The Good Blue R615

[mizgeorge]

The Good Blue R615
Fine Flex and Calligraphy Nibs both with polymer feed. Bought direct from thegoodblue.co.uk

 

First Impressions
I took some months to decide to buy this one after their launch last year. Ideally, I'd have liked to buy a nib unit, but these are not available separately, unless buying a pen, so when the new black/steel option came up, I thought it might be worth a try. I dislike raw brass on pens (in particular the smell they leave on my fingers), and quite enjoy the stealth element of the matte black finish.

 

I loved the enthusiasm of the maker, and I'm always keen to support smaller local producers, though I'm slightly disappointed to see this now being offered by Cult Pens, which makes it feel a bit more ordinary.

 

Appearance and Design

(images from maker's website)

The pen is not unattractive. Well finished matte black aluminium, with a flattened side that functions well as a roll stop. The step to the section is steep, but is long enough not to get in the way - unfortunately, this also gives something of the appearance of a kit pen. 

Weight and Dimensions

• Length 150mm capped, 138mm uncapped (inc nib)
• Diameter 16mm
• Section 10.5mm
• Weight 44.18g capped 34.16g uncapped
• Materials Anodised Aluminium, Stainless Steel

The weight was a big issue for me. It's right at the top end of what I find comfortable to write with. It's also very much weighted to the section - which for a regular pen would probably be alright, but for something designed to use as a flex writer is clumsy - it almost needs weight added at the back to balance it and keep upstrokes light, but it doesn't post, and would be far too heavy for me to write with comfortably if it did.

 

The cap opens in less than a turn and has a positive open/closed action, with the flat area matching up perfectly each time - I cannot fault the care taken in the manufacturing process. 

 

The section is etched at the nib end, and has just enough texture not to be slippery, but does feel 'cold' - which is somehow incongruous for a more artistic pen.

 

Nib and Performance
I chose both a fine flex (tipped) and calligraphy flex (untipped) to try. Both are attractively etched. The fine flex is comparable to many existing steel nibs such as those from FPR, Kanwrite and others, and is perfectly nice to use, but nothing special.

 

I had high hopes for the calligraphy flex -  from the samples I'd seen and the writeups I was expecting it to be similar to a moderately flexible dip nib - perhaps not as good as a Blue Dew or G-type, but certainly a great deal more than it actually is. The snapback is not terrible, but the nib requires far more pressure than it should to get anything approaching decent flex. The lack of tipping does give nicely fine upstrokes, but the amount of pressure needed makes the whole experience scratchy and underwhelming. 

 

What is good is the polymer feed - It's every bit as wet as a modified ebonite, far better than plastic, and quite fun as it's white and takes on the ink colour. Easy to clean, but I haven't had it long enough to test its longevity. If I could, I would definitely buy spares of these, and would probably use them with other nibs too. The only times I've had issues with performance have been when the converter is just too low on ink to deliver enough to the feed.

 

Filling System
Standard c/c
Nothing really to add, but I do think flex nibs need better capacity than this.

 

Cost and Value
£119 for pen with fine flex/polymer feed.
Additional nib/polymer feed £25 
Ti nib (I'm pleased I didn't opt for this) £50 extra

 

The quality of manufacture is very good, but sadly, the writing experience devalued that. 

 

Conclusion
Overall, I admit to being a little disappointed. The only part of the whole package that has impressed me is the feed, and it's a high price to pay for that. 

 

I'm not going to score with marks out of 10, because I think my opinions on this one are very subjective, and would be very different from someone who liked metal pens, liked heavier pens, or was just trying out flex nibs for the first time (or had never used a vintage option). 

 

I don't see this one staying with me long term. I'm sure there are plenty of people out there that will really enjoy it, but there are just too many things on the cons side of the table for me.
 

 

[OldTravelingShoe]

Many thanks, @mizgeorge, I had a look at this one and decided I will wait a bit for someone I trust to review it. Your review is excellent and helped me make up my mind. 

[Gloucesterman]

Even though the online reviewers - Steven Brown and David (Figboot) had glowing comments, IIRC, about this pen I take your review with a greater degree of credibility for us "regular" pen people. If I were in the market for this type of pen I would wait a (long?) while before actually buying this pen.

 

The only question I have for you is, "do you think the un-tipped nib will loosen up over time with more use?

 

Meanwhile, thank yo so much for a really good review.

[DrDebG]

Great review, mizgeorge!  

