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Osprey Pens - Milano Ojemoka Japanese Ebonite: Bifl For Generations To Come


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Osprey Pens - Milano Ojemoka Japanese Ebonite (F) fountain pen, a long term BIFL investment for generations to come


Take home: Hidden gem of extreme value in a classically designed Japanese ebonite pen with a mission toward the future:


Appearance & Design (10) - This is a classic flat top subtly tapering cylindrical design much like a vintage Parker Duofold.

It sports a rolling ball clip, secured threaded post, small grip section with unobtrusive threads after a small step down from the barrel.


Construction & Quality (9.5) - Construction is excellent with an extreme polish of the rippled coffee moka brown/black Japanese (Nikko) ebonite hallmarking the centerpiece of tactile appeal. Color is almost like a darker Eboya Tanshin (red). Tolerances are high without wiggle when cap or post threaded. There is a minuscule < 0.25 mm step between the finial and main body cap at their join. If I tap hard on the bottom barrel I can hear the converter tick, tick against the inner barrel.


Weight & Dimensions (10) - 24 g with < 1/3 partially filled converter. It really sized like a Duofold lookalike or like a modern version of my Waterman 55. It takes a lot to rank in this crowd: (top) Parker Duofold Centennial, Aurora 88, Sailor KOP, Osprey Pens Milano, Sailor 1911L, Waterman's 55 from Dr. Robert Tefft estate, Pelikan M605, Pilot 743 (bottom)

fpn_1558677592__osprey_milano_size_-_edi


Nib & Performance (9) - Plain steel appearance hides great smooth performance with a hint of feedback with a well controlled flow using Waterman's Mysterious Blue. Nibs are interchangeable, #6! If Osprey Pens has a nibmeister, they are doing a terrific job! :D I did get to try the notched semi-flex on another of their pens and it had no line variation whatsoever -_- but was a softer than nail writer. My pen stands on its own with the default nib as a daily writer. :) Absolutely no complaints. I have a Waterman's 52 wet noodle so maybe I am biased, but pen companies have no business even marketing flex but I understand they have to pray to the flex religion. Minus 1 point for dry out of the feed but resolved when I fed the feed by turning the converter

fpn_1558677615__osprey_nib_-_edited.jpg


Filling System & Maintenance (9) - Dead on standard cartridge/converter and easy to flush. The original pen came with a medium nib and the CEO swapped it to a fine on the spot without adjustment. The Milano can be converted to an eyedropper fill with silicone grease as there is no metal threads, just ebonite to ebonite.


Cost & Value (10) - MSRP $70 USD?! :D Paid $61 from 20% pen faire discount!!! :yikes: I had my eye on an Eboya and now see more Osprey Pens in my future.

fpn_1558679497__osprey_writing_-_edited.


Conclusion (Final score: 9.58) - This average score should be multiplied by 100s for the sheer mission of Osprey Pens: to give back and empower the next generation of fountain pen lovers with affordable tools. Everyone should support this mission.


Here's the little background story:


The local art store had its long running "Pen Faire" and we made our 2nd pilgrimage to see what they had in store. There were crowded gatherings around Lamy, Sailor, Visconti and Yafa's stable of brands which left a gap in the circle of tables for a new brand I did not know. We squirrelled over to the new unknown brand. On the table were a nice conservative set of flat top Duofold lookalikes in nostaglic tortoise shell, green and black acrylics. A black chase faux rubber one caught my eye (turns out it was real). They also had the faux flex nibs with the cut outs de rigeur in fashion.


What also caught my attention were the well-dressed reps who looked out of place from the more casual pen folk.


"What have you got here? I never heard of Osprey?", I asked the young gentleman dressed in a suit. Next to him was a somewhat older rep whose was silence I mistook as the junior rep boss.


Why am I telling you all this and not about the pen?


