Review: Monteverde Intima Neon Green 1.1mm Stub Fountain Pen

You may be asking yourself “Why didn’t she own this pen already?” Trust me, I’ve been asking myself the same question since it arrived. The Monteverde Intima ($52) is a stunningly swirly mix of lime and kelly green colors with a white opalescent sheen embedded in the resin. All the hardware is black including the nib. I just hold it in my hand and admire the swirls.

The pen arrived in a cardboard slip case (which I sort of destroyed trying to get it open) which protected this epic presentation box. Its a deep forest green shimmery clamshell box with silver metallic edging and logo. Its a box that one would expect to find a much more expensive pen inside. And probably a little more dignified than my Willy Wonka green swirl, St. Patty’s Day-is-everyday pen. But that’s beside the point. The box looks impressive.

Inside is a white faux velvet lining. The bottom section with the band lifts out to reveal the box of cartridges (only two were in the box) and instructions for using the included converter which was in the pen. The box could definitely get a second life as a storage box for pens and accessories. Its durable.

This is only the second Monteverde pen I’ve used and with each experience, I’m becoming more impressed with the quality and diversity of the Monteverde product line. I was initially skeptical  of the black anodized nib but as I used the Intima, I grew to appreciate the understated-ness of the nib and hardware next to the brilliant showiness of the neon green swirls. Its a really beautiful combination.

The weight of the pen is heavier than I initially anticipated. Somehow I thought the pen would be light like a plastic Kaweco but the resin is weightier than plastic. It feels good in the hand. The nib is astoundingly smooth. I am thrilled with how well this wrote right out of the box.

The cap can be posted which makes the pen a sizeable 6.375″ long but I found the weight of the pen unposted to be most comfortable in my hand and plenty long enough (4.675″). The length of the pen capped is 5.25″.

This has immediately become my go-to pen. It writes beautifully, its perfectly weighted for my hand and its the PERFECT color.

My biggest gripes with Monteverde is a dislike for their logo. The branding on the Intima is so subtle that it is barely noticable. The black anodized nib disguises the cheeseball “architect” logotype and the pen name is silkscreened in white in a miniscule font on the reverse side from the clip on the black edge of the cap. Its completely ignorable which is a delight to a design snob like me.

The Intima comes with a converter but will accept standard European cartridges. I immediately inked mine up with a coordinating green ink, Caran D’ache Chromatics INKredible Colors Delicate Green ($32) and it is the perfect combination. Both are bright and vibrant and make me insanely happy. (A review of the Delicate Green ink will be posted soon.)

I tested this on the Rhodia Uni Blank No. 16. Its the smaller version of the Rhodia Uni Blank No. 18.

The Monteverde Intima fountain pen in neon green is a thing to behold, at least for someone like me with an uncompromising love of the color green. But don’t be frightened away, the Intima is also available in more dignified colors like Glacier Blue and Volcano Grey, both of which I like too.

The Intima is available in a variety of nib sizes and other colors if green is not your thing for $52 each at Goulet Pens. The Intima takes a #6 nib and replacement nibs are also available for $24 each in black anodized or silver. Or try out one of Goulet Pens signature nibs with the Intima. The Goulet branded nibs are available in six different nib widths for $15 each in silver or gold toned.

DISCLAIMER: This item was sent to me free of charge by Goulet Pens for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

Review: Lamy Logo F Fountain Pen in Brushed Aluminum

I recently spotted the Lamy Logo fountain pen in brushed aluminum and clicked on the Buy It Now button before I knew what I was doing. I love the Lamy nibs for their smoothness and easy interchange-ability but I don’t like the molded grip featured in the Safari/AL-Star lines so the Logo series was a perfect upgrade. The Logo features a brushed aluminum body and a ridged grip area more conducive to overhanded (hooked) lefthanders. The cap, end, clip and grip are accented with polished chrome.

The Lamy Logo is also a little narrower shaft overall compared to a Safari or Al-Star. If you’ve found the Safari/Al-Star to be a bit bulky in your hand, than the Logo may be a good option for you. I’d compare it to the width of a round pencil maybe a little bit wider but considerably more slender than the Safari.

The cap is a snap cap like other Lamy pens. Its a tight snap but I suspect it will loosen over time. As it is, it will be some time before it loosens, if ever.

The Lamy Logo accepts standard Lamy ink cartridges or the Lamy comverter for even more ink options.

I purchased the fine nib version which to my writing style feels more like a medium, even in comparison to the Kaweco fine nib fountain pen. The fine Lamy nib writes smoothly so the broadness is not really a downside. Just different.

The Lamy Logo weighs 17 gms, filled with a cartridge and capped so its a bit lighter than the Lamy Al-Star and unposted it weighs in at 13 gms — as light as a capped Kaweco Sport Classic.

Its a bit of an upsell at $45 from a Safari which is under $30 and the Al-Star which is under $40. But its still a good deal less expensive than the Lamy Studio or Lamy 2000. If the look of the TWSBI is not your taste, the Lamy Logo is a good alternative at a similar price point.

DISCLAIMER: This item was sent to me free of charge by Jet Pens for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

Hands On: Kaweco Skyline in Mint

Its a well-established fact that I love Kaweco pens. As fountain pens go, the Kaweco Sport line ticks all my boxes:

• great nib
• not too big/heavy
• reasonably priced
• pocket-able
• classic looking
• clip is optional
• interchangeable nib system

The only downside with Kaweco was the lack of appealing body colors. Beyond black, white and aluminum, I wasn’t all that keen. I currently own two out of three of the colors mentioned, so I was starting to run out reasons to add any more Kaweco Sports to my stash. Until now.

When I saw the new Skyline series in Mint, I knew immediately I had to have it.  The Grey model was a very-close second. The silver hardware and nib just add to the appeal for me. I’ve enjoyed my gold-toned hardware but I’m so glad to finally have the option for silver.

The color is the softest mint turquoise color. It looks luminous even though its a simple, opaque plastic body. A ghostly almost supernatural color. I love the color. I mean LOVE it!

