipping. Otherwise, it works great. Relatively dry, but that can be fixed. Reverse writing is not recommended. Has pretty good line variation. Adds a nice bit of character to your writing. I have nothing wrong with this nib, it’s just like a lot of stubs where you have to be more thoughtful how you are writing. In fact, I like it quite a bit. Thank you for reading this review! As this is only my second review, please leave some constructive criticism! I would appreciate very much. Or, just tell me what you thought if the review! Just please leave a comment so I know what to keep doing and what to improve upon. Here are the pictures:
  17. Well, I bit the apple and made my first review video. In this overview of Yamamoto Paper's Cosmo Air Light, I ramble, talk about inks and pens, and caress the lovely paper. https://youtu.be/T4EkXfXDts4
  18. Hello again to all my FPN friends, When the original Moonman 80 came out, I resisted buying one because I already have more Parker 45s than I can remember. However, when the 80mini came out I knew it was worth a try, if only to be a recepticle for my favorite Parker 45 gold nibs. Although the quality isn't nearly as good as that of a real Parker 45, these pens still hold their own and nib swappability opens up endless possibilities. How cool is it that I can put a soft 14k UK Parker 45 OBB stub in a tiny pen that will fit in my pocketbook or even directly in my pocket?? Here are some of my impressions after taking the pen apart and playing around with it today: (This first page was written with the stock EF nib. Notice how hard it is to read due to how dry the pen writes.) (Problem solved with a quick and easy nib swap.) Size Comparisons: (top to bottom: Platinum Preppy 02; Pilot 78G; Delike Alpha; Moonman 80mini) Comparison of Nib Assemblies: (Parker 45 on the left; Moonman 80mini on the right) Notice the extra bits of plastic from the injection molding process still on the Moonman's feed and cowl. This leads me to believe that the Moonman will probably write much better if one uses a razor blade to scrape off the extra plastic bits and floss the channels. Moonman 80mini vs. my son's "moon man":
  19. There are some reviews on the Platinum Cool, which is also known as Platinum Balance, on FPN and other places. Nevertheless I think adding one more might contribute some more information, another perspective, experience and pictures. I had this pen in fine and medium and now use the fine for more than a year. Introduction This review is meant to depict my personal opinion and valuation. I wont use points to rate aspects. While I dont intend to criticize those who do, I dont want to evoke the semblance of objectivity. I am neither an expert for standards used nor could I compare this pen to dozens of others. Due to these limitations to what might be an ideal review, I will simply try my best to describe my experience with this model in a way which allows you to contrast it to your own experience and preferences. Nonetheless I will offer a few comparisons which might be useful. Platinum officially calls this model PGB-3000A and categorises it as a member of its Balance-family on its website. The Cool features a relatively springy steel nib in fine or medium, an acrylic resin torpedo-shaped body of medium size and weight. First Impressions The pen came in a nice-looking cardboard box which also included a Platinum proprietary cartridge and an instruction manual. Unfortunately there was no converter included. I was pleasantly surprised with the box. I wouldnt be ashamed to have the box be part of a present even though it was probably not necessarily meant to be displayed. While to me this pen feels solid and well made it cant keep up with the clear Platinum 3776 versions if we dont consider the price. The clear plastic with chrome trim looks modern. Appearance and Construction The Cool is available in three different colours, shining crystal, crystal blue and crystal rose. The clear one is, well, clear, the coloured ones are highly translucent. As I mentioned this pen is torpedo shaped, having a cap which becomes slightly wider towards the cap band and a barrel which then tapers towards its end. The Cool is mostly made from plastic. I like its quality because it really is clear, not prone to scratching and the material is quite thick which gives it a more sturdy impression than a Platinum Preppy. A Preppys barrel can be deformed when a lot of pressure is applied by hand, this one seems much more robust. One plastic part I strongly dislike is its cap insert. While it doesnt feature Platinums sophisticated slip and seal mechanism it still works well - but looks ugly. Being opaque white it doesnt match the design in my eyes. The point, I assume, is to hide traces of ink inside the cap. Where the insert is it does its job, however to me this isnt worth the effort as I consider it flawed in two ways. On the one hand this white insert is far more noticeable than ink stains in the cap, on the other hand at least in my case the white now is covered in blue spots all around its upper part where it occasionally had contact with the nib and these are more visible due to the higher contrast than those in the cap which exist where the insert cant cover them up. I would prefer a clear cap insert or a cap sealing reasonably without an insert. I'm aware my focus on staining might cast a negative light on the Cool. Thus I want to point out I don't consider this a weakness or criticize it - other pens suffer similarly from my decision to use such ink. I knew that and am fine with it, I simply look at this pen from this angle based on my personal experience. I am sure if you use non permanent colours you can maintain its transparency. The clip is simple, functional and sturdy adorned by a subtly engraved line around its rim only. Similarly utilitarian the cap band is narrow. On the cap directly above it JAPAN PLATINUM and Platinums Logo are engraved. A big part of the body is faceted though in a different way than a TWSBI Diamond as the facets are inside the barrel making its outside round and smooth. Thus the facets only affect the appearance and light refraction. Being clear the section allows the transparent feed