Because for the next 5 minutes, the young rep proceeded to introduce his brand, Osprey Pens in an unlikely fashion. He talked about how they were contributing to schools to promote pen use in kids lives. He explained they had to get around core curricula entrenchment by offering an elective program based on their pens and nib holders with zebra-G nibs (comic steel nibs) to make it fun (comic drawing) for the kids and not something they are compelled to do.


He kept on it and in between I'd look at the "boss" to see if he would intervene or note praise in the younger's presentation. Nope, the fella went on about the mission to empower a new generation to see our love of fountain pens amidst the digital competition of tablet and iPads and other attention suckers.


Osprey pens is on a mission to give back and inspire kinda like Tom's shoes or Patagonia, businesses that care enough beyond profit to value corporate responsibility.


The value proposition was customer driven purchases help their community program of fountain pen promotion through Osprey Pen donations.


I still didn't get to learn more about the pens and he didn't "sell" me on them but rather the big idea was this giving back to the next generation.


We could really feel the passion of his conviction and to my mind he passed the brand's spiel "demo" though I did not get a word edgewise about any sales appeal about the pens. What duh?!


Tell me more about the faux BCHR, damnit!


The pens were gorgeous, classic and conservative much like my top best pens I narrowed down: current


I finally did get to confirm the #6 nibs, cartridge/converter basics from the older rep and another helper who I thought was from the art store. Turns out she was their inhouse calligrapher!


In the end, all the details finally got fleshed out:


  • They are a local company
  • They give back to the community and promote fountain pen love
  • Their product is solid, classic and incredibly affordable.
  • Osprey Pens is a big win.

After my wife and I stood there receiving the speech, I'd had hoped we start a small gathering and eventually folks paid attention. But I was a little exhausted so before I committed I wanted to make the rounds especially to check out the new Sailor lighthouse.


Nothing was compelling to buy except that feel-good-rationalize-helping-pen purchase with Osprey. They didn't need it as the pen sells itself, but the young man really made an impression on us.


When I came back to purchase the black chased hard rubber much like a modern version of my Waterman's 12 POC then they pulled the rug over my eyes and showed off their other Japanese ebonites, which the other rep said were the best sellers. It was between a black top, ripple body or all ripple. Ultimately I got the all ripple Eboya replacement. Most surprising of all was when I asked for a card.


Turns out the young junior rep was the CEO/Founder, Abhi Rao! :blush: Both embarrassed and impressed, I asked for his autograph on the pen box to mark the memory, but instead he offered to write me a letter if I gave out my address.


My Milano is a special pen, but more so, Osprey pens giving back is what will ultimately serve the hobby in the long run.


Think about it.


For the hobby to grow, it needs to spark new joy in others.


Osprey Pens is on a mission and I'm grateful to support them.


The gorgeous pen is just the icing on the cake.


P.S. Turns out they've been doing this for a while and there's a bunch of solid review videos on their pens.


I have no affiliation with Osprey Pens just a satisfied customer; I think they need more exposure/marketing, though.

Edited by peroride
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Waaaaaaaaaaaaait a second.

 

 

$70?!

 

 

 

*clicks link*

 

 

 

 

HOLY (bleep).

 

 

 

I think the woodgrain ebonite model sold out JUST as I clicked add to cart.

 

booooooo. Guess I'll just have to order the black chased ebonite and wait for the oka one to come back into stock.

 

I'm going to be watching this brand like a hawk... Sorry for the pun.

Edited by Honeybadgers

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

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I emailed them asking about a potential restock of that red/brown japanese oka, and they told me they had one more sitting in stock.

 

So now I have two on the way.

 

I went with the "hourglass" "semi flex" nib with no expectations. If it sucks, it's a #6. I have a ton of spare nibs.

 

they said they expect to have the zebra G insert ready in june, but don't yet have a price. They're setting one aside for me.

