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Fingers Were Meant to be Inky

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Pelikan Classic M200 Fountain Pen Review

The Pelikan Classic M200 Fountain Pen in Green Swirl Resin with a black cap and piston-filling knob, Capped

Nice to meet you, Peli. I though you’d be broader.

Pelikan Classic M20o Fountain Pen

Price: $152.00
Nib: Extra Fine
Filling System: Piston

About the Pen:

On a recent trip to New York City, I stopped by the Fountain Pen Hospital to see how much trouble I could get into. They had a pile of Pelikans in a case near the front of the store, and the green and pearl swirls of an M200 caught my eye. Such a beautiful pen!

As I meandered around the store, the damn thing kept calling to me: “Kennnnnnnnnnnn! Buuuuuuyyyyyy mmmmeeeeeeeeee! You’ll loooooooove mmmeeeeeee!” I fell in love with the way it looked, but I was hesitant to spend that much money on a European pen that may be too broad for me to use every day. Regardless of how expensive a pen is, I buy it to use it, not to display it as art.

A close-up shot of the Pelikan M200 barrel's green and pearl swirls

I milled about the store for a while, but kept coming back to those luscious swirls. They didn’t have an EF on-hand, but they did let me test one with a Fine nib. I liked it a lot (super smooth), but as I expected, it was a little too broad for my everyday use. I took a chance and asked them if they could swap out an EF nib from another M200, and the dude was like “Oh yeah, sure, no problem!” So I screamed “Sign me up!” and threw money at him. I didn’t test the EF before leaving, so I wasn’t sure what to expect when I got home.

Shock of shocks: This EF really is… Read More

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Quick Look: Toucan-A-Palooza

All six Toucan ink swabs (Scarlet, Bright Blue, Sienna, Crimson, Aqua, and Orange)

Toucan Inks: Bright Colors from Down Under

Toucan inks are made by a company called Dye Manufacturers of Australia, which has been around since the early 1900s. In about 1918, they started to sell dyes meant for clothing and food products under the name Tintex. More recently, they’ve branched out, producing ink for technical drawing and fountain pens.

At first look, Toucan inks don’t jump out as being too interesting or special. They’re bright, but their colors are pretty basic and not too terribly saturated. The beauty with these inks, though, is that they are specifically formulated so you can mix them to produce any colors you want. I haven’t played with them as yet, but I can see myself doing a bit of mad scientist work in the very near future.
… Read More

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To Sheen or Not to Sheen? That is the Frustration!

Figure Eights in Blackstone Barrier Reef Blue Ink, showing a thin ruby sheen around the edges

Before I start complaining, I just want to say that I am NOT including shimmering inks in this discussion. Sheen and shimmer are two different things, people. Let’s just get this out of the way up front:

Sheen = Ink takes on a different color (1) at different angles (usually after drying); (2) around edges; or (3) where ink pools

Shimmer = Glittery particles added to ink for sparkle (like J. Herbin and the Diamine Shimmertastic inks…although J. Herbin Emerald of Chivor has both sheen and shimmer, and I do mention that one below)

And if you’re a fan of analogies and/or vampires:

Shimmer : Sheen :: Twilight : Necroscope

Yeah I know, that doesn’t make any sense. I just wanted to cram Necroscope into the conversation. If you like vampires and haven’t read that series, you should. Faethor & Thibor would eat those other glittery sissies for lunch and… Read More

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Quick Look: Five Akkerman Inks

Akkerman Ink Swabs (Konninginne Nach-Blauw, Diep-Duinwaterblauw, Ijzer-Galnoten Blauw/Zwart, Trêves Turquoise, and Zuiderpark Blauw-Groen

Akkerman Inks: Beautiful Blues from the Kingdom of the Netherlands

P.W. Akkerman is a fountain pen shop located in The Hague, Netherlands. They’ve been in business since 1910 and carry all the biggest names in fountain pendom. I first became aware of Akkerman inks from watching Stephen Brown’s pen reviews. Stephen lives in the Netherlands and has ready access to the shop and all the goodies inside.

To celebrate their centennial anniversary, Akkerman came out with their own line of inks back in 2010. The prevailing theory is that because they’re a shop, they must have commissioned their inks from a larger ink manufacturer. Diamine does a lot of this, so a lot of people assumed that Akkerman inks were rebranded Diamine inks. The only problem with this is that no one can really draw a line between specific Akkerman and Diamine (or other brands) colors. So at the moment, it appears that Akkerman inks are unique and not rebranded anything.

