Posts filed under Fountain Pens

Diplomat Magnum SoftTouch Fountain Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

The sub-$50 range of fountain pens can be a really interesting group. There are solid choices that have been around for quite awhile (ahem, Lamy Safari), and there are also newcomers trying to break into this low price point. Not everyone succeeds when trying to offer a good fountain pen at this price point. With the Diplomat Magnum SoftTouch fountain pen, I think they've created a great pen for the price.

Like the name implies, the exterior material used with this pen has a soft texture that feels great in the hand. It makes the pen feel warm and comfortable, regardless of the surrounding environment. I'm not sure what the actual material is, but it has a slight rubbery feel without being tacky. It also doesn't pick up lint and other particulates very often, and does a decent job of resisting fingerprints as well.

Like the beloved Lamy Safari and AL-Star, the Magnum also features a contoured grip section, which might make or break the pen for you. I happen to enjoy contoured grips, and this one is pretty comfortable. Even though the size of the grip is somewhat small to match the small size of the pen, it's still comfortable and secure when writing. If you tend to write with a grip that doesn't conform to the "standard" three-finger grip, you might not like the contours. If you've used a Lamy Safari, AL-Star, or Vista, you can let that inform your decision with this pen since they are very similar grips.

There are several other nice visual features that compliment this pen, including a large ink window, a minimally decorated nib, a translucent finial that shows off the Diplomat logo, and a strong, branded clip that just doesn't give up. The nib size is a bit small, but it's comparable to the rest of the pen.

In use, the cap can be posted, but it doesn't feel 100% secure. I don't think the cap is in any danger of falling off with normal use, but it doesn't have any sort of reassuring sound or tactile feedback when posting to let you know it's secured. Capping the pen, however, has a satisfying click (both audible and tactile) that leaves no doubt that the cap is secure.

For the price point, the pen feels well made and is a pleasure to use. So, how does it write?

The model I have includes a stainless steel nib with a fine point, but they also offer a medium and broad point. The point matches up with the typical German sizing that you're accustomed to, and it's a great nib in use.

One of the most notable things I've come away with after writing with this pen for a while is how springy the nib is. When using a steel nib, that's not something I expect. In this case, it's a welcome surprise. The nib certainly doesn't qualify as a flex nib, but it has a noticeable spring when writing that makes it more comfortable to use while also providing feedback from the page. Think of it like the suspension on your car. This nib is soft on the page, and I have really enjoyed it. Of course, like all things, this will come down to personal preference. Either way, I think it's impressive when a steel nib feels similar to a gold nib.

Due to the springy nature of the nib, you can achieve some good line variation in normal writing. Nothing dramatic, but similar to a small stub in terms of line width variation.

In use, the pen has been incredibly reliable and consistent. I haven't had any trouble with hard starts, skipping, or ink burps. If the pen goes unused in an upright position for more than a couple weeks, it does need a minute or two on a horizontal service to re-establish ink flow, but that's better than a lot of my pens can do.

The pen takes either standard (or short) international cartridges or a standard international converter. In all, I've been really impressed with this pen given the price. Diplomat is one of those brands that you always see at pen shows. They have interesting and pleasing aesthetics, but their premium prices can put off a lot of buyers who haven't had any experience with the brand. In the case of the Magnum, I think they have a great representation of the brand as a whole that sets a precedent for their more expensive lines.

You can normally find the Magnum at Vanness for around $25.

(Vanness Pens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on February 7, 2018 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Diplomat, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Pelikan M805 Ocean Swirl Special Edition: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

The Pelikan M805 Ocean Swirl is a special edition with gorgeous turquoise swirls against a black background. The pen is complemented with palladium accents and a rhodium-plated 18k nib.

Although Pelikan calls the material used for this pen “unique,” they must mean the color, as the material appears to be common acrylic, albeit with a distinctive color and pattern. It is quite striking, especially in sunlight. It exhibits depth and chatoyance, and the color changes from turquoise to blue depending on the light.

Pelikan’s packaging is elegant, although I never know what to do with fancy boxes other than store them in my office closet in case I decide to sell the pen one day. Nevertheless, the wood-grain-like box is sturdy, and inside is a faux-leather envelope encasing the pen. I suppose you could use the envelope as a carrying case if you wanted, but it seems rather flimsy, especially the elastic band. I much prefer Franklin-Christoph’s genuine leather, zippered pen envelopes.

I used to think the M8XX series pens were too large for my hand, but over the years of pen collecting, I’ve been drawn to larger pens. I now find M400s and M600s too small, and I prefer the M800 size. It is 140mm capped, 127mm uncapped, and 165mm posted. It fits perfectly in my hand and it is well-balanced and not too heavy (29 grams). I don’t write with my pens posted, but you certainly can post this pen. I think it throws the balance off, but others might find the extra weight more comfortable.

Like most (if not all) Pelikan pens, the M805 Ocean Swirl is a piston filler. The piston turns smoothly, as you would expect from German engineering. It holds about 1.5 ml of ink. One thing I really love about Pelikan pens is that you can remove the nib easily and thoroughly clean the barrel.

The screw-on cap sports the usual Pelikan beak clip with a palladium ring engraved “Pelikan Souverän Germany.”