The writing experience is consistent with all my previous Kaweco Sport pens – it writes smoothly, is comfortable in the hand (when posted) and generally makes me happy to use it. I prefer to use my Kaweco Sports posted with the clip which adds just enough weight to make the pen feel more substantial. I either use cartridges or reuse an old cartridge using a syringe to fill it with bottled ink. The Skyline is no different.

Despite the likelihood that the Skyline series may be limited edition, the price point makes it a pen I’m comfortable carrying around with me on a daily basis.

The Kaweco Skyline series is currently available for pre-order at Fontonplumo in the Netherlands. The Skyline is available in Mint, Grey and Black for €16.95 (about $23 US). Frank kindly sent me the first one he could get his hands on so that I could share it with you. Estimated delivery is early July.

Also, Fontoplumo is offering all Well-Appointed Desk readers a 10% discount if you enter the code WAD2014 on anything you order. This offer is good until the end of 2014. Thanks, Frank!

Attn: Lefties!

I got wordy today on The Cramped with a Fountain Pen Guide for Lefties. Big thanks to Patrick Rhone for letting me contribute.

If you have any other questions, leave them in the comments here or shoot me an email or holler on Twitter.

Link Love: Four P’s and some I’s

Inks:

• Organics Studio Nickel Teal (via Pens! Paper! Pencils!)
• Akkerman Hague Brown (via A Fool With A Pen)
• Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo (via Ed Jelley)

Pens:

• Kaweco AL Sport (EF Nib) (via The Pen Addict)
• Lamy AL-Star Blue-Green Broad (via Gourmet Pens)
• TWSBI 540 Amber Fountain Pen – F Nib (via The Clicky Post)
• Pilot Kakuno (via Alt.Haven)
• Kaweco Liliput Fountain Pen (via Ed Jelley)

Paper & Notebooks:

• Notes & Dabbles’ cloth-covered notebooks (via Notebook Stories)
• Davis Leatherworks Simple Notebook Cover (via I Laike Pens)
• Clairefontaine dot? Quo Vadis dot? (via Rhodia Drive)
• Maruman Mnemosyne Word Cards (via Ed Jelley)
• In Praise of the Original Field Notes (via The Gentleman Stationer)
• Unboxing a Midori Traveler Passport Notebook (via Seaweed Kisses)

Pencils:

• How Do You Test a Pencil (via Rhodia Drive)
• Palomino Blackwing (via Pens! Paper! Pencils!)

Penmanship:

• My Journey To Better Penmanship (via The Cramped)

Esterbrook 9314F: Fine Stub

Do you ever come across a pen or a nib you think “this is my signature pen?” The one that makes your handwriting look better without doing anything but using it? That’s how I feel about the Esterbrook 9314F Relief Fine Stub. Its from the “higher end” line of nibs from Esterbrook, the Master series and I was lucky enough to borrow a NOS version from Harvey  from the blog, My Antique Pens.

The 9314F  has a nib that is flat at the tip like a stub but its angled slightly down to the left. I had previously fallen in love with the 2442 Falcon nibs which also have the angled nibs but this was my first opportunity to compare Durachrome (the 2000-series) to Master Points (the 9000-series) Renew nibs in a head-to-head. I guess its almost a head-to-head since there is also a 2314F nib that is labelled a “Fine Stub”. I am not sure what the difference is between the 2442 fine stub and the 2314F fine stub so I guess this is as close as I’ll get at the moment.

It became obvious when comparing the three nibs that my original, well-worn 2442 is definitely lost its crispness but it writes very smoothly and consistently. The NOS 2442 writes similarly to the 9314F but I noticed that the finest cross strokes were not quite as fine in the 2442.

I still feel like I’m learning about falcon nibs, this sub-category of nibs. Some say the Falcon (also called Relief) nib is designed for people who write with a backwards slant. Others say it was meant for left-handed writers. For a bit more information about Relief/Falcon-style Esterbrook nibs, this thread on FPN is quite enlightening.

What I discovered with all three of these nibs is that I can easily write with them and get a broader stroke with some pleasing thins without altering my left-handed, overhanded writing position. I often have difficulties with broad nibs entirely and wider stub nibs are a challenge as I can’t always get the nibs to make even contact with the paper. Ah, the challenges of lefties!

(A huge thank you to Harvey at My Antique Pens for letting me take this little rarity out for a spin)

(UPDATE: Corrected post title and link to Harvey’s blog. Sometimes, I swear I should not be allowed near a keyboard before 10am and a WHOLE pot of coffee!)

Top Five Best (and Worst) Round-Up

There’s been several new Top Five pen lists pop-up on the web in the past few weeks so I thought I’d share them here.

Alt.Haven’s Top 5 Pens. The list is fountain pens but its a great assortment. Brad’s collected Top 5 Pens list includes his top five fountain pens, micro gels, plastic-tipped, inks and more. These lists will keep you busy for awhile. The Pen Habit made a video of his favorite pens for his first year of using fountain pens. While we’re talking about videos, Goulet Pens did a Top Five Graduation Pens video.

And of course, Mr. Dowdy’s Worst Pens list. I was surprised by some of the pens that made his list. I got an Ohto Dude and did not have any problems with it. I found it to be a decent low-priced fountain pen but, in general, I think fountain pens in the $25 range tend to be hit-or-miss in terms of quality control. I concur with Brad’s opinions about the TUL ballpoint but I have also had major issues with the dry time on the TUL gel and rollerball pens. If you’re left-handed or prefer quick-drying inks, I’d give the whole TUL line a miss. As for the Sliccie Multi-pens, I haven’t had any of the issues that Brad had. I’ve used the Pilot Hi-Tec C, the Pentel Sliccie, the Uni Style Fit and the Zebra Prefill and all have worked well for me. They all orbit my desk at work and get used on-and-off for meetings. I’ve not had any issues with any of them. I have even had to replace cartridges in all of them. (I did notice that I have not written a review for the Sliccie singles or multi-pen so I’ll remedy that soon.) The other pens Brad mentioned, the Bic A1 Gel and the Caran D’Ache ballpoint I have not tried because I just can’t use 0.7mm or wider gel pens without making a smeary mess and ballpoints and I do not get along.

Should I do a Top Five list? Do you have a Top Five list of your own?