Have they been commissioned by a larger ink manufacturer? I’d say that’s probably… Read More

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Sailor 1911 Standard Fountain Pen Review

The Sailor 1911 Standard Fountain Pen in its box

Dippin’ my toes into the higher-end waters to bring you the…

Sailor 1911 Standard (Profit) Fountain Pen

Price: $156.00
Nib: Extra Fine
Filling System: Converter / Cartridges (Sailor Proprietary)

About the Pen:

I’m starting to get obsessed with Sailor — and I’m not sure why. I only have one Sailor pen (this one). It’s the entry-level pen for their high-end line and I’ve only had it for a few weeks. I’m sure part of my obsession stems from the fact that Sailor’s EF nibs are extremely fine, but I don’t know what else could be fueling my obsession. Maybe it’s because… Read More

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Schneider Glam Fountain Pen Review

The Schneider Glam Fountain Pen, Capped and ready for action

I’m extremely impressed by how much I’m unimpressed with this pen.

Schneider Glam Fountain Pen

Price: $15.00
Nib: Fine
Filling System: Standard International Cartridges (and apparently nothing else)

About the Pen:

The quick review: I’d rather jam it in my eye than write with it. The end.

If you’d like a little more detail, then feel free to read on. But don’t expect a different outcome in the long version.

I recently started to run across Schneider fountain pens on eBay. The most common model I saw was the Base, which is a funny-looking thing. It sort of resembles some Faber-Castell designs…but more of a cheesy, drunk-looking version. But then I found some listings for their Glam model, and I thought it looked a little more interesting. The Glam comes in a number of different screen-printed designs, and their “Cog Wheel” design was the one that caught my eye.

So I got to looking at the pen a little more in-depth. I noticed right away that… Read More

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Delta Unica Fountain Pen Review

The Delta Unica Fountain Pen uncapped, with the pen section resting atop and perpendicular to the cap

Straight outta my “I really gotta consider more European pens, you know?” files, here’s my review of the simple yet sexy…

Delta Unica Fountain Pen

Price: $76.00
Nib: Fine (F)
Filling System: Screw-Type Piston Converter

About the Pen:

Unlike fellow Italian fountain pen manufacturers Montegrappa, Aurora, and Omas (RIP), which are pushing their century mark, Delta is a relatively new player in the field. Founded back when the Go-Go’s were sealing their lips, The Cars were shaking it up, and Joan Jett was stating the obvious (1982, in case you didn’t know), Delta has yet to hit their 35th birthday. When looking at the big players of Italian fountain pens, only Visconti (1988) has been around for less time.

Despite their relative youth, Delta smashed one out of the park with their luscious and sexy
… Read More

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Lanbitou 280 Fountain Pen Review

Lanbitou 280 Fountain Pen Capped

For the next entry in my “Inexpensive Chinese Fountain Pens” series, I would like to call your attention to the…

Lanbitou 280 Fountain Pen

Price: $7.00
Nib: Fine/Extra Fine
Filling System: International Standard Converter & Cartridges

Born of an Old Chinese Proverb:

An old Chinese Proverb states “A good memory is no match for a worn pen nib.” It’s lesson: to write everything down…a written account of an event, by its very nature, is stronger (and more accurate) than an oral tale of that account passed down through generations.

In Chinese, “worn pen nib” is translated to lan bi tou (or Lanbitou). What a beautiful name for a pen brand. I love it. It tells me that the company takes writing seriously, and that the pens that bear its name can be trusted to record all the events of my life, all the stories I hold dear, all the knowledge that I want to live on after I’m gone…. Read More

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Nemosine Singularity Fountain Pen Review

Nemosine Singularity Fountain Pen, uncapped, with the cap standing up behind the pen, which is laying down

An interesting, little $15 wonder…

Nemosine Singularity Fountain Pen

Price: $15.00
Nib: 0.6mm Stub
Filling System: Cartridge/Converter (Standard International)

About the Pen & the Company:

I really wasn’t sure what to expect from this pen. Opinions around the InnerNets are very mixed. Some love their Nemosine Singularity. Others have found them unusable. I’m definitely in the “love” category, but it does have some potentially large flaws that could be considered deal-breakers for those shopping for an inexpensive fountain pen.

Before I get into the pen too much, though, let’s chat for a spell on the company, Nemosine, as they’re sort of a big mystery…. Read More

/ / Fountain Pens, Reviews / 8 Comments

Faber-Castell Basic Fountain Pen Review

Faber-Castell Basic Fountain Pen, uncapped and looking sexy

From my “I can’t believe it’s not broader” file, I would like to introduce you to the…

Faber-Castell Basic Fountain Pen

Price: $45.00 (+ $5 for the converter)
Nib: Extra Fine
Filling System: Converter & Standard International Cartridges

About the Pen:

Founded in 1761, Faber-Castell is one of the oldest and most well known manufacturers of writing instruments and art supplies. 1761. That’s over 250 years. Two and a half centuries. We’re talking a quarter of a millennium, people. They’ve been around a while. They’ve had lots of time to perfect their products. And it shows.

I bought this pen a long time ago, and never got around to inking it up. I figured that because it’s a European pen, the nib would probably be broader than I’d prefer. When I finally tried the pen, I entered a fit of jubilation and regret: Jubilation over how fine a line it actually puts down, and regret over having let it sit in a drawer for so long.

Faber-Castell Glamor shot of the Basic Fountain Pen, capped… Read More