The cap finial is different from other Pelikan pens I own in that the birds are etched into a matte silver background. My other Pelikans have shiny finials, but I like the matte finish.

Although you can see some translucence in the cap with you hold it up to the light, the barrel is opaque. So, unlike some of the other Pelikan pens, you can’t really see the ink level.

I ordered a fine nib for my Ocean Swirl. It has Pelikan’s usual gorgeous scrollwork and bird motif.

It writes smoothly. The line is closer to a medium in width, but that’s not a surprise. Pelikan nibs tend to be wider than Japanese ones.

There’s nothing fancy or special about this fine nib—no flex or line variation, but I wasn’t expecting any. I may eventually send this nib off to have it ground into a stub or italic because those grinds make my handwriting look 100% better.

My only disappointment with this pen is the color variation. My pen has two swaths of gorgeous swirly turquoise and two swaths that appear much darker with a little turquoise. (The color difference is much more noticeable when the pen is not in direct sunlight).

*Note the beautiful swirls on this side of the pen.*

*Yet this side of the pen is much darker with glimpses of turquoise.*

I wish my pen had more consistent turquoise swirly goodness than it does. Apparently, this varies from pen to pen. So, if you want an Ocean Swirl with lots of color, I suggest that you purchase it from a brick and mortar store where you can choose a specific pen. Or, if you are ordering online, ask the retailer to send you photos of the Ocean Swirls they have in stock, and pick one with lots of turquoise.

Pelikan recently reduced their prices, which is a welcome change for pen collectors. Whereas last year the retail price for the Pelikan M800 Renaissance was $800.00, this year the M805 Ocean Swirl retails for $650. Actual purchase price varies a bit between retailers. You can purchase the Ocean Swirl from Goldspot Pens for $519.95.

Pros

The Ocean Swirl is a beautiful pen with eye-catching colors. It’s one of those pens you can stare at for a long time just for the sheer pleasure of enjoying the design.
When you buy a Pelikan, you know you’re getting a terrific piston filling mechanism and this pen is no exception.
The M8XX size is a good size for many people. The pen is well balanced and comfortable in the hand. People with small hands may find it too large, but I have small hands and the M800 size is perfect for me.
My nib wrote perfectly, straight out of the box. This is usually my experience with Pelikan pens, but there’s always a possibility of getting a dud. Just make sure you buy from a retailer that can test the nib for you prior to shipping or that has a good return policy.

Cons

My only complaint about this pen is that mine doesn’t have enough turquoise color to it. It has two swaths of turquoise and two swaths of black, and if I don’t screw the cap on just right, the swaths don’t match up, which makes me crazy. I strongly suggest that you ask to see the Ocean Swirl before you purchase it.

(I purchased the Pelikan M805 Ocean Swirl with my own funds with a discount from Vanness Pens.)

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Posted on January 12, 2018 by Susan Pigott and filed under Pelikan, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

ystudio Brassing Desk Fountain Pen Review

I admit I’m a bit of a ystudio fanboy. I fell instantly in love with their design when I first saw them (from Patrick Ng on Instagram I’m certain) and found a shop called Kohezi in Amsterdam in 2016 to get the Brassing Ballpoint from. To use the great stationery cliché, it was love at first write.

As great as it was, the release of the fountain pen in late 2016 really set me off. It was an instant hit - for me anyway - and became one of my most used pens of 2017. I still get complete enjoyment every time I ink it up and use it.

Since I’m committed to that ystudio life now, you know I was going to get the Brassing Desk Fountain Pen from JetPens the minute I could. And - spoiler alert - it’s everything I hoped it would be.

For starters, it is a big pen, as a desk pen should be. The base is heavy, and the brass barrel with #6 nib fits in perfectly and securely. If there was any question I had about using a desk pen, it was if the nib would dry out being left in the base for weeks or months at a time. I haven’t hit the months mark yet, but weeks have been no issue. The nib writes the second it hits the page, with no priming or startup scribbling required. It is instantly good when I am ready to write.

The size and brass construction also had me wondering if it was going to be too heavy to write for any length of time. It’s not. In fact, the barrel weight is only slightly more than the much smaller standard ystudio fountain pen, 1.25 oz vs. 1.00 oz. The concave section fits my grip perfectly, and it is well balanced in the hand, so I don’t even notice the weight that much. Sure, it’s more than an acrylic or ebonite barrel, but still within a reasonable range.

As I mentioned earlier, the desk pen comes with a larger #6 Schmidt nib. It was smooth and wet right out of the box, although for my specific needs, I’ll be looking to swap in something finer than the stock Fine nib for every day use. Any Jowo nib or nib unit will swap in easily.

While my love for the brand knows no bounds, there is one issue with the lineup overall: The price. These are expensive pens. The standard fountain pen is $160 at JetPens, and the Desk Pen is $180. They are beautifully made, highly functional, and fit my personal aesthetic to a tee, but I understand they will not fall into the great value category. The steel nib alone is enough to make buyers balk at this price point, and rightfully so.

It comes down to style and use case, especially when considering the desk pen. If I could only choose one ystudio product it would be the standard fountain pen without question. The desk pen is a much more particular category. It looks amazing and functions perfectly, but will you use it enough to justify the high price? Right now, it is a great fit on my desk, but I’ll see if it stays there long term. I’m guessing it will.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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