Edited by Honeybadgers

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

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Lots and lots to love about you're new pen:

 

1. It looks extremely pleasing to the eye (although I think I prefer the Koroit Opal body)

2. It's a standard No. 6 nib fit (mostly)

3. The screw in feed and nib combinations on offer are total winners!

4. The fact that they offer a Zebra nib pre-packaged in a screw-in assembly is just fabulous!

5. It makes an ideal tool for ink and nib experimenters (i.e. hopeless tinkerers like me)

6. You say it writes well

7. The price is excellent (although shipping to Australia will probably cost more than the pen (if their current shipping fees are similar to most).

 

Got to get me one of these!

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I don't understand why vendor shipping costs to you guys down under are so abhorrent. It would only cost me about $15 USD to ship you a pen, just ship it with the nib separate and declare it as a parts pen for "repair or reuse"

 

If you ever decide you want one and want to do that for any pen to save on shipping, PM me.

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

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Uh Oh! When I see a pen with threaded posting, alarm bells go off in my head. Clips that aren't aligned with the nib trigger my pen OCD big-time; and caps that post to threads often end up with misaligned clips.

Question-1: When the nib is screwed down properly and the cap posted to the barrel threads, is the clip aligned with the nib?

Question-2: With the nib unit unscrewed from the pen, can you twist the feed and nib around freely to align it with the clip? Or is the nib captured in a channel by the nib unit shell and feed?

 

Thanks, David

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Gee, I wonder why I haven't heard of these guys before?

 

Anyway, here are links to the owner's manuals for the pens:

 

* Osprey Milano Product Manual

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1476/8374/files/Milano.pdf?5045086315299711149

* Osprey Scholar Product Manual

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1476/8374/files/Scholar_Final_2018.pdf?5045086315299711149

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I just bought qty.-1 of their cheaper ($30 vs. $70) pens, the acrylic "Scholor". I chose the vintage mandarin orange and black Parker Duofold wannabe version with the default scalloped M nib. The receipt says the pen will be here early next week. Here's a link and a pic:

 

Scholar - Duofold Orange in Acrylic:

 

https://www.ospreypens.com/collections/scholar/products/scholar-duofold-orange

 

Purdy Pen...

 

imagejpg_bd98ef0d-1be6-4a62-825a-40242dc

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Definitely worth looking at.

 

I'd like to see a version with the top of the barrel flush and no step downs nor threads.

 

But these are great looking Ebonite pens at a great price.

Edited by Mongoosey
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Thanks for all the replies, glad that Osprey is getting some attention

 

@Mannyonpil , @rudyhouI came for the pen but got sold on the mission :-) it is pretty, though on longer use I'm finding that the grip section can be a tad longer for my tastes, I hope they get more models.

 

@Honeybadgers I'm with you on the black chased hard rubber, not sure why pen manufacturers stopped this fine vintage touch. I wonder if Osprey can source other Japenese ebonite colors that would really be good boost. Please share your thoughts on Osprey if you care to, as I'd value someone more experienced with the hobby. I still can't get how well they executed on this high value price point on quality material.

 

@Inky-Republic the zebra G compatibility is a nice move though having to maintain is a hassle plus I don't like disposables. I'm with you on the Osprey as a good platform for experimenting :-) @Honeybadgers praise of the FPnibs flex jowo#6 might be a killer sweet addition to the Milano which I hope more manufacturers are listening about interchangeability!

 

@Drone I'm on vacation and don't have the Milano with me, but will post more pics of alignment on return. I too liked the Big Red Scholar but that ebonite felt too good:-)

 

@Mongoosey your non threaded end suggestion makes total sense. The Srebrown review mentioned silicone grease to the threads to lessen wear and tear with ebonite on ebonite so i did that for inner and outer threads but that defeats putting the pen in my pocket as I don't want to get grease on my shirt so for quick notes I skip posting and only do so for the longer writing sessions. Another option would be a friction fit with a smaller unthreaded diameter like Eboya Kyouka, maybe Osprey will listen.

Edited by peroride
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I don't understand why vendor shipping costs to you guys down under are so abhorrent. It would only cost me about $15 USD to ship you a pen, just ship it with the nib separate and declare it as a parts pen for "repair or reuse"

 

If you ever decide you want one and want to do that for any pen to save on shipping, PM me.