Happy Ester(brook) Sunday!

Spring is the perfect time to pull out the Esterbrooks, dust them off and see which ones need a little spring cleaning. This is my whole Esterbrook collection and I can see a gaping absence of a brown or rootbeer model as well as a need for several more pastel pocket pens to fill out my collection. And I don’t have even one mechanical pencil.

Of the eight shown, five are in full working order with nibs installed. Two have my favorite stub nib, the Falcon Fine Stub 2442, the gray on the left has the legendary 9128 flex nib, the pastel pink has the 9788, the blue has the 9550.

Of course, while I had the pens out, I felt it necessary to do a little record keeping so I created a little spreadsheet inventory of the nibs I currently have and which pen they are residing in.

nib #	description	box?	in pen?
1550	Firm extra-fine, Bookkeeping	no
2284	Firm Stub, Signature Stub	yes
2442	Fine Stub, Falcon	yes	grey pearl
2442	Fine Stub, Falcon	no	red pearl
2556	Firm fine, Fine Writing	no
2556	Firm fine, Fine Writing	no
2668	Firm medium, General Writing	no
2668	Firm medium, General Writing	no
9128	Flexible Extra Fine, Fine penmanship (Pitman shorthand)	yes	grey pearl
9550	Firm Extra Fine, Bookkeeping	no	blue pearl
9555	Firm Fine, Shorthand	yes
9555	Firm Fine, Shorthand	no	pink pastel
9556	Firm Fine, Fine Writing, Records and charts	no
9668	Firm medium, General Writing	no

Clearly, I have more nibs than pens but not nearly all the possible nib options that are available:

(image via Richard Binder)

I would really like to try the 9314F Master Point version of the Fine Stub, the 2048 or 9048 “Shaded Writing” and several others. Like jelly beans, with Esterbrooks, you can’t have just one!

Link Love: Official Mascot and more catch-up

First, I’d like you to all admire my new and fully customized Link mascot thanks to my pal and co-worker Adan who, clearly, is a fabulous illustrator. I think I need Link on a t-shirt!

Now, on to the links:

Paper:

• Leuchtturm 1917 soft cover notebook review (via Pen Addict)
• “Stone” Paper (Da Vinci Notebook) (via That One Pen)
• An Obsessive’s Guide to Field Notes COLORS Editions (via Field Notes)
• PaperForFountainPens.com Tomoe River Products (via The Pen Habit)
• Brügge Notebooks Review (via Notebook Stories)
• Rhodia Webnotebook (A5, lined) notebook review (via Pens@ Paper! Pencils!)
• Monsieur Dot Grid Notebook (via Informal Scribble)
• JAWNS No. 1 Notebook Review (via The Pen Addict)

Pens:

• Comparison of D1 Refills (Part one) (via Pens! Paper! Pencils!)
• Visconti Rembrandt Fountain Pen Review (via Write To Me Often)
• Karas Kustoms Copper Bolt (via No Pen Intended)
• Esterbrook #2442 Fine Stub (via Fountain Pen Quest)
• Uni-ball Signo UM-151 Revisiting an Old Favorite (via Office Supply Geek)
• How Do You Clip Your Pens (via A Penchant For Paper)
• Pelikan M205 and Levenger Shiraz Ink (via From The Pen Cup)
• Muji Hexagonal Gel Pen – Orange, 0.4mm Review (via Ed Jelley)
• The Curious Case of the Moldy Sheaffer (via No Pen Intended)
• Retro 51 Tornado Lincoln Copper Fountain Pen Review (via The Unroyal Warrant)
• Lamy Dialog 3 Fountain Pen – Fine Nib – Black Body (via No Pen Intended)
• Pilot Vanishing Point Matte Black Body (via No Pen Intended)
• Caran d’Ache Ballpoint with Rolex Branding (via Economy Pens)

Inks:

• Montblanc Jonathan Swift Seaweed Green (via Fountain Pen Quest)
• Rohrer & Klingner Salix Ink Review (via Ed Jelley)
• Currently Inked (via Write To Me Often)
• Diamine Prussian Blue Ink Review (via Ink Of Me Fondly)
• Graf von Faber-Castell Moss Green (via Fountain Pen Quest)
• Kaweco Royal Blue ink (via A Fool With a Pen)
• Caran d’Ache Chromatics Vibrant Green (via The Pen Habit)
• Akkerman Trêves-Turquoise (via A Fool With A Pen)

Pencils:

• Palomino Golden Bear #2 Wood Cased Pencil (via The Clicky Post)
• Palomino Blackwing Pearl (via My Pencil Draws Worlds)
• New Palomino Pencil Finish (via Pencil Revolution)
• The Koh-I-Noor Triograph: The Sharpie of pencils (via Woodclinched)
• Faber-Castell Blackwing 602 (via My Pencil Draws Worlds)

Misc:

• Dudek Modern Goods Custom “Groove” Review (via The Writing Arsenal)
• Quirky Align Stapler (via Office Supply geek)

 

Kaweco Skyline in Mint

Have you seen the Kaweco Skyline series? Look at this gorgeous color? Its listed as mint and despite the fact that I need another pocket-sized Kaweco like I need a hole in my head, I’m thinking I might have to order one.

So far, the only place I’ve found them is the Fontoplumo site out of the Netherlands and the pen is listed for €16.95 (about $23US) so its in the range of the standard Sport models, price-wise. Its listed on the Kaweco site in gray and black as well — all with silver accents rather than the gold on the standard Sport models.

Ask The Desk: Dilli Flex vs. Noodler’s Creaper

M asks:

I’m new to flex pens and am looking to get an inexpensive one. I know this is a common question but was wondering what your thoughts might be on Noodler’s vs FPR? I’m looking to get either the Konrad/Creaper or Dilli/Guru. So far the consensus seems to be that the Noodler’s pens need quite a bit of tweaking and that quality control is variable, while the FPR pens feel cheaper but generally work better out of the box. Some also say that the FPR flex pens are dryer and have less give.

Would appreciate your thoughts on this!

What I discovered upon receiving this question is that I’ve never actually written up a review of the Noodler’s Creaper. I did a review of the Dilli flex though so I thought I’d use this opportunity to dive deeper and share my opinions about both of these pens.

