Free Standard Size Famous Style Senior Collection Ss-1

[Manalto]

I admire the marbleized plastic (or celluloid) that has been used for pen bodies for many years, particularly the greens, so when I stumbled upon this Chinese pen with the mile-long generic name for $4.50 (shipping included), I said, "Why not?" My luck so far with Chinese pens has been exceptional; at prices lower than the cost of mailing pens within the US, I've enjoyed a variety of sublime escritorial experiences. Then came the FSSFSSC SS-1:

 

 

I know everybody says this, but photos really don't do it justice. (Forgive the photos; this was hasty work in the bitter cold.) When the pen is moved around in the light, it has more depth and dimension than I ever could have hoped for in a fine hardwood. The marbling shimmers, it glows and darkens, it captivates. The finish is smooth but not perfectly so; up close, a slight orange-peel texturing is evident on the surface.

 

I like the chrome clip. It's mounted directly into the cap material, about a 1/4" from the top. Its design and placement are reminiscent of some 1920s pens I've seen. It takes a firm, secure grip of a shirt pocket. The cap is topped with a chrome button, flush with the surface. Below the clip is a chrome band, just shy of 1/4" wide, with black curlicues painted on it that mumble, "Asian afterthought." This detail deftly destroys the illusion that the pen is anything other than a cheapo Chinese model. Parallel rings incised into the metal would have preserved the vintage look, but this recommendation obviously comes too late.The section is chrome, comfortable but slippery. Its metal threads mesh with those cut directly into the cap material. When the cap is mounted, the barrel is crooked - about 3 or 4 degrees out of whack.

 

 

Even though I've never had writing issues with other Chinese pens, with this one I figured I'd better follow the advice to flush before filling. A cartridge was supplied, but no converter. After much pushing and grunting, I finally handed it over to Dwayne Johnson to have him install the thing. Getting ink to feed was even harder; I tweaked and wiggled and shook. (The nib says "Germany" but we probably shouldn't leap to the conclusion that it was made there.) It finally wrote, but continued skipping like Rhoda Penmark, with a heart full of evil.

 

Edited January 14, 2015 by Manalto