Jump to content

Crystal Limited Edition: A Handsome Eyedropper Pen


mrmohitmishra

Recommended Posts

15537835641_307cc60c05_z.jpg

 

 

 

Backdrop:I have been using Fountain Pens since I was a child. After I got a job, it was possible for me afford some premium pens from Indian Standard. The Fountain pens available in local market were all chinese or cheap so I bought various pens from various online stores. Then I came across an Indian online shop(NAYY) I purchased a Jinhao X450 , then a Demonstrator combo set at a really competitive price. Impressed by the customer service , I decided to give other pens a try and purchased a Pilot MR, then a Chelpark Sona, then a Pilot Tank and subsequently Oliver F27. I did not have an ebonite pen in my collection. The store owner suggested me to go for a pen launched in its own brand name namely ASA Athlete. I loved the pen, its balance and its looks. I liked the nib and the feel of ebonite. With Lamy Safari the pen became my second choice to write for long duration. I ultimately decided to try for more. When I found a limited edition is coming out of the box with an option of German nib, the temptation was too much to resist. I might have been the first customer to buy the pen, who knows, cause I immediately bought it. And I loved this pen too.

 

 

2014-12-05-00-47-58.jpg?w=1008

 

 

Basic Details: Crystal LE is basically an ebonite eyedropper pen which has been hand crafted. The cap top and the blind cap is made up of transparent acrylic which looks like a crystal. Neither of these parts can come out. They have been securely glued. Its a huge pen with a 15 cm length and average of 13 mm section diameter.

 

Looks:

 

2014-12-04-20-31-12.jpg?w=614

2014-12-04-20-34-02.jpg?w=1008

2014-12-05-22-23-30.jpg?w=768 2014-12-05-22-23-14.jpg?w=768

 

The pen is eye catchy and beautiful. It looks and feel like a costly pen and I should say costlier than what it actually is. The crystal looking top peeking out of the coat pocket catches attention of those around. I had actually a few colleagues asking about the pen. The pen is simply too large and too beautiful to ignore. It is a dominating and bossy looking pen. The crystal blind cap magnifies everything beyond it and under light looks shimmering and beautiful.

 

 

Feel:

2014-12-05-22-22-33.jpg?w=10082014-12-05-22-22-07.jpg?w=10082014-12-05-22-21-40.jpg?w=1008

 

 

The pen is on heavier side compared to Athlete, it may be because of the 'crystals' .However ebonites feel sort of weightless and weight was never an issue for me since I have got large hands. The section is thicker than say Athlete and a Lamy. The grip is excellent. Because of large nib size a person can maintain a comfortable stance while writing. The threads never interfered with the grip, rather they aided it. Because the pen is quite thick it comfortably rested in the space between the index finger and the thumb. The balance is good enough, though the pen writes best when not posted. When posted the pen becomes, at least for me, too large to manage.

 

 

2014-12-05-22-24-44.jpg?w=1008

 

Nib and the Feed: Pen uses a typical ebonite two channelled Indian feed which we see in almost every hand made indian pen. It can be easily heat set. Though I am sure need to do so would rarely, if ever, arise. I would have loved to see some other finned feed in a pen of such quality and beauty. However, I am not the one who is producing the pen. I am merely a customer who is appreciating it. I am very sure that there must have been compelling reasons for not using such feed.

 

What I found was that by adjusting the extent of insertion and alignment of the nib and feed it was possible to control and adjust the flow of the ink. I adjusted mine and now my Medium nib pen is writing an Indian Fine and I am pleased. :)

 