and metal threads to be seen which probably is the most attractive and promotional aspect this pen offers. This feature makes the feed adopt the colour of your ink. In general lighter colours come across better, more like they look on paper than darker colours. The effect is similar to ink in a bottle or converter, the more ink light travels through the darker the colour will look like. Pigment inks however are an exception to this rule behaving less like this. Speaking of pigment inks, I already mentioned traces of ink and stains in the cap and insert, ink of course can also stain the feed. If you want to keep the feed completely transparent, I recommend to have this in mind when choosing an ink. In my photos you can see the effect of using Platinum Pigment Blue and Sailor Sei Boku for months (with regular cleaning). Cleanings results are limited with pigment inks. I dont think they damage or penetrate the plastic used but once they dry they are hard to remove because water then wont do anything. Removing dried pigment ink mechanically is possible, gently rubbing is enough, but limited to accessible areas and areas like the body and inside of the cap which are smooth. I am not able to completely remove stains from the feed. If you tried it with an ultrasonic cleaner I would love to read about your experience. The sections circumference is on the narrow side, I would say. Wider than a Pilot Metropolitan section for example or a Waterman Hemispheres one, which for me is not comfortable. I recommend Goulets Pen Plaza for comparisons. Since the connection between section and barrel is made from metal the front part is heavier than the plastic back where only the converter adds weight. The section unfortunately comes with another downside as its threads are sharp enough to abrase material from the plastic threads on the barrel, at least in my case. Im sure this wont be more than an aesthetic problem for the next few years but it doesnt improve the experience either. Weight and Dimensions Length capped: 139,5mm 5,5in Length posted: ~154mm 6,1in Length uncapped: ~126mm 5in Weight body: 13g 0,46oz Weight cap: 5g 0,18oz The more subjective assessment: This model is section-heavy but works well. Posting for me adds too much weight to the back. The Cool is about as heavy/light as a Lamy Safari. Nib and Performance As already mentioned the nib is made from steel and available in fine and medium. The nib is rather small, normal sized for the pens overall size. In contrast to most Japanese and Platinum pens in this model the line width runs similar to an average European fountain pen. I also found both the medium and fine rather wet. Combined this results in rather wide lines, maybe even compared to some fine running European brands. How it feels writing is more congruent to other Platinum pens as mine write smoothly and with some even feedback. An interesting feature is the relatively springy nib. Following the logic of what Platinum says about the new Platinum Procyon this might be due to the pentagon-shaped nib. It offers more flexibility than a Lamy Safari or Pilot Metropolitan to which I compared it before, I wouldnt call it flex though. My experience is limited but considering what I have seen it also is much less flexible than a Pilot Falcon or FA nib. When pressure is applied the line width increases, more noticeable in the fine than the medium, as well as the ink flow. You can reasonably expect the line width to become 1,5 times as wide, maybe to double. During normal writing the effect is very small, writing feels springier than with a nail-like steel nib. But I wouldnt recommend to constantly apply (a lot of) pressure, to me this nib doesnt feel like it would like this. The ink flow is even, doesnt decrease over time and easily keeps up with fast writing. Edit: The symbol on the left means 'fine', the one on the right 'medium'. Both nibs are silver coloured, the ambient light affected the reflection. Filling System and Maintenance Platinum uses a proprietary cartridge/converter system. There was no converter included which is common at this price point. Buying one is worth it I think. The converter is very well made overall, feels sturdy and can be taken apart for cleaning if you wish so. Its mouth is made from plastic surrounded by a metal ring. The clear part stood up surprisingly well against staining being still clear. The shroud is from metal again. Take a look at the pictures to see the piston mechanism inside the converter. The knob is made from plastic and features grooves, turning it feels controlled. Platinums cartridges are smaller than large standard international ones, and close in size to Pilot's cartridges. Their body is fairly thick and they contain a metal ball agitator. Cost and Value The Platinum Cool retails for about 40 US-Dollar in the US. I havent seen it at European retailers and must admit I dont know much about other markets. Some companies offer it for around 25 Dollar/Euro. Customer care usually is limited if you would have to send it back to Japan from Europe for example but these shipping costs probably exceed their benefits anyway at this price. The Cool can be considered an entry-level pen, maybe an upgrade to a Preppy or Plaisir. There are a lot of good competitors. I can name the Safari and Metropolitan again, but there are many more. I think the Cool cannot surpass them in writing experience, construction quality or filling-system but neither lacks behind. A clearer reason to buy is its transparent body and feed. Conclusion The Platinum Cool is an affordable demonstrator which offers reliable and controlled writing. Its transparent feed makes it special. If you aim for a super-smooth entry-level pen, look elsewhere. If you like the design you probably wont be disappointed by its other features. Feedback, criticism and further questions or opinions are welcome. Feel free to point out language mistakes I might have made. Edit 1: removed my remark on what the symbol on the nib stands for. It indicates the nib size,but I probably mixed up fine and medium. Edit 2: added picture for comparison of the symbols adorning the nib which mean 'fine' and 'medium'. Thanks for pointing out my mistake, Pseudo88.