Both pens use a split nib to create flex. The Dilli nib is a brushed finish while the Noodler’s nib is a shiny silver. The Dilli nib is slightly larger nib. Both pens use a twist piston fill mechanism which need to be filled with bottled ink. Neither pen can be fitted with cartridges or converters.

Both pens are lightweight plastic bodied pens. The Creaper has some chrome metal detailing on the pen that  makes it look like a bit higher end and a bit more durable. The Dilli just feels plasticky to me.

The Dilli nib is in a set spot, it seats into the feed in a specific location.

Alternately, there is a lot of play in how low into the pen barrel you can move the Creaper feed, thus allowing for more or less flex. The further into the pen you move the feed though, the more likely the pen is to write dry or not apply ink to the paper. As I cleaned and re-inked it, I could tell that finding the “sweet spot” for the placement of the nib and feed might be a series of trial and error experiments. I did my best to place the nib and feed in a “normal position” comparable to my non-flex nib pens and it worked well.

With both pens, I had no issues getting ink on the paper. Goulet Pens has some detailed information and videos about working with the Creaper pens and notes that they need to be completely flushed upon purchase to remove any traces of machine oil from the manufacturing process.

When writing, the Dilli had less resistance on the paper but I didn’t get as much thick-and-thin line variation on the paper. The lightest line width seemed a little wider than the lightest line with the Creaper. The Creaper had a little more resistance on the paper and a bit more spring but I liked the line variation a lot more.

I prefer the Creaper to the Dilli for a lot of reasons. Part of the joy of fountain pens is a pleasant visual experience and, to me, the Dilli looks and feels cheap. At some point, when filling it, some ink got inside the body of the Dilli pen, between the piston screw and the ink reservoir, and I cannot get it out. It now has dried ink inside a demonstrator body so it looks gross (you can see it in the top photo at the beginning of the post).

There are a few other options fro Noodler’s for the flex nib as well. The slightly larger Noodler’s Konrad can be fitted with one of the Goulet Pens #6 nibs, if your adventures in flexible nibs takes a turn for the worst, so you’ll still have a usable pen.The Ahab was specifically designed to allow for a larger ink reservoir. The Creaper, the Ahab and the Konrad are all available in a wide array of colors and finishes that will create a pleasing visual experience as well.

FPR also offers a few other pen models that feature their flex nib and that might be more visually appealing. The Triveni line look more upscale with prices in the $38-$45 range and available with a flex nib. The Guru is a bit less expensive than the Dilli and looks like it can be completely disassembled which might eliminate my crusty ink issues.

A flex nib Dilli is $18 and the Creaper is only $14.

Review: Nock Co Lookout 3-Pen Holster

I’ve always been a bit hesitant to invest in a holster-style pen case. Most of my pens retail for less than $50 so it seemed like overkill to invest in an expensive carrying case for my hacked Metropolitan or my TWSBI Mini. But thankfully, the Nock Co Kickstarter campaign put the Lookout Pen Holster in just the right price point for my assortment of loved-but-reasonably-priced pens. I selected the navy blue case with gray lining. Most of my pens are clear, silver, grey or black so the simple, classic color scheme seemed like the right choice. Besides, the initial offering from Nock Co did not include ANY green cases (hint, hint, Mr. Dowdy!).

The case feels slightly padded which makes me feel like my pens are getting even more protection and the flap tucks easily under the strap. There’s no snap or velcro to make opening and closing the case distracting in a classroom or meeting which is a big plus for me. Even with the padded feel and the three divided slots, this is still a svelte, compact case. Just enough room for your three “daily carry” pens/pencils — nothing more, nothing less.

My longest pen is the Lamy Studio but I think the clip placement has more to do with how high it sits in the case than the actual pen length. I think the green Karas Kustoms Render K looks especially nice against the grey and blue. I even tested the ginormous INK! fountain pen in the case and there’s plenty of room to spare both in height and in the width of the stitched pockets. The only pens that don’t fit quite so well are my tiny pocket pens like the Kaweco Sports and Monteverde Poquito. Maybe there will be a Little Lookout in the future?

I’m not sure what the pricing will be on the Lookout when the Nock Co store opens but I’d venture to say that $20 seems like a reasonable price for a well-made, made-in-USA pen holster case.

Review: Pilot Plumix 1.1mm

I confess that I quite specifically got the Pilot Plumix Medium Flat Italic (comparable to a 1.1mm) fountain pen ($7.25) to cannibalize the nib for the Pilot Metropolitan ($14.50) pen I have. I had the chance to try out the Plumix thanks to a local pen geek (Thanks, Geoff!) and immediately went home and ordered one. While the shape and overall outside aesthetics leave me wanting, the nib was silky smooth. I had heard other folks mention what a great nib it is for the price point and after trying it, I was sold. It is really as good as everyone says it is. Silky, silky smooth.

My first order of business was to disassemble both pens in order to swap out the nibs. While I think the medium nib on the Metropolitan is a fine nib, it doesn’t make my heart sing so I was ready to swap it out. I like the metal body of the Metropolitan line over the plastic of the Plumix and its weird, stumpy, wingnut cap even if my Metropolitan is a bit blingy in metallic gold.

I couldn’t be bothered to clean the pens before disassembly so I used a shop rag to grasped the nib and feed and gentle shimmy it out. Its basically help in the grip section by friction so it didn’t take much force or effort to remove it.

There is a notch inside the grip section that keeps the nib and feed in a specific spot but otherwise it was just a matter of shimmying it back into the other pen body to make the swap. I’d have diagrammed it more if there was anything else to it but really its: grasp, pull and then grasp and push. Also, we are talking about a combined retail value of $22 so I wasn’t too concerned about potential damage if I didn’t do it correctly.

Voila! The completed and fully customized Pilot Metropolitan italic! Total cost: $22.  This same surgery can be done if you want an extra fine nib on a Metropolitan by purchasing the Pilot Penmanship pen ($8.25).

DISCLAIMER: This item was sent to me free of charge by Jet Pens for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

(Tested on Rhodia Pad No. 18 Uni-Blank)

Link Love of Epic Proportions!