 

It's a carry over from a few years ago when the Aus dollar was on par with US currency. There's not much in the way of competition over here and most retailers used to figure the world owed them a fat easy living! Prices were (and to a large extent still are) absolutely outrageous for most goods and nobody seems to be able to do anything about it, with 100% markups being the norm in some retail sectors!

 

Anyway, when the value of the Aus dollar went up a few years ago, the Aussie public (tired of being ripped off) started purchasing large quantities of goods via retail websites in the US, noting that in those days, you didn't pay any taxes on imports worth less that $1,000!

 

It didn't take the US retailing industry long to realise they were onto a good thing, so while their advertised purchase prices had to remain the same (after all, their advertising is directed at everybody), they instead started adding significant mark-ups onto the postage charges. As a reaction to the loss of business, the retailing industry here lobbied the government to apply taxes to all electronically ordered goods from overseas -and subsequently won their case. Next, the value of the Aus dollar fell like a stone and the buying public is now effectively positioned between a rock and a hard place!

 

Advertised US retail prices are still much cheaper than here to start with, but once you add a minimum of $40 postage and allow for the 70 cent exchange rate, plus newly levied import taxes, you can see where this is going! Meantime with the overseas market threat eliminated, retail folks here are back to adding on the margin, although they're not quite getting away with it like they used to!

 

Anyway Honeybadgers, thanks for the offer to help out with the shipping issue, but you're likely to have every Aussie on the site sending you PM's!

Edited by Inky-Republic
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Thanks for all the replies, glad that Osprey is getting some attention

 

@Mannyonpil , @rudyhouI came for the pen but got sold on the mission :-) it is pretty, though on longer use I'm finding that the grip section can be a tad longer for my tastes, I hope they get more models.

 

@Honeybadgers I'm with you on the black chased hard rubber, not sure why pen manufacturers stopped this fine vintage touch. I wonder if Osprey can source other Japenese ebonite colors that would really be good boost. Please share your thoughts on Osprey if you care to, as I'd value someone more experienced with the hobby. I still can't get how well they executed on this high value price point on quality material.

 

@Inky-Republic the zebra G compatibility is a nice move though having to maintain is a hassle plus I don't like disposables. I'm with you on the Osprey as a good platform for experimenting :-) @Honeybadgers praise of the FPnibs flex jowo#6 might be a killer sweet addition to the Milano which I hope more manufacturers are listening about interchangeability!

 

@Drone I'm on vacation and don't have the Milano with me, but will post more pics of alignment on return. I too liked the Big Red Scholar but that ebonite felt too good:-)

 

@Mongoosey your non threaded end suggestion makes total sense. The Srebrown review mentioned silicone grease to the threads to lessen wear and tear with ebonite on ebonite so i did that for inner and outer threads but that defeats putting the pen in my pocket as I don't want to get grease on my shirt so for quick notes I skip posting and only do so for the longer writing sessions. Another option would be a friction fit with a smaller unthreaded diameter like Eboya Kyouka, maybe Osprey will listen.

 

 

The black chased one is out for delivery now. The red ripple will be here probably by monday.

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

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It's a carry over from a few years ago when the Aus dollar was on par with US currency. There's not much in the way of competition over here and most retailers used to figure the world owed them a fat easy living! Prices were (and to a large extent still are) absolutely outrageous for most goods and nobody seems to be able to do anything about it, with 100% markups being the norm in some retail sectors!

 

Anyway, when the value of the Aus dollar went up a few years ago, the Aussie public (tired of being ripped off) started purchasing large quantities of goods via retail websites in the US, noting that in those days, you didn't pay any taxes on imports worth less that $1,000!

