Rosetta North Star *sedona Review

[Ana_]

I just received the Rosetta North fountain pen in the mail yesterday.

 

The instructions recommended Private Reserve ink so I went out to my local today and purchases a bottle of Private Reserve: Sonic Blue.

 

My first time writing with the pen after inking up was amazing! The pen is so smooth, like silk gliding across the page! It was smoother than my Pelikan M200 (though I suspect I have to adjust those Pelikan tines).

 

The Rosetta is 5 3/8" capped and weighs 24 g. total. Uncapped it is 5" with a cap length of 2 3/8". The pen barrel weight itself is 12 g. and the cap itself is 12 g. The cap itself is the same weight as the barrel and so the cap feels heavy in the hand when holding each piece separately, but I had no problem writing with the cap posted to the end of the barrel and for that matter, writing with the pen unposted. I had imagined writing with the pen capped would be too top heavy. For me, it provides a nice cradle between the thumb and forefinger and felt surprisingly comfortable.

 

I purchased mine with a two tone stainless steel, Rosetta JoWo #6medium nib. Right side up it writes like a bold, slightly thicker than my other Mediums and upside down it writes like an extra fine.

 

The color of the pen barrel is simply gorgeous at any price, so finding it at under $100 is an appreciative steel. It is made of Italian acrylic resin. The colors go from a gauzy dripping gold to a deep red rustic rich Sedona red rock with black that is actually deep chocolate when viewed through high light. I just came back from vacationing in Sedona, one of my favorite places I can never seem to get enough of in the world and bought this pen because the colors are reminiscent of the beauty there. I couldn't have imagined it would be so great to write with.

 

I am including some photos of the pen and a writing sample. I could not be happier. I highly recommend this pen to the pen connoisseur who appreciates deep beauty and the true art form of silken words across a page.

[Drone]

Hi, thanks for the review

 

How did you get a two-tone nib on your North Star? I've only seen Rosetta directly offer a chrome-tone nib. Although I did see a review of a North Star quite some time ago that had an all gold-tone Schmidt nib unit (probably with a JoWo nib too).

 

Does Rosetta still laser-etch their brand name in big letters on the cap band?

 

Thanks, David

[Ana_]

Hi David,

 

You're welcome 😊 To get the two-tone nib, when you're checking out on isellpens.com there is a NOTE section. Within that note, just say you'd like the two-toned nib. I discovered this by calling and asking.

 

And yes, Rosetta still laser-etches their brand name in big letters on the cap band, it's a nice touch. I'm adding a photo of it.

[Drone]

Ah yes, I see on the Rosetta site they have spare two-tone nib units, They should add the two-tone option to the drop-down nib choices when you buy. In-fact I was thinking how nice the North Star Sedona barrel color would match gold-tone furniture as well. It would give the pen a whole "desert at sundown" kind of theme.

 

Anyway, lovely pen. Thanks again for sharing it with us. Maybe I;ll go for one next time the bug bites.

 

Have Fun, David

[doggonecarl]

Thanks for the review. I've been wanting to add a Rosetta to my collection for a while now.

[Sasha Royale]

I have a North Star, as well. I like it. I think Rosetta is shamefully neglected by the fp world.

Excellent value. PR DC Supershow Blue in mine.

[Ana_]

Hi David, I like the sound of desert at sundown! Mine's more the silver moonbeam at midnight. I find them both appealing.

 

Hi Carl, you're very welcome for the review, I enjoyed it.

 

Sasha, I COMPLETELY AGREE about N. Star being shamefully neglected by the FP world. Isn't it absurd how firmly price has become synonymous with quality???

[Ana_]

Sasha, P.S., do you tend to write with the cap posted or not? I strongly considered the DC Supershow Blue, its very nice

[Drone]

Sasha, P.S., do you tend to write with the cap posted or not? I strongly considered the DC Supershow Blue, its very nice

 

I have PR DC Supershow Blue. I highly recommend it if you are looking for a vibrant well-behaved blue that is also washable. If it only came in bigger bottles. My work-horse ink is Pilot/Namiki blue, which is somewhat similar. I go through the Pilot ink like beer. Right now I have a 350ml bottle of Pilot Blue-Black on the way from Japan.

[ljarbojr53]

Where can one purchase the Rosetta North Star FP?

[Drone]

Where can one purchase the Rosetta North Star FP?

 

I was looking on the Rosetta official site. Rosetta sells direct. I've seen Rosetta pens on Amazon too. Maybe someone else knows some other Distributors. Here's the Rosetta link:

 

http://www.rosettapen.com/

 

Welcome to the Fountain Pen Network by-the-way

 

David

[wastelanded]

That is a really nice pen!

[Ana_]

David, thanks for the tip on vibrant blue

 

Ljarbojr, I bought my Rosetta through ipenstore.com it was the lowest price I found and the owner is so nice & helpful.

 

Thank you Wasteland. I love writing with it. Funny how writing with a beautiful pen makes my writing more poignant.

[NedC]

Rosetta is ipenstore.com's house brand. They appear to made by a Taiwanese jobber, a lot of the furniture is suspiciously like TWSBI's.

[Ana_]

Ned, what's TWSBI's? And why suspicion?

[KreepyKen]

Thank you for the review. I've started seeing Rosetta pens pop up on eBay and wondered how they were. I may have to put one of these on my "want" list. Thanks!

[NedC]

TWSBI are a Taiwanese manufacturer of writing instruments that make their own line of piston filled fountain pens which are somewhat polarizing on these forums, they've been in business for many years but until recently most of their production had been for various other brands. They are one of several such operations in Taiwan it seems. As to suspicion, nothing sinister was meant, just an observation about the similarity of the metal fittings used and recent changes by both Rosetta and TWSBI in sourcing the nib assemblies from Schmidt to Jowo.

[Ana_]

Ken, you'll enjoy it!

 

Thanks for the clarification Ned

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

Thanks for the Review!

 

I've an earlier model NS with the Schmidt nib, which is very good, so I'm pleased that the current JoWo nibs are of the same high standard.

 

The one I have seems to be very 'neutral', so I tasked it with doing a lot of my single pen comparisons of different inks, and can be seen in the a few of the sample sets of diluted ink in the ICS&T Forum. It is not the least bit fussy about ink, so please do not infer that NS pens run 'best' with Private Reserve inks.

 

As I typically grasp my pens rather high on the section, I was a bit concerned about the step-down in girth from the barrel to the section, but that hasn't been a problem - unlike the Pilot Metro.

 

The initial high build quality has not eroded - it looks and performs very much as when new.

 

Bye,

S1

Edited October 16, 2014 by Sandy1

[Ana_]

This is an update, I still like my sedona rosetta North Star, but I have noticed that unless I use it consistently/daily, I get some pretty hard starts and with skipping across the page. I think it's the type of pen that has to have really wet inks for better flow and if you think you'll be taking it out of rotation for a week or so, maybe drain the ink and flush it through. I really would love for it to be more sturdy, but that is the update.