Clampersand (via Domesticated Desk)

Pens:

• Review: ACME Studio Rollerball and Fountain Pen (via J Robert Lennon)
• Zebra Prefill 3 Color Mutli-Pen (via No Pen Intended)
• Buying a Grail Pen (via Ed Jelley)
• What’s your favorite pen? (via Gizmodo)
• Pentel Energel Multiple Pen Review (via That One Pen)
• It’s all about the money boys #2: sub £20 pens (via A Fool With a Pen)
• It’s all about the money boys #3: Pens between £20-£75 (via A Fool With a Pen)
• Platinum #3776 Sai fountain pen review (via Pens! Paper! Pencils!)
• TWSBI Vac 700 Fountain Pen (via The Pencil Case Blog)
• Poppin Main Attraction Silver Pen with Magnetic Cap (via Gourmet Pens)
• A review of the Kaweco Elite (via A Fool With A Pen)
• Lamy’s CP1 Matte Black Fountain Pen (via From The Pen Cup)
• Nib Notes: Esterbrook #1551 Firm Medium School Nib (via Fountain Pen Quest)
• Nib Notes: Esterbrook #1550 Firm Extra Fine (via Fountain Pen Quest)
• Kustom Karas Retrakt Hack (via That One Pen)
• Sailor Reglus Fountain Pen Review (via The Pen Addict)
• Pen Review: TWSBI Diamond 580 (Rose Gold) (via The Pen Habit)
• Faber-Castell Ondoro Smoked Oak Fountain Pen (via The Pencil Case Blog)
• Lamy Al-Star Blue-Green 2014 (via Write To Me Often)

Ink:

• Better Off Red: A Comparison of Three Diamine Reds (via A Fool With A Pen)
• Iroshizuku Kon-Peki Ink (via Inkophile)
• Review: OrganicsStudio Pendleton’s Purpillusion (via Gourmet Pens)
• The Beginning of my Ink Collection (via Inkdependence)

Life Imitates Art: Vector Pencil Art (via Woodclinched)

Pencils:

• UPDATE: Dixon Ticonderoga Laddie Review (via The Daily Carry)
• How To Sharpen Pencils: The Documentary (via Pencil REvolution)
• Refreshed Palomino design at Pencils.com (via Woodclinched)
• Faber-Castell Grip 2001 Pencil Review (via The Pen Addict)
• Staedtler Pencil Holder 900 25 (via My Pencil Draws Worlds)
• Ink Notes: Graf von Faber-Castell Stone Grey (via Fountain Pen Quest)
• The Humble Eraser (via Rhodia Drive)

Writing & Letter-Writing:

• Journaling lessons learned (via Plannerisms)
• InCoWriMo is Over (via My Pen Needs Ink)
• How I Learned to Stop worrying and Write A Letter (via Pen Envy)

Paper & Notebooks:

• Fold an origami paper heart (via How About Orange)
• Staples are killing your document (via Strikethrough)
• Staples Arc and Levenger Circa Compatible Accessories (via Office Supply Geek)
• Baron Fig Notebook: Worth The Hype? (via Woodclinched)
• Apica CD Notebook Review (via The Pen Addict)
• 30% Off Moleskine Star Wars, Pac Man, & LEGO! (via European Paper)
• Paperblanks Mini Reporter Notebook in Grolier – Review (via Ed Jelley)

Review: Ohto DUDE Fountain Pen

   

The Ohto Dude Fountain Pen is pretty notable simply because its a metal body fountain pen for a mere $24.50. Its got a pleasing hexagonal shape, aluminum body and the cap easily posts to make it a nice sized, well-weighted pen. It takes standard European short cartridges or a converter. I used the Kaweco converter I had laying around and it worked just fine. I got the silver finish which looks like a polished aluminum. Its not as shiny as a chrome finish but is bright and definitely shiny. The Ohto Dude is also available in a lacquer black, metallic royal blue and a metallic purple finish.

The Ohto Dude metallic finish compared to the Monteverde Poquito in Chrome on the left and the Lamy Studio in brushed aluminum on the right. The Dude in the middle had the look of an unpolished aluminum.

What’s odd about the Ohto Dude, other than the name, is that it is described as a medium nib and it is NOT at all comparable to other Japanese medium nib pens. Its more like a European bold nib. It is a very broad medium and stretches the definition of a medium nib quite a bit. The nib has a little spring to it, though, which makes for some nice line variation and makes it light on the page. Its not at all scratchy and wrote easily, even when I’d left it uncapped for several minutes. Only after sitting uncapped for awhile did it need to be primed (scribbled on a piece of scratch paper to get it flowing again) and then, only just a little bit.

The smooth, molded plastic grip is quite comfortable to hold.

If you’re looking for a nice looking pen with a wide nib and a nice aluminum body, the Ohto Dude is a good option. Like vanity-sized clothing that does not run to proper sizing, the Ohto Dude should come with the caveat “runs large.” Then again, what would you expect from a pen called “Dude”?

Ink used: De Atramentis Pigeon Blue. Paper used: Rhodia No. 18 Uni-Blank Pad.

DISCLAIMER: This item was sent to me free of charge by Jet Pens for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

Review: Monteverde Poquito Fountain Pen

The fine folks over at Pen Chalet gave me the opportunity to try the new Monteverde Poquito fountain pen (Retail price $30; from Pen Chalet, $27). Its a classic looking, teeny tiny pocket pen for sure. This is the first Monteverde pen I’ve tried so I was quite excited for the chance to take my first foray into the Monteverde pen world.

The details:

The packaging was on the budget side, just a cardboard box with the pen in a plastic sleeve with an instruction sheet and a single refill cartridge. For the price point, I don’t expect presentation quality packaging but if this is a make or break for you or you were hoping to give this as a gift, I recommend creating your own presentation packaging for this pen.

The branding on this pen is quite subtle. In black on the opposite side of the cap from the clip, in small type, is the Monteverde brand name and below it in smaller text “Poquito”. I know a lot of folks are not fond on the Monteverde logo type and this is some of the most subtle application I’ve seen. Truly unobtrusive. On the top of the clip is a small emboss stamp of the Monteverde crest.