 

It didn't take the US retailing industry long to realise they were onto a good thing, so while their advertised purchase prices had to remain the same (after all, their advertising is directed at everybody), they instead started adding significant mark-ups onto the postage charges. As a reaction to the loss of business, the retailing industry here lobbied the government to apply taxes to all electronically ordered goods from overseas -and subsequently won their case. Next, the value of the Aus dollar fell like a stone and the buying public is now effectively positioned between a rock and a hard place!

 

Advertised US retail prices are still much cheaper than here to start with, but once you add a minimum of $40 postage and allow for the 70 cent exchange rate, plus newly levied import taxes, you can see where this is going! Meantime with the overseas market threat eliminated, retail folks here are back to adding on the margin, although they're not quite getting away with it like they used to!

 

Anyway Honeybadgers, thanks for the offer to help out with the shipping issue, but you're likely to have every Aussie on the site sending you PM's!

 

 

I do know the AUD is far less worthless than its buying power implies, $100 AUD for a $60 USD video game is just stupid.

 

My offer still stands. It's no skin off my back to drop a package off at the post office and I'm already very familiar with customs forms from my nib and pen sales.

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

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I have one of the Scholars coming in Monday.

 

Just dipping my toes in the water first...

the Danitrio Fellowship

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Both of mine were actually put together in the same order (they didn't even wait for my payment on the second pen, that was very trusting of them!)

 

they also included a medium gold plated, a fine gold plated nib unit, and a fine silver plated nib.

 

First impressions on the chased rubber are that the chasing is nice and crisp and the final polish is good but not flawless. similar to Ranga, a few visible scratches from the polishing process under light.

 

But the chasing hides most all of it.

 

I really like the way they made the rear of the barrel removable for access to the converter in a way that is so much better than other pens I've seen try this - they actually give you enough room to hold the converter knob.

 

The feed is an interesting shape and I have seen it on one other pen before - the higher end kit pens that cost about $35-40 for the kit use this feed (I've got one in my collection) it's attractive and flows superbly. I'd have preferred an ebonite feed, but this pen is already well into the "insanely low cost for what you get" category.

 

it's one turn to uncap, very nice, but I don't like that it's 2 turns to post completely. I'm likely going to just loosely 3/4 turn it on if I post it, and doing that is still surprisingly secure with the cap not wiggling. It could have done with a 3/4 or 1 turn to post number of threads. I also don't like that it can wind up with the clip facing multiple directions, including straight down into the web of my hand. but since I'm not going to use it with the full 2 turns posted, I don't think that'll bother me like the cross spire, which only threads on 1/2 turn and does the same thing.

 

The cap's clip is perrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrfect. Just the right amount of gentle tension and the spinning ball is smooth and makes clipping it onto stuff smooth and easy.

 

The body is a nice thickness. It's on the medium-large size, plenty big enough to use unposted, but doesn't feel too long or backweighted by posting whatsoever.

 

The cap can crossthread if you insert the pen at an angle, but it's not a huge issue, it just jams in the first 1/8th turn and you just give it a little reverse before capping.

 

The nib, I left the "hourglass, semi flexible" medium nib in the black one and it's a superb writer. It's got my favorite kind of feedback, that pilot-esque light drag but no scratchiness or tooth. It's wet and juicy (not too much though, just the right amount) and consistent with no hard starts or skips.

 

The nib isn't flexible whatsoever, though. I like the half moon cutouts, it matches the swoopy feed shape, and man does it write NICE, but it ain't flexy or even bouncy. Jinhao #6's and bock #6's flex a lot more. So just don't expect flex and you're in for a treat. I actually thought the non-"flex" medium without the half moons was a little softer and bouncier (still not flexible, but wrote just the same, nice and smooth but tactile, perfectly tuned)

 

There is a small, heavily rounded step and super smooth, well machined threads that I can't see bothering almost anyone. The grip itself is medium sized, similar in length to the 3776, but hourglass shaped and since it's ebonite, feels wonderful in the hand.

