Category Archives: FOUNTAIN PENS

PEN REVIEW: Noodler’s Nib Creaper Flex Pen

Posted on by
Reply

Made by Noodler’s (love his inks!), I was excited about getting this gem in the mail from Goulet Pens.

So excited that I ripped into the box, tossed it and the packaging over my shoulder without reading any of it, and inked this bad girl up.

This was quite some time ago. And I didn’t love it. The pen (as I remember) felt scratchy and decidedly inflexible.
Last week, I saw this video from Brian Goulet. 
“Nib and feed are friction fit.”   Ohhhhhhh.
“Further in the nib is pushed, the less flex you’ll have.” Yes, yes, that makes sense!
“The feed, the further in it’s pushed, the less…”
“The closer the feed to the tip of the nib, the more….”
At around 7:42, Brian says that he’s tried to film his video multiple times and each time, it’s done something different. He’s a trooper!
I am not.
I know some people love the fiddle-factor of fountain pens. I’m not one of those people. I’m a grab and go girl (don’t be gross). 
I got zero flex from this pen. I’m sure it’s me.  Look at the reviews over at Goulet’s. People love these things.
So. I’m not going to post a writing sample – I realize that the biggest with this pen is user error on my part. 
You know what I’m going to do? Hahaa – I’m going to ask Mr. P if he would like to watch that video and give it a go. He’s probably geeky enough to want to try. Once he has it going, I’ll steal the (filled) pen back from him and post a sample.
OK….chime in. Fiddler? or Grabber? Which are you? (Don’t be gross.)

PEN REVIEW: Pilot Varsity All Colors

Posted on by
Reply

We’ve already looked at the blue – and now here are the remaining colors of the Varsity Pilot fountain pens.

The Classics
Some people worry that something is wrong with the pen when they see the ink down in the section (the part of the pen between the barrel and the nib). This is perfectly normal and is a result of the ink moving through the feed system into the nib. In most pens, this part of the pen is opaque – but if you could see, you would see – this is perfectly normal.

Handy Ink Window

The Whole Enchilada
Bottom Line? In a pinch, these get the job done. The colors are fun.

PEN REVIEW: Pilot Varsity Blue

Posted on by
Reply

Nearly everyone who has been attracted to fountain pens has given one these a try. Some people even convert their empties to eyedropper pens and use them forever.

I always think it’s interesting when someone recommends a cheapie pen to someone interested in trying a fountain pen for the first time.

I think handing them something fancy pants would be the better choice. Let the new use experience the best right from the start. But isn’t a brave fountain pen user who is willing to hand over their luxury pen to a newbie?

My assessment….it writes. It’s not smooth. The ink is well-saturated. As you’ll see in coming weeks, I have managed to Collect Them All.  I’ll be giving them away. Probably to a newbie..haha.

Sound off below. Have you tried the Pilot Varsity?

PEN REVIEW: Noodler’s Ahab Flex Nib

Posted on by
Reply

First, I sincerely apologize for the background. I thought I’d experiment a bit and I’m the first to admit that this is one experiment that should not be repeated. I’m not even wild about pink – who knows what I was thinking!

Anyway. Noodler’s Ahab Flex Nib!

Love…
…it’s a demonstrator
…the filling mechanism – slide piston – fun and different

Indifferent….
…large ink capacity. I know this matters to some fountain pen users, but I like to change ink rather frequently so (at least in this instance) size doesn’t matter
…can be used as an eyedropper pen with extra huge capacity. Again, I’m unlikely to take advantage of this feature

Meh….
..it’s not the smoothest writing pen out there

Con…
..because of the resin used, Noodler’s pens can have a…scent

Pro..
..this one didn’t stink at all

Love….
..the price tag – just $20, yo

Disclaimer….
..it’s a flex nib. I’m a total n00b when it comes to flex nibs. I didn’t read the instructions (I’m pentulant like that)

Love…
..easy to disassemble
..easy to clean (big love!)

A breather tube also comes with the pen. Where is mine? I don’t know. Man, I hope I didn’t throw it out. The tube helps the pen from “burping” out ink. I can’t imagine what a mess that would be.

It wrote well. I didn’t clean it before using (pentulant), but that didn’t seem to matter. Of course, you should clean yours.
I got mine from Goulet Pens. Even if you don’t buy yours there, you should watch the videos that Brian has done. Very informative.  
Oh..what’s my bottom line?  I like it, it’s fun, I don’t know that it’s going to make it into my regular rotation. Indifferent – that’s my bottom line.
xo

EDISON PEN CO: Pneumatic Filler!

Posted on by
Reply
image from edison pen co

Say what?!

Edison Pen Co. has announced their Pneumatic Filler fountain pen.

And check that out – it comes in the same tortoise fleck of my pretty new pen – which you can see here and here.

One of my big concerns about this pen was the sac. I’ve read tales of people having to scrape old latex sacs out of pens to replace them. Turns out, these sacs are silicone and those are better for a lot of reasons discussed at the link.

I probably won’t be getting one of these. At least not right away. After the holidays, I’m on a bit of a pen diet. We’ll see how long that lasts – ha!  But these are really cool – and I now have first-hand experience – Edison Pen Co makes amazing pens.

What do you think? Will these be popular with the cool kids? Will you get one?

PEN REVIEW: Edison Nouveau LE Encore

Posted on by
1

How pretty is that??