I received the chrome finish version with a “Iridium Point Germany” medium stainless steel nib. The pen has a smooth, tapered shape that made me think, “If a Fisher Space Pen and a Kaweco Sport ever merged…” then this would be the result. Good looks, totally pocketable with some steely-eyed missile man good looks.

As the comparison to the Kaweco Sport and Liliput was inevitable, here’s a quick run down of the comparison specs:

	Poquito	Kaweco Sport	Kaweco Liliput
length: closed	4.5”	4.0625”	3.75″
length: uncapped	3.75”	4”	3.5”
length: posted	5”	5.125”	5”
weight: filled & capped	17gms	12 gms	10 gms
weight: filled, no cap	11 gms	6 gms	7 gms

Overall, the physical size is quite comparable. For determining the width of the pens, the Poquito feels more like the size of a Uni-Ball Signo capped pen while the Kaweco Sport barrel has the width equivalent of a Sharpie marker. The Liliput is ever-so-slightly narrower than the Poquito and is the same diameter from end-to-end while the Poquito tapers on each end. Does that make sense?

I let my husband try the Poquito to get a “man’s perspective”. He found the pen too small overall but normally he prefers ACME pens. He couldn’t find his Fisher Space Pen so we couldn’t do a side-by-side comparison but he’s pretty confident that, when posted, the Space Pen is about a 0.5″ longer than the Poquito.

The writing experience:

The cap posts easily and does not affect the pen’s weight. The cap actually helps to weight the pen creating a pleasing writing experience. The narrower overall width of the Poquito made it comfortable in my small hands. Its wider than the Kaweco Liliput but obviously narrower than the Kaweco Sport.

The grip section is tiny with a slight ridge where the body and cap snap together. The ridges are smooth so they are not distracting but I imagine this might not be comfortable for extended writing sessions. The cap snaps on with a satisfying click.

The nib was silky smooth out of the box. I seldom use a medium nib fountain pen but this wrote so smoothly and consistently as soon as I put the accompanying cartridge in it. Not one skip or stutter. The line weight was on the finer side of medium for a European/American nib. No lefty issues with getting the ink to flow and on the paper.

The nib is stiff with no flex but I needed only the lightest touch to write and got some nice line variation and even some shading from the black ink. I would probably prefer a fine nib but I like the look and feel of the medium and is not a make-or-break aspect for me with this pen.

If the nib is any indication of Monteverde’s other fountain pens, you’ll definitely be seeing more Monteverde reviews here soon. This pen is “full of awesome” for $30 or less.

Options:

The Poquito fountain pen is new for 2014 and is also available in a dark Stone Gray, a bright metallic Turquoise and a metallic Pink finish with silver tone clip (see the colors over at FPGeeks). The Poquito line offers a stylus/ballpoint model in a similar size and an XL version.

Pen Chalet would like to offer a special discount for readers of The Well-Appointed Desk. Receive 10% off any item on their site using the coupon code wellappointeddesk, including the Poquito. Offer is good through March 31, 2014.

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DISCLAIMER: This item was sent to me free of charge by Pen Chalet for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

Link Love: Instagrammatical & TWSBIs (made-up words!)

Image credits (clockwise from top left: Noyolajose, Mary Kate McDevitt, Tuesday Next [that’s me!], FPGeeks, Rad And Hungry, MyCoffeePot, Rad And Hungry, Elltbr, and GouletPens)

Yeah for awesome Instagram friends! If you’re not following the folks in the photo collage above, I highly recommend them for wonderful office accoutrement photo yummies.

In other news:

Paper and Notebooks:

• I May Never Buy a New Moleskine Again (via Notebooks Stories)
• Fountain Pen Friendly Paper (via Rhodia Drive)
• New from Palomino : Fabio Ricci Goran Hard Cover Notebooks (via European Paper)
• Grandluxe Notebook Review and Giveaway (via Notebook Stories)
• What to do when you hate your planner (via Plannerisms)
• Semikolon Il Creativo Medium Notebook Review (via The Unroyal Warrant)

Pens and Ink:

• Budget Fountain Pens: Mini Reviews (via My Pen Needs Ink)
• Kaweco Dia2 Fountain Pen review (via The Pencil Case Blog)
• TWSBI Mini Fountain Pen in Classic Review (via Ed Jelley)
• TWSBI Classic 1.1 Stub – Pen Review (via Clicky Post)
• Lifesaver: Monteverde Artista Crystal Wild Stripe Fountain Pen (via From The Pen Cup)
• TWSBI 580 Review (via That One Pen)
• Sailor Jentle Limited Edition Autumn 2010 Oku Yama Maroon Ink Review (via The Pen Addict)
• Falling in love with an old friend (via Inkophile)
• Pentel TRF100 Tradio Fountain Pen – Black Pearl Body – M nib (via No Pen Intended)
• Video Pen Review: Parker 51 Special (via The Pen Habit)
• Cheat Sheet for the Japanese Big-3 Fountain-Pen Makers (via Yihogyun)
• How to clean cartridge pens? (via Write To Me Often)
• Montblanc Oyster Grey ink review (via A Fool With A Pen)
• Sailor Regulus Fountain Pen Review (via Pens! Paper! Pencils!)