 

And for the red oka, take everything I said and add +20% to the finish. The ebonite is stunning looking, the polishing extremely smooth, the cap threads even smoother (I think the black is indian ebonite, so the slightly tighter, smoother grain in the Japanese ebonite is apparent. The non-flex F nib is just as precise and consistent and well tuned as the M. I tested all five nibs I was sent and I couldn't find an issue (apart from the two hourglass ones not actually being flexible) with any of them. They were all slightly scratchy but wet XX/XXXF reverse writers, so a few seconds with some micro mesh will make them very usable that way.

 

Overall, very vintage feeling pen, superb writer, features and fit/finish are damned impressive. It's going very high on my list of recommendations in the $50-100 range, right up with the 3776, custom 74 and M205. It's a nice and fairly large size, and the brown one is going to be one of my new everyday pocket pens.

 

I'm sold on the brand. I can't wait to get the zebra G and their in-house dip nib units for the pens.

 

The best way I can describe them is that they're like what everyone wants a noodlers pen to be out of the box. Perfectly tuned, very moddable, high quality materials. these pens would be a good deal at $100. for $70, they're outrageous. Buy one.

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

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Both of mine were actually put together in the same order (they didn't even wait for my payment on the second pen, that was very trusting of them!)

 

they also included a medium gold plated, a fine gold plated nib unit, and a fine silver plated nib.

 

First impressions on the chased rubber are that the chasing is nice and crisp and the final polish is good but not flawless. similar to Ranga, a few visible scratches from the polishing process under light.

 

But the chasing hides most all of it.

 

I really like the way they made the rear of the barrel removable for access to the converter in a way that is so much better than other pens I've seen try this - they actually give you enough room to hold the converter knob.

 

The feed is an interesting shape and I have seen it on one other pen before - the higher end kit pens that cost about $35-40 for the kit use this feed (I've got one in my collection) it's attractive and flows superbly. I'd have preferred an ebonite feed, but this pen is already well into the "insanely low cost for what you get" category.

 

it's one turn to uncap, very nice, but I don't like that it's 2 turns to post completely. I'm likely going to just loosely 3/4 turn it on if I post it, and doing that is still surprisingly secure with the cap not wiggling. It could have done with a 3/4 or 1 turn to post number of threads. I also don't like that it can wind up with the clip facing multiple directions, including straight down into the web of my hand. but since I'm not going to use it with the full 2 turns posted, I don't think that'll bother me like the cross spire, which only threads on 1/2 turn and does the same thing.

 

The cap's clip is perrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrfect. Just the right amount of gentle tension and the spinning ball is smooth and makes clipping it onto stuff smooth and easy.

 

The body is a nice thickness. It's on the medium-large size, plenty big enough to use unposted, but doesn't feel too long or backweighted by posting whatsoever.

 

The cap can crossthread if you insert the pen at an angle, but it's not a huge issue, it just jams in the first 1/8th turn and you just give it a little reverse before capping.

 

The nib, I left the "hourglass, semi flexible" medium nib in the black one and it's a superb writer. It's got my favorite kind of feedback, that pilot-esque light drag but no scratchiness or tooth. It's wet and juicy (not too much though, just the right amount) and consistent with no hard starts or skips.

 

The nib isn't flexible whatsoever, though. I like the half moon cutouts, it matches the swoopy feed shape, and man does it write NICE, but it ain't flexy or even bouncy. Jinhao #6's and bock #6's flex a lot more. So just don't expect flex and you're in for a treat. I actually thought the non-"flex" medium without the half moons was a little softer and bouncier (still not flexible, but wrote just the same, nice and smooth but tactile, perfectly tuned)

 

There is a small, heavily rounded step and super smooth, well machined threads that I can't see bothering almost anyone. The grip itself is medium sized, similar in length to the 3776, but hourglass shaped and since it's ebonite, feels wonderful in the hand.