However the nib, I am talking of the German nib available as an option, is superb. It is a German Bock, Steel Duo Point nib. I liked the Athlete nib, but I can swear on my love for the fountain pens that this nib is the best nib I have so far used. I have used a lamy nib and an Schmidt M and Schmidt fine nib. I have also used Pilot MR fine, Pilot Tank M, Parker Vector F and M, Parker Frontier F , Waterman M. This is the best among them. It has no feedback. It is super smooth. It is sturdy and strong which would not need an adjustment every now and then. I call it the best because other nibs when wrote smooth had no flex and this nib has both. It has decent flex and it is, as I have said, super smooth. It has an added advantage of being duo point i.e. capable of writing on both sides. What else do I need? I bow before those who created it and I thank them who made it available to me.2014-12-06-00-02-54.jpg?w=1008

 

2014-12-06-00-03-08.jpg?w=1008

Since the nib is so good the pen writes equally well. The writing in all the previous paragraphs has been done with this pen and nib. However following photograph would reveal the flex of the nib. The writing sample also shows how the reverse side of the nib writes.

2014-12-06-00-23-06-e1417805808346.jpg?w

 

 

In short I liked the pen. I am glad that I have it.It's an handsome eyedropper. Please comment if you have any queries or if you liked the pen.

Edited by mrmohitmishra
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 41
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • mrmohitmishra

    24

  • cjpandya

    6

  • Doug C

    4

  • a_m

    3

A Conklin nib?

Dave Campbell
Retired Science Teacher and Active Pen Addict
Every day is a chance to reduce my level of ignorance.

fpn_1425200643__fpn_1425160066__super_pi

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you for posting this. It was enjoyable to read.

Thanks.

 

I would like to add that I would prefer if ebonite pens had less threads and the cap would take less no of turns to come out. This was a suggestion I should have entered in the review

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks so much for your review. I ordered this same pen with a broad Bock nib. Instinct tells me i will love it. I have been informed by Mr Subramaniam of ASA Pens that the pen has been dispatched. Waiting anxiously for its delivery,

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just read your comment on "molten sky".

 

Now I am sure that you would love this pen.

 

☺☺

Thanks so much for your review. I ordered this same pen with a broad Bock nib. Instinct tells me i will love it. I have been informed by Mr Subramaniam of ASA Pens that the pen has been dispatched. Waiting anxiously for its delivery,

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just went to the site. Limited edition has been sold out.

 

I would suggest that they should provide this nib with Athlete. It would be a wonderful option

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for a very good and detailed review !

I put my savings to test

Lamy & Pilot FPs the Best

No more I even think of the rest

(Preference Fine and Extra Fine Nibs)

Pen is meant for writing - not for looking :-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just tried to order this pen but it says it sold out. Do you know if there is a chance it might be produced again?

the Danitrio Fellowship

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just tried to order this pen but it says it sold out. Do you know if there is a chance it might be produced again?

Mail them. They usually keep a few spare pieces for their shop

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just tried to order this pen but it says it sold out. Do you know if there is a chance it might be produced again?

I don't think that it will be produced again

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't think that it will be produced again

Its back in stock - says 6 pens available. Seems ASA has not listed all of the pens produced.

Edited by a_m

I put my savings to test

Lamy & Pilot FPs the Best

No more I even think of the rest

(Preference Fine and Extra Fine Nibs)

Pen is meant for writing - not for looking :-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes it is available. Information on the website has also been modified. It says that only 50 such pens were produced. Which means a real Limited Edition.

 

I just edited the post to correct an embarrassing spelling mistake

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have tried this evening, but I can't get into the site. I'll try tomorrow.

 

 

I love the look of this pen.

the Danitrio Fellowship

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kindly share your experiences, if in case anyone else has got it

Yes!!!!! I was able to get in and I have placed my order. I got the standard fine nib with the testing performed so I hope it will work well.

 

I am very excited.

 

Thanks mrmohitmishra...

Edited by Doug C

the Danitrio Fellowship

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes!!!!! I was able to get in and I have placed my order. I got the standard fine nib with the testing performed so I hope it will work well.

 

I am very excited.

 

Thanks mrmohitmishra...

 

Congrats! I am glad that I could be of any use. This is a wonderful pen. Kindly share your experience with the stock nib when you receive the pen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33501
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26627
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...