Pencils:

• Pencil Review: Sanford Design Drawing 3800 6B (via A Penchant for Paper)
• Bent Pencils? (via Rhodia Drive)

For Valentine’s Day:

Download the hi-rez file at  Creatively Curated

• US Postal Service Customizes Valentine Postmarks (via Turn to 23)
• Make a Valentine’s Pen Bouquet (via Jet Pens Blog)
• Valentine’s Day Gift Guide (via Office Supply Geek)

Link Love: The Good, The Bad & The Postal Rate Increase

Shades of Lime (via A Penchant For Paper)

Pens & Ink:

• Kaweco Sport Luxe Fountain Pen (via The Pencil Case Blog)
• Vintage Pen Review: ca. 1929 Parker Lady Duofold “Lucky Curve” (via Pen Habit)
• The Airfoil by Masterstroke – Aviation Inspired Kickstarter Pen (via Clicky Post)
• Retro 51 Tornado Black Acrylic Fountain Pen Review (via The Pen Addict)
• ACME “Eames Chairs” Rollerball (via From The Pen Cup)
• rOtring Lava Multipen Review (via The Clicky Post)
• Bic Duo Ballpoint & Highlighter (via No Pen Intended)
• From The Archive: Pens (via A Penchant For Paper)
• Yasutomo Y&C Stylist Gel Ink Pen Review (via The Pen Addict)
• A Survey of Browns (via Inkdependence)
• Sailor Jentle Sky High Blue Ink (via Ink of Me Fondly)

Pencils:

• Start With A Pencil (via Woodclinched)
• Golden Bear #2 HB Pencil Review (via The Daily Carry)

Paper:

• Tomoe River Paper (via Inkophile)
• Black n’ Red Notebook Review (via The Pen Addict)
• bRead Notebook in White, Wheat, & Whole Wheat (via No Pen Intended)

US Postal Rate Increases (illustration by Donovan Beeson via Letter Writers Alliance)

Misc:

• Stationery Travel Kit (via East, West, Everywhere)
• Philadelphia Pen Show Recap (via That One Pen)
• Do You Keep Your Pen Boxes (via My Pen Needs Ink)

Kaweco Art Sport Amber Fine Nib

You may recognize this pen from Brad’s review posted a couple months ago. It might look almost identical because it is the same pen. Brad kindly sent it over to me after I whined mercilessly about not getting any love from Kaweco. Then he sent me a replacement nib for it so that I could have what in my head is the PERFECT pen.

I love Kaweco Sports with a retriever-like loyalty and the addition of the pattern mixed acrylic bodies take this pen to a new level of class and good looks.

I originally attempted to use it with the B broad nib that Brad had used but I found it too juicy for me. He sent me a fine nib in silver and I’m now in the process of ordering a silver clip to coordinate with it. While I think the gold nib on the amber body is gorgeous, I’m happy to let the Art Sport live its own life with its bright shiny new silver nib and clip.

Both nibs write as smoothly as I’ve come to expect from Kaweco nibs. Really, the luxury of this pen is the one-of-a-kind look of the acrylic bodies. Its a considerable upcharge from the standard Kaweco Sport pens. For me, its the right kind of upgrade. I would love an option to upgrade to a 14K gold nib on an Art Sport. That would be a holy grail pen for me.

I’ve included a little writing sample though its the same nibs as any of the other Sport line, it is not the same unit though so swapping nibs between a Sport and an Art Sport is not recommended since you’d have to remove just the nib, not the whole nib unit.

While the end cap has the gold logo and the nib is silver, I think its an acceptable arrangement. And oh, that amber acrylic is fabulous!

For reviews of other Kaweco products, see my Kaweco Student Review, Kaweco Guilloch 1930 EF, Kaweco Liliput EF, Kaweco Highlighter Pen and Kaweco Sports F reviews.

Stylus Fine Pens sells the Art Sports, in all the color varieties for $125 each. I really like the Alabaster and Akeshir versions as well.

Link Love: Puns and Paper

(Ironic artwork)

Paper:

• World War 2 Diaries Found in Attic (via Notebook Stories)
• Pocket Notebooks: What does Fountain Pen Friendly really mean? (via Ed Jelley)
• Paperblanks Journals (via Inkophile)
• Moleskine Cahier Pocket Notebook (vi Ink of Me Fondly)

Pens and Ink:

• Esterbrook #1461 Rigid Fine (via Fountain Pen Quest)
• Kaweco Carribean Turquoise Ink (via The Pencil Case Blog)
• Kaweco Allrounder Fountain Pen (via Office Supply Geek)
• Delta Fusion 82 Fountain Pen Review (via From The Pen Cup)
• Friends don’t let friends let the ink dry up in their fountain pens (via Rhodia Drive)
• Pilot Razor Point Marker Stick Pen 0.5MM Review (via The Royal Warrant)

50 Shades of Grey: Mechanical Pencils (via Wired)

Pencils:

• Forest Choice Pencil by Palomino (via The Daily Carry)
• Tombow 2558 B (via Economy Pens)

Misc:

• US Postal Rate Increases (via Letter Writers Alliance)
• Printable Calendars (via Paper Pastries)
• Inspiring Mousepads (via Domesticatd Desk)

Review: Pilot Kakuno Fine Nib

I finally got a hold of a Pilot Kakuno Fountain Pen. Its an introductory fountain pen, originally targeted to school kids, with its plastic body and low price ($16.50).

The cap has no clip and is the part of the pen available in a variety of colors.  I, of course, bought the lime green cap version with a fine nib. There are other color caps available: red, blue, pink, gray and orange. The cap snaps into place and the divot on the cap is the grip area for grabbing and removing the cap. The body on all the Kakuno pens is an opaque, slate grey. The grip area is a translucent grey-black.

Its a very lightweight pen but the cap can be posted on the pen to give it a little bit more weight and makes it a comfortable length for just about any hand size.

One of the most endearing features of the Kakuno is the etched smiley face on the nib. This is a nib that should make you smile on a Monday morning.

The nib is as smooth and silky as the nib I have in my Prera. The grip has a faceted grip area like a hexagonal pencil but has soft, rounded edges that does not dig into my hands the way the Lamy Safari does. But the grip area will help people using fountain pens for the first time find the right hand placement.

I used a standard Pilot blue-black cartridge ($4) for my writing sample though the pen does ship with one black cartridge. I also purchased a CON-50 converter ($8.25) to use with bottled inks. The total cost is $24.75 for the pen and the converter which is a very competitive price for a first fountain pen.

Overall, I love the nib and the grip area is a lovely compromise between the rigid grip area of a Lamy Safari. The green cap is a perfect lime but, I find the look of the pen plastic to be a little kid-like for me. With the exception of the cap, the pen is very unassuming. Though I think it will definitely be a pen I use and keep in my office. The Kakuno is a great value.

EDIT: The grip area is actually a rounded triangular shape.