  20. Penbbs is a Chinese online fountain pen community similar to FPN. They not only talk about inks but also produce their own inks every year. Each series consists of ten to fifteen inks and 2017 marks the release of Penbbs’ fifteenth ink series. Due to Chinese postal restrictions, these inks are virtually impossible to obtain outside of China. However, within China they are extremely affordable (21 RMB or about US$3 per 60ml bottle) and can easily be purchased through the Chinese online shopping giant Taobao. This ink up for review is from Penbbs’ twelfth series. It is named after the city of Hangzhou in eastern China. Hangzhou is famous for its beautiful scenery and is where longjing green tea is grown (a wonderful tea which I highly recommend). This tea is pan-roasted so the color is a little darker than some other green teas. I think the color of this ink is a good representation of the color of the tea leaves, although I don’t know if that’s what the ink makers were going for. What do you think? The color may just be a reference to the city’s natural scenery. The color is slightly darker and greener than the olive Penbbs ink No. 132 that I reviewed previously. This makes it more useful for daily writing. The color is certainly gentle on the eyes. This ink gives some shading on all papers with wider nibs. Its drying time is a little longer than No. 132, but it also feathers a little less. Bleed through was quite bad on Moleskine, but on other papers it was passable with wet nibs and non-existent with the Japanese fine nib. This ink is slightly water resistant as well. The darker green component remains to leave a barely legible line while the rest washes off. The interesting color and shading make this a nice ink, but as with ink No. 132, it feathers and bleeds too much for my taste. Pens used (in order): 1. Pilot 78G Fine 2. Lamy Safari Broad 3. Pilot Plumix Italic 4. Noodler’s Nib Creaper Flex 5. Hero 5028 1.9mm Stub Swab Paper Towel Drop 80gsm Rhodia 73gsm Chinese Tomoe River Wannabe (brand unknown) 70gms Deli Copy Paper Moleskine Water Resistance Mini-comparison (No. 157 is at the bottom) [My apologies that I don’t have any inks close to this color to do an adequate comparison. No. 157 mistakenly appears lighter than No. 132 on this image. ] SDG
  21. James Purdey & Sons Single Malt scented ink was released in 2018 by Montblanc as part of a series in collaboration with James A. Purdey, a gunmaker and hunting lifestyle brand. The ink surprised me! Single malt scented ink sounded at first like a (overpriced) gimmick and to some extend it is of course. But the color is a deep, beautiful orange-brown with amazing shading. Definitely a fall color which can be used in both a business environment (note taking) as well as for personal writing and correspondence. Be careful though, when opening the bottle or the pen cap the whisky scent is quite strong. It might be frowned upon at 830am when the meeting starts... The scent fades quickly though, within minutes. After 20-30 minutes the smell of the paper itself always wins. The ink behaves like most Montblanc inks I own. Perfect behavior in a broad, wide nib. A bit dry and with a strong dislike for TWSBI pens. The shading is wonderful, no feathering, and no show-through. Drying time is well below average at roughly 22 seconds. As can be seen, the ink doesn't really appreciate water. This ink is the most bright, orange-brown ink I have. SBRE brown (P.W. Akkerman) is not far off, Comte de l'Or (produced by Diamine) is much more gold (of course), Herbin's café des Îles and Caroube de Chypre have far less orange in them and are a more true brown. The ink will definitely gain some attention in the office, but I will use it for a while. I really like it. N.B. Review written on Original Crown Mill Vellum paper
  22. I've just purchased a bottle of Sailor Jentle Ink called "Doyou" which means mid-summer in Japanese. It's one of the eight inks of their "Colours of Four Seasons" line. Many people like Oku-yama and Yama-dori of this line, and this Doyou one is relatively rare and I was not able to find many reviews of it. I want a darker colour but not totally (boring) black, so I went for Doyou. This is my first review (here or anywhere). I hope I've done it right. It comes with a 50ml bottle with a "reservoir": flip the bottle upside-down before inking the pen and the ink will stay in a small "cone" which makes it easier to fill. When written with a finer nib, Doyou is a dark brown colour which could be mistaken as black without side-by-side comparison with a black ink. But if you look carefully you'll see it's a warm brown with a hint of red. This may refer to the colour of land in a hot summer day I guess? I think it's an understated colour suitable for work if you don't want to use a boring black. It dries fairly fast, no feathering or bleedthrough on Rhodia paper. With fine nibs there is virtually no shading though. It's a rather wet ink in my Pilot VP. The swabs show a less darker colour with a tiny bit shading. In the smear test I ran a wet finger across it twice. It leaves a red-brownish trace and you can still see the lines very clearly. The drip test shows that it has quite a decent waterproofness. All in all I think I quite like this ink. I don't have a black ink at hand for comparison, so I used the darkest (the least bright) colour available to me, which is R&K Salix, for a comparison. I have also a few words in R&K Scabiosa in my "ink journal" so I took a picture of it and put it side by side with Doyou as a comparison. Scabiosa has more of a purple hint to it. This is my first review and any suggestion or advice is welcomed! Some close-ups:
  23. Has anyone bought from this website and if so how was the experience?





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