This pen is the brainchild of Brian Goulet of Goulet Pens and Brian Gray of Edison Pens. Hopefully, they will have a new limited edition pen for us each year.

You can read my Pen Preview of the Edison Nouveau LE Encore. Lots more pictures there.

I wrote in that post that the one maybe negative was that the section doesn’t fit flush with the barrel. Total non-issue in use. Didn’t feel it, didn’t think about it. Non-issue.

This is the first review with my new form. I got so excited about inking and using the pen that I didn’t weigh it, measure it, or anything else. (I’m rethinking the idea of including weights and measures – or maybe I’ll just include anecdotal information like, “too short,” or “feels right,” we’ll see.) Since then, I’ve cheated and looked at the full description over on Goulet Pens. It weighs 16g and measures 5.2″ when closed.

Honestly, I considered not using the pen at all – it’s #3 in a production run of 70 and that makes it feel almost too special to use. But, really? All of my pens are for using. I don’t plan to sell any of them and so if I don’t use them – what’s the point?

I note in my handwritten review that I was maybe regretting the medium nib – thinking I should have gotten the fine. After using it for a bit, though, the medium is a good choice, but I would also like to have an Edison with a fine nib. Pentulant, you know.

Later in the review I discuss that I’m already planning my next Edison purchase. Actually, though, I gave Mr. Pentulant the Edison Beaumont for Christmas. It’s #2 in this picture. The Beaumont was named Pen of the Year (2012). Mr. P hasn’t inked the pen yet. If he doesn’t soon, I may need to recall the gift. Pentulant again.

Annnnyway….

click to view larger

The Edison Nouveau is comfortable, balanced, and pretty pretty pretty. Definitely going into regular use around here.

After I wrote all of the above, I asked Mr. P (aka Jeff) if he would like to take it for a spin. He likes it a lot. “Smooth. Like butter.”

But look, he’s also having intermittent start issues. I do feel like this is an issue of not being able to find the sweet spot and not an issue with feed or anything like that. The more I write with it, the less problems I seem to have.

Bottom line?  True love!

PEN PREVIEW: Edison Nouveau LE Encore Tortoise Fleck

Posted on by
Reply

Oooh…lookie at what I got!

It’s what happens when Edison Pen Co and Goulet Pens get together – the Edison Nouveau LE Encore Tortoise Fleck.

Is that the cat’s meow? The translucency. Dude, it practically glows.  These pictures were taken last week – early morning, low light.

I like the trim. Perhaps a bit deco? The top ring of the clip is concealed – giving the entire piece a more expensive feel.

The pen is super-comfy to hold. It’s a bit lighter than expected. I wonder what a man with bigger hands would think of it. It’s definitely well-balanced. A real joy to hold. (That sounds a bit corny, but I mean it!)

I have a problem. Totally a first world problem. I have too many pens and inks and not enough time to pay them all of the attention they deserve.

If there’s one small negative about the Encore, it’s that the section doesn’t fit completely flush with the barrel. It’s not a big deal – though my fingers to repeatedly search out this perceived imperfection each time I hold the pen. I wonder if it will be a bigger deal over time.

I paid $185. This is a crazy-good price for a run of 70 pens. CrAZy-GoOd!

Here’s the full description from Goulet Pens. Mine is a medium nib. I swear, I always regret going medium. I find myself wishing I’d gone with a fine nib – and this before I even ink it up. How crazy is that?

I posted my very first impressions over on FPN last week.

Which limited edition pens do you own?

PEN REVIEW: Lamy Safari White

Posted on by
Reply

Clean!
Fresh!
Sharp!
I’ve been loving my Lamy Safaris lately. This one is white with a medium stainless nib.
Let’s havea quick look at this pretty thing. More in-depth reviews are coming up next week. Stay tuned.

It has a nice glossy quality to it.  I used to haaaate the look of the huge clip, but isn’t that nice looking? Like it could really hold on to something.  (Do you clip your pens to your shirts? Does anyone?)

Pen porn…

The converter doesn’t come with the pen. Inconvenient. But it does come with a cartridge. Convenient. If you’re into those. I’m not.

Love the way it writes. Love.  (Click to make images bigger.)

PEN REVIEW: Libelle Autumn Leaves

Posted on by
2
This pretty little number was a gift from a friend. I’ve had it for years – I’m guessing since 2005 or so – but have not used it much.
Love the variations in colors and the special look of the top/bottom. Nice.
A bit of translucency in the right light . . .
Sleek – with a great shape. Easy to hold. Well-balanced. Comfortable. Posted well.
The clip has a very art deco look to it, yes? Look at those swirls of color. Yummy.
This pen was part of a series from Libelle and has since been discontinued. These were not super-expensive pens – around $80 or so – and seem to be quite collectable now.
The only place I really spotted the “cheap” is in the threads – they aren’t the very fine sort that I see in much more expensive pens. Not a big deal.
Mine is a medium nib.
And the $1,000,000 question: How did it write?
Beautifully. Smooth with just a bit of feedback. No scritchy-scratchy. Not to floaty over the paper. Just right.
A comfortable pen always make my handwriting look pretty. No hard starts, no skipping. Just right.

I used Noodler’s Black Eel ink on Clairefontaine Triomphe paper.  The flow was perfect for me.
A great writing experience.
Suggest making the following recipe for fall football games. Also suggest moderating the amount of hot sauce.
Tell me what you’re thinking? Love Libelle? Love hot sauce?  😉