 

It is nice to see small manufacturers offering something a little different that the standard fare.  I will have to look into this.  

[amberleadavis]

Thank you for the great review.

[dftr]

Your writing and the flex demonstrated looks great.

 

Is it the ergonomics (weight/nonposting cap etc) that lead to your disappointment or were you expecting more line variation?

[A Smug Dill]

Thank you for the informative review!

 

8 hours ago, mizgeorge said:

The fine flex is comparable to many existing steel nibs such as those from FPR, Kanwrite and others, and is perfectly nice to use, but nothing special.

 

Exactly what I wanted to know or confirm (or be pleasant surprised if you'd reported the contrary). It looked kinda like an FPR flex nib to me from the product photos. Not being a physicist or engineer, I would expect that unless Good Blue chose to use a different metal/ alloy, or otherwise made the nib uncommonly thin at strategic spots, the performance would not be that much different; and the cutouts on the sides suggest to me that thinning down the metal was not the approach the designer/ manufacturer has taken in order to provide flexibility.

 

[mizgeorge]

2 hours ago, Gloucesterman said:

Even though the online reviewers - Steven Brown and David (Figboot) had glowing comments, IIRC, about this pen I take your review with a greater degree of credibility for us "regular" pen people. If I were in the market for this type of pen I would wait a (long?) while before actually buying this pen.

 

The only question I have for you is, "do you think the un-tipped nib will loosen up over time with more use?

 

Meanwhile, thank yo so much for a really good review.

I've used the untipped nib a fair bit now, and I think the only way it's going to improve is if I thin it down a bit or modify the shoulders further, and whilst that's not terribly difficult to do, I'm not sure if I can be bothered - especially as I have better options available. What I'm more likely to do is take the feed and use it with one of my Good Blue nibs, which I'm far happier with, but definitely need better ink supply.

 

 

48 minutes ago, dftr said:

Your writing and the flex demonstrated looks great.

 

Is it the ergonomics (weight/nonposting cap etc) that lead to your disappointment or were you expecting more line variation?

 

I think it's a combination of the two. If I treat it as a 'regular' fountain pen, it's fine - and as an everyday pen, I'm sure it will appeal to many - I just find it too heavy - I have a couple of Gravitas pens made with similar materials that are significantly lighter, cheaper and more ergonomically pleasing. And they post as well! 

 

However, For the same price I can get a Pilot Custom 912 FA, which whilst not a flex nib (and I never use it as such) gives me as much or more variation and is far more enjoyable to use. For a fair amount less I can get an FPR Jaipur V2 or a Kanwrite Heritage with an ultraflex nib either of which hold a great deal more ink and are easy to maintain. Or I can put one of their nibs in an Opus 88 and have even more ink to play with. It's definitely one of those rare occasions where I wish I could have tried before buying.

 

36 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

Thank you for the informative review!

 

 

Exactly what I wanted to know or confirm (or be pleasant surprised if you'd reported the contrary). It looked kinda like an FPR flex nib to me from the product photos. Not being a physicist or engineer, I would expect that unless Good Blue chose to use a different metal/ alloy, or otherwise made the nib uncommonly thin at strategic spots, the performance would not be that much different; and the cutouts on the sides suggest to me that thinning down the metal was not the approach the designer/ manufacturer has taken in order to provide flexibility.

 

Exactly. And of course I may well end up doing some thinning down, just for the hell of it. 

 

I'm chalking it up as a learning experience

[Paul-in-SF]

Thanks for the review. I had been aware of this company, and was mildly interested mostly for the polymer feed -- something new (as far as I knew) and potentially very useful. It really helps to be able to read this kind of feedback, so especially thanks for being the one to experiment and share the results. 

[TheseAreMyPens]

Thank you so much for this review. The writing experience would have to be rather special, for me, to overcome the industrial design and feel (and smell) of cold metal on fingers. The company’s research into polymer feeds and the ongoing quest for modern flex joy is appreciated, though. 

[PAKMAN]

I just saw this review and knew nothing about this pen before seeing them at the Arkansas Pen Show. Vanness Pens carries them now and had a special edition made for them in blue Cerakote. I got to play with a new Ti nib and with one that had some miles on it and they do actually loosen up and become more flexible over time.  This version has the brass fittings and does feel warmer in your hand, I opted for the Ti nib. I bought it and have had fun using it. The nib has "for the love of flex" etched on it.