 

And for the red oka, take everything I said and add +20% to the finish. The ebonite is stunning looking, the polishing extremely smooth, the cap threads even smoother (I think the black is indian ebonite, so the slightly tighter, smoother grain in the Japanese ebonite is apparent. The non-flex F nib is just as precise and consistent and well tuned as the M. I tested all five nibs I was sent and I couldn't find an issue (apart from the two hourglass ones not actually being flexible) with any of them. They were all slightly scratchy but wet XX/XXXF reverse writers, so a few seconds with some micro mesh will make them very usable that way.

 

Overall, very vintage feeling pen, superb writer, features and fit/finish are damned impressive. It's going very high on my list of recommendations in the $50-100 range, right up with the 3776, custom 74 and M205. It's a nice and fairly large size, and the brown one is going to be one of my new everyday pocket pens.

 

I'm sold on the brand. I can't wait to get the zebra G and their in-house dip nib units for the pens.

 

The best way I can describe them is that they're like what everyone wants a noodlers pen to be out of the box. Perfectly tuned, very moddable, high quality materials. these pens would be a good deal at $100. for $70, they're outrageous. Buy one.

 

I like how they keep it 1 turn to uncap. You can uncap/cap it in one motion without straining the wrists. It's nothing like a Visconti, but it's still kind of a "quick-draw" screw cap.

 

The problem I've had with certain ebonite pens is the amount of turns to uncap. I fell in love with a certain ebonite pen, but because it took 3 turns to uncap I wouldn't use it. I do too much intermittent writing with fountain pens and anything that requires too many rotations starts to become a hassle for me no matter how much I try to get used to it.

 

This company's definitely high on my list to follow and see what they come up with next, especially with regards to ebonite pens.

 

I'm curious as to whether or not these dry out easily.

 

Are you going to write a review?

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I like how they keep it 1 turn to uncap. You can uncap/cap it in one motion without straining the wrists. It's nothing like a Visconti, but it's still kind of a "quick-draw" screw cap.

 

The problem I've had with certain ebonite pens is the amount of turns to uncap. I fell in love with a certain ebonite pen, but because it took 3 turns to uncap I wouldn't use it. I do too much intermittent writing with fountain pens and anything that requires too many rotations starts to become a hassle for me no matter how much I try to get used to it.

 

This company's definitely high on my list to follow and see what they come up with next, especially with regards to ebonite pens.

 

I'm curious as to whether or not these dry out easily.

 

Are you going to write a review?

 

 

The 1 turn to UNCAP is perfect. The 2 turns to POST is what annoys.

 

I'll write a review once I've had them for a few weeks. The japanese ebonite one is going into my school case for next week.

Edited by Honeybadgers

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

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@Mongoosey your non threaded end suggestion makes total sense. The Srebrown review mentioned silicone grease to the threads to lessen wear and tear with ebonite on ebonite so i did that for inner and outer threads but that defeats putting the pen in my pocket as I don't want to get grease on my shirt so for quick notes I skip posting and only do so for the longer writing sessions. Another option would be a friction fit with a smaller unthreaded diameter like Eboya Kyouka, maybe Osprey will listen.

 

Yah, I agree, that's too much hassle.

 

Greasing the outer threads sounds too messy and slippery for me.

 

I rather just accept the fact that the threads will wear and try to not be too rough.

 

That would be nice if they listened.

 

I'm not the biggest fan of the available models right now, but they're not bad, and since the pens can fit a German #6 nib and take so few turns to uncap, Osprey's gotten my attention, cuz those two aspects are not easy to find even with Ranga and FPR, and I've tried in the past having to rely on luck my wallet won't tolerate anymore.

 

I'd have to go up to Eboya to get more of what I'm looking for and at this point that seems to be the plan. But it's nice to see "Eboya alternatives" pop up.

 

 

 

The 1 turn to UNCAP is perfect. The 2 turns to POST is what annoys.

 

I'll write a review once I've had them for a few weeks. The japanese ebonite one is going into my school case for next week.

 

That posting sounds like a pain in the @$$.

 

It basically seems like a pen that's meant to post and be used for long writing sessions.

 

From looking at the photos the ebonite does look very lovely, though.

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