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DISCLAIMER: This item was sent to me free of charge by Jet Pens for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

Link Love: The Deja Vu Edition

A lot of topics I’ve mentioned in the past, have made appearances on other blogs this week. I thought I’d start with those…

Note: In this section, the first link is my original post and the links in parentheses are the posts from other bloggers.

• Write Notepads (via Pencil Revolution and My Pen Needs Ink)
• Standard Memorandum (review via Ed Jelley and Unroyal Warrant)
• Hobonichi Planner (review from Notebook Stories)
• Plants in the workplace (via Fast Company)

(via Pelikan Edelstein)

And now back to our regularly scheduled Link Love:

Paper:

• Arc Customizable Notebook System (via Office Supply Geek)
• Notebooks (via Put This On)
• Ink Samples in a Maruman Mnemosyne Word Book (via Pen Addict)

Pencils, Pens & Ink:

• TWSBI Vac 700 (via That One Pen)
• Fountain Pen Experts Share Their Favorite Pen (via Best Fountain Pen)
• Kaweco Art Sport in Alabaster (via Clicky Post)
• Weekly Loadout: Mike Dudek (via Ed Jelley)
• TWSBI Classic (via That One Pen)
• Kickstarter: Hands-On with the Masterstoke Airfoil Ballpoint Pen (via Ed Jelley)
• Esterbrook #1314 Flexible Stub (via Fountain Pen Quest)
• Tombow Mono 100 Review (via Pencil Revolution)
• Diamine Registrar’s Ink (via Ed Jelley)

Misc:

• Accidental Early Review of the Nock Co. Brasstown (via The Daily Carry)
• Colored Staples That Actually Work (via Office Supply Geek)
• Good Stuff on my Desk (via Inkophile)

Ask The Desk: Clogged Fountain Pens

Tom asks:

Several of my fountain pens seem to be clogged.  Certainly the ink does not flow as freely as it did when they were new.

The tried and true cures – such as soaking in a bowl of warm water with two drops of ammonia – do not seem to work.

What is the approved 21st Century approach?

Many thanks,
Tom

I have not had a lot of clogging issues myself. I have purchased several old pens that needed cleaning and I just let them soak in warm water for several days, changing the water every day and then flushing the pen completely with good success.

Since it sound like you have more serious issues, I put a call out to some of the folks out on Twitter and here are there responses:

1. Azizah from Gourmet Pens: Can you disassemble it? Soak it in 10% ammonia and 90% water (section and nib) and flush it out with water.. Should clear it.
2. Inktronics says: Time for a total tear down and getting the toothbrush out.
3. FPGeeks says: After Azizah’s advice, next step would be to use ultrasonic cleaner.
4. Anderson Pens says: How long did they let it soak? Overnight at least if no ultrasonic or use a bulb to force water through the feed.

I would also wonder about the ink that you are using if you are continuing to have clogging issues. You may want to try a new, different ink once you get your pen cleaned out to see if the issue was a result of gritty ink.

I hope these tips help. Let us all know if you have any luck.

Ask The Desk: Condensation in my TWSBI

Chris asks:

My wife bought me my first TWSBI for Christmas this year–a TWSBI Mini demonstrator. I’ve filled it with Iroshizuku Kon-Peki and carry it in my front shirt pocket, right next to my heart.

One problem: I’ve had trouble with moisture collecting inside the cap and the grip section of the pen. Initially the cap was the only culprit. Now, the condensation is found in both locations. The cap is easy enough to clear with a cue-tip, but the grip is a little more difficult.

Have you had problems with moisture so collecting in any of your TWSBIs or is there something I could do to prevent it?

I suspect the moisture is a result of condensation from the temperature changes. Especially if you are keeping your pen close to your body, it may warm up. Then when it cools on your desk or faces the arctic outdoor temperature shifts, there may be some moisture that builds up in the cap. I suspect that other fountain pens may face the same issue but without the clear cap and grip, we don’t ever notice it.

A quick search on the internet for “demonstrator fountain pen condensation” revealed that this is not an issue exclusive to the TWSBIs. It appears that most demonstrator pens will reveal some sort of condensation or ink in the cap over time.

My Mini tends to get it less frequently in the grip area unless I’ve recently cleaned it. If I don’t let it dry completely before reassembly, I get moisture in the grip section as well. With a firm push on the threaded end of the nib unit, it should pop out of the grip area allowing you to easily swab out any condensation build-up. Then reassemble it.

I have some of those long cotton swabs on a wooden stick that let me wipe away any moisture or stray ink from the inside of the cap though a standard issue Q-Tip should reach just fine.

Does anyone have advice for minimizing the condensation build-up?

Link Love: Boxing Day Edition

Fabulous video of a hand-writing automaton boy built over 240 years ago (via Letter Writers Alliance)

Paper & Notebooks:

• Studio Ghibli Moleskine (not for sale) (via Notebook Stories)
• Overview of the Word Standard Memorandum (via East, West, Everywhere)
• Doane Flap Jotter Notepad Review (via Ed Jelley)
• Scout Books Mega DIY Notebooks (via Design Concussion)
• Nock Co. Hobonichi Planner Cover Review (via The Pen Addict)
• Hobonichi Planner Review (via Unroyal Warrant)
• Gift Suggestions for Pen Pals (via Letter Writers Alliance)

Pen Pal Interview with Josh Scruggs (via Jet Pens Blog and 26symbols)

Pens and Ink:

• Designing the Karas Kustoms Ink fountain pen (via Design Concussion)
• Ink Fountain Pen reviews (via From the Pen Cup and Clicky Post)
• Esterbrook J Fountain Pen Review with Gregg Shorthand 9556 nib (via The Pen Addict)
• Listening While You Write (via My Pen Needs Ink)
• Pilot Kakuno Fountain Pen Review (via The Pen Addict)
• Montblanc Toffee Brown (via The Pencil Case Blog)
• Private Reserve Orange Crush (via Ink of Me Fondly)
• Kaweco Sepia Brown (via Ed Jelley)
• “Expensive” Fountain Pens Just 30 or Under (via No Pen Intended)

Misc:

• Origami Santas (via How About Orange)
• Foldio Kickstarter: Paper foldable portable photo light box (via Design Work Life)
• Doxie portable scanner review (via Notebook Stories)